Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Lonnie Walker IV (hamstring) won't return to the court Tuesday versus New Orleans. He's been trending towards a return, but unfortunately, still isn't good to go. Walker IV missed the entire December and has been absent for 15 games in total. Before running into health issues, the 25-year-old enjoyed a very good start to the campaign, and he still remains Brooklyn's fourth-best scorer with 14.6 points. Walker IV's next chance to return comes on Wednesday versus Houston.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (knee) could be sidelined for a second consecutive game, with the team listing him as questionable for Tuesday's action versus Brooklyn. Murphy III has a sore left knee. A meniscus injury in the same knee forced him to sit out the start of the season, so the team likely won't want to rush him back. The 23-year-old has made 12 appearances in 2023-24, posting 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27.0 minutes with 42.3 percent shooting from downtown. He's been a key guy off the bench, but Naji Marshall and Jose Alvarado have larger roles off the pine without Murphy III. Both played well against the Lakers at the weekend but haven't been consistent.

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard was limited to only eight minutes due to a sore back in Monday's impressive 122-113 road win over Milwaukee. He had a poor outing, contributing only two points and finishing with a team-worst minus-21 rating. Nembhard made his fifth consecutive start in Bruce Brown's (knee) absence, but he might now have to sit out some games himself. Buddy Hield replaced Nembhard in the starting unit for the second half on Monday, but the game was all about Bennedict Mathurin. He put up a big 25-point, 13-rebound double-double in 36 minutes off the bench. Mathurin could be the main beneficiary of Indiana's injuries again on Wednesday when there's a rematch scheduled with the Bucks.

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum exited Monday's loss to Utah with a right heel contusion. He was already considered questionable for the game with the same issue. It looks like Exum wanted to give it a go, but he apparently wasn't able to push through the injury for the entire night. The Australian guard logged 12 minutes and had four points with three assists. Exum has been fantastic for the Mavericks and even maintained his starting position on Monday despite Kyrie Irving's return. Josh Green, Jaden Hardy, and Tim Hardaway Jr. are the main candidates to step up if Exum is forced to take some time off due to his injury.

Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (knee) is currently listed as probable heading into Tuesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Finney-Smith has been dealing with knee issues for weeks, but has been able to play through it on most nights. It's worth noting that Tuesday's game is the front end of a back-to-back set. That means, Finney-Smith might not be available on Wednesday. Fantasy managers will have to check back on Tuesday to see if he's cleared to go for the first game.