NBA Player News

Niederhauser (foot) won't be ready for the start of the season, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Niederhauser is progressing from March surgery but won't be able to suit up to begin the year. The Clippers are likely to take a cautious approach with the 2025 first-rounder. Isaiah Jackson should occupy the backup center spot behind Brook Lopez early in the campaign.

Ingram won't be ready for the start of the season due to a partially torn Achilles, per Joey Linn of SI.com.

The Clippers learned about the injury this summer, though it's unclear exactly how far along Ingram is in his recovery. The star forward's timeline for a return is unclear, clouding his fantasy outlook in the meantime. Darius Garland should take on all the usage he can handle in Ingram's stead, while Kris Dunn and Max Strus could have additional streaming appeal early in the year.

Team president Tim Connelly believes DiVincenzo (Achilles) will return at some point this season, Jack Borman of the Locked On Wolves Podcast reports.

DiVincenzo underwent surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles in late April, but there's optimism he'll be able to contribute for the Timberwolves later this year. Although the door is open for the sharpshooter to make a late-season return, he's highly unlikely to be a factor in fantasy leagues in 2026-27.

DeRozan appears set to operate as the focal point of Denver's second unit this season, with head coach David Adelman planning to put the ball in the veteran forward's hands frequently, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.

The plan provides a strong indication that the Nuggets intend to keep their starting five intact while utilizing DeRozan as their primary offensive option off the bench. The 37-year-old has spent nearly his entire career as a starter, but his scoring and playmaking ability could give Denver a dependable offensive engine whenever Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are off the floor.

Team president Jeff Weltman said Monday that Nelson (ankle) remains about a month away from returning to the court after offseason surgery, per Philip Rossman-Reich of OrlandoMagicDaily.com.

With Nelson still in recovery mode from the left ankle surgery he underwent this summer, his path back to game action remains delayed for the early part of the season. The rookie big man is on a two-way contract with the Magic, so his short-term absence mainly affects his developmental timeline rather than Orlando's regular rotation.

Isaac (knee) said he will be limited to open training camp, according to Orlando Magic Daily.

Isaac suffered his left knee sprain late in the 2025-26 regular season and missed Orlando's entire first-round playoff series against Detroit. The veteran forward said he spent the summer rehabbing his knee and isn't fully ready for camp, though he indicated that the expectation is for him to be fine. His activity level will be worth monitoring as the preseason approaches.

Holiday is expected to spend more time on the wing this season, per Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.com.

The veteran point guard averaged 16.3 points and 6.1 assists per game last year, his most since 2022-23 with the Bucks, but Holiday is likely to see fewer ball-handling responsibilities now that Ja Morant and Damian Lillard are manning the backcourt. Toumani Camara is the favorite to start at small forward for Portland, but Holiday is positioned for a very significant role off the bench and is worthy of a late-round fantasy pick. He should remain a major threat from deep after hitting a career-high 2.6 three-pointers per game in 2025-26.

The Trail Blazers remain confident that Morant can perform at a high level despite questions surrounding how he'll fit into Portland's crowded backcourt, general manager Joe Cronin told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN on Monday.

"Just straight belief in Ja. Our view of Ja as still a very high-level player," Cronin said, adding that Portland was "very focused on talent" when acquiring the two-time All-Star. Morant averaged 19.5 points and 8.1 assists across 20 regular-season appearances for Memphis in 2025-26, and he's expected to take on a prominent role in Portland's backcourt this season. There's also been no mention of his elbow sprain from the end of last campaign, suggesting he's 100 percent for camp.

Larsson said Monday that he's prepared for the season and expects to play some point guard, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Larsson was a regular in the starting lineup last season, averaging 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.7 steals across 26.4 minutes per game in 70 regular-season appearances (54 starts). Although the Heat are projected to start Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, Larsson figures to handle sizable playing time whether he starts or not. The Heat gave up Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakucionis and Jaime Jaquez as part of the trade for Antetokounmpo, leaving them with fewer ballhandlers ahead of the 2026-27 season. Antetokounmpo should have the ball in his hands often, and Mitchell is likely to see plenty of on-ball responsibilities. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see Larsson's role expand this season.

Robinson expressed confidence Monday that he's capable of handling a more consistent workload this season after focusing on his conditioning throughout the summer, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

"Definitely. I feel very confident in myself," Robinson said when asked whether he could play more minutes consistently. "I've been working on my body this whole summer. Figuring things out." Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 19.6 minutes across 60 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. Heading into training camp, he's expected to battle Neemias Queta for the starting center role.