NBA News

Sam Merrill • SG • Cavaliers

Sam Merrill Remains on Shelf Wednesday

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Sam Merrill (hand) will sit out his 13th consecutive game on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. He hasn't played for a month due to a right hand sprain. The injury has halted a career year for Merrill, who has averaged 13.9 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the three-point line. The absence of Merrill and Max Strus (foot) has allowed Jaylon Tyson to blossom. The 23-year-old sophomore has recorded three double-doubles this month, averaging 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists for December. Tyson and the Cavaliers have an outstanding fantasy matchup on Wednesday against a team ranked second in pace this season, but with a bottom-ten defensive efficiency.

7 hours ago

Max Strus • SG • Cavaliers

Max Strus Still Out Wednesday

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (foot) will remain sidelined on Wednesday versus the Chicago Bulls. The veteran sniper underwent left foot surgery in August, and it still isn't clear when the Cavaliers can expect to have him in the lineup. Strus' ability to get hot from downtown would be a big asset for a Cleveland team that has connected on just 34.0 percent of its three-point attempts this season, ranking near the bottom of the league. Following surgery, Strus was given a 3-4-month recovery timeline, so his season debut may be approaching soon.

7 hours ago

Ayo Dosunmu • PG • Bulls

Ayo Dosunmu May Miss Another Game Wednesday

Chicago Bulls guard/forward Ayo Dosunmu (thumb) is considered questionable for Wednesday's matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has played in only one of the last four games and might miss another contest due to a right thumb sprain. Players like Kevin Huerter, Isaac Okoro, Tre Jones, and Patrick Williams could all lose some minutes if Dosunmu is cleared to return. Dosunmu has taken a significant offensive leap this season, averaging a career-high 15.2 points per game with very efficient shooting. He has netted 47.5 percent of his triples, while shooting 51.9 percent from the field overall.

7 hours ago

Brandon Clarke • PF • Grizzlies

Brandon Clarke Upgraded to Questionable on Injury Report

Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke (knee) continues to inch closer to his season debut and may be ready for action on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the team has upgraded his status from doubtful to questionable on the injury report. Clarke had right knee surgery during the offseason. Currently, he would make for a vital addition to the Grizzlies' frontcourt, as Zach Edey (ankle) won't be available for several weeks. If Clarke can't make his return on Wednesday night, his next opportunity will come on Saturday against the Washington Wizards.

7 hours ago

Cam Spencer • SG • Grizzlies

Cam Spencer Unavailable Wednesday

Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (personal) won't play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. He has been ruled out for personal reasons, missing his first game of the season. The 25-year-old has carved out a significant role in the Grizzlies' rotation and posted a career-high 27 points in Monday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Due to Spencer's absence, players like Cedric Coward, Vince Williams Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be more involved in Wednesday's game, especially if Ja Morant (ankle) has to miss another contest.

7 hours ago

Mike Conley • PG • Timberwolves

Mike Conley Remains Sidelined Wednesday

Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley (Achilles) will miss a third consecutive game on Wednesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 38-year-old veteran has landed on the shelf due to right Achilles tendiopathy. With Conley missing from the lineup, Rob Dillingham's minutes have received a boost, but he has not been worthy of fantasy consideration. In Sunday's win over the Sacramento Kings, Dillingham notched five points, three assists, and one steal in 12 minutes. Bones Hyland, who filled in for Anthony Edwards (foot) in the starting unit on Sunday, could also pick up some of Conley's minutes.

7 hours ago

Zach LaVine • SG • Kings

Zach LaVine to Be Re-Evaluated in One Week

Sacramento Kings guard/forward Zach LaVine (ankle) will be re-evaluated in one week, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reports. The two-time All-Star injured his left ankle in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. LaVine also recently dealt with a thumb injury. He has had a difficult season in Sactown, averaging 20.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 32.8 minutes per game. Nique Clifford filled in for LaVine in the starting unit when he missed a game due to his thumb injury. The 23-year-old struggled in the contest, but it looks likely that he will now get a run of starts and has a chance to build momentum.

7 hours ago

Victor Wembanyama • PF • Spurs

Victor Wembanyama Coming off the Bench on Tuesday Night

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will come off the bench in Tuesday's NBA Cup Final against the Knicks. He recently returned from a 12-game absence for Saturday's win over Oklahoma City. Although he also came off the bench for that one, he still finished with an impressive 22 points, nine boards, two blocks, and one steal. There's a good chance Wemby plays a little more than the 20 minutes he logged in his last outing, making him a must-start in all fantasy setups.

19 hours ago

Rudy Gobert • C • Timberwolves

Rudy Gobert Not on the Injury Report for Wednesday

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (personal) isn't listed on the injury report for Wednesday's matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. The multi-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year was having himself a fantastic night in Sunday's win over Sacramento. However, he exited after 20 minutes due to "personal reasons," and would finish that one with seven points, 12 boards, and one block. With Anthony Edwards (foot) potentially out once again, Gobert could continue to benefit on both sides of the floor versus a Memphis team that is without Zach Edey (ankle).

19 hours ago

Anthony Edwards • SG • Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards on the Injury Report Again for Wednesday Night

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (foot) is considered questionable heading into Wednesday's meeting with the Memphis Grizzlies. He's already missed two-straight games because of what is being called right foot "injury maintenance." However, despite how the issue is labled on the official Injury Report, the chance of another absence certainly doesn't sit well with fantasy managers. With Mike Conley (Achilles) out again, Bones Hyland, coming off an 18-point, five-assist, one-block effort, is worth considering for fantasy lineups. Of course, that's assuming he remains in the starting lineup.

