#nba-injuries

#nba-injuries

There have been a slew of injuries to star players throughout the NBA, including the Miami Heat. Tyler Herro is set to miss his 26th game of the season on Saturday, while Bam Adebayo is expected to miss his 8th. The list doesn't end there: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Anthony Davis, Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards, among several others, have all had prolonged absences due to injury.

Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore is out indefinitely after being diagnosed with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, sources tell ESPN. Whitmore had missed the past few games with shoulder soreness and further testing revealed the blood clot. He joined the Wizards via trade in an increased opportunity and Whitmore, the No. 20 pick in the 2023 NBA draft spent two seasons with the Houston Rockets, averaging 10.8 points over two years in Houston.

Jones was helped to the locker room after falling to the court and grabbing his right knee following a collision in the second quarter of Los Angeles' 121-118 loss. Jones was reaching for a loose ball and collided with a diving Jaylen Brown of Boston. Brown's arm struck Jones' leg. Jones grabbed his knee as he fell to the floor and was rolling in pain before slowly getting up and being helped to the locker room, barely putting any weight on the leg. Brown was whistled for a foul on the play.

NEW YORK -- Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he profited from rigged poker games and provided sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Jones, a onetime teammate of James, said little during back-to-back arraignments in federal court in Brooklyn, letting his court-appointed lawyer enter not guilty pleas in a pair of cases stemming from last month's federal takedown of sprawling gambling operations.

Miami Heat star big man Bam Adebayo has been ruled out of Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets with a left big toe sprain. The Heat said Adebayo underwent an MRI which revealed the toe sprain and listed as day-to-day. Adebayo checked himself out during the first quarter of the Heat's 122-112 loss at Denver on Wednesday. Adebayo played just eight minutes in the loss. The Heat center has started off the season strong, averaging 19.9 points and 8.1 rebounds this season.

The Indiana Pacers are signing guard Mac McClung to a multiyear contract, Greg Lawrence of Wasserman told ESPN on Monday. The deal marks the first standard NBA contract for McClung after the dunk contest's first three-peat champion spent time in camps and on two-way deals since 2021. McClung, who most recently was with the Orlando Magic, has appeared in six games in the NBA.

The league's best teams often teeter on a knife's edge, thriving thanks to continuity but in a constant state of fragility, which explains the current state of the weakened Eastern Conference. The two favorites, who meet in a made-for-television opener Wednesday in New York, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks (7 p.m. ET on ESPN), are in this place because of the consistency of their rosters and misfortune of fellow contenders.

Unfortunately for the Houston Rockets and their passionate fans, they're probably going to be without former Raptors standout and current veteran point guard Fred VanVleet for the whole 2025-26 season. He tore his ACL during offseason training, which is a tough blow considering the season start is just around the corner. Now, I think in the grand scheme of sports injuries, when you hear "sprained" or "bruised," maybe there's a little more of a silver lining.

Dereck Lively II has successfully undergone surgery to address bone spurs in his right foot, with expectations to return in time for training camp in September.