Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden joined a slew of players in the NBA's health and safety protocols on Tuesday.

These developments placed their respective teams in an uneasy position as their laundry list of roster woes became more concerning. The Bucks, already without Brook Lopez for an undetermined amount of time, are on their toes due to Khris Middleton's injury. Meanwhile, the Nets have almost half of their roster on the shelf due to COVID-19 concerns.

Moreover, Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden's situations hang a cloud of uncertainty above the NBA's Christmas Day games, per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Even amid the NBA history being recorded tonight at MSG, impossible not to note that James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo both entered the league's health and safety protocols today, putting their Christmas Day availability in jeopardy if both are sidelined for a full 10 days.

The Bucks and Boston Celtics are scheduled for an afternoon clash on December 25th, with Antetokounmpo's matchup against Jayson Tatum being the main draw. On the Nets' end of the spectrum, their game against the Los Angeles Lakers is pegged as one of the top contests on Christmas Day.

Antetokounmpo and Harden can still return at a much earlier date if they end up having two consecutive negative test results.

The Nets, Bucks, and Chicago Bulls have their own lineup dilemmas, giving the Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently sit at fourth place in the Eastern Conference, a golden opportunity to climb up the standings.