Fantasy Basketball

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis will have no minutes restriction and is good to go for Friday's game versus the Knicks, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

Porzingis will return to action Friday after missing the previous four games with a calf injury. Porzingis is expected to replace Al Horford in the starting lineup and play close to his season average of 30.3 minutes per contest.

Williams (back) is available for Friday's game against the Raptors.

Williams was unavailable Wednesday against Chicago but will be back in action following a one-game absence. He's been a consistent contributor for Charlotte recently, averaging 13.7 points and 10.4 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game over 15 appearances since the start of November.

Theis is questionable for Friday's game against the Jazz due to an illness, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Theis is a late addition to the injury report, which doesn't bode well for his availability. If he's sidelined, the Clippers' second unit will likely have to play small ball with P.J. Tucker or Kobe Brown at center.

Gafford (ankle), who is questionable for Friday's game against the Nets, fully participated in Washington's morning shootaround, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post reports.

Gafford is dealing with a left ankle sprain ahead of Friday's matchup, but his participation in the shootaround certainly bodes well for his status. He's scored in double figures in four of his last five appearances, averaging 12.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 24.2 minutes per game.

Porzingis (calf) is available for Friday's game against the Knicks, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

Porzingis missed the last four games due to a calf injury but fully participated in practice Wednesday and will return to game action a few days later. Over 12 appearances in November, he averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30.2 minutes per game, but it's unclear whether he'll face a minutes limit following his absence.

The Trail Blazers recalled Brown from the G League's Rip City Remix on Friday.

Brown was sent to the Remix on Thursday, and he tallied 21 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block in 25 minutes during Rip City's win over Stockton. However, he shouldn't be part of the Trail Blazers' rotation now that he's back with the parent club.

The Grizzlies recalled Lofton from the G League's Memphis Hustle on Friday.

Lofton will be available for Friday's game versus the Timberwolves. The second-year big man is averaging 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.7 minutes across 14 NBA appearances this season.

Olynyk (shoulder) has been upgraded to probable for Friday's game against the Clippers, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Olynyk was initially deemed questionable for Friday's matchup, but he seems to be trending in the right direction ahead of tipoff. He fully practiced Thursday, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him return from a two-game absence caused by a right shoulder strain. Over four appearances before his absence, Olynyk averaged 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 18.8 minutes per game.

Mobley, who's listed as questionable due to knee soreness, wasn't present during the team's morning shootaround ahead of Friday's game versus the Heat, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Mobley still has a chance to suit up, but he's trending in the wrong direction and may miss his first game of the season. If that's the case, Georges Niang, Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro would be candidates for increased playing time versus Miami.

Isaac (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against Detroit.

Isaac continues to deal with a sprained right ankle and will be ruled out for a second consecutive game. Caleb Houstan will likely continue to see increased minutes off the bench Friday.

Davis posted 16 points (5-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 6-8 FT), 15 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals over 31 minutes during Thursday's 133-89 win over the Pelicans.

Davis was the perfect sidekick for LeBron James on Thursday. He was excellent as a rebounder, defender and playmaker, but he also made shots when he had to, finishing with a strong double-double and a massive stat line. Davis has no problem being the top option on offense for the Lakers, but he is at his best when supplementing James as an alternative who can get it done on both ends of the court. Davis will try to keep it going Saturday when the Lakers take on the Pacers during the In-Season Tournament championship.

Williamson closed Thursday's 133-89 loss to the Lakers with 13 points (6-8 FG, 1-6 FT), two rebounds and three assists across 26 minutes.

Williamson was one of the few bright spots in this one, as the Pelicans were able to compete with the Lakers during the first quarter but were blown out after that. Williamson was efficient as a scorer and did what he could to make an impact, but he couldn't lift the team on his own.

The Raptors announced Friday that they waived Harper from his two-way contract, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports.

Harper will undergo season-ending surgery next week after sustaining a subluxation of the left shoulder while playing for the Raptors 905 of the G League. Harper made just one appearance in the NBA in 2023-24.

Charlotte transferred Black from the G League's Greensboro Swarm to the NBA club Friday.

Black continues to bounce back and forth between the G League and NBA club, which isn't surprising given he's operating under a two-way contract. He's made four NBA appearances this season, averaging 1.3 points and 4.3 minutes per game.

The Wizards recalled Baldwin from the Capital City Go-Go on Friday.

Baldwin was assigned to the G League's Capital City Go-Go on Thursday, but he'll rejoin the Wizards ahead of Friday's game in Brooklyn. The 21-year-old shouldn't be part of Washington's rotation after averaging just 3.7 minutes per game over three appearances with the club earlier this year.

James recorded 30 points (9-12 FG, 4-4 3Pt, 8-8 FT), five rebounds and eight assists in 23 minutes during Thursday's 133-89 win over the Pelicans.

