NBA Player News

Embiid (rest) won't play in Monday's preseason game against the Knicks, Chris Hine of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Embiid, LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey and Anfernee Simons, among others, will take a seat for the preseason opener, leaving plenty of usage available for second-year guard VJ Edgecombe and rookie Labaron Philon. It's unclear if Embiid will suit up Thursday in Brooklyn, but the big man's workload will continue to be closely managed during the 2026-27 season.

Hartenstein (rest) will not play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Pelicans, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Hartenstein will travel to Tulsa despite sitting out the contest. The veteran center is among several key rotation players whom Oklahoma City will hold out Tuesday as the club manages workloads during the preseason.

Towns expressed frustration Sunday regarding his ongoing contract negotiations with the Knicks, Steve Popper of Newsday reports.

"Simply put, I want to do something that can keep the team together, and that can work with the Knicks and also values me," Towns said. "And, I mean, none of those things have come close to happening." Towns is eligible for a four-year extension worth roughly $277 million and has indicated a willingness to take less than the maximum to help New York retain its championship core, but the Knicks have reportedly offered around $200 million. The 30-year-old remains under contract for 2026-27 and holds a $61 million player option for 2027-28, so the stalled negotiations don't create an immediate availability concern.

Poeltl finished with nine points (3-3 FG, 3-4 FT), one rebound, one assist, two steals and one block in 18 minutes during Saturday's 129-105 preseason loss to Miami.

Poeltl's production on the glass was limited, but the bigger takeaway was his health after back issues restricted him to 46 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. The veteran center overhauled his strength and conditioning routine during the offseason in hopes of putting the lingering issue behind him, and he's reportedly moving much better entering the new campaign.

Duren was spotted back at practice Monday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports.

Duren was back in the building for the first time since signing a five-year, $200 million extension. However, it remains to be seen if the Pistons will immediately give him some live game reps for Monday's exhibition against the Suns.

Jackson finished with four points (2-3 FG), four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 16 minutes during Sunday's 104-101 preseason win over the Warriors.

Jackson started over Brook Lopez and was limited to the first half as planned. The 24-year-old is competing with Lopez for the starting center job and has spent time with the first unit during training camp, making that battle worth monitoring throughout the preseason.

Bassey finished with 12 points (6-10 FG, 0-2 FT), eight rebounds, two steals and one assist in 16 minutes during Sunday's 104-101 preseason loss to the Clippers.

Bassey made an immediate impact on the glass, grabbing six offensive rebounds while tying for the team lead in scoring. With Kristaps Porzingis (undisclosed) currently sidelined and Golden State potentially needing additional frontcourt depth, Bassey could make a case for rotation minutes with more performances like this.

Sarr (foot) is expected to begin contact work soon after undergoing surgery this offseason, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

Sarr is nearing the next step in his recovery from surgery he underwent in mid-June to repair a fractured right foot. The Wizards planned to hold the big man out of contact drills during the first week of training camp, but he's expected to begin full-contact work soon. Sarr remains on track to be ready for the start of the regular season, though his availability for preseason action remains unclear.

Bagley totaled five points (2-7 FG, 1-2 FT, 0-1 3Pt) and seven rebounds in 15 minutes during Sunday's 109-97 preseason loss to the Jazz.

After being acquired by Denver during the offseason, it appears as though Bagley could be in line to play the primary backup role behind Nikola Jokic. Despite a somewhat modest performance Sunday, Bagley was the first big off the bench, a role that could yield backend fantasy value, should it maintain for any length of time. Bagley has always struggled to deliver consistent fantasy value, seen more as a points league asset. For those in category leagues, he is best left for deeper formats.

Nurkic totaled four points (1-5 FG, 2-2 FT, 0-2 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block in 11 minutes during Sunday's 109-97 preseason win over the Nuggets.

Nurkic was given the starting nod Sunday, and yet played fewer minutes than newly acquired Jaxson Hayes, who ended with 19 minutes off the bench. All signs point to Nurkic being the starting center come opening night, putting him on the radar as a potential top-100 candidate. Although his role may not be reflective of what might be considered a typical starting role, his ability to put up numbers across the board should lend itself to multiple builds. Considering him as a third center in standard leagues feels relatively safe.