Deandre Ayton To Have "More Expanded" Role In Portland

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton looks set to have a bigger role on his new team, according to head coach Chauncey Billups. "We are not bringing Deandre here for him to be (Joel) Embiid, where we throw him the ball 30 times a game and say 'All right, go be the MVP,'" Billups said. […]

Malcolm Brogdon Open To Staying In Portland

Portland Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon could still have a future with the team despite multiple reports suggesting he might be moved on quickly following his arrival from Boston. "They want me here, I want to be here," Brogdon said. "There's a lot of misleading information out there about they need to trade me or […]

Matisse Thybulle And Shaedon Sharpe Battling For Starter's Role

The Portland Trail Blazers have a starter's spot open at the small forward position and there are two candidates for the job. Matisse Thybulle and Shaedon Sharpe are battling out for the role, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Fentress sees Thybulle as the "likely leader" in the race. Thybulle was a starter in […]

Khris Middleton Uncertain For Season Opener

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (knee) hasn't practiced with the team in training camp and could be in doubt for the season opener. Middleton was quoted during Monday's media day as saying he "feels great" and doesn't have the pain he had last year, but head coach Adrian Griffin has been very vague in his […]

Robby Fabbri Back For Red Wings Wednesday

Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri (upper body) is expected to be back in the lineup for Wednesday's preseason clash versus Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old was injured early in the game against Washington on Saturday. Fabbri hopes to make a positive impression in preseason after being unavailable for most of 2022-23. He took the ice just […]

Jake Bean Expected To Be In Action Wednesday

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Bean (groin) is set to make his preseason debut on Wednesday versus Buffalo. The 25-year-old has so far been unavailable due to an abductor strain. Bean has seen some success with the Blue Jackets, but a shoulder issue limited him to only 14 appearances last season. He contributed a goal […]

Carter Verhaeghe Makes Preseason Debut

Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (muscle tightness) was finally able to make his 2023 preseason debut in Tuesday's 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay. Verhaeghe has been bothered by muscle tightness in training camp for a second year in a row, but it looks like he's fine now and fully ready for Florida's season opener, which […]

Pierre-Olivier Joseph Considered Day-To-Day After Missing Practice

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph couldn't practice on Tuesday due to a lower-body injury, and he is considered day-to-day. Joseph became a big part of the Penguins blue line last season, finishing his first full NHL campaign with 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) and 88 hits in 75 games. The 24-year-old could be even […]

Jake Guentzel Logs Full Practice With Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Jake Guentzel (ankle) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice. Guentzel had ankle surgery at the beginning of August and was set to miss the first five games of the regular season, but it looks now like he could be available for opening night. The two-time All-Star himself, however, isn't yet […]

Derek Stepan Retires From NHL

Forward Derek Stepan has announced his retirement from the NHL after playing 13 seasons in the league. The American center made his debut with the New York Rangers in 2010-11 and also skated with the Arizona Coyotes, Ottawa Senators, and Carolina Hurricanes, playing in a total of 890 regular-season contests and 120 playoff games. Stepan […]

Gregg Popovich Praises Jeremy Sochan's Versatility

San Antonio Spurs power forward Jeremy Sochan had a productive rookie campaign in the NBA last season, and his role on the team should only continue to grow, with head coach Gregg Popovich valuing him and his versatility very highly. "He can play one through four," Popovich said. "And depending on circumstances — who we're […]

Frank Ntilikina Seen As Good Fit By Hornets

Charlotte Hornets guard Frank Ntilikina has started work in training camp on a non-guaranteed one-year contract, but he appears to have a very good chance of making the team, as head coach Steve Clifford rated him highly. "He's an elite defender," Clifford said of Ntilikina Tuesday. "He has an elite skill. Frank fits our team […]

Otto Porter Jr. Healthy For New Campaign

Toronto Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. has started work at training camp with no health issues. The 30-year-old had a nightmare regarding injuries in 2022-23, playing in only eight games. Porter Jr. signed a two-year deal as a free agent with the Raptors last summer, but it's almost like the 2023-24 campaign will be his […]

Jae'Sean Tate A Full Participant At Training Camp

Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate has put his injury issues behind him and was a full participant in practice as training camp opened on Tuesday. Kelly Iko of The Athletic even noted that Tate looked "very sharp" during a scrimmage on Day 1 and "imposed his will" at both ends of the floor. Tate sat […]

Reggie Bullock Set To Sign With Rockets

Forward Reggie Bullock is expected to sign with the Houston Rockets after being waived by the San Antonio Spurs over the weekend. Bullock was moved to San Antonio by the Mavericks in July in a three-team deal that involved Dallas picking up Grant Williams. With the Spurs more focused on a youth movement, the 32-year-old […]

