Tyler Herro
January 2026
Tyler Herro returned from a right big-toe contusion, coming off the bench and scoring 17 points with nine rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes as Miami lost heavily to Minnesota. He was eased back in a bench role after a long layoff. The report notes he had barely played this season before the injury, making his availability and conditioning a key focus as Miami rebuilds rotations.
Keegan Murray
January 2026
The Kings announced Keegan Murray has a moderate left ankle sprain and will be reevaluated in three to four weeks. Murray suffered the injury in a loss to Milwaukee, adding to a disrupted season after an earlier thumb ligament injury, as Sacramento sit near the bottom of the West.
Max Strus
January 2026
Cleveland said Max Strus needs more time to fully heal from a Jones fracture after August surgery, delaying his return timeline. Imaging showed healing not complete, with a follow-up evaluation scheduled within four weeks alongside the team’s medical staff and surgeon review.
James Harden
January 2026
James Harden missed the Clippers’ game against the Warriors due to right-shoulder stiffness, only his third absence of the season. Harden went through warmups before being ruled out, with Tyronn Lue pointing to fatigue from carrying the offense during Kawhi Leonard’s injury spell and heavy minutes throughout the season.
Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun
January 2026
Denver will have Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun available again after long injury absences, offering relief during a roster crunch caused by Nikola Jokić and Jonas Valančiūnas injuries. Both return with likely minutes restrictions. Coach David Adelman said both players improved over the last 48 hours and would test in warmups, then were cleared to play. Denver’s frontcourt and rotation have been severely strained after Jokić’s knee injury and Valančiūnas’ calf strain.
Victor Wembanyama
January 2026
Victor Wembanyama will miss another game due to left knee soreness after hyperextending the knee against New York. San Antonio ruled him out versus Portland, adding to his missed games total this season. The Spurs are giving him more recovery time after he avoided major damage on Wednesday. With the 65-game threshold for major awards in play, additional absences could affect eligibility if he approaches the maximum allowed missed games.
Jonas Valančiūnas
January 2026
Jonas Valančiūnas suffered a right calf strain after Denver’s 106-103 win over Toronto and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. The injury worsens Denver’s availability issues with multiple starters already missing. Valančiūnas has been key as Denver’s backup center after arriving in free agency, providing steady minutes and production. With several starters out, his absence further strains rotation stability and frontcourt depth.
Victor Wembanyama
January 2026
Victor Wembanyama hyperextended his left knee in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks and briefly went to the locker room. He returned to the bench, watched a 134-132 win, and said he feels fine and expects no absence. Wembanyama said the injury being a hyperextension is a positive sign, described himself as sore but confident, and noted staff had to hold him back from re-entering. He walked without a limp when he returned, and is scheduled for further testing Thursday.
Nikola Jokić
December 2025
Nikola Jokić left Denver’s loss in Miami after appearing to injure his left knee just before halftime, with the Nuggets providing no immediate clarity on severity. His absence would heavily impact Denver given their injury list. A teammate stepped on Jokić’s left foot in the final seconds of the second quarter and his knee appeared to buckle. He was helped up and walked to the locker room, then did not return, as Denver were already missing multiple rotation players.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
December 2025
Giannis returned from a right calf strain to power Milwaukee’s 112-103 win in Chicago, scoring 29 points in under 25 minutes and transforming a Bucks team that had gone 3-11 without him and arrived with a 12-19 record, tied for its worst 31-game start of his era. Doc Rivers carefully limited him to 28 minutes across three second-half stints despite Giannis’ frustration, while teammates highlighted how his scoring, rim protection and gravity restored belief and sharpened execution, snapping a brutal month and giving Milwaukee a platform to climb the East once the rest of the roster also improves.
