Denver Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown (ankle) will return from a one-game absence on Friday against the Heat. He sprained his right ankle against Sacramento on Tuesday and ended up missing Wednesday's rematch between the teams, but Brown has managed to make a relatively quick recovery. The 26-year-old has played a big part on both ends for the team, having averaged 10.8 points for the campaign with 4.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.9 steals. However, Brown's fantasy stock has taken a hit with the return of Michael Porter Jr. and he will have a tough time maintaining his current production.

Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown (ankle) will be sidelined for Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings. This is not good news for the Nuggets with Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon already sidelined. The Nuggets will be forced to move Bones Hyland into the starting five on Wednesday. He certainly has the potential to do damage, so he could be a sneaky streaming option here. He averaged 13.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists during his rookie campaign.

Denver Nuggets guard Bruce Brown will move into the starting five for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 26-year-old will draw the start with Michael Porter Jr. (back) taking a seat in this one. Although, it'll likely be a spot start with Porter expected to return on Friday. Brown finished with six points, four assists, and five rebounds in 24 minutes during their last game. He won't be a great streaming option, but is worth looking at for deep leagues on Wednesday. The move to the starting five should help his fantasy value.

Brooklyn Nets guard Bruce Brown will unquestionably command some serious cash when free agency begins. He finished the 2021-22 season by averaging 9.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals. But he played even better throughout his 45 appearances in the starting lineup. Based on Brown's efficient play, he'll probably draw plenty of interest over the summer. Without a doubt, Brooklyn would love to keep him on the roster. However, another Atlantic division team, the Boston Celtics, may have the 25-year-old on their radar. One thing is certain: Regardless of where Brown plays this year, he should continue to have a prominent role in any rotation. He likely won't be a consistent starter. But because many casual fans don't know Brown as well as others in the league, he could be a steal for fantasy managers toward the middle rounds of drafts.

Brooklyn Nets forward Bruce Brown decided it was his time to shine during Wednesday's Game 2 contest against the Boston Celtics. The Celtics defense did a fantastic job of locking down Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The superstar duo went 8-for-30 from the floor, which forced them to get other people involved. Brown scored a playoff career-high 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists in the loss. He hit 8-of-12 shots and looked reliable throughout the contest. The Nets might need him to continue contributing like this to get out of the 2-0 hole in this series.

Brooklyn Nets guard Bruce Brown (illness) is available for Tuesday's matchup versus the Houston Rockets. Fortunately, Brown didn't have COVID-19, but he still wasn't feeling well enough to play during the loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. With Brooklyn looking to gain ground in the Eastern Conference heading toward the postseason, he'll certainly be needed down the final stretch. The 25-year-old is averaging only 8.6 points this season. However, he can get hot on both ends of the floor. Seth Curry (ankle) and Goran Dragic (health and safety protocols) are both out, so Brown may get additional opportunities to produce.

Brooklyn Nets forward Bruce Brown (illness) was back at practice on Monday. That being said, it sounds like Brown will play in Tuesday's game against the Houston Rockets. He was forced to sit out their previous contest due to a non-COVID related illness. Kessler Edwards is expected to head back to the bench with Brown returning. Fantasy managers should certainly consider Brown as a streaming option. He was playing well before this illness and has a favorable matchup versus Houston.

Brooklyn Nets small forward Bruce Brown (illness) and point guard Goran Dragichave been ruled out for Saturday's game against Atlanta. Brown enjoyed a breakout month of March, in which he scored in double figures in 13 of 15 contests. Dragic has shifted to a bench role with Kyrie Irving being cleared in a full-time capacity, yet the veteran has been integral to the Nets second unit. Without either man available, Cam Thomas figures to see an elevated role, while Patty Mills could absorb some additional offensive duties as well. There are just four regular season games remaining for Brooklyn, with the next chance for Brown or Dragic to suit up coming Tuesday vs. the Rockets.

Brooklyn Nets forward Bruce Brown won't be available for Tuesday's game against the Toronto Raptors. It sounds like he is going to miss time after entering the league's safety protocols. Unless tonight was a false positive, Brown is likely to miss the next six games. That would certainly be frustrating since the Nets are already extremely shorthanded. His absence will mean guys like Cam Thomas and Nicolas Claxton will need to step up. Both are possible DFS options for Tuesday's small slate.

