A team becomes eligible for a hardship exception if it has at least four players who have missed three consecutive games and who are expected to remain sidelined for least two more weeks. The exception allows the club to sign a player to a 10-day deal even if it doesn’t have an open 15-man roster spot.

Jordan Miller (shoulder surgery), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot surgery), Max Strus (partial plantar fascia tear), Brandon Ingram (partially torn Achilles), and Bradley Beal (knee) have yet to make their debuts this fall for the Clippers. The fact that the team has been granted a hardship exception signals that at least four of those five players aren’t close to returning.

The 25th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Wesley spent his first three NBA seasons in San Antonio prior to being traded to the Wizards during the 2025 offfseason. After being waived by Washington, he was on a minimum-salary deal with the Trail Blazers in 2025/26, averaging 4.8 points and 2.0 assists in 11.6 minutes per game.

Known for his speed, athleticism, and on-ball defense, Wesley missed a significant portion of last season due to a fractured fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot, which required surgery. The 23-year-old made 31 regular season appearances for Portland and has now made 187 in total, averaging 4.4 PPG and 2.4 APG in 13.8 MPG over the course of his NBA career.

Wesley was in camp with the Clippers this fall but was waived at the end of the preseason as the team set its 15-man roster.

Wesley will earn $150,898 over the course of his 10 days under contract, while the Clippers carry a cap hit of $140,771. He would be eligible to sign a second 10-day contract once the first deal expires if L.A. still qualifies for a hardship exception at that time.

The plan is to reevaluate Demin in one week, which means he’ll miss at least Brooklyn’s next four games. The team is scheduled to face Detroit on Friday, Indiana on Sunday, New York on Monday, and Charlotte on Wednesday.

Demin suffered the injury, initially deemed a leg contusion, in Tuesday’s loss to Boston, which he exited after playing just 10 minutes. The second-year guard downplayed the ailment after the game, suggesting that it was “nothing serious” and that he’d be “ready to go” later this week. However, after further evaluation, the Nets determined that he’ll need some recovery and rehab time before he’s cleared to return.

The eighth overall pick in the 2025 draft, Demin entered this fall as one of the Nets’ backcourt starters alongside veteran free agent acquisition Keon Ellis. Through three full games, the 20-year-old had averaged 9.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game while shooting just 30.8% from the floor.

Demin’s absence should lead to increased roles for guard Mikel Brown Jr. and Nolan Traore in the short term.

“There is some growing frustration in that locker room (because) that roster does not have a point guard that can organize that offense,” Haynes said. “They’re starting Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks, so you have a situation where you don’t have a true, traditional point guard that can get everybody looks and get everything organized.”

Booker has essentially served as the team’s de facto point guard since the start of the 2025/26 season. He led the Suns with 6.0 assists per game last season and has averaged a team-high 5.3 APG through three games this fall.

However, those increased play-making responsibilities may be impacting Booker’s scoring efficiency. His 58.5% true shooting percentage last season was his lowest mark in four years and he’s coming off a three-point outing against an injury-depleted Oklahoma City team on Monday (though he did score 43 points against Golden State on Saturday).

Among the Suns’ rotation players, Collin Gillespie is perhaps the closest to a traditional point guard. He ranks second on the team in assists this season (4.3 APG) after doing the same in 2025/26 (4.6 APG). But Gillespie isn’t part of the team’s go-to starting five when Booker and Green are both healthy and available.

Last season, lineups that featured both Booker and Gillespie had a +7.0 net rating, while groups that included Booker and Green also put up a solid +4.1 mark.

Haynes notes that the Suns rank in the bottom half of the NBA in assists, though their average of 25.3 per game is good for 19th, so it isn’t egregiously low. The club also places a little higher in categories like assist rate and assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Suns have an open spot on their 15-man roster, but there’s no indication that the front office is moving to address the issue at this point, according to Haynes, who says the hope is that the team will be able to get by with a committee approach at the point guard spot despite some early-season frustrations.

