NBA Player News

Wagner produced 14 points (6-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt), two rebounds and five assists over 17 minutes during Monday's 118-99 victory over the Bucks.

Wagner returned from a nine-game absence Monday, and he operated under strict restrictions off the bench. He seemed to be moving around well, and his minutes likely continue to ramp up. Fantasy managers will be hoping he's back to full steam after the All-Star break.

Walker was a healthy inactive Monday for the 76ers' 135-118 loss to the Trail Blazers.

A frequent member of the Philadelphia rotation throughout the season, Walker hasn't suited up in three consecutive games after exhausting his eligibility at the NBA level. Since the two-way player has already been active for the maximum 50 games at the NBA level, Walker will need to be converted to a standard contract in order to play for the 76ers again this season. In the meantime, Walker will be able to compete in games with the G League's Delaware Blue Coats under his current contract, though Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com suggests that the 23-year-old forward is unlikely to be assigned to the G League and would presumably be cut so that the 76ers could sign a new player to a two-way deal that would be able to move between both the NBA and G League levels.

Mashack tallied 17 points (8-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt), two rebounds, two steals and one assist across 22 minutes Monday in the Grizzlies' 114-113 loss to the Warriors.

With the Grizzlies being hit by injuries and the availability of multiple players in flux in recent days after Memphis overhauled its roster ahead of last week's trade deadline, Mashack has been able to get a foothold in the rotation of late. Listed at just 6-foot-3 and 197 pounds, Mashack's 6-foot-9 wingspan has allowed him to play on the wing, where he's quickly established a reputation as a disruptive defender. While playing at least 20 minutes in each of the past four games, Mashack has averaged an impressive 3.5 steals per contest. The rookie second-round pick typically isn't as involved on the offensive end, but thanks to some red-hot shooting Monday, he was able to establish a new career-high mark in scoring. Mashack's recent production puts him on the radar as a streaming option for steals, though he could see his minutes get cut significantly if Memphis gets at least one or two of Cedric Coward -- who left Monday's game early with a knee injury -- Santi Aldama (knee) or Walter Clayton (knee) back in action for Wednesday's tilt with the Nuggets.

Prosper (two-way) was inactive for Monday's 114-113 loss to the Warriors.

Prosper had logged double-digit minutes in each of the Grizzlies' previous eight games, but Memphis elected to keep him inactive Monday, despite five players being ruled out with injuries and 10-day signee Lawson Lovering having yet to join the team. The Grizzlies likely decided to hold Prosper out in order to manage his availability; the two-way player has already suited up for 37 games with Memphis this season, meaning that he can be active for just 13 more contests before he would need to be converted to a standard deal to be eligible to play at the NBA level. With that in mind, expect Prosper's appearances to be somewhat sporadic moving forward, especially as the Memphis frontcourt gradually gets strengthened by the returns of Santi Aldama (knee), Zach Edey (ankle) and Brandon Clarke (calf) from injury.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said on The Fan Morning Show on Tuesday that Zubac (ankle) will miss the next two games for Indiana.

After being acquired from the Clippers on Thursday, Zubac's debut continues to be put on hold due to a left ankle sprain. For now, it remains to be seen if Zubac will be able to return right after the All-Star break Feb. 19 against the Wizards.

Topic (illness) logged 17 minutes off the bench Monday in the G League Oklahoma City Blue's 137-135 overtime win over the Sioux Falls Skyforce, finishing with seven points (3-5 FG, 1-2 3Pt), seven assists and one rebound.

The 17-minute outing marked Topic's first appearance in a game since the preseason, when he played in one game before undergoing surgery in early October to treat testicular cancer. The 20-year-old made a swift recovery following chemotherapy and had been ramping up his activity over the last few weeks before he was cleared to resume practicing with the Blue over the weekend. Topic will likely need more time to regain full conditioning, but if all goes well in his subsequent G League appearances, he looks like he'll be ready to join the Thunder at some point shortly after the All-Star break. The No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Topic is still waiting to make his NBA debut after missing the entire 2024-25 season while recovering from an ACL tear.

Fears ended with 20 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals over 30 minutes off the bench during Monday's 120-94 win over the Kings.

The No. 7 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft saw his biggest workload since Jan. 16 in the rout, and he turned it into his best scoring effort since he dropped 21 points against the Wizards on Jan. 9. Fears has continues to make an impact on defense since shifting to the second unit, averaging 9.9 points, 2.7 boards, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.2 threes and 0.8 blocks in 20.9 minutes over the last nine games, but with Dejounte Murray (Achilles) having begun practicing with the team Sunday, the Pelicans' backcourt could be a few weeks away from getting significantly more crowded.

Williamson produced 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, six assists and one steal in 27 minutes during Monday's 120-94 win over the Kings.

The 25-year-old forward would have posted better numbers, but his night ended early in the rout as he checked out for the last time with over seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. Williamson has scored in double digits in nine straight games, averaging 20.2 points, 7.7 boards, 3.9 assists and 1.4 combined blocks and steals over that stretch while shooting 58.2 percent from the floor.

The Celtics recalled Gonzalez from the G League's Maine Celtics following Monday's practice.

Gonzalez and fellow rookie Amari Williams reported to Maine on Monday to practice with the G League squad as well as the rehabbing Jayson Tatum, who was cleared to take part in portions of the session in what marked a major milestone in his rehab program for his surgically repaired Achilles. As expected, Gonzalez was immediately recalled following the session, so he'll be available for the Celtics' next game Wednesday versus the Bulls.

Murphy totaled 21 points (8-15 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 0-1 FT), two rebounds, seven assists and one steal across 29 minutes during Monday's 120-94 victory over the Kings.

The fifth-year guard led the Pelicans in scoring on the night as he topped 20 points for a fourth straight contest and drained at least three three-pointers for a fifth straight. Over that five-game stretch, Murphy is averaging 27.4 points, 5.8 threes, 4.8 boards, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 50.5 percent from the floor and 49.2 percent from beyond the arc. Dejounte Murray (Achilles) began practicing with the team Sunday, but he still doesn't have a clear timeline for his season debut. As long as he remains out, Murphy will continue to be the primary backcourt option for New Orleans.