4 days agoAccording to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the 76ers are reportedly willing to offer Miami Heat forward
Jimmy Butler a max contract extension. Of course, Miami would need to make him available. But if the Butler era in South Beach is finished, Philadelphia would be required to give him a two-year extension worth $113 million. The 34-year-old averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals during the 2023-24 campaign. However, he hasn't played more than 64 games in a season since 2016-17, when he was still with the Bulls. If Butler can stay healthy, he could be at least a top-15 fantasy option. On the other hand, his consistent injuries over the years will make fantasy managers look the other way heading into the 2024-25 season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Keith Pompey
5 days agoDetroit Pistons forward
Simone Fontecchio (toe) had surgery on his left big toe on Tuesday and is expected to return by the start of training camp, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Fontecchio missed the final 14 regular season contests with a contusion on his right big toe. However, the 28-year-old was reliable for the Pistons before getting injured. He averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.9 steals in 30.2 minutes per game, starting in nine of 16 outings as he was traded from Utah in February to the Motor City. As a restricted free agent, he could attract interest from multiple teams, including Detroit. Fontecchio had previously expressed a strong desire to stay with the Pistons.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: James L. Edwards III
5 days agoSan Antonio Spurs small forward
Keldon Johnson could be traded this summer as the Spurs are willing to hear offers involving the 24-year-old, according to Clutch Sports NBA reporter Brett Siegel. This past regular season, the Kentucky Wildcat averaged 29.5 minutes, 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 0.7 steals across 69 contests. Johnson would be an excellent option coming off the bench for a contending team.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Brett Siegel
5 days agoIndiana Pacers forward/center
Pascal Siakam is expected to receive a max contract offer from the Pacers this summer, per Shams Charania of the Athletic. The 30-year-old averaged 35.4 minutes, 21.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.4 blocks, and 0.8 steals across 17 postseason contests. He helped take the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals after being traded from the Toronto Raptors in January.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
5 days agoDallas Mavericks forward/center
Maxi Kleber (shoulder) is set to return for Game 4 against the Timberwolves on Tuesday, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein. The 32-year-old power forward has been out of the Mavs lineup since May 3rd due to an AC joint separation. Kleber could see plenty of minutes as Derek Lively II (neck) is currently listed as doubtful. Before Kleber was sidelined, he averaged 19.3 minutes, 5.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.5 blocks in six postseason contests.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Marc Stein
5 days agoMinnesota Timberwolves point guard
Mike Conley (Achilles) is questionable for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against Dallas on Tuesday. Conley has suffered from a right soleus strain but has suited up the last five contests. The 36-year-old veteran will likely be good to go, with Minnesota on the verge of elimination. He has averaged 13.3 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.7 minutes in the series.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
5 days agoIndiana Pacers point guard
T.J. McConnell enjoyed another productive bench outing on Monday against the Celtics, scoring 15 points and tallying five rebounds, four assists, and one steal as Indiana's season ended with a 105-102 loss. He finished with 7-for-16 shooting, missing his lone attempt from three-point range. McConnell impressed throughout the playoffs with his high-energy performances off the bench. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 20.5 minutes. Plenty of teams will likely be looking at him as a potential offseason acquisition, with McConnell on a very affordable $9.3 million deal for next season. Recent reports suggest that he has been a long-term target of the Phoenix Suns, who are desperate for a point guard.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoIndiana Pacers forward/center