The lack of a point guard capable of organizing the offense is just one of a handful of potential issues affecting Phoenix’s roster. There are also questions about the club’s three-point shooting (31.9% through three games) and its ability to compete on the glass with starting center Mark Williams out until 2027 while he recovers from shoulder surgery. The Suns’ 42.9% rebounding rate is the NBA’s worst mark so far this season by a significant margin.

October 27: The Raptors are expecting to be without star forward Kawhi Leonard for “a period of weeks” as a result of the swelling in his left knee, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Issuing a formal update on Leonard, the Raptors said today in a press release that he’ll undergo treatment and a rehab program to address that swelling after imaging didn’t reveal any “acute injury” (ie. structural damage) in the knee.

According to the team, the plan is to reevaluate the 35-year-old in one week.

Leonard, who was traded from L.A. to Toronto in September following a lengthy delay due to the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers’ salary cap circumvention, was ramped up slowly during the preseason, appearing in just two of the Raptors’ five exhibition games this month.

The two-time Finals MVP played in the first two games of the regular season, and while he shot just 32.4% from the floor in those outings, he averaged 3.5 steals in just 26.0 minutes per game and helped lead Toronto to a 2-0 start before being ruled out for Sunday’s contest in Minnesota due to swelling in his knee.

Based on the timeline provided by the Raptors, it sounds like Leonard will miss at least the next four games — the team will host Orlando on Wednesday and Friday before visiting Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Sunday and the Clippers on Monday.

That means the former Clipper won’t be in action for the Raptors’ only visit to Intuit Dome this season. And based on Charania’s reporting, it sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll miss at least a few additional games beyond those next four.

In Leonard’s absence, third-year wing Ja’Kobe Walter entered the starting lineup on Sunday. Walter is a prime candidate for an increased role with Kawhi out, with rookie forward Allen Graves and veteran swingman Kyle Anderson among the others who figure to move up Toronto’s depth chart.

“We’ve been relying on our offense a lot,” Kessler said, per Nguyen. “And we have a very, very good offense and a lot of great scorers. But that’s not gonna be the only thing that gets us to win a championship here.”

Playing without starters Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams on Wednesday vs. the Clippers, the club backed up its vow to play stouter defense, holding its cross-town rivals to just 87 points, which was easily the lowest total by a Lakers opponent this season.

One player who contributed that defensive effort was veteran forward Jarred Vanderbilt, making his first appearance of the season after having been a DNP-CD in each of Los Angeles’ first four games. Vanderbilt went scoreless in 21 minutes of action, but he grabbed seven rebounds and the Lakers outscored the Clippers by 22 points during his time on the court, as Nguyen details.

“He’s always going to be ready for whenever his name is called,” teammate Collin Sexton said of Vanderbilt, who served as Kessler’s backup at center on Wednesday. “But that just shows a true professional.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

• Sexton, who signed a two-year, $19MM deal with the Lakers over the summer, had his best game so far for his new team on Wednesday, scoring 21 points in 21 minutes and posting a team-best +23 plus/minus mark. As Dan Woike of The Athletic writes, Sexton’s new teammates and head coach have already come to appreciate the intensity he plays with. Coach JJ Redick said he loves the “competitive fire” the veteran guard brings to the court, while Kessler joked that one viral clip of Sexton’s facial expressions playing defense looked “like a horror movie.”
• Although he wasn’t able to suit up against his old team on Wednesday, Clippers forward Rui Hachimura spoke to Khobi Price of The California Post before the game about his experience in free agency and reiterated comments he made last week about how his first choice would’ve been to remain with the Lakers. “It’s on them,” Hachimura said when asked about his Lakers departure. “It wasn’t me. It was them. … It was tough. That’s my second free agency. Of course I was trying to get the extension from (the Lakers). It didn’t work out, but it is what it is. We have to move on at some point. … I’m happy that I’m here (with the Clippers).”
• Having spoken with over a dozen team insiders, league executives, and other sources, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN shares an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the surprising Lakers sale agreement that came together within 72 hours and considers what’s next for current governor Jeanie Buss, who was “stunned” by Mark Walter’s decision to sell majority control of the team to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.

