NBA Player News

The NBA’s reigning MVP bounced back in a big way after losing to the United States. He affected all aspects of the game in a well-rounded performance. He’ll look to keep it up in Serbia’s next matchup against South Sudan.

Atlanta acquired Reath as part of the deal that sent Vit Krejčí to Portland, but Reath had been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing season-ending surgery on a stress fracture in his right foot prior to the trade. He won’t stick around in Atlanta, and he likely won’t find a new home until he heals up.

Phillips entered the league as a defensive prospect, but that never led to consistent minutes in Chicago. He’ll likely be in a similar situation in Minnesota as a depth piece, which won’t lead to much production in the box score. This isn’t a situation where Phillips will benefit from a change of scenery.

The 2023 second-round pick has been viewed as a high-upside piece for a few seasons, but he hasn’t been able to turn that into consistent production. That was on a contender. In Chicago, he’ll be the tallest player on the roster, though there is still time for the Bulls to change that with more moves. Miller should be get a chance to at least play rotation minutes this season, which could lead to some production during silly season, but that doesn’t justify him as a player worthy of a roster spot in standard leagues at this point.

Minnesota gave up an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 and a pick swap in 2030 to acquire Dillingham on draft night, but they’ll cut their losses early. Dillingham was able to show some flashes as a rookie, but he hasn’t been able to do much in year two. He joins a crowded guard room in Chicago, so there isn’t a clear path to minutes, but he still holds plenty of upside.

Dosunmu spent the first 4.5 seasons of his career in his hometown of Chicago after playing three seasons at Illinois, so this will be quite the fresh start for him. Minnesota has lacked a reliable point guard this season, and they just traded Mike Conley this week. Dosunmu may not start, but he should be one of the primary options off the bench and spend a ton of time on the floor as a lead ball handler. With Dillingham included in the deal, Bones Hyland and Jaylen Clark will be the other point guards in Minnesota.

Jackson started and played 27 minutes against the Kings on Wednesday. The 21-year-old power forward could be one of the main beneficiaries of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade as he’s consistently shown he can produce when given the opportunity. Jackson has scored in doubled figures in six of his last seven games. He and the rest of the Grizzlies take on the Trail Blazers on Friday.

Fantasy managers who have Collins on their rosters received solid value in points, rebounds and percentages, but nothing else. With James Harden no longer in the picture and it being unclear when Darius Garland (toe) will be healthy enough to play, Collins should have more opportunities to score. However, this won’t do much for his fantasy value if he puts up relatively empty stat lines like the one he recorded on Wednesday.

Leonard once again led the way offensively for the Clippers, but he didn’t have much help in the first game since James Harden was traded to the Cavaliers. And with new addition Darius Garland recovering from a toe injury, Leonard will be required to do even more of the heavy lifting. The Clippers don’t own their 2026 first-round pick, as it goes to Oklahoma City as part of the Paul George trade. One would think this would dissuade the Clippers from tanking, but Garland’s injury timeline may factor into the path the team takes.

Even though the Cavaliers didn’t have James Harden for Wednesday’s game, Schröder’s role in his debut for the team was not far removed from what he’ll be asked to do once the team is whole. He played 19 minutes, a number that may decrease once Harden is worked into the rotation, and offered decent value. Schröder can provide a spark off the bench as he did for the Pistons last season, but that won’t do much for fantasy managers.

While Ellis did play 20 minutes or more in each of his final four appearances with the Kings, he was not a consistent member of Doug Christie’s rotation. That may not be an issue in Cleveland, given the Cavaliers’ need for another defensive-minded guard. Ellis only recorded one steal on Thursday, and he’ll have limited fantasy upside in his new home. However, consistent playing time should not be a major issue, which is key for a player who will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.