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Injury Notes: Warriors, Davis, Barrett, Sixers, Collins, Pacers

November 24th, 2025 at 5:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors will be without three important frontcourt players on Monday against Utah. In addition to center Al Horford, who will miss at least a week due to right sciatic nerve irritation, and forward Jonathan Kuminga, who has been unavailable since November 12 due to bilateral knee tendonitis, Draymond Green has been ruled out for Monday’s game due to a right foot sprain, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.

Green was listed as questionable before being downgraded to out, which may be a sign that his injury isn’t considered significant. Of course, Kuminga’s knee soreness also wasn’t intially viewed as a cause for much concern, but he’ll miss a sixth straight contest on Monday and his return isn’t necessarily imminent.

The Warriors had hoped he’d be able to practice on Sunday, but that didn’t happen, according to Slater, who adds that imaging on Kuminga’s knees came back clean, showing no structural damage.

“He said he’s not moving that well, so I can’t tell you what the outlook is,” head coach Steve Kerr said on Sunday. “He needs to feel better and be able to move better before we can put him out there.”

We have several more injury updates from around the NBA:

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis will miss a 14th consecutive game due to a left calf strain on Monday, but head coach Jason Kidd said the plan is for Davis to take part in practice on Wednesday, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. Assuming Davis practices without a setback, his return shouldn’t be far off, Afseth notes.
The imaging results on RJ Barrett‘s sprained right knee “look promising,” according to Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). Barrett is out for Monday’s game vs. Cleveland but seems to have avoided a serious injury and is being considered day-to-day.
Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe (left calf tightness) will miss a second consecutive game on Tuesday vs. Orlando, but center Joel Embiid (right knee injury management) has been upgraded to questionable, tweets Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports.
The Bulls are hopeful that Zach Collins (left wrist surgery) will be able to practice with contact this week, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says Collins has a chance to return during the team’s post-Thanksgiving road trip that begins on Friday and runs through next Monday.
Pacers guards Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain) could be back in action within the next couple weeks, head coach Rick Carlisle said today (Twitter links via Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star). Carlisle added that rookie Kam Jones has recovered from his back injury, but is still in the ramp-up process and could play for the Noblesville Boom in the G League before making his NBA debut.

Pelicans Share Injury Updates On Herb Jones, Jordan Poole

November 24th, 2025 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Pelicans forward Herbert Jones has been diagnosed with a mild right calf strain, the team announced today (via Twitter).

According to the Pelicans, Jones will be reevaluated in approximately one week. That timeline suggests he’ll be sidelined for upcoming games against Chicago (Monday), Memphis (Wednesday), Golden State (Saturday), and the Lakers (Sunday), and could remain on the shelf beyond that.

Jones, an All-Defensive first-teamer in 2023/24, was limited to just 20 appearances last season due to a shoulder injury, but got healthy in time for the start of the ’25/26 campaign. He was in the Pelicans’ starting lineup for their first 16 games, averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals in 30.3 minutes per contest, with a .390/.362/.739 shooting line.

Saddiq Bey, who previously stepped into New Orleans’ starting five when Zion Williamson was out with a hamstring strain, is a candidate to take Jones’ spot in the lineup. Rookie Micah Peavy should also play an increased role — with Jones and Williamson both inactive on Saturday vs. Atlanta, Peavy made his first career start and logged a personal-high 27 minutes.

The Pelicans also shared a more positive injury update, announcing that guard Jordan Poole has been cleared to resume on-court basketball activities. Poole has missed the past 10 games due to a mild quad strain.

The Pelicans didn’t provide a specific timeline for Poole’s return, simply stating that his return to play progression will be “updated appropriately.” However, barring a setback, Poole shouldn’t require a lengthy ramp-up period, so could be back in the relatively near future.

In his first seven games with New Orleans this fall, Poole averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.7 rebounds in 30.3 minutes per night, shooting just 35.4% from the floor (33.9% on three-pointers).

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Markkanen, Banchero, Donaldson, Queta

November 24th, 2025 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Rival executives have frequently mentioned Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen as an ideal trade target for the Pistons, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), who suggests that there are a number of reasons why Markkanen and Detroit would be a logical match.

