Injury Notes: Reid, Giddey, M. Wagner, Alvarado, H. Jones
Big man Naz Reid, who was starting in place of Rudy Gobert, was ruled out after playing just five minutes in Saturday’s loss at San Antonio due to soreness in his left shoulder, the Timberwolves announced (via Twitter).
It’s unclear if Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year, will miss additional time as a result of the shoulder injury.
The 26-year-old forward/center had been playing some of his best basketball of the season in the four games leading up to Saturday, averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per night on .604/.577/.700 shooting during that brief stretch (29.8 minutes per contest).
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey has been assigned to the G League’s Windy City Bulls as he works his way back from a left hamstring strain, per the team (Twitter link). Assuming Sunday’s practice goes well, Giddey should be back in action either Tuesday against the Clippers or Thursday at Minnesota, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.
- While there’s no indication that he experienced a setback, Magic center Moritz Wagner was ruled out of Sunday’s game vs. Memphis with what the team called left knee injury management (Twitter link). The German big man just made his season debut last Sunday after missing most of 2024/25 with a torn ACL in his left knee.
- A pair of trade candidates for the Pelicans continue to be sidelined with injuries. Guard Jose Alvarado will miss his seventh consecutive game Sunday at Houston due to a left oblique strain, while forward Herbert Jones remains out with a right ankle sprain (link to injury report). Jones, who made the All-Defensive First Team in 2023/24, will miss his 14th game as a result of the injury.
Central Notes: Tyson, Garland, Merrill, I. Jackson, Giddey
Jaylon Tyson could be the answer in the Cavaliers‘ long search for a productive small forward, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Tyson turned in one of the best games of his brief NBA career on Friday, scoring 39 points and handing out a game-winning assist in a two-point victory at Philadelphia.
“I feel like when you get into the NBA, you have to find your niche, the one thing you are good at,” Tyson said. “Last year, that was my rookie season, so I needed to figure out where I fit in with this team. There are a lot of really good players on the roster, so I needed to figure out what role I had to play. Tonight, Philadelphia tried to take Donovan (Mitchell) out of the game, so Donovan told me to be ‘California Jaylon.’ That meant for me to go and get a bucket.”
Tyson was a high-scoring collegiate player at California who was selected with the 20th pick in the 2024 draft, but he was used to being the focus of the offense. He had to adapt when he joined a Cleveland team where he was surrounded by scorers, and he averaged just 3.6 points per game while shooting 43% from the field during his rookie year. He has increased his scoring average to 13.4 PPG this season while connecting at 52.4% from the field and 47.5% from three-point range, and Tyson’s teammates are touting him as a candidate for Most Improved Player honors.
“No disrespect to people who have won it in the past, but it seems like people have won it who were already on a star trajectory,” Mitchell said. “The award is made for people like Jaylon. He came in, and he has worked on his game, and he’s improved so much since he has been here. He should win the award.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Darius Garland (toe soreness) and Sam Merrill (sprained right hand) were both injured in Wednesday’s game at Philadelphia and will be examined this weekend, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com states in a subscriber-only story. Garland, who’s the Cavaliers‘ second-leading scorer, is experiencing pain in his right big toe, which is on the opposite foot from the toe injury that required offseason surgery and has continued to bother him. Merrill missed about a month earlier this season with a right hand sprain, but team sources tell Fedor that the bruising and swelling are less severe this time. He was also able to use his hand normally before Friday’s game, coach Kenny Atkinson told reporters.
- Pacers center Isaiah Jackson, who returned to action on Saturday after missing nearly four weeks with a concussion, talked to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star about the severity of the condition. “Headaches,” Jackson said. “Fogginess. My thoughts were foggy. … My symptoms were severe. Light sensitivity. Sound sensitivity. I couldn’t even be around. I was bad. I was literally just in my room the blinds were shut. I had sunglasses on. It was bad.”
- Bulls guard Josh Giddey, who has been sidelined since December 29 with a strained left hamstring, has been upgraded from “out” to “doubtful” for Sunday’s game against Brooklyn, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Giddey isn’t expected to play, according to Johnson, but it’s a sign that he could return to action soon.
Eleven More Players Become Trade-Eligible
Today is Thursday, January 15, which means that a total of 11 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.
Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:
- The player re-signed with his previous team.
- He got a raise of at least 20%.
- His salary is above the minimum.
- His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.
These are the 11 players who met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Thursday:
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies)- Josh Giddey (Bulls)
- Quentin Grimes (Sixers)
- Isaiah Jackson (Pacers)
- Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors)
- Tre Mann (Hornets)
- Sam Merrill (Cavaliers)
- Davion Mitchell (Heat)
- Paul Reed (Pistons)
- Naz Reid (Timberwolves)
- Ryan Rollins (Bucks)
Most of the players on standard 15-man rosters around the NBA are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt.
That group includes Kings guard Russell Westbrook, who becomes trade-eligible on Friday, Hawks guard Keaton Wallace (trade-eligible on January 18), Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan (Jan. 23), Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (Feb. 1), Lakers guard Luka Doncic (Feb. 2), Kings forward Precious Achiuwa (Feb. 4), and Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (Feb. 4).
Additionally, there are several players who won’t become trade-eligible at all prior to this season’s February 6 deadline, including reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be traded.
Injury Updates On Bulls’ Josh Giddey, Zach Collins
Josh Giddey has been sidelined for the Bulls‘ last seven games with a left hamstring strain and will miss Wednesday’s matchup against the Jazz as well. However, there’s optimism that he won’t remain out for much longer.
Head coach Billy Donovan said on Wednesday that Giddey has been making good progress in his rehab and is starting to ramp up his activity, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (via Twitter).
“This is a big week for him,” Donovan said.
This season has been the best of Giddey’s career — the 6’8″ point guard has poted career highs in points (19.2), rebounds (8.9), and assists (9.0) per game, as well as three-point percentage (38.6%), and three-point volume (4.8 attempts per game).
The Bulls hold an 18-21 record heading into their contest with Utah. They are 3-6 without Giddey and 15-15 with him on the court.
Donovan also shared an update on backup big man Zach Collins, who has been out since December 27 with a big toe sprain. According to Johnson, Donovan expects Collins to be in a walking boot for several more weeks.
“I don’t think he’ll be available before the All-Star break,” Donovan said (Twitter link).
Collins has only suited up for 10 Bulls games this season after a fractured wrist suffered during the preseason caused him to miss the team’s first 22 games. In the games he has played, the veteran center has averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in 18.4 minutes per game while hitting 42.9% of his threes.
And-Ones: Kennedy, RSNs, Thomas, Trade Market, RFAs
Longtime NBA referee Bill Kennedy will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a hamstring strain during Friday’s game in Orlando, Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime tweets. There’s hope he can return before the regular season ends, Haynes adds. Kennedy left the court in a wheelchair on Friday after suffering the injury during the first quarter.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- There is continuing uncertainty regarding the regional sports networks broadcasting NBA games. Main Street Sports Group, with its pending sale to DAZN teetering, it is in talks with a second potential buyer that could keep its FanDuel Sports Network broadcasts afloat, according to Tom Friend of the Sports Business Journal. That potential buyer could be FUBO TV, though that hasn’t been confirmed. Main Street missed January payments to some or all of the 13 NBA teams that it broadcasts. Main Street/DAZN wanted teams in the NBA and NHL to extend their deals through the 2028/29 season, including digital rights, something the teams and the leagues were uninterested in doing, according to Friend. Main Street is also asking NBA and NHL franchises to take a 20% dip in rights fee payments for the rest of this season and also defer those reduced payments.