Brooklyn Nets forward Bruce Brown (hamstring) is hopeful to play on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns, according to head coach Steve Nash. He wanted to play on Wednesday, but the team decided to take the cautious approach with him. Brown isn't someone worth rostering in most formats even though he normally plays 20-plus minutes most nights. His absence will mean more minutes for James Johnson and DeAndre' Bembry. Johnson could have some DFS value and streaming appeal while Brown is out.

Brooklyn Nets guard Bruce Brown (calf) is listed as probable for Monday's game against the Washington Wizards. Brown has missed the first two contests due to a right calf contusion. He was able to play in their most recent contest and lasted 27 minutes in that one. Brown will likely get consistent minutes if he plays on Monday. However, there isn't reliable fantasy value with Brown right now.

Phoenix's Deandre Ayton had Guy Fieri leaping out of his courtside seat with a thundering dunk. Atlanta's Trae Young had Spike Lee leaving early in disappointment. Dallas' Luka Doncic impressed Paul George so much that the Clippers’ veteran insisted on trading jerseys with the youngster. They’re all part of the NBA’s draft class of 2018. And that group, so far, might be the class of these playoffs. Doncic is gone, but plenty of others — Young, Ayton, Michael Porter Jr., Mikal Bridges, Kevin Huerter, Bruce Brown and more — from the group that got drafted three years ago remain. And they’ve seemed right at home in this postseason, even though for many it’s the first time on this big a stage. “I think it’s the best class in NBA history,” Ayton, the Phoenix center who went No. 1 overall in that class three years ago, said after the Suns won their first-round series over the 2020 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers. “That’s how I feel. ... Guys like Luka, MPJ and Trae, it’s been great to watch us... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden won't be back for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Milwaukee Bucks believe their shooting touch will. So the Bucks have plenty of reasons for optimism heading into the game Monday night. Yet there's also still plenty of cause for concern. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are still out there for the Brooklyn Nets, who spent all season working around injuries and proved another point about themselves after shaking off Harden's loss 43 seconds into Game 1. “That we have the capability of rising to the occasion,” Irving said. “We’re a very mature basketball club because we play selfless and we trust each other, so in any situation in a game I feel like we have the talent, we have the preparation, we have the coaching staff to be able to go out and execute.” They did that on both sides of the floor in their 115-107 victory in Game 1. Durant scored 29 points, Irving had 25 and the Nets held the Bucks to 6-for-30 shooting from 3-point range. The Phoenix... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Defense wins championships is one of the oldest clichés in sports. It’s mostly been true, too. Now, even coaches who preached defense before look around an NBA where the pace is quicker, the shots come from deeper, and can come to only one conclusion. “It seems like offense wins,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. That’s what the Brooklyn Nets are looking to prove with an NBA title. Perhaps no team has ever packed so much offensive punch. Kevin Durant is a four-time NBA scoring champion. James Harden has won three. They’ve both been league MVPs. Kyrie Irving is a perennial All-Star who hit the winning shot to cap the biggest NBA Finals comeback ever. “You look at Kyrie, Durant, Harden. (Spencer) Dinwiddie’s out, he’s a terrific player. He’s an All-Star-caliber talent,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “So, they’re up there with the best of them.” Stopping one is possible. Stopping two is doable. Stopping all three the four times it would require to beat Brooklyn in a series... [More]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers acquired guard Luke Kennard from Detroit, and sent guards Landry Shamet to Brooklyn and Rodney McGruder to Detroit as they attempt to improve the supporting cast around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. In addition to Kennard, the Clippers received center Justin Patton from the Pistons in the draft-night deal, as well as the draft rights to junior-college player Jay Scrubb and four second-round picks (2023 via Portland, and 2024, 2025 and 2026 via Detroit). "The draft assets allow us the opportunity to continue drafting and developing young talent, or otherwise explore trade opportunities, for years to come,” Lawrence Frank, Clippers president of basketball operations, said Thursday in confirming the moves. Kennard missed most of last season due to knee tendinitis. Over 28 games, he averaged career highs in points (15.8), assists (4.1) and rebounds (3.5) as a starter for Detroit. “Luke is a young, ascending player who has worked hard to establish... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The timing eventually worked out for Troy Weaver and the Detroit Pistons.The Pistons introduced Weaver as their new general manager on a video conference Monday. The former Oklahoma City Thunder executive joins a Detroit team that was interested in him previously — and he takes over a GM spot that was vacant for a couple years.“We had actually tried to talk to Troy a couple years ago. OKC wasn't quite ready to let him go,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said. “So he's been on our radar for a while.”The Pistons shook up their front office two years ago. Stan Van Gundy had been the coach and team president, and after Detroit moved on from him, there was no official GM. Ed Stefanski took over the front office, and Dwane Casey was hired as coach.Now Weaver will fill the GM role, with Stefanski remaining as a senior advisor to Gores.“Troy, Ed and Dwane will work on a day-to-day basis with each other,” Gores said. “Troy will have normal, and even higher than normal, GM responsibilities.”Weaver... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Pistons finally broke up their trio of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.Only Griffin remains — and the 2019-20 season was yet another reminder of how fragile the star forward’s health has been.Griffin played just 18 games this season because of knee problems. The Pistons were 20-46 and well out of playoff contention when the coronavirus interrupted the season in March. By then, Detroit had traded Drummond and bought out Jackson, two clear steps toward a rebuild for a franchise that has been stuck in neutral for about a decade.The season was a step backward for the Pistons, who made the playoffs in 2019 thanks to a marvelous performance by Griffin. He averaged a career-high 24.5 points per game in 2018-19, then followed that with a career-worst 15.5 this season in limited action.“Obviously, this past season was I guess disappointing — not really being healthy, and for the most part, a lot of our guys not being healthy," Griffin said. “Didn't really... [More]

DETROIT (AP) — Ed Stefanski needed only about a minute in his conference call before he said the word the Detroit Pistons have seemingly avoided for so long.“We were always discussing that we were going to have to probably rebuild here,” said Stefanski, a team executive. "We're in the middle of the pack. To me, that's not the place that we want to be in and where fans want to be in.”The Pistons have been hesitant to rebuild, but Stefanski said Friday that injuries and the team's performance made it the best option. Detroit traded Andre Drummond on Thursday to Cleveland, a team in the Pistons' own division. The return wasn't much. In exchange for a two-time All-Star center, Detroit received Brandon Knight, John Henson and a second-round draft pick in 2023.It's hard to view that as anything other than an attempt to remove a high-priced player from the roster and break up the core of a team that hasn't performed as hoped. The Pistons haven't won a playoff game since 2008. Drummond has put... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers were expected to move a big man. Instead, they added another one.In the final hour before the NBA trading deadline, Cleveland acquired two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for forward John Henson, guard Brandon Knight and “the less favorable” of its two second-round draft picks in 2023.The teams made the deal official Thursday night after getting league approval.Cleveland needed to do something to save a season that's been worsening by the day. The Cavs are just 13-39 under first-year coach John Beilein and some recent blowout losses have raised concerns about the team's direction under general manager Koby Altman.But by landing Drummond, who leads the league in rebounding, the Cavs helped themselves in the short-term and positioned themselves for the future.The Cavs had been expected to be aggressive leading into the deadline and signs pointed to the team moving either star forward Kevin Love or center Tristan Thompson,... [More]

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers were expected to move a big man. Instead, they added another one.In the final hour before Thursday's NBA trading deadline, Cleveland agreed to acquire two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.The struggling Cavs will send forward John Henson, guard Brandon Knight and one of their two second-round picks in 2023 to the Pistons, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the teams were still working out some details and seeking league approval.Cleveland, which is just 13-39 this season, was expected to be aggressive at the deadline and signs pointed to the Cavs moving either star forward Kevin Love or center Tristan Thompson, who is in the final year of his contract and will be a free agent this summer.However, Love and Thompson are staying put — for now— and will be joined up front by Drummond, a 6-foot-11 force who leads the league with 15.8 rebounds per game... [More]