NBA Player News

Diabate has missed Charlotte’s last two games due to illness, while Smith had to leave Friday’s loss to the Celtics due to groin tightness. If allowed to play in Sunday’s season finale, both players will figure prominently in the Hornets’ rotation. Diabate offers a safer floor and higher ceiling in active fantasy leagues, as Mark Williams will not play.

Butler will not play after taking a hard fall during Wednesday’s Game 2 defeat. He’ll be replaced in the lineup by Kuminga, who had fallen out of the Warriors’ rotation late in the regular season. While Kuminga can be a “wild card” offensively, this is a significant opportunity for him.

After recording four blocked shots on four occasions during the regular season, Edey nearly doubled that number on Saturday. While he did provide solid value in the rebounding category as well, the rookie center only attempted four shots on the day before fouling out. Edey’s production during the regular season did not match his Yahoo! ADP (98), but he offered solid late-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. His value for the 2025-26 season will be heavily influenced by the Grizzlies’ head coaching hire. Edey’s minutes and opportunities increased after Tuomas Iisola was named interim head coach, but he isn’t a lock to have the tag removed.

Bane did not have the most efficient game, recording five turnovers and shooting 35 percent from the field. However, he went out firing, helping to give Memphis a chance of extending its season. Entering the season with a Yahoo! ADP of 44, Bane finished as a top-40 player in eight- and nine-cat formats. Providing consistent value has rarely been an issue for the Grizzlies’ guard, but his value in 2025-26 will be influenced by who the team hires as its new head coach.

Aldama was the replacement in the Grizzlies’ starting lineup for Ja Morant, who sat out with a hip contusion. The fourth-year forward played well, shooting efficiently and providing value as a rebounder. The 2024-25 season was a good one for Aldama, who had his moments after being considered little more than a late-round option in the fall. He finished just outside the top-100 in eight- and nine-cat formats, providing greater value in the latter. Aldama will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Payton is available after being listed as questionable on the initial injury report. He’ll be more valuable to the Warriors as a defender than as a scorer, whether Jimmy Butler (glute) plays or not.

In his final game of the 2024-25 season, Jackson went out with a relative whimper as Oklahoma City swept the Grizzlies. He missed both of his three-point attempts and shot 25 percent from the field overall, failing to help pick up the slack with Ja Morant (hip) sidelined. Jackson is extension eligible this season, and the most Memphis will be allowed to pay him depends on whether or not JJJ makes an All-NBA team. Even with Saturday’s poor performance, Trip appears to be a valued member of the Grizzlies’ core going forward.

Due to Ja Morant (hip) being unavailable, more was needed from Pippen, even if he was already in the starting lineup. He undoubtedly answered the call, matching his career-high point total, and the rebound tally was the best of his NBA career. Having entered the 2024-25 season as a fantasy afterthought, Pippen finished as a 12th-round player in eight-cat formats. He’s on a guaranteed contract for next season and, regardless of who’s hired as the next head coach, will be worth grabbing with a late-round pick in 12-team leagues. In addition to Pippen’s production, Morant’s injury history makes this a worthwhile dice roll.

After failing to record a steal or blocked shot in Oklahoma City’s Game 3 victory, Holmgren was highly impactful as a defender in Game 4. The blocks tally was one shy of his series-high, while the six “stocks” were the most he recorded in a game this series. Whether it’s Denver or the LA Clippers in the second round, Holmgren and the Thunder will be challenged more than they were in the first round. Finishing off the sweep gets Oklahoma City additional rest time, which is another benefit for Holmgren and company.

Oklahoma City finished off its sweep of the Grizzlies on Saturday, with J-Dub having another solid offensive performance. He scored 20 points or more in all four games, and in Game 4, Williams only committed one turnover. The sweep gets J-Dub and Oklahoma City some time off, as the Thunder have to wait for the winner of the Denver/LA Clippers series.

After being held in check during Game 1, Gilgeous-Alexander steadily found his groove as the Thunder swept the Grizzlies. Three-point shooting remains an issue, as he was 1-of-4 on Saturday, but the MVP candidate was at his best in the mid-range. Add in 13 free throw attempts, and the Grizzlies were unable to slow down Gilgeous-Alexander. Next up for Oklahoma City is the winner of the Denver/LA Clippers series.