NBA Player News

Clarke will start Monday's game against the Pacers, Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official site reports.

Clarke will knock Zach Edey out of the starting lineup. The veteran Clarke missed most of last season due to a knee injury but was a key part of Memphis' frontcourt rotation during his first four years in the league.

Coach Quin Snyder said there's a "good chance" Okongwu (toe) doesn't play in Monday's preseason game against the 76ers, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.

Okongwu is still working his way back from a non-surgical procedure he underwent in April to deal with inflammation in his left big toe. While he's unlikely to play Monday, Snyder added that he's hopeful Okongwu suits up before the preseason ends. He'll have two more chances to do so -- Wednesday in Miami and Thursday in Oklahoma City.

The Rockets waived Maker on Monday, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.

Maker is expected to report to the G League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He has played in 263 career NBA games but hasn't seen regular-season action since 2020-21.

Embiid (knee) is expected to have limitations during the 2024-25 campaign, including not playing both halves of back-to-back sets and wearing a knee brace, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

Embiid has been ruled out for the entire preseason to focus on an individual treatment plan to prepare for the regular season. While he's expected to be ready for Opening Night against the Bucks on Oct. 23, fantasy managers should proceed with caution. Embiid has played more than 60 regular-season games only four times in his eight-year career and never made more than 68 appearances in a single season. The 76ers have 14 back-to-backs in 2024-25, so even if Embiid doesn't miss time for any other injuries, he'll fail to reach the 70-game threshold again. Plans can change, but given his current regimen, Embiid is a significant risk as a first-round fantasy selection.

Landale (rest) will not play in Tuesday's preseason game against the Pelicans, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.

According to coach Ime Udoka, this will be a planned rest day for both Tari Eason and Landale. Both players are expected to return to action Thursday against the Spurs. Landale is projected to be Houston's third-string center this season.

Bol notched 14 points (5-10 FG, 4-6 3Pt), eight rebounds, an assist and a block across 28 minutes in Sunday's 118-114 preseason win over the Nuggets.

Bol hadn't seen the court much during the preseason, but he made his presence felt on both ends in this win. That said, Jusuf Nurkic is entrenched as the Suns' starting center for 2024-25, meaning Bol will have to compete for the backup role with Mason Plumlee. Bol's fantasy upside will be minimal once the regular season begins against the Clippers on Oct. 23.

Poeltl finished with 14 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 FT), 13 rebounds and two assists in Sunday's 115-111 preseason loss to the Celtics.

Poeltl made his presence felt on both ends of the court Sunday, and the big man seems ready for the start of the regular season against the Cavaliers on Oct. 23. Poeltl will open the campaign as Toronto's starting center. However, the veteran could be tied to rumors as the season progresses since the Raptors are fully committed to rebuilding.

Queta posted 12 points (3-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 15 rebounds, five assists and a block across 21 minutes in Sunday's 115-111 preseason win over the Raptors.

The Celtics rested the entire group that started Saturday's huge win over the 76ers, and Queta certainly took advantage of his opportunity. However, as good as he looked in this win, Queta isn't likely to have a prominent role in the rotation, and his best bet at seeing the court regularly would be to beat Xavier Tillman for the backup role behind Al Horford and Luke Kornet while Kristaps Porzingis (foot) remains sidelined.

Sabonis notched nine points (4-11 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks across 30 minutes in Sunday's 108-85 preseason loss to the Trail Blazers.

Sabonis was a double-double machine in the 2023-24 season and led the league in that category. Even though he might experience a regression in his numbers after the Kings added DeMar DeRozan to the mix in the offseason, Sabonis' status as a double-double threat every time he steps on the hardwood shouldn't change. Even if this performance wasn't his best from an efficiency perspective, Sabonis still ended one point, two rebounds and three assists away from a triple-double, which speaks volumes about his versatility on the offensive end of the court.

Clingan notched 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), 10 rebounds, a steal and two blocks across 18 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 108-85 preseason win over the Kings.

Deandre Ayton will open the regular season as Portland's starting center, but Clingan has made his presence felt on both ends of the court throughout the preseason. That means the rookie could see decent minutes once the regular season begins, and he could very well win the backup role over Robert Williams (hamstring) even after the latter is deemed available to return to the hardwood. The Blazers open their regular season against the Warriors on Oct. 23.