Injury Notes: LeBron, Garland, Sharpe, Morant, Edey
As expected, Lakers star LeBron James has been assigned to the G League today in order to practice with the South Bay Lakers, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
James, whose season debut has been delayed while he deals with sciatica on his right side, is being sent to the G League for the first time since he entered the NBA in 2003. The assignment will, of course, be a brief one, giving the 40-year-old an opportunity to take part in his first full practice of the season, including 5-on-5 play, Charania notes.
Charania reported nearly a month ago that James and the Lakers were targeting mid-November for his 2025/26 debut. His progress so far appears to line up with that timeline.
The Lakers, led by Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, have played well in James’ absence, winning eight of their first 11 games this season.
We have a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- The Cavaliers announced today that point guard Darius Garland has been diagnosed with a contusion on his left great toe after re-injuring that surgically repaired toe in Monday’s game vs. Miami (Twitter link). While Garland will miss Wednesday’s rematch with the Heat, the diagnosis is a best-case scenario for him and the Cavs, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who notes that the team hasn’t ruled out the point guard for any additional games yet. Garland will receive daily treatment and his status will be updated as appropriate, per the club.
- Nets big man Day’Ron Sharpe sat out on Tuesday vs. Toronto due to what the team referred to as a left glute contusion, but the injury isn’t considered significant, writes C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News (subscription required). “He’s day-to-day, we’re not concerned,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And we want to make sure he feels good and mentally in a good place to be ready to play. So, that’s all good news, and it’s an opportunity for the next man up.” One of those “next men up” could be rookie forward Danny Wolf, who was recalled from the G League before Tuesday’s game and made his second NBA appearance.
- While Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is questionable to play on Wednesday vs. the Celtics due to right ankle soreness, center Zach Edey (left ankle surgery recovery) has taken another step toward his season debut, having been upgraded from out to doubtful, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. While he may not play on Wednesday in Boston, Edey could be available for Saturday’s game in Cleveland. “I’ve seen him on the court working out,” teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. “I’m excited for him to be back.”
Eastern Notes: Ware, Cavs Injuries, Shead, White
Heat second-year big man Kel’el Ware had 14 points and a career-high 20 rebounds in 34 minutes while making his third straight start in place of the injured Bam Adebayo on Monday. Miami pulled out an overtime win over Cleveland and coach Erik Spoelsta heaped praise on Ware.
“That’s the best game he’s played in a Miami Heat uniform,” Spoelstra said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I don’t care what the stats are. I know he had 20 rebounds. But those efforts on the glass were incredible. And he was reliable defensively. He was with it. He was in the right spots. (Evan) Mobley made a couple great shots, but Kel’el was there. He was there, doing the right thing.”
The Heat have won all three games Ware has filled in for Adebayo.
“I feel like that’s something they always wanted to see,” Ware said. “They’ve been wanting to see it from me. It feels [good] to see them encouraging me on that end and proud of me for bringing that out.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Cavaliers will be missing three starters in their rematch against Miami on Wednesday, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets. Darius Garland (injury management — left big toe), Donovan Mitchell (rest) and Evan Mobley (rest) are listed as out, while Larry Nance Jr. (knee contusion) is considered questionable.
- Jamal Shead has continued to give the Raptors a reliable play-maker off the bench in his second season, Michael Grange of Sportnet writes. “He’s able to do a lot of things,” forward Brandon Ingram said. “We know what he can do on the defensive end, but he’s able to attack the paint, he’s always searching for guys. He knows he’s playing with scorers, so when he gets the ball, he’s trying to attack, and he always knows where guys are.” In 10 games, Shead is averaging 6.4 points and 5.0 assists, compared to 1.1 turnovers, in 17.4 minutes per game. He’s making just $1.96MM this season and Toronto holds a club option on his contract for next season.