“In this moment right now, Herb is the ultimate professional in where he is and finding more time for him is going to be a key priority for me,” Mosley said on Tuesday. “And I know that as a defensive coach, there’s no way for me to look around it… We talked about doing things in a five-game sample size and seeing what it looks like and where it can be and what we can do, but again, high priority to make sure that we continue to see Herb on the floor more.”

A day later, Jones played 18:32 on Wednesday in the Pelicans’ fourth straight loss to open the season. While that minutes total was a season high, it didn’t represent a meaningful uptick from the previous three games and still fell well short of the 28.4 MPG he averaged last season.

After starting 280 consecutive regular season games entering this season, Jones is coming off the bench for the Pelicans, which is one reason for his decline in minutes. As Dua explains, head of basketball operations Joe Dumars and the front office are believed to be very high on Jeremiah Fears, which is why the second-year guard is starting.

With Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson also locked in as starters and Mosley wanting a center to be part of that group (DeAndre Jordan has been starting with Yves Missi out due to a left knee injury), that leaves just one opening, and Dejounte Murray has been occupying that spot in the early going.

According to Dua, while Murray denied back in February that he had ever requested a trade out of New Orleans, people around the NBA believe the Pelicans and the guard would both be open to finding him a “better situation.” Dua suggests that New Orleans may be starting Murray in part to buoy his value and showcase him for potential trade partners, adding that some Pelicans staffers also believe that Murray and reserve wing Bennedict Mathurin can replicate Jones’ defensive impact to some extent.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

• As we relayed on Wednesday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported this week that the Pelicans haven’t shown any increased willingness to trade Jones, despite his reduced role to start the season. On the All NBA Podcast (YouTube link), Stein suggested the Pelicans have held firm in seeking two first-round picks for Jones and three for Murphy, and Dua confirms that the asking price for Jones has remained “near two first-round picks.”
• While several playoff teams are keeping an eye on Jones and view him as a positive on- and off-court fit, there’s a sense among rival executives that the forward’s value could decline if he continues to play a modest role off the bench, according to Dua. As Dua points out, it’s also worth noting that Jones’ salary will rise from $14.9MM this season to $20.9MM in 2027/28 when his contract extension takes effect.
• Veteran guard Jordan Poole, who is on an expiring $34MM contract, has let the Pelicans know he’d be open to opportunities elsewhere, Dua reports. Poole played just seven minutes on Wednesday after averaging 19.0 MPG off the bench in the first three games of the season.
• The Warriors are among the teams that have recently inquired on Missi, according to Dua, who says the Pelicans continue to turn away offers for the third-year big man. Those offers have mostly centered around second-round picks, Dua continues, noting that New Orleans doesn’t consider that a strong enough return for a player whom Mosley likes and envisions as the “focal point” of the club’s defense.

As we detailed earlier this week, there are two types of meniscus surgeries — a meniscectomy, which involves removing the meniscus, or a full repair of the tear. A meniscectomy requires a much shorter recovery period, so based on Carlisle’s prior comments about Sheppard missing “weeks,” it sounded like that was the type of procedure he’d undergo. However, as East relays, Sheppard ended up needing a full repair of the meniscus and will face a longer-term absence.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for the 25-year-old, who is in the final year of his rookie scale contract and is eligible for restricted free agency in 2027. Assuming he finishes the season with the Pacers, the team will have to decide whether or not to tender Sheppard a qualifying offer worth $8MM next summer. That looks far less like a sure thing now that he’s expected to miss a significant chunk of the season.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

