NBA Player News

Avdija exited early from Thursday’s game after feeling discomfort in his back. He just missed three games with a back injury, so they opted to play things safe. He should be good to go against Toronto, where he’ll look to stay red hot.

Kalkbrenner came off the bench in the Hornets’ win over the Magic on Thursday, but the 24-year-old rookie center played 27 minutes compared to starter Moussa Diabate’s 16 minutes. The Hornets’ Twitter account initially had Kalkbrenner in Saturday’s starting lineup, before correctly showing Diabate as the starter. Both centers will likely still play Saturday, but if Charlotte continues to give Kalkbrenner more minutes he could move into the starting lineup eventually.

Riley moves into the starting lineup with Khris Middleton (foot) out. The 19-year-old forward is making the first start of his career. According to the Wizards, this is the youngest starting lineup in NBA history with an average age of 20.64 years old.

Morant suffered a UCL sprain in his left (non-shooting) elbow during Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks. The injury is expected to sideline the 26-year-old point guard for at least the next three weeks, at which point he’ll be reevaluated. Cam Spencer started in Morant’s place Friday and had 21 points and 11 assists, making him a legitimate fantasy option while Morant is out.

Middleton was listed as questionable initially, but has since been ruled out with left foot soreness. In his absence, Justin Champagnie could slide into the starting lineup with Will Riley picking up rotation minutes off the bench.

Kalkbrenner was originally listed as probable with a wrist injury, so it’s no surprise he’s available for Saturday’s game. The 24-year-old rookie center had 10 points and nine rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench in the Hornets’ win over the Magic on Thursday. We don’t expect Kalkbrenner to be limited against the Wizards, though he’ll still share center minutes with Moussa Diabate.

Miller was initially listed as probable with an ankle injury, so his availability Saturday isn’t a surprise. The 23-year-old small forward is averaging 24.2 point per game over his last five games and has an excellent matchup against the Wizards.

While it’s unclear when exactly Antetokounmpo suffered the injury during Friday night’s loss to the Nuggets, the 31-year-old power forward didn’t mince words in his postgame media availability. Antetokounmpo said he expects the MRI, which is scheduled for Saturday, to show that he popped something in his calf and that he won’t return before the end of February at the earliest. While the injury is potentially devastating for fantasy managers, it also has major implications on the Bucks’ playoff hopes. Milwaukee is currently two and a half games behind Atlanta for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference and will have to find a way to tread water without their star player for at least the next month.

Clingan made the most of his 29 minutes of game action. He pulled down at least 15 rebounds for the fifth time already in January and made a three-pointer in his fourth straight game. The second-year center also set a new season-high in steals, bringing the defensive production despite not amassing any blocked shots. Clingan has made a nice jump from his rookie to sophomore season and should only get better going forward. His two-way versatility gives him a high ceiling in regard to fantasy basketball.

Sharpe was active on the offensive end on Friday. Without Deni Avdija (back), his shot volume was high, but he finished with fewer points than field-goal attempts. However, the fourth-year guard got on the glass and also made contributions as a passer to round out his solid overall performance. Depending on how long Avdija is sidelined, there’s potential that Sharpe could really put up some big scoring performances. He may have a chance to do so on Monday against the Celtics.

Holiday’s production on the offensive end was one of the most important for Portland on Friday. He shot the ball well and contributed from behind the three-point line to finish as one of the team’s top couple of scorers. In addition to his passing, he set the table well for his teammates and finished as the Trail Blazers’ leader in assists. Despite the loss, the Blazers have built some momentum lately; they’ll continue to rely on Holiday’s veteran leadership to keep their season trending in the right direction.