NBA Player News

Okongwu (mouth) is out for Thursday's game against Utah, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.

Okongwu is in line for a fourth straight absence after undergoing dental surgery Jan. 29. His next opportunity to return will arrive Saturday against the Hornets.

Tonje was traded from the Jazz to the Celtics on Thursday in exchange for Chris Boucher, a future second-round pick and cash considerations, Zack Cox of the Boston Herald reports.

Tonje is on a two-way contract and has yet to make his NBA debut after being selected by Utah with the No. 53 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He won't be available for Friday's game against the Heat while the deal is finalized. Tonje is averaging 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals through 32 appearances in the G League this season, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the Celtics dispatched the rookie to Maine to continue his development.

Martin won't play in Thursday's game against Orlando for personal reasons, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.

Lewis notes the Nets still must vacate a roster spot after acquiring Josh Minott, Hunter Tyson and Ochai Agbaji prior to Thursday's trade deadline, potentially making Martin a cut candidate. Martin has largely been outside of the rotation since late December, typically taking the court only in garbage time in blowouts or when Brooklyn is down a key player or two.

Vucevic (recently traded) is not listed on the injury report for Friday's game against the Heat, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.

Vucevic's absence from the Celtics' initial injury report signals that he's ready to make his team debut Friday following Tuesday's trade away from Chicago. The star big man figures to immediately jump right into the starting lineup, likely pushing Neemias Queta to the bench. Over his last 10 appearances before being dealt by the Bulls, Vucevic averaged 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game.

Hauser (thumb) is not listed on the injury report for Friday's matchup with the Heat, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.

It looks like Hauser will be back in action Friday night following a one-game stint on the sidelines, which should result in fewer minutes for Hugo Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh and Ron Harper. Hauser is averaging 9.2 points and 2.6 triples per game this season.

Brown (hamstring/knee) isn't listed on the injury report ahead of Friday's game against the Heat, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.

Brown was shut down for Wednesday's matchup against the Rockets due to knee soreness and hamstring tightness, but he'll be ready to roll for Friday's clash. He's off to a strong start to February, putting up 30 or more points in each of his first two appearances.

Henderson (hamstring) will play in Friday's game against Memphis, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.

The stage is set for the 2023 No. 3 overall pick to finally make his season debut following a long rehab due to a torn left hamstring he sustained this past fall. Given how long Henderson has been sidelined, fantasy managers shouldn't expect his minutes to reach the 20s until he becomes a bit further removed from the injury. His presence is most likely to cut into the playing time of Blake Wesley and Caleb Love in the Portland backcourt.

Avdija (back) practiced Thursday, but he is unlikely to play Friday against the Grizzlies, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.

Friday's game will be the first of a back-to-back set, so while Avdija is expected to sit out the first game, there's a chance he could return for Saturday's rematch with Memphis. Jerami Grant and Sidy Cissoko will continue to pick up the slack while Avdija is out.

Barlow's availability for Thursday's game against the Lakers is in question while the 76ers work to piece together a 15-man roster prior to the 10 p.m. ET tipoff, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Barlow has spent all season as one of the 76ers' three two-way players, even though he's been a staple in the Philadelphia rotation when healthy and has started in 33 of his 40 appearances. While two-way players are eligible to be active for 50 games at the NBA level, teams aren't able to keep their two-way players active for more than 90 combined games when they have fewer than 15 players signed to standard contracts. The 76ers have already exhausted their 90-game, under-15 limit, so neither Barlow nor their other two-way players (Jabari Walker and MarJon Beauchamp) will be eligible to play until the team has 15 players signed to standard deals. In the aftermath of Thursday's trade deadline and after inking Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin to 10-day deals, the 76ers currently have 14 players signed to standard contracts. The 76ers could still convert Barlow or one of the other two-way players to standard contracts or sign another player outside of the organization to ensure that he can suit up against the Lakers.

The Cavaliers intend to convert Tomlin's contract to a standard deal ahead of Saturday's game against the Kings, Spencer Davies of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Tomlin had been riding a two-way contract with Cleveland, but now he's set to be a regular member of the Cavaliers the rest of the way. The second-year forward didn't end up making a single appearance for the G League's Cleveland Charge in 2025-26, instead averaging 6.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.2 minutes per contest through 41 NBA games this season. He should continue to stick in the rotation as long as Evan Mobley (calf) is out.