NBA Player News

Selected by Cleveland with the 56th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Travers remained in Australia for the last two seasons. Playing for Melbourne United, he finished last season with averages of 12.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 0.7 3-pointers in 26.3 minutes. Under normal circumstances, a player on a two-way deal would face significant odds in the quest to crack a rotation. However, Cleveland still has not agreed with Isaac Okoro, a restricted free agent, on a new deal.

Merrill is back in the lineup after a three-game absence, and the timing could not be better due to Cleveland’s injuries on the wing. With Caris LeVert (knee) and Isaac Okoro (ankle) sidelined, Merrill should play more minutes. He’ll have value in deep leagues among managers needing 3-point production.

Cleveland’s depth will be tested on Tuesday. Already down Max Strus, the Cavaliers will be missing Isaac Okoro and LeVert on Tuesday against Boston. Sam Merrill is a decent streaming option with plenty of bench minutes up for grabs in the big game against the Celtics.

Okoro will sit after injuring his ankle during Sunday’s win over Charlotte. With Caris LeVert and Dean Wade also sidelined, the Cavaliers will be short multiple bodies on the perimeter. Those absences may push rookie Jaylon Tyson into the back end of the rotation, but he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball.

Dealing with one sore foot is tough enough, but two? That’s the situation Williams finds himself in ahead of Monday’s game against Milwaukee. If he cannot play, Ayo Dosunmu would be able to take on an increased workload, but it may not be as a starter due to the need to match up with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Finney-Smith returned from his ankle injury on Friday and played 32 minutes against the Knicks. He should be good to go once again Tuesday against the Hornets. DFS offers fantasy value in deeper formats.

Porzingis does not have a timeline for return after undergoing offseason surgery, but he is making strides. He practiced with the Celtics’ G League affiliate on Monday and did not experience any issues. “All I know is he’s getting better every day, and he’s working really hard at coming back as fast as he can,” Mazzulla said of Porzingis. “He’s in the next phase.” Al Horford has handled the starting center duties in KP’s absence, with Neemias Queta and Luke Kornet taking on increased workloads.

Pritchard popped up on the injury report, but the injury is to his non-shooting hand and ultimately he’s available to play in the game of the day against the undefeated Cavaliers. He’ll continue to come off the bench for the Celtics, but still has standalone fantasy value.

Carter Jr. has now missed a handful of games due to his foot injury. He went through part of the team’s practice on Tuesday, though, and at least has a chance to play on Wednesday with the questionable tag.

Vassell’s time off the injury report was brief. He sat out against the Mavericks because of a right foot injury and is now dealing with a knee injury on the opposite leg. This new development could cause the Spurs to be more cautious with Vassell and a number of wing role players could play more minutes than usual if he’s ruled out.

Wembanyama’s knee injury will cost him a second straight game. Zach Collins is still worth streaming for now, as he replaced the Spurs’ young superstar in the starting lineup against the Mavericks and will likely continue to do so until he returns.