NBA Player News

Richard and Horford are available after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Jazz, and they’re in the starting lineup. De’Anthony Melton and Quinten Post are not available, hence the two openings.

Miller shot the ball efficiently and had a great three-point shooting performance on Friday. However, he was responsible for five of Charlotte’s 16 turnovers, and was just one of several Hornets to find difficulty on the offensive end. A blowout loss ultimately limited Miller to 29 minutes in the season-ending loss. Nonetheless, he put together another solid fantasy season in Year 3. Perhaps a jump could come in his fourth season.

Bridges struggled with his three-point shot in the season-ending loss. However, his success inside the arc and at the charity stripe helped him finish as Charlotte’s second-leading scorer on the evening. Bridges didn’t contribute in many other areas, however, and a bad team performance prevented this contest from being competitive through the final horn. He ends his seventh NBA season with averages of 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. His fantasy production slipped this season, as did his overall numbers.

While Ball shot more efficiently from the field on Friday than he did in Wednesday’s win, the end result was a blowout, season-ending loss. He scored well from beyond the arc and concluded as the only Hornets player to reach the 20-point mark. Additionally, Ball was Charlotte’s only player with more than two assists. The sixth-year guard’s scoring numbers took a hit this year as his minutes decreased. Yet, he logged 72 regular-season games and proved he could stay healthy. Ball should be in line for a similarly productive 2026-27 season from a fantasy basketball standpoint.

Carter was nearly perfect from the floor in his 27 minutes on Friday, with two of his six makes coming from beyond the arc. The veteran center also made contributions on the glass, especially on the offensive side, where half of his boards came from. He wasn’t overly productive in the win, but he was a positive contributor. Carter will have a chance to have another on Sunday in Game 1 against the Pistons

A blowout victory for the Magic limited Wagner to only 25 minutes of game action on Friday. Still, he made good use of his time on the floor by posting one of the more balanced performances on the team. Nearly half of the fifth-year forward’s points came from the charity stripe, with the rest falling inside the arc, before eventually finishing as Orlando’s second-leading scorer. He also tied team highs in assists and rebounds, highlighting his well-roundedness for the evening. Wagner and the Magic will have just a short amount of time to get ready for Sunday’s opening-round Game 1 against the Pistons.

Banchero led all Magic players in scoring during his 33 minutes of game action on Friday, which was complemented by solid playmaking for his teammates, and good activity on the defensive end. The efficient double-digit scoring performance was a nice response to a difficult outing against the 76ers on Wednesday. But with the Play-In Tournament in the books, Banchero starts with a clean slate against the first-seeded Pistons of the Eastern Conference. Game 1 will take place on Sunday.

With Mark Williams out due to a foot injury, Ighodaro will get the start. The second-year big man averaged 6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during the regular season and could play an important role in helping the Suns extend their season and earn a playoff matchup against the Thunder.

Allen will return to the lineup after missing the Play-In Tournament loss to the Trail Blazers. His return will provide Phoenix with one of its best three-point shooters with the season on the line. Allen averaged 16.5 points per game during the regular season.

Porziņġis had been upgraded from questionable to available, marking good news for the Warriors. The veteran center posted a 20/5/5/1/2 line against the Clippers in the team’s Play-In Tournament win on Wednesday and will have a good chance to land strong production on Friday.

Hayes hasn’t taken the floor since April 5 against the Mavericks, as a foot injury has kept him on the sidelines. However, the injury-hit Lakers get a bit of good news on Friday, as the athletic center’s name is no longer on the injury report. He’ll likely come off the bench in his return.