NBA Player News

While the Lakers made the selection, Olbrich’s draft rights were traded to the Bulls. The 6-foot-9 Olbrich, who can be used as a power forward or small-ball center, spent one season at UC Riverside (2022-23) before returning to his native Australia to play for the Illawarra Hawks. In 29 games, he averaged 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in helping the Hawks win the NBL championship. A solid performance at the NBA Draft Combine in May got him on more radars as a potential second-round pick, with Olbrich’s toughness and skill set standing out. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, he’ll be on a two-way contract next season, likely making Olbrich a non-factor in fantasy leagues.

Grimes did not play in Tuesday’s loss to the Nets, resulting in more rotation minutes for fellow reserves Justin Edwards and Eric Gordon. While Edwards may remain in the rotation if Grimes plays, Gordon could fall out entirely.

After playing on one day’s rest for the first time this season, Embiid missed two games before returning to action on Tuesday against the Nets. With the 76ers also playing on Sunday against the Thunder, he may be limited to one more appearance this week. Andre Drummond should be rostered, even if Embiid is cleared to play on Friday.

Edgecombe did not play in Tuesday’s loss to the Nets, allowing Jared McCain to start and play 39 minutes. While he did struggle on Tuesday, McCain does have a higher fantasy ceiling when he’s allowed to start.

While Barlow’s absence may not significantly affect fantasy basketball, it did open up a spot in the starting lineup. Jabari Walker filled the void but only played 13 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Nets. There’s no need to consider streaming Walker if Barlow remains out.

Gueye did not play in Tuesday’s loss to the Bulls, which meant starters Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson played 36 and 39 minutes, respectively. Asa Newell’s playing time has increased, but the rookie is only worth a look in dynasty formats.

Plumlee will miss a second straight game with a strained right groin. Due to his and Ryan Kalkbrenner’s (elbow) absences, Moussa Diabaté received the starting nod on Tuesday and should retain that role for the foreseeable future. He’s worth streaming in deeper leagues. Also, Tidjane Salaün’s playing time has increased, but he has not reached the point where he should be streamed.

Kalkbrenner will miss a third straight game as he recovers from a sprained left elbow. With Mason Plumlee also out, the Hornets will rely on Moussa Diabaté to fill the void, and he should be streamed wherever possible.

Holmgren’s two games against the Spurs this week were a struggle. In the defeats, he totaled 17 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one three-pointer. While the Thunder certainly have the depth to compensate for the occasional off night, the matchup with San Antonio has proven to be one in which the champs need all hands on deck (the Spurs are 3-0 against OKC this season). Holmgren will look to bounce back on Sunday against the 76ers, but that’s the first game of a back-to-back. Hopefully, he can play both contests.

Hartenstein finished Thursday’s defeat with his eighth double-double of the season and first since November 15. The lingering concern is his availability, with Hartenstein still working his way back from a strained calf. Before Thursday, he had not appeared in consecutive games since November 23-26. For that reason, fantasy managers should anticipate Hartenstein sitting out one of Oklahoma City’s next two games, Sunday against Philadelphia or Monday against Atlanta.

Williams struggled with his shot on Thursday, as he continues to work his way back from right wrist surgery. There are still some range-of-motion issues for the Thunder forward, but the percentages haven’t suffered too much. Thursday was the exception, as Williams shot the ball poorly from the field and the foul line. There should not be any concern on the part of fantasy managers, as J-Dub is providing top-50 value in nine-cat formats.