NBA Player News

Barkley said in a statement released Tuesday by TNT that he didn’t know about the district attorney’s $40,000 processing fee, but intends to pay it. “True to my word, I sent a $400,000 cashier’s check overnight to Wynn Las Vegas, which they confirmed they received,” Barkley said. “I was unaware of the additional 10 percent processing fee from the district attorney’s office and will make restitution on that promptly."This PR nightmare is nearly over for Barkley, who says he will take a year or two off from gambling as a result.

Diabaté, who finished Tuesday’s overtime win over the Heat with eight points, 14 rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in 36 minutes, is dealing with a sore left hip. If he’s unable to play on Friday, the Hornets would turn to Ryan Kalkbrenner and Grant Williams to fill the resulting void.

Allen injured his hamstring during the Suns’ penultimate game of the regular season, an April 10 loss to the Lakers. According to Ott, the veteran guard’s availability for Friday’s Play-In Tournament game against the Warriors will depend on whether he can sprint. Royce O’Neale and Collin Gillespie take on added importance in their respective roles with Allen unavailable.

Isaac has been sidelined for over a month, most recently sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the 76ers. While his return would give the Magic another option in the frontcourt, the 6-foot-10 forward’s minutes are likely to be limited once he’s cleared to play.

While Embiid’s status for the 76ers’ first round series against the Hornets hasn’t been made official, he’s unlikely to be ready for the start of the series. Charania reports the 76ers are preparing to begin the series without their 32-year-old superstar. Paul George and Tyrese Maxey will take on added importance in his absence. Theoretically, Embiid could be available later in the series.

The NBA ruled in favor of Cunningham and Doncic on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule. Both players will now be eligible for season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams. Doncic missed two games in December due to the birth of his child and Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards also filed a challenge, but was denied and is not eligible for awards, according to Charania.

Landale will miss the first round of the playoffs. The 30-year-old center sustained a high ankle sprain against the Magic on April 1 and has progressed in his rehabilitation, but isn’t ready to return yet. Mo Gueye and Tony Bradley will be the backup center options for the Hawks in their series against the Knicks.

There were certainly some lows for Mathurin in April, but he was able to end his first season as a Clipper with back-to-back 20-point outings. There aren’t any questions about his scoring ability, but he hasn’t been able to contribute value in other categories consistently, and that is unlikely to change next season. He’s still a talented young guard, and he played well in this game, but that shouldn’t change how fantasy managers view him heading into next season.

In what was an amazing season for Leonard, it ended on a sour note. He played in 65 games and had one of the best offensive seasons of his career. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to bring some of that magic into the play-in tournament. His five turnovers were the most he has had in a game since February. Kawhi will turn 35 in June, which certainly means there will be rumors and questions floating around about the Clippers’ chances of building a contender around him. Regardless, Leonard is still one of the most talented players in basketball and will have a chance to be a fantasy superstar once again next season, no matter who he suits up for.

Prior to fouling out, Garland was able to have a productive night in his postseason debut for the Clippers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for them to stay alive and have a chance to make the playoffs. Garland was acquired at the trade deadline in a deal that sent James Harden to Cleveland. He has been limited by a toe injury for over a year, but when he was finally able to make his debut for the Clippers, he was able to close the year out with a productive stretch. The former All-Star will be a pivotal piece for the Clippers moving forward.

Santos stepped up in a big way for the Warriors during the second half of the season, and that continued into a strong play-in performance for him. He entered the starting lineup when Stephen Curry went down with a knee injury in late January and took full advantage of the opportunity. He ended up signing a three-year, $15 million contract extension with Golden State that may end up looking like a bargain. Santos will continue to be a pivotal piece for the Warriors with the postseason continuing for them on Friday in Phoenix.