NBA Player News

Calderon left Wednesday’s game after getting an elbow to the face and had to receive stitches as a result. Owners need to make sure he’s sitting on the bench, and both Ben Uzoh and the newly-signed Justin Dentmon should both see extended minutes in his absence.

Valančiūnas was initially listed as probable, and now he is officially cleared to suit up. This could mean that he won’t play the second leg of this back-to-back against the Clippers since he didn’t play the second leg of their last back-to-back. If that happens, Zeke Nnaji could return to the starting lineup.

Murray is officially available after being listed as probable on the initial injury report. He’ll take on his usual role as the starting point guard, sharing the backcourt with Jalen Pickett.

The Bulls won’t have Josh Giddey (hamstring) for Thursday’s game, opening up a spot in the starting lineup. They’ll go back to the lineup they used when Giddey was being brought off the bench as part of his minutes restriction, with Smith starting alongside Vooch. In this role, “Stix” is worth rostering in deep leagues.

Santos is managing a calf injury, but he should be able to play through it. He scored a season-high 16 points against Utah on Wednesday, but it is unlikely he repeats that level of production against Detroit.

Atlanta will be incredibly shorthanded for this game, with Jalen Johnson (calf) and Onyeka Okongwu (mouth) both sidelined. Krejci and Koloko will join the starting group, and there should be extra minutes off the bench available for Mouhamed Gueye and Asa Newell.

The lone change to the Rockets’ starting lineup for Thursday night is Okogie, who replaces Tari Eason for the second night of Houston’s back-to-back. With Dorian Finney-Smith also out, Okogie may play a bit more than he usually would, raising his fantasy ceiling slightly. He still is not someone worth rostering in most leagues.

Şengün was a game-time decision for Thursday’s game due to a sprained right ankle, but he’s good to go. He’ll take on his usual role as the starting center, with Clint Capela missing out on a potential increase to his playing time.

Williams is good to go after logging 24 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Timberwolves. His availability likely means that Ryan Nembhard will miss out on the opportunity to play extended minutes off the bench.

Braun has only appeared in three games since suffering a sprained ankle on November 12, with his most recent action coming on January 9. As for Johnson, he has been out since December 23. With Nikola Jokić (knee) and Aaron Gordon (hamstring) also out, the Nuggets are currently down four starters. While Braun and Johnson weren’t having great seasons at the time of their respective injuries, their absences opened the door for others to step up, most notably Peyton Watson, who has a case to remain a starter even after the Nuggets return to full strength.

Jokić has been sidelined since December, but they’re hoping to have him back before they take on the Grizzlies on Feb. 11. Including Thursday’s game against the Nets, Denver has eight more games before the break. Jonas Valančiūnas should remain the starting center for now, with Zeke Nnaji starting when he is sidelined.