The Oklahoma City Thunder faced a bit of a tough time from an injury perspective heading into the All-Star break, losing both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to injuries. Gilgeous-Alexander was forced to miss last weekend’s All-Star festivities as he recovers from a calf strain, while Williams recently re-aggravated a hamstring injury he suffered in a game against the Phoenix Suns.

Now, NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints has provided the latest update on both Williams and SGA with young rising guard Ajay Mitchell.

“The Thunder say Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain/left ankle sprain) will be reevaluated in approximately a week,” the former Seagull reported on Twitter. “Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain) will be reevaluated in approximately two weeks.”

The Thunder got off to one of the best starts in NBA history this year, but have slowed down a bit since then and have lost four of their five contests this year to the San Antonio Spurs.

The good news for Oklahoma City is that they recently added some firepower at the trade deadline by acquiring Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers, they won’t have to give up any players from their roster in the process.

McCann’s name is likely to be discussed a lot in the coming matches as the team looks to survive despite injuries to two of its best players.

In any case, the Thunder will next be at home on Friday evening against the Brooklyn Nets, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 pm ET.

MIAMI – The Miami Heat are coming off the All-Star break looking for another shot and a turnaround in the season, the team is going to get some big help in the return of Tyler Herro. As rumors swirled about Herro’s Heat return, he spoke for the first time about his recovery after missing the last 15 games due to a rib injury.

It has been a disappointing season for Herro, as he has missed 45 games due to myriad injuries, coming off an All-Star and career year in 2024-25, playing in only 11 contests. He missed the first 17 games of this season due to offseason ankle surgery, then missed 13 more games due to a toe injury, with the most recent issue being what Miami listed as “Right costochondral; rib injury.”

Herro returned to practice on Thursday and was fully engaged in the session, which undoubtedly opens the door to a return on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks or Saturday vs. the Memphis Grizzlies. Although he wouldn’t commit to a return on Friday, he told ClutchPoints, “I’m feeling really good, just like last year.”

The 26-year-old also talked about how “unique” the injury was, noting how he had three ribs broken, and while he played three games with Torodol shots, which manage the pain, it wasn’t a season-long plan.

“It was unique,” ​​Herro told ClutchPoints. “Once I found out what it was, it was just a matter of resting and letting my body heal. There wasn’t anything I could magically do to heal my ribs; I had three, broken ribs. So my ribs were hurting a lot, just doing normal lifestyle, things I couldn’t do, so there was no way I could play basketball. I played the first three games of Torodol shots, and it was good, but I was like that for the rest. Couldn’t. Season, so it was just a matter of letting this thing cool down.

Tyler Herro speaks after returning to practice (fully) after missing the last 15 games due to a rib injury. Will travel with the team, but not sure whether he will play tomorrow or not.

Talked about recovery, their disappointing season, Norman Powell being an All-Star, etc. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/FX13kYtkCE

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026

The Heat’s Tyler Herro on his injury-filled season

While there were concerns between Herro and the Heat regarding injuries, Starr is hopeful that the final 26 games will end well and healthy, expressing that there is not much discomfort now. It was bad enough that he was having trouble getting out of his bed, as Herro put it, but it has progressed to the point where he can walk “perfectly” in the way necessary to play basketball.

“Yeah, it’s been real, really frustrating,” Herro said on his injury-filled season. “Obviously, as a competitor, somebody who loves playing the game more than anything, that’s what I do. Obviously, this is what I do for a living, but I love the game of basketball, so it’s hard for me to just sit out and not be able to play. It’s never easy for me. So happy to be back here, it’s been a tough year for me… so I’ll just try to stay healthy and play some good basketball the last time I’ve been here.” I will try.” Months.”

It remains to be seen what Herro’s role looks like upon returning, after recovering from a toe injury, he played the first game off the bench to recover from that injury, then came into the starting lineup. Either way, it’s “exciting” to have Herro back with the team, as head coach Erik Spoelstra expressed the same sentiment.

“See how he reacts when we get to Atlanta,” Spoelstra said. “But it was very exciting to have Tyler out here in practice. You know, he’s done everything he’s needed to do over the last few weeks to prepare for this. And it’s exciting to have him back in the mix. We’re all excited about it.”

Erik Spoelstra talks about Tyler Herro’s return to practice and how “exciting” it was to see him socializing with the team.

As Herro said earlier, I’m not committed to him playing tomorrow. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/3f1kwQ37we

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 19 February 2026

At any rate, Miami is 29-27, which puts them in eighth place in the Eastern Conference as they travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

The Orlando Magic will return from All-Star weekend facing new adversity.

With a road matchup against the Sacramento Kings (12-44) scheduled for Thursday at 10:00 PM ET, Orlando (28-25) will move on without star forward Franz Wagner, who has been ruled out indefinitely as he recovers from left ankle sprain-related soreness.

Speaking at Thursday’s practice, Paolo Banchero stressed patience as Wagner works toward a full recovery.

“I mean he’s one of the key members of our team and you know we need him, but at the same time we don’t want him to come back before he’s ready and so it’s unfortunate,” Banchero said.

“You know, he came back in and out twice and then he had to be out again, so I want him to take his time – however long it takes – and get completely healthy because we don’t want him to go out there if he’s not feeling like himself. So, I think the biggest thing is to let him take his time to get healthy.”

Paolo Banchero, Jamahl Mosley highlight Franz Wagner’s value beyond the box score

The 24-year-old Wagner is in his fifth NBA season and remains a central figure in Orlando’s offense. In 28 games, he has averaged 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per contest, while shooting 47.9% from the field and 36.5% from 3-point range in 31.8 minutes per game.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley underlined Wagner’s value beyond the box score, pointing to his work ethic and leadership within the locker room.

“I mean, there aren’t words that can explain what Franz means to this team, his toughness, his resiliency, his desire and desire to get back on the court,” Mosley said.

“Every guy on this team knows his work ethic and his care factor for this group. There aren’t many words that can describe it for this group, but also for him. I talked to him last night and talked about his ability and said he just wants to be on the field and that’s what’s been hardest, but also understanding how capable this group is of achieving the things that we say we want to do, even with him being out for this amount of time.”

Magic’s Moritz Wagner opens up about brother Franz’s emotional battle

Wagner’s absence also holds a personal dimension for teammate and brother Moritz Wagner.

“I mean, first of all, it sucks because he’s my brother and you have a pretty high-level relationship and he’s obviously not happy with it and he’s struggling emotionally and all that stuff,” Moritz said.

“You don’t like to see that happen for a family member. Obviously for us as players, big as well because he has such a big impact on the game but mainly I care more about the guy and I feel really bad for him.”

Moritz said recovery extends beyond physical rehabilitation.

“I think my biggest advice is and what I’ve learned is that it only works out well when you’re emotionally free, peaceful and relaxed,” she said.

“You can’t fight it every day, so having a time frame in which you’re doing your rehabilitation rather than a day-to-day structure is more peaceful for the mind and more efficient for the body to recover, and I think he’s been adapting to that over the last few days and we’ll see in three weeks. But it’s so nice to have that time to rest.” [the] Let the mind and body do their work and be ready when you are ready.

As Orlando begins the final stretch of the regular season, the organization has made clear that its priority is to ensure Wagner returns to full strength rather than sending him back before he is ready.

Stephen Curry has not played since Jan. 30, when the Golden State Warriors lost to the Detroit Pistons 131-124. Not only was Steph dealing with knee issues midway through the season, but he was not looking good after an awkward layup attempt in the third quarter of this game. Curry left the game not feeling like himself and was later ruled out due to right knee pain.

Since this moment, the Warriors have gone 2-3 without their leader and were expected to be ready to go after his lengthy absence at the All-Star break. However, head coach Steve Kerr revealed on Wednesday evening that Steph will not play against the Boston Celtics on Thursday after the break, and it is possible that he may receive a second MRI to determine the exact nature of his knee pain.

“Steph didn’t practice today,” Kerr told reporters in San Francisco, via ClutchPoints’ Kenzo Fukuda. “He will be re-evaluated by our training staff tonight, but he was not where he needed to be for testing. It’s unfortunate, but we will have an update tomorrow after he spends his time with the training staff.”

Curry has been trying to get back on the field for the Warriors behind the scenes and during the All-Star break, yet the pain in his knee is still there, and he doesn’t feel he is ready to go through a full workout.

Warriors continue to downplay Stephen Curry’s knee injury

Over the past three weeks, Curry has been suffering from right patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as runner’s knee, on the Warriors’ injury report, which typically takes several days of rest and time off to heal. Initially, the team was labeling Curry day-to-day due to his knee injury.

Friday will mark exactly three weeks since the injury.

Despite Kerr’s concerning announcement on Wednesday and Curry not attending Thursday’s game against the Celtics, the Warriors have continued to downplay Steph’s knee illness. Team sources told ClutchPoints that the organization does not see it as a major concern in the final stages of the regular season, and described the situation as being handled with utmost caution by the franchise.

Since the Warriors are already without Jimmy Butler for the remainder of the year and not where they were expected to be in the standings as a result, there is no margin for error. That’s why Golden State is taking an abundance of caution with Curry and will continue to wait for him to be 100 percent before returning to the court.

Still, the health of Curry’s knee for the remainder of the season is not a concern for the Warriors at this time, with sources saying he would play if the playoffs started today.

As the Warriors prepare for the end of the regular season, they find themselves 29-26 overall, three full games behind the Phoenix Suns for the 7-seed in the West standings. Although the Dubs are battling injury problems and hovering around .500 on the year, the organization is still optimistic about their chances of competing for a 6-seed or better in the Western Conference.

