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Injury Notes: Ball, Embiid, Edgecombe, Kuminga, Mavs, Kings

November 13th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets star LaMelo Ball is listed as probable for Friday’s game in Milwaukee, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The 24-year-old point guard, who has missed the past five games with a right ankle impingement, recently practiced in the G League, with head coach Charles Lee expressing optimism about his progress.

Ball, a former Rookie of the Year who made his lone All-Star appearance in his second season, has averaged 23.3 points, 9.8 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals on .430/.333/.815 shooting in six games this fall (33.3 minutes per contest).

Second-year guard KJ Simpson (left AC joint sprain) is also probable to suit up against the Bucks, while rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner will miss his first career game due to personal reasons.

Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

While there are no long-term concerns about the injury, Sixers center Joel Embiid will miss his second straight game on Friday because of right knee soreness, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter). VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, is also on the injury report, having been listed as questionable to suit up against Detroit due to back spasms.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is dealing with bilateral tendinitis in his knee and is questionable for Friday’s matchup at San Antonio, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). Kuminga was demoted to the second unit on Wednesday vs. the Spurs after starting the first 12 games of the season. He played a season-low 12 minutes last night and left the game early due to the knee issue.
Three key members of the Mavericks‘ frontcourt are questionable to play Friday against the Clippers, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Anthony Davis (left calf strain) and Dereck Lively II (right knee sprain) have both missed several games with their respective injuries, while forward P.J. Washington is a recent addition to the injury report — he’s dealing with a left shoulder strain.
The Kings have listed Domantas Sabonis (left rib contusion) and Malik Monk (sore left ankle) as questionable for Friday’s matchup in Minnesota, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. High-scoring guard Zach LaVine is not on the injury report after missing Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta with a bruised thigh, Anderson adds. Head coach Doug Christie ripped the Kings for their “shameful” compete level after Wednesday’s lopsided defeat, the team’s fourth straight loss.

Taurean Prince Undergoes Neck Surgery, Out Indefinitely

November 13th, 2025 at 6:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks forward Taurean Prince underwent surgery in Los Angeles on Thursday to address the herniated disk in his neck, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Prince will remain out indefinitely, according to the Bucks, with additional updates to come “as necessary.”

The 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Prince is in his 10th NBA season and second with Milwaukee. As a free agent over the summer, the 31-year-old re-signed with the Bucks on a two-year deal, including a $3.8MM player option for 2026/27 that he seems highly likely to exercise after the unfortunate injury.

Prince, who last played on November 4, underwent an MRI last week, which revealed the herniated disk. On Monday, the team said it was still evaluating possible treatment plans — surgery was determined to be the best course of action.

In 80 appearances last season, including 73 starts, Prince averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 43.9% from long distance (27.1 minutes per game). The Baylor alum made eight appearances this fall, averaging 6.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.8 SPG while shooting 42.9% from deep (21.1 MPG).

Kyle Kuzma has seen an uptick in minutes with Prince out, a trend that will likely continue with the veteran forward reportedly expected to miss extended time.

Nuggets Notes: Watson, Johnson, Braun, Jokic, Jones, Brown, Strawther

November 13th, 2025 at 5:48pm CST by Rory Maher

After failing to come to terms on a rookie scale extension before the season began, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson will heading to restricted free agency in the 2026 offseason, assuming he’s given a qualifying offer. He’ll have new representation when that time comes, having joined Klutch Sports Group, the agency announced (via Twitter).

As Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette tweets, Watson was previously represented Excel Sports. The 23-year-old has averaged 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks through 11 games (21.1 minutes per contest).

We have several more items on the Nuggets:

