Nikola Pekovic acknowledged this week that he's "more prepared for ending my career than returning" to the NBA.

Minnesota is expected to pursue a medical retirement for Pekovic after Jan 31st. Pekovic has had persistent ankle issues.

Pekovic has one year left on the five-year, $60 million deal he signed during the 2013 offseason.

Pekovic has been running Partizan Belgrade while away from the Wolves.

Josh McRoberts is out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his left foot.

"I wish I had something philosophical, a good quote to say to help other people through tough times," McRoberts said before sitting out Tuesday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AmericanAirlines Arena. "But I think that's part of it. You just keep it in perspective. It could be a whole lot worse. It's an injury and I'll be back. It's never a good thing. It's always frustrating, always disappointing, but you try to stay as strong as you can and get through it, keep things in perspective."

McRoberts has had a cycle of injuries since joining the Miami Heat in 2014. McRoberts arrived in 2014 dealing with a toe issue and was lost for the balance of that 2014-15 season on Dec. 10 with a torn meniscus in his right knee. Last season he missed 26 games at midseason due to a bruised right knee. This season, he missed all of training camp and the start of the season as the result of a broken foot sustained during last season's playoffs.

"I feel for Josh, right now," Erik Spoelstra said. "He wants to be out there and he was starting to get into a great rhythm. We'll use all of our resources to come with the solution for him."

Goran Dragic is out of Tuesday's game due to back spasms.

It is Dragic's third injury absence of the season. He missed three games in early November with a sprained left ankle, then two later that month with a strained left elbow.

"There's not a breaking point," Erik Spoelstra said. "You're capable of handling whatever you need to handle. In this league, anything that comes at you is an opportunity to grow as a team."

Josh Richardson will start at point guard with Dragic out.

Gerald Henderson left Monday's loss by the Philadelphia 76ers against the Sacramento Kings due to intolerable left hip pain.

Henderson was pulled out of the game early in the fourth quarter when he was visibly laboring.

“I’ve just been in a bit of pain, man,” Henderson said “It actually hasn’t been feeling pretty good. I just pulled myself out. I felt some other guys could do better at the time. I wasn’t moving great at all. 

“I was getting blown by on defense, and I really wanted to win the game. I told him to take me out.”

Henderson said soreness and stiffness are a result from his having two surgeries in that hip. Henderson initially had surgery to repair a torn labrum in the hip in May 2011 while with the  Charlotte Bobcats. His second surgery  in July 2015 was debridement arthroscopy surgery.

Larry Nance Jr. will miss the next four weeks with a bone bruise in his left knee.

Nance suffered the injury on Dec. 20th at Charlotte.

Nance is averaging 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds off the bench this season for the Lakers.

Damian Lillard is day-to-day after rolling his ankle in Friday's loss to the Spurs.

Results of an X-ray came back negative but Lillard left the arena in a walking boot.

"I know I rolled it good. I went back in the game because I wanted to test it, and it hurt,'' Lillard said. "Went out there for a few possessions and it didn't make sense to even be out there."

Lillard is averaging 27.0 points and 6.2 assists per game.

Chris Paul will be listed as day-to-day after straining his left hamstring in the third quarter of Thursday's 106-101 victory over the Spurs. 

"I don't think it's bad, but you don't really know about a hamstring until the next day," Doc Rivers said. 

The Clippers are already without Blake Griffin after he underwent surgery on his right knee.

Paul had 19 points and six assists in 23 minutes before pulling up on defense in the third quarter. 

J.R. Smith will miss the next 12 to 14 weeks after undergoing surgery on his broken right thumb. The surgery repaired a complex fracture. If Smith returns at the beginning of that timetable, it would be the middle of March.

Smith suffered the injury against the Milwaukee Bucks this week.

Smith will now undergo a period of recovery and rehabilitation for his thumb.

Jared Sullinger is about a month away from returning to the lineup for the Toronto Raptors.

Sullinger has been recovering from the surgery on his left foot he underwent in training camp.

Sullinger is no longer wearing a walking boot and has been able to put more pressure on the foot.

"He has been great with his insights. I tell him I would rather have him as the player Sully than the coach Sully, but he has a great basketball IQ and some great advice," said Dwane Casey. "You know when guys are pulling your tail and giving you bullcrap, but his stuff is real, really intelligent insight into who we are playing and how to play certain guys and certain situations. That has been very helpful. And it’s like I told him, this can help him when he goes on the floor so now he can think through situations so he has no excuse before he makes a mistake."

Larry Nance Jr. will be out indefinitely with a bone bruise in his left knee. 

Further results of the exam were inconclusive due to swelling in the knee, so Nance will be re-examined Sunday in Los Angeles by team physician Dr. David McAllister of UCLA Health.

Nance is averaging 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds off the bench this season for the Lakers.

Nance was a first round pick by the Lakers in 2015.