NBA Player News

McCollum was coming off making a game-winning shot against the Bucks on Wednesday. The 34-year-old shooting guard continues to play at a high level as he led the Wizards to a blowout victory over the Nets Friday. McCollum was +18 in 31 minutes in the 20-point win. While he’s been a solid player this year, the Wizards are still 9-24. It’s fair to wonder if a contender would be interested in acquiring McCollum ahead of next month’s trade deadline.

Dunn got into an altercation with Minnesota’s Julius Randle during the fourth quarter, with both being hit with a technical foul. However, because Dunn put his hand in Randle’s face, he was ejected. The guard finished with nine points, five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one three-pointer in 28 minutes.

Just a few days after being waived by the Nets, Thomas has reportedly found a new home. While a player capable of putting up big scoring numbers, the guard has not shown much ability to make plays for others or defend consistently. He’ll get the opportunity to do that in Milwaukee, hopefully using it as a springboard into free agency in the summer.

Monday’s game isn’t part of a back-to-back, but the Nets will still give the rookie a night off. His absence could lead to Terance Mann returning to the starting lineup, but the veteran wing is not worth the risk in most fantasy leagues.

Furphy appeared to injure his right knee due to an awkward landing after throwing down a dunk during the third quarter. Requiring assistance to get off the court, the second-year wing was then taken to the locker room via wheelchair. Furphy finished with four points, two rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes.

Due to right knee tendinitis, Porter will not play on Monday. Danny Wolf has been his replacement in the starting lineup when MPJ was unavailable in the past, and that’s likely to be the case against the Bulls. If so, the rookie would be worth streaming in deep leagues.

On Thursday, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said that Wagner was “very close” to returning. Monday could be that day, as he’s listed as questionable on the injury report. The only question is whether he’ll start immediately, likely bumping Anthony Black to the bench, or come off the bench upon being cleared to play. Managers who have rostered Black should not drop him if he’s moved to the bench.

Champagnie has reached double figures in each of his last three appearances. While the playing time, 25 minutes on Sunday, wasn’t the best, he remains in the starting lineup. For that reason, Champagnie is worth the risk for managers seeking players with “silly season standout” potential. The Wizards only play one of their four Week 17 games before the All-Star break, on Wednesday against the Cavaliers, so there won’t be much to be gained from grabbing Champagnie off the waiver wire on Monday.

Sarr struggled with foul trouble in Sunday’s blowout loss, but that didn’t keep him from recording his 12th double-double of the season. The 7-footer still logged 26 minutes against the Heat, an encouraging sign after he played 18 in Thursday’s win over the Pistons. The Wizards will play four games in Week 17, with three scheduled for after the All-Star break.

Coulibaly took a shot to the face from Heat guard Kasparas Jakučionis with 5:36 remaining in the fourth quarter and did not return. The third-year wing finished with seven points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. Will Riley (nine points, one rebound, one steal, one block and one three-pointer) was limited to 21 minutes, an understandable development since he played 45 on Saturday. If Coulibaly misses time, Riley is the most likely beneficiary.

Jakučionis had the best game of his rookie season on Sunday, recording new highs in points and three-pointers. The 6-foot-6 guard shot 6-of-6 from beyond the arc and made 80 percent of his attempts from the field. Jakučionis’ fantasy value moving forward depends on the availability of Davion Mitchell (5/2/3/1 and one three-pointer in 25 minutes), as his opportunities tend to be limited when “Off Night” is available. With Sunday’s game being a blowout, Jakučionis got to play more during the fourth quarter.