Last Updated on December 5, 2025 5:07 pm by Keston Paul | Published: December 5, 2025

Week 8 of the 2025-26 NBA Season features the NBA Cup Knockout Rounds. That means it is a very light week which will be difficult to navigate for fantasy, but as always, that is why we are here to guide you.

Injuries to Watch

What are we looking out for from December 6 to 14?

Impending Evaluations

We should be getting updates for Victor Wembanyama (left calf) and Stephon Castle (hip) this upcoming weekend, so there is a small chance that we will see them next week unless that update is a return-to-play timeline for the following weeks.

RJ Barrett (right knee) should be evaluated before the end of this weekend as well — that is, if the Raptors are sticking to his original timeline.

Cam Thomas (hamstring) is pretty much at the end of the four weeks for his initial re-evaluation timeline. Hopefully, we get an update with a return-to-play target soon. His teammate Haywood Highsmith (right knee surgery) should be evaluated sometime next week or the week after, but I don’t think he is actually close to playing yet.

Herb Jones (right calf) has gone past his initial one-week evaluation timeline, so that means we are hoping for an update any day now.

We also recently got an update (on Thursday, December 4) stating that Kelly Oubre Jr. (left LCL sprain) will be evaluated again next week (Week 8). I think that next update gives us a return-to-play timeline or just an upgraded designation in general. We should see him by Week 9.

Trendon Watford (adductor) will be due for his first re-evaluation next week as well, but that doesn’t guarantee an immediate return to play. However, I think Dominick Barlow has entrenched himself above Watford in the pecking order anyway.

Devin Booker (groin) should be evaluated at some point in Week 8. That doesn’t mean he will return right after the update.

Jalen Green (hamstring) is currently four weeks into a 4-6 week re-evaluation timeline. Personally, I am leaning more toward six weeks, meaning we may not hear anything until the end of Week 8, or during Week 9 at the earliest and I am not confident that he will be back immediately. He had a hamstring strain throughout preseason and aggravated it playing just two games. The Suns need to give him time so this doesn’t linger. Another name mentioned here, Cam Thomas, had three or four separate hamstring strains in 2024-25 (which worries me that he had another already this season). Muscle injuries are often mismanaged in the NBA.

Jrue Holiday (right calf) should be evaluated again any day now.

Matisse Thybuelle (left hand) is about five weeks into a 4-6 week evaluation timeline.

Scoot Henderson (left hamstring) is also scheduled for an update by the end of Week 8 at the latest, but we could get one any day now.

Domantas Sabonis (left knee) could have an update at the end of Week 8 (next week) if he is on the early end of his timeline, but it could be the end of Week 9 instead.

Georges Niang (left foot) is pretty much always due for an evaluation as the Jazz keep telling us they will evaluate him again every few weeks.

Timelines Getting Close

The Grizzlies told us yesterday (Thursday, December 4) that Ja Morant (calf) is day-to-day and close to a return. It should be any game now; although, it isn’t Friday.

Jarrett Allen (finger) is only expected to be out for the current week, so he should be in the mix for Week 8.

On another note, Max Strus (left foot) is three months into a 3-4 month timeline. I think he will be closer to four months given the lack of chatter, which means we shouldn’t see him until the final week of December or early in January.

Steph Curry (quad) is expected to return on December 12 (next Friday).

Aaron Nesmith should be at the end of his four-week timeline for a left knee injury by the weekend of Week 8 (next week). Maybe that means he returns in Week 9.

Other Injury Notes

Dereck Lively II (right foot discomfort/swelling) is getting multiple opinions for his injury. I don’t like the sound of that and he is likely just going to be out for a while. I think you can just drop him in redraft leagues.

I will also say, Daniel Gafford’s right ankle sprain that he suffered in training camp has been bothering him all season. He has played through it, but it seems to be affecting him more and more. I would be worried about that getting worse and resulting in a multi-game absence. Since he is also playing behind Anthony Davis (who the Mavs finallly realized is best as a center), Gafford might just be droppable in standard formats.

Schedule Breakdown

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• About the Author
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Keston Paul

Keston majored in Biology and minored in Literatures in English at the University of the West Indies (U.W.I.), St. Augustine. Hailing from Trinidad & Tobago, Kes grew up loving cricket, then football (soccer, not NFL) & never missed a Barça game in the 2010s. Later on, he grew obsessed with basketball/fantasy basketball & unfortunately claims to be a Sixers fan for some reason.

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