NBA Player News

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.

Salaun said Monday that he's focused on becoming a more versatile contributor as he competes for playing time in Charlotte's rotation, Sam reports.

The third-year forward identified facilitating, efficient catch-and-shoot play, screening and the ability to defend all five positions as areas that could help him earn minutes. Salaun also made improving his physicality a priority during the offseason. After averaging 6.1 points and 4.7 rebounds across 62 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, he'll face increased competition for playing time in a deeper Hornets rotation this season.

Edgecombe said Monday that he placed an emphasis on improving his shooting during the offseason while also working on his finishing and ball-handling, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com reports.

Edgecombe established himself as a significant part of Philadelphia's rotation as a rookie, but improving his perimeter efficiency was an obvious area of focus heading into his second season. He shot 43.6 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from three across 79 regular-season appearances, and continued development as a shooter could make him an even more effective complement to the 76ers' other high-usage options. While Edgecombe's fantasy outlook is somewhat murkier entering 2026-27 after the 76ers added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, James doesn't feel like his presence should take away from the youngster's development. "I don't understand why things would change for him," James said of Edgecombe's role.

General manager Zach Kleiman said Monday that Peavy recently turned his ankle and it'll be "some time" before the team gets a full look at him, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.

Peavy was traded from New Orleans to Memphis on Sept. 8 after averaging 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game during his rookie season with the Pelicans. The 25-year-old forward faces plenty of competition for playing time on the rebuilding Grizzlies, and it's unclear if he'll be able to suit up during the preseason, which does not bode well for his chances of carving out a meaningful role early in the season.

Kalkbrenner said Monday that improving his physicality was his biggest developmental focus during the offseason, Owen O'Connor of SI.com reports.

Physicality was already an area in which Kalkbrenner made noticeable strides during his rookie campaign, particularly absorbing contact defensively and setting screens. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 21.4 minutes across 69 regular-season appearances last campaign, and further improvement in that area could help him earn additional playing time in Charlotte's frontcourt. His competition is much fiercer this season due to the additions of Hannes Steinbach, Naz Reid and Royce O'Neale.