NBA Player News

On the final day of his 10-day contract, Hayes returned to the city where his NBA career began. The former lottery pick struggled against the team that drafted him, shooting 1-of-6 from the field while providing modest production in the rebound and assist categories. The Nets will have a decision to make regarding Killian. The health of D’Angelo Russell will likely influence the Nets’ decision regarding Hayes. Reece Beekman (3/1/1/3 in 26 minutes) may figure more prominently in the bench rotation if the Nets do not re-sign Hayes and Russell remains out.

24 hours after being held to 11 points, Vucevic got back on track with a 20-point double-double. Entering Tuesday’s game, Vucevic had gone four straight games without a double-double and had scored less than 15 points in four of his previous five games. Early in the season, this would have been a typical game for Vucevic. However, he has really struggled over the past two months, so this was an encouraging performance for him with the postseason approaching. He’ll look to keep it going against Portland on Friday.

White’s hot streak came to a screeching halt in Oklahoma City on Monday, but he was able to get back on track 24 hours later. He had scored at least 20 points in 15 straight games entering Monday’s game but was held to just seven points in the blowout loss. However, Tuesday was a far more productive night for him. White has provided third-round value in nine-cat leagues over the past month and will look to stay hot over Chicago’s final two games of the week.

This was the second time this season that THT has played at least 30 minutes in a game, and he has scored at least 20 points in each of them. His 27 points on Tuesday were a new season-high for him, and it came 24 hours after he scored 16 points in 16 minutes against the Thunder. That came after not playing in three straight games. The 24-year-old was able to make an impact off the bench despite his spot in the rotation being inconsistent all season.

It has been a quiet rookie season for Walter, but he has taken advantage of his opportunity recently and provided a glimmer of hope for the future. He has scored in double figures in each of his last seven appearances and has averaged 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and four triples over Toronto’s last two games. He’ll continue to play a significant role for the rest of the season, and while it won’t guarantee him a starting job next season, he could be a solid rotation piece for them in year two.

Robinson has been in and out of the starting unit recently, and he came off the bench on Tuesday with Jakob Poeltl back after sitting out on Sunday. Poeltl will likely be back out against Portland on Thursday, which means Robinson should be back in the starting unit. Regardless, Robinson has been productive as both a starter and a reserve recently and ranks inside the top-75 in nine-cat formats over the past week. He should continue to play a significant role for Toronto over their final six games of the season.

Rollins has started six of Milwaukee’s last seven games, and the last few have been productive for him. Two games after he set a career-high with 20 points, Rollins set another career-high. Over the past two weeks, Rollins has averaged 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, four assists, 1.1 steals and 2.1 triples per game. That has him producing top-100 value in nine-cat leagues during that stretch, and with Damian Lillard out indefinitely, Rollins should be a quality option for the rest of the season.

Typically known for his blocks and three-pointers, Lopez was able to show off his skills as a passer on Tuesday. This was his third time this season finishing with six assists, which he has now done twice in Milwaukee’s last three games. It was also great to see Lopez bounce back after finishing with just five points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block against Atlanta on Sunday. Lopez has been a streaky producer all season, and this recent stretch was just another example.

Once again, Antetokounmpo dominated on offense for the shorthanded Bucks. This was his fifth-straight game with at least 30 points, which helped end a four-game slide for Milwaukee. His 11 dimes were also the most he has had in a game since January. However, what was most impressive from Giannis in this game was his success at the free throw line. It was entirely uncharacteristic for a player that has shot 61.1 percent from the charity stripe this season, and it isn’t something that managers should expect to continue moving forward.

This was Gillespie’s eighth-straight game in the starting lineup, and after scoring just three points on Sunday, he was more effective on Tuesday, though the result was the same. Phoenix dropped a fourth-straight game despite Gillespie having a better night. He did most of his work in the first half, scoring 11 points before the break. As long as Bradley Beal (hamstring) remains sidelined, Gillespie should remain in the starting unit, though his production has been inconsistent, making him a difficult player to rely on.

With both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal unavailable, Booker shouldered the offensive workload for Phoenix in this game. This was his highest-scoring double-double since he went off for 47 points and 11 assists in a win over the Jazz in early February. With Durant still expected to miss a few more games and Beal’s status unknown, Booker will continue to provide a ridiculous amount of points and assists. Unfortunately, their next four games are against the Celtics, Knicks, Warriors and Thunder, which means no easy matchups for Booker to feast on. The Suns currently sit 1.5 games out of the Play-In Tournament.