NBA Player News

The lone change to the starting lineup is Mamukelashvili, who starts after coming off the bench in Sunday’s win over the Warriors. RJ Barrett, who returned from a knee injury the day prior, is not available for injury management reasons.

Absent from the Clippers’ initial injury report, Collins’ name has been added less than an hour before the scheduled tip time. With Derrick Jones Jr. (knee) already out, the Clippers may have to turn to Nicolas Batum to move into the starting lineup. Kobe Brown would also be in line for a few rotation minutes off the bench.

Initially questionable, Leonard is officially available and will occupy his usual place in the starting lineup. He will be on a 28-30 minute limit, which may result in a few more minutes for Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller.

Mitchell put on a show on Wednesday night, leading the Cavaliers to one of their best wins of the season after Monday’s terrible loss to the Jazz. And Cleveland may need even more from him in the immediate future, as Darius Garland left during the third quarter with a right foot injury. Mitchell has scored 30 points or more in five of his last seven games, and the all-around stat line on Wednesday was elite.

To say Hunter needed a night like Wednesday would be an understatement. In Cleveland’s two previous games, he totaled six points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field. Returning home did some good for the Philadelphia native, as Hunter’s 17 points were the most he’s scored in a game since December 22. With Sam Merrill (hand) and Darius Garland (foot) exiting Wednesday’s game due to injury, Hunter may have a slightly higher fantasy ceiling in the short term. What’s holding him back is the lack of defensive production.

After a modest effort in Monday’s loss to the Jazz, Mobley was more impactful, especially defensively, on Wednesday. He recorded four blocked shots, the sixth time this season he’s either met or exceeded that number. The double-double was Mobley’s first in six games and 15th of the season, and he’s dished out 14 assists over his last two games. He’ll look to replicate Wednesday’s performance when the Cavaliers face the 76ers again on Friday.

Merrill suffered a right hand injury during Wednesday’s game. While the Cavaliers announced at halftime that he was questionable to return, the sharpshooter never did. Given that he’s right-handed, there should be concern among fantasy managers who are rostering him for the three-point production. If Merrill has to miss time, De’Andre Hunter will likely figure more prominently in the bench rotation.

Hukporti is officially available for Wednesday’s game. However, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson available, he’s more likely to pick up a DNP-CD than play rotation minutes.