With six games remaining against those currently ranked in the top four of the West standings, there are plenty of opportunities for Golden State to prove themselves as competitive threats this season. Butler may be out for the year with his ACL injury, but the Warriors will get their first look at Kristaps Porzingis when he makes his debut against Boston on Thursday.

As for Curry, his knee will continue to receive treatment and he hopes to return soon. At this time, there is no clear timetable for when he will actually return, simply because it is a pain-tolerant injury based on the overall strength of his knee.

The Warriors understand that their playoff hopes are completely dependent on Curry’s overall health, which is why he will not be rushed back into action.

In 39 games this season, Curry is averaging 27.2 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from 3-point range. He once again leads the league in both 3-pointers attempted (4.5) and 3-pointers attempted (11.5) per game.

Thursday night will be Curry’s 17th absence of the season, meaning he will officially be ineligible for season-ending honors and awards if he misses another game.

If the semifinals were half as good as the quarterfinals, we’re in for some exciting hockey. Yesterday, several New Jersey Devils were eliminated after Switzerland and Sweden were sent home via elimination. There are only two devils left.

In the link, how Quinn Hughes led Team USA to the semifinals, Alexis Lafreniere talks about the brutal reality of the Blueshirts and Sidney Crosby’s injury.

Let’s do that hockey.

Devil’s Trade Rumors and News

Yesterday was a special day of Olympic hockey action in Milan. Jack Hughes and Simon Nemec are the final Devils in the tournament after Slovakia eliminated Germany and the United States eliminated Sweden. Tomorrow in the semi-finals, Canada will face Finland and America will face Czechia.

Jack recorded a big assist on Dylan Larkin’s goal against Sweden. He has increased his total points to four (1G, 3A) from four matches in the tournament. Nemec did not contribute to the scoresheet, but Slovakia defeated Germany 6–2. Here are all the scores from yesterday:

📺 Devils Rink Report: Okay so at forward, Jack Hughes has been the Devils’ best forward. But on the blueline, it’s all about Simon Nemec. I explained why on the Devil’s Rink Report.

Full episode here. Subscribe 👇🏼

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NHL Trade Talk, News and National Hockey Now

The Athletic ($): In last year’s 4-Nation Face-Off, Team USA didn’t have Quinn Hughes for the big moment. When they needed him most, he scored the OT winner against Sweden to advance to the semi-finals.

NY Post ($): The New York Rangers have completed preparations for the 2025-26 season. Alexis Lafreniere tells the NY Post about the brutal reality ahead for the Blueshirts.

Forever Blueshirts: Speaking of Rangers, Mika Zibanejad is one of those Blueshirts who was at Milan. His loan goal against the red, white and blue yesterday was not enough to keep Sweden in the tournament.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Of all the great things that happened amid several excellent hockey games yesterday, one big one didn’t stand out. Pittsburgh Penguins and Team Canada captain, Sidney Crosby, missed yesterday’s game against Czechia with a lower body injury and did not return.

Vegas Hockey Now: If you think Team USA is cutting it close, Canada is probably cutting it even closer. They trailed Czechia for most of yesterday’s game. Still, they made their way to overtime, and it was Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner who called the game.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night to tip off post-All-Star break play at Rocket Arena. Evan Mobley is not listed on the injury report, meaning he will play his first game since January 26. Dean Wade will also be in action for the first time since February 4. The Nets will be without Nick Claxton for the second consecutive game.

Here’s everything we know about Evan Mobley’s state of play vs. the Nets.

*Watch NBA games live with fuboTV. Get access Save $30)

Evan Mobley’s injury status vs. Nets

When it comes to the question of whether Evan Mobley is playing against the Nets tonight, the answer is yes.

Mobley has been ruled out of Cleveland’s last seven games after experiencing left calf soreness for the second time this season. Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson shared that he and Dean Wade were looking forward to playing after fully participating in Wednesday’s practice.

In his last contest, Mobley scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in a win over the Orlando Magic. Wade has been one of Cleveland’s top perimeter defenders as always, so we’ll see how he looks as he returns from his left ankle sprain. He will be a key component with Naquan Tomlin out due to a left calf strain.

The Nets will miss Claxton for the second straight game. Josh Minot, who was recently acquired before the trade deadline, is on G League assignment with Long Island. He will be joined by rookie Ben Saraf of Brooklyn, as well as the team’s three two-way players.

