NBA Player News

This comes out of nowhere but the Lakers should be better off. Magic Johnson pushed D’Angelo Russell away from the team, let go of Thomas Bryant and Ivica Zubac and then surrounded LeBron James with a joke of a supporting cast after striking out on the Paul George sweepstakes. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi, Johnson never fully committed to the job, his office hours were limited and he didn’t spend much time scouting.

Ayton was poked in his left eye during the latter stages of the second quarter and was not on the floor to begin the third. He’s since been ruled out for the rest of the night. Jaxson Hayes has handled most of the minutes at the center position in the second half, with Drew Timme serving as the backup.

Edwards followed up his career-high 55-point performance against the Spurs on Saturday with 38 points against the Jazz on Tuesday. The 24-year-old shooting guard was out-dueled by Keyonte George, who had 43 points as the Jazz came back from down 12 points in the fourth quarter to win 127-122. Minnesota is off until Thursday against the Bulls, which gives Edwards some time to rest his lingering foot injury.

Nurkić had had a double-double in five of his last eight games entering play Tuesday. Against the Timberwolves, the 31-year-old center had a triple-double with 16 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. Nurkić has been great for fantasy when he’s played, but missed three games due to Coach’s Decision. With the Jazz shorthanded, he should remain in the starting lineup for the time being.

Bailey had his first game with at least 20 points since November 24 against the Warrior, when he had 21 points. The 19-year-old small forward isn’t a fantasy star just yet. He wasn’t particularly efficient with 20 points on 17 attempts, but the volume was his best in months. Bailey could remain in the starting lineup with the Jazz still shorthanded.

George had 29 and 30 points in his last two games entering play Tuesday before dropping a career-high 43 points on the Timberwolves. The 22-year-old point guard continues to be a revelation in fantasy basketball leagues. One of the leagues most improved players, George has provided third-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Jazz have two more games remaining this week, against the Spurs and the Heat.

Like Victor Wembanyama, Castle had a rough night shooting the basketball. The good news for fantasy managers was that the rebounds and assists were solid, and Castle kept the turnovers (three) in check. While his place in the Spurs’ starting lineup makes Castle a player to roster in 12-team formats, fantasy managers have taken a hit due to his efficiency issues.

Tuesday’s game ranks among the worst in Wembanyama’s two-plus NBA season. In addition to missing all seven of his three-point attempts, the Spurs center was 5-of-14 from inside the arc. Add in the lack of defensive stats, and there wasn’t much to like about Wembanyama’s final line beyond the ten rebounds. He’ll look to bounce back on Thursday against the Jazz.

As a team, the Spurs shot 14-of-50 from beyond the arc. Just imagine what the percentage would have been if Champagnie weren’t 8-of-16 by himself. Once again filling in for the injured Devin Vassell, Champagnie has been a 12th-round player in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks. While the overall fantasy value isn’t great, Julian should be rostered by managers seeking three-point production while Vassell remains out.

Thompson recorded another robust stat line, continuing to offer excellent fantasy value. The Rockets’ guard/forward has been a top-50 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. While the value may not align with his Yahoo! ADP (21), Thompson is only two rounds off after getting off to a slow start to begin the season. Something to watch is whether Houston adds a point guard ahead of the trade deadline, as that would affect Thompson’s fantasy ceiling.

On a night when Houston’s starters didn’t have their best stuff early on, Sheppard gave the Rockets important production off the bench. The second-year guard shot 5-of-10 from the field in the second half, and the 21 points were the most he’s scored in a game since a December 20 win over the Nuggets in which he tallied 28. Sheppaed has been ranked outside the top-200 in eight-cat formats over the past two weeks, so the season-long value has taken a hit. That said, he’s capable of having nights like Tuesday when he offers excellent production.