Last Updated on February 1, 2026 1:58 am by Keston Paul | Published: February 1, 2026

A trade happened! The Kings sent Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cavs, while De’Andre Hunter is headed to Sacramento and Dario Saric was rerouted to the Bulls alongside two second-round picks. We will talk potential adds from this deal below.

Keep track of the status of the Spurs-Magic game. For now, it seems like it will go ahead.

The winter storm that has blanketed North Carolina with heavy snow is forcing the Spurs to stay in Charlotte overnight, a team spokesman said.

No word yet on the status of Sunday’s 3 p.m. game against Orlando at the Frost Bank Center.

— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) January 31, 2026

Top Pickups

This is the “general must-add” section regardless of the slate. If these players are being overlooked and remain chilling on the waiver wire, consider adding them to your squad.

A quick note:
While things did technically just open up for Malik Monk, the Kings do seem like they want to trade him so I think we still have to wait and see where he lands.

Ty Jerome (8%)

Jerome missed the first 46 games of the season and came out on Saturday for his season debut with 20 points (6-of-12 FG, 6-of-7 FT), two triples, one rebound, six assists and a steal in only 20 minutes.

That is why we hype him up. That is why he is must-roster. Obviously, that rate can’t hold up but he will ramp up and he is a strong per-minute player anyway.

Moussa Diabate (25%)

Diabate recorded 12 points from 6-of-9 FG, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks across 33 minutes on Saturday.

If somehow he still isn’t on a roster, fix that. He has won the starting role and the Hornets are playing well with him as the starter.

Julian Champagnie (20%)

The key note is that despite Devin Vassell rejoining the starting lineup, Champagnie started alongside him as Harrison Barnes instead moved to the bench. If Champagnie has locked down a rest-of-season starting job, then the 12-team value is so much more secure. Of course, this could change, but for now, he is must-roster.

Champagnie recorded 13 points (4-of-7 FG, 1-of-1 FT), five rebounds, two blocks and four 3-pointers in 29 minutes on Saturday.

Kelly Oubre Jr. (27%)

Paul George was suspended for 25 games, meaning he won’t be eligible to play again until Wednesday, March 25 when there are 10 games left in the regular season. Oubre should benefit as a clear 12-team option for points, threes, rebounds and even some steals.

Kelly Oubre Jr. collected 19 points (7-of-13 FG, 2-of-4 FT), three 3-pointers, 10 rebounds and four assists across 30 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Pelicans.

Keon Ellis (2%)

Ellis just got traded to the Cavs. I will tell you this: Ellis can usually hit the 12-team marker in around 24-to-26 MPG. The Cavs traded for him for a reason. Their defense has sucked and Ellis is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. If he can be the sixth man (starting when a guard is out and playing strong bench minutes when the team is healthy), he could have 12-team value. The combination of threes and steals is typically a very friendly one for 9-cat.

Dylan Cardwell (11%)

Taken directly from my blurb on this:

The Kings plan to convert Dylan Cardwell from a two-way contract to a standard deal, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

This comes in the wake of the agreed trade that will bring in De’Andre Hunter to Sacramento while sending out Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder and Dario Saric. Cardwell getting a standard contract means he will have no limitations on the number of games he can play for the remainder of the season. Over the past eight games, Cardwell is averaging 8.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 2.0 blocks in 23.2 MPG. While the scoring is low (5.3 points) and the .731 FG% may slow down a smidge, Cardwell could offer very specialized 12-team value for anyone in need of his strengths. He is worth a flier with the potential of rest-of-season value.

De’Andre Hunter (16%)

I do not think Hunter is a surefire 12-team option, but the Kings are apparently “valuing him alongside Keegan Murray” or something like that. DeMar DeRozan or another wing likely needs to be traded, but Hunter can be interesting at least for points, threes, FT% and maybe some rebounds… maybe. I don’t think Hunter is a must-grab but I do want to put this out there as something to monitor.

