NBA Player News

After failing to crack the Celtics rotation after being acquired at the February trade deadline, Springer aims to change that in 2024-25. The 2021 first-round pick played well on Saturday, leading the Celtics in scoring while dishing out six assists without committing a turnover. The Celtics have starters Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, and backup Payton Pritchard has also earned his opportunities. The path to a rotation spot won’t be easy for Springer to travel, but days like Saturday will help.

Tshiebwe appeared in 14 games for the Jazz last season on a two-way deal, with most of those appearances coming in March and April. If Utah ends up tanking at the end of the year again, Tshiebwe will hold some late-season value, but he will likely spend most of the year in the G League.

Wall, who last suited up during the 2022-23 season for the Clippers, has officially called it a career. The first overall pick in 2010, Wall had an excellent run with the Wizards for most of the decade before short stints in Houston and Los Angeles. The five-time All-Star made the All-NBA third team during the 2016-17 season and averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game over his career.

The exact terms of the deal weren’t reported, but after leading Indiana to the NBA Finals, the Pacers will make sure Carlisle will be around the team for years to come. Indiana will be without Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) this season, and Myles Turner left for the Bucks this offseason, so the expectations will be much lower. However, Carlisle will have some added insurance in the form of a new deal if the team struggles this year.

Belinelli, the 18th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, spent the last five seasons playing for Virtus Bologna in his native Italy. He played for nine different teams during his NBA career, including four with the Spurs, and was part of San Antonio’s 2014 NBA champion squad. As an NBA player, Belinelli averaged 9.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 three-pointers per game, shooting 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Quiñones, who finished the 2024-25 season with the Pelicans before being waived last month, will compete for either a standard contract or a two-way contract slot with the Magic. Over three NBA seasons, he’s appeared in 54 games, averaging 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 11.0 minutes. Even if Quiñones does enough in training camp to earn a standard contract, he’s unlikely to impact fantasy basketball next season.

The Hawks signed Dante to a two-year, two-way contract worth $4.5 million on Saturday, and Houston had the right to match the offer sheet since he was a restricted free agent. The Rockets have reportedly declined to do so, clearing the path for Dante to head to Atlanta. Dante is unlikely to get the opportunities needed to impact fantasy basketball next season, but the 23-year-old will be an intriguing developmental prospect for the Hawks to invest in.

Dončić injured his right knee during Saturday’s friendly against Latvia, casting some doubt on his status for the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket competition. However, Slovenia’s national team announced on Sunday that the star guard was cleared to practice on Monday, and Stein’s update is another positive development. Dončić will take on his usual role as Slovenia’s lead offensive option, hoping to medal in EuroBasket after failing to do so in 2022.

McDaniels, a second-round pick in the 2019 draft, will likely be with the Pelicans on an Exhibit 10 contract. That deal would guarantee him a training camp spot with the opportunity to earn a standard contract. McDaniels spent most of the 2024-25 season in the G League, making four appearances for the Wizards while on a 10-day contract in February.

Dončić suffered a right knee contusion during Saturday’s friendly against Latvia, but he avoided serious injury. The good news for Slovenia’s star guard is that he will practice on Monday, although the team did not reveal how much he’ll participate in the session. Dončić is expected to be a full go when EuroBasket opens on August 27.

Smith has had terrible luck with injuries, as his last two seasons have ended prematurely due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon. However, this did not prevent the Heat from signing him to a standard contract for the next three seasons. While the 2025-26 campaign is fully guaranteed, Smith’s contract for the following two seasons is conditionally guaranteed. Smith is not guaranteed to be fully recovered from the Achilles injury in time for the start of the upcoming season, but he’ll have an opportunity to earn minutes once cleared.