NBA Player News

The Baylor product went undrafted in 2023 but has spent the last two seasons with Oklahoma City, mostly in the G League. He has played some garbage-time minutes this year, which have come often due to how frequently the Thunder blow teams out. Flagler had the best game of his young career on Friday, and he set career-highs for points, rebounds, assists and steals. He will likely play a significant role once again in the regular season finale in New Orleans on Sunday.

Hawkins is available to make his Bulls debut after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors. However, as a two-way player, the former lottery pick isn’t guaranteed to see action against the Bucks.

Awaka was also on the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors, in which he played 14 minutes. Unless Friday’s game gets out of hand, the undrafted rookie out of Arizona will likely play fewer minutes.

Swain is set to make his official Bulls debut after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors. His availability may drop Jaylin Sellers out of the rotation entirely after the undrafted rookie played 14 minutes in the opener.

Collins is available to play after being listed as probable on the initial injury report. Because of the time he missed during the preseason with the quad injury, he’ll likely be limited to 12-16 minutes. Collins played nine minutes in Wednesday’s loss to the Raptors.

Giddey is good to go after being listed as probable on the Bulls’ initial injury report. He’ll take on his usual role as starting point guard, so managers rostering Giddey need to ensure he’s in their lineups before the 4 PM Eastern start time.

Prince is available to make his Pistons’ debut after missing Tuesday’s win over the Celtics. While his status won’t significantly affect fantasy basketball, it could drop Ron Holland II out of the rotation entirely. Holland played three first-half minutes against the Celtics but saw no action after halftime, while Javonte Green played 18 second-half minutes and gave the Pistons a needed spark.

Landale, who played 19 minutes off the bench in Wednesday’s win over the Magic, is dealing with a broken nose. He’ll take on his usual responsibilities as Onyeka Okongwu’s backup, which limits the veteran center’s fantasy value.

The Lakers waived Knecht, the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft, on Monday after two underwhelming seasons in Los Angeles. He certainly had his moments with the Lakers, but inconsistent offensive production and defensive struggles led to the 6-foot-6 wing ultimately falling out of the rotation. While Knecht may not get the minutes to impact fantasy basketball in New York, the two-way deal gives him a chance to work his way back into the NBA full-time. To free up a spot for Knecht, the Knicks reportedly plan to waive Kevin McCullar Jr.

Swain and Hawkins are on track to play Friday afternoon after sitting out Wednesday’s season-opening loss to the Raptors. Swain’s availability may push Jaylin Sellers out of the rotation after he logged 14 minutes off the bench in Toronto. Sellers and Hawkins are on two-way contracts, which limits how often the Bulls can activate them for games.

The 76ers were the only team with a four-game Week 1, which will conclude with a Saturday-Sunday back-to-back. Embiid sitting out one game of a back-to-back, especially this early in the season, is not a surprise. The only issue is that he didn’t reveal which game he’ll miss, with the 76ers hosting Milwaukee on Saturday and Detroit on Sunday. Given the strength of those teams, the Bucks may be the team that misses out on having to deal with “The Process.” Adem Bona or Jabari Walker could get a spot start, and LeBron James may spend a little more time at center as a small-ball alternative.