- Former NBA guard Matt Thomas has joined Besiktas GAIN Istanbul for the remainder of the EuroLeague season, Eurohoops.net reports. The 31-year-old shooting guard had been playing for Spain’s Coviran Granada, where he averaged 14.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Thomas appeared in 126 NBA games over three years from 2019-22, suiting up for Toronto, Utah and Chicago.
- The Hawks traded a former All-Star guard in Trae Young during his prime and didn’t receive any draft compensation in return. Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com examines why the trade market has crashed and how this could impact future moves, such as the Grizzlies potentially dealing Ja Morant.
- Who was the biggest loser among the restricted free agents last offseason? The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi, Tony Jones and Nick Friedell discuss how Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Cam Thomas and Quentin Grimes were impacted by the current CBA and why potential suitors were reluctant to tie up cap space to extend an offer sheet to an RFA.
Central Notes: Hunter, Garland, Bulls’ Injuries, I. Jackson
De’Andre Hunter‘s inability to excel as a starter has been one of the biggest disappointments for the Cavaliers, Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com stated on a recent edition of The Wine and Gold Podcast (subscription required). Cleveland traded for Hunter at last year’s deadline, hoping he would be the answer in the team’s long search for a small forward to fit in with its four established starters. But Hunter has been more productive in a reserve role and hasn’t started a game since December 14.
Coach Kenny Atkinson decided not to insert Hunter into the starting lineup even with Dean Wade missing four of the past five games with a knee bruise. Sands views that as a sign that Hunter will likely continue to come off the bench for the rest of the season. Hunter is averaging 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists through 34 games — similar to the numbers he put up after the trade — but his shooting percentages have dropped to 43% from the field and 30.9% from three-point range, both well below his career standards.
The Cavs are “baffled” by Hunter’s failure to fit into a starting role, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com says in the podcast. He notes that Wade’s knee issues and Max Strus‘ continuing recovery from offseason foot surgery have forced Atkinson to field some unusual lineups that wouldn’t be necessary if Hunter were more productive as a starter.
Fedor also raises the question of whether the front office should search for another small forward at the trade deadline to fix a problem it thought was already solved. Either way, Fedor states that the miscalculation with Hunter has strained the rest of the roster.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Darius Garland‘s lingering toe injury has contributed to the Cavaliers‘ early-season struggles, and the team is much better when he’s able to manage the pain, Sands states in a subscriber-only story. Atkinson said Garland looked like “the old DG” Saturday afternoon as he delivered 22 points and six assists in a win over Minnesota. “He’s kind of our catalyst,” Sam Merrill said. “When his pace is great and he’s getting into the paint, it makes things so much easier and so much better for our offense specifically.”
- Bulls coach Billy Donovan said Josh Giddey has started doing on-court work in his recovery from a strained left hamstring, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). No timetable has been set for a return, but Giddey hasn’t experienced any setbacks so far. Donovan provided a couple other medical updates, saying rookie Noa Essengue has resumed lifting weights following season-ending shoulder surgery and Zach Collins‘ toe injury is a “pretty significant sprain.” Donovan added that the team is seeking multiple medical opinions on Collins, and while surgery currently isn’t an option, he’s expected to be in a walking boot for a while.
- Pacers coach Rick Carlisle revealed that center Isaiah Jackson has cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and is now working on his conditioning, tweets Tony East of Circle City Spin. Jackson is expected back on the court in about a week.
Bulls Notes: White, Giddey, T. Jones, Trade Deadline
Bulls guard Coby White was hoping to raise his value with a strong season heading into free agency, but repeated calf issues have gotten in the way, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes in a subscriber-only story. They began when White strained his right calf during an August workout, sidelining him through training camp and the first 11 games of the season. He was on a minutes restriction as he made his season debut November 16, but he began feeling tightness in his left calf within two weeks and was shut down for two more games.
White felt good enough to play in a back-to-back last Friday and Saturday, but he started experiencing tightness in his right calf during Monday’s game with Minnesota. He hasn’t played since then, but he’s hoping for good news when he gets reevaluated on Monday.
