3 weeks agoAccording to Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, center
Jusuf Nurkic hasn't "done basketball work." He also said Nurkic "hasn't had any contact." The 30-year-old injured his left middle finger while scrimmaging, keeping him off the court during the preseason. While Nurkic averaged 10.9 points last season, nearly three points less than in his final year in Portland, he was still a double-double producer. That's not expected to change, although the injury could compromise his availability for the start of the 2024-25 campaign. If Nurkic misses time,
Mason Plumlee or
Bol Bol may spend more time in the middle. There's also a chance the Suns go small, with
Royce O'Neale sliding over to the five.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Duane Rankin
3 weeks agoAccording to Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer, guard
Devin Booker (ankle) looked "great" in Tuesday's practice, adding he's "ready to go." The 27-year-old sat out the Suns' previous two contests because of right ankle soreness. However, the team was likely playing things safe. Booker is coming off a quality season, averaging 27.1 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 36.4% from behind the arc. While he's a capable performer, he hasn't played more than 68 games in any of his previous four seasons, which is something for fantasy managers to consider ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Duane Rankin
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard/forward
Paul George (knee) was diagnosed with a bone bruise. He will be re-evaluated in one week. While there is "no structural damage," the timeline could mean George will miss the start of the regular season. The latest update shouldn't impact his fantasy value ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, barring a setback. However, with the 76ers looking for a championship, fantasy managers may be without George until the team is absolutely certain he is ready to roll. With that in mind,
Eric Gordon, who averaged 15.4 points, 1.0 steals, and shot 45.1% from deep in 24 starts with the Suns last season, may spend time with the first five until George can return.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Kyle Nuebeck
3 weeks agoMemphis Grizzlies guard
Scotty Pippen Jr. agreed to a four-year contract with the team. The 23-year-old spent time in the G League and the Los Angeles Lakers before ending up in Memphis last season. He appeared in 21 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 12.9 points and 4.7 assists. With
Derrick Rose recently announcing his retirement, Pippen is now expected to operate as
Ja Morant's backup this season. He'll likely make some appearances with the first five, giving him streaming potential at some point during the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Michael Scotto
3 weeks agoPer Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, Toronto Raptors center
Kelly Olynyk (back) will not suit up for Tuesday's preseason game against the Celtics due to lower-back stiffness. For the 33-year-old, it will be the second consecutive game that he's missed. Olynyk will get another opportunity to play Friday for the Raptors' final preseason game against Brooklyn. During the 2023-24 campaign, the big man averaged 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists, playing in 78 games with Utah and Toronto.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Blake Murphy
3 weeks agoAccording to Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com, head coach Chauncey Billups said Portland Trail Blazers guard
Anfernee Simons (ankle) practiced Tuesday and could "potentially" play in Wednesday's exhibition contest against Ratiopharm Ulm. Simons has been dealing with minor ankle soreness. If he can't go on Wednesday, the 25-year-old will have another chance to suit up on Friday for Portland's final preseason game. The guard could significantly impact fantasy this season after coming off a strong 2023-24 campaign, averaging 22.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists across just 46 games. His season was limited due to ankle and knee injuries.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Sean Highkin
3 weeks agoAccording to ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Golden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski (nose) won't suit up for Tuesday's preseason game against the Lakers. The 21-year-old is waiting for a mask after taking a hit from teammate
Trayce Jackson-Davis during Sunday's contest versus the Pistons. After an impressive rookie season, Podziemski is competing for a starting spot with
De'Anthony Melton, as there is an opening with the loss of
Klay Thompson.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Kendra Andrews
3 weeks agoPhiladelphia 76ers forward
Paul George does not appear to have any long-term damage after suffering a left knee hyperextension during Monday night's 104-89 preseason win over the Atlanta Hawks. "Everything checked out ok," 76ers coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Tuesday. The 34-year-old is set for more tests later in the day. Before Monday's injury, George wasn't set to suit up for the team's preseason game on Wednesday. If George is to miss a lengthy amount of time going into the regular season,
Caleb Martin and KJ Martin are likely to see an uptick in minutes on the court.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Adam Aaronson
3 weeks agoMinnesota Timberwolves power forward
Julius Randle (shoulder) is expected to make his team debut in Wednesday's preseason clash with the Bulls. This will mark his first action since January when Randle hurt his right shoulder. He will likely have restrictions for the game, but it will be interesting to see Randle in a Timberwolves uniform. Unfortunately, Randle won't get many chances to work up some chemistry between him and his teammates before the season starts because Minnesota plays its final exhibition game on Thursday, and it's hard to imagine Randle playing on back-to-back nights after missing so much time.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chris Haynes
3 weeks agoGolden State Warriors point guard
Stephen Curry (finger) will jump back into the lineup for Tuesday's preseason action against the Lakers. Curry hurt his finger on Friday against Sacramento and sat out Sunday's matchup against Detroit. However, he's good to go again on Tuesday for Golden State's penultimate preseason game. Curry has yet to exceed 16 minutes in the preseason while steadily working himself into shape for his 16th season in the Association. With him shooting a below-par 4-for-14 from deep in preseason, the veteran star clearly still has some rust to shake off.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Monte Poole
3 weeks agoGolden State Warriors small forward
Andrew Wiggins (illness) is expected to make his preseason debut in Tuesday's matchup against the Lakers. He has been battling an illness lately and will be limited to 15-20 minutes in the contest. Wigging is currently projected to kick off another campaign as Golden State's starting small forward, but there are a lot of fresh faces in town, all vying for playing time. Wiggins already saw his playing time drop in 2023-24, when he was limited to 27.0 minutes a night after averaging 30-plus minutes per game in each of his first nine NBA seasons. This, combined with shaky shooting, resulted in Wiggins averaging a career-low 13.2 points. He should be motivated to perform well in order to restore his value to the team.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Monte Poole
3 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
3 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
3 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
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