2 months agoNew York Knicks forward
Julius Randle (shoulder) continues to rehab following surgery. Fortunately, he's moving in the right direction, with SNY's Ian Begley reporting things are "going incredibly well." The 29-year-old averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists last season and is eligible to sign a four-year contract worth as much as $181.5 million on August 3. Yet, both sides aren't eager to get a new deal done. Randle believes he can be a difference-maker for the Knicks in 2024-25. However, with
Jalen Brunson,
OG Anunoby,
Josh Hart,
Donte DiVincenzo, and
Mikal Bridges on the roster, Randle could take a step back on the offensive end.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Ian Begley
2 months agoNBA Insider Shams Charania of The Athletic has reported that Milwaukee Bucks forward
Khris Middleton is expected to be ready for next season after undergoing arthroscopic surgeries on both of his ankles this offseason. The operations were successful and the veteran forward will hope for improved health during the 2024-2025 campaign after he was limited to 55 games last year. During the 2023-24 regular season, Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. Milwaukee will need their sharpshooter to stay healthy to contend for an NBA title.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 months agoSpanish forward/center
Usman Garuba is set to return to his homeland on a long-term contract with Real Madrid. According to Sportando, Garuba will sign a deal until 2029. The 22-year-old has spent three seasons in the NBA. He made six appearances with Golden State in 2023-24. Garuba has also suited up for Houston, averaging 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.7 minutes across 105 appearances in the Association. The Madrid-born big man is a highly-rated rebounder and defender but never really made things work for himself in the NBA. Judging by the length of the contract he's signing with Real, it looks like Garuba isn't planning to return to America any time soon.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sportando
2 months agoIndiana Pacers power forward
Jarace Walker led all scorers with 19 points in Tuesday's 98-94 win over Phoenix, shooting 5-for-7 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three-point range. He also notched four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block during a good all-around outing. Walker has now hit nine of his 16 attempts from deep across his last two Summer League appearances. He's posted good numbers in all three games in Las Vegas, averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. The Pacers didn't use him much during his rookie campaign, but that could change if Walker continues to impress in the Summer League and preseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoDetroit Pistons guard
Marcus Sasser played a big role in Tuesday's 85-77 victory over Chicago in the Las Vegas Summer League, scoring 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting and registering five steals. The rest of the Pistons combined for only four steals, while Sasser tied Ronald Holland II for the second most points on the team behind Jayce Johnson's 19-point effort. Sasser went 3-for-5 with the three-ball and dished out three assists. The former Houston Cougar struggled offensively in the first couple of Summer League games but has been a menace on the defensive end, with nine steals racked up in three games. He's looking to carve out a role for the upcoming season on a new-look Pistons backcourt, which now includes
Malik Beasley and
Tim Hardaway Jr.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoBrooklyn Nets forward
Jalen Wilson led the offense as the team defeated the New York Knicks 92-85 in the Summer League on Tuesday. Trailing 62-57 ahead of the fourth quarter, the Nets produced a nice comeback with Wilson playing a prominent role. 15 of his game-high 27 points came in the final frame. The 23-year-old capped off his line with three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Wilson is getting a lot of burn in the Summer League and has now hit the 20-point plateau twice in three contests. He's posted 21.3 points per game, with 48.3 percent shooting from deep.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoNew Orleans Pelicans forward/center
Karlo Matkovic enjoyed a great outing against San Antonio in the Summer League on Tuesday, recording a game-high 25 points on 11-for-13 shooting. The Croatian big man, who finished 2-for-3 from downtown, scored at will and did his part defensively as well by blocking three shots and snagging a steal. His impressive 25-minute shift also included five rebounds and one assist. Matkovic signed a three-year deal with the Pelicans a couple of days ago and could be in contention for a significant role in the frontcourt rotation next season after
Jonas Valanciunas was allowed to walk in free agency. The former second-round pick has averaged 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 22.9 minutes in the Summer League this year.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoWashington Wizards forward
Alexandre Sarr had a nightmare in Tuesday's Summer League clash against Portland, finishing an 82-80 loss scoreless on 15 shots. Seven of the misses came from three-point range, and Sarr also came up empty-handed at the free-throw line with two attempts. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, it's the most field goal attempts by a player without a make in a summer league game since at least 2017. If this had been a regular-season contest, Sarr would have been tied for the second most in NBA history. The No. 2 pick of this year's draft has been battling shooting issues throughout the Summer League, going only 19.5 percent from the field. The young Frenchman clearly needs more time to adjust to his new surroundings.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoFree-agent center
Charles Bassey (knee) agreed to a one-year, $2.2 million contract to remain in San Antonio. The 23-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Spurs, most recently averaging 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 points in 19 games during the 2023-24 campaign. Unfortunately, Bassey suffered a torn ACL in December, so he may not be available to begin the season. But even when he's ready to return, he likely won't see the minutes required to be a viable fantasy option.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 months agoFree-agent forward/center
Sandro Mamukelashvili agreed to a one-year, $2.2 million contract to return to the Spurs. The 25-year-old averaged only 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds last season. However, he earned a semi-routine spot in the rotation toward the end of the 2023-24 campaign, logging 26.1 minutes in April. With that said, Mamukelashvili won't be a consistent fantasy producer. But he could find his way into the starting lineup at some point in the season if
Victor Wembanyama or
Zach Collins aren't available.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
2 months agoDallas Mavericks guard
Kyrie Irving (hand) underwent surgery. The multi-time All-Star suffered a broken left hand during training a few weeks ago. However, there's a good chance he'll be good to go for training camp. He finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 41.1% from behind the arc. Although Irving is no longer in his prime, he's anticipated to remain a top fantasy producer as long as he can stay on the court, which has been an issue over the years.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Tim MacMahon
2 months agoJamal Collier of ESPN reported that former Milwaukee Bucks guard
Patrick Beverley announced on his X account that he is signing with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Beverley started his pro basketball career overseas, playing in Greece and Russia. However, the 36-year-old has played the last 12 seasons in the NBA. He started last year's campaign with the 76ers but was dealt to Milwaukee in February at the trade deadline. In 73 regular season contests, the veteran guard averaged 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Jamal Collier
2 months agoAccording to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, free-agent guard
Gary Trent Jr. signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Trent joins his former Blazers teammate
Damian Lillard in Wisconsin. Last year, the 25-year-old posted 13.7 points, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.6 rebounds across 71 contests during his final season in Toronto. He was most likely signed to provide depth to the Bucks' backcourt that needed help. Playing on a championship-caliber team, Trent could have an impact in fantasy and could see plenty of minutes on the court for his new team.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
2 months agoMiami Heat center
Kel'el Ware posted his second double-double in four Summer League games on Monday, finishing a 102-73 victory over Oklahoma City with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. He went 5-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-2 from three-point range. Ware's efforts included one assist, one steal, and one block. The seven-footer, who was the 15th pick in last month's draft, has done very well during Summer League action, which could give him a chance to break into the Heat rotation straight away when the new NBA campaign kicks off. Ware has averaged 16.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks in 25.9 minutes in the Summer League.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoSacramento Kings shooting guard
Colby Jones found his scoring touch against Utah in the Summer League on Monday, posting a game-high 25 points on 10-for-21 shooting in an 82-70 win. Four of his makes came from 12 attempts from beyond the arc, while Jones grabbed six rebounds and registered three steals with one block. Jones had totaled just 27 points in his previous four outings this summer. The Xavier product has performed well in the G League and boasts plenty of talent, but his pathway to regular playing time is blocked in Sacramento. After being a second-round pick last year, Jones logged only 6.4 minutes across 30 appearances during his rookie campaign.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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