Terry Rozier is going to get paid this season after all.
The Miami Heat guard won his salary dispute with the league on Monday, according to ESPN’s David Purdum. An arbitrator determined that players can’t be put on leave other than in cases of domestic abuse or child abuse, so Rozier’s salary will now be released.
The Heat and the NBA both agreed to put Rozier’s salary for this season in escrow after he was arrested and indicted in a federal gambling investigation. Rozier has not played in a single game for the Heat this season, which marks the final year of a four-year, $96.2 million deal. He is set to make more than $26.6 million this season, and will hit free agency this summer.
“We are pleased with the arbitrator’s ruling and remain committed to ensuring Terry’s due process rights are protected and that he is afforded the presumption of innocence throughout this process,” the National Basketball Players Association said in a statement.
Rozier pleaded not guilty after officials said he shared inside information with an individual who then shared that information with bettors. Rozier allegedly left a contest during the 2022-23 season when he was still with the Charlotte Hornets after just nine minutes due to a foot injury. Rozier allegedly told an associate that he was going to leave early, and the associate then sold that information to gamblers who bet thousands on Rozier unders for that contest.
Rozier was arrested in October as part of a larger gambling operation that also led to Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones being arrested. Billups and Jones were arrested in separate cases. Both Billups and Rozier were placed on leave by the NBA.
Rozier has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy charges of wire fraud and money laundering, and his attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the case in December.
Rozier averaged 10.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game with the Heat last season, his 10th in the league. The team acquired him ahead of the deadline during the 2023-24 campaign in a deal that sent Kyle Lowry to Charlotte.
While Rozier has not been available to play this season, and the Heat now have to pay him, the organization is still operating under the belief that it can trade him ahead of Thursday’s deadline, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Whether another team will opt to pick him up amid his legal battle, however, remains to be seen.
Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz is looking to exorcise some demons at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The closer announced he will pitch for Puerto Rico once again in the event, three years after he sustained a season-ending knee injury during a celebration on the mound of a WBC game.
Díaz, 31, is making his third appearance in the World Baseball Classic. While he made it through the 2017 WBC unscathed, Díaz sustained a shocking injury at the event in 2023, wrecking his MLB season.
The injury occurred during a team celebration after Díaz picked up a save against the Dominican Republic in the pool stage of the tournament. The win sent Puerto Rico to the quarterfinals, leading to Díaz’s teammates rushing the field and jumping up and down.
While cameras didn’t capture the exact moment of the injury, Díaz was then spotted on the ground holding his right knee. Players from Team Puerto Rico gathered around the closer. He eventually needed a wheelchair to exit the field. Díaz’s brother, fellow MLB closer Alexis Díaz, was spotted crying on the field following his brother’s injury.
It was eventually determined that Díaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee, and he missed the entire 2023 MLB season while recovering from the injury. The New York Mets struggled without their closer, going 75-87 in 2023.
The injury caused a firestorm among fans, who questioned why it was worth it for Díaz — who had just signed a five-year, $102 million extension with the Mets — to risk an injury playing for another team. And Díaz wasn’t the only MLB superstar to sustain an injury during the 2023 WBC. Houston Astros and Team Venezuela second baseman Jose Altuve played in just 90 games during the MLB regular season after fracturing his thumb on a hit-by-pitch during a game against Team USA.
After missing the entire 2023 season, Díaz returned in 2024 and put up a 3.52 ERA over 53 2/3 innings. He was even better in 2025, posting a 1.63 ERA over 66 1/3 innings and making the All-Star team for the third time in his career. Díaz hit the free-agent market following that performance and was rewarded with a three-year, $69 million deal with the Dodgers.
The previous injury, combined with his expensive new contract, wasn’t enough to deter Díaz from participating in the event in 2026. He hinted as much ahead of the 2025 season, telling Newsday that he wanted to take part in the event in 2026 because, “We don’t have the chance to play for our country [often].”
Tom Haberstroh: This would be the most “Light Years” move by Dubs owner Joe Lacob. He’s reportedly a huge believer in Jonathan Kuminga and I’m starting to think that the plan all along was to pair him with Wisconsin-native Brandin Podziemski and eventually move them to Milwaukee in a Giannis trade. Stephen Curry has shown no signs of slowing down and the team has to do right by “30.”