As Fischer writes, the Pistons explored the market for floor-spacing big men over the summer, with Naz Reid, Myles Turner, and Santi Aldama among the players they considered pursuing at the time. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff also coached Markkanen in Cleveland. And Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon wanted to go after Markkanen in restricted free agency in 2021 when he was working under David Griffin in New Orleans’ front office, sources tell Fischer.

Still, as Fischer points out, Langdon has projected patience both publicly and privately, so it would come as a bit of a surprise if his front office looks to make a massive in-season move on the trade market. Fischer also hears that the Jazz would likely seek Ausar Thompson in any deal involving Markkanen and says the Pistons have no interest in moving the promising third-year wing. Sources tell The Stein Line that Utah considered trading up for Thompson during the 2023 draft.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

The Magic have ruled out Paolo Banchero (left groin strain) for a seventh straight game on Tuesday vs. Philadelphia, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, but the star forward believes his return isn’t far off. “I think I’m in a good spot, just doing some movement stuff,” Banchero told Beede prior to Sunday’s loss in Boston. “The groin feels really good so the recovery’s been going well. … I’m definitely, pretty close. I don’t know when but definitely feeling close.”
The WNBA’s Portland Fire have hired Brittni Donaldson as an assistant coach and assistant general manager, as Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report relays (via Twitter). Donaldson, who spent two seasons on Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff as an assistant from 2023-25, took on a front office role this fall entering her third year with the Hawks. Her title was director of basketball development, methodology, and integration.
While it might be an overstatement to say that Neemias Queta is the Celtics‘ most irreplaceable player, it’s not entirely outrageous, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. Queta has been Boston’s starting center for all 17 games so far this season and the team has outscored opponents by 16.4 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court. When he’s not playing, the Celtics are being outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions. After Queta left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, Forsberg examines the Celtics’ options in the event the 26-year-old has to miss time.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Named Players Of The Week

November 24th, 2025 at 2:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).

Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to four wins during the week of November 17-23 while averaging 31.0 points and 6.5 assists per contest and shooting 60% from the field and 64.3% from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was +82 in SGA’s 125 minutes on the court last week.

Gilgeous-Alexander also earned Player of the Week honors three weeks ago and is the second repeat winner of the award this season, joining Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Mitchell posted averages of 31.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as the Cavaliers went 3-1 this past week. He opened and closed the week with matching 37-point performances against the Bucks and Clippers, going 14-of-22 from the field in each of those two outings.

Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Luka Doncic (Lakers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), James Harden (Clippers) and Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees for Player of the Week.

Jalen Duren (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware (Heat), Ryan Rollins (Bucks) and Franz Wagner (Magic) were also nominated in the East.

Wizards Rookie Tre Johnson Out Multiple Weeks Due To Hip Injury

November 24th, 2025 at 2:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Wizards guard Tre Johnson, the sixth pick in the June draft, will miss multiple weeks due to a strained left hip flexor, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post reports.

Head coach Brian Keefe made the announcement after practice on Monday but didn’t reveal a specific timetable beyond saying that Johnson will be reevaluated in two weeks.

It’s an injury that Johnson dealt with during his lone college season with Texas. He re-aggravated it on Friday against the Raptors and didn’t play against the Bulls on Saturday. The team’s PR departments confirms the injury in a tweet.

Johnson, 19, is averaging 11.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.3 minutes per game. He started in four of the team’s first 15 contests and is shooting 44.5% from the field, including 39.5% on three-point tries. He has played fewer than 20 minutes in his last three appearances.

Johnson has often been seen wearing a pad on his hip while on the bench, according to Shankar.

“It shows how tough a kid this guy is,” Keefe said. “He’s been playing through some pain but he’s continuing to push through. But after [the Toronto] game, we decided to hold him out.”

Kyshawn George, Corey Kispert and Cam Whitmore could all see an uptick in minutes with Johnson out.

Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty, Released On $5MM Bond

November 24th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he participated in and profited from rigged poker games, Philip Marcelo of The Associated Press reports. Billups was released on a $5MM bond secured by his family’s Colorado home.

Per his bond agreement, Billups must refrain from gambling and can have no contact with other defendants or alleged victims. He has surrendered his passport and can only travel to seven states, including Oregon and New York. Billups and his co-defendants, including ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, appeared for a status conference on Monday and are due back in court on March 4.

