NBA Player News

Every team is looking for elite players on the wing, and Risacher has the upside to be the next big thing. Despite some rough stretches for JL Bourg this past season, Risacher showcased his jump shot, his best skill. In 65 appearances this past season, he averaged 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 1.4 triples in 23.3 minutes per game. His shot should have no issues translating, but everything else isn’t guaranteed. Still, he has the upside of being effective on both ends of the floor and providing spacing with his catch-and-shoot ability. Atlanta is a solid landing spot for Risacher, as De’Andre Hunter has struggled to stay healthy, and pending free agent Saddiq Bey suffered a torn ACL in mid-March. Risacher should not lack playing time as a rookie, and playing off of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray (if both stay) should allow the rookie to showcase his ability to knock down jump shots.

Phoenix lacks true PG depth, and Morris’ addition helps to address that issue. Morris is a reliable, long-range threat who shot 39.2% from beyond the arc over the last six seasons.

Wagner appeared in 80 games last season and averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 rebounds across 17.7 minutes, shooting 60.1% from the floor and 81.4% from the charity stripe. He’ll be a deep-league option in fantasy hoops when someone ahead of him on the depth chart is forced to miss time.

Walker averaged 19.3 points, 5.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 2.2 steals across 12 seasons with the Hornets, Knicks, Celtics and Mavericks. Walker was a four-time All-Star who spent the best seasons of his career with Charlotte, and he hangs it up after playing nine games for Dallas in 2022-23 and playing in Monaco last season.

Wiseman will join his fourth team since being selected No. 2 in 2020. He’ll provide depth behind Myles Turner and will scrap for minutes with Isaiah Jackson. Wiseman could get a slight boost in fantasy value if he’s able to secure the top backup spot behind Turner, but he’s a deep-league dart-throw at best. Detroit’s center depth consists of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, which means that unless the Pistons make a move for another big man, Beef Stew should play more minutes at the five in 2024-25. That could lead to more rebounds and a higher FG%.

This isn’t a surprising update, considering Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported the likelihood of this extension in mid-June. According to Woj, “A significant part of Mitchell’s belief in committing on a new deal comes with his confidence in Koby Altman’s vision to keep building the Cavs into a championship contender and an alignment on their partnership together.” Mitchell and Co. have had back-to-back playoff disappointments, most recently due to several key injuries. A healthy Cleveland team should be a perennial playoff team, but how far the team can go is in question based on recent moves from New York and Philadelphia to bolster their respective rosters.

The Heat did not waste any time signing Johnson after the former San Diego State and Arizona standout went undrafted, picking up shortly after the draft’s conclusion on Thursday. On Monday, the team announced that the rookie has been signed to a two-way deal. Miami has now filled two of its three available two-way slots for next season, with guard Dru Smith also being signed on Monday.

With Mason Plumlee agreeing to a deal with the Suns, the Clippers needed reinforcements behind starting center Ivica Zubac. Enter Bamba, who appeared in 57 games for the 76ers last season. Making 17 starts, he averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 13.0 minutes, shooting 49% from the field. As long as Zubac remains healthy, Bamba’s opportunities to be an impactful fantasy option will be limited.

Dunn is moving after reigniting his NBA career with two solid seasons in Utah. The 2016 lottery pick appeared in 66 games last season, averaging 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.0 steals in 18.9 minutes, shooting 47.0% from the field and 68.8% from the foul line. With James Harden locked into the starting role, Dunn’s fantasy ceiling will be limited, even if the Clippers manage to trade Russell Westbrook.

Smith only appeared in nine games last season before suffering a torn right ACL during a game against the Cavaliers. While there may be moments when he has streaming value, Smith is not a player fantasy managers should plan on drafting.

Due to injury, Harris was limited to 51 games in 2023-24. He started 27 appearances, averaging 6.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 3-pointers in 24.0 minutes. The combination of playing time and availability limited Harris’ fantasy value, and he won’t be a must-draft player in most leagues. The Magic signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and he is expected to be the starting two-guard come Opening Night.