Draymond Green will miss the rest of the preseason but does have a chance of playing in the Golden State Warriors’ regular season opener against the Phoenix Suns.

The Warriors have confirmed the forward will not feature in their final two preseason games against the Sacramento Kings and the San Antonio Spurs this week as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.

Golden State plays its first game of the NBA season at home against the Suns on October 24, with coach Steve Kerr saying his status for that contest is questionable, which is an upgrade to what was previously thought.

Whether the four-time NBA champion is ready to face the Suns or not, Kerr is glad Green is close to a return and will not rush him back prematurely.

"Opening night is questionable," Kerr said to 95.7 The Game.  

"He’s not going to play [in preseason] this week. But he is doing really well and moving much better. He went on the trip with us over the weekend and got in some individual workouts.

"I’m not overly concerned about whether he plays opening night or the second week of the season, whenever it comes.

"It’s a long year. We just want Draymond healthy because obviously, we need him. When he’s out there, we become one of the best defenses in the league.

"I just talked to him and he felt good in his [Tuesday] workout. He's moving around, he's doing some drill work on the court and by the end of the week hopefully he is playing some 3-on-3. We'll reevaluate at that point."

Green played in 73 NBA games last season but regularly battled minor ailments, while he missed a month of the 2021-22 campaign with a back injury.

The 33-year-old agreed to a new four-year, $100 million contract with the Warriors in June.

Zion Williamson scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter and Brandon Ingram had 18 to lead the New Orleans Pelicans a 104-92 preseason victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.

Williamson finished the opening quarter with 10 points, four steals, two assists and a rebound and shot 6 of 8 in 16 minutes overall before exiting for good.

Franz Wagner led the Magic with 19 points and brother Moritz Wagner added 16. The brothers combined to shoot 15 of 21 while the rest of the team shot 20 of 63.

Elsewhere in the NBA, Jayson Tatum poured in 28 points with five of his team’s 23 3-pointers and Kristaps Porzingis had 20 points in the Boston Celtics’ 123-110 win over the New York Knicks.

Jaylen Brown scored 17 points for Boston, which connected on 23 of 52 from long range.

Quentin Grimes paced the Knicks with 22 points, including 7 of 12 on 3-pointers. 

In Oklahoma City, Josh Giddey scored 19 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 to propel the hot-shooting Thunder to a 124-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giddey was 9 of 12 from the field and Holmgren was 7 of 8 as part of the Thunder’s 56.5 percent (48 of 85) shooting effort that included 18 of 39 from 3-point range.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes, while Damian Lillard scored just five points on 2-of-11 shooting in his second game with Milwaukee.

Kevin Porter Jr.'s days with the Houston Rockets are officially over, and he's being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

He won't be playing in any games with his new team, however.

The Thunder are reportedly acquiring two draft picks and the troubled point guard from the Rockets and will immediately waive Porter. Oklahoma City is sending Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to Houston to complete the trade.

The Rockets wanted to cut ties with Porter and in order for Oklahoma City to acquire the picks - second-round selections in 2027 and 2028 - the deal had to include him. The Thunder also must pay the $16.9million guaranteed left on his four-year contract.

The trade was reported Tuesday by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Porter was arrested September 11 and charged with assault and strangulation of his girlfriend.

Porter and his girlfriend - former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick - were staying at the Millennium Hotel in New York, and per a police report, she was upset he returned early in the morning and locked him out of the room.

Porter was able to gain access to the room with the help of hotel security, and he then assaulted her, according to the report.

Earlier this month, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said Porter was no longer a part of the organisation.

Porter was second on the Rockets in scoring last season with a career-high average of 19.2 points per game while averaging a team-best 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

The 2022-23 season was Porter's fourth in the NBA, though his future in the league is in serious doubt following the arrest.

Oladipo just completed his 10th season in the NBA, and was acquired by the Thunder in July after averaging 10.7 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 42 games for the Miami Heat in 2022-23.

He has career averages of 16.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Robinson-Earl averaged 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 43 games for the Thunder in 2022-23, his second professional season.

On a night the San Antonio Spurs rested 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama, the Houston Rockets got good contributions from their top two rookies on Monday.

Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore each scored 15 points to help the Rockets to a 99-89 preseason victory over their Texas rivals with Wembanyama looking on from the bench in street clothes. 

Thompson, the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, added two steals in 21 minutes. Whitmore, taken 20th overall, scored 11 of his points in the fourth quarter as Houston outscored the Spurs by a 36-13 margin in the final period to erase a 13-point deficit.

Zach Collins led San Antonio with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Elsewhere in the NBA, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each had 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 117-106 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Durant finished 6 of 10 from the field while Booker made four of six shots from 3-point range to help stake Phoenix to a commanding 76-54 half-time lead.

