Orlando Magic point guard Cory Joseph (knee) will be back in action on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks. The veteran guard missed Sunday's regular-season finale against the Hawks due to a knee issue, but he is not on the injury report for Tuesday's play-in game. Joseph finished the regular season as Orlando's starting point guard and figures to continue in the role during the postseason. Across 16 starts in 2024-25, Joseph has averaged 6.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 22.5 minutes.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (knee) is set to rejoin the lineup on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks. The German star has been dealing with a knee issue lately and missed Orlando's final two regular-season games. However, the team has not listed Wagner on the injury report ahead of Tuesday's matchup. Wagner has scored 20-plus points in each of his last 12 appearances, and the Hawks are well aware of the threat he poses for teams. In three regular-season meetings with Atlanta this season, Wagner averaged 28.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals.

Atlanta Hawks forward Georges Niang (rest) is off the injury report and ready to play on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic. The Hawks rested Niang on Sunday against the Magic but will bring him back into the lineup for the crucial play-in game. After landing in Atlanta from the Cleveland Cavaliers in February, Niang has carved out a solid role for himself in the rotation, posting 12.1 points with 41.3 percent shooting from downtown. Additionally, he has recorded 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 23.0 minutes. However, Niang has notched only 8.0 points in 21.8 minutes against Orlando's tough defense this season.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (ankle) is expected to return to the lineup for Tuesday's play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks. Orlando's rising star missed the final two regular-season games while dealing with an ankle injury. However, he appears to be fully healed now, as the team has not included Banchero's name on the injury report. Banchero caused the Hawks all sorts of trouble during the regular season, averaging 33.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the matchup. He recorded a double-double in two of his three appearances against them.

Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Caris LeVert (knee) is set to rejoin the lineup on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic, as the team has not listed him on the injury report. LeVert did not play on Sunday against Orlando due to managing a knee injury. Since moving to Atlanta in February, LeVert has provided valuable secondary scoring off the bench for the Hawks, averaging 14.9 points in 26.6 minutes. He has also helped out on the boards, grabbing 3.7 rebounds, while occasionally serving as a playmaker with 2.9 assists delivered. Orlando allows the third-fewest bench points in the league, so it will be a challenge for LeVert to maintain his production on Tuesday night.

Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Dyson Daniels (rest) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Tuesday's play-in game against the Orlando Magic. The defensive specialist is ready to rejoin the action after resting on Sunday against Orlando. Daniels missed only six games during the regular season, which helped him rack up a historic amount of steals. The 22-year-old capped off the campaign with 229 steals, the most a player has had in the NBA in the 21st century. Daniels averaged 3.0 steals per game while notching 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He is set to play a crucial role in Atlanta's quest to get back into the playoffs.

Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu (rest) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's play-in game against the Orlando Magic. When Atlanta concluded its regular-season schedule on Sunday against the Magic, Okongwu was kept off the floor for rest purposes. However, his name has not been included on the injury report for Tuesday's game. Okongwu enjoyed a big finish to the regular season and will have a massive role to play again on Tuesday, with Clint Capela (hand) remaining on the sidelines. Over three prior meetings with the Magic this season, Okongwu has averaged 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (hand) will miss his 18th consecutive game on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic. The Swiss big man is still recovering from a hand injury that kept him out for the final month of the regular season. When Capela was diagnosed with a ligament injury in the fourth metacarpal of his left hand, Atlanta announced that he would be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks. However, there have been no further updates. The Hawks will continue to rely on Onyeka Okongwu under the rim on Tuesday, with Dominick Barlow and Mouhamed Gueye providing backup.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young (Achilles) is likely to play in Tuesday's play-in contest against the Orlando Magic, as he is listed as probable on the injury report. Young's name has been on the injury report for the entire campaign, but he ended up missing only six regular-season games. His last absence came on Sunday against the Magic for rest purposes. In previous years, Young has played in four play-in games, averaging 27.3 points and 9.3 assists. However, shooting has always been an issue for him in these high-pressure situations, as the Hawks leader has converted only 26.5 percent of his shots from three-point range.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Kyle Lowry just finished out the remaining year on his contract and will be a free agent this summer. When asked about his plans next season, the Villanova product said he'd like to play one more year. Whether that's in Philly or not remains to be seen. He appeared in 35 games this season and averaged 3.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 rebounds across 18.8 minutes per game. He played more of a veteran mentor type of role on the bench for Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain. If he accepts the veteran minimum, head coach Nick Nurse may welcome that type of help from a player-coach, but his value doesn't go much higher than that.

Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller was asked during his final press conference whether or not he'd be returning soon. The second-year wing stated that he's not sure when exactly he'll fully return, but they're currently working on his range of motion. Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer stated that it sounds like Miller is still a few months away. He only appeared in 27 games this season due to a torn ligament in his right wrist, and finished with a stat line of 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.9 threes per game. Miller is one of the Hornets' core pieces alongside LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, but their issue has been staying on the court so far.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele made a huge impression during the 2024 Olympics, which turned into a contract offer from Daryl Morey and the Sixers' front office. In his first season back in the NBA since 2018-19, Yabusele delivered with averages of 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 threes per game. He played a solid complementary game to Joel Embiid when he was able to play, and filled a backup role that the team sorely missed. In a press conference, Daryl Morey said that they loved what Yabusele brought to the team and they would like to retain him this offseason.

San Antonio Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox (hand) is entering the final year of his deal that he originally signed with the Sacramento Kings. When asked about working out an extension with the Spurs this summer, Fox said, "Yeah, I hope so." The 27-year-old appeared in 62 total games (17 as a Spur) and averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals with shooting splits of .463/.310/.827. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to tendon damage in his pinkie. It would be hard to imagine that the Spurs don't sign him to an extension after trading for him to become Victor Wembanyama's running mate, but stranger things have happened in the NBA.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (ankle) missed the last four games of the season due to an ankle injury, but he's trending in the right direction before the NBA Playoffs start. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said before their final game that Mitchell would be "full-on" during practice leading up to Game 1, which is waiting for the play-in games to be scheduled. The 28-year-old was voted to his sixth straight All-Star Game this season and averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. The Cavaliers' big three of Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley will need to be fully healthy to make a playoff run, and it seems that they're moving closer to that.

Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (knee) has been battling knee issues over the last month or so of the regular season. He saw a small decrease in minutes and even sat out of the final three games, which made him ineligible for regular-season awards. Head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed reports that Brown received pain management injections in his knee, but he also said that he expects the former Finals MVP to be ready to go for Game 1 of their first-round series. Throughout the last postseason, Brown was given the task of guarding the other team's best scorer more often than not. He's extremely important to the Celtics' success, given his level of defense on top of his season averages of 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. continued to raise his stock despite a tumultuous season that saw the team finish in 13th place in the East and miss the playoffs. He has a player option for the 2025-26 season, and when asked about it during a press conference, he said, "This is a business, but at the end of the day I'm happy. And I like to finish what I start, and I don't feel complete. So godspeed." This seems very encouraging for the Sixers, but it also seems like he's waiting to see how the offseason plays out and would like to negotiate a pay raise. This offseason is extremely important for the Sixers and could ultimately change the way the franchise looks from top to bottom. Oubre averaged 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a starter, so his role on the team is not in question.

Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond has a player option remaining on his contract, and he told reporters that he plans on returning to the team for the 2025-26 season. The veteran big man, much like the rest of the team, had some injury issues throughout the year and only appeared in 40 games, which was a career low. He posted averages of 7.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals across 18.8 minutes per game. His role next season is in question after rookie center Adem Bona showed a lot of promise in the last month and a half of the season. Plus, with their top two stars already aging, the 76ers may want to move in a younger direction, so Drummond is one to watch through the offseason.

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (wrist) was unable to play in the team's final two games of the regular season, and now there's some doubt surrounding his status for their play-in game against the Miami Heat on Wednesday. One bit of good news came from head coach Billy Donovan when he said that there is a "high-level optimism" surrounding his ability to play. In his first season with the Bulls, Giddey posted career-highs in multiple categories and averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 threes per game with shooting splits of .465/.378/.781. If he's unable to play, they're likely to lean a bit more on Kevin Huerter and Talen Horton-Tucker at times.

Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Quentin Grimes will be a restricted free agent this offseason. However, it appears he wants to stay in Philly. "I'm very comfortable here," said Maxey while speaking after Sunday's 122-102 loss to the Chicago Bulls. "I could definitely see myself being here in the future." Still, Grimes understands the "NBA is a business," meaning anything can happen. The 76ers were ravaged by ailments throughout the 2024-25 campaign, with Joel Embiid (knee), Tyrese Maxey (finger), Paul George (knee, adductor), and Kelly Oubre Jr. all sustaining season-ending injuries. Fortunately, Grimes, who was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the trade deadline, stepped up by averaging a career-high 22.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 27 appearances with the Sixers. There should be at least a handful of clubs around the National Basketball League who will be interested in his services. Yet, the 76ers will likely look to retain Grimes, although it's hard to imagine he'll be as productive in 2025-26 if Embiid, George, and Maxey are healthy.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain (knee) is progressing toward a return to the court, recently stating he's been doing "a little jumping" without pain. The 2024 No. 16 overall pick had a fantastic inaugural year, averaging 23.8 points and 4.3 assists in eight starts. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending meniscus tear in December, resulting in surgery. Without question, McCain has untapped potential. However, if Joel Embiid (knee), Tyrese Maxey (finger), and Paul George (adductor, knee) are healthy, McCain could have a tough time holding a consistent role in the rotation.