NBA Player News

Bondy acknowledged that the Knicks were better down the stretch last season with the young guys playing. With Jalen Brunson added into the mix, Thibs could end up on the hot seat or even fired quickly, if the Knicks are out of the playoff hunt again. They have a young team, but New York’s expectation should be to return to the postseason. It’ll take a bounce back season from Julius Randle to make that happen, which Thibs should focus on making happen.

Acquired from the Kings in early February as part of the three-team trade that also sent De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio, McLaughlin averaged 6.9 minutes per game in 18 appearances for the Spurs. Even with Chris Paul no longer in the picture, the fantasy outlook for the veteran guard will not change much in 2025-26. San Antonio used the second overall pick in last month’s draft to select Dylan Harper, and they can also use reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle on the ball in addition to Fox.

Harper suffered a minor groin injury before the California Classic and did not play in San Antonio’s three games in San Francisco. While he will also miss Thursday’s opening game in Las Vegas against the 76ers, the second overall pick in last month’s draft will reportedly make his summer debut on Saturday against the Mavericks. Fans and fantasy managers have seen San Antonio’s other first-round pick, as Carter Bryant played in two of the team’s three games in San Francisco.

Thursday’s summer league matchup was supposed to include the second and third overall picks in last month’s draft, but neither may be available. San Antonio’s Dylan Harper missed his team’s three games in California with a groin injury, and Edgecombe has been officially ruled out with a sprained left thumb. After scoring 28 points in his first game in Salt Lake City, the former Baylor guard missed the next two games with the thumb injury. The good news for Edgecombe and the 76ers is that his non-shooting hand is the one affected. Whether Edgecombe will see any action in Las Vegas is unknown, but he has been going through on-court workouts and will be re-evaluated on Saturday.

With Kevin Durant traded to the Rockets and Bradley Beal likely being bought out of his contract, Booker will continue to shoulder the load as Phoenix’s franchise cornerstone. Wednesday’s extension means his contract will run through the 2029-30 season, strengthening the commitment between player and franchise. Booker will again be worthy of consideration within the first 25 picks of 12-team fantasy drafts. While he finished last season ranked just outside the top 30, the Suns’ cornerstone was a top-20 player in 2023-24.

Signed to a two-way contract by the Clippers on March 1, Lundy did not appear in a game during the 2024-25 season. The team’s decision to waive the 2023 second-round pick will not impact the Clippers’ rotation or fantasy basketball.

Barlow averaged just under 11 minutes per game across 35 appearances for the Hawks last season. The backup big man started four games and averaged 9.5 points and 3.5 boards in 20 minutes. He’ll compete for backup minutes in Philadelphia with the likes of Johni Broome, Adem Bona and Trendon Watford, among others.

Holmgren logged only 32 games last season due to a hip injury, but he was productive when available. During the 2024-25 campaign, the big man put up 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.4 triples per contest. He struggled on offense in the Finals but provided a strong defensive presence and recorded five blocks in the closeout, Game 7 victory. Holmgren is now locked in as a franchise cornerstone alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the foreseeable future, and OKC will likely look to get the last member of the team’s big three- Jalen Williams - locked into a long-term deal sooner rather than later.

Ducas appeared in 21 games on a two-way deal with the Thunder last season after going undrafted. It’s only a one-year deal with Brisbane, so he could make a return to the NBA after that.

After going undrafted in 2024, Jones-Garcia spent last season in the G League. He spent some time on different two-way deals, but he is currently without a contract. With the way he has played, it would be shocking if he didn’t enter the season with one, even if it’s a two-way. Jones-Garcia was named to the All-California Class Team with some dominant performances that will hopefully carry over to Las Vegas.

Bryant’s offensive performance so far in Summer League hasn’t been great, but that was to be expected. He has upside, but he isn’t a complete offensive player at this point. However, he was able to play high level defense, which is what made him a lottery pick. The defense will get him on the floor during his rookie season, but the offense is what you should be keeping an eye on in Las Vegas.