NBA Player News

Drummond won't start against the Bucks on Tuesday, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.

With Joel Embiid (knee) back in action, Drummond will slide to the second unit. The veteran big man is a viable streaming option whenever Embiid is unavailable, though the latter has recorded a DNP-CD in four straight games with Embiid in the lineup, meaning Drummond isn't guaranteed to see meaningful playing time Tuesday.

Embiid (knee) will start Tuesday versus the Bucks, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.

Embiid is back after a one-game absence. He'll be joined in the first unit by Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George and Kelly Oubre. Embiid has logged 30-plus minutes and has scored at least 30 points in four straight games, and he'll look to make it five in a row Tuesday evening.

Horford (rest) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Jazz.

Horford is set to return to action after sitting out Monday's loss to Minnesota -- the second leg of a back-to-back set. The veteran big man has logged at least 19 minutes in each of his last six outings (one start), averaging 7.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 blocks across 21.3 minutes per contest during that span.

Landale (personal) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Hornets.

Landale missed Monday's loss to Houston due to personal reasons but will return to action Wednesday. Over 10 January appearances (seven starts), the big man has averaged 13.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 26.3 minutes per contest. With Landale returning to action, there will be fewer minutes available for the likes of Olivier-Maxence Prosper, John Konchar and GG Jackson.

Williams won't play in Tuesday's game against the Wizards due to left knee injury management, per Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site.

Tuesday is the back end of the Trail Blazers' back-to-back set, so it's not a shock to see the oft-injured big man receive a maintenance day. The expectation is that Williams will be available to play Friday against the Knicks. Portland is down to rookie first-rounder Yang Hansen as the top backup center behind Donovan Clingan.

Boucher (illness) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's game against the Hawks.

Boucher was not available for Monday's win over Portland due to an illness but will suit up Wednesday. The big man hasn't seen the court since Nov. 23 and isn't guaranteed to play against Atlanta. However, he's a candidate to enter the rotation if Neemias Queta (illness) and Luka Garza (illness) are both ruled out.

Queta (illness) is doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Hawks.

Queta has been dealing with a lingering illness of late and is now likely to miss his first game since late November. If the big man is ultimately ruled out, Amari Williams will likely see an uptick in minutes, especially if Luka Garza (illness) remains sidelined.

Ware (hamstring) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Magic.

Ware has missed the past four games for Miami, but he practiced Tuesday, which is an encouraging sign for his status for Wednesday's game. We'll have a better idea on his availability based on his activity level at shootaround, but if he is able to get back out there, Nikola Jovic's minutes would dip.

Jokic (knee) will be re-evaluated in about one week, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.

"He is making great progress; he's in the ramp-up phase of his return-to-play process," Charania added. Jokic, who hasn't played since Dec. 29 due to a left knee bone bruise, was cleared for on-court workouts on Jan. 14. He has continued to trend in the right direction, setting up a potential return in early February.

Bitadze (coach's decision) didn't play in Monday's 114-98 loss to the Cavaliers.

Before head coach Jamahl Mosley opted to remove Bitadze from the rotation entirely Monday, the seventh-year center's role already appeared to be trending down over the last handful of games once fellow center Moritz Wagner was cleared to make his season debut. Though Bitadze offers more rim protection than Wagner, the Magic may prefer the stronger offensive skill set Wagner brings to the table when starter Wendell Carter is off the court. Unless Carter ends up missing time at some point, Bitadze looks as though he may face an uphill battle to see enough minutes on a game-by-game basis to provide much of a meaningful fantasy impact.