In Brooklyn, Kelly Oubre Jr. led all players with 21 points and the Philadelphia 76ers never trailed in a 127-119 win over the host Nets.

Philadelphia also received 18 points each from Tobias Harris and Paul Reed, while De'Anthony Melton posted a 15-point, 10-assist double-double in a game where the 76ers held out reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid.

Former Sixer Ben Simmons had nine assists and three steals for Brooklyn, but committed eight of the Nets' 27 turnovers on the night.

In Indianapolis, Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith each had 15 points as the Indiana Pacers held on for a 116-112 win over Atlanta to hand the Hawks their first loss in four games this preseason.

Saddiq Bey finished with 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with 10 rebounds for Atlanta, which trailed by as many as 29 points but cut its deficit to four in the final minutes. 

Damian Lillard scored 14 points in his first appearance in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform to help his new team to a 108-97 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Lillard added three assists and three steals in 22 minutes in his first NBA game for any team other than the Portland Trail Blazers, who traded the seven-time All-Star guard to Milwaukee on Sept. 27.

The 33-year-old spent 11 seasons with Portland and finished his tenure with a franchise-record 19,376 points, while his 5,151 assists rank second in team history.

Lillard requested a trade from the rebuilding Trail Blazers in July and was eventually sent to the Bucks, where he joined two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and a well-stocked veteran roster in a deal that has Milwaukee the preseason favourite to win the Eastern Conference.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and grabbed eight rebounds in a game Milwaukee never trailed in the second half against a Lakers team playing without a resting LeBron James.

Anthony Davis paced Los Angeles, which also played without 2023 postseason star Austin Reaves, with 16 points and seven rebounds in just 19 minutes. The eight-team All-Star added five assists. 

Victor Wembanyama scored 23 points in 23 minutes in his second preseason game to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 120-104 win over the Miami Heat on Friday.

The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, Wembanyma was 10 of 15 from the field with four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and four of San Antonio's 13 turnovers.

The 7-foot-4 center from France began his NBA career with 20 points in 19 minutes in the Spurs’ preseason opener against Oklahoma City on Monday.

Devin Vassell had 21 points and Jeremy Sochan added 10 points, six boards and three assists for the Spurs.

Jamal Cain was 6-of-8 on 3-pointers and led the Heat with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Jonathan Kuminga scored 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting and Stephen Curry had 18 points as the Golden State Warriors edged the Los Angeles Lakers, 129-125.

Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis scored the go-ahead basket on a tip-in, then blocked a shot by former Indiana Hoosiers teammate Jalen Hood-Schifino at the other end.

Every Lakers starter scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Taurean Prince, who went 4 of 5 from 3-point range.

Austin Reaves had 16 points, Anthony Davis added 13 with six rebounds and four assists and LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell contributed 12 points apiece.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham wants to see six three-point attempts per game from Anthony Davis this season.

The Lakers reached the Western Conference finals last season, only to be swept 4-0 by the Denver Nuggets.

Davis averaged 1.3 three-point attempts per game last season, with his career-high (3.5) coming in his first year with the Lakers in 2019-20.

And Ham now wants to see Davis – who has gone three-for-six on three-pointers in preseason – stack up numbers that compare to the likes of Devin Booker and Darius Garland, who averaged 6.0 attempts per game in 2022-23.

"I want him to. I know he won't do it, but maybe he'll shock me, but I've requested to see six three-point attempts a game," Ham said.

"Three per half, at least. I wouldn't put that on him if I didn't think he was capable."

Ham has no plans to discourage Davis from shooting from beyond the arc.

"That's something that he's worked on, being a more consistent shooter and not just more consistent in his [normal] areas but consistent from deep range," he added.

"And not hesitating. Not overthinking it. So if he's got a good look, we've all encouraged him to put it up."

The Lakers, who face the Sacramento Kings in their third preseason game on Wednesday, tip off the new season on the road against the Nuggets on October 24.

Zion Williamson made his first appearance in an NBA game since January with 12 points in 16 minutes in the New Orleans’ Pelicans’ 122-105 loss to the Orlando Magic.

Williamson sat out the final four months of the season after he injured his right hamstring in Philadelphia last Jan. 2.

The Pelicans star missed his first two shots before throwing down a crowd-pleasing, two-handed dunk. He later added a 13-foot running floater, a short turnaround, and a layup to go with four free throws.

Williamson added five rebounds and five assists in the preseason opener for both teams.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 18 points in 19 minutes for Orlando and Paolo Banchero scored 12 points, highlighted by his driving, one-handed dunk between Williamson and New Orleans center Jonas Valanciunas.

