NBA Player News

“He’s at great risk,” friend Tom Prichard said. “He’s in a bad way.” Sad news on one of the league’s most charitable ambassadors.

Avdija struggled in his preseason debut for Portland, but he looked much better in this game. The Blazers weren’t fully healthy for this preseason game, but Avdija should be part of the team’s starting unit when the regular season begins. His season-long value is unclear, since Shaedon Sharpe will be healthy next month, and Portland will likely be a lottery team once again, which could result in Avdija missing time down the stretch. However, when he’s on the floor, he should be effective.

Camara’s strong preseason continued in this game, which bodes well for his upside in fantasy hoops. He may not be worth a selection in redraft formats, but heading into his second season, he has some upside in dynasty leagues. He posted a full stat line in this game, and while his field goal percentage was poor, he still did enough to be effective in 9-cat formats. Camara is certainly a player worth keeping an eye on, especially if Portland quickly falls out of the playoff race.

Though it wasn’t against NBA competition, Henderson was incredibly effective in this game. His main issues during his rookie year were all centered around being inefficient, which isn’t surprising for a young point guard. However, he shot a high percentage in this game and didn’t turn the ball over, which is a great sign of progress for him. He has an incredibly high ceiling, and we should see him be more effective in year two than he was as a rookie, making him an excellent selection in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

THT agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Bulls last month, and he was able to produce solid value in this game. Billy Donovan played his starters close to their normal role in this game, and THT played 25 minutes off the bench. They were playing without Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Matas Buzelis and Julian Phillips, so THT probably won’t play that large of a reserve role during the regular season, but there appears to be a chance that he makes the final roster. Still, he isn’t a player to consider drafting in any format.

For the first time since January of 2022, Lonzo suited up in an NBA game. It was a miraculous recovery that he battled through, and he was able to log 15 minutes in this game, which lined up with the 16-minute cap that he said he would have. Ball will likely be brought along incredibly slowly, which means no back-to-backs and a strict minutes restriction for a while. However, there aren’t many players that can contribute the way that he can in 9-cat leagues, which makes him worth a late-round selection.

Minott’s strong preseason continued as the former second round pick had another excellent performance. The former second-round pick won’t make much of an impact in redraft leagues this season, but he may end up being part of the rotation at times if he is able to carry over some of this preseason production. However, dynasty managers have to be excited about these numbers. He has long been considered a sleeper prospect, and his ceiling is incredibly high.

Randle missed the Timberwolves’ first few preseason games due to the shoulder injury that ended his season early. This was his first time suiting up since he was dealt by the Knicks a few weeks ago. He was able to put up well-rounded numbers in his first game with the team, which was good to see during a game where Anthony Edwards struggled. Randle’s numbers shouldn’t be very different from his time with the Knicks, which makes him a polarizing player in 9-cat leagues, since he has a few strong categories, as well as a few weak ones.

In just 21 minutes, Butler dominated the Hawks and put together his best performance of the preseason. His focus appears to be centered around helping the Heat make a return to being a contender in the East. He was available to play in 60 games last season, so they’ll need him to be on the floor more this upcoming season to make that happen. If Butler is able to play to this level during the regular season, Miami will be a dangerous team, and he’ll be a significant contributor in fatnasy.

Herro has gotten off to a solid start so far during the preseason, and that continued in this game. He’s coming off of a disappointing season that was plagued by injuries, and the Heat will be looking to block out the noise and have a bounce back season. Herro being healthy will certainly help make that happen, which makes him an intriguing option to draft in the middle rounds. After three straight top-100 seasons, we’ll see if Herro is able to take another step forward this season.

Bufkin didn’t see the floor much during his rookie season and ended up spending most of the year in the G-League. He also missed Summer League with a shoulder injury, so these preseason games have been important for his development. He should be the team’s backup point guard this season, where he will be a reliable defensive option. However, the playmaking and shooting still have room for growth. This game was a nice start, though the five turnovers weren’t ideal. Bufkin isn’t a player to target in redraft formats, but he is worth keeping an eye on for dynasty managers.