2022 NBA Injury Report Week 7: Karl-Anthony Towns, Khris Middleton, and James Harden Injury Updates
Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns headlines this week's NBA injury report as he's going to miss four to six weeks with an injured calf. Orlando Magic guards Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz are set to make their return taking them off the injury report, but their teammate Jalen Suggs has been added to it. Speaking of returns, we are being told that we're just a couple of games away from seeing Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton make his regular-season debut and Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden should return to the basketball court within the next week. Here's the NBA injury report for week seven of the fantasy basketball season.
NAME | POS. | TEAM | INJURY | DATE INJURED | EXP. RETURN DATE | ANALYSIS |
Nassir Little | F | POR | Hip | 29-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Little hurt his hip and he's going to sit for probably a couple of games and while he's out, Justise Winslow will see more playing time, and with Damian Lillard still out, Shaedon Sharpe should see more shots. |
Karl-Anthony Towns | PF/C | MIN | Calf | 28-Nov | Late Dec-Early Jan | Towns is dealing with a strained calf and we don't know if we'll see him back in action before the year turns. While he's out, Kyle Anderson should see a major bump in minutes and we should even see Jaylen Nowell take a few more shots even if he plays with the reserves. |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | G | OKC | Hip | 28-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Gilgeous-Alexander has some pain in his hip and he'll need to sit out at least one game and Josh Giddey will spend more time with the ball and we should see more of Tre Mann and Aaron Wiggins. |
Ben Simmons | G/PF | BKN | Knee | 28-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Simmons will be monitored closely by Nets Doctors because of how much time he's missed over the last couple of years and while Simmons recover, Joe Harris should see a few more minutes. He has a sore knee. |
Naji Marshall | SG/SF | NOP | Illness | 28-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Marshall has had to sit because he's been sick and it comes at a not-ideal time as Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum are also sidelined and while he recovers, Dyson Daniels continues to hit the 20-minute mark and they can also turn to Devonte Graham. Trey Murphy will see more shots. |
Jakob Poeltl | C | SAS | Knee | 26-Nov | Early to Mid December | Poeltl is sidelined with an injured knee and could be out for a couple of weeks and Zach Collins and Charles Bassey will help fill the void in the middle for the Spurs. |
Jeremy Sochan | PF | SAS | Quad | 26-Nov | Early to Mid December | Sochan injured his Quad recently and may need a couple of weeks to recover and Zach Collins and Charles Bassey will have to help Keldon Johnson guard the inside as Jakob Poeltl is also hurt. Isaiah Roby could walk in a few more minutes as well. |
Brandon Ingram | SG/F | NOP | Toe | 25-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Ingram has missed a few games because of a toe injury and while he's sidelined, Trey Murphy will see more shots. Zion Williamson should also be prioritized even more with CJ McCollum also out. Herbert Jones could pick up more shots as well. |
Jarrett Allen | C | CLE | Back | 25-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Allen has had to sit with an injured back and if he needs any more time off, Dean Wade will be needed to help Evan Mobley in the post. The Cavs secondary pieces are a bit banged up right now. They may need to turn to Robin Lopez for relief. |
Jaden Ivey | G | DET | Knee | 25-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Ivey has a sore knee and while he's been out, Killian Hayes has been killing it and he's been very helpful on both sides of the ball. Alec Burks and Cory Joseph can also help run the point with both Ivey and Cade Cunningham out. |
Jalen Suggs | G | ORL | Ankle | 25-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Help is on the way for the Magic as they've recently seen Gary Harris return to action and Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz have been activated and they will need to fill in for the injured Suggs. The Magic will take this time to re-configure their rotation moving forward now that they're close to full strength. |
Taurean Prince | F | MIN | Shoulder | 23-Nov | Early to Mid December | Prince could potentially be back in a couple of games and he will be much needed with Karl-Anthony Towns hurt and until he's ready to come back, Kyle Anderson will see a lot more playing time and Jaden McDaniels will have to post up more on both sides of the ball. |
