NBA Player News

Brooks is the star of the Guangdong Southern Tigers, who are one win away from the CBA Finals. Once the Chinese season is over, he’ll be free to sign with the Suns. If no deal is reached, he’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason -- just like Wilson Chandler’s situation with the Nuggets.

Already shorthanded, the Knicks are likely to be without Payne for Monday night, at a minimum. While his production doesn’t significantly impact fantasy basketball, no Payne likely means more time on the ball for fellow reserve Miles McBride. Also, rookie Tyler Kolek may play a few minutes on the back end of the rotation. McBride was already worth a look in deep leagues, and Payne’s absence gives his value a slight boost.

Fresh off the most productive game of his brief NBA career, da Silva struggled against the Mavericks. The rookie made just two shots on the night, a far cry from his 17-point performance in Cleveland. There will be nights like this for da Silva, but Paolo Banchero’s absence ensures he’ll have opportunities to prove himself. He and the Magic play four games in Week 3, beginning with the undefeated Thunder on Monday.

After putting up 28 points on 50% shooting in Friday’s loss to Cleveland, Suggs struggled in Dallas. The Mavericks were able to rotate multiple perimeter players on Suggs throughout the night, which negatively impacted his efficiency. With Paolo Banchero sidelined for at least four weeks, Suggs must shoulder a heavy workload (the same goes for Franz Wagner). He’ll look to bounce back when the Magic visit Oklahoma City on Monday.

As expected, life without Paolo Banchero has been difficult for the Magic. And it hasn’t helped that starting center Wendell Carter Jr. has been limited to nine minutes in two games. Franz had a decent night in Dallas, but that isn’t good enough when Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are the opposition. Wagner will be okay with Banchero sidelined, but the efficiency may take a hit. Orlando begins a four-game Week 3 slate in Oklahoma City on Monday.

While backup Dereck Lively II recorded the double-double, Gafford came through with the better scoring night. While he’s offered a little more than Lively in the points category, rebounding and assists have made the latter slightly more valuable in category leagues. While both are solid options to have rostered, the platoon makes it difficult for either to blow up regarding fantasy value.

Both of Dallas’ centers played well against the Magic. Lively came off the bench and recorded his second double-double of the season and first since Dallas’ opener. He and starter Daniel Gafford provide late-round value in standard leagues, aligning with their respective Yahoo ADPs. As long as Jason Kidd sticks with the “platoon,” both will be solid fantasy options, but the ceilings are limited.

With Luka Doncic scoring 25 points in the first half, Irving did not need to do too much on Sunday. His overall stat line was modest, but Kyrie remains a top-20 player in 9-cat formats through Dallas’ first six games. However, production isn’t the concern with Irving regarding fantasy value. As long as he’s consistently available, managers who have Irving rostered will reap the rewards.

Luka was highly aggressive to begin Sunday’s game, shooting 5-of-10 from the field in the first quarter. He was even more accurate in the second, shooting 4-of-6 to help Dallas outscore Orlando by a 35-18 margin in the quarter. The game was essentially over by halftime, with Doncic calling it a night with just under eight minutes to go in the fourth. The Mavericks play four games in Week 3, beginning with Indiana on Monday.

While Javonte Green received the nod to fill the void in the starting lineup left by Zion Williamson (hamstring), Boston was more impactful. The former Clipper hit double figures for the first time this season while contributing solid rebound and assist numbers. As for Green, the spot starter finished with three points, two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 24 minutes. If Williamson cannot play in Monday’s game against Portland, Boston and Green will be worth considering as deep-league streamers.

Only Brandon Ingram (32 points) scored more than Hawkins among the Pelicans who saw action on Sunday. Given how many key players are sidelined, the second-year guard has been playing through lower back tightness almost out of necessity. Hawkins must be rostered as long as CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy are sidelined, even if managers will take a hit in the field goal percentage category.