NBA Player News

Smith was sidelined for 19 games in December due to an abductor injury, then missed six more contests after re-injuring it upon his return last month. He did return to the lineup for each of the Pistons past two games, but will sit out Tuesday to recover. Jose Calderon will serve as Reggie Jackson’s backup at the point.

Murphy averaged career-highs in points (14.8), rebounds (4.9), and assists (2.2) per game last season while shooting 44.3% from the field and 38% from deep.

Richardson’s season ended last March after requiring shoulder surgery. It is keeping him sidelined to start training camp, but he appears close to being ready. Until then, Duncan Robinson, Alec Burks and Jaime Jaquez Jr. will play a few extra minutes during the preseason.

Primo appeared in two games for the Clippers last season and in four games for the Spurs the year before prior to being waived. Primo will have a chance to make the Bulls’ roster in training camp, and there is a good chance that he ends up with their G-League squad this upcoming season.

Reports indicated that the starting shooting guard job will come down to either Braun or Julian Strawther. It appears that Braun got the nod on Thursday, but that doesn’t mean that the job is his. This situation is worth keeping an eye on, since whoever starts at shooting guard will receive a nice boost in fantasy.

Davis worked out with the Bucks in August, but the team did not make a move to sign him. He’s now in camp with the Bucks, attempting to land the team’s final guaranteed contract. Milwaukee has 14 players under standard contracts, and second-year wing Andre Jackson Jr.'s deal is not guaranteed. He may be Davis’ competition for a roster spot.

While the acquisition of Malcolm Brogdon led some to believe that he could fill the void left by Tyus Jones, Poole will assume the starting point guard role this season. While he can be a bit of an enigma on the court, Poole may be able to improve his production when not sharing the court with another playmaker. The two-man combination of Poole and Jones produced -11.1 points per 100 possessions, slightly better than the Poole/Kyle Kuzma duo (-11.8). While some fantasy managers will hesitate to trust Poole, fortune could favor the bold, especially in a punt turnovers build.

No one had any questions regarding whether or not Green would be a starter; he will be in the Warriors’ starting lineup. The question is, where will he play: power forward or center? While he refused to reveal his complete starting five, Kerr said that Green would be part of that group, but no decision was made regarding which position. The answer impacts multiple players, including Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kyle Anderson, and Kevon Looney. Of the three, TJD offers the highest fantasy upside, and Golden State’s defense improved when he started alongside Green last season. Anderson can also provide solid value, although he’s spent most of his career coming off the bench. If fantasy managers are to roll the dice on any of those options in drafts, it should be Jackson-Davis.

While Wiseman has not been a full participant in Pacers training camp, the injury has not sidelined him entirely. Signed to a two-year deal in July, the former second-overall pick will compete with Isaiah Jackson for backup center minutes behind Myles Turner. Fantasy managers should not consider selecting Wiseman in their drafts.

The 35th overall pick in this summer’s draft, Furphy’s opportunities to compete in camp have been limited due to injury. He tweaked both ankles, restricting his availability in practice. The Pacers will not practice on Thursday to allow Furphy and the team’s other banged-up players additional recovery. Due to Indiana’s depth, Furphy will only be an option in dynasty leagues this season.

Acquired from the Knicks as part of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, Randle is a ball-dominant scorer whose fit alongside Anthony Edwards has been questioned by some. However, there’s no question in Finch’s view regarding Randle’s place within the rotation. He sees Randle as a starter, sliding into the void left by Towns. If Randle can increase his 3-point production and limit the turnovers, there’s a chance he will provide reliable mid-round fantasy value. This also leaves Naz Reid in his usual sixth-man role, capping his fantasy potential in 2024-25.