Nance is slated to start at power forward Sunday against the Timberwolves, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

He'll join the lineup as a replacement for the slumping Robert Covington, who will be moved to the bench after averaging just 6.0 points per game while shooting 35.3 percent from the floor and 25 percent from downtown. Though Nance (28.6 percent mark form three-point range) doesn't provide much of a threat from downtown, he'll offer a similar defensive-minded presence as Covington and is capable of guarding multiple positions. Expect the move to the top unit to come with at least a slight upgrade in the 20.3 minutes per game Nance had been averaging heading into Sunday.

Nance provided 16 points (6-9 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, one block and three steals over 25 minutes during Wednesday's 112-107 victory over Chicago.

EDGE Analysis

Nance was the only Portland reserve to score in double digits in the contest, and he ranked second among all players on the club with nine boards. The versatile veteran has struggled to find his niche through the first part of the season, but he has looked better over his past two games, averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 boards, 2.5 dimes and 1.5 steals over the pair of contests. Perhaps the best indication that he is trending up lies in his playing time -- Nance has logged at least 20 minutes in five straight games after failing to hit that mark in nine of his first 11 contests to begin the campaign.

Nance finished Monday's 118-113 victory over Toronto with 15 points (7-7 FG, 1-1 3Pt), five rebounds and two assists across 23 minutes.

EDGE Analysis

Nance hasn't been much of a factor offensively this season, as he came into Monday's contest averaging only 5.6 points on 4.4 field-goal attempts per game. However, he got into a groove against the Raptors and tied his season high with seven attempts from the field en route to a campaign-high 15 points. The low minutes and volume have thus far made Nance a non-factor in fantasy, so he'll likely remain on the waiver wire unless he's able to earn more court time.

Nance closed with 13 points (6-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt), five rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 119-109 loss to the Suns.

EDGE Analysis

Before managers go running to the waiver wire, we need to factor in that Jusuf Nurkic (eight points, six rebounds and three assists) played just 19 minutes due to early foul trouble. Nance is a proven per-minute beast but to this point, has been unable to carve out a meaningful role. If he were to inch his playing time up over 20 minutes per night, he would be a name to consider picking up. As of right now, he is only a positive contributor in deeper fantasy formats.

Nance produced three points (1-2 FG, 1-2 FT), 10 rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes during Friday's 111-92 victory over the Clippers.

EDGE Analysis

Nance is yet to find his footing in Portland and despite being an every night part of the rotation, his role is certainly not what we had envisaged. He has a proven ability to be a standard league contributor but as of right now, the playing time is simply not sufficient. He can be left for those in deeper formats.

Nance was sent to Portland on Friday as part of a three-team sign-and-trade that brings Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland and Derrick Jones to Chicago, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Markkanen is the biggest name on the move, as he'll join the Cavaliers and sign a four-year, $67 million contract. Meanwhile, Nance will move from a crowded depth chart to what should be a much more fantasy-friendly situation with the Trail Blazers. Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington project to start at center and power forward, respectively, but Nance will likely be in line to serve as the first big man off the bench. The former Wyoming standout has always been a strong per-minute fantasy player, but his role was typically inconsistent with the Cavs, though he was able to see more minutes over the last two seasons with Kevin Love missing extensive time due to injury. Fantasy-wise, Nance isn't elite in any one area, but he offers a well-rounded profile with few weaknesses. He's averaged at least 1.0 steals per game in five straight seasons, including a career-high 1.7 per game in 2020-21.

Nance (thumb) was officially ruled out for the remainder of the season after the Cavaliers signed Anderson Varejao to a 10-day contract Tuesday, Chris Fedor of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

EDGE Analysis

Since Varejao is joining the roster on a hardship exception, the Cavaliers would have to rule out four players for the remainder of the season to satisfy the league's conditions and open up an extra spot. Cleveland had already shut down Taurean Prince (ankle) and Dylan Windler (knee), and now Nance and Matthew Dellavedova (neck) will also be sidelined for the final two weeks of the season. Nance, who is recovering from a fractured right thumb, should be back to full health well in advance of the 2021-22 season.

The Cavaliers are expected to shut down Nance for the remainder of the season after he fractured his right thumb in Sunday's 119-110 loss to the Wizards, ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

When the Cavaliers announced Nance's injury, the team didn't formally rule out the forward beyond Monday's loss to the Raptors, instead relaying that he would be re-evaluated on a daily basis while undergoing a series of treatments and rehabilitation. This latest report offers a more definitive plan for Nance, who will likely face a multiweek recovery even if he elects to forgo surgery. Given that the 21-40 Cavaliers are a long shot to secure a spot in the play-in tournament for the final two seed positions in the Eastern Conference postseason, there's little incentive to have Nance play through the injury over the final three weeks of the regular season. Assuming that plan doesn't change, Nance will finish his sixth NBA campaign with averages of 9.3 points (on 47.1 percent shooting from the field), 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.2 three-pointers in 31.2 minutes per game over 35 appearances.

Nance sustained a fractured right thumb during Sunday night's loss to Washington and will not play Monday against Toronto.

EDGE Analysis

In an official release, the Cavs said Nance will "undergo a series of treatment and rehabilitation" while noting that he will be re-evaluated on a daily basis. The implication is that Nance doesn't have a firm timetable, but given the severity of the injury, it's likely that he'll miss several games down the stretch. The reserve big man averaged 5.8 points, 5.0 boards and 1.5 steals over his last six games since returning from an illness.

Nance (personal) had 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 0-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one steal in 22 minutes during Wednesday's 121-105 victory over the Bulls.

EDGE Analysis

Nance was back on the court for the Cavaliers after missing the previous game due to personal reasons. He played only 22 minutes in the victory, although garbage time may have been a factor here. He is not yet back to full speed after a lengthy layoff due to illness, making him a risky addition in competitive leagues. That said, his upside in steals alone makes him worth a look, especially for streaming purposes.