NBA Player News

After missing the team’s last six games, LaVine will now remain sidelined for the rest of the season. The team gave a timeline of four-to-six months for his recovery, so he should be ready to go for training camp. Ayo Dosunmu and Alex Caruso should both continue to start until Patrick Williams returns, though with LaVine not returning, Dosunmu should continue to play a large role for the rest of the year, even if he comes off the bench.

A starter throughout the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals, Jones is headed west to join forces with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and the Clippers. This season was the best of Airplane Mode’s career, as he averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.1 3-pointers in 23.5 minutes per game. With Paul George moving on, Jones could slide into the Clippers’ starting lineup if coach Tyronn Lue prefers to keep Norman Powell in the 6th-man role. Despite being a starter, Jones did not offer much fantasy value with the Mavericks. Hopefully, that will not be the case with the Clippers.

Plumlee logged just under 15 minutes per tilt across 46 appearances for Los Angeles last season. He’ll compete with Bol Bol and Thad Young for backup minutes behind Jusuf Nurkic next season. Plumlee is off the fantasy radar in fantasy leagues of nearly all sizes.

A solid bench contributor for the Pelicans during his four seasons in New Orleans, Marshall is headed to Dallas for the next step in his career. Appearing in 66 games last season, he averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 3-pointers in 19.0 minutes. Marshall’s signing calls into question the future of Derrick Jones Jr., who is also a free agent. Jones was a consistent starter for the Western Conference champions, and his exit would free up additional minutes for Marshall. In fact, Marshall could start if Dallas was unable to sign Klay Thompson.

It’s a bit of a surprising move for both sides as Valanciunas opts to sign with a rebuilding team, and Washington adds another center to a frontcourt that includes Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III and just drafted Alex Sarr with the No. 2 pick in the draft. Valanciunas’ minutes were cut in his last season with New Orleans, and his production suffered because of it. It’s unclear what kind of role he’ll have in Washington, but all of the abovementioned players likely get a ding in fantasy value. New Orleans lost Larry Nance Jr. to the Hawks in the Dejounte Murray trade, so the Pelicans may be forced to give big minutes to rookie center Yves Missi right away.

Waived by the Warriors on Sunday afternoon due to the team’s desire to avoid guaranteeing his $30 million salary for next season, Paul has been perceived as a player the Spurs wanted to add in free agency. San Antonio struggled mightily last season despite having rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama, and there was a dire need to improve the options at point guard. Paul certainly accomplishes that, and it’s fair to question the future of Tre Jones, as San Antonio selected Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft. Paul’s presence will benefit Wembanyama and Devin Vassell, and it should boost his value after an underwhelming 2023-24 with the Warriors. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Paul’s deal is worth $11 million for one season.

The terms of the deal are not yet known, but Philly will add some needed shooting and another veteran presence. Gordon won’t make a huge splash for fantasy hoops managers, but the signing is a great real-life move for a 76ers team looking to contend in the Eastern Conference.

The lack of movement on a new deal prompted George to opt out of the final season of his contract and hit the market as an unrestricted free agent. Failure to make progress after that move likely means PG’s time as a Clipper has ended. TNT’s Chris Haynes reported Sunday afternoon that Philadelphia appeared to be the favorite to land George. With Orlando signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, George’s options are limited with his desire for a four-year deal.

Cunningham appeared in only 12 games in his second season due to a heel injury, but he bounced back and appeared in 62 games in 2023-24. Cunningham averaged 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.9 three-pointers, shooting 44.9% from the floor, 86.9% from the charity stripe and 35.5% from beyond the arc. Aside from the rebounds, the other numbers and the percentages were career highs for the Oklahoma State product. Availability will be a concern for Cunningham, but when healthy, he’s a stat-stuffer with early-round upside in fantasy hoops.

The Magic have addressed an area of need (3-point shooter) while adding another solid defender to the roster. Caldwell-Pope, who declined a player option worth $15.4 million that would have kept him in Denver, shot 40.6% from three last season and 42.3% during the Nuggets’ run to the title in 2022-23. KCP will have solid fantasy value in Orlando, as he’ll be in the starting lineup alongside Jalen Suggs. This transaction likely takes Orlando out of the Paul George sweepstakes.

Due to alleged domestic violence charges in September 2023, Porter did not play at all in the NBA last season. Houston traded him to Oklahoma City, who waived the 2019 first-round pick just before the start of the season. He reached a plea agreement in January, with the charges being pleaded down to a third-degree misdemeanor for reckless assault. KPJ played in Greece for six weeks in April and May. By joining the Clippers, Porter can show he can be productive on a team with playoff ambitions. How valuable he can be with the Clippers depends on what happens with Paul George and Russell Westbrook. The former is an unrestricted free agent, while the latter could be on the move despite opting into the final season of his contract. If George and Westbrook move on, Porter is one of the players who could benefit from the available playing time.