“It just got tight, and it was persistent,” White said. “It started to loosen up a little bit, so I tried to test it out and get it moving again. But it was still a little persistent, so they were like, ‘Shut it down.’ I got an MRI, and it showed that it wasn’t a re-strain. The MRI actually looked better than it did in November, so it’s about just getting it to calm down. It was like a warning shot to get us to make it calm down.”
White has only been available for 16 of Chicago’s 34 games, and he admits that it’s “frustrating” to deal with constant injuries. Cowley points out that the frequent absences could not only affect White’s next contract, but the Bulls’ potential return if they decide to trade him before the February 5 deadline.
“You could sit here and say, ‘Why me?’” White said. “Then you look around the league, and there’s guys in worse situations than me in terms of they come back, (re-injure themselves) and then they’ve got to sit out even more time. You’ve got to keep a positive perspective that you’re not the only one in the world going through what you’re going through. It’s frustrating because I do want to be out there, and I don’t feel as well, like, as a person and mentally when I’m not playing. It’s hard for me to go through this. … I look at it as God is trying to teach me something through this, and maybe I’ll figure it out at the end of it.”
There’s more from Chicago:
- Josh Giddey was an active presence on the bench Friday night, constantly instructing and encouraging his teammates while sidelined with a left hamstring strain, Cowley adds in a separate story. His coaching contributions paid off as the Bulls posted a win over Orlando to improve to 2-0 without their starting backcourt. Giddey admitted that he doesn’t enjoy “sitting and watching,” but he understands the perils associated with coming back too early from a hamstring injury. “The symptoms go away, and you feel like you can do everything, and that’s when you’re at risk of restraining (the hamstring),” he said. “(I’m) just being careful, being safe, but doing what it takes to get back as soon as possible.”
- The backcourt injuries have increased the value of Tre Jones, who was acquired from San Antonio at last year’s deadline. The veteran point guard moved into the starting lineup and contributed 20 points and 12 assists in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune. Jones is under contract for $8MM for next season with an $8MM team option for 2027/28, so he could provide some insurance if the Bulls don’t keep White.
- In another piece, Poe examines several questions the Bulls face as they approach the deadline, noting that the team has quite a few tradable contracts that could be packaged together in a large deal. She recommends that the front office should be willing to take on other teams’ unwanted contracts to add draft assets and delay larger moves to fix the roster until the offseason.
Bulls Share Injury Updates On White, Giddey, Collins
The Bulls have put out a press release confirming that guards Coby White and Josh Giddey and big man Zach Collins will miss multiple games due to injuries.
According to the team, White is experiencing tightness in his right calf and will be reevaluated in one week. Based on that timeline, White – who exited Monday’s game against Minnesota in the first quarter due to the injury – will miss games against New Orleans (Wednesday), Orlando (Friday), Charlotte (Saturday), and Boston (Monday) before being examined next Wednesday.
The Bulls’ update on Giddey comes after Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the standout guard will miss “a few weeks” due to a left hamstring strain. The club has confirmed that diagnosis and stated that Giddey will be reevaluated in two weeks. That means he’ll miss at least Chicago’s next eight games and could remain on the shelf beyond that.
As for Collins, the forward/center sustained a right toe sprain and will be reevaluated in 10 days, per the team. It will be the second extended absence this season for Collins, whose debut was delayed until December 5 after he fractured his wrist during the preseason. He played in each of the Bulls’ past 10 games after missing the first 21.
White and Giddey are the Bulls’ leading scorers so far this season at 19.2 points per game apiece, while Collins had scored double-digit points in each of his past six outings.
The injuries to White and Giddey will result in larger roles for Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, and Jevon Carter in Chicago’s backcourt, while forward Patrick Williams seems likely to return to the frontcourt rotation with Collins sidelined.
