NBA Player News

Nurkic won't start Wednesday's game against the Lakers, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.

Nurkic started but played merely 16 minutes in his Hornets debut, and he'll move to the second unit Wednesday with Mark Williams (not injury related) available. Considering it's unclear how many minutes Nurkic will play as a reserve, fantasy managers should steer clear of the 29-year-old center.

Williams (conditioning) is available for Wednesday's game against the Lakers.

Williams hadn't played in any of the Hornets' last six games after his trade to the Lakers was rescinded due to a failed physical, but after rejoining the team over the All-Star break and returning to practice, he'll get the green light to play in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Given that the 23-year-old big man was not dealing with an injury, he shouldn't face a strict minutes restriction. Over his last 10 appearances for the Hornets, Williams has averaged 20.0 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 blocks in 31.5 minutes.

Williams (knee) is questionable for Thursday's game against the Lakers.

After missing Portland's last game prior to the All-Star break, the veteran big man continues to deal with right knee soreness. With Deandre Ayton (calf) on the shelf already, the Trail Blazers could be forced to hand rookie first-rounder Donovan Clingan a heavy dose of playing time against Los Angeles if Williams is also sidelined.

Bassey (knee) is out for Thursday's game against the Suns.

Bassey hasn't played since Feb. 3, and his absence will extend for yet another game. The big man is averaging just 10.8 minutes per game across 32 appearances (one start) this season, so even if he's available, he won't have a lot of fantasy upside. His next chance to play will come Friday against the Pistons.

Wembanyama has been listed as doubtful for Thursday's game against the Suns due to an illness, NBA reporter Matthew Tynan reports.

After making his first All-Star appearance over the weekend, Wembanyama might not be able to get on the floor Thursday for the Spurs, which would be a significant blow for the squad against Phoenix. San Antonio may have to turn to Sandro Mamukelashvili, Bismack Biyombo and Jeremy Sochan to help shoulder the load in the paint.

Turner (neck) is off the injury report for Thursday's game against the Grizzlies.

Head coach Rick Carlisle said Tuesday that Turner was expected to play Thursday, and the star big man is officially set to conclude a three-game absence due to a cervical strain. Turner's return should send Thomas Bryant back to the bench, and the former averaged 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 31.2 minutes across his previous seven games before getting injured Feb. 6 against the Clippers.

Capela (back) has been cleared to play in Thursday's game against the Magic.

After missing nine straight games with a back issue, Capela will return to the floor Thursday against Orlando. The veteran big man's return to the Hawks' lineup will be a massive boost in the frontcourt. He's averaging nearly a double-double with 9.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, shooting 57.3 percent from the floor.

Embiid (knee) has been cleared to play in Thursday's game against the Celtics.

Prior to the NBA All-Star break, Embiid didn't play in the loss to the Nets in Brooklyn. However, he will return to the floor when the final stretch of the 2024-25 campaign resumes Thursday against the defending NBA champions. The superstar big man has played well as of late, scoring 27 or more points in three of the last four games, including a 29-point triple-double in the Feb. 4 win against the Mavericks.

Tillman (knee) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the 76ers, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.

Tillman continues to deal with inflammation in his left knee, which will force him to miss a second straight game. However, the absence of the 25-year-old big man won't have much of an impact from a fantasy perspective, as he has rarely seen the floor for Boston this season, averaging 7.3 minutes per game.

Bagley (ankle) has been cleared to play Thursday against the Pacers, Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.

Bagley will suit up for the first time since Dec. 23, after he had missed 21 straight games due to a right knee sprain before the Wizards traded him to the Grizzlies on Feb. 6. The Grizzlies had been listing Bagley's injury as a right ankle distal syndesmosis sprain since he joined the team, but the big man looks like he'll be good to go coming out of the All-Star break. Bagley isn't expected to be part of head coach Taylor Jenkins' rotation while Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson are available to cover all the minutes at center.