NBA Player News

Ayton provided 22 points (10-12 FG, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three steals over 35 minutes during Thursday's 119-90 victory over the Magic.

Ayton was only two boards away from recording a double-double, but the veteran big man also made his presence in other areas. The scoring touch was efficient as well, as he missed just two of his 12 attempts en route to his third straight game with at least 20 points. The availability issues remain a problem, as Ayton has missed five games since the beginning of January, but he's finding ways to produce. He's averaging 13.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game across 11 January appearances.

Theis (thumb) won't play in Friday's game versus the Celtics.

Theis had been listed as doubtful with a sprained right thumb before the Pelicans downgraded him. The Pelicans will likely turn to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl or Karlo Matkovic to serve as starting center Yves Missi's top backup Friday.

Adams contributed 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-3 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal in 23 minutes during Thursday's 120-119 loss to Memphis.

Adams got the start Thursday due to the absence of Alperen Sengun (calf), and the veteran big man had a solid showing on both ends of the court. Adams can't be relied upon to deliver these numbers consistently, but he's a solid streaming option in most formats whenever Sengun is out. That said, if Sengun is ready to return Saturday against the Nets, Adams' fantasy upside will plummet considerably.

Head coach Jordi Fernandez said that Sharpe underwent scans on his hamstring that came back clean and was able to practice Friday, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Sharpe exited Wednesday's win over the Hornets in the second quarter and didn't return due to a hamstring injury. However, the big man's clean scans and presence at practice bodes well for his status ahead of Saturday's matchup against Houston. In his last five outings entering Wednesday, Sharpe had averaged 9.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game.

Collins (illness) tallied 16 points (5-12 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-5 FT), five rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal across 28 minutes Thursday in the Jazz's 138-113 loss to the Timberwolves.

Utah was back at close to full strength with Collins, Walker Kessler (shoulder), Lauri Markkanen (back) and Jordan Clarkson (foot) returning from absences of three, two, one and one games, respectively, but it wasn't enough for the Jazz to avoid an eighth straight loss. Though the Timberwolves had the game in hand by the end of the third quarter, Collins still saw something close to a normal minutes load and produced a well-rounded line across the board. The non-contending Jazz are still expected to give Collins frequent rest days in addition to holding him out with minor injuries throughout the second half of the season, but the 27-year-old should be worthy of including in fantasy lineups whenever he's active.

Valanciunas finished Thursday's 134-96 loss to the Lakers with five points (1-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds and three assists across 18 minutes.

Valanciunas once again got the starting nod Thursday while Alex Sarr (ankle) remains out. Valanciunas struggled to find his shot in the outing but led the Wizards' starters in assists. Valanciunas has been relatively quiet offensively as of late, failing to reach double figures in scoring in six of his last 10 outings.

Carter isn't in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Trail Blazers.

Carter found success with the first unit while Goga Bitadze recovered from a concussion, averaging 11.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals over seven starts, but the Duke product will return to a bench role now that Bitadze is a full go. Carter will certainly see chances to produce off the bench and should log between 20-to-25 minutes behind Bitadze.

Bitadze is in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Trail Blazers.

Bitadze posted 10 points and nine rebounds across 22 minutes in his return to action Monday, and the big man will return to his regular starting role for this matchup. Bitadze is averaging 10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.0 steals per game in a starting role this season across 33 appearances.

Eubanks will come off the bench in Thursday's game against the Timberwolves, Alan Horton of the Timberwolves Radio Network reports.

The 27-year-old big man will slide to the bench with Walker Kessler (shoulder) returning to game action. Over his last five outings (two starts), Eubanks has averaged 7.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 17.8 minutes per contest.

Sengun (calf) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Memphis, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Sengun will miss his first contest of the season due to a left calf contusion, and his next chance to feature will come Saturday against Brooklyn. With the young star sidelined, Steven Adams and Jock Landale could both be in line for a bump in playing time.