The banged-up Bulls are also currently dealing with injuries affecting all three of their two-way players, Trentyn Flowers (right knee hyperextension), Emanuel Miller (right hamstring strain), and Lachlan Olbrich (left ankle sprain). Additionally, this year’s lottery pick, Noa Essengue, is out for the season following shoulder surgery.
Bulls’ Josh Giddey To Miss Multiple Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Bulls starting point guard Josh Giddey has a left hamstring strain and will miss at least a few weeks, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic confirms through the team’s PR department that the injury, initially diagnosed as hamstring tightness, is a strain (Twitter link).
Giddey, acquired from Oklahoma City prior to last season, has been enjoying a career year with averages of 19.2 points, 9.0 assists and 8.9 rebounds in 29 games. He leads the Bulls in all three statistical categories, so his loss — even for a few weeks — could have a huge impact on their season and approach to the trade deadline.
Chicago had won five straight before losing its last two games to fall to 15-17. The Bulls are currently in ninth place in the East, which would put them in the play-in tournament.
It’s been a painful week injury-wise as Coby White re-injured his right calf on Monday and Zach Collins suffered a toe injury. That duo is also expected to miss multiple games.
Giddey was one of several restricted free agents on the market during the offseason who endured lengthy negotiations. It worked out in the long run as he signed a four-year, $100MM deal heading into training camp.
Without their starting backcourt, the Bulls will have to rely on Tre Jones, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Jevon Carter to get them through the upcoming weeks.
If the Bulls chose to go into sell mode before the trade deadline, they’ll have multiple expiring contracts to dangle. Nikola Vucevic, Collins, Huerter, White, Dosunmu and Carter all fit into that category.
Bulls Notes: White, Giddey, Collins, Williams
Coby White was forced to leave Monday’s game vs. Minnesota due to a right calf injury and did not return, the Bulls announced (Twitter link via Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic). White hurt his calf in the first quarter.
As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network notes (Twitter links), White missed the first 11 games of the season — and 15 overall — due to a right calf strain he sustained in August. The 25-year-old also missed a pair of games with a left calf injury.
White, a seventh-year guard, just played his first back-to-back games of 2025/26 on Friday and Saturday, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. The former No. 7 overall pick said he was still working to find his rhythm and improve his conditioning after Saturday’s loss.
“Just trusting my body and reacting to how I want to react,” White said. “I’m trying to get my legs underneath me as far as timing, decision-making. I’m trying to give myself some grace. I was really hard on myself [Friday against 76ers], where I felt like I couldn’t get my timing down. It’s leading to some turnovers that I feel like are unforced.
“Once I get my timing down and get my legs underneath me, I’ll be better.”
According to Cowley, while White and Chicago’s front office previously expressed mutual interest in resuming contract discussions in the offseason, the relationship between the two sides has “frayed a bit” with White’s name popping up in recent trade rumors ahead of unrestricted free agency.
We have more from Chicago:
- White wasn’t the only starting guard who exited Monday’s game early, as Josh Giddey sustained a left hamstring injury early in the third quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the contest (Twitter link via Johnson). It’s unclear when the injury occurred, but Giddey quickly asked to be subbed out after dribbling the ball up the court (Twitter video link).
- While White and Giddey were injured during Monday’s game, big man Zach Collins was hurt sometime before tip-off. Head coach Billy Donovan said the 28-year-old center has a sprained big toe and will likely be out at least a week, though there is not yet an official timetable for Collins’ return, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO Bulls (Twitter link).
- Forward Patrick Williams has largely been out of the rotation of late with Donovan opting for a double-big bench unit featuring Collins and Jalen Smith. Williams admitted he wasn’t thrilled with the demotion, per Cowley, but he handled it professionally and said he would be ready Monday with Collins out. “For sure, 100%,” Williams said of taking advantage of the opportunity. “Obviously you don’t want guys to go down. We all love Zach and what he brings to the game. It’s definitely an opportunity for someone to step up and if he calls my number I’m ready.” The 24-year-old wound up playing 21 minutes in the blowout loss.