Dylan

Windler

Windler was the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but he never established himself as an NBA player due to injuries. Seeing action for the Knicks, Lakers, and Hawks, he appeared in 17 NBA games last season, posting averages of 2.5 points and 0.9 rebounds in 6.4 minutes. Windler will look to rejuvenate his professional career in Australia, with Perth being one of the NBL’s top teams.

Windler, Zaccharie Risacher (quad), Kobe Bufkin (shoulder), and Nikola Djurisic (foot) are all out for Wednesday’s game. As a result, EJ Liddell, Mo Gueye, and Keaton Wallace are the only rostered (meaning regular season roster) Hawks who will be available.

Windler signed a two-way deal with Atlanta at the beginning of the month, but this was only the fourth time that he has seen the floor. He went off the in second quarter and had all 11 of his points without missing a shot in the period. He didn’t contribute much of anything after that, but this was still by far his best game of the season. He should be left on the waiver wire, but it is cool to see him play well while on a two-way contract.

A first-round pick in 2019, Windler has failed to establish himself in the NBA. After three seasons in Cleveland, he has seen time with the Knicks and Lakers this year before being waived by the latter on March 1. The Hawks were up against a deadline to fill their open two-way contract slot, which they’ve done with the Windler signing.

Waived by the Nets after the trade deadline, Giles did not see much action during his time in Brooklyn. That’s likely to be the case with the Lakers, although there is a potential path to minutes due to the absences of Christian Wood and Colin Castleton. Wood was on the back end of the rotation when healthy, and Castleton wasn’t a consistent option, so fantasy managers should not expect too much from Giles. To free up a two-way slot, the Lakers have waived Dylan Windler.

Windler has been playing with the Westchester Knicks this season, and he started the year on a two-way deal with New York. He ended up losing his spot so that the Knicks could add Taj Gibson, but he earned a deal with the Lakers after having 23 points and 33 rebounds in a G-League game on Friday. Windler will likely continue to spend his time in the G-League, though 33 rebounds in a game was enough to earn him a nice payday.

The 26th pick in the 2019 draft, Windler has averaged just 3.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 9.7 minutes across 84 total appearances in his brief NBA career. He won’t be on the fantasy radar for leagues of any size for the 2023-24 season.

Windler’s continued absence won’t make a noticeable impact on Cleveland’s rotation, and there’s no telling when he’ll be available for a potential return.

Windler has played a grand total of 10 NBA minutes this season. His continued absence won’t impact Cleveland’s postseason run.