August 5, 2025
Point guard
Jeff Dowtin Jr. has signed a three-year deal with six-time EuroLeague champions Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 28-year-old has decided to take his talents overseas after bouncing around five teams during his four-year NBA career. Last season, Dowtin Jr. made 41 appearances with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 7.0 points and 1.9 assists in 15.1 minutes. Maccabi has also just announced the signing of Dowtin Jr.'s teammate from Philadelphia,
Lonnie Walker IV. Earlier in the offseason, the Israeli club brought in
Oshae Brissett from the NBA.
--Taavi PailkSource: Maccabi Tel Aviv
August 5, 2025
Shooting guard
Lonnie Walker IV will return to Europe for the start of the 2025-26 season after signing a three-year deal with six-time EuroLeague winners Maccabi Tel Aviv. Walker IV also began last season overseas with Zalgiris Kaunas but finished it with the Philadelphia 76ers. The former first-round pick posted 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game with the 76ers. However, Philadelphia declined to exercise its team option on Walker IV's contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. Walker IV reportedly has an NBA out clause in his contract with Maccabi, so he might be back in North America soon.
--Taavi PailkSource: Maccabi Tel Aviv
August 5, 2025
Boston Celtics center
Neemias Queta revealed that he underwent offseason surgery to address a lingering knee problem. "It's been good," Queta told Bobby Manning of CLNS of his recovery. "We've been dealing with this stuff (since) a couple years ago. We just decided it was a great time for us to do it. We're trying to get back to 100%. We feel pretty confident in the process and we're just grateful that we were taken care of, and I want to make sure I'm healthy and get back to 100% and I feel like I'm on the right path to do that." So far, Queta's role with the Celtics has been limited, but with
Kristaps Porzingis and
Luke Kornet leaving and
Al Horford's return unlikely, he may become a player to watch for fantasy managers next season.
--Taavi PailkSource: Bobby Manning
August 5, 2025
Guard/forward
Johnny Juzang has agreed to a deal to join the Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Juzang will sign a one-year contract. Juzang was left looking for a new team after the Utah Jazz waived him on June 30. The 24-year-old had some solid stretches with the Jazz, averaging 8.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes last season. However, he'll face much tougher competition for playing time with the Timberwolves and looks set to start the 2025-26 season as a third-stringer at the end of the bench.
--Taavi PailkSource: Shams Charania
August 5, 2025
Guard/forward
Ricky Council IV will join the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Council IV agreed to a one-year deal. The 24-year-old became a free agent after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers last month. Council IV showed some strong performances with the 76ers during the 2024-25 season but struggled with efficiency. He averaged 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17.1 minutes, shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from behind the arc. With the Nets, Council IV needs to improve his shooting to earn regular playing time.
--Taavi PailkSource: Shams Charania
August 4, 2025
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Chicago Bulls center
Nikola Vucevic shouldn't be considered a buyout candidate. There have been numerous reports that a buyout could take place. However, Stein has repeatedly denied the validity of the reports and insists that Vucevic will begin the 2025 season with the Bulls unless "a trade materializes between now and the start of training camp." The 34-year-old finished the 2024 campaign by averaging 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in 73 appearances. While his production has dipped over the last few seasons, he remains a double-double threat. Another All-Star selection also shouldn't be ruled out. Of course, there are a number of teams interested, although it may make sense to wait things out, considering Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Bulls would love to get something in return before then, so the club may be forced to settle for a trade that's less than ideal.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Marc Stein
August 4, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, "there's still nothing set in stone" regarding
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future with the Milwaukee Bucks. "I reported it in mid-May that he's evaluating whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or is it elsewhere," said Charania on ESPN's Get Up on Monday morning. "That process is continuing. There's been some very real conversations over the last week or so." The 30-year-old had another fantastic season in 2024, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks. The Bucks attempted to bolster the roster to Antetokounmpo's liking by adding
Myles Turner and
Cole Anthony. The club also re-signed
Bobby Portis and
Kevin Porter Jr. However, the team parted ways with
Damian Lillard (Achilles), who isn't expected to play in 2025. Time is ticking before the start of the regular season, although Antetokounmpo should remain in the MVP conversation regardless of what uniform he is wearing moving ahead.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
August 4, 2025
According to Keith Smith of Spotrac.com, forward
Daniss Jenkins agreed to a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Jenkins played in just seven regular-season Pistons games during last year's NBA campaign. He spent most of 2024-25 in the G League with the Motor City Cruise, averaging 18.5 points, 6.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals across 35.7 minutes per contest during 47 outings. The 23-year-old won't factor into fantasy as he will likely spend most of 2025-26 once again in the G League.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Keith Smith
August 4, 2025
Michael Scotto of USA Today reports that the Washington Wizards waived forward
Jaylen Martin on Monday. Martin played in 16 NBA regular-season games last season, averaging 4.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 14.9 minutes per contest with the Nets and Wizards. Most of the 2024-25 campaign, Martin spent in the G League posting averages of 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.0 minutes per game across 20 outings. The 21-year-old free agent will now look to land another opportunity before training camp in the fall.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Michael Scotto
August 4, 2025
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, guard
De'Aaron Fox (finger) agreed to sign a four-year, $229 million maximum contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. The 27-year-old star guard landed with the Spurs before the trade deadline last February. He had finger surgery in March and could be ready for the start of training camp. Fox averaged 23.5 points and 6.3 assists across 62 games during the 2024-25 campaign, and after several seasons, he still remains a valuable fantasy asset.
