RADIO
Jaylen Clark Returns to Minnesota on Three-Year, $10 Million Deal
Minnesota Timberwolves guard/forward Jaylen Clark will re-sign on a three-year, $10 million contract, according to the Star Tribune's Chris Hine. The 24-year-old defensive specialist has carved out a situational role with his on-ball pressure after recovering from the torn Achilles that wiped out his rookie season. Clark, the 2023 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year at UCLA, averaged 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 13.1 minutes across 68 games last season. The jumper remains the swing skill, as he hit just 33-for-101 from three. Until that shot becomes more reliable, Clark profiles as a defense-first reserve with minimal fantasy appeal outside of very deep formats, especially with Minnesota's backcourt now headlined by Anthony Edwards and newly acquired LaMelo Ball.
Source: Chris Hine
Source: Chris Hine
Isaiah Hartenstein Agrees to a New Three-Year Contract with the Thunder
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein intends to sign a new three-year, $75 million contract that keeps him with the franchise through 2028-29. The deal brings his total guaranteed earnings with Oklahoma City to five years and $134 million. Hartenstein remained a key frontcourt piece last season, averaging 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.8 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 24.2 minutes across 47 games. His scoring ceiling is modest, but the rebounding, efficiency, passing, and defensive stats keep him useful whenever his minutes land in the mid-20s. The new deal confirms that Oklahoma City still views him as a central part of its frontcourt mix.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Pelicans Expected to Move on From Veteran Center Kevon Looney
New Orleans Pelicans center Kevon Looney is expected to reach unrestricted free agency, with the team poised to decline his $8 million option for next season, NBA insider Chris Haynes reports. The three-time NBA champion spent his first 10 seasons in Golden State before signing a two-year deal with New Orleans last summer, but he never carved out a role. He appeared in just 21 games, eight as a starter, averaging 2.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 14.7 minutes. A departure would do little to reshuffle the rotation. The Pelicans already funneled the center minutes to rookie Derik Queen and Yves Missi, with Zion Williamson anchoring the four. Looney's fantasy value hinges on landing a real role elsewhere, which looks like a stretch for a non-scoring depth big.
Source: Chris Haynes
Source: Chris Haynes
Gary Trent Jr. to Decline $3.9 Million Option and Hit the Open Market
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward Gary Trent Jr. is expected to decline his $3.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season to enter unrestricted free agency. The 27-year-old had a quiet campaign last year, averaging 8.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 21.2 minutes per game, but he remained a capable floor spacer by shooting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc. With Milwaukee reshaping its roster following the blockbuster trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trent's departure helps clear a crowded backcourt. Newly acquired guard Tyler Herro will command heavy usage, but Trent's exit could open the door for younger pieces like Ryan Rollins to earn consistent rotation minutes. Fantasy managers can ignore Trent in standard formats until his new role is clarified.
Source: Chris Haynes
Source: Chris Haynes
Jose Alvarado Stays Home with a New $14 Million Knicks Deal
Jose Alvarado is trading a one-year option for long-term security with the champion Knicks. He is declining his $4.5 million player option to sign a new three-year deal worth more than $14 million, ESPN's Shams Charania reports. Acquired from New Orleans at the deadline, the New York native endeared himself in his hometown with relentless ball pressure off Jalen Brunson's bench. In 28 regular-season games with the Knicks, he averaged 6.6 points, 3.8 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 16.9 minutes. The fantasy value is modest behind a Finals MVP, but Alvarado's steals give him a niche, and he is first in line if Brunson ever sits. His role thinned in the playoffs, yet his Game 4 spark during a record Finals comeback showed why New York brought him back.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Isaiah Joe Traded to Detroit for Two Second-Round Picks
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Oklahoma City Thunder are trading guard Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons for two future second-round picks. Detroit adds one of the league's better volume shooters, as Joe averaged a career-high 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.5 threes in 21.2 minutes while shooting 42.3 percent from deep last season. Joe should help space the floor for Cade Cunningham, although his fantasy value still leans heavily on points, threes, and efficiency rather than well-rounded production.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Dereck Lively II Progresses Slowly as Mavs Camp Looms
Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (foot) is still working back from December foot surgery and hasn't resumed running, The Athletic's Christian Clark reports. Speaking after a Mavericks youth camp, Lively said he is walking and lifting but in no rush. "I'm taking even more time than I need," he told Clark. Lively has shed the walking boot but isn't cleared to run or jump, with training camp roughly three months away. He is Dallas' projected starting center and a foundational piece of the rebuild alongside cornerstone Cooper Flagg, so his Week 1 availability is the question that matters. When healthy, he has averaged 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks as a lob threat and rim protector. The No. 9 pick, Morez Johnson Jr., offers frontcourt insurance if his ramp-up runs long.