Victor Wembanyama scored 20 points in 19 minutes in his much-anticipated NBA preseason debut, a 122-121 loss by the San Antonio Spurs to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

The heralded No. 1 overall pick finished 8 of 13 from the field and made 2 of 5 shots from 3-point range before being removed midway through the third quarter. Wembanyama added five rebounds and two steals, though he did have a game-high four turnovers.

Wembanyama's first regular-season game will take place in a little over two weeks when the Spurs host the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 25.

Monday's contest also saw the return of Thunder center Chet Holmgren, the second overall pick of last year's draft who missed the entire 2022-23 season recovering from a foot injury. Holmgren posted a game-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with nine rebounds in just 16 minutes, and made both of his two 3-point attempts. 

Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe each added 14 points for Oklahoma City, which trailed 81-74 at the half before outscoring the Spurs by a 30-17 margin in the third quarter. 

Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday all made their debuts with new teams as the NBA preseason began to ramp up with six games on Sunday.

Beal scored 11 points in 14 minutes as the Phoenix Suns opened their preseason with a 130-126 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. The three-time All-Star joined a star-studded Suns roster in June after being acquired from the Washington Wizards, the team he spent his first 11 seasons with.

Another Suns newcomer, Grayson Allen, paced Phoenix with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting off the bench. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each had 12 points as part of a starting five that also included Beal.

Porzingis, also traded out of Washington in the offseason, scored 17 points in his first outing as a Boston Celtic to help his new team to a 114-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 7-foot-3 veteran standout is part of a remade Celtics roster that also includes Holiday, whom the Celtics acquired last week from the rebuilding Trail Blazers after briefly being obtained by Portland in the blockbuster trade that sent Blazers icon Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Holiday came off the bench to play 22 minutes, though he shot just 2 of 10 from the field for six points.

Payton Pritchard sparked Boston with 26 points just hours after signing a four-year, $30 million extension. The fourth-year guard finished 6 of 11 from 3-point range.

Lillard did not play in the Bucks' preseason opener, a 105-102 win over the Chicago Bulls in which Marjon Beauchamp led Milwaukee with 18 points and nine rebounds.

The Bucks also sat Giannis Antetokounmpo, though the two-time MVP's older brother, Thanasis, contributed 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

Elsewhere around the league, Gary Trent Jr. scored 22 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 112-99 win over the Sacramento Kings in Vancouver; Utah's Kris Dunn made all seven of his field goal attempts for 15 points as the Jazz posted a 101-96 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Honolulu, and Jake LaRavia scored the final five points of overtime as the Memphis Grizzlies outlasted the Indiana Pacers, 127-122.

Jarace Walker, the eighth overall pick of this year's draft, had 19 points and nine rebounds in his Pacers debut. 

Just over a year after becoming a United States citizen, Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has decided to play for the U.S. at next year's Olympics in France.

The reigning NBA MVP could have also played for his homeland Cameroon or France, which in July 2022 issued Embiid a French passport as “a foreigner whose naturalisation is of exceptional interest.”

“I’ve been here for a long time,” said Embiid in September 2022 after being sworn in as an American citizen.

“My son is American. I felt like, I’m living here and it’s a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?”

Embiid and the 76ers started training camp this week after he earned his first NBA MVP award last season.

The 29-year-old averaged a career-high 33.1 points to lead the NBA while finishing seventh in the league in blocks (1.7), eighth in rebounding (10.2) and 20th in field-goal percentage (54.8).

Embiid also tied a personal best with 4.2 assists per game.

The United States is hoping more NBA superstars choose to play in France when the team will be chasing a fifth straight gold medal.

Ja Morant won't be able to play his first game for the Memphis Grizzlies until December 19.

He will, however, be allowed to train with the team immediately.

The Grizzlies confirmed Monday that Morant is allowed to travel, practise and even participate in shootarounds during his 25-game suspension.

"I think it's great for Ja, and I think it's great for the group that he can be with us day to day," Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said during the team's media day. "The NBA basically has said that as long as Ja continues to stay on track, he's going to be clear to participate in all private team activities, so practices, shootarounds, traveling with the team. He's not going to be with us obviously for preseason games and the first 25, but we'll see him out there and we can't wait to have him back Game 26."

The NBA suspended Morant for 25 games without pay on June 16 for appearing in a second video on social media while brandishing a gun. He had posed with a firearm for a social media live stream on May 13, less than two months after serving an eight-game suspension for posing with a gun for a video in a Denver nightclub on March 4.

Kleiman said having Morant able to train and be around the team will be beneficial to both the Grizzlies, as well as, Morant as it will help keep him accountable.

