RADIO
Dorian Finney-Smith Unlikely to Suit Up for the Hornets
Charlotte Hornets forward Dorian Finney-Smith is unlikely to ever suit up for his new team, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports, now that the salary-dump trade sending him from Houston is official and Charlotte has sent cash considerations to complete it. The Hornets took on his contract purely for draft capital and are expected to waive, buy out, or flip the veteran, making him available to contenders soon. For fantasy, keep expectations low. Finney-Smith is a 33-year-old 3-and-D wing coming off the worst season of his career, as offseason ankle surgery held him to 37 games and a career-worst 27.0 percent from three, far off his 35.9 percent career mark. The only thing to track is where he signs next. Even in a good spot, a healthy Finney-Smith is a back-end 3-and-D wing, not a fantasy piece, and right now he's a long way from healthy and productive.
Source: Rod Boone
Source: Rod Boone
Kings Waiving DeMar DeRozan After Exploring Trade Talks
The Sacramento Kings are waiving forward DeMar DeRozan, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The sides reportedly worked together on the move after exploring trade options, leaving the six-time All-Star headed for free agency. DeRozan still has fantasy value as a scoring and free-throw contributor after averaging 18.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 77 starts last season. In Sacramento, his exit should free up usage for Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, while Keegan Murray and De'Andre Hunter have a clearer path to forward minutes.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Rui Hachimura Signs Two-Year Deal With the Clippers
Free-agent forward Rui Hachimura is staying in Los Angeles, just switching sides of town, agreeing to a two-year, $28 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. He turned down interest from Minnesota, Golden State, and others to remain in L.A., and he slots in as the Clippers' projected starting power forward after their post-Kawhi Leonard makeover. Hachimura is a plug-and-play floor-spacer, coming off 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds on 51.4 percent shooting and 44.3 percent from three, and then 56.9 percent from deep in the playoffs. The fantasy read is measured, though. A starting role helps, but Hachimura is a low-usage complementary piece next to ball-dominant scorers Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram, which caps his counting stats. He's a late-round forward whose value lives in efficiency, threes, field-goal percentage, and rebounds, not volume.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Quinten Post Lands Three-Year, $30 Million Offer Sheet From Memphis
Golden State Warriors restricted free-agent center Quinten Post is signing a three-year, $30 million offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Warriors have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday to match the deal. Post averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 17.3 minutes across 67 games last season, while his career 36.4 percent mark from deep gives him a clean stretch-big fantasy hook. Memphis would offer a clearer long-term path, but Zach Edey still caps Post's short-term minutes ceiling if Golden State declines to match.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Lachlan Olbrich Impresses in Warriors Rout of the Spurs
Free-agent forward/center Lachlan Olbrich is making the most of his Warriors audition, posting 13 points on six of eight shooting with four rebounds and four assists in Golden State's 98-69 California Classic rout of the Spurs. The all-around line is the story. Olbrich is a skilled, high-feel passing big, rare for the position, who capped his Bulls rookie year with a triple-double against Dallas and put up 17.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in a short G League stint. A front-office change in Chicago pushed him out, and Golden State scooped him up, where he's now competing with lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg for frontcourt minutes. That playmaking feel is what makes him worth watching more than most audition bigs. But he needs an NBA job first; the fantasy conversation only starts if he wins one in a crowded Warriors frontcourt.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
AK Okereke Lands a Two-Way Deal With the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have made official their two-way signing of undrafted forward AK Okereke, Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation reports, filling the last of their three two-way slots. Okereke is a 6-7 floor-spacer who spent his final college season as a graduate transfer at Vanderbilt, averaging 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.0 percent from three. The stroke is real, but the fantasy path isn't. Okereke is an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract, which caps his active games, and he's buried on a win-now roster built around Luka Doncic. Expect most of his season to come with the South Bay Lakers.
