NBA Player News

Ighodaro is competing with Khaman Maluach for Phoenix's starting center job while Mark Williams is sidelined by a shoulder injury, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic of The Arizona Republic reports.

Ighodaro said Wednesday that he and Maluach have been competing for the past two months and that he doesn't believe his experience from last season guarantees him the starting role. With Williams expected to miss multiple months, Ighodaro and Maluach should both have opportunities to earn substantial frontcourt minutes, though the competition could make their respective fantasy roles difficult to project entering the regular season.

Embiid's workload will continue to be closely managed during the 2026-27 season, head coach Nick Nurse said Tuesday, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.

Nurse said Philadelphia is already working through plans for Embiid and LeBron James on back-to-backs while mapping out their workloads for the next month. Embiid entered training camp without restrictions and was a full participant in Tuesday's opening practice, but the 76ers' early planning indicates they'll remain cautious with the veteran center despite his encouraging health entering the season.

Bradley signed an Exhibit 9 deal with the Knicks on Wednesday.

This is essentially a training camp invitation with injury protections. The Knicks have a ton of competition at center already, making Bradley a long shot to make the team.

Kaufman-Renn has entered the transfer portal, Jeff Borzello of ESPN reports.

Kaufman-Renn was drafted in the second round, No. 59 overall, in the 2026 NBA Draft after four collegiate seasons at Purdue. With the Boilermakers, he averaged 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists over 21.8 minutes per contest in 147 games, including 112 starts. Despite suiting up for the Timberwolves during Summer League, Kaufman-Renn opted to file a motion to return to college for another season, which was granted by an Indiana circuit court. The 24-year-old will now enter the transfer portal and will look to improve his stock ahead of the 2027 NBA Draft, though it's unknown if some teams will be reluctant to select him after the events that transpired in the last few months.

Gobert continues to work on expanding his offensive game, including participating in three-point drills with his teammates, Andrew Dukowitz of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Gobert said shooting was an area of emphasis during the offseason and noted that competing with teammates in drills has helped make taking jumpers feel more natural in game-like situations. While it's unclear whether three-pointers will become a meaningful part of his offensive role, Gobert has worked on his perimeter shooting in previous offseasons as well.

The Kings added Lakhin to their training camp roster Tuesday, per James Ham of ESPN 1320 Sacramento.

It looks like Sacramento is giving Lakhin a chance to compete for a roster spot. If he doesn't make the cut, Lakhin is likely to be sent to the G League's Stockton Kings.

Adams has been fully cleared after undergoing left ankle surgery in January, head coach Ime Udoka said Tuesday, according to Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle.

The veteran center had previously been limited prior to training camp, but Udoka expects him to play during Houston's preseason trip to Macao. Adams may still be limited during back-to-back sets early in the regular season as the Rockets manage his workload following the procedure.

Bassey could see more playing time to begin the season if Kristaps Porzingis (undisclosed) isn't ready for Opening Night.

Bassey bounced around last season, appearing for the Warriors, 76ers, Grizzlies and Celtics, but he's looking to find a home in Golden State. Assuming Draymond Green starts at power forward, Bassey could challenge veteran Al Horford for the starting position at center if Porzingis is out to start the year.

Horford could open the season as a starter if Kristaps Porzingis (undisclosed) isn't ready for Opening Night.

Horford's best fantasy days may be behind him at 40 years old, but the opportunity for a larger role exists while Porzingis is on the mend. The veteran big man provided late-round fantasy numbers as a starter last regular season, having averaged 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 blocks in 23.7 minutes per contest over 13 games in the first unit.

Sengun has been working with shooting coach Chip Engelland on his free throws and three-point shot, and the big man wants to make corner threes a bigger part of his game, Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Sengun is coming off another impressive year, averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in 33.3 minutes per game across 72 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. However, the star center shot just 69.1 percent from the charity stripe and 30.5 percent from downtown. He's been focused on improving in those areas this offseason, and an uptick in efficiency would be a significant step toward becoming a more well-rounded player.