NBA Player News

Davis (ankle) has been upgraded to probable for Tuesday's game against the Cavaliers, Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet reports.

This is great news for the Lakers, though LeBron James (illness) and Gabe Vincent (oblique) remain questionable. If James doesn't get the green light, Davis could be looking at a significant increase in usage.

Porzingis (ankle) will not play Tuesday against Toronto.

Porzingis will be sidelined for a third straight contest. He was carrying a questionable tag prior to this update, suggesting that he's day-to-day going forward with a chance to return Jan. 2 against Minnesota. Al Horford will continue to benefit from a fantasy perspective in the meantime.

Zubac accumulated 20 points (9-13 FG, 2-5 FT), 16 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes during Monday's 116-113 victory over the Pelicans.

This was just another day at the office for Zubac as he continued his breakout season. Through 32 games, he's on pace to return seventh-round value in nine-category leagues with averages of 15.4 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks on 61.7 percent shooting from the field.

Valanciunas closed Monday's 126-106 loss to the Knicks with 22 points (10-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and one block across 21 minutes.

Valanciunas' effort wasn't enough to lift Washington to victory in the rematch against New York. The veteran center continues to be a force for the Wizards off the bench, as he's scored 14 or more points and grabbed eight rebounds or more in three straight games.

Williams (ankle) tallied zero points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt), two blocks and one rebound across 11 minutes Monday in the Trail Blazers' 125-103 loss to the 76ers.

Though the Trail Blazers continued to deploy Donovan Clingan (nine minutes) as the primary backup to starting center Deandre Ayton, Williams saw slightly more playing time than the rookie due to head coach Chauncey Billups' willingness to use Williams alongside Ayton at power forward. Given the lack of a threat he presents as a perimeter shooter, Williams may find it difficult to earn significantly more minutes at power forward from here on out, especially once Jerami Grant (face) returns to the mix. Though he's healthy again after missing the previous three games with a right ankle sprain, Williams' fantasy appeal will be limited mainly to deeper leagues unless Ayton were to miss time.

Ayton ended with 12 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists and two blocks across 30 minutes during Monday's 125-103 loss to the 76ers.

Ayton had a tough matchup on both ends of the court since he had to deal with Joel Embiid, but at least the former posted a solid stat line while showing an efficient touch near the rim. Ayton couldn't extend his double-double streak to three games, but the veteran continues to be a reliable option down low for the Blazers. Since returning from a two-game absence due to an illness on Dec. 19, Ayton is averaging 16.0 points and 10.7 rebounds per game over his last six appearances.

Embiid totaled 37 points (12-21 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 12-13 FT), nine rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes during Monday's 125-103 victory over the Trail Blazers.

Embiid established a new season-high mark in scoring in what turned out to be one of the most complete performances the 76ers have delivered this season. Even though the big man has been limited to only 11 games due to injuries and a previous suspension, it's undeniable that he's been productive. He's scored at least 30 points in five of those 11 outings, averaging 23.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 blocks per game in that span.

Kessler amassed 12 points (6-6 FG), 13 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal over 38 minutes during Monday's 132-121 loss to the Nuggets.

Kessler was perfect from the floor and notched a second straight double-double, but it was also the fourth game in a row in which he racked up double-digit boards. The big man averaged a double-double in 12 appearances in December, tallying 10.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game in that stretch while settling himself as one of the best two-way fantasy big men in The Association.

Sabonis contributed 17 points (8-16 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 16 rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 33 minutes during Monday's 110-100 victory over the Mavericks.

Sabonis appears to be back on track, logging a second consecutive double-double after an illness forced him to miss a game. Sabonis' attendance has been mostly spotless over the past two seasons, with only three absences this year and a perfect attendance record during the 2023-24 campaign. Fantasy managers can take his consistent production and frequent double-doubles to the bank. After his 28th double-double, Sabonis stole the lead from Karl-Anthony Towns in the category. Sabonis and Nikola Jokic traded jabs in the category last season, but Jokic currently trails with only 22 doubles-doubles, although he holds a significant lead with 13 triple-doubles for the year.

Jackson-Davis logged 16 points (6-14 FG, 4-4 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 29 minutes during Monday's 113-95 loss to Cleveland.

Although the Warriors faced a stern test against the one-two punch of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, both players were contained thanks to excellent work from Jackson-Davis and Jonathan Kuminga. Cleveland obviously found other ways to beat the Warriors, but the duo's interior work was a definite bright spot for the team. Jackson has now logged six consecutive games as a starter, averaging 14.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over the span.