NBA Player News

Lopez is not guaranteed the Clippers' starting center role, as Isaiah Jackson has been working with the first team during training camp, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.

Lopez started 40 of his 75 regular-season appearances in 2025-26, averaging 8.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks across 21.8 minutes per game on the campaign. The 38-year-old will face plenty of competition for minutes throughout the season, as Jackson could take Lopez's spot in the starting five. Additionally, Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) could fight for minutes once he's cleared to return.

Jackson has been working with the first team in training camp and said, "I think I'm going to be in the starting role," Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.

Jackson was traded from Indiana to Los Angeles last February and averaged 7.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks across 15.8 minutes per game in 17 regular-season appearances off the bench with the Clippers last season. Head coach Ty Lue may still opt to start veteran big man Brook Lopez to begin the regular season, so Jackson will look to impress during the preseason. He'll face competition for minutes from Lopez and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot), who will miss time to begin the year.

Reath (foot) will be available to play in Monday's preseason opener against the Pistons, Kellan Olson of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The big man signed with the Suns in mid-September following the news that Mark Williams (shoulder) would miss several months, and Reath will compete for a spot in Phoenix's rotation during the preseason. Over 32 regular-season appearances for the Trail Blazers in 2025-26, he averaged 2.9 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game.

Sarr (foot) didn't participate in Saturday's scrimmage but is expected to ramp up to full contact in the coming days, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.

Sarr has been limited in training camp thus far while working his way back from surgery he underwent in mid-June to repair a fractured right foot. The big man is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, though it's unclear how active he'll be during the preseason. Over 48 regular-season games 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 contest.

Duren (undisclosed) is not present for the Pistons' open practice Saturday, Eric Vincent of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Duren signed a five-year, $200 million contract with the Pistons on Thursday after an offseason of negotiating. It's unclear exactly why the big man isn't at Saturday's practice, though he can be considered questionable for Detroit's preseason opener against the Suns on Monday.

Bittle (foot) didn't participate in Thursday's scrimmage, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Bittle was spotted in a walking boot in early September and is still on the mend from a right foot injury. He can be considered highly questionable for Saturday's preseason opener against the Heat until the Raptors offer an update on his foot.

Sabonis downplayed offseason trade rumors, per Sam Amico of HoopsWire.com.

Sabonis isn't an unrestricted free agent until the 2028-29 campaign, so the rebuilding Kings may not pull the trigger on a potential deal until the star big man builds his stock back up. He averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game last year, all his lowest marks since 2018-19, before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in February.

Edey (ankle) remains on track for Opening Night, per Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian.

The Grizzlies continue to evaluate Edey throughout training camp, and they believe he's trending in the right direction. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his recovery from elbow and ankle surgeries.

Coach Jamahl Mosley stated during Thursday's media day that he's challenging Missi to contend for Defensive Player of the Year this season, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports.

Mosley notes that he's well aware of how talented Missi is on the defensive end, and he's looking for the third-year center to take yet another step forward as the 2026-27 season approaches. The big man saw his opportunities take a hit during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 19.7 minutes over 66 games after logging 26.8 minutes per game in 73 appearances during his rookie year. Missi is poised to open his third NBA season behind starting center Herbert Jones.

Sharpe intends to pace himself entering the 2026-27 season as he slots into a starting role, Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports.

Sharpe ended the 2025-26 campaign as the team's starting center, but he's entering his first full NBA season with the expectation of tackling a larger workload. The big man acknowledges that while he may need to pace himself over the course of a long season, he has no intention of letting his foot off the gas. "I feel like I played against starters last year as well. Sometimes, when I would come in the game, they would put the more physical guy in the game to deal with me. So just do my thing, just keep playing hard," said Sharpe. "And even if it's double the minutes, learn how to pace myself during the game, learning what opportunities to take [to avoid] getting in foul trouble, saving myself for later on in the game. But I'm just going to play hard until the wheels fall off. That's all I can do."