NBA Player News

Plumlee won't play in Thursday's game against Phoenix due to return-to-competition reconditioning, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

Plumlee signed a 10-day contract Tuesday, but he'll require an uncertain amount of time to ramp up before being available to make his Spurs debut. The veteran center underwent surgery in late December to address a groin injury, and his injury type being only conditioning indicates he's recovered from the issue. His next chance to play will come Saturday against Sacramento.

Embiid has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Hawks due to right shin soreness and right knee injury management, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

Embiid was held out of the 76ers' final two games before the All-Star break due to right knee injury management. However, a shin issue cropped up over the break, so Embiid will be held out of Thursday's contest with the hopes that he'll be available to return against the Pelicans on Saturday. Adem Bona and Andre Drummond will continue to cover most of the minutes at center in Embiid's absence.

Cardwell sprained his left ankle at Tuesday's practice and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.

The timing is unfortunate for the rookie with Domantas Sabonis (knee) set to miss the remainder of the season. Based on this timetable, the earliest possible return for Cardwell is March 19. The rookie has been a bright spot for the team, posting 5.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 21.2 minutes across 29 appearances. Maxime Raynaud should step into a starting role until Cardwell is cleared to play again.

Sabonis underwent season-ending knee surgery Wednesday to repair a torn left meniscus, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

With the 12-44 Kings' season circling the drain, Sabonis elected to go under the knife after attempting play through the injury this season. The star big man averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 29.7 minutes per tilt across a career-low 19 games this year before going down. With Dylan Cardwell (ankle) now sidelined for the foreseeable future, rookie second-rounder Maxime Raynaud has a big opportunity to seize the lion's share of the center minutes going forward.

Collins (toe) is out for Thursday's game against the Raptors.

Collins has been sidelined since late December with a sprained right toe, and his timeline for a return remains murky at best. With the big man looking to be week-to-week, the backup center minutes behind Jalen Smith (calf) belong to Nick Richards and Guerschon Yabusele in the interim.

Claxton won't play Thursday against the Cavaliers due to a right ankle sprain, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Claxton had missed the Nets' final game prior to the All-Star break due to right hip soreness, but after recovering from that injury, he rolled his right ankle at practice Wednesday and will miss another contest. In Claxton's absence, Day'Ron Sharpe will start at center and could be in line for a 30-plus-minute role if he's able to stay out of foul trouble.

Head coach Steve Kerr said that Porzingis (Achilles) practiced Tuesday and will participate in a scrimmage Wednesday before the Warriors determine his status for Thursday's game against the Celtics, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.

Porzingis was traded from Atlanta to Golden State on Feb. 4 but hasn't played since Jan. 7 due to a lingering left Achilles injury. The Warriors are expected to provide another update on the veteran big man's status after Wednesday's scrimmage, and for now, he should be considered questionable for Thursday's contest.

Head coach Rick Carlisle said that Zubac (ankle) was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice and that it's going to be "a while" until he returns to game action, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Zubac was traded from Los Angeles to Indiana on Feb. 5 but has yet to make his Pacers debut due to a left ankle sprain. It appears likely that the 15-40 Pacers will give the big man ample time to ramp up, as they aren't expected to make a postseason push. In the meantime, Jay Huff and Micah Potter should continue to see significant minutes. Zubac should be considered week-to-week until Indiana offers an update on his progress.

Plumlee (groin) signed a 10-day contract with the Spurs on Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Plumlee underwent surgery in late December to address a right groin injury before being traded from Charlotte to Oklahoma City in early February. However, the veteran big man was waived shortly thereafter. It's unclear whether Plumlee will be cleared to suit up immediately, though he can be considered questionable for Thursday's game against the Suns. Over 14 regular-season appearances (two starts) with the Hornets in 2025-26, he averaged 1.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per contest.

Wembanyama recorded 19 points (6-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT) and two rebounds across 10 minutes in Team World's 48-45 loss to Team Stripes in Game 3 of the All-Star Game tournament.

Wembanyama led his team in scoring in the decisive Game 3, but his missed three-point attempt at the buzzer sealed the loss. Wembanyama stood out in the team's opening contest as well, logging team highs of 14 points (4-5 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and three blocks. The star center came into All-Star Weekend averaging 26.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.5 steals in 29.3 minutes per contest over his last six regular-season appearances.