Cavs injury report

Naquan Tomlin: Out (pain in left calf)

Max Strus: Out (left leg surgery)

Tristan Enaruna: Out (Two-Way G League Assignment)

Emmanuel Miller: Out (Two-Way G League Assignment)

Riley Minix: Out (Two-Way G League Assignment)

net injury report

Nick Claxton: Out (sprained right ankle)

Ben Nerve: Out (G League assignment)

Josh Minott: Out (G League assignment)

EJ Liddell: Out (Two-Way G League Assignment)

Tyson Etienne: Out (Two-Way G League Assignment)

Cheney Johnson: Out (Two-Way G League Assignment)

The Memphis Grizzlies are now betting solely on the 2025-26 season, if recent injury developments following the trade deadline are any indication. Ja Morant’s status is already up in the air amid a battle with a UCL sprain, and now, his backcourt partner, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, will undergo surgery to address a “misalignment of his right little finger,” according to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel.

The Grizzlies are currently ranked 11th in the West, which theoretically keeps them in the running for a play-in tournament spot. But it seems he has no interest in competing for a postseason spot, especially after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz before the deadline.

This at least gives the Grizzlies’ remaining veterans time and space to recover from any setbacks, which is exactly what Caldwell-Pope is doing. Teams are trying to compete for better lottery odds, which means they will prioritize youth moving forward.

Caldwell-Pope was acquired by the Grizzlies in the Desmond Bane trade last offseason. He has played in 51 of the Grizzlies’ 53 games so far this season, averaging 8.4 points per game on 41/32/91 shooting splits.

Grizzlies lean on youth amid Kentavious Caldwell-Pope injury

Caldwell-Pope, on paper, could have been a solid stopgap addition for the Grizzlies as they tried to remain semi-competitive after the Bane trade. But Morant’s injuries and poor performance, along with injuries to key players like Ty Jerome, Scottie Pippen Jr. and Zach Eddy, spelled disaster from every direction for the Grizzlies, denying Memphis much of a chance.

Nevertheless, Caldwell-Pope is guaranteed to remain in Memphis for next season. He has a $21.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and that’s the kind of money he won’t turn down in any universe.

The Memphis Grizzlies’ season has been derailed. They entered the NBA All-Star break 20–33 and finished 5.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies have been derailed in part by injuries, in particular, an injury to star point guard Ja Morant.

Morant has played in only 20 of 53 games this season. They played their last game on January 21 against the Atlanta Hawks in a 124–122 loss. The former All-Star guard is dealing with a UCL injury in his elbow.

On Wednesday, it was reported that Morant was still dealing with discomfort Will be reevaluated in two weeksAccording to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

This season has been full of injuries for Morant. Earlier, he had not been able to play for more than a month due to a calf strain.

All the injuries to the former second overall pick are only half of the story. He has been in controversy for many years due to his off-court antics. That combination appears to have crushed any trade value Morant provided for the Grizzlies.

Despite several trade rumors surfacing, the NBA trade deadline came and went while Morant still remained in Memphis.

Injuries are nothing new for the Murray State product. During his seven-year professional career, the Grizzlies guard has dealt with ankle sprains, knee sprains, back spasms, hip dislocations and labral tears in his shoulder. All this was ahead of the 2025-26 season.

He is not the only Grizzlies player to be out due to injury.

Additionally, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will undergo minor surgery to repair an impingement on his right little finger.

The Miami Heat are coming out of the All-Star break with practice on Thursday afternoon, hopefully bringing back a familiar face who could turn the season around. As the Heat are in the midst of an inconsistent season, it has also been a year that has been filled with questions about what the team’s ceiling really is, with a plethora of injuries, most notably to star Tyler Herro.

Herro had missed the last 15 games in Miami with a condition listed as “right costochondral; ribs bruised”, as more details regarding the injury emerged via the Miami Herald. Herro, who suffered an injury during the team’s loss to the Indiana Pacers on January 10, played the next three games with Toradol shots, but an MRI revealed the severity of the injury.

Fast forward to the present, Herro’s return to gaming appears to be imminent, or in the words of Anthony Chiang, “in the coming days.”

“According to a league source, Herro is recovering from three broken ribs following a buckle rib fracture,” Chiang wrote.

Chiang added, “But Herro will make his return soon, as he is expected to participate in Thursday’s practice and, barring a setback, return to game action in the coming days.”

Heat’s Tyler Herro has “determination” to get through challenging season

While the timeline surrounding the Heat guard was unclear for some time, there is no doubt that it has been a disappointing season for Herro, who has missed a total of 45 of 56 games this season, in addition to missing the last 15 games. He was absent from the first 17 games of the season due to offseason ankle surgery, as he then missed 13 contests due to a toe injury, and then rib injuries.

It’s been challenging for Herro, but he has the “determination” to get everything done, as head coach Erik Spoelstra reiterated to ClutchPoints on Jan. 31.

“One thing I know about Tyler after spending so many years with him is that he’s determined. He’s got grit. He fights and focuses on the things he can control… I’ve always admired that quality of his,” Spoelstra said.

No update on Herro, but I would ask Erik Spoelstra about his disappointment in missing nearly 40 games due to myriad injuries.

“One thing I know about Tyler… is that he has determination… Right now, he’s getting healthy and they’ll get to work…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/8egipXHHzI

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 31 January 2026

If one thing is for sure, Miami can use Herro’s offense to finish with the team 29-27, which would move them into eighth place in the East. Herro could return for the Heat on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks or on Saturday when the team hosts the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Los Angeles Clippers are anxiously awaiting the debut of point guard Darius Garland, who the team acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for James Harden. It was a shocking trade deadline move for the Clippers, who were playing some of the best basketball in the NBA before the trade.

Garland is currently out of the lineup due to injury, and recently, The Athletic’s Law Murray gave the latest update on his potential return status.

“I’ve been told that LA Clippers point guard Darius Garland is practicing on a limited basis to manage his surgically repaired left toe. Garland will not play tomorrow vs. the Nuggets or Friday in Los Angeles. Status for Sunday vs. Magic to be determined,” Murray, formerly of the X, told Twitter.

Murray then clarified that Garland “is week-to-week. Expected to play this season, but will likely debut in March. The Clippers want Garland to be fully recovered from the toe injury when he returns to play.”

Injuries have been a major problem for Garland over the last few seasons with the Cavaliers, which many have attributed to the team not having fully hit its stride yet.

However, when he is on the floor, the 26-year-old is one of the better scoring point guards in the NBA, capable of creating his own offense and facilitating for others, having made two All-Star teams so far in his career.

The combination of Garland with the treasure trove of assets the Clippers got back from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Ivica Zubac will give Los Angeles a solid set of building blocks moving forward, no matter what the future holds for Kawhi Leonard, who is currently playing some of the best basketball of his career.

The Clippers next play against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday evening.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner will be sidelined indefinitely coming out of the NBA All-Star break after needing additional time and pain to recover from a left ankle sprain, as first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The team released a statement on Wednesday, saying Wagner was experiencing soreness in his left ankle and would need additional time to heal after the All-Star break. Wagner will be reevaluated in about three weeks.

The injury first occurred on December 7 against the New York Knicks, and Wagner missed 16 consecutive games. Although he returned to play in his hometown of Berlin on January 15 and again overseas in London, England on January 18, Wagner missed nine consecutive games to deal with his ankle injury.

In his lengthy absence, Anthony Black has emerged as a key weapon in Orlando alongside Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bain.

Wagner, who missed 25 of the Magic’s last 29 games due to an ankle injury, has played in only 28 games this season due to various injuries. This directly resulted in Orlando having a mediocre 28–25 record at the All-Star break.

Since the start of the 2024–25 season, Wagner and Banchero have played just 58 games together. When both players are on the court, the Magic are 29-29 overall.

Wagner isn’t the only player to miss significant time this season for the Magic, as Jalen Suggs has missed a total of 20 games so far on the season due to various injuries. Most recently, Suggs suffered a Grade 1 right MCL injury in the knee, and he missed eight consecutive games.

The good news for Orlando is that Suggs has played in each of the Magic’s last seven games before the All-Star break. Additionally, the Magic are still not fully developed this season and Wagner, Banchero, Suggs and Benn are on the court with each other for consecutive games.

In his 28 games this season, Wagner is averaging 21.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor.

SAN FRANCISCO — With hopes rising that the Golden State Warriors could get to the trade deadline for Kristaps Porzingis’ return after extended time off following the All-Star break, Steve Kerr provided an encouraging injury update for the big man.

“Kristaps has been here for the last few days and practiced with the team today,” Kerr said. This is an improvement from the previous update in which he was working 5-on-5 in the halfcourt.

“Feels good. He feels good. We won’t make any decisions until tomorrow when we practice tomorrow afternoon. We’ll get up and down the floor and scrimmage, which we didn’t do today.”

As for Stephen Curry, who has missed the last five games due to patellofemoral pain syndrome in his knee, Kerr didn’t have much of an update on the star point guard after the team gave him and the Giants an extra day off.

The Warriors essentially took him out of the last two games before the break and the All-Star break to give him as much time as possible to get his runner’s knee under control. The idea is to keep him and Porzingis as healthy as possible for the 27-game sprint that awaits them as the eighth seed and out of the play-in tournament.

They have succeeded in the first part of the plan. Porzingis spent the break rehabbing with the team, while Curry stayed off his feet — except for one crazy trick shot over All-Star weekend in LA. Now comes an evaluation of his progress, as they look to bring him back for a home-run.

“That’s the hope,” Kerr admitted. “But again, we’ll have to—we haven’t seen Steph yet, and Kristaps needs to participate in a scrimmage first. We’ll just see how it goes tomorrow.”

What the Warriors envision for Kristaps Porzingis

As many have pointed out in the wake of the Porzingis acquisition, his size, defense and shooting fit the kind of player the Warriors have been looking for for years. Obviously, that vision requires Porzingis’ rollercoaster medical history to remain stable, but that doesn’t dampen Kerr or the Warriors’ excitement about what he can do for them.

Kerr has said that he would not have traded Porzingis if he had not been confident in his health. And while much of that confidence lies in the highly praised Rick Celebrini and his top medical staff, the Warriors feel confident on the outside with what Porzingis brings to the table.

“He’s fit in easily,” Kerr told reporters Wednesday evening after his first practice since the break. “You don’t have to change a lot. You know, the biggest difference, I think, is his post-up delivery. He’s a very good post-up player, especially against switches. You throw him the ball at the foul line, elbows, even low blocks.”

With Porzingis out, the Warriors are looking for a Band-Aid for a Jimmy Butler-sized hole in their offense. Kerr noted that the spacing created by Porzingis will be different than that offered by Butler, but he is excited for his ability to play within his trademark split-action.

“I’m actually more excited about his splits than having someone else have the ball,” Kerr said. “When we throw him the ball in the post, we ask him to score a lot, but he’s such a dynamic player that you can also run pin downs for him. He can shoot it on the move. He doesn’t just pick and pop … so he should fit in pretty seamlessly with everything we do.”

The Dallas Mavericks are currently undergoing a significant transition, especially after parting ways with Anthony Davis and handing the future of their backcourt over to rookie sensation Cooper Flagg. Flagg has shown steady improvement in his new role, but the organization is still focused on the status of veteran star Kyrie Irving. He has been sidelined since last March with a torn ACL. Recently, Irving connected with fans via live stream to update them on his rehabilitation progress.

He noted that he would provide a more detailed update after the All-Star break, saying, “I’ll give you guys an update after the All-Star break. Whether it’s this year or next year, it doesn’t really matter. I’ll speak when the time is right.”

Additional details from The Stein Line indicate that Kyrie Irving was a notable presence at All-Star Weekend. He recently announced via a Twitch stream that an announcement is coming regarding his possible return this season. He had surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee in late March last year.

The upcoming June draft is important, as it is the last time Dallas has control over its first-round selection between 2026 and 2031. Therefore, the team has solid reasons to consider allowing Irving, who will turn 34 on March 23, to sit out the entire season.

Irving’s preference for a collaborative decision-making process is coupled with his ongoing dissatisfaction with some media outlets. During his time in Los Angeles for the All-Star festivities, he declined an interview request from the world’s largest sports network.

When a publicist informed him of the request, Irving smiled and said, “I don’t really care about ESPN.” This tension is rooted in years of contentious exchanges, particularly between Stephen A. With Smith. Even when Smith attempted to appreciate Irving’s contract value, the guard responded, “I’m going to discuss Stephen A’s contract and I will say: ‘I don’t think you’re worth it.'”

As the Mavericks continue to transition into an era led by young talent like Flagg, Irving’s final decision will determine whether he re-enters the rotation this season or remains a veteran protector on the sidelines to protect the team’s valuable draft assets.

The Boston Celtics are currently preparing for the unofficial second half of the NBA season following the conclusion of the All-Star break. The Celtics are playing some excellent basketball, especially considering they have been without star Jayson Tatum this season as he recovers from a torn Achilles.

There has been much speculation in recent weeks that Tatum could return as soon as this season following one of the quickest Achilles recoveries the league has ever seen, which was further fueled when the league moved the upcoming Celtics home game against the Philadelphia 76ers to national TV without explanation.

Now, Tatum has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to mark a new milestone in his recovery process.

“40 weeks,” Tatum wrote on the social media platform along with a prayer emoji. “I have really grown to appreciate this journey and have found time to pat myself on the back for doing well every day!”

Tatum suffered an Achilles injury last year during Game 4 of the semifinal series against the New York Knicks, which Boston lost in six games, already down 3–1 by the time Tatum was sidelined.

This year, Jaylen Brown is playing at a borderline MVP level for the Celtics, and Derrick White and Peyton Pritchard have overcome a bad start to the year to help provide some explosive scoring for the team.

Meanwhile, Boston executives recently made a winning move by sending Anfernee Simmons to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Nikola Vucevic at the NBA trade deadline, eliminating the team’s biggest weakness in the process.

If Tatum is indeed able to come back this year, many will view the Celtics as the favorite to come out of the East in the spring.

Boston’s season is scheduled to resume on Thursday with a road game against the Golden State Warriors.

Three-time WWE Women’s Champion Bianca Belair has officially undergone successful surgery to repair a serious hand injury that kept her out for nearly a year. The “EST of WWE” shared an update with fans via his Instagram Stories on Tuesday, revealing that he began physical therapy just a day after the procedure.

Bellaire jokingly questioned the start time of her rehab, posting a photo with the caption: “7am therapy. First day after surgery… why does it have to be 7am now?!!”

