It’s not even Halloween, the NBA season is barely a week old, but the injury report already looks like something you’d expect to read in April.
Here in Mexico City, I can relate. You can feel Día de Muertos in the air, both figuratively and literally. We’re just days — hours, if you push it — away from one of the biggest festivities in the country to take place this weekend. No need to explain what we celebrate, trying to bring back those who left us in the past to start just another chapter away from the land.
If only for a little ratito.
Meanwhile, in the NBA, it looks like stars are playing a very solid role in a performance mimicking this weekend’s celebrations. It’s not a few, but muchos, who have already undergone surgery and be placed on the shelves for months on end, if not the whole year, outright.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are doing something that is starting to feel illegal, some sort of subterfuge competitive advantage in itself.
Being healthy. Vivito y coleando.
Keerthika Uthayakumar’s little research went viral yesterday. Yet according to ESPN’s injury report from early Thursday, the Knicks had just one player listed: my man José, who missed the game against the Chicago Bulls with an ankle injury. Maldito tobillo.
Now compare that with the rest of the league, where approximately 15 percent of players (s/o Keerthika!) were dealing with injuries or illnesses yesterday afternoon. Eleven former All-Stars were already expected to miss several weeks or longer just eight days into the season.
The NBA injury report is a hot parrillada
Obviously, the most concerning situation might be in Oklahoma City, where Jalen Williams underwent surgery to repair a fractured left fibula and reconstruct ankle ligaments following a fracture-dislocation and will only be reevaluated by the team when the regular season ends. Gone for good, in other words. Descanse en paz, bendito. His teammate Cason Wallace also needs surgery after tearing the labrum in his left shoulder, and both will miss a hellaciously long time.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and could miss two months. Utah’s Jaren Jackson Jr. tore the MCL in his right knee and faces a six-to-eight-week absence. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, already coming off a season lost to an Achilles injury, will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring strain. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero faces four to six weeks out with a high ankle sprain, while Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard is expected to miss multiple weeks because of swelling in his left knee. Elsewhere, Golden State is without Jimmy Butler III until potentially January or February, while Kristaps Porzingis remains away indefinitely with ongoing health concerns. Sacramento’s Ben Simmons and former Knickerbocker Ariel Hukporti suffered Achilles ruptures, and Washington’s Jamir Watkins is recovering from ACL surgery.
Hay más almas que cempasúchil en el sendero.
Somehow, the Knicks have avoided all of this
As Stefan Bondy of the New York Post noted, every member of the Knicks’ starting five reached the 65-game threshold in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns have provided a level of continuity that most teams can only dream about. ¡Quién pudiera!
Bridges hasn’t missed an NBA game in his career even though seemingly everybody wants him hitting the pine for a start, with his streak reaching 643 consecutive appearances on Wednesday. Towns and Anunoby, meanwhile, arrived in New York with considerable injury histories but have remained remarkably durable.
Per Bondy, the Knicks’ starting five led the NBA with 940 minutes together in 2024-25, finished second with 541 last season, and ranked first again through four games this year.
Around the NBA: October 28 injury report
ESPN listed 99 players across 29 teams on its injury report, with the Memphis Grizzlies, de algún modo, escaping the Santa Muerte.
Here’s the list. Sigue rezando, mijo.
- Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves): Underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Expected to miss up to two months, with ESPN listing December 21 as his estimated return.
- Jalen Williams (Thunder): Underwent surgery to repair a fractured left fibula and reconstruct ankle ligaments following a fracture-dislocation. Will be reevaluated before the end of the regular season. His season could be over.
- Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers): Suffered a left hamstring strain. Expected to miss at least two weeks, with November 13 listed as his estimated return.
- Kawhi Leonard (Raptors): Dealing with swelling in his left knee. Expected to miss multiple weeks, with an estimated November 23 return.
- Paolo Banchero (Magic): Suffered a right high ankle sprain. Expected to miss four to six weeks, with November 22 listed as his estimated return.
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (Jazz): Diagnosed with a torn MCL in his right knee. Expected to miss six to eight weeks, with an estimated December 14 return.
- Luka Doncic (Lakers): Dealing with a back injury. Ruled out against the Clippers on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
- Chet Holmgren (Thunder): Sidelined by a knee injury. Ruled out against Dallas on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets): Dealing with a back injury. Ruled out against Milwaukee on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
- Jimmy Butler III (Warriors): Recovering from a torn right ACL. Could return between January and February.