Giannis could extend Steph’s window, in which case they’d fill the Chase Center for the next half-decade. He’s worth going all in. Going to Milwaukee would be Jimmy Butler, Kuminga and Podziemski with four first-round picks — 2026, 2028 (top-20 protected), 2030 and 2032 — and three pick swaps. Winning a title with four different Curry iterations would be iconic. Who else are you going to get with these first-round picks?
On the Milwaukee side, if they can’t pry away the Super First from Atlanta (most favorable of NOP and MIL) or get back the Portland picks from the ill-fated Damian Lillard deal, the Warriors’ draft package may be the most attractive on the market. Butler’s expiring 2026-27 contract could be then flipped this summer for more long-term assets if need be.
Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Pistons
Kelly Iko: If you would have told me on opening night that the Pistons would hold a 5.5-game lead over the Eastern Conference by February with two All-Stars in Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, I’d have asked what trade they made along the way. Detroit’s rapid rise has been such an awesome storyline this season, but why stop there? If there was ever a time to be an aggressive front office and bolster a team’s chances of playing deep into May and June, now is that time.
Let’s make a phone call to Atlanta, which has been wading in water since Trae Young was dealt to Washington (the Hawks are just 5-6 since Jan. 10.) On paper, this is an awkward, ill-fitting assemblage of talent. Having made the play-in tournament two years in a row (congrats?), the appeal of a meaningless game should be lower down the priority list for Atlanta than, say, for the red-hot Hornets.
Johnson is the clear standout, a dynamic All-Star forward who fits Detroit’s timeline, capable of operating as an offensive hub or as the league’s best No. 2 option. The tandem with Cunningham would be menacing. The addition of Alexander-Walker, a bona fide floor spacer and versatile defender — and improving shot creator — is just the icing on the cake and would punch Detroit’s Finals ticket.
Under the current CBA, packaging Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson, along with three first-round picks and two swaps, works. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hawks asked for more draft compensation given Johnson’s age, trajectory and current talent level. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Atlanta just hung up the phone. But a Cunningham/Duncan Robinson/Alexander-Walker/Johnson/Duren core has championship written all over it.
Lauri Markkanen to the Pistons
Nekias Duncan: You know how a niche segment of NBA Twitter (tugs collar nervously) tried to practically will an Anfernee Simons-to-Orlando trade into existence? What if we do that on a larger scale and (finally) get Markkanen to Detroit?
Detroit has an All-Star duo, plenty of defense around it and a quality head coach in J.B. Bickerstaff pressing most of the right buttons. (Seriously, him implementing as many middle flashes into the second half of possessions, going back to last year, was the precursor to Jalen Duren making his offensive leap this year. And that’s just one example.)
What this team needs is high-volume shooting, and Markkanen (career 37% on 6.9 attempts from 3) fits the bill, giving Detroit yet another movement element into their half-court attack while maintaining size up front. (In this deal, the Pistons would send Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland II and Bobi Klintman to Utah; the Jazz would also include Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk).
There’s room to argue, in light of Keyonte George’s breakout, that Ivey may be better served heading to a third team instead of Utah — but I’d at least pick up the phone if I was Brooklyn (could one of these teams snag Cam Thomas?), Chicago (Coby White or Ayo Dosunmu), or Sacramento (grab a vet or some pick equity) for example. Utah would likely want at least a first and a swap on top of the player package since they’ve largely signaled they don’t want to move off Markkanen. I’d be willing to oblige if I’m Detroit — this is an All-Star who enhances your other All-Stars while being on their timeline.
Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Trail Blazers
Steve Jones: Part of the thinking here is: Should the Bucks make the trade now or in the offseason? I’m of the ilk that there is no better time than now. The offseason may have improved offers, but that could come with a quick auto-reply of a “list of preferred trade destinations” — and who loves that?
So, how many teams are saying, “Yes, we should do this right now”? The Spurs are near the top of the West, the Knicks are near the top of the East, the Celtics are contending without Jayson Tatum. Cleveland and Philly are in some form of, “I’m not sure how, but I think we’re OK.” Orlando already did the “hey, here are our picks” move. The Suns just got out of the star business. The Wolves are in “we would love to chat” territory. Now you’re staring at Miami and Golden State, which continue to press the “you know you want to do it” button. And I doubt Atlanta has a desire to give Jalen Johnson in return.
