NBA Player News

Another game, another double-double for Ayton, who has recorded one in six straight games. Some teams may have shut down Ayton by now, but Portland is shorthanded due to injuries. That may protect his value for the final two games of the season. And it will be two more opportunities to improve his chemistry with Scoot Henderson, who hit double digits in assists for the second straight game. Henderson finished with 18 points, three rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers in 40 minutes. The turnovers (nine) will be an issue; hopefully, that doesn’t carry over into 2024-25.

Terry returned from a one-game absence with a calf injury on Friday, but that isn’t the ailment that has him on the injury report for this game. He’s battling an illness, but it isn’t expected to keep him out of the lineup. He was held scoreless in 15 minutes off the bench on Friday but still contributed four rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

This is the second-straight game that Ball will initially be listed as questionable. Though he missed Friday’s game against Portland, there is certainly a chance that he is back to play against Charlotte. In that scenario, Kevin Huerter and Talen Horton-Tucker would likely lose out on minutes, with Huerter potentially being pushed back to the bench.

The 23-year-old made five appearances on the first contract, averaging 4.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 20 minutes per game. He’ll wrap up the season with the 76ers and should play a large role, but he’ll likely be back in the G League to start next season.

The only other update that head coach Jordi Fernandez provided was that they haven’t made a decision on D’Angelo Russell’s status for their matchup with Toronto, though he is still dealing with soreness in his ankle. Depending on that statuses of Jalen Wilson and Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford and Maxwell Lewis could be in line for another starting nod.

This second contract will keep Swider with Toronto for the remainder of the season. He made six appearances on the first 10-day deal and averaged 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 three-pointers in 17.8 minutes per game. As the season winds down, he could take on more minutes, but he isn’t a player to target in fantasy basketball.

Zubac has recorded a double-double in ten straight games, with Friday’s effort pushing his tally to 54 for the season. The Clippers’ center continues to impress, and he has been a fourth-round player in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. Even better for the Clippers is Zubac played 27 minutes on Friday, the second time he’s failed to pass that number since the All-Star break. The Clippers are in a hotly contested race in the middle of the Western Conference, so any opportunity to get their starters additional rest will be welcomed.

Powell was solid on Friday, but fantasy managers were doomed when the game got out of hand by halftime. Over the past two weeks, he has only been an 11th-round player in nine-cat formats, five rounds lower than his season-long value. The decreased scoring output has been a factor, with Powell averaging 17.0 points per game over the past two weeks. By comparison, he’s averaging 22.2 points for the season. He’ll look to have a more productive night on Saturday when the Clippers host the Mavericks again.

While Leonard has not reached the point where he’ll be allowed to play both games of back-to-backs, the door has not been completely closed on his playing Saturday against the Mavericks. Following Friday’s victory, the Clippers’ star said, “We’ll see” when asked if he’ll be available. For fantasy managers, it would certainly be helpful if Leonard were to play, especially after logging 24 minutes on Friday.

Hardy was productive in 29 minutes, but his Friday night came to a painful end during the fourth quarter. He stepped on a Clippers’ player’s foot and sprained his right ankle. Requiring assistance to get back to the locker room, Hardy could not put any weight on his right leg. At a minimum, fantasy managers should assume he will not be available for Saturday’s rematch with the Clippers. Between Hardy’s injury and Klay Thompson (illness) exiting during the first half, Max Christie (11/6/1/1 with one three-pointer in 33 minutes) should play plenty on Saturday, possibly as a starter.

Dinwiddie has reached double figures in four straight and 12 of his last 13 games. Since moving into the starting lineup on March 19, the Mavericks’ guard has provided fifth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Dinwiddie hasn’t been the most reliable fantasy option for most of his career. Still, the current injury situation in Dallas makes him a must-roster player for Saturday’s game against the Clippers. He’s rostered in 52 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so managers in shallow leagues can find Dinwiddie on the waiver wire.