• After the Lakers ruled out a pair of starters – Luka Doncic (back tightness) and Ziaire Williams (left foot soreness) – for the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday, head coach JJ Redick suggested that the team was just being “cautious,” per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). The Lakers, who are in the midst of a stretch of five games in seven days, are hopeful that both players will be back in action on Friday in Golden State, McMenamin adds (via Twitter).
• With the Bulls set to embark on a three-game road trip that begins on Friday in Boston, center Nic Claxton (left hamstring strain) will likely travel with the team, head coach Tiago Splitter said on Thursday, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link). That doesn’t necessarily guarantee Claxton will play on the trip, but he has been doing conditioning work during the past week and is getting close to making his season debut, Lorenzi notes.
• Clippers guard Max Strus (right plantar fascia tear), forward Brandon Ingram (right heel surgery), and big man Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right foot surgery) are making progress in their respective recoveries but will remain in Los Angeles for rehab purposes rather than joining the team for its trip to Minnesota on Friday and Golden State on Sunday, tweets sideline reporter Ohm Youngmisuk. However, forward Rui Hachimura, who sat out on Wednesday due to left quad soreness, will be on the road trip, which suggests he could return for one or both games.

“Nothing harsh from me for Memphis. At all,” Morant said. “My Memphis time was great, man. That’s tough to, you know, just take out of the picture after a couple months (in Portland),” Morant continued. “I don’t know if nothing can top, you know, my time in Memphis … unless I win a chip (title). And that’s the goal this year.”

Morant also took responsibility for some of the decisions he made while with the Grizzlies, though he added that it “wasn’t all me.”

Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo spoke about Morant’s return as well in an attempt to clear the air about his relationship with the talented point guard.

“People rely on second-, third-hand information on this and they get blown out of proportion,” Iisalo said, per Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com (Twitter video link). “I always said we had a great working relationship. We saw a lot of things in a very similar fashion, and just like in any situation, it doesn’t always go like you maybe intended to. I’m just happy both teams and both parties are doing really well right now.”

The Blazers will enter Thursday’s game with a record of 3-0 and Morant averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 assists per game on .588/.444/.833 shooting splits.

We have more from around the Southwest Division:

• Herbert Jones has seen limited minutes during the Pelicans’ first week of the season, but although he’s averaging just 17.0 minutes per game heading into Wednesday’s games, by far the lowest of his career, New Orleans has not indicated any desire or willingness to trade him, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (via Twitter). The team is rumored to have long held an extremely high bar for what they would require in any trade for Jones, and his dip in playing time seems to not have diminished that demand.
• Rockets center Alperen Sengun spoke on Wednesday about the back ailment that is expected to cost him some time. “I got hurt, but I don’t think about it in the game,” Sengun said, per The Houston Chronicle’s Varun Shankar (Twitter link), before clarifying: “Not like I’m saying I got hurt, but you know, feeling little pain in the game. But I don’t think about it.” Head coach Ime Udoka indicated that Sengun could miss multiple games due to the tightness in his back.
• Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg has gotten off to an impressive start in his second NBA season, averaging 25.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 steals over three games heading into Wednesday’s matchup against the Thunder. The reigning Rookie of the Year is emerging as a prime candidate for Team USA in the 2028 Olympics, as Grant Afseth writes for Dallas Sports Journal. “Obviously, for me, I’ve played for the country before when I was younger, playing for under-17 teams, stuff like that. So for me, it’s obviously a pleasure to be able to play for my country,” Flagg said. “Any chance I get it, I have no idea what it’s going to look like. It’s a good way down the road. So obviously, if I was ever asked to be able to play for my country, that’s something I would love to do. It would be amazing.”

Edwards has been dealing with knee issues since last year’s postseason, and both he and the team decided that rest was the best approach this offseason. But following the season opener against Miami, in which he scored 45 points, Edwards once again felt discomfort in his knee, and Connelly suggested that the recent MRI results prompted the team to act sooner rather than later.

“The imaging from yesterday showed an issue that we want to get addressed quickly,” Connelly said, per Krawczynski. “Our only concern is for his long-term health. … The best thing about what he’s going to go under, he’s going to be good as new. It’s not something that we’re concerned with long-term.”

