NBA Player News

Carter will play a reserve role in Saturday's Game 1 matchup with the Cavaliers.

Carter was nursing back issues heading into the playoffs and came off the bench in Orlando's regular-season finale. He was not on the injury report heading into Game 1, so it is unclear if the decision has anything to do with his back. Jonathan Isaac will again start at center in Carter's place.

Valanciunas ended Friday's 105-98 Play-In Game win over the Kings with 19 points (8-16 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 27 minutes.

Valanciunas was a non-factor in the loss against the Lakers during the first round of the Play-In Tournament. However, he stepped up in a big way Friday to help New Orleans avoid elimination and posted his second double-double since the beginning of April. With Zion Williamson (hamstring) sidelined, the Pelicans will likely need more consistent production from Valanciunas in the paint.

Sabonis produced 23 points (9-14 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-5 FT), 14 rebounds, seven assists, one block and three steals over 42 minutes during Friday's 105-98 Play-In loss to the Hornets.

Sabonis tacked on a couple more double-doubles in the postseason, but he and the Kings will go no further this season. Sabonis may not contribute across the board like some other top-tier fantasy assets, but it's tough to ignore the 19.4 points, league-leading 13.7 rebounds and career-high 8.2 assists he averaged over 82 appearances during the 2023-24 campaign.

Vucevic notched 16 points (7-17 FG, 2-5 3Pt), 14 rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals over 35 minutes during Friday's 112-91 Play-In Game loss to the Heat.

Vucevic turned in a valiant effort in Friday's elimination game, but the Heat cruised to a big victory with the help of Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez. Vucevic was held in check offensively along with the rest of the Chicago squad, as the Bulls were held to 91 points on 38.0 percent shooting from the field. The 33-year-old closed the season with four consecutive double-doubles.

Adebayo finished Friday's 112-91 Play-In Game win over the Bulls with 13 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), four rebounds, four assists and two blocks over 32 minutes.

Adebayo didn't have the type of performance one would expect in a big-time game, but he was calculated in his chances and enjoyed the show as Tyler Herro led the Heat to victory with a massive showing. Friday marked Adebayo's lowest rebounding total since April 10, so he'll need to get back on track on the glass early during Miami's upcoming series against Boston if the Heat are going to pull off another upset.

Davis (back) is probable for Saturday's Game 1 against Denver, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

Davis continues to be added to the injury report due to low back soreness, but the issue isn't expected to keep him out of Saturday's action. The team should confirm his availability closer to tipoff.

Drummond (ankle) is available for Friday's Play-In Game against the Heat, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Drummond missed the final three games of the regular season with a left ankle sprain but returned to action for Wednesday's victory over Atlanta, putting up four points, four rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 11 minutes. In a win-or-go-home scenario, the Bulls may limit Drummond's playing time again, especially if Nikola Vucevic stays out of foul trouble.

Embiid is questionable for Game 1 of the first-round series against the Knicks on Saturday due to left knee injury recovery.

Embiid appeared in five of the final seven regular-season matchups, averaging 30.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 30.6 minutes, after returning from a 29-game absence at the beginning of April. He also posted 23 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and a steal in 38 minutes during Philadelphia's Play-In victory over Miami on Wednesday. Embiid will likely be a regular on the injury report throughout the postseason, but barring a setback or new injury, it'd be surprising if the reigning MVP missed time.

Coach Jason Kidd said Friday that Lively (knee) is trending in the right direction and is on track to play in Sunday's Game 1 against the Clippers, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Lively missed the final eight regular-season games due to a right knee sprain but returned to full practices this week and has avoided a setback thus far. If available, the rookie will likely handle a backup role behind Daniel Gafford, but Lively has proven to be an excellent fit in Dallas and should still play around 20 minutes per game in the playoffs.

The Spurs announced Thursday that Collins suffered a torn labrum in the regular-season finale against the Pistons on April 14 and will undergo surgery in the offseason, Nick Moyle of The San Antonio Express News reports.

Collins will undergo shoulder surgery in the coming days, and even though a specific date has not been determined yet, the Spurs expect the veteran big man to fully recover for the start of the 2024-25 season. He averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game across 69 appearances this year, which included a career-high 29 starts.