NBA Injury Report: When Will Zion Williamson, Paul George, Kristaps Porzingis Return?

As the NBA season continues, and teams get closer to the halfway point of the season, injuries continue to affect a number of different players. Some players are looking to make their return from injuries in the coming days, while others could be forced to miss games.

Below are some of the most recent injury reports from big-name players across the league.

Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas Mavericks

Porzingis has been sidelined for the past eight games due to right knee soreness, though the power forward returned to practice on Monday. However, after practice, Porzingis said he felt ill, which extended his absence to include the Mavericks' latest game against the Golden State Warriors.

On Wednesday, Porzingis told reporters that he wants to return to the Mavericks "as soon as possible, hopefully tomorrow," which would be the team's against the Sacramento Kings.

Despite his hopefulness, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle will make the final decision regarding Porzingis' return.

The Mavericks currently sit at the 6th spot in the Western Conference with a 25-15 record.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

While Williamson, the Pelicans No.1 overall draft pick has yet to make his NBA debut, he has moved closer in the past few days. Williamson has missed every game of the regular season due to a torn meniscus he suffered during the preseason.

The former Duke standout returned to practice earlier this month and was seen dunking prior to the Pelicans game against the New York Knicks on January 10. On Wednesday, the Pelicans confirmed that Willamson will make his regular-season debut during the January 22nd contest with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Pelicans are currently the 14th ranked team in the Western Conference with a 15-26 record.

Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

George has missed the past three games with the Clippers after suffering a left hamstring injury during a team practice last week. Despite missing those games, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers previously regarded the injury as "mild" and said he thinks the forward will be back soon, per Tom Azarly of ClutchPoints.

George's next opportunity to return to the court will be on Thursday, January 16, when the Clippers host the Orlando Magic.

The 28-13 Clippers currently sit at the 4th spot in the Western Conference.

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

Like Williamson, Thompson has yet to play a game this season after he suffered a torn ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals. In October, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stated that he did not expect Thompson to play this season, but on Tuesday, Thompson hinted that he would like to return this season.

"I don't know what's gonna come this season. I'd love to get out there," Thompson said during a press conference on Tuesday. He also added that he plans to be "very patient" with his recovery.

Thompson will be re-evaluated for his injury during the NBA All-Star break in early February.

The Warriors currently have a 9-33 record, the last place in the Western Conference.

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

On Wednesday, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens told reporters that Tatum will not play in their Wednesday night game against the Detroit Pistons, due to tendinitis.

Tatum was previously listed as probable for the game, but Stevens and the Celtics wanted to play it safe and rest their young star. Despite being ruled out for Wednesday's game, Tatum will still travel with the team to Milwaukee for their game on Thursday against the Bucks.

The Celtics currently sit in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference with a 27-11 record.