The Clippers announced earlier this week that Leonard would miss the remainder of the preseason because of the lingering knee issue. Now, his regular-season availability is in question.

Leonard, 33, hasn't played more than 74 games in a season since he entered the NBA in 2011, and the last time he reached that number came in the 2016-17 season with the San Antonio Spurs.

The small forward played in 52 regular-season games (50 starts) in 2022-23 and in 68 games (all starts) last season.

Leonard missed the 2021-22 season because of a torn ACL in his right knee, and inflammation from the surgery began plaguing him at the end of last season. He missed the last eight games of the regular season and four of the six games against the Dallas Mavericks during a first-round loss in the playoffs.

He also was replaced on the U.S. Olympic team ahead of the Paris Games this summer because of the knee issue, which he continues to rehabilitate.

Leonard is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and two-time Finals MVP (with the Spurs in 2014 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019).

He was named an All-Star for the sixth time in 2023-24, when he wound up with averages of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals.

The Clippers open the 2024-25 schedule Wednesday at home against the Phoenix Suns in the regular-season debut of their new $2 billion arena in Inglewood, Calif.

Ball played 15 minutes off the bench against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, scoring 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and even made his first shot, a 3-pointer from the corner.

"It was emotional in a happy way," teammate Zach LaVine said at Thursday's practice, according to Chicago Sports Network. "We made sure we got him the game ball because that's a big moment. Nobody has come back from what he's coming back from."

Ball's obstacles included three arthroscopic surgeries and a double cartilage transplant in the left knee. He had not played in an NBA game since Jan. 14, 2022, when he scored 15 points with three assists in 24 minutes against the Golden State Warriors.

"I had a goal to get back on the court and I knew it was going to be a long journey, a long process, but it all paid off," Ball, 26, said after Wednesday's game. "This is what I was looking forward to so I'm glad it's here now and I can go out and do what I love to do."

The Bulls have one more preseason game remaining -- Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers -- before they open the regular season Wednesday on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Acquired by the Bulls in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans prior to the 2021-22 season, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals in 35 starts with Chicago before being shut down.

He has career averages of 11.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 252 games (239 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers (2017-19), Pelicans (2019-21) and Bulls.

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan skipped Thursday's practice with an illness.

The team released a statement Thursday saying that McCain was discharged early that morning and was at home resting.

"He will be further evaluated later today and an update will be provided as appropriate," the team said.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that McCain experienced pulmonary contusions in the fall and is being tested for a concussion.

With about four minutes remaining in the Sixers' 117-95 victory, McCain was trying to rebound his own missed shot when he was knocked to the floor by two Nets players going for the ball. He appeared to hit his head on the court and showed signs of physical distress before being helped to the locker room.

"It was rough," Sixers coach Nick Nurse said after the game. "He is going to the hospital to get checked out. He was having some trouble breathing there. I thought maybe he got the wind knocked out of him, but (I'm) not sure what was going on there. I've never quite seen one like that before, so let's hope he is OK, and we'll see what the report is from the hospital."

McCain, 20, recorded nine points, seven rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench before leaving the game.

Philadelphia selected McCain with the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of Duke, where he averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds last season.

The 76ers wrap up their preseason schedule on Friday night at Orlando and open the regular season at home against Milwaukee next Wednesday night.

The left-handed Hartenstein was injured during Oklahoma City's 124-94 preseason victory over the host Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

Signed to a three-year, $87 million contract this summer, Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in 75 games (49 starts) last season for the New York Knicks.

A journeyman to start his NBA career, Hartenstein has averaged 6.0 points and 5.6 rebounds in 322 career games (61 starts) with the Houston Rockets, Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Knicks and Thunder. He was selected by the Rockets in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

McDermott, 32, takes the roster spot that opened up when the Kings traded Jalen McDaniels on Monday. The Kings are McDermott's seventh NBA team.

McDermott averaged 5.5 points and 14.1 minutes per game with San Antonio and Indiana last season. He shot 41 percent from the 3-point line, on par with his career average from long range.

McDermott has averaged 8.9 points in 655 career games (94 starts) with six teams, including two stints with the Pacers. The Denver Nuggets selected McDermott No. 11 overall in the 2014 draft and dealt him to the Chicago Bulls in a draft-night trade.

Head coach Jason Kidd said Wednesday afternoon that Doncic did "really, really well" and is rebounding from a left calf contusion sustained during team workouts in training camp.

An MRI exam revealed no major damage and the Mavericks prescribed a week of rest for Doncic before he resumed on-court activities.

Dallas begins the regular season next week, hosting the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 24. But if Doncic doesn't play when the Mavericks host Milwaukee on Thursday, the first game of the regular season against the Spurs would mark the first time Dallas has played Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson together.