The injury occurred during a triple threat match for the WWE Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 41 on April 20, 2025. Competing against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky, Belair suffered a break when Ripley accidentally fell on her hand.

As the Dallas Mavericks deal with injuries to top stars like Kyrie Irving, another key player who is dealing with the issue is rookie Cooper Flagg. The Mavericks rookie was seen wearing the boots while attending a Duke basketball game in Flagg, the latest reporting detailing his outlook on his injury.

According to NBA insider Mark Stein, Flagg is wearing a boot because MRI results revealed a sprain in the middle of his left foot, with the diagnosis of which, Dallas “feels fortunate.” Despite not knowing the timeline for his return, the team ‘seems to be in relief’ from a left medial sprain, as it could have been worse.

“Cooper Flagg was seen with a boot on his left foot at Duke’s home game against Clemson on Saturday, but league sources tell The Stein Line that Dallas feels fortunate that Flagg’s MRI results last week revealed only a left foot sprain,” Stein wrote on Monday. “It is still not known exactly how long the 19-year-old will be sidelined, but the Mavericks are relieved that the injury is not more serious.”

Cooper Flagg is in attendance for today’s Duke game. He is wearing a boot because of a sprain in the middle of his left foot. pic.twitter.com/TX5G0FGIFY

– Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) 14 February 2026

Mavericks have “big concern” over Cooper Flagg’s injury

While Flagg had to miss representing the Mavericks during All-Star weekend, it can’t be ruled out that the team will take it with caution, as he is the player who will be drafted for the foreseeable future. As Steen says, the “big concern” for Dallas is the “care” of the 19-year-old, with the team having lost nine straight games heading into the All-Star break, leading to a 19-35 record at the moment.

Stein wrote, “The bigger concern for the Mavericks – of course, that the injury not get worse – is taking care of Flagg during their ongoing losing season of 19-35.” “Dallas has lost nine consecutive games, which is certainly the longest losing streak in Flagg’s basketball career and certainly the franchise’s longest losing streak since a 15-gamer stretch in 1997–98.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen when the flag returns, as the Mavericks are in 12th place in the Western Conference, with their first game after the break on Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Dallas Mavericks had to deal with some injuries throughout the season, and many wanted to see what they would look like when they were fully healthy. Unfortunately, the Mavericks decided to move on from Anthony Davis and traded him to the Washington Wizards after he barely played due to injury.

Another player everyone is waiting to see is Kyrie Irving, who is still recovering from his ACL injury from last March. Irving has stepped up his rehabilitation, and he recently spoke to his fans on a live stream about updates on his injury.

“I’ll give you guys an update after the All-Star break. Whether it’s this year or next year, it doesn’t matter. I’ll speak when the time is right,” he said.

Before this season, there were reports that Irving would probably return around the second half of the season. If that’s still the case, he’s likely close to getting back on the court, but things can always change. The fact that the Mavericks aren’t particularly in a position where they’re fighting for a playoff spot means they can give Irving all the time he needs to get healthy.

The Mavericks have been missing a point guard like Irving all season and for now, head coach Jason Kidd has put Cooper Flagg at that spot. It was a rough start for Flagg, but he has begun to acclimate to his role on the field and is making progress in almost every game.

It will still be interesting to see how the Mavericks will look with Irving on the floor, but as of now, it is uncertain whether he will return to the floor this season.

With the Mavericks handing the keys to Flagg, they may also look to get younger in the offseason, and possibly try to deal Irving if he doesn’t fit into what they’re trying to do.

LOS ANGELES — As he explained Saturday, it was a short stint for Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic during the NBA All-Star Game. Doncic took the court for the first time since suffering a minor hamstring injury during the Lakers’ win against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 5.

During his media availability session as part of All-Star Weekend, Doncic admitted that he was only going to play a little bit in the actual game, and that his hamstring injury was looking good. Sure enough, Doncic only played five minutes in the first game of Team World’s new All-Star format, sitting out the second game. He finished with two points and two assists while shooting 1-3 from the field.

After Team World’s exit from the new All-Star Game tournament, Doncic explains how his injury felt after getting back on the court

“It was cool. Obviously I wanted to be there, the fans voted for me to be in this game so I wanted to be there and be a part of it a little bit,” Doncic said. “But [my hamstring] I liked it.”

Doncic missed four consecutive games after the injury. The Lakers went 3–2 in those games. They came into the All-Star break with a 33–21 record and fifth place in the Western Conference standings. They are only one and a half games behind the current No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets, but only one and a half games behind the No. 7 seed Phoenix Suns and the play-in spot.

As the Lakers try to build some stability during the final stretch of the season, one thing they are counting on is staying healthy. Injuries have forced the Lakers to shuffle their lineup, and while they have a full roster available, they have yet to find a consistent extension.

