NBA Player News

This is the same team that currently employs Dan Gadzuric and Mardy Collins. McCants was linked to China back in September, and Stein reports that Jiangsu is the latest team to attempt to convince him to end his “self-imposed exile” and return to basketball.

George injured his knee during the third quarter of Thursday’s exhibition win over Dallas and could not put any weight on his leg while being helped off the court. However, the initial diagnosis of a mild sprain has sparked optimism within the organization, with George scheduled to undergo an MRI on Friday. While Collin Sexton should already be selected in league drafts, rookie Isaiah Collier would be worth a roll of the dice if George’s injury is more problematic than the Jazz reportedly believe.

With Jaren Jackson Jr. (hamstring) sidelined, Aldama has been able to start alongside Zach Edey in the Grizzlies’ frontcourt. All seven of his shot attempts on Thursday came from beyond the arc, and Santi was one blocked shot away from a full stat line. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but this was a night when the Grizzlies were also without Ja Morant. Aldama’s value once the season begins will depend on Jackson’s availability; he’s a streamer at best.

The Grizzlies remain without Jaren Jackson Jr., and Ja Morant did not play on Thursday after tweaking his ankle in Memphis’ preseason opener. That left Bane to do a lot of the heavy lifting offensively, and he led the Grizzlies in scoring. Provided he stays healthy, Bane should offer consistent top-50 fantasy value this season.

LaMelo Ball did not play on Thursday; the Hornets aren’t going to rush him back to full usage after ankle injuries limited him to 58 games over the last two seasons. As a result, Micic started against Memphis. If this was a game to help determine who would back up Ball once the regular season begins, Vasa was outplayed by Tre Mann. Mann played 22 minutes, finishing with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists, one block, and two 3-pointers. There was room for both guards in the rotation after the trade deadline last season, but that was with Ball sidelined. That may not be the case this time around.

After hitting three 3-pointers in Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, Miller doubled his output on Thursday. Charlotte did play against Memphis without starting point guard LaMelo Ball, resulting in their second-year wing having to do a little more to hunt his shot. Miller stepped up, scoring efficiently and leading Charlotte to a comfortable win on the road. Miller should be a middle-round pick in most fantasy drafts, with the potential to be more impactful once the games count.

Grimes has yet to impact fantasy basketball consistently, and that’s unlikely to change this season. However, before Thursday’s game, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said he’ll try to pair up Grimes and Klay Thompson as much as possible. That desire, and Dallas losing Dante Exum (wrist) for three months, may improve Grimes’ chances of earning consistent minutes. But that isn’t enough to commit to him in fantasy leagues.

Fantasy managers can breathe easy. After coming off the bench on Monday, Lively started ahead of Daniel Gafford against the Jazz. Gafford (15 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and three blocks) was more productive against Utah, with both Mavericks big men playing 18 minutes. Lively may offer a higher long-term ceiling, but he’ll likely have to deal with a timeshare (as was the case during Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals last season).

Thompson made his unofficial Mavericks debut in front of the home crowd on Thursday. The veteran guard provided the 3-point shooting we’ve come to expect, and five of his nine shot attempts were from beyond the arc. And this was on a night when the Mavericks were without Luka Doncic. It would be unsurprising if Thompson’s 3-point attempt rate threatened his career-high mark from last season (61.1%).

Irving was back after sitting out Dallas’ preseason opener, playing all 17 minutes during the first half. His minutes will increase as the Mavericks get closer to the start of the regular season, and Kyrie would have added fantasy value if Luka Doncic is not healthy in time for opening night.

Collins continues to come off the bench, again not sharing any on-court time with starting center Walker Kessler. With Kessler (nine points, 15 rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks) again performing well, Collins’ fantasy value will take a significant hit. He’ll likely need either a change of scenery or a Kessler demotion to be worth the risk in standard fantasy leagues.