NBA Player News

Initially probable for Sunday’s game due to illness, Murray was a shell of himself in Game 7. He shot 1-of-8 from beyond the arc and offered little value outside of reaching double digits in points. After scoring 25 points or more in three of the four games prior, Murray likely expected more of himself with Denver’s season on the line. From a fantasy standpoint, this was an excellent season for the Nuggets guard. Entering the season with a Yahoo! ADP of 54, he was a top-25 player in eight-cat and top-20 in nine-cat formats. That should boost Murray’s ADP heading into drafts next fall, likely making him a player to target late in the third round of standard-league drafts.

Diabaté suffered an apparent left wrist injury during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s win over the Heat and did not return. However, his name was not on the initial injury report for Thursday, indicating that he’ll take on his usual starting center responsibilities. Ryan Kalkbrenner remains in the backup role.

Salaün has appeared in four games since the All-Star break, the last being on March 3. His continued absence does not affect fantasy basketball.

Injured during the first quarter of Tuesday’s win over the Wizards, Cunningham has already been ruled out for Thursday’s rematch. Daniss Jenkins has been the replacement in the lineup in prior instances when Cunningham wasn’t available, and that may be the case in this spot as well. Marcus Sasser and Caris LeVert may also see their opportunities to serve as playmakers within the rotation.

Initially questionable for Wednesday’s game, Saraf is now out. Nolan Traoré, whose minutes have decreased recently despite being in the starting lineup, may be asked to play more on Wednesday, which would give him a little more value in fantasy leagues. Malachi Smith should slot in as the backup point guard.

On March 11, Curry was given a 10-day re-evaluation timeline, so more will be learned about his progress in recovering from a case of runner’s knee in the coming days. Charania reported that there’s “cautious optimism” that the star guard will be back by the end of the month, and Curry went through a rigorous on-court workout in Boston on Tuesday. The question is whether he’ll be back soon enough to affect fantasy basketball. For now, managers should continue to rely on Gui Santos, Brandin Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton for fantasy value.

Reid was initially listed as questionable on the second night of this back-to-back, but he has now been downgraded to out. He briefly exited Tuesday’s game, but he was able to return to finish it out, so this shouldn’t be a lengthy absence for him. Joan Beringer should fill out the backup center minutes.

Garland was initially listed as questionable for this game, but he will be good to go. He has been on fire since moving into the starting unit, averaging 23.0 points, 7.2 assists and 4.4 three-pointers in 28.5 minutes per game across five starts for the Clippers.

Reid briefly exited from Tuesday’s game with an ankle injury but was able to return to finish it out. However, that injury could keep him sidelined against Utah. Joan Beringer was recalled from the G League, which isn’t a good sign for Reid’s potential availability. Beringer would fill in the backup center minutes if Reid is out.

Milwaukee believes it will be mutually beneficial if he sits out the rest of the season, likely since it would help improve their lottery odds. However, Antetokounmpo wants to play. He’s set to be re-evaluated early next week after being diagnosed with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. This clear tension will certainly continue to fan the flames of trade rumors that have surrounded Giannis and the Bucks for most of the season.

Williams was initially listed as doubtful for this game after an early exit on Monday, and now he is officially out. Ryan Nembhard should play a larger role with Williams unavailable off the bench.