The injury bug appears to have hit the NBA about a month into the 2025-26 season, with the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and the San Antonio Spurs' Stephon Castle the latest players set to miss time. 

Antetokounmpo left Monday's 118-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter with a left groin strain. On Tuesday, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said in an interview that Antetokounmpo will be out a couple weeks. 

"I don’t know what grade (the strain) is, but I know it’s not a bad one, so that’s good news for us," Rivers said on the team's official podcast. "But yet, he’s still probably two weeks, he’ll be out. And we’ll see. Hopefully less, but most likely in that area.”

Antetokounmpo is fourth in the NBA in scoring at 31.2 points per game and is also averaging 10.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists for a Bucks team that is 8-7. 

Castle, last season's Rookie of the Year, will be re-evaluated in a week or two after suffering a hip flexor strain in Sunday's 123-110 win over the Sacramento Kings. 

The news comes just a day after the Spurs announced that star center Victor Wembanyama will miss at least two to three weeks with a calf strain. Rookie and No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper remains out with a calf strain of his own. 

Castle has improved in almost every statistical category to start his sophomore campaign, averaging 17.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists for the 9-4 Spurs. 

While the new NBA season has begun to take its toll, some players who entered the season injured have made their way back. 

Veteran Paul George made his season debut on Monday in the Philadelphia 76ers' 110-108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers after recovering from a knee injury. He played 21 minutes, finishing with nine points and seven rebounds. 

While Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has yet to play this season due to symptoms of sciatica, he appears poised to begin his record 23rd NBA season soon. 

James has been practising with the Lakers, and ESPN's Shams Charania reported that James plans to go through his typical warm-up routine ahead of Tuesday's game against the Utah Jazz with the hopes of making his debut.