NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 10/31

Oct 31st 2023

Cooper BoniJohn Raudebaugh

Each day, this column will provide live updates for all NBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current NBA slate.

Key NBA News to Watch

  • Devin Booker (ankle) — Out

  • Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) — In

  • Ivica Zubac (thigh) — In

  • Norman Powell (foot) — Available

  • Caris LeVert (hamstring) — Out

Recent NBA News

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson

The Knicks scored the league's fewest paint points per game (38.0) in their first three outings. They finished with just 24 points in that area in the season opener, but have scored more each time they've played. The numbers could continue to improve in a game against Cleveland, whose opponents have averaged the eighth-most paint points per game (52.0).

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Confirmed Lineup: Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley

  • Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) — In

  • Caris LeVert (hamstring) — Out

  • Darius Garland (hamstring) — Out

  • Jarrett Allen (ankle) — Out

  • Ty Jerome (ankle) — Out

  • Ricky Rubio (personal) — NWT

San Antonio Spurs News

Confirmed Lineup: Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama, Zach Collins

After Wembanyama finished with 11 points in the last contest, coach Popovich spoke about some ways teams are attempting to defend this year's first-overall pick. “Everybody’s gonna be physical with him, try to knock him off balance and that sort of thing, and he’s got to get used to that," Popovich said. Wembanyama has taken 14 free throw attempts over the last two outings after attempting one in the opener.

Phoenix Suns News

Confirmed Lineup: Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic

  • Devin Booker (ankle) — Out

  • Bradley Beal (back) — Out

  • Damion Lee (knee) — Injured

The Suns will play a fourth consecutive game in which their new trio won't take the court together. In the first three contests, Phoenix posted a 29.7% three-point percentage, the league's sixth-lowest. They'll have another tough matchup as teams have converted just 32.2% of their attempts from deep against the Spurs.

Orlando Magic News

Confirmed Lineup: Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.

  • Jonathan Isaac (rest) — Out

Los Angeles Clippers News

Confirmed Lineup: Russell Westbrook, Bones Hyland, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac

  • Ivica Zubac (thigh) — In

  • Norman Powell (foot) — Available

  • James Harden (reconditioning) — Out

  • PJ Tucker (acquired) — Out

  • Filip Petrusev (acquired) — Out

  • Terance Mann (ankle) — Out

  • Brandon Boston Jr. (quad) — Out

  • Josh Primo (suspension) — Out

Late Monday night, the Clippers completed a trade with the Sixers that landed them Harden and PJ Tucker. They sent back Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks, and a pick swap. Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday that, in "a lot of ways, (James) Harden eventually wore down the Sixers organization." Los Angeles didn't want to part ways with Mann, a stance that was widely reported to be holding up a potential Harden deal for the past few weeks, and they ultimately didn't have to.