NBA Player News

Larkin’s contract is “lucrative” according to EuroHoops, and it includes an NBA opt-out clause next summer if he draws interest stateside. The 26-year-old guard helped Anadolu Efes win its first Turkish BSL championship last season.

Hours after Charania reported that Vassell could make his debut on Saturday, he’s reported that it will happen. In the past, San Antonio has taken a cautious approach with returning starters, bringing them off the bench in their first game back. Stephon Castle would remain a starter for one more game if they do this with Vassell. He’ll still lose minutes, but the hit may not be as severe between the starting role and Malaki Branham (ankle) potentially sitting out.

Absent from the initial injury report, the team officially ruled out Craig during the third quarter of Thursday’s game. His absence would not impact fantasy basketball, even with the Bulls again playing without the injured Zach LaVine.

Sharpe made his season debut on Thursday and looked sharp in his 20 minutes on the floor. While the full impact of his return on the rest of the rotation isn’t fully known yet, Sharpe’s presence meant fewer minutes for starter Deni Avdija. Playing 25 minutes, Avdija finished with nine points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one 3-pointer. Meanwhile, fellow starter Toumani Camara played 35. Due to Portland’s lack of shooting guards and Camara’s defensive ability, it may be Advija whose value takes the most significant hit with Sharpe back in action. Fantasy managers should consider Sharpe questionable for Friday’s game against Minnesota.

Simons is ranked just outside the top 100 in per-game value, with field-goal percentage being the concern. He’s shooting 39.1% through nine games, nearly four points lower than his mark from last season (43.0%). And if that percentage were to hold, it would be a career-low for Simons. Portland has two more games in Week 3, beginning with Minnesota on Friday.

Ayton has now recorded eight double-doubles in Portland’s first nine games, and his fantasy value is about where it was expected to be before the season began (Yahoo ADP: 62). The foul line has been the issue thus far, with Ayton making 62.5% of his attempts. Getting that number into the mid-60s would give DA a shot at top-50 value.

Grant was one of two Blazers to score 21 points on Thursday, with Deandre Ayton being the other. After getting off to an excellent start to the season, Grant’s production has tapered off some, as he’s scored 20 or more in two of his last six games. He’s still holding onto a spot in the top 100, but Grant’s value is sliding toward where fantasy managers expected it to be based on his Yahoo ADP (109).

Thursday’s game was the best of Castle’s brief NBA career, with the rookie establishing new highs in points and assists. The former UConn standout efficiently played alongside Chris Paul in the backcourt, impacting the action as a scorer and playmaker for others. With Devin Vassell (foot) on track to return to action, possibly as soon as Saturday, Castle’s streaming value will take a hit.

A double-digit scorer in five straight games, Johnson remains ranked outside the top 150 in 9-cat per-game value. The most significant issue for him has been the assists and defensive production, with Johnson averaging 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks. Coming off the bench doesn’t give him much margin for error, so the defensive stats need to be there for Johnson to be viable in standard leagues.

Branham had his best offensive performance of the season on Thursday, but it came to a premature end due to an apparent right ankle sprain. His place within the rotation makes Branham a difficult player to rely on in fantasy, especially with Devin Vassell (foot) likely returning this weekend. Hopefully, the ankle injury doesn’t sideline Branham for an extended period.

After scoring 13 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Rockets, Champagnie put up one more on Thursday. Rostered in 25% of Yahoo leagues, he’s providing 11th-round per-game value in 9-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. Devin Vassell’s pending return will impact multiple players, including Chamapgnie. However, he should remain in the starting lineup, as Jeremy Sochan (thumb) was the player Champagnie replaced in the starting lineup.