Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe (personal) will remain out of the lineup on Saturday against Orlando. He's been absent for personal reasons for quite a while and will miss a 14th consecutive game. Watanabe's absence hasn't had a big impact on Memphis, as the Japanese forward has averaged fewer than 14 minutes per game in 2023-24. His next chance to return comes on Monday in a matchup against the Pistons.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe (wrist) will remain out on Friday versus Atlanta, missing a fourth consecutive game. He continues to nurse a sprained right wrist. Wataname's absence has opened up extra minutes for Jake LaRavia and Lamar Stevens off the bench. The former has had a couple of outstanding games lately and will carry quite a bit of momentum into Friday's encounter with one of the league's worst defenses. Steven's numbers have stayed average, but he could get a lift on Friday with the absence of GG Jackson II (knee), who's listed as questionable for the game.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe (wrist) has been ruled out for Monday's clash with Brooklyn. The 29-year-old won't be able to have a reunion with his former team due to a right wrist sprain. After starting the campaign in Phoenix, Watanabe landed with his original team, the Grizzlies, last month. He's played a slightly larger role in Memphis, but hasn't done anything to garner the attention of fantasy managers. In 16.4 minutes across five games, Watanabe has recorded 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds. With him out of the lineup, Lamar Stevens and Matt Hurt will likely be the main beneficiaries, and the two should also profit from Jaren Jackson Jr.'s (quadriceps) absence.

Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe (quadriceps) will miss another game on Tuesday against Portland. He was unavailable for Sunday's clash with Utah due to a left quadriceps contusion, and the ailment is still bothering him. Before getting hurt, Watanabe had been ever-present for the Suns this season, averaging 18.6 minutes off the bench. He's put up 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds. Keita Bates-Diop can pick up extra work with Watanabe missing, while Nassir Little also saw a boost in playing time on Sunday. There could be plenty of garbage time available for the Suns bench on Tuesday, as the home team is seen as a 13-point favorite for the contest.

Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe (quad) will not be suiting up on Sunday against the Utah Jazz as he deals with a left quad contusion. So far this season, Watanabe has been better utilized either as a streaming option or in very deep leagues. He's been seeing 18.6 minutes per contest, so his minutes will likely be split between Keita Bates-Diop and Josh Okogie. Both of them should be available in most leagues and can serve as solid streaming options as they've been two of the top options off of the bench.

Phoenix Suns forward Yuta Watanabe seemed to be a great locker room presence and "glue guy" when he was playing for Brooklyn and Toronto the last couple of seasons. The 28-year-old was already able to build chemistry with Kevin Durant while in Brooklyn, but Frank Vogel has noticed that he's forming an on-court bond with Devin Booker as well. Booker seems to know where Watanabe is on the floor and has been finding him for more open shots. Beyond the stars on this team, the role-player rotation is yet to be known. In fantasy terms, Watanabe could be an end-of-the-draft name to watch if he rises closer to the surface of the role-player pool.

According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, Yuta Watanabe is among the Phoenix Suns' potential targets in free agency. The Japanese forward is coming off a one-year, $1.97 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets and is an unrestricted free agent. "Suns are a prime destination for vet minimum free agents," Gambadoro added. Watanabe posted a bunch of career-highs with the Nets last season, but he averaged only 16 minutes per game, and the 28-year-old likely won't get enough playing time in Phoenix either to make a significant fantasy impact.

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (back) is expected to go through a "precautionary MRI" on Wednesday. Watanabe has already been ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns after experiencing back tightness in Monday's game. Joe Harris and TJ Warren should see increased minutes with Watanabe out.

Without a doubt, Kyrie Irving is arguably one of the most naturally gifted players in the National Basketball Association. He's a fantastic ball-handler and can get to the rim with ease. However, the former Duke Blue Devil's career has been surrounded by controversy, ultimately impacting his ability to win an MVP.The NBA trade deadline kicked off with a bang when Irving, who had demanded a trade out of Brooklyn, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. NBA fans and fantasy managers are left wondering how things will play out.To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NBA, make sure to favorite or bookmark the RotoBaller Fantasy Basketball Newspage, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy basketball mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news. 

Kyrie Irving's Season Recap

Irving got suspended for an antisemitic social media post, keeping him out of the lineup for eight games. But since then, the 30-year-old stayed out of the limelight, so most had assumed he finally turned things around. He's played well all season, averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 40 appearances.https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622324668047794177?s=20&t=NTffJ2tRvNpjAA7bddjYHQHe was also selected to the All-Star team for the eighth time in his career. However, things were apparently going too well, as Irving dropped a bombshell by requesting a trade. His wish was granted, as he was sent to Dallas in exchange for ... [More]

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) will be sidelined for yet another game as he's still nursing a strained right hamstring. This will be his tenth consecutive game watching from the bench. His production off of the bench has been missed, but the team has found ways to win as they've gone 6-3 so far in his absence. Once he's back, he'll likely take a game or two to get back up to speed and then he would only be relevant in much deeper fantasy leagues after that.