Thompson, 34, has been on the court for multiple preseason games while dealing with back tightness. He's off to a slow start shooting, including an 0-for-9 outing Monday against the Clippers. Thompson signed a three-year, $50 million deal in free agency and Kidd identified the sharpshooter as a critical piece of the puzzle for the reigning Western Conference champions.

Doncic, 25, is a five-time First-Team All-NBA selection. In 400 career regular-season games, he has averages of 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per contest.

He outdid those numbers in 2023-24, leading the league in scoring with 33.9 points per game and adding a career-high 9.8 assists to go with 9.2 rebounds per game. Despite the injuries, he played in 22 postseason games, averaging 40.9 minutes, 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists.

The exact length and financial terms of the contract were not released.

Pippen, 23, was on a two-way contract with Memphis last season, averaging 12.9 points, 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 21 games (16 starts).

In his first NBA season, Pippen averaged 2.3 points in six games (zero starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2022-23.

Pippen was a college star at Vanderbilt and twice earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors during three seasons with the Commodores. He was not selected in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Pippen is the son of six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen.

Nurse added that the veteran forward "is OK for now" but is still awaiting further imaging results.

George was injured during the second quarter of the 76ers' 104-89 preseason victory over the host Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

He was on defense, matching up with Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson, when he hyperextended his left knee. He subbed out with 8:09 remaining in the first half and never returned to the game, finishing with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field in 12 minutes of action.

George, 34, made one of the biggest splashes in free agency this past summer when he signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers after spending the previous five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.

In 74 games (all starts) last season, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. He also was named an All-Star for the ninth time in his career.

George sports career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals, appearing in 867 games (819 starts) for the Indiana Pacers (2010-11 to 2016-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18 to 2018-19) and the Clippers (2019-20 to 2023-24).

Philadelphia has two more preseason contests before opening the regular season against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23.

George was on defense, matching up with Atlanta forward Jalen Johnson, when his left leg bent. He subbed out with 8:09 remaining in the first half and never returned to the game, finishing with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting in 12 minutes of action.

"Hopefully it'll be OK so he's back with us right away," Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said after the game.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that George had a sleeve on his left knee in the locker room, was walking around and was "not too concerned" about the injury. He was set to get treatment later Monday night.

George, 34, made one of the biggest splashes in free agency this summer when he signed a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers after spending the past five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.

In 74 games (all starts) last season, George averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. He was also named an All-Star for the ninth time in his career.

George sports career averages of 20.8 points, 6.3 boards, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals, appearing in 867 games (819 starts) for the Indiana Pacers (2010-11 to 2016-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18 to 2018-19) and the Clippers (2019-20 to 2023-24).

Philadelphia has two more preseason games before opening the regular season against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 23.

With Los Angeles' regular-season opener against the visiting Phoenix Suns set for Oct. 23, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday of the immediate outlook for Leonard, "Continue to keep rehabbing. Keep getting better. Keep checking the boxes."

Leonard played in just Games 2 and 3 of the Clippers' six-game loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs this past spring because of issues with his right knee.

Health woes have plagued Leonard, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and two-time Finals MVP (with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019).

In the 2023 playoffs, he sat out the final three games of the Clippers' five-game, first-round loss to the Suns. Leonard missed Los Angeles' last eight postseason games in 2021 after hurting his right knee, and he sat out the entire 2021-22 season after having his anterior cruciate ligament surgically repaired.

Leonard, 33, played in 52 regular-season games (50 starts) in 2022-23 and in 68 games (all starts) last season.

He was named an All-Star for the sixth time in 2023-24, when he wound up with averages of 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals.

For his career, Leonard puts up 20.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per contest.

He played with the Spurs from 2011-12 to 2017-18, with the Raptors for just the 2018-19 season and with the Clippers ever since.

The return to Sacramento was not yet known. The Spurs plan to waive McDaniels, the report said.

McDaniels, 26, was traded to Sacramento in June in a deal that sent Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, Jamal Shead and a 2025 draft pick to the Toronto Raptors.

McDaniel was a second-round pick in 2019 by the Charlotte Hornets and spent the first three-plus years of his NBA career there. In 248 games (45 starts) for the Hornets (2019-23), Philadelphia 76ers (2023) and Raptors (2023-24), McDaniels averaged 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

In 50 games (one start) for Toronto last season, McDaniels averaged just 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10.8 minutes per contest.

Embiid, 30, who was shut down by the team Sunday for the rest of the preseason due to his balky knee, made the comments to ESPN.

"If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career," Embiid told ESPN.

It's a notion backed by 76ers general manager Daryl Morey, adding that scenario could also be in play for new addition Paul George.

"We're going to be smart about it," Morey told ESPN. "Part of being smart about it is having both Paul and Joel probably not play many back-to-backs, if any."

