17 hours agoDallas Mavericks guard
Kyrie Irving continued his quality play in Game 5, which vaulted the team into the NBA Finals after completely destroying the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 124-103. The veteran scorer finished the game with 36 points on 14-for-27 shooting overall and 4-for-10 from beyond the arc. He also chipped in five assists, four rebounds, and knocked down all four of his free throws. Irving has been heavily criticized for not being able to get deeper into the playoffs with anyone not named
LeBron James, but he has found himself as the Robin to
Luka Doncic's Batman, which has taken them to another Finals appearance. When it comes to scoring, Irving is only matched by very few.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
17 hours agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic cashed in a big game along with his backcourt duo in
Kyrie Irving to lead the team to their first NBA Finals appearance since they won with Dirk Nowitzki in 2010-11. The superstar guard posted 36 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and four turnovers while shooting 14-for-22 from the floor, 6-for-10 from deep, and 2-for-3 from the charity stripe. After missing the postseason altogether last year, Doncic and Irving have seemed to figure out the chemistry on the offensive end which has vaulted their team's potential to a new high. In Game 5, they combined for 72 points while the Timberwolves scored 103 as a team.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
17 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves center/forward
Karl-Anthony Towns was the only player on the team outside of
Anthony Edwards who scored double-digit points in a blowout loss that ended their season on Thursday night. In the 103-124 loss, Towns registered 28 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two turnovers while shooting 9-for-20 from the floor and 1-for-6 from downtown. The 28-year-old registered a solid season despite taking a backseat to Edwards and dealing with some more injuries. He posted 21.8 points, 8.3. rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.2 threes, and 2.9 turnovers per game while making his fourth All-Star game.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
18 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards put his best foot forward in Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, but it wasn't enough as they suffered a blowout loss. The young star registered 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting with nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, and one turnover. Edwards not only cashed in on the best season of his young career, but he proved to everyone that he could elevate his level of play in the postseason at the age of just 22. This year, he averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.4 threes, and 3.1 turnovers per game. He'll likely be a top-ten fantasy option heading into next season.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
1 day agoDallas Mavericks center
Dereck Lively II (neck) will play on Thursday versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. The rookie injured his neck in Game 3 and wasn't available for Game 4. The team certainly could have used him, with the Mavs dropping their first game of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night. Of course, Lively will likely split time with
Daniel Gafford. But his return should mean fewer minutes for
Maxi Kleber, who returned for Game 4 after a lengthy stint on the shelf because of a shoulder injury.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Mavericks
1 day agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (knee, ankle) is available for Thursday's matchup with Minnesota. He was once again listed as questionable. However, there wasn't a chance he'd miss this contest, considering the Mavericks can advance to the NBA Finals with a win. Doncic has averaged 31.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 2.3 steals during the Western Conference Finals, making him the top DFS option for Thursday night.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Dallas Mavericks
1 day agoAccording to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, there hasn't been any progress in contract talks between the Warriors and guard
Klay Thompson. Golden State reportedly offered him an extension before the beginning of the 2023-24 campaign. However, Thompson declined, so there's a good chance he'll be an unrestricted free agent come July. The 34-year-old averaged 17.9 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 38.7% from deep, all down from the 2022-23 season. But teams are reportedly interested in his services, with the Magic, Thunder, and Sixers emerging as potential suitors. Nonetheless, it will be different seeing Thompson in a new uniform, although he could have a bounce-back year while playing for a championship-caliber club.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Slater
1 day agoAccording to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to seek a trade for forward
Rui Hachimura. The 2019 No. 9 overall pick averaged a career-high 13.6 points in 2023-24. He also played 68 games, the most since entering the league. There will likely be a market for Hachimura, who has two years left on his contract. With that in mind, he could be even more productive with a new team if given routine minutes.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Jovan Buha
1 day agoAccording to NBA insider Evan Sidery, the Indiana Pacers want guard
T.J. McConnell to remain with the team for the remainder of his career. The 32-year-old averaged a career-high 10.2 points with 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals during the 2023-24 campaign. He was also instrumental in helping the Pacers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. McConnell, who has one year left on his current deal, is eligible for an extension this offseason. With that said, he isn't expected to be a routine fantasy producer in 2024-25, but he could get plenty of chances to be productive, considering
Tyrese Haliburton's inability to remain healthy.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
1 day agoAccording to Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, center
Kristaps Porzingis (calf) has been "working really hard to get back." There was talk that Porzingis would return for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Indiana Pacers. However, that never happened. Truth be told, the C's didn't need him, with the team pulling off a sweep. With the Finals commencing on June 6, it appears Porzingis has a chance to be available for Game 1 after missing over a month because of a Soleus strain. Of course, if he can't suit up,
Al Horford, averaging 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds during the playoffs, will continue to get most of the work in the middle.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Jay King
2 days agoLos Angeles Clippers center
Ivica Zubac is expected to start extension talks with the team soon. The Croatian big man is currently on a three-year, $33 million deal that will expire after the 2024-25 campaign. Zubac joined the Clippers from the Lakers in the middle of the 2018-19 season and has steadily developed. The 27-year-old scored a career-high 11.7 points in 2023-24, grabbing 9.2 rebounds and blocking 1.2 shots across 26.4 minutes of action. Fantasy managers can expect to see similar numbers from him next season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
2 days agoUtah Jazz guard
Jordan Clarkson has likely played his final game with the team. According to NBA insider Evan Sidery, the Jazz are expected to make Clarkson available on the trade market. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has spent the last four and a half seasons in Salt Lake City. Clarkson has mostly been used as a microwave scorer off the bench and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for his efforts in 2020-21. He put up 17.1 points and averaged a career-high 5.0 assists this term. The veteran should be a very attractive piece on the trade market, as Clarkson is tied for two years with a deal that pays him $14 million annually.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
2 days agoAtlanta Hawks forward
De'Andre Hunter appears set for a change of scenery. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hawks are ready to make Hunter available ahead of the 2024 draft. The 26-year-old could be a hot commodity on the trade market after coming off a career year. Hunter averaged 15.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in 29.5 minutes, with 38.5 percent shooting from deep. The fourth pick of the 2019 draft has finished the first season of a four-year, $95 million contract.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Michael Scotto
2 days agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
Taurean Prince hopes to ink a new deal with the team. He signed a one-year, $4.5 million pact last offseason and wants to extend his stay in L.A. "My family, the quality of life in Los Angeles is something that myself and my family haven't had in probably three or four seasons," Prince told Lakers Nation. "So to stay here would be definitely number one. If not that, then I mean, wherever the dominoes fall and wherever it's best, that's where I'll be. But I for sure want to be a Laker, 100 percent." Despite starting 49 times in 78 appearances and averaging 27.0 minutes, Prince didn't do much that pops out on the box score in 2023-24. He averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, shooting 39.6 percent from three-point range.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Lakers Nation
2 days agoMiami Heat guard/forward
Duncan Robinson is eager to develop further despite turning 30 in April. "I just turned 30, which is crazy," Robinson recently told Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. "But what might even be crazier is I still think I'm far from a finished product. Maybe a lot of people say that 28 to whatever is your prime, but I feel like my prime is still ahead of me." After having stints out of the rotation last season, Robinson enjoyed a bounce-back year in 2023-24. He averaged 12.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and a career-high 2.8 assists with 39.5 percent shooting from deep. Robinson is mostly seen as a three-point specialist and definitely has room for improvement in other areas.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Chiang
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