3 months agoDuring a recent appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth reported the team is "very interested" in negotiating a new deal with guard
Jamal Murray. The 2016 No. 7 overall pick has spent his entire career in Denver. While Murray missed the 2021-22 campaign with a knee injury, he returned to an elite level in 2023-24 by amassing career-highs in points (21.2), assists (6.5), and three-point percentage (42.5%). As such, he is expected to remain a top fantasy producer for years to come. Unfortunately, Murray's fantasy outlook won't be as bright moving ahead until he can stay clear of routine ailments, with the 27-year-old appearing in 65 games or fewer in the last five seasons.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Calvin Booth
3 months agoDuring an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan reported guard
Lonzo Ball is "moving closer" to a return. Fantasy managers have heard this before, so seeing is believing. However, recent reports over the last few months have indicated the Bulls are confident Ball will return to the court this season for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. The 26-year-old averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals before going down with a knee injury. Yet, even when Ball is back in the lineup, he'll likely be severely limited in terms of his workload. Additionally, the Bulls' backcourt is crowded, with the team acquiring
Josh Giddey from OKC this offseason. While Ball could gain fantasy appeal at some point in 2024-25, he won't see much interest from fantasy managers early in the season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Siriux XM Radio
3 months agoUtah Jazz forward
Brice Sensabaugh (finger) was unable to return during Saturday's exhibition game against the Dallas Mavericks. He suffered an apparent finger injury during the first half of the game. Possibly a dislocation, but the Jazz don't believe it'll be a long term issue. He finished the game with three points, two rebounds, and two assists in 12 minutes.
Taevion Kinsey started during the second half on Saturday in place of Sensabaugh. He could see more playing time if Sensabaugh misses time going forward.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Tony Jones
3 months agoUtah Jazz guard
Cody Williams put together a solid game from the floor during Saturday's win over the Dallas Mavericks. Williams struggled in three games during the summer league, but he picked it up during his exhibition contest. He went 9-for-15 from the field, while scoring 21 points, three rebounds, and four assists in the win. The lottery pick was able to hit three shots from beyond the arc as well across his 31 minutes of action. Williams should see significant playing time on the rebuilding Jazz roster. Hopefully he'll be able to build off this performance going forward.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
3 months agoThe Charlotte Hornets have reportedly signed center
Taj Gibson on Saturday. The veteran big man heads to Charlotte on a one-year deal for $3.3 million for the 2024 season. The 39-year-old averaged 1.7 points and 1.9 rebounds across 10.3 minutes in 20 games last season. He's a valuable veteran presence for this young roster. However, Gibson is unlikely to have much of a role behind
Mark Williams and
Nick Richards.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: nba.com
3 months agoChicago Bulls forward
Patrick Williams (foot) said on Saturday that the bone in his foot is finally fully healed. The 22-year-old is running and jumping without any pain after undergoing season-ending surgery in February. Williams averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists in 43 games last season. He recently signed a five-year, $90 million extension with the Bulls this offseason. Williams should get significant minutes, so there is likely to be fantasy value here as long as he can stay healthy.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: KC Johnson
3 months agoDenver Nuggets center
DaRon Holmes II (Achilles) is expected to miss the 2024-25 campaign. The 21-year-old, selected by Phoenix with the 2024 No. 22 overall pick and immediately acquired by the Nuggets, suffered an Achilles injury during Friday's Summer League loss to the Clippers. He left the arena on crutches, with further testing revealing a tear. Holmes averaged 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in three seasons with the Dayton Flyers and was projected to be the No. 2 center on the depth chart behind reigning MVP
Nikola Jokic. But with Holmes out of the equation,
Zeke Nnaji is in line for more playing time.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Ohm Youngmisuk
3 months agoMiami Heat forward
Nikola Jovic (ankle, toe) is expected to be ready for training camp. While a Serbian outlet indicated the 2022 No. 27 overall pick sustained a fracture in his ankle joint, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald reported he has an ankle sprain and a fractured toe. Either way, Jovic's condition has improved, although he may not be able to participate in the 2024 Summer Olympics. The 21-year-old got off to a slow start in 2023-24. However, he finished the season by averaging 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in eight games in April. With
Caleb Martin now in Philadelphia, the door is open for Jovic to earn more minutes during the 2024-25 campaign, so his statistical contributions could improve.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Chiang
3 months agoHouston Rockets guard
Reed Sheppard scored a team-high 23 points in Friday's Summer League victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. While the rookie had four turnovers, he certainly made up for it, amassing five assists, three blocks, and a steal. He also shot an efficient 4-for-6 from behind the arc. With that said, Sheppard looked great in his unofficial NBA debut, so fantasy managers will continue to watch him closely during his time in Vegas and into the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoWashington Wizards forward
Alexandre Sarr had 12 points in Friday's Summer league win over the Atlanta Hawks. The 2024 No. 2 overall pick had some trouble finding the bottom of the net, going 4-for-12 from the field. However, he added seven boards while ending the game with four blocks and a steal. Without question, Sarr shows promise. He also has the potential to get plenty of work with the Wizards during the 2024-25 campaign, meaning he should receive interest from managers in all formats.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoAtlanta Hawks forward
Zaccharie Risacher had 18 points in Friday's Summer League loss to the Washington Wizards. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick led his team in scoring, adding five rebounds, one steal, and one block. However, he struggled shooting, going 7-for-16 from the field and 3-for-9 from deep. All things considered, it was a decent showing from Risacher. With that said, he'll likely find his rhythm offensively, and there's a good chance he'll be one of the top producers of Summer League, assuming Atlanta keeps him on the floor.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoLos Angeles Lakers guard
Bronny James finished with eight points, five rebounds, and two steals in Friday's Summer League loss to the Houston Rockets. The 19-year-old had another uneventful showing offensively, going 3-for-14 from the field and 0-for-8 from deep. He also had three turnovers. Despite James' offensive struggles, he has shown promise defensively. However, it's evident the 2024 No. 55 overall pick has some work to do, although he will likely get some shots to fall at some point during his time in Vegas.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoMemphis Grizzlies guard
Scotty Pippen Jr. had 16 points in Friday's Summer League victory over the Sacramento Kings. He added five steals, four assists, and three rebounds. The 23-year-old appeared in 21 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.9 steals in 16 games as a starter. While Pippen will likely spend time in the G League during the 2024-25 campaign, dynasty managers may benefit from keeping him stashed.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoMemphis Grizzlies forward
Jake LaRavia recorded a game-high 22 points in Friday's Summer League win over Sacramento. The 22-year-old had five turnovers in this one. However, he made up for it by amassing six steals. LaRavia is coming off a decent 2023-24 campaign, averaging a career-high 10.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 34.0% shooting from behind the arc. Granted, most of the roster was injured late in the season. But LaRavia should get minutes again for the Grizzlies during year, although he likely won't be a consistent fantasy provider.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoFree-agent forward
Kenyon Martin Jr. agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract to remain with the 76ers. The 2020 No. 52 overall pick appeared in two games for the Clippers last season before getting moved to Philadelphia in the
James Harden trade. Unfortunately, he averaged a career-low 3.7 points for Philly. With that said, Martin could get more minutes with the Sixers during the 2024-25 campaign, so his statistical contributions could improve. There's also a chance he'll be traded at some point during the season. Either way, Martin won't draw interest from fantasy managers until he starts to produce consistently. However, that's not expected to happen anytime soon.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
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