NBA Player News

Middleton is dealing with a left elbow contusion, hence his presence on the Wizards’ injury report for Monday. If the veteran forward cannot play, Bub Carrington may return to the starting lineup. However, the second-year guard has provided limited fantasy value thus far and is not a must-stream player in this scenario.

Caruso will be sidelined for the second leg of this back-to-back. Four of the five typical starters will also be out, with Cason Wallace, who is filling in for Jalen Williams, being the one who is available. Caruso’s absence should open up minutes for Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe.

Dort will join other Thunder starters on the sidelines for the second leg of this back-to-back. His absence will open up plenty of minutes and a starting spot, which will likely be filled by either Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe.

Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren (back) are both sidelined for the second leg of the Thunder’s back-to-back. Jaylin Williams and Branden Carlson should fill out the center minutes, though only Williams will have any upside as a streaming option.

Holmgren played through the back injury against Orlando, but he’ll sit the second leg of this back-to-back. Isaiah Hartenstein is out as well, so Jaylin Williams should start at center, while Branden Carlson should be available to fill out backup minutes. Williams should hold streaming upside as the primary center, even if the matchup is suboptimal.

Bagley has been a solid backup center for Washington this season, which includes some productive outings as a starter. With Dallas, he could be productive down the stretch of this season. He isn’t a long-term solution at center, but he will be part of the rotation along with Daniel Gafford, Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell. Bagley is arguably the best offensive big in that group, so he should be able to carve out a place in the rotation and could spend time as a starter, given Gafford’s injury frequency.

Branham has been a volume scorer through the first four seasons of his career, which has led to some productive nights. However, he hasn’t been able to carve out a sustained role. He’ll get the chance in Dallas, and he could be a strong option during silly season. He’s only 22 years old, so there is still some upside here, but it is unlikely that he ends up as a long-term guard option for the Mavs.

The 2024 first-round pick was traded to Washington during his rookie year after being drafted by Milwaukee. He’ll be on the move once again and try to make things work in Dallas. The Mavs seem to be shifting towards a tank for this season, so Johnson could play big minutes down the stretch of this year, which could lead to some fun production during silly season.

Middleton has had a solid season in Washington, and he will now get a fresh start in Dallas. Just like with the Wizards, Middleton’s availability for the rest of the season will be spotty, though he should be relatively effective when available. He’ll be part of the wing rotation, which means he’ll take away minutes from Caleb Martin, Max Christie and Klay Thompson. It’s unclear if he’ll start or come off the bench, but the minutes should be similar regardless.

Exum was ruled out for the rest of the season in November, and he’s on an expiring deal. Exum was included to make the deal work, but he may not ever suit up for Washington. He’ll enter free agency next summer.

SGA was able to play in OKC’s win over the Magic on Tuesday, but he’ll now miss at least five more games entering the break. OKC has the best record in the league, but they’ve faced a ton of injuries already this season. The added rest will be good for SGA in the long run. Ajay Mitchell (abdominal) should start when he returns, but there will be plenty of minutes and usage for everyone available, including the recently-acquired Jared McCain.