NBA Player News

Ighodaro will be in the starting lineup for Monday's preseason opener against the Pistons, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reports.

Ighodaro has been battling Khaman Maluach for the starting center spot at training camp, but the former appears to have the edge in the competition. In 24 starts last season, Ighodaro averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 turnovers per game.

Quaintance has been around the team but has not yet been cleared for basketball activities, Matt Guzman of SI.com reports.

The Spurs are expected to exercise extreme caution with the big man, as Quaintance suffered a torn ACL and meniscus with Arizona State in February 2025 before appearing in only four games with Kentucky last season due to severe complications and persistent swelling. The 19-year-old underwent a cleanup procedure on his meniscus in mid-July, and the Spurs will likely want him at 100 percent before ramping him up to basketball activities.

Duren (rest) won't play in Monday's preseason game against the Suns, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports.

Duren returned to practice Monday for the first time since signing a five-year, $200 million extension. However, it's unclear when the big man will see live-game reps. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said they have a "plan" to ramp Duren up, and the goal is to have their All-Star center available for the regular-season opener against Boston on Oct. 20.

Sarr said he took part in the Wizards' 5-on-5 full-contact work during Monday's practice, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

Sarr is ramping up after undergoing right foot surgery in June. He appears likely to be ready for the start of the regular season, though it's unclear how much action he'll see during the preseason. Across 48 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, he averaged 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.0 blocks and 0.8 steals in 27.2 minutes per showing.

Jackson-Davis (undisclosed) did not participate in Monday's practice, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports.

Jackson-Davis also missed Saturday's preseason opener against Miami for undisclosed reasons. It's unclear what's keeping the 26-year-old sidelined, and his status will be worth monitoring ahead of Saturday's preseason matchup against the Clippers.

Lakhin was waived by the Kings on Sunday.

This was an expected move, as Lakhin was on an Exhibit 10 deal. He's now set to join the Stockton Kings in the G League.

Claxton tweaked his hamstring and will be re-evaluated in two weeks, Chuck Swirsky of the Bulls Radio Network of the Bulls Radio Network reports.

This is a huge blow for Claxton, and it rules him out for the entire preseason. For now, fantasy managers can consider him questionable for Opening Night on Oct. 21 against the Raptors. Jalen Smith is the next man up on the depth chart for Chicago, followed by Zach Collins (toe).

Embiid (rest) won't play in Monday's preseason game against the Knicks, Chris Hine of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Embiid, LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey and Anfernee Simons, among others, will take a seat for the preseason opener, leaving plenty of usage available for second-year guard VJ Edgecombe and rookie Labaron Philon. It's unclear if Embiid will suit up Thursday in Brooklyn, but the big man's workload will continue to be closely managed during the 2026-27 season.

Hartenstein (rest) will not play in Tuesday's preseason opener against the Pelicans, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Hartenstein will travel to Tulsa despite sitting out the contest. The veteran center is among several key rotation players whom Oklahoma City will hold out Tuesday as the club manages workloads during the preseason.

Towns expressed frustration Sunday regarding his ongoing contract negotiations with the Knicks, Steve Popper of Newsday reports.

"Simply put, I want to do something that can keep the team together, and that can work with the Knicks and also values me," Towns said. "And, I mean, none of those things have come close to happening." Towns is eligible for a four-year extension worth roughly $277 million and has indicated a willingness to take less than the maximum to help New York retain its championship core, but the Knicks have reportedly offered around $200 million. The 30-year-old remains under contract for 2026-27 and holds a $61 million player option for 2027-28, so the stalled negotiations don't create an immediate availability concern.