NBA Player News

Merrill (hand) is available and in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Lakers.

Merrill will return from a six-game absence with a sprained right hand Wednesday, and he will fill the void in the first unit left behind by the injured Evan Mobley (calf). Across his last seven starts, Merrill has averaged 16.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 27.5 minutes per game.

Mitchell (abdomen) has been ruled out for Thursday's game in Minnesota.

Mitchell is set to sit out his fourth straight game Thursday, and for now, he should be considered questionable for Sunday's game in Denver. Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins will likely continue to divvy up Mitchell's minutes while he's sidelined.

Wallace is questionable for Thursday's game against Minnesota with left hip soreness.

Wallace is trying to keep his absence to a one-game minimum. With Alex Caruso (adductor) already ruled out, plenty of minutes on the wing would remain open to Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins if Wallace is unable to suit up Thursday.

Hartenstein (calf) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Thursday's game in Minnesota.

Hartenstein is set to return from a month-long absence Thursday, though he may operate under a strict minutes restriction in his first game back. With the big man back in the mix, Chet Holmgren will likely shift back over to the four, which would likely send Jaylin Williams back to the bench. Branden Carlson could drop out of the rotation entirely with Hartenstein active.

Caruso is out for Thursday's game against the Timberwolves with a right adductor strain.

Sunday's contest against the Nuggets marks Caruso's next chance to end a five-game absence. With Oklahoma City also set to be without Ajay Mitchell (abdomen) on Thursday, the likes of Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are each worthy of streaming consideration in fantasy leagues.

Williams is out for Wednesday's game against Golden State with an illness.

Williams was a late addition to the injury report for the second half of this back-to-back and ultimately won't play. Svi Mykhailiuk is the most likely candidate to jump right back into the starting lineup Wednesday. Williams' next chance to play comes Friday against the Nets.

Ware (hamstring) is available for Wednesday's game against Orlando.

The second-year big man is putting a four-game absence with a hamstring strain in the rearview mirror Wednesday. His return likely means fewer minutes will be open to Simone Fontecchio and Nikola Jovic in the Miami frontcourt. Over his last six appearances, Ware has averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 15.5 minutes per game.

Powell (back) is available for Wednesday's game versus the Magic.

Powell will continue to power through the back issue, although it seems like it's been impacting his play of late. Over the past three games, Powell has shot 15-for-47 from the floor for a total of 47 points.

Murray-Boyles (thumb) is available for Wednesday's game against the Knicks, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The rookie first-rounder is ready to put a four-game absence with a left thumb bruise behind him. With Jakob Poeltl (back) still out, Murray-Boyles should share the center minutes with Sandro Mamukelashvili. Over his past five outings, Murray-Boyles has averaged 12.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.0 steals in 33.3 minutes per game.

Mitchell (shoulder) won't suit up for Wednesday's game against the Magic.

This will be Mitchell's fourth consecutive game on the inactive list, and considering he still hasn't practiced, that number could hit five for Friday's game in Chicago. Dru Smith, Kasparas Jakucionis and Pelle Larsson will continue to pick up the slack while Mitchell and Tyler Herro (ribs) are out.