2 weeks agoLos Angeles Clippers forward
Kawhi Leonard (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of the preseason. Following Monday's 110-96 win over Dallas, the Clippers have one more game to go on their preseason schedule. Leonard hasn't seen any action in preseason after undergoing offseason knee surgery. Speaking ahead of training camp, Leonard seemed confident about being in the lineup for the regular-season opener against Phoenix on Oct. 23, but that now seems far from certain.
James Harden's usage numbers will likely go through the roof if Leonard isn't healthy to start the campaign, with
Nicolas Batum or
Amir Coffey taking over his spot in the starting lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard
Coby White (groin) remained sidelined for Monday's preseason contest against Milwaukee. White scored a game-high 21 points in Chicago's preseason opener against Cleveland on Oct. 8 but has missed practice time and two games since then. His injury has been described as groin tightness, which doesn't sound too serious, and there's still every chance White suits up on opening night against New Orleans next Wednesday. There are two more preseason games scheduled for the Bulls, starting with Wednesday's clash versus Minnesota, where
Lonzo Ball (knee) is expected to make his long-awaited comeback.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: K.C. Johnson
2 weeks agoDenver Nuggets point guard
Jamal Murray tweaked his knee over the weekend. According to Nuggets head coach Michael Malone, Murray's knee began to feel "funny" during the warm-ups ahead of Sunday's preseason matchup versus Phoenix. Murray started the game but logged only 19 minutes and didn't take the court in the second half. He finished with 1-for-6 shooting, going 0-for-3 from three-point range. The Denver star couldn't get his shots to drop but did a decent job in other areas, picking up three rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Considering his previous health issues, Murray's status will be a huge concern for Denver, with the team scheduled to start the 2024-25 campaign next Thursday versus Oklahoma City.
Russell Westbrook's fantasy stock would get a big boost if Murray were to be out for an extended period.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Vinny Benedetto
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers forward
Paul George suffered a left knee hyperextension during Monday night's 104-89 preseason victory over the Atlanta Hawks. George suffered the injury early in the second quarter and did not return to the game after. The 34-year-old said he's "not too concerned" about the injury, potentially easing nerves for both Sixers fans and fantasy owners about the severity of the situation. No timeline has been released for George's potential recovery timeline and until then he should be considered day-to-day. However, given his lengthy injury history, fantasy owners should have a contingency plan in place should George be forced to miss any time. After signing a four-year $212 million contract this offseason, Philadelphia will likely do all it can to keep George healthy. Should he miss any time in the regular season
Caleb Martin and KJ Martin are likely to pick up more playing time.
--Kevin Larson - RotoBallerSource: Gina Mizell
3 weeks agoUtah Jazz guard
Isaiah Collier (hamstring) has officially been diagnosed with a hamstring strain and will miss at least 10 days. According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, the 10-day mark is when the team will re-evaluate how he feels and determine if he needs to miss any more time. That timeline means that he'll have to miss the season opener against the Memphis Grizzlies, but has a shot to return to the court for their second game against the Golden State Warriors. Collier is still a depth option at the moment, but the rookie has the chance to raise his spot on the depth chart throughout the season.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Tony Jones
3 weeks agoThe San Antonio Spurs have traded for
Jalen McDaniels and a second-round pick from the Sacramento Kings, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. The Spurs then waived McDaniels to maintain flexibility with their roster and cap space down the road. This move helped the Spurs gain some more draft capital and also allowed the Kings to navigate through some salary and luxury tax hoops after acquiring
DeMar DeRozan. McDaniels will now look to latch on to another roster before the regular season kicks off.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
3 weeks agoGolden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski (nose) was forced to leave Sunday night's preseason game after taking a hit from teammate
Trayce Jackson-Davis. On Monday, it was confirmed that the second-year guard suffered a broken nose. Brett Siegel reports that Podziemski will be fitted for a face mask and is not expected to miss the start of the regular season. Despite
Buddy Hield and
De'Anthony Melton coming in to help alleviate the loss of
Klay Thompson, Podziemski is set to take on a bigger role than last season. The 21-year-old averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 threes per game in his rookie year.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Brett Siegel
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid has been notorious for going into the playoffs with some sort of injury year after year. He suffered fractured orbital bones in his face twice, knee injuries twice, and last season tried to return from yet another knee injury while dealing with Bell's Palsy. During media day, Embiid said that when the team was bounced from the postseason, he texted general manager Daryl Morey and told him they needed to do whatever it took to keep him healthy for the playoffs. He added, "If I had to guess, I would probably never play back-to-backs the rest of my career." This sentiment has been reiterated often over the last few seasons, but it looks like it may finally come to fruition now that Embiid is more serious about it. If that allows him to be healthier throughout the entire year, it may end up increasing his fantasy value as well.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Tim Bontemps
3 weeks agoHouston Rockets guard
Fred VanVleet signed a three-year deal with the team during the off-season in 2023 after spending seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors. When he got to Houston, they were showing that they were ready to move forward with their younger core but also wanted to start winning. So, VanVleet came in to play the veteran role to bring his younger teammates along. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, he said "I didn't come here to be a rental." VanVleet also stated he came to Houston for a long-term home and has a great relationship with all of his teammates. He has one more guaranteed season in his contract before a team option in 2025-26. With a $44.8 million price tag in that option year, the 30-year-old might have some negotiating to do if he remains in Houston while they try to retain their young core at the same time.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Jonathan Feigen
3 weeks agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) missed the last couple of months of last season due to foot injuries. He then underwent surgeries on both feet in May and has been rehabbing since then. Head coach JJ Redick said that "He's following our ramp-up protocol," and "he has not done any contact work." On top of that, he said that Vanderbilt hasn't even participated in non-contact drills in training camp or preseason so far. While Redick and the Lakers are "hopeful" that he returns for the start of the regular season, there's no official timetable for Vanderbilt's return.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Khobi Price
3 weeks agoChicago Bulls guard
Lonzo Ball (knee) has missed the last two and a half seasons due to multiple surgeries on his left knee, which rendered him unable to climb stairs, let alone play basketball for a while. According to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, the team and Ball are targeting Wednesday's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as his first game back. His minutes will likely be monitored, and he'll be eased back into the rotation as the season goes on since this will be his first game since January of 2022.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Darnell Mayberry
3 weeks agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward
Julius Randle (shoulder) won't suit up for Sunday's preseason matchup against the New York Knicks. It would be nice to see Randle get into action against his former team, but it won't happen here. Randle is still recovering from surgery on his shoulder from January. His timetable remains unclear, but the hope is that Randle is ready to go by the beginning of the regular season. In the meantime,
Naz Reid will see a boost in fantasy value. Reid is expected to come off the bench this season, but proven himself to be a viable option in that role.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Stefan Bondy
3 weeks agoSacramento Kings guard
Malik Monk (personal) is cleared to return to action for Sunday's preseason matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Monk is back in the mix after missing one game due to personal reasons. It's unclear whether or not Monk is going to be in the starting five to begin the season. Right now, it seems likely that
Keon Ellis is the starting shooting guard with
Kevin Huerter and Monk being the primary backup guards. Monk averaged 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 26.0 minutes per game in 72 games last season. Monk has enough shooting upside to give him late-round fantasy value.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: James Ham
3 weeks agoSacramento Kings guard
Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has been ruled out for the upcoming preseason contest against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Huerter continues to work his way back from a season-ending shoulder injury. The good news is that he was cleared for full-contact activity on Friday. However, the Kings are going to continue easing him back into action. It's unclear if Huerter is going to play at all during the preseason. The organization is hopeful he'll be ready for Opening Night. Otherwise,
Keon Ellis figures to start at shooting guard, which would give him increased fantasy value. When healthy, Huerter appears to be a better fantasy option than Ellis due to his ability to shoot from distance.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: James Ham
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) won't play in any of the remaining preseason contests. The superstar big man was evaluated by doctors on Thursday. It sounds like Embiid is making good progress, but the team is going to play it safe and hold him out of all preseason action. Embiid has been an elite fantasy option throughout the years, but the biggest problem has been keeping him on the court. It sounds like the team is prioritizing keeping Embiid healthy for the playoffs, which could mean plenty of maintenance days during the season. Despite that, the 2023 MVP is an elite fantasy option even if he only plays around 60 games. While he's out,
Andre Drummond will likely see more run in the rotation.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Tim Bontemps
RADIO
