NBA News
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope No Longer On Injury Report
Orlando Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (personal) is off the injury report and will be available for Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons after missing one game. The 31-year-old has had an inconsistent season. He plays significant minutes, averaging 29.9 per game, but has scored in double figures only twice in his last eight games. His struggles from beyond the arc, shooting just 22.9 percent from three-point range, have been concerning, and fantasy managers will be hoping he can turn his shooting around as the season progresses.
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Wendell Carter Jr. Considered Questionable For Saturday
Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Detroit Pistons. The 25-year-old has been sidelined since Nov. 3 due to left foot plantar fasciitis. Fantasy managers will hope he can take the floor soon, but will want to see some improvement. He has averaged 8.3 points and 8.8 rebounds across six games this season but has struggled with his shooting, converting just 44.7 percent of his attempts, which is below his typical efficiency. If Carter is unable to suit up on Saturday, Goga Bitadze is expected to start in his place.
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Tre Mann Listed As Out For Saturday
Charlotte Hornets guard Tre Mann (back) is out for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to lower back soreness. The 23-year-old has been dealing with back issues recently, which have caused him to miss multiple games. In his absence, Seth Curry and Vasilije Micic are expected to see additional playing time. Mann has been inconsistent of late, posting 19 points against the Brooklyn Nets but just five points versus the Detroit Pistons in his last two outings. His next opportunity to return will be Monday against the Orlando Magic.
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Torrey Craig Available Versus Hawks
Chicago Bulls forward Torrey Craig (lower leg) will be in the lineup on Friday against Atlanta. He hurt his lower leg versus Milwaukee on Wednesday but avoided serious injury, and the team has upgraded him from probable to available. Replacing Patrick Williams (foot), Craig made his first start of the campaign on Wednesday. The veteran produced a solid performance with 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. However, he'll be heading back to the bench on Friday, with Ayo Dosunmu promoted to the first unit. Craig doesn't have fantasy value as a reserve.
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Nick Richards Ruled Out For Saturday
Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards (rib) is out for Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks due to rib soreness. Richards, who returned to practice Thursday, has not been cleared to play and will miss the matchup. The 26-year-old has been highly effective this season, averaging 11.0 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting over 63% from the field. His last game was on November 1st against the Boston Celtics. Richards' next opportunity to play will come Monday against the Orlando Magic. In his absence, Tidjane Salaun and Moussa Diabate are expected to take on additional frontcourt responsibilities.
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Jarace Walker Ready To Face Bucks
Indiana Pacers power forward Jarace Walker (illness) will be good to go on Friday against Milwaukee. He's been battling an illness, but the team has upgraded Walker from questionable to available ahead of the game. Walker's role on the team has grown in recent weeks, and he was even a starter on Monday versus Toronto. Across the last five games, Walker has averaged 6.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 21.7 minutes.
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Ben Sheppard Misses A Third Consecutive Game
Indiana Pacers guard/forward Ben Sheppard (oblique) has been ruled out for Friday's clash against Milwaukee. He will sit out a third consecutive game due to an oblique injury. Before getting hurt, Sheppard saw at least 23 minutes of action in five straight games. Quenton Jackson has picked his minutes, producing a pair of mixed performances. He impressed with a team-high 24 points last time out against Houston but managed just nine points in the previous game versus Toronto.
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Anfernee Simons Returns To Action Friday
Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (hand) will rejoin the action on Friday against Houston. He has missed three games with a hand injury. Following a great start to the campaign, Simons has been inconsistent with his performances in November, shooting below 38 percent from the field. He might have a difficult time again on Friday, as the Rockets boast the second-best defensive rating in the league (104.8).
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Ja Morant Considered Doubtful For Saturday
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (hip) has been upgraded to doubtful for Saturday's game against the Chicago Bulls, signaling some progress in his recovery. Head coach Taylor Jenkins shared that imaging on Morant's hip showed no significant issues, providing optimism for a return soon. In his absence, Scotty Pippen Jr. is expected to continue filling the void at point guard. Morant has only played in eight games this season but has been highly productive when available, averaging 20.6 points, 9.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game. Fantasy managers will want to monitor his status closely as he works his way back to full health.
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Jerami Grant Ready For Action Friday
Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (illness) will suit up for Friday's meeting with Houston. His status was initially thrown into doubt when he popped up on the injury report with an illness. However, the team has upgraded him from questionable to available. Grant will look to end a poor spell. He has scored only 31 points across the last three games. It's a matchup against a team that's ranked second in defensive efficiency, so fantasy managers shouldn't bank on Grant bouncing back on Friday.