Source: Christian Clark
Source: Christian Clark
Jericho Sims Secures $2.8 Million Option With Milwaukee
Center Jericho Sims is choosing the sure thing over free agency. The Bucks center plans to exercise his $2.8 million player option for 2026-27, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reports. It lands him in a Milwaukee frontcourt that looks nothing like last year's after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Sims made the most of his first full season as a Buck, averaging 5.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 19.7 minutes across 67 games with 19 starts. He is a rim-runner who shot a career-best 78.4 percent from the field and even logged a triple-double in April. With the rotation wide open and starter Myles Turner drawing trade interest, the backup center minutes are there for Sims to seize. He has to earn them, but the door is more open than it has been in years.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Mouhamed Gueye Locked in on Fourth-Year Hawks Option
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reports the Atlanta Hawks have exercised their fourth-year, $2.41 million team option on center/power forward Mouhamed Gueye. He's a defense-first big who can guard all five positions, a versatility Atlanta prizes more than his box score. Gueye set a career high with 77 games last season, averaging 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes while filling in as a makeshift backup center in the playoffs. He flashed more with real minutes, posting 10.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while hitting 50.0 percent from three across eight starts. The fantasy catch is opportunity. Atlanta drafted Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar, with Onyeka Okongwu and Asa Newell also in the frontcourt mix. His value to the Hawks is real, but fantasy relevance likely depends on injuries opening the door.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Pelicans Exercise Third-Year Option on Karlo Matkovic
Center/power forward Karlo Matkovic will be back in New Orleans next season. The Pelicans exercised their $2.30 million third-year team option on Matkovic, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reports. The floor-spacing big fills a real need for a New Orleans frontcourt short on shooting. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in just 14.7 minutes across 62 games while connecting on 60.4 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from three-point range. There's little standalone fantasy value at that workload, but he produced more when the rotation thinned, posting 9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 22.3 minutes over his final 32 outings. Stuck behind Derik Queen and Yves Missi, Matkovic's value hinges on minutes. Should New Orleans decline Kevon Looney's separate option, he could carve out a larger role.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Raptors Secure Jamal Shead on $2.30 Million Team Option
The Toronto Raptors have exercised their $2.30 million team option on point guard Jamal Shead for 2026-27, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reports. It was a straightforward call on a backup point guard who appeared in all 82 games last season. Shead averaged 6.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.7 rebounds in 22.8 minutes, with an impact that ran deeper than the scoring line. He led the NBA in assists off the bench and finished second in offensive fouls drawn. With Immanuel Quickley entrenched as the starter, Shead's standalone fantasy value stays low, but it spikes whenever Quickley misses time. That played out in the postseason, when Shead made four starts and logged 32.0 minutes a night in Quickley's absence. The cheap option also keeps a defensive-minded mentor in place for rookie Jaden Bradley.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Kevin Porter Jr. Exercises $5.39 Million Option to Stay with Bucks
Point guard Kevin Porter Jr. is exercising his $5.39 million player option to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks for 2026-27, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reports. The combo guard stays put as Milwaukee reshapes its roster following the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. Porter was productive before the injury ended his season, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals over 38 games. He shot a career-best 46.5 percent from the field but just 32.2 percent from three-point range. Antetokounmpo's departure opens up shot creation, but the backcourt got crowded in a hurry. Newly acquired Tyler Herro projects to handle the ball, and Ryan Rollins played well as a fill-in starter, averaging 22.5 points and 5.8 assists when Porter was sidelined. His assists and steals keep Porter valuable, though his usage may not climb as much as the headline change implies.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Mark Williams Agrees to a Three-Year Deal With the Suns
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams intends to sign a fully guaranteed three-year, $38 million contract to return to Phoenix. The 24-year-old is coming off the healthiest season of his career, averaging 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.9 steals in 23.6 minutes while shooting 64.4 percent from the field. He still carries availability risk after missing the first-round series with a left foot stress reaction, but the deal gives him the inside track to remain Phoenix's starting center. Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro are worth monitoring behind him, although Williams should remain the preferred fantasy option if he holds the top role.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Coby White Returning to Hornets on Three-Year Deal
Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White intends to sign a three-year, $74 million deal to return to the team, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. White is expected to step into a larger role after Charlotte agreed to trade LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota for Naz Reid and draft capital. The 26-year-old averaged 17.4 points, 4.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 threes while shooting 44.6 percent from the field last season. His assists should climb as the new starting guard, while Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel also project for bigger creation roles in Charlotte's reworked offense.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Bucks Add South East Melbourne Forward Malique Lewis as the 60th Pick
The Milwaukee Bucks are receiving forward Malique Lewis after the Washington Wizards selected him with the No. 60 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and his rights moved through Orlando. The 21-year-old played for South East Melbourne in Australia, averaging 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 21.2 minutes while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from deep, and 82.6 percent at the line. Lewis has a narrow fantasy path as the final pick, but his defensive versatility, corner-shooting growth, and transition finishing give Milwaukee a useful developmental wing to bring along gradually.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
