NBA Player News

Poeltl posted 20 points (7-11 FG, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 34 minutes during Saturday's 125-118 loss to the Mavericks.

An illness prevented Poeltl from playing against the Thunder on Thursday, but the veteran big man was able to return for Saturday's bout. He finished as the Raptors' second-leading scorer behind Gradey Dick (27), and Poeltl's seven assists were a season high. Over his last 10 outings, Poeltl has averaged 18.0 points on 63.8 percent shooting, 11.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals over 33.5 minutes per game.

Valanciunas chipped in 20 points (8-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks across 32 minutes during Saturday's 122-113 win over the Nuggets.

It was a season-best effort by Valanciunas, who registered a season-high five blocks and his first 20-point, 10-rebound double-double of the season while starting at center for the absent Alex Sarr (back) on Saturday. Valanciunas' excellent showing down low may have been overshadowed by Nikola Jokic's career-high 56 points for the Nuggets on the other side, but fantasy managers should be pleased with the former's box score despite his five turnovers. Valanciunas has now made five starts for the Wizards, averaging 14.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 blocks in 25.4 minutes per contest while shooting 56.9 percent from the floor as a starter. The veteran big man should play a more pronounced role once again if Sarr remains out Sunday, albeit in a tough matchup with a Grizzlies squad that ranks seventh in the NBA in defensive efficiency rating (108.6).

Hartenstein closed with 12 points (5-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, five assists and one steal in 29 minutes during Saturday's 119-109 win over the Pelicans.

Hartenstein was coming off a 16-rebound performance in the blowout win over the Raptors on Thursday, and the big man notched his sixth double-double in this one. He's posted impressive numbers in eight appearances, and he's firmly entrenched as the Thunder's starting center -- at least until Chet Holmgren (hip) is ready to return. Even though Hartenstein won't be asked to carry the team offensively, he's been producing enough on both ends of the court to remain a valuable fantasy asset in all formats.

Jokic totaled 56 points (22-38 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 9-13 FT), 16 rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 39 minutes during Saturday's 122-113 loss to Washington.

As crazy as it sounds, Jokic's impressive performance, which included a career-high scoring mark, wasn't enough for the Nuggets, as they still suffered a nine-point loss against a Wizards team that was riding a 16-game losing skid before this matchup. There aren't enough adjectives to describe just how good Jokic has been this season, and he remains an absolute stud in all fantasy formats while also emerging as a realistic MVP candidate. The star big man has nine triple-doubles and seven double-doubles in 18 contests in 2024-25.

Porzingis (undisclosed) returned to the court for the second half of Saturday's game against the Grizzlies, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.

Porzingis left the game in the final stages of the second quarter with a trainer following him, but it seems he wasn't dealing with anything severe. Expect the big man to handle his regular workload in the second half.

Porzingis headed to the locker room in the final seconds of the second quarter in Saturday's game against the Grizzlies due to an undisclosed injury, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

Porzingis left the game in the final stages of the second quarter with a trainer following him, and it looked as if he was hobbling a bit. Porzingis is expected to be assessed during halftime to determine whether he'll be able to return to action in the second half. If he can't, then Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta would be in line to see more minutes off the bench.

Reath is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Lakers due to back soreness.

Reath played a season-high 25 minutes in the 141-99 loss to the Jazz on Friday, posting eight points and five rebounds. The doubtful tag suggests the big man isn't likely to play Sunday, and if that's the case, Deandre Ayton would be the only healthy center available for Portland.

Williams (concussion) is out for Sunday's game against the Lakers.

Williams will miss a sixth straight game due to a concussion, and the Trail Blazers aren't going to speed up his recovery process. Williams' next chance to suit up will come against the Spurs on Friday, Dec. 13.

Bamba (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Rockets, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.

Bamba has played in 10 of the Clippers' last 11 games, though he's still not 100 percent healthy from a left knee injury that had him sidelined for the first 13 games of the 2024-25 regular season. Ivica Zubac would be the Clippers' only healthy center Sunday if Bamba is sidelined, though Nicolas Batum and Amir Coffey could see additional playing time.

Davis is probable for Sunday's game against the Trail Blazers due to left plantar fasciitis, Dan Woike reports.

Davis has been a mainstay on the Lakers' injury report pretty much all season long, but the big man hasn't missed a game since Nov. 6. Thus, he should handle his regular workload Sunday. He came close to posting a triple-double in the loss to the Hawks on Friday, registering 38 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. The star big man is averaging 22.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 assists per game over his last 10 appearances.