NBA Player News

The Clippers waived Sharp on Friday, Jake Fischer of BleacherReport.com reports.

Sharp was on a two-way contract with the Clippers for a little over a month. He's coming off an impressive 2025-26 campaign with the Texas Legends in the G League, averaging an impressive 3.9 blocks per game.

Kessler (shoulder) is fully healthy and has been cleared for the start of the season, according to Lakers president Rob Pelinka, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.

Kessler underwent shoulder surgery back in November, but Pelinka said the big man is looking forward to playing in a lot of games this year. The 25-year-old appears on track to enter training camp without restrictions and should have a prominent role in Los Angeles' frontcourt with Luka Doncic setting him up with easy looks.

Mavericks president Masai Ujiri said Friday that Lively (foot) is "making good progress" in his recovery, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Ujiri noted that Lively has progressed to shooting and is working toward running on the court, though Dallas intends to remain patient with the 22-year-old. Lively underwent right foot surgery in December after appearing in just seven regular-season games in 2025-26, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per game. He has yet to be cleared for training camp, and his status for the beginning of the regular season remains uncertain.

Duren and the Pistons remain in a standoff over contract negotiations, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

The gap in negotiations between the two sides has been well-documented this offseason. With the preseason looming, the two parties are running out of time to reach a compromise at this point. As it stands, Duren is a restricted free agent but would be primed for a big role at center if he accepts the qualifying offer or lands an extension and stays with a Pistons team that shipped out Isaiah Stewart over the summer.

The Knicks want Towns to take a pay cut on a potential contract extension, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

Towns is under team control for 2026-27 before having a player option for 2027-28. Jalen Brunson is eligible for an extension next year, so Towns may have to settle for a discount in order for New York to maintain its championship core in the future. The star big man appears to be a pretty safe second-round pick in fantasy drafts this year, having averaged at least 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and nearly one steal while shooting at least 50 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the charity stripe in back-to-back seasons for the Knicks.

Poeltl is moving well and "looks good" ahead of training camp, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Webster added that spending time at home helped Poeltl reset ahead of the upcoming campaign. The positive update suggests the veteran center is in good shape entering camp, though his workload and status will be worth monitoring as Toronto begins preseason preparations. Injuries limited Poeltl to 46 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

General manager Will Dawkins said during Thursday's press conference that Davis (finger) is "very much a motivated player" and that he expects the veteran big man to bounce back in 2026-27.

Davis was limited to only 20 regular-season appearances with Dallas last season due to health issues, but Dawkins said the 10-time All-Star is currently in a "great frame of mind." Washington also views Davis as a starting-caliber center in a revamped frontcourt featuring Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton. Davis and the Wizards reportedly postponed contract extension discussions earlier this offseason, but Dawkins declined to specifically address those talks Thursday.

Sarr will be a partial participant when training camp begins as he continues his recovery from surgery to repair a fractured right foot,Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

General manager Will Dawkins said Thursday that Sarr is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, so the limited workload to begin camp appears precautionary. Sarr underwent surgery in mid-June, and his progress during the preseason will be worth monitoring, but there currently doesn't appear to be significant concern about his availability for Opening Night.

Lively (foot) has not been cleared to participate in training camp yet and is slowly ramping up to begin basketball activity, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.

Lively underwent right foot surgery in December after appearing in just seven regular-season games (four starts), during which he averaged 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.6 steals across 16.4 minutes per contest. MacMahon notes that Lively has not suffered a setback. However, the big man is still in jeopardy of missing time to begin the 2026-27 regular season, and it wouldn't be surprising if he operates under a heavy minutes restriction upon his return. If the 22-year-old misses an extended period, Daniel Gafford, Santi Aldama (knee) and Morez Johnson would be candidates for increased burn.

Adams (ankle) didn't offer a return timetable Monday at media day, per Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle.

Adams referred to the ankle surgery he underwent in January as "complicated." The veteran center's status will remain worth monitoring throughout training camp and the preseason. Clint Capela should take on the leftover reps as the No. 2 center until Adams is cleared for action.