6 hours agoLos Angeles Lakers shooting guard
Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) has recovered from surgery and is expected to "be ready to compete for minutes from the start" in 2024-25, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Hood-Schifino underwent lumbar microdiscectomy back surgery in March. He was limited to 21 appearances during his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old, who was the 17th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, mostly picked up action in garbage time and averaged only 5.2 minutes per game. He appears set for a more significant role in 2024-25, although there are quite a few bodies in front of Hood-Schifino on the depth chart, and it will be tough for him to get regular playing time.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Dave McMenamin
6 hours agoLos Angeles Lakers small forward
Cam Reddish (ankle) has returned to full health ahead of the new campaign, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. An ankle injury limited Reddish to 48 appearances last season. He featured just 13 times after the All-Star break and didn't see any action in the playoffs. Reddish finished his debut campaign in L.A. with a 5.4-point scoring average and 2.1 rebounds. He saw big minutes early in the season as a starter, and that likely won't happen in 2024-25, although Reddish could have a chance to earn some extra minutes in the rotation due to injuries.
Christian Wood (knee) has been ruled out for the start of the season, and
Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) isn't at 100 percent.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Dave McMenamin
6 hours agoFree-agent forward
T.J. Warren has a workout scheduled with the Sacramento Kings, sources have told The Athletic's Sam Amick. The 31-year-old spent the previous campaign in Minnesota, making 11 appearances with the Timberwolves. He was limited to 11.3 minutes a night, averaging 3.7 points. Warren was a 20-point scorer just a few campaigns ago, but health issues have badly derailed his career. The Kings are looking at multiple options at the forward position ahead of training camp, with workouts also planned for
Jae Crowder and
Nassir Little.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Sam Amick
6 hours agoMiami Heat guard/forward
Duncan Robinson has said that he's fully recovered from a back injury that limited him during the final stretch of 2023-24. Robinson was enjoying a strong bounce-back campaign before being struck by a left facet syndrome. He missed the final 14 regular-season games due to the issue. Robinson returned for the playoffs but clearly wasn't at 100 percent as he struggled badly. However, the 30-year-old sniper appears fully healthy now, telling reporters he is "not restricted in any way" and has "no limitations." Robinson sits among the best outside shooters in the Association and has also developed as a playmaker. He averaged a career-high 2.8 assists last season while posting 12.9 points in 28.0 minutes.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Barry Jackson
6 hours agoVeteran forward
Marcus Morris Sr. has signed an Exhibit 9 contract with the New York Knicks. The 35-year-old will try to battle out a roster spot in training camp to extend his NBA career into a 14th year. Morris Sr. split last season between Philadelphia and Cleveland, averaging 6.4 points in 16.7 minutes. The Philadelphia native has remained a savvy scorer despite being on the wrong side of 30. However, if he makes the team, Morris Sr. will only be seen as a depth piece in New York and won't get enough action in normal circumstances to make an impact in fantasy basketball.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Mollie Walker
2 days agoHouston Rockets guard
Jalen Green is eligible for a contract extension. While there hasn't been an update regarding a potential deal, the 22-year-old doesn't seem too concerned. "My main focus is the season ahead of me with the players that we have," said Green in an interview. "Thats the main focus right now, and everything will work itself out." The 22-year-old has had his share of struggles since entering the league in 2021. However, he has still been productive for fantasy managers, most recently finishing the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 19.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Without question, he has All-Star potential, and his durability is a bonus for fantasy managers despite his underwhelming accuracy from behind the arc. Green and the Rockets have until October 21 to come to terms on a new deal. If that doesn't happen, the 2021 No. 2 overall pick will be a restricted free agent next offseason.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Jonathan Feigen
3 days agoAccording to NBA insider Shams Charania, free-agent center
Christian Koloko agreed to an undisclosed contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 24-year-old was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. He appeared in 58 games for the club, averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. Unfortunately, he began suffering from a blood-clotting issue, putting his career in jeopardy. But now that Koloko has a clean bill of health, he'll have a chance to earn a spot in the Lakers' rotation. While he's a long way away from being relevant from a fantasy standpoint, he's worth monitoring in case he earns routine minutes.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
3 days agoAccording to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, free-agent guard
Landry Shamet agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the New York Knicks. The 27-year-old has bounced around the National Basketball Association over the years, making stops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles (Clippers), Brooklyn, Phoenix, and most recently, Washington. He appeared in 348 regular-season games for those clubs, averaging 8.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. The Knicks' roster is loaded with talent, so Shamet will likely spend most of his time on the bench, assuming he makes the team. As a result, he won't find his way onto many fantasy rosters in any format ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