Dennis Smith Jr | PG | CHA | Ankle | 23-Nov | DAY TO DAY | We're not expecting an extended absence, but Smith is yet another Hornets back or mid-court player to get hurt and with LaMelo Ball also hurt with an ankle injury, Terry Rozier will be getting assisted by Theo Maledon and James Bouknight until he's ready to return. |
Gordon Hayward | F | CHA | Shoulder | 23-Nov | No Timetable | After returning from a shoulder injury earlier in November, three games later, Hayward is back on the shelf apparently with a fractured shoulder and even his wife is claiming that it's pretty severe. We don't know when we'll see him back and Kelly Oubre Jr and Jalen McDaniels will help fill in at SF with Cody Martin still out. |
CJ McCollum | G | NOP | COVID | 23-Nov | DAY TO DAY | McCollum is in the league's health and safety protocols and has had to sit for a few games and while he's out Jose Alvarado and Devonte Graham will need to help run the point until he returns in the next couple of games. |
Michael Porter Jr. | F | DEN | Heel | 22-Nov | DAY TO DAY | What a surprise, Porter is hurt again and has had to miss a few games and if his heel needs more time to recover, Aaron Gordon and Bruce Brown should absolutely benefit by getting more shots and time with the ball. |
Kawhi Leonard | SF | LAC | Ankle | 21-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Leonard continues to sit with an injured ankle. While he's out, Marcus Morris and even Nicolas Batum should see more action on the floor and Norman Powell picks up more shots. |
Mike Muscala | C | OKC | Finger | 21-Nov | December | Muscala fractured his pinky and will need a few weeks to recover and while he's out Darius Bazley will see more minutes in the post and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl should see a few starts along the way. For now, Muscala is looking at an early December return. |
Chuma Okeke | PF | ORL | Knee | 21-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Okeke has missed some games with a sore knee and while he's out Bol Bol will get more playing time and we could see Mo Wagner pick up some playing time as he's making his return from injury for the Magic. |
Serge Ibaka | PF/C | MIL | Illness | 21-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Ibaka has been sick and he's missed a few games and that will create more playing time for Bobby Portis who backs up starting center Brook Lopez. |
Jordan McLaughlin | PG | MIN | Calf | 21-Nov | DAY TO DAY | McLaughlin has missed a few games with an injured calf and if he needs any more time off the floor, Jaylen Nowell will back up D'Angelo Russell and get more time with the rock. |
Kevin Love | PF/C | CLE | Thumb | 21-Nov | No Timetable | Love has missed multiple games with an injured thumb and he's clearly not feeling comfortable in his hand as he's back on the sidelines and Evan Mobley and Dean Wade can shift to center to help Love if he needs more time off. |
Josh Richardson | SG/SF | SAS | Ankle | 20-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Richardson is dealing with a minor ankle injury and Devin Vassell and even Jakob Poeltl could see more shots if he has to miss any more time. Romeo Langford will pick up minutes in the short term. |
Yuta Watanabe | F | BKN | Hamstring | 20-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Watanabe has a sore hamstring and will need another few games to recover and Ben Simmons and Markieff Morris will have to help guard the post a bit more along with Nicolas Claxton. |
Jeff Green | PF/C | DEN | Knee | 20-Nov | No Timetable | We don't know when we'll see Green back on the court again, but while he's out, the Nuggets will rely on DeAndre Jordan to back up Nikola Jokic at center. Zeke Nnaji should see an uptick in action as well. |
Paul George | SG/SF | LAC | Hamstring | 19-Nov | DAY TO DAY | George hasn't played since the middle of November with a strained hamstring, but we could potentially see him return in another few games. While he's out Norman Powell will be one of the top prioritized scorers and Terance Mann and Nicolas Batum will grab more minutes. |
Damian Lillard | PG | POR | Calf | 19-Nov | Early December | Lillard is back on the shelf with a strained calf and we could potentially see him return to the court in the next week, but while he's out, Anfernee Simons and Josh Hart will help run the offense more and Shaedon Sharpe will take more shots. |
Mike Conley | PG | UTA | Leg | 19-Nov | December | Conley has a strain in his leg and the veteran point guard is still considered day-to-day after missing a handful of games and while he's sidelined, Jordan Clarkson will run the point more and he'll be assisted by Malik Beasley and Collin Sexton. |
Rui Hachimura | F | WAS | Ankle | 18-Nov | No Timetable | Hachimura has a bone bruise on his ankle and we don't know when we'll see him take the court again and Anthony Gill and even an undersized Will Barton will have to help Kyle Kuzma guard the post. |