A pair of starters were forced to leave Wednesday’s win over the Clippers due to injuries, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Offseason addition Cameron Johnson exited in the first quarter with a right arm strain, while Christian Braun sustained a left ankle injury in the second period. Both players were ruled out at halftime. “Obviously, whatever happened wasn’t good enough for them to come back out and play the third quarter, so that’s concerning,” head coach David Adelman said after the team’s sixth consecutive win. “But I really don’t know, and I don’t think they do either. We have a full day here (in Los Angeles) tomorrow to kind of get all that stuff sorted out, which will be good for me, too. Because if they are out, or if they’re in, we have to figure out a way to make our rotation make sense. … So I’m hoping for the best.”
Entering Wednesday’s game, which was the second night of a back-to-back, the Nuggets were 0-4 (including the playoffs) when Nikola Jokic scored 50-plus points. After an incredibly efficient 55-point outing against the Clips — he shot 18-of-23 from the field, 5-of-6 on three-pointers, and 14-of-16 from the foul line in just 33 minutes — the three-time MVP was more focused on the result than his individual performance. “I think I scored, a couple of times, more than 50, and we lost every time. I think this is the first time I scored 50 that we won. So it’s a good feeling,” Jokic said, per Durando. The Serbian center has been on a remarkable tear during Denver’s six-game winning streak, notes Beth Harris of The Associated Press, averaging 35.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 11.0 assists and 1.8 steals on .739/.556/.857 shooting over that span (33.3 minutes).
Second-year forward Spencer Jones, who is on a two-way contract, has emerged as a defensive specialist for the Nuggets, according to Durando. Jones, who did an admirable job of slowing down James Harden on Wednesday, is fully aware that his playing time might be limited from game to game. “You just have to come in, guard one of the better players out there,” he said. “You don’t really know when you’re gonna come in, when you’re gonna go out, what games you’re gonna play. So it’s just always being ready.”
Bruce Brown‘s role with the Nuggets is different than it was when he helped the team win its first title in 2023, Durando writes for The Denver Post. The veteran guard had more on-ball responsibilities last time around, and he acknowledges he’s still getting used to his new responsibilities. “Little different. I’m still getting adjusted to it,” Brown said of round two with Denver. “Obviously, when you come back to a situation where you were before, you think it’s gonna be exactly the same, but it’s not, obviously. But all I care about is winning. I’m trying to put another banner up. So I’m still getting adjusted to it. Sometimes you might see me come out of the game a little frustrated, just because I’m still getting used to it.”
Free agent additions Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. have squeezed out younger members of the rotation, such as third-year wing Julian Strawther, who is averaging just 8.1 minutes per game after averaging 21.3 in 2024/25. Jokic has been pleased with Strawther’s effort when he’s had a chance to play, as Durando relays. “He stays ready,” Jokic said of Strawther. “He’s aggressive when he comes in the game, and that’s a good thing. He’s trying on defense. And I think that’s the mindset that he should have.”

Knicks Notes: Yabusele, Bridges, Hart, Robinson, Anunoby

November 13th, 2025 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher

When the Knicks used most of their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Guerschon Yabusele over the summer, they envisioned him being a key member of the rotation in 2025/26. It hasn’t worked out that way this fall, with the French power forward largely struggling in his limited minutes, writes Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News.

Yabusele isn’t solely to blame for his sluggish start, according to head coach Mike Brown.

“It’s the circumstance sometimes,” Brown said. “I put him in, take him out. It’s a little hard to get a rhythm doing that. I’ve got to take some blame in that as well. And I think over time, because he’s a really good basketball player, he’ll show it. He needs some minutes to show it, and I don’t know if those are always there for him.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

After a five-game winning streak, the Knicks were pummeled by Orlando on Wednesday. More importantly, Jalen Brunson injured his right ankle late in the lopsided defeat, though it doesn’t sound like it will be a long-term issue. Key wings Mikal Bridges (one minute) and Josh Hart (zero) were benched by Brown for nearly the entire fourth quarter, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bridges had no explanation for the decision. “I’m not sure,” said Bridges, who scored a season-low six points on 3 of 9 shooting. Hart said the team will be looking to bounce back on Friday against Miami, Bondy writes. “I don’t think we responded properly [to Orlando’s physicality],” Hart said. “So, learned a lesson. We have a tough, physical opponent on Friday. And we got to respond.”
While the playing time and workload of Mitchell Robinson continue to be carefully monitored by the team’s medical staff, Brown pushed back on the suggestion that the 27-old center would continue to miss games throughout the season, per Winfield. Brown made the comments after Tuesday’s win over Memphis, when Robinson sat out the front end of a back-to-back. “Well, I’m not sure about that,” Brown said. “We just gotta take that thing one game at a time and follow the lead of our medical people in terms of what the process is gonna be.”
Brown said Tuesday that OG Anunoby deserves to be an All-Star for the first time, as Peter Sblendorio of The New York Daily News relays. Brown credited the 28-year-old forward’s work ethic and said he has improved in multiple facets of the game while still getting used to the new system. “Not only is he an All-Star, he’s an All-Defensive performer,” Brown said. “In my opinion, he should have an opportunity, amongst others in our group, to fight for Defensive Player of the Year in the league.”

