NBA Player News

Fontecchio remains sidelined for a third consecutive game, while Umude injured his ankle during Wednesday’s loss to the Pacers. Evan Fournier and Troy Brown Jr. are two players in line for additional minutes due to the injuries, with the former being the better streaming option in deep leagues.

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.

According to the NBA, Mutombo passed away on Monday surrounded by family. The fourth overall pick in the 1991 NBA Draft, he won four Defensive Player of the Year awards and earned eight All-Star Game appearances and three All-NBA selections. A three-time blocks and two-time rebounds champion, Mutombo was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2015. He was also known for his humanitarian work away from the court, with the NBA awarding Mutombo with the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 2001 and 2009. Mutombo built multiple hospitals and made numerous contributions to his native Democratic Republic of Congo and the world. Among the groups Mutombo worked with were the Special Olympics and CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere).

Anunoby injured his hamstring during Game 2 of the Knicks’ second-round series against Indiana, with an attempted comeback during Game 7 failing after a few minutes on the court. His health is even more critical to the Knicks after the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, as New York surrendered two key pieces in Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The issue for Anunoby in fantasy basketball has been his availability. Since appearing in 74, 67, and 69 games during his first three seasons, he’s surpassed 65 games just once (67 in 2022-23). Between Toronto and New York, Anunoby played in 50 games last season.

Brunson injured his hand during the Knicks’ Game 7 loss to the Pacers in the second round of the playoffs. His full clearance ahead of training camp is great news for New York, which will be working Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns (once his trade becomes official) into the rotation. Due to injuries, Brunson took on a significant workload last season. If all major players remain healthy, his scoring may decrease slightly, but the assists could increase due to the presence of Towns, Bridges, and OG Anunoby.

After appearing in 25 games for the Hornets, Mensah was waived in March. The move to San Antonio allows him to compete for a roster spot, although it’s more likely he winds up with the Spurs’ G League affiliate in Austin.

The third overall pick in the 2015 draft, Okafor last played in the NBA during the 2020-21 season, making 27 appearances for the Pistons. He’s played overseas since, most recently for Zaragoza in Spain’s Liga ACB. Given how stacked the Pacers’ roster is, Okafor faces long odds in this stage of his attempted NBA comeback.