Players hardly noticing new contact-tracing devices thus far

The Miami Heat embarked on their six-day, four-game road trip with an extra piece of luggage attached to them.

Starting Thursday, players and many team staff members (including coaches) began wearing contact sensor devices as part of the league’s contact-tracing program amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an ESPN report.

The report stated that players are required to wear the devices on the team plane and bus, during practices and “to and from the arena or their home practice facility in connection with team travel,” but they won’t have to wear them during games or at team hotels on road trips.

The sensors activate when a person wearing it comes into close contact with someone else wearing one. The device will record “the distance and duration of in-person interactions” to help with contact tracing in the occurrence someone tests positive for COVID-19, but they don’t track individual’s locations or where they go

“You really don’t even know that you have it on,” said Tyler Herro ahead of the Heat’s road trip, which starts Saturday against the Washington Wizards.

Miami plays the Celtics on Sunday in Boston before ending its road trip against the 76ers on Tuesday and Thursday in Philadelphia.

“You just tuck it in your pants on this little velcro thing and you really can’t even tell, so it’s not that big of a deal for us,” Herro said.

The New York Times tweeted that while the players didn’t have to use them, the sensors were mandatory for team and league staff members and media while the NBA concluded the 2019-20 season at the quarantined “bubble” at Disney World near Orlando.

Luckily for the players and coaches, they shouldn’t have to worry about beeping during practices or travel when individuals are in close contact for longer periods of time, with ESPN reporting that the sensor’s “proximity alarm” feature is expected to be disabled this season.

“We’re going to adapt,” Goran Dragic said. “It’s no problem. We’re going to have the sensors around our necks when we fly, when we’re in hotel, and then when we practice we’ve got it in our shorts.

“It’s not a big deal.”

All hands on deck

Erik Spoelstra replied “yes” when asked Friday afternoon if everyone was expected to travel for the team’s road trip.

The Heat coach said Moe Harkless, who missed Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics with a bruised left arm, practiced Friday.

Guard Gabe Vincent (probable with right knee soreness) was the lone player listed on the Heat’s injury report for Saturday’s game, meaning Miami should have all 17 players available for selection to its 15-man active game-day roster.

Whether Andre Iguodala is a part of the Heat’s rotation against the Wizards remains to be seen.

The lone game the 17-year NBA veteran hasn’t played in so far this season was on Dec. 29 against the Milwaukee Bucks in Miami, with the Heat playing the Bucks again the following night at AmericanAirlines Arena.

“We’ll see — kind of just playing it by ear and seeing how things go,” Iguodala said about playing back-tobacks this year. “It’s kind of crazy. Starting tomorrow, it’s every other day with some back-to-backs thrown in until March.

“Sounds pretty exciting for a guy who’s about to be 37. Just trying to enjoy it every day.”