NBA Player News

The 34th overall pick recently said it was an “option” to stay with the Knicks during the 2021-22 season, but that was always considered a longshot. We’ll closely monitor his development overseas.

Undrafted after completing his college career at Pittsburgh, Hinson agreed to a two-way contract in late June. However, with the Lakers reportedly working to sign Christian Koloko to a two-way, freeing up a slot was needed. Hinson is the odd man out, and there’s a feeling that the combination of size and perimeter shooting ability will get him a look elsewhere.

Morris’ contract is not guaranteed, and he will compete for the Knicks’ final standard contract slot in training camp. That puts him in the same category as Landry Shamet and Chuma Okeke, who have also agreed to non-guaranteed deals with the Knicks. This will be Morris’ second go-round with New York, as he averaged 19.6 points per game during the 2019-20 season before being traded to the Clippers at the February deadline. Morris is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball if he makes the Knicks’ opening night roster.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto first reported Bouyea’s departure, and the Spurs made it official shortly after. Bouyea spent time with the Trail Blazers and Spurs last season, with the latter signing him to a two-way deal in March. San Antonio has one open two-way slot to work with heading into training camp, with David Duke Jr. and Harrison Ingram currently under contract.

This will be Collins’ second run with the Warriors. Signed by Golden State on October 16, the former Saint Louis point guard was waived two days later. Collins spent last season with the Warriors’ G League affiliate, and a similar fate may await him this time. He isn’t a player fantasy managers should concern themselves with during their draft preparations.

Less than 24 hours after the mutual interest between the two parties was initially reported, Koloko will sign with the Lakers. According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, the contract is expected to be a two-way. If cleared to play by the NBA’s fitness panel, as blood clots ended his time with the Raptors, Koloko would potentially give the Lakers another option at the center position. Anthony Davis has made it known that he prefers the power forward role, and Christian Wood recently underwent knee surgery.

The former top five pick agreed to a team-friendly deal that will keep him around as a defensive option on the wing. His offensive game hasn’t grown much since they drafted him in 2020, but he did shoot a career-high 39.1% from beyond the arc last season. If he can continue to shoot that well, he’ll be an impactful 3-and-D option for years to come. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to turn the defensive ability into defensive stats, which has limited his value in fantasy basketball.

Shamet has been a solid floor spacer for the entirety of his career, but he won’t be more than a depth piece for New York. And that’s if he can make the roster, as an Exhibit 9 contract is non-guaranteed. If Shamet can lock down a roster spot, his role will likely be too small for him to impact fantasy basketball significantly.

The 33rd overall pick in the 2022 draft, Koloko played in 58 games for the Raptors during the 2022-23 season before a blood clot issue threatened his NBA career. He did not play last season and needs to be cleared by the NBA’s fitness panel before that changes. However, according to Charania, multiple NBA teams have expressed interest in signing Koloko, with the Lakers considered frontrunners. Toronto, San Antonio, and the LA Clippers are also reportedly interested.

Two days after the Celtics signed Schakel to an Exhibit 10 contract, he has been waived. This transaction sets the stage for Schakel to return to the Maine Red Claws, who he played for last season. Remaining with the Red Claws for at least 60 days will earn the former San Diego State guard a $77,500 bonus.

Badji spent his rookie season in Portland, appearing in 22 games for the Trail Blazers. He didn’t offer much value, averaging 1.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 10.3 minutes. Milwaukee already has 14 players on guaranteed deals, so the decision to subsequently waive Badji was unsurprising. Look for him to land with the team’s G League affiliate.