Which leads me to: What if Milwaukee just called Portland, asked for as many young pieces as it could and its picks back (and more picks) and called it a day? Be honest, how would you process the (unlikely) scenario of Portland ending up with Giannis, Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday?
Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Knicks
Ben Rohrbach: Listen, Giannis wants a trade. He reportedly prefers the Knicks. A happy Giannis is the best Giannis. So, why not make this happen (if not for the fact that the Knicks have no draft assets to trade)? How much fun would it be to see Giannis in Madison Square Garden? They respect the grind in New York, and nobody grinds harder than Giannis. Pair him with Jalen Brunson, and I think it works out better than his partnership with Damian Lillard, if only because Brunson is squarely in the prime of his career.
The Knicks would have to give up a) Karl-Anthony Towns, b) one or both of Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby and/or c) enough matching salary to make a deal work, or to get enough picks from a third team to make a deal work. With Giannis, Brunson, Josh Hart and whoever else is left over, I think that’s enough to contend. Even if it isn’t, enough people would eventually want to join them in New York to bolster their chances.
I honestly believe Antetokounmpo could take the Knicks over the top, ending a half-century title drought, just as he did in Milwaukee. And there’s nothing in the NBA like when New York is rolling. Imagine if they actually win. MSG will be a madhouse in the best possible way, and Giannis could rightfully stamp himself as a pantheon player, someone who carried two separate franchises on his back and took them to the promised land. That’s LeBron-like stuff.
The NBA fined Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd $35,000 for publicly criticizing officiating after Saturday’s loss to the Houston Rockets.
Kidd’s frustration stemmed from a possession late in the game, where Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg drove against Rockets guard Amen Thompson and fell to the floor after missing a contested layup.
“I saw a foul,” Kidd said after the game. “[Officials] Sean [Wright], Simone [Jelks] and Jason [Goldenberg] were awful tonight. The referees were unacceptable. It’s a foul, and he needs to be at the free-throw line. Now, does he make both? That’s up to the player, but the referees did not do their job. They were terrible.”
Jason Kidd felt the referees “weren’t consistent” in the Dallas Mavericks’ road loss against the Houston Rockets. He felt there should have been a review after a missed call on Cooper Flagg’s late left-hand layup.
Despite Flagg’s 83 combined points against the Hornets and Rockets, which are the most by a rookie in a two-game span during the play-by-play era, it was not enough to help the Mavericks end their losing streak, which is now at four games.
Kidd also used profanities to address criticism aimed at him for playing Flagg at point guard earlier in the season.
Jason Kidd was asked by @RonKnowsSports about the national criticism for playing Cooper Flagg at point guard.
Kidd: “Criticism? That’s your opinion. You guys write that bullshit. That’s not — I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I played it. I know what the fuck I’m doing.
“I don’t give a f***about the criticism. Criticism? That’s your opinion. You guys write that bulls***,” Kidd said. “That’s not … I’ve done this. I’ve played this game. I’ve played it at a very high level. I know what the f*** I’m doing.
With point guard Kyrie Irving out, Kidd experimented with playing Flagg in an ultra-big lineup just as he did with Giannis Antetokounmpo when he was the Milwaukee Bucks head coach. Flagg struggled at the start of the season.
Despite Flagg averaging 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and scoring a career-high 49 points on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets, it has not translated to wins this season.
The Mavericks are 19-30 and 11th in the Western Conference. Some of that has to do with injuries to Irving and Anthony Davis, whom they acquired a year ago in the trade for Luka Dončić. If the playoffs started today, the Mavericks would miss the postseason for the second straight year after making the NBA Finals in 2024.
The Bulls can’t extend White, due to the league’s 140% veteran extension limit, meaning he will go into 2026 free agency fully unrestricted.
This means the Bulls have a choice: They can either move White ahead of the deadline in order to get something for him as opposed to losing him for nothing, or they can hope to retain him this summer, without any insurance whatsoever.
Door No. 2 might be the most appealing, but door No. 1 is the safest.
The Bulls won’t get a ton for White, but that’s on them for not moving off the scoring guard earlier, so they’re unsurprisingly left dealing with the consequences of their own actions.
