NBA Player News

Portis and Nembhard got into it with just over five minutes to play in the first quarter. Both players were given technical fouls, but Portis was ejected after throwing hands. He finished with four points and three rebounds across seven minutes. Already down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Bucks will have to turn to Andre Jackson Jr., Pat Connaughton and Danilo Gallinari to pick up the slack off the bench. Gallinari could see the biggest bump in playing time for the Bucks’ depleted frontcourt.

Friday’s game will be the third that Sexton has missed due to a strained left quad. With LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann also out, the Hornets will likely stick with KJ Simpson as the starting point guard. While his fantasy ceiling is limited, Simpson is worth a look in deep leagues due to Charlotte’s lack of healthy alternatives.

Ball hasn’t played since leaving Friday’s game against the Raptors with a bone bruise in his left ankle. Sion James and KJ Simpson have seen additional minutes in Ball’s absence. Given his history of ankle injuries, that absence could extend beyond Friday.

After missing Atlanta’s most recent game for conditioning reasons, Poriņģis will not be available on Friday due to illness. As has been the case in the past, Onyeka Okongwu will remain the starter. Okongwu is already rostered in most fantasy leagues, so nothing changes there.

Jackson-Davis most recently played 22 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Bulls, a game in which the Warriors were without Draymond Green and Al Horford. With Horford absent from the injury report for Friday’s game, the minutes that Jackson-Davis needs to affect fantasy basketball aren’t likely to be there.

Green has not practiced the last two days, with his absence on Thursday being excused by the team. The veteran forward has missed Golden State’s last two games with a right midfoot sprain, with Quinten Post being his most recent replacement. With Jonathan Kuminga picking up a DNP-CD on Sunday, either Post or Al Horford would start if Green remains out.

Small suffered a turf toe injury in his left foot while playing for the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate in early November and has not played since. The updated timeline provided by the team gives him a shot at playing in early January. Whether Small’s availability affects fantasy basketball depends on the availability of Ja Morant, Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. And with Vince Williams Jr. and Cam Spencer being the point guard rotation with those three out, Small is unlikely to get the opportunities needed to affect fantasy basketball.

Konchar suffered a UCL tear in his left thumb against the Trail Blazers on December 7. The 29-year-old shooting guard is set to have surgery. A timeline for return will be provided after the procedure.

Edey underwent surgery on his left ankle in June, which makes Thursday’s announcement especially concerning. The Grizzlies expect the 7-foot-4 center to make a full recovery, and they’ll take an “offloading and rehabilitation” approach before re-evaluating him in four weeks. Jock Landale began the season as the starting center and should return to that role, making him a worthwhile addition in deeper leagues. There should also be more minutes available to Santi Aldama, but Landale should be the primary target of fantasy managers.

According to Cowley, the Timberwolves are “looking to fix the primary ball-handling situation that’s been an issue all season long,” and they are “not looking to wait until February and the trade deadline to get a deal done.” Anthony Edwards has been playing a fair amount of point guard, or initiating more of the offense for the Timberwolves, but that apparently doesn’t feel sustainable for them. White turned down an extension with the Bulls last offseason and wanted “to bet on himself and explore unrestricted free agency come next July,” so the Bulls may prefer getting something in return for him, rather than risk letting him walk for free.

Smith has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury but will return on Friday. The wrinkle is that Zach Collins (wrist) returned to the court for the first time this season while Smith was sidelined. The two have not played together this season, so it remains to be seen how the minutes will be distributed, but neither player will likely have much fantasy appeal.