NBA Player News

All three players missed their last game, which forced the Raptors to start Jalen McDaniels and Garrett Temple at the forward spots. RJ Barrett will be back, so he will be one of the starting forwards for Friday’s game. The other will be dependent on how many of these three players are available to suit up.

The 9-year vet last appeared in an NBA contest during the 2021-22 season when he logged 53 games for the Pelicans and Trail Blazers. Snell may get a shot to join the parent club at some point during the regular season, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect meaningful production even if he does.

We’ll keep our eyes out for further updates, and fantasy managers should do the same as they head into 2024-25 drafts. It’s unclear how serious this injury is, but Doncic will have three weeks to recover before his season starts. Dallas tips off the new campaign on October 24 against San Antonio.

The Knicks and Hornets swapped some reserves in order to complete the deal that sent KAT to New York and Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo back to Minnesota. These guys help complete the deal, but there is no fantasy impact whatsoever here.

The rest of the team was available to practice, but these three were held out. This early into training camp, it is likely precautionary, though Leonard is worth keeping a close eye on as draft season approaches. He underwent a knee procedure during the offseason, and while they are insistent that he will be available for opening night, that could change.

Head coach Taylor Jenkins said that they’re anticipating the injury being a strain, which means that they will likely turn to Santi Aldama to run with the starters during training camp. If this is an injury that lingers over the next three weeks, Aldama could start the season as part of the starting lineup. This is a situation worth keeping an eye on.

The Lakers opened training camp on Tuesday without two potential rotation frontcourt players. In addition to Vanderbilt, who’s recovering from offseason procedures on both feet, Christian Wood is working his way back from a second knee surgery. When asked about his status for the start of the regular season, Vanderbilt was not sure he’d be available. “I’m not quite sure. The team has put together a great plan for me and we’re making progress,” Vanderbilt said, according to The Athletic. These injuries could open the door for Jaxson Hayes to earn minutes on the back end of the rotation, but that isn’t enough to make him fantasy-relevant.

Ball has not played in an NBA game since 2022, and there have been no expectations regarding his return to action this season. However, the Bulls point guard was cleared for 5-on-5 action in August and said on Monday that his knee is feeling good. Ball is attempting to return from a procedure that included a meniscus transplant and a graft to replace the damaged cartilage in his knee. There will be restrictions for him to deal with if cleared to play in games, which essentially takes him off the table in most fantasy leagues. But Ball playing would create a crowded backcourt, with Josh Giddey being acquired this summer and Coby White coming off of a career year. Giddey (ankle) has not been cleared to practice and could miss the start of the regular season.

To clear out the cap space needed to complete the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, the Knicks waived Morris and Chuma Okeke on September 28. The door was open for a potential return, but Morris has reportedly decided to seek out other options. His status will not impact fantasy basketball, as he’s unlikely to be guaranteed rotation minutes wherever he lands.

Robinson staying behind isn’t worth reading into too much, as SNY’s Ian Begley reported on September 23 that he was targeting a December or January return. With the Karl-Anthony Towns trade yet to be finalized, there will be more training camp reps at the five for Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa. According to Cleaning the Glass, the latter played 45% of his minutes at center last season.

During Lakers media day, Wood said he believed he has two more weeks of rehab and a two-week ramp-up process before he can play. While optimistic, this timeline does not align with the reports after his September knee surgery. At the time, it was stated that Wood would be re-evaluated in eight weeks, meaning he wouldn’t be ready for the start of the regular season. With this being the second procedure on Wood’s knee in the last calendar year, the Lakers exercising caution would be unsurprising. With Jarred Vanderbilt (feet) also sidelined, Jaxson Hayes should have opportunities during the preseason to earn rotation minutes.