What could they do to salvage some of that value? Well, they do have one bullet left in the chamber in regard to White.
His contract ($12.8 million) is immensely easy to match in any trade scenario, meaning even contenders could get into the bidding without much issue.
If the Bulls could create a small bidding war among the league’s elite teams for White’s scoring prowess, they might be fortunate enough to get a first-round selection, even if it’ll be heavily protected.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
We’ve all seen the reports that the Warriors are less likely to move Kuminga after the season-ending Jimmy Butler injury.
But show of hands: How many believe general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Co.? Yeah, me neither.
This relationship is so over, both parties have re-installed Tinder. It’d be incredibly irresponsible for this relationship to linger any further, especially for Kuminga, who has never been given anything that resembles a steady role in order to develop.
While the league’s interest in the 6-foot-7 combo forward is seemingly lukewarm, surely there will be takers for a guy who has only one year left on his deal — a team option no less — and has proven he can put pressure on the rim virtually whenever he wants.
Kuminga has a ton of potential, and while it’s unclear as to whether he realizes it, NBA history suggests someone else will give him that chance.
For the Warriors, it’s also a necessary step to get closure on a situation that has festered for at least two years, if not longer. No good will come from having Kuminga on the roster after the deadline, so let’s get this ship sailing, shall we?
Khris Middleton, Washington Wizards
Could the Washington Wizards have one more major move up their sleeve after acquiring Trae Young?
Most would argue they shouldn’t go all-in on a new timeline, and that’s certainly a reasonable take. But what if Middleton’s expiring contract can fetch something interesting that will help the young players develop at a more realistic pace?
Middleton’s $33.3 million in expiring money is attractive, and the fact that Washington can add picks to any package only adds to the intrigue.
Will the Wizards go out swinging for Zion Williamson? Or possibly identify a long-term center now that they have their point guard in the fold?
This organization can go in so many different directions with Middleton that one eye has to be on them at all times before the deadline.
Tobias Harris, Detroit Pistons
Harris’ $26.6 million in expiring money is not nothing, and as Kelly Iko and I recently discussed, the Pistons are too good to not make a big move before the deadline.
That requires moving Harris’ contract, and possibly adding picks to the equation, to roll the dice on some big piece who can provide them with a legit chance of making a real push toward the Finals.
It’s necessary to note the Pistons need to do something now, as Jalen Duren — who is a restricted free agent this summer — is about to get paid. Handsomely.
Harris’ expiring deal represents a major part of the puzzle for what will ultimately be the final big piece for the Pistons and not using it would be a shame.
Whoever it is the Pistons bring in, whether it’s Lauri Markkanen or some other big fish, the Harris contract is utterly vital in getting something done.
John Collins, Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers made a good trade in the offseason, you’d think, for a scoring forward who can produce points inside and out, but their system has so far not catered to his skill set, meaning the 6-9 Collins might be more useful as an expiring trade chip (earning over $26.5 million) than as a player.
It should come as no surprise that the Clippers aren’t cheap, and with plenty of money locked up for next season, letting Collins just expire could be seen as a waste of an asset. He won’t fetch the Clippers some enormous return, but perhaps he could fetch them a contract that runs longer, allowing them to at least have a player (or two) to utilize Collins’ salary slot.
If we know one thing about the Clippers, it’s that they don’t care about taking on players with off-court issues, and with that in mind, could Miles Bridges, whose deal runs a year longer, perhaps be interesting?
Collins would give the Hornets a more natural power forward who could return to them in the offseason on a cheaper deal, and the Clippers would add a player who has an additional year left on his deal who could give them an offensive bump.
Three years into his NBA career, it looked like he had hit a wall. He couldn’t crack a double-digit scoring average. His shooting had regressed, with his 3-point percentage dropping below 30%. He was a good and eager defender, and a weapon in transition — especially when he could grab a rebound and go — but that wasn’t the future that scouts had envisioned years earlier during EuroLeague games when they saw Avdija, as a skinny teenager, running circles around grown men. It certainly wasn’t the future he had envisioned for himself.
“It was like, ‘Do I really belong here? Am I really going to be the basketball player I think I can become?’” Avdija said. “The NBA is so hard and up and down, it’s very easy for a young guy to get sucked into those thoughts.”
