NBA News

Cade Cunningham • PG • Pistons

Cade Cunningham Ready to Rock Friday

Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham (hip) will play on Friday night against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, ESPN's Anthony Slater reports. Detroit's leading man was a slight doubt for the game due to a sore right hip, but he has been cleared for action and will start the contest. After some disappointing outings earlier this month, Cunningham has been back to his best in recent games. He has averaged 25.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.0 steals over the last three contests.

11 hours ago

Gui Santos • SF • Warriors

Gui Santos Available Against Pistons

Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos (calf) has been cleared for action and will play on Friday against the Detroit Pistons. The team has upgraded Santos from probable to available ahead of tip-off. Santos is coming off a season-best 16-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. On Friday, he will go up against a much better team and a tighter defense, making it difficult for Santos to replicate his performance.

12 hours ago

Caris LeVert • SF • Pistons

Caris LeVert Remains Sidelined Friday

Detroit Pistons guard/forward Caris LeVert (illness) will miss a sixth consecutive game on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. The veteran is having trouble shaking off an illness and was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report. In LeVert's absence, Daniss Jenkin has held a regular role in the rotation. However, his performances as a reserve have been up and down. LeVert's next chance to return will come on Sunday against his first NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets.

12 hours ago

Craig Porter Jr. • PG • Cavaliers

Craig Porter Jr. Out Against Suns

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (knee) will miss Friday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns. He was a late addition to the injury report due to left knee soreness, and Cleveland has downgraded Porter Jr.'s status from questionable to out. Porter Jr. is a reserve playmaker for the Cavaliers, and his absence shouldn't significantly affect how the team operates. Lonzo Ball is a natural option to fill in for him.

12 hours ago

Jonas Valančiūnas • C • Nuggets

Jonas Valanciunas Active Friday

Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) will be active against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Valanciunas put in a 25-minute shift in Thursday's win over Brooklyn and is ready to play for a second consecutive night after initially being listed as probable. Nikola Jokic's (knee) return will push Valanciunas to the bench, and he will have a tough time making fantasy contributions going forward. As a reserve, Valanciunas has been limited to 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.

12 hours ago

Jamal Murray • PG • Nuggets

Jamal Murray Upgraded to Available Friday

Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (hamstring, hip) will play in Friday's tilt against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has upgraded his status from probable to available. Murray has been hot recently and tallied 27 points with six assists in Thursday's win over Brooklyn. With Nikola Jokic (knee) back in the lineup, Murray's offensive usage will drop, but he will remain a key cog in the Nuggets' offense.

12 hours ago

Nikola Jokić • C • Nuggets

Nikola Jokic Officially Available Friday

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (knee) has been officially listed as available for Friday's contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. The three-time MVP is ready to make his first appearance of 2026 after recovering from a left knee bone bruise. Jokic had a monster game with 55 points and 14 rebounds in his previous meeting with the Clippers. Nuggets head coach Rick Adelman has confirmed that Jokic will have a minutes limit on Friday. Even so, the Serbian superstar doesn't need to see a lot of action to fill the box score.

12 hours ago

Neemias Queta • C • Celtics

Neemias Queta Back in Action Friday

Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (illness) will return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. The Portuguese big man couldn't play on Wednesday against Atlanta due to illness. Amari Williams and Luka Garza shared the center minutes in Queta's absence. With Williams back in the G League, Queta looks set to resume his regular duties as Boston's starting center. The 26-year-old has averaged 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes this season. Queta has a good opportunity to shine on Friday, as Sacramento won't have Domantas Sabonis (knee) in the lineup. Additionally, the Kings give up the second-most fantasy points to centers.

14 hours ago

Miles McBride • PG • Knicks

Miles McBride Misses Friday's Game

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (ankle) will be absent for a second consecutive game on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. This was expected after McBride was downgraded to doubtful on the injury report earlier in the day. McBride's absence will secure expanded roles for Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek, but neither player has provided consistent fantasy value. Still, Kolek impressed with his playmaking on Wednesday against Toronto, delivering 10 assists.

14 hours ago

Josh Hart • SF • Knicks

Josh Hart Active Against Trail Blazers

New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart (ankle) will play against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on Friday night, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. He was initially uncertain for the contest due to ankle soreness, but the team has officially listed him as available. Hart's offensive production tends to be inconsistent, but he's done a solid job overall for the Knicks. Across eight January appearances, Hart has averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. Among these games is an 18-point outing against Portland that occurred three weeks ago.

14 hours ago

Tre Johnson • SG • Wizards

Tre Johnson Out Against Lakers

Washington Wizards guard/forward Tre Johnson (ankle) won't play on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He sprained his left ankle during Thursday's win over Milwaukee and will sit out at least one game due to the injury. On Thursday, Bub Carrington started the second half in Johnson's absence and figures to have a larger role again in Friday's game. Malaki Branham could also be more involved in the rotation, especially with Khris Middleton (knee) also absent against the Lakers.

