Pacers’ Aaron Nesmith Expected To Return Saturday
Pacers small forward Aaron Nesmith has been upgraded to questionable for Saturday’s game in Miami, the team announced (via Twitter).
According to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link), Nesmith is expected to play tonight. He has been out since November 13 — a span of 19 games — due to a left knee sprain.
Head coach Rick Carlisle indicated on Friday evening that Nesmith had a chance to return at some point in December.
In 11 games this season, Nesmith was averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while converting 37.3% of his three-point attempts, though he’s also shooting a career-worst 35.9% on twos. The latter figure will likely normalize over time, as 11 games is obviously a small sample size.
The 26-year-old wing, who is a strong and versatile perimeter defender, played an important role in helping Indiana reach the NBA Finals last season. Nesmith signed a veteran contract extension in October and cannot be traded in 2025/26.
Longtime backup point guard T.J. McConnell, who played 14 minutes in Friday’s loss to Boston, will be out Saturday due to right hamstring soreness, per the Pacers.
Injury Notes: Knueppel, Sengun, Fox, Davis, Adebayo
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
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 on 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 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
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 outings. His shooting slash line was .438/.263/.765.
Nets Sign Chaney Johnson To Two-Way Contract
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
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 illnesses, 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 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 and holds a 14-16 record after 30 games.
Mavericks Notes: Flagg, Davis, Thompson
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 post-game 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.”
Bulls Notes: White, Giddey, Healthy Roster
The Bulls closed out the final 20 games of the 2024/25 regular season by going 15-5, in no small part due to the play of Coby White and Josh Giddey. But the backcourt tandem hasn’t had much time on the court together this season, largely because of White’s calf issues.
White expressed confidence about the duo rediscovering their prior form together ahead of Tuesday’s game in Atlanta, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Head coach Billy Donovan says that would only be beneficial.
“I think it would definitely help us,” Donovan said. “I think the hard part has been Coby just trying to get back and find a rhythm with him being out. So with him being out, he and Josh also finding a rhythm. But I think last year, they coexisted very well.
“They have a very good relationship, they talk and they communicate. Certainly for us, those two guys playing at a high level is going to help, but we’re going to have to rely on the other guys, too.”
White (team-high 24 points, four assists, three steals) and Giddey (19 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds) both played key roles in Tuesday’s comeback victory, notes Bill Trocchi of The Associated Press.
Here’s more on the Bulls, who have won four straight:
- Giddey says he’s more focused on winning than individual accolades, but he admits he’s hoping to make his first All-Star appearance in 2025/26, Cowley writes in another story. “Every player wants to be an All-Star — all those things when they first get drafted, get into the league — and I’m no different,” Giddey said. “Everyone has individual aspirations. They’re lying if they say they don’t, but it’s about not letting it get in the way of the team. I want to be an All-Star; everybody inside [the locker room] wants to be an All-Star. But you’ve got to be able to do that inside the team and win games while trying to do individual things, as well. Winning solves everything, and all the individual stuff comes after that.” Giddey, who is averaging career highs of 20.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists while shooting a career-best 40.2% from long distance through 27 games, has seven triple-doubles this season, trailing only Nikola Jokic, who has 14.
- Aside from rookie Noa Essengue, who is out for the season following shoulder surgery, the Bulls are healthy for the first time this season and Ayo Dosunmu said they have a “resilient” group after Tuesday’s win. “This has been about continuing to stay together, continuing to get better,” Dosunmu said, per Cowley. “We understood that (the losing streak) was not the best basketball that we were playing, but we all knew what we were capable of. We put it together and have been playing a great stretch of basketball. Now we’ve got to just keep doing it.” Chicago lost seven straight before its four-game winning streak.
- In case you missed it, the Bulls have reportedly been involved in multiple trade conversations recently.
Austin Reaves Has Calf Soreness, Will Undergo MRI Friday
9:35 pm: Reaves will undergo an MRI on Friday, a source tells Woike (Twitter link).
8:51 pm: Austin Reaves has been ruled out for the second half of the Christmas Day matchup against Houston due to left calf soreness, according to the Lakers (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic).
The 27-year-old guard recorded 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in just under 15 minutes prior to the announcement. Marcus Smart started the second half with Reaves out, tweets Jovan Buha.
It’s a worrisome development for the Lakers, as Reaves just returned to action on Tuesday after missing nearly two weeks with a left calf strain. The team referred to that initial strain as “mild.”
Reaves was off to a terrific start to his fifth season prior to sustaining the calf strain. In his first 21 games (all starts), he averaged 27.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.6 rebounds in 36.9 minutes per night, with a .503/.369/.875 shooting line.
Reaves came off the bench in Tuesday’s blowout loss in Phoenix, finishing with 17 points (on 6-of-11 shooting), two rebounds and two assists in 22 minutes. He also had three turnovers and the Lakers were outscored by 17 points when he was on the court (they lost by 24).
Los Angeles opened the season with an impressive 15-4 record but has looked shaky lately, especially defensively. The team will likely drop its third straight game on Thursday to fall to 19-10 — the Lakers currently trail the Rockets by 17 points with 8:16 left in the fourth quarter.