NBA Player News

Bitadze registered 15 points (7-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt), six rebounds, one steal and three blocks in 20 minutes during Saturday's 125-94 win over the Wizards.

Bitadze did the majority of his damage in the fourth quarter of a blowout, scoring all but four of his points in the final period. However, Saturday's showing marked season highs in scoring and blocks for the big man, which is a positive sign after he was held to six points and three boards in 13 minutes Wednesday in Charlotte. Bitadze remains stuck behind Wendell Carter at the center position, so unless Carter gets into foul trouble or picks up an injury, Bitadze's production will likely be limited.

Carter collected 16 points (7-10 FG, 2-3 3Pt), 12 rebounds and two blocks in 28 minutes during Saturday's 125-94 win over the Wizards.

Carter looked sharp on the offensive end, knocking down 70.0 percent of his tries from the field while continuing to find success from beyond the arc. The Duke product has now drilled two or more triples in three straight matchups. Carter hasn't been overly impressive in the scoring column so far this year, but he's come alive of late, posting 18 and now 16 points in back-to-back games.

Gafford will start Saturday's game against the Pistons despite being limited to 15-to-18 minutes.

Gafford is making his season debut Saturday after being sidelined to start the season due to an ankle injury. The center will draw the start despite being under a significant minutes restriction. Anthony Davis (calf) and Dereck Lively (knee) are both inactive Saturday, meaning Dwight Powell should see plenty of run as Gafford's primary backup.

Sarr posted 10 points (4-8 FG, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 28 minutes during Saturday's 125-94 loss to the Magic.

Sarr put together a respectable final line, highlighted by team highs in rebounds and blocks. He fell just shy of his second double-double in three appearances, as he continues to produce across the board on a nightly basis. Sarr has now put up at least 10 points and eight rebounds in five of his first six games of the 2025-26 season.

Head coach Jason Kidd said Gafford (ankle) will be limited to 15-to-18 minutes in Saturday's game against the Pistons, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.

Gafford will make his season debut after dealing with a sprained right ankle. However, the Mavericks will ease him back into action. With Gafford on a minutes restriction and both Anthony Davis (calf) and Dereck Lively (knee) sidelined, Dwight Powell will likely see a bump in minutes.

Sabonis produced 24 points (8-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 8-10 FT), 13 rebounds, six assists and one steal in 37 minutes of Saturday's 135-133 win over the Bucks.

Sabonis was one of four Kings to produce at least 20 points as the franchise improved to 4-2 on the season. After missing Opening Night with a hamstring issue, Sabonis has since double-doubled in five straight contests with averages of 14.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals.

Ayton (back) is probable for Sunday's game against the Heat, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Ayton experienced back spasms during Friday's win over the Grizzlies and didn't return. According to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register, head coach JJ Redick said the big man was available to check back in but was held out as a precaution. Over six regular-season games, Ayton has averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 31.5 minutes per contest.

Kornet (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Suns, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

The big man will miss his fourth consecutive game due to a sprained left ankle. With Kornet, Kelly Olynyk (heel) and Jeremy Sochan (wrist) sidelined, Bismack Biyombo will likely continue to see a bump in minutes behind Victor Wembanyama. Kornet's next opportunity to play will come Wednesday against the Lakers.

Holmgren (back) will not play Sunday against the Pelicans.

Holmgren will miss his third game in a row, and it's not a great sign that he's being ruled out a day in advance. Additionally, the injury is now being described as a sprain instead of soreness. His next chance to play comes Tuesday against the Clippers, which is the front end of a back-to-back set. Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein could see a bump in value with this news, as well as Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins if the Thunder opt to play a bit smaller.

Robinson (injury management) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Bulls.

Robinson played his first game of the season Friday against the Bulls and finished with four points (2-3 FG), 11 rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes. Sunday's game is the front end of a back-to-back set, and it's safe to assume that Robinson will play in just one of those games as the Knicks err on the side of caution.