Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. (groin) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. He is attempting to overcome left groin soreness before tip-off. If Smith Jr. is unable to play, Tari Eason will likely receive additional minutes, with Jae'Sean Tate or Cam Whitmore possibly re-entering the rotation. Meanwhile, if Smith Jr. gets the green light to play, he may see increased usage in the frontcourt since Alperen Sengun (back) is also questionable for the game, and his absence would open up significant minutes at the center position.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) will make his return to the court on Friday. Smith has been out since the beginning of January due to a hand injury. He's back in the rotation on Friday, but he'll come off the bench. The move to have Smith play with the second unit is likely just the Rockets slowly ramping him back up to full speed. Once fully healthy, Smith figures to return to his role of playing 30-plus minutes per night. Fantasy managers probably won't get too much from Smith during his first game back on the court. It shouldn't take too long before Smith is back to playing his normal role.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) said he is ready to return on Friday when the Rockets resume their season against the Timberwolves after the All-Star break. Coach Ime Udoka said that Smith would not be on any minutes restriction, even though it will be his first game since January 1. Smith started all 33 of his games this season, averaging 30.9 minutes, 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. With Fred VanVleet (ankle) a game-time decision, Udoka declined to say whether Smith would start or come off the bench, but his return will have a big impact as the Rockets try to make a push for the postseason.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) is set to rejoin the action after the All-Star break. NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that Smith Jr., who fractured his hand on Jan. 1, is aiming for a return on Feb. 21 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 21-year-old has averaged 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 30.9 minutes this season. Amen Thompson has excelled in a starting role during Smith Jr.'s absence, and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka will face some tough decisions once the entire squad is back together. Smith Jr. has been a starter for all 188 of his career games so far.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) is expected to miss 4-8 weeks with a fractured left hand, the team announced on Friday, as reported by ESPN's Shams Charania. Smith Jr. was injured during shootaround ahead of Friday's game against Boston. The third-year player averages 11.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks across 30.9 minutes this season. With Tari Eason (lower leg) also nursing an injury and Amen Thompson suspended, the door is open for Cam Whitmore and Jae'Sean Tate to make a big impact. The former has already had a few impressive outings lately.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. will miss Monday's game against Portland with a suspension. He was handed a one-game suspension for his altercation with Utah's Kris Dunn on Saturday. Smith Jr's absence will be a major blow for the playoff-chasing Rockets, who have racked up eight consecutive victories. Following Alperen Sengun's (ankle) injury, Smith Jr. has filled the starting center role. With him now sidelined, Jeff Green and Jock Landale should share the minutes at the five positions. Green is the more attractive fantasy option of the two and played great after Smith Jr.'s early exit at the weekend, scoring 21 points and registering four rebounds with a pair of blocks. A meeting with Portland could also be fruitful for him, as the Trail Blazers are allowing opposing centers to shoot 60.6 percent from the field.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. (illness) will play on Wednesday against the Clippers. The talented Auburn product has been battling an illness and initially landed on the injury report with a questionable tag, but he has been upgraded to available. However, how effective Smith Jr. can be remains to be seen. He already struggled to perform in Tuesday's matchup against San Antonio, recording only two points and three rebounds in 25 minutes. Wednesday's matchup is also a tough one for Smith Jr. and the Rockets, as the Clippers have developed into a very good defensive team.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) did not appear on the injury report for their game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. The 20-year-old has missed the last four consecutive games due to an ankle sprain, but it seems like he has fully healed now that he doesn't carry an injury designation at all. He should re-enter his role in the starting lineup and can be started in fantasy leagues regardless of size or format. He's made some improvements in traditional stat categories along with his efficiency so far this year. Smith averages 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 threes made, and 1.2 turnovers per game while shooting 47.4% from the floor.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) won't suit up for Saturday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. He'll now be sidelined for a fourth consecutive contest, so his next chance to return will be on Monday versus the visiting Los Angeles Lakers. The 20-year-old is averaging a career-high 13.7 points this season, meaning there will be extra scoring chances up for grabs, which Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet could mostly absorb. At the same time, Jeff Green may remain in the starting lineup, although he's a hit-or-miss fantasy option.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) is back on the injury report after initially being removed when it first came out. The second-year forward is still dealing with some lingering effects of the ankle sprain that he suffered a few games back. The fact that he popped up on the report later than normal as questionable isn't the best sign for his chances to play against the Charlotte Hornets. If he has to remain sidelined for a third consecutive game, Jeff Green would likely remain in the starting five while Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Jock Landale would all see some more minutes coming off of the bench. If Smith plays, however, Landale and Whitmore wouldn't be great starts in this contest.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) is not spotted on the team's injury report ahead of Friday's matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. Out for back-to-back games due to a sprained left ankle, Smith is cleared to return against the Hornets on Friday. The 2022 first-rounder is bringing in top-100 fantasy numbers in his second season with the Rockets, tallying 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 treys, and 0.8 blocks per game. Jeff Green will slide back to Houston's second unit to free up Smith's starting spot.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) won't play on Sunday against the Boston Celtics. The 20-year-old logged 41 minutes in Saturday's overtime win over the Utah Jazz, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds. However, Smith tweaked his left ankle during the extra quarter, although he downplayed the severity of the ailment. At any rate, it's possible the Rockets could be without him for at least a few more games. Houston also won't have Fred VanVleet, so Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun could benefit significantly on the scoring end. In addition, Aaron Holiday and Jae'Sean Tate could see more streaming interest from fantasy managers, considering both men will likely enter the starting lineup versus Boston.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) is listed as questionable ahead of Monday's meeting with Detroit. Smith Jr. missed his first game of the season Friday versus Philadelphia due to a left ankle sprain. It looks like his absence could be limited to only one game, but it's not fully certain Smith Jr. can return against Detroit. With Dillon Brooks (oblique) also sidelined, Jae'Sean Tate and Jeff Green have jumped into the starting unit. They could be in line for even more extra work on Monday, as Tari Eason (leg) is also questionable for the contest.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) suffered a left ankle sprain in the third quarter during their Wednesday night game against the Phoenix Suns. He'll now miss at least one game as he was ruled out of their Friday night matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. This will be his first missed game of the season, but it's unknown whether or not he'll have to miss more time. Smith has seen a boost in fantasy value since last year. He currently ranks 73rd in nine-category value compared to 144th last season while he averages more points, threes, rebounds, assists, and steals. As he sits this game out, Jae'Sean Tate will get more playing time and Tari Eason (leg) could move into the starting lineup if he plays.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. led all scorers in a preseason blowout over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. The second-year forward ended the game with 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting overall and 4-for-5 from deep. He also added nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal across 24 minutes. Smith should see an even bigger role this year as he'll likely start alongside an upgraded starting lineup with some more weapons around him. Despite his lower shooting percentages last season, he was still a solid late-round value in redraft leagues. If he can get back to his college efficiency numbers, he'll make a big leap into a mid-round value this year.

