NBA Player News

Mathews has been a star in his role for the Rockets this season, but if he is unable to suit up Sunday night, David Nwaba and Josh Christopher will likely see a bump in minutes.

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.

It’s been an eventful summer for Diakite, whose player rights were traded twice. First, he was sent to Brooklyn as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, with the Knicks paying him $1.4 million to help consummate the deal. Two weeks later, Diakite was traded to Memphis, with the Grizzlies waiving him on August 27. On Friday, the Suns’ G League affiliate acquired Diakite’s G League rights from the Westchester Knicks, and it was reported shortly after that he’ll go through training camp with the Suns. The Exhibit 10 contract means that if the Suns waive Diakite and he spends 60 days with their G League affiliate, he’ll receive a $77,500 bonus.

The Blazers are undoubtedly familiar with Moore, who agreed to a 10-day contract with the team on January 20. The former University of Houston standout played most of last season with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate, and he tallied 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the Blazers’ season finale on April 14. Moore’s signing will not impact fantasy basketball, as he’s likely to play more for the Remix than the Blazers.

The sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, Culver has failed to lock down a consistent role in the NBA. After appearing in 10 games for the Hawks during the 2022-23 season, he spent the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign with Rio Grande Valley in the NBA G League. Look for Culver to land with Orlando’s G League affiliate ultimately.

After playing his first professional season overseas, Williams played the majority of the 2023-24 campaign with Miami’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The exception was two 10-day contracts with the Raptors to end the season, with Williams making seven appearances. He accounted for 2.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 15.3 minutes in those outings. Williams’ signing will not impact fantasy basketball; look for him to land with Sioux Falls ultimately.