NBA Player News

Even though the Pacers are not in contention this season, Zubac is signed through the 2027-28 season with his three-year, $58.6 million deal. The 28-year-old is averaging 14.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 43 games this season. He will slide into the starting center role for a team in desperate need of a big man, and then will form a strong core with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam next season. This trade is also good news for the Thunder, who own the rights to the Clippers’ first-round pick. With the Clippers trading away Zubac and James Harden, that pick figures to be pretty high in the upcoming draft. The Pacers are also sending their 2016 first-round pick to the Clippers, but that pick is top 1-4 and 10-30 protected. Given that the Pacers currently have the third-worst record in the NBA, it would be a huge risk for them to play their best lineup going forward and risk picking in that 5-9 range. As a result, we may see a lot of rest days for their better players, including Zubac, in the days ahead.

Martin tweaked his ankle in Tuesday’s game against the Suns and is unlikely to play Thursday against the Lakers given he was downgraded to doubtful. Klay Thompson could see more minutes as part of the Mavericks bench depth, though he’s not worth rostering in fantasy leagues.

Marshall was initially listed as questionable with a sprained left foot, but now he’s been upgraded to probable ahead of Thursday’s game against the Lakers. He should see a significant workload with Cooper Flagg (foot) already ruled out.

Time Lord could miss time on Thursday due to left knee injury management. If Williams III is ultimately ruled out, Yang Hansen could log additional playing time as Donovan Clingan’s backup.

Avdija has been dealing with a back issue, and he could get the night off for the second leg of the Blazers’ back-to-back set. If Avdija is ultimately ruled out, Sidy Cissoko could see increased run.

Ayton is set to miss his second consecutive game with right knee soreness. Jaxson Hayes got the start and had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes against the Spurs on Tuesday. Hayes will likely start again with Drew Timme backing him up as the reserve center.

Henderson logged 19 minutes on Wednesday, and he’ll surprisingly be available for the second leg of Portland’s back-to-back set. His availability is an encouraging update for his long-term health, and fantasy managers should be optimistic heading into the All-Star break.

Sharpe will sit out a fourth straight game, and with Deni Avdija banged up, Jerami Grant could be in line for increased run. Scoot Henderson is available and could take on additional minutes as well.

George will get another night off, and he’ll look to recover during the All-Star break. Even if he comes back from the break healthy, George is a candidate to miss games down the stretch as the Jazz look to secure a more favorable pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Isaiah Collier has shined with George out, so fantasy managers should continue to deploy him until further notice.

Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee) is out for the season, and the Jazz were already sitting their stars in the fourth quarter. It was only a matter of time before Markkanen started missing games, and Thursday’s matchup with Portland surely won’t be the last of the 2025-26 campaign. Kyle Filipowski should be in line for big minutes tonight, and he’s worth streaming for the small, three-game slate.