3 days agoBoston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum had 15 points in Friday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He added five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. The 26-year-old had 31 points in Game 3 on Wednesday evening. However, the Mavs took a big lead early, so Tatum logged only 27 minutes before calling it a night. With the C's still up two games, the series will head back to Boston for Game 5 on Monday night. The game should be more competitive, meaning Tatum has an excellent chance to bounce back.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (chest) scored a game-high 29 points in Friday's win over the Boston Celtics. He added five boards, five assists, and three steals. Doncic entered this contest carrying an injury designation because of a thoracic contusion. But, as expected, he was on the floor for Game 4. The 25-year-old failed to make any of his eight tries from deep. But that didn't matter, as Dallas cruised to a much-needed win on Friday night. With the Mavs still training two games, both teams will pack their bags and head to Boston for Game 5 on Monday. DFS managers should expect to see Doncic back on the injury report. However, he will be ready to go.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoBoston Celtics center
Kristaps Porzingis (leg) will play on Friday night against Dallas. He suffered a dislocated posterior Tibialis in Game 2 on Sunday night and wasn't available for Game 3 on Wednesday. With that in mind, Porzingis may only play in certain situations, so it may be tough for him to do anything meaningful for DFS managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
3 days agoAccording to Fred Katz of the New York Times, the Brooklyn Nets are staying firm on their unwillingness to trade forward
Mikal Bridges. Per Katz, league sources have contacted Brooklyn about acquiring the former Sun, with teams offering "hoards of first-rounders." However, the Nets haven't budged. After the 27-year-old was traded from Phoenix in 2022-23, he averaged a career-high 26.1 points in 27 games in Brooklyn. But his production declined significantly last season, with Bridges ending the year by averaging 19.6 points. At any rate, the Nets are in rebuilding mode, and it appears the franchise wants to build around Bridges. Brooklyn also has a new coach in Jordi Fernandez, which could help Bridges turn things around for fantasy managers in 2024-25.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Fred Katz
3 days agoIndiana Pacers guard
Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring) reported he's progressing in his recovery from another hamstring injury sustained during the Eastern Conference Finals. "The hamstring is good," said Haliburton during an interview on Friday. "Today, I ran for the first time at full speed." The 24-year-old is coming off another productive season, amassing 20.1 points, 10.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. But he missed time because of injury in 2023-24, appearing in 69 games after playing in just 56 the year before. Haliburton still plans to suit up for Team USA in the Olympics. With that in mind, he could be a top-10 fantasy option in all formats during the 2024-25 campaign, although he needs to figure out how to stay on the floor.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Dustin Dopirak
3 days agoThe Atlanta Hawks currently own the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft, and it happens to be one that there isn't many consensus picks from top to bottom. Alex Sarr has been talked about the most for the No. 1 selection, but it sounds like that could change after a recent Dan Hurley interview. As he talked about his decision to not go the Los Angeles Lakers, he explained that he spoke to Quin Snyder (head coach of the Atlanta Hawks), and said that they really like UConn big man Donovan Clingan. Most mock drafts have him somewhere around third to seventh, but there haven't been any standout prospects that are a surefire choice at first overall. Clingan could provide solid defense and rebounding while they move on from either
Clint Capela or
Onyeka Okongwu.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Matt Norlander - CBS Sports
3 days agoThe Los Angeles Clippers are in the market for a new assistant coach after Dan Craig left for the Chicago Bulls. One name on their list is none other than former head coach and broadcaster, Jeff Van Gundy. This year, since he was let go by ESPN, he has served as a consultant for the NBA Finals-leading Boston Celtics. The last time Van Gundy was on the sidelines was the 2006-07 season with the Houston Rockets. He boasts an NBA coaching record of 430-318 in the regular season and 44-44 in the playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks attempted to hire Van Gundy last offseason but ended up unsuccessful. The Clippers, on the other hand, believe they have a good chance to bring him on board.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Marc Stein
3 days agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell is one of the bigger dominoes in this coming offseason landscape. At first, there were hesitations and worries around the league that Mitchell would not stay in Cleveland. Now, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, there's a "league-wide expectation" that Mitchell and the Cavs are going to agree on an extension that could pay him up to $208 million. On top of that, Fischer reports that the team isn't looking to trade any of their core four players which includes Mitchell,
Darius Garland,
Jarrett Allen, and
Evan Mobley.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Jake Fischer - Yahoo Sports
3 days agoBrooklyn Nets guard
Dennis Schroder reiterated to his hometown reporters that he wanted to remain with the team. The veteran guard said, "I'd definitely like to stick around for the long haul. My agent and I feel like the Nets liked how I contributed." In 29 games with the Nets this season, Schroder averaged 14.6 points, 6.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 threes per game while shooting .424/.412/.797. Brooklyn has a lot of question marks heading into the offseason with point guard being a very big one.
