NBA Player News

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.

Battle was held out of Thursday's scrimmage due to a lower back injury, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

This appears to be a precautionary move for the Raptors, who will take on the Heat in the preseason opener Saturday. Battle could be cleared to play Saturday, and he'll need to impress during the preseason to earn a role in the rotation.

Anderson sat out of Thursday's scrimmage due to a bruised right knee, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

Anderson's knee injury is considered to be minor, but his availability will be worth monitoring heading into Toronto's first preseason matchup against Miami on Saturday. The 33-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Raptors in July and is competing for a spot in the frontcourt rotation heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Graves did not participate in the Raptors' scrimmage Thursday after tweaking his groin in practice, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

Graves is competing for a reserve role entering his rookie season, so even though the injury is thought to be minor, it's currently costing him time on the court. He can be considered day-to-day for the time being.

Thybulle is battling for a starting spot at training camp, per Trevor Lane of LakersNation.com.

Lane believes Thybulle is the third-best fit in the starting lineup behind Ziaire Williams and Jake LaRavia. Thybulle is primed for a big role as a three-and-D threat for the Lakers, but staying on the court has been an issue in recent years. He's logged just 45 regular-season appearances over the past two seasons and may not be trusted with substantial workloads, but Thybulle has managed to average at least 1.2 steals every year of his career despite never playing at least 26 minutes per game.

The Suns exercised the team's third-year option for 2027-28 on Maluach on Thursday.

This was a no-brainer decision after Maluach was selected in the first round last year. Maluach could be primed to take on a significantly larger role in Phoenix's frontcourt, which has a major void due to Mark Williams' offseason shoulder injury.