T.J. McConnell Limited In Practice

Indiana Pacers point guard T.J. McConnell (ankle) was limited in practice as training camp started on Tuesday. According to head coach Rick Carlisle, the talented ball mover injured his ankle during a workout last week. The injury doesn't sound too serious and doesn't appear to threaten his availability for opening day. McConnell is set to […]

Cole Perfetti Returns To Action With An Assist

Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti returned to the lineup in Monday's preseason contest against Calgary and logged an assist in a 5-4 loss. The young forward took a nasty hit to the head last week in a matchup versus Calgary, but he was luckily able to recover quickly. Perfetti is slated to center the second […]

Jakub Vrana Enjoying Good Preseason With Blues

St. Louis Blues left wing Jakub Vrana is trying to resurrect his career on a new team and has looked promising. After finishing 2022-23 in St. Louis, posting 14 points (10 goals, four assists) in 20 games, Vrana has tallied points in all of his three preseason outings ahead of the new campaign. He was […]

Torey Krug Logs Over 24 Minutes In Preseason Debut

St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug made his first preseason appearance Monday against Columbus and showed he's fully healed from a right foot injury suffered in training camp by logging a game-high 24:29 of ice time. His performance overall could've been better, though, as Krug finished a 5-3 loss with a minus-three rating. The 32-year-old […]

Jesper Bratt Totals Four Points Versus Islanders

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt was at his very best in Monday's preseason game against the Islanders, scoring a hat trick and adding an assist for a big four-point effort in a 6-5 win. The Swedish forward started the damage with a power-play goal early in the second period and collected three more points […]

Joonas Korpisalo Shuts Out Penguins With 40 Saves

Ottawa Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo had an impressive outing in Monday's preseason clash versus Pittsburgh. A Penguins team that featured Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin failed to get anything past Korpisalo, and the Finnish netminder celebrated a 40-save shutout in a 3-0 win. Korpisalo has spent the last few campaigns playing behind a very leaky […]

Pavel Francouz Ruled Out For Start Of Season

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz (groin) has been officially ruled out for the start of the season. The Czech netminder underwent adductor surgery in the offseason and still needs time to heal. Francouz had a solid year behind Alexandar Georgiev last season, finishing 8-7-1 in 16 appearances and having a 2.61 goals-against average with a […]

Anthony Davis Aims To Play In All 82 Regular-Season Games

Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis has an ambitious plan for the 2023-24 NBA season, saying he wants to play in all 82 regular-season games. The injury-prone big man was limited to only 56 appearances a season ago and hasn't managed more than 75 outings across an entire campaign during his 11-year career. However, Davis' […]

Pelicans Hope To Have Larry Nance Jr. Ready For Season Opener

New Orleans Pelicans forward/center Larry Nance Jr. (ankle) is in doubt for the team's season opener, but general manager Trajan Langdon hopes to have him available. Last week, the Pelicans announced Nance had received a biological injection to stimulate the healing process in his left ankle, and he is expected to return to basketball activities […]

Zion Williamson Worked On Being "Unguardable" In Offseason

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson declared on media day that he worked on being "unguardable" in the offseason. The 23-year-old is looking to return to court with a bang after last playing on Jan. 2 and logging just 29 outings in 2022-23. Williamson can be a one-man wrecking crew on the court, but he's […]

Kenrich Williams Fully Healthy Ahead Of New Season

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (wrist) is reportedly fully healthy ahead of the 2023-24 NBA campaign. His season was cut short by a left-wrist injury last term. Williams ended up having multiple procedures to fix the issue, but it was all planned, and he made a full recovery over the summer. Before getting shut […]

Cameron Johnson Misses Start Of Training Camp

Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson will miss the start of training camp due to a hamstring injury. The team announced Johnson suffered a mild left hamstring strain during an on-court workout last week. The injury is a bit of a blow for the 27-year-old, who has started preparing for his first full season in Brooklyn, […]

Christian Koloko Ruled Out Indefinitely

Toronto Raptors center Christian Koloko won't be at the team's training camp and has been ruled out indefinitely with respiratory issues. This is quite worrisome news, as Koloko already missed the Summer League with the same problem. The Cameroon-born seven-footer debuted in the NBA last season, posting 3.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.8 minutes. […]

Damion Lee Out Indefinitely With Knee Injury

Phoenix Suns guard/forward Damion Lee has suffered a right knee meniscus injury and will be out "until further notice," the team has announced. According to the Suns, the injury occurred during an on-court workout at the team's practice facility last week. Lee was one of the first guys off the bench last season and averaged […]

Kai Jones To Miss Training Camp For Personal Reasons

Charlotte Hornets forward/center Kai Jones will sit out training camp for personal reasons, the team announced. The announcement came after Jones had recently made several bizarre social media posts. The 22-year-old was the 19th pick in the 2021 draft and has been a backup big for the team, playing in 67 games and averaging 9.1 […]