While no recovery timeline has been announced yet, Edwards is reportedly expected to miss at least two months following the surgery.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

• Jrue Holiday is coming off the bench for the Trail Blazers behind the starting backcourt of Ja Morant and Damian Lillard, but he’s still playing a crucial role for a team with playoff aspirations, Mark Medina writes for Fadeaway World. “I feel like I’m a complete player. So I can adjust to anything,” Holiday said. “But we have a great group of guys and great group of coaches. They have made the roles very, very clear in what they want out of us. I feel like that plays to my strengths with the roles that they have for me. So it’s been great.” The 3-0 Blazers have gotten off to a hot start and their depth has been a big part of their early-season success.
• Holiday isn’t the only veteran adjusting to a new reserve role. DeMar DeRozan is coming off the bench for the first time in his career in his first year with the Nuggets, and on Monday, he had his best showing of the young season, scoring 21 points on 15 shots. He’s still feeling things out, Vinny Benedetto writes for the Denver Gazette, but he’s starting to get the hang of the new role. “I’m just trying to catch on as fast as I can and understand everything, understand how I can help, especially coming into the game, reading the flow of the game,” DeRozan said. “I’m just trying to make an impact on the game… Those guys create so much attention. They make it easier on me. I try to do the same thing when I have the ball. Anything they do makes my job easier and vice versa. Whenever I’m in the game with those guys, I’m just trying to make everything on the floor as simple as possible. It’s going to continue to get better.“
• Another player emerging as a key reserve for the Nuggets is rookie forward Trevon Brazile, Benedetto writes. He’s still figuring out the ins and outs of the Nuggets’ system but has quickly shown that his athleticism translates to both sides of the floor. Brazile has brought an energy on the glass and has been the sort of cutter Denver needs, according to Chris Dempsey of Demps And Circumstance, who suggests the second-round pick has at times looked like former Nuggets standout Marcus Camby. With Cameron Johnson out Wednesday, Brazile started at small forward, showcasing the sort of versatility he brings to the team’s bench.

While Carter is able to once again be in the locker room and be around the team, he’s still unavailable as he recovers from the illness, so he has yet to make his regular season debut for Boston.

The Celtics added the 24-year-old former lottery pick on an Exhibit 10 contract, which they later converted to a two-way deal ahead of the season opener. The defensive-minded guard was originally picked 13th overall in the 2024 draft by the Kings, but struggled to find a place in the rotation due to injuries and an inconsistent offense.

We have more from the Celtics:

• Payton Pritchard has become a favorite among fans, teammates, and front office members alike during his seven seasons in Boston. He has also taken on an unexpected title, according to Hallie Grossman of ESPN: the team’s iso king. The 6’1″ guard led the NBA in effective field goal percentage in isolation situations last season, a product of the countless hours of intensive off-season work he puts into perfecting his craft. For his efforts, he has been recognized by one of the greatest isolation scorers the NBA has ever seen, when Allen Iverson called him “the coldest white boy I’ve ever seen.” With the departure of Jaylen Brown, Pritchard’s isolation prowess is more important to the team than ever, as the Celtics have fewer ball handlers to get into the wheeling-and-dealing style of hunting for threes that has made them such a regular-season juggernaut over the last few years.
• Jayson Tatum has been through a lot of basketball upheaval since rupturing his Achilles during the 2025 playoffs, but he cemented his return with a buzzer-beating game-winner against the Nets in overtime on Tuesday, Jay King writes for The Athletic. After the win, Tatum didn’t shy away from the feelings that came with the play afterwards. “That was a hell of a feeling, just kind of getting back to doing things that I used to do before I was injured,” he said. “And sharing that moment with my teammates on the court, seeing them rally and be excited for me.” It was the first 40-point game Tatum has recorded since the injury, as well as the most minutes (42) he has played in that timeframe. “I’m 18 months out from when I tore my Achilles,” he continued. “And there’s certain moments throughout a game, on and off the ball, where I’m doing a cut or exploding or just doing something that something in my mind clicks, and like ‘Oh, you know, that feeling is really starting to feel like, you know, pre-injury.’ And results, make or miss the shot, I get really excited about some of the movements that I make throughout the game.”
• Although Jaylen Brown is no longer a Celtic, he continues to be the subject of much discussion in Boston — conflicting reports about whether he demanded a trade out of Boston, as well as various recent remarks made by him and Tatum, have kept the relationship between the two longtime Celtics stars in the news. Brown’s claim that “there’s no beef (with Tatum), but it might be a little lamb chops and gravy” have caused confusion among league figures, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, who looks back at the pair’s complicated relationship and considers how it got to this point.

