NBA Player News

Smith was injured during Wednesday’s win over the Cavaliers, and the severity of his injury remains unknown. The Heat will know more after Friday’s MRI. An extended absence for Smith would leave the Heat light on bodies at point guard, with Josh Richardson likely having the most to gain from a usage standpoint.

Reed was largely ineffective in the playoffs last season and Philadelphia has already brought in Andre Drummond to back up Joel Embiid. Reed will be in a position to be more productive next season playing behind a less dominant big man.

Martin has a chance to become an impactful player from the jump, as Philly parted with Nic Batum, Buddy Hield, and De’Anthony Melton following the 2023-24 season before bringing in Paul George. He averaged a career-high 10.0 points per game last season and can make a difference on both ends as a two-way wing.

Beasley is moving on from the Bucks after a one-year stint that saw him bumped from the starting lineup in Milwaukee. His fantasy outlook isn’t great given that Detroit added Tim Hardaway Jr. to a cluster of guards that includes Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham.

According to Scotto, the Pelicans are interested in Beasley as another floor-spacer to place around Zion Williamson. Appearing in 79 games for the Bucks last season, he averaged 2.8 3-pointers while shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc. However, New Orleans is also in the market for a center after losing Jonas Valanciunas in free agency, and addressing that need could take priority over adding another shooter. Dallas was also reportedly interested in adding Beasley, but only if they failed to sign Klay Thompson.

Carter injured his shoulder during the pre-draft process, and neither he nor the Kings are concerned about potential long-term issues. The rookie, selected with the 13th overall pick, will sit out both summer leagues that Sacramento is competing in. “I think we got to get him in here and get with our doctors and just see what it is,” Kings general manager Monte McNair said in June. “But when we get through the draft process, our docs are confident. We’ve been in touch with his team. We’re confident it’s not a long-term issue.” With Sacramento trading Davion Mitchell to the Raptors, Carter has a more straightforward path to rotation minutes as a rookie. However, backing up De’Aaron Fox will limit his fantasy ceiling in redraft leagues.

While the NBA has not officially finalized the trade, the framework appears complete. In addition to Bojan Bogdanovic and multiple draft picks, the Nets are sending Diakite and Shake Milton (sign-and-trade) to Brooklyn in exchange for Bridges and Keita Bates-Diop. Adding the contracts allows New York to avoid being limited to the first salary apron; they can now spend up to $188.9 million on salaries for the 2024-25 season. Diakite did not play much while with the Knicks, and that’s unlikely to change in Brooklyn with Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney under contract.

Drafted in 2021, Jones has only appeared in 67 games in his NBA career. He did not appear in a regular-season NBA game in 2023-24, but he’ll compete for a roster spot for a team severely lacking in center depth. Jones isn’t worth selecting in 2024-25 fantasy drafts, but he’s worth keeping an eye on if Ivica Zubac is forced to miss time during the upcoming season.

Woj notes that the deal could be worth as much as $269 million if Wagner is selected to an All-NBA team. The Michigan product averaged career highs across the board with19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals across 72 appearances, and he’s now locked in as one of Orlando’s core players for what looks to be a bright future after the success of last season.

Queen played on a two-way deal last season and appeared in 14 games for Orlando. In three games with 25 or more minutes, the New Mexico State product averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.0 triples.

Shams notes that Hield and new teammate Steph Curry are second and first respectively in most made three-pointers over the last five seasons. Hield is one of only six players in NBA history to average at least 3.0 triples per contest, and at 1,924 career triples made, Hield could become just the 17th player in league history to reach 2,000 career three-pointers. Hield’s arrival in the Bay could cut into the playing time of Brandin Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton, but with Andrew Wiggins likely out the door, there could be room for all three players to see meaningful rotational roles. Back in Philly, Hield’s departure opens up more opportunities for newcomer Eric Gordon and rookie Jared McCain.