Embiid recently said he dropped 25 to 30 pounds in the offseason to help take pressure off the knee. Embiid will continue to wear a brace on the left knee.

"It's the right thing to do, and the right thing that's going to give me the support for the rest of my career," Embiid told ESPN. "For me, it's a mental thing. I hated it. (But) I started telling myself, 'OK, I have to do it, that's the only way they're going to let me play.'"

Philadelphia opens the regular season on Oct. 23 against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks.

Embiid played in just 39 regular-season games last season mainly due to his troublesome left knee.

Embiid was injured in a collision with Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga on Jan. 30. He underwent a procedure to fix the damage to his meniscus on Feb. 6. He hobbled through the playoffs after returning to action.

Embiid was superb in the regular season by averaging 34.7 points and 11 rebounds and making the All-Star team for the seventh straight season.

He was NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season when he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in 66 games. He is a two-time scoring champion and also won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA this summer.

Overall, Embiid has averages of 27.9 points and 11.2 rebounds in 433 games over eight seasons.

The Bulls host the Minnesota Timberwolves in a preseason game Wednesday night. Chicago opens the regular season on Oct. 23 at New Orleans.

Ball, 26, last played in a game for Chicago on Jan. 14, 2022. Multiple procedures on his left knee since then include a rare double cartilage transplant.

A successful comeback would be something of a medical miracle for Ball, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. His procedure last year included a meniscus transplant and osteochondral allograft to replace the damaged cartilage in the joint.

"This is something that no one has really come back from," Ball said during Chicago's media day earlier this month.

"... I pretty much have a brand new knee. So it's always going to be a little bit different than what God gave me to start off with. But I'm feeling good, I'm feeling healthy enough to play. So that's all that really matters, just managing it throughout the year and being available."

Acquired in a trade with New Orleans prior to the 2021-22 season, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals in 35 starts before being shut down.

He has career averages of 11.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 252 games (239 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers (2017-19), Pelicans (2019-21) and Bulls.

Billups and Carter headlined a 2024 class that featured 13 inductees, seven who went into the Hall of Fame as players. Both Billups and Carter were members of that group, which also included Michael Cooper, Walter Davis, Seimone Augustus, Dick Barnett and Michele Timms.

Bo Ryan, Charles Smith and Harley Redin joined the Class of 2024 as coaches, while Doug Collins, Herb Simon and Jerry West were selected as contributors.

West, who died in June at the age of 86, had already landed in the Hall of Fame as a player and an Olympian. He is the first-ever three-time inductee in Springfield.

Billups, 48, spent 17 seasons in the NBA, appearing in 1,043 games (937 starts) for the Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks.

A five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection and the MVP of the 2004 Finals, Billups sported career averages of 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists. He is currently coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, a role he has held since the 2021-22 campaign.

The 47-year-old Carter played for eight teams across his 22 NBA seasons, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 boards and 3.1 assists in 1,541 games (982 starts). He was named Rookie of the Year at the end of the 1998-99 season while with the Raptors and went on to earn eight All-Star selections.

Cooper, 68, was known for his defensive prowess with the "Showtime" Lakers. He spent all 12 of his NBA seasons in Los Angeles, where he was part of five championship teams. Cooper was an eight-time All-Defensive selection and was named Defensive Player of the Year during the 1986-87 campaign.

The 1978 Rookie of the Year, Davis, who was 69 when he died in November 2023, was with the Phoenix Suns for 11 of his 15 NBA seasons. He also spent time with the Nuggets and Blazers, averaging 18.9 points in 1,033 games (373 starts) in all.

Davis was a six-time All-Star.

Barnett, 88, had a 14-year career with the Knicks, Lakers and Syracuse Nationals. He was a two-time NBA champion who averaged 15.8 points per game for his career.

Augustus, 40, posted 15.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game during a 15-year WNBA career with the Minnesota Lynx (2006-19) and Los Angeles Sparks (2020). After being named Rookie of the Year in 2006, she won four titles, one of which came in 2011, when she was named Finals MVP.

Although the 59-year-old Timms also played at a high level in the WNBA -- earning one All-Star selection during her five seasons with the Phoenix Mercury -- she made more noise on the global basketball circuit.

No Australian, male or female, had ever played professional basketball internationally before Timms, who helped her native country take home a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics and a silver at the 2000 Games.

Ryan was a college coach for 32 seasons, with stints at Wisconsin-Platteville, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin. The 76-year-old was named Big Ten Coach of the Year four times, and the Badgers reached the Final Four twice under his watch.

Overall, Ryan had a 747-233 record.

Smith, 75, has won nine state championships as a high school coach in Louisiana. He is the state's winningest coach at that level.

