NBA Player News

“I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry,” Jordan wrote. “I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough... My heart goes out to the family of George Floyd and to the countless others whose lives have been brutally and senselessly taken through acts of racism and injustice.” You can read the entire statement in the link below on Twitter.

Due to injuries, Whitehead only played a few games for the Nets as a rookie. The 2023 first-round pick is well off the radar in fantasy basketball, but he’s one of the Nets who may have value during the second half of the season. There’s no need to draft Whitehead outside of dynasty leagues, but he is someone to be mindful of after the trade deadline.

Williams was traded to Brooklyn by the Grizzlies during the offseason. While that means he’s unlikely to play for a contender in 2024-25, there should be more opportunities to show what he can do as a pro. Williams played well in Brooklyn’s preseason opener, attacking the basket consistently and providing solid scoring off the bench. The complete stat line will intrigue fantasy managers, especially if Brooklyn falls out of contention relatively early, as many expect. Williams is not a player who should be drafted, but deep-league managers will want to have him on their watch lists for later in the season.

In Brooklyn’s preseason opener, three was Clowney’s lucky (or unlucky) number. The second-year forward missed all three of his 3-point attempts and was responsible for three turnovers. Add in the points, rebounds, and assists; Tuesday night was difficult for Clowney. With Day’Ron Sharpe (hamstring) out until mid-November at the earliest, the door is wide open for Clowney to claim minutes behind starter Nic Claxton. Even with Tuesday’s performance, the opportunity makes him worth a late-round flier in drafts.

Thomas was solid in Brooklyn’s preseason opener, shooting the ball reasonably well while keeping the turnovers (one) to a minimum. Given the track record, fantasy managers know Thomas’ appeal comes in the form of points and 3-pointers. That limits his ceiling in category leagues, but Thomas has the potential to be a stud in points formats. Given Brooklyn’s lack of consistent scorers, he should be the second Net off the board in most fantasy drafts, following Nic Claxton.

With injuries limiting Simmons to 15 games last season and 57 over the previous three, it’s understandable that many fantasy managers would have “trust issues.” He was on the court for Brooklyn’s preseason opener in San Diego, starting as part of a Nets lineup that lacked a true center (Nic Claxton is out). Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith both took on the responsibility of defending Ivica Zubac, but this is not a lineup we should see much of once the season begins. At best, Simmons is a player you take a late-round flier on. If injuries sideline him in that scenario, fantasy managers haven’t lost too much.

Jones made his lone field-goal attempt, a first-quarter 3-pointer just below the break. Corner triples may be where his bread is buttered offensively this season, especially in a lineup that includes James Harden and Kawhi Leonard (the latter remains sidelined). As for fantasy value, he won’t be worth the risk in most leagues, even with the defensive stats produced on Tuesday. Jones hasn’t averaged at least 1.5 combined steals and blocks in a season since 2020-21, and for his career, he’s contributed 0.6 steals and 0.7 blocks. The athleticism hasn’t translated into stats, making him a non-factor in fantasy once the inconsistent offensive production is added to the equation.

Playing in front of the hometown crowd, the San Diego native shot the ball well from deep, making two of three attempts. Last season, Powell was most valuable as a streamer on nights when the Clippers were without one of their marquee scorers despite still being used in a reserve role. This season, Kawhi Leonard’s lingering knee issues and Paul George’s exit could result in Powell making more starts. That doesn’t make him a player guaranteed to provide top-100 value; however, he’s been top-150 or worse each of the last two seasons. That said, the circumstances make rostering Powell a bit more palatable.

With Kawhi Leonard (knee) sidelined and Paul George in Philadelphia, Harden’s role will come close to the one he enjoyed during his halcyon years in Houston. While that can mean elite production in some categories, fantasy managers must prepare themselves for the occasional high-turnover night. Harden had six on Tuesday, more than his total in any game last season (five; seven occasions). Having a healthy Leonard on the court would help, and it’s just the preseason. Harden may not reach first-round value, but selecting him in the second round of standard leagues would not be too big of a reach.

Maybe Dunn’s perimeter shot isn’t the liability it was perceived to be during the pre-draft process. The former Virginia standout made three of four attempts on Tuesday, finishing the game with a full stat line. Dunn is on track to come off the bench, and his defensive prowess will be the rookie’s calling card. He was a thorn in Cade Cunningham’s side for most of their shared time on the court, and the ability to defend will get Dunn rotation minutes. It may not be enough to make him an immediately valuable fantasy option, but he should be selected in dynasty leagues.

Tuesday’s exhibition was Mathurin’s first game since he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in early March. As expected, he was rusty shooting the basketball, going 2-of-7 from the field. Indiana played well once Aaron Nesmith (three points, two rebounds, two assists, and one 3-pointer in 16 minutes) was inserted into the starting lineup, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. He may not be the scorer that Mathurin is, but Nesmith appears to be a better fit for the starting lineup that Rick Carlisle prefers. Benn wasn’t a great fantasy option before the shoulder injury, and that doesn’t appear likely to change if he remains in a reserve role.