NBA Player News

Collins (neck/head) won't play in Thursday's game against Minnesota, per Law Murray of The Athletic.

Collins is out for a second consecutive contest due to a head laceration and neck soreness. Sunday's tilt against the Pelicans marks the 28-year-old power forward's next chance to suit up. With Kawhi Leonard (ankle) also sidelined, Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders appear to be worth streaming in most fantasy formats in a pinch.

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Strus (foot) is "really trending positive" in his recovery and took part in contact work with the coaching staff Tuesday, Danny Cunningham of Sports Radio 92.3 The Fan Cleveland reports.

Updates on Strus' status have been few and far between since he underwent surgery in late August to address a Jones fracture of his left foot, but Atkinson's comments offer some encouragement that the 29-year-old's 2025-26 debut could be on the horizon. Atkinson said last week that he fully anticipates Strus playing in games before the end of the regular season, but a more definitive target date for his return likely won't become clear until he takes part in full-contact scrimmaging with teammates. Strus will likely have his playing time monitored carefully once he's ready to play, but the career 36.8 percent three-point shooter will give the Cavaliers some extra floor spacing whenever he takes the court.

Leonard (ankle) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Timberwolves, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.

Leonard was unable to shake his questionable tag for this contest, but he remains day-to-day. The Clippers begin a back-to-back set Sunday against the Pelicans, so it will be interesting to see how the team handles this. Bennedict Mathurin and Jordan Miller are likely to see expanded roles Thursday.

Harris ended with four points (2-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt), eight rebounds, one assist and one block across 24 minutes during Wednesday's 124-116 win over the Thunder.

Harris continues to be an underwhelming fantasy asset despite a sizable role at forward. Over his last seven games, he's averaging 10.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 three-pointers on 38.9 percent shooting in 29.6 minutes per contest.

Brown accumulated four points (1-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, five assists and two steals over 28 minutes during Wednesday's 103-84 win over the Celtics.

Brown had been trending up for several weeks prior to this dud, so fantasy managers in deeper formats may want to give him another chance. Over his last seven outings, Brown has averaged 8.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 three-pointers in 26.8 minutes per game.

Payton logged 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-7 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists and three steals in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 133-112 win over Memphis.

The Warriors were extremely shorthanded for the second leg of this back-to-back set, allowing Payton to step into an expanded role on the offensive side of things. Fantasy managers will not want to chase this line, however, as it has the makings of an obvious outlier.

Raynaud chipped in 11 points (5-9 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds and two assists over 29 minutes during Wednesday's 128-97 loss to the Rockets.

With Dylan Cardwell (ankle) likely out for another several weeks, Raynaud is holding down the No. 1 center spot for the Kings. Raynuad has started eight consecutive games, averaging 13.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.5 minutes per contest while shooting 56.1 percent from the field.

Porter finished with eight points (3-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds and nine assists in 22 minutes during Wednesday's 118-116 loss to the Bucks.

Porter capitalized on the absences of Donovan Mitchell (groin) and James Harden (thumb), handing out a team-high nine dimes off the bench. However, Wednesday marked just the second time Porter has appeared in Cleveland's last four outings, putting him at risk of falling out of the rotation altogether once the Cavaliers' dynamic backcourt duo is back healthy.

Ellis contributed 14 points (5-9 FG, 4-8 3Pt), four rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals over 29 minutes during Wednesday's 118-116 loss to the Bucks.

Ellis took advantage of the absences of Donovan Mitchell (groin) and James Harden (thumb). Ellis is carving out a more stable role in Cleveland than he was in Sacramento, averaging 6.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in 21.6 minutes per contest in nine games for the Cavaliers.

Dick (coach's decision) went unused off the bench Wednesday in the Raptors' 110-107 loss to the Spurs.

Dick had appeared in each of the Raptors' first 58 games of the season, but after he was held under 10 minutes in two of the previous three contests, he was dropped from the rotation entirely. Rather than sticking with Dick on the second unit, head coach Darko Rajakovic went with Jamison Battle (six minutes) as the 10th man in the rotation. While Dick's removal from the rotation could prove to be a short-term arrangement, the Raptors still aren't expected to make the third-year wing a major priority when the team is at full strength.