NBA Player News

“I just think right now I’m not thinking about,” Blatt said. “But, no. I think I did enough good things in the NBA and I know enough people to where if it’s my desire in some way, shape or form to come back that I could. But it’s just not what I’m thinking about right now.” Blatt may not want to return to the league in an assistant’s role, so it’s possible he waits until he has a legitimate shot to land a head coaching gig.

Washington missed their last game with an illness, but he wasn’t mentioned when Jason Kidd shared the players that will be sidelined against Golden State. Barring a late change, his return will push Quentin Grimes back to the bench.

This is the same ankle that forced Jovic to miss time already this season, so his status for Monday’s game against Detroit is certainly up in the air. With the Heat recently trading away Thomas Bryant, Kel’el Ware and Kevin Love should see extra minutes if Jovic misses time.

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.