NBA Player News

Towns (eye laceration) is questionable for Friday's game against the Pistons.

This is a new injury for Towns, but the questionable tag suggests that he's day-to-day. If Towns is unable to play Friday, the Knicks will likely lean more on Mitchell Robinson. Ariel Hukporti would be a candidate for more run as well.

The Hawks will waive Dante (knee) on Thursday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.

With Atlanta bringing in three players (Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and Gabe Vincent) and sending out two others (Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard) in the hours prior to Thursday's trade deadline, Dante ended up being a casualty of the Hawks needing to open up a spot on the 15-man roster. The second-year center saw action in just four games at the NBA level before suffering a season-ending ACL tear during a Dec. 19 appearance in the G League. After undergoing surgery in January to address the injury, Dante's rehab program is expected to extend into the start of the 2026-27 season.

Herro (ribs) is not traveling with the Heat for their two-game road trip, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Thursday.

With Herro not accompanying the team on their road trip, it's safe to assume he won't be playing Friday in Boston or Sunday in Washington. The Heat have not provided any positive updates on Herro, so for now, he should be considered doubtful for Monday's matchup with the Jazz. Pelle Larsson and Jaime Jaquez will continue to pick up the slack in Herro's absence.

The Hornets waived Conley on Thursday.

As expected, Conley will never end up making an appearance with the Hornets, after he was acquired Wednesday from Chicago in a deal that also sent Coby White to Charlotte. Once he clears waivers, Conley will be free to join a team of his choosing. The 38-year-old point guard could even head back to Minnesota, but wherever he winds up, Conley will be more of a veteran locker room presence than an on-court asset.

Green (hamstring, hip) is out for Thursday's game against the Warriors.

Injuries continue to plague Green in 2025-26, and he's now sidelined for a third consecutive game and six of Phoenix's last seven contests. The star guard can be deemed day-to-day ahead of Saturday's matchup with the 76ers. With Devin Booker (ankle) also injured, Collin Gillespie and Royce O'Neale should continue to tally minutes in the 30s.

The Nets waived Thomas on Thursday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.

The Nets were unable to find any trade partners to offload Thomas, so instead, they will outright waive him. Thomas will likely clear waivers, and it'll be interesting to see what kind of deal he's able to fetch on the open market. There's no denying Thomas' scoring ability, but his shot selection and struggles to impact other areas of the box score have been problematic to his NBA development.

Cryer (hamstring) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Suns.

Cryer will end up missing his fifth consecutive game due to left hamstring injury management, though the fact that he was listed as questionable heading into the day before being downgraded suggests that his return is imminent. Once he's back to full health, the two-way player is unlikely to be a regular factor in the Golden State rotation and could join the Warriors' G League affiliate to see more consistent minutes.

The Hornets traded Jones to the Mavericks in exchange for Malaki Branham on Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

The Mavericks have reportedly been eying Jones this season, and they were able to strike a deal on deadline day to bring him into the fold in Dallas. He's an intriguing addition, as Jones will add some playmaking at the guard position that they didn't previously have, and it'll be interesting to see how large a role he's able to carve out, competing for minutes with Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams. Jones could be worth a speculative add in deep leagues for those seeking some dimes and steals. He can be considered questionable to make his Mavericks debut Sunday in San Antonio.

Richards was traded to the Bulls on Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Richards, who'd fallen out of favor in Phoenix, was traded, along with Nigel Hayes-Davis, to the Bucks on Thursday in exchange for Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey. However, the Bulls swept in right before the deadline to swap Ousmane Dieng for Richards. Jalen Smith was set for a long runway after Chicago traded Nikola Vucevic to the Celtics, but Richards' presence as a quality backup may hinder Smith's fantasy ceiling moving forward. Richard can be considered questionable for Saturday's game against Denver while the deal finalizes.

The Mavericks are trading Branham to the Hornets in exchange for Tyus Jones on Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

It's a simple one-for-one swap that offers both sides their preferred backcourt depth option. Branham, who was just moved to Dallas as part of the Anthony Davis (finger) trade Wednesday, should slot into a similar position he held with the Wizards earlier this year. Branham averaged 9.9 minutes per game over 28 regular-season appearances for Washington.