10 hours agoLos Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis has impressed the team with his work in the offseason and appears primed for a big campaign. "He's had a tremendous summer, really going to work on his body, his game," head coach Darvin Ham said of Davis via the NH ExperienceTV YouTube Channel. Davis has always been a fantasy beast when healthy, but the injury-prone big man hasn't been able to hit his full potential. There's hope in L.A. of him finally putting everything together for a monster campaign, with general manager Rob Pelinka noting this week that Davis is only starting to head into "the peak" of his prime at 30 years old.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: NH ExperienceTV

11 hours agoBoston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum decided against surgery on his non-shooting hand in the offseason, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne has revealed. Tatum has been troubled by a left wrist problem since Boston's playoff run in 2022, but he played through it last season and is ready to do so again. The ailment actually didn't seem to affect Tatum at all, as the Celtics star had a big career year with 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Shelburne reported that Tatum's wrist "feels really good" after receiving a cortisone shot, so there's no reason to worry for fantasy managers, at least for now.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Ramona Shelburne

11 hours agoPoint guard Theo Maledon has earned another deal with the Charlotte Hornets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The 22-year-old is returning to the team on a two-way contract. Maledon was also picked up on a two-way contract by the Hornets a year ago, and he had a decent time with the team by averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 assists in 19.4 minutes. However, Maledom's situation will clearly be complicated in 2023-24, as several players are back healthy for Charlotte, which limits the Frenchman's chances of earning minutes.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski

11 hours agoAccording to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, guard Edmond Sumner has agreed to a one-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets. The 27-year-old joins his third NBA team after starting his career in Indiana and playing for the Nets. After missing the entire 2021-22 campaign with an Achilles injury, Sumner had 7.1 points in 13.9 minutes across 53 games with the Nets last season. He will battle for a spot at the end of the bench in Charlotte.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski

11 hours agoShooting guard Josh Primo is expected to join the Los Angeles Clippers for the 2023-24 campaign on a two-way contract. The former first-round pick has been without a team for 11 months after the San Antonio Spurs waived him. Primo was cut loose by the Spurs after it emerged that he had been involved in multiple incidents where he had exposed himself to women. The behavior has also resulted in a suspension for him, with the NBA announcing on Friday that Primo has to serve a four-game ban. The 20-year-old has averaged 5.9 points in 54 career games.--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN

3 days agoFree-agent forward Rudy Gay has reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors. The veteran forward will return for his 18th season in the league. Over the last two seasons, Gay has averaged 6.7 points and 3.7 rebounds across 16.8 minutes per game with the Utah Jazz. The expectation is that Gay will serve as depth and be a veteran leader for this unit. He's not expected to offer much fantasy value in a limited role off the bench with the Warriors.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski

3 days agoLos Angeles Clippers forward Kobe Brown (ankle) is healthy and ready to go for training camp, according to team president Lawrence Frank. This is great news after Brown suffered an ankle injury during the Summer League. Luckily, it appears the rookie forward is fine and ready to go for the beginning of the season. He averaged 15.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.6 made three-pointers in 25.5 minutes per game during the Summer League. The hope is that Brown will be able to carve out a rotational role for himself. However, it's tough to imagine him having much fantasy value to begin the season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: CBS Sports

3 days agoOklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (knee) won't be ready for the beginning of training camp, according to team president Sam Presti. Oladipo has struggled to stay healthy since suffering a ruptured quad tendon in 2019. He suffered another knee injury during the postseason with the Miami Heat last season. It's worth noting that the Thunder are loaded with young talent that needs playing time. Honestly, it's hard to imagine Oladipo carving out a legitimate role for himself even when healthy. He probably won't have much fantasy value to begin the season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Brandon Rahbar

