NBA Player News

Ware is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's preseason game against the Magic, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The Heat will go with Bam Adebayo at center for this preseason tune-up in Puerto Rico, and the rest of the lineup will feature Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez. Ware is reportedly fighting for a starting spot ahead of the Oct. 22 season opener against Orlando.

Jackson-Davis (thumb) is questionable to play in Sunday's game against the Lakers, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Jackson-Davis is dealing with a thumb injury, which could sideline him for the team's first preseason game. However, he does claim to be okay, but his status will remain uncertain moving forward. If he does miss Sunday's game, his next chance to suit up in the preseason will be Oct. 8 against the Trail Blazers.

Robinson finished with six points (3-5 FG, 0-2 FT) and eight rebounds across 13 minutes during Saturday's 113-104 win over the 76ers.

Robinson continues to crash the glass during his limited time on the floor in Abu Dhabi. He's now racked up 24 rebounds across the first two games of the preseason, proving he's healthy and ready to make an impact in the frontcourt during the 2025-26 campaign.

Towns tallied six points (1-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), three rebounds and one assist across 17 minutes during Saturday's 113-104 win over the 76ers.

Towns couldn't get going offensively during the team's second straight preseason game against Philadelphia in Abu Dhabi, shooting 25 percent from the field. However, he and the majority of New York's starters played limited minutes yet again. Towns and company will now get some rest before heading back to Madison Square Garden to take on the Timberwolves on Oct. 9.

Embiid (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Knicks, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Embiid continues to recover from knee surgery that cut his 2024-25 campaign short. There's no clear timetable for his return to the floor. The next chance for him to return will be Oct. 10 against the Magic.

Ayton tallied one point (0-2 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks across 18 minutes during Friday's 103-81 loss to the Suns

While Ayton did do a decent job on the glass, and he managed to collect some defensive stats, he still left a lot to be desired on the offensive end. He attempted just two shots through the first half of action, despite the Lakers being desperate for offense without both LeBron James (pinched nerve) and Luka Doncic (rest), and he didn't attempt a single shot over the second half. It'll be tough for him to find his rhythm competing for touches in L.A. with the likes of Doncic, James and Austin Reaves.

Richards finished with nine points (4-7 FG, 1-3 FT), three boards, one assist, one steal and two turnovers across 19 minutes during Friday's 103-81 win over the Lakers.

Richards served as Oso Ighodaro's backup in Phoenix's preseason opener, but it'll be tough for him to find meaningful minutes when Mark Williams (rest) is active. He's not a guy we'd recommend drafting in most settings.

Wagner (knee) will not play in Saturday's preseason game versus Miami, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Wagner's timeline for a return from a torn left ACL remains in the air. Beede notes that Wagner has been limited to non-contact drills at practice, making it unlikely that he will see the floor at all during the preseason.

Missi produced six points (3-4 FG), eight rebounds, one assist and three blocks in 20 minutes of Friday's 107-97 preseason win over Melbourne United.

Kevon Looney started this contest at center, but he was pretty quiet in 18 minutes. Meanwhile, Missi provided a huge lift off the bench and appears ready to take that next step as a player in his second season. Preseason lineups are usually not worth reading into too heavily, but this will be a position battle to watch.

Looney logged three points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, two assists and one block across 18 minutes of Friday's 107-97 preseason win over Melbourne United.

Notably, Looney started over Yves Missi. However, this is the preseason, and the Pelicans are likely going to play around with some lineups. Missi absolutely outplayed Looney in this one despite coming off the bench, so the veteran will have his work cut out for him if he wants to win this position battle.