In October 2023, the Wizards, under new management and looking to tear things down, offered Avdija a four-year, $55 million extension, the going rate for an average role player. The goal was to lock him into a team-friendly figure that could be easily slotted into a future trade. For Avdija, though, the contract did something else. “It made me feel like I had less worries,” he said. He also refined his shooting stroke — his 3-point percentage jumped to 37.4 — which provided room for the rest of his skills to flourish. He averaged career highs that season (14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game), making it the perfect time for the Wizards to flip him. On draft night in 2024, they traded Avdija to the Trail Blazers for a package that included two first-round picks.
Michael Winger’s full response when asked if trading Deni Avdija was a mistake:
“No, it was not a mistake. We’re all very happy for Deni. We saw Deni as a very high-level ascending player…but no, we did it for the reasons we said then which was to take us back a couple of… pic.twitter.com/IsCWJARE6w
Sitting with his parents in their apartment in Israel, where he was spending the summer, Avdija let the news of the trade wash over him. He was sad his time in Washington and with the Wizards was coming to an end. But what stood out most was how much the Blazers had given up.
“I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a lot,” Avdija said. “And seeing that, it was like, ‘They really believe in me, they really want me.’”
When Avdija reported to training camp a few months later, Blazers coaches and officials saw a different player than the one they had scouted in D.C. “It was clear right away that he was the best in the gym,” said Chris Fleming, a longtime NBA assistant who spent the 2024-25 season in Portland. But Avdija, still acclimating to his new surroundings, struggled once the games began. “I’m someone who gets very close to people, especially teammates and coaches,” Avdija said. “Having new ones and moving to a new city on the other side of America — it was tough.” Old habits resurfaced. “He’d make a mistake and be very hard on himself,” Fleming recalled.
As the year progressed, Portland began playing faster and adjusting rotations and offensive schemes. Little by little, Avdija grew more comfortable and confident with the ball in his hands. He played like an All-Star over the 2024-25 season’s final 20 games (23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists) and returned the following summer ready to make one more leap.
When Jrue Holiday, Portland’s starting point guard, went down with a calf strain less than one month into the 2025-26 season — joining former No. 3 pick and fellow point guard Scoot Henderson, out since the summer with a hamstring injury — Splitter, who had taken over for the suspended Chauncey Billups in October, pulled Avdija aside. Since joining the staff in the summer, he and Avdija had talked about the first time Splitter had seen him play, around eight years earlier, when Splitter was a scout for the Brooklyn Nets watching EuroLeague games in Spain. Avdija at the time was a member of Maccabi Tel-Aviv, playing point guard, and now Splitter wanted to know if Avdija was comfortable doing so again.
Avdija, no longer harboring any doubts, didn’t hesitate.
Coach, he told Splitter, you know I can. You saw me do it when I was 18.
Deni Avdija’s mini hoop with an NBA All-Star logo on it. (Photo by Yaron Weitzman)
The confidence the Blazers have shown in Avdija has created a snowball effect. The more they believe in him, the more he believes in himself, the better he plays, which makes the Blazers believe in him even more, and round and round it goes.
“My opinion matters now,” Avdija said.
Feeling empowered, Avdija’s become a battering ram. He leads the league in drives, attacking the paint like a halfback charging through the line of scrimmage. And yet, despite defenses knowing what’s coming — for example, 90% of Avdija’s drives are to his right — opponents have had no answers. Only Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have taken more free throws than Avdija, and the 1.1 points per possession the Blazers generate on his drives rank in the 72nd percentile.
At 6-foot-8 and close to 230 pounds, Avdija is nearly as big as some of the league’s rim protectors. He’s stronger than many of them, too, with the Blazers’ medical staff marveling at the force he’s able to generate through his legs and core. Some opponents have accused Avdija of foul baiting, but Blazers coaches believe that what separates Avdija from other downhill specialists is his ability to marry brute force with a cerebral approach.
Take his James Harden-style rip-through that he’s perfected, a move that’s become one of the league’s most effective weapons. Avdija first began experimenting with it two years ago during practice. It felt good, and, like a scientist, he spent hours refining it. The footwork, the angles, how and when to extend the ball, how and when to pull it back.
