While Smith ended this past season as a reserve, he remains a key building block for the Rockets. Sunday’s development clearly indicates how the team thinks of the 2022 lottery pick. Smith averaged 12.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.7 three-pointers per game in 2024-25, finishing well outside the top-100 in eight- and nine-cat formats. With Kevin Durant on board, Smith will likely take on a reserve role for the Rockets as they look to challenge Oklahoma City atop the Western Conference.

With Damian Lillard (Achilles) set to miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season, keeping its other key players on board is critical for Milwaukee in free agency. One of those players is Portis, a fan favorite who has been consistently productive throughout his time with the Bucks. The third year of his new deal will be a player option. Having finished the 2024-25 season ranked just outside the top-100 in eight- and nine-cat formats, Portis’ Yahoo! ADP will be elevated in 2025-26 due to Lillard’s absence.

Harden held a player option worth a little over $36.3 million for the 2025-26 season, which he declined. His decision to opt out and agree to a new deal gives the Clippers added financial flexibility, as the second year is a partially-guaranteed player option. Returning to Los Angeles has given Harden’s career a needed boost after disappointing stints with the Nets and 76ers. “The Beard” finished last season as a top-10 player in eight-cat formats and top-15 in nine-cat. Given his importance to the Clippers, Harden should again be an early-round pick in fantasy drafts.

A few days after it was reported that Naz Reid agreed to a new deal with the Timberwolves, Randle has reportedly done the same. His new deal will include a player option for the 2027-28 season. While there were some early hiccups, Randle had a productive debut season in Minnesota. In 69 games, he averaged 18.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.6 three-pointers in 32.3 minutes. The returns of Randle and Reid will likely mean free agent guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker heads elsewhere, as other teams can offer him more than the Timberwolves can. Detroit is one team rumored to be highly interested in signing Alexander-Walker.

It’s important to note that Beasley has not been charged with a crime. However, this is a serious development for a player who will be one of the top available free agents on the market when free agency begins on Monday. Appearing in all 82 games, Beasley averaged 16.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 3.9 three-pointers for the Pistons. According to Charania, Beasley and the Pistons discussed a three-year, $42 million deal before the investigation came to light. Those talks have been paused. This situation also impacts starter Tim Hardaway Jr., who will be an unrestricted free agent.

Sunday was deadline day for James, who had a player option worth $52.6 million for the 2025-26 campaign. He’s reportedly decided to pick up the option, meaning LeBron will be back for a 23rd NBA season. However, based on agent Rich Paul’s comments, there are questions regarding James’ future with the Lakers despite the player making it clear in the past that he hopes to remain with the franchise. James suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain during the Lakers’ first-round series against Minnesota, but the expectation is that James will be good to go well ahead of training camp. Based on his Yahoo! ADP, James was expected to provide second-round value in standard leagues last season, and he met that expectation. Look for him to have a similar draft position even though he’ll turn 41 in December.

Injuries have limited Lonzo in recent seasons, but he’s still an impactful player when he’s on the floor. Now, he’ll be a strong reserve playmaking option behind Darius Garland. Ball’s addition likely means that Ty Jerome will sign elsewhere in free agency after being one of the best bench options in the league last season. Ball’s departure should also open up minutes for Ayo Dosunmu off the bench as the primary reserve in the backcourt. Reports from April indicated that Ball should be ready to go for training camp after missing the final two months of last season with a wrist injury.

Fresh off their second consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves hope to keep most of their core together for another run. Reid, who opted out of the final year of his current deal, has been a key piece off the bench for Chris Finch’s team, and retaining him would be immense. Finch said earlier this month that he expects Reid and Julius Randle to return to the team next season. Reid staying in Minnesota likely keeps him in the sixth-man role, which limits his fantasy ceiling. However, he’s still worth selecting in all league drafts.

The first overall pick in this week’s draft, Flagg will make his summer debut on July 10 when the Mavericks play the Lakers in Las Vegas. And his new head coach already has plans for how the prized rookie will be used. “I want to put him at point guard. … I’m excited to give him the ball against the Lakers and see what happens,” Kidd said, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. This will be something worth tracking, as the Mavericks will miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn ACL. While Dallas is expected to address the point guard position in free agency, there may also be times when Flagg initiates offense if he shows himself capable of doing so.