NBA Player News

Holland (personal) provided seven points (3-3 FG, 1-1 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist in 12 minutes Thursday in the Pistons' 126-111 win over the Knicks.

Back in action after missing the Pistons' final two games before the All-Star break due to a personal matter, Holland handled a small role on the second unit in his return and was efficient with his limited opportunities. With Detroit at full strength on the wing and at forward, Holland is unlikely to see his playing time pick up dramatically in future contests.

Watkins (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Thursday's 112-105 win over the Pacers.

Watkins had played at least 26 minutes and averaged 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 three-pointers and 1.3 blocks in the four contests leading up to the All-Star break, but he ended up being dropped from the rotation entirely Thursday. At this point in the season, the 15-39 Wizards' main objective is seemingly to improve their odds in the draft lottery, which will likely result in ever-changing rotations that will make it difficult to predict what nearly every player on the roster's minutes might look like from game to game. As such, Watkins will carry some risk as a streaming option the rest of the way, even in deeper leagues.

The Trail Blazers signed Cissoko to a two-year contract Friday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Cissoko, who was previously on a two-way contract, quickly burned through his eligibility with some standout play on the defensive end. Across 50 appearances, he's played 22.3 minutes per contest with 6.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.8 steals.

Champagnie (coach's decision) went unused off the bench in Thursday's 112-105 win over the Pacers.

After playing at least 15 minutes in each of Washington's last five games while providing well-rounded production (12.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per contest), Champagnie was surprisingly dropped from the rotation Thursday. At this point in the season, the 15-39 Wizards' main objective is seemingly to improve their odds in the draft lottery, which will make it difficult to predict their nightly rotations down the stretch. With that in mind, Champagnie looks like he'll make for a risky streaming option, given that his minutes and spot in the rotation are likely to be extremely volatile the rest of the way.

Finney-Smith (knee) finished Thursday's 105-101 win over the Hornets with eight points (3-7 FG, 2-6 3Pt), four rebounds, one assist and one steal across 23 minutes.

Houston's final game prior to the All-Star break was the second half of a back-to-back, and Finney-Smith sat out that contest for injury maintenance. He was good to go for the first game coming out of the break, and Finney-Smith ended up receiving his largest workload of the season in narrow win. The Rockets are thin in the frontcourt in the wake of Steven Adams' season-ending ankle injury, so Finney-Smith could end up maintaining a 20-plus-minute role moving forward if his play warrants the extra playing time.

Christie (ankle) is doubtful for Friday's game versus Minnesota.

Christie was initially listed as questionable for this contest, but it looks as though the Mavericks will play it safe. With Christie likely to sit, Klay Thompson and Tyus Jones could be more involved for the Mavericks.

Wade (ankle) contributed 11 points (4-4 FG, 3-3 3Pt) and five rebounds in 16 minutes Thursday in the Cavaliers' 112-84 win over the Nets.

The Cavaliers made room for Wade and Evan Mobley (calf) in the starting five in their returns from three- and seven-game absences, respectively, sending Jaylon Tyson and Sam Merrill to the bench as a result. Wade came through with an efficient shooting performance, but because the Cavaliers had amassed a 35-point lead by the end of the third quarter, head coach Kenny Atkinson rested the 29-year-old forward as well as the team's other four starters for the final period. Wade is still averaging a modest 22.7 minutes per game on the season, so he's unlikely to be in line for extended playing time even in more competitive contests.

Powell (back) is available to play Friday against the Hawks, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.

Powell missed Miami's final two games before the All-Star break due to lower-back tightness, and he was previously listed as questionable. However, Powell said he's ready to go Friday, though it will be interesting to see if he's also going to play Saturday against the Grizzlies.

Markkanen (illness) is questionable for Friday's game versus Memphis.

Markkanen wasn't on the initial injury report Utah released, and this downgrade is a concern for his fantasy managers. The Jazz have been super cautious with all their key players this season, and the NBA has already issued them a steep fine as a result. If Markkanen is held out, the Jazz will likely lean more on Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski and John Konchar.

Jones finished Thursday's 110-101 loss to the Raptors with 12 points (5-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one rebound, six assists and one block in 22 minutes.

Jones returned from an 11-game absence due to a strained left hamstring, and he was given a sizable role with the second unit. Notably, Jaden Ivey was pushed completely out of the rotation with Josh Giddey also back in the mix. With so much competition in the backcourt, Jones' value may be limited to deeper leagues.