NBA Player News

Three days after the Pelicans waived him, Ryan will return to the team on a restructured one-year deal. The 3-point marksman appeared in 28 games (one start) last season, averaging 5.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.5 3-pointers in 13.9 minutes. Given New Orleans’s options at small forward, Ryan faces long odds to crack Willie Green’s rotation this fall.

Murray didn’t shoot the ball well on Wednesday, but was still one of Denver’s top scorers on the evening. His biggest contributions came on the defensive end, however, where he logged a season-high in steals. Through the first few weeks of the season, the veteran guard has put up similar averages to what he’s produced throughout the last five years. He remains one of the Nuggets’ most reliable players.

Gordon had an unspectacular, but somewhat productive night against the Clippers on Wednesday. He was one of four Nuggets players to score in double figures, and he finished tied for second in rebounds. Not much was asked of Gordon on a night in which Nikola Jokic scored 55 points and 18-of-23 shooting. Yet, he finished with decent production from a fantasy basketball standpoint, regardless. A more competitive game on Saturday against the Timberwolves could potentially lead to a more productive game from Gordon.

Jokic wasted no time putting the ball in the basket on Wednesday — he set the tone early with 25 first-quarter points and remained efficient the rest of the way before finishing with his first 50-point game of the season. The former Finals MVP punished the Clippers inside and outside the arc, and got to the foul line frequently, as well. He’s been tremendous after a slower start to the season, and has Denver performing like a legitimate title contender.

Zubac played 32 minutes and came up one rebound shy of a double-double. He shot efficiently from the floor but failed to get to the free-throw line for the second time this season, which prevented a higher scoring total. He continues to log heavy minutes and could remain one of the Clippers’ primary scoring options, especially if Kawhi Leonard (ankle) remains on the sideline.

In his first appearance of the season, Miller had a fantastic performance off the bench. He finished with a team-high in three-pointers and utilized that efficiency from beyond the arc to conclude as one of two Clippers players to score 20 or more points. Notably, Miller played more minutes than Cam Christie and Kobe Brown on Wednesday, who are two players who had been in the rotation recently. Miller’s successful outing on Wednesday might lead to more minutes for him in the immediate future.

Harden couldn’t quite find the shooting touch on Wednesday, but high volume and production from the free-throw line led him to finish as the Clippers’ leading scorer on the evening. However, he logged one of his least impactful games this season as a facilitator and tied a season-low in made three-pointers. The good news for fantasy managers, however, is that Harden will continue to be the central piece of the Clippers’ offense, especially with Kawhi Leonard (foot) out of the lineup. He’s a threat each game to put up massive stats.

Sabonis was one of several Kings players to have a rough night on Wednesday against Atlanta. Sabonis’ performance was one of the better, though — he led all starters in scoring and was the only starter to collect multiple steals. Still, he failed to make an impact on the glass, and the overall production was very insignificant for the veteran center, whose scoring has slipped to begin this season.

DeRozan logged one of his least productive games of the season on Wednesday — he set season lows in points, field-goal attempts, and minutes. To be fair to the veteran forward, there weren’t many positive takeaways for any of Sacramento’s main rotation players on a night in which they trailed by as many as 44 points at home before losing by 33. DeRozan will have a chance to bounce back against the Timberwolves on Friday.

With Malik Monk unavailable to play (ankle), Ellis saw additional opportunities in the blowout loss on Wednesday. All but two of his points came from behind the three-point line before he finished with a new season-high in points. Ellis used active hands to land a pair of steals, but otherwise, he didn’t find much production elsewhere. He may have another chance to produce and log heavy minutes, depending on Monk’s status for Friday’s game against the Timberwolves.

Alexander-Walker returned from a two-game absence and logged a balanced performance against the Kings on Wednesday. In 22 minutes, he made an impact with his scoring and passing on the offensive end, while also contributing on the defensive glass glass. As a result, the veteran guard finished as a game-high +44 in the Hawks’ route of the Kings.