4:11 pm: The Lakers have agreed to a two-way deal with center Lawson Lovering, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (Twitter links). In a related move, Los Angeles is waiving AK Okereke to make room for the newcomer.

Lovering, 23, was cut by the Grizzlies in late September after signing a training camp deal. The seven-foot center played for the Memphis Hustle in the G League last season and appeared in two NBA games with the Grizzlies on a 10-day contract in February.

With the Hustle, Lovering made 30 appearances and averaged 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game. He went undrafted last year out of Utah.

Okereke signed his two-way contract in July after going undrafted the previous month. He didn’t get a chance to make his NBA debut before he was cut loose.

The 6’7″ wing played one year at Vanderbilt after spending three years at Cornell. He appeared in 36 games for the Commodores, averaging 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 26.2 minutes per night while shooting 48.1% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.

The procedure, which took place in New York City, involved “reconstruction of ankle ligaments following a fracture and dislocation,” the team noted, adding that he will be reevaluated prior to the end of the 2026/27 regular season.

Williams suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Clippers and was immediately stretchered off the court, giving the crowd two thumbs up as he was carried off. Williams had been trying to find his rhythm after a disjointed previous season dealing with injuries.

While there has been speculation that Williams’ latest injury will cost him the entire 2026/27 season, the Thunder have not yet confirmed that timeline. Reevaluating him prior to the end of the regular season leaves the door open for his potential return in the spring, even if the odds may be slim.

The Thunder will now have to proceed without their secondary offensive creator as well as their top perimeter defender, Cason Wallace, who is out indefinitely with a torn labrum. In their absences, the team started Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain in their win over the Suns on Monday.

The decision, which was due by November 2, guarantees Risacher’s $17.4MM salary for the 2027/28 season, ensuring that he’ll become extension-eligible next July.

Dallas acquired the former No. 1 overall pick in July as part of the three-team trade that sent Luguentz Dort to the Hawks. In his four games this season with the Mavs, the 6’8″ forward has averaged 8.0 points, and 6.0 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game and has struggled with his efficiency, hitting just 30.8% of his shots from the floor and 17.6% of his three-pointers.

However, Risacher has been extremely active defensively — as we noted earlier today, he entered the day tied for second in the NBA in “stocks” (steals and blocks) with 16 through four games. He set the franchise record for most steals in a debut, with five against the Rockets last Wednesday, the team noted in its announcement.

Both team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz are high on Risacher, adds Marc Stein of The Stein Line (via Twitter), who says that this decision had been expected. Head coach Dusty May also recently spoke highly of Risacher, despite his struggles, Grant Afseth writes for Dallas Sports Journal.

“Zacch is finding himself now, he’s still so young. We really, really value and appreciate those plays,” May said. “However many missed shots he had, he had twice as many loose balls and blocks and steals and rebounds and the ones that don’t show up where he just gets a hand on it, where it’s maybe coming to Bam or Giannis, and he just gets a fingertip and then our guards dig it out. There’s no stat for that, but those are valued in our program and within our team.”

Risacher believes that the shot will come around, but he also knows that with offensive stars like Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving on the roster, his role will be to play defense, do the dirty work, and capitalize on the opportunities given to him by the team cornerstones.