The judge told all the attorneys at today’s proceedings that his intention is to expedite the process and start the trial by September of 2026, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.

Billups was placed on unpaid leave by the NBA after his arrest in late October, shortly after the team’s opening game. His arrest and the timeline of the case essentially assures that he won’t return to coaching for at least the remainder of this season. Tiago Splitter has been serving as the team’s interim coach in Billups’ absence.

Prosecutors said Monday that plea negotiations have begun with some defendants, according to Marcelo. Billups’ lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered his client’s not guilty plea. They declined to comment to the media afterward.

According to prosecutors, the poker games in which Billups was allegedly involved with defrauded victims of an estimated $7MM.

The arrests of Billups, Jones and Heat guard Terry Rozier, who was charged by the federal goverment with illegal activities regarding prop bets, shook up the league and the sports world just after the season began. The NBA, in response, is seeking to tighten controls regarding wagering on its games.

Atlantic Notes: Simons, Clowney, McCain, Raptors’ Start

November 24th, 2025 at 12:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anfernee Simons is pumping up his trade value. The Celtics guard has posted back-to-back 23-point games. Playing time has been key — his minutes have fluctuated from 12 to 33 over the course of the season, and he’s averaging 24.9 MPG overall, Brian Robb of MassLive.com notes.

“I think honestly just keeping it simple,” Simons said. “In previous years, that was kind of my thing — just ease into the game and see how they guarded me, and then I started being more aggressive in the second half. And so here, obviously I don’t have that much time to be able to ease into the games, so taking the opportunities as they are — just being myself, aggressive, and also making the right plays, as well. So I think simplifying that way has been easy for me for the past couple games.”

Simons has a $27.7MM expiring contract, which could make him a major name on the in-season trade market.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets forward Noah Clowney has perked up after a slow start but he took an ill-advised late three-pointer in a loss to the Raptors on Sunday, Brian Lewis of the New York Post points out. Clowney has thrived since moving into the lineup and contributed a season-high 22 points against Toronto. The third-year pro, who is averaging 15.1 PPG in a starting role, is eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason.
Jared McCain delivered a season-high 15 points in 26 minutes in the Sixers’ loss to Miami on Sunday. McCain, who is working his way back into a groove after missing time with a thumb injury suffered in camp, had his rookie campaign short-circuited by a knee injury. “It definitely felt the best,” McCain told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer of Sunday’s game. “I think each game is just getting more reps on the knee and more reps of movement. But I felt really good (Sunday). Felt like I got a little burst for my first step, and yeah, just continue to build off each game. And the more minutes I play and the more time I’m in, I feel like I can get more reps up. And yeah, it felt really good.”
The Raptors have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Is the hot start for real or a mirage? The Athletic’s Eric Koreen explores that topic, noting that Toronto has played just two games against the teams with the six best records — Detroit, Oklahoma City, Denver, the Lakers, San Antonio and Houston — and lost them both decisively.

Pacific Notes: Perry, DeRozan, Booker, Durant, Goodwin, Paul

November 24th, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings are in a familiar place, sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference standings after a 4-13 start. New general manager Scott Perry is preaching something that fans in Sacramento have heard for many years — be patient.

“I totally understand their frustrations to this point,” Perry told Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It hasn’t been what they wanted. But again, it’s the old saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day — and that’s a fact. If you look at a number of the top teams in the league, they all went through a very tough stretch when they were trying to lay a foundation and create an environment that led to sustainable winning. … All I’ve ever asked from the very beginning is just: buckle up, be patient for the ride. We definitely have a plan in place, and we’ll do this thing together.”

