NBA Player News

Having struggled in the first two games of the NBA Finals, Irving apologized to teammate Luka Doncic between Games 2 and 3. He stepped up on Wednesday, knocking down four 3-pointers and scoring a game-high 35 points. Irving was at his best during the first half, shooting 8-of-14 from the field and scoring 20 points. However, like many of his teammates, things took a downward turn during the third quarter, and the Mavericks’ fourth-quarter rally was a case of “too little, too late.” Irving, who has lost his last 14 games against the Celtics, will look to avoid being swept on Friday night.

Council IV saw his playing time nearly double in Year 2 as he logged 17.1 minutes across 73 appearances in 2024-25. In 12 starts, the Arkansas product averaged 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds. He could see meaningful rotation minutes for Brooklyn during the upcoming campaign.

Selected by the Pacers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, Freeman made a major impact in 2025 Summer League action with averages of 16.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

Juzang played the first three years of his career with the Jazz before being waived on June 30. The Wolves will utilize his strong three-point shooting abilities after Juzang shot 38.4% from beyond the arc across his last two seasons.

With the 2025-26 season being the last on his current contract, this was an important summer for the Knicks to lock in Bridges as a member of the team’s core moving forward. His reported contract extension includes a player option for the final season (2029-30) and a trade kicker if he were to be dealt at any point. In his first season with the Knicks, Bridges started all 82 regular-season games, averaging 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.0 three-pointers in 37.0 minutes. Continuing to serve as a key member of the Knicks’ starting lineup, Bridges is a safe bet to offer middle-round value in standard fantasy leagues next season.

Dosunmu underwent left shoulder surgery in March and was given a recovery timeline of four to six months. According to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, the Bulls guard said at a recent charity event that he’s feeling good and expects to be a full go when training camp opens in late September. “I feel great,” Dosunmu said, according to the Tribune. “I feel right on schedule if not ahead. I’m just excited for these next couple of months to really get in even better shape and be able to go out there.” He was cleared for full contact in July and will factor into Chicago’s rotation as a starter or as the first guard off the bench. Dosunmu offered 11th-round value in nine-cat formats when healthy and will be worth grabbing with a late-round pick in standard leagues.

McGowens moves to New Orleans after spending the 2024-25 season with the Trail Blazers. While he spent most of his time with the team’s G League affiliate, he appeared in 13 games for Portland, averaging 2.5 minutes per appearance. Due to New Orleans’ perimeter depth, McGowens is unlikely to be a fantasy asset next season. The Pelicans have filled all three two-way slots, with Trey Alexander and Hunter Dickinson occupying the other two.

The deal reportedly includes a team option for the second year and will not include a no-trade clause. Kuminga has received more lucrative offers from the Kings and Suns, with offers reaching up to four years and $90 million via sign-and-trade. Golden State appears to be firm in its offer, while Kuminga doesn’t want to cede too much control to a franchise he believes has “stunted” his growth and “strung his career along” for the last four seasons. This is shaping up to be contentious negotiation, and it might get worse before it gets better. Buckle up.

Porziņģis was sidelined by an illness late in the regular season and never seemed to get back on track physically. The 7-foot-2 forward/center struggled with fatigue, which limited his playing time as the Celtics were ultimately eliminated in the second round. Traded to the Hawks just before the draft, Porziņģis said he did not do much during June, and the time off has been beneficial. Porziņģis is preparing to represent Latvia at FIBA EuroBasket, which begins in late August. A healthy Porziņģis can be an excellent fantasy asset next season, playing off of Trae Young and sharing the frontcourt with Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. However, his medical history will likely impact his value in fantasy drafts.

After playing multiple professional seasons in France, Traoré agreed to a two-way deal with the Lakers last June. He only appeared in nine games last season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.4 minutes. Traoré stands to take on a more prominent role with ASVEL than he would have enjoyed with any NBA team in 2025-26.

Waived by the Spurs in February, Baldwin agreed to a two-way contract with the Clippers on March 1. The former first-round pick only appeared in two regular-season games for the Clippers but featured on the team’s summer league squad. Unfortunately for Baldwin, the Clippers’ need to free up a two-way contract for Jordan Miller resulted in his being waived. Law Murray of The Athletic reported on Sunday that the Clippers have interest in bringing Baldwin back on an Exhibit 10 contract if he clears waivers.