NBA Player News

Middleton was initially listed as probable for this game, but now the expectation is that he won’t suit up for the championship game of the NBA Cup. Taurean Prince, Andre Jackson Jr., Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green will all likely see a few extra minutes in this game with $500k on the line.

Gobert hasn’t played since before the All-Star break, which has allowed Naz Reid to thrive as part of the starting lineup. If Gobert returns, Reid will likely return to playing his typical significant role off the bench, though it is unlikely that he matches his production from the past few weeks.

Both Wiggins and Herro sat out Wednesday, and Miami turned to Davion Mitchell, Alex Burks, Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier to pick up the slack. That squad held its own and nearly played Cleveland to OT had it not been for an errant out-of-bounds on Robinson before a would-be game-tying three. That same group would be in line for extended run on Friday if Wiggins or Herro are out again.

Jaquez Jr. has missed Miami’s last three games, but there is a chance that he returns to the rotation against Minnesota. The Heat have dealt with multiple injuries on the perimeter recently, and Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Alec Burks are also questionable on Friday. Terry Rozier and Duncan Robinson would be in line for more minutes if Jaquez, and the other questionable players, are ruled out.

With Burks joining Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. as questionable for Friday’s game, the Heat’s rotation will be dependent on the status of quite a few players. Herro, Wiggins and Jaquez Jr. missed Miami’s game on Wednesday, which allowed Burks and Terry Rozier to start. If Burks joins the rest of them on the sidelines, Duncan Robinson could move into the starting lineup.

This will be a third-straight absence for Ware, which will likely lead to a third-straight start for Kevin Love. However, Love has only averaged 14 minutes per game across Miami’s last two games. Kyle Anderson and Haywood Highsmith will come off the bench, but they’ll both play larger roles than Love.

Beal has been dealing with a calf injury for a few games, most recently needing to exit Tuesday’s win over the Clippers at halftime. His ability to practice on Thursday is encouraging, but that doesn’t guarantee Beal will be available for Friday’s game against the Nuggets. Tyus Jones would move into the starting lineup if Beal cannot play, and Collin Gillespie may pick up rotation minutes after helping spark the Suns’ rally on Tuesday.

There was hope that Kuminga could return during the Warriors’ road trip, which concludes Thursday night. Unfortunately, he has been ruled out. His role once he returns remains to be seen, but he’s likely to come off the bench.

Vucevic and Ball will remain out for another game, with the former missing a sixth straight contest. As for Ball, Thursday’s contest will be the third he’s missed with a sprained wrist. Zach Collins and Tre Jones have been the replacements in the starting lineup, and both are worth rostering when allowed to play extended minutes. Over the past two weeks, Collins, rostered in 38 percent of Yahoo leagues, has provided fourth-round value in nine-cat formats.

George played 30 minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Timberwolves but struggled, and the groin has been problematic for a few games. Justin Edwards, who started for George on Monday, is the likely replacement in the starting lineup. However, he is questionable for Thursday’s game with an ankle injury, so Lonnie Walker IV is another possibility to fill the void.

At Ingram’s introductory press conference, it was made clear that ensuring he’s healthy for the start of the 2025-26 season is the priority in Toronto. While increasing his on-court activity, the veteran forward remains limited to individual work, and the Raptors will provide a status update in two weeks. Unless he can be stashed in an IL+ slot, fantasy managers should drop Ingram, especially if they can find a solid contributor on their league’s waiver wire.