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.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
December 2025
Antetokounmpo is back in action after missing eight games with a right calf strain suffered against Detroit. Milwaukee went 2-6 without him and sit 11th in the East at 12-19, but remain within touching distance of the playoff places. Having previously battled a left adductor issue and an earlier calf strain that ended his 2023-24 season, Giannis focused his rehab on getting fully healthy amid persistent trade speculation. He insists he is “locked in” on the Bucks, recognising outside noise but prioritising fitness and a push back up the Eastern Conference standings.
Ace Bailey
December 2025
Utah rookie Ace Bailey left in the first half against Detroit with a left hip strain and did not return, snapping a run of strong offensive form in which the No. 5 pick had averaged 10.7 points and reached double figures in four consecutive games for the Jazz. Bailey logged 11 scoreless minutes before departing, with Brice Sensabaugh starting the second half in his place. The Jazz will now assess the severity of the strain, weighing caution against their reliance on Bailey’s length and versatility, especially in late-game situations where he has often featured.
Anthony Davis
December 2025
Dallas Mavericks center Anthony Davis exited the Christmas matchup against the Golden State Warriors with groin spasms after pulling up while running in the second quarter, adding another setback in a season already interrupted by a significant left calf issue. Davis left with three points, three rebounds and two blocks in under 11 minutes before medical staff ruled him out for the remainder, with no firm return date yet as Dallas weigh short-term depth problems against the need to protect a key big man’s health.
