NBA Player News

Carey isn’t in the rotation most nights when healthy, so his availability will not impact fantasy basketball. Even if Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford remain sidelined, leave Carey on the waiver wire.

George did not play in Saturday’s loss to the Nets, opening up a spot in the starting lineup for rookie Jamir Watkins. Watkins played 45 minutes, finishing with 13 points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, two blocks and one three-pointer. That isn’t the most robust stat line, but Watkins playing that much stands out. On a four-game day, he would be worth streaming if George sits again.

Coulibaly did not play in Saturday’s loss to the Nets, opening up a spot in the starting lineup for Will Riley. Even if the third-year wing can play against Miami, those who have added Riley recently need to hold onto him. The rookie should play plenty the rest of the season, regardless of Coulibaly’s availability.

Bufkin’s contract includes a team option for the 2026-27 season. The former first-round pick has spent most of this season in the G League, earning a 10-day contract with the Lakers in mid-January. With the Bufkin signing, the Lakers have filled all 15 of their standard contract slots.

Westbrook had nine assists in Saturday’s loss to the Cavaliers, but gave back a lot of his value in certain leagues with his seven turnovers. The 37-year-old point guard was otherwise excellent for the Kings. Westbrook was efficient with 21 points on 14 attempts and five three-pointers. The Kings have two games upcoming in Week 17, starting with a matchup against the Pelicans on Monday.

Clifford moved into the starting lineup with Zach LaVine (finger) and Malik Monk (illness) both out. The 23-year-old guard made the most of his opportunity with 30 points on 19 attempts in 40 minutes. Clifford can be used in deeper formats until the Kings are back to full strength.

On Saturday, Allen had his ninth career game with at least 25 points while shooting at least 90 percent from the field. He trails only Wilt Chamberlain all-time with 12. Allen has now had at least 29 points in two of his last three games. The 27-year-old center has provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster.

Harden commended his new teammates for how together, connected and unselfish they are, saying he’s just happy to be there. The 36-year-old point guard played his role just fine Saturday. Harden took a back seat to Donovan Mitchell when it came to scoring, but he was able to dish out eight assists in the flow of the offense and also made 5-of-8 from behind the three-point line. His fantasy value figures to remain pretty high in Cleveland.

For those wondering what the Grizzlies would do at the center position without Santi Aldama, the answer for their two games in Portland was to go small. After sitting out Friday’s defeat, Anderson was tabbed to serve as the starting center on Saturday, and he recorded a nice stat line. The four defensive contributions were the most in a game for SloMo since New Year’s Day. His value moving forward depends partly on Aldama’s availability. The Grizzlies play four games in Week 17, two before the All-Star break.

While James Harden made his debut for the Cavaliers Saturday, Mitchell made sure everyone knew whose team this still is by dropping a game-high 35 points in the win over the Kings. The 29-year-old shooting guard is tied for the third-most games with at least 35 points this season. Mitchell has provided first-round per game value over the last two weeks, according to Basketball Monster. The Cavaliers have two games upcoming in Week 17, starting with a matchup against the Nuggets on Monday.

Hendricks played 21 minutes in both of Memphis’ games in Portland. While the production wasn’t great, the playing time was there, unlike in Utah pre-trade. Hendricks isn’t someone who needs to be rostered in redraft leagues, but managers competing in dynasty formats will undoubtedly watch him the rest of this season.