NBA Player News

Atlanta assigned Dante (knee) to the G League's College Park Skyhawks on Wednesday.

Dante is currently recovering from an MCL sprain and doesn't have a timetable to return. This could be a sign that he's trending in the right direction, however.

Horford has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Heat due to left toe injury management.

As expected, Horford will sit for the second night of Golden State's back-to-back set after posting nine points (2-6 FG), six rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in 27 minutes during a 121-113 loss in Orlando on Tuesday. Horford should be back in action Friday against Portland, while Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis are candidates for increased roles Wednesday.

Hayes posted eight points (3-3 FG, 2-3 FT), three rebounds and one steal in 15 minutes during Tuesday's 140-126 win over Utah.

Hayes has been a formidable backup to Deandre Ayton and has turned it up on offense recently, averaging 9.0 points on 85.7 percent from the field through 16.0 minutes. While his role among the second unit has been established, Hayes would be a solid addition should Ayton miss time, as he dropped 15 points and five rebounds in his lone start this season.

Ayton finished Tuesday's 140-126 win over the Jazz with 20 points (10-13 FG, 0-2 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 30 minutes.

Ayton has now put up 20 points in three straight contests, and he benefited from the return of LeBron James (sciatica) with easy baskets. Ayton is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.9 blocks across 30.4 minutes this season.

Duren posted 24 points (8-12 FG, 8-11 FT), eight rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals over 29 minutes during Tuesday's 120-112 victory over the Hawks.

After missing two games due to an ankle injury, Duren returned to play both legs of a back-to-back set and looked like the dominant force he showed prior to his injury. Duren is averaging 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks across 29.0 minutes this season and is making a serious case for this year's Most Improved Player award.

Clingan registered nine points (3-8 FG, 3-3 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and five blocks in 23 minutes during Tuesday's 127-110 loss to the Suns.

Tuesday was not a great night offensively for everyone on the Blazers except Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija, but Clingan made sure to make his presence felt on the defensive end. The second-year center has now recorded seven games with multiple blocks and is averaging 8.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.6 blocks and 0.6 threes through 24.9 minutes this season.

Bitadze finished Tuesday's 121-113 victory over Golden State with six points (3-3 FG), two rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 14 minutes.

Bitadze continues to back up Wendell Carter at the center position and has been productive in limited playing time, averaging 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.3 blocks across 16.6 minutes. While it appears that Carter's role in the starting lineup has been cemented, Bitadze does provide a lot of value in the blocks and field-goal percentage categories. He would be a must-add if Carter were to miss time.

Hansen notched nine points (4-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), five rebounds, three assists and one block over 13 minutes during Tuesday's 127-110 loss to the Suns.

Hansen rejoined the home club after a stint with the Rip City Remix, a trend that has already happened a few times this season. Hansen has become a crowd favorite, drawing cheers whenever he takes the floor. Donovan Clingan's job is safe, but once Hansen becomes a full-time player, he'll serve as an excellent backup.

Williams supplied 15 points (7-9 FG, 1-2 FT), six rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals in 21 minutes during Tuesday's 127-110 victory over the Trail Blazers.

The Suns spread the center minutes out between Williams and Oso Ighodaro in the win, although most of Ighodaro's minutes came in the second half with a secure lead. The Suns are utilizing the tactic of resting Williams in back-to-back contests, so we may see him take a game off in the upcoming back-to-back set this weekend.

Nurkic ended Tuesday's 140-126 loss to the Lakers with 10 points (4-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals across 29 minutes.

Nurkic did just enough to hit the milestone, recording his fourth double-double of the season. Nurkic's career is taking a positive turn after taking over the starting role in Utah, but it took a season-ending injury from Walker Kessler (shoulder) to give him that opportunity. Although his rebound numbers are solid, Nurkic has scored double-digit totals only five times this season, and it's an area where he could use some serious improvement.