RADIO
De'Aaron Fox Highly Effective in Blowout Win
San Antonio Spurs point guard De'Aaron Fox eased his way to 21 points, four rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks in just 24 minutes in Friday's series-clinching 139-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fox went a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc and 2-for-2 at the line, missing just two of 10 field-goal attempts. This was one of Fox's best performances of the postseason. While the All-Star guard hasn't set the world alight in the playoffs, he has done a solid job overall. Across 11 appearances, Fox has contributed 18.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He's been dealing with an ankle issue and left the first half early on Friday, which is something to monitor in the upcoming Western Conference Finals against Oklahoma City.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Stephon Castle Shines in Series-Clincher
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle led the demolition job as the team punched its ticket to the Western Conference Finals with a 139-109 blowout victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Castle posted game highs with 32 points and 11 rebounds, while delivering six assists in 30 minutes. He finished 11-for-16 from the field, including 5-for-7 beyond the arc. Castle nearly matched his Game 5 total (17) in the opening quarter when he scored 14 points. The 21-year-old is playing in his first postseason, but hasn't had any issues handling the extra pressure. In 11 outings, Castle has averaged 19.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, nailing 44% of his three-point attempts.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Austin Reaves Could Command $40M Per Year With New Contract
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is set to receive a major pay raise as a free agent this offseason. According to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic, because of a weak free-agent class, rival executives believe Reaves could secure a contract worth $40 million per season. The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets have the salary cap space needed to sign Reaves, and both the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks are said to be interested in his services. Reaves, who earned $13.9 million this season, averaged a career-high 23.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 2025-26, along with 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals. Year after year, his fantasy stock has grown, and it's expected to remain high whether Reaves stays with the Lakers or signs elsewhere.
Source: The Athletic
Source: The Athletic
Jalen Duren Available to Finish Game 6
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (ankle) started the fourth quarter of Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He injured his left ankle midway through the third quarter. Duren made several trips to the locker room but appears to have avoided a major injury. Paul Reed enjoyed a strong stretch during Duren's absence. Before the injury, Duren was having his best performance of the series, posting nine points, seven rebounds, one steal, and two blocks.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Yanic Konan Niederhauser Not Expected to Be Ready for Start of Next Season
Los Angeles Clippers center Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) is not expected to be ready for the start of next season, Law Murray of The Athletic reports. In March, the rookie big man was diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot and underwent season-ending surgery. Unfortunately, Niederhauser must also sit out the start of the 2026-27 campaign. Recently, it was reported that the 23-year-old is looking at a 5-8-month recovery timeline. While Niederhauser didn't get much burn during his first year in the Association, he flashed plenty of potential. Across 41 appearances, he averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game.
Source: Law Murray
Source: Law Murray
Jalen Williams Declares Himself Healthy for Conference Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (hamstring) has declared himself healthy for the start of the Western Conference Finals, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reports. Williams has dealt with hamstring issues throughout the season, missing the last six games in the playoffs. Despite being without one of their best players, the Thunder have still dominated in the postseason, sweeping two opponents. With Williams sidelined, Chet Holmgren has been a bigger part of the offense. He averaged 20.0 points per game in the second-round series against the Lakers. Ajay Mitchell has put in some eye-popping performances while filling in for Williams in the starting lineup, but he will head back to the bench now that Williams is set to return.
