RADIO
DeMarcus Cousins Tears ACL
2 days agoLos Angeles Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins has torn his ACL during workouts. With this injury happening in mid-August, Cousins' recovery window means we likely won't see him on an NBA floor this upcoming season. It's a huge blow for a player who was still working to get back to full strength after an Achilles rupture two seasons ago. With Cousins out, expect JaVale McGee to start at center. We could also see more lineups with Anthony Davis playing the five and Kyle Kuzma working as a stretch four.Source: Shams Charania
Michael Beasley Signs With Pistons
7 days agoThe Detroit Pistons have signed free agent forward Michael Beasley. Beasley will be suspended for the first five games of the year for violating the league's anti-drug policy, but will have a chance to earn minutes off the bench in Detroit. The biggest issue from a fantasy perspective is that Beasley will play behind Blake Griffin, who'll see a heavy workload this season, which limits how much run Beasley's able to earn. He's a late-round flyer at best at this point.Source: Shams Charania
Trey Burke Signs With 76ers
3 weeks agoPoint guard Trey Burke has signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Because the Sixers lack depth at point guard behind Ben Simmons, Burke has a chance to play a decent role on this team if he's able to beat out Shake Milton for minutes. Burke should be able to do that. Still, he doesn't have much fantasy value outside of deeper leagues, because the Sixers are going to rely heavily on their starting five and give Josh Richardson some time at the point.Source: Shams Charania
Dragan Bender Signs With Bucks
3 weeks agoDespite reports that he already signed a deal to play in Russia next season, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that former Suns power forward Dragan Bender has agreed to a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. It's hard to see a role for Bender in Milwaukee, as he's basically been a very, very inefficient stretch big for Phoenix. There's a reason it took this long for an NBA team to sign him, so don't expect much production from Bender this season.Source: Adrian Wojnarowski
Pau Gasol Signs With Trail Blazers
3 weeks agoFree agent center/power forward Pau Gasol has signed a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, where he'll likely back up starting center Hassan Whiteside. Gasol's reached a point in his career where his presence on the floor isn't really that useful for anyone, and it's hard to see him having much fantasy value this upcoming season, especially with Jusuf Nurkic (leg) likely to return in the second half of the season, which would make Gasol the third center at best. He's best avoided in fantasy league.Source: Adrian Wojnarowski
Sixers Bring Back Furkan Korkmaz
3 weeks agoThe Philadelphia 76ers have re-signed forward Furkan Korkmaz to a two-year deal. Korkmaz appeared in 48 games for the Sixers last year and started in seven of those. He shot just 32.6 percent from three, averaging 5.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Philadelphia is deeper this year, which makes it hard to see how Korkmaz fits into the team's plans, but with the first year of his contract fully guaranteed, he'll very likely be on the final roster as the 11th or 12th man. Korkmaz should not be drafted in fantasy.Source: Adrian Wojnarowski
Rockets Sign Ben McLemore
4 weeks agoThe Houston Rockets have signed guard Ben McLemore, who played in just 19 games for the Kings last season and averaged 3.9 points per game. While he did shoot 41.5 percent from three, McLemore is unlikely to play a key role on a Houston team that's looking to win a championship. If he makes it out of training camp, he's most likely looking like Houston's 11th or 12th man, a role that doesn't lend itself to fantasy relevance.Source: Houston Rockets - Daryl Morey
John Wall Not Expected To Play Next Season
4 weeks agoWashington Wizards guard John Wall tore his Achilles in February and is expected to miss the entire 2019-2020 season. While the timetable for Achilles rehab could theoretically put Wall on track to return near the end of next season, the Wizards plan to be cautious with their point guard. Wall should be off the fantasy re-draft radar at this point. Expect to see Bradley Beal and Ish Smith play most of Washington's guard minutes, with Smith in particular in line for an increase in production as the team's starting point guard.Source: NBC Sports Washington - Chase Hughes
Kostas Antetokounmpo Claimed By Lakers
