Mikal Bridges

Giannis went down just three minutes into Wednesday night's game, and the Bucks were fortunate enough to quickly rule out an Achilles injury. However, it turns out that the calf injury could keep him on the shelf for an extended period of time anyway. With reports coming out that Giannis has also asked the Bucks for a trade, we'd expect the team and player to both be cautious with his return, which will likely keep him out until the beginning or middle of January. In the meantime, Bobby Portis Jr. figures to see an uptick in minutes, and both Kevin Porter Jr. and Kyle Kuzma will be leaned on for higher usage. Giannis' recovery timeline could be additionally interesting because players who signed offseason extensions, like Knicks wing Mikal Bridges, aren't eligible to be traded until February. With Giannis sidelined for a few weeks, that could open up new trade possibilities for the Bucks, if they choose to move their star.

Bridges has now recorded at least two steals in 12 straight games, with that category being one of the reasons why he has been an elite fantasy option this season. The Knicks guard/forward recorded another complete stat line against the Hornets, and that has been the routine for him. Not only is Bridges continuing to provide top-10 value in nine-cat formats, but he's closing in on that threshold in eight-cat formats as well.

Bridges posted 35 points (12-17 FG, 8-12 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, three assists and two steals across 34 minutes in Tuesday's 123-117 loss to the Celtics.

After scoring five points on 2-of-4 from the field in the first half, Bridges caught fire and nearly helped the Knicks erase a 21-point second-half deficit. He hit seven three-pointers and scored 30 points, finishing with a season-high 35. In fact, this was Bridges' first game with at least 20 points since November 17 against the Heat. The good news for those who have him rostered is that Bridges' fantasy value isn't solely dependent on points. He continues to provide top-10 value in nine-cat formats but should not be considered a "sell-high" option.

Jalen Brunson scored a season-low 15 points against the Celtics on Tuesday, but Mikal Bridges shouldered the offensive load, scoring a season-high 35 against their rivals.