NBA Player News

Russell is a late scratch, but with Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard healthy and available, Russell likely wouldn’t have seen meaningful minutes regardless of his status.

Tshiebwe had one rebound and three assists in five minutes off the bench before heading to the locker room. The 26-year-old center was ruled out with a concussion at halftime. Tshiebwe hasn’t been a factor in fantasy basketball this season.

Williams appeared to say the wrong thing to an official and was ejected in the first half of Thursday’s game against the Trail Blazers. The 25-year-old shooting guard had six points in seven minutes prior to the ejection. John Konchar could be in line for more minutes with Williams unavailable. It’s unclear if he’ll face any further disciplinary action.

Joe continues to pick up some of the slack with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out. The 26-year-old guard has shown over the last six games that he’s not going to contribute much in the other categories, but he can provide 17 points and three three-pointers every night. Joe will have value as long as this arrangement and his solid play continue.

Portis showed again Thursday why he leads all active bench players in double-doubles with 15 points and 12 rebounds in the win over the Thunder. The 31-year-old small forward seems to be over his hip injury. With the All-Star break approaching, Portis and the Bucks are off until Friday, February 20 against the Pelicans.

Dieng has struggled to produce or see minutes consistently this season, but has flashed a high-ceiling in the last two games. The 22-year-old small forward followed up a 17-point performance in 23 minutes in the win against the Magic on Wednesday with a full stat line in the win over the Thunder on Thursday. Dieng had 19 points and was just four assists shy of a triple-double while also contributing on the defensive end with a steal and four blocks. He also made three three-pointers. The Bucks deciding to keep giving him more minutes could lead to more games like this in the future.

Marshall, coming off a 31-point performance in Tuesday’s loss to the Suns, will start with Cooper Flagg (foot) out while Brandon Williams replaces Tyus Jones. The 28-year-old small forward should be in line for big minutes again Thursday in a good matchup against the Lakers.

LeBron sat out Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs, which was the second game of a back-to-back for the Lakers. He’s back in the starting lineup on Thursday against the Mavericks. James and Marcus Smart returning will push Luke Kennard and Kobe Bufkin to the bench.

The Pacers were fined $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy in relation to the team’s February 3 game against the Jazz. After an investigation that included an independent review, it was deemed that Pascal Siakam and two other starters could’ve played under the medical standard in the policy. The team could’ve also held those players out in a way that “better promoted compliance” with the policy, according to a release from the NBA.

In a statement released by the NBA less than an hour before the Jazz tipped off against the Trail Blazers on Thursday, commissioner Adam Silver said, “Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games.” The Jazz were held accountable for holding out starters, notably Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, in the fourth quarter of the February 7 game against the Magic and February 9 game against the Heat. It’s been an active week for Silver, who also levied multiple suspensions against players stemming from a benches-clearing incident with the Hornets and Pistons. Only time will tell if the Jazz receive this message or decide to get more creative in their pursuit of better lottery odds.

Martin was downgraded to doubtful with an ankle injury Thursday afternoon, so his absence against the Lakers isn’t a surprise. Klay Thompson could see more minutes off the bench with Martin out, but he isn’t worth rostering in most fantasy leagues at this point in his career.