2 months agoNew York Knicks center
Isaiah Hartenstein has been strongly linked with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sources have told Stefan Pondy of The New York Post that the Thunder are the "top threat" to pry Hartenstein away from New York. The 26-year-old is heading toward unrestricted free agency and is expected to get a big contract. A recent report suggested that teams are willing to offer as much as $80-100 million for his services. Meanwhile, the Knicks are limited to a maximum offer of four years, $72.5 million. Hartenstein would provide a big boost to the Thunder's rebounding ability after the team posted the fourth-lowest rebounding rate in the league this season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Stefan Bondy
2 months agoAccording to NBA insider Marc Stein, Boston Celtics guard
Derrick White will look for a contract extension from the team this offseason. The 29-year-old arguably had the best season of his career in 2023-24, averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals. He also shot 39.6% from deep. White is currently playing on a four-year, $70 million contract he signed while still with the San Antonio Spurs. But the Celtics will likely do all they can to stop him from reaching free agency next offseason, so fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised to see him ink a new deal with Boston over the summer.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Marc Stein
2 months agoDallas Mavericks center
Dereck Lively II finished Sunday's 105-98 loss to Boston with two points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes. He shot 1-for-3 from the field and recorded two turnovers. Lively II, who has had an outstanding playoff campaign as a rookie, hasn't been able to make an impact in the Finals. After averaging 9.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks versus Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals, the 20-year-old has been limited to 2.0 points and 6.0 rebounds with zero swats registered.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoDallas Mavericks forward/center
P.J. Washington continued to struggle from downtown in Game 2 against Boston on Sunday, but he still ended up as the team's second-best scorer behind
Luka Doncic. The versatile big man finished a 105-98 loss with 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting. He was 1-for-5 with the three-ball and has now hit 9-for-40 overall from behind the arc since the start of the Western Conference Finals. The Mavericks could really use Washington's three-point bombs right now, having averaged only 93.5 points in the Finals. In Sunday's Game 2, the former Hornet also recorded seven rebounds with one assist and one block in 40 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoDallas Mavericks center
Daniel Gafford was very close to his second postseason double-double of the year in Sunday's Game 2 defeat to Boston, finishing the contest with 13 points and nine rebounds. Gafford, who is an extremely efficient scorer, was once again sharp from the field, hitting 6-for-9. He registered one block at the other end, logging 23 minutes of action after being limited to only 14 minutes in Game 1. Following an underwhelming performance in the Finals opener, Gafford was back in form on Sunday. But it looks like the Mavericks need even more from him, with Boston now 2-0 up in the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoBoston Celtics forward/center
Kristaps Porzingis said he will be "good" for Game 3 against Dallas despite appearing to suffer a new injury blow in Sunday's Game 2. After missing 10 games with a calf problem, Porzingis appeared to have sustained another leg injury late in the game when he tried to contest a shot from
P.J. Washington. He was moving gingerly following the incident and didn't see the court in the final 4:40. Porzingis added postgame that the ailment wasn't related to his right calf injury, which forced him to sit out over a month of postseason action. With Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla saying he has "zero" concern about Porzingis ' health moving forward, it looks like we will see the Latvian big man back on the court Wednesday night. Porzingis has posted 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks with superb 60 percent shooting from a bench role in the Finals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Conor Ryan
2 months agoBoston Celtics guard
Derrick White had a good two-way performance as the team grabbed a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals against Dallas with a 105-98 win on Sunday. White posted 18 points with five rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks. His second swat came late in the game against
P.J. Washington at the rim to stop Dallas' comeback effort. The two-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team member struggled a bit with his shooting, going 6-for-15 from the field, but he nailed four of his 10 attempts from behind the arc. White's three-point shooting provided a big boost to the Celtics, who otherwise had a miserable night from downtown with a 10-for-39 record. We should see White get involved in everything again on Wednesday as Boston tries to take a 3-0 lead in the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoBoston Celtics guard
