Ben Simmons is expected to miss at least the next three games with a left lateral upper calf strain.

Simmons was most recently dealing with soreness and swelling in his knee.

Simmons is averaging 9.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 28.1 minutes per game.

The Washington Wizards are in the middle of the play-in chase and could look to upgrade their roster before the deadline.

Like the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, the Wizards have shown interest in Crowder. The Phoenix Suns have been attempting to find a workable trade of Crowder since the offseason.

"There's been some chatter about them looking at a guy like Jae Crowder," said Brian Windhorst on his podcast. "I'm pretty confident there's been some discussions between the Wizards and the Suns.

"We've been talking about Jae Crowder now for about two months. It's obvious it's a hard trade to pull off. The Wizards have a bunch of guys who make decent salaries on their roster they can use in a trade."

The Suns are looking for a power forward in return for Crowder, according to Windhorst. The Wizards have multiple young power forwards in Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija. 

James Harden is targeting his return from his strained right foot tendon during hte Philadelphia 76ers' three-game road trip.

Harden will likely return at the Houston Rockets on Monday.

Harden last played on Nov. 2nd. For the season, Harden is averaging 22.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists in 36.8 minutes per game.

Khris Middleton could make his 22-23 debut as early as Friday as he is close to being back from his offseason surgery on his left wrist.

Middleton had a torn ligament in his left wrist that was corrected in July. 

Middleton missed the entire second round series for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Boston Celtics due to a Grad 2 MCL sprain.

De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis have formed one of the NBA's best pick-and-roll partnerships during their time together with the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings are in position to possibly break their extended playoff drought and change the reputation of the franchise, which hasn't gone unnoticed by Sabonis.

“Fox is unselfish, I’m unselfish. I love to play in the pick-and-roll, he loves to play in the pick-and-roll. We want to show people that we can win, and win consistently, apart from everything that goes on in the NBA,” Sabonis told Yahoo Sports. “I think that’s the most important thing, is to show that we can turn this franchise around.”

Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan were once best friends off the court, despite being fierce rivals on it. Now, the two haven't spoken in a decade.

Barkley said the rift was caused by Jordan being upset over Barkley's criticism of how Jordan has run the Charlotte Hornets.

“It’s a really unfortunate situation for me and him. But I’m going to do my job first and foremost. I can’t criticize other coaches and general managers and give him a pass because he’s my best friend,” Barkley said. “I just can’t do that. What I said was, ‘Michael’s got to surround himself with better people. And I worry about him being successful.’”

Barkley said he and Jordan had a conversation that "wasn't pleasant" after those comments 10 years ago. The two haven't spoken since, despite regularly crossing paths at various NBA events. But Barkley says he'd like to make amends with his former friend.

“I probably would say, ‘Hey, you know, what I said, I believed. I’m sorry you took offense to it, and let’s get past this bull---- and go back to playing golf and having fun.’”

The Chicago Bulls season hasn't gone quite as hoped for. Last year's Bulls got off to a terrific start before injuries derailed their season. This year's edition has gotten off to a slow start, but Chicago hopes that returns from injuries will lift them.

One of those returns hoped for is Lonzo Ball. Ball has had several fits and starts with his return from meniscus surgery. But Chicago is hopeful of having the veteran point guard back in their lineup shortly after the calendar flips to 2023.

Ball missed 47 games last season and has missed the Bulls first 20 games of this season. At one point, Ball had to be completely shut down during his rehab due to persistent pain. In recent weeks, Ball has made progress that has Chicago optimistic he'll return sometime in the coming months.

The New York Knicks waived forward Feron Hunt from his Two-Way contract. The Knicks signed DaQuan Jeffries to a Two-Way deal to replace Hunt.

Hunt appeared in two NBA games over the last two seasons with New York. In eight G League games with the Westchester Knicks this season, Hunt has averaged 16.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 blocks.

Jeffries was originally cut by New York at the end of the preseason. The three-year NBA veteran then joined Westchester. In six G League games, Jeffries has averaged 16 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Ben Simmons will miss the Brooklyn Nets game against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday due to left knee soreness.

Simmons suffered the injury on Monday against the Magic. 

Jacque Vaughn declared Simmons day-to-day following the game. 

Damian Lillard is targeting a return against the Indiana Pacers on December 4, reported Chris Haynes of TNT.

Lillard was diagnosed with a Grade 1 calf strain earlier in November. 

The Blazers are now 1-4 without Lillard in the lineup.