“I like to think about these things from the mental side,” he said. “So what’s hard for defenders? To ignore their instincts. And if you hold the ball out, your initial reaction is that you want to go grab the ball. It’s tempting.” Avdija said that, when driving, he’ll watch for the exact moment defenders reach out. “I know the patterns. And that’s when I extend my arms.” All the while, Avdija’s reading the floor and processing the positions of the other nine players on the floor.
“There’s a brilliance to him in his ability to process things,” Abraham said.
The proof is in the numbers. Avdija dishes out of his drives nearly 50% of the time, one of the league’s top marks, and a nearly seven-point jump from last season. He’s among the league leaders in points generated off assists. In other words, as defenses collapse on him, Avdija has turned that attention into opportunities for everyone else.
Avdija knows there’s still more room to improve. He turns the ball over too much. He can struggle scoring on those rare occasions when opponents are able to keep their hands off him or when officials swallow their whistles. “I just need to add a couple of counters,” he said. He’s become a knockdown 3-pointer shooter on spot-ups (40.7%) but puts up bricks when launching off the dribble (26.9%), meaning defenders can duck under screens and direct all their attention to walling off his drives. He’s also discovering how hard life can be as the No. 1 option.
“Oh my God, when I have the ball at the top of the key now, they’re collapsing like crazy and throwing all sorts of traps at me,” he said. “It’s so different.” A recent focus among opponents has been forcing Avdija to his weaker side, though without much success. “You can try to stop me from going right, but it’s going to be very hard,” he said. “I use a lot of rejects (of the screens). Sometimes, you know, the big guys are screening and for me to go left, and I snake up to my right.”
But Avdija’s relishing the perks that come with stardom, too, and not just because it means future riches. He loves being in a position where he can shape his team’s culture, whether it’s by organizing dinners on the road, gifting all his teammates mini fridges for Christmas, or learning Mandarin so he can communicate with the Blazers’ Chinese rookie, Yang Hansen.
“I think that stuff’s really important,” Avdija said. “The NBA can be a brutal place, switching teammates every year, changing teams, things like that.”
The difference now is that, for the first time in his career, Avdija feels in control. The need to prove himself has dissipated. He’s at ease with who he is and comfortable with the player he’s become. Speaking a few weeks before the All-Star reserves were announced, you could hear it in his response when asked what it would mean to receive that honor.
“It would obviously be a dream come true, but at the end of the day, there are a lot of great players that are not All-Stars,” Avdija said. “So, yeah, it would be nice to have that crown, but I’m not playing for that stuff. My goal is just to continue being me.”
Welcome back to The Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who to add off the waiver wire and get in your lineup for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball.
Every league is different — sometimes a 75% rostered player hits waivers, whether by mistake or because they’ve hit an intolerable slump. If they fit your build, go get ’em. But for this column, we’re focusing on players under 50% rostered who are widely available and ready to help in Week 16 or beyond.
Fantasy basketball pickups and advice.
One note for daily leagues: The NBA trade deadline is on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET and deals are already happening. Save your transactions so you can react immediately when news breaks. Don’t waste pickups earlier in the week that could be overcome by events leading up to Thursday.
Add: Kelly Oubre Jr. – FC, Philadelphia 76ers (32% rostered)
News of Paul George’s 25-game suspension elevates Oubre’s status to must-roster in fantasy. In his first game since the announcement, Oubre dropped a 19-10-4 line, scoring 39 fantasy points.
The Sixers are one of nine teams playing four games this week. Though Oubre has an appealing, tradeable $8 million contract, I doubt the Sixers move him now that George will be out until March. Meaning, I’d buy his stock as a starter playing 30 minutes a night.
Stash: Jalen Smith – FC, Chicago Bulls (20% rostered)
You’re probably tired of my Jalen Smith stash campaign, but we have four days left for the Bulls to make a move! Smith missed the past two games with a calf injury, and yet I’m banking on the Bulls (I know, it’s a tall order) to find a taker for Nikola Vučević and his expiring contract. The compensation might be lower than they want, but damnit, they’ll get something. That would leave a void in the frontcourt, where Smith has already been operating well alongside Vuč.