Jalen Brunson Sustains Grade 1 Right Ankle Sprain

November 13th, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

4:03 pm: Brunson appears to have avoided a major injury, as he has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain, as first reported by Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter) and confirmed by several other outlets (All Twitter links here). While Brunson will be out Friday against Miami, he will be evaluated on a daily basis moving forward, which suggests he probably won’t miss an extended period of time.

8:50 am: Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson sustained a right ankle injury late in the fourth quarter of a lopsided home loss to Orlando on Wednesday and was seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot and using crutches as he exited Madison Square Garden, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

Brunson didn’t speak to reporters after the loss and head coach Mike Brown didn’t have an update on the star guard’s status, so it’s not yet clear whether the injury will force him to miss time.

Since arriving in New York in 2022, Brunson has been quite durable, appearing in at least 65 regular season games in each of his three seasons with the Knicks. However, as Bondy points out, the 29-year-old missed roughly a month near the end of the 2024/25 season after badly spraining the same ankle.

Bondy also notes that the situation in which Brunson injured his ankle on Wednesday opens up Brown to some criticism. After former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made a habit of leaving his starters in games that seemed out of reach, Brown told reporters during training camp that he wouldn’t be afraid to “throw the towel in early” in those scenarios in order to keep his best players as fresh and healthy as possible.

The Knicks were trailing by 16 points when Brunson suffered the injury with 1:54 left to play.

Kobe Bufkin To Join Lakers’ G League Team

November 13th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

3:11pm: South Bay has acquired Bufkin in a trade with the Motor City Cruise, the team announced (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group). South Bay sent a 2027 NBAGL first-round pick to the Cruise for Bufkin. In a related move, the Lakers’ G League team waived guard Jace Carter.

12:20 pm: The South Bay Lakers intend to acquire guard Kobe Bufkin, who is entering the NBA G League player pool, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

It’s unclear whether South Bay will claim Bufkin off waivers or trade for his rights after another team claims him, but either way, the upshot is that he’ll end up with Los Angeles’ G League affiliate.

The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin battled injuries during his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta. He missed a significant chunk of his rookie year due to a fractured left thumb and a sprained toe, then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in December 2024, less than two months into his second year.

In total, the 6’4″ guard made just 27 appearances for the Hawks, averaging 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 11.9 minutes per night, with a .374/.220/.654 shooting line. The 22-year-old was traded from Atlanta to Brooklyn during the offseason and it seemed like he might get a chance at a fresh start with the Nets. Instead, he was the victim of a roster crunch last month and was waived to help Brooklyn get down to 15 players for the start of the regular season.

Bufkin showed promise during his final college season at Michigan as a scorer and play-maker, and he was productive in the G League during the 2023/24 campaign, averaging 23.6 points and 5.9 assists in 32.0 minutes per game across 14 outings for the College Park Skyhawks.

If he plays well for South Bay and shows he’s fully healthy, Bufkin could certainly earn another shot from an NBA team. Since he has just two years of NBA service, he remains eligible to sign a two-way contract.

Atlantic Notes: McCain, Barlow, Walsh, Minott, Ingram

November 13th, 2025 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing nearly 11 months of action due to knee and thumb injuries, Sixers guard Jared McCain has looked shaky in his first three games back. Playing just 31 total minutes across those three outings, McCain has gone scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting.

In the hopes of getting McCain more comfortable on the court and getting him more full-speed reps, the 76ers assigned the second-year guard to the G League on Thursday, as Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports relays (Twitter links). The expectation is that he’ll suit up for the Delaware Blue Coats tonight and again on Saturday before being recalled to the NBA.

“I just really want him to get some trips up and down the court,” Nurse said (Twitter video link). “I think that’s a good little window for him, a couple home games for them. Then he’ll be right back in the swing of things. … Just get him up and down and get some conditioning. (He’s had) three really short stints in the last 11 months. This is maybe a couple of chances to have some longer stints.”

