NBA Player News

Lively (back) will play Tuesday against Dallas.

Lively will return from a one-game absence due to a back contusion. He'll be a welcome addition to a Dallas frontcourt still lacking Maxi Kleber (toe). Dwight Powell and Richaun Holmes have uninspiringly split part-time duties, so Lively should reprise his alpha center role.

Jokic (back) is questionable for Wednesday's matchup versus the Rockets.

Jokic missed his first game of the season Monday due to lower back pain and is listed as questionable for a second straight matchup. Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Aaron Gordon (heel) are also questionable, so at the moment, it's unclear what the Nuggets' rotation will look like. If Jokic is sidelined again, DeAndre Jordan, Zeke Nnaji and Peyton Watson would be candidates for increased roles.

Adebayo (hip) is available for Tuesday's game against the Bucks.

As expected, Adebayo has been upgraded from probable to available and will play after missing Saturday's loss to the Nets due to a hip injury. The star center missed Miami's first matchup against the Bucks, but he's slated for a hefty role Tuesday due to Jimmy Butler (ankle) being unavailable. Adebayo has posted double-doubles in nine of his last 11 appearances, averaging 22.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 34.6 minutes per game during that stretch.

Carter (finger) has been ruled out for Wednesday's matchup against the Wizards.

Carter will miss a 13th straight game due to a fractured third metacarpal in his left hand. Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner are candidates for increased roles until Carter returns, which could be soon. Carter had his cast removed Tuesday, and the big man called it "one of the best days of [his] life." He immediately returned to on-court individual drills, but he still has some hurdles to clear before getting cleared for game action. Carter's next chance to suit up will come Friday in a rematch against Washington.

Carter (finger) was spotted getting shots up during Tuesday's practice, Wendell Epps of Bally Sports reports.

Per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, Carter got his cast removed Tuesday, and the big man called it "one of the best days of [his] life." He immediately got to work with individual drills but still has a few hurdles to clear before he's ready for game action. Carter missed a 12th straight game Sunday due to a fractured third metacarpal in his left hand, which has allowed Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner to garner increased roles. However, when Carter is available, he'll presumably reclaim his starting spot and play a prominent role for a Magic team that's contending for a high seed in the Eastern Conference.

Wiseman ended Monday's 126-107 loss to the Wizards with eight points (3-4 FG, 2-4 FT) and four rebounds over nine minutes.

With Jalen Duren reclaiming his spot in the starting lineup, coach Monty Williams had a decision to make regarding his backup center. Marvin Bagley had clearly moved ahead of Wiseman to start the campaign, but the former didn't see any action Monday while the latter was solid in limited work. It's unclear if this was a permanent move, but either way, both Bagley and Wiseman won't have significant fantasy value as long as Duren is healthy.

Bagley didn't play in Monday's 126-107 loss to Washington due to a coach's decision, Mike Curtis of The Detroit News reports.

Bagley appeared in each of the Pistons' first 16 games (six starts), averaging 10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.1 minutes per game. However, Detroit is in the midst of a double-digit losing streak, so coach Monty Williams opted to shake things up and gave James Wiseman a shot in the rotation. Wiseman was solid in limited work, recording eight points (3-4 FG) and four rebounds in nine minutes, but it's unclear how the backup center rotation will shake out now that Jalen Duren is healthy.

Zubac closed Monday's 113-104 loss to the Nuggets with 23 points (9-15 FG, 5-8 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist and one block over 32 minutes.

Nikola Jokic (back) took the night off, so Zubac went to battle with DeAndre Jordan. Zubac's 23 points mark a new season high, while his 14 rebounds matched his season best. Zubac is posting similar numbers to his 2022-23 season in terms of counting stats, but he's on pace to shoot a career-low 60.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Claxton (ankle) is good to go for Tuesday's game against the Raptors, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Claxton was unable to play Sunday against the Bulls, but it appears he has put his minor ankle issue behind him. The Nets deployed a smaller lineup Sunday with Claxton unavailable, but Day'Ron Sharpe made a big impact off the bench in 27 minutes. However, Sharpe's fantasy value is likely to trend down with Claxton healthy again.

Jordan recorded 21 points (8-11 FG, 5-11 FT), 13 rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals in 34 minutes during Monday's 113-104 victory over the Clippers.

Jordan drew the start in place of Nikola Jokic (back), and Clippers fans got a dose of nostalgia as they watched Jordan and Reggie Jackson pick apart their old team. Although it's been six years since Jordan last donned a Clippers uniform, he looked as aggressive as ever. His drive-and-dunks off of Jackson's passes were reminiscent of the old-school days in the Staples Center. Jordan is buried in the depth chart, and Jackson will join him soon, but it was a nice moment for the duo.