NBA Player News

Smith (finger) is available for Friday's game against the Celtics.

Smith popped up on the injury report due to a left finger sprain, though it won't keep him off the floor versus Boston. With Nic Claxton (hamstring) sidelined, Smith has started in all five of the Bulls' regular-season games in 2026-27, averaging 13.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists over 23.4 minutes per outing.

Missi (knee) won't play in Saturday's game against Atlanta.

Missi sustained a bone bruise in his left knee during the 120-119 loss to Utah on Oct. 23. The 22-year-old hasn't played since, and considering he doesn't have a definitive return date, he should be considered week-to-week. Without Missi on the floor, DeAndre Jordan, Derik Queen and Karlo Matkovic could all see more action, though it appears none of them are a lock to take over the interim starting center job at the moment.

Towns (wrist) is listed as probable for Friday's game against Philadelphia.

Towns is dealing with a left wrist sprain he sustained in Wednesday's win over the Bulls, though he's still expected to suit up for Friday's contest. Over five regular-season outings, he's averaging 21.8 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 31.0 minutes per tilt.

Beringer's contract option for next season is being exercised by Minnesota, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports.

With Minnesota locking in Beringer for another season, the young center's roster spot and longer-term place in the frontcourt are more secure. Beringer remains a developmental piece for the Timberwolves, but he's been thrust into a larger role in the middle now that Naz Reid is in Charlotte.

Sabonis finished with nine points (4-7 FG, 1-2 FT), 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block across 40 minutes in Thursday's 132-120 loss to the Pelicans.

Sabonis has been absolutely dominant on the glass in the early stages of the season, grabbing at least 14 boards in each game and comfortably leading the NBA in that category at 16.2 per game. The other areas of his game weren't as dominant, however, as he attempted just seven shots while committing seven turnovers. Sabonis' rebounding and playmaking helped offset the single-digit scoring total, though the turnovers were costly for Sacramento. The star big man remains a strong fantasy contributor through his elite rebounding and passing, but his scoring volume can become a concern after back-to-back games with nine points.

Allen posted 14 points (5-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, an assist and two blocks across 30 minutes in Thursday's 114-111 loss to the Hawks.

Allen remained efficient offensively while providing his usual rebounding and rim protection. His two blocks boosted his fantasy output, though he finished two rebounds shy of a double-double. Allen has shot at least 50 percent from the field in all but one of his first five appearances of this season, and he continues to form a strong partnership with Evan Mobley in the Cavaliers' frontcourt. Alen's strong field-goal percentage and defensive contributions continue to support his value in category-based formats.

Carlson recorded two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), two rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 12 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Grizzlies.

Carlson saw his first minutes as a member of the Trail Blazers after having missed the start of the season due to a concussion. With Robert Williams (knee) given the night off, Carlson assumed the role of backup behind Donovan Clingan, although he didn't offer much outside of his two blocked shots. Given that Williams could return as soon as Saturday against Utah, there is no reason to consider Carlson outside of very deep formats.

Clingan supplied 11 points (5-9 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 0-1 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, five blocks and one steal over 29 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Grizzlies.

Clingan turned in arguably his best performance of the season despite the loss, chipping in across all major categories, including a season-high five blocks. While it has been a slow start to the season, Clingan is currently a top 80 player in standard leagues, averaging 9.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.3 three-pointers and 2.3 blocks in 24.2 minutes per game.

Stewart ended with 18 points (7-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and one block across 16 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 victory over Portland.

Stewart dropped a season-high 18 points, although a lack of peripheral stats continues to be an issue. Having appeared in four games thus far, he has averaged just 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 17.5 minutes per game. Assuming Zach Edey's playing time continues to ramp up, there isn't much hope for Stewart being anything more than a situational streaming consideration.

Post (ankle) didn't return to Thursday's game against Portland. He recorded 10 points (3-5 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and four rebounds in seven minutes before exiting.

Post was off to a great start to Thursday's clash, and he may have had a significant opportunity to do damage in the second half if he hadn't tweaked his ankle, considering Zach Edey picked up four fouls before halftime. The severity of Post's injury isn't known at this time, and he can be considered day-to-day leading up to Saturday's game against Sacramento.