NBA Player News

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.

Head coach Ime Udoka said Friday that he does not see Adams (ankle) playing in both halves of back-to-back sets to start the 2026-27 season, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.

The veteran center underwent left ankle surgery in late January and is currently without a clear timetable for a return to the court. Udoka also noted that Adams' minutes limit will be determined by how he progresses in training camp. If the 33-year-old begins the season on the inactive list, Clint Capela would likely see a bump in minutes.

Aldama (undisclosed) was limited during Saturday's practice, Noah Weber of TheSmokingCuban.com reported.

Head coach Dusty May didn't elaborate, only stating Aldama is dealing with a "nagging injury." The 2021 No. 30 overall pick had spent his entire career in Memphis before being traded to Dallas in July of 2026. In 278 regular-season games, including 82 starts, he averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 23.4 minutes per contest. His shooting acumen will allow the Mavericks to stretch the floor, and his versatility enables him to man multiple positions while playing various roles. Aldama underwent knee surgery in March, and while it's unknown if that's still a concern, fantasy managers should continue monitoring his health throughout training camp.

The Clippers waived Sharp on Friday, Jake Fischer of BleacherReport.com reports.

Sharp was on a two-way contract with the Clippers for a little over a month. He's coming off an impressive 2025-26 campaign with the Texas Legends in the G League, averaging an impressive 3.9 blocks per game.

Kessler (shoulder) is fully healthy and has been cleared for the start of the season, according to Lakers president Rob Pelinka, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.

Kessler underwent shoulder surgery back in November, but Pelinka said the big man is looking forward to playing in a lot of games this year. The 25-year-old appears on track to enter training camp without restrictions and should have a prominent role in Los Angeles' frontcourt with Luka Doncic setting him up with easy looks.

Mavericks president Masai Ujiri said Friday that Lively (foot) is "making good progress" in his recovery, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Ujiri noted that Lively has progressed to shooting and is working toward running on the court, though Dallas intends to remain patient with the 22-year-old. Lively underwent right foot surgery in December after appearing in just seven regular-season games in 2025-26, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per game. He has yet to be cleared for training camp, and his status for the beginning of the regular season remains uncertain.

Duren and the Pistons remain in a standoff over contract negotiations, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

The gap in negotiations between the two sides has been well-documented this offseason. With the preseason looming, the two parties are running out of time to reach a compromise at this point. As it stands, Duren is a restricted free agent but would be primed for a big role at center if he accepts the qualifying offer or lands an extension and stays with a Pistons team that shipped out Isaiah Stewart over the summer.

The Knicks want Towns to take a pay cut on a potential contract extension, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.

Towns is under team control for 2026-27 before having a player option for 2027-28. Jalen Brunson is eligible for an extension next year, so Towns may have to settle for a discount in order for New York to maintain its championship core in the future. The star big man appears to be a pretty safe second-round pick in fantasy drafts this year, having averaged at least 20 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and nearly one steal while shooting at least 50 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the charity stripe in back-to-back seasons for the Knicks.