NBA Player News
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Kyle Filipowski PF | UTA
Jazz's Kyle Filipowski: Dealing with back issue
Filipowski (back) was unable to participate in Tuesday's practice.
Filipowski was shut down for the remainder of the Las Vegas Summer League for maintenance purposes in July, and the severity of his current injury is unclear. The Jazz don't open their preseason until next Wednesday, so the 2024 second-rounder has some time to return to practice. If Filipowski is limited at all to begin the upcoming campaign, Taylor Hendricks, Cody Williams and Svi Mykhailiuk will have more opportunities as reserves.
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Kristaps Porzingis C | GS
Hawks' Kristaps Porzingis: Illness issues might be over
Porzingis dealt with a mysterious illness while with the Celtics, but he hasn't had any issues since he returned to action with Latvia during EuroBasket, Kevin Chouinard of the Hawks' official site reports.
Porzingis was traded to the Hawks on June 24. He'll get a fresh start after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign with Boston. The veteran big man played in 42 regular-season games last season, averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, shooting 48.3 percent from the field and a career-high 41.2 percent from deep.
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Anthony Davis C | WAS
Mavericks' Anthony Davis: Will wear protective eyewear
Davis (eye) will wear protective eyewear for the rest of his playing career, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Davis was given a mandate by his doctor following a procedure in July to repair a detached retina in his right eye. Although he's going along with the mandate, he's not thrilled with it. "It's for the rest of [my] career, which I'm not too excited about." After a challenging 2024-25 campaign, which was marred by injuries and a mid-season trade to the Mavericks involving Luka Doncic, Davis gets an opportunity to start fresh with a new look, while being the undisputed leader on a talented Dallas squad.
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Robert Williams III C | POR
Trail Blazers' Robert Williams: Not fully cleared
Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said Monday that Williams (knee) has not been fully cleared to play, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.
Williams underwent arthroscopic surgery on March 20 to address inflammation in his left knee and was initially expected to miss four-to-six weeks, but he still hasn't been fully cleared ahead of training camp. The big man appeared in just 20 games last season, averaging 5.8 points and 5.9 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per contest. Durability has been a major concern for the Texas A&M product, as he hasn't played more than 35 games in a regular season since 2021-22.
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Anthony Davis C | WAS
Mavericks' Anthony Davis: Cleared for training camp
Davis (eye) has been cleared for training camp, Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints reports.
Head coach Jason Kidd told reporters Monday that everyone except Kyrie Irving (knee) has been cleared for training camp, which confirms that Davis is on track following his July 8 eye surgery. The big man logged 51 regular-season appearances last season between the Lakers and Mavericks, averaging 24.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals. A true two-way force, Davis' health will be one of the biggest factors in Dallas' push for success this season.
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Dereck Lively II C | DAL
Mavericks' Dereck Lively: Cleared for training camp
Lively (foot) has been cleared for training camp, Joey Mistreta reported Monday.
Lively underwent surgery July 15 to clean up bone spurs in his right foot, but there have been no reported restrictions ahead of camp. That being said, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Mavericks ease him back during the preseason. With Anthony Davis expected to start at power forward, Lively is the presumed starting center with Daniel Gafford right behind him.
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Isaiah Jackson C | LAC
Pacers' Isaiah Jackson: Working with starting five
Jackson (Achilles) has been working with the first unit in pick-up games, Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Jackson tore his Achilles in early November last season, and there haven't been many updates on his progress. However, the fact that he's participating in pick-up games is encouraging, and it's looking possible that he'll be ready around Opening Night. Though Jackson has been working with the first unit, coach Rick Carlisle noted that he isn't committed to a starting center, giving praise to all of Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman and Tony Bradley.
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Kylor Kelley C | LAL
Kylor Kelley: Waived by Los Angeles
The Lakers waived Kelley on Sunday, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.
Kelley joined the Lakers on an Exhibit 10 contract in August, and although he will be waived, Los Angeles will retain his G League rights. Kelley appeared in 11 games during the 2024-25 campaign between the Mavericks and Pelicans, where he averaged 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per contest.
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Joel Embiid C | PHI
76ers' Joel Embiid: Participates in practice Saturday
Head coach Nick Nurse said Embiid (knee) participated "quite a bit" in practice Saturday, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports.
After playing in only 19 regular-season games with the team last season, Embiid's status for the 2025-26 campaign has been uncertain regarding his timetable for returning to the floor. However, this is a good sign for the one-time NBA MVP, as there's a chance he could return sooner rather than later.
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Zach Edey C | MEM
Grizzlies' Zach Edey: Cleared for basketball activities
Edey has been cleared to begin ramping up basketball activities and is expected to return to play in six to nine weeks.
Edey underwent surgery to address laxity in his left ankle on June 7. He'll likely get back on the floor at some point in November if all goes well, which is good news for Memphis, who also have Brandon Clarke (knee), Cedric Coward (shoulder) and Jaren Jackson (foot) on the mend.