Wendell Carter Jr | PF/C | ORL | Foot | 18-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Carter is dealing with a strained foot and continues to sit and if he needs more time off the floor, Bol Bol, Mo Bamba, and Chuma Okeke (when healthy) will see more action on the court. |
Tyrese Maxey | PG | PHI | Foot | 18-Nov | Mid to Late December | Maxey joins James Harden on the shelf and we won't see him back on the court again until at least the middle of December and while he's sidelined, Shake Milton will help De'Anthony Melton run the 76ers offense and Milton sees a major usage bump. |
Jimmy Butler | F | MIA | Knee | 16-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Butler should be good to go in the Heat's next few games as they've suffered from a lot of injuries over the last few weeks. Max Strus and Caleb Martin will see his minutes boosted until Butler returns. |
LaMelo Ball | PG | CHA | Ankle | 16-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Ball is once again dealing with an ankle injury after just returning to action. He's played in just three games all year and while he's out Terry Rozier and Dennis Smith Jr will be the main playmakers. |
Luke Kennard | SG/SF | LAC | Calf | 15-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Kennard has missed time with an injured calf and while he's sidelined, Norman Powell will be relied on even more and Terance Mann could pick up reserve minutes as well. |
Otto Porter Jr | F | TOR | Foot | 14-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Porter is dealing with a couple of injuries in his foot and the Raptors already run a tight rotation when fully healthy, but Porter was able to get more playing time when some of the starters got hurt. Chris Boucher will see more playing time with Porter out. |
Rudy Gay | F | UTA | Finger | 13-Nov | December | Gay is dealing with an injured finger and while he recovers Jarred Vanderbilt will have to play more and Walker Kessler could see a few more minutes as the rookie looks to gain more experience in the post. Kelly Olynyk can also shift to PF. |
Desmond Bane | SG/SF | MEM | Toe | 11-Nov | December | Bane is recovering from a sprained toe and Dillon Brooks (if healthy) will see more shots and John Konchar has filled in at multiple positions and he can toggle to the SG position. From the reports we've been seeing, Bane seems like he's still a few weeks away from returning. He's starting to practice a little. |
Cade Cunningham | G | DET | Shin | 9-Nov | No Timetable | We don't know when we'll see Cunningham back on the floor. He could be dealing with a fractured shin. Jaden Ivey (when healthy) will see a lot more time with the rock and other backcourt Pistons such as Alec Burks and Killian Hayes should see more usage. |
Precious Achiuwa | C | TOR | Ankle | 9-Nov | No Timetable | Achiuwa has ligament damage in his ankle and while he's shelved, Chris Boucher and Khem Birch will have to help Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby guard the post. |
Chris Paul | PG | PHX | Heel | 7-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Paul wasn't expected to miss many games, but he's starting to rack up the inactive statuses game after game and until he comes back Cameron Payne will run the point. Devin Booker will help out as well. |
Keon Johnson | SG/SF | POR | Hip | 5-Nov | Mid to Late December | Johnson has missed a handful of games with an injured hip and he'll need a few more weeks to recover and we'll see Justise Winslow and Shaedon Sharpe pick up more shots in a few more minutes as well. |
Chris Duarte | SG/SF | IND | Ankle | 4-Nov | Early to Mid December | Duarte is recovering from an ankle injury and still needs at least a few more games to recover. Buddy Hield and Bennedict Mathurin will see more time with the ball and shots until Duarte is ready. Andrew Nembhard will grab reserve mid-court minutes. |
Cameron Johnson | F | PHX | Knee | 4-Nov | December-January | Johnson recently had a procedure on his knee and we may not see him back on the floor until after new years. While he's out, Mikal Bridges will see more shots and Torrey Craig will see a major minutes boost. |
Tyler Herro | SG | MIA | Ankle | 4-Nov | DAY TO DAY | Herro has had to sit because of a sprained ankle and is very close to returning but if he needs another game or two to recover, Max Strus and Kyle Lowry will see more shots. Duncan Robinson should see more long-range scoring opportunities. |
James Harden | G | PHI | Foot | 2-Nov | DAY TO DAY | New reports have told us that Harden could make his return to the court in the next week. Until then, De'Anthony Melton and Shake Milton will see a lot more time with the ball and more shots as well. |
Jae'Sean Tate | F | HOU | Ankle | 30-Oct | December | Tate's timetable is beginning to become a little unclear as he's been hurt for most of the year. We'll keep him DTD for now. Eric Gordon and Tari Eason will benefit by receiving more minutes in the interim. |