Source: Tim MacMahon
Source: Tim MacMahon
Terrence Shannon Jr. Will Play Friday Night
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Terrence Shannon Jr. (head) will suit up for Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night. It was initially unclear whether Shannon Jr. would play after he was a late addition to the injury report due to a head contusion. Shannon Jr. has made some noise in these playoffs, but he might not play much on Friday, with Minnesota needing to rely heavily on its best players in an elimination scenario. In Game 5, Shannon Jr. was limited to two points and four assists in 17 minutes.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Kevin Huerter is Available for Game 6
Detroit Pistons guard Kevin Huerter (adductor) is available to play for Friday's Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Huerter made his return to the court after a seven-game absence on Wednesday. He only logged in three minutes of playing time during Wednesday's overtime defeat. It's unlikely that Huerter sees much of an increase in playing time on Friday. Duncan Robinson (back) is returning after missing Game 5, so it's possible that Huerter doesn't play at all. DFS managers should not count on Huerter to be a reliable option ahead of this must-win matchup.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Duncan Robinson is Returning for Game 6
Detroit Pistons guard Duncan Robinson (back) is available to play ahead of Friday's Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Robinson is back in the mix after being forced to miss Wednesday's Game 5 defeat. Daniss Jenkins moved into the starting five with Robinson unable to go in the last game. He played over 40 minutes, but should see a significantly reduced role with Robinson returning on Friday. The assumption is that Robinson will move back into the starting five. He'll be a decent source of three-pointers, but doesn't offer a ton of upside outside of that.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Caris LeVert is Cleared for Game 6 on Friday
Detroit Pistons guard Caris LeVert (heel) is available to play ahead of Friday's Game 6 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. As expected, LeVert is cleared to play after being listed as questionable on the injury report. He figures to only play minutes in the 20s with Kevin Huerter and Duncan Robinson both active for this game. The Pistons won't need to lean on LeVert as much as they did earlier in the series. He finished with seven points across 24 minutes of action during Wednesday's Game 5 defeat. The return of Robinson will likely hurt LeVert's overall upside as a DFS option for Friday.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
OG Anunoby Practices in Full on Friday
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (hamstring) was a full participant during Friday's practice session. This is an encouraging sign after Anunoby missed the final two games of the previous series against the Philadelphia 76ers. He continues to battle a right hamstring issue, but is optimistic that he'll be ready for Game 1 of the next series. His absence from the rotation has pushed Miles McBride into the starting five. McBride knocked down seven three-pointers during the series-clinching Game 4 versus the Sixers. He figures to continue playing a significant role if Anunoby is still unable to play.
Source: Stefan Bondy
Source: Stefan Bondy
Terrence Shannon Jr. is Tagged as Questionable for Friday
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (head) is a late addition to the injury report ahead of Friday's Game 6 against the San Antonio Spurs. It's unclear when he suffered the injury, but Shannon is in danger of missing this game due to a head contusion. With Anthony Edwards healthy now, Shannon has seen a reduced role in the rotation. He logged in 17 minutes during Tuesday's loss. If he sits out, Mike Conley and Bones Hyland would likely see increased run on Friday. DFS managers should check back ahead of tip-off for final confirmation on Shannon's status.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
Karl-Anthony Towns Making an Impact as Playmaker in Playoffs
New York Knicks forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns has taken his game to a new level as a playmaker in the 2026 NBA playoffs. Through the first two rounds of action, Towns is averaging 6.6 assists per game -- more than double his regular-season average of 3.0. During the regular season, he finished with double-digit assists just once but has done so three times already in 10 playoff games. The Knicks have a perfect 7-0 record in the playoffs when Towns dishes out at least five assists. His efforts as a playmaker have helped the Knicks build a seven-game winning streak heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, where Towns is expected to maintain a key role.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Jalen Duren Determined to Improve
Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren has struggled during the 2026 NBA Playoffs but remains eager to improve. "Absolutely, I feel like I could be better in all aspects of the game," Duren told reporters after Wednesday's Game 5 loss to Cleveland. "Continue to grind and continue to grow." In Wednesday's overtime loss, Duren didn't see any action after the third quarter, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 25 minutes. After earning his first All-Star selection in the regular season, Duren's production has dipped to 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game during the playoffs. With the Pistons facing elimination on Friday night, they need Duren to break out of his slump more than ever. If he doesn't start strong, we might see a lot of Paul Reed again after his impressive 10-point, eight-rebound outing on Wednesday.
Source: Hunter Patterson
Source: Hunter Patterson
Kevin Huerter Tagged as Questionable for Game 6 Against Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons guard/forward Kevin Huerter (adductor) is questionable for Friday's elimination game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 27-year-old has dealt with an adductor injury throughout the postseason and might land back on the shelf after making his comeback in Game 5 on Wednesday night. In a 117-113 overtime loss, Huerter saw just three minutes of action, contributing one assist. Duncan Robinson (back) and Caris LeVert (heel) are also questionable for Friday's action. If they can't play, Huerter could have a bigger role in the rotation, but he hasn't been a good DFS option in the playoffs.
Source: NBA Injury Report
Source: NBA Injury Report
