NBA Player News

Hayes will start in Tuesday's game against Denver.

Jusuf Nurkic (foot) is sidelined, so Hayes will start in the rematch with the Nuggets. The 26-year-old started nine times with the Lakers in 2025-26, averaging 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals over 27.4 minutes in those appearances.

Kessler (finger) won't play in Tuesday's exhibition game against the Warriors, Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Kessler will miss a second consecutive preseason game after jamming his finger during training camp. The big man will aim to make his preseason debut Thursday at home against the Kings, but the Lakers will take a cautious approach to keep the injury from lingering into the regular season.

Horford will come off the bench for Tuesday's preseason game against the Lakers and he will not travel to Portland for Wednesday's exhibition, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.

The Warriors will go with a small-ball starting lineup Tuesday, featuring Draymond Green and Yaxel Lendeborg in the post, with Horford shifting to the second unit. It's unlikely the 40-year-old veteran will earn enough consistent minutes in Golden State this season to warrant a roster spot in most fantasy leagues.

Nurkic (foot) is listed as out for Tuesday's preseason game against Denver.

Nurkic is dealing with a foot issue, so he will miss Utah's second preseason game on the schedule. With Kyle Filipowski (back) also sidelined, Jaxson Hayes, Mo Bamba and Jonas Aidoo should handle the bulk of the minutes at the center position.

Missi will start in Tuesday's preseason game against the Thunder, Andrew Lopez of Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network reports.

Joining Missi in the first unit for Tuesday's exhibition will be Dejounte Murray, Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson. Across 14 starts last season, Missi averaged 7.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 blocks per contest.

Mara is in the starting lineup for Tuesday's preseason game against the Pelicans, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman reports.

The Thunder are resting several key rotation members, meaning Mara will get the nod at center. The rookie was the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and will battle Jaylin Williams for the backup center role behind Isaiah Hartenstein, so a strong preseason will be key to winning that gig.

Porzingis (undisclosed) remains out indefinitely, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.com.

The Warriors still aren't ready to offer up a return timeline for Porzingis, who's battling an undisclosed issue. The big man carries plenty of upside on a per-game basis in the later rounds of fantasy drafts, but he's reached the 60-game mark just one time in the past eight regular seasons.

Hukporti has been diagnosed with a season-ending ruptured right Achilles tendon, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

Hukporti went down with an Achilles injury in Monday's preseason opener against the Knicks, and an MRI has since revealed a rupture. He signed a one-year deal with the 76ers over the summer, so Hukporti will be an unrestricted free agent come season's end. With Hukporti's year already finished, Adem Bona (foot) should assume the backup center role behind Joel Embiid.

Collins (toe) was a big part of Tuesday's practice, Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reports.

Coach Tiago Splitter said Collins probably needs a bit more time before getting the green light to return. For now, he can be considered questionable at best for Wednesday's preseason game against the Suns.

Turner recorded seven points (1-5 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block across 19 minutes in Monday's 116-97 preseason loss to the Timberwolves.

Turner provided a full stat line in Milwaukee's preseason opener Monday. The veteran center is a rumored trade candidate but has two years left of team control on his contract, including 2026-27, so the rebuilding Bucks might want to see Turner revert closer back to form from his time with the Pacers before considering swinging a deal.