- Coby White (strained right calf) made it through a practice on Monday with the Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s G League affiliate. White, who has yet to make his season debut, could return at some point during the team’s upcoming road trip, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports, though he won’t play on Wednesday when they visit Detroit. ‘‘Everything that I heard was that it went well,’’ head coach Billy Donovan said. ‘‘I think the biggest thing is always trying to find out the next day how it went. The plan right now . . . would be to get back into practice with us when we get back from Detroit. We’ll have three days. One of those days, we’ll certainly have contact. The plan is to get him into that practice pretty extensively.’’
Darius Garland Exits Monday’s Game With Left Toe Injury
November 11: Garland’s latest injury is affecting his left big toe, the same one he underwent surgery to address during the offeason, Fedor confirms for Cleveland.com (subscription required). According to Fedor, there was “palpable concern” about the setback on Monday night.
Garland will undergo further evaluation on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury, Fedor adds.
November 10: All-Star point guard Darius Garland has been ruled out for the remainder of Monday’s contest in Miami after sustaining a left toe injury. He will be reevaluated after the game, the Cavaliers announced (Twitter link via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com).
According to Fedor (Twitter links), Garland came up limping in both the first and second halves. While the 25-year-old was able to shake off the discomfort the first time around, he took an intentional foul to leave the game in the second half and went straight back to the locker room.
It’s a worrisome development for the Cavaliers, as Garland just made his season debut last Wednesday after working his way back from offseason surgery on his left big toe. It’s unclear if Garland’s latest injury is on the same toe.
Garland had an excellent regular season in 2024/25, averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 30.7 minutes per game. He posted a .472/.401/.878 shooting line and earned the second All-Star berth of his career.
However, a turf toe injury forced Garland to the sidelines for the final two games of the Cavs’ first-round series vs. Miami and the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana. Surgery was ultimately deemed necessary to address that toe injury, and Garland underwent a procedure in early June.
Prior to Monday’s game, Garland had made two appearances this fall, averaging 14.0 PPG and 6.5 APG in 27.0 MPG.
Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter Jr. are among the Cavs who could receive more minutes if Garland is sidelined beyond Monday’s game.
Central Notes: Garland, Beasley, Pacers, Rivers
The Cavaliers enjoyed their most productive offensive night of the season on Wednesday as they welcomed back Darius Garland, writes Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. Garland returned in a victory over Philadelphia after missing the team’s first seven games while recovering from surgery in June on his left big toe. He contributed eight points and four assists in 26 minutes as Cleveland erupted for 132 points.
“Seeing the ball go through the hoop, passing the ball to 45 (Donovan Mitchell), Ev (Evan Mobley) and JA (Jarrett Allen) for sure,” Garland responded when asked what he missed while he was sidelined. “It was great to be back with the teammates. Being around them makes me happy.”
Reedy points out that the Cavs, who led the league in offensive rating last season at 121.0, were fifth-worst heading into Wednesday at 111.3. Coach Kenny Atkinson said the offense has been “clunky” because several players were forced into roles they aren’t used to.
Mitchell, who finished with a season-best 46 points, also recognizes the value of having Garland on the court.
“You have a guy that can initiate, get the easy shots and make everyone’s job easier,” he said. “When you have a guy who’s an All-Star, you have to pay attention where he’s at. When you know you have a guy out there that can create, it puts everyone at ease.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- There’s mutual interest in a reunion between the Pistons and Malik Beasley, assuming he’s eventually cleared in a federal gambling investigation, sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Siegel points out that Javonte Green‘s contract only carries a partial guarantee (currently $925,106), so he could easily be waived to make room for Beasley. Siegel also hears that the Cavaliers, who are carrying an open roster spot, still have interest in signing Beasley to bolster their outside shooting. A report on Wednesday stated that Beasley has received interest from teams overseas as well.
- Despite a 1-7 start and a slew of injuries, the Pacers aren’t expected to become major sellers going into the trade deadline, Siegel adds. Indiana is focused on “financial positioning” and keeping a competitive roster together for Tyrese Haliburton‘s expected return next season. Siegel says it would be surprising if the team is willing to part with Andrew Nembhard, T.J. McConnell or Aaron Nesmith.
