NBA Player News

After being voted Coach of the Year by his peers (National Basketball Coaches Association) earlier this month, Brown won the NBA’s honor on Wednesday. This was the expected outcome, as he led Sacramento to its first playoff berth since 2006. And the voting wasn’t close, with Brown receiving all 100 first-place votes. He’s the first unanimous winner of the award. Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault finished second in the voting, followed by Boston’s Joe Mazzulla.

Mavs reporter Grant Afseth also notes that, “Kidd mentioned both Lively and Daniel Gafford will get a chance to start during the season and ‘not just because of injury.’” Lively II was electric as a rookie thanks in large part to his size, athleticism and hustle. He was able to convert lobs, run the floor on the fast break and swat shots with authority. Competition from Gafford won’t be a negative thing for Lively II’s fantasy value, as he maintained 12-team league value in just 23.5 minutes per game in his inaugural campaign.

One week after it was reported that Williams dealt with discomfort in his left foot during a “camp” in Miami put together by the Bulls players, lead executive Arturas Karnisovas said the forward is good to go for training camp. He’s been playing 5-on-5 since that time in Miami, and K.C. Johnson reported that the soreness was unrelated to Williams’ previous foot injury. Williams has the potential to be a credible fantasy asset, but availability has been a concern for most of his career. He’s worth a late-round pick in standard league drafts, as the reward would outweigh the risk at that point.

Bogdanovic suffered foot and wrist injuries late last season, ultimately undergoing offseason surgery on both. Now with the Nets after being included in the Mikal Bridges trade, the veteran forward’s wrist is in good condition, but the foot has taken longer to heal. Bogdanovic did say on Monday that he’s been cleared for some on-court work, but not 5-on-5. He was unlikely to be a must-draft player if fully cleared, so Monday’s update does not significantly impact Bogdanovic’s value. He may have value as a streamer during the season, especially for managers needing points.

Giddey suffered a ruptured anterior talofibular ligament in his ankle during Australia’s finale at the Paris Olympics. This was an eventful offseason, as he was traded to Chicago for Alex Caruso. The move north should result in a more prominent role for Giddey, raising his fantasy ceiling. The ankle injury means he won’t be able to compete with his new teammates fully, but Giddey should not be limited for too long. Even with his struggles down the stretch in Oklahoma City, he’s worthy of top-75 consideration in standard leagues.

Exum injured his finger during Australia’s preparations for the Paris Olympics, sitting out the team’s group play opener against Spain. He played the remainder of the Boomers’ games without issue and is a full go for Mavericks training camp. While Exum wasn’t a significant fantasy asset last season, he did have a run in December in which he scored 11 points or more in 11 of 12 games. During this stretch, Exum averaged 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.9 3-pointers in 31.5 minutes. He isn’t a player who needs to be drafted in most leagues, but there could be times during the season when Exum offers solid streaming value.

According to Pistons lead executive Trajan Langdon, the team is working with the NBA due to the type of injury that ended Thompson’s rookie season in March. He can go through non-contact drills, but that’s the extent to which Thompson will be allowed to participate in practice until cleared. Depending on how long this process lasts, Thompson is a late-round option at best in most fantasy leagues. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Simone Fontecchio are two players who could have increased opportunities to earn rotation minutes under new head coach JB Bickerstaff.

Williams only appeared in six games last season before having to undergo season-ending knee surgery. According to Cronin, the Time Lord has been playing 5-on-5 and will be ready to go when the regular season begins. However, the Blazers will likely hold Williams out of some preseason activities to keep him fresh. With Deandre Ayton still on the roster and Donovan Clingan being the team’s lottery pick, Williams isn’t in a great spot regarding fantasy potential. He’ll likely need a trade (either him or Ayton) to make himself relevant in standard leagues.

After being listed at 210 pounds for his rookie season, Wembanyama has added some weight. That’s to be expected, as Wemby won’t turn 21 until January and has a season of NBA experience. With Chris Paul now in the fold, the Spurs big man has the potential to be a dominant force as soon as this season. In fantasy, Wembanyama is on the short list of options for first overall pick in redraft leagues and the unquestioned 1.1 in dynasty formats.

Djurisic injured his foot during Summer League action and is not due to be re-evaluated until November. He’s yet to be signed to a contract, and Fields admitted on Monday that this could be a “stash” situation. Djurisic’s status won’t significantly impact fantasy basketball this season, and the injury likely makes him nothing more than a late-round “draft and stash” in dynasty leagues.

After two seasons of solid availability (68 and 66 games), a knee injury limited Embiid to 39 regular-season appearances in 2023-24. And he did not look like he trusted that knee during Philadelphia’s first-round series against the Knicks. With the goal being to be healthy when the postseason begins, Embiid claims to have lost 25-30 pounds this offseason and could lose more. That’s undoubtedly good news for fantasy managers, but it’s understandable if some refuse to trust that The Process will stay healthy entirely. Embiid remains a 1st-round pick in fantasy leagues but has slipped just outside the top 5 for many fantasy managers.