NBA Player News

Shamet is back after a one-game absence, and he will split the backup perimeter minutes with Jordan Poole and Corey Kispert. He saw a few starts recently, but he has returned to the bench, which doesn’t leave him with enough minutes to provide any value in fantasy basketball.

While Okogie has agreed to a two-year contract to remain with the Suns, the second season is not guaranteed. Appearing in 60 games, he finished the 2023-24 campaign with averages of 4.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 3-pointers in 16.0 minutes. Okogie missed nearly three weeks of action in March due to injury and was ultimately passed in the rotation by Royce O’Neale, who was acquired from the Nets at the February deadline. Look for Okogie to provide additional depth on the wing, but he’s unlikely to offer reputable fantasy value.

Having signed with the 76ers after being waived by the Hornets, Lowry will return to his hometown team for another season. He played in 23 regular-season games for Philadelphia last season, averaging 8.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 3-pointers in 28.4 minutes, making 20 starts. While Lowry’s numbers slipped slightly in the 76ers’ first-round loss to the Knicks, the veteran point guard had a positive impact. His fantasy value isn’t what it was when Lowry was in his prime, and that’s unlikely to change with Tyrese Maxey running the show and Paul George joining the roster.

According to the Hawks, Bufkin injured his shoulder during practice on Tuesday. Found to have symptoms “consistent with a right shoulder subluxation,” the 2023 first-round pick will not play in Las Vegas but is expected to be fully healthy in time for training camp. With the Hawks trading Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans, more minutes should be available to Bufkin after he played sparingly as a rookie. Depending on his health and how he performs in camp, Bufkin could be worth taking a late-round flier on in deep leagues as Trae Young’s backup.

When the Kings revealed on July 7 that Carter, the 13th overall pick in last month’s draft, would undergo surgery, the full severity of the issue was unknown. With doctors needing to repair a torn labrum, Carter will be sidelined for at least six months, likely taking him out of consideration in redraft leagues. His absence makes Keon Ellis and Jordan McLaughlin players of added importance within the Kings rotation, especially with Davion Mitchell being traded to the Raptors.

McGowens is benefitting from his strong summer league play. The 21-year-old wing was waived by the Hornets after averaging 24.5 points in a pair of exhibition games. Portland has too many young wings for him to be a legitimate fantasy asset next season, though.

Swider and Williams both played in less than a quarter of Miami’s games last season. Neither logged more than 5.0 points per contest. They shouldn’t be considered as serious fantasy players regardless of where they sign next.

The Timberwolves waived Matt Ryan to sign Nix to a two-way deal last season and have decided to bring him back for 2024-25. He averaged just 3.3 minutes in the 15 games he appeared in last season, so fantasy managers shouldn’t expect much from him. Especially give the guard talent that Minnesota added through the 2024 NBA Draft.

TJD only played 22 minutes in this game, which was his first appearance of the summer. It wasn’t a standout performance, but that shouldn’t mean much. Jackson-Davis had a strong rookie season, especially late in the year. He should be the team’s starting center this upcoming season, so playing in Summer League is just continued development for him. There isn’t much competition for minutes at center, so TJD could be in for a big season.

Podz went from practicing against Team USA as part of the select team to suiting up for the Warriors in Summer League. He subbed in for the final two minutes of this game to help prevent the Kings from completing the comeback, and he was able to ice the game with a few late free throws. Podziemski played well as a rookie and should play a large role in year two. The arrival of Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton could prevent Podz from being a consistent starter, but he should be worth taking late in fantasy drafts.

Ellis broke out for Sacramento late last season because of his defense, but he was able to showcase some offensive firepower in this game. Though he did have some turnover issues, he was by far the best offensive player in this game. Managers shouldn’t expect an offensive explosion next season, especially with DeMar DeRozan joining the team. However, he should be on the floor because of his defense, so if he is able to contribute offensively as well, Ellis could be in for a big season. He should be worth a late round dart throw.