NBA Player News

While he shot just 35 percent from the field on Thursday, Avdija recorded a complete stat line in the win over the Pelicans. He’s scored at least 20 points in four straight appearances, and 17 or more in 14 straight. As long as Avdija can keep the turnovers in check, he’ll provide excellent value, especially in category leagues. Unfortunately, the Trail Blazers are done for Week 23, so there’s no more value to be gained from Avdija this season.

Kornet was initially listed as questionable for this game, but he will be good to go. He’ll continue to fill out the backup center minutes behind Victor Wembanyama.

Up until an hour before tipoff, the expectation was that Fox would suit up for this game. However, the Spurs will be without their star point guard, though if there is a team built to withstand this type of loss, it’s San Antonio. They’ll likely turn to rookie Dylan Harper to replace Fox in the starting unit, with Stephon Castle taking on even more playmaking responsibility.

Nance missed Games 6 and 7 against the Pistons with this illness and could remain out for another game. He played five minutes in the first round against the Raptors but didn’t see the floor at all against Detroit. His status won’t impact the Cavaliers’ rotation for the conference finals.

Anunoby missed Games 3 and 4 of the Knicks’ series against the 76ers, but he is expected to return to take on Cleveland. This doesn’t come as a surprise after he was a full participant in practice last week. Miles McBride replaced him in the starting lineup but will head back to the bench with Anunoby likely to return.

It is a five-year deal for Mosley, who was let go by the Magic just two weeks prior to this. He led Orlando for five years, going 189-221 with three playoff appearances. Mosley was able to turn a lottery team into a playoff team by his third season and will look to replicate that culture shift in New Orleans.

Fox is still plagued with a sore right ankle, but he’s expected to play through it at Paycom Center. San Antonio’s veteran point guard averaged 17.7 points, three rebounds and five assists across 31.5 minutes in six games of the Western Conference semis against Minnesota.

Jenkins started the final three games of the series, scoring at least 15 points in each. It wasn’t enough to push Detroit into the conference finals, but his performances were a positive to take into the offseason. During the regular season, Jenkins played well enough to earn a standard contract that includes a $4 million team option for 2026-27. Fantasy-wise, Jenkins was most valuable when the Pistons were shorthanded on the perimeter, especially when Cade Cunningham missed time. Due to Detroit’s need for supplementary playmaking, Jenkins could be worth taking a flier on in the late rounds of drafts in deeper leagues if he returns to the Motor City.

The Pistons don’t look to Thompson for much offensive production, but his deficiencies on that end were a problem against the Cavaliers. While the elite defensive ability is why Ausar logs heavy minutes, the inability to shoot was just as problematic for Detroit as center Jalen Duren’s struggles. Extension-eligible this summer, Thompson must make strides on offense to not only raise Detroit’s ceiling but his as well. Fantasy-wise, Ausar is capable of offering excellent value in category leagues, but only if he can expand his game.

Having performed admirably throughout the postseason, Harris appeared to run out of gas in the second round. After scoring 20 points or more in each of the first three games, the veteran forward totaled 40 points in Games 4 through 7. On Sunday, Harris failed to make a shot from the field, prompting some to flash back to his final game as a 76er, when he went scoreless in Game 6 loss to the Knicks in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. In recent years, Harris has exceeded expectations in fantasy basketball. Whether he does the same in 2026-27 depends on where he’ll be, as Harris will be an unrestricted free agent.

Sunday’s defeat was the painful conclusion to Duren’s disappointing playoff run. While active on the boards, the Pistons’ center did not offer much value in Game 7. After averaging 19.5 points per game during the regular season, that number dropped to 10.2 in the playoffs. And with Duren hitting restricted free agency next month, the question is how these playoffs will affect his market. From a fantasy standpoint, Duren has top-50 potential, and he can be even more valuable to managers willing to punt free-throw percentage.