NBA Player News

After coming off the bench on Sunday, Butler returned to the starting unit on the second night of a back-to-back. His last few games had been subpar, but he had one of his best scoring nights of the season on Monday. Unfortunately, it was paired with an uncharacteristically low assist night for him, though he made up for it with a new season-high for steals. Butler should continue to play a large role for the tanking 76ers for the rest of the season.

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.

While this transaction does not impact fantasy basketball, as Goodwin was already in the Lakers’ rotation, it does affect the NBA Playoffs. Two-way contract players are not eligible for the postseason, so addressing Goodwin’s status means he will be available. However, with 15 players already under standard contracts, the Lakers must waive someone to free up a spot for Goodwin.

Wheeler is the latest G League alum to receive an opportunity to prove himself in the NBA. The 6-foot-8 forward most recently played for the Maine Celtics, averaging 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in six appearances after being acquired from the Texas Legends. Wheeler’s addition to the 76ers’ roster is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball.

Murphy injured his right shoulder during a March 17 game against the Pistons, and a labral tear was discovered in the ensuing MRI. A timeline for his return is unknown, but the Pelicans announced Wednesday that the procedure was successful. Murphy had a career year in 2024-25, averaging 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.7 blocks and 3.0 three-pointers per game. With Brandon Ingram traded to Toronto at the February deadline, the Pelicans clearly view Murphy as a critical piece in the team’s rebuild.