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Injury Notes: Knueppel, Sengun, Fox, Davis, Adebayo

December 26th, 2025 at 9:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets wing Kon Knueppel, one of the early frontrunners for Rookie of the Year, suffered a right ankle injury late in the second quarter of Friday’s game in Orlando and was ruled out for the second half of the eventual win, the team announced (via Twitter). Knueppel appeared to come down on Desmond Bane‘s foot after contesting a floater near the basket, causing him to roll his ankle (Twitter video link).

Head coach Charles Lee said after the game that X-rays on Knueppel’s ankle were negative, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Rockets big man Alperen Sengun is dealing with left calf tightness and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest vs. Cleveland, according to the NBA’s official injury report (hat tip to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com). The 23-year-old was also questionable for Thursday’s game at the Lakers prior to being upgraded to available. Sengun made his first All-Star appearance in 2024/25 and there’s a good chance he’ll be in the exhibition game again in 2025/26 if he maintains his current level of production. Through 26 games, the Turkish center is averaging 22.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in 35.6 minutes per contest.
Former All-Star point guard De’Aaron Fox, who had a huge first half on Thursday in leading the Spurs to their third straight victory over Oklahoma City, is questionable for Saturday’s game vs. Utah due to left adductor tightness, tweets Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Fox had appeared in each of San Antonio’s past 22 games after missing the first eight contests of the season with a hamstring injury.
While Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Anthony Davis is expected to miss multiple games with a mild right groin strain, the Mavericks have listed the five-time All-NBA forward/center as questionable for Saturday’s matchup at Sacramento with right adductor soreness, per Marc Stein (Twitter link). Davis exited Thursday’s loss at Golden State after experiencing groin spasms. The hip adductor muscles are part of the medial (middle) thigh and injuries to the area are often called groin strains.
The Heat will be cautious with Bam Adebayo‘s injury, head coach Erik Spoelstra said ahead of Friday’s game vs. Atlanta, which the star big man missed due to lower back soreness. “I think if we handle it now, he’ll be fine,” Spoelstra said after Friday morning’s shootaround, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He’s pretty sore.” Miami had lost eight of its past nine games entering Friday, but bounced back with a decisive victory over the struggling Hawks.

Lakers’ Reaves Out At Least Four Weeks With Grade 2 Calf Strain

December 26th, 2025 at 7:59pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers guard Austin Reaves has been diagnosed with a grade 2 left gastrocnemius strain and will miss at least four weeks, which is the next time he’ll be reevaluated, the team announced Friday (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic).

The gastrocnemius is the largest and most powerful muscle in the calf.

Reaves suffered a mild left calf strain on December 8 and returned to action on December 23. He experienced soreness in his calf in yesterday’s game against Houston, forcing him to leave the eventual loss at halftime. An MRI confirmed the strain.

While the grade 2 gastrocnemius strain seems likely to be connected to the initial injury Reaves suffered earlier this month, it’s technically to a different part of his calf, team and league sources tell Woike. The calf is comprised of the gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris muscles, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Reaves told fellow guard Luka Doncic on Thursday that he wasn’t sure how severe the injury was, according to Woike.

“Just hoping. I just say, ‘If you need something to help with, I know how it is to go to a calf injury.’ It’s not fun at all,” said Doncic, who suffered a calf strain last Christmas in his final game with Dallas. “Just be there to support him. Take your time. Calves are dangerous.”

It’s a tough blow for Reaves, who is playing for his next contract. He’ll almost certainly turn down his $14.9MM player option for 2026/27 and sign a new deal as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The 27-year-old was in the midst of a breakout fifth season for Los Angeles, averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .502/.365/.873 shooting in 23 games (35.3 minutes per contest). He was a strong candidate to make his first All-Star appearance this season and likely would have been in the Most Improved Player conversation as well, but his latest injury will make him ineligible for the award, as he has already missed six games and will be out at least 14 more.

It’s also rough timing for the Lakers, who started out 15-4 but have lost six of their past 10 games, including three straight. Head coach JJ Redick was highly critical of the team’s professionalism and commitment to winning following Thursday’s loss, as we relayed this morning.

Keegan Murray To Miss At Least One Week With Calf Strain

December 26th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings forward Keegan Murray has been diagnosed with a mild right calf strain after undergoing an MRI, a source tells Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento (Twitter link).

Murray, who sustained the injury in Tuesday’s loss to Detroit, will be reevaluated in one week, according to Cunningham. He will likely miss at least the next four contests before being checked out again.

The Kings officially confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee).

Murray, 25, missed the first 15 games of the season after undergoing thumb surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb in mid-October.

Murray, who would rank second in the league in minutes per game (37.1) if he had made enough appearances to qualify, was averaging 14.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.7 blocks in 15 games. His shooting slash line was .438/.263/.765.

