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Injury Notes: Nance, Risacher, Kyrie, KAT, Nurkic, Beal, Suggs

January 17th, 2025 at 6:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran forward/center Larry Nance Jr. is making progress in his rehabilitation process following right hand surgery, according to the Hawks (Twitter link), who announced that Nance will be reevaluated in one week and an update on his status will be shared at that time.

The Hawks will be down another forward in the short term, as Zaccharie Risacher, who missed Wednesday’s game vs. Chicago due to left adductor irritation, has been ruled out for two additional contests, per the club.

Risacher will be inactive for Saturday’s visit to Boston and Monday’s to New York before being reevaluated when the Hawks return home from their road trip ahead of next Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving will be back in action on Friday vs. Oklahoma City after sitting out the second end of a back-to-back set on Wednesday following his return from a back injury. Head coach Jason Kidd said he expects Irving to play “in the 33 (minute) range,” per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Twitter link).
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who is dealing with a bone chip in the thumb, isn’t facing his old team on Friday, having been ruled out of New York’s game vs. Minnesota just over a half-hour before tip-off, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. Reporting this week indicated that Towns plans to play through his thumb injury, so it’s possible he’ll be back in action on Monday vs. Atlanta.
Suns center Jusuf Nurkic won’t play on Saturday in Detroit, having been ruled out for a fourth straight game due to an illness, according to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link). Prior to the illness, Nurkic was removed from Phoenix’s starting lineup and was a DNP-CD in two games last week. Suns guard Bradley Beal, who sat out on Thursday due to a left ankle sprain, is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s contest.
Sidelined since January 3 due to a lower back strain, Magic guard Jalen Suggs said he’s “really itching to get back out on the court,” writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. An exact return timeline remains unclear, but Suggs has made good progress since being on “bed rest for a couple days” after first sustaining the injury. “Hopefully I’ll be out here soon,” he said on Friday.

Injury Notes: Wagner, Magic, Kyrie, Sixers, Haliburton, Jackson

January 14th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Franz Wagner, who is recovering from a torn right oblique, will remain sidelined for Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee, but his injury designation will be updated to “return to competition reconditioning,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

The change in designation doesn’t necessarily mean Wagner’s return is imminent, but it does suggest that he’s entering the final stage of his rehab process. By comparison, teammate Paolo Banchero, who sustained a torn oblique of his own on October 30, had his designation changed to “return to competition reconditioning” on December 27, then returned to action on January 10.

“I feel good,” Wagner said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Beede). “I think everything is going in a really good direction. I was able to do some more stuff on the court. I think pretty much the muscle is not the issue at this point. It’s more of getting back in shape, making sure that I check all of the boxes before I go play a game.”

Wagner, Gary Harris (left hamstring strain), and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) went through a non-contact practice on Tuesday, per Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley (Twitter links via Beede). Tristan Da Silva (illness) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sore left knee) also practiced, but Jalen Suggs (low back strain) and Goga Bitadze (right hip contusion) didn’t, Beede adds.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving, who last played on January 1, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s matchup with Denver. The Mavs announced last Monday that Irving was expected to miss at least a week or two due to a bulging disc in his back, but he fully participated in Monday’s practice and “looked good,” head coach Jason Kidd said (Twitter link via Jared Greenberg of NBA TV).
The banged-up Sixers will be missing Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), and Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain) for a fifth straight game on Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City. Philadelphia also added Tyrese Maxey to its injury report as a result of a left hand sprain, with the star guard considered questionable to play against OKC.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed during a radio appearance on Tuesday that it’s “highly unlikely” Tyrese Haliburton suits up vs. Cleveland tonight, but said the point guard’s hamstring issue isn’t believed to be significant, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays. “The good news is we don’t believe that it’s serious,” Carlisle said. “It was tightness, soreness. When you have a high-functioning athlete, skill player like Tyrese, tightness can really make it difficult for him to play at the level that he plays at. Having him come out of (Sunday’s) game was absolutely the right thing to do.”
Grizzlies forward GG Jackson has essentially recovered from his offseason foot surgery and his season debut isn’t far off, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins. “It’s more just about reconditioning and back to play,” Jenkins said (story via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal). “There may be opportunities with the (G League’s Memphis) Hustle for his first exposure to live five-on-five play.”

