NBA Player News

Jokic (wrist) is questionable for Saturday's game against Minnesota, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports.

Jokic is dealing with a wrist sprain, putting him in danger of missing his first game of the year. The superstar big man could test of his wrist during Saturday's pregame warmups before the Nuggets reach a decision on his status. Jonas Valanciunas would be in line for a spot start at center if Jokic sits out, while Zeke Nnaji could handle the backup role in this case.

Duren (ankle) will not suit up for Friday's game against the 76ers.

Duren is set to spend his second straight game on the inactive list Friday, which could lead to big minutes for Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed. Duren's next chance to play will come Monday against the Pacers, though he should be considered questionable at best for that one, given it's the first game of a back-to-back set.

Edey (ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Cavaliers.

Edey is still recovering from an offseason right ankle surgery, but Saturday's game marks the first time he's been listed as questionable this season. He carried a doubtful tag in Memphis' previous game and had been listed exclusively as out before. While he appears to have a legitimate chance at playing Saturday, Edey would likely be under a significant minutes restriction if active.

Phoenix assigned Maluach to the G League's Valley Suns on Friday.

With Maluach not getting much run at the NBA level, this move allows the rookie to get some much-needed live reps.

Sabonis (ribs) participated in Friday's morning shootaround, Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee reports.

Sabonis remains listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Timberwolves, but his availability at the morning shootaround bodes well for his status. Sabonis holds regular-season averages of 15.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists across nine appearances.

Sharpe (lower body) is good to go for Friday's game against Orlando, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.

Sharpe will shake off a probable tag and will likely reprise his role as the backup center. The big man holds averages of 6.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals in 15.9 minutes per contest across 10 games this season.

Lively (knee) will return to action Friday against the Clippers, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.

Lively is set to return after a nine-game absence. Given his injury history, it's likely that he's going to face restrictions in his first couple of games back. With Lively back in the mix, Daniel Gafford's floor will likely be a bit lower, and Moussa Cisse could see his role fade.

Nurkic accumulated 10 points (4-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-3 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists, one block and five steals in 28 minutes during Thursday's 132-122 loss to the Hawks.

Nurkic is suddenly running hot for the Jazz after a brutal start to the month. In his last two games, he's averaging 10.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.5 blocks and 2.5 steals in 29.5 minutes per contest. His percentages can be shaky, and he's not the most consistent player, but at least for the time being, he belongs in most fantasy lineups.

Maluach posted two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), two rebounds and one block across six minutes during Thursday's 133-98 win over the Pacers.

Even with Mark Williams (rest) getting the night off for maintenance, the rookie logged just six minutes on the night. He's an intriguing long-term project for the Suns, but it's clear the team is going to bring him along very slowly.

Okongwu chipped in 32 points (11-18 FG, 8-14 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals in 35 minutes during Thursday's 132-122 victory over the Jazz.

Okongwu was lights out from distance in this one, and that was a team-wide trend, with Atlanta setting a new franchise record with 16 triples by halftime. The Hawks' 24 made threes on the evening accounted for the most threes made by any team this season. Okongwu is taking a career-high 4.1 three-point attempts per game this season, and he's converting a career-high 1.6 of those attempts.