NBA Player News

Coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday that Jones (ankle) is good to go for practice, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Jones appears to have fully recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of Summer League. The 23-year-old big man will now have the opportunity to compete for a regular-season roster spot during training camp.

Coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday that Bamba will be out of 5-on-5 practice due to a knee injury, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

It's unclear when Bamba suffered his knee injury, but it will keep him limited in practice for the start of training camp. The 26-year-old's first chance to suit up for the Clippers will come during Saturday's preseason opener against Golden State.

Coach Will Hardy said Tuesday he anticipates Kessler playing a lot with the starters during the preseason, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.

After starting 40 games in 2022-23, Kessler made only 22 starts last year. Hardy was far from committal about Kessler being a starter to begin the 2024-25 campaign, but it does sound like the youngster will at least get a chance to compete for the top spot. The Jazz have a deep frontcourt with a solid mix of prospects and veteran players, and it's unclear how the playing time will be sorted out. For now, Lauri Markkanen and John Collins are the only guys guaranteed starter minutes.

Carter (hand) practiced Tuesday, Philip Rossman-Reich of OrlandoMagicDaily.com reports.

Carter underwent surgery in May to stabilize the third metacarpal in his left hand, but as expected, he'll be available to start the 2024-25 campaign. The big man was wearing a wrap around his left hand during Tuesday's practice, so there may still be limitations early on, but Carter's full participation is encouraging at this point in the preseason.

Bagley (knee) was a full participant during Tuesday's practice, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

Bagley missed six straight games to end the 2023-24 regular season, but that was likely precautionary. The Duke product carved out a consistent role after a mid-season trade to Washington last year and produced enough to be fantasy-relevant. However, after the Wizards' offseason acquisition of Jonas Valanciunas, Bagley will be competing for backup frontcourt minutes with Alex Sarr, Richaun Holmes and Tristan Vukcevic.

Maker and the Rockets agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal Tuesday, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports.

Maker will have an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in training camp. He has 263 career NBA games under his belt, holding averages of 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks.

Portland general manager Joe Cronin said Monday that Williams (knee) has been cleared for training camp this week, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com reports.

Cronin did caution that the team will hold Williams out of some preseason activities, but he anticipates that the center will be ready for the season. Williams is coming off knee surgery and is likely to have some restrictions early on, but he'll have stiff competition for playing time with Deandre Ayton and Donovan Clingan at the center spot.

Embiid said Monday that he lost 25-30 pounds this offseason in an effort to be healthier during the playoffs, Sam DiGiovanni of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Embiid added that there's no agenda this season other than winning during the postseason. Embiid is a seven-time All-Star and was named the 2023 NBA MVP, not to mention a laundry list of other accolades, but the big man has struggled to perform at his peak when it matters most. The emergence of Tyrese Maxey and the addition of Paul George should ease Embiid's regular-season burden, but it'll be interesting to see how the 76ers handle their star player this season. Embiid made 39 regular-season appearances last season -- his fewest since his rookie campaign -- and has never played more than 70 games in his eight-year career.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields said Monday that Okongwu (toe) is not 100 percent healthy entering training camp, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.

Okongwu underwent a non-surgical procedure back on April 11 to address ongoing inflammation in his left big toe, and it's a concern that he's still not 100 percent. Fields did indicate that Okongwu is progressing in the right direction, but fantasy managers will want to watch this situation closely during the preseason because he has considerable upside if he can get his health right.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Monday that Wiseman is dealing with a groin issue that will limit his availability during training camp, Tony East of SI.com reports.

Carlisle added that Wiseman had a great offseason with the team and impressed the coaching staff. Carlisle also said he hopes to simplify Wiseman's role on the court and anticipates that the rest of the roster will enjoy playing with him.