NBA Player News

Embiid (knee) is expected to play Thursday against the Heat, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

Embiid is officially being listed as questionable on the injury report, but he was a full participant at shootaround, and head coach Nick Nurse said he's expecting the reigning NBA MVP to be out there. That said, the 76ers still want Embiid to get through his pregame routine before he's officially cleared, so he's essentially going to be a game-time decision.

Clarke (rest) won't play in Friday's game against the Pistons.

Clarke will take the night off for the front end of a back-to-back set following his recent return from Achilles surgery, but the expectation is that he'll be back in action Saturday versus the 76ers. While appearing in each of the Grizzlies' last four games, Clarke has averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.8 steals in 21.0 minutes.

Bamba (illness) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Heat, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.

Bamba didn't participate in the 76ers' morning shootaround Thursday and will be forced to miss a second consecutive game due to an illness. Even if healthy, Bamba would have been uncertain to be included in the rotation after Joel Embiid made his return from meniscus surgery earlier in the week.

Holmes (toe) is questionable for Friday's game versus Portland.

Holmes has missed the past four games due to a bruised big toe on his left foot, and that number could hit five Friday night. If he's forced to spend another game watching from the sidelines, Tristan Vukcevic and Eugene Omoruyi will continue to split Holmes' minutes.

Badji is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Wizards due to lower back soreness.

Even while being available, Badji hasn't appeared in Portland's last two contests. If the 21-year-old big man is ruled out against Washington, it shouldn't impact Portland's rotation.

Richards (foot) is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Magic.

Richards is in danger of missing his third straight contest Friday due to right foot plantar fascia discomfort. If Richards is ruled out yet again, Grant Williams (ankle) will likely draw another start at center.

Turner (finger) is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus Oklahoma City.

Turner is in danger of missing his second straight contest Friday due to a sprained finger. If Turner is ruled out against the Thunder, Jalen Smith will likely draw another start.

Muscala produced two points (1-1 FG), one rebound and one block in six minutes during Wednesday's 135-100 loss to the Celtics.

Since signing with the Thunder on March 1, Muscala has struggled to carve out his role in the rotation, appearing in 11 games and averaging just 1.0 points and 0.9 rebounds in 4.1 minutes. With the Thunder frontcourt fully healthy, Muscala should be expected to step into valuable minutes only if Chet Holmgren or Jaylin Williams is sidelined.

Claxton totaled 14 points (7-10 FG, 0-2 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists and four blocks across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 115-111 win over the Pacers.

Claxton recorded a team-high 13 rebounds during Wednesday's win en route to his 29th double-double of the season. The 24-year-old big man has also been a shot-blocking machine, tallying 11 games with at least four rejections so far in 2023-24.

Bamba (illness), who is questionable for Thursday's game against the Heat, didn't participate in the 76ers' morning shootaround, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Bamba was a late scratch for Tuesday's game against the Thunder, and he continues to deal with an illness ahead of Thursday's matchup. His absence from Philadelphia's morning shootaround is discouraging, and it's possible he's unavailable for a second consecutive game.