Ben Simmons hasn't been healthy,
Dennis Smith Jr. isn't under contract, and
Cam Thomas hasn't fit the point guard mold that well. Schroder knows they could make moves for a star player, but he'd like to bring more leadership to the team past this season.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Brian Lewis - New York Post
4 days agoAccording to Fox 40's Sean Cunningham, citing league sources, Sacramento Kings forward
Sasha Vezenkov plans to finish the contract he agreed to with the team last offseason. Mihalis Stefanou of EuroHoops.net reported Vezenkov wanted out of Sacramento while indicating the 28-year-old was considering heading back overseas. However, Cunningham denied the report's validity, with a league executive calling it "off base." The 2023 EuroLeague MVP averaged 5.4 points and 2.3 rebounds while shooting 37.5% from deep in the 2023-24 campaign. It's likely teams will inquire about a possible trade this offseason. But with the Kings' roster not set in stone for 2024-25, Vezenkov carving out a meaningful role in Sacramento isn't out of the question.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Sean Cunningham
4 days agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (chest) is probable for Game 4 of the NBA Finals against Boston on Friday night. He has a thoracic contusion, resulting in several pain-killing injections ahead of Game 3 on Wednesday night. But the Mavs are just one loss away from losing the series, so there's basically no chance he won't be on the floor. Doncic has averaged 29.7 points, 9.0 boards, 6.0 assists, and 2.3 steals in the series' first three games, making him worthy of DFS roster consideration.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
4 days agoAccording to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Boston Celtics center
Kristaps Porzingis (leg) might play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals versus the Dallas Mavericks. He suffered a dislocated posterior Tibialis in Game 2 on Sunday and wasn't available for Game 3. But the 28-year-old, who was initially believed to miss the rest of the Postseason, has a chance of suiting up for Game 4. However, Porzingis is also dealing with swelling, so the C's may play it safe and keep him off the floor, considering the team is just one win away from an NBA title. For now, he's officially questionable. But if Porzingis can't play,
Al Horford, who had eight points, five boards, two steals, and one block on Wednesday, will likely stay with the first five.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
4 days agoDallas Mavericks guard/forward
Tim Hardaway Jr. was back in the rotation in Wednesday's Game 3 loss against the Celtics but had a miserable outing. After not earning a single second of action in Game 2, Hardaway Jr. saw 19 minutes but finished scoreless with 0-for-5 shooting and ended up with a game-worst minus-16 rating. Hardaway Jr. was among the league's most prolific bench performers during the regular season, but he's had a rough ride throughout the playoffs. The 32-year-old sniper, who is Dallas' third-highest-paid player, has seen his scoring average drop from 14.4 points to 3.8 points due to 27.6 percent shooting from downtown. He has hit 34 percent overall from the field in the playoffs, and it wouldn't be surprising if Wednesday's game ends up being Hardaway Jr.'s last appearance in the 2024 Finals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoDallas Mavericks center
Dereck Lively II sparked back into life in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against Boston on Wednesday, producing an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double off the bench in 30 minutes. The 20-year-old rookie became the youngest player ever with double-digit rebounds in an NBA Finals game. Lively II wrapped up his line with two assists and one steal, shooting 5-for-6 from the field. The young center now boasts three double-doubles for the 2024 postseason. He played a big part in Dallas' fourth-quarter comeback effort on Wednesday, which should secure Lively II a big role in Friday's elimination game.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 days agoDallas Mavericks point guard
Luka Doncic hit an unwanted milestone in Wednesday's Game 3 loss to the Celtics, fouling out for the first time in his postseason career. Playing in his 51st playoff contest, Doncic picked up two quick fouls in crunch time and was forced to sit out the final 4:12 of action. He finished with 27 points, six rebounds, six assists, and one steal. Following a very strong shooting performance in Game 2, the Slovenian superstar was limited to 11-for-27 shooting and hit only one of his seven attempts from behind the arc. A more efficient performance will be needed from him for Dallas to survive Friday's Game 4.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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