NBA Player News

A 6-foot-6, 209-pound wing, Edwards played one season at Kentucky before deciding to enter the 2024 NBA Draft. While he did start 30 of the 32 games he appeared in, the Philadelphia native averaged 21.4 minutes per game, a byproduct of the Wildcats’ surplus of young perimeter talent. Edwards shot a respectable 36.5% from three on 2.7 attempts per game, and his free-throw percentage (77.6%) suggests that he can develop into a dependable perimeter shooter in time. That said, he did not test well athletically at the NBA Draft Combine, which was a bit surprising given what he showed during his lone season at Kentucky. Edwards has the potential to develop into a solid 3-and-D wing, but patience will be required. Edwards was expected to go early in the draft before last season, so it was surprising to see him go undrafted. However, Philadelphia doesn’t have many players under contract right now, so there is a chance that he plays a decent-sized role next season. Still, it is more likely that he spends a lot of time in the G-League.

While the NBA has not officially finalized the trade, the framework appears complete. In addition to Bojan Bogdanovic and multiple draft picks, the Nets are sending Diakite and Shake Milton (sign-and-trade) to Brooklyn in exchange for Bridges and Keita Bates-Diop. Adding the contracts allows New York to avoid being limited to the first salary apron; they can now spend up to $188.9 million on salaries for the 2024-25 season. Diakite did not play much while with the Knicks, and that’s unlikely to change in Brooklyn with Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney under contract.

Drafted in 2021, Jones has only appeared in 67 games in his NBA career. He did not appear in a regular-season NBA game in 2023-24, but he’ll compete for a roster spot for a team severely lacking in center depth. Jones isn’t worth selecting in 2024-25 fantasy drafts, but he’s worth keeping an eye on if Ivica Zubac is forced to miss time during the upcoming season.

Woj notes that the deal could be worth as much as $269 million if Wagner is selected to an All-NBA team. The Michigan product averaged career highs across the board with19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals across 72 appearances, and he’s now locked in as one of Orlando’s core players for what looks to be a bright future after the success of last season.

Queen played on a two-way deal last season and appeared in 14 games for Orlando. In three games with 25 or more minutes, the New Mexico State product averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.7 blocks and 1.0 triples.

Shams notes that Hield and new teammate Steph Curry are second and first respectively in most made three-pointers over the last five seasons. Hield is one of only six players in NBA history to average at least 3.0 triples per contest, and at 1,924 career triples made, Hield could become just the 17th player in league history to reach 2,000 career three-pointers. Hield’s arrival in the Bay could cut into the playing time of Brandin Podziemski and De’Anthony Melton, but with Andrew Wiggins likely out the door, there could be room for all three players to see meaningful rotational roles. Back in Philly, Hield’s departure opens up more opportunities for newcomer Eric Gordon and rookie Jared McCain.

Milton inked a three-year, $9 million contract (the final two years non-guaranteed) and was sent to Brooklyn as part of the Mikal Bridges deal. Keita Bates-Diop was also sent to New York in the process. Milton should have plenty of opportunities for a rebuilding Nets team, making Milton a name to monitor at the end of 2024-25 fantasy drafts. In his final season with Philly in 2022-23, Milton averaged 20.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.2 dimes across 11 starts.

Sanogo will provide center depth behind Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith, but he could see a larger role in Chicago’s rotation if the Bulls decide to move on from Vucevic in the offseason.

While the Heat have also been reported to have interest in DeRozan, an unrestricted free agent, they lack the ability to give the veteran wing what he’s looking for financially. Sacramento and San Antonio are other teams that have reportedly expressed interest. The Kings need an upgrade on the wing to improve their standing within the Western Conference, while the Spurs have already signed Chris Paul to strengthen the roster around Victor Wembanyama. DeRozan has been a consistent fantasy option, providing top-50 value despite failing to offer value in the 3-point category.

Jones is dealing with another injury, as a hamstring issue sidelined him during the spring. While the ankle injury will keep him from participating in Summer League action, the Clippers plan to retain Jones, according to Law Murray of The Athletic. He’ll have ample time to recover in time for training camp, and Jones is not a player fantasy managers should be planning to select in drafts this fall.

Prince was effective last season, appearing in 78 games (49 starts) for the Lakers. In those appearances, he averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.8 3-pointers in 27.0 minutes. Prince shot nearly 40% from beyond the arc, and his arrival gives the Bucks another 3-and-D wing to plug into the rotation.