Golden State Warriors

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (back) won't play on Thursday versus the Knicks. However, the 25-year-old will return to the court on Friday against the Cavaliers. Melton has been sidelined for over a month because of a back issue, so there's a good chance he'll be limited in his first game back. With Kyle Lowry also recently signing with the team, fantasy managers may want to consider other options before adding Melton to the starting lineup, at least until it's clear what his role will be with a reconfigured roster.

Philadelphia 76ers guard De'Anthony Melton (back) is out for Thursday's game against the New York Knicks. The Sixers ruled out Melton on Wednesday evening, but the 25-year-old guard put in a full practice and will aim to return on Friday versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kelly Oubre Jr. should remain rostered in fantasy basketball, but he'll take on a Knicks squad that's surrendering the third-fewest points per game (109.9) in the NBA during the 2023-24 campaign.

Golden State Warriors guard/forward Gary Payton II might have to come out of the lineup on Thursday against the Lakers due to an illness. The defensive specialist returned to action from a hamstring strain right before the All-Star break and featured in four consecutive games. However, it looks like he might have to sit out some action again on Thursday, with the team officially regarding him as questionable for the contest. Health issues have limited Gary Payton II to only 20 appearances this season. Lester Quinones and Moses Moody will battle for the available minutes if Payton II can't play on Thursday, though neither is a good fantasy option.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was asked if he thought about retirement while he enjoyed the All-Star festivities and he had quite the straightforward answer. He explained that he has thought of it, but those thoughts go away as he prepares for each game. When it gets down to it, he doesn't think he's "anywhere close" to calling it quits, but he also knows that his body may tell him it's time before he thinks he'll be ready. This doesn't come as much of a surprise because he hasn't even hinted at retirement and he's still playing close to the level he was on while winning championships and MVP awards. Even after he's done carrying a whole team, his shooting ability could allow him to play for a very long time.

Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry finished only two assists shy of a double-double in Sunday's All-Star Game. The former MVP added 16 points to his eight assists, shooting 6-for-17 from the field. Nearly all of Curry's attempts came from downtown as the stars went berserk with three-point shooting and combined for 168 attempts from deep. The man with the most three-point makes ever in the NBA finished a 4-for-13 record from behind the arc. Curry has been on a scoring tear lately and appears to be gearing up for a big finish to the season. He's just set a new record with four consecutive games with at least seven makes from downtown, and the Warriors desperately need more big numbers from him to remain in contention for a playoff spot.