NBA Player News

Kleber (hamstring) has been upgraded to doubtful for Friday's contest against Phoenix, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Kleber has not played since Oct. 26 due to his hamstring injury, but being upgraded to doubtful is an encouraging sign that he may make his return soon. With P.J. Washington (knee) also out, Naji Marshall and Olivier-Maxence Prosper will see extended playing time until one of Kleber or Washington returns.

Lively (shoulder) will not play in Friday's game against the Suns, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Lively will miss a third consecutive game, and he will join P.J. Washington (knee) and potentially Maxi Kleber (hamstring) as the key inactives for Friday's game. With Lively out, Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell will likely occupy the team's minutes at center.

Huff recorded 11 points (4-7 FG, 3-6 3Pt), three rebounds, four assists and one block in 14 minutes during Wednesday's 131-114 win over the Lakers.

Huff has now scored double-digit points in five of his nine appearances this season while coming off the bench. The 27-year-old big man is averaging 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 assists in 15.3 minutes. While Huff will likely come back down to Earth with his outside shooting, he is currently converting 52.9 percent of his 3.8 three-point attempts per contest.

Koloko (illness) scored two points (1-2 FG) and added two rebounds and one block across 13 minutes in Wednesday's 131-114 loss to the Grizzlies.

After appearing in 58 games for the Raptors as a rookie in 2022-23, Koloko missed the entire 2023-24 season while battling a blood clotting issue that temporarily forced him to pause his career. The 24-year-old center signed a two-way deal with the Lakers in September, and after receiving clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel to resume playing in games, he took the court Wednesday for his team and season debuts. Though the Lakers opened up a spot in the rotation for Koloko as the backup center to Jaxson Hayes, Koloko will likely lose out on minutes if Anthony Davis (heel) is cleared to play Friday versus the 76ers.

Boucher chipped in 17 points (7-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt), four rebounds and one assist across 25 minutes during Wednesday's 122-107 loss to the Kings.

With Kelly Olynyk (back) still sidelined, Boucher continues to operate as one of Toronto's primary bench options in the frontcourt. However, Boucher has been putting up inconsistent production, as he has scored 13 or more points in four of his nine appearances, but also four or fewer points in four outings. This season, Boucher is averaging 10.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.1 minutes.

Ware finished Wednesday's 115-112 loss to the Suns with seven points (3-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three rebounds, one block and two steals in 14 minutes.

Ware made just his third appearance of the season Wednesday, as he has been an inconsistent part of Miami's rotation. The rookie big man capitalized on his season-high 14 minutes to show off his defensive potential and ability to stretch the floor. Thomas Bryant logged no minutes against Phoenix, so it will be worth monitoring to see if Ware replaces him as the Heat's backup center going forward.

Jokic chipped in 23 points (9-20 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 20 rebounds, 16 assists, two blocks and two steals across 39 minutes during Wednesday's 124-122 victory over the Thunder.

Jokic continues to put up monster statlines with ease. He's been at the center of the Nuggets' turnaround following a woeful start to the season. The star big man is averaging 26.6 points, 15.4 rebounds and 13.4 assists per game over his past five contests while carrying Denver to a 4-1 record -- and a three-game winning streak -- in that stretch.

Sengun chipped in 16 points (8-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal over 24 minutes during Wednesday's 127-100 victory over the Spurs.

Sengun's final stat line could've been even more robust if he hadn't played only 24 minutes in this 27-point blowout win over the Spurs. The star big man couldn't keep the double-double streak alive, but he remains a capable two-way presence, having notched that feat in six of his eight contests thus far. In eight appearances this season, Sengun is averaging 16.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a combined 2.4 steals-and-blocks across 28.4 minutes per game.

Allen racked up 16 points (7-10 FG, 2-2 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 35 minutes during Wednesday's 131-122 win over the Pelicans.

It's the third straight double-double and sixth in nine games for Allen, as the 26-year-old center continues a strong start to the season. His 11.9 boards and 2.4 combined blocks and steals a game would be career high, as would his 68.8 percent shooting from the floor, and he's scored at least 14 points eight times to help fuel the Cavaliers' 9-0 record.

Wembanyama logged 15 points (6-14 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 25 minutes during Wednesday's 127-100 loss to the Rockets.

The fact that Wembanyama led the Spurs in scoring with only 15 points is a testament to how much the team struggled on the offensive end of the court. The Frenchman failed to surpass the 15-point mark for just the third time this season, but fantasy managers shouldn't be worried about an off night for the star big man. Even with this subpar effort in a 27-point blowout, Wembanyama is still averaging 17.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.4 blocks, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. The fact that he's only shooting 41.2 percent from the field suggests his scoring numbers should eventually rise as the season progresses.