Stephen Curry Exits Early Against Pistons with Knee Issue
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (knee) did not return Friday against Detroit after dealing with right knee soreness, wrapping up the night with 23 points, two assists, one rebound, one block, and 25 minutes before heading to the locker room in the third quarter. Curry was noticeably limited before his exit and should be viewed as questionable for Tuesday against Philadelphia. De'Anthony Melton has already been operating with an expanded role following Jimmy Butler's (knee) season-ending absence and continued to deliver with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists. If Curry misses additional time, Melton's usage and minutes could climb further, while Pat Spencer, Brandin Podziemski, and Will Richard would see modest bumps in deeper fantasy formats.
Source: Warriors PR
Source: Warriors PR
Cade Cunningham Ready to Rock Friday
Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham (hip) will play on Friday night against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, ESPN's Anthony Slater reports. Detroit's leading man was a slight doubt for the game due to a sore right hip, but he has been cleared for action and will start the contest. After some disappointing outings earlier this month, Cunningham has been back to his best in recent games. He has averaged 25.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, and 2.0 steals over the last three contests.
Source: Anthony Slater
Source: Anthony Slater
Gui Santos Available Against Pistons
Golden State Warriors forward Gui Santos (calf) has been cleared for action and will play on Friday against the Detroit Pistons. The team has upgraded Santos from probable to available ahead of tip-off. Santos is coming off a season-best 16-point performance against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. On Friday, he will go up against a much better team and a tighter defense, making it difficult for Santos to replicate his performance.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Caris LeVert Remains Sidelined Friday
Detroit Pistons guard/forward Caris LeVert (illness) will miss a sixth consecutive game on Friday against the Golden State Warriors. The veteran is having trouble shaking off an illness and was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report. In LeVert's absence, Daniss Jenkin has held a regular role in the rotation. However, his performances as a reserve have been up and down. LeVert's next chance to return will come on Sunday against his first NBA team, the Brooklyn Nets.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Craig Porter Jr. Out Against Suns
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (knee) will miss Friday's matchup against the Phoenix Suns. He was a late addition to the injury report due to left knee soreness, and Cleveland has downgraded Porter Jr.'s status from questionable to out. Porter Jr. is a reserve playmaker for the Cavaliers, and his absence shouldn't significantly affect how the team operates. Lonzo Ball is a natural option to fill in for him.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Jonas Valanciunas Active Friday
Denver Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas (calf) will be active against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Valanciunas put in a 25-minute shift in Thursday's win over Brooklyn and is ready to play for a second consecutive night after initially being listed as probable. Nikola Jokic's (knee) return will push Valanciunas to the bench, and he will have a tough time making fantasy contributions going forward. As a reserve, Valanciunas has been limited to 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Jamal Murray Upgraded to Available Friday
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray (hamstring, hip) will play in Friday's tilt against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has upgraded his status from probable to available. Murray has been hot recently and tallied 27 points with six assists in Thursday's win over Brooklyn. With Nikola Jokic (knee) back in the lineup, Murray's offensive usage will drop, but he will remain a key cog in the Nuggets' offense.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Nikola Jokic Officially Available Friday
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (knee) has been officially listed as available for Friday's contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. The three-time MVP is ready to make his first appearance of 2026 after recovering from a left knee bone bruise. Jokic had a monster game with 55 points and 14 rebounds in his previous meeting with the Clippers. Nuggets head coach Rick Adelman has confirmed that Jokic will have a minutes limit on Friday. Even so, the Serbian superstar doesn't need to see a lot of action to fill the box score.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Neemias Queta Back in Action Friday
Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (illness) will return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Sacramento Kings. The Portuguese big man couldn't play on Wednesday against Atlanta due to illness. Amari Williams and Luka Garza shared the center minutes in Queta's absence. With Williams back in the G League, Queta looks set to resume his regular duties as Boston's starting center. The 26-year-old has averaged 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24.9 minutes this season. Queta has a good opportunity to shine on Friday, as Sacramento won't have Domantas Sabonis (knee) in the lineup. Additionally, the Kings give up the second-most fantasy points to centers.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Miles McBride Misses Friday's Game
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (ankle) will be absent for a second consecutive game on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. This was expected after McBride was downgraded to doubtful on the injury report earlier in the day. McBride's absence will secure expanded roles for Landry Shamet and Tyler Kolek, but neither player has provided consistent fantasy value. Still, Kolek impressed with his playmaking on Wednesday against Toronto, delivering 10 assists.
Source: Steve Popper
Source: Steve Popper
Josh Hart Active Against Trail Blazers
New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart (ankle) will play against his former team, the Portland Trail Blazers, on Friday night, Steve Popper of Newsday reports. He was initially uncertain for the contest due to ankle soreness, but the team has officially listed him as available. Hart's offensive production tends to be inconsistent, but he's done a solid job overall for the Knicks. Across eight January appearances, Hart has averaged 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.0 steals. Among these games is an 18-point outing against Portland that occurred three weeks ago.
Source: Steve Popper
Source: Steve Popper
Tre Johnson Out Against Lakers
Washington Wizards guard/forward Tre Johnson (ankle) won't play on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He sprained his left ankle during Thursday's win over Milwaukee and will sit out at least one game due to the injury. On Thursday, Bub Carrington started the second half in Johnson's absence and figures to have a larger role again in Friday's game. Malaki Branham could also be more involved in the rotation, especially with Khris Middleton (knee) also absent against the Lakers.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Khris Middleton Sits Out Meeting With Lakers
Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton (knee) won't play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Washington will be in action for a second consecutive night, and it's not surprising that Middleton will be held out of Friday's contest due to his right knee injury. With Middleton out, Will Riley could see an expanded role against the Lakers, though the 19-year-old hasn't been a very productive player during his rookie campaign. Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington may get a chance to step up offensively without Middleton.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Austin Reaves Remains Out Friday
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (calf) won't play in Friday's game against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. Reaves is nearing his return and had a questionable tag on the initial injury report, but he isn't quite ready to play yet. His next chance for a comeback will be on Sunday against the New York Knicks. Reaves' absence from the backcourt allows Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent to play larger roles. While Smart had a disappointing two-point outing on Wednesday against Cleveland, he has played well in January. He's in a great bounce-back spot on Friday against the Wizards, who allow 122.3 points per game.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Source: Dave McMenamin
Luka Doncic Cleared to Play Friday
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic (ankle) will be available on Friday against the Washington Wizards, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. The NBA's leading scorer tweaked his left ankle in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland and was listed as questionable on the initial injury report. Doncic has notched 33.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game during his first full season in L.A. He could cook up something very special against the league's second-worst defense on Friday.
Source: Dave McMenamin
Source: Dave McMenamin
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