NBA Player News

Small, the 48th overall pick in June’s draft, showed why the Grizzlies signed him to a two-way contract on Sunday. The former West Virginia standout was efficient as a scorer and playmaker in the summer league finale, shooting over 50 percent from the field and recording an impressive 9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Given Memphis’ depth at the point guard position, fantasy relevance may not be in the cards for Small as a rookie. However, this franchise has not hesitated to give young players a chance in the past, especially in spots where an injury replacement is required.

Phillips will be back after missing Chicago’s last two games with a wrist injury. However, his role this season has been a minimal one, so his return won’t alter the Bulls’ rotation.

Huerter was initially listed as probable, so his availability was expected. He’ll continue to occupy his typical role off the bench, where he has scored in double figures in three straight games.

Christie is expected to be back after a two-game absence, which means Jaden Hardy will likely return to playing a role off the bench. Hardy should still see minutes as a reserve, but his streaming appeal will be eliminated.

Gafford missed Thursday’s game after an early exit on Wednesday and is now expected to remain out once again. Dwight Powell should be in line for another start at center, with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Moussa Cisse filling out the backup minutes.

Washington miss Thursday’s game against Utah, which was the second night of a back-to-back. However, he is expected to play in Saturday’s rematch, which means either Jaden Hardy or Caleb Martin will be pushed back to the bench

Barlow took a hard fall on Wednesday, which forced him to exit early from that game. However, he’ll be able to suit up in this one, so he should continue to occupy his typical spot in the starting lineup.

Flagg is expected to miss a second straight game, but PJ Washington (ankle) is expected to be back. That means one of Jaden Hardy or Caleb Martin will likely return to the bench, though the one that remains in the starting lineup should have some streaming appeal.

He said he also expects the same for Isaiah Jackson, who has been out with a concussion. This trip starts in Detroit on Saturday and ends in Atlanta on Jan. 26. Johnny Furphy has been starting for the Pacers recently, but he will likely return to a reserve role when Mathurin ends up back in the rotation.

Booker missed Thursday’s game against the Pistons and is in danger of missing another. Grayson Allen filled that spot and went for 33 points and seven triples. He should be in for another big night if Booker remains out, though he’ll still retain value in a reserve role.

This will be a fifth straight absence for Risacher, which means Vit Krejčí should be in line for another start. Unfortunately, Krejčí has shot 28.6 percent during this stint as a starter, and his value is tied to his shooting ability. He isn’t worth streaming despite the increased workload.