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Marcus Smart Questionable For Saturday
Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (illness) is officially listed as questionable for Saturday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls. Smart has missed the last three games while dealing with an illness and previously sat out six consecutive contests earlier this season due to a left ankle injury, limiting his overall court time. If he remains sidelined, Jaylen Wells and Luke Kennard are likely to see increased minutes for Memphis. So far, Smart's season has fallen short of fantasy expectations, with averages of 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. However, his minimal playing time leaves room for optimism that he can improve once fully healthy.
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Deandre Ayton Remains Out On Friday
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (finger) will miss a fifth consecutive game on Friday versus Houston. He was initially considered doubtful for the clash, meaning Ayton's return in Saturday's rematch between the teams isn't likely either. Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III will continue to cover the minutes at the five position. Clingan has averaged 9.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks since grabbing Ayton's spot in the first unit.
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Yves Missi Will Not Play On Friday
New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (shoulder) will sit out Friday's game against Golden State. He has been ruled out for the contest after carrying a questionable tag on the initial injury report. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Trey Jemison are set to benefit from Missi's absence. Robinson-Earl looks like the better fantasy option of the two, although he's not been overly productive with his minutes. In this season's first two meetings with the Warriors, New Orleans went with Daniel Theis as the starting center, but he's been out of the rotation in recent weeks.
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Stephen Curry Available Versus Pelicans
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (knee) will play on Friday versus New Orleans. He has been upgraded from probable to available ahead of tip-off. Curry has been extremely efficient with his work in 2024-25, posting 23.0 points in 29.2 minutes with 44.1 percent shooting from three-point range. He's had a lighter workload due to multiple blowouts. The Warriors are again heavy favorites for Friday's game, which will likely impact Curry's minutes, but he should still provide plenty of fantasy value.
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Scoot Henderson Absent On Friday
Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (quad) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Houston Rockets. Henderson will take a seat here after suffering a quad injury during Wednesday's contest. The loss of Henderson should open up plenty of minutes for the Blazers reserves. Dalano Banton figures to gain the most fantasy value from the loss of Henderson. He has been fairly solid as he's scored 10 points or more in each of his last six games. Fantasy managers looking for help on Friday should consider Banton as an option until Henderson returns.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo Good To Go Friday
Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) will play on Friday against Indiana. The team has upgraded Antetokounmpo from probable to available. Antetokounmpo has been in the lineup for eight consecutive games, producing several big fantasy lines. He has hit the 40-point plateau three times in his past six outings and capped off last week with a triple-double. A rivalry of some sort started brewing between Antetokounmpo and the Pacers last season, and we should see the best version of him out there on Friday. He averaged a massive 42-point, 13-rebound double-double in the matchup in 2023-24.
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Coby White Available On Friday
Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (neck) will suit up ahead of Friday's game against the Atlanta Hawks. As expected, White will play after being listed as probable on the injury report due to neck tightness. The expectation is that White should have his normal workload during this game. He has been a fairly consistent scoring option this season, so fantasy managers should make sure to get him back in their lineups ahead of tip-off.
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Joel Embiid To Miss Friday's Game
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) has been ruled out ahead of Friday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. Embiid was a game-time decision coming into this one as he planned to test out his knee pre-game. It doesn't sound like it went well for Embiid as he'll take a seat on Friday. His absence should result in Andre Drummond moving into the starting five. Drummond has been a solid streaming option whenever Embiid is absent. Guerschon Yabusele could all see an increased role after scoring 17 points in his last game.
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Dorian Finney-Smith Will Play Friday
Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) will be available on Friday against Philadelphia. He was listed as questionable on the initial injury report, was then upgraded to probable, and has now received a further upgrade to available. Finney-Smith has put in solid all-around work as a starter this season, and it should continue on Friday. The 31-year-old averages 12.0 points and 4.3 rebounds for the month, with red-hot 54.8 percent shooting from deep.
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Miles Bridges Out At Least One Week
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (knee) will be shut down and re-evaluated in one week. Bridges aggravated his knee injury during Tuesday's contest and was held out on Thursday as a result. The Hornets are going to be without Bridges for the next three games. The expectation is that the team uses a committee approach to fill the void. Moussa Diabate, Grant Williams, and Cody Martin should all see increased roles for the next few games. Williams is the best streaming option out of the bunch, but Martin could be worth a look after a 15-point performance on Thursday.
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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
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Magic