Source: Ryan Ward
Source: Ryan Ward
Yaxel Lendeborg Keeps Showing Multi-Category Summer League Appeal
Golden State Warriors Gold forward Yaxel Lendeborg posted 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal across 24 minutes in Sunday's 98-69 California Classic win over the San Antonio Spurs. The No. 11 overall pick followed up Friday's 19-point Summer League debut with another useful all-around line, though he was less efficient at 4-for-11 from the field. Lendeborg's fantasy appeal comes from the category mix, as he can rebound, pass, block shots, and stretch the floor. His regular-season value will depend on how quickly Golden State trusts him with rotation minutes.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Emanuel Sharp Scores 18 Points in Kings California Classic Win
Sacramento Kings guard Emanuel Sharp let it fly in the California Classic, scoring 18 points but needing 12 three-point attempts to get there, while adding seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the Kings' 91-85 win over Warriors Blue. The cold shooting is easy to forgive. Sharp is a genuine sharpshooter, a First-Team All-Big 12 pick who drilled 37.2 percent from deep on high volume at Houston and profiles as the 3-and-D floor spacer Sacramento needed after finishing last in threes made. Notably, he landed a standard three-year deal rather than the two-way most late-second-rounders get. Still, the fantasy path is narrow and role-gated: threes and steals if he wins the floor-spacer minutes behind Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, little if he's shuttling to the G League.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Nick Boyd Hands Out 10 Assists in Warriors Blue Loss
Golden State Warriors Blue guard Nick Boyd recorded 11 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and one steal across 27 minutes in Sunday's 91-85 California Classic Summer League loss to the Sacramento Kings. Boyd was one of the few bright spots as Golden State let a 10-point halftime lead slip away. The undrafted Wisconsin product is on an Exhibit 10 deal, so his path to regular-season fantasy value remains narrow. Still, back-to-back useful Summer League showings and a double-digit assist game give him a case to keep getting extended on-ball reps.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Adou Thiero Stuffs the Box Score in Sunday's California Classic Victory
Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero delivered a strong all-around performance Sunday in the California Classic Summer League. He finished with 13 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists across 28 minutes during a 93-91 double-overtime win over the Miami Heat. The second-year forward made an impact with his activity on both ends, but his shooting remains a concern after he went 3-for-9 from the field, 0-for-2 from three-point range, and 4-for-7 at the line. Thiero's defense and downhill scoring are useful, but he needs a more reliable jumper to carve out steady fantasy value on a veteran-heavy Lakers roster.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Brandon Boston Jr. Scores 18 Points in Bucks Summer League Loss
Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward Brandon Boston Jr. led the team in scoring for the second straight game Sunday, finishing with 18 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal across 28 minutes in an 89-69 California Classic loss to Brooklyn. Boston also paced Milwaukee with 17 points in Saturday's win over Warriors Blue, so he is making the most of an early audition. The fantasy angle is still thin until he earns a regular-season roster spot, but his shot creation and minutes load are worth tracking in Las Vegas.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Cameron Carr Impresses with 26-Point Outing
Los Angeles Lakers guard Cameron Carr came ready to play during Sunday's Summer League matchup against the Miami Heat. Carr was all over the place as he finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and connected on four three-pointers during the overtime victory. The Lakers selected Carr in the first-round out of Baylor this year. The 21-year-old has looked impressive early in camp, but there's still a lot of time between now and the beginning of the regular season. Clearly, the Lakers believe in Carr, which is why they selected him in the first round. He might struggle to get consistent minutes right away, but he could force his way into the conversation if he keeps playing like this.
Source: nba.com
Source: nba.com
Ryan Conwell Notches 16 Points in Loss
Miami Heat guard Ryan Conwell is getting a fair shot to prove himself during the Summer League. During his Summer League debut, Conwell knocked down only 4-of-12 shots from the floor. He was hopeful for better results on Sunday, but he didn't have much more success. He finished with 16 points (6-of-18 FGs), seven rebounds, and three assists in the double-overtime loss. The 16-point outing is nice, but his overall effectiveness has not been great. The Heat selected Conwell with a second-round pick during this year's draft. This team is in a win-now mode after trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Conwell will need to clean it up if he wants to crack this rotation.
Source: nba.com
Source: nba.com
Lakers Could Target Jonas Valanciunas
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the market for a backup center after trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards. The Lakers are reportedly interested Kevon Looney or Jonas Valanciunas. They've secured their starting center spot after making a trade for center Walker Kessler. Between the two, Valanciunas is the better option because he's a viable option on both sides of the ball. Valanciunas is still under contract with the Denver Nuggets, but they've reportedly made him available in trade talks. During his first year in Denver, Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 13.4 minutes per game in 65 contests. His value would likely increase elsewhere where he's not stuck behind Nikola Jokic. It remains to be seen if the Nuggets are truly interested in moving the big man, but the Lakers will need to make a move for another center at some point.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Ace Bailey Dealing with Back Spasms
Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (back) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's Summer League contest against the Atlanta Hawks. Bailey exited the contest after 20 minutes due to back spasms. It was an exhibition contest, so the Jazz elected to hold out Bailey for the rest of the game. He finished with 10 points, six rebounds, and a steal during his 20 minutes of action. The young forward is considered day-to-day, but he should be fine going forward. He's expected to remain a significant part of the rotation after averaging 13.8 points across 27.6 minutes per game in 72 contests with the Jazz last season.
Source: Utah Jazz
Source: Utah Jazz
