NBA Player News

Claxton provided eight points (4-10 FG, 0-4 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals across 28 minutes during Thursday's 110-97 loss to the Cavaliers.

Claxton finished just two points and one rebound away from recording what would've been a third double-double over his last four appearances. However, the big man still finished with an excellent stat line and recorded at least two tallies in each of the five major categories. Claxton is averaging 12.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.7 blocks per game since the beginning of February.

Biyombo became a free agent Friday after his 10-day contract with the Spurs expired, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.

Biyombo will at least temporarily head to the open market one day after he made his season debut for the Spurs in a 120-109 win over the Suns. With Victor Wembanyama (blood clot) ruled out for the season prior to Thursday's contest, Biyombo went from being out of the rotation to stepping in as the Spurs' starting center. Despite getting the starting assignment, he played just 16 minutes and finished with eight points (4-4 FG), three rebounds, two assists and one steal while interim head coach Mitch Johnson made ample use of Jeremy Sochan as a small-ball option at center. The Spurs could still look to re-sign Biyombo to a second 10-day deal ahead of Friday's game against the Pistons, but even if that happens, it's unclear if the 32-year-old would continue to start. Charles Bassey (knee) may be ready to return from a six-game absence Friday, and he could be prioritized ahead of Biyombo at center. The Spurs could also open up more playing time at center for Sandro Mamukelashvili, who didn't play Thursday in a coach's decision.

Allen finished with 16 points (8-9 FG, 0-2 FT), 20 rebounds, one block and one steal over 25 minutes during Thursday's 110-97 win over the Nets.

Allen missed just one of his nine attempts from the floor, but as good as he was on offense, he was even more dominant on the glass. The 20-rebound haul was a season-high mark for him, and the big man has grabbed double-digit boards in each of his last six outings, averaging 13.0 points and 14.3 rebounds per game in that stretch.

Jokic supplied 29 points (11-22 FG, 6-14 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 17 rebounds, nine assists, one block and one steal over 37 minutes during Thursday's 129-115 victory over the Hornets.

The perennial MVP candidate fell one dime shy of his 26th triple-double of the season, instead settling for his 42nd double-double. The 14 three-point attempts were also a career high for Jokic, topping the 13 he hoisted up Feb. 5 against the Pelicans. The veteran center has scored at least 26 points in nine straight games, averaging 30.0 points, 11.6 boards, 10.9 assists, 2.3 threes, 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks over that stretch while shooting 61.7 percent from the floor.

Okafor became a free agent Friday after his 10-day contract with the Pacers expired, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.

Okafor made one three-minute appearance during his brief stay with the Pacers, marking his first NBA action since the 2020-21 season. The Pacers brought Okafor aboard while starting center Myles Turner was tending to a cervical strain shortly before the All-Star break, but with Turner returning to action in Thursday's win over Memphis, Indiana may not be compelled to bring Okafor back on a second 10-day deal.

Bagley (ankle) recorded no statistics while playing the final 1:31 of Thursday's 127-111 loss to the Pacers.

Bagley made his Grizzlies debut in garbage time, playing for the first time since Dec. 23 after he had been sidelined due to a right ankle distal syndesmosis sprain before the Wizards shipped him to Memphis ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. So long as the Grizzlies have at least two or three of Jaren Jackson, Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Jay Huff available in the frontcourt, Bagley likely won't be in the mix for a rotation spot.

Kessler (thumb) is not on the injury report for Friday's game against Thunder.

Kessler sat the Jazz's final game before the break, but he's recovered and should handle his regular workload in this one. The big man has been productive in recent weeks, averaging 15.8 points and 15.0 rebounds per contest over his last four outings.

Clingan totaled six points (3-4 FG), six rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 17 minutes during Thursday's 110-102 loss to the Lakers.

Deandre Ayton's (calf) injury will keep the center out for at least a month, so the starting job will be Clingan's to lose. Robert Williams also waits in the wings, but the Trail Blazers should probably prioritize Clingan's development. This may be his time to come into his own as a full-time starter. The rookie center will still be a risky fantasy call in the short term, but it's worthwhile to monitor his progress as he settles into a larger role.

Porzingis totaled 17 points (5-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-5 FT), four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal over 25 minutes during Thursday's 124-104 win over the 76ers.

Although Porzingis didn't have a huge impact outside the scoring department, he was still able to put together a full stat line despite his minutes being limited by Thursday's rout. The star big man remains a key producer in Boston's lineup on both ends of the floor, averaging 20.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 blocks, 1.3 steals and 2.8 three-pointers across his last eight contests while shooting 41.5 percent from downtown.

Turner (neck) finished Thursday's 127-113 win over the Grizzlies with 17 points (6-17 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, seven blocks, two assists and one steal in 32 minutes.

Turner was cleared to return for the Pacers' first game coming out of the All-Star break after he had been sidelined for the previous three contests due to a cervical strain. He was operating with no restrictions Thursday and was a menace in the paint, besting his previous season-high total of five blocks to bring his season average up to 1.9 rejections per contest.