As our tracker shows, the Mavs also exercised Flagg’s $15.2MM option for 2027/28 earlier this month.

“It’s the same thing,” Isaac said. “It was a sprain and a bruise. And I’ve had a little bit of nerve issue on the left side of my knee. So dealing with that, it’s been a slow process unfortunately, but it’s been steady. So, I’m happy that I know I’ll play this season.”

Isaac re-signed with the Magic on a veteran’s minimum contract this summer after they waived him. He was already guaranteed $8MM on his $14.5MM contract before he was waived.

Isaac, who appeared in 52 games last season, is optimistic that he’s making progress toward a return to action.

“I’m taking a big step forward. I played 3-on-3,” he said. “My knee needs to calm down over the next couple days and then take the next big step playing 4-on-4. So, it’s just kind of like taking a couple steps forward, a little step back, couple steps forward, a little step back until my knee has adjusted to real contact, 100% speed and everything.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

• Forward Kevin Knox, who was waived by the Magic during training camp, is not listed on the Osceola Magic’s roster to open G League training camp, Beede tweets. Knox was in negotiations with a Spanish team earlier this month after spending all of last season in the G League with the Windy City Bulls, and his exclusion from Osceola’s roster suggests an overseas deal may be in the cards.
• Nikola Jovic, who was benched in the Heat’s last game after averaging 14.7 minutes in the first three, says he’s getting used to an undetermined role. Jovic’s four-year, $62.4MM extension began this season. “I’ve been going through similar stuff before. So, I can’t say I kind of didn’t expect it,” Jovic said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “But yeah, the more you’re used to that stuff, the easier it gets. I’m just ready for whatever is next.” Coach Erik Spoelstra admits he’s still searching for the right moments to play Jovic. “I’m still trying to find that spot for Niko,” he said. “So this is different than last year because he’s been giving us good minutes.”
• Brandon Miller signed a five-year, $208.8MM extension with the Hornets this month and is now looked upon as the team’s leader, Rod Boone writes in a Sporting News article. “They’re like, ‘You are that guy, we believe in you,’” Hornets coach Charles Lee said of how teammates view Miller. “‘So when we put the ball in your hand, go make a play. For yourself, for your teammates.’ Not only is Brandon prepared for it, but his teammates want to see him in those moments and they encourage him in those moments, which is really helping as well.” Through four games, Miller’s usage rate is 35.1%, up from 28.1% last season.

1:03 pm: Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will miss some time, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (story via Jamal Collier of ESPN.com).

A specific timeline for Haliburton’s return has not yet been established, with Pacers team doctors still evaluating the injury, sources tell ESPN. According to Tony East of Circle City Spin (Twitter link), head coach Rick Carlisle said during an appearance on 107.5 The Fan in Indianapolis that Haliburton will meet with those doctors, team executives, and a hamstring specialist later this afternoon.

“We’ll hope this hamstring thing is not a big deal or not any kind of a long-term thing,” Carlisle said. “But as I said, we’ll know more about that later this evening.”

Haliburton returned to action this fall after missing the entire 2025/26 season while recovering from an Achilles tear he suffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. That injury was to his right Achilles. In some instances, a player coming off a major injury in one leg can sustain an injury in his other leg as a result of overcompensating or favoring the healthy leg, though it’s unclear if that’s what happened in this case.

For what it’s worth, Haliburton didn’t miss a beat in terms of his production upon returning to action last week. Through four games, he had averaged 21.8 points, 9.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .516/.370/.867.

Backup point guard T.J. McConnell has yet to make his season debut for Indiana due to a hamstring strain of his own, while Andrew Nembhard is considered questionable to play on Wednesday due to neck soreness, as we relayed earlier today. The Pacers would be short on ball-handling and play-making if all three guards are sidelined and would need players like Quenton Jackson and Pascal Siakam to take on increased responsibilities on offense.