NBA Player News

Plowden supplied 19 points (7-7 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and four rebounds across 26 minutes during Thursday's 130-121 victory over Dallas.

Plowden provided a highly efficient 19 points off the bench Thursday. The two-way player has scored 19 points in two of his past three games, and he'd keep himself on the deep-league fantasy radar if Keegan Murray misses more time with his ankle sprain going forward.

Jackson closed with 13 points (4-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 5-5 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one steal across 31 minutes during Thursday's 133-109 loss to the Hornets.

This was a strong showing for Jackson as he continues to play a sizable role for the shorthanded Pacers. Over his last four games, he's averaging 15.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 three-pointers in 26.2 minutes.

Wade is doubtful for Friday's game against Detroit with a right ankle sprain.

The Cavaliers are downgrading Wade from questionable to doubtful. With Wade likely to be out Friday, Jaylon Tyson is the most likely candidate to replace him in the starting lineup and should see a big boost in streaming appeal.

Schroder is probable for Friday's game against the Pistons with a right ankle sprain.

The Cavaliers are upgrading Schroder from questionable to probable Friday. The veteran guard should see a rise in playmaking duties in the absence of Donovan Mitchell (groin), as Schroder made his first start since joining Cleveland during Wednesday's loss in Milwaukee.

Champagnie amassed 26 points (10-14 FG, 6-9 3Pt), two rebounds, two assists, two blocks and three steals in 24 minutes during Thursday's 126-110 win over the Nets.

Champagnie turned in one of his best games of the season. He's shown that when called upon, he's capable of lighting it up from beyond the arc. That was the case Thursday, as Champagnie shot 71.4 percent from the field while making six threes. The fourth-year wing has started in 45 of the 59 games he's played in for San Antonio this year, shooting 38.2 percent from three on an average of 6.5 attempts per game.

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.