Trail Blazers' T.J. Leaf: Makes Portland debut Tuesday
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Leaf recorded two points (1-1 FG) and one steal in Tuesday's win over Indiana.
Leaf made his Trail Blazers' debut during the blowout victory against his former team. The forward had spent the past three seasons with the Pacers and enjoyed his best campaign in 2018-19 averaging 3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds. Leaf signed a two-way deal with Portland in early April.
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Trail Blazers' T.J. Leaf: Signs two-way deal with Blazers
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Leaf signed a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers on Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
The UCLA product was the 18th overall pick in 2017, but he never truly settled into a consistent role during his three seasons with the Pacers. Indiana traded Leaf to Oklahoma City in November and he was waived by the Thunder just before the start of the regular season. In Portland, Leaf will simply provide some frontcourt depth. He's highly unlikely to make a fantasy impact this season.
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T.J. Leaf: Let go by OKC
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Leaf was waived by the Thunder on Saturday, Sportando.com reports.
The Thunder traded for Leaf in November and appeared in two preseason games for the team, totaling eight points and seven rebounds during that time. If he finds a spot with another organization, Leaf is unlikely to carry much fantasy relevance this season.
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Thunder's T.J. Leaf: Dealt to Thunder
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Leaf was traded from the Pacers to the Thunder on Sunday in exchange for Jalen Lecque, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Leaf was never able to secure a significant role with the Pacers, but he'll get a chance to carve out minutes in Oklahoma City. The 2017 first-round pick saw his playing time drop during the 2019-20 season, as he averaged 3.0 points and 2.5 rebounds over 7.9 minutes per game while appearing in just 28 contests.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Posts 11 boards in scrimmage win
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Leaf posted four points (1-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes during Thursday's 91-88 scrimmage victory over the Blazers.
Leaf was awful from the field, but he helped make up for it by his strong work on the glass and no turnovers. With Domantas Sabonis' availability for the first seeding game unclear due to plantar fasciitis, Leaf may end up being called upon to fill some frontcourt minutes for the Pacers.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Logs three minutes versus Bucks
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Leaf saw three minutes during Wednesday's 119-100 loss to the Bucks.
Leaf didn't attempt a single shot nor did he record any stats in his three minutes of action. This is just the fourth time he has seen the court since the beginning of January, and Leaf can be left on waiver wires across all fantasy formats.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Absent from injury report
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Leaf (illness) isn't on the injury report ahead of Friday's game against Toronto.
Leaf was held out of Wednesday's matchup due to illness, but he'll be available off the bench for Friday's clash if needed. He hasn't played much of role so far this season for the Pacers, so even though he's healthy, he's unlikely to see much playing time, if any.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Added to injury report
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Leaf is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Raptors due to an illness.
Leaf has appeared in just one game since the beginning of January, so his availability Wednesday won't carry any fantasy implications.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Cleared to play
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Leaf (knee) has been cleared to play Sunday against Portland, J. Michael of the Indy Star reports.
Leaf has only appeared in five games since the start of December, so he's not a fantasy consideration in even the deepest of leagues.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Game-time call Sunday
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Leaf (knee) will be a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup against the Trail Blazers, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Leaf is dealing with some right knee soreness, but he may be able to take the court Sunday. That said, his role has been minimal, and his potential presence likely wouldn't affect the Pacers' rotation.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Unavailable Friday
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Leaf (knee) won't play Friday against the Warriors, Scott Agness of The Athletic reports.
Leaf doesn't have much of a role in the rotation to begin with, so his absence should have little impact on Indiana's game plan Friday evening.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Still excluded from rotation
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Leaf (coach's decision) didn't see the floor Sunday in the Pacers' 115-107 win over the Nuggets.
Leaf has yet to see any use off the bench through the Pacers' first nine games of January, with all of Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis, Goga Bitadze, Doug McDermott, JaKarr Sampson and T.J. Warren seemingly ahead of him for playing time in the frontcourt. The third-year big man will likely need at least two of those players to miss extended action before even getting the opportunity to fill a minor role on the Pacers' second unit.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Plays just nine minutes in win
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Leaf ended with four points and one rebound in nine minutes during Friday's 112-106 victory over Detroit.
Leaf barely saw the court Friday, a far cry from his double-double only five days ago. The fact Myles Turner (ankle) and Goga Bitadze (concussion) were out mattered little as Leaf remained fixed to the bench for the majority of the game. He is a non-factor in all but the deepest fantasy formats.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Double-double in Sunday's win
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Leaf amassed 13 points (6-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt), 15 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 22 minutes during Sunday's 108-95 win over the Bulls.
Leaf shifted to a reserve role after starting Friday's tilt versus the Cavaliers in place of Myles Turner (ankle), this despite Domantas Sabonis (calf) sitting out this one as well. Regardless, Leaf finished with a career high in rebounding while pitching in across every statistical category. It's unclear whether Sabonis (calf) will be ready to return for Tuesday's contest against the Hornets (while Turner will be out a while longer), but if not Leaf may be an intriguing option for daily leagues.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Headed back to bench
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Leaf is expected to move to the bench Sunday against the Bulls with JaKarr Sampson entering the starting lineup.
Coach Nate McMillan didn't explicitly reveal who would exit the lineup to clear a spot for Sampson, but Leaf looks like the most logical choice after an unsuccessful cameo as a starter in place of Myles Turner (ankle) in Friday's 102-95 win over the Cavaliers. Leaf played only eight minutes in the victory, finishing with zero points (0-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt), three rebounds and one steal.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Set to start Friday
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Leaf will start at power forward Friday against the Cavaliers, Scott Agness of The Athletic reports.
The 22-year-old will enter the lineup in place of Myles Turner (ankle), who is currently considered week-to-week and won't play Friday. Leaf did not see the court in Wednesday's game at Brooklyn and is averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds over 11.0 minutes in his three appearances this season.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Fourth-year option picked up
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The Pacers exercised the fourth-year option on Leaf's (quadriceps) rookie contract Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
The transaction keeps Leaf in the fold through the 2020-21 season, with the 22-year-old forward set to earn $4.33 million in the final year of his rookie deal. Through his first two seasons in the NBA, Leaf hasn't been a prominent member of the Indiana rotation. In 111 games, Leaf has averaged 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.8 minutes.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Full participant in practice
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Leaf (quadriceps) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star reports.
Leaf missed both of his team's preseason games in India due to a right quad strain, but after returning to practice Tuesday, he appears on track to play in Friday's exhibition against the Bulls. He'll be considered a game-time call for the time being.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Will miss second India game
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Leaf (quad) will remain out for Saturday's second preseason game against the Kings in India.
The Pacers appear to be playing it safe with Leaf as he recovers from a right quadriceps strain. His next opportunity to play will be Friday against the Bulls.
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Pacers' T.J. Leaf: Sits out first India game
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Leaf (quad) will not play in Friday's preseason game against the Kings.
Leaf is currently dealing with a right quadriceps strain and came into the day listed as questionable to play. There's still a chance he could return Saturday for the final leg of their back-to-back games in India.