Blake Wesley | SG | SAS | Knee | 30-Oct | Late Dec-Early Jan | Wesley sprained his MCL and will be on the shelf for potentially until the new year and while he's sidelined Josh Richardson (if healthy) and Tre Jones will have to handle more of the scoring burden. |
Delon Wright | G | WAS | Hamstring | 25-Oct | Mid to Late December | Wright will miss at least a few weeks of action with this hamstring injury. While he's out Monte Morris will get a lot more minutes and Corey Kispert and Jonathan Goodwin can help run the point as well until Wright returns. |
Cody Martin | SG/SF | CHA | Knee | 19-Oct | December-January | Martin had knee surgery recently and we don't know if we'll see him before January at this point. The Hornets backcourt is banged up and Kelly Oubre Jr will be a key contributor along with Jalen McDaniels. |
Khris Middleton | F | MIL | Wrist | Pre-Season | DAY TO DAY | The regular-season debut of Khris Middleton is coming soon as new reports have indicated that he'll return in the Bucks next couple of games from off-season wrist surgery. Grayson Allen will take more shots and Jordan Nwora and see an uptick in minutes until Middleton returns. |
Robert Williams | C | BOS | Knee | Pre-Season | December-January | We've received updates that Williams is practicing and could potentially take the court in the next few weeks. While he's out, Al Horford will start at center and Noah Vonleh will back him up with Grant Williams helping out more at PF. |
Lonzo Ball | PG | CHI | Knee | Pre-Season | No Timetable | We still don't know when Ball will be back on the court but it is possible he makes it back before the end of the season. Ayo Dosunmu will continue drawing starts and both Goran Dragic and Coby White are other options to run the point. Zach LaVine will bring up the rock too. |
Danilo Gallinari | PF | BOS | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | OUT FOR THE SEASON | Gallinari won't play this season after tearing his ACL. Grant Williams and Blake Griffin will help Jayson Tatum guard the post. |
Ricky Rubio | PG | CLE | Torn ACL | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Rubio tore his ACL at the end of last year and as we wait for him to recover, Donovan Mitchell and Raul Neto will help Darius Garland run the point. We should have an official update on Rubio in the next week or two after he gets his knee checked out. |
Gary Payton II | G | POR | Abs | Pre-Season | December | Payton isn't over the pain yet and that's pushed back his expected return date and we thought he would have returned by now. Rookie Shaedon Sharpe will continue having a bigger role until Payton is ready. Payton will be a key reserve for Portland when he's ready. |
Omer Yurtseven | C | MIA | Ankle | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Yurtseven just had ankle surgery and we don't know when we'll see him back on the floor leaving Dewayne Dedmon the reserve minutes behind Bam Adebayo who has been playing over 35 minutes per game. |
Victor Oladipo | SG/SF | MIA | Knee | Pre-Season | December | Oladipo is another player who isn't a stranger to health issues and even when he's ready to play, he'll have his minutes monitored. Max Strus has been playing over 30 minutes per game and will continue doing so even when Oladipo plays. He's practicing and we could potentially see him get on the floor this month. |
Jonathan Isaac | F | ORL | Knee | Pre-Season | December | It's been a long time since we've seen Isaac take the floor, but he recently told the media that he's on the right track and could return in the next month. Even when he eventually gets on the floor, he'll be under heavy playing time restrictions. Bol Bol and Chuma Okeke (when healthy) will continue to see a bump in playing time. |
Joe Ingles | F | MIL | Knee | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Ingles is coming off of a torn ACL, and we won't see him take the floor for a few months. While he's out Wes Matthews (when healthy) and Jordan Nwora will continue seeing more playing time even when Khris Middleton re-joins the team. |
T.J. Warren | F | BKN | Foot | Pre-Season | DAY TO DAY | Warren is very close to returning and once he does, he'll likely be restricted for a few weeks so that his body can re-adjust. Royce O'Neale will continue starting and Markieff Morris will see reserve minutes at PF relieving Kevin Durant. |
Ziaire Williams | SF | MEM | Knee | Pre-Season | December | Williams hasn't played yet and he'll need more time to recover. Dillon Brooks (if healthy) will get even more playing time and John Konchar has done an excellent job producing points, boards and steals in the mid-court. |
Daniel Theis | C | IND | Knee | Pre-Season | No Timetable | Theis won't be seen on the floor for a while after having knee surgery. Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith can help relieve Myles Turner at center pushing Theis way down the bench when he's healthy. |