NBA Player News

These transactions get the Wizards down to the league maximum of 15 standard contracts before the Monday evening deadline. In the case of Gibson, the veteran forward may not have offered much in the way of numbers, but he’s long been a positive influence within the locker room during his professional career. The departures of Gibson and Cooks won’t impact fantasy basketball, as neither was a lock to be in the rotation once the regular season began.

After the Nuggets listed him as probable on the initial injury report, Watson is good to go. However, he will not be in the starting lineup as Aaron Gordon returns from a strained calf. As a reserve, Watson offers limited fantasy value.

Despite a poor first half of this game, Mitchell was able to figure things out after the break. He scored five points in the first two quarters before scoring 10 in the third and 20 in the fourth quarter. He struggled mightily in Friday’s loss to Atlanta, which made his start to this game a little scary. However, he redeemed himself and helped Cleveland end their first losing streak of the season. Mitchell’s numbers are slightly down from last season, so he’ll look to build off of this performance against the Wizards on Tuesday to kick off a four-game week.

Gordon is officially available, and Sunday’s game will be his first since November 4. He’ll also start, which pushes Peyton Watson to the bench. Gordon joins Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Michael Porter Jr., and Nikola Jokic in the Nuggets’ starting five.

Niang was able to contribute on the offensive end early in this game and scored 11 points in the first half. That was almost the entirety of his production for the entire game, until he was sent to the free throw line late in the fourth quarter. He knocked down two clutch free throws that helped extend Cleveland’s lead and secure the win. Niang is a solid rotation piece that contributes to winning, but he isn’t a great option in fantasy basketball.

Garland did most of his scoring before halftime, which helped keep Cleveland afloat in this game. He did more facilitating after the break, but that allowed them to keep the game close until Donovan Mitchell took over. Garland’s assists are slightly up from last season, but he has still been able to average a career-low in turnovers. This was his second game this season that he finished without a turnover, which helped make up for a slightly below-average field goal percentage. He’ll look to keep this up with Washington coming to town on Tuesday to kick off a four-game week.

Hauser got his first start of the season with Derrick White and Jaylen Brown sidelined for this game. He provided his typical supply of 3-pointers, but he was also able to contribute a few steals before fouling out. When Hauser gets the chacne to play extra minutes, he’s more than capable of knocking down 3-pointers in bunches. However, his role is inconsistent, and his value in fantasy is dependent on the availability of his teammates. Keep an eye on the injury report for Monday’s game, as there could be more injuries on the second night of a back-to-back.

Luka is back after a five-game absence, but he will fill in for Kyrie Irving, who is sidelined for this game with a shoulder injury. Hardy and Gafford will replace Naji Marshall and Dereck Lively in the starting unit, who have also been ruled out for Sunday’s game.

Boston played this game without two of their top three scoring options, which forced Tatum to take on more responsibility on the offensive end. He shot poorly in the first half, but he was able to enjoy more success after the break. This was Tatum’s second straight game with at least 30 points, though their seven-game winning streak came to an end. The Celtics will play the second leg of a back-to-back against the Heat on Monday, which will provide Tatum with an opportunity to stay hot on offense and help Boston get back in the win column.

DeRozan is back in the lineup after missing multiple games with a back injury, which pushes Jae Crowder to the bench. However, that isn’t the only change Kings coach Mike Brown made. Monk will start, with Keon Ellis being moved to the bench. This is Sacramento’s best lineup, and Sunday’s game will be the first they start together.

With Derrick White and Jaylen Brown sidelined, Pritchard took on extra minutes in this game. He was part of the team’s closing unit and scored eight points in the final 15 seconds of this game to nearly help Boston leave Cleveland with a win. This is the first night of a back-to-back, which means that there will likely be more absences against Miami on Monday. Regardless, Pritchard’s role has been consistent this season, and he has been on fire lately. This was his third straight game with at least 20 points, which is his longest streak of the season.