"There's steps that I think Ja is continuing to take that are really positive and in the right direction," Kleiman said. "It's great to have him here. I think he's put himself in a position where there’s no reason why he can't keep following through on this. So we're glad he's here and can't wait to have him back."

Coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant won't be working with the starters during practise, seeing as he won't be playing in any games for the first two months of the season and the team needs to be able to function without him, but they have a plan to get him ready.

An All-Star each of the last two seasons, Morant averaged 26.2 points with career highs of 8.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 61 games last season.

The 2020 Rookie of the Year is entering the first year of a five-year $197million maximum contract.

Ja Morant won't be able to play his first game for the Memphis Grizzlies until December 19.

He will, however, be allowed to train with the team immediately.

The Grizzlies confirmed Monday that Morant is allowed to travel, practise and even participate in shootarounds during his 25-game suspension.

"I think it's great for Ja, and I think it's great for the group that he can be with us day to day," Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said during the team's media day. "The NBA basically has said that as long as Ja continues to stay on track, he's going to be clear to participate in all private team activities, so practices, shootarounds, traveling with the team. He's not going to be with us obviously for preseason games and the first 25, but we'll see him out there and we can't wait to have him back Game 26."

The NBA suspended Morant for 25 games without pay on June 16 for appearing in a second video on social media while brandishing a gun. He had posed with a firearm for a social media live stream on May 13, less than two months after serving an eight-game suspension for posing with a gun for a video in a Denver nightclub on March 4.

Kleiman said having Morant able to train and be around the team will be beneficial to both the Grizzlies, as well as, Morant as it will help keep him accountable.

"There's steps that I think Ja is continuing to take that are really positive and in the right direction," Kleiman said. "It's great to have him here. I think he's put himself in a position where there’s no reason why he can't keep following through on this. So we're glad he's here and can't wait to have him back."

Coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant won't be working with the starters during practise, seeing as he won't be playing in any games for the first two months of the season and the team needs to be able to function without him, but they have a plan to get him ready.

An All-Star each of the last two seasons, Morant averaged 26.2 points with career highs of 8.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 61 games last season.

The 2020 Rookie of the Year is entering the first year of a five-year $197million maximum contract.

Jrue Holiday is on the move again.

Four days after being traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to Portland, the Boston Celtics have acquired the veteran point guard from the Trail Blazers.

Boston sent point guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Robert Williams, along with a 2024 first-round draft pick and an unprotected first-round pick in 2029 to Portland for Holiday on Sunday.

Holiday was just acquired by the Trail Blazers on Wednesday as part of the blockbuster three-team trade that saw the Bucks land seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard.

The 33-year-old Holiday earned a second career All-Star nod in 2022-23, averaging 19.3 points and 7.4 assists.

Despite the solid offensive numbers, Holiday is considered one of the NBA's best defenders. He is a five-time All-Defensive selection and has been a finalist for defensive player of the year each of the last three seasons.

With the Celtics, he is expected to take over as the team's starting point guard after Marcus Sent was shipped to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade this offseason.

Aside from his four days on Portland's roster, Holiday, who has career averages of 16.4 points and 6.5 assists in 14 seasons, will once again continue playing for an Eastern Conference power, as the Celtics have reached three of the last four conference finals.

Brogdon averaged 14.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 67 games off the bench last season for the Celtics - his first in Boston after spending the previous three with the Indiana Pacers. Brogdon began his career with the Bucks in 2016-17, and is averaging 15.4 points in his seven-year career.

Williams had spent his first five NBA seasons with the Celtics, and averaged 8.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 35 games in 2022-23.

Damian Lillard has posted an emotional farewell to the Portland Trail Blazers after joining the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 33-year-old point guard, who has spent his entire 11-year career with the Blazers, officially requested his trade out of Portland earlier this summer.

Lillard, whose 32.2 points average last season was the third highest in the NBA, told the Blazers’ fans on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I want to start off by saying this isn’t a goodbye, it’s a see you later.

“My words have always been from the heart when it comes to you Rip City. I consider you my home as well as many of my family members and that won’t change.

“I’ve built my entire adulthood here and made so many friends that I will never forget.

“The moments on the basketball court as great as they have been don’t even compare to the experience I’ve had with all of you.

“The way you embraced me from day one gave me no choice but to reciprocate the love a thousand times and I don’t regret it one bit.”

Lillard, a seven-time All-Star and named among the NBA’s 75 greatest players of all-time in 2021, was traded to the Bucks on Wednesday as part of a three-team deal with the Phoenix Suns.

Lillard will team up with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo at the Bucks, who were quickly installed as favourites to win the NBA title next season.