Romeo

Langford

A first-round pick of the Celtics in the 2019 NBA Draft, Langford has failed to carve out a consistent role for himself in either Boston or San Antonio. Now, he’ll look to earn a roster spot with the Jazz, who currently have 12 players on guaranteed deals for the 2023-24 season (and three on non-guaranteed contracts). Langford faces a difficult fight in training camp, especially with the Jazz having two recent first-round picks (Ochai Agbaji and Taylor Hendricks) at the small forward and power forward positions.

With the Spurs reportedly renouncing Langford’s rights he now becomes an unrestricted free agent. Last season Langford suited up in 43 games for San Antonio, averaging 6.9 points in just under 20 minutes per game. The Spurs can still sign him however this move most likely signals the end of his Spurs tenure.

Langford will play a role off the bench for the second straight game. He played 19 minutes on Saturday and should see a similar workload in game 82.

Langford played on Saturday and saw 19 minutes off the bench. However, if he sits the second leg of a back-to-back, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley will likely fill his minutes.

Initially listed as questionable, Langford has been cleared to play in San Antonio’s second-to-last game of the season. With Keldon Johnson (foot) ruled out, Langford could move into the starting lineup, which would give him increased value in deeper leagues that are still active.

Both Johnson and Langford have been in and out of the lineup for the Spurs lately, but both were available to play on Thursday. Johnson started and scored 24 in 32 minutes, while Langford only played 18 minutes off the bench. Johnson’s potential absence would open up a starting spot for Julian Champagnie, while Langford’s absence would just leave a few extra minutes for Champagnie and Dominick Barlow.

Collins, Keldon Johnson, and Romeo Langford (4/3/3/1 in 18 minutes) were all cleared for Thursday’s game, with the first two being starters. And they came through in a big way for the Spurs and fantasy managers, with Collins and Johnson (24/5/4/1 with one 3-pointer) combining to score 45 points. When available, Collins is a player who has to be rostered. However, with the Spurs finishing their season with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back, it’s safe to assume that Collins and Johnson will miss at least one of those games. If so, players such as Sandro Mamukelashvili and Dominick Barlow will be of heightened importance.

Johnson, Collins, and Langford are all good to go for Thursday, with the first two set to be starters. What remains to be seen is how much they’ll play. Hopefully, with the Spurs closing the season with a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back, Johnson and Collins will be allowed to take on full workloads Thursday night.

Johnson has missed their last two games, with Langford having only played in one of their last three games. Langford only played seven minutes in the game he played, so his availability won’t impact fantasy hoops. Johnson should slide back into the starting unit if he’s available. Devonte’ Graham has been ruled out, but he started in their last game, so Johnson should take over that starting spot.

Langford only played eight minutes in Sunday’s win over the Kings, and at this point in the season, there’s little to be gained from having him on a fantasy roster. Doug McDermott is healthy, and rookie Blake Wesley should get more playing time coming off the bench.