NBA Player News

Traore produced 13 points (5-11 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, four assists, one block and three steals in 29 minutes during Friday's 141-107 loss to Atlanta.

Traore put together a solid shooting line and knocked down a pair of threes after going 0-for-2 from deep in his previous showing Tuesday against Charlotte. He more notably tallied a team-high three steals and collected his first swat since March 23. The rookie guard appears back on track after a few tough games down the stretch of March, as he's averaging 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals in his last three outings.

Daniels recorded 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 3Pt), four rebounds, six assists and five steals in 29 minutes during Friday's 141-107 victory over the Nets.

Daniels turned in an efficient showing in the scoring department and also made an impact on the defensive end by accounting for five of Atlanta's 11 steals on the night. He's been a strong contributor across the board lately, as he's averaging 13.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.4 steals in 34.6 minutes over his last five games.

James ended with 13 points (4-9 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 23 minutes during Friday's 129-108 win over the Pacers.

James caught fire from downtown during Friday's comfortable victory and managed to score in double figures for just the second time since March 10 with the help of four made treys. He also led the Charlotte bench in scoring. James has seen more consistent usage lately after averaging 17.9 minutes through his first 13 outings of March, as he's logged 22.5 minutes per game over his last four appearances.

Detroit recalled Lanier from the G League's Motor City Cruise on Saturday.

Lanier suited up for Motor City in Friday's 123-116 loss to the Osceola Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the G League playoffs, finishing with 27 points (8-13 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes. With the Cruise's campaign coming to an end with the loss, Lanier will rejoin the Pistons for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. Though Lanier has been formally recalled, it's unclear if he'll arrive in Philadelphia in time for the Pistons' game Saturday versus the 76ers. Detroit is officially listing him as questionable for the contest.

The Lakers recalled Bufkin from the G League's South Bay Lakers on Saturday, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.

Rather than sticking around with South Bay for its Western Conference Finals matchup versus the Stockton Kings on Sunday, Bufkin will rejoin the parent club ahead of the final game of its road trip Sunday in Dallas. Bufkin helped South Bay advance to the third round of the G League playoffs after producing 18 points (6-16 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal across 34 minutes Friday in a 112-97 win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Smith agreed Saturday with the Nets on a two-year contract, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Smith had previously signed a pair of 10-day deals with Brooklyn, but with the latter contract expiring Saturday, the Nets needed to sign him for the rest of the season in order to retain him. The 26-year-old has averaged 7.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 18.2 minutes per game in 10 appearances for the Nets and should be a regular presence in the rotation over the team's final five games.

The Lakers recalled Knecht from the G League's South Bay Lakers on Saturday, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.

Rather than sticking around with South Bay for its Western Conference Finals matchup versus the Stockton Kings on Sunday, Knecht will rejoin the parent club ahead of the final game of its road trip Sunday in Dallas. Knecht helped South Bay advance to the third round of the G League playoffs after producing 24 points (9-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-5 FT), 13 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 27 minutes Friday in a 112-97 win over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Jones produced seven points (3-5 FG, 1-2 3Pt), six rebounds, 10 assists and one steal over 23 minutes during Friday's 129-108 loss to the Hornets.

Jones was back in the rotation Friday while the Pacers were without the services of Andrew Nembhard (back), Aaron Nesmith (neck) and T.J. McConnell (hamstring), and he was sure to make his minutes count. Jones failed to contribute much as a scorer, but he made an impact as a playmaker and dished out double-digit assists for the third time in 32 games this season. However, he'll likely fall back out of the fold once the Indiana backcourt returns to health, which could come as early as Sunday in Cleveland.

Small logged 14 points (5-11 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds and four assists across 27 minutes during Friday's 128-96 loss to the Raptors.

The rookie guard has gotten the start in seven straight appearances for the injury-ravaged Grizzlies, and Small is taking advantage of the opportunity. Over that stretch, the 2025 second-round pick in averaging 12.1 points, 3.9 assists, 3.7 boards, 2.0 threes and 1.0 steals in 25.3 minutes while shooting 57.4 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Jackson finished with 30 points (10-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 7-9 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block in 30 minutes during Friday's 128-96 loss to the Raptors.

The third-year forward led all scorers on the night, but only two other Grizzlies even scored in double digits in the rout. Jackson is having an impressive surge to close out the campaign, scoring 10-plus points in 21 straight appearances since the All-Star break while averaging 18.0 points, 5.3 boards, 1.8 assists, 1.4 threes and 1.0 blocks in only 25.6 minutes a contest and shooting 51.3 percent from the floor.