NBA Player News

Harkless is on the move again, with the Hawks acquiring him from the Kings on July 1. His exit from Atlanta means that Jalen Johnson, who saw most of his minutes in the G League last season, has a shot at cracking the rotation. That won’t be enough to make the 2021 first-round pick a player worth targeting in drafts, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on him during the early stages of this season. As for Harkless’ fantasy potential in Oklahoma City, it isn’t very good. While the Thunder are expected to struggle again, the franchise’s priority has been getting its younger players all the minutes they can handle. In addition to the Thunder acquiring the 2029 second, the 2025 pick that Oklahoma City owes Atlanta is now top-40 protected.

Williams missed Saturday’s game against the Pacers with right hamstring tightness, but is set to return Monday after a one-game absence. Tyrese Martin will head back to the bench with Williams returning to the starting lineup.

Russell is out again after missing Saturday’s game against the Pacers. The 29-year-old point guard is dealing with right ankle soreness. Keon Johnson figures to continue starting with Russell out.

Neither Richards nor Plumlee was available for Friday’s win over the Cavaliers, resulting in rookie Oso Ighodaro moving into the starting lineup. Playing 44 minutes, Ighodaro tallied six points, 13 rebounds and four assists. If available, Richards will return to the starting five, while Plumlee is not guaranteed the rotation minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball.

Based on the timeline provided at the time of his injury, Beal is due to be re-evaluated on Monday. However, he has already been ruled out for that night’s game against the Bucks. Ryan Dunn should continue to fill in as Beal’s replacement in the starting lineup, and the rookie has provided 10th-round value in eight-cat formats over the past week.

Lillard will miss a third straight game with a calf injury. While Ryan Rollins has been his replacement in the starting lineup, his production in that role has been limited. Kevin Porter Jr. can be a bit erratic from a production standpoint, but he offers a higher ceiling than Rollins despite coming off the bench.

Antetokounmpo and Trent are once again considered probable for a game, so fantasy managers should operate under the assumption that they will play. While the former’s fantasy value is well-known, the latter has received a slight boost with Damian Lillard (calf) out of the lineup. Trent continues to come off the bench, but he’s worth a look in deep leagues where there is a need for three-pointers.

Monk did not play in Saturday’s loss to the Bucks, with Keon Ellis replacing him in the starting lineup. Ellis would be worth streaming if Monk has to miss another game. As for Carter, the rookie has provided limited fantasy value in a reserve role, so there isn’t much to gain from rostering him in redraft leagues.

On March 19, the Kings announced that Sabonis would be re-evaluated in 10 days. With the Kings center considered questionable for Monday’s game, he could return one week after spraining his right ankle. Sabonis’ availability impacts Jonas Valanciunas the most, as he’s been the replacement in the starting lineup. Those who have Jonas rostered, especially in 12-team leagues, should hold onto him, as he can provide solid value coming off the bench.

After a four-game slump in which he averaged 5.3 points per game on 26.7 percent shooting, Wiggins has bounced back with three straight double-digit efforts. He has primarily been a points and three-pointers option, ranking outside the top 150 in eight-cat formats over the past month. Wiggins and the Thunder play three games during Week 21, starting with the Kings in the final contest of their road trip on Tuesday.

Dort returned to the Thunder lineup after missing two games with a right hip impingement. While the stat line was modest, it was also complete. Rostered in 17 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Dort is ranked outside the top 150 in eight-cat formats over the past month. While there have been times during the season when he’s provided higher value than expected, Dort hasn’t done enough to merit being rostered in most 12-team leagues.