It's a crazy time of year around the National Basketball Association. Not long after the Denver Nuggets captured the franchise's first championship, French big manVictor Wembanyama was the top pick of the 2023 Draft.While new talent entering the league is all well and good, nothing turns the NBA upside down quite like the beginning of free agency. Since June 30, many notable players have signed with new teams. There were also more than a few significant trades. In either case, at least a handful of clubs will look very different (for the better?) come training camp. Let's take a look at some of the biggest names on the move and how they might affect the NBA landscape this season. 

Fred VanVleet - Houston Rockets

The Rockets entered the 2022-23 campaign as the second-youngest team in the National Basketball Association, and it showed. The club finished with 22 wins and 60 losses, with the Pistons being the only team with a worse record. As a result, the front office made a point to shake things up after the exhaustingly long year came to a close.The overhaul began when Stephen Silas, winning just 59 of his 236 games in Houston, was relieved of his head coaching duties. In his place, Ime Udoka, who helped guide the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance in his first season, took the reigns. While Udoka's tenure in Boston didn't end on a positive note, he's still regarded as one of the sharpest minds in the league, even by those who lost respect for him on a personal level.https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1650612243661242369?s=20While having a knowledgeable head coach will help accelerate the growth of an up-and-coming squad, the Rockets needed someone to facilitate things on the floor. With Houston having plenty of cap space entering the offseason, the team signed ... [More]

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. has shown enough for the team to shut him down for the rest of the summer. The rising second-year stretch-four had a stellar two games for the Rockets as he averaged 35.5 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one block per game. His offensive game was looking great against the younger competition and his confidence looked like it took another step from his rookie year. For any of those playing DFS in summer league, Cam Whitmore should see plenty of opportunities now that Smith and Tari Eason won't be playing.

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. notched another 30-point game in the Vegas summer league as he led the team to a win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon. The rising second-year forward ended the game with 38 points, seven rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block while shooting 13-for-25 from the floor and knocking down nine of his 10 free throws. Smith has shown a ton of confidence throughout their two summer league games so far and his shot looks a lot better than it did during his rookie year.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. netted 33 points with seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and three three-pointers over 31 minutes in Friday's 100-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He shot 8-for-18 from the floor and was a busy 14-for-17 from the charity stripe. Smith secured 29 of his points during the second half and put a bow on it with a game-winning buzzer-beater from beyond the arc. The 2022 No. 3 overall pick was a huge disappointment in his rookie year, failing to impress on either end of the hardwood. Smith posted 12.8 points, 7.2 boards, and 1.5 threes on 40.8% shooting overall across 31 minutes per game in 2022-2023. The 20-year-old is likely to represent a popular fantasy breakout candidate in many circles this fall.

Houston Rockets forward/center Jabari Smith Jr. completed his first year in the NBA with a team-high 20 points in Sunday's 114-109 win over Washington. He pulled down five rebounds and swatted away one shot, while shooting 6-for-11 from the field, including 1-for-3 from deep, and 7-for-8 at the foul line. The third pick of last year's draft mostly struggled during his maiden season but greatly improved his performances over the final couple of months. Smith Jr. ended up averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds for the season, shooting a lowly 40.8 percent from the field. He was able to push his scoring average close to 16 points with 50 percent shooting in April, and keeping up the improved efficiency should be Smith Jr.'s main goal for next season.