There was some hope that Williamson would return late in the season to provide the Pelicans with a big boost, but that won’t be the case. Williamson is not expected to return to the floor for New Orleans this season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Williamson continues to recover from the fractured foot he suffered over the offseason, so hopefully he’ll be good to go at the start of next season.
Damian Lillard will miss the remainder of the season while recovering from abdominal surgery he underwent in January, the Blazers recently announced. Lillard has been dealing with this abdominal issue since at least last season. He struggled in the Olympics while playing through it, and he shot career lows from the field (40.2 percent) and behind the arc (32.4 percent) while averaging just 24 points per game. Lillard played just 29 games for Portland this season.
Curry collided with Celtics guard Marcus Smart during a recent game and was eventually diagnosed with a sprained ligament in his left foot. X-rays showed no fractures or structural damage, and the Warriors are optimistic that he will return in time for the start of the playoffs. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
There is still no firm timetable when it comes to Anthony Davis’ return to game action for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the All-Star forward recently said he’s “very optimistic” that he’ll be able to get back out there this season. Davis suffered a foot sprain in a game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 16, and he has been sidelined since.
The Suns suffer a big blow after it’s announced ahead of the All-Star Game that Chris Paul suffered a right thumb avulsion fracture that will sideline him for 6-8 weeks and possibly for the rest of the regular season. Phoenix sits comfortably in first place in the West, but will likely have to finish the regular season with its veteran leader sidelined.
Collins has played just four times since Feb. 11 due to multiple injuries. He is currently dealing with both a tear to the plantar fascia in his right foot and another injury to his right ring finger. At this stage, the Hawks do not know how long Collins will be out, but it will be at least 10-14 days.
Ball has been out seven weeks after undergoing surgery to fix a small meniscus tear in his left knee. Bulls coach Billy Donovan said there’s still not a timeline for his return because he isn’t fully cleared to start sprinting yet, and when asked if his return may not come until April, Donovan downplayed the idea, saying he can’t say one way or the other until he’s progressed a bit more.
The Blazers announced that Anfernee Simons will be out for 1-2 weeks after an MRI revealed patellar tendinopathy in his left knee. Simons stepped into a much bigger role this season after Damian Lillard underwent abdominal surgery and CJ McCollum was traded. He has excelled, averaging a career-high 17.3 points on 40.3 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Pacers center Myles Turner has not played since Jan. 14 because of a stress reaction in his left foot, but recently he posted a video of himself on Instagram running, catching a pass and scoring a layup with the caption “Day 1 of running,” with it. So it sounds as though Turner is making progress toward a return, but a timetable still isn’t set.
The Los Angeles Clippers star has been sidelined since Dec. 22 due to an elbow injury which was later revealed to be a torn ulnar collateral ligament. There were initial fears that George may need season-ending surgery, but he has been rehabbing with hopes of returning. Whether he’ll be able to do so, however, remains to be seen. Clippers head coach Ty Lue told reporters recently that George is “feeling better” and “making progress,” but will “need more time.”
Wiseman has recently been playing for the Warriors’ G League affiliate, following rehab back from a torn meniscus upon landing from a dunk attempt. His return has been delayed by knee swelling, though, so there is no firm timetable for his return to the Warriors.
With the season soon coming to a close for the lottery-destined Pacers, Indiana has announced that T.J. Warren will miss the entire 2021-22 regular season. The forward last played on Dec. 29, 2020, and has since been sidelined after having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.
Gordon Hayward is no longer in a walking boot after injuring his ankle against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 8. Hornets coach James Borrego said he’s “making progress,” but didn’t offer a timetable for his return.
Leonard went down with a torn ACL during the second round of the playoffs last season, and has not played since. There’s still no definitive timeline for his return, but his rehab is reportedly ahead of schedule and it’s possible he could play at some point this season. If Leonard does get on the court, that would obviously be a huge boost for the Clippers, who are fighting to remain in the playoff picture.
McConnell had surgery to repair torn ligaments in his right hand and is expected to miss several months, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Depending on his recovery, McConnell could be out for the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
The Denver Nuggets might be getting some help soon as they continue to jockey for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. Forward Michael Porter Jr. is expected to be cleared for on-court contact within the next week, per Porter’s agent, Mark Bartelstein. According to Bartelstein, that means Porter could return some time in March. Porter underwent back surgery in November and has been sidelined since.
The Nuggets have been without their star guard since late last season, when he tore his ACL against the Warriors. Murray has been ramping up his workouts and said recently that he feels “great.” Sources told The Athletic’s Sam Amick that “there is a strong sense within Denver’s locker room that Murray will be back in time for postseason play.
Raptors wing OG Anunoby is sidelined due to a fractured right ring finger. There is currently no timetable for his return, though obviously the Raptors are hoping that he can return in short order, as the team is in the midst of a tight battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.
Bradley Beal required season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist, Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed to ESPN. Beal has missed the past four games for Washington after attempting to take a charge against Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr . He initially stayed in the game, but has been out ever since. Now, his season, and perhaps his time in Washington, is over.
The Cavaliers’ fourth-year guard went down with a knee injury against the Knicks in early November. A few weeks later, the team announced that he had in fact suffered a torn meniscus, which required season-ending surgery. There’s never a good time for a major injury, but this was especially unfortunate for Sexton, who is set to be a free agent this summer. Sexton was reportedly looking for a deal in the four-year, $100 million range, and it will be interesting to see if he can still command that value.
The Nets announced on March 21 that Harris has undergone a successful surgery to repair a ligament in his ankle and is expected to be ready for the start of next season. “We all feel terrible for Joe,” Nets GM Sean Marks said earlier this year. “We all know just how much he means to this group, but again, he’ll be on the sideline cheering us on. That’s a big role unto itself, and there’s nobody more fitting to do that than Joe.”
The surprising Cavaliers suffered a massive blow in December when they announced veteran guard Ricky Rubio will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Rubio injured his knee in a loss to the Pelicans as he went down in clear pain and grabbed at his knee immediately. Rubio has since been traded to the Indiana Pacers, but he’s still expected to miss the rest of the season.
Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the season, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski . The team announced that Ingles will undergo surgery in the next several weeks. The injury occurred during the second quarter of Utah’s 126-106 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday night. Ingles was driving to the basket while being defended by Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin . It appeared as though Ingles began to gather to go up toward the hoop and his knee gave out on him. He fell to the ground and was ultimately helped back to the locker room and did not return to the game.
The Magic announced Isaac will miss the rest of the season. The last time he was on the court was over a year ago in the bubble in Orlando, when he suffered a devastating knee injury that included a torn meniscus and ACL.