Games

Bucks – Celtics @ 3:30 ET
Magic – Spurs @ 4:00 ET –> monitor
Nets – Pistons @ 6:00 ET
Bulls – Heat @ 6:00 ET
Jazz – Raptors @ 6:00 ET
Kings – Wizards @ 6:00 ET
Lakers – Knicks @ 7:00 ET
Clippers – Suns @ 8:00 ET
Cavaliers – Trail Blazers @ 9:00 ET
Thunder – Nuggets @ 9:30 ET

Teams on Second Night of a Back-to-Back

Note: Teams on the second night of a back-to-back must submit their injury report by the release of the 4:00 pm ET Official NBA Injury Report. 

CHI, MIA, SAS

On Saturday, the Bulls were without Nikola Vucevic, Jalen Smith, Coby White and Josh Giddey. I expect White and Vucevic to be back on Sunday.
Smith picked up his injury on Thursday and Giddey reportedly felt some hamstring tightness earlier in the week, so I would say their statuses for Sunday are less clear. Another update said Giddey will be held out until the tightness subsides, so if I had to guess, we won’t see him on Sunday.

Norman Powell was out on Saturday and I would expect him to return for Sunday’s game. Davion Mitchell has missed multiple games so his status is less clear and Tyler Herro does not have a timeline.

For the Spurs, Jeremy Sochan has missed multiple games but that is not relevant to fantasy leagues since he has not been in the rotation consistently.

Teams on First Night of a Back-to-Back

LAC

Bogdan Bogdanovic is returning from a hamstring injury on Sunday so I highly doubt he plays both legs of the back-to-back. I would not trust Bogey as an add just yet as we have seen the Clippers (and Lakers) “hold out” a player for a game after clearing them to give them an extra night off. The Clippers did it with John Collins once and the Lakers did it with Rui Hachimura once.

Yes, I have trust issues.

Top Stories to Watch

Harrison Barnes came off the bench on Saturday, allowing both Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell to start.

Vassell came off the bench for two games while ramping up after an adductor strain held him out for 13 games. Champagnie was starting, but Champagnie was typically coming off the bench beforehand and acting as a fill-in player for any non-center starter. If Champagnie is going to be a rest-of-season starter, then his 12-team appeal should be secure with his combination of threes, rebounds and steals.

Franz Wagner pretty much said that he returned early so that he could play in Berlin. 

Here is the source since Twitter/X won’t let me embed this one. 

He had experienced severe soreness in the ankle and has been out for injury management since. I don’t expect it to be too much longer considering he was able to play two games on it, but you likely still have a buy-low window as I would expect Wagner to at least be 100 percent or close to it after the All-Star break, but I think we should see him playing before the break.

Nolan Traore: Deep-League Watch

Traore is a speedy lead guard whose 3-point shot is questionable, but he can make all the necessary reads as a playmaker. I think he is a speculative add in leagues with 18-plus teams if you need points and assists, but the efficiency could be shaky.

Blake Wesley (right foot fracture) will be questionable to return from a 43-game absence on Sunday vs. the Cavs.

Wesley appeared in the first six games of the season before this injury sidelined him for multiple months. He was averaging 1.7 steals and 3.2 assists per game across 16.3 MPG prior to the injury. In ultra-deep leagues, he can be a source of steals if he is ready to play and that could impact Sidy Cissoko’s minutes or perhaps even Caleb Love’s minutes.

Yes, this is another blurb I am reusing. That’s why you should read our blurb feed.

Josh Giddey is experiencing tightness in his left hamstring 

Josh Giddey’s hamstring is improving but doesn’t sound like he’s playing Sunday. Donovan said Giddey will be held out until tightness subsides.

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 31, 2026

Trade Rumor Mill via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:

• Cam Thomas and D’Angelo Russell have been linked to the Bucks.
• The Suns have been linked to Jeremy Sochan.
• The Wizards have been linked to Lonzo Ball, which is just them using cap space to acquire assets (I would guess second-round picks) for an unwanted contract.

