NBA Player News

Ighodaro has a chance to begin the season as Phoenix's starting center after Mark Williams underwent shoulder surgery Thursday.

The expectation is that Williams will be on the shelf for about five months, likely ruling out the big man until sometime around the All-Star break. Ighodaro filled in serviceably when Williams was injured in 2025-26, as the former averaged a productive 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game while shooting 67.4 percent from the field over 22 regular-season appearances with Williams unavailable. However, Ighodaro did shoot a paltry 40.8 percent from the free-throw line in those outings. Benjamin Garcia of the Locked On Podcast Network is hearing internal praise directed toward Khaman Maluach, who just averaged 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game across four appearances in a dominant Summer League run, so the Suns appear to have an intense camp battle brewing for the top center spot in Williams' stead.

Williams underwent surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will miss an extended period, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

This is a tough blow for the center with training camp right around the corner. With Williams on the inactive list, Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach figure to see increased playing time, with the latter already drawing buzz during Summer League play. More clarity on Williams' timeline should be known in the coming weeks, and while nothing official has come from the Suns, Phoenix radio host John Gambadoro reports that the center could potentially miss around five months.

Bittle (lower leg) was spotted in a walking boot Wednesday, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic reports.

Bittle missed Toronto's Summer League finale due to right knee soreness, though it's unclear exactly what he's dealing with now. The 23-year-old center out of Oregon signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors in June and is set to compete for a spot on the regular-season roster at training camp, so his status will be worth monitoring moving forward.

Claxton is projected to start at center for the Bulls in the 2026-27 campaign, according to Law Murray of The Athletic.

The Bulls were left with a big void at the center position after dealing Nikola Vucevic to the Celtics for Anfernee Simons at last year's trade deadline, and they're looking for Claxton to help plug the hole in 2026-27 after coming over from Brooklyn. Claxton, who was a full-time starter with the Nets for the better part of the last four seasons, has generally been a strong source of boards and swats for fantasy managers, though his rebound and block rates as well as his shooting efficiency all essentially declined each year over that time. That said, the 27-year-old big man has an opportunity for a fresh start in Chicago, and he did take a step forward as a playmaker in 2025-26 in the form of a career-high 3.7 assists per game.

Reed will be in line for increased playing time and is expected to operate as the Pistons' backup center in 2026-27, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.

The Pistons remain in contract talks with Jalen Duren, but assuming the restricted free agent returns for at least one more season, Reed should operate as Detroit's primary backup center. The club traded Isaiah Stewart to the Grizzlies in June, and all signs point toward Reed taking on an increased role. The 27-year-old center played double-digit minutes in 42 of his regular-season appearances (11 starts) in 2025-26, averaging 10.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 62.6 percent from the field across 18.3 minutes per contest in those outings.

Ware has a clearer path to playing time on the Bucks and should have a better opportunity to find firmer footing than he had with Miami, per Zach Kram of ESPN.

Ware flashed potential in his first two years in the Association with Miami, and he averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 combined steals-plus-blocks and 0.7 assists in 22.1 minutes per game across 77 regular-season appearances (34 starts) in 2025-26. The big man also shot an impressive 39.5 percent from downtown on 3.0 three-point tries per contest last season. He was dealt to Milwaukee as part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in June, and Ware now has the chance to start fresh and become a building block for the Bucks in their rebuild. Myles Turner is coming off a down year, and his long-term future in Milwaukee is unclear. Ware could carve out a starting role with the Bucks regardless of Turner's presence, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the former take another step forward in a more favorable situation.

Hartenstein (ankle) participated in an offseason workout with the Thunder on Monday, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Hartenstein sat out FIBA qualifiers with Germany to nurse an ankle injury he sustained earlier this summer, so it's encouraging to see him back on the court ahead of training camp in the fall. The 28-year-old big man appears to be firmly on track for the start of the regular season in October, barring any setbacks along the way.

Gobert sat out France's 84-69 win over Sweden in Sunday's FIBA World Cup qualifier.

Gobert did suit up for France's victory over Slovenia on Thursday, so Sunday appeared to be a maintenance-related absence. The veteran center is getting ready for his fifth season with the Timberwolves in 2026-27, and it's plausible that Minnesota will rely even more on Gobert now that big man Naz Reid has been sent to Charlotte in exchange for star point guard LaMelo Ball. Gobert has averaged a double-double and at least one block while shooting no lower than 62 percent from the field in 10 consecutive seasons.

Vucevic did not participate in Montenegro's latest FIBA World Cup qualifying window as he turns his focus toward the upcoming NBA season.

The veteran center is preparing for his second stint with the Magic in 2026-27, though he's unlikely to be a full-time starter with Wendell Carter in the fold this time around. Orlando figures to hold a competition for the top center position during training camp this fall, and it wouldn't be surprising if the team took a hot-hand approach between Vucevic and Carter throughout the course of the year. Vucevic can be treated as a late-round flier in fantasy drafts while this situation shakes out.

Diop signed a contract with Cleveland on Wednesday.

Originally selected as a draft-and-stash player, the No. 39 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft will now join the team ahead of the 2026-27 season. Presumably, Diop will be brought along slowly, which would include plenty of reps in the G League.