19 hours ago

Ja Morant • PG • Grizzlies

Ja Morant Questionable for Wednesday's Meeting With Timberwolves

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (ankle) is questionable ahead of Wednesday's contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. He recently missed 10 games because of a right calf strain. However, after returning for the loss to the Utah Jazz on December 12, the 26-year-old tweaked his left ankle late in Monday's win over the the Los Angeles Clippers. It's unknown just how severe Morant's latest injury is, although it's somewhat reassuring that he at least has a shot to suit up, or so it appears. If he's unable to get on the floor, Vince Williams Jr. will likely take his place his rotation. The 2022 No. 47 overall pick has made 11 starts throughout the 2025 campaign, averaging 8.1 points, 7.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds, giving him some value for those participating in deep fantasy formats, especially since Cam Spencer (personal), who had 27 points on Monday night, has already been ruled out.

19 hours ago

Cooper Flagg • PF • Mavericks

Cooper Flagg Becomes Youngest 40-Point Scorer in NBA History

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Cooper Flagg had a special night on Monday, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to score 40-plus points in a game. He led all scorers with 42 points on 13-for-27 shooting in a 140-133 overtime loss. Flagg, who will turn 19 on Sunday, also had seven rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks in the contest. He went 15-for-20 at the charity stripe and shot 1-for-4 from downtown. Previously, the highest points total by an 18-year-old in the NBA was 37, set by LeBron James in 2003. Although Flagg has struggled with consistency at times in his rookie year, he has still had a strong overall season. Across his first 26 career appearances, Flagg has averaged 18.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

Yesterday

Victor Wembanyama • PF • Spurs

Victor Wembanyama May Come Off the Bench Again Tuesday

San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama may start Tuesday's NBA Cup final against the New York Knicks on the bench. The French superstar came off the bench for the first time in his career when he returned from a calf strain in Saturday's semifinal against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama sat out the entire first quarter and played only seven minutes in the first half. He logged 13:20 after halftime, recording 22 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in the game. Even with a limited workload, Wembanyama can make a huge impact, and his fantasy production isn't dependent on whether he starts or not.

Yesterday

Nikola Jović • SF • Heat

Nikola Jovic to Undergo MRI Tuesday

Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (elbow) will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. Only seconds after entering Monday's tilt against the Toronto Raptors, Jovic injured his right elbow and had to exit the game. He took an awkward fall on a dunk attempt. X-rays on Jovic's right arm came back negative on Monday night, which is good news. However, he might still have to miss time. Simone Fontecchio and Jaime Jaquez Jr. will see additional playing time if Miami loses Jovic from the rotation. The team will return to work on Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets.

Yesterday

Sam Hauser • SF • Celtics

Sam Hauser Tweaks Left Ankle Monday

Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (ankle) played only four minutes in Monday's 112-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons. He left the action in the first quarter after injuring his left ankle. Initially, the team announced that Hauser was questionable to return, but he sat out the rest of the contest. In his absence, Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman picked up more shifts off the bench. Gonzalez made a greater impact, scoring five points and recording five assists in 18 minutes. Boston will be off until Friday, when the team starts a back-to-back set, giving Hauser extra time to recover. Whether this will be enough for him to play and avoid his first absence of the season remains uncertain.

Yesterday

Peyton Watson • SF • Nuggets

Peyton Watson Not Expected to Be Out Long-Term

Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (side) is not expected to miss extended time, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette reports. Watson played only six minutes in Monday's 128-125 overtime win against the Houston Rockets, leaving the action with a right trunk contusion. "Nothing long term as far as I can understand," Nuggets head coach David Adelman said postgame about Watson's injury, calling it a "stinger." Due to injuries, Watson has held a very important role in the rotation, starting every game over the last month. He has averaged 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 30.0 minutes as a starter. Watson must recover by Thursday to avoid missing his first game of the season.

Yesterday

Ja Morant • PG • Grizzlies

Ja Morant Injures Ankle in Monday's Win

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (ankle) suffered another injury blow in Monday's 121-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal reports. The enigmatic star tweaked his left ankle on a drive to the basket late in the fourth quarter. He missed the final 3:40 of action, finishing with 12 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 21 minutes. This was Morant's second game back after he missed 10 contests with a calf injury. Morant also dealt with a left ankle injury during preseason and didn't play in any of the exhibition games. Memphis will re-evaluate Morant on Tuesday to determine his availability for the rest of this week's slate.

Yesterday

Brandon Clarke • PF • Grizzlies

Brandon Clarke Still Out Monday

Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke (knee) is not ready to make his season debut on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team has downgraded Clarke's status from doubtful to out. Clarke's next chance to return will be a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. With Zach Edey (ankle) ruled out for several weeks, Clarke could have a significant role in the rotation once he's available. A season ago, Clarke averaged 8.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game.

Yesterday

James Harden • SG • Clippers

James Harden Officially Active on Monday Night

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (calf) will play on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reports. Some confusion arose about Harden's status when he was labeled a game-time decision, despite Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue seemingly confirming his availability during his pre-game press conference with reporters. Harden has struggled to score in meetings with Memphis this season, managing just 20.5 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting. However, he has notched one of his eight double-doubles against the Grizzlies, averaging 9.0 assists per contest in the matchup.

Yesterday

Ja Morant • PG • Grizzlies

Ja Morant to Remain Under Minutes Restriction Monday

Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant will continue to have his minutes monitored in Monday's matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, Janis Carr of The Orange County Register reports. On Friday against the Utah Jazz, Morant returned from a 10-game absence and was limited to 25 minutes. He will likely have a similar workload on Monday. Even with the restriction, Morant recorded a double-double versus Utah, finishing with 21 points, 10 assists, four rebounds, and one block. Monday presents another favorable matchup for Morant, as the Clippers give up the 10th-most fantasy points this season to point guards.

Yesterday

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