NBA Player News

Raynaud finished Tuesday’s defeat with his 13th double-double of the season, which leads all rookies. The 7-foot-1 center may not offer much value as a shot-blocker, but fantasy managers know what they’re going to get from him as a scorer and rebounder on most nights. For good measure, Raynaud dished out four assists against the Suns. Among Kings players, only Precious Achiuwa has been more valuable to fantasy managers since the All-Star break.

Jackson has been out since spraining his ankle during a March 27 win over the Pacers, leaving the Clippers without a legitimate backup center. John Collins has filled the void in Jackson’s absence and would continue to do so if he can’t return for Wednesday’s Play-In Tournament game against the Warriors.

Howard and Isaac have made progress in their respective recoveries, but neither has reached the point where they’ll be available for games. Given the lack of contact during Tuesday’s practice, the Magic may not have either player at their disposal until the playoffs if Orlando qualifies. Both are out for Wednesday’s Play-In Tournament game against the 76ers.

Larsson is good to go after being listed as questionable on the injury report initially released by the Heat on Monday evening. He’ll figure prominently in the Heat wing rotation, whether he starts or comes off the bench. In four games against the Hornets during the regular season, Larsson averaged 15.3 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field.

Kerr made the comments following Sunday’s regular-season finale, a loss to the Clippers in the first of two meetings between the teams over four days. None will surpass 40 minutes, but the question is how far beyond 30 minutes the veterans will go. Curry’s 29 minutes on Sunday were the most for him since returning from a case of runner’s knee, and Porziņǵis has logged 29 minutes just twice since joining the Warriors. As for Horford, he has exceeded 30 minutes just twice this season, most recently March 10 against the Bulls.

Allen suffered a left hamstring injury during Friday’s loss to the Lakers and hasn’t played since. The 30-year-old small forward was replaced in the lineup by Royce O’Neale, which could be the case again if Allen is ruled out on Tuesday.

Grant hasn’t played since March 27 as he’s dealt with a calf strain. The 32-year-old power forward is questionable, which at least gives him a chance of suiting up for Tuesday’s game against the Suns. If Grant is out again, Scoot Henderson should start again for the Trail Blazers.

Larsson is listed as questionable with a right lower leg contusion. Nikola Jovic (ankle) and Dru Smith (foot) are out, but otherwise the Heat have a healthy roster heading into the Play-In Tournament.

Borrego was 24-46 as interim head coach after taking over for Willie Green, who was fired last November. Prior to that, Borrego was the associate head coach under Green and he previously spent four years as the Hornets head coach, going 138-163 with no playoff appearances. While Borrego will be included in the search for a new Pelicans head coach, he seems like a long shot to land the job. He had plenty of time to make an impression this season and the Pelicans were more than 20 games below .500 on his watch.

Shams notes that Dončić and Austin Reaves (oblique) are unlikely to be available for the Lakers’ first-round series against the Rockets. Filling the void left by LA’s superstars will be no easy task, and the Lakers will tackle the issue using a platoon approach. Luke Kennard, Jake LaRavia and Rui Hachimura should be the next men up in the rotation.

Hachimura has been on a hot streak recently, having scored in double figures in five straight games. However, this was his best game of the stretch, as it was his highest-scoring outing since January and his first double-double of the season. With the status of Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) up in the air, Hachimura will be a vital piece for the Lakers against the Rockets in the first round.