NBA Player News

Ayton (rest) will play in Friday's preseason finale against the Kings, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

The star big man didn't play in Wednesday's preseason game against the Mavericks, but he's lined up for action Friday. It's set to be Ayton's final exhibition reps prior to Opening Night, and the Lakers will be treating it as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

The Cavaliers waived Omier on Wednesday.

Cleveland took a look at Omier during training camp, but he failed to keep his spot on the team. The forward will likely join the G League's Cleveland Charge for the upcoming season.

Kessler (shoulder) is available for Thursday's preseason finale against the Trail Blazers, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Thursday will be Kessler's preseason debut, a welcome sign after he missed each of Utah's first three exhibition tilts with a shoulder injury. The 2022 first-rounder could see a significant amount of playing time Thursday in what the Jazz could treat as a dress rehearsal for Opening Night.

Williams (undisclosed) is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports.

Williams is slated to continue participating in team scrimmages in preparation for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Kings. The big man has yet to reach the 50-game threshold in any of his first three seasons, though he's on track to begin this year with a clean bill of health.

Towns (quadriceps) did not practice Thursday, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.

Towns was limited to individual work at Thursday's practice, and the Knicks are labeling him as day-to-day. Towns can be considered questionable for Friday's preseason finale against the Hornets, but the Knicks may exercise caution.

Robinson (rest) did not practice Thursday, Ian Begley of SportsNet New York reports.

Begley has previously reported that Robinson will have a maintenance plan this season that will likely include some missed games and practices. To be clear, there's been no report of an injury. Robinson's status for Opening Night doesn't seem to be in any doubt.

Adebayo (knee) practiced in full Thursday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.

Adebayo is dealing with a right knee contusion after leaving Monday's preseason game, but it sounds like that was a precaution. As for Friday's preseason finale, it's unclear if the regulars will play for Miami or if they will get some maintenance. Adebayo's status for Opening Night is not in any doubt.

Embiid (knee) had a planned off day at Thursday's practice, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports.

Embiid (knee) participated in "most" of Wednesday's practice, and then sat out Thursday by design. He was able to get in a full scrimmage Sunday, and he's been drawing rave reviews from the media in recent days on how he looks. For now, his status for Friday's preseason finale against Minnesota remains in the air, but a decision will be made Friday morning.

Queta produced eight points (4-7 FG), 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal and four blocks in 21 minutes of Wednesday's 110-108 preseason win over Toronto.

Queta, who came off the bench in his previous contest, started alongside Chris Boucher on Wednesday, with the Celtics continuing to experiment with lineup combos. This was by far Queta's best performance of the preseason, and he was everywhere on the glass. Five rebounds came on the offensive end.

Poeltl recorded eight points (4-7 FG), seven rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 20 minutes of Wednesday's 110-108 preseason loss to the Celtics.

A back injury and an illness delayed Poeltl's first appearance of the preseason, but he seemed to be in mid-season form Wednesday. Fresh off a massive extension, Poeltl is the unquestioned starting center and will be looking to build on his career-best campaign from 2024-25.