NBA Player News

Injured during Friday’s win over the Grizzlies, Sharpe will miss a third consecutive game with a strained calf. With Deni Avdija recently returning to the lineup, Jerami Grant has effectively served as the fifth starter. He’ll remain in that role on Wednesday and is worth slotting into fantasy lineups.

Dončić missed the Lakers’ last four games before the All-Star break, but he went through a rigorous workout ahead of Thursday’s win over the Mavericks. He’s come out of that session in good condition and will be available for a short stint on Sunday. With the new format for the All-Star Game, the question is whether he’ll play in just one of the potentially three short games for Team World. At the very least, Dončić’s participation on Sunday should ensure that he’s available for the Lakers’ first game after the break, February 20 against the Clippers, provided he does not aggravate the hamstring injury.

Beasley, who has not been cleared to return to the NBA since being investigated by the US District Attorney’s Office for betting allegations, has decided to play in Puerto Rico. While teams in Europe and China expressed interest in the free-agent shooting guard, he has decided to sign with a team closer to the States. Depending on whether he’s cleared of any wrongdoing and allowed to sign with an NBA team by the end of June, Beasley will once again be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Paul was waived by the Raptors on Friday afternoon and shortly afterwards, took to Instagram to announce his official retirement, saying, “This is it! After over 21 years, I’m stepping away from basketball.” Paul had previously announced that this would be his final season, but then tensions flared with the Clippers earlier in the year, which led to his departure from the team. Paul was a 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA point guard, five-time assists leader, nine-time All-NBA defensive team honoree, and two-time Olympic gold medalist with the United States men’s basketball team. He averaged 16.8 points, 9.2 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in his career and will undoubtedly be a Hall of Famer.

James returned after missing Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs and became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double against the Mavericks on Thursday. The 41-year-old small forward had 28 points to go with 10 rebounds and 12 assists. LeBron has provided 11th-round per game value over the last two weeks heading into the All-Star break.

Sensabaugh hadn’t scored at least 28 points in a game since he dropped 43 points in a loss to the Bulls on January 14. The 22-year-old shooting guard played 34 minutes that night and 36 minutes against the Trail Blazers on Thursday. Sensabaugh is worth rostering if the Jazz decide to consistently play him that much during silly season.

Clingan became the first Trail Blazer since Scottie Pippen in 2003 to have a game with at least 20 points, at least 15 rebounds, at least five assists and no turnovers. The 21-year-old center has provided second-round per game value over the last two weeks. Clingan looks like a great fantasy center for years to come.

Holiday’s 31 points in Thursday’s win over the Jazz were his most in a game since the 2023 season. The 35-year-old point guard was also just a rebounds and three assists away from a triple-double. While Holiday was able to turn back the clock against the Jazz, he’s provided just 11th-round per game value over the last two weeks heading into the All-Star break.

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.