2 months agoThe Atlanta Hawks have snapped up forward
Dominick Barlow on a two-way contract. The 21-year-old links up with the Hawks after spending two seasons in San Antonio. He made 33 appearances last term, scoring 4.4 points and grabbing 3.4 rebounds in 12.7 minutes. During his time in Texas, Barlow also saw quite a bit of time in the G League, posting 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. Atlanta is going with a youth movement, but it's unlikely we will see much of Barlow in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
2 months agoOrlando Magic forward/center
Moritz Wagner contributed eight points, six rebounds, three assists, and one block in Germany's 86-73 win against Brazil on Tuesday at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Wagner was able to use his size against Japan in Germany's opener at the tournament to finish with 15 points off the bench, but he took a backseat offensively against a tougher frontcourt on Tuesday. Still, it was an effective performance as Wagner helped his team secure a quarterfinal spot with one game left in Group B. He should have a big role to play as well in the final contest, as the Germans face
Victor Wembanyama and
Rudy Gobert in a clash with France on Friday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoOrlando Magic forward
Franz Wagner finished a horrible 0-for-6 with his triples against Brazil at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday but helped Germany to an 86-73 win with a good all-around performance. The 22-year-old had 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block. Wagner fully showed off his versatility, which earned him a five-year, $224 million extension this offseason. Orlando clearly sees him as one of the cornerstones of the team, and Wagner fills a hugely important role for Team Germany as well. He has posted 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals through the first couple of games at the Olympics.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoBrooklyn Nets point guard
Dennis Schroder had a fantastic two-way performance for Germany against Brazil at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, leading all scorers with 20 points and snagging four steals. Schroder and Orlando's
Franz Wagner pushed the Germans to an 86-73 victory. The Brooklyn man did his damage offensively with 7-for-13 shooting, including a 4-for-9 effort from downtown. He completed his line with three rebounds and six assists. Schroder was named the MVP at last year's World Cup, and he's started another international tournament in good form, averaging 16.5 points and 9.0 assists.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoFree-agent guard
Devonte' Graham agreed to a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. The 29-year-old was one of the league's most promising young players, averaging a career-high 18.2 points and 7.5 assists in his sophomore season. Unfortunately, his statistical contributions have declined over the years. He also appeared in only 23 games in San Antonio last season. With that said, Graham may get some chances in the starting lineup during the 2024-25 campaign. However, he likely won't see consistent minutes behind
Scoot Henderson,
Anfernee Simons, and
Shaedon Sharpe, among others.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
2 months agoFree-agent forward/center
Precious Achiuwa agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with the Knicks. New York was rumored to be searching for other options to fill the void underneath the basket. However, the team will instead bring back the 24-year-old, who averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 18 starts last season. With
Isaiah Hartenstein now in Oklahoma City, Achiuwa should hold a stable role in Tom Thibodeau's rotation.
Mitchell Robinson has had issues staying healthy throughout his career, meaning Achiuwa could spend more time with the first five during the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
2 months agoAccording to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Atlanta Hawks released center
Bruno Fernando on Tuesday. Fernando had been with the Hawks for just one season, and he will now look to sign with a new team before the start of training camp. The 25-year-old didn't contribute much in last season's first half, but he turned it around after the All-Star break, posting 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across 19.3 minutes in 27 contests. Fantasy managers, if Fernando lands with a new team, don't expect him to carry much fantasy value going into the 2024-2025 regular season.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 months agoMinnesota Timberwolves center
Rudy Gobert posted seven points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal in 27 minutes during France's 94-90 thrilling overtime win over Japan in the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. The big man logged just 18 minutes in France's opener against Brazil. He likely saw an uptick in minutes against Japan due to the team's starting center,
Victor Wembanyama, laboring at times as he grabbed his lower right leg and hip several times during the contest. Gobert and his French teammates have another tough matchup on Friday versus Germany in Group B play.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
Rui Hachimura scored 24 points for Japan in a crushing 94-90 loss to France at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. In addition to scoring 24 points, Hachimura shot 10-for-16 from the field and collected six rebounds before being ejected from the contest early in the fourth quarter after being called for his second unsportsmanlike foul of the game. The 26-year-old will get another opportunity to shine on Friday as Japan faces Brazil.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoSan Antonio Spurs forward/center
Victor Wembanyama scored eight of his 18 points in overtime to help France defeat Japan 94-90 at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. Wembanyama registered eight points in the first 3:20 of the contest, but his contributions were minimal in the final 3 1/2 quarters. However, in overtime, the 20-year-old dominated on the floor, finishing the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. France is undefeated at 2-0, and Wembanyama will have be on top of his game again on Friday, going up against a formidable German team.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoChicago Bulls guard
Josh Giddey maintained momentum at the Paris Olympics in Australia's 93-83 loss to Canada on Tuesday. After nearly getting a triple-double in the Aussie's tournament opener against Spain, Giddey posted another strong line with a team-high 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. He got the job done with 7-for-14 shooting, going 3-for-7 from three-point land. Giddey had a rough campaign in 2023-24 but appears to be in a strong position to bounce back next season. Good performances at the Olympics should help rebuild Giddey's confidence ahead of the new NBA campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoDenver Nuggets point guard
Jamal Murray has struggled offensively in the first two games at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He shot just 2-for-7 from the field during a five-point effort in Canada's 93-83 victory versus Australia on Tuesday. Coming off the bench, Murray added three rebounds, five assists, and two blocks to his tally while shooting 1-for-5 from downtown. Murray had eight points on 2-for-6 shooting in the team's first game against Greece, meaning he is shooting only 30.8 percent from the field so far. It's a luxury to have a player of Murray's caliber on your bench, but the Denver star has struggled in the role. However, there's still time to improve, and getting Murray firing would be an extra boost for Canada at the tournament.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoOklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did it all for Team Canada on Tuesday in a 93-83 victory over Australia at the Paris Olympics. He notched 16 points with outstanding 8-for-10 shooting and recorded four rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks. The Thunder star has been an efficient scorer at the Olympics while providing fantasy value across the board. He definitely has room to improve as well, and we should see Gilgeous-Alexander step into an even more prominent role in the latter stages as Canada continues to battle for its second-ever Olympic medal in men's basketball.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoToronto Raptors guard/forward
RJ Barrett went 3-for-6 from behind the arc and 8-for-14 overall from the field en route to a game-high 24 points in Canada's 93-83 victory over Australia at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. He also collected seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals for a nice all-around fantasy line. Barrett has been Canada's top scorer in both of the team's first two games. The 24-year-old had a strong finish last season and appears to be in top form at the Olympics as well. Barrett and Team Canada will go up against reigning European champs Spain next in their final group game on Friday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoMilwaukee Bucks forward/center
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 27 points on 12-for-17 shooting but couldn't save Greece from going down 84-77 to Spain at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. Following a 34-point effort in Greece's tournament opener against Canada, Antetokounmpo scored at will again and stuffed the stat sheet. He completed a double-double with 11 rebounds and registered three assists with two steals. Antetokounmpo, who was Greece's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, has been a monster in Paris, but his team has dropped both of its first two games. This leaves Antetokounmpo's crew in a must-win spot against Australia next, and the Milwaukee superstar will need to put in another massive performance for Greece to get past the group stage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
RADIO
