NBA Player News

Vukcevic is not in the rotation when healthy, so his continued absence will not impact fantasy basketball.

Trayce Jackson-Davis has been Golden State’s starting center for most of the year, but Looney got the nod in this game and took advantage. He was able to stuff the stat sheet before fouling out in the final two minutes. If this is a change that sticks, Looney may be able to provide some value in deeper formats, though he shouldn’t be considered a reliable option. There’s also a chance that this was just to have a better passer in the starting lineup with Draymond out or to match up better with Nikola Jokic.

Morant did what he could to prevent the Grizzlies’ from blowing their lead, but it wasn’t enough. He scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, yet Memphis still couldn’t hang on to a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Still, it was encouraging to see Morant set a new season-high for scoring, even if their six-game win streak came to an end. They still have three more games this week, which will give Morant plenty of chances to continue to fill up the box score.

After a few poor performances in a row, Bane has started to get back on track over their last two games. He has scored at least 15 in each of their last two after going three straight games with less than 10 points. Bane’s numbers are still way down in comparison to his last few seasons, but the buy-low window is starting to close. He is back to seeing a full workload after a seven-game absence with an oblique injury, and his numbers should continue to improve. We’ll see if he can keep it going against the Kings on Thursday.

Aldama’s run as part of the starting unit is over, but that hasn’t limited his production. He has been able to contribute well-rounded numbers all year, and he has been on fire over their last few games, as he has made over 60% of his shots in three straight games and at least 50% in five straight. Aldama is having the best season of his career, and he’ll continue to shine as one of the Grizzlies’ best players, even if he is stuck in a bench role.

Even with Jeremy Sochan returning from a broken thumb, Castle’s minutes weren’t negatively impacted. He still played 34 on Tuesday, a positive sign for those who have the rookie rostered. Harrison Barnes (two points, two rebounds, and one assist) took the most significant “haircut,” playing 24 minutes. If that remains the case, this would bode well for Castle’s ROS fantasy value.

Wembanyama may have recorded another double-double, but this was a frustrating night for the Spurs phenom. The 33.3% mark from the field was Wemby’s worst since November 7, when he made 30.8% of his shots in a win over Portland. Wembanyama will have the occasional poor shooting night, especially given how much he relies on the 3-pointer (1-of-9 on Tuesday). But there’s nothing to worry about, considering how productive he is across the board.

Not only did Vassell surpass the 20-point mark for the third time, but he also established a new season-high with 25 points. He’s made nine 3-pointers and scored 46 points in his last two games, shooting 18-of-26 from the field. Regardless of league format, Vassell can be an excellent fantasy option, but availability remains a concern.

Tuesday’s game was Sochan’s first since November 4, and he didn’t show many signs of rust outside of the poor foul shooting. He only needed 22 minutes to record a double-double and complete his stat line, an encouraging effort from the Spurs forward. The question is how long Sochan will remain in a reserve role. There’s no guarantee that he’s moved into the starting five, especially with the Spurs continuing to bring Devin Vassell off the bench.

The Suns will be without Jusuf Nurkic (thigh) for at least one week, and Ighodaro was picked to fill the void in the starting lineup on Tuesday. While he didn’t block any shots, Oso did tally two steals on the night. The rebounding, or lack of it, was a bit disappointing, but the rookie didn’t do anything that would prohibit him from getting more opportunities to perform. Mason Plumlee played 18 minutes off the bench, finishing with six points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and four blocked shots. He’ll also have deep-league value while Nurkic sits, with the edge going to the player who starts.

Beal entered Tuesday having missed six of Phoenix’s last eight games, most recently sitting out the Suns’ November 30 win over Golden State. Therefore, his playing 31 minutes without issue is a positive, even though Beal’s production wasn’t anything to write home about. With Kevin Durant spraining his ankle during the second quarter, the Suns will need more production from Beal if KD misses time.