Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg is expected to play right away, with ESPN's Anthony Slater writing that the team will rely on the rookie as a high-minute, high-impact rotation piece. The 23-year-old No. 11 pick has a real opening while Jimmy Butler III (knee) works back from ACL surgery and Moses Moody (knee) recovers […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are sending center Taj Gibson and guard/forward AJ Johnson to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick, and a future second-round pick swap, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Gibson appears to be salary ballast in the deal, though there is no firm report yet that New […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are sending guard/forward AJ Johnson and center Taj Gibson to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick, and a future second-round pick swap, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Johnson is already on his fifth organization in three NBA seasons after Milwaukee selected him No. 23 overall […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading guard/forward Micah Peavy to the Memphis Grizzlies alongside Jordan Hawkins, a future second-round pick, and a future second-round pick swap for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Peavy earned minutes as a rookie mostly through defense, averaging 4.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are trading guard/forward Jordan Hawkins to the Memphis Grizzlies alongside Micah Peavy, a future second-round pick, and a future second-round pick swap for AJ Johnson and Taj Gibson, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. Hawkins, the former No. 14 pick, fell out of New Orleans' rotation last season, averaging 5.1 points, 1.7 […]

Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. could finish as the top fantasy rookie from the 2026 class after landing with the Kings at No. 7, ESPN's Eric Moody writes. The 19-year-old averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds as an Arkansas freshman, sweeping SEC Player and Rookie of the Year honors. Sacramento's veteran exits […]

Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Cedric Coward was named a breakout candidate for 2026-27 by ESPN's Eric Moody after a strong rookie season. The No. 11 pick averaged 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks in 25.8 minutes across 62 games, including 47 starts, while shooting 47.1 percent from the field. He also […]

Milwaukee Bucks center Kel'el Ware enters camp with a much cleaner path than he had in Miami, with ESPN's Zach Kram noting that only Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma currently sit ahead of him at center and power forward. The 22-year-old averaged 11.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 22.1 minutes across […]

Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Cason Wallace is expected to slide into the starting shooting guard spot after the team moved Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins for financial reasons, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater. Wallace already made 58 starts last season, averaging 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 steals in 26.6 minutes, […]

ESPN's Tim MacMahon is framing Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson as a possible franchise centerpiece entering 2026-27. The No. 2 overall pick gives Utah another high-end scorer after averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals at Kansas, where he posted the highest scoring average by a freshman in program history. Peterson also […]

Basketball efficiency is quite the tightrope. But failing to pay attention to efficiency statistics such as field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and turnovers can have dire consequences in category leagues. The rim-running centers rarely miss from point-blank range. The turnovers are generally low, too, but most are poor shooters at the charity stripe. The […]

Boston Celtics guard/forward Baylor Scheierman was identified by John Karalis of the Celtics for Sports Illustrated as the roster's best candidate to make the biggest leap this season. Scheierman averaged 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 18.6 minutes across 77 games in 2025-26, but his 20 starts were more useful: 9.6 points, 5.9 […]

Atlanta Hawks guard Kingston Flemings projects to open training camp behind CJ McCollum, but Zach Langley of Soaring Down South notes that his fit with Jalen Johnson may be the more important long-term angle. Johnson became Atlanta's offensive hub after the Trae Young trade, averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists in 35.2 minutes […]

Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford remains a trade candidate. Heavy's Sean Deveney reported, via Grant Afseth of Roundtable, that Dallas hopes to land a first-round pick for both Gafford and P.J. Washington. Gafford is owed $17.26 million this season on a three-year, $54.38 million extension that includes a 5 percent trade kicker. The 27-year-old averaged […]

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is back at the team's practice facility ahead of training camp, posting a photo from the building on his Instagram story Monday, according to Clemente Almanza of OKC Thunder Wire. The 28-year-old signed a three-year, $75 million extension in June that runs through 2028-29, keeping his frontcourt role secure. […]

