NBA Player News

Gafford could have the green light to attempt occasional three-pointers this season, with head coach Dusty May encouraging the center to expand his offensive game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

May said the Mavericks want Gafford to become more of a playmaking decision-maker on the perimeter and indicated that he'll be allowed to take rhythm threes as long as he earns those opportunities. Gafford has attempted just one three-pointer across his seven NBA regular seasons and has yet to make one, so any development of a perimeter shot would represent a significant change to his offensive profile. He averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.7 minutes across 55 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

Wembanyama believes he's in better shape this season, per Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio.

Head coach Mitch Johnson is also looking for more growth in Wembanyama as a playmaker, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Any rise in ball-handling duties would be a welcome addition for the superstar big man, who's already a candidate to go first overall in fantasy drafts this fall as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Niederhauser (foot) won't be ready for the start of the season, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Niederhauser is progressing from March surgery but won't be able to suit up to begin the year. The Clippers are likely to take a cautious approach with the 2025 first-rounder. Isaiah Jackson should occupy the backup center spot behind Brook Lopez early in the campaign.

Team president Jeff Weltman said Monday that Nelson (ankle) remains about a month away from returning to the court after offseason surgery, per Philip Rossman-Reich of OrlandoMagicDaily.com.

With Nelson still in recovery mode from the left ankle surgery he underwent this summer, his path back to game action remains delayed for the early part of the season. The rookie big man is on a two-way contract with the Magic, so his short-term absence mainly affects his developmental timeline rather than Orlando's regular rotation.

Robinson expressed confidence Monday that he's capable of handling a more consistent workload this season after focusing on his conditioning throughout the summer, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

"Definitely. I feel very confident in myself," Robinson said when asked whether he could play more minutes consistently. "I've been working on my body this whole summer. Figuring things out." Robinson averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 19.6 minutes across 60 regular-season appearances in 2025-26. Heading into training camp, he's expected to battle Neemias Queta for the starting center role.

Kalkbrenner said Monday that improving his physicality was his biggest developmental focus during the offseason, Owen O'Connor of SI.com reports.

Physicality was already an area in which Kalkbrenner made noticeable strides during his rookie campaign, particularly absorbing contact defensively and setting screens. The 7-foot-1 center averaged 7.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 21.4 minutes across 69 regular-season appearances last campaign, and further improvement in that area could help him earn additional playing time in Charlotte's frontcourt. His competition is much fiercer this season due to the additions of Hannes Steinbach, Naz Reid and Royce O'Neale.

General manager Zach Kleiman said Monday that Edey (ankle/elbow) has been cleared for on-court activity and is on pace to suit up for Memphis' regular-season opener against the Jazz on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian reports.

Edey still hasn't been ruled out for the preseason, so there's a chance he will see some run ahead of the regular-season opener. The big man underwent surgeries on his left elbow and ankle in March, though he's trending in the right direction ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. The Purdue product appeared in only 11 regular-season games in 2025-26, averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals in 25.8 minutes per contest.

LeBron James said Monday that Embiid put significant work into his body, game and mental preparation during the offseason, Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports reports.

Embiid enters training camp following an encouraging offseason after appearing in just 38 regular-season games in 2025-26. The 32-year-old center has dealt with persistent durability concerns in recent years, but Philadelphia has consistently expressed optimism about his health this summer, and James' comments provide another positive indication regarding Embiid's preparation for the upcoming campaign.

Porzingis is out indefinitely due to an undisclosed issue, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.

Porzingis will miss the start of training camp due to the unknown issue, and his status for the beginning of the regular season is murky. If the veteran big man is forced to miss time to begin the campaign, Al Horford and Charles Bassey would be candidates for increased playing time.

Duren won't attend the Pistons' media day Monday and isn't planning to show up for the start of training camp, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

The Pistons have reportedly offered Duren a fully guaranteed five-year, $200 million deal in restricted free agency, but the two sides remain at a stalemate. Duren is coming off a breakout 2025-26 regular season in which he earned his first All-Star and All-NBA selections while averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds on 65.0 percent shooting. The 22-year-old big man has until Thursday's deadline to accept the deal, or he'll be forced to play under a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer.