NBA Player News

Lawal tallied 13 points (5-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), one rebound and two steals in 15 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason loss to the Rockets.

With the Mavericks frontcourt shorthanded, the rookie saw an expanded role and made the most of it. Lawal is an impressive athlete with the tools to develop into an elite defender, but he remains very raw offensively. The 23-year-old forward finished his senior season at Virginia Tech with averages of 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game on 54/25/76 shooting splits. He'll likely see limited minutes during his rookie season, helping back up the forward spots in Dallas.

Johnson totaled four points (1-3 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 12 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason loss to the Rockets.

With Dereck Lively (foot), Santi Aldama (knee) and P.J. Washington (ankle) all sidelined, Johnson started at center in a small-ball lineup with Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Naji Marshall and Zaccharie Risacher, as Daniel Gafford operated off the bench. The rookie ended up playing only 12 minutes, but his limited action might've been precautionary, as he's been dealing with a minor lower-leg injury during training camp. While not an eye-popping box score, Johnson being thrust into the starting lineup during his first non-Summer League NBA action is encouraging for his short- and long-term fantasy value.

Tate (coach's decision) did not play during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Tate, Marcus Smart and Clint Capela were all sidelined during Friday's preseason opener, but there were no injuries reported. Tate is still expected to make the Opening Night roster, but his role will be limited as a veteran presence on a contending team.

Capela (coach's decision) did not play during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Capela, Marcus Smart and Jae'Sean Tate didn't leave the bench during the preseason opener, but there were no injuries reported. Capela is slated to be the third-string center behind Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams this season.

Smart (coach's decision) did not play during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Smart, Clint Capela and Jae'Sean Tate all took a seat for the preseason opener, but there were no reported injuries. Smart has played nearly 700 career regular-season games and spent multiple years in Boston under now-Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, so the veteran point guard likely doesn't need many preseason minutes to get acquainted with his new squad.

Bogdanovic registered four points (1-4 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four assists and two steals in 16 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Bogdanovic made only 23 regular-season appearances last year and averaged fewer than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career. The sharpshooter should have a reserve role in Houston's backcourt if he can stay healthy, but injuries have derailed the veteran's career in recent seasons.

Thornton recorded 13 points (4-6 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two assists and one block in nine minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Despite playing single-digit minutes, the rookie was one of seven Rockets to score in double figures during their high-scoring preseason opener in China. Thornton will have to string together multiple performances like this if he's going to crack the Opening Night rotation, as he's currently behind Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic on the backcourt depth chart.

Sheppard produced 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-7 3Pt), one rebound, one assist and one steal in 19 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Sheppard has shown flashes of his upside during his first two years in Houston, but he hasn't been able to put everything together, and things aren't going to get easier in terms of playing time. Fred VanVleet is healthy after missing all of last season with an ACL tear. The Rockets also signed Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic this offseason, plus they drafted Bruce Thornton. Sheppard should still have a role, but it's unclear if it'll be enough minutes to be fantasy relevant.

Eason posted 20 points (6-10 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 6-7 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in 24 minutes during Friday's 135-117 preseason win over the Mavericks.

Eason led all scorers with 20 points and finished one rebound shy of Alperen Sengun for the game high in boards. The 2022 No. 17 overall pick signed a five-year extension this offseason after averaging 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks in 23.6 minutes across 221 regular-season appearances. With Houston's frontcourt nearly identical to last season, Eason is expected to serve as the primary backup behind Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith in 2026-27.

Middleton (rest) is trending in the right direction for Saturday's preseason game against Detroit, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Middleton is being eased into action to begin the year. His status remains up in the air for Saturday's exhibition.