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Isaiah Hartenstein C | OKC
Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein: Drops weight ahead of season
Hartenstein dropped nearly 10 pounds ahead of the 2026-27 season, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
Hartenstein has been a full go for several weeks after tweaking his ankle for Germany during the offseason. He's expected to play a similar role in 2026-27 and is fresh off a three-year, $75 million extension.
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Anthony Davis C | WAS
Wizards' Anthony Davis: Participating in training camp
Davis is healthy and participating in training camp after dealing with injury issues during the 2025-26 campaign, according to Wizards reporter Greg Finberg.
Davis was spotted going through on-court work alongside Trae Young during Wednesday's practice, providing further confirmation that he's healthy entering his first full season with Washington. The veteran big man should have the opportunity to ramp up throughout camp and the preseason without injury-related limitations.
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Karl-Anthony Towns C | NY
Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns: Set for more playmaking
Towns could see his playmaking responsibilities expand this season as New York looks to build on an adjustment that proved effective during last year's playoffs, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post reports.
Head coach Mike Brown indicated that the Knicks intend to feature Towns at the elbow more frequently, allowing the big man to facilitate with the ball in his hands. The approach could give Towns more opportunities to create for teammates while opening additional actions for OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges away from the ball.
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Oso Ighodaro C | PHO
Suns' Oso Ighodaro: Competing for starting role
Ighodaro is competing with Khaman Maluach for Phoenix's starting center job while Mark Williams is sidelined by a shoulder injury, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic of The Arizona Republic reports.
Ighodaro said Wednesday that he and Maluach have been competing for the past two months and that he doesn't believe his experience from last season guarantees him the starting role. With Williams expected to miss multiple months, Ighodaro and Maluach should both have opportunities to earn substantial frontcourt minutes, though the competition could make their respective fantasy roles difficult to project entering the regular season.
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Joel Embiid C | PHI
76ers' Joel Embiid: Will have maintenance plan
Embiid's workload will continue to be closely managed during the 2026-27 season, head coach Nick Nurse said Tuesday, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.
Nurse said Philadelphia is already working through plans for Embiid and LeBron James on back-to-backs while mapping out their workloads for the next month. Embiid entered training camp without restrictions and was a full participant in Tuesday's opening practice, but the 76ers' early planning indicates they'll remain cautious with the veteran center despite his encouraging health entering the season.
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Trey Kaufman-Renn: Enters transfer portal
Kaufman-Renn has entered the transfer portal, Jeff Borzello of ESPN reports.
Kaufman-Renn was drafted in the second round, No. 59 overall, in the 2026 NBA Draft after four collegiate seasons at Purdue. With the Boilermakers, he averaged 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists over 21.8 minutes per contest in 147 games, including 112 starts. Despite suiting up for the Timberwolves during Summer League, Kaufman-Renn opted to file a motion to return to college for another season, which was granted by an Indiana circuit court. The 24-year-old will now enter the transfer portal and will look to improve his stock ahead of the 2027 NBA Draft, though it's unknown if some teams will be reluctant to select him after the events that transpired in the last few months.
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Rudy Gobert C | MIN
Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Expanding his range
Gobert continues to work on expanding his offensive game, including participating in three-point drills with his teammates, Andrew Dukowitz of ZoneCoverage.com reports.
Gobert said shooting was an area of emphasis during the offseason and noted that competing with teammates in drills has helped make taking jumpers feel more natural in game-like situations. While it's unclear whether three-pointers will become a meaningful part of his offensive role, Gobert has worked on his perimeter shooting in previous offseasons as well.
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Steven Adams C | HOU
Rockets' Steven Adams: Fully cleared for Houston
Adams has been fully cleared after undergoing left ankle surgery in January, head coach Ime Udoka said Tuesday, according to Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle.
The veteran center had previously been limited prior to training camp, but Udoka expects him to play during Houston's preseason trip to Macao. Adams may still be limited during back-to-back sets early in the regular season as the Rockets manage his workload following the procedure.