Other Trade Rumors:

•  The Spurs have been linked to Trey Murphy III and Jose Alvarado.
• The Wolves, Knicks, Heat and Warriors are the leading suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. I think that will have to be a multi-team trade for any of those teams to pull it off. The Blazers own the Bucks’ first-round picks from 2028 to 2030 (two pick swaps and one pick owned outright), so they could get in on a multi-team deal to try to improve their roster as well.

Rui Hachimura, Dalton Knecht, Malik Monk, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis are some notable names floating around in trade speculation.

This isn’t pertinent to fantasy, but shout out to the 30-19 Suns for showing the how roster construction and top-tier coaching can turn a franchise around.

Two-Way Contracts Notes:

Remember, two-way contracts limit you to 50 active game days in the NBA. The number of games you actually play is irrelevant. You can be “active” for the game (officially called up from the G League), not play a single second and have it count against your limit.

I expect Daniss Jenkins and Spencer Jones to be converted soon because they are clearly legitimate rotation players for their teams. Dominick Barlow’s limit is not as low because he missed some games due to an elbow injury earlier in the season, but he also fits that bill.

I think Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Pat Spencer could be converted too but Tomlin may only be pertinent to super-deep leagues. I do not expect Youngblood or Juzang to be converted.

Remaining games allowed on the active list

5 games or less

🏀Spencer Jones (DEN): 2
🏀Pat Spencer (GSW): 2
🏀Chris Youngblood (OKC): 2
🏀Daniss Jenkins (DET): 3
🏀Jabari Walker (PHI): 3
🏀Johnny Juzang (MIN): 4
🏀Nae’qwan Tomlin (CLE): 4

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) January 31, 2026

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Stay up to date on news for this slate with our NBA Blurb Feed! 

Check out our Live Injury Report to see who is probable, questionable, doubtful or sidelined for this slate!

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Streamers

We are not including players who are either most likely on a roster or should be on a roster.

Players who are above streamer level include:

• Bobby Portis
• Neemias Queta
• Anthony Black
• Wendell Carter Jr.
• Grayson Allen
• Collin Gillespie
• Dillon Brooks
• Jaylon Tyson

I am likely missing some names.

Standard Formats

Kyle Kuzma – points, rebounds & occasional upside in other areas

AJ Green – 3s, 3s & 3s with occasional outbursts of rebounds or assists

Sam Hauser – 3s, 3s & also 3s

Egor Demin – 3s & assists with potential for out-of-position rebounds & occasional steals

Day’Ron Sharpe – rebounds, FG% and sometimes adds steals or blocks

Isaiah Stewart – blocks, rebounds, points, 3s, solid FG%

Duncan Robinson – 3s with occasional upside in other areas

Kyle Filipowski – points, rebounds, assists with upside for 3s

Ace Bailey – points, 3s, rebounds & potential for steals (bad percentages)

Isaiah Collier – assists, upside for points

Brice Sensabaugh – points, 3s & FT% if he can get to the line

Collin Murray-Boyles – rebounds, blocks & steals with upside for across-the-board production

Sandro Mamukelashvili – 3s & rebounds with upside for across-the-board production

Jamal Shead – assists & steals specialist

Dylan Cardwell – blocks, rebounds

Khris Middleton – points, rebounds, assists, & upside for 3s & steals

Bilal Coulibaly – steals, blocks, rebounds, assists & bad percentages

Bub Carrington – points, assists, 3s, out-of-position rebounds & occasional chance of a steal

Justin Champagnie – rebounds, steals, blocks & maybe some upside for points

Rui Hachimura – points with upside for 3s and rebounds
(a trade candidate, be careful)

