NBA Player News

Tuesday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Pacers, so there are likely to be some absences either against the Knicks or the Trail Blazers. Zubac and Toppin were available for Sunday’s loss to the Bucks, with the former starting and the latter coming off the bench.

Anderson is behind Dennis Schroeder in the rotation, but with the injuries to Coby White, there is an opportunity for the rookie point guard to get minutes early on in the season. He should fit right into Charles Lee’s 3PT heavy system.

Johnson will be available for the first time this preseason after missing time with a hamstring injury. While the third-year wing will get a runout of sorts against the Nets, he’s unlikely to impact fantasy basketball during the regular season. With Pelle Larsson (illness) out, there will be minutes available to Johnson.

Adebayo is dealing with right groin tightness, and his absence frees up additional minutes for Nick Richards. With his contract for the upcoming season not being guaranteed unless he makes the Opening Night roster, this is a big opportunity for Richards. With Klay Thompson available, he’ll slide into the starting lineup spot Larsson occupied in Saturday’s loss to the Timberwolves. Smith’s absence won’t change anything regarding fantasy basketball, as starting point guard Davion Mitchell is available.

Porziņǵis, who has struggled with health issues for the last two seasons, missed Golden State’s first five preseason games due to what the Warriors describe as a “health-related matter.” He’ll remain sidelined indefinitely, giving Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg more opportunities in the frontcourt. Both appear on track to start the regular season, with Lendeborg offering higher fantasy upside. Al Horford is expected to be limited to 20 minutes, so he offers little fantasy value. As for Porziņǵis, fantasy managers should avoid drafting him, especially in standard leagues.

Isaac, who agreed to a one-year contract with the Magic in July, missed the team’s first two preseason games for personal reasons. While he gives Orlando another frontcourt option, his injury history and the other options available to head coach Sean Sweeney make Isaac a non-factor in fantasy leagues.

Black suffered a right ankle sprain during a voluntary workout ahead of training camp and has not appeared in any of Orlando’s preseason games. He’s making good progress in his recovery, but the team will continue to “be smart” about how it handles the young guard’s potential return. He’s still worth selecting in the later rounds of drafts, especially given starting point guard Jalen Suggs’ injury history.

Jemison, who spent last season on a two-way contract with the Knicks, agreed to a two-way deal with the Raptors in early August. The 6-foot-11 center appeared in just one preseason game for Toronto, whose rookie big Nate Bittle returned from injury and played in Tuesday’s exhibition win over the Knicks.

Christie was a second-round pick by the Clippers in 2024. Known for his defense, the 21-year-old guard appeared in 55 games for Los Angeles last season, but averaged only 8.7 minutes per game. Christie has plenty of time left to prove himself in another uniform and should get that opportunity soon enough.

The Kings just can’t keep a backup big healthy. Maxime Raynaud (knee) and Dylan Cardwell (calf) are both set to miss time, so Achiuwa got the start with Domantas Sabonis getting the night off. Achiuwa exited early with a right ankle injury after having a productive night. If he is also forced to miss the start of the season, Jonathan Mogbo would be next in line to back up Sabonis.

Trail Blazers head coach Micah Nori has been toying with the starting lineup in the preseason, with Damian Lillard and Scoot Henderson starting in this game, while Morant and Jrue Holiday came off the bench. Morant was still productive, and it’s clear the four guards will all have a significant role. Morant and Holiday will reportedly start in their next preseason game, and the starting unit for opening night still hasn’t been decided.