NBA Player News

Richardson injured his shoulder reaching for the basketball during the second quarter of Sunday’s game. Team trainers helped him off the court, with the Heat ruling him out shortly after that. With Jimmy Butler (bereavement) away from the team, Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro are the only available perimeter playmakers.

Swider spent most of his first two seasons with the G-League affiliates for the Lakers and Heat, and now he’ll have a chance to make Indiana’s roster. If he does, he’ll likely spend most of the year in the G-League once again, so there aren’t any fantasy implications once again.

Embiid has been ineffective for most of the Olympics, and he didn’t see the floor at all against South Sudan. That was more of a personnel decision based on matchups than a true benching, according to Steve Kerr. He returned to the starting unit for this game and had his best game in a Team USA jersey. If they’re able to rely on him more, the former MVP should be able to make a big impact for them as they continue to compete for a gold medal.

Alvarado struggled mightily in their loss to Serbia on Wednesday, and while he wasn’t able to change the outcome of this game, he was far more effective. He was the team’s leading scorer and was one of three players to score in double figures. They finished 0-3 in group play, so the next time we will see Alvarado suit up will be back in New Orleans, where he will be the backup point guard behind Dejounte Murray.

In just 17 minutes of playing time, Edwards led the team in scoring to help the US move to 3-0 in group play. He had an efficient shooting performance and was one of six players to score in double figures. He has been effective throughout the Olympics, but this was by far his best outing. He’ll look to keep things going in the next round as they continue their quest for gold.

Holiday injured his ankle during the United States’ victory over South Sudan and will miss the team’s final group-stage game. Jayson Tatum, who started that win, and Derrick White are possible options to fill the void. Team USA needs a win over Puerto Rico, which has already been eliminated, to clinch the top seed in the quarterfinals. This would also mean a matchup with Brazil on Tuesday.

Hachimura felt discomfort in his left calf following Japan’s overtime loss to France on Tuesday, with further examinations revealing an issue with the gastrocnemius muscle. Not only did he sit out the loss to Brazil, which eliminated Japan from contention for a quarterfinal berth, but Hachimura was not with the team. No details were provided regarding the injury’s severity, so it remains to be seen if this will linger until the Lakers open training camp in late September. Either way, he is not a great fantasy option on a team that boasts LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt.

France supporters who hoped Tuesday’s overtime win over Japan would serve as a wake-up call for the hosts were bitterly disappointed on Friday. Wembanyama and company went cold in the second quarter, as Germany outscored France by a 24-9 margin and did not look back. Wemby recorded a double-double and a full stat line, but he did not impact the action significantly. France coach Vincent Collet decided to bench Rudy Gobert for the start of the third quarter, so a lineup change could be in the cards for the team’s upcoming quarterfinal against an opponent that won’t be known until the end of games on Saturday.

Wagner and Dennis Schroder led the way for Germany, combining to score 52 of the team’s 85 points in Friday’s impressive victory. Franz was better from beyond the arc (2-of-5) than he was in his first two games in Paris, combining to go just 2-of-14 in wins over Japan and Brazil. While he may not be a player who fantasy managers will use a top-50 pick on in drafts, Wagner can undoubtedly provide that level of production in Orlando next season. Before that, he’ll look to help lead Germany to its first-ever Olympic medal in men’s basketball.

If anyone forgot that Germany is the reigning world champion in men’s basketball (the FIBA World Cup is separate from the Olympics), Schroder and his teammates offered an emphatic reminder on Friday. He was one of two Germans (Franz Wagner) to score 26 points in the win, which moved the team to 3-0 in group play. Who Germany will play in the quarterfinals won’t be known until the end of Saturday’s action, but this is a team capable of challenging the United States for the gold medal.

Nembhard didn’t do much scoring over their first two games of the Olympics, but he made a big impact during Friday’s win. Canada’s roster is littered with NBA players, so they don’t always need Nembhard to be a scorer. However, he is more than capable and showcased it in this game. Nembhard got paid last week, and he’ll continue make an impact for both Canada and Indiana.