Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart thoroughly enjoyed picking apart the Hornets Monday, delivering a career-high 15 assists while scoring 22 points in a huge 140-105 win. He shot 8-for-11 from the field, with Smart's only misses coming during his nine three-point attempts. He was of course a busy man on the defensive end as well, picking up two steals in 31 minutes. Smart has been averaging a career-high 7.5 assists this season, so he has improved his playmaking and Monday's performance will have been very pleasing for him. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year now has five games with 10-plus assists for the year and all of them have come this month.
The Mavericks are sending Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie to the Nets in exchange for Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris. Finney-Smith has spent his entire career in Dallas, averaging 8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Although the 29-year-old isn't the most consistent offensive option, he will certainly give Brooklyn a much-needed boost on the defensive end.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (leg) is expected to miss "multiple weeks," according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Curry has already missed nearly a month this season because of a shoulder injury. However, he'll now be out for the foreseeable future, opening the door for Jordan Poole to slide over to the point guard spot. At the same time, Donte DiVincenzo, who's averaged 10.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and shot 40.8% from deep in 12 starts this season, is the favorite to move into the starting lineup. Ty Jerome could also draw some interest from those in deeper fantasy formats, although DiVincenzo is the better fantasy option.
The Mavericks are sending Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and multiple draft picks to the Nets in exchange for Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris. Dinwiddie has averaged 17.7 points, 5.3 assists and shot 40.5% from deep in 53 games this season. However, he'll now return to Brooklyn, a city where he played for five seasons. Dinwiddie was at his best while with the Nets and could see a boost in production the second time around now that he's no longer sharing the floor with Luka Doncic.
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is being traded to the Mavericks, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. In exchange, Dallas is sending Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and multiple draft picks. The move comes after the 30-year-old requested a trade ahead of the February 9 deadline. Irving, who's averaged 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in 40 games this season, will now join forces with Luka Doncic, arguably assembling the league's most potent backcourt. However, Irving may see a dip in production, at least on the scoring end, although his assist numbers may improve.
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (knee) is not expected to play on Sunday against the Timberwolves. The 25-year-old exploded for 41 points while shooting 7-for-12 in the win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. However, he'll likely get the night off before presumably returning for the rematch with Minnesota on Tuesday. As a result, Bones Hyland may take Murray's place in the rotation. Hyland has averaged 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in five starts this season, meaning him an ideal streaming option in all formats.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (hamstring) remains questionable for Sunday's game in Indiana. He didn't play on Thursday in the win over Memphis, allowing Cedi Osman to finish with 21 points in 32 minutes from the bench. If LeVert is ruled out again, Osman should draw interest for those in deeper fantasy formats. However, it will be tough for Osman to duplicate the production he had on Thursday.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (foot) is questionable for Sunday's meeting with the New York Knicks. The 28-year-old has dealt with foot soreness for nearly the entire season, so his presence on the league's official injury report shouldn't come as a surprise. While anything can change regarding Embiid's availability, fantasy managers should expect him to be out there on Sunday. However, if he's not, Montrezl Harrell and Georges Niang could be more involved, giving them both streaming appeal in deep fantasy setups.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Nets intend to sit Kyrie Irving until he's traded ahead of the February 9 deadline. The multi-time All-Star formally asked to be moved on Friday while advising the club that he will not re-sign with the team this offseason. Irving has played well this season, averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds in 40 games. The Lakers remain a favorite to acquire his services, reportedly in a deal surrounding Russell Westbrook. However, teams like Phoenix and Dallas may also be in the running. Either way, there should be more on this situation in the coming days, although Irving may have already suited up for the final time in Brooklyn.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic posted a third-consecutive triple-double in Saturday's 128-108 win over the Hawks, tallying 14 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. He settled for only eight shots in the game, making five of them, and was 4-for-5 at the charity stripe with one steal, two blocks and five turnovers in 34 minutes. Jokic was a bit sloppy with the ball, but a triple-double typically keeps most fantasy managers happy. He now has 18 of them for the year and is even averaging one for the season. Only injuries can slow him down and Jokic has been dealing with a hamstring problem lately, which could keep him out of Sunday's matchup versus Minnesota. Zeke Nnaji has been the starter lately when Jokic has had a rest day.
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray stayed hot with a season-high 41 points in Saturday's 128-108 win over Atlanta, shooting 15-for-24 from the field with a 7-for-12 record from deep. It was also a third consecutive game for him with five rebounds and Murray finished off his night at the office with seven assists and one steal in 36 minutes. Outshining Nikola Jokic in Denver is an incredibly difficult task, but Murray has given his best shot lately, averaging 35.3 points in his last three appearances. He should continue to crush it in the next couple of games when Denver meets the Timberwolves, who allow the fourth-most points in the league to point guards.
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