Magic Notes: Banchero, Da Silva, Suggs

January 12th, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic All-Star forward Paolo Banchero hit the ground running in his first game back from a two-month injury absence, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

During a 109-106 defeat to Milwaukee on Friday, the 6’10” star scored 34 points in just 27 minutes, showing off a versatile offensive attack that included five three-pointers. Banchero had been shelved with a torn right abdominal muscle since an October 30 loss to Chicago.

“The kid’s been working his tail off to get back in,” Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “What he was able to do with poise, taking the right shots [at] the right time, defending, taking matchups on, this tells you how much he wants to go get it and get after it.

There’s more out of Orlando:

Rookie Magic forward Tristan da Silva, who thrived with Banchero sidelined, continued to play strongly even when the All-Star returned to action, Beede notes in another piece. Da Silva secured the first double-double of his career in the Bucks bout, scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 boards. “He’s just a natural,” Banchero raved of da Silva. “He can kind of fit out there with anybody, any lineup.”
Mosley provided a minor update on the health of Jalen Suggs on Sunday, including explaining why the injured guard has been away from the Magic‘s bench for the past couple games, Beede tweets. “I think it’s one of those things [that’s] precautionary more than anything,” Mosley said. “With the back [injury], sitting on the bench is not necessarily conducive to how you’re supposed to feel in that scenario… He’s been able to move a little bit here and there on the floor, getting up and getting down a little bit, but nothing with contact.”
In case you missed it, Marc Stein believes Mosley has a real shot at earning Coach of the Year honors. Even with long-term injury absences of Banchero and Franz Wagner, among others, Orlando has held steady as a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Suggs, Carter, M. Wagner

January 9th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing more than two months with a torn oblique, star forward Paolo Banchero will reportedly return to action on Thursday or Friday. As expected, the Magic have officially listed the former No. 1 overall pick as questionable for Thursday’s contest vs. Minnesota.

Speaking to the media after Thursday’s shootaround, Banchero discussed his lengthy layoff and what he learned while being sidelined, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter video links). The 21-year-old said having more time to watch helped him process the game in a different way, but he’s ready to get back on the court.

“I feel like my coaching career, I’m happy for it to be over,” Banchero said jokingly. “I want to start playing again, but it was fun while it lasted.”

Banchero also talked about how he sustained the injury and what he learned from the incident, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

“I think it was a play where I think I made, like, a jump pass and contorted my body in a weird way and just felt that,” Banchero said. “It happens, and I think some of it had to do with fatigue, which is partially on me. I was playing really well, so I was maybe not telling guys, or the team, when I was tired. So, I think fatigue maybe had something to do with it, just playing so hard. So, I definitely (have) got to start listening to my body. No matter how good I’m playing, if I’m dead-tired, I’ve got to come out of the game.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

Despite dealing with injuries to several key players, the banged-up Magic are confident they can compete with any team in the NBA, according to Beede. “We really can roll out any five [players] and compete,” big man Wendell Carter said. “The proof is in the pudding now. We’ve competed and won against some of the top teams in the league. It’s really just a belief system.” Jalen Suggs, who remains out as he deals with a lower back strain, plays a major role in the team’s conviction. “Suggs is the heart of this team,” guard Cole Anthony said. “Obviously we miss him but we know that we’re going to have his support whether he’s playing or not. It’s awesome to have a dude like that in our corner and I can’t wait to get him back.”
Carter missed 12 games earlier in the season with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He said after Monday’s win in New York that he’s starting to round into form, as Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel. “I’m definitely starting to get my swag back,” said Carter, who scored a season-high 19 points vs. the Knicks. “That’s something I kind of lost when I went down early. Coming back, trying to get back in tune with the team — went from starting and came off the bench a couple of games and back to starting, guys coming in and out of the lineup — it’s kind of tough for me just to find my groove. But it’s a lot of kudos to my teammates. They keep me [in] high spirits, tell me how good a player I am when I’m aggressive.”
Center Moritz Wagner underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, the Magic announced in a press release (Twitter link). The German big man will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season. Wagner could hit unrestricted free agency this summer if Orlando declines the $11MM team option on his contract for ’25/26.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Johnson, Wallace, Ball, Miller

January 5th, 2025 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic starting guard Jalen Suggs missed Sunday’s game against Utah due to a lower back strain. He seems certain to sit out their road game against the Knicks on Monday as well, according to coach Jamahl Mosley. “Backs can be tricky. So, it’s like on and off a little bit. He’s just going to continue to be evaluated over these next few days,” he told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Suggs is averaging 16.4 points and 3.7 assists per game.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Jalen Johnson has become Trae Young‘s co-star in the Hawks‘ offensive attack. They are increasingly relying on Johnson in their quick-passing, fast-breaking offense, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger notes how Johnson ranks among the top five in the league in passes made per game and that he also ranks the top 10 in frontcourt touches for non-centers. Johnson is averaging a career-best 5.3 assists per game.
Two-way Hawks player Keaton Wallace has spent the majority of his time with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, but he also saw action in four late December games with the NBA club. Wallace, a 25-year-old rookie, doesn’t mind going back and forth between the two teams, he told Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I’ve been feeling all right,” he said. “This is part of the process of being converted to a two-way (contract). I’m just accepting everything that comes with it.”
LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller were back in the Hornets lineup against Cleveland on Sunday. They hadn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 26. Ball was battling left ankle soreness and right wrist soreness, while Miller had a left ankle injury.

Magic Notes: Suggs, Da Silva, Harris, Joseph

January 4th, 2025 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Suggs will miss Sunday’s game against Utah after leaving Friday’s contest with severe back spasms, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs had to be wheelchaired to the locker room after collapsing to the court and writhing in pain late in the second quarter.

It’s the latest in a seemingly endless string of injuries for Orlando, which was already playing without stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, along with Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner and Gary Harris. Beede said Suggs seemed to be in good spirits after the game, but “the concern level was real” about the injury, which was diagnosed as a lower back strain.

“Hopefully it’s not as bad as it looked out there,” Cory Joseph said. “It’s kind of been, unfortunately, a theme this season — we have guys going down. We just know ‘next man up’ mentality but definitely we wanted to pull this one out for him, as for Moe and Franz, Paolo, Gary and AB. Too many people, right? So, [we] never want to see that happen but we know he’s a fighter and whatever it is, he’ll overcome it. For us, we’ve just got to continue the course.”

There’s more on the Magic:

Tristan Da Silva set a career high in scoring for the second time this week with 25 points Friday night, Beede adds in the same piece. The rookie small forward had 21 points against Brooklyn on Wednesday, but he has also been held scoreless in two of his last four games. “I’m just really trying to take it all in as a journey,” Da Silva said. “As a rookie, you’re obviously going to have ups and downs. There’s games where you might not play as well, where the shot is not falling. And you have games like tonight where you feel really good. But I’m just trying to stay even-keeled and trying to not let a single game kind of define my mental headspace.”
Harris is dealing with another left hamstring strain, the same injury that sidelined him for 13 games earlier in the season, Beede tweets. Harris missed Friday’s contest and has already been ruled out for Sunday.
Joseph, a native of Canada, scored in double figures for the first time with the Magic during Friday’s game at Toronto, Beede states in a separate story. It was part of a dominant night for Orlando’s reserves, who outscored Toronto’s bench, 43-18.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Mosley, J. Johnson, Plowden

January 1st, 2025 at 9:24am CST by Rory Maher

The Magic recently provided injury updates on Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays. All-Star forward Banchero, who has been out since Oct. 30 due to a torn abdominal muscle, was able to practice on Tuesday, but he’ll remain out for Wednesday’s contest vs. Detroit.

“Paolo was able to go through some light contact through practice, but that’s about it,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said.

Banchero recently stated that he’ll have to go through full contact work and participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages before being cleared to return.

Suggs sustained a right wrist sprain on Sunday vs. Brooklyn, but it sounds like the injury is relatively minor. The All-Defensive guard was able to practice on Tuesday and is probable for Wednesday’s game, according to Beede.

As for Black, he did not practice on Tuesday and is questionable for today’s game due to a lower back contusion. The second-year guard has missed one game to this point with the injury.