Jrue Holiday enjoyed a big night in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals against Dallas on Sunday, scoring a team-high 28 points on near-perfect 11-for-14 shooting. It's his second-highest scoring effort of the season following a 28-point effort in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus Indiana. Holiday got there mostly with nifty finishes around the rim, but he also shot the three-ball well, finishing 2-for-4 from downtown. The 2021 NBA champion also led Boston with 11 rebounds and registered three assists with one steal and one block. It's been a good start to the Finals for Holiday, who averages 19.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists with 44.4 percent three-point shooting through the first couple of games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoBoston Celtics center
Kristaps Porzingis came off the bench again for Game 2 of the NBA Finals versus Dallas. While he played better in Game 1, the 28-year-old still had a decent showing, ending the night by amassing 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks. He has averaged just 22 minutes throughout the series. However, Porzingis appeared to injure his leg late in the contest, so there's reason to believe he may appear on the injury report for Game 3 in Dallas. Considering he missed over a month because of a Soleus strain, the team won't take any chances. With that said, DFS managers will likely get an update on Porzingis' health in the next day or two. But if he re-injured his calf,
Al Horford could find himself getting more minutes.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoBoston Celtics forward
Jaylen Brown scored 21 points in the win over the Mavericks on Sunday. He added seven assists, four rebounds, and six steals. This wasn't Brown's finest outing, considering he shot 1-for-5 from deep and committed six turnovers. However, he was good enough to help his team go up two games in the series. The 27-year-old averaged nearly 30 points in the Eastern Conference Finals. But he hasn't been as productive against Dallas. With that in mind, Brown is due for a big performance, giving him plenty of upside for DFS managers for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoDallas Mavericks guard
Kyrie Irving had 18 points in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against Boston on Sunday night. He added six assists and two boards. Irving shot 6-for-19 from the field in Game 1. However, he improved on Sunday, ending the evening by going 7-for-18 from the field. Unfortunately, he has missed all eight tries from deep in the series' first two games. But the 32-year-old and the rest of the Dallas offense have a chance to get it together in Game 3 on Wednesday evening.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoBoston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum just missed a triple-double in Sunday's win over the Mavericks, ending the night with 18 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. While the Celtics took the win to put the team up two games in the series, Tatum continues to struggle shooting the ball, going 6-for-22 from the field and 1-for-7 from deep. Fortunately, he was still a welcome addition to DFS lineups, although his shooting woes must be addressed ahead of Game 3 in Dallas on Wednesday night.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic produced a triple-double in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against Boston. But it wasn't enough, with the Celtics securing their second win of the series. Doncic entered this contest carrying a questionable designation because of a thoracic contusion along with knee and ankle soreness. While it's apparent he's still burdened by the ailments, he produced 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and four steals. The 25-year-old shot the ball better on Sunday than in Game 2. However, he also committed eight turnovers. With the Mavs down two games, both teams will head to Dallas for Game 3 on Wednesday. DFS managers should expect to see Doncic on the injury report, although he'll likely be out there.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 months agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (chest, knee, ankle) will play on Sunday night against the Celtics. Doncic has been banged up all postseason. He was probable on Saturday night because of lingering knee and ankle soreness. However, there was concern about his availability when he was downgraded to questionable on Sunday because of a thoracic contusion. Of course, there was little chance Doncic would miss such an important game. But with his list of ailments growing, his DFS impact may be less than usual.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Mavs PR
2 months agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (ankle, knee, chest) was downgraded to questionable ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals against Boston. He has been battling knee and ankle soreness throughout the postseason and was deemed probable to play as of Saturday night. However, the 25-year-old is now dealing with a thoracic contusion. With that in mind, Doncic will likely do everything he can to get on the floor on Sunday night. But considering he's the costliest DFS option available for fantasy managers, the ailments could make it challenging for him to exceed his value enough to justify his presence in any lineup. On a positive note, Doncic's condition could open the door for more involvement from
Kyrie Irving, who struggled in Game 1.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
RADIO
