NBA Player News

Castle posted 18 points (4-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 10-12 FT), two rebounds, five assists and two steals across 25 minutes during Thursday's 126-110 win over the Nets.

Castle did the majority of his damage at the free-throw line, where he scored more than half of his points. The reigning Rookie of the Year extended his string of double-digit scoring to five straight games, averaging 17.0 points during that stretch, which is just above his season average.

Oklahoma City assigned Topic to the G League's Oklahoma City Blue on Friday, Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic reports.

With the Thunder getting healthier, Topic will struggle to find consistent minutes at the NBA level. The No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft should be a featured player for the Blue after making his NBA regular-season debut and appearing in five straight games while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen) was sidelined.

Watkins (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Thursday's 126-96 loss to Atlanta.

Despite being upgraded from his two-way deal to a standard contract earlier Thursday, Watkins ended up exiting head coach Brian Keefe's 10-man rotation. Rather than Watkins, Keefe turned to two-way player Leaky Black (30 minutes) to fill out the second unit. With the 16-42 Wizards playing out the string on a non-contending season, expect the team's rotations to be highly volatile from game to game, making players like Watkins difficult to rely upon in both DFS and as streaming options in season-long fantasy leagues.

Brooklyn assigned Powell to the G League's Long Island Nets on Friday, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Long Island doesn't play its next game until Sunday, so Powell may just be sticking around in the G League to practice over the next couple of days. With Brooklyn playing a road game in Boston later Friday, Powell looks as though he won't be available for that contest. The Nets recalled Ben Saraf from the G League and could have him step into the rotation in place of Powell, who had appeared in each of the team's last 18 games and averaged 5.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.5 minutes per contest over that stretch.

Brooklyn recalled Saraf from the G League's Long Island Nets on Friday, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

In a related move, the Nets assigned Drake Powell to Long Island, so the team could turn to Saraf to take Powell's spot in the rotation in Friday's game in Boston. Saraf hasn't made an appearance at the NBA level since the All-Star break, but he shined in his most recent G League outing Thursday in a 119-116 loss to the Grand Rapids Gold, finishing with 21 points (9-15 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 0-2 FT), three steals, two rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes.

Nelson signed a 10-day contract with the Nets on Friday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.

Nelson averaged 11.0 points on 55 percent shooting from the field and 6.0 rebounds per game with the G League's Long Island Nets. Brooklyn requires some emergency depth, so it will be interesting to see if Nelson can find some minutes.

Johnson had 11 points (4-4 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes during Thursday's 130-121 loss to the Kings.

Johnson logged substantial minutes for the first time since being dealt to the Mavericks. He didn't see many opportunities on the offensive end, but he went perfect from the field and scored in double digits for the first time since Feb. 3. Johnson still faces plenty of competition for playing time in the backcourt, but it's worth noting that Tyus Jones has played 12 minutes or fewer in three straight games, which could open up chances for Johnson and others.

Marshall logged 36 points (14-23 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 7-11 FT), 10 rebounds and six assists across 42 minutes during Thursday's 130-121 loss to the Kings.

Marshall put the Mavericks on his shoulders Thursday evening, but his strong scoring effort wasn't enough to secure a victory. The 28-year-old was heavily featured due to the absences of Cooper Flagg (foot), P.J. Washington (ankle) and Daniel Gafford (ankle). Marshall set season highs in minutes and points, and he also secured his first double-double since Jan. 24.

Carter logged 15 points (6-13 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-6 FT), seven rebounds, five assists and four steals over 32 minutes during Thursday's 130-121 win over the Mavericks.

Carter joined the starting five Thursday, with Russell Westbrook (thigh) out of commission. The 23-year-old responded with a solid all-around line, as he set a new season high in rebounds while tying his season best in assists. Carter could be worth a streaming look until Westbrook makes his way back from injury, which could arrive as early as Sunday in Los Angeles.

Clifford posted 13 points (6-19 FG, 1-6 3Pt), eight rebounds, seven assists, one block and two steals across 39 minutes during Thursday's 130-121 win over the Mavericks.

Clifford had a tough time getting his shot to fall, but his sheer volume helped him score in double digits for a third straight game. He also dished out a career-high seven assists. Clifford jumped into the starting lineup Thursday with Keegan Murray (ankle) and Russell Westbrook (thigh) sidelined, but the rookie figures to return to a bench role once Sacramento shakes the injury bug.