Georges

Niang

Niang was sent from Utah to Memphis as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, but the Grizzlies won’t keep him around. The veteran forward will look to find a new team to join for the second half of the season, where he will likely end up as just a depth piece.

Niang, whom the Jazz signed to a one-year deal during the offseason, has yet to appear in a game this season due to a stress reaction in his left foot. His addition to the Grizzlies roster won’t affect fantasy basketball, as he does not have a timeline to return to action.

Sidelined by a stress reaction in the fourth metatarsal of his left foot, Niang has yet to appear in a game this season. According to the Jazz, it will be at least two more weeks before he has the opportunity to play. Niang’s continued absence does not directly affect fantasy basketball, but it does leave more minutes available for some of Utah’s younger frontcourt players.

Niang, who has yet to play a game this season, is dealing with a stress reaction in his left fourth metatarsal. Given the lack of activity, even if he’s given a clean bill of health at the next evaluation, there will likely be a ramp-up period to bring Niang’s conditioning up to par. There’s no need to stash him in an IL slot.

Niang was given a two-week timeline for re-evaluation on September 27, but he’s still not ready to return. The new evaluation on October 12 means he’ll be sidelined through the start of the regular season. Once he’s back on the court, there’s no guarantee Niang will play enough minutes to be a viable fantasy option in 12-team leagues.

Per a team release, Niang suffered a stress reaction in the fourth metatarsal in his left foot during offseason training. As a result, he’ll be sidelined for two weeks before the team’s medical staff re-evaluates the veteran forward’s foot. Niang was traded twice this offseason, first being sent from Atlanta to Boston before the Celtics moved him to Utah. Once healthy, he’ll play rotation minutes, but the question is how much due to Utah being in the midst of a rebuild.

The deal also sends two second-round picks from Boston to Utah as part of the deal. Moving Niang is just a financial move for the Celtics, but his departure thins out Boston’s rotation even further. Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman could see more playing time for the depleted Celtics. Niang’s role in Utah is more difficult to forecast, as the Jazz are already deep in the frontcourt.

Niang was traded to Atlanta at the trade deadline last season and immediately provided a veteran presence in the rotation. He had some big nights from beyond the arc, and with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) set to miss at least most of next season, Niang could be part of the rotation in Boston. However, this was simply a move for the Celtics to avoid the second apron.

Rumors had been heating up shortly before the deal went down, and now it’s official: Porzingis is headed to Atlanta. It’s unclear how he’ll fit into the rotation; Onyeka Okongwu thrived as a starter down the stretch of last season. It will likely result in another minutes split at center in Atlanta, which is what Okongwu just got out of after years of sharing time with Clint Capela. The Hawks would’ve had multiple center options available with the 22nd pick, but none of them would make the impact that Porzingis will be ready to make next season. Atlanta loses some forward depth, but they can address that with the 13th pick.

Niang put together another strong outing on Friday to add to his recent stretch of good performances. Including Atlanta’s play-in tournament loss to the Magic, Friday’s double-digit outing marked the fourth consecutive for the nine-year forward out of Iowa State. Niang settled in nicely and found a role with the Hawks after being traded from the Cavaliers earlier this season. He’ll likely be a deep-league option in fantasy leagues next season.