--Andrew LennoxSource: Shams Charania
August 2, 2025
The Portland Trail Blazers guaranteed the $2.22 million salary of forward/center
Duop Reath on Friday. The 29-year-old averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds as a rookie in 2023. However, it was a different story in 2024, with Reath amassing 4.2 points and 2.0 boards in 46 regular-season contests. He can play both the four and five spots. Still, the Blazers have depth at both positions, meaning Reath could have trouble finding consistent playing time throughout the 2025 campaign, giving him little-to-no value in any fantasy format. On the other hand, his stock might rise if there is an injury, which could open the door for streaming opportunities for fantasy managers.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Michael Scotto
August 2, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Los Angeles Lakers guard
Luka Doncic agreed to a three-year, $165 million extension with the team. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick spent his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks before being traded to the Lakers ahead of last season's deadline. He played as well as expected in 28 regular-season contests in Los Angeles, although he turned up the volume during the postseason by averaging 30.2 points. The Lakers appear to be heading in a new direction, with
LeBron James potentially entering his final year with the franchise. However, the organization will presumably look to keep Doncic on the roster well beyond his most recent extension, assuming he remains productive. The 26-year-old has reportedly revamped his diet while changing his approach to his offseason conditioning. If he can stay healthy, he should have an excellent chance of winning the first MVP award of his career. Doncic is also arguably the No. 1 overall fantasy option in any format, even though his three-point percentage and tendency to turn the ball over will lower his value somewhat for dynasty managers.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
August 1, 2025
Free-agent guard
Jaden Springer agreed to an Exhibit-9 deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. The 2021 No. 28 overall pick has bounced around the league since being drafted, making stops in Philadelphia and Boston before signing with the Jazz in February 2025. He didn't do much in Utah, averaging only 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 17 contests. Springer has a chance for a fresh start in New Orleans. However, he'll need to make a positive impression in training camp if he hopes to make the team. With that in mind, Springer has a long way to go before earning a spot on any fantasy roster even if he suits up for the Pels on opening night, considering he'll likely be sitting at the end of the bench.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Michael Scotto
August 1, 2025
San Antonio Spurs forward
Julian Champagnie had his $3 million salary fully guaranteed for the 2025 campaign. The 24-year-old appeared in all 82 regular-season games in 2024, averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. While he wasn't a consistent producer, he stepped up when needed, amassing 13.2 points and 5.1 boards in 29 starts. Champagnie will presumably have a difficult time finding routine minutes this season. However, he could be one of the first people tasked with a bigger role if there are injuries, which would give him some streaming value during the year. Still, until that situation arises, Champagnie isn't worth rostering in most fantasy formats.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Michael Scotto
July 31, 2025
New York Knicks forward
Mikal Bridges signed a long-term extension with the organization on Thursday. According to Shams Charania, Bridges agreed to a four-year, $150 million extension, which includes a player option for the final year. His first season in New York was a success, so the Knicks wanted to lock up Bridges long term. Last season, Bridges averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists across 37.0 minutes per game in 82 games. He was an important piece to the Knicks success this past season. Bridges figures to remain a core piece to this roster for the foreseeable future. Fantasy managers should expect Bridges to be a viable middle-round value option in standard leagues.
--Andy WebbSource: Shams Charania
RADIO
