The NBA opens with a long list of NBA Injuries, many who will miss the start of the 2025-26 NBA Season.
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Some stars are out short-term, others face multi-month rehabs — and a few could be gone for the season. Below is a player-by-player breakdown: the injury, their role, and the immediate team impact, and a full breakdown before the 2025-26 NBA Season.
1. Jayson Tatum — Achilles (rehab / unclear for Season)
Status: Recovering from Achilles surgery/rehab; Celtics noncommittal for opener, likely out for the whole 2025-26 NBA Season
Role: Celtics franchise star, primary scorer and ball-handler.
Why it matters: Tatum averaging elite shot volume and creation — Boston’s offense relies on him for 25–30+ points and heavy usage; his absence forces Brown/other wings to shoulder more creation and might cause the Celtics to slow pace to protect matchups.
2. Damian Lillard — Achilles (out / long-term)
Status: Confirmed out for extended period recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in playoffs. Multiple reports indicate he’s expected to miss the season, also likely out for the whole 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Trail Blazers veteran superstar scorer and primary playmaker (when healthy).
Why it matters: Losing Lillard removes the team’s primary isolation and late-game engine; opens minutes for younger guards and forces more playmaking from supporting casts.
3. LeBron James — Sciatica (will miss start, re-eval in 3–4 weeks)
Status: Lakers announced LeBron will miss opening night and be re-evaluated in 3–4 weeks due to sciatica.
Role: Lakers’ primary floor leader, hunter of mismatches, and play-initiator when available.
Why it matters: LeBron’s absence puts pressure on Luka Dončić / supporting scorers to maintain offensive output and leadership. The Lakers will have to manage minutes/load carefully when LeBron returns.
4. Jalen Williams — Wrist (post-surgery recovery) — ruled out for opener
Status: Thunder ruled Williams out of opening night as he recovers from offseason wrist surgery, suffered the injury in the 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Versatile wing and key secondary creator for OKC.
Why it matters: OKC’s depth is strong, but Jalen’s absence reduces bench/wing creation for the champs and slightly lowers their two-way versatility.
5. Kyrie Irving — (injury / availability monitored)
Status: Listed among players to watch in preseason injury lists; team-level updates varied across beat reports, likely out for the half of the 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Ball-dominant scoring guard; when available, top-level shot creation.
Why it matters: Kyrie’s health affects his team’s spacing and late-game offense. (Exact timeline varied in reports.)
6. Tyrese Haliburton — Torn Achilles (out for season)
Status: Pacers execs and reports confirmed Haliburton will miss the 2025–26 NBA season rehabbing his Achilles suffered in the Finals. This is one of the clearest season-long absences.
Role: Franchise point guard, elite playmaker and efficiency engine.
Why it matters: Pacers lose their primary creator and pick-and-roll conductor; bench/rotation will need to find playmaking and passing they can’t easily replace.
7. Fred VanVleet — Torn ACL (likely season-long)
Status: Multiple reports indicate VanVleet suffered an ACL tear in an offseason workout and will likely miss significant time — potentially the whole 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Starting point guard, veteran floor general, isolation creator and defensive glue.
Why it matters: Massive loss for the Rockets’ backcourt; forces Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard or others into larger roles and changes Houston’s pick-and-roll sets and late-game decision-making.
8. Domantas Sabonis — (listed among injuries / load-managed)
Status: He has appeared on injury watchlists in preseason reporting; check team updates for specific game-by-game availability.
Role: Double-double machine and high-traffic offensive hub for his team.
Why it matters: Any absence from Sabonis reduces offensive rebounding, interior passing, and consistent points in the paint.
9. De’Aaron Fox — (listed; monitor injury reports)
Status: Appeared in preseason injury lists / team monitoring. Exact nature varies by team updates.
Role: Primary scoring guard and speed engine.
Why it matters: Fox’s pace and penetration drive the offense; missing him shifts more playmaking to wings/bench.
10. Tyler Herro — (listed among openings-night injuries / ankle/knee types in some reports)
Status: Appears in some team injury list mentions; confirm with team injury report for exact game availability, for the 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Secondary scorer and 3-and-mid threat off the ball.
Why it matters: Herro’s absence cuts into bench scoring and perimeter shooting.
11. Jalen Green — (listed; availability monitored)
Status: Listed in preseason updates — confirm exact status per Rockets’ reports.
Role: Primary shot-maker and slasher for Houston when in rotation.
Why it matters: Missing Green reduces the team’s scoring punch and isolation options.
12. Darius Garland — (listed; monitor)
Status: Appears on team injury watchlists in some previews. Confirm with Cavaliers’ official updates.
Role: Cleveland’s lead guard and offense architect.
Why it matters: The Cavs lean on Garland for pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop creation — absence forces more ball movement and secondary creation.
13. Dejounte Murray — (listed; monitor team reports)
Status: Appeared in various injury-prep summaries; check Spurs/Bos/other team reports for exact status.
Role: Two-way starting guard and perimeter defender.
Why it matters: Losing Murray impacts defense and playmaking.
14. Coby White — (calf / out at least two weeks per reports)
Status: Some beat reports (e.g., Bulls health notes) showed White would miss time with a calf issue. Confirm exact timeline from team.
Role: Scoring guard off the bench/starter candidate.
Why it matters: Short-term loss reduces bench scoring; if prolonged, depth issues arise.
