NBA Player News

Clarke (Achilles) will remain out for Friday's game against the Clippers.

Clarke hinted back in December that he was hopeful to return at some point around the All-Star break, but he remains without an official timetable to make his season debut while he works his way back from left Achilles surgery. Given his lack of a timetable along with the fact that he'll likely be under significant minutes restrictions once he's officially cleared to play, Clarke is safe to leave on the waiver wire in most fantasy formats.

Hartenstein (Achilles) said he'll play in Thursday's game against the 76ers, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. He's in the starting lineup.

Hartenstein was unavailable for the Knicks' final three games before the All-Star break, but he was listed as probable ahead of Thursday's matchup. He's officially been cleared to suit up, but coach Tom Thibodeau said before the game that Hartenstein will have playing time "guidelines," per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com. Thibodeau didn't specify that Hartenstein's playing time would be significantly scaled back, but the big man will play in shorter stints as he attempts to ramp up to 100 percent ahead of the playoffs.

Kleber (toe) will be available for Thursday's game against the Suns, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.

Kleber should be good to go for minutes in the mid-20s Thursday, but on a 12-game night, there are more attractive streaming options out there. Kleber should be good for some triples, but he doesn't offer a ton outside of that one category.

Lively (nose) is available for Thursday's game against the Suns, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.

Lively was probable for Thursday's matchup after fully participating in Wednesday's practice session, and he's officially been cleared to suit up as the Mavericks resume play after the All-Star break. In his return to action against the Spurs on Feb. 14, he came off the bench and totaled eight points, five rebounds, four blocks and an assist in 17 minutes.

Sabonis (illness), who is questionable for Thursday's game against the Spurs, was a full participant in the Kings' morning shootaround, Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento reports.

Sabonis was upgraded from doubtful to questionable Thursday morning, and his full participation in shootaround is another encouraging sign. He'll presumably continue to be evaluated in the hours leading up to tipoff, but he's certainly trending in the right direction.

Sabonis (illness) is listed as questionable for Thursday's game versus the Spurs.

Sabonis has been upgraded from doubtful to questionable Thursday while dealing with a non-COVID illness. While the star center's upgraded status is a good sign of his availability, Sabonis is still in danger of missing his first game of the season against San Antonio.

Capela (adductor) is available for Friday's game versus the Raptors but will operate under a minutes restriction, Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Capela will return to action Friday after missing Atlanta's last six contests due to a left adductor strain. The 29-year-old center will likely reclaim his starting spot from Bruno Fernando, with Onyeka Okongwu (toe) out for the foreseeable future. However, Capela is expected to play around 20 minutes.

Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said Thursday that Okongwu (toe) will be sidelined "for the foreseeable future," Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Okongwu sustained a sprained left big toe shortly before the All-Star break and was slated to be re-evaluated following the layoff. However, it appears as though he'll be forced to miss more time, and it's not yet clear when he'll be able to return to game action. Despite Okongwu's absence, the Hawks are slated to get a boost in the frontcourt since Clint Capela (adductor) will be available with a minutes restriction for Friday's game against Toronto.

Davis (Achilles/hip) is listed as probable for Thursday's game against the Warriors, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Despite having extra time off during the All-Star break, Davis remains on the Lakers' injury report with Achilles and hip issues -- the same injuries that consistently put him on the injury report in the first half of the season. However, he's likely to play Thursday in the opening leg of a back-to-back set, and he'll likely assume a larger usage rate with LeBron James (ankle) sidelined.

Sabonis (illness) is listed as doubtful for Thursday's game against the Spurs.

Sabonis was unable to participate in Wednesday's practice due to a non-Covid illness and is trending toward being held out of Kings' first game following the All-Star Break. Sabonis hasn't missed a game this season, but expect Sacramento to deploy a mix of Trey Lyles, Alex Len and JaVale McGee at the center position Thursday if Sabonis sits.