NBA Player News

Duren (left ankle) went back to the locker room during the first half of Wednesday's game against the Hornets and will be re-evaluated at halftime, Johnny Kane of FanDuel Sports Network Detroit reports.

Duren rolled his ankle during the first quarter of Wednesday's game and stayed on the floor temporarily before exiting and going to the locker room. He'll undergo further evaluation during halftime before being given an official designation.

Hayes is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

Hayes will get the nod at center with Anthony Davis (ankle) sidelined. However, head coach JJ Redick stated prior to Wednesday's contest that he'll look to give Christian Koloko some minutes, so Hayes is not expected to absorb all of Davis' minutes. His fantasy upside should remain relatively low even in a starting role.

Embiid (knee/suspension) is set to make his season debut Tuesday versus the Knicks following the conclusion of his three-game suspension, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Embiid has resumed full practices to begin November, so the ramp-up from his left knee recovery program seemingly continues to go well. Embiid will begin a three-game suspension Wednesday, but his return to action will fittingly come at home against a Knicks squad that bounced Philadelphia from the playoffs last year.

Lively (shoulder) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Bulls.

Lively was initially listed as questionable but got downgraded to doubtful Wednesday morning, so this doesn't come as a surprise. It'll mark Lively's second straight absence due to a right shoulder sprain, and his next chance to suit up will come Friday versus the Suns. With P.J. Washington (knee) also unavailable, Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell are all candidates for increased playing time, while Olivier-Maxence Prosper or Kessler Edwards could enter the rotation.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Koloko (illness) will be available for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies and will be part of the rotation at center, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports.

Assuming Redick sticks to his word, Koloko will be seeing his first NBA action since April 9, 2023, when he made the 58th and final appearance of his rookie season with Toronto. The 24-year-old missed the entire 2023-24 season while recovering from blood clots, and after getting clearance from the NBA's Fitness-to-Play Panel, Koloko is finally ready to resume his career. Koloko's return coincides with Anthony Davis (ankle) being ruled out for Wednesday's contest, though the Lakers are unlikely to ask Koloko to play significant minutes, as Jaxson Hayes is the likelier candidate to start and take on the brunt of the playing time at center. Koloko flashed shot-blocking prowess as a rookie, and now that he's healthy again, he'll have the opportunity to stake a claim to a more permanent spot in the rotation.

Davis (heel) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Memphis, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Davis and Rui Hachimura (illness) have both been ruled out for Wednesday's contest, marking the first absences from any Lakers starters yet this season. The Lakers rank 21st in defensive rating even with Davis thus far, so subtracting him will be a sizable loss on both ends. Jaxson Hayes is a top candidate to slide into the starting lineup.

Coach Charles Lee said Wednesday that Williams (foot) is still limited to individual drills, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Williams' continued activity is a good sign, but he's still a few hurdles away from being cleared for game action. With Nick Richards (ribs) sidelined indefinitely, the Hornets need all the help they can get, though Williams will presumably be limited upon his return. He's yet to play this season, played only 19 regular-season games last year and made 43 regular-season appearances as a rookie in 2022-23.

Davis (ankle) participated in Wednesday's morning shootaround, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports.

Davis continues to carry a questionable tag ahead of tipoff, but it's a good sign that he's able to get some shots up with ease. He appeared to be moving well, but it's possible the Lakers wait and see how he feels after warmups before a decision is made.

Lively (shoulder) has been downgraded to doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Bulls.

Lively was previously considered questionable to play. With the second-year big man expected to be on the shelf, Daniel Gafford is likely to see a boost in fantasy value. Dwight Powell could possibly get an uptick as well.

Bryant chipped in two points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and five rebounds across 12 minutes during Monday's 111-110 loss to the Kings.

Bryant scored a season-low two points while tying his lowest mark in playing time Monday. The 27-year-old has served as the primary backup to Bam Adebayo with Kevin Love (conditioning) working his way back to game action. However, Bryant should not be considered a viable fantasy option as he will likely have to compete for minutes with Love and Haywood Highsmith in the frontcourt.