NBA Player News

Rui didn’t shoot it well or do much outside of scoring and hitting threes, but he came through if you started him tonight. Ish Smith came off the bench to score 19 with five dimes, Jerome Robinson started and scored 15, Thomas Bryant had 13 points, eight boards and a block, and Isaac Bonga and Anzejs Pasecniks each scored 10. The Wiz will wrap up their lost season on Thursday against the Celtics and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Hachimura and his bench brigade try to go out with a bang in a meaningless finale. They also interestingly started Troy Brown Jr. at point guard and he finished with nine points, six rebounds, three assists and a 3-pointer on 3-of-15 shooting. Ouch.

The Hornets’ decision to bring LaMelo Ball off the bench is a form of injury management without holding him out for the entire game. Fantasy managers should still slot Ball into their lineups, but his fantasy value does take a slight hit with the change. With the Hornets visiting Orlando on Thursday, James may be bumped back to the bench for that one.

Initially probable for Wednesday night, Brown has been upgraded to available. He’ll occupy his usual place within the Celtics’ starting lineup.

According to Carlisle, Mathurin, who has not played since January 2, is progressing in his recovery from thumb and toe injuries. While the head coach also noted that he’s unsure when the wing will be able to play in games, Carlisle said on January 16 that he believed that Mathurin could play at some point during the Pacers’ current five-game road trip. Johnny Furphy should remain in the starting lineup until Mathurin can play without restriction.

Ware did not play in Tuesday’s win over the Kings, with his minutes being distributed among multiple players. What also helped the Heat account for the second-year center’s absence was an improved performance from Bam Adebayo, who shot 1-of-13 from the field in Monday’s loss to the Warriors. While Nikola Jović and Simone Fontecchio may pick up a few additional minutes when Ware sits, neither is worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.

Washington is back with the team after missing the last two games for personal reasons. His return likely means that Caleb Martin will head to the bench, where he offers minimal fantasy value.

LeVert will not be available for Wednesday’s game, leaving the Pistons down two rotation guards since Cade Cunningham is also out. LeVert’s absence will not have a significant impact on fantasy basketball, but it should lead to more minutes for Ron Holland II.

Added to the Pistons’ injury report on Wednesday afternoon, Cunningham will not play due to a left hip contusion. Jaden Ivey filled in the last time Cunningham missed a game, but he did not play starters’ minutes. With Daniss Jenkins and Marcus Sasser also in the mix for rotation minutes, Ivey isn’t worth the risk in this spot.

A late scratch for Dallas’ January 17 game against the Jazz, Russell also sat out Monday’s win over the Knicks. His availability may affect Ryan Nembhard, who is still on a two-way contract. If the Mavericks make the undrafted rookie inactive, there will be rotation minutes for Russell. That said, there’s no need to roster him.

Gafford has missed the Mavericks’ last three games with a sprained ankle. While Dwight Powell started Monday’s win over the Knicks, reserve Moussa Cissé was more productive. That will likely be the rotation on Thursday if Gafford remains out, but Cissé is also questionable due to an illness.

Cissé, who has provided valuable contributions off the bench when the Mavericks have been shorthanded, is dealing with an illness. How impactful his absence would be depends on Daniel Gafford (ankle), who’s also listed as questionable for Thursday night. If Gafford plays, there may not be much room in the rotation for Cissé, especially if the Mavericks decide to save a game since the rookie is on a two-way deal.