James was a man on a mission Thursday, and it showed, as he barely missed a shot from the field and carried the team on his back at times, making clutch buckets whenever the Pelicans tried to get close in the first half and extending the lead to a blowout during the second half. James will try to keep the momentum going when the Lakers face the Pacers on Saturday in the In-Season Tournament championship.

Ingram posted nine points (4-13 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds and seven assists over 31 minutes during Thursday's 133-89 loss to the Lakers.

Ingram enjoyed a strong start in the first quarter and stepped up whenever the Pelicans needed offense. However, he faded away as the game progressed and looked overmatched against a dominant Lakers defense. From an efficiency and scoring point of view, this one will go down as one of Ingram's worst games of the season, though perhaps more worryingly, it was a subpar outing in a game where the team needed him to step up.

Murphy accumulated 14 points (5-13 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and one assist across 22 minutes during Thursday's 133-89 loss to the Lakers.

The Pelicans struggled badly on offense, and the fact that Murphy led the team in scoring over the likes of Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram tells how things unfolded for New Orleans. Murphy has made just three appearances this season but has shown he will be an important piece for the team regardless of whether he starts or not. He has scored at least 14 points in each of those contests.

Harris will start Friday's game against the Pistons.

With Jalen Suggs (ankle) sidelined, Harris will make his first start since Nov. 17. During that contest, Harris posted season highs in points (15), rebounds (six) and blocks (two) in 29 minutes during a 103-97 win over Chicago.

Harris (shoulder) is available for Friday's game versus the Magic.

Harris missed the previous 14 games with a right shoulder strain but has been upgraded from questionable to available Friday. However, the veteran forward will likely be on a minute restriction following his lengthy absence.

Duarte (knee) is questionable for Friday's game against the Suns.

Duarte missed Monday's loss to the Pelicans but returned to practice Wednesday as a full participant. If he's out again, Sasha Vezenkov and Keon Ellis would be candidates for increased playing time versus the Suns.

Suggs (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Pistons.

Suggs exited Wednesday's game against Cleveland due to a right ankle strain, and he'll be sidelined for at least one matchup. Gary Harris, Anthony Black, Cole Anthony and Joe Ingles are candidates to see increased roles for the Magic during Friday's matchup, while Suggs' next chance to return will be Monday in a rematch against the Cavaliers.

The Trail Blazers recalled Rupert from the G League's Rip City Remix on Friday.

A day after being sent to the G League, Rupert will rejoin the parent club. Over seven appearances with the Trail Blazers this year, he's averaged just 0.7 points in 4.4 minutes per game.

Reaves amassed 17 points (5-9 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 23 minutes during Thursday's 133-89 victory over the Pelicans.

When the team needed another playmaker, a big shot or a stop on defense, Reaves was there. Despite coming off the bench, he delivered an impressive outing on both ends of the court and was instrumental as the Lakers built a massive lead in the third quarter, one they'd never relinquish. Reaves is expected to play a key role off the bench once again when the Lakers face the Pacers on Saturday during the In-Season Tournament championship.

Smith (back) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Wizards, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Just a few minutes after being a late addition to the injury as questionable with upper back soreness, Smith has officially been ruled out. He recently missed six straight games due to a lower back strain, so the Nets will presumably be cautious, as the two injuries are likely related.

Smith is questionable for Friday's game against the Wizards due to upper-back soreness, Erik Slater of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Smith is a late addition to the injury report, which doesn't bode well for his availability. The backup point guard recently missed six straight games due to a lower-back sprain but is now dealing with an upper-back issue. It's unclear if the two issues are related, but Brooklyn will probably exercise caution either way.

Smith (ankle) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Raptors.

As expected, Smith has been downgraded from doubtful to out. It's unclear when exactly he sprained his ankle, but he scored 14 points in Greensboro's blowout loss to Capital City on Thursday. Smith hasn't been a regular part of Charlotte's rotation, so his absence shouldn't have a fantasy impact.

Nembhard (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's In-Season Tournament Championship against the Lakers, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.

Nembhard suffered a knee injury against Milwaukee on Thursday and will be kept out of Saturday's championship contest. T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin will likely receive increased playing time in Nembhard's absence. Nembhard's next chance to suit up will be Monday's matchup with Detroit.

Paul is listed as questionable for Friday's game versus the Thunder due to an illness.

Paul's late addition to the injury report is a bad sign of his availability for Friday's contest. If the veteran point guard is ruled out, Cory Joseph and Brandin Podziemski are candidates to receive increased playing time.

The Hornets list Smith as doubtful for Friday's game against the Raptors with a right ankle sprain.

Smith was called up from the G League's Greensboro Swarm earlier in the day, but he doesn't look like he'll be on track to play Friday against the Raptors while he manages the ankle injury. Even when healthy, Smith hasn't been a regular member of the Charlotte rotation during his rookie season. He's appeared in eight of the Hornets' first 19 games, averaging 4.0 points and 0.6 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.