NBA Player News

Collins (back) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Trail Blazers, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

Collins sustained a bilateral lower back contusion after only three minutes of play during Sunday's win over the Pelicans. With the big man sidelined, Charles Bassey will likely see an uptick in playing time behind Victor Wembanyama.

Poeltl is not starting Thursday against the Heat due to back spasms, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Poeltl apparently felt something during warmups and has been downgraded to doubtful, so his chances of seeing the court Thursday have reduced significantly. This means Bruno Fernando will start at center, while Chris Boucher could also see a role off the bench. Poeltl isn't likely to step on the hardwood.

Fernando will start over Jakob Poeltl (back spasms) in Thursday's game against the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Poeltl was a late scratch and has been downgraded to doubtful, meaning his chances of seeing the floor Thursday are very slim. Fernando should see plenty of minutes at center, with Chris Boucher also expected to see an expanded role off the bench.

Nurkic (thigh) is off the injury report for Friday's game against Utah.

Nurkic is slated to return from a five-game absence due to a left ankle sprain and a right thigh contusion. The big man has averaged 8.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists across 24.0 minutes per contest over his last five outings.

Horford will enter the starting lineup in Thursday's game against Detroit, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports.

With Jayson Tatum (knee) sidelined, Horford will return to the starting frontcourt alongside Kristaps Porzingis. Horford has been a mainstay in the starting five, and over his last five starts the veteran big man has averaged 11.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 blocks across 32.4 minutes per contest.

Bamba (knee) is available for Friday's game against Denver, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Bamba sat out Sunday's loss to the Rockets due to left knee injury management, though he'll suit up Friday after nearly a week of rest. The big man has averaged 3.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks across 13.2 minutes per contest over his last five outings.

Vucevic is questionable for Friday's game against the Hornets due to an illness.

Vucevic has yet to miss a game this season, and the questionable tag puts him at risk of sitting out Friday's matchup. Even though Vucevic has gone three straight outings without a double-double, the veteran big man has been one of the Bulls' best players in recent weeks. He's averaging 21.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game across his last 10 contests.

Duren (wrist) is out for Thursday's game against the Celtics.

Duren was a late addition to the injury report earlier Thursday, and the star big man will sit out this matchup against Boston due to this wrist injury. It's unclear if it's an issue that will force Duren to miss extended time, but until a more precise timeline for his return is provided, he should be considered questionable to face the Heat on Monday. This means Isaiah Stewart is likely to move into the starting lineup.

Davis (foot) is probable for Friday's game against Minnesota, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.

Davis has been a mainstay on the injury report while he deals with left foot plantar fasciitis, though he hasn't missed a matchup since Nov. 6. The star big man will continue to serve as the club's clear-cut top option with LeBron James (foot) sidelined for a second consecutive outing. Davis has cooled off slightly after a strong start scoring the rock this season, and in his last 10 outings he has averaged 23.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals across 35.8 minutes per contest.

Edey (ankle) is doubtful for Friday's game against the Nets.

The towering big man might be able to return earlier than initially expected, as a Dec. 5 report signaled he would be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks. However, the doubtful tag suggests his chances of suiting up Friday are slim. Edey hasn't played since Nov. 17.