NBA Player News

Sabonis downplayed offseason trade rumors, per Sam Amico of HoopsWire.com.

Sabonis isn't an unrestricted free agent until the 2028-29 campaign, so the rebuilding Kings may not pull the trigger on a potential deal until the star big man builds his stock back up. He averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game last year, all his lowest marks since 2018-19, before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in February.

Antetokounmpo is expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Toronto, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The superstar forward is in line to make his highly anticipated first appearance in a Heat uniform Saturday. Antetokounmpo is looking to stay on the floor more often in his Miami debut season after logging a career-low 36 regular-season appearances for the Bucks in 2025-26.

Adebayo is expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Toronto, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo also in line to suit up, fantasy managers should get their first taste of Miami's new-look frontcourt Saturday. Adebayo has averaged at least 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in six straight seasons for the Heat.

Edey (ankle) remains on track for Opening Night, per Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian.

The Grizzlies continue to evaluate Edey throughout training camp, and they believe he's trending in the right direction. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his recovery from elbow and ankle surgeries.

Lillard may open training camp with Portland's starting group, according to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire.

With Lillard coming off an Achilles injury and now with a questionable fit alongside Ja Morant, the Portland backcourt has been one of the league's top camp storylines. The Trail Blazers open their preseason Wednesday against Golden State, and perhaps their first exhibition starting lineup will offer a hint to their plans for the regular season. Jrue Holiday is already expected to spend more time on the wing, so Portland could experiment with three-guard lineups featuring Lillard, Morant and Holiday at times.

The Warriors hope to have Butler (knee) back early in 2027, per Keith Watkins of Yahoo Sports.

Butler is still months away from retaking the floor, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic, so a season debut at some point in December might be too optimistic. The star forward remains without a definitive timeline for a return after undergoing ACL surgery in early February, which typically carries at least a nine-month recovery period. Butler makes sense as an injury stash at the end of fantasy drafts, but managers should likely be bracing for him to miss at least the first two months of the regular season.

Morant could come off the bench for Portland to begin the season, per Casey Holdahl of the Trail Blazers' official site.

With Portland's backcourt fit already a talking point after Morant's arrival, a reserve role would be a notable shift for a player who has made just two appearances off the bench in his seven-year career. The Trail Blazers acquired the star guard with an eye toward him meshing with the returning Damian Lillard in the backcourt, but it sounds like the team is mulling over the idea of easing Morant into the mix. Jrue Holiday appears to be the most likely candidate to open the year as a starter if Portland ultimately decides to deploy Morant from the second unit.

Johnson will be sidelined a few weeks with a right hamstring strain, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.

This is a tough blow for Johnson as it rules him out for the entire preseason. The forward is on a two-way contract and is expected to feature for Miami's G League affiliate.

Penda is nearing a return to full participation after being limited by a hamstring injury during training camp, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Head coach Sean Sweeney said Friday that Penda is "pretty close to being back and ready to go," offering an encouraging update after the second-year forward tweaked his hamstring shortly before camp. Penda remains day-to-day, but the latest update suggests he could return to full practice in the near future.

Black is making progress in his recovery from the ankle sprain that has limited him during training camp, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Head coach Sean Sweeney said Friday that Black has "definitely made progress" throughout the week and is now performing non-contact work at a high, full-speed level. The Magic remain encouraged by the guard's recovery, though he'll likely need to resume contact work before being cleared for full participation.