Jake LaRavia – general stats

Mitchell Robinson – FG%, rebounds, blocks, possible steals

Kris Dunn – steals specialist with upside for assists & 3s

Royce O’Neale – 3-and-D stats, rebounds & upside for assists

Sam Merrill – 3s, 3s & also 3s with occasional low-end assists upside

Tim Hardaway Jr. – hit-or-miss points & 3s

Bruce Brown – mainly points & rebounds but across-the-board upside

Spencer Jones – steals specialist with boom-or-bust upside for 3s, rebounds

Cason Wallace – steals specialist with upside for 3s, assists, low-end rebounds

Lu Dort – extremely boom-or-bust 3s, upside for steals, occasional rebounds

Aaron Wiggins – points & 3s with upside for rebounds, occasional steals & blocks

Dean Wade – rebounds, 3s & low-end potential for steals or blocks

B2B Watch: Standard Formats

Do not add these Bulls, Spurs or Heat players until we get the official injury report on Sunday. 

Ayo Dosunmu – general stats & good percentages

Kevin Huerter – points & 3s with occasional upside for assists, steals or rebounds

Jalen Smith (very unclear if he plays, so wait for injury report and final status) – rebounds, 3s, some blocks & general upside

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (should just be on a roster) – points, rebounds, assists, usually good FG%

Pelle Larsson – low-end points, 3s, assists with upside for general stats

Keldon Johnson – points, rebounds, FG% & upside for 3s or a steal

Julian Champagnie (must-roster) – 3s, rebounds, steals, scoring upside & occasional blocks

Dylan Harper – points, assists & upside for a steal, some rebounds

Deep Leagues

Cole Anthony (18-teamer or deeper) – points, assists, 3s

Luka Garza – points & rebounds with low-end upside for threes & a couple of assists

Danny Wolf – points & rebounds with potential 3s and assists

Nolan Traore (18-teamer or deeper) – points, assists, possibly bad percentages

Ron Holland II – steals, out-of-position rebounds, occasional scoring outbursts

Daniss Jenkins – points, 3s, assists, steals
(If the questionable Caris LeVert plays, there is a chance that Jenkins is held out to save his remaining two-way days)

Javonte Green – mostly steals

Walter Clayton Jr. – points, 3s, rebounds, assists, steals, FT% if he gets to the line

Cody Williams (18-teamer) – maybe points, maybe 3s, maybe steals

Marcus Smart – steals, assists, rebounds & upside for 3s

Precious Achiuwa – low-end rebounds, points, steals, blocks

Nique Clifford – hypothetical general stats but hope for points & 3s or anything really

Maxime Raynaud – points & rebounds with upside to produce in all areas

Marvin Bagley III – points, rebounds, FG% & occasional chance of blocks

Kobe Sanders – points with upside for 3s and general stats
(may or may not be impacted by Bogdan Bogdanovic)

Jordan Miller – mainly points, 3s, but occasional upside in other areas
(may or may not be impacted by Bogdan Bogdanovic)

Jordan Goodwin – general stats with some 12-team upside too

Robert Williams III (questionable, wait for update) – blocks, rebounds, FG% & some upside for steals

Caleb Love – points, 3s, low-end across-the-board upside
(12-team upside if Avdija, questionable, sits out)

Isaiah Joe – 3s

Jaylin Williams – across-the-board upside

B2B Deep Leagues: Standard Formats

Do not add these Bulls, Spurs or Heat players until we get the official injury report on Sunday. 

Isaac Okoro – low-end boom-or-bust 3-and-D stats

Kasparas Jakucionis – points, 3s, assists with upside for steals & rebounds

Dru Smith – steals specialist with assists upside
(12-team upside if Davion Mitchell remains out)

Simone Fontecchio (18-teamer or deeper) – boom-or-bust 3s with low-end rebounds upside

Harrison Barnes – points & 3s with upside for rebounds, a steal or FT% if he gets to the line

Luke Kornet – rebounds, blocks, FG%