NBA Player News

Poeltl finished Thursday's 126-113 win over the Cavaliers with 20 points (7-10 FG, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and two steals over 20 minutes.

It was an efficient night from the field and the charity stripe for Poeltl, who finished with the third-most points on the Raptors behind Scottie Barnes (28) and Immanuel Quickley (25). Through four games in November, Poeltl has averaged 13.0 points on 74.1 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks over 26.1 minutes per game.

Okongwu will start Thursday's game against the Jazz, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.

With Kristaps Porzingis (rest) sitting out the second leg of a back-to-back set, Okongwu will enter the starting five. Over three starts this season, the 24-year-old center has averaged 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.7 steals in 33.3 minutes per contest.

Richards is in the starting lineup for Thursday's game versus the Pacers, Shane Young of Forbes.com reports.

Mark Williams (rest) is taking the night off, so Richards will draw his first start of the season and will be joined by Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, Dillon Brooks and Royce O'Neale in the first unit. Richards is capable of racking up the boards and blocks when given the minutes, so he could be someone to consider streaming Thursday with just three games on the slate.

Sabonis (ribs) is questionable for Friday's game against Minnesota.

Sabonis missed a pair of games with a ribcage contusion earlier in the month, and the Kings continue to monitor his health. The superstar big man could go through pregame warmups before Sacramento clarifies his status. If Sabonis is unable to give it a go, Precious Achiuwa and Drew Eubanks would likely fill out the majority of the center minutes Friday.

Kalkbrenner (personal) is out for Friday's game against the Bucks.

Kalkbrenner won't be available for the first time this season Friday. The rookie second-rounder has a short turnaround if he wants to rejoin the team for Saturday's showdown with the Thunder. Moussa Diabate stands out as the most likely option to replace Kalkbrenner in the starting group against Milwaukee, with Mason Plumlee also in position to pick up additional minutes.

Embiid (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's game in Detroit.

Embiid is still being listed as day-to-day after further testing revealed no structural damage to his right knee, but the fact that he required testing and is now set to miss his third straight game is concerning. Andre Drummond will likely continue to start in his absence with Adem Bona operating as his backup. Embiid's next chance to play will come Monday at home against the Clippers.

Bryant ended with four points (2-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 0-1 FT), seven rebounds and one block across 13 minutes during Wednesday's 130-116 win over the Heat.

With Donovan Mitchell (rest), Evan Mobley (rest), Darius Garland (toe) and Jaylon Tyson (concussion) out, Bryant saw his most meaningful playing time of the season. He contributed mainly on the boards, and his value remains limited when the starters are at full strength.

Sharpe (glute) is probable for Friday's game against Orlando, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

After missing Tuesday's loss to Toronto with a glute contusion, Sharpe is likely to return to the lineup Friday. The 2021 first-rounder should handle the backup center role behind Nic Claxton. Sharpe has averaged 6.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals in 15.9 minutes per contest across 10 games this season, shooting 64.9 percent from the field.

Richards contributed six points (3-5 FG, 0-2 FT), seven rebounds and one assist over nine minutes during Wednesday's 123-114 victory over Dallas.

With Mark Williams (ankle/rest) out against the Pacers on Thursday, Richards should see an expanded role in the frontcourt. He could be the starting center, though a potential timeshare with Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach will limit Richards' upside.

Duren (ankle) is questionable for Friday's game against the 76ers.

Cade Cunningham (hip) is also questionable, as Detroit's two stars are both in jeopardy of missing their second straight contest. The questionable tag suggests that Duren is day-to-day, and fantasy managers will be eager to get him back in lineups with how well he's fared thus far. There is likely to be another update following the Friday morning shootaround.