NBA Player News

While his season-long fantasy value remains relatively low, now would be a good time to hop onto the Clowney bandwagon if he’s sitting on your league’s waiver wire. Over the past two weeks, the Nets forward/center has provided fourth-round value in eight-cat formats, and he’s scored at least 16 points in seven of his last eight games. Clowney is rostered in 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so he’s certainly available in some 12-team formats. Now would be a good time to change that.

Kornet did not play in Friday’s game against the Cavaliers, resulting in Bismack Biyombo moving into the starting lineup. With Biyombo and Kelly Olynky combining to play 16 minutes on Friday, neither will be worth the risk if Kornet remains out on Monday. San Antonio was willing to go small for extended periods, with Jeremy Sochan spending some time at the five.

Initially doubtful for Sunday’s game, Morant is officially inactive. Vince Williams Jr. will continue to replace him in the starting lineup, with Cam Spencer playing additional minutes off the bench. While Williams is a solid option for managers needing assists, his low percentages have opened the door for Spencer to emerge as a solid deep-league option.

While Wembanyama returned to practice on Sunday, he has not yet reached the point where he can play in games. The next opportunity for him to play will be on Wednesday when the Spurs visit the Lakers in an NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup. As long as he’s healthy, Luke Kornet will be the starter until Wemby returns.

McLaughlin’s continued absence does not affect fantasy basketball, especially with Stephon Castle being questionable for Monday’s game. There’s no reason to consider rostering McLaughlin in fantasy leagues.

Added to the injury report Sunday afternoon, Williams will not be able to play. With Donovan Clingan (leg) also out, the Trail Blazers will be without their top two centers. Duop Reath and Yang Hansen will have to do the heavy lifting in Memphis.

Clingan will miss a second straight game as he continues to recover from a left lower leg contusion. With Robert Williams III (illness) also out, the Trail Blazers will have to rely on Duop Reath and Yang Hansen to fill the void at the center position. While neither is a great streaming option, the chosen starter will be worth a look in deep leagues.

Curry suffered a right quad contusion during the Warriors’ November 26 loss ot the Rockets, and Sunday’s game against the Bulls will be the fourth that he’s missed. The superstar guard did not travel with the team for its three-game road trip, instead staying back in the Bay Area to recover. The upcoming schedule works out well for Curry and the Warriors, who won’t play their first game of Week 8 until Friday due to the NBA Cup knockout rounds. If he can return to practice on Wednesday, Curry may have a chance of playing against the Timberwolves on December 12.

McBride injured his left ankle during Sunday’s win over the Magic, with Orlando guard Desmond Bane landing on the Knicks guard’s leg after attempting to block his layup attempt. McBride did not return after exiting, and he’ll undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. If he misses time, the Knicks will have to rely more on Jordan Clarkson for scoring off the bench, and inconsistency has been an issue for him this season.

Diabaté has been downgraded from questionable to out, which means Ryan Kalkbrenner will retain his place in the starting lineup. Mason Plumlee should play rotation minutes as the backup center, but that is not a good spot to find fantasy value. Leave him on the waiver wire.

Initially questionable after sitting out Friday’s loss to the Celtics, James is on track to play Sunday evening. His return would bounce Jake LaRavia to the bench, where he offers limited fantasy value.