LaMelo Ball, Giannis Antetokounmpo headline NBA injury report for Friday, Dec. 17

The NBA continues to get hit by players testing positive for COVID-19 and being placed into health and safety protocols. It’s only a matter of time before the League changes protocols and plans have already been set in place to limit exposure to players and team staff. Still, the NBA injury reports are a mess and are tough to keep up with. Here we’ll get you ready for Friday’s slate with the full injury report.

NBA injury report, December 17th

Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic

Tyler Herro (quad), OUT

Update - Herro has been ruled out of Friday’s game against the Magic.

Update — Herro has been downgraded to doubtful on the injury report, so it’s unlikely he plays tonight vs. the Magic. Omer Yurtseven is going to be available to play, however.

If Herro ends up missing tonight’s game, we can roll out Gabe Vincent ($4,900) and Duncan Robinson ($4,700) as value options again. Both players went for 20+ points last game while Herro was out. Dewayne Dedmon ($5,000) will be an interesting play if Omer Yurtseven (back) is out. Dedmon had a solid stat line for 40.5 DKFP against the Sixers last game.

Mo Bamba (ankle), Gary Harris (hamstring), AVAILABLE; Cole Anthony (ankle), OUT

Update — Harris is available to play for Orlando.

Update — The Magic’s situation for tonight is very murky, but Justin Phan of Underdog does a nice job of outlining it for us:

Update — Cole Anthony has been ruled out for this contest.

Update — Bamba has been ruled out as well in this contest.

Update — Well, forget playing Hampton and Ross. Both are in COVID-19 protocols along with Moe Wagner (not Franz). So the Magic may have a difficult time fielding a competitive team if Bamba, Anthony and Harris are all sidelined. That would be 6 rotation players out.

All three Magic players are questionable for tonight. If all three sit again, take your pick as to who will step up for Orlando and become a solid DFS play. Wendell Carter Jr. ($6,900), Terrence Ross ($4,400) and Franz Wagner ($6,200) will all be good tourney options. The Heat are depleted and don’t have their top defenders in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. RJ Hampton ($3,200) is the extreme value who could end up starting again if Anthony and Harris both sit.

Other injuries: Jimmy Butler (tailbone), OUT

Denver Nuggets vs. Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela (non-COVID illness), AVAILABLE

Update - Capela is available to play for the Hawks. Okungwu is also available to play.

Cap is questionable to play tonight vs. the Nuggets. If he is ruled out, John Collins ($6,800) becomes an intriguing GPP play on DK. Okungwu ($3,100) is coming back from offseason surgery and will make his season debut if he’s in. If that’s the case, Okungwu isn’t a bad value but we don’t know how much he’ll actually play. It could be only around 10-15 minutes in his first game back.

Injuries: Onyeka Okungwu (shoulder), ACTIVE; Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle), OUT; Austin Rivers (protocols), Probable

Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics

Jordan Poole (protocols), OUT

Poole won’t play after being placed in health and safety protocols on Friday. With Poole out, Damion Lee ($3,500) could end up in the starting lineup at guard. Andrew Wiggins ($6,100) isn’t a bad GPP play with Poole out.

Al Horford, Grant Williams, Jabari Parker (protocols), OUT

Update — Dennis Schroder (illness) has been ruled out for tonight’s game vs. the Celtics.

Time Lord Robert Williams ($4,800) will be a popular play for the Celtics with most of the front court out. Jayson Tatum ($9,000) also feels like a good GPP option given his price and ceiling. It’s a tough matchup against Draymond Green, but this game should be competitive and Tatum has been great in December.

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards (protocols), OUT

The Wolves will be without their starting small forward as he becomes the latest to enter the league’s health and safety protocols. Edwards has taken a step forward this season as a scorer, but Minnesota is still struggling to become a competitive team.

Anthony Davis (knee), AVAILABLE; LeBron James (abdominal), AVAILABLE

Austin Reaves (protocols), OUT, Malik Monk (protocols), OUT

Update - As expected, Davis and James are good to go for this game.

The Lakers have listed both players on the injury report but these two are expected to take the floor. Davis is the more questionable of the two due to his recent absences with the knee injury but that felt more like load management than an actual injury. James has been suiting up for some time now despite being on the injury report.

Russell Westbrook has been cleared from the league’s health and safety protocols and is now available for Friday’s game. Malik Monk remains in the protocols, along with Dwight Howard, Talen Horton-Tucker, Avery Bradley and Kendrick Nunn. The Lakers also added Austin Reaves to the health and safety protocols.

Sacramento Kings vs. Memphis Grizzlies

De’Aaron Fox and Alex Len (protocols), OUT

Davion Mitchell (protocols), OUT

The Kings will be without their star point guard against the Grizzlies after entering the league’s health and safety protocols. Len is a competent rotation player who the Kings will miss in this encounter. Sacramento has been floundering once again this season, but these losses compound the Kings’ issues. Memphis has been playing well of late, so expect the Grizzlies to roll here.

Mitchell has been added to the league’s health and safety protocols. He’s officially ruled out after being initially listed as questionable.

Charlotte Hornets vs. Portland Trail Blazers

LaMelo Ball (protocols), AVAILABLE

Update - Ball is playing Friday against the Trail Blazers.

Ball was upgraded to probable from questionable for tonight’s game vs. the Blazers. He’s missed the past few weeks after being placed in health and safety protocols for Charlotte, which will be close to full-strength for the first time in a while.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Khris Middleton (knee), OUT

Middleton was originally deemed probable for this contest, but apparently had a setback. He’s been ruled out and will try to make a return to the court Saturday against the Cavaliers.