NBA Player News

Wagner (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's season opener against the Heat.

Wagner is still recovering from a torn left ACL. It remains to be seen when he'll return to the floor. Goga Bitadze will likely get more time on the floor with Wagner still on the mend.

Richards (rest) is available for Wednesday's season opener against Sacramento, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.

After resting for Phoenix's preseason finale, Richards will be back in uniform Wednesday. The big man is lined up for a timeshare alongside Khaman Maluach as the backup center behind Mark Williams, meaning Richards has minimal fantasy upside to open the new campaign.

Head coach Jordan Ott said Williams (undisclosed) will have a "target number" during Wednesday's season opener against the Kings, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Williams was held out of the preseason in order to prepare for the season opener. The team's coaching staff appears to be taking a cautious approach with Williams as the Suns head into the 2025-26 campaign.

Williams (knee) won't be available for the season opener Wednesday against Minnesota, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.

The veteran big man was cleared for contact as of Monday's practice, but his rehab from March's arthroscopic knee surgery will extend into the regular season. Until Williams is ready to play, rookie first-rounder Yang Hansen should face little competition in the backup center role behind Donovan Clingan.

Biyombo was included on San Antonio's Opening Night roster Saturday, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.

Barring any further roster changes, Biyombo is all set to act as center depth for the Spurs this season. The veteran big man spent time as the team's backup center last year, though he's expected to cede those responsibilities to Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk (heel) in 2025-26.

The Trail Blazers picked up Clingan's team option for the 2026-27 season on Tuesday, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports.

This was Clingan's third-year team option. This transaction was never in any doubt for the franchise. Clingan is expected to be the starting center for the 2025-26 season, though he could be pushed by rookie Yang Hansen at some point soon.

Robinson (load management) did not practice Tuesday, Steve Popper of Newsday reports.

Robinson has been sidelined for over a week due to load management. Coach Mike Brown continues to downplay this, but fantasy managers have every right to be concerned. Plus, it's already been reported that Robinson will miss some games for maintenance this season. His status for Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers is very much in the air.

Ware (neck) is probable for Wednesday's game against the Magic, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Ware was held out of practice Monday, though it sounds like the team was being overly cautious. Coach Erik Spoelstra hasn't committed to a starting lineup yet, but Ware did not see a start alongside Bam Adebayo during the final three preseason games.

Gafford (ankle) will be listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Spurs, Christian Clark of The Athletic reports.

This was the expected injury designation for Gafford. The big man went through a partial practice Monday after doing some non-contact drills over the weekend. If Gafford's ankle responds well to the increased workload, he could get the green light to back up Dereck Lively at center for Opening Night.

The Lakers announced Tuesday that Kleber will be re-evaluated in two weeks due to a left oblique strain, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.

Kleber had been expected to be a fringe rotation player heading into the season, but the injury will delay his 2025-26 debut and could make it difficult for him to capture a meaningful role once he's healthy. With LeBron James (sciatica) also sidelined to begin the season, the Lakers will likely rely on Deandre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia as their primary options in the frontcourt.