NBA Player News

Robert Hite, a 6-2 combo guard from the University of Miami, will be joined by Jiri Hubalek and Trey Johnson in Tucson. Hubalek is a forward/center from Iowa State who averaged six points and two rebounds in four games with the Suns in Summer League, while Johnson is a shooting guard from Jackson State who played five preseason games for New Orleans last season.

After a five-point first half, Grant caught fire in the third quarter. Shooting 6-of-7 from three and 8-of-10 from the field overall, he scored 22 points on the frame, establishing career-highs for points and 3-pointers in a quarter. Grant may not provide consistent value in other essential categories in fantasy basketball, but he can put up points and 3-pointers. He’s ranked just outside the top 100 in 9-cat formats for the season. Portland finishes its week with a game in Phoenix on Sunday.

Clingan returned to the court on Friday after missing over three weeks with a knee injury. To no one’s surprise, the rookie’s playing time was restricted, as he only played 15 minutes. As a result, Clingan did not fully benefit from the absences of Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III. Jabari Walker started on Friday and was less productive than Clingan, finishing with five points, five rebounds, two steals, and one 3-pointer in 22 minutes. Fantasy managers who have Clingan rostered should remain patient, as there’s likely to be a point where Portland decides to give their lottery pick the lion’s share of the playing time for developmental reasons.

Avdija has reached double figures in 11 of his last 12 outings, with Portland’s blowout loss to the Jazz on December 6 being the outlier. Friday’s performance against the Spurs was one of his best, with the fourth-year wing scoring at least 19 points for the third time this season. Even with the bench role limiting his fantasy ceiling, Avdija is still rostered in 66% of Yahoo leagues. If Portland were to reach a point where they’d shut down Jerami Grant (we aren’t there yet), Avdija would be one player whose fantasy value would increase.

Simons notched his second 30-point game of the season on Friday, matching his high with 30 points. And this was a sorely needed performance, given his shooting in Portland’s previous three games. Simons scored 35 points in losses to the Clippers, Jazz, and Lakers, shooting 13-of-39 from the field. He was far better against San Antonio, shooting over 50% from the field and not committing a turnover. While his season-long fantasy value has disappointed, Simons has been a top-75 player over the past two weeks.

Champagnie continues to play well enough to justify his continued inclusion in the starting lineup, and those who have him rostered have benefited. The Spurs forward is a top 100 player in 9-cat formats for the season, and he’s ranked just outside the top 75 over the past two weeks. Recent injuries to Stephon Castle and Keldon Johnson have resulted in less competition for minutes. However, given Champagnie’s play, that may not even matter. Deep-league managers should not hesitate to add him ahead of Sunday’s game against Minnesota if Champagnie is sitting on the waiver wire.

While Vassell produced another solid stat line on Friday, the foul line has been an issue. He was 1-of-4 on Friday and has made just 58.3% of his attempts over the past two weeks. During this period, Vassell is ranked just outside the top 100 in 9-cat formats but is a top-75 player in FT%-punt builds. The good news for fantasy managers is that he’s an 80% shooter for the season, so there isn’t too much to be concerned with long-term.

Due to Stephon Castle’s shoulder injury, Sochan made his second start since returning from the thumb injury that sidelined him for nearly a month. The third-year forward filled the stat sheet, shooting almost 67% from the field. As a 10th-round player in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks, Sochan is rostered in 56% of Yahoo leagues. Sochan’s fantasy value will increase if Castle remains sidelined for multiple games.

Wembanyama made the game’s biggest shots on Friday, as his two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining gave San Antonio the win. He’s scored 25 points or more in six of his last eight outings, and only Nikola Jokic has been better regarding fantasy value this season. That’s likely to be the norm in fantasy basketball moving forward, as Wemby has yet to reach his ceiling, and Jokic has shown no signs of slowing down. San Antonio finishes its week with a home game against Minnesota on Sunday.

George’s season has been plagued by poor shooting nights, but he has figured things out as of late. He has shot at least 45% from the floor in five straight games and has hit at least 50% in three of those. Over his last two games, George has also been able to contribute defensive stats, which has only boosted his fantasy value even more. If George has turned a corner, he’ll be one of the most impactful players in fantasy basketball. If it’s just a hot stretch, managers should ride it until the shooting cools off.

Collins is in the midst of the one of the best seasons of his career, and performances like this one are why. He is averaging career-highs in assists, 3-pointers, steals and free throw percentages, and those categories have gone from weak to average for him. At the same time, Collins hasn’t sacrificed in points, rebounds, blocks and field goal percentage. JC’s game has fit flawlessly in 9-cat leagues this year, and he’ll continue to be a reliable fantasy option as long as he is in Utah.