NBA Player News

Cisse (illness) has been cleared to play Friday night against the Warriors.

Cisse carried a probable tag leading up to Thursday's matchup due to an illness, and he's officially been given the green light to take the court. He's averaging 8.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his last five games, all off the bench.

Valanciunas (calf) is expected to play Thursday versus the Wizards, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reports.

This will be Valanciunas' first game since Dec. 31, so he'll likely have some minutes restrictions, but his return will likely result in less playing time for DaRon Holmes and Zeke Nnaji. While Valanciunas may be brought along slowly, he'll have a ton of opportunity while Nikola Jokic (knee) is out, so make sure he's not floating around on your waiver wire.

Sabonis (knee, rest) will be available for Friday's game against the Cavaliers.

Sabonis was rested Wednesday against the Raptors due to left knee injury maintenance -- he had just recently returned from a 27-game absence. Sabonis' minutes have been very limited since his return, and he may face restrictions once again Friday as the Kings continue to err on the side of caution.

Ware (hamstring) will not play Thursday against Portland.

Ware was previously listed as questionable, so fantasy managers can assume that he's day-to-day. With Ware out for a second straight contest, the Heat will likely deploy some smaller lineups with Nikola Jovic possibly seeing a bump in minutes.

Turner (ankle) is probable for Friday's game against the Nuggets.

Turner is likely to return from a one-game absence after missing Wednesday's game against the Thunder. Bobby Portis put up a strong showing Wednesday with 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Pete Nance fared well off the bench with 11 points in 30 minutes.

Bagley (illness) will not play Thursday against the Nuggets.

Bagley was unable to clear his questionable tag for this contest. The Wizards are already shorthanded in the frontcourt with Tristan Vukcevic (hamstring) out, so the team may deploy some small-ball combos when Alex Sarr needs a breather.

Kornet is out for Thursday's game against the Jazz due to left adductor tightness.

The 30-year-old can be considered day-to-day ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Pelicans. The Spurs could rely more heavily upon Victor Wembanyama at center Thursday, and Kelly Olynyk now has an opportunity to enter the rotation as the top backup big man.

Cardwell registered two points (1-2 FG), 13 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and one steal over 25 minutes during Wednesday's 122-109 loss to Toronto.

Cardwell has been a force on the boards recently, recording double-digit rebounds for the third straight game Wednesday. He led the team with 13 rebounds while swatting four shots and a steal, marking his ninth game with at least one block and one steal. The rookie big man has logged at least 20 minutes in 11 of his past 14 outings and is one of just three players this season to average at least seven rebounds per game while playing under than 20 minutes per contest, along with Mitchell Robinson and Andre Drummond.

Raynaud produced eight points (3-7 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds and two assists over 22 minutes during Wednesday's 122-109 loss to the Raptors.

The rookie saw a slight uptick in minutes Wednesday with Domantas Sabonis getting the night off for rest. Sabonis' workloads have been extremely low, and that's likely by design as the Kings ensure he's healthy ahead of the trade deadline. With possible changes coming to Sacramento, Raynaud is a low-end hold in deeper formats.

Cisse (illness) is probable for Thursday's game against the Warriors.

Cisse was previously labeled as questionable, so he's trending in the right direction. With Daniel Gafford (ankle) now considered doubtful, Cisse is likely to absorb a handful of backup center minutes behind Dwight Powell on Thursday.