NBA Player News

Podziemski is questionable to return to Thursday's game against the Suns due to illness, Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Podziemski failed to check in during the second period but was spotted warming up ahead of the second half, so it appears he'll have a chance to return to Thursday's matchup. De'Anthony Melton and Will Richard would be in line for an increase in minutes if Podziemski is done for the night.

Hayes-Davis was waived by the Bucks on Thursday, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports.

Hayes-Davis was dealt to Milwaukee earlier in the day, but he'll become a free agent once he clears waivers. He struggled to make an impact in 27 appearances for Phoenix this season, averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game, though he could receive another opportunity overseas should he seek one out.

Bailey closed Thursday's 121-119 loss to Atlanta with 20 points (9-26 FG, 2-8 3Pt), six rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals across 40 minutes.

The rookie No. 5 overall pick is really starting to come into his own as of late, scoring at least 19 points in six of his last nine games. The Jazz have some reinforcements on the way following an active trade deadline, but they'll certainly want to continue getting an extended look at the first-year forward down the stretch. Bailey is averaging 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game in his last nine outings.

Markkanen finished with 18 points (6-12 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 23 minutes during Thursday's 121-119 loss to the Hawks.

It was somewhat curious to see Markkanen play just 23 minutes, his second-lowest total of the campaign, in such a hotly-contested game, and he didn't encounter foul trouble. With the 16-36 Jazz starting to reel in the standings, the star forward's playing time will remain worth keeping tabs on going forward. Markkanen has appeared in just five of Utah's last 13 contests, averaging 21.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.2 minutes per tilt during that span.

Doncic went to the locker room during the second quarter of Thursday's game against the 76ers with an apparent left hamstring injury, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports.

Doncic was spotted making his way to the locker room during a timeout late in the second quarter. The severity of his injury is unknown at this time. Marcus Smart and Nick Smith would be up for more playing time if Doncic is unable to return.

Durant recorded 31 points (11-21 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 6-8 FT), three rebounds, one assist and five steals in 31 minutes during Thursday's 109-99 loss to Charlotte.

Durant played well enough to keep Houston in the game, but he received little help from his teammates. The 37-year-old posted a solid showing from beyond the arc after struggling to a 4-for-16 clip in his previous three matchups and turned in his 19th game of 30 or more points through 47 appearances so far this season.

Filipowski logged 15 points (5-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 17 rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes during Thursday's 121-119 loss to the Hawks.

The 17 rebounds were a season high for Filipowski, who submitted his sixth double-double of the year. Jusuf Nurkic ended up staying put with the Jazz following Thursday's trade deadline, but the veteran big man didn't appear against Atlanta and carries an uncertain future in Utah. Filipowski, on the other hand, is flourishing in the first unit in the meantime, averaging 14.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.9 minutes per contest in his last 13 games as a starter.

McCollum provided eight points (3-12 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three assists and three blocks over 32 minutes during Thursday's 121-119 victory over Utah.

The Hawks appear content with keeping McCollum in a reserve role, and the veteran guard has maintained healthy workloads from the second unit. However, it does remain to be seen how the eventual presences of Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga (knee) and Gabe Vincent might shake up the rotation. McCollum has come off the bench in nine consecutive games, during which he's averaging 18.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.8 three-pointers in 28.4 minutes per tilt.

Kispert registered 20 points (7-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT) and two rebounds across 25 minutes during Thursday's 121-119 win over the Jazz.

Despite coming off the bench, Kispert is carving out a solid role for himself since landing in Atlanta. The 26-year-old sharpshooter remains worth keeping an eye on, but he'll likely need to do more outside the scoring department in order to command more attention in fantasy circles. Over his last five appearances, Kispert has averaged 14.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.2 three-pointers in 25.1 minutes per game.

Champagnie chipped in 14 points (5-10 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one block over 15 minutes during Thursday's 126-117 victory over Detroit.

Champagnie stepped into the starting lineup following the departure of Khris Middleton and posted a decent shooting line despite being limited to 15 minutes. However, Will Riley, Sharife Cooper, Anthony Gill and Jamir Watkins all saw significantly more playing time than Champagnie on a night in which the Wizards were thin across the board, so it'll be worth monitoring whether he sticks in the starting five moving forward.