NBA Player News

Sims has filled out the backup center minutes recently, and he is the only frontcourt player that sees consistent minutes off the bench for Milwaukee. If he is sidelined, Giannis Antetokounmpo may see more time at center when Brook Lopez is off the floor.

The status update for Davis is unsurprising. He was held out of Tuesday’s loss to the Knicks because that was Dallas’ second game in as many nights. His return will push Naji Marshall to the bench. However, due to the Mavericks’ lack of depth, Marshall will continue to figure prominently in the rotation. He’s worth holding onto for the rest of the season.

Thursday’s game will be the second that Smart and George have missed with their respective injuries, and the latter’s absence is more impactful on fantasy basketball. Justin Champagnie filled in for George in Wednesday’s win over the 76ers and should remain in the starting lineup, making him a streamable player in deep leagues. As for Smart, his continued absence means more playing time for AJ Johnson, who will likely come off the bench with Khris Middleton returning from a one-game absence.

Middleton has been removed from the injury report after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the 76ers for injury management reasons. AJ Johnson will likely move to the bench, but the rookie should not fall out of the rotation entirely. Middleton has not exceeded 27 minutes in any appearances with the Wizards since the team acquired him from the Bucks at the February trade deadline.

Per Charania, Payton suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb and will be out indefinitely. Only rostered in three percent of Yahoo! leagues, there’s no need for those fantasy managers to hold into Payton with this news. Moses Moody (14 percent rostered) will have added importance within the Warriors’ rotation, even if Stephen Curry (pelvis) can return to action on Friday against the Pelicans.

Clarkson has dealt with plantar fasciitis in his left foot for much of this season, most recently missing Utah’s March 25 loss to the Grizzlies. The Jazz announced Thursday that he underwent a medical procedure to address the issue and will not play again this season. Utah was already taking steps to ensure its younger players would get all the playing time they need to develop, so Clarkson being ruled out does not change much. Brice Sensabaugh and Cody Williams won’t lack playing time the rest of the way, with the former offering a higher fantasy ceiling.

No specifics were provided regarding Payton’s injury or its severity, but that will change Thursday evening when the Warriors release their injury report for Friday’s game in New Orleans. He has averaged 21.7 minutes per game over the past two weeks, providing 10th-round value in nine-cat formats. Payton’s absence would be most impactful defensively, as he is one of the Warriors’ best defenders. Moses Moody, who’s in the starting lineup, will have added importance as the Warriors move onward without GPII.

Absent from Miami’s initial injury report, Love has been ruled out for personal reasons. Hopefully, this situation will not keep him away from the team for an extended period. Regarding fantasy basketball, Love’s absence will have minimal impact since he has not been in the rotation recently.

Still doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Mavericks, Anthony did not participate in shootaround with his teammates. However, the Magic guard did get in some individual work and shooting. Cory Joseph has been Anthony’s replacement in the starting lineup, but Anthony Black has offered a higher fantasy ceiling. Rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo! leagues, the latter has provided 10th-round value in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks.

Williams, who has missed Oklahoma City’s last seven games with a strained right hip, remains questionable for Thursday’s game against the Grizzlies. While head coach Mark Daigneault did not settle on one specific replacement in the starting lineup while J-Dub was out, Kenrich Williams was the most recent fill-in, playing 28 minutes in Tuesday’s win over the Kings. He, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Joe would all be in the mix to start if Williams cannot play against Memphis.

While Goodwin has been part of the Lakers’ rotation this season, Reddish has not. And with it being reported Thursday afternoon that the former was being converted from a two-way to a standard contract, it makes sense that the latter would be waived to free up space. Reddish appeared in 33 games this season, averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 17.8 minutes. It will be interesting to see if he can catch on with a non-contending team before the end of the season.