Denver Nuggets forward/center Aaron Gordon (hamstring) will miss a second consecutive game on Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets. Last week, he reinjured his right hamstring, and the team hasn't provided any updates on Gordon. He was out for six weeks the first time he dealt with this injury. Denver is dealing with several injuries at the moment, which has increased the workload for Payton Watson, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Bruce Brown. All three made an impact in Tuesday's loss to Detroit and have a good chance to replicate their efforts on Thursday in a much more favorable matchup.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) will make his first appearance of 2026 on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team has removed Hartenstein from the injury report ahead of the game. The 27-year-old big man has been out for a month with a right calf strain. His return means Chet Holmgren can shift back to the power forward position, while Jaylin Williams will drop to the second unit. Hartenstein's comeback game pits him against Rudy Gobert, a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. In their last meeting, Hartenstein settled for one point and 10 rebounds.

Sacramento Kings point guard Russell Westbrook (foot) is on the injury report with a questionable tag ahead of Thursday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The former MVP is experiencing soreness in his right foot. Considering Westbrook's nature as a player, this doesn't appear to be a serious enough issue to keep him off the court. However, he hasn't yet missed any games this season and may need some rest to heal from bumps and bruises. Malik Monk (ankle) is also questionable for Thursday's game, so there could be a huge amount of available minutes in Sacramento's backcourt. Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis, and Nique Clifford are all candidates for larger roles, with Schroder expected to step into the starting lineup in place of Westbrook if he's unavailable.

Sacramento Kings guard/forward Zach LaVine (back) is not listed on the injury report for Thursday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The former dunk champion is set to return to the lineup after missing two contests due to a back issue. Nique Clifford started in his absence and will return to a bench role on Thursday night. LaVine has not been a good fit in Sacramento, averaging 19.5 points and a career-low 2.3 assists per game this season. In January, he has been limited to 18.0 points per game despite shooting 43.3 percent from downtown.