NBA Player News

Cunningham was diagnosed Thursday with a mild collapsed left lung and is expected to miss an extended period of time, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Cunningham left Tuesday's 130-117 win over Washington due to back spasms and didn't practice Wednesday before being ruled out for Thursday's rematch against the Wizards. However, rather than back spasms, the two-time All-Star has now been revealed to be dealing with a more significant issue. With no guarantee that Cunningham will play again this season, the Pistons, who currently hold the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, will need all hands on deck to replace his production. Daniss Jenkins appears likely to stick in the starting lineup moving forward, while Ausar Thompson, Caris LeVert, Marcus Sasser and Tobias Harris are also candidates for increased usage. With only 61 appearances thus far, Cunningham is at risk of being ineligible for season-long awards. While no concrete timetable for Cunningham's return has been provided, Charania said the team is looking at a multi-week absence for the fifth-year guard and has optimism he could be available for a postseason run.

Giddey racked up nine points (4-13 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 0-1 FT), three assists and one steal over 27 minutes during Wednesday's 139-109 loss to the Raptors.

Giddey had a woeful shooting performance and looked completely overmatched in a 30-point loss, which resulted in him logging his fewest minutes since Feb. 24, when he played 26 in a 131-99 blowout loss to the Hornets. Giddey is averaging 15.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game since the All-Star break, but he posted 18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists per contest before the pause.

Dillingham provided 15 points (7-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt), four assists and one block in 25 minutes during Wednesday's 139-109 loss to the Raptors.

Dillingham is enjoying an uptick in playing time of late and has taken full advantage of the opportunity, as this was his fourth straight game with double-digit points. He's averaging 13.5 points per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the floor in that span, including 38.9 percent from three. Dillingham has logged at least 20 minutes in seven of his last eight games, and that uptick in minutes should translate to increased production, at least until Jaden Ivey (knee) and Anfernee Simons (wrist) are cleared to suit up again.

Buzelis notched 19 points (6-15 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 4-6 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 31 minutes during Wednesday's 139-109 loss to the Raptors.

The Bulls looked completely overmatched in a 30-point loss to the Raptors, but Buzelis was one of the few standout performers for Chicago. The second-year forward has recorded at least 18 points and seven rebounds in his last three games, and he's averaging a strong 22.5 points per game since the beginning of March, making him one of the top scoring options for the Bulls alongside Josh Giddey. Buzelis' growth in his second year in the league has been notable, and the young forward seems ready to handle a bigger role on a steady basis in the Bulls' offensive scheme.

Barnes notched 18 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 25 minutes during Wednesday's 139-109 victory over Chicago.

This was Barnes' best scoring output since his 24-point effort in the loss to the Rockets on March 10, but his scoring numbers have experienced a bit of regression. That's not a knock on his play, but simply the result of the Raptors being able to ride the hot hands of Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett. Barnes is still averaging 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game since the beginning of March. His scoring numbers are a bit down, but he'll remain a strong fantasy alternative as long as he continues to fill the stat sheet on a steady basis.

Barrett contributed 23 points (9-15 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one block over 27 minutes during Wednesday's 139-109 win over Chicago.

Barrett reached the 20-point mark for a third straight game, and he's hit this threshold in eight of his last nine outings. Barrett doesn't offer a ton of value in other categories outside of scoring and perhaps rebounding, but he'll have solid upside as long as he continues to score the rock. Barrett is averaging 23.3 points per game while shooting 59.3 percent from the floor in his last nine contests.

Ingram had 18 points (6-7 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 5-5 FT), five rebounds and four assists over 29 minutes during Wednesday's 139-109 win over the Bulls.

The Raptors cruised to an easy win in this match, so Ingram didn't need to play much, but he was decisive when involved, missing just one shot from the field while coming close to reaching the 20-point mark for a fourth consecutive contest. Ingram has a steady role in Toronto's offensive scheme, so he's a good bet to operate as one of the team's go-to scoring weapons every time he steps on the hardwood. He's averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game over his last 10 appearances.

Hendricks finished with 13 points (6-18 FG, 1-10 3Pt), two rebounds, one assist, three blocks and six steals in 24 minutes during Wednesday's 125-118 win over the Nuggets.

Hendricks might have ended with 13 points, but the fact that he needed 18 shots to achieve that mark means he was far from efficient on that end of the floor. The same can't be said about what he delivered defensively, as Hendricks' nine steals-plus-blocks were his best mark of the campaign by a wide margin. Plus, those figures were season highs in each category. Hendricks is averaging 12.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game since the All-Star break.

Prosper chipped in 19 points (6-9 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), one rebound and two steals in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 125-118 victory over Denver.

This wasn't Prosper's best scoring performance of the season, as he delivered a 25-point effort in a loss to the Trail Blazers on Feb. 7, and it wasn't his best mark since the break, as he scored 23 in a win over Utah on Feb. 20. However, it's worth noting that this was his best scoring mark in a starting role. Prosper moved to a starting role Feb. 21 and hasn't looked back, averaging 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game in those 14 contests. His role as a starter is enough to consider him a solid fantasy alternative in most formats, especially since he's scored in double digits in all but one of his last eight appearances.

Coward recorded 15 points (4-12 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 7-7 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes during Wednesday's 125-118 win over the Nuggets.

Coward needed 12 shots to score 15 points and missed all four of his three-pointers, but he still delivered a decent stat line. This was the fourth time in six appearances in which Coward scored at least 15 points. The rookie out of Washington State has been limited to just six outings since the All-Star break due to a knee injury. While his availability needs to be checked regularly, he's proven to be consistent when available. He's averaging 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in those six outings.