Theo

Maledon

Maledon signed a two-way deal with the Suns in December, but he only made four appearances for them. He started the season with Charlotte, but since Monday was the deadline to add players on two-way contracts, he won’t be able to sign one with another team this season. He may join another team on a 10-day, but he may not make much of an impact in fantasy.

Charlotte waived Maledon to open up a roster spot for Nate Mensah, but Phoenix ended up claiming him. He will likely spend more time in the G-League than in Phoenix, so he won’t have much of a fantasy impact.

Maledon was one of Charlotte’s two-way contract, so they will likely fill that void soon. He had been averaging 4.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season, so this won’t be a massive loss for them. The Hornets will add undrafted center Nate Mensah to fill out that two-way spot. He had been playing with their G-League affiliate and will continue to spend most of his time there.

With Gordon Hayward (hamstring) and Brandon Miller (ankle) ruled out, Thor and Theo Maledon moved into the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game. Unfortunately for the Hornets, neither spot starter offered much in the way of production. While Thor scored five points and grabbed four rebounds, Maledon finished with two points, three rebounds, and three assists in 23 minutes, shooting 0-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line. The best supplementary option was Bryce McGowens, who put up 12 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and three 3-pointers in 29 minutes off the bench. Charlotte won’t play again until Friday, so it’s possible that none of these players will be worth streaming again.

The Hornets are running on fumes, and the lineup is razor-thin. Maledon and Thor will make their first starts of the season, filling in for Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward, respectively. With Charlotte down to its last few guys on the depth chart, both Maledon and Thor are worth streaming since they will likely be in store for big minutes.

Brandon Miller was incredible to start Sunday’s game. He had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in just 10 minutes before spraining his left ankle. Maledon started the second half in place of him, but he didn’t have a great shooting night. The opportunity would normally be enough for Maledon to be considered as a streaming option, however, Steve Clifford said after the game that Miller will be considered day-to-day and could be back as soon as Tuesday. That would be great news for Miller and would mean that Maledon should be left on the waiver wire.

Miller had been playing well before the injury, which was suffered when he landed on a defender’s foot after attempting a shot. With the rookie unable to continue, Theo Maledon will take on more minutes, and Ish Smith entered the rotation during the second quarter. Miller played 10 minutes before the injury, scoring 11 points (5-of-6 FGs, 0-of-1 FTs) with three rebounds and one 3-pointer.

Charlotte’s next two games are against the Wizards, with the first game coming on Wednesday at home and the second in Washington on Friday. Rozier won’t play in either, which means that Brandon Miller should continue to start. He didn’t produce much in his first start, but the opportunity alone is enough for him to be worth the stream. Theo Maledon also played 21 minutes off the bench as the backup point guard on Sunday, though he probably isn’t worth consideration outside of incredibly deep leagues.

Rozier’s night came to an end with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter after straining his left groin. While the severity of the injury may not be known until Sunday, the fact that he needed to be helped back to the locker room wasn’t the best sign. Rozier played 31 minutes, finishing with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, and three 3-pointers. Charlotte plays the second game of its road back-to-back Sunday night in Dallas, so it appears unlikely that Rozier will be available. If he does sit, that will likely mean more minutes for Theo Maledon (0-of-3 FGs and no other stats in 14 minutes) and possibly rotation minutes for Nick Smith Jr. or Bryce McGowens. None of those players are worth streaming.

While this could just be precautionary, it’s unfortunate that Bouknight, Maledon and Black won’t be able to play in this game, since they’re all fighting to either make the team or have a spot in the rotation. However, it’s very concerning that Martin, who was limited to seven games last season because of a left knee issue, is already missing games because of his left knee. It isn’t surprising given recent reports, but there is no official timeline for his return. Hopefully it is sooner rather than later, but even if he is back soon, Charlotte is too deep at forward for him to be part of their rotation. The only chance he would’ve had is during the first 10 games with Miles Bridges suspended, but now he may not even be available for those games.