7 hours agoSacramento Kings guard
Kevin Huerter (shoulder) has been ruled out ahead of Wednesday's preseason matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Huerter continues to recover from a procedure in April to repair a torn labrum. He has been increasing his involvement in practice, but Huerter has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 activities. The team hasn't said when Huerter will return, but the hope is that this isn't something that lingers into the regular season. The absence of Huerter should mean more minutes for
Keon Ellis and
Malik Monk.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: James Ham
7 hours agoGolden State Warriors guard
Brandin Podziemski and center
Kevon Looney will move into the starting five ahead of Wednesday's preseason matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Head coach Steve Kerr is experimenting with his lineups which is never a bad idea during the preseason. He'll replace
De'Anthony Melton and
Trayce Jackson-Davis with Podziemski and Looney on Wednesday. It doesn't seem that Kerr has decided on a starting unit yet. However,
Stephen Curry and
Draymond Green are locks and
Jonathan Kuminga seems to have earned his spot as well. Podziemski posted promising numbers last season and figures to have a significant role whether it's starting or off the bench. The 21-year-old averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Anthony Slater
8 hours agoToronto Raptors forward
Scottie Barnes (personal) is expected to be on the court for Friday's preseason matchup against the Washington Wizards. Barnes missed the preseason opener due to personal reasons, but he has already returned to practice. This will be his first game action since suffering a season-ending hand injury in the beginning of March. The 23-year-old is hopeful to get back to the way he was playing last season. Barnes posted 19.9 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists which are all career highs for him. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect this hand injury to have lingering effects and Barnes should be ready to go for the season opener.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Josh Lewenberg
8 hours agoDallas Mavericks guard
Dante Exum (wrist) won't be ready for the season opener and is expected to miss a significant amount of time. Exum will require right wrist surgery that is going to sideline him for at least three months. The loss of Exum is certainly a hit to this Mavs bench heading into the regular season. Last year, Exum averaged 7.8 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 55 games with Dallas. The 29-year-old put up his best numbers in years and finally looked like he found his groove in Dallas. Now,
Spencer Dinwiddie and
Jaden Hardy will likely be asked to pick up the slack with Exum sidelined to begin the season. Between the two, Dinwiddie figures to be the more attractive fantasy option.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
8 hours agoMemphis Grizzlies guard
Ja Morant (ankle) was forced to exit early during Monday's preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks. Morant twisted his ankle in the first half, but returned to the contest. However, he re-aggravated the issue in the second half and was forced to exit for the rest of the night. Further testing revealed that Morant has suffered a mild ankle sprain. Head coach Taylor Jenkins says the team plans to proceed with caution. However, Morant is expected to be fine for Opening Night. It's uncertain if Morant will play in Thursday's preseason game, but fantasy managers shouldn't have to worry about his availability heading into the regular season.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Damichael Cole
8 hours agoThe New York Knicks have signed center
Moses Brown to an Exhibit 10 deal on Wednesday. The 24-year-old has bounced around quite a bit since his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019. In fact, Brown has played with six different organizations since joining the league. Most recently, Brown played 22 games with the Blazers, averaging 3.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 9.1 minutes per game. The Knicks are fairly loaded in the front court with
Karl-Anthony Towns,
Mitchell Robinson, and
Precious Achiuwa. It looks like Brown is going to compete for a bench spot, but is unlikely to have fantasy value.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Ian Begley
20 hours agoAtlanta Hawks center
Onyeka Okongwu (toe) didn't feature in the team's preseason opener against Indiana on Tuesday. The energetic big man underwent a toe procedure in April and appears to be still recovering from it. The Hawks have their next preseason outing scheduled for Monday.
