NBA Player News

Lendeborg accumulated 18 points (4-11 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 9-12 FT), 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals in 37 minutes during Friday's 111-108 loss to the Grizzlies.

After a more subdued NBA debut on Wednesday, Lendeborg flashed his full array of skills in his second game. The 11th overall pick in the 2026 Draft tied Brandin Podziemski for second on the team in scoring while pacing the Warriors in boards and tying for the lead in assists and steals, all while getting to the free-throw line with regularity. Lendeborg will have his ups and downs as a rookie, but Golden State seems committed to giving him plenty of court time to speed his development.

Edey posted eight points (4-6 FG, 0-1 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal over 22 minutes during Friday's 111-108 victory over the Warriors.

The third-year center came up one bucket short of his first double-double of the season. Edey saw his workload managed for a second straight game after playing only 11 regular-season games in 2025-26 due to ankle surgery, but he's still averaging 9.5 boards a game even when limited to minutes in the low 20s. Once the Grizzlies begin to let him loose, the 24-year-old should start dominating the glass again.

Boozer contributed 25 points (6-13 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 9-9 FT), 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals in 37 minutes during Friday's 111-108 victory over the Warriors.

After some Opening Night jitters led to a 2-for-15 shooting effort in his NBA debut Wednesday, Boozer looked a lot more comfortable in his second game as he delivered what figures to be the first of many double-doubles. The third overall pick in the 2026 Draft has been thrust right into a significant role in the Grizzlies frontcourt, and he's looking up to the challenge in the early going, pulling down double-double boards in each of his first two contests and showing some intriguing distribution skills.

Adams (rest) will likely be sidelined for Saturday's game against the Hawks.

Head coach Ime Udoka indicated before the start of the regular season that Adams and Fred VanVleet (rest) would both be sidelined for one game of back-to-back sets to open the year, per Will Guillory of The Athletic. Adams played only nine minutes off the bench during Friday's 114-110 win over the Spurs, and if he's indeed ruled out for Saturday, then Clint Capela would take on a larger workload off the bench behind starting center Alperen Sengun.

Jerome racked up 28 points (11-22 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 3-5 FT), two rebounds, five assists and one steal over 32 minutes during Friday's 111-108 win over Golden State.

The 28 points led all scorers on the night, as Jerome cooled off only slightly from his dazzling 45-point performance in the Grizzlies' opener. The 29-year-old point guard is taking on a much bigger role in his second season with Memphis now that Ja Morant is out of the picture, and so far he's seizing the opportunity. Jerome won't keep shooting 59.8 percent from the floor, but as long as he's attempting more than 20 shots a game, his fantasy value will skyrocket.

VanVleet (rest) is unlikely to play in the second leg of the Rockets' back-to-back set Saturday against the Hawks.

Head coach Ime Udoku told reporters this past Tuesday that VanVleet would be sidelined for one leg of back-to-back sets to open the season, per Will Guillory of The Athletic. Since the Rockets played Friday, VanVleet figures to observe Saturday's contest in street clothes, so Marcus Smart will likely enter the starting lineup alongside Amen Thompson in the backcourt. VanVleet played 32 minutes during Friday's 114-110 win over the Spurs and finished with 14 points (4-10 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five assists, three rebounds and three steals.

Hayes supplied 17 points (7-8 FG, 3-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one block across 26 minutes off the bench during Friday's 120-119 victory over the Pelicans.

After getting the start in the season opener, Hayes swapped places with Ace Bailey as Utah went with a smaller lineup against New Orleans. Hayes was more productive off the bench, leading the second unit in scoring and boards, and he ended up playing more minutes than Bailey on the night. The duo might continue to switch in and out of the starting five depending on matchups, but Hayes' workload figures to be steady in either role while Jusuf Nurkic (foot) remains sidelined.

Markkanen ended Friday's 120-119 victory over the Pelicans with 16 points (6-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists and one steal in 34 minutes.

With the Jazz roster rapidly getting stronger around him, Markkanen's usage could be set to decline. The 29-year-old forward averaged 19.2 FG attempts over 42 regular-season games in 2025-26, but through two games to begin the current campaign he's attempted exactly 13 shots in each, with Jaren Jackson, Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson all seeing similar volume in Friday's win. Markkanen still figures to be busy from beyond the arc and grab his share of boards, but his overall scoring could dip well below the 23-25 PPG his fantasy investors have been used to getting from him since he arrived in Utah.

Jackson ended with 24 points (7-15 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 8-10 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks across 33 minutes during Friday's 120-119 victory over the Pelicans.

The 24 points led the Jazz on the night, and Jackson was instrumental in the team's fourth-quarter comeback. The 27-year-old big has recorded multiple blocks in each of the first two games of the season, as he looks to average 2.0 rejections or better for the first time since 2022-23 with the Grizzlies.

Murray amassed 16 points (7-15 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, six assists and three steals over 30 minutes during Friday's 120-119 loss to Utah.

Zion Williamson (23 points) was the only other Pelicans starter to score in double digits. Murray was able to suit up for just 45 regular-season games over his first two seasons in New Orleans, but the veteran point guard is healthy to begin 2026-27 and looks poised to regain the form he had earlier in his career in stints with Atlanta and San Antonio, when he averaged more than 20 points, six assists and five boards a game in three straight seasons.