Phoenix Suns center Udoka Azubuike (illness) has been ruled out ahead of Monday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. This doesn't come as a shock after Azubike was listed as doubtful on the injury report. His absence won't have much of an impact on the Suns rotation during this game. Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks should continue seeing most of the minutes at the center spot with Azubuike having a minimal role anyway.

The Phoenix Suns and free-agent center Udoka Azubuike agreed to terms on a two-way deal on Monday. The 23-year-old fortifies the team's depth chart as an interior presence. With that said, Azubuike has mostly failed to stand out with the Utah Jazz after being a first-rounder in the 2020 NBA Draft. The big man has averaged just 3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in 9.0 minutes covering 68 games in his three-year career. As it becomes more and more likely Deandre Ayton remains in the desert this upcoming season, Azubuike appears buried on the frontcourt depth chart also behind Drew Eubanks, Bol Bol, and Chimezie Metu.

Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike (ankle) will remain sidelined for Monday's game against the Houston Rockets. The 23-year-old has been rehabbing ankle surgery he underwent in March. He missed all of training camp, the preseason and now the first four games of the regular season. It's unclear when Azubuike will be healthy enough to rejoin the rotation. He'll have to compete for playing time in a crowded frontcourt rotation. Kelly Olynyk, Jarred Vanderbilt and Walker Kessler will continue to split up the playing time in Utah. Kessler has the highest upside out of the three players.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent (UDFA) signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.... [More]

Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike could see a bigger role in the rotation heading into next season. The departure of Rudy Gobert has opened up significant minutes at the center spot in Utah. As of right now, rookie Walker Kessler is projected to be the starting big man. Although, Azubuike is basically the only backup on the roster right now. That means, he'll possibly see minutes in the 20s behind Kessler. The 22-year-old could make for an interesting late-round option in fantasy leagues, assuming he does get a bigger role next season.

Utah Jazz center Udoka Azubuike will move into the starting five for Wednesday's game against the Denver Nuggets. Rudy Gobert (calf) and Hassan Whiteside (back) will both be sidelined for this contest. Luckily for Azubuike, reigning MVP Nikola Jokic (toe) is sitting out on Wednesday. That being said, Azubuike has a chance to actually make some noise in this contest. He should be considered a low-end streaming option and a risky DFS choice for Wednesday's slate.