Complicating Perry’s mission is the fact that six high-salary players are signed through next season. The highest of the 2026/27 salaries, Zach LaVine‘s $49MM, is a player option and there’s no clarity as to whether he’ll pick it up, according to Amick. The Clippers have shown some interest in the oldest player on the Kings’ roster, DeMar DeRozan, per Amick. He has a partial guarantee ($10MM) on his $25.7MM contract for next season.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

Kevin Durant will miss the Rockets’ game at Phoenix tonight due to a family matter. Suns guard Devin Booker is disappointed he won’t get to face his former teammate, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. “I hope everything is OK with his family first, but yeah, I would love a matchup with him,” Booker said.
Jordan Goodwin won a training camp battle to earn a roster spot after being claimed off waivers by the Suns. Goodwin has been a steady contributor off the bench, averaging 7.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. “He just has a knack not only on offensive rebounds, but deflections. Any type of loose balls. Just has a hunger to get the basketball. That’s part of who he is, that’s part of what made him and that’s part of why we love him,” coach Jordan Ott said, per Rankin (Twitter link).
Chris Paul evokes a wide range of reaction but The Athletic’s Zach Harper lays out his case of why the Clippers guard should be appreciated by NBA fans. The 12-time All-Star is retiring after the season.

Grizzlies Sign Kobe Bufkin To 10-Day Contract

November 24th, 2025 at 9:11am CST by Rory Maher

Nov. 24: The signing is official, the Grizzlies’ PR department tweets.

Nov. 23: The Grizzlies have been granted a hardship exception and will use it to sign free agent guard Kobe Bufkin to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

Hardship exceptions allow a team to temporarily exceed the usual 15-man limit. The NBA awards a hardship exception to a club if it has at least four injured players who have missed three consecutive games and are projected to miss at least two more weeks.

Bufkin will provide backcourt depth for Memphis, which has been hit hard by injuries once again in 2025/26. Four point guards — Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe surgery), Ty Jerome (calf strain), Ja Morant (calf strain) and Javon Small (turf toe) — are currently sidelined, and veteran forward/center Brandon Clarke is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.

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.

After being cut by the Nets, Bufkin entered the NBA G League player pool and his rights were acquired by the South Bay Lakers following a trade. In two Tip-Off Tournament games (28.7 MPG) with L.A.’s affiliate team this fall, Bufkin has averaged 22.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .444/.500/.800 shooting.

According to Grant Afseth (Twitter link), Bufkin was among the guards on Memphis’ radar just before the season began amid the wave of injuries.

Lakers Notes: Ayton, LeBron, Paul, Three-Point Shooting

November 24th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers center Deandre Ayton had to leave Sunday’s game in Utah midway through the second quarter due to a right knee contusion, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Ayton continued playing after an early collision with Ace Bailey, but the pain eventually became too intense.

“He had gotten hit on his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it,” coach JJ Redick said. “And then couldn’t go in the second half.”

Ayton has been a bargain so far on the two-year, $16.6MM contract he signed during the summer after reaching a buyout agreement with Portland. He was averaging 16.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game coming into Sunday’s contest while shooting 69.6% from the field.

With Ayton sidelined, Jaxson Hayes started the second half and Maxi Kleber logged 14 minutes. Kleber was part of the closing lineup and had a dunk with 1:21 remaining to help L.A. hold on for a two-point victory.

“Obviously, Jaxson has been in a starting role for us before, so very easy for him to step in and into that role,” LeBron James said. “But Maxi gave us big-time minutes. Brought physicality, had a big-time move towards the end to get that dunk.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

James, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds and eight assists in 34 minutes in his second game since returning from sciatica, talked about the process of getting back into playing shape (Twitter video link from Khobi Price of The Orange County Register). “The only way to get back in basketball shape is to be playing the basketball game,” James said. “My wind will get better and better. But this week was kind of like my training camp for me, to be honest. So I’m still working my way back.”
James also offered a message to his longtime friend, Clippers guard Chris Paul, who will retire at the end of the season (video link from McMenamin). “Hope he can just get joy out of this final year,” James said. “… I hope he takes it all in. This is his last hoorah, so we’ll never get this moment again once you’re done to be able to go out and be in the arena.”
The Lakers are off to a 12-4 start despite ranking 26th in the league in three-point shooting percentage, notes Dan Woike of The Athletic. The month-long slump continued Sunday as they were 10-of-38 (26.3%) from long distance. Austin Reaves, who missed seven of his eight three-point attempts at Utah, said the team is finding other ways to win. “I think it’s just chemistry. Care factor’s high,” he said. “You wanna go out there and do whatever you can do to help one another succeed. And I think that that goes a long way. There’s no selfishness; everybody wants to see everybody succeed.”