Clint Capela will likely be set for a big workload at the start of the regular season if Okongwu isn't ready to play. The team has also added
Larry Nance Jr. and
Dominick Barlow to the frontcourt this offseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Brad Rowland
20 hours agoMilwaukee Bucks small forward
Khris Middleton (ankle) might be available for a pair of games before preseason finishes. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers believes Middleton could be ready for the team's final two preseason games, although he's added that there is "no guarantee" regarding his availability. Milwaukee completes its preseason slate next week against Chicago and Dallas, with the games scheduled for Monday and Thursday. Middleton had surgeries on both ankles in the offseason and hasn't yet participated in full practices during training camp and preseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Eric Nehm
20 hours agoLos Angeles Clippers guard
Bones Hyland missed Tuesday's preseason clash against Brooklyn with left hip soreness. Hyland could really use a good preseason to boost his stock in Los Angeles, and the hip problem is definitely a setback for him. The 24-year-old did well in the Clippers' preseason opener against Golden State at the weekend, tallying seven points and four rebounds in 13 minutes. Hyland's next chance to play comes on Friday against Portland.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Law Murray
20 hours agoPhoenix Suns shooting guard
Damion Lee (groin, leg) is reportedly fine following his early exit from Tuesday's preseason game against Detroit. The 31-year-old veteran went to the locker room with three minutes played in the fourth quarter after he was hit in the groin/leg area. However, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports noted after the game that Lee is "all right." Lee missed the only shot he took in the game and grabbed one assist with one steal across five minutes of action before being forced to exit. After averaging over 20 minutes a night last season, Lee will likely find it tough to get meaningful minutes in 2024-25 following the backcourt additions of
Tyus Jones and
Monte Morris.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Gerald Bourguet
20 hours agoLos Angeles Clippers small forward
Derrick Jones Jr. (head) is reportedly okay after getting hurt in Tuesday's preseason clash versus Brooklyn. Jones Jr. was hit to the head in the second quarter, exiting the court while holding a towel to his face. Shortly after the incident, Jones Jr. was ruled out for the rest of the game with a head contusion. However, The Athletic's Law Murray has reported that Jones Jr. is "fine" and there shouldn't be anything to worry about going forward. The eight-year veteran is projected to be a starter for the Clippers this season after inking a three-year, $30 million contract as a free agent in the summer.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Law Murray
20 hours agoCleveland Cavaliers guard/forward
Max Strus (hip) was limited to nine minutes in Tuesday's preseason contest against Chicago. He had zero points with two rebounds and one assist before being forced to exit the game due to a right hip contusion.
Dean Wade started the second half in Strus' place. Cleveland returns to action on Thursday versus Indiana and might elect to keep Strus out of the lineup as a precaution ahead of the regular season. The 28-year-old sniper missed 12 games last term.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chris Fedor
1 day agoWashington Wizards guard
Malcolm Brogdon (thumb) underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. The 31-year-old was traded to Washington during the offseason after averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 assists, and 41.2% shooting from deep with the Blazers in 2023-24. Unfortunately, he was limited to only 39 games. Without question, Brogdon is a force whenever he's on the floor. However, his injury woes over the years make him a risky fantasy option. That won't change until he proves he can stay healthy.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Washington Wizards
1 day agoMilwaukee Bucks guard
Gary Trent Jr. (elbow) didn't practice on Tuesday. However, head coach Doc Rivers said the former Raptor might play in Thursday's preseason matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. Even if he doesn't, Rivers added that Trent didn't need an MRI on the hyperextended left elbow he sustained in Sunday's loss to the Pistons and will "be fine." The 25-year-old is coming off a down season, averaging 13.7 points. With that in mind, Trent is capable of starting or coming off the bench, so he'll likely see more than enough minutes on a Milwaukee team that lacks depth, meaning he should have more than a handful of potent fantasy showings this season.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Eric Nehm
1 day agoAccording to Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan, guard
Lonzo Ball (knee) will suit up at some point during the preseason. He wasn't active for Tuesday's exhibition against the Cavaliers. Yet, Ball's impending return is still much sooner than most anticipated. The 26-year-old hasn't played since January 2022 and has undergone multiple knee surgeries since, including a meniscus transplant. As a result, he'll likely be brought along slowly early in the 2024-25 campaign. However, with
Josh Giddey,
Coby White, and
Ayo Dosunmu in the picture, there are more questions regarding Ball's role than answers. With that said, he'll likely make appearances with the starting lineup this season. Still, Ball isn't expected to be a consistent fantasy producer.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic
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