NBA Player News

Gafford (ankle) will play in Saturday's game against the Pistons, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.

Gafford will make his season debut after missing the team's first five regular-season games due to a sprained right ankle. It wouldn't be surprising if the Mavericks ease him back into action, though he'll likely get the starting nod with Anthony Davis (calf) and Dereck Lively (knee) sidelined.

Zubac closed with 14 points (5-7 FG, 4-4 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist and three blocks over 34 minutes during Friday's 126-124 win over New Orleans.

The double-double was his second straight after a bit of a slow start to the season on the glass, while the three blocks were a season high for Zubac. The 28-year-old center is coming off a breakout 2024-25 campaign, but so far in 2025-26, he's taken a slight step back, averaging 15.2 points, 8.6 boards, 2.4 assists and 1.4 blocks in 28.8 minutes over five games. On the bright side, he's shooting 90.9 percent from the free-throw line, which would be a massive improvement after he posted a career-worst 66.1 percent mark from the charity stripe last season.

Landale supplied 16 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT) while adding five rebounds, an assist and a steal in 25 minutes during Friday's 117-112 loss to the Lakers.

The Grizzlies went with a balanced attack that saw six different players score in double digits, and Landale tied Jaylen Wells for the team scoring lead on the night. Landale has held down the fort in the paint while Zach Edey (ankle) and Brandon Clarke (knee) get healthy, averaging 10.2 points, 5.2 boards, 1.3 assists, 1.0 threes and 0.7 blocks in 23.7 minutes over six starts.

Williams (knee) finished with four points (2-2 FG, 0-1 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one block in 11 minutes during Friday's 109-107 win over the Nuggets.

Williams made his season debut, playing as the primary backup behind starting center Donovan Clingan. Given his long injury history, Williams is likely to have his playing time monitored carefully, though he's unlikely to earn more than 20 minutes in most games so long as Clingan is available.

Ayton logged only 17 minutes on the floor Friday against the Gizzlies before not returning due to back spasms, Khobi Price of The Orange County Register reports.

Ayton was available to return in the fourth quarter, according to head coach JJ Redick. However, the team chose to keep him sidelined as a precaution. The veteran big man finished with nine points (4-6 FG, 1-1 FT) and no other stats across the board.

Jackson logged nine points (4-7 FG, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes during Friday's 128-108 loss to the Hawks.

Jackson turned in his best scoring performance of the young season. However, his opportunities continue to be limited, as Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and Jarace Walker were the focal points of the offense Friday evening. Jackson also posted a season high in rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double. The Kentucky product should continue to see his name listed in the starting lineup moving forward.

Okongwu collected 14 points (5-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks across 26 minutes during Friday's 128-108 win over Indiana.

Okongwu was calculated on the offensive end, making the most of his opportunities. He led the bench in scoring, rebounds and blocks on the way to a solid showing across the board. Okongwu has now scored in double figures in all six matchups so far this season.

Robinson finished with four points (2-3 FG), 11 rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes during Friday's 135-125 loss to the Bulls.

Robinson played his first game of the season, leading the team with 11 rebounds. He slotted straight into the starting lineup, and although he was apparently not on a minutes restriction, he did manage just 20 minutes. As expected, he was non-existent on the offensive end, but the other aspects of his game appeared fine. His availability moving forward remains a mystery, although simply being back on the court is a step in the right direction.

Embiid produced 20 points (6-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 7-7 FT), six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and four turnovers in 25 minutes during Friday's 109-108 loss to the Celtics.

This was a season-high in minutes for Embiid, who has looked a little better with each game this season. He did take an elbow to the face from Derrick White, but he was able to play through it, so that shouldn't be something that impacts his status for Sunday's game in Brooklyn.

Williams (knee) will play Friday against the Nuggets, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.

Williams is set to make his regular-season debut after being recalled from the G League, where he was getting extra practice reps. However, he'll likely have a tight minutes cap. He could have value in a 20-minute role, but this is a wait-and-see situation for now. It'll be interesting to see how he impacts Donovan Clingan's playing time once he's fully up to speed.