14 hours ago

Khris Middleton • SF • Wizards

Khris Middleton Sits Out Meeting With Lakers

Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton (knee) won't play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Washington will be in action for a second consecutive night, and it's not surprising that Middleton will be held out of Friday's contest due to his right knee injury. With Middleton out, Will Riley could see an expanded role against the Lakers, though the 19-year-old hasn't been a very productive player during his rookie campaign. Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington may get a chance to step up offensively without Middleton.

15 hours ago

Austin Reaves • SG • Lakers

Austin Reaves Remains Out Friday

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (calf) won't play in Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. Reaves is nearing his return and had a questionable tag on the initial injury report, but he isn't quite ready to play yet. His next chance for a comeback will be on Sunday against the New York Knicks. Reaves' absence from the backcourt allows Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent to play larger roles. While Smart had a disappointing two-point outing on Wednesday against Cleveland, he has played well in January. He's in a great bounce-back spot on Friday against the Wizards, who allow 122.3 points per game.

15 hours ago

Luka Dončić • PG • Lakers

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play Friday

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (ankle) will be available on Friday against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. The NBA's leading scorer tweaked his left ankle in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland and was listed as questionable on the initial injury report. Doncic has notched 33.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game during his first full season in L.A. He could cook up something very special against the league's second-worst defense on Friday.

15 hours ago

Jusuf Nurkić • C • Jazz

Jusuf Nurkic Unavailable Friday Due to Illness

Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic (illness) won't play on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. The Bosnian big man has been battling an illness all week and missed the first leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. Kevin Love (illness) moved into the starting unit on Tuesday night, but he also isn't feeling well and will sit out Friday's game. As a result, the Jazz are set to lean heavily on Kyle Filipowski in the frontcourt, while Taylor Hendricks could rejoin the rotation.

15 hours ago

Michael Porter Jr. • SF • Nets

Michael Porter Jr. Won't Play Friday Night

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (personal) won't take the court on Friday against the Utah Jazz. Porter Jr. had a monster game on Thursday against Denver, scoring 38 points in 37 minutes in a matchup with his former team, but he will sit out Friday's action for personal reasons. Brooklyn will have Egor Demin (foot) and Cam Thomas (hamstring) back in the lineup against Utah, and they will take over some of Porter Jr.'s offensive touches. Meanwhile, Danny Wolf could again hover around 30 minutes.

15 hours ago

Malik Monk • SG • Kings

Malik Monk Returns to Kings Lineup

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk (ankle) is set to end a two-game absence on Friday against the Boston Celtics after the team removed him from the injury report. Monk injured his right ankle last week. Recently, Monk has had a larger role with the Kings, averaging 18.6 points and 3.2 assists in 27.1 minutes across his last five appearances. With Russell Westbrook (foot) out on Friday, the opportunity is there for Monk to make a significant impact.

15 hours ago

Russell Westbrook • PG • Kings

Russell Westbrook Misses Second Consecutive Game

Sacramento Kings point guard Russell Westbrook (foot) will sit out a second consecutive game on Friday versus the Boston Celtics. Westbrook hurt his right foot earlier this week and has landed on the shelf for the first time this season. Dennis Schroder took over starting point-guard duties on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring a season-high 27 points. He could be even more involved in the offense against Boston, with Domantas Sabonis (knee) joining Westbrook on the sidelines. An uptick in usage is also expected for DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

15 hours ago

Domantas Sabonis • C • Kings

Domantas Sabonis Won't Play Friday Night

Sacramento Kings forward/center Domantas Sabonis (knee) will sit out the second leg of a back-to-back on Friday against the Boston Celtics. He is managing a left knee injury, and the team doesn't want to overwork Sabonis, who logged 28 minutes in Thursday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Maxime Raynaud is likely to replace Sabonis in the first unit on Friday, while Dylan Cardwell could also have a larger role. That said, the two rookies likely won't have it easy against a team that gives up the fifth-fewest fantasy points to centers.

15 hours ago

Jalen Green • SG • Suns

Jalen Green Available Friday Against Cavaliers

Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green (hamstring) is not listed on the injury report for Friday's contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He's on track to rejoin the lineup after sitting out three games. Due to a hamstring injury, Green has appeared in only four games this season, so the team will likely keep him on a light workload on Friday night. This means there will still be plenty of minutes available for the likes of Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen, and Jordan Goodwin. At the same time, the trio will continue to benefit from Devin Booker's (ankle) absence.

16 hours ago

NBA News

LEGEND