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Atlantic:

Sixers forward Dominick Barlow, who has been out since October 25 due to a right elbow injury, has been cleared to return, Nurse told reporters today (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). Barlow was Philadelphia’s starting power forward in the two games he played, but Trendon Watford has been handling that role as of late.
After playing crunch-time minutes in the Celtics‘ previous two games, Jordan Walsh was inserted into the starting five on Wednesday for the first time this season, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. Walsh had seven points, six rebounds, and two blocks with a +19 plus/minus mark in 18 minutes of action as Boston blew out the Grizzlies. “Honestly, I just think he’s been more professional and maturing,” teammate Payton Pritchard said of Walsh, who played a limited role in each of his first two seasons. “Now, he’s ready for the moment. Just stressing him to like don’t take it for granted. Come hungry still every day and keep pushing.”
Walsh’s promotion has come largely at the expense of Josh Minott, who played a season-low eight minutes on Tuesday and didn’t appear in the second half, then came off the bench on Wednesday after having made nine straight starts. Minott is struggling with his consistency, Robb writes, though the 6’8″ forward ended up seeing plenty of action in Wednesday’s one-sided victory, registering nine points, five rebounds, and four assists in 22 minutes.
Raptors forward Brandon Ingram, who was fined $25K for throwing a water bottle that ricocheted off the court and hit a game attendant, apologized for that incident, according to Danielle Michaud of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). “It was just the emotions of the game came out then,” Ingram said. “Like, how I was playing offensively and defensively, just frustration. I wish I wouldn’t have had anybody else involved when I did that. I apologized a bunch of times to the kid that got hit in the face with the water bottle — it wasn’t my intention at all. I was just frustrated in the midst of the game.”

Paolo Banchero Suffers Left Groin Strain

November 13th, 2025 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

2:20 pm: An MRI confirmed that Banchero has a left groin strain, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN. According to Charania, the forward has been ruled out for Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn and will continue to be evaluated daily beyond that. The update suggests that Banchero avoided a major injury.

7:45 am: The Magic‘s 17-point win in New York on Wednesday was the team’s most impressive victory of the season, but it came at a cost. Star forward Paolo Banchero exited the game in the second quarter due to a left groin strain and didn’t return. He told Fred Katz of The Athletic that he sustained the injury after trying to accelerate up the floor following a defensive rebound.

“I just slowed up, and I felt it right away,” Banchero said. “And then, I did a couple more trips up and down, and then, it was still there. So I asked to come out because I didn’t wanna risk further injury.”

Banchero confirmed that he’ll undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, but he’s hopeful that it’s not significant. As he pointed out to Katz, he wasn’t in nearly as much discomfort on Wednesday as he was when he suffered an oblique tear last season that cost him over two months.

“I dealt with an oblique last year, and that was a tear,” Banchero said. “And feeling it, it was kinda really painful to where I couldn’t really do much. I couldn’t really move much. This (groin injury), I can still do movements. There just was a pain there. (Trainers) said if it was torn or anything, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. So, that’s encouraging.”

Banchero, who started each of Orlando’s first 12 games this season, entered Wednesday’s contest with averages of 23.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 34.7 minutes per night.

Reserve forward Jonathan Isaac started the second half in Banchero’s place and is a prime candidate for an increased role if the former No. 1 overall pick has to miss time. Forward Tristan Da Silva could also earn a minutes bump in that scenario.

The Magic’s road victory over the Knicks pulled the team back to .500 (6-6) following a 1-4 start to the season.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Morant, Zion, Mavs, Sheppard

November 13th, 2025 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies lost for the seventh time in eight games on Wednesday, suffering a 36-point blowout defeat at the hands of the Celtics. Memphis made just 33.7% of its shots from the floor while allowing Boston to convert at a 50.5% clip. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo acknowledged after the game that the discrepancy in field goal percentage was a reason for the loss, but he was unhappy with his team’s overall effort, according to Jay King of The Athletic.

“I would say this: One way to lose is not to make shots,” Iisalo said. “Today we struggled a lot, even with open three-pointers. We couldn’t convert underneath the basket. At the same time, their shot-making was at a relatively high level. That’s all good. That’s part of basketball. It happens sometimes. The fact that today the Celtics were the things that we aspire to be — faster than the other team, harder working, better organized — that’s a tough pill to swallow as a coach, and I think it should be for all of our guys.

“… You can lose games,” Iisalo added. “That’s part of basketball. But to go away from your identity or the things that we know produce wins, that’s something that we must correct right away.”

The Grizzlies, who are still playing without big men Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke, were also extremely shorthanded in the backcourt on Wednesday. With ball-handlers Ja Morant, Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr., and Javon Small all unavailable, Vince Williams Jr. earned the start at point guard. Still, Iisalo didn’t want to use those injuries as an excuse for his team’s performance.