3 days agoAccording to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, restricted free-agent forward
Isaac Okoro agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both sides have been at a stalemate regarding a new contract for months. However, things finally worked out, meaning the Cavs will retain a capable defender. Okoro has spent his entire four-year career in Cleveland. He's appeared in 279 regular-season contests for the club, averaging 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds. With that in mind, the Cavs have
Donovan Mitchell,
Darius Garland,
Evan Mobley, and
Jarrett Allen doing most of the heavy lifting offensively, so there's little room for anyone else to get involved. As a result, Okoro likely won't see much attention from fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 campaign. On the other hand, there could be streaming potential at some point during the season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski
4 days agoFree agent forwards
Jalen Slawson and
Jarrett Culver have both signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Magic have two more two-way contracts open so it looks like they'll bring in a few people to see if they can play their way into one of those spots. Culver was originally drafted in 2019 and played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in his first three seasons and the Atlanta Hawks in his fourth. Last year, he spent the season in the G League where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Slawson spent his time on a two-way deal with the Sacramento Kings and appeared in 12 NBA games where he totaled eight points and seven rebounds.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Jason Beede
4 days agoMiami Heat forward
Jimmy Butler has been looking for an extension in Miami but hasn't received anything just yet. He's entering the final year of his deal this coming season but still has a player option that he could opt into for one more year. According to Sam Amick, the Golden State Warriors are looking at this scenario and they "have interest" in Butler after clearing a lot of cap space when they moved on from
Klay Thompson and
Chris Paul. After putting together a couple more contracts in a potential deal for Butler, they could remain in a favorable tax position. There have already been multiple reports about Butler interested in other teams or vice versa, so it remains to be seen if a team actually decides to pull the trigger on an offer.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Sam Amick
4 days agoHouston Rockets forward
AJ Griffin is giving serious consideration to stepping away from the game of basketball altogether. According to Shams Charania and Kelly Iko, the former 16th overall pick is mulling the decision to move on from the game and focus on his life outside of the NBA. Griffin was traded to the Rockets this offseason from the Atlanta Hawks and the team is already preparing for Griffin to step away. The 21-year-old spent two seasons with the Hawks and averaged 7.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game while shooting .447/.372/.898. Nothing is set in stone at this time, so Griffin may still return or take a short leave. Either way, he's made it known that his mental health and life come first.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
5 days agoMiami Heat forward
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is focused on improving his game, with shooting from behind the arc being his primary concern. "My three-point shooting, that's an area that I really wanted to improve," Jaquez said in an interview with Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. "I feel like I needed to improve if we want to, as a team, make the strides and jumps that we need to try to win a championship." Jaquez's stock continues to increase after he finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals. Without question, the 21-year-old should be better in his second year in the NBA, especially since he's expected to retain a consistent spot in the rotation. With
Jimmy Butler's future in Miami not set in stone and
Tyler Herro historically having issues staying healthy, the sky is the limit for Jaquez in the years ahead.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Chiang
5 days agoAccording to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors and guard
Moses Moody aren't close to agreeing on a contract extension. Like
Jonathan Kuminga, an agreement on a new deal must be finalized by October 21. If talks aren't successful by then, Moody will hit restricted free agency next offseason. The 22-year-old averaged a career-high 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds in 66 games last season. However, Moody will have a difficult time improving those numbers during the 2024-25 campaign, considering the Warriors have
Stephen Curry,
Brandin Podziemski, and
Andrew Wiggins on the roster. The team also added
Buddy Hield,
De'Anthony Melton, and
Kyle Anderson this offseason.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Slater
5 days agoAccording to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, "significant progress" in contract talks between the Golden State Warriors and forward
Jonathan Kuminga has not been made. The 2021 No. 7 overall pick is entering the final season of his rookie contract. While the Warriors dismissed trade inquiries this offseason from other teams, it doesn't appear both sides are close to securing an extension. Kuminga finished last season by averaging a career-high 16.1 points and 4.8 rebounds. However, with
Klay Thompson now in Dallas, the expectations are higher for the 21-year-old. His shooting percentage from deep needs to improve. But Kuminga will be a consistent member of the Warriors' rotation in 2024-25, giving him value in all fantasy setups. Both sides have until October 21 to agree on a new deal. If it isn't finalized by then, Kuminga will be a restricted free agent next summer.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Slater
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