Nets Sign Chaney Johnson To Two-Way Contract

December 26th, 2025 at 6:57pm CST by Rory Maher

The Nets have signed free agent Chaney Johnson to a two-way contract, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

A 6’7″ small forward, Johnson was a key reserve for an Auburn team that reached the Final Four last season, averaging 9.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 0.9 BPG in 38 games (23.5 MPG) as a senior in 2024/25. He went undrafted in June and spent training camp and part of the preseason with the Cavaliers prior to being released from his Exhibit 10 deal.

Johnson, 23, has been playing in the G League with the Cleveland Charge to open the 2025/26 campaign. Through 16 games (25.5 MPG) with the Cavs’ affiliate team, the Alabama native has averaged 12.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .604/.400/.731 shooting.

Brooklyn had the only two-way opening in the NBA, so no corresponding move was necessary to add Johnson.

RJ Barrett Considered Day-To-Day After Full Contact Work

December 26th, 2025 at 5:50pm CST by Rory Maher

5:50 pm: Lottery pick Murray-Boyles was actually a late scratch, per Murphy (Twitter link), so either his symptoms resurfaced or there was a miscommunication at some point.

5:15 pm: Raptors wing RJ Barrett has missed extended time due to a right knee sprain, but he’s inching closer to a return. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said Barrett was able to do full contact work on Friday and is progressing “really well,” according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who tweets that the Torontonian is now considered day-to-day.

Barrett was already ruled out of Friday’s contest at Washington, which will be his 15th straight absence. The 25-year-old guard/forward last played on November 23.

Barrett resumed on-court activities last week as he continues to ramp up toward his return. He received a PRP injection to promote healing in his injured knee earlier this month.

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2019 draft, Barrett was off to a solid start to 2025/26 prior to sustaining the injury on November 23 vs. Brooklyn. Through 17 games, he averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 30.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .506/.356/.725.

Rajakovic said pregame that Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles will be active on Friday, Murphy adds. Both forwards were battling an illness, but they’re feeling better now. They were previously considered questionable.

Toronto is currently 18-13, the No. 4 seed in the East.

Grizzlies’ Ja Morant, Cedric Coward Will Return Friday

December 26th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Rory Maher

December 26: Morant and Coward will be active Friday, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). Both players will be on minutes restrictions, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link).

December 25: The Grizzlies could get a pair of starters back on Friday, having listed point guard Ja Morant and Cedric Coward as questionable to suit up against Milwaukee (Twitter link).

Morant sprained his left ankle last Monday in just his second game back from a right calf strain which sidelined him for 10 contests. He has missed Memphis’ past four games with the ankle issue.

Coward, the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s draft, is dealing with left heel soreness. He was out for Tuesday’s loss in Utah, the first absence of his rookie campaign.

The Grizzlies have been decimated by injuries once again in 2025/26 and will be without six players (Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, Ty Jerome, John Konchar, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Vince Williams Jr.) on Friday. The team has still managed to be competitive though, holding a 14-16 record after 30 games.

Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Davis, Thompson

December 26th, 2025 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Although the Mavericks lost Thursday’s game at Golden State, No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg continued his impressive run of recent play, finishing with 27 points (on 13-of-21 shooting), six rebounds, five assists and one block in 36 minutes.

According to the Mavs (Twitter link), Flagg became just the third rookie in NBA history rookie to record a 25-5-5 stat line on Christmas Day, joining Oscar Robertson (1960) and Pete Maravich (1970).

In a postgame interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter video link), Warriors superstar Stephen Curry spoke highly of Flagg, who recently turned 19 years old.

“Just a true hooper,” Curry said. “Competitor. We forget how young he is, just his presence out there on the court. The future is bright. I’m glad he got this experience his first year to understand what the bright lights feel like. The league is in good hands.”

Here are a few more notes on the Mavericks:

The Mavs didn’t just drop yesterday’s game, they also lost star big man Anthony Davis to a right groin strain. While the injury is considered relatively mild, the 32-year-old is expected to miss multiple games. Davis is now ineligible for major postseason awards just 32 games into the season, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). In addition to the 16 contests Davis has missed, he was also forced to leave a pair of games early due to injuries and didn’t meet the 15-minute minimum requirement in either of those appearances in order for them to count toward his games played total for awards purposes, Marks notes.
According to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com (Twitter link), this is the 13th groin-related injury of Davis’ 14-year career. The veteran forward/center has missed an average of 2.7 games (eight days) due to his various groin ailments, Stotts adds, a bit better than the league average for a nondescript groin strain (3.6 games and 9.7 days).
Klay Thompson returning to the Bay Area was supposed to be part of the appeal of Christmas Day matchup between the Mavs and Warriors, but it’s clear both sides have moved on a year-and-a-half after the 35-year-old wing landed with Dallas via sign-and-trade, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “They are an opponent,” said Klay Thompson, who finished with seven points on 3-of-8 shooting in 26 minutes. “Why would I look at any other team other than the Mavericks like that? It’s just the nature of the business.”

