NBA Player News

After firing Jacque Vaughn earlier in the day on Monday, they have decided to promote Ollie to head coach after he joined the Nets as an assistant this offseason. He had success as the head coach of UConn, and now he will get the opportunity to try and translate that into the NBA. He will coach in their first game without Vaughn on Thursday, which will provide managers with a better look at the rotations for the rest of the season.

Allen has started the last three games for the Suns, and he was able to supply some scoring. Typically, most of his production has come from beyond the arc, but he has been able to get it done at the free throw line recently. His 10 free throws in this game were the second most of his career, and four days prior to this, he hit nine shots at the charity stripe, which was the third-highest total in a game in his career. Allen should continue to start for the shorthanded Suns and should remain productive against the Cavaliers on Friday.

Anybody who said Brooks would make his first All-Star Game this year would’ve been accused of writing fan fiction, but here we are. After two straight 26-point games, Brooks set a new career high for scoring while leading the Suns to a blowout win over the top team in the East without Devin Booker. Will he get the All-Star nod? That remains to be seen, but he’s certainly making a case for himself and has been impactful for fantasy managers this year. He’ll look to stay hot against the Cavaliers on Friday.

Cunningham’s inefficient shooting returned for this game after shooting better than 50 percent in each of the last two games. He was still able to lead the team in scoring, and the steals and assists were solid, but it wasn’t enough to push their winning streak to three games. Cunningham has had some rough performances over the last couple weeks, but he had been playing well prior to this game and will look to get back on track against the Warriors on Friday.

Thursday’s game was Hartenstein’s first since December 28, and he was used in a reserve role. While there weren’t any defensive stats, the 7-footer shot the ball well and was also productive as a rebounder. Jaylin Williams (5/4/1/1 with one three-pointer) remained in the starting lineup and played 27 minutes, but the roles will reverse eventually. The Thunder visit the Nuggets on Sunday in their final game of Week 15.

Holmgren recorded a complete stat line on Thursday, but his double-double streak ended at three games. The 7-foot-1 forward/center has been a top-20 player in eight-cat formats, slightly better than his season-long value. And with Isaiah Hartenstein making his return on Thursday, having his sidekick back on the floor may benefit Holmgren in terms of the blocks production.

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 119 consecutive games, and he had a productive night except in one category: turnovers. SGA was responsible for five, the most in a game for him since Oklahoma City’s January 15 win over the Rockets. There’s no need for fantasy managers to be concerned, given Gilgeous-Alexander’s overall production and consistency. Oklahoma City ends its Week 15 in Denver on Sunday.

Not only did Duren record a monster double-double after three straight games without one, but he was incredibly efficient while doing so. This was the second time this season that he shot at least 90 percent from the floor in a game, with the other coming with a 31/15 double-double on 12-of-13 shooting back in November. Duren has cooled down a bit in recent weeks, but this type of production has helped him enjoy the best fantasy season of his career, and he’ll look to keep it up against the Warriors on Friday.

Randle may not have done much scoring on Thursday, but he was one of the Timberwolves who brought added defensive intensity to the table. And that paid off in the form of four steals, a season-high for Randle. He’s providing top-25 value in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, averaging just over 22 points per game. The Timberwolves play one more game in Week 15, as they visit the Grizzlies on Saturday.

With Rudy Gobert initially questionable for Thursday’s game with a sprained left ankle, it appeared that Reid would have a chance to start. Gobert (14 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and one steal) played, but his presence in the lineup didn’t keep Reid from doing what he usually does as the highest-scoring reserve in the NBA. Over the past two weeks, he has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats.

After averaging 11.8 points on 42 percent shooting in Minnesota’s last five games, McDaniels had an outstanding night against the Thunder. He made all five of his three-point attempts and has scored at least 20 points in 11 games this season, one less than his tally for the entire 2024-25 campaign. While playing alongside Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle limits McDaniels’ offensive ceiling, his overall production makes him worth having in standard category leagues.