3 months agoFree-agent forward
Saddiq Bey agreed to a three-year, $20 million deal with the Washington Wizards. The 25-year-old averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists last season. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL, limiting him to only 63 games. While Bey is still working his way back from the injury, he has a chance to carve out a meaningful role with the Wizards during the 2024-25 campaign, making him a stashable fantasy asset for when he returns.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
3 months agoAtlanta Hawks guard
Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) won't play in the Las Vegas Summer League. The 2023 No. 15 overall pick suffered a right shoulder injury during a practice session on Tuesday night, with an MRI revealing "findings consistent with right shoulder subluxation." He's expected to be ready for training camp. However, Bufkin appeared in only 17 games during his inaugural year due to a thumb injury, so his latest injury is still concerning. He also averaged just 4.8 points, meaning his fantasy stock can't get much lower heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Hawks
3 months agoSacramento Kings guard
Devin Carter (shoulder) underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum. He's expected to be sidelined for six months. The 2024 No. 13 overall pick averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 33 games with Providence last season. However, he's now expected to sit out a significant portion of the 2024-25 campaign, negatively impacting his development. As a result, Carter shouldn't see much interest from managers in redraft formats, and his fantasy stock in dynasty setups should drop considerably.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Sean Cunningham
3 months agoAccording to Shams Charania of The Athletic, free-agent guard
Kyle Lowry agreed to a one-year deal with the 76ers on Thursday. The 38-year-old appeared in 23 games for Philadelphia in 2023-24, averaging 8.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 40.4% from behind the arc. He should remain a part of Nick Nurse's rotation. However, Lowry's best days are behind him, so he's not expected to be a reliable fantasy option.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
3 months agoCleveland Cavaliers forward/center
Evan Mobley is eligible to sign a contract extension. While it's unknown when an agreement will occur, ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes negotiations between both sides won't be a lengthy process. "I would expect the contract to be done somewhat soon," said Windhorst during an interview. "I think the Cavs are willing to give him the max." The 2021 No. 3 overall pick has spent the last three seasons in Cleveland, averaging 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 198 appearances for the club. He was limited to just 50 games last season due to injury. However, if Mobley can stay healthy during the 2024-25 campaign, he has top-25 fantasy potential.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Brian Windhorst
3 months agoPhoenix Suns forward
Josh Okogie agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal to remain with the team. The 2018 No. 20 overall pick didn't do much in his 60 appearances with the Suns last season. But he at least averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11 starts. With that in mind, Okogie will likely mirror his numbers from the 2023-24 campaign this season, meaning he won't draw interest from fantasy managers in any format.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
3 months agoOklahoma City Thunder guard
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a lowly 3-for-10 shooting as Team Canada dropped Wednesday's exhibition match against the U.S. 86-72. Gilgeous-Alexander nailed two of his four attempts from deep and made all of his free throws, but he hurt his shooting numbers badly with a 1-for-6 effort on his two-point shots. The two-time All-NBA first-tem member settled for 10 points, four rebounds, and one assist in 19 minutes. This was a rough outing for Gilgeous-Alexander, but he has plenty of time to get momentum for the Olympics and should be the team leader in the tournament.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: USA Basketball
3 months agoToronto Raptors guard/forward
RJ Barrett was Team Canada's top scorer with 12 points in Wednesday's 86-72 loss to the USA. Barrett played a large role in Canada's 11-1 start in the game, but the Americans soon took over and dominated. The Raptors star finished with 3-for-6 shooting, hitting 2-for-3 from outside. He struggled at the free-throw line, going 4-for-8. Barrett completed his line with five rebounds and one assist in 17 minutes. After enjoying an impressive finish in last year's World Cup, Barrett looks ready to continue where he left off in Paris.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: USA Basketball
3 months agoLos Angeles Lakers forward/center
Anthony Davis needed only 19 minutes of action to register a double-double in Team USA's 86-72 win over Canada on Wednesday. He came off the bench to score 10 points and grab a game-high 11 rebounds. Davis also had the most blocks in the game with four, picking up two assists and two steals. With
Joel Embiid starting at center, Davis likely has to settle for a reserve role in Paris, but he can still fill up the box score, as he proved in Wednesday's victory.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: USA Basketball
3 months agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
LeBron James logged a busy 19 minutes in Team USA's first pre-Olympics exhibition matchup against Canada, finishing an 86-72 victory with seven points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block. He shot 3-for-7 from the field, missing both attempts from downtown. James, who will be chasing his third Olympics gold in Paris, was part of the starting unit alongside
Stephen Curry,
Devin Booker,
Jrue Holiday, and
Joel Embiid. Team USA is stacked with talent, but even at 39, James remains a vital piece for the squad with his all-around ability.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: USA Basketball
3 months agoGolden State Warriors point guard
Stephen Curry was in fine form in Team USA's 86-72 victory over Canada on Wednesday, notching 12 points in 19 minutes with 3-for-6 shooting from three-point range. He finished 4-for-7 overall from the field, dishing out three assists and bagging a pair of rebounds. Curry's outside shooting is expected to play a big role in the Olympics, and he certainly showed on Wednesday that he's ready to go. The Americans have four more exhibition games scheduled before starting the tournament in Paris versus Serbia on July 28.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: USA Basketball
3 months agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards scored a game-high 13 points as Team USA started its exhibition schedule with a comfortable win against Canada. Edwards was part of the team's second unit, which helped the U.S. overcome an early 11-1 deficit to win 86-72. He shot 6-for-10 from the field with one make from downtown while collecting three rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 19 minutes. Edwards was among the team leaders in last year's World Cup and likely won't want to settle for a bench role in Paris. This should result in more strong efforts from him in the warm-up games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: USA Basketball
3 months agoAccording to Law Murray of The Athletic, the NBA will resume the investigation of Los Angeles Clippers guard
Kevin Porter Jr. The 24-year-old, who recently agreed to a two-year deal with the Clippers, was arrested in September 2023 for an altercation with his ex-girlfriend and missed the 2023-24 campaign. However, he reached a plea agreement, allowing him a chance to return to the NBA. With that said, Porter has plenty of talent, averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 196 games with the Cavaliers and Rockets. If he avoids a lengthy suspension and remains on the court in 2024-25, he'll have a chance to produce for the Clippers, a team that lost
Paul George in free agency.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Law Murray
3 months agoAccording to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Cavaliers forward
Dean Wade has resumed "conducting full on-court workouts." He is also is pain-free after missing the last 19 games of the regular season while suiting up for just three playoff contests because of a sprained knee. The 27-year-old averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 2023-24. While Wade could see time with the starting lineup in 2024-25, he's not expected to find himself on many fantasy rosters due to his lack of output in all statistical categories.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor
3 months agoLos Angeles Clippers forward
Kawhi Leonard (knee) will not suit up for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Although the veteran was optimistic his condition had improved enough to allow him to play, many felt it would be in his best interest to focus on getting healthy for the 2024-25 campaign. Leonard, who's battled knee injuries throughout his career, appeared in 68 games for the Clippers last season. He remained productive, averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals. Without question, Leonard is one of the best players in the National Basketball Association. But his fantasy stock will continue to drop due to his inability to remain on the court.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Broderick Turner
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