NBA Player News

The Nuggets have four new starters for Wednesday’s game, with Pickett being the lone holdover from the quintet that started Tuesday’s loss to the Timberwolves. Westbrook, Tyson, Nnaji and Jordan are all worth streaming, as is Pickett, due to Denver’s many absences.

Okoro was added to the injury report Wednesday morning with left knee soreness. The 25-year-old small forward is questionable for the game against the Celtics. With Josh Giddey, Tre Jones and Jalen Smith all listed as doubtful, the Bulls could be severely shorthanded on Wednesday.

Richmond is in his first season of professional basketball after playing at Syracuse, Seton Hall and St. John’s in college. The 24-year-old point guard went undrafted, but caught on with the Wizards on a two-way contract. In 23 games (15 starts) in the G-League, he is averaging 8.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 45.7 percent from the field. Richmond could see rotation minutes with the Wizards, but isn’t worth rostering in fantasy leagues just yet.

Edwards woke up with an illness and subsequently popped up on the injury report as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Trail Blazers. The 24-year-old shooting guard will have the afternoon to recover in time for the game. Bones Hyland would be a streaming option is Edwards is ultimately ruled out on Wednesday.

After coming off the bench in his first two appearances as a Laker, Kennard moved into the starting lineup on Tuesday due to multiple absences. He shot the ball well and dished out five assists, but fantasy managers likely hoped for greater shot volume from the guard. For the Lakers’ final game before the break, Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Kennard will likely be back in a reserve role. That limits his fantasy ceiling, but it may be the role that he’s more comfortable with right now.

Making his first start as an NBA player, Bufkin started well on Tuesday. He shot 2-of-4 from the field in the first quarter and dished out an assist. Unfortunately, the former first-round pick’s production tailed off, an unsurprising development, given Bufkin’s limited in-game experience. There’s no need to roster him in redraft leagues, but managers competing in deeper dynasty leagues can afford to stash Bufkin.

With Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James all sidelined for Tuesday’s game, it felt like a spot where LaRavia could get all the shots that he wanted. Unfortunately, he got into early foul trouble, committing five in the first half. LaRavia would foul out with 7:43 remaining in the third quarter, playing 19 minutes. The Lakers should be closer to full strength for Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, which should mean LaRavia takes on a role that he’s more comfortable with.

Harper has reached double figures in five of his last six appearances, scoring at least nine in all six. Stephon Castle (pelvis) exited Tuesday’s victory during the first half, and it’s difficult to envision him playing on Wednesday against the Warriors. While Harrison Barnes (11/3/2/3 with two three-pointers) is the most likely replacement in the starting lineup, there should also be a few more minutes for Harper in the Spurs’ final game before the All-Star break.

Bryant reached double figures for the fifth time this season, and the 16 points represent a new high for the rookie wing. With Tuesday’s game getting out of hand by halftime and Stephon Castle (pelvis) not returning for the second half, there were a few more minutes available to Bryant. And his play has been encouraging recently. Tuesday’s effort was preceded by an 11-point, five-rebound, three-block effort against the Mavericks on Saturday. Bryant’s recent run means more for dynasty leagues than redraft formats, but it’s good to see him show off some of his upside.

To be fair to the Lakers, they were incredibly shorthanded for Tuesday’s game. A challenging task became impossible, as they could not defend Wembanyama. He scored 17 of the Spurs’ first 20 points, and the big fella’s 25 first-quarter points were the most in a quarter in franchise history. Wembanyama only needed to play 26 minutes to get his 40, sitting for the final 16 minutes of the blowout victory. That should bode well for his availability for Wednesday’s game against the Warriors.

Castle was injured during the first half when he landed hard on the court after blocking a Rui Hachimura dunk attempt. While the second-year guard was able to walk back to the locker room under his own power, he did so slowly. The good news is that X-rays came back negative, but Castle is done for the night. Harrison Barnes entered the Spurs’ lineup to begin the third quarter.