NBA Player News

Ayton (illness) is out for Sunday's game against the Suns, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.

Ayton will miss a second straight contest after not suiting up in Friday's loss to the Spurs. Donovan Clingan is not on the injury report for Sunday, so he might get the start at center instead of Jabari Walker. Ayton's next chance to play will come against the Nuggets on Thursday.

Kleber has been diagnosed with a fractured rib, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.

The Mavericks ruled Kleber out of Sunday's game against the Warriors due to an illness, but the rib injury suggests he'll be sidelined for a longer period than initially expected. His absence shouldn't affect many fantasy squads, though, as he's averaging a mere 17.0 minutes per game across 14 appearances (two starts) this season.

Collins (back) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Timberwolves, Paul Garcia of ProjectSpurs.com reports.

The doubtful tag suggests Collins isn't expected to play Sunday, which would represent a second straight absence for the former Gonzaga star. Charles Bassey will likely see an uptick in playing time behind Victor Wembanyama if Collins ends up being sidelined.

Hukporti is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Magic.

The rookie center hasn't been a regular part of the NBA rotation this season, so his likely absence isn't expected to affect many fantasy decisions. Hukporti has averaged just 8.8 minutes per game in his 11 outings off the bench.

Horford will not play in Sunday's game against the Wizards for rest purposes.

The Celtics do not play again until Thursday, so Horford will end up getting some extended time off. The veteran big man is averaging 9.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.2 triples, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals across 28.0 minutes in 19 games this season. In his absence, Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet could see more depth minutes at center.

The Pistons are waiving Reed on Saturday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Reed has been an inconsistent part of Detroit's rotation but is averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.3 minutes across 12 appearances this season. Reed will now be an unrestricted free agent as the Pistons were looking to add roster and salary flexibility.

Kleber (illness) is out for Sunday's game versus the Warriors, Eddie Sefko of the Mavericks' official site reports.

Kleber will miss his third straight contest Sunday due to an illness. The 32-year-old big man's next chance to suit up is Thursday's outing against the Clippers.

Clingan (knee) tallied six points (3-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt), seven rebounds and two assists across 15 minutes Friday in the Trail Blazers' 118-116 loss to the Spurs.

Portland was without Deandre Ayton (illness) and Robert Williams (conditioning/concussion) on Friday, but Clingan's return from a seven-game absence due to a sprained left knee helped restore some depth in the frontcourt. Jabari Walker drew the start at center, but once Ayton returns, Clingan should remain ahead of Walker in the pecking order. Williams, meanwhile, represents a more viable threat than Walker to challenge for the backup role, though Portland showed a willingness to use Williams as a reserve power forward for a brief period in November when all of Clingan, Ayton and Williams were healthy at the same time.

Nurkic (thigh) turned in 12 points (6-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt), seven rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 31 minutes in Friday's 134-126 win over the Jazz.

Nurkic reclaimed his spot in the starting five after missing the last five games, initially due to a left ankle sprain and then due to a right thigh contusion. He faced no restrictions in his return, clearing the 30-minute mark while setting a new season high with three blocks. Nurkic's health has been shaky this season and his minutes have been volatile, but if he can replicate Friday's line with any sort of regularity, he'll be worthy of a roster spot in 12-team points and category leagues.

Wembanyama notched 28 points (8-19 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and one steal in 34 minutes during Friday's 118-116 win over the Trail Blazers.

The second-year phenom sealed the win by sinking a pair of free throws with just 2.1 seconds left on the clock, breaking a 116-116 tie. Wembanyama is playing through some nagging injuries right now, and while it didn't affect his offensive output, he did fail to record double-digit rebounds for the first time since Nov. 26. On the season, Wembanyama's averaging 23.8 points, 10.2 boards, 3.8 assists, 3.3 blocks, 3.1 threes and 1.2 steals.