NBA Player News

Once again starting for the injured Zion Williamson (hamstring), Murphy was excellent on both ends of the floor in Game 1. The third-year wing made some timely baskets as the Pelicans mounted a rally that fell two points short while racking up four “stocks.” Offseason knee surgery derailed Murphy’s progress early in the season, but he has played solid basketball recently, outside of the Pelicans’ regular-season finale against the Lakers. With Oklahoma City devoting much of their defensive attention to CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram, Murphy and Herb Jones won’t lack opportunities to score. Jones struggled in Game 1, shooting 2-of-10 from the field and finishing with eight points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in 33 minutes.

Davis was listed as probable Wednesday against the Kings, but ultimately played 35 minutes and had 27 points in the win. The 32-year-old is once again listed as probable with the adductor injury that sidelined him earlier this season. Davis figures to be available as the Mavericks battle the Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference on Friday.

Morant told reporters after Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors that he expects to play Friday. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old point guard missed practice Thursday and is officially listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain. While it’s hard to envision Morant sitting out a game of importance like Friday’s, his ankle is clearly bothering him. If Morant is out, Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard will be in line for extra minutes with Kennard potentially moving into the starting lineup.

Even in the postseason, the Hawks continue to list Young as probable with an Achilles injury. The listing is performative, stemming from Young being held out of an NBA Cup game earlier this season despite not appearing on the injury report, which resulted in a $100K fine for the Hawks. With the Hawks’ season on the line Friday, expect Young to be cleared to play once again.

No big surprises on the Heat injury report heading into Friday’s game. While Larsson and Jovic are questionable, Duncan Robinson (back), Alec Burks (back) and Haywood Highsmith (Achilles) are all available. Larsson was questionable, but ultimately available against the Bulls Wednesday, though he didn’t play due to coach’s decision. Jovic was out Wednesday as he hasn’t played since February with a broken right hand.

Morant finished out Tuesday’s game against the Warriors after injuring his ankle during overtime and said after the game that he will play on Friday. It’s difficult to imagine him not suiting up for a win-or-go-home game, but the ankle is clearly bothering him quite a bit, which could impact his performance on the court. If something changes, Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard will take on extra minutes, with Kennard potentially replacing Morant in the starting unit.

Perry will make his return to Sacramento to take over for Monte McNair, who parted ways with the Kings shortly after their play-in loss to the Mavericks. Perry was hired to be the team’s vice president of basketball operations in 2017 but was hired to become the general manager of the Knicks just months later. Perry remained in that role until after the 2022-23 season. Sacramento moved quickly to find a new general manager, and Perry will now have quite a few decisions to make. Will he remove the interim tag from Doug Christie and make him the full-time head coach? Perry may not have a first-round pick in his first draft; whether the Kings retain their pick will depend on how the final two play-in games play out and then the draft lottery in May.

Charania also reported that this is an incredibly quick recovery for Lillard that was made possible by early treatment. It is an excellent development for both Dame and the Bucks. He has been ruled out for Game 1 against the Pacers on Saturday, and they will give him time to ramp up before he returns to the lineup. It’s unclear what that timeline looks like, but Lillard is certainly on pace to return sooner rather than later. Ryan Rollins should continue to start in place of Dame until he returns.

Ball said he is excited for his “first normal offseason in awhile.” He has been plagued by numerous injuries but was able to play 35 games during the 2024-25 season after not playing at all during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Ball was sidelined for all of March and April, but since he won’t require any procedure during the offseason, he should be ready to go for training camp.

Giddey said his plan is simply to rest it. Prior to Wednesday’s play-in loss, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Giddey had a torn muscle in his right hand. He played through it and delivered 25 points and 10 rebounds in Chicago’s final game of the season. The injury shouldn’t be a factor in Giddey’s quest for a new contract this summer as he enters restricted free agency. There is a good chance that he remains with the Bulls. That would be great news for his fantasy value as he is coming off the best season of his career.

Less than an hour after the Kings’ season ended with a play-in tournament loss to the Mavericks, the team’s lead executive is reportedly on his way out. Named the general manager in September 2020, McNair oversaw a turnaround culminating in the franchise’s first playoff appearance in 17 seasons in 2023. However, the Kings missed the playoffs in the two seasons that followed, and head coach Mike Brown was fired in late December. Sacramento also traded De’Aaron Fox in February, leaving the rotation without a proven point guard. The next lead executive will need to figure out how to build a roster with $114 million in salary going to the trio of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis. They must also address the head coaching situation, as Doug Christie was named interim coach after Brown’s firing.