NBA Player News

Filipowski (back) will play during Monday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Filipowski will make his preseason debut after missing time with a back injury. The Duke product averaged 14.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.6 minutes during Utah's final 11 regular-season games last year, but he's looking at a limited role come Opening Night, especially if Utah is close to full strength.

Kessler (shoulder) has been ruled out for Monday's preseason game against the Mavericks, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Kessler has yet to suit up during the preseason, and his final chance to do so will come Thursday in Portland. The big man was a full participant during Sunday's practice, so despite being sidelined again, Kessler should be ready for Opening Night.

Jackson-Davis posted 14 points (7-9 FG), seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks over 20 minutes during Sunday's 126-116 preseason loss to the Lakers.

Jackson-Davis will be battling Quinten Post for limited minutes behind Al Horford this season. As long as Horford and Draymond Green are healthy, it'll be tough for Jackson-Davis to get the minutes he needs to make an impact in most fantasy leagues. Green finished Monday's loss with two points, four assists, one rebound, two steals and four turnovers to his credit over 22 minutes.

The Thunder waived Lakhin on Monday, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Lakhin will likely head over to the Thunder's G League affiliate. The 6-foot-11 forward blocked 1.5 shots per game for Clemson during his final collegiate season in 2024-25 and went undrafted this spring.

Maluach scored seven points (3-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, one steal and one turnover in 12 minutes during Sunday's 111-109 preseason loss to Brooklyn.

Maluach has been quiet through the preseason thus far, posting meager averages of 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and not much else in 13.7 minutes a night. Maluach will begin his rookie season playing limited minutes behind Mark Williams and Nick Richards in Phoenix.

Vucevic was held to six points (3-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 0-2 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and one turnover across 24 minutes in Sunday's preseason loss to Milwaukee.

Vucevic couldn't get anything to drop Sunday evening, missing all four of his three-point attempts and both of his freebies at the line. He's been quiet through the preseason thus far, but perhaps the 34-year-old vet will be able to turn in a more productive performance Tuesday in Denver.

Allen (rest) did not take the floor during Sunday's 138-107 preseason loss to Boston.

Allen's absence resulted in Larry Nance drawing a spot-start. Allen should be back in action for Tuesday's preseason finale against the Pistons, which should shift Nance to the second unit.

Lopez scored 15 points (6-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt) while adding three blocks, a rebound and an assist in 17 minutes off the bench during Sunday's 102-94 preseason loss to the Nuggets.

The veteran center appears to be nearly in midseason form as he supplied his usual strong production at the rim and from beyond the arc. Lopez will back up Ivica Zubac in the Clippers' frontcourt this season, which means he's highly unlikely to see the 30-plus minutes a game he grew used to getting in Milwaukee, but a shift to the second unit should allow the 37-year-old to prolong his career while still being effective on a per-minute basis.

Zubac contributed 11 points (5-6 FG, 1-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 23 minutes during Sunday's 102-94 preseason loss to the Nuggets.

Matched up against Nikola Jokic in exhibition action, Zubac held his own and produced the game's only double-double. The 28-year-old center is coming off a breakout 2024-25 season, but his career-high 32.8 minutes a contest may get scaled back after the Clippers bolstered their frontcourt with John Collins and Brook Lopez over the summer.

Valanciunas delivered 10 points (5-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), nine rebounds and an assist in 18 minutes off the bench during Sunday's 102-94 preseason win over the Clippers.

He also committed four turnovers and five fouls, but it was still an effective performance from Valanciunas. Having the 33-year-old big man on the roster could allow the Nuggets to ease up on Nikola Jokic's workload a bit during the regular season, but after Valanciunas averaged a career-low 18.8 minutes per game over 81 regular-season contests last season between Washington and Sacramento, he isn't likely to see his usage increase in Denver.