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) will officially miss his ninth consecutive game as he's still recovering from a hamstring strain. The last time he was able to play was back on November 20th in the team's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Royce O'Neal will see some added usage while T.J. Warren and Markieff Morris could see some more time off of the bench as well. Once Watanabe returns, he would be a good waiver wire pickup in deeper leagues.

Brooklyn Nets guard Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) won't play on Sunday against Portland. The 28-year-old has missed the last two games because of a right hamstring strain, although he may be nearing a return. Watanabe has played well this season, averaging a career-high 8.1 points and shooting 57.1% from deep, so the Nets are certainly missing his production from off the bench. Until Watanabe is healthy, Seth Curry and Joe Harris should see some additional minutes moving ahead, with Markieff Morris also benefitting to a lesser degree.

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) will miss at least the next two games. The 28-year-old will sit out Wednesday and also Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers. This is a shame because Watanabe was actually playing well for the Nets. Now, the Nets will likely use a committee approach to fill the void with Watanabe sidelined. Markieff Morris, Cam Thomas, and David Duke Jr. are all candidates to get increased playing time. Thomas is the best fantasy option out of the bunch, but is probably more of a deep league option.

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) will sit out a second consecutive game Wednesday against Toronto. He missed Tuesday's clash versus Philadelphia with right hamstring tightness and the problem hasn't cleared up yet. Watanabe has impressed lately and his absence is definitely felt. With Seth Curry (ankle) also out Wednesday, the rest of the bench guys really need to step it up. Markieff Morris, David Duke Jr. and Cam Thomas are the likeliest candidates to earn more playing time with Watanabe out. Thomas looks the most attractive piece, as he recently had a nice run in the team, but the 21-year-old has played just 14 minutes in total across the last three games, which is pretty discouraging.

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (hamstring) won't play against the 76ers. The former Raptor has been fantastic recently, averaging 15 points and shooting 66% from deep in the last three games. However, he has a tight hamstring, so Markieff Morris, who had eight points, seven rebounds, and a steal against Memphis on Sunday, may be more involved on Tuesday night.

Brooklyn Nets guard Yuta Watanabe (ankle) is out for Saturday's meeting with the Clippers. The 28-year-old tweaked his ankle during Monday's meeting with Dallas and didn't suit up for the next game against the Knicks. Watanabe has benefited from Kyrie Irving's (suspension) absence and has averaged 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting an impressive 54.5% from behind the arc. There's also a good chance he won't play on Sunday against the Lakers. However, with Seth Curry, Ben Simmons, and Joe Harris getting more action, Watanabe likely wouldn't have played much.

Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe (ankle) is set to sit out at least two more games. He sprained his left ankle against Dallas at the start of the week and already missed one contest Wednesday versus the Knicks. Watanabe has been able to make himself useful while the Nets have dealt with injury, but he has unfortunately now gone down himself. His absence has resulted in Cameron Thomas getting a lot of burn off the bench, and the 21-year-old looks to finally have found his stride after a few rough weeks at the start of the season. The Nets start a four-game road trip in L.A. at the weekend and it looks like Watanabe will have a chance to join the team for the latter half of the tour if his ankle heals well enough.

Free-agent forward Yuta Watanabe agreed to a one-year contract with Brooklyn on Sunday. The 27-year-old has four professional seasons under his belt, suiting up for the Grizzlies and Raptors and averaging 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. It's a non-guaranteed deal, so there's a good chance he won't make the regular season roster. Yet, even if he does, he won't be fantasy relevant in any format.

Toronto Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe produced the best game of his career on Sunday, going for 26 points and 13 rebounds in a blowout loss to Cleveland. He bagged an assist with one steal and one block as well, shooting 11-for-20 from the field and 2-for-3 from deep. Watanabe was part of the starting unit and logged a team-high 37 minutes. The Raptors roster is looking completely different to the one we're used to seeing, with half of their eight-man rotation made up of players on hardship contracts. It's an awful situation for the team, but it's given players like Watanabe a platform to perform.

Toronto Raptors center Precious Achiuwa (shoulder) and shooting guard/power forward Yuta Watanabe (calf) have been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against Memphis. Achiuwa could see a slight minutes bump due to the absence of Khem Birch (knee), although the 22-year-old's role has remained steady across his first 15 games. Watanabe will be making his season debut when he checks into the game for Toronto, so he's unlikely to make much of a fantasy impact out of the gate. The 27-year-old appeared in 50 games with the Raptors last season, but he averaged just 14.4 minutes on a nightly basis bench, primarily filling in as a lightly utilized bench piece.