NBA Player News

Sarr, who appeared in 67 games as a rookie, injured his left calf while playing for France at EuroBasket this summer. He won’t be ready to go when the Wizards open training camp on September 30, but they hope to get their second-year center/forward back towards the end of camp. Sarr being unavailable means more opportunities for Marvin Bagley III and Tristan Vukcevic to show they deserve consistent rotation minutes. That’s a position battle worth tracking if Sarr’s injury keeps him sidelined longer than expected.

Assigned to the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate last week, Pippen is closing in on making his first appearance of the season. Like Ty Jerome, he’ll likely be under a minutes restriction once cleared to play. The doubtful tag suggests that Pippen ultimately won’t play in Sacramento, but the status represents a step in the right direction.

Aldama has missed Memphis’ last four games, but this is the first in which he’s been listed as questionable. With the Grizzlies trading Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jock Landale on Tuesday, he’ll play plenty if cleared to go against the Kings.

Conley was moved from the Timberwolves to the Bulls in a three-team trade Tuesday afternoon. With the Bulls’ glut of backcourt players, it’s not much of a surprise that the organization plans to let the 38-year-old point guard move on. Chicago will work with Conley to find a trade partner, likely one in need of point guard depth.

Diawara left Tuesday’s game against the Wizards with an ankle injury after scoring five points in four minutes of play. The 20-year-old forward was quickly ruled out for the rest of the night. Diawara has shown flashes in short spurts of playing time, but is yet to establish himself as a valuable fantasy asset.

Cleveland’s “Core Four” is no more, as the team has reportedly moved Garland to the Clippers. While he does have an All-Star Game appearance to his credit, foot injuries have been an issue for Garland the last two seasons. A left big toe injury limited him late last season, and he’s currently out with a right big toe injury. During his final practice as a Cavalier on Tuesday, Garland was limited to individual work, so fantasy managers will likely have to wait for the point guard to make his Clippers’ debut. In the meantime, Kris Dunn and Kobe Sanders have higher fantasy ceilings.

Rumors of the Clippers and Cavaliers discussing a trade first surfaced Monday evening, and the two sides agreed on a deal within one day. Harden, whose contract for the 2026-27 season is only partially guaranteed if he picks up the play option, now joins forces with Donovan Mitchell to give the Cavaliers an experienced (and currently healthy) playmaker. Once he gets to Cleveland, Harden will likely push Sam Merrill or Jaylon Tyson to the bench, with the latter having an excellent second season in the NBA.

Sabonis participated in Tuesday’s practice, but he is not guaranteed to be available for Wednesday’s game. If his back keeps him out for another game, Maxime Raynaud will move into the starting lineup, and Dylan Cardwell will pick up additional minutes off the bench.

Westbrook is good to go after missing the last three games with a sore right foot. With Dennis Schröder now a member of the Cavaliers, rookie Nique Clifford will likely serve as Westbrook’s primary backup.

The Bucks won’t have Bobby Portis (hip) for Tuesday’s game, opening up a spot in the starting lineup since he was filling in for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Coffey, who has played four minutes or less in three of his last four appearances, will move into the starting lineup. He isn’t worth the risk in most fantasy leagues.

The lone change to the starting lineup is Smith, who is back after a two-game absence. He steps into the void left by Nikola Vučević, who was traded to the Celtics earlier Tuesday in exchange for Anfernee Simons. Given the Bulls’ lack of frontcourt depth, Smith will play heavy minutes as long as he’s healthy.