NBA Player News

With LeBron James and Jaxson Hayes joining Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart on the sidelines for Tuesday’s game, Vanderbilt appeared well-positioned to play increased minutes. However, he lasted only one four-minute stint, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick benching the forward for the rest of the night. After the 123-87 defeat, Redick said it was a “confluence of things” that prompted him to pull Vanderbilt during the second quarter and not go back to him. Vanderbilt’s benching and his reaction to it are worth watching heading into the playoffs, but they won’t affect active fantasy leagues.

Williams, who sat out the Suns’ last regular-season game, logged 22 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Trail Blazers. Oso Ighodaro was his replacement in the starting lineup on most nights during the regular season, and that should remain the case on Friday if Williams can’t play.

Post, who last appeared in a game on March 29, remains out for Friday’s Play-In Tournament game. The Warriors went with an eight-man rotation on Wednesday against the Clippers, and that’s likely to remain the case as long as Kristaps Porziņǵis (ankle; questionable) is available.

One day removed from playing 28 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Clippers, Porziņǵis is on the injury report due to a sore left ankle. If he’s unable to play on Friday, the Warriors may turn to Al Horford, who logged 22 minutes on Wednesday. That would mean more minutes for Gary Payton II as well, even though he does not share a position with Porziņǵis or Horford.

Diabaté, who finished Tuesday’s overtime win over the Heat with eight points, 14 rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot in 36 minutes, is dealing with a sore left hip. If he’s unable to play on Friday, the Hornets would turn to Ryan Kalkbrenner and Grant Williams to fill the resulting void.

Allen injured his hamstring during the Suns’ penultimate game of the regular season, an April 10 loss to the Lakers. According to Ott, the veteran guard’s availability for Friday’s Play-In Tournament game against the Warriors will depend on whether he can sprint. Royce O’Neale and Collin Gillespie take on added importance in their respective roles with Allen unavailable.

Isaac has been sidelined for over a month, most recently sitting out Wednesday’s loss to the 76ers. While his return would give the Magic another option in the frontcourt, the 6-foot-10 forward’s minutes are likely to be limited once he’s cleared to play.

While Embiid’s status for the 76ers’ first round series against the Hornets hasn’t been made official, he’s unlikely to be ready for the start of the series. Charania reports the 76ers are preparing to begin the series without their 32-year-old superstar. Paul George and Tyrese Maxey will take on added importance in his absence. Theoretically, Embiid could be available later in the series.

The NBA ruled in favor of Cunningham and Doncic on their Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge for the 65-game award rule. Both players will now be eligible for season honors such as MVP and All-NBA teams. Doncic missed two games in December due to the birth of his child and Cunningham suffered a collapsed lung. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards also filed a challenge, but was denied and is not eligible for awards, according to Charania.

Landale will miss the first round of the playoffs. The 30-year-old center sustained a high ankle sprain against the Magic on April 1 and has progressed in his rehabilitation, but isn’t ready to return yet. Mo Gueye and Tony Bradley will be the backup center options for the Hawks in their series against the Knicks.

There were certainly some lows for Mathurin in April, but he was able to end his first season as a Clipper with back-to-back 20-point outings. There aren’t any questions about his scoring ability, but he hasn’t been able to contribute value in other categories consistently, and that is unlikely to change next season. He’s still a talented young guard, and he played well in this game, but that shouldn’t change how fantasy managers view him heading into next season.