LeBron James to Join the Philadelphia 76ers
Free-agent forward LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania. James is coming off another useful fantasy season at age 41, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks across 60 games with the Lakers. The move puts him into a crowded, high-usage core with Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe, so the scoring ceiling takes a hit. Still, James should remain a strong assists-and-efficiency piece, with rest management the main fantasy tax.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Josh Hart Approaches a Four-Year Knicks Extension
New York Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart becomes eligible for a four-year extension on August 10, and he is expected to take a team-friendly number to help the defending champions navigate the second apron, per Evan Sidery. Hart is the glue of the title team, a do-everything wing who averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.1 steals on 50.8 percent shooting across 66 games last season. That profile is the fantasy story: he is a versatile contributor whose rebounds, assists, steals, and efficiency carry real appeal, while his relatively low-volume outside shooting caps his ceiling. The impending extension cements his entrenched starting role. He projects as a multi-category anchor, though managers should temper expectations for another statistical leap now that New York's championship starting five returns intact.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Kyle Kuzma Looms as a Deadline Target on His Expiring Deal
Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma is on the trade block, per Evan Sidery. The Bucks have found little interest so far, but his expiring $19.4 million deal should draw more suitors as February's deadline nears. That timeline shapes his fantasy outlook. Kuzma is one of Milwaukee's few proven scorers in the post-Giannis rebuild, so he could soak up a larger offensive role after averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists on a career-high 49.2 percent shooting last season. The catch is the deadline: a trade to a contender would likely shrink his role and volume. Draft him as a mid-to-late-round scorer with usage upside for now, especially in points formats, though his thin defensive stats hurt his nine-cat appeal. February remains the key pivot point.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Myles Turner Draws Little Interest on Bucks' Trade Block
Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner is on the trade block alongside Kyle Kuzma, though the Bucks have drawn little interest, per Evan Sidery. Turner is tough to move: he is signed through 2029 with a 15 percent trade kicker, so a deal is unlikely soon. That is not bad news for fantasy. Turner's numbers dipped to eighth-round value in his first Milwaukee season, 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 threes and 1.6 blocks, as he adjusted to a new offense, but the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo rebuild could funnel more usage his way. His blocks-and-threes profile remains a category-league staple. Draft him as a mid-round center with bounce-back upside as Milwaukee's featured big, and the stalled market only reinforces his secure role.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Nuggets Look to Offload Zeke Nnaji's Contract
Denver Nuggets forward/center Zeke Nnaji is on the trade block, with the Nuggets willing to attach second-round picks just to move his contract as they claw beneath the apron, per Evan Sidery. That says it all: Nnaji's four-year, $32 million extension has been a bust, leaving him buried behind Nikola Jokic and out of the rotation for three straight seasons. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.0 minutes over 52 games last season, and he holds no fantasy value in any format. The only path to relevance is a trade to a thin frontcourt where he might actually play, as he flashed during an injury-fueled stretch last January. Until then, he is a cap casualty, not a fantasy target.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Santi Aldama Leads Spain in World Cup Qualifiers
Dallas Mavericks forward/center Santi Aldama is back on the floor, headlining a 15-man Spain squad for the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying window, per Eurohoops. The return is a positive health signal after season-ending right knee surgery in March cut his 2025-26 to 43 games. The bigger NBA-fantasy story, though, is his new address: Memphis traded Aldama to Dallas on July 1, moving him from a featured rotation role, where he posted career highs of 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 35.0 percent from deep, into a crowded frontcourt. Behind P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II in a crowded Dallas frontcourt, Aldama's minutes and touches figure to shrink. His well-rounded game keeps deep-league appeal, but temper expectations until the Mavericks' rotation sorts out.
Source: Eurohoops
Source: Eurohoops
Wendell Moore Jr. Closes in on a Deal With Partizan
Detroit Pistons guard/forward Wendell Moore Jr. is reportedly on the verge of leaving the NBA, close to signing with EuroLeague side Partizan Belgrade over Hapoel Tel Aviv, per Eurohoops. The No. 26 pick in 2022 never found NBA footing, bouncing through Minnesota, Charlotte, and Detroit for career averages of 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.7 assists across 96 games. He was far better in the G League last season, posting 19.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.4 steals for the Motor City Cruise, but that production never translated to the top level. For NBA fantasy, this is a non-event: Moore held no value in any format, and a move overseas simply takes his name off the board entirely.
