NBA Player News

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said Thursday that Bagley's sprained right knee isn't expected to be a season-ending injury, though the big man is without a clear timeline to return to the court, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post reports.

Bagley has already been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Hornets after suffering what appeared to be a significant knee injury in Monday's 123-105 loss to the Thunder. Though Bagley appears on track to play again this season, he's still likely in store for an extended absence. With Alexandre Sarr and Jonas Valanciunas entrenched ahead of him on the depth chart at center, Bagley likely wouldn't have been in store for meaningful minutes even if he was fully healthy.

Turner (oblique) is available for Thursday's game versus the Thunder, Tony East of SI.com reports.

Turner has been upgraded from questionable to available Thursday despite dealing with a right oblique contusion. Turner is averaging 14.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.9 assists in 30.0 minutes across his last 10 appearances.

Porzingis (ankle) is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Pacers, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

Porzingis suffered a left ankle sprain against Philadelphia on Wednesday and is now in danger of missing Friday's contest. While it appears that the 29-year-old big man has avoided a long-term injury, Al Horford and Luke Kornet are candidates to receive increased playing time if Porzingis is unable to suit up against Indiana.

Collins (hip) won't play in Thursday's game versus the Trail Blazers.

Collins will miss his second straight game Thursday after being downgraded from questionable to out due to a left hip contusion. Micah Potter will likely continue to receive increased playing time in his absence. Collins' next chance to suit up is Saturday's matchup with Philadelphia.

Sarr (back) is available for Thursday's game versus the Hornets.

Sarr has been upgraded from questionable to available Thursday after missing Washington's previous contest due to lower back soreness. The rookie big man should reclaim his starting job from Jonas Valanciunas.

Sabonis (illness) wasn't present at shootaround ahead of Thursday's game versus the Pistons, James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento reports.

Sabonis is officially listed as questionable for Thursday's contest due to an illness. However, the star big man's absence from shootaround is a bad sign of his availability against Detroit.

Kornet amassed six points (3-4 FG, 0-1 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 20 minutes during Wednesday's 118-114 loss to the 76ers.

Despite losing to the 76ers on Christmas Day, Kornet had a solid performance, ripping down double-digit rebounds and helping Boston remain competitive after Kristaps Porzingis went down with an injury against Philadelphia. Kornet could see a bump in minutes if Porzingis misses time with the ankle injury.

Jokic had 25 points (10-19 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists and two steals over 38 minutes during Wednesday's 110-100 loss to the Suns.

Jokic's 15-rebound output was his second-best mark in that category during the month of December, and the star big man continues to show an elite ability to impact the game in several areas every time he steps on the hardwood. Jokic has notched four double-doubles and four triple-doubles across 11 December outings, averaging 31.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game in that span.

Horford closed with 17 points (6-13 FG, 5-10 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists and one block across 33 minutes during Wednesday's 118-114 loss to the 76ers.

Horford's starting nods have become more sporadic since Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) returned to the lineup, but the former was solid Wednesday by posting 17 points and matching a season high with five threes as part of the Celtics' first unit. Over 20 games as a starter in 2024-25, Horford is averaging 9.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 blocks, 0.8 steals and 2.4 three-pointers in 28.7 minutes. Those may not be the most impressive figures, but fantasy managers in nine-category leagues might be interested in the veteran big man's decent shooting splits, low rate of turnovers and ability to chip in across the board, making Horford an asset to monitor ahead of Friday's tilt against the Pacers, with Porzingis still nursing an ankle injury.

Embiid (ankle) finished Wednesday's 118-114 win over Boston with 27 points (8-15 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 7-7 FT), nine rebounds and two assists across 31 minutes.

There was some uncertainty surrounding Embiid's status for Christmas Day after he rolled his ankle in pregame warmups, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, but the superstar big man was able to gut it out and nearly notch his third double-double of the campaign. Embiid is now averaging 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.2 three-pointers in 28.0 minutes across nine appearances in 2024-25. The former MVP is still searching for a rhythm after being in and out of Philadelphia's lineup due to various injuries this season, as he's shooting a career-low 43.0 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from deep, but fantasy managers can expect Embiid to round into better form as he becomes further removed from his knee issues and sinus fracture.