Before exiting Thursday’s game early, Smith was well on his way to another double-double. Hold him through Thursday because it could be a game-changer for your squad.
Collin Murray-Boyles – FC, Toronto Raptors (25% rostered)
CMB’s versatility has been so impactful for the Raptors. Toronto is a top-five team in the East and the rookie brushed off a thumb injury to return to the starting lineup in Week 15. His skill set is perfect for fantasy, as he provides a healthy mix of scoring, rebounding and assisting with plenty of stocks.
Jakob Poeltl is not close to returning, leaving CMB as Toronto’s main guy in the frontcourt. It may seem modest, but as a starter, he’s averaging 9.3 points with 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.4 stocks per game in 28 minutes. That’s over a fantasy point per minute, which is the type of efficiency you want to see in fantasy.
Stash: Bub Carrington – G, Washington Wizards (17% rostered)
Since the Wizards are tanking and in rebuild mode, Carrington stands out as an early short-term hold through the deadline. Trae Young will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break, leaving Bub as the primary facilitator. And who honestly knows how much Trae will play in the second half of the season?
Since turnovers don’t matter in High Score, I’d prioritize him over Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Johnson at the moment. That could change if Khris Middleton gets moved by Thursday. Still, I like Bub’s counting stats: he’s scored at least 32 fantasy points in five of his last six games, with High Scores of 40 and 36 over the past two weeks.
There are a couple of paths to a bigger role by season’s end for the Pacers’ 2023 lottery pick. First, Indiana is fielding inquiries on Bennedict Mathurin. Secondly, Pascal Siakam could be load-managed as the season wears on, with the Pacers vying for the worst record in the league.
Seeing what they have in Walker is important, since he becomes an extension-eligible player this summer. More minutes could be on the way and he’s been producing recently, averaging close to 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game over his last five contests.
Day’Ron Sharpe – C, Brooklyn Nets (12% rostered)
Add and hold Sharpe through Thursday’s deadline as he’s been a top-150 player over the past month and finished 91st in 9-cat leagues in Week 15. He’s actually good for both 9-cat or points leagues, as he is one of the best offensive rebounders in the league, efficient around the rim and a sneaky playmaker as a big man.
With the Nets firmly in a rebuild, they could field offers for Nic Claxton, but either way, Sharpe is producing enough per minute to warrant adding across formats.
Ty Jerome – SG, Memphis Grizzlies (23% rostered)
Adding Jerome is less about Ja Morant getting traded (I don’t think he will be) and more about the Grizzlies being 18-29 and trending in the wrong direction. In Jerome’s season debut, he scored 20 points with 1 rebound and 6 assists in only 19 minutes.
He’s still on a minutes restriction, but given the Grizzlies will be without Morant for at least the next couple of weeks with an elbow injury, Jerome has some runway to be a viable fantasy asset.
De’Anthony Melton – PG/SG, Golden State Warriors (10% rostered)
Who knows what swings the Warriors may really take -— trading away Jonathan Kuminga or even bigger, landing Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, I’d roster Melton before his minutes cap is lifted. He’s averaging 14-3-3 with 2 steals per game over the past two weeks, and Golden State continues to rave about his impact and long-term fit with the team.
Melton could end up in the starting lineup at some point, but he’s still worth holding in fantasy while coming off the bench. In his last outing versus the Pistons, he played his most minutes (26) and delivered 18 points with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 3-pointer.
Tre Jones – PG/SG, Chicago Bulls (19% rostered)
Like Vučević, the Bulls are unlikely to offer Coby White a new deal, thus making him an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. It’d be in Chicago’s best interest to get something for him, and if White gets traded, that would leave a void at the guard spot that Jones would take over. He’s been efficient all year, racks up steals and is top-10 in assist-to-turnover ratio while ranking 77th in 9-cat leagues. Jones is on the injured list with a hamstring injury, so you might be able to snag him and stash him from the wire.
Jonathan Kuminga – SF/PF, Golden State Warriors (20% rostered)
Kuminga’s stance on wanting a trade hasn’t wavered and despite being on the IL with a bone bruise, he could very well be dealt by Thursday. Depending on the destination, a change of scenery could unlock the usage and role he’s been seeking in the Golden State. He’s a speculative add in points leagues before Thursday’s deadline.