Doncic thinks that’s the main thing for the team to finish strong over the next few months.

“Just health,” Doncic said. “We are struggling with injuries a lot, so this will help.

In his first full season with the Lakers since the trade, Doncic appeared in 42 games at a rate of just over 35 minutes per game. He averaged a league-leading 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals while splitting 47.3 percent shooting from the field, 34.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 78.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

The Lakers will resume play after the All-Star break on Friday, February 20 at home against the LA Clippers.

LOS ANGELES – Luka Doncic missed the Los Angeles Lakers’ last four games before NBA All-Star Weekend with a hamstring injury. Doncic initially suffered the injury during the first half of the Lakers’ win against the Philadelphia 76ers on February 5, and was ultimately ruled out of the second half.

Ahead of the Lakers’ game against the Dallas Mavericks just before NBA All-Star Weekend, head coach JJ Redick remained optimistic that Luka Doncic can return from injury after the break. And during his All-Star media availability session on Saturday, Doncic acknowledged that he is feeling good in terms of getting back on the court and getting ready for the All-Star Game on Sunday.

“I’m feeling pretty good. I’m working to get back,” Doncic said. “Obviously I wanted to play the last game, but it wasn’t possible. I was almost there. So I think I’ll play a little bit.”

Doncic was not named to the All-Star team last season, breaking a streak of five consecutive selections. This will be Doncic’s first time being an All-Star as a member of the Lakers. He will be part of Team World in the NBA’s new format that will feature three teams in a round-robin tournament.

During the first half of the regular season, Doncic has been one of the top candidates for the NBA’s MVP award. Doncic has never won the award before, with his highest performance coming during 2023–24, when he led the league in scoring and finished No. 3 in the voting last fall.

Doncic currently leads the league in scoring with 32.8 points for the second time in his career. He has appeared in 42 games in just over 35 minutes per game. In addition to his points, he averaged 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals, including shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 34.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 78.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Doncic also leads the NBA in free-throw attempts at 10.9 per game.

After the All-Star break, Doncic’s first chance to return to the Lakers’ lineup is on February 20 against the LA Clippers.

Chris Bosh said Goran Dragic’s injury during the 2020 NBA Finals significantly impacted the Miami Heat’s series against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking on the latest episode of the All That Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the Hall of Famer reflected on Dragic’s plantar fascia tear in Game 1 of the Finals inside the NBA’s Orlando bubble.

“The hardest part was watching the Heat battle injuries. Seeing my guy Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. It broke my heart. I can’t say they win, but it definitely would have been a different series if he played. Just to be able to play in the Finals, I don’t care where they’re playing — if it’s the Finals and the NBA, it’s a dream come true. They don’t get that whole experience. It was tough. Like he said, they still went out there and fought. I know the message was definitely there for both sides, but especially for the Heat,” Bosh said.

Bosh continued:

“I know a lot of people were writing them off and not really paying much attention to them, but you know, when you get there, you don’t get there just to lose. You don’t get there to say, ‘Ah, nice weather.’ I definitely knew they were going to prepare, they were going to fight to the last man and you have to beat those guys. And it happened, but pain is pain. I know they’ll be able to overcome this and it will make them a better team and put the Lakers down, man one. Let’s see if they can keep it going.”

Dragic entered the 2020 postseason as Miami’s second-leading scorer behind Jimmy Butler III. In 17 playoff games, he averaged 19.1 points, 4.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and one steal while shooting 44% from the field and 34.6% from 3-point range in 32.5 minutes per contest.

Chris Bosh believes if Goran Dragic didn’t get injured in the 2020 NBA Finals, it would have been a different series:

“The hardest part was watching the Heat battle injuries. Seeing my man Goran Dragic finally get there and not be able to play. It broke my heart man. Not like… https://t.co/5UKntMUerb pic.twitter.com/1bOzN5UWJc

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 13 February 2026

Chris Bosh says Goran Dragic injury changed the fate of Heat’s Finals against Lakers

Due to injury, Dragic was limited to only two brief appearances at the end of the series. Miami ultimately lost to the Lakers in six games as James captured his fourth NBA Championship and fourth Finals MVP.

Despite the setback, the Heat remained competitive throughout the series, with Butler’s 40-point triple-double in Game 3 and 35-point performance in Game 5 forcing a sixth game.

Miami later returned to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The franchise made another Finals appearance in 2023 but lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games. Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kyle Lowry as the Heat reshaped their roster around Butler, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.

With the Butler-led era now concluding, Miami enters All-Star weekend at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with a 29–27 record, eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The Heat have advanced from the play-in tournament in each of the past three seasons and remain in contention for another postseason berth this spring.

Bosh’s comments provided perspective on how injuries, particularly Dragic’s injuries, shaped Miami’s chances against James and the Lakers during the unique bubble finals.