Here are a few more notes from the Southeast Division:

Despite significant injuries to Banchero, Franz Wagner and most recently Moritz Wagner, who is out for the season after tearing his ACL, the Magic have remained highly competitive, currently holding a 20-14 record, good for the No. 4 seed in the East. In a subscriber-only column for The Orlando Sentinel, Mike Bianchi argues that Mosley should be the frontrunner for the NBA’s Coach of the Year award for the way he’s managed the team — and the resilience the club has displayed — amid the absences.
In a post-game interview on NBA TV (Twitter video link), former NBA head coach Sam Mitchell noted that Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has started to receive some All-Star buzz. Asked if he’s been thinking about that possibility, Johnson said it’s a secondary priority. “I’ve got All-Star on my mind, but there’s more important things at task right now and that’s winning,” he said.
Last Friday, the Hawks signed guard/forward Daeqwon Plowden to a two-way contract. The deal covers two years, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac, which means Plowden will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2026. All two-way deals are non-guaranteed, however, so it’s certainly not a lock that Plowden will still be on Atlanta’s roster by that point.

Injury Notes: Kuzma, Raptors, Morant, Celtics, Suggs

December 29th, 2024 at 4:14pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards and Kyle Kuzma are targeting Monday’s rematch with New York for the veteran forward’s return to action, team sources tell Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As Robbins notes, Kuzma has missed the past 12 games with a sprained rib cartilage, having last played on Nov. 27. The two sides will determine if he’s able to suit up in the hours leading up to the game.

League executives believe the Wizards are “eager” to move Kuzma before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, as Marc Stein reported last week. However, the bonuses in his contract could complicate matters for suitors operating in close proximity to the tax aprons.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Raptors will have a handful of players back in action on Sunday vs. Atlanta, including swingman Bruce Brown, who will be making his season debut following offseason knee surgery, and starting center Jakob Poeltl, who has missed the past four games with a groin issue (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca).
Ja Morant will be sidelined for Sunday’s matchup with Oklahoma City due to an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, the Grizzlies announced (story via Tim MacMahon of ESPN). It’s unclear how much time Morant might miss beyond Sunday’s contest between the top-two seeds in the West.
The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) and Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) for Sunday’s contest vs. Indiana, the team announced (Twitter links). Both starters had previously been listed as questionable. Asked about Holiday’s status, head coach Joe Mazzulla suggested the injury was relatively minor, as Jared Weiss of The Athletic tweets. “He’s getting better every day,” Mazzulla said. “He’ll continue to get better and we’ll see how it is.”
All-Defensive guard Jalen Suggs sustained a right wrist sprain on Sunday against Brooklyn and was ruled out for the remainder of the game, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Any type of extended absence for Suggs would certainly be rough — Orlando has already been playing without three of its top four scorers (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner). Suggs, who signed a lucrative long-term extension with the Magic before the season began, has averaged a career-best 16.8 points per game in 2024/25.

Magic Notes: Comebacks, Anthony, Queen, M. Wagner, Banchero

December 23rd, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Maher

On Saturday vs. Miami, the Magic were playing without their top three scorers (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, the latter of whom returned on Monday following a one-game absence with a right ankle sprain). A rotation regular, Gary Harris, missed another game as he continues to deal with a hamstring strain.

Their fourth-leading scorer, Moritz Wagner, suffered a torn left ACL in the first quarter. And big man Wendell Carter was ejected in the second quarter after a pair of technical fouls.

As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, Orlando trailed by 22 points entering the fourth quarter, then proceeded to outscore the Heat 37-8 in the final frame, completing one of the biggest comebacks in NBA history. According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), it had been five years since a team had lost when leading by at least 22 points entering the final period.

“You can’t really explain that,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s something I haven’t seen. I have not seen that ever in my years in the league: the ability to stay with it despite all of the circumstances that started in the beginning of the game.”

Backup guard Cole Anthony, who has struggled to find a rhythm for much of the season (entering Monday, he’s averaging a career-low 11.7 minutes per game), erupted for season highs of 35 points (27 in the second half), eight rebounds and nine assists, with Orlando outscoring Miami by 17 points in his 28 minutes on the court. The 24-year-old was emotional during his post-game interview, as he’s been frustrated by his performances but loves playing for the Magic. A close-knit group, three of his teammates were waiting to congratulate him after the game, per Robbins.

