1 day agoLos Angeles Clippers guard Bones Hyland is expected to be the team's backup point guard, according to head coach Ty Lue. The 23-year-old was the backup in Denver before being traded to the Clippers mid-season. After being traded, Hyland had a tough time cracking the rotation on a nightly basis. However, it sounds like Hyland is going to be the primary backup to Russell Westbrook to begin the season. Last season, Hyland averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game. It sounds like he'll have a legitimate role in the rotation next season. Fantasy managers should consider Hyland a late-round option in deep leagues.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Law Murray

1 day agoNew Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (knee) recently underwent surgery to repair a left meniscus tear. This is a tough blow to the young guard, but at least he won't miss all of the season. In fact, Murphy is expected to be back in November or December. This is obviously a rough timetable, but it sounds like Murphy might not miss too much time. The expectation is that Herbert Jones is going to start in place of Murphy to begin the season. Naji Marshall should also see more playing time, but Jones will likely see the biggest boost in the absence of Murphy.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Jim Eichenhofer

1 day agoSacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis (thumb) is fully healthy heading into training camp. It appears Sabonis has healed from his avulsion fracture in his right thumb. The big man suffered the injury in December and missed just one game. After that, Sabonis continued to play through the issue down the stretch of the season. Luckily, Sabonis was able to avoid surgery, so he should be back to 100 percent health now. Last season, Sabonis averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 34.6 minutes per game across 76 games. He should continue to be a big part of this team heading into next season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Sean Cunningham

1 day agoCharlotte Hornets guard Bryce McGowens (ankle) suffered a minor injury during a workout last week. It appears McGowens suffered a sprained ankle that will limit him for the beginning of training camp. The 20-year-old appeared in 46 contests with the Hornets last season. During that time, he averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 17.1 minutes per game. He'll have more competition this season as the team has improved at the guard spot. It seems unlikely that McGowens is going to offer fantasy value to begin the season. However, he should be healthy by the start of the regular season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Rod Boone

1 day agoCharlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward is reportedly 100 percent healthy ahead of training camp. That is great news after the oft-injured forward missed chunks of last season due to multiple injuries. Hayward has been unable to play more than 52 games in a single season since the 2018 campaign. He'll enter a crowded roster in Charlotte, but should still be able to carve out a role for himself, assuming he stays healthy. Last season, Hayward averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 31.5 minutes per game in 50 games. He should be able to offer fantasy value as long as he actually stays healthy.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Sam Perley

1 day agoAccording to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, forward Evan Mobley focused on his body during the offseason. The 22-year-old, drafted with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, averaged 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 79 games last season. He was already expected to progress even more during the 2023-24 campaign. But considering Mobley added roughly seven pounds of muscle and is seeking a Defensive Player of the Year award, he could shatter his preseason projections.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor

1 day agoAccording to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Cavaliers forward Max Strus expects to start this season. Strus agreed to a four-year, $62 million contract with the Cavs in July after spending four seasons in Miami. Statistically, he had the best year of his career in 2022-23, averaging 11.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. However, he recorded 14.0 points, 3.6 boards, and 2.4 assists in 33 starts. Strus' three-point percentage went south last season, and he's also not expected to be a routine fantasy contributor, considering the team has Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley on the roster. But he should have more than a few solid fantasy performances, so he deserves attention from those in deeper formats heading into the 2023-24 campaign.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor

1 day agoAccording to ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell agreed to a five-year, $146 million contract extension with the team. The 23-year-old is coming off his most productive season, averaging 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals. He also shot a career-high 38.7% from behind the arc. However, he suffered a knee injury and was limited to 38 games. It's no secret that the Spurs are rebuilding. But the club made it a priority to keep Vassell on the roster. Assuming he remains on the court during the 2023-24 campaign, he has All-Star potential.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski

1 day agoSan Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell is eligible for a contract extension and when the media asked, he said, "I want to be a Spur for a long time." He was unable to elaborate on that thought so it seems he'll be leaving the negotiating up to his agent and the front office. He was on his way to a career year before getting hurt and missing most of the season. The 23-year-old averaged 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals across 31.0 minutes per game in 38 appearances. Vassell should be a hot commodity in the mid-to-earlier rounds of fantasy drafts now that he has a dynamic pick-and-roll partner in Victor Wembanyama.--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Paul Garcia

1 day agoSan Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson reiterated what head coach Gregg Popovich said during media day when it came to stepping it up on the defensive end. Johnson said he's ready to show that he can be a really good defender. The 23-year-old had one of his worst defensive seasons last year, statistically. He posted a defensive rating of 122 and he was close to career lows in blocks and steals per game. If he can upgrade his defensive abilities, that would make him a much bigger impact player in the fantasy realm.--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Paul Garcia

1 day agoDetroit Pistons forward Isaiah Livers suffered a Grade 3 left-ankle sprain while going through some workouts before training camp. He's now expected to miss six to eight weeks, which would have him returning to the court around mid-to-late November. The 25-year-old has slowly fallen down the depth chart, and this injury stint will likely work against him. He's not on the fantasy radar right now unless the team decides to move him up to backup small or power forward. Ausar Thompson, Joe Harris, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Isaiah Stewart are all ahead of him at this moment.--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Pistons PR

1 day agoOrlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac has been missing action since February of last season due to a left adductor surgery. General Manager Jeff Weltman said that Isaac will be a full participant once training camp opens and they'll also closely monitor his health due to his injury history so far. While this is encouraging news, his health hasn't been the best bet for fantasy managers. He might be worth a very late-round flyer, but that depends on how training camp and preseason progresses.--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Cody Taylor

2 days agoBoston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is entering his fourth year in the league and is eligible for an extension if they can work one out before the regular season begins. According to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, the two sides began extension discussions after they dealt for Jrue Holiday. Pritchard is expected to be a key depth piece behind Holiday and Derrick White, so they want to make sure they have their bench options locked up. Reportedly, there's still a gap between both sides, so they'll need to cover some ground over the next few weeks. Pritchard should see more opportunities either way and he could become more fantasy-relevant in deeper leagues.--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Jared Weiss

2 days agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard James Harden decided to skip the team's media day on Monday as he's sticking to his trade request. As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers and Clippers did have another discussion but they didn't get any closer to a deal. There's also no "traction" with any other team at the moment. Daryl Morey said, "In terms of a trade, I will continue to work on those fronts and, if he's here, then coach will work with him on the court." Harden could receive a fine for not showing up to media day, but that seems to be the least of his worries.--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski

2 days agoPortland Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon was part of the deal that sent Jrue Holiday to Boston, and it looks like he may not have time to settle in Portland just yet. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Blazers are likely to discuss trades surrounding Brogdon. They've jump-started their rebuild and they want to keep both Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams III. Brogdon, who will be turning 31 years old this season, doesn't seem to fit the timeline of the rest of the roster. He could potentially find his way to a competitive team that needs a sixth man.--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski