NBA Player News

Bryant is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Warriors.

After scoring a season-high 22 points during his spot start in Wednesday's win over the Bulls, Bryant is unsurprisingly heading back to the second unit in Myles Turner's (illness) return. Bryant's short-term fantasy appeal appears to have subsided for the time being, as he's averaged just 5.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.7 threes in 11.5 minutes over 11 games off Indiana's bench this season.

Holmes (ankle) is listed as available for Friday's game against the Bulls.

Holmes will shake off a questionable tag and suit up without missing a game due to the sprained right ankle. The big man has appeared in only six games this season, though he is coming off season highs in minutes, rebounds, assists and blocks in Wednesday's loss to Philadelphia. With Alexandre Sarr (illness) available, Holmes likely won't see significant playing time Friday.

Sarr (illness) is available for Friday's game versus the Bulls.

Sarr has been upgraded from questionable to available Friday after missing Washington's previous contest due to an illness. The rookie big man should reclaim his starting spot from Jonas Valanciunas.

Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse said that while Embiid (foot) will remain out for Friday's game against the Pelicans, the center remains day-to-day and could be available to play in the 76ers' next game Sunday in Orlando, Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Embiid will miss his third consecutive game Friday and 23rd overall this season, but Nurse is downplaying the organization's concern about the big man's sprained left foot. While the 76ers hope to have Embiid back for Sunday's contest, he may need to practice Saturday in order to make that a reality.

Jackson-Davis (eye) is available and in the starting five for Friday's game versus the Pacers, Alex Golden of the 'Setting the Pace' podcast reports.

Jackson-Davis has been upgraded from questionable to available Friday despite dealing with a left eye contusion. Across his last 10 appearances, the 24-year-old big man is averaging 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.0 minutes.

Turner (illness) will play in Friday's game against the Warriors, Alex Golden of the 'Setting the Pace' podcast reports.

Turner will return to action after missing Wednesday's win over the Bulls due to an illness. The big man has averaged 16.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.0 steals in 31.8 minutes per contest over his last five outings. There's no indication that Turner will operate under a minutes restriction after missing only one game, meaning Thomas Bryant should reprise his normal role off the bench after his spot start on Wednesday.

Zeller (personal) won't play in Saturday's game versus the Rockets, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.

Zeller has yet to suit up this season due to personal reasons. Until Atlanta provides a timetable for his return, the veteran big man can be considered out indefinitely.

Ayton logged six points (3-6 FG), six rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal across 21 minutes during Thursday's 117-111 loss to the Mavericks.

Despite starting, Ayton logged just 21 minutes compared to Donovan Clingan's 24. Ayton is still producing at a level, averaging 13.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks in 29.3 minutes across his last 10 appearances. However, it is worth monitoring to see if the 26-year-old center continues to have his playing time reduced.

Poeltl registered 17 points (8-10 FG, 1-4 FT), seven rebounds, six assists, one block and three steals in 34 minutes during Thursday's 132-126 loss to the Cavaliers.

Even with Toronto's preferred starting five completely healthy for the first time this season, Poeltl continues to rack up stats. He tied his season high with three swipes Thursday and dished out his most assists since Dec. 7, when he posted a season-high seven dimes. Over his last seven appearances, the veteran center has averaged 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks while shooting 72.9 percent from the field.

Plumlee amassed two points (1-1 FG), 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal across 22 minutes during Thursday's 123-115 win over the Hawks.

Plumlee received his sixth consecutive start Thursday, during which he has averaged 3.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocks across 21.3 minutes per game. The veteran big man also logged 10-plus rebounds for the eighth time this season. Plumlee has seen an increased role due to Jusuf Nurkic having been phased out of the starting five, which will likely remain the case moving forward as Nurkic didn't record a single minute Thursday.