Source: Eurohoops
Source: Eurohoops
Klay Thompson Could Join the Heat Via a Mavericks Buyout
Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson could land with the Heat if Dallas agrees to a buyout, per Anthony Slater, as relayed by Evan Sidery. Sidery also floated a hypothetical Miami lineup featuring LeBron James, Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bam Adebayo if the team were to add both veterans. Temper the excitement: Dallas has little incentive to rush a buyout, and the superteam angle depends on James choosing Miami. For fantasy, the aging sharpshooter offers little beyond volume threes now. Thompson posted career lows of 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists last season, though he still drilled 2.9 threes per game at 38.3 percent. In that star-heavy setup, he would likely be a low-usage spot-up shooter, leaving him as a deep-league threes specialist at most.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Ivica Zubac Becomes Eligible for $95 Million Pacers Extension
Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac is eligible for a three-year, roughly $95 million extension, per Evan Sidery, and he looks like a strong candidate after Indiana paid a steep price to install him at the five. The Pacers sent what became the No. 5 pick and an unprotected 2029 first-rounder to the Clippers for Zubac, who remains on a team-friendly deal paying just over $20 million annually through 2028. For fantasy, Zubac is a rock-solid center after averaging 14.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 59.8 percent shooting last season. The upside case gets cleaner when Tyrese Haliburton returns, as Zubac fits as a strong pick-and-roll and lob partner. Draft him as a reliable early-to-mid-round center with field-goal percentage and rebounding as the anchors.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Lakers Dangling Dalton Knecht for Possible Trade
Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Dalton Knecht may finally get the change of scenery his fantasy value needs, with the Lakers reportedly shopping him and Jarred Vanderbilt as they explore ways to create room for a possible Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade. Knecht, the No. 17 pick in 2024, saw his development stall on a star-heavy roster, sliding from a promising 9.1 points and 1.6 threes per game as a rookie to just 4.2 points on 34.2 percent shooting from deep last season. The fantasy nuance is that Knecht can score, unlike a pure defensive specialist, and a move to a team needing shooting could revive deep-league value. On the Lakers, he remains buried and off the radar, but a trade would make him worth another look as a situational streamer.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Lakers Shopping Jarred Vanderbilt
Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt is being shopped as a salary-matching piece, with the Lakers looking for a third team to absorb his and Dalton Knecht's contracts to unlock a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, per Evan Sidery. Vanderbilt is owed $12.4 million next season and holds a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28, making him difficult to route directly to Atlanta in a Kuminga framework. For fantasy, the takeaway is bleak either way. Vanderbilt is an elite defender but an offensive non-factor, averaging 4.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 steals on 29.3 percent three-point shooting last season, and durability has long been a concern. He holds no standard-league value. A move to a rebuilder could give him minutes and deep-league steals-and-boards utility, but on the Lakers, he remains a specialist off the fantasy radar.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Jae'Sean Tate Lands Partially Guaranteed Deal With Rockets
The Houston Rockets and forward Jae'Sean Tate have agreed to a one-year, $3.07 million deal, partially guaranteed for $1.04 million, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, keeping the veteran with the only NBA franchise he has known. The partial guarantee tells the story: this is a fringe-roster, camp-battle deal, not a rotation promise. A versatile defender and respected locker-room presence, Tate has watched his role vanish on a loaded Rockets contender, averaging a career-low 8.8 minutes last season while spending time in the G League. With Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. among the forwards ahead of him, there is no runway here. Tate carries no fantasy value and would need a rash of injuries to surface even in the deepest leagues.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Jordan Walsh Agrees to a Three-Year Extension With Boston
Boston Celtics forward Jordan Walsh has agreed to a three-year, $15 million extension through 2029-30, per Shams Charania of ESPN, after Boston picked up his $2.4 million option for next season. The team-friendly number, well under the roughly $21.2 million maximum he was eligible for, fits Brad Stevens' pattern of locking up role players cheaply. Walsh, 22, is an elite perimeter defender and improving shooter who hit 38.4 percent from three last season, when he averaged 5.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 17.8 minutes across 68 games. The deal secures his future but not his fantasy value: with Jayson Tatum back from his Achilles injury, Walsh's role likely shifts closer to the bench. He stays a deep-league defensive flier and dynasty watch, given his age and defense, rather than a standard-league add.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Trae Young Shifts to a Present-Focused Mindset After Injuries
Washington Wizards guard Trae Young is framing his offseason around health after an injury-wrecked 2025-26, telling Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that he looked too far ahead last season and plans a more present-focused approach. Young, who re-signed long-term, reiterated that Washington is where he wants to be and that he intends to grow with the team's young core. For fantasy, this is a bounce-back setup: a healthy Young is an elite hub, a career 25.1-point, 9.8-assist producer who commands the ball on a rebuilding roster with usage to spare. Knee and quad problems held him to exactly 15 games last season, so availability is the whole question. A present-focused, healthy Young would be a first-round-caliber assists-and-threes source; the mindset shift matters only if it keeps him on the floor.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Nuggets Rebuff Salary-Dump Offers for Cameron Johnson
Denver Nuggets forward Cameron Johnson appears likely to stay put, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The Nuggets have rebuffed salary-dump inquiries on Johnson, who is owed $23.06 million in the final year of his deal. Even under second-apron pressure, Denver was pleased enough with his production to hold him. Johnson posted career-high efficiency in his first Nuggets season, shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from three while averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 54 games, a knee bone bruise costing him over a month. The fantasy read is steady but modest: playing off Nikola Jokic lifts his percentages but caps his volume, making him an efficient deeper-league wing rather than a standard-league must-draft. A late surge to 15.2 points a night hints at more if his usage climbs.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
RADIO



