Fantasy Basketball

Jones played for three programs in four years of college basketball, culminating with one season at Memphis. Playing for Penny Hardaway, the 6-foot-3 guard had the ultimate green light offensively, averaging 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.2 steals, and 2.5 3-pointers. Jones was much-improved as a shooter during his season at Memphis, recording splits of 45.9% from the field, 38.0% from three, and 79.7% from the foul line. While he did rebound and defend well for his size, Jones was a bit of a “gambler,” which led to him being out of position on occasion. The 76ers need to sort out contracts for several key backcourt players, so Jones has a chance to assert himself as a threat to break into the rotation with a strong summer should they not bring back a number of guards from last season.

Pullin spent four productive seasons at UC Riverside before transferring to Florida. The fifth-year senior averaged 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.1 triples and just 1.3 turnovers. He shot 44.9% from beyond the arc and nailed 84.7% of his 5.8 free throw attempts. Pullin was named to the All-SEC team thanks to his strong numbers. The 6-foot-4 guard is an excellent playmaker who doesn’t turn the ball over much. He’s got the size to be a quality defender, but fantasy managers should not expect Pullin to have much of an impact as a rookie.

Ducas has agreed to a two-way contract after spending five seasons at Saint Mary’s, serving as a starter for the last three. In 2023-24, the 6-foot-6 Australian averaged 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2,4 3-pointers per game. Ducas shot nearly 43% from three as a fifth-year senior, and shooting and rebounding are his best attributes. Don’t expect much from him as a rookie due to how loaded Oklahoma City is on the perimeter.

After five seasons at Utah, Carlson will begin his professional basketball journey in Toronto. A three-time All-Pac-12 selection, the 7-footer finished this season with averages of 17.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.8 3-pointers per game. In addition to the rim protection abilities, Carlson can step out on the perimeter and make shots as a pick-and-pop big. His 1.8 3-pointers came on an average of 4.7 attempts, so this isn’t a small sample size to evaluate. Toronto already has Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk, so it will be difficult for Carlson to crack the rotation as a rookie.

Guerrier spent two years at Syracuse and two years at Oregon before he spent last season at Illinois, where he averaged 9.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 triples. His best collegiate season was his second year at Syracuse, where he averaged 13.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 0. steals and 1.1 blocks per game as a sophomore. Guerrier did enough to earn a training camp invite from Toronto, and he will likely suit up for them in Summer League. However, he is a long way away from making the roster.

Jenkins spent his final collegiate season with St. Johns, where he averaged 14.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.7 triples. The last game of his college career was a loss in the Big East Tournament to UConn, where he dropped 27 points. He’ll now join a crowded guard room in Detroit, which means he will likely spend a good bit of time in the G-League this upcoming season. It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where he earns minutes with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser in front of him.

Bridges redshirted his freshman season at West Virginia and played two seasons for the Mountaineers before transferring to Baylor. As a senior at Baylor, Bridges earned All-Big 12 honors behind averages of 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.1 triples. He shot respectable 46/82/41 splits and excelled as a defender. He can make an impact at the next level as a 3-and-D option but don’t expect quality fantasy production in Year 1. With Phoenix establishing a new G League franchise, Bridges will not lack for game reps if he does not see significant time with the Suns.

The 2023-24 season was the only one that Jones played at Washington State, with the 6-foot-8 transfer making prior stops at Wenatchee Valley (WA) CC and Idaho. During his lone season with the Cougars, Jones earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and averaged 15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 31.7 minutes per game. While undersized for a center, the 7-foot-3 wingspan helped compensate for Jones’ lack of height. He has a good feel for the game offensively and did most of his damage around the basket. Being on a two-way deal limits Jones’ chances of cracking the Kings rotation immediately, but he’ll improve his chances by showing he can be an impactful defender.

Burns isn’t getting a contract from the Cavs, but he will have an opportunity to earn one if he plays well. He averaged 12.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season and helped guide NC State to the Final Four. He had two big performances during that run, which led to him being one of the hottest names in college basketball. The 6'9" big man has reportedly slimmed down to be able to play in the NBA, but even if he does earn a contract this summer, he will likely spend more time in the G-League.

Hinson finished his collegiate career at Pittsburgh, earning All-ACC recognition in each of his two seasons playing for Jeff Capel. This past season, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward averaged 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 3.3 3-pointers per game, shooting 45.4% from the field and 66.9% from the foul line. While Hinson did not shoot the ball well from the charity stripe, he made 42.1% of his 7.9 3-pointers per game, displaying the ability to score on all three levels. Hinson was not much of a playmaker for others as a collegian, and he wasn’t particularly impactful as a defender, either. But the scoring is something that can be worked with, especially if the 3-point shooting translates. Hinson will be ready to provide some spacing for LA immediately, though it wouldn’t be surprising if he spent most of his first season in the G-League.