3 days agoFree-agent guard R.J. Hampton has reportedly signed a two-way deal with the Miami Heat. The former first-round pick was waived by the Detroit Pistons in June. He averaged 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 16.0 minutes across 47 games between the Pistons and Orlando Magic. The 22-year-old is unlikely to have a significant role in the rotation. This contract allows him to bounce between the Heat roster and their G-League affiliate. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect Hampton to carry fantasy value heading into the regular season.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com

3 days agoLos Angeles Clippers forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are reportedly both healthy heading into training camp, according to team president Lawrence Frank. That is great news after both players saw their 2022 campaign come to a premature end due to knee injuries. The hope is that the Clippers can keep both players relatively healthy throughout next season. Both players should be able to offer top-25 fantasy value, assuming they can stay on the court.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Ohm Youngmisuk

3 days agoThe Portland Trail Blazers finally satisfied Damian Lillard's trade request on Wednesday, and forward Nassir Little and guard Keon Johnson ended up on the Phoenix Suns in the fallout of the comings and goings. The Suns also netted Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen while Portland got Deandre Ayton out of Phoenix in the swap. Little took a step back last year after a decent 2021-22 season that saw him average 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 threes, and 0.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes over 42 games (23 starts). Johnson only averaged 4.7 points during 10.4 minutes a year ago, so he's likely hard-pressed to see meaningful run in the desert, too. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on names such as Matisse Thybulle and Kris Murray to absorb more minutes in Portland in wake of the move.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski - ESPN

3 days agoThe Phoenix Suns most notably exchanged Deandre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Suns also added guard/forward Grayson Allen in the deal, however, as well as fellow role players Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. Allen is probably the most likely of the three to carve out a consistent role in the desert, but he'll have to battle with Josh Okogie for three-and-D minutes at small forward now. The 27-year-old shapes up as a low-upside flier in fall fantasy drafts, so managers should be able to do better in the later rounds. Allen's departures clears a path for the likes of Malik Beasley, Pat Connaughton, and Jae Crowder to soak up more playing time in Milwaukee's star-studded lineup.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski - ESPN

3 days agoMilwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday is headed to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the deal that sees the Bucks land superstar Damian Lillard. Portland also secured Deandre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns in the trade, but Holiday's stay in Rip City could be short-lived. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Blazers are contacting contenders in talks to ship him elsewhere, so it's plausible Holiday may not even suit up for them if another deal is struck before the season starts. Holiday's arrival would otherwise hurt the appeal of rising star Anfernee Simons and first-round rookie Scoot Henderson in the Blazers backcourt. It's hard to gauge an impact on Holiday's fantasy value until he is fully settled in, but the rock-solid veteran remains worthy of a fourth-round pick if he sticks with his new squad, anyway.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski - ESPN

3 days agoThe Phoenix Suns are landing Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic as part of the three-team trade that moves superstar Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. Phoenix is trading Deandre Ayton in exchange also for Grayson Allen (via Milwaukee), Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson, but Nurkic is obviously the biggest name of Phoenix's haul. Ayton and the Suns didn't appear to see eye to eye of late, so they essentially replace him with Nurkic here. The skilled 29-year-old big man will presumably maintain a starting role in the desert, but he goes from being a potential usage hog to more of a complementary piece surrounded by several superstars. Nurkic has experienced his fair share of injuries in recent years, and even if his efficiency improves alongside more defensive stats, he might be a tough sell until the double-digit rounds of fantasy drafts.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski - ESPN

3 days agoThe Portland Trail Blazers are acquiring Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton as part of a three-team blockbuster trade that ships superstar Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. Portland is also getting Jrue Holiday, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports they are looking to move the veteran to a contender. The Blazers are sending Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson to the Suns in the stunning deal. Ayton's name was rumored to be in trade talks all offseason, and Phoenix effectively swaps him with Nurkic here. Ayton was originally set to be the fourth scoring option for the Suns, but that takes a sudden shift in Rip City with Lillard now out of the mix. The star big man is coming off fantasy drafts boards in the top-50 range, but his ADP should become a bit more expensive with a significant uptick in usage headed his way.--Joseph Barbati - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski - ESPN