NBA Player News

Claxton revealed Saturday that he's dealing with a high-ankle sprain, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

The Nets have been labeling Claxton as day-to-day since he sustained the injury in an Oct. 25 season-opening loss to the Cavaliers, but the center's own assertion that he's dealing with a high-ankle sprain suggests the day-to-day label may not be accurate. As Slater notes, high-ankle sprains often entail a 6-to-8-week recovery, so Claxton could be in line to miss another month of action, if not longer. On a more positive note, Claxton was spotted with a walking boot on his left ankle following the Nets' morning shootaround Saturday, perhaps offering some indication that he's healed. Even so, fantasy managers who have been closely keeping tabs of Claxton's status probably can't count on him playing at any point during the Nets' upcoming four-game week, despite the team continuing to label him as day-to-day.

Vucevic chipped in 19 points (8-17 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and three assists over 30 minutes during Saturday's 123-101 loss to Denver.

Vucevic posted a team highs with 19 points and 17 shot attempts. Simultaneously, he posted a ghastly minus-27 net rating during his time on the court. The 33-year-old's 20.5 percent usage rate ranks in the 65th percentile among big men, which is the main appeal to his fantasy portfolio.

Jokic ended with 28 points (9-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 16 rebounds, nine assists and three steals across 33 minutes during Saturday's 123-101 victory over the Bulls.

Jokic was dealing with low back pain pregame, but he showed no signs of the issue as he overpowered Chicago. Jokic has fallen one assist shy of a triple-double in back-to-back games. Next up is a Monday matchup against a Pelicans squad that ranks sixth overall in defensive efficiency and 11th in rim protection.

Kornet recorded 11 points (5-5 FG, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds and one steal in 15 minutes during Saturday's 124-114 victory over Brooklyn.

Kornet saw a slight bump in usage with Derrick White (personal reasons) inactive, as the Celtics turned to a different combination of lineups. Kornet outperformed Al Horford (eight points, seven rebounds) despite Horford logging double his minutes. However, Kornet's backup center role likely won't amount to anything larger, as Horford is still the more versatile defender.

Horford accumulated eight points (4-7 FG, 0-3 3Pt), seven rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal over 30 minutes during Saturday's 124-114 victory over the Nets.

Horford moved into the starting lineup with Derrick White (personal reasons) inactive. Logging a season-high 30 minutes, Horford matched his season-high eight points. The 37-year-old shouldn't be expected to deliver more than Saturday's output on a nightly basis.

Wagner had 13 points (6-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt), eight rebounds, two assists and one steal in 19 minutes during Saturday's 120-101 victory over the Lakers.

Wagner's role remained the same despite Wendell Carter missing his first game with a fractured finger. Carter is facing a multi-week absence, setting the stage for Wagner and Goga Bitadze -- who started Saturday -- to fill the void at center. Wagner connected on 62.7 percent of his two-point attempts in 19.5 minutes per game last season, which ranked in the 68th percentile among bigs. He's capable of delivering in a larger role.

Bitadze supplied 10 points (3-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists and five blocks across 26 minutes during Saturday's 120-101 victory over the Lakers.

Orlando opted to start Bitadze while keeping Moritz Wagner in his role with the second unit amid Wendell Carter's (finger) surgery. Bitadze and Wagner bring similar passing skills to Orlando's offense and should help enable Orlando's key contributors in cuts and on on the perimeter. Bitadze's largest sample size is 13.6 minutes per game across 95 appearances with the Pacers in 2020-21 and 2021-22, which yielded 6.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.1 blocks per game.

Richards amassed 10 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds and two blocks over 18 minutes during Saturday's 125-124 win over the Pacers.

Richards and Mark Williams perfectly chopped all 48 minutes of Saturday's game for the Hornets. Richards' performance is indicative of his ceiling while Williams is healthy, but Richards remains a quality back-up big, showcasing extra shot-blocking prowess this season. The 25-year-old is averaging 4.7 blocks per 36 minutes.

Williams produced 27 points (9-12 FG, 9-9 FT), seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals in 30 minutes during Saturday's 125-124 win over the Pacers.

Williams posted a career-best scoring night while being perfect at the free-throw line. The sample size is small, but Williams is hitting 85.0 percent of his free throws after connecting on just 69.1 percent of 2.3 attempts per game last season. The 21-year-old has been volatile thus far, but he's fully capable of booming if he continues blossoming as Charlotte's center of the future.

Towns ended Saturday's 123-95 victory over the Jazz with 25 points (7-14 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 9-10 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and two steals across 32 minutes.

Towns has been playing very well this season and continues to produce on both ends of the court. His rebounding numbers have regressed a bit, which was to be expected given he shares the frontcourt with Rudy Gobert, but he has looked good as a scoring threat. Towns has scored 19 or more points in three of his five appearances, and this 25-point outing was his highest-scoring game of the campaign.