NBA Player News

Anthony, who was traded to the Grizzlies as part of the deal that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando, clearly was not going to be in Memphis’ plans next season. He’s reportedly agreed to a contract buyout and has already found his next home once he clears waivers. Anthony is reportedly headed to Milwaukee, which needs additional depth on the perimeter. Even if Damian Lillard were not waived, the Bucks would be in a difficult spot since he’s recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon. For Anthony, moving to Milwaukee allows him to earn rotation minutes, but his game is not exactly fantasy-friendly.

For just the third time in his career, and the first since October 29, 2022, Dončić fouled out of an NBA game on Friday. His foul of Milwaukee’s Kevin Porter Jr. on a three-point attempt with 16.2 seconds remaining led to two made free throws that gave the Bucks the lead for good. This was a frustrating night for Dončić, who shot 4-of-19 from inside the arc and 4-of-8 at the foul line. The rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers were useful, but Dončić managers took a hit in the percentages.

With Rui Hachimura (calf) once again unavailable, LaRavia was in the Lakers’ starting lineup for the sixth consecutive game. While the final stat line on Friday was modest, the forward was a blocked shot shy of a complete stat line. Since moving into the starting five, LaRavia has been close to a top-50 player in eight-cat formats. As long as Hachimura is unavailable, LaRavia is worth the streaming risk.

James, who finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, had a chance to tie Friday’s game in the final seconds. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to poke the ball away from behind, resulting in James’ third turnover of the night. That was the only issue for the Lakers’ forward, who shouldered more of the offensive workload with Luka Dončić in foul trouble. Over the past two weeks, LeBron has been a top-15 player in eight-cat formats.

Portis has now recorded six double-doubles this season, with all having been recorded since December 14. Over the past month, the Bucks’ forward has offered top-75 per-game value in eight-cat formats. By comparison, Myles Turner (eight points, six rebounds and two three-pointers) has not been a top-150 player during this period. The combination of Portis’ production and the underwhelming return offered by Turner makes the former worth the risk in some 12-team leagues.

Giannis came up with the biggest defensive play of Friday’s game, as he poked the ball away from LeBron James in the final seconds to prevent the Lakers’ forward from attempting a potential game-tying layup. While Antetokounmpo’s shot volume was low, he shot the ball efficiently from the field and the foul line. Having seemingly put to rest any rumors regarding his future in Milwaukee, the question now is what (if anything) the Bucks will look to do to strengthen the roster around Antetokounmpo before the trade deadline. Regardless of the answer, he’ll still provide excellent fantasy value.

After returning from a sprained ankle that sidelined him for over a month, Porter has exceeded the expectations of many fantasy managers. The Bucks’ guard has been a top-20 player in eight- and nine-cat formats, well above his Yahoo! ADP (109). On Friday, Porter joined Giannis Antetokounmpo as the only Bucks players with at least 20 points, and he recorded a complete stat line with solid percentages. Rostered in 71 percent of Yahoo! leagues, KPJ is worth scooping up if available in shallow leagues.

Thompson is averaging 18.2 points per game this year, but has at least 20 points in five of his last six games. The 22-year-old point guard had a good game, his second night in a row with 24 points. Still, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Rockets from blowing a big lead in the fourth quarter with Kevin Durant on the bench. Thompson has provided third-round per game value over the last two weeks. Houston will finish up their road trip Sunday in Sacramento.

Eason played 16 minutes before spraining his right ankle and leaving Friday’s game with just over eight minutes remaining in the third quarter. Replaced in the lineup by Reed Sheppard, the Rockets’ forward was declared done for the night early in the fourth quarter. While Eason can be a valuable category league option, the inability to stay healthy has been an issue. The Rockets end their Week 12 schedule in Sacramento on Sunday.

After hitting the game-winner in Monday’s game against the Suns, Durant has played well in two games against the Trail Blazers, but the Rockets have lost each matchup. The 37-year-old small forward has scored at least 30 points in three of his last four games. Durant is 16th-overall in per game value over the last two weeks. The Rockets close out the week against the Kings Sunday.

Avdija was just 5-of-15 from the field in this one, but made all eight of his free throws on his way to 20 points. The 25-year-old small forward has scored at least 20 points in nine of his last 10 games. Avdija is providing fourth-round per game value over the last two weeks. While his rebounds were down Friday, he’s still a threat to have a triple-double against the Knicks Sunday.