The Charlotte Hornets waived guard/forward Kobe Stewart on Monday, dropping their offseason roster back to 20 players. Stewart had signed an Exhibit 10 contract three days earlier, making him the latest back-end roster piece Charlotte has cycled through after Josiah Allick, Trey Townsend, Kyle Mangas, and Jarkel Joiner. The 24-year-old averaged 7.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, […]

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace remains unsigned to a rookie-scale extension, with the 2023 draft class deadline set for Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. CT, according to Clemente Almanza of OKC Thunder Wire. The 22-year-old is coming off his best season, averaging 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 steals in 26.6 minutes […]

Indiana Pacers guard/forward Ben Sheppard is likely to open the season in the third unit, according to Alex Golden of Pacers On SI. The 25-year-old is entering the final year of his rookie-scale contract after averaging 7.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.6 steals in 21.4 minutes across 65 games last season. The path […]

Indiana Pacers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. could play the most minutes off the bench this season, according to Pacers On SI's Alex Golden. Oubre signed a two-year deal worth nearly $17 million in July, giving Indiana a veteran wing to help replace the role Bennedict Mathurin left behind in the Ivica Zubac trade. The 30-year-old […]

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard enters his fifth season with a different offensive setup as Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) returns after missing 2025-26. Nembhard handled lead-guard duties well last season, setting career highs with 16.9 points and 7.7 assists while adding 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 31.3 minutes across 57 games. He also shot 36.1 […]

Guard/forward Hyunjung Lee is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, attend training camp, and likely play for the Rip City Remix, according to Sean Highkin. The 25-year-old is coming off a standout season with Nagasaki Velca, averaging 17.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from […]

Sacramento Kings guard/forward Zach LaVine said his offseason is going well and that he is excited about the team's younger group, according to Logan Struck of Sports Illustrated. LaVine also touched on his leadership role, saying he already texted rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. and plans to connect with more of Sacramento's young players closer […]

Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell is deserving of the starting point guard job, but Miami's depth behind him remains a question, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wrote in his latest mailbag. Dru Smith projects as the backup, while two-way rookie Tre Donaldson is the next internal option if injuries hit. That setup […]

Los Angeles Clippers guard Darius Garland enters 2026-27 positioned to run the offense for a full season, with Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko writing that whatever optimism remains around the team starts there. Garland was still managing a lingering toe issue when he arrived from Cleveland in February, but he averaged 19.9 points and 6.4 assists […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard Collin Sexton said the chance to win and make an impact on a big stage drove his free-agent decision, according to ESPN LA. "I feel like I just fit right in," the former No. 8 pick said. Sexton signed a two-year, $19 million deal with a player option after averaging 17.5 […]

Sacramento Kings guard/forward Ben Simmons could be open to staying beyond his one-year deal if the fit works, ESPN's Marc J. Spears told Sactown Sports 1140. Spears described Simmons as a loyal player and said, "I think he'd want to stay" if both sides are happy after this season. Simmons agreed to a one-year, $3.5 […]

Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg is in the mix for a starting spot entering training camp, head coach Steve Kerr told NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole. Kerr floated the idea of Lendeborg playing the three next to Draymond Green, with Kristaps Porzingis or Al Horford at center. The No. 11 pick earned the […]

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (knee) still has some lingering concern around the injury that cost him a long stretch last season, Monte Poole said on NBC Sports Bay Area's Dubs Talk podcast. Poole said the issue can be managed and that Curry and his trainers have built ways to work around it. The […]

Free-agent guard/forward Bruce Brown could be an option for the New York Knicks before training camp, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, via Ryan Anderson of the New York Post. Brown remains one of the more proven veterans left on the market, and his defensive versatility and connector skill set would fit a Knicks team […]

Denver Nuggets guard/forward Christian Braun pushed back on doubts about Denver's offseason, telling Sean Keeler of The Denver Post that the Nuggets still have "everything we need" as long as Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon are in place. Braun tore ligaments in his left ankle last November and never fully regained his 2024-25 […]