- Doc Rivers’ reliance on an all-bench units has been a surprising part of the Bucks‘ early success, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Rivers has played lineups that feature no starters against units with at least one starter more than any other coach in the league.
Darius Garland Could Make Season Debut On Wednesday
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland could make his season debut as soon as Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link), who reports that Garland will have his status upgraded on the team’s injury report.
Although Charania’s wording suggests Garland isn’t yet a lock to play Wednesday, it sounds like his goal is to suit up for that game, barring a setback today or tomorrow. If the 25-year-old isn’t ready to be activated against the Sixers, his next opportunity to return would be on Friday in Washington.
Garland had an excellent regular season in 2024/25, averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game. He posted a .472/.401/.878 shooting line and earned the second All-Star berth of his career.
However, a turf toe injury forced Garland to the sidelines for the final two games of the Cavaliers’ first-round series vs. Miami and the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana. Surgery was ultimately deemed necessary to address that toe injury, so Garland underwent a procedure in early June. Reporting at the time indicated that he would miss the start of the ’25/26 season.
With both Garland and starting small forward Max Strus (foot surgery) sidelined this fall and some other players dealing with minor health issues, the Cavs have used a handful of different starting fives to open the season. Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, De’Andre Hunter, and Larry Nance Jr. are among the players to earn starts, along with lineup mainstays Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
While it’s safe to assume Garland will immediately be reinserted into Cleveland’s starting lineup, he seems likely to be on a minutes restriction as he gets reacclimated.
Injury Notes: Robinson, Joe, Garland, Collier, Barlow
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson went through a full practice on Thursday and head coach Mike Brown says he’ll be a game-time decision for Friday’s contest in Chicago, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter links).
Robinson has been held out of the first four games of the regular season with what New York has deemed left ankle injury management. There has been no indication from the Knicks that the 27-year-old big man has suffered a new injury or setback.
Robinson didn’t make his 2024/25 debut until February 28 while recovering from offseason ankle surgery and only played in 17 regular season contests down the stretch. He also appeared in 18 playoff games for New York last spring.
We have more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Thunder wing Isaiah Joe will be available to make his season debut on Thursday vs. Washington, tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. After averaging a career-high 21.7 minutes per game in 74 outings for Oklahoma City last season, Joe has been inactive to open the 2025/26 campaign due to a left knee contusion.
- Coming off toe surgery, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland isn’t facing any restrictions in practices and has been “scrimmaging and everything,” a source tells Spencer Davies of ClutchPoints. The team is being cautious with his return and won’t bring him back too early, but Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints recently reported that a return during the first half of November is very much in play for the two-time All-Star.
- Second-year Jazz point guard Isaiah Collier has been cleared for full on-court work, the team announced today (via Twitter), adding that he’ll be assigned to the G League on Friday as he ramps up his conditioning ahead of his season debut. Collier has been sidelined while recovering from a right hamstring strain.
- After starting the first two games of the season, Sixers forward Dominick Barlow has missed the past two and will remain out for at least two more due to his right elbow laceration, per the club (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports). That means Barlow, who will be reevaluated early next week, won’t play against Boston on Friday or Brooklyn on Sunday.
Rory Maher contributed to this post.
Cavaliers Notes: Merrill, Mitchell, Garland
Weighed down by salary cap concerns, the Cavaliers made Sam Merrill a priority in free agency. They re-signed him to a team-friendly four-year, $38MM contract. The early returns have been very promising, notes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). After Sunday’s win over Milwaukee, coach Kenny Atkinson has “probably been our best player over the first three games.”
“Guys just love playing with him,” Atkinson said. “He’s a winner. That’s why we gave him a nice contract this offseason. If there’s ever a guy that deserved it, he’s the guy.”
Merrill has been starting in the early going. Last season, Merrill averaged 7.2 points on 40.6% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.
“When you’re in a position that I have been in, it’s you want to almost know your place type of thing,” Merrill said. “But having been with these guys for three or four years, we all have trust in each other, and we all listen to each other. I’m not out here pretending I’m a 10-time All-Star or anything. But I know guys trust in what I have to say and as long as everyone is on the same page and having that trust in being accountable, I guess anyone can say what they need to say.”
