NBA Player News

Bryant logged 22 points (9-16 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight boards, two steals and an assist across 28 minutes of play in Wednesday's win over the Bulls.

With Myles Turner (illness) sidelined, Bryant got his first start of the season. He delivered in a huge way, dropping a season high in points and collecting his second-highest rebound total of the season. Head coach Rick Carlisle and Bryant's teammates clearly had a lot of trust in him to step up, given the fact that he took more shots than franchise cornerstone Tyrese Haliburton and rotation mainstays Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin. Wednesday's strong showing could lead to more opportunity for Bryant even once Turner returns to the lineup, although it remains to be seen whether he'll be able to remain relevant from a fantasy perspective.

The Magic announced that Wagner underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season.

Wagner had already been ruled out for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign after making 30 appearances before suffering the torn ACL in a Dec. 21 win over Miami. With surgery now completed, the 27-year-old big man will now embark on a long rehab process that could extend into next season. The Magic hold a $11 million team option for Wagner for the 2025-26, and the uncertainty of how he'll bounce back from the knee injury makes it likely that the team declines the option this summer.

Williams contributed four points (2-3 FG), six rebounds, four blocks and one steal across 16 minutes during Wednesday's 119-100 victory over the Pelicans.

Williams served as Portland's clear-cut backup center in the absence of rookie first-rounder Donovan Clingan (rest), matching his season high with four blocks Wednesday. However, the oft-injured Williams has appeared in only five games since Nov. 27, and he's yet to transcend 25 minutes in any of his 12 contests in 2024-25. The 27-year-old doesn't need very much playing time to be an effective contributor when it comes to swats, boards and field-goal percentage. Still, Williams isn't a reliable fantasy commodity overall while starter Deandre Ayton is healthy for the Blazers.

Valanciunas ended Wednesday's 109-103 loss to Philadelphia with 14 points (6-13 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-1 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist and one block across 21 minutes.

Starting for rookie first-rounder Alexandre Sarr (illness) against a 76ers team without Joel Embiid (foot), Valanciunas double-doubled for the 10th time this season but struggled with a game-high eight turnovers. The veteran big man has now started eight games for the Wizards in 2024-25, averaging 14.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.8 steals in 25.1 minutes as a member of Washington's first unit. If Sarr isn't feeling well enough to play in Friday's game against the Bulls, Valanciunas would be in line to once again make a spot start at center and experience a sizable boost in fantasy appeal.

Jordan is part of the first unit for Wednesday's game against the Clippers.

Jordan will step into the first unit for the first time this season in the wake of Nikola Jokic's (illness) absence. Jordan is averaging 3.0 points and 4.0 rebounds across 10.8 minutes per game during the 2024-25 campaign.

Davis is probable for Thursday's game against Charlotte due to left plantar fasciitis, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Davis has been an injury report regular for Los Angeles this season due to plantar fasciitis. Still, he's expected to play Thursday against the Hornets. Davis is averaging 23.0 points, 14.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.3 blocks across his last three outings.

Jokic (illness) has officially been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Clippers, Joey Linn of SI.com reports.

Jokic will miss a game for only the fifth time this season for the Nuggets as he continues to battle an illness that kept him sidelined Tuesday against the Celtics. Dario Saric could get the start for a second straight game in Jokic's absence.

Okongwu is questionable for Thursday's game against the Suns due to a facial contusion, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.

Okongwu is at risk of missing Thursday's tilt due to a facial contusion. The 23-year-old center has split time with Clint Capela at the five spot and is averaging 8.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 22.6 minutes in his last five outings. If he can't go, Capela and Dominick Barlow could see more action.

Zeller (personal) is out for Thursday's game against the Suns, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.

Zeller still appears to be away from the team for personal reasons, so his next opportunity to rejoin the Hawks comes Saturday against the Rockets. The veteran big man's absence should continue to have a minimal impact on Atlanta's rotation, but Zeller's void leaves Onyeka Okongwu (face) with a clear runway to reserve minutes as Clint Capela's backup.

Collins has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Heat due to left hip injury management.

Collins had missed the Jazz's previous two games due to a personal matter, but a heel injury will end up keeping him off the floor for a third straight contest. With Collins unavailable, the Jazz could lean more heavily on Kyle Filipowski, Drew Eubanks and Micah Potter to fill backup minutes in the frontcourt behind starters Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler.