2 months agoNew Orleans Pelicans guard
Jordan Hawkins (ankle) was removed early during Saturday's exhibition contest against the Denver Nuggets. Hawkins suffered a right ankle injury while attempting to jump for a lob pass in the second quarter. The good news is that the X-rays were negative on his ankle. However, the severity of the injury is unknown right now. Hawkins has a chance to earn consistent minutes in the rotation this season. Last season, Hawkins averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 17.3 minutes per game last season. There might be some deep league value from Hawkins, but probably nothing more than that.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: New Orleans Pelicans
2 months agoCleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley agreed to a five-year, $224 million extension with the team on Saturday night. The 2021 No. 3 overall pick has averaged 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 198 regular season games. He's still young. However, Mobley is already one of the league's most productive big men. With that said, the 23-year-old has room for improvement. But he should remain a top fantasy option in 2024-25 and beyond if he stays healthy.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
2 months agoUtah Jazz guard
Russell Westbrook was released by the team on Saturday. He was recently acquired in a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers for
Kris Dunn. However, this move was expected all along, with the veteran anticipated to sign with the Denver Nuggets upon clearing waivers. Westbrook finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging a career-low 11.1 points with 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. While he's not expected to start routinely for the Nuggets, he could see enough minutes to be relevant from a fantasy standpoint, especially with Denver's lack of options from off the bench.
Jamal Murray has also missed time over the years due to various injuries, so Westbrook might also make a few appearances with the first five this season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Jeremy Rincon
2 months agoMemphis Grizzlies forward
Ziaire Williams, along with a 2030 second-round pick, is headed to the Brooklyn Nets. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets and Grizzlies have agreed on a deal that sends them to Brooklyn in exchange for
Mamadi Diakite. The second-round pick is from the Dallas Mavericks. Williams was drafted 10th overall in 2021 and has played three seasons with the Grizzlies. During his time there, he averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting .426/.301/.803. He hasn't found a consistent role just yet, but should get some opportunities with a rebuilding Nets team.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
2
months
agoAs
reported
by
Adrian
Wojnarowski
of
ESPN,
Kris
Dunn
has
been
acquired
by
the
Los
Angeles
Clippers
in
a
sign-and-trade
that
saw
Russell
Westbrook
get
traded
to
the
Utah
Jazz
for
the
second
time
in
his
career.
Dunn
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2 months agoPhoenix Suns forward
Kevin Durant (calf) has missed the last two weeks of Team USA practices due to a minor calf strain. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Durant is expected to return to full practice on Friday. He may even play in the team's next exhibition game on Saturday against South Sudan. If he doesn't make it in time for Saturday, his next chance to play will be Monday's exhibition against Germany. Team USA hasn't lost in any of their exhibition games yet, but they've experimented with different starting lineups that center around
Stephen Curry,
LeBron James, and
Joel Embiid. When Durant returns, it wouldn't be crazy to think he slots into the starting five.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 months agoAtlanta Hawks center
Clint Capela has been the center of trade rumors for a few years now, and after the team received the No. 1 overall pick, the rumor mill heated up. According to Ian Begley, the New York Knicks are one of the teams that called and checked in on Capela and what the Hawks' asking price would be after they lost
Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. The big hoop to jump through for the Knicks to acquire the big man is the $22.3 million price tag. To make the money work, they'd have to trade a rotational piece. Capela averaged 11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game last year across 73 games.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Ian Begley
2 months agoAccording to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers traded guard
Russell Westbrook to Utah in exchange for guard
Kris Dunn. This is the second time Westbrook has been traded to the Jazz since February 2023. However, like the first time he was dealt to Utah, both sides are expected to reach a buyout agreement. Assuming the multi-time All-Star clears waivers, he's likely heading to Denver. Westbrook is coming off a rough year, averaging a career-low 11.1 points with 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. He's no longer the player he once was. But with
Jamal Murray having issues staying healthy over the years, Westbrook could see more than a few appearances with the starting lineup. It's also possible he's much more productive than last season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
2 months agoOrlando Magic forward
Tristan Da Silva notched 17 points with 4-for-6 three-point shooting in Wednesday's 104-98 loss against Memphis in the Las Vegas Summer League. He finished 6-for-9 overall from the field, adding six rebounds, three assists, and one steal during a good all-around performance. The former Colorado Buffalo has been on fire from deep throughout the Summer League, hitting with a 58.8 percent clip on nearly six attempts per game. The Magic badly lacked outside shooting last season, so seeing da Silva's efforts must be encouraging for the team. The 18th pick of this year's draft has averaged 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in 26.8 minutes during Summer League action.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoMemphis Grizzlies point guard
Scotty Pippen Jr. continued his successful Summer League campaign on Wednesday with a 25-point, nine-assist effort in a 104-98 win over Orlando. He also tallied four rebounds and one steal while shooting 9-for-14 from the field with a 6-for-7 record at the charity stripe. Pippen Jr. has averaged 19.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 3.4 steals in five Summer League appearances. The 23-year-old also played well last season when given opportunities by the Grizzlies. However, he will likely need to take a backseat in 2024-25, with
Ja Morant (shoulder) and
Marcus Smart (finger) returning to the lineup.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoUtah Jazz forward
Taylor Hendricks scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds in Wednesday's 86-76 Summer League victory over Toronto. Following Monday's awful outing against the Kings, where Hendricks finished 0-for-6 from the field, the 20-year-old was nearly perfect from the floor, hitting 9-for-10, including 3-for-4 from downtown. Hendricks also notched a steal and a block on the defensive end. Inconsistency has plagued Hendricks throughout Summer League action. But he finished last season as a starter in Utah and could remain in the role for the upcoming campaign, especially if
Lauri Markkanen gets moved.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoPhoenix Suns forward
David Roddy scored a game-high 21 points as the team defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-99 in the Summer League on Wednesday. Roddy's heroics included a made triple and three successful free throws inside the final 20 seconds, which helped Phoenix turn around a 97-94 deficit. He finished 4-for-8 overall from behind the arc and shot 7-for-13 from the field. The 23-year-old bagged six rebounds and had five assists with one steal and one block. Since being selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, Roddy has struggled to nail down a role for himself in the league, but he's been playing well this summer. He has averaged 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in three Summer League appearances.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoSacramento Kings shooting guard
Keon Ellis posted a game-high 29 points in Wednesday's nail-biting 106-105 loss to the Knicks. The 24-year-old regained his rhythm offensively after being limited to nine total points across his previous two appearances. Ellis' prolific outing included four rebounds, six assists, two steals, and four blocks with 10-for-18 shooting. He finished 5-for-10 with the three-ball. Ellis is known as a defensive specialist, but his efforts this summer also include a 30-point outing against Golden State. After finishing last season as a starter, Ellis must be desperate to hang on to his spot, but it won't be easy with
Malik Monk and
Kevin Huerter still around.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoLos Angeles Lakers guard
Bronny James got going offensively with 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting and helped the team to its first Summer League win on Wednesday against Atlanta. After finishing 0-for-15 from deep in his first four Summer League outings, James shot 2-for-5 from three-point range. He also registered one rebound and one steal in an 87-86 win. It's been a rough ride for James in the Summer League, but Wednesday's performance should give him a confidence boost ahead of the final stretch of Summer League action. He's averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.2 steals in 25.2 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoMiami Heat guard
Josh Richardson (shoulder) resumed shooting on July 2 and is optimistic he'll be ready for training camp. The veteran averaged 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists last season. Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury in February and underwent surgery in March, limiting him to only 43 appearances. If Richardson can stay healthy during the 2024-25 campaign, he has a chance to land a routine role in the rotation while also seeing a few starts. However, he's not expected to be a consistent fantasy contributor.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Chiang
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