NBA Player News

James’ role in Summer League so far has been limited; he played just 15 minutes on Tuesday after playing 11 minutes on Sunday. Perhaps they’re saving him for their showdown with Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks on Thursday.

While he struggled shooting the basketball, Spencer hit double digits in assists for the third time this season. The 11 helpers were two shy of his career-high, as he continues to offer solid fantasy value as Ja Morant’s replacement in the starting lineup. Vince Williams Jr. had a good night off the bench, tallying 13 points, three rebounds, five assists, one block and three three-pointers in 23 minutes. Until Morant is healthy enough to play, Spencer and Williams will handle the point guard duties.

Back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sprained ankle, Coward’s playing time was restricted on Friday. While the field-goal percentage wasn’t great, fantasy managers can make use of the rebounds and assists. GG Jackson, who started while Coward was out, had one of his best games of the season, tallying 18 points, two rebounds, one steal and three three-pointers in 21 minutes. Coward’s minutes will increase in the coming games, likely reducing Jackson’s opportunities.

Playing against a severely depleted Thunder roster, Jackson and the Grizzlies controlled Friday’s game for most of the first three quarters. After making all three of his shot attempts in the third quarter, JJJ was 0-of-3 in the fourth as Memphis lost a game that it led by as much as 21. The final stat line was solid, but fantasy managers may have hoped for more from Jackson on a night when the Grizzlies were once again without Ja Morant.

Chet Holmgren joining Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams on the sidelines did not push “Kenny Hustle” into the starting lineup, but it did guarantee him more playing time. Williams made the most of his opportunity, recording season-highs in points, rebounds and three-pointers. He’s rostered in less than one percent of Yahoo! leagues, so there weren’t many fantasy managers willing to roll the dice. Williams’ night should only influence the thinking of fantasy managers if the Thunder are just as shorthanded for Sunday’s game against the Heat.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was unavailable for Friday’s game, which led to a spot start for Mitchell. Despite coming off the bench on most nights, the second-year guard has been productive enough to merit being rostered in some 12-team formats, so Friday’s output was unsurprising. Over the past two weeks, Mitchell has offered top-75 per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats. If SGA remains out for Sunday’s game against the Heat, fantasy managers should not hesitate to stream Mitchell if he’s sitting on the waiver wire.

Playing without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, among others, Friday’s game was one in which the Thunder appeared to be at a serious disadvantage. And they would trail by 21 points during the third quarter, seemingly underlining that assumption. However, Williams and the other available Thunder didn’t accept that, going on a 14-0 run to take the lead in the final minute. J-Dub didn’t score any of those 14 points, but his 26 beforehand helped Oklahoma City stay afloat. The Thunder end Week 12 with a home game against the Heat on Sunday.

On the heels of a sublime 42-point performance against the Lakers earlier this week, Murphy stayed sizzling-hot with his sixth 30-point effort to help the Pelicans snap a nine-game losing streak dating back to December 23. Murphy and teammate Zion Williamson combined for 34 first-half points and 66 on the night overall as the Wizards seemed to have zero answers defensively. The 25-year-old scoring forward erupted for 15 first-half points on 5-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, and finished the night 7-of-16 from long range. He’s delivered first-round fantasy value this season, averaging 21.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.2 blocks through 36 games. The Pelicans return to action on Sunday with a road matchup against the Magic.

There were few positive takeaways for the rebuilding Wizards at the outset of the Trae Young era as they gave up 128 points on the defensive end of the floor and shot just 42.5 percent on the night. The 20-year-old big man has been extremely impactful for fantasy purposes this season, averaging 17.2 points, 7.5 assists, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.3 blocks through 28 games. The Wizards close out the week with a road tilt against the Suns on Sunday evening.

Williamson went 8-of-9 from the floor to post a game-high 19 first-half points. The polarizing 25-year-old force and teammate Trey Murphy combined for a whopping 66 points in an eventual one-sided victory. It would’ve been an even bigger scoring night had he not missed six of his 13 free-throw attempts. He’s averaging 25 points over his last eight games but doesn’t offer much else from a fantasy perspective besides scoring upside.

Queen’s phenomenal rookie campaign continued with his second triple-double performance as he posted double-digit boards for the third straight contest. The 21-year-old big man remains a work in progress but he’s shown flashes of big-time fantasy potential thanks to his all-around skillset.