Knicks Notes: Robinson, Hart, Kolek, Clarkson, Bench

December 26th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

Mitchell Robinson is something of an oddity for the Knicks: a center who can change the offense without scoring a point, writes James L. Edwards III for The Athletic.

Despite opposing teams knowing exactly what Robinson wants to do offensively, he has still found ways to win games for the Knicks in the regular season and playoffs by earning them extra possessions on the offensive glass, and Edwards speculates that his historic rebounding ability could rank as high as third on opponent scouting reports, behind only how to slow down Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.

All of that is why Edwards believes that, even with Robinson’s impending unrestricted free agency, the team shouldn’t even consider moving him this season. His ability to give the team another look, whether alongside Towns or once the All-NBA center heads to the bench, is too valuable to the Knicks’ championship aspirations this season.

We have more from the Knicks:

Josh Hart is out for tomorrow’s matchup against the Hawks, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (Twitter link). Hart left the Knicks’ Christmas Day win over the Cavaliers early in the fourth quarter after stepping on Dean Wade‘s foot and didn’t return over the final 7:43 of gameplay. Miles McBride, who has missed the last seven games with an ankle sprain, is listed as questionable.
Tyler Kolek had another statement performance for the Knicks on Christmas, Bondy writes. Kolek ended the night with 16 points — 11 in the fourth quarter — and nine assists, as well as a critical block on Donovan Mitchell in transition with two minutes to go. “That is winning basketball, and he’s been unreal, so credit to him,” Mitchell said after the game, per Bondy. “I knew it wasn’t a foul as soon as they called it, so no shock there, but credit to him.” The team had previously discussed the need to target backup guards in trades, but the emergence of Kolek should give some pause in that idea, in Bondy’s opinion. First, the team has to see what the rotation looks like once McBride returns to his usual role.
Kolek and Robinson weren’t the only Knicks bench players to have a major impact. When the team was “stuck in the mud,” to use coach Mike Brown‘s terminology, Jordan Clarkson came in and got them unstuck, writes Jared Schwartz of the New York Post. Clarkson had his best game of the season, scoring 25 points on 17 shots. The Knicks outscored the Cavs by 13 in his minutes. “The times we were dead in the water, especially early in the game, he was the one guy that was keeping us in it,” Brown said. “First with his offense, he was really, really good for us offensively. And then defensively, he was good too.”
The Knicks’ depth has been an issue for the last several seasons, but Kolek, Clarkson, and Robinson have taken major strides to ensure that’s not the case this year, writes Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. “They change the game. When I was younger, I tried to change the game when I came in off the bench,” said Jalen Brunson. “Tyler’s doing that, Jordan’s been a vet, been around for a long time. He does that every time he’s on the court. And Mitch is being who he is. He just impacts basketball, and so he’s always gonna be impacting the game as well. It’s all about them coming in and changing the game, and that’s their mindset and what they come in and do every single time.” McBride has been a major part of the bench’s success throughout the season, as has Landry Shamet, who is currently out with a shoulder sprain.

Pacers Release James Wiseman

December 26th, 2025 at 2:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pacers have cut center James Wiseman as part of the official signing of Micah Potter and waiving of Garrison Mathews, the team announced in a press release.

After playing one game for the team in late October, Wiseman rejoined the Pacers on December 20, signing a 10-day contract via a hardship exception. ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter) that Wiseman’s 10-Day contract was terminated, which requires no waiver process but allows Wiseman to earn the full amount from the contract.

He suited up in three contests for Indiana after signing with them last week, averaging 13.0 minutes per game and scoring nine total points.

Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star notes (via Twitter) that the Pacers are not getting another hardship exception at the moment.

The former No. 2 overall pick in 2020 signed with the Pacers last season but only played five minutes before tearing his Achilles and missing the rest of the season.

Still just 24 years old, he holds career averages of 9.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 18.8 minutes per night.

Nets’ Cam Thomas To Make His Return Saturday

December 26th, 2025 at 12:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

Cam Thomas is expected to make his return to play in the Nets‘ game against the Timberwolves on Saturday, head coach Jordi Fernandez said, as relayed by Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link).

Lewis reports (via Twitter) that Thomas went through a full practice on Friday morning after being cleared for full contact work.

The Nets started the season with a 3-16 record, but they’ve hit their stride of late, going 6-3 in their last nine games.

“I just want to get back on the court and play,” Thomas said, when asked if the team’s newfound success motivated him to be a part of the team (via Lewis).“I mean, it’s obviously good seeing them playing well. I just want to get back on the court and play.”

After signing a qualifying offer last summer to stay in Brooklyn on a one-year deal, Thomas has only played eight games this season, averaging 21.4 points and 2.6 assists in 28.3 minutes per game. A prolific scorer, Thomas has struggled to stay on the floor in recent years, playing just 33 games over the past two seasons.