In a season of bad news for the Los Angeles Lakers, the worst came Thursday when an MRI exam revealed that Kobe Bryant has suffered a torn right rotator cuff.
The Lakers announced that Bryant will be re-evaluated in Los Angeles on Friday, when an update on his condition will be provided, but regardless of the news, there is plenty of reason to believe that the Lakers star will be done for the season.
"The correct decision is for him to treat it right now and shut it down," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said.
"He's obviously the big draw for the Lakers, but they have to be looking towards the future."
Considering that the Lakers (12-31) are light-years from playoff contention in the ultracompetitive Western Conference, and that they must end up with a top-five pick in the 2015 draft lottery in order to avoid losing their first-rounder to Phoenix (Steve Nash trade), there's little incentive to bring the 36-year-old Bryant back and try to win games at any point during the second half of the season.
Currently, they have the fourth-worst record in the league, ahead of only New York (7-36), Minnesota (7-34) and Philadelphia (8-34).
Fantasy owners will certainly have some tough decisions to make in the wake of the Bryant news, but the right thing to do at this point is to cut him. Kobe wasn't playing well before the injury, and there's little reason to believe that he'll improve if he does manage to heal fast enough to return to the lineup later this season.
Unless your team has an open IR spot where you can stash Bryant, you'll be better off moving on without him.
Expect Wayne Ellington (owned in 0.3 percent of ESPN leagues) to assume Bryant's starting role, as he has anytime the Lakers' star has sat out lately, and for Wesley Johnson (6.2 percent ownership) to take on more of an offensive role, as well.
These aren't the only Lakers to watch, though. Bryant's absence means more opportunity for Jeremy Lin (27.9 percent ownership) and Nick Young (41.7 percent ownership), but both have underperformed with or without Bryant in the lineup this season, and Jordan Hill (62.3 percent ownership), Ed Davis (12.1 percent ownership) and even Carlos Boozer (39.1 percent ownership) are probably better options at this point.
And a darkhorse in all this? Don't forget about undrafted rookie Jordan Clarkson, an athletic combo guard whose upside could warrant a longer look by coach Byron Scott.
Keep in mind, though, that with the Lakers now prepared to enter "tank mode" in order to retain their 2015 first-rounder, all of these players are also prime candidates to change uniforms in the four weeks leading up to the NBA's Feb. 19 trade deadline.
Tidbits and rotation observations from around the NBA:
No Favors tonight: Utah's Derrick Favors will miss Thursday's game against Milwaukee because of personal reasons, and his absence impacts many players on both the Jazz and the Bucks. For one, it means more minutes for Rudy Gobert, who'll almost surely step into the starting lineup and play somewhere around 35 minutes tonight, making him a popular option in daily fantasy leagues. But it also means a heavier reliance on both Enes Kanter in the frontcourt, and possibly more scoring chances for guys such as Gordon Hayward and Trey Burke. On the flip side, the Bucks' frontcourt of Ersan Ilyasova and Zaza Pachulia should have an easier time in the paint without Favors around, especially whenever Gobert is on the bench in favor of Trevor Booker.
Danilo's return: Danilo Gallinari will be available to play Friday against Boston after missing the last month with a torn meniscus, and you can expect the Nuggets to bring him back slowly. If Gallo proves that he can hold up, he's a candidate to cut into Wilson Chandler's minutes over the second half of the season. But before racing out to add him, let him prove that he's worthy of a pickup; that, in itself, could take several weeks.
Portland without Aldridge: On Wednesday night, we got our first glimpse at the Trail Blazers without LaMarcus Aldridge, and the lineup coach Terry Stotts went with was, shall we say, surprising. The Blazers started Dorell Wright alongside Chris Kaman in the matchup against Phoenix, giving themselves another perimeter shooter to go with Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum. Portland ended up losing to the Suns, which adds to the intrigue of tonight's game between Portland and Boston. With Aldridge reportedly wearing a cast on his injured thumb and due for another MRI today, he could be out for a while, and if losses continue to mount, don't be surprised if Stotts replaces Wright with Meyers Leonard or Thomas Robinson in the starting five.
News to know: Kenneth Faried (flu-like symptoms) missed Thursday's practice and is listed as questionable for Friday's game against Boston. ... George Hill (groin), who hasn't played since Dec. 31 and has been limited to five games all season, is now questionable for Friday. ... Jusuf Nurkic is dealing with a sore back but will play Friday against Boston. ... JaVale McGee (leg) practiced Thursday and is closing in on a return to the court, which can only mean bad things for Nurkic and J.J. Hickson owners. ... Joakim Noah (ankle) is nearing a return, but he has already been ruled out for Thursday's game against San Antonio. That means at least one more game of extended minutes for Taj Gibson, and possibly Nikola Mirotic, as well.
Check out The Crossover: In the latest column, Joe looks at players whose fantasy value will soar if one of their teammates is traded leading up to the NBA's Feb. 19 trade deadline.