Pascal Siakam finished the 2023-24 campaign with a double-double, notching 19 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 105-102 loss to the Celtics. His line included three assists as Siakam shot 8-for-18 from the field with a 0-for-3 effort from downtown. It was a bad ending to an otherwise productive series, which saw Siakam become the first player in history to record 50-plus points with zero free-throw attempts in the first two games of a Conference Finals series. The Cameroonian star is set to become an unrestricted free agent, but he had a good spell with the Pacers and is expected to re-sign with the team. He is eligible for a five-year, $245 million deal.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoIndiana Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard was the squad's leading scorer with 24 points on 10-for-18 shooting as the team's season ended with a Game 4 defeat against Boston on Monday. The 24-year-old added 10 assists for a nice double-double and recorded six rebounds with one steal and one block. Indiana will be very disappointed by getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals, but Nembhard's performances in the series are definitely a positive for the team. He averaged 28.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the two full games played without
Tyrese Haliburton (hamstring). This was only his second season in the league, and Nembhard could be ready to make big strides in 2024-25.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoBoston Celtics guard
Jrue Holiday finished Monday's Game 4 victory against Indiana with 17 points, nine rebounds, and two assists, shooting 7-for-13 from the floor and hitting twice from downtown with six attempts. Despite picking up an illness bug in the middle of the series, Holiday was highly efficient throughout the matchup. He hit nearly 42 percent of his three-point attempts and shot 58.7 percent overall to average 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.5 steals. With him in such good form, the Celtics look near unbeatable.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoBoston Celtics guard
Derrick White had an incredible defensive performance against the Pacers in Monday's closeout game, recording five steals and three blocks. He also picked up four rebounds and four assists in the contest, capping off the big performance with a game-winning three-pointer to push Boston into the 2024 NBA Finals. He was a poor 2-for-9 with the three-ball for the night but shot a solid 7-for-14 overall to finish with 16 points. Incredibly, White leads the C's in both blocks and three-pointers made in these playoffs. He's averaging 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.9 steals for the postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoBoston Celtics forward
Jayson Tatum collected his 11th double-double of the 2024 postseason on Monday with 26 points and 13 rebounds in a 105-102 win over the Pacers. He was two assists short of a triple-double and added one steal to his tally. It was a productive effort from Tatum, although the Celtics star had a tough time from three-point range with a 3-for-11 effort, which left a bad mark on his shooting efficiency. He finished the closeout game with 11-for-26 overall shooting. Tatum's shooting struggles aren't anything new in these playoffs, but he has improved his numbers throughout the postseason and pushed his scoring average to 30.3 points in the Eastern Conference Finals. The five-time All-Star also recorded 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in the series.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoBoston Celtics guard/forward
Jaylen Brown was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP on Monday after his squad completed a sweep against Indiana. Brown ended the series with a 29-point effort on 11-for-22 shooting while filling up the stat sheet in a 105-102 win with six rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block. He averaged 29.8 points in the series with 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals. In Game 2 of the series, Brown became the first player in Celtics history with multiple 40-point efforts in the Eastern Conference Finals. The 27-year-old didn't make any of the All-NBA teams this season, but he must be fired up by the snub and continues to play a hugely important role for Boston.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoDallas Mavericks center
Dereck Lively II (neck) is doubtful for Tuesday's playoff meeting with Minnesota. The rookie to a knee from
Karl-Anthony Towns to the back of the head on Sunday night and didn't return, with the team reporting he suffered a sprained neck. It's a tough blow for Dallas, considering Lively averaged 11.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals. Numerous outlets have reported that he's already been ruled out, so DFS managers shouldn't expect to see him on the floor. As a result,
Daniel Gafford could spend more minutes in the middle. The Mavs could also give work to
Dwight Powell and
Maxi Kleber (shoulder), with the latter being listed as questionable heading into Tuesday evening.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
5 days agoAccording to NBA insider Evan Sidery, the Warriors are anticipated to "actively shop" forward
Andrew Wiggins this offseason. The 29-year-old has nearly $85 million remaining on his current contract. However, with the emergence of
Jonathan Kuminga in 2023-24, the Warriors could move Wiggins to upgrade another area of need. He averaged a career-low 13.2 points last season, meaning his fantasy outlook isn't as bright as in previous years. But Wiggins is still young enough to turn things around, especially if he gets more looks at the basket with a new team.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Evan Sidery
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