Injury Report: Brooklyn Nets vs. LA Clippers

The Brooklyn Nets and the LA Clippers will both be without one of their stars Saturday night.

© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets will start their four-game West Coast road trip in Los Angeles with a matchup against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena. 

The Nets will be without Kyrie Irving (team suspension), Yuta Watanabe (left ankle sprain), TJ Warren (left foot - injury recovery), and Alondes Williams (G League assignment - two way). 

Irving will be serving the fifth game of his team suspension. The superstar guard was handed a suspension of at least five games by the Nets back on Nov. 3. 

Following Brooklyn's practice on Friday afternoon, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn said there are no updates on a return for Irving. The head coach, who has not spoken to Irving since he was dealt the suspension, did not reveal any possibility of the guard rejoining the team on the four-game road trip. 

Watanabe will miss his second-straight game with a left ankle sprain. Vaughn expects the wing to also miss the second game of the LA back-to-back against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Watanabe was wearing an ankle brace and was doing some light shooting after the Nets practice Friday evening. 

"Yuta [Watanabe] likely out these next 2 games," Vaughn said Friday. "[He] Did do some shooting today, so hopefully that’s trending in the right direction."

Warren, who is not expected to return in the coming weeks, has begun contact work with coaches. The Nets are being cautious with their veteran wing, who is coming off a second consecutive stress fracture operation on his left foot. 

Ben Simmons will come off the bench against the Clippers Saturday afternoon. Simmons, who has come off the bench in the last two games, is coming off left knee soreness. Vaughn stated he is attempting to put the 26-year-old star in the best situations possible for him to succeed while he regains his footing on the hardwood. 

The Clippers will be without Brandon Boston Jr. - G League on assignment, Moussa Diabate - G League - two-way, Kawhi Leonard - Right Knee Injury Management, and Jason Preston - G League on assignment against the Nets.