Injuries in the NBA are tough to deal with. They not only impact the teams, but they also give players long-term setbacks.
During the 2025-26 season, NBA stars like Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving did not play to allow their bodies to recover from injuries. Haliburton and Lillard dealt with torn Achilles tendons. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum also missed significant time due to injury recovery and only appeared in 16 games.
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In the upcoming season, players could miss significant time with injuries. Here are 10 NBA players dealing with lengthy layoffs due to injury.
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#1 Henri Veesaar
Henri Veesaar suffered a torn ACL during an offseason workout. The second-round pick is expected to miss most of the regular season to recover from the devastating injury.
The 2026-27 NBA season is supposed to be his rookie season. However, his injury could delay his debut for the Atlanta Hawks.
#2 Johnny Furphy
Indiana Pacers forward Johnny Furphy is another player dealing with a torn ACL. He suffered the injury in February last season. According to reports, Furphy could make a midseason return to the Pacers.
Before media day, Pacers executive vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager Ted Wu gave an update on the forward.
“Johnny’s done everything he needs to do, and he’s hit all the benchmarks and the bars,” said Wu. “He’s been in (the facility) a lot. … I don’t think anything has changed since we last talked about Johnny’s progress, but it’s all been extremely positive.”
Wu did not put a date on Furphy’s return. However, he’s optimistic the forward will return in the middle of the NBA regular season.
#3 Moses Moody
Moses Moody was having the best season of his career before he suffered a torn left patellar tendon. The Golden State Warriors guard underwent surgery in March. The Warriors believe the former Arkansas standout will return this season.
The franchise has not set a definite return date. However, he is expected to return anytime between December and March 2027. On media day, Moody gave an update on his road to recovery.
“Yeah, I’m confident with the plan. I think everything has been on track for what Rick (Celebrini) has estimated and everything,” Moody told reporters. “Yeah, I’m in a good spot.”
He averaged 12.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 60 games in the 2025-26 NBA season.
#4 Mark Williams
Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during an offseason workout. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in September that Williams underwent surgery to repair the injury.
He is out indefinitely, which means the Suns won’t have him when the 2026-27 NBA season starts. League insider John Gambadoro reported on X that Williams could likely be out for five months.
#5 Shaedon Sharpe
Shaedon Sharpe is another player who suffered an injury due to an offseason workout in August. The Portland Trail Blazers guard sustained a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. The Blazers reported that Sharpe underwent successful surgery and will be re-evaluated in six months.
Sharpe was also limited last season, only appearing in 50 games. He averaged 20.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 2.6 assists per game.
#6 Donte DiVincenzo
The Minnesota Timberwolves do not want to rush Donte DiVincenzo‘s return from injury. Last season, he suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Western Conference first round against the Denver Nuggets.
According to the Timberwolves, DiVincenzo has started to do light on-court workouts. He is expected to make his season debut for the 2026-27 campaign after the NBA All-Star break.
He is determined to return to action and help his teammates.
“I wouldn’t come in here with the mindset of I’m gonna play next year,” he said. “No, the mindset is to play this year.”
He appeared in all 82 games during the regular season, averaging 12.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 3.8 apg.
#7 Jimmy Butler III
The Golden State Warriors have remained committed to Jimmy Butler III amid offseason NBA trade rumors. They did not engage in trade talks, and they plan to support him in his injury recovery. On Friday, Warriors coach Steve Kerr teased Butler’s potential return.
“No idea. I’m just throwing February out there because that’s about a year post-injury,” Kerr said.
Butler suffered a torn ACL in his right knee in January. So far in his recovery, the six-time All-Star has been cleared to do light on-court workouts.
#8 Jamir Watkins
In the Summer League opener, Jamir Watkins went down with a torn ACL in his left knee. Given the severity of the injury, the Washington Wizards forward could miss significant time or all of the 2026-27 NBA season. A torn ACL injury is not an easy setback to recover from.
Watkins was expected to play the second season after a promising rookie year. Last season, he appeared in 50 games, averaging 7.4 ppg and 3.9 rpg on 44.6% shooting.
#9 Jayden Quaintance
San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Jayden Quaintance suffered a torn ACL even before he was drafted in June. Even with the setback, the Spurs still used their No. 20 pick to draft the Kentucky big man. However, fans will need to be more patient with his recovery.
The 6-foot-10 big man has no specific return date. Quaintance is expected to miss the start of the 2026–27 NBA season. According to league insider Brett Siegel, the Spurs player is likely to return in 2027.
#10 Yanic Konan Niederhauser
Yanic Konan Niederhauser suffered an injury in March in a game against the Indiana Pacers. Konan Niederhauser was ruled out for the rest of the 2025-26 NBA season due to a Lisfranc injury (torn ligament) in his right foot, which required him to undergo surgery.
The young big man is expected to miss the start of the 2026-27 NBA season. Fortunately for the LA Clippers, he has started to show positive signs of recovery.
“I was 238 when I got hurt, so that’s 27 pounds,” he said in July. “Once I got hurt and heard I had to get surgery and everything, I started thinking, ‘What can I do now? What’s next?’ One thing was just to work to get heavier and stronger. That’s what I focused on the whole time because that’s what I could do.”
The big man averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game for his rookie season.
Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein
