Sacramento Kings small forward Jeremy Lamb (hip) and power forward Maurice Harkless (ankle) have been deemed questionable to suit up for Saturday's game against Utah. Lamb has missed the past three outings, while Harkless has been down the past six. Prior to his hip ailment, Lamb had carved out a solid role among the second unit, albeit while scuffling from the field (35.3% overall). Harkless has started the past 10 contests that he has appeared, although it remains to be seen how he fits into the new-look Kings rotation. Fantasy managers will want to check back prior to tip-off to get the final word as Lamb and/or Harkless returning would stand to shift the club's minutes around.

Sacramento Kings power forward Maurice Harkless (ankle) has been given the green light to take the floor for Saturday's game against the Wizards. Harkless missed one outing due to a sprained right ankle, with his return pushing Chimezie Metu back to the second unit. The veteran kicked off February with a strong three-game stretch that saw him score in double figures each time out, although his DFS ceiling remains capped due to the team's crowded frontcourt.

Sacramento Kings forwards Harrison Barnes (foot) and Maurice Harkless (knee) both were able to practice on Monday. Barnes has missed five straight games, while Harkless has missed the last four contests. Their absence has allowed Chimezie Metu to move into the starting five. Also, Marvin Bagley III has been getting extended playing time with the second unit. The Kings don't play again until Wednesday, so Barnes and Harkless have time to rest and prepare. Fantasy managers should check back on Wednesday for another update.

Sacramento Kings forward Maurice Harkless (hip) is questionable to play against the Utah Jazz on Friday. Harkless started in the season opener on Wednesday and likely got banged up in his 22 minutes of play. Harkless does not have much fantasy appeal, even as a starter, but his absence would likely pave the way to more minutes for Buddy Hield and Terence Davis. Hield played well in the opener, scoring 17 points and hitting four threes in 30 minutes off the bench.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they are suspending assistant coach Greg Foster for one game and fining center Goga Bitadze an undisclosed for an argument they had during a loss to Sacramento. A statement from the team called it an “internal matter" and no additional details will be released. The third-quarter incident Wednesday began after Bitadze allowed Maurice Harkless to grab a rebound and score on a dunk, which prompted Foster to scold Bitadze for his effort. When Bitadze answered by making a 3-pointer, he appeared to curse at Foster. Finally, when play stopped with 2:26 to go, a heated exchange between the two occurred and another player intervened to prevent it from escalating. Indiana's defense has struggled all season and is currently allowing 115.0 points per game, 25th in the league. The Pacers have given up at least 109 points in 17 of their last 19 games and have now fallen into the 10th and final spot in the East to make the play-in round. Bitadze,... [More]

The NBA called this season’s trade deadline the busiest in the last 35 years, with 46 players from 23 teams involved in 16 different deals. What’s unclear is how many of those deals will have an impact on this season. Face it: Some will not register much of a blip. Brad Wanamaker getting moved to Charlotte by Golden State for a draft pick that will probably never change hands, that’s not exactly swinging a balance of power. Same goes for the Warriors sending Marquese Chriss to San Antonio, and Toronto trading Matt Thomas to Utah and Terence Davis to Sacramento — getting second-round picks back in both cases. Those Raptors moves were almost certainly made to clear roster spots for a Kyle Lowry trade that never happened. And it says something about the busiest trade deadline in 35 years when the biggest news of the day was a trade that didn’t happen, in Lowry’s case. That said, there were some moves that have potential to affect the postseason races. Here are some of the teams that benefited... [More]

Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he's eyed in the past. And Rajon Rondo is headed back to Los Angeles, though not with the team he helped win the NBA title last season. The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin. Miami, Denver, the Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta were likely among the teams feeling convinced that they improved on deadline day after a flurry of moves Thursday, though the best player — at least this season — might have been landed by the Chicago Bulls. They got All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, a move that ushered in the start of a big-time rebuild by the Magic. “Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. Vucevic is the only player from this season's All-Star Game to be traded at the deadline. It was a steep price; Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu went to the Bulls for Otto Porter, Wendell... [More]

Kyle Lowry wound up staying with Toronto after all. Victor Oladipo is finally in Miami, a destination he's eyed in the past. And Rajon Rondo is headed back to Los Angeles, though not with the team he helped win the NBA title last season. The trade deadline has come and gone. And now, playoff pushes can really begin. Miami, Denver, the Clippers, Portland, Dallas, Boston and Atlanta were likely among the teams feeling convinced that they improved on deadline day after a flurry of moves Thursday, though the best player — at least this season — might have been landed by the Chicago Bulls. They got All-Star forward Nikola Vucevic from Orlando, a move that ushered in the start of a big-time rebuild by the Magic. “Anytime you trade a player like Nikola, it is a tough decision to make," Magic President Jeff Weltman said. The Magic traded three of their four leading scorers; in addition to the Vucevic move, Evan Fournier was sent to Boston and Aaron Gordon is headed to Denver. Acquiring Gordon was... [More]

Kyle Lowry stayed with the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat got Victor Oladipo instead. And on a trade deadline day where moves were getting made right up until the last possible moment, the Denver Nuggets took a big swing at getting better for a playoff run while the Orlando Magic began a rebuild. Lowry — considered perhaps the biggest prize who was on the market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry, who they may still target as a free agent later this year, and wound up adding Oladipo from the Houston Rockets. That move didn’t cost Miami much: Kelly Olynyk was on an expiring deal, and Avery Bradley has barely played for the Heat this season because of COVID-19 and then a calf injury. The deal also included a pick swap in 2022, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal needed league approval. Oladipo has wanted to be in... [More]

Kyle Lowry stayed with the Toronto Raptors, and the Miami Heat got Victor Oladipo instead. And on a trade deadline day where moves were getting made right up until the last possible moment, the Denver Nuggets took a big swing at getting better for a playoff run while the Orlando Magic began a rebuild. Lowry — perhaps the biggest prize on the market — did not get traded, the Raptors apparently unable to find enough assets to their liking. Miami was one of the biggest pursuers for Lowry, who they may still target as a free agent later this year, wound up adding Oladipo from the Houston Rockets. It didn’t cost Miami much: Kelly Olynyk was on an expiring deal, and Avery Bradley has barely played for the Heat this season because of COVID-19 and then a calf injury. The deal also included pick swap in 2022, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal needed league approval. Oladipo has wanted to be in Miami for some time, and the Rockets... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks plan to hire agent Leon Rose to take over their basketball operations, a person with knowledge of the details said.Rose will replace Steve Mills, who was fired as team president on Tuesday.The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because talks are ongoing. The plans were first reported by ESPN and SNY.The Knicks released a statement in which Madison Square Garden executive chairman James Dolan said he hoped to conclude the search for a new president quickly.“I am not selling, but I am determined to find the right leader for the Knicks who will ensure the long-term success of the team, just as we did with the hiring of Rangers President John Davidson," Dolan said.Rather than seek to hire an experienced team executive, the Knicks would be going with a model that has worked successfully for other NBA teams lately. The Golden State Warriors, with Bob Myers, and the Los Angeles Lakers, headed by Rob Pelinka, are both run by former... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Most of the top NBA playoff contenders stayed out of the down-to-the-wire frenzy at the trade deadline.Miami and the Los Angeles Clippers beefed up instead.And a slew of other teams — including the Golden State Warriors — made moves with short-term finances and long-term ramifications in mind.The NBA’s 3 p.m. EST deadline Thursday for trades to be consummated did not arrive quietly, with a flurry of deals getting struck in the final hour and at least one other notable move falling apart before reaching the finish line. Deals that included at least 41 players and 15 future draft picks were struck on either Wednesday or Thursday — the biggest move likely being the one Thursday that saw Andrew Wiggins going from Minnesota to the Warriors so D’Angelo Russell could leave Golden State finally be paired with his good friend Karl-Anthony Towns with the Timberwolves.Here's how busy the Timberwolves were at trade-deadline time: They announced the jersey numbers of eight new players Thursday... [More]

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Trail Blazers have a number of new players for Portland's 50th anniversary season— and a new resolve after their playoff run last spring.Joining the well-established backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum on Portland's roster are such offseason acquisitions as Hassan Whiteside, Pau Gasol and Kent Bazemore. The Blazers open preseason camp on Tuesday."I feel like it's coming together, naturally," Lillard said Monday at the team's media day. "Being together for some weeks now and playing pickup has just been cool. I think the environment that we've created over the years, guys come in and it's easy to get comfortable with it. I think that's what's happening."Last season the Blazers finished 53-29 and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference, earning home court for the first round — and a series with the Thunder. Portland wrapped that series up in five games, capped by Lillard's memorable walk-off 3-pointer, and advanced to the conference finals for the... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside is heading to the Portland Trail Blazers, as the Miami Heat continue reshaping their roster.A person with knowledge of the situation said Monday that the Heat have agreed to trade Whiteside to the Trail Blazers for Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is still pending NBA approval.Whiteside is entering the final season of a four-year, $98 million contract. He lost his starting spot to Bam Adebayo in the second half of last season, but figures to offer frontline depth to a Trail Blazers team that lost center Jusuf Nurkic to a broken leg late last season.ESPN first reported the details of the agreement.Miami made the deal a day after agreeing to the framework of a move that will also bring Jimmy Butler to the Heat via trade with Philadelphia. The particulars of that trade were still being worked on Monday.Whiteside averaged 12.3 points and a team-best 11.3 rebounds last season, appearing... [More]

MIAMI (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says the Miami Heat have agreed to trade Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers for Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless.The trade was agreed to Monday and is still pending NBA approval, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it has not been finalized.Whiteside is entering the final season of a four-year, $98 million contract. He lost his starting spot to Bam Adebayo in the second half of last season, but figures to offer frontline depth to a Trail Blazers team that lost center Jusuf Nurkic to a broken leg late last season.Leonard and Harkless are also in the final year of their contracts.ESPN first reported the agreement.___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Celtics and Trail Blazers have stolen home-court advantage in their respective second-round playoff series. Now they're focused on keeping it as their series shift to Boston and Portland.Boston, the East's fourth seed, came out strong and took Game 1 against top-seeded Milwaukee before getting blown out in Game 2. The series resumes at TD Garden on Friday night, and the Celtics like their chances on a court where they've won 12 of their last 13 playoff games.For that trend to continue, Boston must get a better performance from Jayson Tatum. The second-year forward averaged 19.2 points per game during the Celtics' first-round sweep of the Pacers, shooting 50 percent from the floor. In two games against Milwaukee, he has nine total points while connecting on 24% of his field-goal attempts."I watched film. I acknowledge that I gotta be better overall," Tatum said. "And I will be better. It's a bad game. It happens. I don't think too much of it. Just ready for Game 3."The Celtics will also... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig returned to the game wearing a clear mask to protect the nose he bloodied in a collision during Game 2 against Portland.Hurt early in the second quarter Wednesday night, Craig made his way onto the court late in the third with the Nuggets struggling. He later hit a 3-pointer.Craig was going for a rebound when he appeared to bounce off Blazers forward Zach Collins and fall into the leg of teammate Monte Morris. Craig was down on the court for several moments as trainers came out to treat him. There was blood on the court when he left the floor.Craig was taken to the locker room with a towel over his face. The Nuggets said he had a nasal contusion.Later in the second quarter, Portland forward Maurice Harkless appeared to roll his right ankle. He headed into the locker room.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets forward Torrey Craig left the game after bloodying his nose in a collision during the second quarter of Game 2 against Portland.His return Wednesday night is questionable.Craig was going for a rebound when he appeared to bounce off Blazers forward Zach Collins and fall into the leg of teammate Monte Morris. Craig was down on the court for several moments as trainers came out to treat him. There was blood on the court when he left the floor.Craig was taken to the locker room with a towel over his face. The Nuggets said he had a nasal contusion.Later in the second quarter, Portland forward Maurice Harkless appeared to roll his ankle. He headed into the locker room.___More AP NBA coverage: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic got right to the point on his flourishing chemistry with teammate Jamal Murray .After all, he believes it's something to write home about."We are playing really good together," the versatile Denver Nuggets big man said . "He's a great basketball player, a great competitive guy and I just love to have him as a teammate."Did you write that down?"Write on! Or so the Nuggets are hoping.Jokic and Murray combined for 60 points in a 121-113 win over Portland on Monday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. That eclipsed the Blazers tandem of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard, who had 55 points. Game 2 is Wednesday at Pepsi Center.The Murray-to-Jokic, Jokic-to-Murray connection is quickly gaining steam as their pick-and-roll game gave the Blazers fits. It's a contrasting style to the one the Blazers faced in a first-round series with Oklahoma City, when they had to slow Paul George and Russell Westbrook.Paul Millsap said he's seen just about every defense employed... [More]

DENVER (AP) — Enes Kanter didn't even think about his sore left shoulder as he soared in for a first-quarter dunk and hung from the rim with his left hand.Then, the Portland center grimaced and briefly grabbed the shoulder.On the bench soon after, Kanter pointed to his head as if to say he needed to be more cautious with his injury.Sore shoulder and all, Kanter finished with 26 points in a 121-113 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. All things considered he held up just fine."I don't have another choice," Kanter said. "I don't even try to think about my shoulder. It's the playoffs. Just got to go out there and play hard and play smart."Kanter suffered the shoulder injury in the Trail Blazers' deciding Game 5 win over Oklahoma City last Tuesday. He was questionable heading into the series opener against Denver, but looked sharp early as he scored 10 of his points in the first quarter. That dunk, though, got everyone's attention, especially... [More]