NBA Player News

Davis recorded 15 points (6-11 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and five rebounds across 13 minutes in Saturday's 125-108 preseason loss to the Warriors.

Davis was the focal point of the Lakers' offense when on the floor, and the star big man looked impressive on both ends of the court, emerging as the team's alpha dog with LeBron James (rest) sidelined. Davis' role as one of the go-to players for the Lakers is completely settled, and he's simply getting reps in order to be ready for the regular-season opener against the Nuggets.

Embiid (rest) is inactive for Philadelphia's preseason opener against the Celtics on Sunday, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Embiid will be joined by James Harden (personal), De'Anthony Melton (rest) and Furkan Korkmaz (rest) on the sidelines. Paul Reed and Mo Bamba will likely absorb his role Sunday.

Lively scored two points (1-2 FG) while adding four rebounds, three blocks and a steal in 23 minutes during Saturday's 104-96 preseason loss to the Timerbwolves.

While the rookie center got bullied at times down low by Rudy Gobert, Lively still managed to make an impact on the defensive end. The 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft isn't necessarily guaranteed a starting spot right away for Dallas, but with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving (groin) carrying the scoring load, Lively likely just needs to hold his own at the other end of the court to maintain a significant role in the frontcourt rotation.

Reid scored 14 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 3Pt) with three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 16 minutes off the bench during Saturday's 104-96 preseason win over the Mavericks.

With Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert both healthy to begin the exhibition schedule, Reid is again set for a role on the second unit, but he could still see significant minutes after signing a two-year, $27 million contract extension in June to remain with Minnesota. The 24-year-old center has already attempted five three-pointers through two preseason games after hoisting up 3.2 a game with a 34.6 percent success rate last season, and if Reid can become even more of a floor-spacing option in 2023-24, it would be easier for coach Chris Fitch to find room for him alongside either of the team's two starting bigs.

Birch (undisclosed) won't participate in an inter-squad scrimmage Saturday, Tom Osborn of The San Antonio Express-News reports.

Birch is the third name that will be out of the scrimmage Saturday, as Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson have been ruled out as well. It remains to be seen if Birch will be available for the preseason opener against the Thunder on Monday.

Allen will be sidelined for at least two weeks due to a left ankle bone bruise, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports.

Allen will likely miss the remainder of the preseason due to his ankle injury, but he could return for the team's regular-season opener against the Nets on Oct. 25. Evan Mobley, Tristan Thompson and Damian Jones are candidates to receive extended minutes in Allen's absence.

Achiuwa (groin strain) will not play in Sunday's preseason opener against the Kings, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet reports.

Achiuwa was not able to practice Friday, and the Raptors will evaluate him when the team gets back to Toronto. With Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl expected to start up front for the Raptors, Achiuwa will be competing for a rotation spot off the bench with Chris Boucher and Jalen McDaniels.

Holmes recorded two points (1-1 FG), two rebounds, one steal and one block in nine minutes during Thursday's preseason opener against the Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi.

Holmes was used sparingly for the Kings last season before completely falling out of the rotation. He is looking for a fresh start in Dallas but finds himself in a crowded frontcourt. The Mavericks drafted Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dereck Lively, signed Holmes and Grant Williams and also have returning players like Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Josh Green who all figure to have consistent minutes. Holmes will need to impress during preseason action to carve out a reserve role to begin the 2023-24 campaign.

Powell posted five points (2-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two steals and one block in 16 minutes during Thursday's preseason opener against the Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi.

Powell, who was expected to be the Mavericks' starting center during the regular season, took a backseat to rookie Dereck Lively during the preseason opener. Lively and fellow rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper both drew starts versus Minnesota, but head coach Jason Kidd wouldn't reveal his starting lineup for the regular-season opener. Over the past two seasons, Powell has started 135 of his 158 appearances. However, he has been limited to around 20 minutes per game and hasn't been a great source of fantasy production during that stretch.

Garza generated 12 points (6-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), six rebounds and one block in 11 minutes during Thursday's 111-99 preseason win over Dallas.

Garza saw limited playing time off the bench Thursday but had plenty of looks from the floor, as he was one of three players on the team to finish with double-digit field-goal attempts. Garza rejoined the Timberwolves on a two-way deal in early July, so he'll likely split time between the G League and parent club during the 2023-24 campaign.