NBA Player News

Kornet (personal) is available for Friday's game against the Cavaliers, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

Kornet missed the Celtics' last two games while attending to a personal matter, but the veteran center will suit up for Friday's clash against the top team in the Eastern Conference. Kornet could slide into the Celtics' starting lineup due to Kristaps Porzingis being ruled out with an illness.

Bassey (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's matchup with the Grizzlies.

Bassey will miss his third consecutive game and 25th overall this season due to injury. With Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) out for the season, San Antonio will look to Bismack Biyombo and Sandro Mamukelashvili as the team's primary big men.

Sarr (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's matchup against the Hornets.

Sarr is in jeopardy of missing his third consecutive contest due to a lingering left ankle sprain. The rookie big man has missed 11 of the club's last 13 outings due to the ankle injury, with his two appearances coming directly before and after the All-Star break. If Sarr is sidelined once again, Richaun Holmes should draw another start.

Porzingis (illness) is officially ruled out for Friday's matchup with the Cavaliers, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

Porzingis was able to suit up Wednesday against Detroit but will miss Friday's game due to his illness. If Luke Kornet (personal) is able to play, he and Al Horford will likely garner more playing time in Porzingis' absence.

Nurkic (illness) is questionable for Saturday's matchup against Washington.

Nurkic is in jeopardy of missing a second consecutive contest due to an illness. Since joining the Hornets, the big man has averaged 8.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks in 19.2 minutes per game over five appearances (three starts). If Nurkic is ruled out, Moussa Diabate will likely see an uptick in playing time.

Hayes (hip) has been listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Clippers, Daniel Starkand of LakersNation.com reports.

Hayes suffered a left hip contusion during Thursday's win against the Timberwolves and now might be unable to play in the second game of a back-to-back Friday against the Clippers. The center has played well in his new role as a starter for the Lakers, but in the event he's ruled out, the team will likely pivot to Alex Len and Trey Jemison to shoulder the load in the paint, especially with Rui Hachimura (knee) not playing in this game.

Embiid (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of the season by the 76ers, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Embiid has been managing a left knee issue all season and has been shut down for the rest of the year. The one-time NBA MVP showed flashes of his dominant form over the course of the 2024-25 campaign for Philadelphia but simply couldn't stay on the floor consistently, resulting in the team ruling him out for the remaining 24 regular-season games. Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele will likely see a significant boost in minutes with the superstar big man on the mend.

Plumlee tallied four points (1-1 FG, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds and one block in 18 minutes in Thursday's 124-116 loss to the Pelicans.

Plumlee didn't do anything outstanding, but he provided steady center play off the bench Thursday. The veteran journeyman started a stretch of 11 games in December and January before being benched in favor of trade acquisition Nick Richards. Since returning to the bench, in 18 games, the 34-year-old is averaging 4.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game.

Gobert (back) will not play in Friday's game against Utah.

Gobert will now miss his sixth consecutive game due to his back injury, and it is uncertain when he will return. With Julius Randle (groin), Anthony Edwards (suspension) and Gobert all out, Minnesota will turn to its second unit to step up in Friday's matchup with the Jazz. Naz Reid will likely start again in Gobert's absence.

The Spurs will sign Biyombo to a contract for the remainder of the season following the expiration of his second 10-day pact, NBA reporter Chris Haynes reports.

The veteran center impressed the Spurs enough to earn a rest-of-season contract, and he should continue to see significant playing time with Victor Wembanyama (shoulder) out for the season. Biyombo has started in all five appearances with San Antonio, averaging 6.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent from the field in 19.0 minutes per game. He logged back-to-back outings with a double-double in that five-game span.