NBA Player News

Queta has looked much improved on the offensive end to open camp, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

Coach Joe Mazzulla has been impressed by the strides that the big man has taken over the summer, noting that Queta has looked comfortable on the offensive end. "Just making plays. Whether he's in the seam, catching it in the paint versus a small, or just when he has the ball in his hands, something happening and not just getting rid of it because we want something else to go to," said Mazzulla. "So I think just the comfort level of when he has the ball in his hands, making the right play. That's something that I've seen him work on, something we worked on together in Portugal, and something that he's been confident in." Queta has a major opportunity in front of him, as he's in a battle with Mitchell Robinson for the starting job at center with the 2026-27 season looming.

The Suns exercised the team's third-year option for 2027-28 on Maluach on Thursday.

This was a no-brainer decision after Maluach was selected in the first round last year. Maluach could be primed to take on a significantly larger role in Phoenix's frontcourt, which has a major void due to Mark Williams' offseason shoulder injury.

Fall was diagnosed with a left hip strain Thursday and will miss at least two weeks, Kyle Neubeck of AllPHLY.com reports.

This is a tough blow for Fall, as he's already facing an uphill battle to make the final roster. A return Oct. 16 isn't out of the question based on this timetable.

Hartenstein dropped nearly 10 pounds ahead of the 2026-27 season, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.

Hartenstein has been a full go for several weeks after tweaking his ankle for Germany during the offseason. He's expected to play a similar role in 2026-27 and is fresh off a three-year, $75 million extension.

Davis is healthy and participating in training camp after dealing with injury issues during the 2025-26 campaign, according to Wizards reporter Greg Finberg.

Davis was spotted going through on-court work alongside Trae Young during Wednesday's practice, providing further confirmation that he's healthy entering his first full season with Washington. The veteran big man should have the opportunity to ramp up throughout camp and the preseason without injury-related limitations.

Towns could see his playmaking responsibilities expand this season as New York looks to build on an adjustment that proved effective during last year's playoffs, Jared Schwartz of the New York Post reports.

Head coach Mike Brown indicated that the Knicks intend to feature Towns at the elbow more frequently, allowing the big man to facilitate with the ball in his hands. The approach could give Towns more opportunities to create for teammates while opening additional actions for OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges away from the ball.

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.