4 weeks agoThe Los Angeles Lakers have claimed forward Kostas Antetokounmpo off waivers from the Mavericks. Antetokounmpo is on a two-way contract, which will restrict how long he's able to be on the Lakers main roster this season, and it's highly unlikely that the team will give him minutes even when he's available, because the Lakers are in win-now mode with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and don't have time to develop Antetokounmpo. Many seem to think the claiming was done to show Antetokounmpo's brother, reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, that he should come to Los Angeles when he hits free agency in a couple of years. This move doesn't move the fantasy needle for the 2019-2020 season, though it definitely could have some long term implications.Source: Shams Charania
Bucks Sign Kyle Korver
4 weeks agoThe Milwaukee Bucks have signed free agent guard Kyle Korver to a one-year deal. The veteran sharpshooter is a career 42.9 percent shooter from deep and gives the Bucks an important deep threat to help space the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Korver will likely be decent minutes off the bench, though at his age he's unlikely to be more than a spot up shooter. He'll have fantasy value in certain builds and can be a cheap source of three-pointers, though his lack of activity in other areas of the game severely limits his upside.Source: Adrian Wojnarowski
Justin Holiday Signs With Pacers
4 weeks agoFree agent guard Justin Holiday has signed a one-year deal with the Indiana Pacers, where he joins his brother Aaron. Last year, Holiday split time between Chicago and Memphis, playing in 82 games with 77 starts and putting up averages of 10.5 points and 3.9 rebounds on 38.6 percent shooting. Indiana's a better team and because of that won't afford Holiday with the same amount of minutes, but he gives the Pacers a bench option who can hit a ton of threes. There's late round fantasy value here, but not as much as there was for Holiday last season.Source: Shams Charania
Dragan Bender Signing With CSKA Moscow
1 month agoAnother NBA player appears to be returning to international play, as power forward Dragan Bender has reportedly agreed to a multi-year deal with CSKA Moscow. Bender, whose team option was declined by the Suns and was a free agent, found the NBA free agency landscape to be a tough place for him and despite interest from the Cleveland Cavaliers, it appears Bender's NBA days are over for now. He averaged just five points and four rebounds in 46 games for the Suns last year, including 27 starts. There's enough promise to hold onto him in deeper dynasty leagues, but he's now a non-factor in redraft.Source: Keith Smith
Blake Griffin Resuming Basketball Activities
1 month agoLast season, Detroit Pistons power forward Blake Griffin dealt with a knee injury that limited his availability at the end of the season and the beginning of the playoffs, which led Griffin to have knee surgery in the offseason. The surgery wasn't expected to keep Griffin out of any offseason activities, and Tuesday's announcement that he's resumed light basketball activities keeps Griffin on track to be a full go for the 2019-2020 season. Knee injuries are definitely something to be concerned over, but as long as Griffin is able to take the court when the season opens, his usage on this Pistons team will make him a strong fantasy basketball option next season. There's injury risk, but Griffin's upside is undeniable.Source: The Detroit News - Rod Beard
Brandon Clarke Named Summer League MVP
1 month agoMemphis Grizzlies rookie forward Brandon Clarke was named the MVP of the Las Vegas Summer League. In six games, Clarke averaged 14.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest, showing that he can be a valuable piece of the Grizzlies' rotation this upcoming season. The Grizzlies are a young and rebuilding team, and Clarke is bound to get plenty of minutes in the team's front court this season. He's going to be a valuable fantasy contributor thanks to his ability to score efficiently and rebound well.Source: NBA
Nets Sign Henry Ellenson To Two-Way Deal
1 month agoThe Brooklyn Nets have signed power forward Henry Ellenson to a two-way contract. Ellenson's first three NBA seasons -- split between the Pistons and Knicks -- have largely been disappointments, and he finished last season with an average of six points and 3.5 rebounds per game in just 19 appearances. A two-way deal will limit how much time Ellenson is able to spend on an NBA roster, which means most of his season will be spent with Brooklyn's G-League affiliate in Long Island. Any value Ellenson may have had if he'd signed an actual NBA contract has evaporated with this move.Source: Adrian Wojnarowski
