NBA Player News

Despite playing well down the stretch of last season, the free agency market did not open up for Achiuwa in the way he hoped it would. The Knicks are bringing him back, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reporting that the deal is worth $6 million for one season. That will give Achiuwa another opportunity to prove himself, especially as the backup to a starting center who has struggled to remain healthy (Mitchell Robinson). Achiuwa will be worth a late-round roll of the dice, and there will be times when he’s a worthwhile streaming target.

After totaling 56 points in the first two games of Boston’s four-game road trip, Pritchard’s production fell off considerably in the last two. Counting Tuesday’s win over the Suns, he produced 11 points on 3-of-19 shooting from the field. To say that Pritchard is likely looking forward to the Celtics getting back to Boston would be an understatement. Fantasy managers should not be too concerned, however, as Pritchard’s overall production this season has been solid.

Brown last failed to score at least 20 points in a game on January 5, when he tallied 14 in a win over the Bulls. He kept the streak going on Wednesday, but the Celtics’ wing, and many of his teammates, looked a bit gassed in Denver. The Celtics ended their four-game road trip with a 3-1 record and will face the Nets at home on Friday. As long as he’s healthy, Brown should be in line for a big night.

White has scored 20 points or more in back-to-back games, the first time he’s done so since mid-December. However, looks can be deceiving. White scored 18 of his 20 points in the second quarter, shooting 6-of-7 from the field. White’s overall stat line was a good one, as has been the case on nights when he’s shot the ball even worse than he did in Denver. But things could have been even better for him in the final game of Boston’s road trip.

Mainly a player who’s only worth a look for category league managers needing three-pointers, Hardaway has reached double figures in six of his last eight appearances. Wednesday’s production included solid rebound and assist totals, with THJ being one of the players asked to do a bit more when Jamal Murray (illness) did not return for the second half. Unfortunately, that has not been the norm for Hardaway this season. The only way anything changes regarding his short-term fantasy outlook is if Murray misses additional time.

Jokić wasn’t as efficient as he could be on Wednesday, but he still recorded a 30-point double-double. The Nuggets center, who has continued to play through multiple injuries, remains the top-ranked player in category leagues, regardless of format. The Nuggets play two more games in Week 18, starting with Friday’s game against the Thunder.

While Murray was on the Nuggets’ pregame injury report with a hamstring issue, the guard arrived at the arena for Wednesday’s game dealing with an illness. He tried to gut it out but had to exit during the second quarter and has now been ruled out for the rest of the night. Bruce Brown entered the lineup to begin the third quarter. Murray finished with two points and one assist in eight minutes.

The Cavaliers were down three starters for Wednesday’s game, opening up a place in the starting lineup for Tyson. The second-year wing recorded his sixth double-double of the season, with his final stat line only lacking a three-pointer. Cleveland still has games against the Pistons and Nets to end Week 18, and Tyson’s fantasy value will depend on the availability of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. If both have to miss time, Tyson will likely remain in the starting five.

With Wednesday’s game being the team’s second in as many nights, the Cavaliers were unsurprisingly without Evan Mobley. That, combined with the absences of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, opened things up for Allen offensively, and he took advantage. The 29 points were the most he’s scored in a game in nearly three weeks, having last hit that number in a February 7 win over the Kings. Allen also recorded his fifth straight double-double, continuing to flourish as a fantasy option.

With James Harden (thumb) sidelined, Schröder made his first start since being traded to Cleveland. The veteran point guard played well, shooting the ball efficiently and dishing out five assists. Schröder’s 26 points were one shy of his season-high, and this was his first game with more than 12 points as a Cavalier. His streaming value moving forward depends on Harden and Donovan Mitchell’s health, with the latter sitting out Wednesday’s game with a strained groin.

Bucks head coach Doc Rivers had some interesting comments before Wednesday’s game, saying that Turner was not under a minutes restriction in his first games back from a calf strain. He played 24 minutes against the shorthanded Cavaliers, while Jericho Sims (11 points, 11 rebounds and two assists) played 29 off the bench. Rebounding may have had more to do with the minutes split than Turner’s recent calf strain, as Sims offers more production in that area. There’s no need to add Sims yet, and those who have Turner rostered are likely stuck at this point in the season. But this is a situation that merits watching.