Merrill only played 18 minutes at Detroit on Monday due to a hip injury.
“He’s hurting,” Atkinson said, per Spencer Davies of Clutch Points. “When Sam can’t come back in the game, it’s [painful]. I think Evan [Mobley] actually hit him in the hip. Somehow they [collided].”
We have more on the Cavaliers:
- Atkinson believes Donovan Mitchell is underappreciated on a national basis. Mitchell tore up the Pistons with 35 points on the second game of a back-to-back. “I think he’s underrated,” Atkinson said. “First Team All-NBA, I don’t know why people don’t talk about him more. Because he’s no controversy, low-key, humble? Does that equal, you get underrated because of that personality? I don’t know.”
- Guard Darius Garland was assigned to the G League’s Cleveland Charge for conditioning purposes, according to the NBA transactions log at RealGM.com. Garland is working his way back from offseason toe surgery. Mitchell’s backcourt partner in the middle of a five-year contract and his salary carries a cap hit of $39,446,090 this season.
- Merrill, who has been diagnosed with a right hip contusion, won’t play against the Celtics on Wednesday, Souichi Terada of Masslive.com relays. Garland also remains listed as out.
Injury Notes: Garland, Suggs, Adebayo, Bucks, Pacers, Thiero
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland took an important step forward in his recovery from toe surgery by participating in a 5-on-5 contact scrimmage on Tuesday, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). While head coach Kenny Atkinson referred to as a positive development, he cautioned that it doesn’t mean Garland’s return is imminent.
“It was live. It was very short,” Atkinson said. “Now let’s see what tomorrow looks like. What does the recovery look like? We know this is not an easy injury to come back from. It’s just not. You see what happens in the NFL with this injury. It’s not linear, usually, the return to performance, and we’re hoping it will be and he’ll progress. But I side on the side of being conservative and making sure. This is a good step today. A small step but a good step.”
Sources who have spoken to Fedor have maintained that Garland still could miss the first 10-15 games of the regular season. With their starting point guard expected to be unavailable when the season tips off, the Cavs intend to start Sam Merrill in the backcourt alongside Donovan Mitchell, who will take on more ball-handling responsibilities, says Fedor.
We have several more injury-related updates from around the NBA:
- Magic guard Jalen Suggs did “a little bit” of contact work on Tuesday in a 3-on-3 setting, head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). It’s unclear whether Suggs will be able to play in Orlando’s remaining preseason game on Thursday or if he’ll be ready for the season opener next Wednesday.
- Heat big man Bam Adebayo exited Monday’s preseason game early due to a knee injury, but it’s just a contusion and wasn’t serious enough to require an MRI, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). While it remains to be seen if Adebayo will suit up in the team’s preseason finale on Friday, it sounds like he should fine for the start of the season.
- After Myles Turner (right calf soreness) and Gary Harris (right hamstring strain) sat out the Bucks‘ last preseason game on Tuesday, head coach Doc Rivers downplayed Turner’s issue and suggested he’ll be ready for the start of the season, but said Harris’ hamstring injury will likely sideline him for a week or two, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter links).
- The injuries that Pacers reserves Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain) and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring soreness) are dealing with aren’t “serious,” according to head coach Rick Carlisle, but there’s no guarantee either player will be ready for opening night. “There’s a chance they could be back for the opening of the season, but I don’t know how big of a chance,” Carlisle said, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The Pacers’ coach added Ben Sheppard, who has been out with an undisclosed injury, is “trending in a good direction” and could be available on Friday for the club’s preseason finale.
- Lakers rookie Adou Thiero remains sidelined due to swelling in his knee but has progressed to on-court activities, the team announced on Tuesday (Twitter link via Dan Woike of The Athletic). The Lakers added that Thiero will be reevaluated in approximately two or three weeks.