- Kristaps Porzingis (Warriors): Away from the team indefinitely because of ongoing health concerns. ESPN reported that Golden State is exploring potential trades involving him.
- Lauri Markkanen (Jazz): Sidelined by a wrist injury. Ruled out against San Antonio on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
- Brandon Ingram (Clippers): Recovering from an Achilles injury. Expected to miss at least another week, with November 8 listed as his estimated return.
- Cason Wallace (Thunder): Diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and requires surgery. Could miss the remainder of the season.
- Donte DiVincenzo (Timberwolves): Recovering from an Achilles injury. Remains hopeful of returning during the 2026-27 season, although ESPN lists April 2 as his estimated return.
- Ben Simmons (Kings): Underwent surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon. Expected to miss the season.
- Jalen Duren (Pistons): Suffered a right hamstring strain. Scheduled for reevaluation after two weeks, with November 9 listed as his estimated return.
- Coby White (Hornets): Sidelined by a calf injury. No confirmed return timetable.
- Nic Claxton (Bulls): Recovering from a hamstring injury. Participating in individual drills and hoping to return to team practices the following week.
- Dereck Lively II (Mavericks): Sidelined by a foot injury. ESPN lists November 2 as his estimated return.
- Jalen Suggs (Magic): Diagnosed with a mild bone bruise in his right knee. Scheduled for reevaluation after two weeks.
- Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers): Suffered a torn meniscus. Expected to miss approximately six months, with March 2 listed as his estimated return.
- Moses Moody (Warriors): Recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon. Targeting a potential return between December and January.
- Mark Williams (Suns): Underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Expected to miss an extended period, with February 3 listed as his estimated return.
- Bradley Beal (Clippers): Sidelined by a knee injury. Wasn’t ready for the start of the regular season, with November 8 listed as his estimated return.
- Keegan Murray (Kings): Recovering from an ankle injury. Expected to be reevaluated within 10 to 14 days of October 26.
- Marcus Smart (Rockets): Dealing with a forearm injury. Ruled out against Milwaukee on October 28.
- Ivica Zubac (Pacers): Sidelined by an ankle injury. Ruled out against Philadelphia on October 28 and listed as day-to-day.
- Jusuf Nurkic (Jazz): Recovering from a partial plantar plate tear in his right foot. Expected to miss at least four weeks from his October 7 injury update.
- Max Strus (Clippers): Recovering from a foot injury. Expected to miss at least another week.
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets): Sidelined by a hamstring injury. No confirmed return timetable.
- Ariel Hukporti (76ers): Suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Ruled out for the season.
- Johnny Furphy (Pacers): Diagnosed with a torn right ACL. Listed with a January 2 estimated return, although the supplied ESPN report describes his injury as season-ending.
- Henri Veesaar (Hawks): Diagnosed with a torn right ACL. Expected to miss the entire 2026-27 season.
- Jamir Watkins (Wizards): Underwent surgery for a torn ACL. ESPN lists April 2 as his estimated return.
- Ben Sheppard (Pacers): Underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Expected to miss multiple months.
- Jordan Miller (Clippers): Underwent surgery to repair a torn left rotator cuff. Expected to be reevaluated after six months.
- Justin Champagnie (Wizards): Sidelined by a foot injury. Expected to miss several months.
Other banged-up players across the Association: Mouhamed Gueye, Devin Carter, Egor Demin, Tyler Bilodeau, Grant Williams, Kylan Boswell, Tobe Awaka, Patrick Williams, Sergio de Larrea, Naji Marshall, Tarik Biberovic, Santi Aldama, Cameron Johnson, Spencer Jones, Alpha Diallo, Julian Strawther, Isaiah Joe, Gui Santos, Steven Adams, T.J. McConnell, Rui Hachimura, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Ziaire Williams, Cameron Carr, Adou Thiero, Simone Fontecchio, Jordan Poole, Yves Missi, Jose Alvarado, Alex Caruso, Thomas Sorber, Nikola Topic, Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda, Izaiyah Nelson, Jabari Walker, Tacko Fall, Dominick Barlow, Oso Ighodaro, Chris Youngblood, Dylan Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud, Tobias Harris, Jayden Quaintance, Nate Bittle, Trey Alexander, Tre Johnson, and Tristan Vukcevic.
