NBA Player News

Risacher is adjusting well to his new team and is looking forward to playing alongside Cooper Flagg, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Sports Journal reports.

Risacher has been adjusting well after being traded from the Hawks to the Mavericks in July, and he noted Thursday that he's confident his style will mesh well with Flagg. "I feel like we're going to be a good fit, especially in this team. We're going to play fast. We want to go," said Risacher. "We're going to play physical, and I feel like that's going to be a good fit. I like to play off-ball too, so I feel like just me being able to get to the right spot, get space, and finish those actions, that's going to be a big thing."

Washington is being considered for a spot in the starting lineup, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Washington is expected to have a key role for the Mavs heading into the 2026-27 season, though coach Dusty May is not yet ready to commit to the Kentucky product being a mainstay in the starting five. It's worth noting that Washington has only come off the bench four times in 113 regular-season appearances for Dallas over the last two years. However, the addition of rookie Morez Johnson could complicate the frontcourt.

The Lakers believe that James can earn a spot in the rotation heading into the 2026-27 season, Dan Woike of The Athletic reports.

Coach JJ Redick has been a believer in James since he was drafted in 2024, and he's been impressed by the 21-year-old's continued development over the last few years. While roles have not yet been decided at this point in camp, it seems as though James could factor into the Lakers' plans for the 2026-27 season, as the team intends to play hard, fast and with physicality, per Woike.

Doncic has yet to share the floor with Austin Reaves in scrimmages, and coach JJ Redick said he anticipates staggering the two during the regular season, Jovan Buha of The Athleticreports.

Doncic is set to enter the 2026-27 season healthy after a hamstring injury forced him to miss time down the stretch of the regular season and the entire postseason a year ago. Redick's comments suggest Los Angeles intends to separate on-ball stretches for Doncic and Reaves, while also relying on the likes of Collin Sexton, Quentin Grimes, Bronny James and Jaden Hardy to produce.

Leonard has yet to participate in contact drills and is unlikely to play in Toronto's preseason opener Saturday against Miami, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

The team has been content with a phased ramp up for Leonard to start training camp, and while coach Darko Rajakovic stated Thursday that the team will consider playing the star forward Saturday, it seems more likely that he'll sit out. Toronto has also indicated that a load management plan has been developed for Leonard ahead of the 2026-27 campaign to keep him healthy over the course of the season, which is something he hasn't been able to accomplish in recent years.

Lendeborg will start Golden State's preseason opener against the Clippers on Sunday, Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Lendeborg appears to be in a position to take on a substantial role right from the start of the 2026-27 season, and the Warriors are eager to see what he can do alongside the likes of Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski. He figures to see his share of work during the preseason to prepare him for his first NBA campaign.

Curry is expected to start Golden State's preseason opener against the Clippers on Sunday, Danny Emerman of SFStandard.com reports.

Curry was also spotted with the first unit Thursday during 5-on-5 work, so it appears the 38-year-old is feeling strong heading into the preseason. The star point guard signed a two-year, $116 million contract extension in late September, and while concerns remain about his right knee, the Warriors don't appear to be overly concerned with his workload at this point, though he's sure to sit a few games of the preseason to ensure he enters the 2026-27 campaign as fresh as possible.

Simmons drew strong praise from coach Doug Christie on Thursday, Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140 reports.

Christie has had nothing but positive things to say about Simmons so far in camp. "Nothing I read was true," said Christie. "I really enjoy being around the kid. He speaks. He enjoys basketball. He loves coaching, and he's special." Simmons is coming off a missed 2025-26 season, though he appears to be off to a strong start with his new squad. He's also been spotted getting in extra work with members of the Kings' coaching staff, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento.

Hart stated Thursday that he'll need to have his finger wrapped until he retires, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reports.

Hart notes that he plans to continue to wrap his right ring finger, as undergoing surgery would mean a full joint replacement and the end of his playing days. He's evidently learned to play through injury, as he hit at a clip of 41.3 percent from beyond the arc over 66 regular-season games a season ago. "Some days it'll hurt to catch the ball. It just, it varies," said Hart. "I wish I could tell you when I wake up, what's gonna be good, what's gonna be bad. But yeah, I mean, some days it's good like a regular functioning finger. And other days it hurts to just close my hand, to make a fist."

Richard took part in 5-on-5 work with the third team at Warriors camp Thursday, Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

This updates doesn't come as much of a shock, as Richard could find himself near the back end of the team's rotation if the Warriors can stay healthy this season. He put together a decent rookie campaign a year ago, averaging 6.5 points, 2.5 assists, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals over 69 appearances while Golden State was forced to navigate without Stephen Curry, Brandin Podziemski and De'Anthony Melton down the stretch.