NBA Player News

Less than 24 hours after the mutual interest between the two parties was initially reported, Koloko will sign with the Lakers. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the contract is expected to be a two-way. If cleared to play by the NBA’s fitness panel, as blood clots ended his time with the Raptors, Koloko would potentially give the Lakers another option at the center position. Anthony Davis has made it known that he prefers the power forward role, and Christian Wood recently underwent knee surgery.

Hachimura sat out Wednesday’s loss to Memphis, with rookie Dalton Knecht making his first career start. If Rui can play on Friday, Knecht will return to the bench, where he offers very little fantasy value.

Davis sat out Wednesday’s loss to the Grizzlies, with his absence leading to Hayes moving into the starting lineup. The probable tag suggests both will be available, with Davis’ return eliminating Hayes’ streaming value.

With Kleber doubtful and Dereck Lively II (shoulder) already ruled out, the Mavericks’ center rotation is likely to consist of Daniel Gafford and Dwight Powell. Powell played 20 minutes on Wednesday but is not worth the streaming risk, even with Dallas being light on options at the center position.

Markkanen returns from a lower back injury, and in addition to starting, his minutes will not be restricted (the same goes for reserves Jordan Clarkson and Isaiah Collier). Sexton will retain his place in the starting lineup while Williams continues to fill the void left by the injured Taylor Hendricks.

Injured during the fourth quarter for Wednesday’s win over the Pistons, Bridges had already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Pacers. He’ll miss at least two weeks before being re-evaluated by doctors. Cody Martin is the player most likely to move into the starting lineup and would be worth streaming in deep leagues. Bridges’ absence also preserves some of Tre Mann’s value, as the Hornets need his scoring ability.

After playing 14 minutes in Monday’s win over the Knicks, Adams sat out Wednesday’s win over San Antonio. His absence pushed Jock Landale into the rotation, but this did not impact fantasy basketball. There’s no need to roster Adams or Landale.

Injured during the preseason, Collier is available to make his official NBA debut on Thursday. However, fantasy managers should not expect much from him, as Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson are all available and will play rotation minutes.

Markkanen and Clarkson have missed three and two games, respectively, due to their injuries. The returns mean Kyle Filipowski and Collin Sexton are headed to the bench, with the latter having a chance of sticking ahead of Clarkson. Filipowski won’t fall out of the rotation entirely, but his minutes will take a significant hit.

Jaquez missed Miami’s last two games, and his absence freed up additional minutes for rookie Pelle Larsson. Nikola Jovic’s decrease in minutes has also helped Larsson from a playing time standpoint. There’s no need to stream Larsson, especially if Jaquez plays in Denver.

Love has yet to appear in a game this season, and his absence means Thomas Bryant will continue to serve as the backup center. There’s no need to consider streaming Bryant with starting center Bam Adebayo healthy.