NBA Player News

George’s perimeter shooting ability was one of the reasons why his name was called during the first round of last month’s draft. That attribute was displayed on Sunday afternoon, with the rookie shooting 3-of-4 from deep and 5-of-6 from the field overall. George does need to become more consistent as a defender, but the shooting ability is there. And in Washington, he’ll have opportunities to play because the franchise is in rebuilding mode.

Needing to upgrade their backup center situation, the Nuggets acquired Valančiūnas from the Kings in exchange for Dario Šarić. However, on Thursday, it was reported by BasketNews that the veteran center was considering a move to Europe to play for Greek power Panathinaikos. Valančiūnas is under contract with the Nuggets, so he would require a buyout to move to Greece. According to Charania, the Nuggets view JV as a key component for next season, so he’ll have to fulfill the requirements of his contract. Playing behind Nikola Jokić limits Valančiūnas’ fantasy value, but he’ll have “real” value to a team that hopes to contend for a championship.

Paul also said that he wants to stay close to Los Angeles next year to remain closer to his family. That leaves a few potential options for where he could suit up next season. The 40-year-old point guard should still play a role next season, but there likely won’t be an ideal opportunity for him to continue to shine for fantasy managers.

Plowden was sent to Phoenix as part of the historic seven-team deal that dealt Kevin Durant to Houston. However, they won’t keep him around. He’ll look for a new home after spending last season on a two-way with the Hawks.

Kevin Durant is the headliner of the deal, and now these teams are trying to fill in the gaps to make the trade work. Plowden made a few appearances with the Hawks last year and will now join the Suns, though it’s unclear if they will keep him around.

Roddy started last season with Atlanta before ending the year on a two-way with Houston. It’s unclear if he’ll remain with the Hawks, but he certainly won’t be a large part of the team’s rotation.

Third-year NBA players should dominate Summer League if they play in it. Sensabaugh wasn’t flawless, but the 76ers didn’t really have an answer for him. The turnovers weren’t pretty, but he was a one-man wrecking crew at times as a scorer. It wouldn’t be shocking if he didn’t play much more this summer.

It wasn’t a perfect performance from Filipowski, but he certainly was a beast on the offensive end, which helped Utah secure the win to kick off the Salt Lake City Summer League for the home team. He has a lot to clean up on the defensive end, but the offensive production should be there for the rest of the summer and into next season.

Williams was drafted with the No. 10 pick in 2024 as a raw prospect, which led to a terrible rookie year. However, his first game of this summer was an encouraging one. He is nowhere near a finished product, but he was productive. He’s certainly a player to keep tabs on this summer, especially for dynasty managers.

Utah traded up to add Clayton Jr. with the No. 18 pick of last month’s draft, and his debut for them was solid. He showcased both his floor spacing ability and his passing ability; both are qualities that helped him lead Florida to a national championship and end up as a first-round pick. Clayton Jr. should continue to play a lot of minutes this summer as he competes with Isaiah Collier for point guard minutes this season.

Collier struggled to score on Saturday, which isn’t ideal for a second-year player, but it isn’t that surprising. It certainly wasn’t his strength during his rookie season. However, he was still able to be a solid playmaking option. With Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson gone, Collier should be the favorite to start the year as the starting point guard for Utah, which is a role that he held for much of last season.