NBA Player News

Gilgeous-Alexander is dealing with an abdominal strain and will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break, Shams Charania of ESPN reports Wednesday.

This means that Gilgeous-Alexander will miss at least the next five games for the Thunder, which could elevate the newly acquired Jared McCain to a prominent role as Oklahoma City goes into the break. McCain, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe will all help fill the void while Gilgeous-Alexander is sidelined, and Chet Holmgren should see a sizeable uptick in usage.

The 76ers traded McCain to the Thunder on Wednesday in exchange for a 2026 Rockets first-round pick and three second-round picks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

McCain will get a fresh start following an injury-riddled beginning to his career. The 21-year-old guard got out of the gates hot during his rookie season before undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee in December 2024. The Duke product later underwent thumb surgery in September 2025 and missed time to begin the 2025-26 campaign. Once healthy, he struggled to carve out a consistent role behind Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Now, McCain will provide backcourt depth for Oklahoma City, competing for minutes with the likes of Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell and Nikola Topic (groin) once he returns. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen) is set to be re-evaluated after the All-Star break, so McCain could see increased playing time right away.

Washington traded Bagley, Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, two first-round picks and three second-round picks to Dallas on Wednesday. The Mavericks sent back Anthony Davis (finger), Dante Exum (knee), D'Angelo Russell (illness) and Jaden Hardy.

Bagley gave the Wizards some great minutes off the bench this season, posting averages of 10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 steals in 19.2 minutes per contest. He figures to back up Daniel Gafford at center in Dallas, and that's not an ideal spot for him to see a bump in fantasy appeal with the team focusing on a rebuild. Bagley is doubtful to make his debut Thursday against the Spurs.

Johnson is being sent to the Mavericks on Wednesday as part of the Anthony Davis (finger) deal, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Khris Middleton, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley will join Johnson in Dallas, while Davis, D'Angelo Russell (illness), Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum (knee) move to Washington. The Mavericks also received two first-round picks and three second-round picks.

Johnson will add some depth to Dallas' backcourt, where he'll compete for minutes with the likes of Branham, Max Christie, Caleb Martin and Klay Thompson. Johnson has shown some flashes this season, but it's unclear how he'll factor into Jason Kidd's rotation, so managers in most leagues can watch this situation develop from the waiver wire. Johnson can be considered doubtful for Thursday's game against the Spurs while the trade finalizes.

The Wizards traded Branham, Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley, two first-round picks and three second-round picks to the Mavericks on Wednesday in exchange for Anthony Davis (finger), Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell (illness) and Dante Exum (knee), Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

After being traded from San Antonio to Washington this past offseason, Branham will now join the Mavericks. The 2022 first-rounder is on an expiring contract and will provide backcourt depth for Dallas. He's set to be a restricted free agent this summer. Branham averaged 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game over 28 regular-season appearances with the Wizards in 2025-26. Branham can be considered doubtful for Thursday's game against the Spurs while the trade finalizes.

Exum (knee) was traded alongside Anthony Davis (finger), Jaden Hardy and D'Angelo Russell (illness) from Dallas to Washington on Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. The Wizards sent back Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley, two first-round picks and three second-round picks.

Exum is out for the campaign after undergoing season-ending knee surgery back in November. Essentially, he was thrown in for salary-matching purposes. Exum will be a free agent this coming offseason.

Hardy is being traded to the Wizards on Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. Anthony Davis (finger), D'Angelo Russell (illness) and Dante Exum (knee) will join Hardy in Washington, with Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley heading to Dallas. The Mavericks also received two first-round picks and three second-round picks.

Hardy was an inconsistent part of the rotation in Dallas, but he could get some time to shine in D.C., so he's worth monitoring in deep leagues. He'll still be competing with Russell and Bub Carrington for minutes, and things could get complicated once Trae Young (knee) is cleared to play, so this is a wait-and-see situation in most fantasy leagues. Hardy can be considered doubtful for Thursday's game against the Pistons while the deal finalizes.

The Mavericks traded Russell (illness) to the Wizards on Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Anthony Davis (finger), Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum (knee) were also sent to the Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley, two first-round picks and three second-round picks.

Russell fell out of Dallas' rotation and hasn't seen the floor since Jan. 10, so the writing has been on the wall. He joins a Washington squad that has two promising point guards in Tre Johnson (ankle) and Bub Carrington, while Trae Young (knee) remains without a timetable to return. From a fantasy perspective, a change of scenery can only help Russell, but it's hard to get excited about this landing spot for the veteran. He can be considered doubtful to debut Thursday against the Pistons.

The Wizards traded Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley, two first-round picks and three second-round picks to the Mavericks on Wednesday in exchange for Anthony Davis (finger), Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell (illness) and Dante Exum (knee), Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

After being traded from Milwaukee to Washington ahead of last year's deadline, Middleton will now head to Dallas. The veteran forward is on an expiring $33.3 million contract and is set to enter unrestricted free agency this offseason. He isn't guaranteed a starting role in Dallas but will provide a veteran presence for the team if he isn't bought out. In 34 regular-season outings with the Wizards this season, Middleton averaged 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists across 24.3 minutes per game. He can be considered doubtful for Thursday against the Spurs.

Davis (finger) was traded from Dallas to Washington on Wednesday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell (illness) and Dante Exum (knee) were also sent to Washington, with Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley going to Dallas along with two first-round picks and three second-round picks.

After months of speculation, the Mavericks will pivot away from Davis and will go all-in on a rebuild. Davis is extension eligible, and given the draft capital moved by the Wizards, it seems likely the franchise is looking to keep him for the long term. Plus, this will give Trae Young (knee) another partner in the pick-and-roll game. As for the immediate fantasy impact, Davis is still sidelined by a finger injury and is not expected to be re-evaluated until early March, and the Wizards will almost certainly be out of the playoff hunt by then.