NBA Player News

Allen has now scored at least 23 points in three of his last four outings, and he last failed to hit double figures in a January 5 loss to the Rockets. With Devin Booker and Jalen Green out, Allen was one of the Suns to pick up the slack in Portland, with three — Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams being the others — scoring 24 points or more. Phoenix returns home for its final two games of Week 16, starting with the Warriors on Thursday.

After coming off the bench in his first two appearances as a Laker, Kennard moved into the starting lineup on Tuesday due to multiple absences. He shot the ball well and dished out five assists, but fantasy managers likely hoped for greater shot volume from the guard. For the Lakers’ final game before the break, Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Kennard will likely be back in a reserve role. That limits his fantasy ceiling, but it may be the role that he’s more comfortable with right now.

Making his first start as an NBA player, Bufkin started well on Tuesday. He shot 2-of-4 from the field in the first quarter and dished out an assist. Unfortunately, the former first-round pick’s production tailed off, an unsurprising development, given Bufkin’s limited in-game experience. There’s no need to roster him in redraft leagues, but managers competing in deeper dynasty leagues can afford to stash Bufkin.

With Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James all sidelined for Tuesday’s game, it felt like a spot where LaRavia could get all the shots that he wanted. Unfortunately, he got into early foul trouble, committing five in the first half. LaRavia would foul out with 7:43 remaining in the third quarter, playing 19 minutes. The Lakers should be closer to full strength for Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, which should mean LaRavia takes on a role that he’s more comfortable with.

Harper has reached double figures in five of his last six appearances, scoring at least nine in all six. Stephon Castle (pelvis) exited Tuesday’s victory during the first half, and it’s difficult to envision him playing on Wednesday against the Warriors. While Harrison Barnes (11/3/2/3 with two three-pointers) is the most likely replacement in the starting lineup, there should also be a few more minutes for Harper in the Spurs’ final game before the All-Star break.

Bryant reached double figures for the fifth time this season, and the 16 points represent a new high for the rookie wing. With Tuesday’s game getting out of hand by halftime and Stephon Castle (pelvis) not returning for the second half, there were a few more minutes available to Bryant. And his play has been encouraging recently. Tuesday’s effort was preceded by an 11-point, five-rebound, three-block effort against the Mavericks on Saturday. Bryant’s recent run means more for dynasty leagues than redraft formats, but it’s good to see him show off some of his upside.

To be fair to the Lakers, they were incredibly shorthanded for Tuesday’s game. A challenging task became impossible, as they could not defend Wembanyama. He scored 17 of the Spurs’ first 20 points, and the big fella’s 25 first-quarter points were the most in a quarter in franchise history. Wembanyama only needed to play 26 minutes to get his 40, sitting for the final 16 minutes of the blowout victory. That should bode well for his availability for Wednesday’s game against the Warriors.

Castle was injured during the first half when he landed hard on the court after blocking a Rui Hachimura dunk attempt. While the second-year guard was able to walk back to the locker room under his own power, he did so slowly. The good news is that X-rays came back negative, but Castle is done for the night. Harrison Barnes entered the Spurs’ lineup to begin the third quarter.

Moved into the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game, Jones appeared to be in a good spot to offer solid fantasy value. Unfortunately, things did not play out that way for the guard in his first start as a Maverick. Jones played 15 minutes, with Naji Marshall replacing him in the lineup to begin the third quarter. Between that and Brandon Williams (5/2/2/1) playing more minutes off the bench, this was not the most encouraging night for Jones or those who considered picking him up off the waiver wire.

Flagg’s frequent trips to the foul line gave his point total a nice boost, but overall, this was a modest night for the rookie. While his run of games with at least 32 points ended at four in Saturday’s loss to the Spurs, he’s scored 27 or more in five of his last six. Given the constant changes of the actual point guards in the Mavericks’ rotation, head coach Jason Kidd may decide to simply put the ball in Flagg’s hands even more after the All-Star break. And fantasy managers may favor that approach.

Marshall came off the bench on Tuesday, with Tyus Jones bumping him from the starting lineup. That didn’t prevent Naji from having one of his most productive nights of the season, recording his second 30-point stat line in three games and fourth of the season. Marshall would replace the ineffective Jones in the Mavericks’ lineup to begin the third quarter, and it’s difficult to envision a scenario in which that doesn’t hold for Thursday’s game against the Lakers.