Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

Player Notes

  • Bench role in the cards for Klay Thompson?
    Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned the possibility of Klay Thompson coming off the bench should he remain with the team during his end-of-season press conference.

    Advice: Thompson’s 2023-24 season came to a brutal end, as he missed all ten field goal attempts and went scoreless in Tuesday’s Play-In tournament loss to the Kings. The veteran guard, one of the all-time great shooters in NBA history, will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. And a return to the Warriors could depend on how amenable he is to coming off the bench, which is what happened this season. “I thought Klay really showed that he was agreeable to the sixth-man role the second half of the year, even though eventually we put him back in the starting lineup,” Kerr, who noted that the team needs to add more shooting to the roster this offseason, said. “I think that’s got to be an option going forward. I would prefer not to play him 35 minutes.” Thompson’s future in the Bay Area, beginning with whether or not he’ll re-sign with the team, impacts multiple Warriors, including Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:04 pm
  • Logs 10 minutes in elimination game
    Matthews (hamstring) tallied zero points (0-2 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and one assist in 10 minutes Wednesday in the Hawks' 131-116 loss to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament.

    Advice: Matthews missed the Hawks' final three games of the regular season with hamstring tightness, but he was able to make it back for what ended up being the team's lone postseason contest. The 37-year-old was an irregular member of the Atlanta rotation in 2023-24, appearing in 36 regular-season contests (three starts) while averaging 3.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.7 three-pointers and 0.6 assists in 11.5 minutes while shooting 35.1 percent from the field. Matthews is scheduled for free agency this summer and could be headed for retirement. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:08 pm
  • Considered questionable for Game 1
    Leonard (knee) is questionable for Sunday's Game 1 against the Mavericks, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: The Clippers announced Thursday that Leonard received an injection in his left knee, and there's "cautious optimism" that he'll be ready for Sunday's matchup, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. While Leonard returned to practice Monday, he hasn't yet been cleared for 5-on-5 drills. Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Thursday that he isn't sure whether Leonard will need to participate in full-contact work before he's cleared to return to game action but said that the inflammation needs to continue to reduce. Lawrence said that he's hopeful the issue is trending in the right direction and that Leonard will play but also indicated that the 32-year-old's status remains up in the air. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:51 pm
    Kawhi LeonardLAC - SG,SF,PF
    New Player Note
    INJ
  • Likely to be game-time decision
    Caruso (ankle), who is questionable for Friday's Play-In Game against the Heat, underwent further evaluation Thursday that revealed reduced swelling, creating increased optimism that he'll be available for the win-or-go-home matchup against Miami, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Wojnarowski reported Wednesday night that Caruso had sustained a "significant" left ankle sprain Wednesday against Atlanta that put his availability for Friday's matchup in doubt. However, the 30-year-old appears to be trending in the right direction and will likely be a game-time decision as the Bulls attempt to secure the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. If Caruso is unavailable against Miami, Javonte Green, Torrey Craig and Dalen Terry could see additional playing time. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 2:00 pm
  • Probable for Friday
    Robinson (back) is probable for Friday's Play-In Game against the Bulls, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

    Advice: Robinson missed the final four games of the regular season due to his back injury, and although he was available for Wednesday's Play-In Tournament matchup against the 76ers, he didn't see any playing time. It appears likely that he'll be able to suit up again Friday, and he could see some minutes since Jimmy Butler (knee) has been ruled out. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:55 pm
  • Remains out for Friday
    Rozier (neck) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Bulls.

    Advice: Rozier, who will miss a sixth straight contest, has been diagnosed with a neck sprain rather than neck spasms, so it seems the injury is more severe than initially expected. The loss of Rozier will be huge for the Heat, and it will translate in a higher usage rate for Tyler Herro, while there will be more minutes available for Patty Mills and possibly Delon Wright. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:52 pm
  • Leads bench in scoring
    Mathews chipped in eight points (2-4 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT) over 13 minutes during Wednesday's 131-116 Play-In Game loss to Chicago.

    Advice: Since the All-Star break, the 27-year-old averaged 6.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.7 assists on 45.8 percent from the field, playing valuable minutes during Trae Young's (finger) absence. With the Hawks looking to test the trade market around Young and possibly Dejounte Murray after a disappointing year, the Hawks will have until June 29 to decide whether they want Mathews back next season, which would fully guarantee his contract. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 12:50 pm
  • Continues to struggle from deep
    Hield notched seven points (3-8 FG, 1-5 3Pt), six assists and one rebound in 18 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game win over the Heat.

    Advice: Since Philadelphia acquired Hield on Feb. 8, the sharpshooter has averaged 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 25.5 minutes on 38.4 percent from deep. Hield has struggled to live up to his usual standards in April, as he's averaged 9.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 19.8 minutes, shooting just 35.2 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 12:48 pm
  • Makes defensive impact
    Wright totaled six points (2-7 FG, 2-3 3Pt), six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers.

    Advice: Wright has struggled to gain a consistent role in Miami's rotation since joining the team after the All-Star break, averaging 5.5 points, 2.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 20.5 minutes. The key to staying on the court for the 31-year-old has been his defensive impact; Wright has averaged 1.5 steals in 12 appearances since March, chipping in four steals twice in that span. Despite losing Jimmy Butler's (knee) defensive abilities, Wright should not be expected to see much of an increase in playing time buried behind Tyler Herro, as well as Terry Rozier (neck) and Duncan Robinson (back), if they are available for Friday. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 12:47 pm