NBA Player News

Fontecchio will miss a fourth consecutive game due to a toe injury, leaving Troy Brown Jr. in the starting lineup. However, Brown only played 21 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Celtics, and Evan Fournier would be a better streaming option despite coming off the bench.

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.

Philly struggled at the center position while Joel Embiid was injured last season, with Paul Reed and Mo Bamba underwhelming in his place. Drummond offers a big-man presence who should fill in for Embiid much more reliably than Reed or Bamba. The veteran center averaged 14.1 points, 17.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks in 10 starts for Chicago last season.

Queta was out of the Celtics rotation for most of last season, averaging 11.9 minutes per game in 28 appearances. However, Kristaps Porzingis undergoing leg surgery will open up opportunities for players such as Queta and Luke Kornet, as KP is expected to miss 5-6 months. Queta isn’t a draftable player in fantasy leagues, but he may have streaming value throughout the season.

While Batum gave the 76ers solid minutes last season, re-signing him is not a priority, with Paul George and Klay Thompson being rumored targets. Batum should land with a team with playoff ambitions, but he’s unlikely to do enough to offer reliable fantasy value.

Yurtseven logged just 11.4 minutes per game in his only season with Utah, though he was productive when given substantial playing time. In five games with at least 25 minutes played, the seven-footer averaged 11.4 points, 11.4 boards, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks. He grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds in Utah’s season finale.

Pelicans lead executive David Griffin hinted that significant changes were coming to the team’s roster after they were swept out of the playoffs. Ingram’s name has often been mentioned in the trade rumor mill, as he’s entering the final season of his current contract. Sacramento needs to increase its wing production, so it makes sense that the Kings would come up in the most recent Ingram rumor. Also, former Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry is part of the Sacramento front office, and Ingram’s emergence coincided with Gentry’s time in New Orleans.

Love opted out of the final season of his contract on Saturday, but the expectation was that he and the Heat would agree to a new deal. That has reportedly happened, with the veteran center in line to provide additional frontcourt depth. Miami did select Kel’El Ware with the No. 15 pick in last week’s draft, but retaining love will help with the rookie’s development behind All-Star Bam Adebayo.

Shams notes that the two sides will work on sign-and-trade options. It’s not a surprising update, but we’ve finally received confirmation that Thompson will not be a Warrior after 13 seasons and four rings with the franchise that drafted him.

Kornet offered modest value as a reserve big man for the Celtics last season, appearing in 63 games for the NBA champions. However, Kristaps Porzingis’s left leg injury and subsequent surgery likely strengthened Boston’s desire to retain Kornet, as there is a clear need for additional depth at center. Al Horford remains the best choice for fantasy managers, but Kornet will have streaming value when Horford is given a night off.