NBA Player News

Towns missed Friday’s game against Atlanta and could remain out for another. Mitchell Robinson (ankle) was sidelined as well, which allowed Ariel Hukporti to start at center and for Guerschon Yabusele to fill most of the backup minutes. Robinson is off the injury report, so Hukporti won’t get another start. Robinson will start if KAT is unavailable for a second straight game.

Coulibaly played the first ten minutes of Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers before leaving with lower back tightness. Already ruled out for Friday’s game against the Kings, he has traveled back to Washington to begin treatment. With Coulibaly out for the final game of the road trip, rookie Will Riley should see extended minutes in both games of the back-to-back. While not a must-stream player, Riley is worth watching with an eye toward the “silly season.”

Santos sprained his left ankle during the first half of Thursday’s win over the Knicks and did not return. While he will not play on Saturday, the Warriors do not expect this to become a long-term issue. Will Richard should see an increase in his minutes off the bench, but the rookie is not worth rostering in redraft leagues.

After missing 23 games with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain, Braun played three games before heading back to the sidelines. He’s missed the last three games, and it’s likely going to be a little while before he’s back on the court. During Friday’s practice, Braun was limited to non-contact work. Following the session, Nuggets head coach David Adelman said the team will be patient with Braun’s return. The absence of Braun and Cameron Johnson (knee) is all the more reason to add Peyton Watson if he’s available.

Adams played 25 minutes off the bench in Thursday’s loss to the Thunder. His absence from the injury report means he’ll be available for both ends of a back-to-back for the first time this season. Alperen Şengün is locked in as the starting center, which limits Adams’ fantasy upside.

Finney-Smith is back after missing Houston’s last two games for injury management reasons. His return will likely mean fewer minutes for Reed Sheppard and JD Davison, with the latter possibly falling out of the rotation entirely.

Eason has missed Houston’s last three games, most recently sitting out Thursday’s loss to the Thunder. Josh Okogie has started the previous two, but his production in that role has been limited. Okogie losing minutes to Eason would not affect fantasy basketball, as he should not be rostered in most leagues.

Sabonis, who has been out since November 16, was a full participant in Thursday’s practice. His return affects Maxime Raynaud the most, as the second-round pick has served as the starting center in Sabonis’ absence. However, fantasy managers may want to exercise a little patience with the rookie. Sabonis is one of the veteran Kings whose name has been mentioned in trade rumors, and a return to action could kick things up in that regard.

Baldwin, the 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft, was on a two-way deal with the Clippers to end last season before being waived in July. He most recently played for the franchise’s G League affiliate. His return to the NBA gives the Clippers more flexibility with Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller, both on two-way contracts. However, this transaction does not affect fantasy basketball.

While Temple is trending toward being available for Friday’s game, he hasn’t logged more than seven minutes in any of his ten appearances this season.

Initially listed as questionable, Quickley is trending toward missing Friday’s game with back spasms. Jamal Shead, who has started the last three games in place of RJ Barrett, will figure more prominently within the rotation. Also, Ja’Kobe Walter could be moved back into the starting lineup if Quickley sits.