15. Jaden Ivey — (listed; monitor)
Status: Preseason/injury lists show Ivey as day-to-day or listed for opening-night monitoring depending on team updates, likely out for the start of the 2025-26 NBA Season, with a broken leg.
Role: Explosive guard with slashing and playmaking upside.
Why it matters: Availability affects bench scoring and perimeter defense.
16. Jared McCain — (rookie/young guard — injury listed in some team notes)
Status: Appeared on injury lists in some team reports — verify with team for exact status.
Role: Young perimeter shooter/guard; would be a depth piece.
Why it matters: Rookie depth role; absence mainly affects rotational minutes.
17. Keegan Murray — (listed; monitor)
Status: Mentioned on preseason injury lists in some outlets. Confirm with team.
Role: Stretch forward with spacing and secondary scoring ability.
Why it matters: Missing Murray reduces floor spacing.
18. Scoot Henderson — (listed; availability monitored)
Status: Appears in some injury reports; confirm with team, will be back for the 2025-26 NBA Season
Role: Rookie primary ball-handler and scorer in development.
Why it matters: Roster development timeline may be pushed back if Scoot is unavailable.
19. Jeremy Sochan — (listed)
Status: Included on injury/preseason lists in several previews — check Spurs/assigned team updates.
Role: Versatile forward/defender, small-ball 5 options.
Why it matters: Defense and forward rotation depth affected.
20. Zach Edey — (listed; monitor)
Status: Some preseason lists included Edey; verify with team.
Role: Dominant college-to-pro big — expected to produce rebounds and interior scoring.
Why it matters: Early absences delay integration of size and rim protection.
21. Moses Moody — (listed; monitor)
Status: On some injury lists; check Warriors’ updates.
Role: 3-and-D wing depth.
Why it matters: Bench spacing and defense depth reduced.
22. Max Strus — (listed; monitor)
Status: Appeared on some team injury previews. Confirm with Heat/Bulls/etc.
Role: 3-point specialist and cutter.
Why it matters: Bench shooting and lineup spacing take a hit.
23. De’Anthony Melton — (listed; monitor)
Status: Appears on some preseason injury lists for teams he has played with; check exact team report for timeline, will be back for the 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Perimeter defender and secondary playmaker.
Why it matters: Defensive toughness on the wing decreases.
24. Dorian Finney-Smith — (reported ankle surgery — out?)
Status: Some team injury reports flagged Dorian Finney-Smith as recovering from ankle surgery in preseason notes. (Rockets injury roundup listed him.) SI
Role: Tough perimeter defender and 3-and-D starter.
Why it matters: Loss impacts defensive switchability and corner-3 threat.
25. T.J. McConnell — (hamstring — out for at least a month in some reports)
Status: Listed in injury pieces noting hamstring issues that could keep him out for weeks. (2025-26 NBA Season News)
Role: Backup/starting point guard, elite on-ball defender and pick-and-roll cutter.
Why it matters: Pacers’ depth and guard rotational continuity take a hit.
26. Ty Jerome — (listed; monitor)
Status: Included in injury watchlists in some preseason previews. Confirm with team.
Role: Backup guard, spacing and ball-movement off the bench.
Why it matters: Depth impact only if prolonged, if out for the full 2025-26 NBA Season, he could leave a dent in the offense.
27. Scotty Pippen Jr. — (listed; monitor)
Status: Included in various team injury/preseason notes. Verify with team source.
Role: Backup guard role — playmaking & shot creation off the bench.
Why it matters: Short-term bench scoring and creation.
28. Kevon Looney — (listed; monitor)
Status: Appears on team injury lists in preseason notes. Confirm with Warriors updates.
Role: Defensive center, pick-and-roll rim protector and rebounder.
Why it matters: Interior defense and rebounding depth reduced.
29. Nikola Topić — (listed)
Status: Appeared in preseason team injury lists; confirm with team.
Role: Young guard/backup playmaker — depth piece.
Why it matters: Team depth / overseas-to-NBA transition factor.
30. Haywood Highsmith — (listed)
Status: Appears in preseason statistical/injury lists; check team for specifics.
Role: Wing defender and locker-room veteran depth.
Why it matters: Defense and wing depth.
31. Georges Niang — (listed; monitor)
Status: On some injury lists; verify with team, but might be back for the 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Floor-spacing forward and corner 3 specialist.
Why it matters: Losing a reliable spot-up shooter reduces spacing.
32. Bilal Coulibaly — (listed; monitor)
Status: Appears in injury tracker lists; check team for updates, most likely will be back for the 2025-26 NBA Season.
Role: Young wing with defensive upside and developing shot.
Why it matters: Development timeline and wing depth.
Quick takeaways — what teams must adjust now
- Lakers: Handle LeBron’s absence early — more usage for Luka / Austin Reaves. (Source: NBA.com LeBron update.)
- Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton’s season-long absence is massive — they must remake offensive creation without their All-Star point guard.
- Rockets: Losing Fred VanVleet (ACL) forces Amen Thompson / Reed Sheppard / Sengun to handle playmaking duties; floor general questions loom large.
- Thunder: OKC can survive Jalen Williams’ opener absence thanks to depth, but missing him reduces wing versatility for the defending champs.
The 2025-26 NBA Season has a chance to be one of the most entertaining seasons of all time. With the 2025-26 NBA Season starting soon, and all the trades made before the 2025-26 NBA Season.
