NBA Player News

Rumors of the Clippers and Cavaliers discussing a trade first surfaced Monday evening, and the two sides agreed on a deal within one day. Harden, whose contract for the 2026-27 season is only partially guaranteed if he picks up the play option, now joins forces with Donovan Mitchell to give the Cavaliers an experienced (and currently healthy) playmaker. Once he gets to Cleveland, Harden will likely push Sam Merrill or Jaylon Tyson to the bench, with the latter having an excellent second season in the NBA.

Wagner has appeared in only two games since suffering a high left ankle sprain during a December 7 game against the Knicks. Getting him back will give Orlando a much-needed boost on the playmaking front. With Wagner already out for Thursday’s game against the Nets, the next opportunity for him to play would be on Saturday against the Jazz. While Anthony Black may be the player who heads to the bench, he’s worth holding onto in 12-team leagues.

Avdija has missed Portland’s last two games with a lower back injury that first surfaced during a January 11 loss to the Knicks. His absence on Friday would coincide with the return of Scoot Henderson, who will be available for the first time this season. While he certainly won’t log heavy minutes, Scoot can help Portland account for Avdija’s absence.

After suffering a torn left hamstring during the offseason, Henderson’s path to a full recovery has been an arduous one. He’ll make his season debut on Friday, and the point guard is likely to be under a minutes restriction. Henderson won’t affect fantasy basketball immediately, but he’s someone who could have added value after the All-Star break due to the Blazers’ need for playmakers on the perimeter.

Signed to a two-way contract in March, Tomlin played well enough this season to earn a standard contract. The Cavaliers got that done shortly after the trade deadline, ensuring that the athletic forward will be eligible for the postseason. In 41 games, Tomlin has averaged 6.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. While ensuring that he’s available for the rest of the season helps Cleveland’s depth, it doesn’t affect fantasy basketball.

The goal of this transaction was for the Celtics to get out of the luxury tax. Tillman was out of the Celtics’ rotation for most of this season, averaging 7.9 minutes per game in 14 appearances. His fantasy outlook won’t change in Charlotte.

Herro has been out since January 15, which is the last time the Heat faced the Celtics. The guard has not been given a timeline by team doctors, and given the time Herro has already missed, fantasy managers should consider him week-to-week. Pelle Larsson has been the replacement in the starting lineup, and he’s worth considering as a deep-league streamer.

Wiggins is good to go after missing Tuesday’s loss to the Hawks with left hamstring tightness. He’ll occupy his usual place in the Heat starting lineup on Friday, with Simone Fontecchio heading back to the bench.

Powell has rejoined the Heat after missing the last three games for personal reasons. With Andrew Wiggins (hamstring) also available, Myron Gardner and Simone Fontecchio will be headed back to the bench. Of the two, Fontecchio’s path to maintaining some semblance of fantasy relevance is more straightforward.

White was Charlotte’s big addition at the trade deadline, but they’ll wait at least four more games before he debuts to avoid any further issues with the calf that has given him trouble all season. Sion James and Josh Green should see a temporary boost in minutes until White debuts.

The 28th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Baldwin has failed to establish himself in the NBA. He was most recently on a 10-day deal with the Clippers in mid-January. His signing is more about the 76ers being able to use the remaining days of Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract. There’s no need to consider adding Baldwin in fantasy leagues.