2 days agoAccording to Arizona radio host John Gambadoro, the Suns might be interested in acquiring Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic. Of course, Portland's focus remains on finding a deal surrounding Damian Lillard. However, if the All-Star guard is moved, Nurkic could become available. Rumors involving Deandre Ayton being traded have cooled off significantly in the last few months. But if Nurkic is on the market, the Suns may consider it an upgrade, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The 2014 No 16. overall pick has appeared in 463 regular-season games during his career, averaging 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. He has some things to work on, including his free-throw percentage. More importantly, Nurkic has had issues staying healthy, which has negatively impacted his fantasy appeal.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: John Gambadoro

2 days agoThe Portland Trail Blazers are looking to move Damian Lillard sooner rather than later. More specifically, the team hopes to have a deal done surrounding the All-Star guard before training camp begins on October 2. It's been over two months since Lillard requested to be traded, with Miami being his preferred destination. However, after reports surfaced that the Blazers weren't interested in anything the Heat offered, discussions stalled. But now it appears there's a good chance Lillard is dealt sometime soon, although he may not end up in South Beach. That said, he should remain at least a top-10 fantasy option, no matter where he ends up.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Danny Marang

3 days agoFree-agent guard Jordan Hall has signed a contract with the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. The 21-year-old will compete for one of the final roster spots during training camp. Hall appeared in nine games with the San Antonio Spurs last season. During that time, he averaged 3.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 8.8 minutes per game. The assumption is that Hall is going to be additional depth. He'll likely spend most of his time in the G-League.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Brian Lewis

3 days agoFree-agent guard Xavier Moon has signed an Exhibit-10 deal with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The 28-year-old will have a chance to compete for a final roster spot during training camp. Moon made four appearances with the Clippers last season. He averaged 1.8 points, 1.3 assists in 5.0 minutes during those four games. He'll attempt to snag one of the remaining two-way roster spots. It's highly unlikely that Moon has any fantasy value even if he makes the team.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Michael Scotto

3 days agoOklahoma City Thunder forward Aleksej Pokusevski (ankle) will be re-evaluated in six weeks after suffering an injury during a workout on Tuesday. This is a tough break for the 21-year-old after he missed the FIBA World Cup due to an arm injury. It seems unlikely that Pokusevski will be contributing by the beginning of the season. The former first round pick has only played in more than 45 games in a single season once through his first three years in the league. This season could go a long way to determining his role in OKC going forward. Pokusevski does have fantasy value, assuming he's able to carve out a significant role in the rotation.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Ryan Stiles

3 days agoIndiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield could be on the move soon after extension talks between the two sides stalled out. The organization has reportedly started dialogue to work on finding a potential trade for the veteran guard. The Pacers shouldn't have too many issues finding a new home for Hield. The 30-year-old has a good track record and has been one of the better shooters from deep over the last few seasons. Last season, Hield averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over 80 games with the Pacers. Those numbers were good enough to be a top-50 player in nine-category formats last season. The assumption is that Hield will be productive wherever he goes, but possibly not as good as he was last season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania

3 days agoIndiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton appears ready to take his game up a further notch in 2023-24, with NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen saying that the young guard has improved his driving and scoring ability the most this offseason. Haliburton became a 20-point scorer for the first time in his career last season, averaging 20.7 points across 56 contests. He was a nightly double-double threat with a 10.4 assists average, and Hanlen sees Haliburton now becoming an even bigger threat for opposing defenses.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Drew Hanlen

3 days agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is seen as a player who should put up 25 points per game next season. NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen, who has worked with the young Sixers guard, noted that he would be "disappointed" if Maxey doesn't average 25 points in 2023-24. Maxey notched a career-high 20.3 points last season, boosting his previous best by nearly three points. He's taken big strides in the league with each season, and the upcoming campaign shouldn't be any different.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Drew Hanlen

3 days agoWashington Wizards small forward Bilal Coulibaly has drawn big praise from multiple scouts ahead of his first NBA season. Josh Robbins of The Athletic recently spoke to three anonymous NBA scouts, and they all agreed that Coulibaly has impressive athleticism and great defensive potential. One of the scouts even noted that "the sky's the limit" for the French forward, who was the seventh pick in this year's NBA Draft. Coulibaly only turned 19 just a couple of months ago, and he's definitely still very raw, but the young forward should have every opportunity to develop on a rebuilding Washington team.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Josh Robbins

3 days agoAtlanta Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic became trade-eligible on Saturday, and according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, he is a "player to watch" in trade talks. The Serbian sniper has had an up-and-down three-year ride in Atlanta, mostly coming off the bench and battling injuries. In terms of his offensive output, he has been trending down each year, and a move elsewhere could do wonders for his fantasy appeal. Last season, Bogdanovic put up 14.0 points per game in 27.9 minutes, shooting 40.6 percent from three. His ability to make outside shots will definitely bring interest in his services, and Bogdanovic has also just boosted his stock with an outstanding World Cup performance.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Michael Scotto

3 days agoDetroit Pistons center Jalen Duren is the favorite to start at the center position this season, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The 19-year-old was the NBA's youngest player last season and already earned some starts then, but it looks like he's now set to fill the role full-time. Duren made 67 appearances with 31 starts, averaging 9.1 points and 8.9 rebounds for his rookie campaign. His numbers received a slight bump in the starting unit at 10.5 points and 10.6 rebounds. With James Wiseman, Marvin Bagley III, and Isaiah Stewart also in the mix, Detroit's center situation has looked complicated, but we have gotten some clarity now, and Duren should have a good sophomore season if he hangs on to the starter's position.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Keith Langlois

3 days agoBoston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon is reportedly angry with the team after the Celtics tried to trade him to the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason. "Malcolm is the one I'm concerned about, too, because we've heard nothing," Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe said on a recent episode of the Celtics Beat podcast when discussing pre-training camp injuries. "And he's angry with the team. So, I don't think communication between the two sides has been fruitful." Brogdon suffered an elbow injury in the Eastern Conference Finals. Washburn suggested that Brogdon might elect to skip surgery, which will slow his recovery process, to fix the issue as something of a revenge act for the team's trade attempt.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Gary Washburn

5 days agoAccording to NBA insider Marc J. Spears, the Trail Blazers have talked with "several teams" regarding a trade surrounding All-Star guard Damian Lillard. The veteran expressed his desire to play in Miami for the last few months. However, since a deal with the Heat doesn't look promising, Lillard recently indicated he would report to training camp for any team, including Portland. Interestingly enough, Spears stopped short of naming "another Eastern Conference" franchise that could emerge for Lillard's services. But for now, not much has changed, although updates should intensify with the start of the season right around the corner.--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Marc J. Spears

5 days agoThe Los Angeles Clippers were reportedly the desired trade spot for superstar guard James Harden this offseason. Harden has quickly become frustrated in Philadelphia and made it known he wants to be traded this offseason. The Clippers and 76ers discussed a possible Harden trade, but they never finalized anything. Now, it appears the Clippers are ready to move on from Harden trade discussions. It remains to be seen what Harden plans to do if the Sixers are unable to find a trade partner before the beginning of the season. It looks like the Clippers are out on Harden for now, so the Sixers will likely have to look elsewhere.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Realgm.com

5 days agoFree-agent guard Zhaire Smith has agreed to an exhibit-10 deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 24-year-old is attempting to make an NBA comeback, but will have to compete for a roster spot in training camp. Smith was the 16th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018 NBA Draft. He played 13 total games across two seasons with the Sixers. Smith was an impressive prospect out of Texas Tech, but it's hard to imagine him carving out a legitimate role on this Cavs roster.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Michael Scotto