“We got bullied on the boards,” the Grizzlies’ coach said. “I think we gave up almost 40 second-chance points against a team that’s not particularly big or bigger than us. Transition game, that’s one thing, but in the half court we were late for several actions, unable to communicate or arrive with the ball. Basic things. It started out early, obviously, with two early timeouts. And we then had stretches, but nothing consistent.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Although there has been some tension between them in recent weeks, Iisalo said that it has been “great” coaching Morant since he joined the Grizzlies last season, according to King. “We have had a lot of dialogue,” Iisalo said. “We see the game in very similar ways. He’s a very intelligent player. He sees things on video; you don’t even have to point it out, he already knows what could have been an option there. And overall it’s just been a pleasure.”
Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been cleared to resume full-contact, on-court basketball activities, the team announced today (via Twitter). Williamson has been sidelined since November 2 due to a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, but today’s update suggests he’s making progress toward a return.
In the wake of Nico Harrison‘s ouster in Dallas, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports contends that it’s time for the Mavericks to blow up their roster and make virtually all of their veterans available for trade. As O’Connor outlines, Cooper Flagg is the kind of prospect a team can build around, and the Mavs could be in position to add another top prospect in a strong 2026 draft. O’Connor also proposes eight hypothetical Anthony Davis trades, suggesting that Atlanta and Detroit are among the teams that look like potential fits.
Rockets guard Reed Sheppard, who has taken on more responsibilities this season following Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, has had his three best performances of the fall within the past week, averaging 17.7 points in 26.7 minutes per game on .645/.619/.855 shooting during that stretch, as Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle writes (subscription required). “That’s the Reed we like to see,” teammate Kevin Durant said on Wednesday after Sheppard scored a season-high 21 points in a win over Washington. “I think these last three games, he’s just playing freely and not thinking too much, playing under control and knocking down shots. It’s a make-or-miss league, so if you continue to work on your game and become efficient, then the rest of the game is pretty easy for you.”

Central Notes: Giannis, Pacers, Ball, Porter, Essengue

November 13th, 2025 at 11:46am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out Wednesday’s game vs. Charlotte due to what the team referred to as patellar tendinopathy affecting his left knee. However, speaking to reporters prior to the game, head coach Doc Rivers suggested that Antetokounmpo’s absence was more about managing his workload during a tough part of the schedule rather than an injury the team is seriously concerned about.

“What are we, five games in seven days?” Rivers said (Twitter links via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “It’s just a lot. And we looked at this before it all started, this was the game, if we were going to sit him, just because it was right in the middle and it gives him four days off.

“This one was a little rough because we weren’t sure. I know I wanted him to (sit). I asked him before (shootaround), trying to talk him into not playing, which is rare for me to do. But it just felt like health-wise, this is the right decision.”

Antetokounmpo is off to an excellent start this fall, averaging 33.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 32.9 minutes per game through his first 10 outings. Wednesday’s contest was the second he has missed this season, and while Milwaukee picked up a victory without its star forward vs. Golden State on October 30, the team dropped last night’s game in Charlotte, falling to 7-5 on the season.

We have more from around the Central:

The Pacers had some players back from injuries on Tuesday, including point guard T.J. McConnell making his season debut. However, the club gave up a season-high 152 points in a blowout loss to Utah, prompting McConnell to refer to the defensive effort as “pitiful,” per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). “We just have to be better in terms of fight, in terms of pride,” McConnell said. “That’s really not gonna get it done.” The defending Eastern Conference champions are now 1-10 to open the season.
With Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell among the Cavaliers‘ regulars inactive on Wednesday in Miami, Lonzo Ball earned his second start of the season and reserve guard Craig Porter Jr. played a season-high 32 minutes. Fred Katz of The Athletic looks at how Ball is fitting in with the Cavs so far this season, while Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required) covers Porter’s “heroic” night — the third-year guard had 19 points and nine assists, with a game-high +21 on/off court mark, in the victory over the Heat.
Bulls rookie forward Noa Essengue had a big G League debut on Tuesday, scoring 28 points in 29 minutes for the Windy City Bulls, according to Julie Poe of The Chicago Tribune, who shares five takeaways from Essengue’s performance. However, Essengue remains an odd man out in Chicago’s frontcourt rotation, so this won’t change the team’s development plan for him, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I think sometimes you can get preoccupied with the scoring aspect of it,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “I know he had a big night offensively, but if he’s getting out in transition, getting to the backboard, slashing, cuts, that’s great. I think we all know the shooting part of it needs to continue to develop, his body needs to continue to develop, but can he get things into the game we’re going to need him to?”

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