NBA Player News

The contract has an NBA out so Baynes can return to the league, and it’s an incredible development after he took a scary fall at the Olympics just about a year ago. Returning to the NBA will be Baynes’ ultimate goal, but the fact that he’s playing the sport at all in the near future is truly incredible -- he had to relearn how to walk at one point. This is bigger than basketball and it goes without saying that we hope his recovery goes smoothly from here on out and we see him on any court as soon as possible.

Barrett was back after getting a rest night against Chicago on Tuesday, and based on recent trends, he will likely get another one against the Pistons on Friday. However, while available against Portland, Barrett was able to have a productive night in the loss. He typically hasn’t been productive on the defensive end, but his four total defensive stats in this game were a new season-high for him, and his three steals were the most he has had in a game since before the All-Star break. However, managers shouldn’t expect this to be the new norm for Barrett.

Robinson was back in the starting lineup with Poeltl sidelined once again. The alternating availability has made it easy to know when Robinson will start and be productive, but it has been a headache to deal with. Still, he had a decent game in a loss, which is exactly what the Raptors are trying to make happen. He’ll likely be back to being a reserve against Detroit on Friday, but he should start in Brooklyn on Sunday to close out the week.

Agbaji has been part of the resting rotation in Toronto, and he has been paired up with RJ Barrett. Both he and Barrett were available in this game after resting on Tuesday, and they will both likely sit out against Detroit on Friday. However, Agbaji played well as a reserve on Thursday and had one of his best performances since the All-Star break. Still, the alternating availability makes him a headache to roster.

Banton got a second-straight start, and after struggling on offense in the first one, he had far more success in this one. He matched his season-high for points, which he has now reached four times this season. As long as Anfernee Simons (forearm) and Scoot Henderson (concussion) remain sidelined, Banton will continue to start at point guard. They have two more games this week, including the second night of a back-to-back in Chicago on Friday.

Sharpe is ending the season on a high note. He’ll be 22 in May, and he clearly still has loads of untapped potential. This was his sixth time scoring at least 20 points in his last seven appearances, and it ended up being his second-straight game with at least 30 points. He tied his career-high for scoring, which he set back in February. Sharpe has started in place of the injured Jerami Grant, but it would be a surprise if he wasn’t a full-time starter next season.

Two days after recording the second triple-double of his career, Avdija turned in another monster stat line. He didn’t get enough assists to add another triple-double, but he was a beast on the glass once again. This was the fifth time in his last 12 appearances that he came away with at least 15 rebounds. Avdija’s incredible finish to the season should make him an enticing option heading into fantasy drafts next season. Over the past two weeks, he has provided first-round value in nine-cat leagues.

Rajakovic also said that Barnes has been dealing with this hand injury for months, but he has been playing through it. Unfortunately, it hasn’t gone well recently; he scored a season-low five points on Thursday after scoring nine points in each of Toronto’s last two games. If he misses Friday’s game, Jonathan Mogbo is the likely replacement in the starting unit if Barnes is sidelined.

Adebayo was hardly efficient on offense with 26 points on 26 shot attempts, but fantasy managers will take the 26 points. The 27-year-old center has now scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games. Adebayo played 34 minutes and was a factor in all phases of the game with seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and two blocks. Even with the Heat having a down season, Adebayo has produced down the stretch after a slow start to the season.

Herro exploded for 35 points against the vaunted Grizzlies defense as he dueled with Ja Morant. It wasn’t a duel he would ultimately win as the Heat dropped another game despite Herro outscoring Morant 35-30. The 25-year-old point guard had one of his better offensive games on the second night of a back-to-back as he continues to have an excellent season, which has only gotten better since the Heat traded Jimmy Butler. Herro has provided third-round fantasy value and will be one of the bigger risers in drafts for next season.

Edey has now collected at least 11 rebounds in three of his last four games. Despite inconsistent playing time, the 22-year-old rookie center from Purdue is a rebounding machine when he’s out there. Edey has provided sixth-round fantasy value over the past two weeks as he’s also an excellent shot blocker.