NBA Player News

McCollum is on an expiring contract, and while the Hawks may have interest in keeping him around past this season, his main function in this deal was to help the salaries match up. McCollum’s time with the Wizards lasted 35 games, and he was able to show he’s still a talented scorer. He’ll be a reliable veteran for Atlanta, likely as a reserve. He won’t be as impactful for fantasy managers as he was as a Wizard, but he should be able to help offset some of the offense that the Hawks lose by moving on from Trae.

Surprisingly, no draft capital was included in the deal that ends Young’s time in Atlanta. Kispert is one of the two players headed in the opposite direction, and his addition gives the Hawks another perimeter shooter to place around Jalen Johnson if he can crack the rotation. For his career, he’s averaging 2.0 three-pointers per game on 38.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. At best, Kispert will be a specialist who may offer deep-league value. However, this is not a deal that moves the needle for him, fantasy-wise.

Rumors had been heating up, and now it’s official. Young will head to Washington after appearing in just 10 games during his eighth season with the Hawks. Young will be reunited with Travis Schlenk, who drafted Trae in 2018 and is now an executive with the Wizards. The Wizards will have the rest of this season and, assuming he opts into his contract for next year, all of next season to decide if they want to keep Young around. It was a low-cost move for Washington, and they added a former All-NBA player that led the NBA in assists last season. If they’re able to add another top pick in the draft this season, the Wizards will have one of the best young cores in the NBA and a star point guard to help facilitate things on offense. Plus, Washington has enough length to make up for Young’s defensive limitations. Trae has been sidelined recently with a quad injury, but that could certainly heal up quickly now that he’s on a new team.

Milwaukee signed Sears to a two-way deal right after he went undrafted in June. He has made a few appearances for the Bucks this year, but he has spent most of his time in the G League. He’ll be able to sign a two-way deal with a new team, but he’ll continue to suit up in the G League regardless.

Signed to a two-year, two-way contract just before Christmas, Williams has been waived by the Hawks. While his departure does not affect fantasy basketball, it does open up a two-way slot for the Hawks to utilize.

Waived by the Pacers on Monday, two days before his contract would have been guaranteed for the remainder of the season, Bradley is expected to rejoin the team on a 10-day contract. With Isaiah Jackson (concussion) out, Indiana has relied on Jay Huff and Micah Potter to handle the center position. While there may be rotation minutes available to Bradley, there’s no need to roster him in fantasy leagues.

Bamba’s deal would have been guaranteed if he was on the roster beyond January 6, so the team’s decision to waive him isn’t entirely surprising. He can rejoin Toronto on a 10-day deal, but even if he returns, Bamba won’t see enough run to be worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.

Bradley has been let go before his contract became fully guaranteed. With Isaiah Jackson (concussion) still sidelined, Micah Potter and Jay Huff will continue to fill the center minutes for Indiana. Bradley’s departure will just leave a few extra minutes for Potter and Huff.

Williams and Alvarado were ejected for fighting during the third quarter of Saturday’s game, with both players throwing punches. However, since Alvarado was judged to have escalated the altercation, he was suspended for two games while Williams was suspended for one. The Suns’ starting center will miss Monday’s game against the Wizards, and he’ll be eligible to return for Wednesday’s game against the Cavaliers.

Alvarado and Williams got into a fight during the third quarter of Saturday’s game, with both players throwing punches. The Pelicans’ point guard was judged to have escalated the altercation, and he has been suspended for two games without pay, while Williams was assessed a one-game ban. Alvarado will miss games against the Knicks and Bulls, and he’ll be eligible to return on January 2 against the Trail Blazers.