NBA Player News

Williams (foot) remains questionable for Friday's game against Chicago, but coach Charles Lee noted that Williams has done a "great job" acclimating to his workload across three contests since returning from an extended absence, Sam Perley of the Hornets' official site reports.

Williams' body responding well to his first games in nearly a year is an excellent sign. Lee also mentions that "the team will look to add a little more" to Williams' plate moving forward. Charlotte having four days off while the bracket of the Emirates NBA Cup plays out is beneficial timing for the 22-year-old.

New York recalled Hukporti from the G League's Westchester Knicks on Wednesday.

After playing 14 minutes in Westchester's 118-107 win over the College Park Skyhawks earlier in the day, Hukporti will rejoin the parent club in advance of its matchup with the Hawks later in the evening.

Wagner registered 13 points (6-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three rebounds, one assist and one steal across 19 minutes during Tuesday's 114-109 loss to the Bucks.

Wagner has reached double figures in six straight games, but his workloads remain fairly low. In that span, he's averaging 20.0 minutes per contest with 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 three-pointers. He's been a viable streamer to open December.

Bitadze totaled 12 points (6-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt), 14 rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal in 38 minutes during Tuesday's 114-109 loss to Milwaukee.

Bitadze recorded his eighth double-double of the season in the loss. Orlando continues to roll with a jumbo frontcourt featuring Bitadze and Wendell Carter together, so there are plenty of reasons to like his fantasy upside going forward. In five December outings, Bitadze is averaging 12.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals.

Hartenstein racked up 10 points (5-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 0-1 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 30 minutes during Tuesday's 118-104 victory over the Mavericks.

This was Hartenstein's seventh double-double of the season in just nine appearances. On a per-game basis, the center is on pace to return sixth-round value in nine-category formats with averages of 11.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 blocks on 55.4 percent shooting from the field.

Lively registered five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 FT), 13 rebounds, five assists and one block in 31 minutes during Tuesday's 118-104 loss to Oklahoma City.

Lively was moved to the bench for the start of the second half in favor of Daniel Gafford, but the former still saw a much larger workload. Lively recorded at least five assists for the third time in his career and posted double-digit rebounds for the seventh time this season. He's on pace to record 10th-round value in nine-category formats for the season due to efficient shooting with strong rebounding and shot-blocking.

Utah recalled Filipowski from the G League's Salt Lake City Stars on Wednesday.

Filipowski logged 15 minutes in Tuesday's 106-104 loss to the San Diego Clippers, finishing with two points (1-3 FG, 0-1 3Pt), three rebounds and two assists. He'll be a candidate to see more minutes with Utah if the franchise unloads some veterans at the trade deadline.

Carlson ended with no counting stats in one minute during Tuesday's 118-104 victory over Dallas.

Carlson was recalled from the G League's Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday after being assigned earlier in the day and appeared in an NBA game for just the fifth time this season, with all but one appearance coming in garbage time. Despite the fact the Thunder currently have just one reliable center option, Carlson has been unable to force his way into the rotation, with the team opting to run with a small-ball lineup whenever Isaiah Hartenstein isn't on the floor.

Powell notched no counting stats in one minute during Tuesday's 118-104 loss to the Thunder.

Powell continues to play a limited role off the bench, averaging 8.1 minutes per game across 19 games. The Mavericks have two centers ahead of Powell in the rotation, something that does not bode well for his immediate playing future. At this stage, Powell would need both Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford out of the way to have any chance of playing a meaningful role.

Gafford registered nine points (4-4 FG, 1-3 FT), two rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes during Tuesday's 118-104 loss to Oklahoma City.

Gafford's playing time continues to trend in the wrong direction, having played fewer than 19 minutes in three of the past four games. After moving to the bench about a month ago, Gafford's role has fluctuated, resulting in somewhat muted production. While it is clear Dereck Lively has earned the trust of the coaching staff, there is a chance Gafford can force his way back into a 20+ minute role at some point in the near future.