NBA Player News

Davis (adductor) is expected to play in Thursday's game against the 76ers, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.

Davis has missed the Mavericks' last two games due to right adductor soreness, though head coach Jason Kidd said Wednesday that he expects Davis to play about 30-34 minutes Thursday, per Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Sports. With the star big man expected to return, Dwight Powell should see a significant decline in playing time. In 10 appearances during December, Davis averaged 21.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals in 30.0 minutes per game.

Hukporti (lips) is available for Wednesday's game against the Spurs.

Hukporti will shed his questionable tag and suit up Wednesday after sustaining a lip laceration in Monday's win over the Pelicans. The big man has appeared in three of the Knicks' last four games and will likely continue to see increased burn with Mitchell Robinson (ankle) sidelined.

Eubanks (thumb) supplied six points (3-4 FG) and three rebounds over 13 minutes during Tuesday's 131-90 loss to the Clippers.

Eubanks returned from a seven-game absence due to a left thumb avulsion fracture Tuesday, and the big man was productive in his limited playing time. Maxime Raynaud is expected to start for as long as Domantas Sabonis (knee) is sidelined, though Eubanks will likely continue to see backup center minutes going forward.

Hayes (ankle) racked up 13 points (5-5 FG, 3-5 FT), two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 18 minutes during Tuesday's 128-106 loss to the Pistons.

Hayes returned from a two-game absence Tuesday due to a left ankle injury and made his presence felt. The big man scored in double figures for just the third time this month, leading the second unit in points and finishing as Los Angeles' third-leading scorer. In 10 appearances during December, the 25-year-old center averaged 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds across 16.7 minutes per tilt.

Plumlee underwent surgery to address his right groin injury and will be reevaluated in six weeks, the Hornets announced Wednesday.

Plumlee had missed four consecutive games with a strained right groin before going under the knife. The veteran center will be sidelined until at least mid-February. While he's sidelined, PJ Hall will likely step into the third-string center role behind Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) and Moussa Diabate.

Raynaud provided 12 points (5-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds and two blocks over 35 minutes during Tuesday's 131-90 loss to the Clippers.

Raynaud was one of the few bright spots for the Kings, as he continued to display a firm handle on the starting gig as the team's big man amid the absence of Domantas Sabonis (knee). Drew Eubanks logged only 13 minutes as the backup, which is solid evidence that the team will stick with Raynaud moving forward.

Niederhauser provided 16 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-6 FT), six rebounds, two assists and one block across 25 minutes during Tuesday's 131-90 victory over the Kings.

Although John Collins made an appearance despite an injury tag, the team elected to sit him midway through the third quarter. Niederhauser stepped in and scored 11 of his 16 points in cleanup duty. Ivica Zubac's (ankle) absence has affected the depth chart, and it's given the 2025 first-round pick a bit of a minute boost. The Penn State product isn't relevant in fantasy at the moment, but he could see more time if injuries mount in the frontcourt.

Duren provided 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and five steals over 28 minutes during Tuesday's 128-106 win over the Lakers.

Duren and Isaiah Stewart kept Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes in check, and the two big men shared the court more frequently than usual in the decisive win. Duren eventually took a seat in the fourth quarter and left the cleanup work to Stewart, which is one reason for the slightly lower total.

Koloko contributed zero points (0-2 FG), three rebounds and two assists over 20 minutes during Tuesday's 139-136 overtime loss to the 76ers.

Koloko received his first start of the season, failing to score in 20 minutes. While he has played at least 20 minutes in three straight games, Koloko has by no means been an impactful player, having scored a total of eight points in that time. Jock Landale returned from a calf injury Tuesday and could eventually supplant Koloko in the starting lineup.

Landale closed Tuesday's 139-136 overtime loss to the 76ers with six points (3-7 FG, 0-3 3Pt), three rebounds, two assists and one block in 18 minutes.

Landale returned after missing the past two games due to a calf injury, logging 18 minutes. Christian Koloko was given the starting nod, although he may give that up once Landale is fully recovered. While this wasn't his best performance, Landale remains a fringe option in standard formats, assuming he pushes back to 25 minutes per game.