NBA Player News

Hukporti won't start against the 76ers on Friday.

With Karl-Anthony Towns (knee) back in the lineup, Hukporti will retreat to the second unit after starting Thursday's win over Indiana. The Knicks will also have Mitchell Robinson (ankle) in the second leg of their back-to-back set, so Hukporti isn't likely to see significant minutes.

Drummond is in the starting lineup for Friday's matchup with the Knicks, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.

Joel Embiid (illness) is out, so Drummond will slide back into the first unit. He'll be joined by Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George and Dominick Barlow. Over 11 starts this season, Drummond has compiled averages of 10.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 0.8 triples, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.

Collins (wrist) is available for Friday's game against Cleveland.

As expected, Collins will shed his probable tag due to left wrist soreness. The 28-year-old center has appeared in each of Chicago's last five games, averaging 7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.6 minutes per tilt over that stretch.

Towns (knee) is available for Friday's game against the 76ers, Ky Carlin of USA Today reports.

After sitting out Thursday's win over the Pacers due to left knee soreness, Towns will shed his probable tag for the second leg of New York's back-to-back set. Over five regular-season appearances in December, the star big man has averaged 25.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.4 minutes per contest. With Towns and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) both back in the lineup, Ariel Hukporti should see a significant dip in minutes.

Davis (illness) is listed as probable for Saturday's game against the 76ers.

Davis played through the illness during Thursday's win over Detroit and is likely to suit up Saturday. The star big man has appeared in six of Dallas' seven games this month, during which he has averaged 19.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals in 30.7 minutes per contest.

Poeltl (back) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Celtics, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

The Raptors continue to monitor Poeltl while he manages a lower-back injury. If the veteran big man doesn't get the green light, Sandro Mamukelashvili would likely draw the start at center and experience a surge in fantasy value.

Kornet contributed 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal across 23 minutes during Thursday's 119-94 win over the Wizards.

Kornet continues to start while the Spurs ease Victor Wembanyama (calf) back into the fray. Kornet has averaged 6.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 blocks in 26.6 minutes per contest over his last 13 games (all starts).

Kleber (back) accumulated five points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one block in 19 minutes during Thursday's 143-135 victory over the Jazz.

Kleber made his return from a three-game absence with a lumbar muscle strain, and he saw an uptick in playing time due to the absence of Deandre Ayton (elbow). Even so, Kleber remains far off the fantasy radar, Kleber has averaged 2.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 12.7 minutes per contest over 11 games this season.

Duren closed with 17 points (8-20 FG, 1-2 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist and two steals over 34 minutes during Thursday's 116-114 overtime loss to Dallas.

Duren recorded his 14th double-double of the campaign as he continues to have a breakout season in Detroit. Through 24 games, he's averaging 18.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks in 29.2 minutes per contest.

Wembanyama (calf) isn't listed on the injury report ahead of Friday's game against the Hawks.

Wembanyama's status is worth noting because Friday is the second end of a back-to-back for the Spurs. The superstar big man is likely to have a minutes restriction following his recent lengthy layoff due to a strained calf, and it remains to be seen if the Spurs are ready to reinsert him into the starting lineup. Wembanyama has averaged only 19.0 minutes per game in his last two appearances, but he's still been productive, totaling 37 points (12-22 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 11-14 FT), 17 rebounds, six assists, six blocks and one steal.