NBA Player News

Towns (quadriceps) will play in Friday's game against the Celtics, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports.

Towns will shake off his questionable tag due to a right quadriceps strain and suit up Friday. The star big man was also listed as questionable before playing in Wednesday's win over Cleveland, during which he notched 19 points (5-12 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 8-9 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes. He'll move over to center with Miles McBride also starting against Boston, pushing Ariel Hukporti to the bench.

Okongwu will be in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Magic.

Okongwu will be in the first five with Kristaps Porzingis (illness) ruled out. Okongwu started 40 regular-season games during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 14.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from deep.

Head coach Willie Green said Jordan (recently signed) is unlikely to play in Friday's game against the Spurs, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.

Jordan signed a one-year deal with the Pelicans on Friday and isn't expected to suit up against San Antonio. In the likely event the veteran big man joins Yves Missi (ankle), Kevon Looney (knee) and Karlo Matkovic (back) on the sideline, Derik Queen and Hunter Dickinson are expected to see increased minutes at center.

Holmgren (back) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Hawks.

Holmgren is in jeopardy of missing Saturday's contest due to soreness in his lower back. If the 23-year-old joins Jalen Williams (wrist) on the sideline, Aaron Wiggins, Brooks Barnhizer and Ousmane Dieng are candidates for an uptick in playing time. Over two appearances thus far, Holmgren has averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 38.5 minutes per contest.

Missi (ankle) won't play in Friday's game against San Antonio.

Missi can be considered day-to-day prior to Monday's game against the Celtics. Derik Queen is set up for a possible spot start at center Friday, with DeAndre Jordan a candidate to back him up. The Pelicans could also use Zion Williamson as a small-ball center at times against the Spurs.

Sabonis (hamstring) is available for Friday's game against the Jazz, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.

After participating in the morning shootaround, Sabonis has been upgraded to available for his season debut Friday. There's no word about a potential minutes restriction, but it's possible the star big man could have his workload monitored after nearly a week on the shelf with a hamstring strain. Last regular season, Sabonis averaged 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists per contest in 70 games.

Porzingis is out for Friday's game against the Magic due to flu-like symptoms, Kevin Chouinard of the Hawks' official site reports.

Friday will mark the star big man's first absence of the season. Porzingis has a short turnaround if he wants to suit up for Saturday's tilt against the Thunder. In his absence against Orlando, Onyeka Okongwu should start at center and experience a considerable bump in fantasy value.

Gafford (ankle) is out for Friday's game against the Wizards.

After sitting out the morning shootaround, Gafford has been ruled out for a second straight game to open the season. The big man's next chance to play comes Sunday against the Raptors. With Gafford sidelined, Dereck Lively is locked in as the Mavericks' top center in a soft matchup against Washington.

Sabonis (hamstring) participated in Friday's morning shootaround, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.

The star big man's presence at shootaround bodes well for his chances of being available for Friday's game against the Jazz. Additionally, Sabonis is tracking toward suiting up, barring any setbacks during pregame warmups. If he's ultimately unable to play, Drew Eubanks would likely get the spot start down low.

Hayes has been downgraded to questionable for Friday's game against the Timberwolves due to left knee soreness, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports.

Hayes had four points (2-3 FG), six rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes during Tuesday's 119-109 loss to the Warriors, operating as Deandre Ayton's backup center. If Hayes is unable to suit up Friday, it's possible the Lakers utilize a smaller lineup with someone like Jarred Vanderbilt benefiting.