Cavaliers Notes: Lonzo, Strus, Garland, Hunter
New Cavaliers point guard Lonzo Ball technically hasn’t played in back-to-back games since 2020/21 with Chicago. The 6’6″ pro missed two-and-a-half seasons recovering from three knee surgeries, and when he did return last year he was held out of at least one game in every back-to-back slate.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link), Ball told reporters during his media day availability that he may be able to suit up for both ends of back-to-back sets at some point this season, his first with Cleveland. Ball cautioned, however, that he has not discussed that possibility with the Cavaliers’ medical staff yet.
Cleveland followed up a 64-18 run in 2024/25 with a disappointing second-round playoff ouster last spring, felled in part by health issues. Backcourt depth was clearly an area of need in the offseason, and so this summer the Cavaliers swapped out former lottery disappointment Isaac Okoro to the Bulls in exchange for Ball, who – when healthy – is a versatile 3-and-D guard still capable of ball-handling and defending along the perimeter at a high level.
There’s more out of Cleveland:
- Cavaliers starting wing Max Strus has provided an update on his recovery from an offseason Jones fracture, Bontemps writes for ESPN.com. Strus indicated that he is five weeks removed from his surgery and is now able to walk without a boot. He remains several months away from returning to the hardwood. “I’m in a good spot right now,” Strus said, “and everything seems to be healing.” According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the veteran sharpshooter refused to establish an exact timeline for his comeback. “I’m not going to put a timetable on my return,” Strus said, revealing that he has a six-week check-up at some point next week. “Hopefully start the recovery and get-back process from there. I’m in a good spot right now. Everything seems to be healing.”
- All-Star Cavaliers guard Darius Garland had offseason surgery to address a turf toe ailment that affected him during Cleveland’s playoff run in the spring. He has resumed his workouts, but is unsure of when exactly he’ll get the green light to play, per Bontemps. “Everything is good,” Garland said on Monday. “Summer went really well. Rehab has been going really well. I’m back on the court, moving around, I’m ramping up for the season. So everything’s been good. It’s been a really good offseason. Everything’s been looking great, the doctors have been saying everything’s been looking great, so I’m happy where I’m at right now.” Garland also hinted that he does have a target return date, albeit not one he would divulge, Fedor adds. “I don’t have a date yet — that I’m going to tell y’all,” Garland said. “But I do have a date in mind.”
- After finishing the 2024/25 season as a reserve for the Cavaliers, forward De’Andre Hunter is gearing up for a starting role to tip off this season, Fedor tweets. “I feel like that’s a role I will probably have,” Hunter said. While Hunter looks like the leading spot to take Strus’ spot in the starting five, it’s unclear whether the Cavs would want Strus to reclaim that spot once he’s fully healthy.
Latest On Darius Garland’s Recovery From Toe Surgery
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland, who underwent surgery in June to address the toe injury that limited him in the postseason, has resumed some on-court basketball activities and will take part in training camp in a limited capacity, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
“He looks good,” Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman said on Tuesday morning, per Fedor. “He’s had a really good offseason from a strength standpoint.”
While Garland has progressed beyond the weight-room portion of his recovery process, there’s still no timeline for his return to action, according to Fedor, who has heard from sources that the 25-year-old may miss double-digit games to open the 2025/26 regular season.
The Cavs announced on June 9, following Garland’s procedure, that his status would be updated in approximately four or five months. It has been about three-and-a-half months since then, so the fact that Cleveland’s starting point guard is expected to miss some time at the start of the season comes as no surprise.
Garland had an excellent regular season in 2024/25, averaging 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 30.7 minutes per game. He posted a .472/.401/.878 shooting line and earned the second All-Star berth of his career. However, a turf toe injury forced him to the sidelines for the final two games of the Cavs’ first-round series vs. Miami and the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana.
With Garland unavailable, Donovan Mitchell is expected to take on some additional ball-handling responsibilities this fall. Point guards Lonzo Ball and Craig Porter Jr. also figure to move up the depth chart until Garland is ready to return.
The Cavs will be without two of their starters on opening night, as small forward Max Strus will also be recovering from an injury. He underwent foot surgery in August and is expected to miss at least three or four months.