Redin spent time coaching both the men's and women's teams at Wayland Baptist University, earning six Amateur Athletic Union tournament titles. He went into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and died in 2020 at 100.

The 73-year-old Collins was a four-time All-Star as a player, went 442-407 as coach of the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers and Pistons and had a career in broadcasting.

Simon, 89, owns the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever. He bought the Pacers with his brother in 1983.

West, a 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection and the league scoring champion in 1970, first landed in the Hall of Fame in 1980 as a player, then got there again in 2010 as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, which won gold at the Summer Olympics.

West was part of nine of the Lakers' championships -- one as a player, eight as an executive.

The 76ers announced the decision Sunday after Embiid missed preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday and the Boston Celtics on Saturday.

"As part of his left knee management, Joel Embiid was assessed by doctors on Thursday," the team said. "Embiid is progressing well and will continue to take part in an individual treatment plan designed to best support his health and wellness for the 2024-25 season. He will not play in this week's preseason games. Further updates will be provided as appropriate."

Embiid recently said he dropped 25 to 30 pounds in the offseason to help take pressure off the knee.

Embiid will miss preseason games against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday and Orlando Magic on Friday.

Philadelphia opens the regular season on Oct. 23 against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks.

Embiid played in just 39 regular-season games last season mainly due to his troublesome left knee.

Embiid, 30, was injured in a collision with Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga on Jan. 30. He underwent a procedure to fix the damage to his meniscus on Feb. 6.

He hobbled through the playoffs after returning to action.

Embiid was superb in the regular season by averaging 34.7 points and 11 rebounds and making the All-Star team for the seventh straight season.

Embiid was NBA MVP for the 2022-23 season when he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in 66 games. He is a two-time scoring champion and also won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in the summer.

Overall, Embiid has averages of 27.9 points and 11.2 rebounds in 433 games over eight seasons.

The Mavericks had waived him on Tuesday to reduce the roster to 20 players.

Lawson, 24, played as a reserve for the Mavericks in 42 regular-season games last season and averaged 3.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 7.4 minutes. He also played in 10 playoff games and totaled 11 points, three rebounds and one block in 30 minutes.

The Canadian played in 14 games for Dallas in the 2022-23 and totaled 54 points, 20 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Lawson earlier that season appeared in one game for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

When then-general manager of the Houston Rockets Daryl Morey posted a message supporting pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2019, China retaliated by taking some preseason games off the air in the highly populous, basketball-loving market.

It turned into an 18-month blackout of the NBA by China's state broadcaster CCTV, which ended in March 2022.

"I think we will bring games back to China at some point," Silver said on Thursday at the Columbia University Sports Management Conference in New York.

"China's government took us off the air for a period of time -- we accepted that, we stood by our values... anybody in our league has the right to speak out on political matters."

The NBA last staged games in China in October 2019, a pair of preseason contests between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Following a brief break from the "NBA Global Games" series due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA headed to Saitama, Japan and Abu Dhabi for preseason games along with playing regular-season games in Mexico City and Paris.

Jenkins said an MRI exam detected the seriousness.

Jenkins said the team will be cautious with Morant but is hopeful he will be available for the season opener against the host Utah Jazz on Oct. 23.

Morant, 25, injured the ankle during Monday's 121-116 preseason victory over the host Dallas Mavericks. He collected 13 points, four rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes.

A two-time All-Star, Morant was limited to nine games last season due to suspension and injury. He missed the first 25 games while being disciplined for "conduct detrimental to the league" and later sustained a season-ending right shoulder injury.

In five NBA seasons, the former No. 2 overall pick has career averages of 22.5 points, 7.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.

The Grizzlies also could be without standout forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring) when they open the season. He was injured during the team's first practice of the season on Oct. 1.

The contest will not be rescheduled, the NBA announced on Wednesday.

Orlando has preseason games remaining Wednesday at San Antonio and Oct. 18 at home against Philadelphia.

New Orleans' remaining preseason tilts are at Miami on Sunday and at Houston on Oct. 15.

Exum, who injured the wrist during a training camp workout, underwent surgery on Tuesday, per the report.

The Mavericks have not commented about the Australian's injury, but posted a photo of him on social media Wednesday with the caption, "Wishing a speedy recovery to our mate."

Exum, 29, averaged 7.8 points and 2.9 assists in 55 games (17 starts) for the Mavericks last season, his first in the NBA after two years playing in Europe. He missed most of January and February with foot and knee injuries.

Exum, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Utah Jazz, averages 6.1 points and 2.2 assists in 300 career games (89 starts) for the Jazz (2014-15; 2016-19), Cleveland Cavaliers (2019-21) and Mavericks.

Exum missed the entire 2015-16 season with a knee injury.

The Mavericks open their 2024-25 campaign at home against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 24.