“Just to feel that same love back and know I’m always going to get that same love, it’s something that I don’t think is appreciated as much, especially around the league,” Anthony said later. “You don’t get this many good people in one organization. You don’t get this many high-character people in one organization. So, I’m just blessed to be a part of this.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

They followed up their impressive comeback against Miami with another come-from-behind victory on Monday against the reigning champion Celtics, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. According to the team’s PR department (Twitter link), it was the first time Orlando has registered comebacks of at least 15 points in consecutive games since Feb. 7-9, 2014. Trevelin Queen, who provided a major energy boost vs. Miami, started the first game of his career on Monday and tied a career-high with 17 points, Beede notes, while first-rounder Tristan Da Silva notched a team-high 18 points, including a clutch three-pointer late to seal the victory. Carter moved to the bench so the Magic would have more size in the absence of Moe Wagner, Beede adds.
Moe Wagner was understandably upset that he’ll miss the rest of the season with a major knee injury, but also said he was “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of support he’s received throughout the organization, according to Robbins. “(Keeping an even keel is) part of what (I) try to ask our guys to do in those moments, but the reality is we’re all human beings, and it broke me a little bit,” Mosley said Monday. “I teared up as I watched Moe go down because you watched the work that he’s put in, you watched the tear he was on. I mean, he was in the running probably, in my mind, for Sixth Man of the Year, (with) the energy that he brings to this team, the toughness he brings to this team. It shook me a little bit.”
Banchero continues to recover from a torn oblique he sustained on Oct. 30, the same injury Franz Wagner suffered on Dec. 6. The former No. 1 overall pick was doing some light shooting and ball-handling work prior to Saturday’s game, and Suggs says he’s eager to have the 22-year-old back in the lineup. “Just having his presence back amongst us is going to be amazing,” Suggs said, per Beede. “He’s used his voice throughout the time he’s been out. I know it’s been hard for him. It always is when you’re not playing to speak up at times and things like that. But to see how mentally locked in he’s been throughout this process, it’s been really cool.”

Injury Notes: Strus, Embiid, Suggs, Booker, Nets

December 20th, 2024 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Cavaliers wing Max Strus, who initially hoped to make his season debut last Friday, is being listed as questionable for tonight’s Central Division showdown with the Bucks and has a chance to suit up for the first time this season, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Strus sustained a hip contusion early in the preseason and was nearing a return from that injury when he sprained his right ankle during an individual workout just days before the season opener. He has been recovering from that sprain for the last two months.

“Nine weeks is a very long time,” Strus said on Thursday. “It’s been hard. There’s been definitely dark days. But this is the best team. Best vibes ever been around. These guys have made it easy and kept me involved and kept me around and made sure to reach out at times when I needed it. I’m itching to get back.”

As Fedor writes, Strus’ impending return is coming at a good time, given that the player who replaced him at small forward in the starting five – Isaac Okoro – is now sidelined with an injury of his own. Strus will be on a minutes restriction upon returning, so he may not reclaim his starting role right away, Fedor writes, but there’s excitement within the organization about how he’ll fit in head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s offense.

“It’s been fun to watch from the outside, but also frustrating that I haven’t been able to be a part of it. Hopefully sometime soon I could join the party,” Strus said. “The way we’ve played offense and scored the ball, it’s kind of everything I’ve wanted to do since I’ve been here. We struggled with that last year.”

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

Sixers star Joel Embiid (sinus fracture) practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and is considered questionable to play on Friday vs. Charlotte, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The 76ers announced on Monday that Embiid would be reevaluated in one week, but it sounds like he has a good chance to return to the court before that one-week evaluation date.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs sustained an ankle injury on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets. Suggs injured the ankle late in the first half and started the third quarter, but was pulled after less than four minutes and didn’t play the rest of the night. “As he comes out in the second (half) I just saw there wasn’t a high pace,” head coach Jamahl Mosley explained. “I mean, there were moments of it but I just want to make sure he’s going to be OK for the long haul.” Orlando is already playing without forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, so the team will be hoping Suggs doesn’t have to miss much – if any – time.
[UPDATE: Suggs has been listed as probable to play on Saturday vs. Miami, per Beede.]
Suns guard Devin Booker exited Thursday’s game vs. Indiana in the third quarter with left groin tightness and didn’t return, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker’s status for Saturday’s game vs. Detroit remains unclear.
Nets guards Cam Thomas (left hamstring strain) and Ziaire Williams (left knee sprain) are making progress in their respective recoveries but aren’t yet cleared for contact, according to head coach Jordi Fernandez (story via Bridget Reilly of The New York Post). “They’ve been able to shoot, and that’s all they’re doing right now,” Fernandez said. “It’s step by step.” Meanwhile, Nets forward Trendon Watford was out for Thursday’s game due to left hamstring soreness — Watford missed the first 13 games of the season due to a left hamstring strain.