NBA Player News

Bagley will come off the bench Sunday against Denver.

Bagley joining the second unit upon the return of Daniel Gafford (concussion) is the expected lineup alteration for the Wizards. Sunday will represent a notable litmus test for the extent of Bagley's role while he platoons with Gafford for the first time.

Bitadze is coming off the bench for Sunday's game against the Heat, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Bitadze started in his last 11 appearances and averaged 6.9 points and 8.0 rebounds in 23.7 minutes per game during that time. However, he'll retreat to the bench with Wendell Carter starting against Miami.

Carter will start Sunday's game against the Heat, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Carter will make his first start since Dec. 27, joining Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. Carter has played well over his last three games, posting 20.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23.0 minutes.

Drummond is listed as probable to play Monday against the Suns due to lower back spasms.

Drummond has dealt with lower back spasms throughout the past week, although he has yet to miss a game this season. He posted 15 points and 10 rebounds in a customary 19-minute workload during Saturday's win over Memphis, putting him firmly on track to play Monday.

Embiid totaled 33 points (11-23 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 11-12 FT), 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks across 37 minutes during Saturday's 97-89 win over Charlotte.

It's getting harder and harder to find adjectives for the kind of season Embiid is having, and it seems no one in the league can slow him down, with injuries being the only reason he hasn't posted even better numbers while he searches for another MVP award. The 29-year-old center has scored 30 or more in 20 straight games dating back to Nov. 17, averaging 36.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.2 threes over that stretch while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from three.

Bagley closed with 21 points (8-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal over 36 minutes during Saturday's 131-127 loss to the Spurs.

With Daniel Gafford (concussion) sidelined, Bagley started for the second game in a row and posted an impressive stat line while notching a second straight double-double. Bagley should experience an uptick in his fantasy upside if he stays in a starting role, but that will depend on Gafford's availability ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Nuggets.

Horford won't play Sunday against the Rockets for rest purposes.

Horford will be inactive Sunday along with guard Jrue Holiday (elbow) in what likely amounts to maintenance for both players on the front end of a back-to-back set. In Horford's absence Sunday, Luke Kornet will likely see an enlarged workload, while Neemias Queta could also enter the rotation if the Celtics elect to deploy Kristaps Porzingis at power forward more frequently.

Gafford (concussion) is cleared to play Sunday against Denver.

Gafford missed two contests due to a concussion, but he was removed from the injury report Sunday. He'll return to a Washington frontcourt featuring the offensively rejuvenating Marvin Bagley, potentially setting up a timeshare at center moving forward.

Sengun finished Saturday's 127-126 overtime win over the Jazz with 37 points (15-26 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 6-10 FT), 14 rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal across 42 minutes.

Sengun showcased extraordinary usage while contributing across the board and posting only one turnover in the narrow win. His 26 shot attempts marked a career high, although he's now logged seven games with 20-plus shots this season after never exceeding 17 shots in a game in 2022-23. Sengun's nifty footwork combined with a quality mid-range jumper and blossoming foul-drawing prowess en route to 5.5 free-throws per game combines to form a stellar offensive portfolio.

Kessler fouled out of Saturday's 127-126 overtime loss to Houston after recording seven points (2-4 FG, 3-6 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists and five blocks over 32 minutes.

Kessler's block production has given him a quality fantasy floor, even while seemingly being capped at 25 minutes per night. However, he saw an increased role versus Houston, starting the second half ahead of John Collins en route to tying his season high with 32 minutes. Saturday marked Kessler's third game since Dec. 21 with double-digit rebounds, but his 18.1 percent defensive rebounding rate ranks in just the 52nd percentile among all bigs this season. Collins logged 20 minutes Saturday, and Kessler is a candidate to eat into his role down the stretch, although coach Will Hardy continuing to dictate his rotation based on the nightly matchup is very plausible.