NBA Player News

Towns (illness) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Timberwolves, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.

Towns is dealing with an illness, but it won't keep him off the floor against this old team. The veteran big man is coming off an impressive 33-point double-double in the blowout win over the Wizards. He's currently averaging 20.4 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from deep.

Adams (hip) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.

Adams is dealing with a hip issue that will keep him sidelined. Clint Capela and Jeff Green will likely be turned to to shoulder the load in the frontcourt.

Allen (finger) will play in Wednesday's game against Philadelphia barring a setback in pregame warmups, Spencer Davies of SI.com reports.

For the first time this season, the Cavaliers' entire core four of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Allen will be available. Allen has missed back-to-back games with a fractured finger on his left hand, but the 27-year-old center appears to be a full-go Wednesday. Per Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Allen will wear a protective splint on the finger. He's averaging 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Holmgren (lower back sprain) will not play Wednesday against Portland.

Holmgren returned from a three-game absence during Tuesday's 126-107 victory over the Clippers, finishing with 11 points (4-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal over 30 minutes. The Thunder will play it safe on the second leg of this back-to-back set, however. In Holmgren's absence, the Thunder will likely rely on Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.

Sabonis (ribs) will not play Wednesday against Golden State, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.

Sabonis was unable to shake his questionable tag and will miss his first game since Opening Night. Fantasy managers can expect him to be listed as day-to-day going forward. With Sabonis sidelined Wednesday, the Kings could rely on guys like Drew Eubanks and new signing Precious Achiuwa.

Horford (rest) is available for Wednesday's game against the Kings.

After missing the front end of this back-to-back set, Horford is all set to return. The Warriors have submitted a lengthy injury report for Wednesday evening, so Horford may see increased usage.

Hayes (ankle) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Hayes has been dealing with an ankle issue, but it won't keep him off the floor. In five games played this season, the veteran center is averaging 5.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, shooting 76.5 percent from the field.

Nurkic is expected to occupy a starting role for the foreseeable future due to Walker Kessler's season-ending shoulder surgery.

With Kessler out the past two games awaiting a diagnosis, Nurkic drew starts and averaged 7.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.5 minutes. It seems like he'll see minutes in the high-20s to low-30s most nights, though it could be heavily dictated by game flow. Blowout losses, like Sunday's 126-103 defeat at the hands of the Hornets, could lead to fewer minutes for Nurkic. In those cases, more run could be in store for Kyle Filipowski and Taylor Hendricks. It's possible the team also calls up two-way center Oscar Tshiebwe for some spot run. For his career, Nurkic is averaging 11.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.9 steals in 24.3 minutes.

Kessler will undergo left shoulder surgery to address a torn labrum and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.

This is a devastating blow for the Jazz and for Kessler's fantasy managers, given his high price in drafts. Kessler made just five appearances before his season was abruptly ended, finishing with averages of 14.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals. With Kessler sidelined the remainder of the campaign, Jusuf Nurkic is likely to step into a full-time starting role. However, the Jazz could also utilize smaller lineups, and guys like Kyle Filipowski and Taylor Hendricks could see increased run.

Embiid (rest) will not play Wednesday against the Cavaliers.

Embiid, who produced 20 points (7-21 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, two assists, three steals and four blocks in 26 minutes during Tuesday's 113-111 loss to the Bulls, will expectedly miss the second leg of this back-to-back set for rest. With Embiid sidelined, Adem Bona and Andre Drummond will likely soak up the bulk of the center minutes.