NBA Player News

Canada picked up their third straight win on Friday, and SGA was instrumental in making that happen. He led the team in scoring and iced the game late with two free throws in the closing seconds. They finished group play undefeated and will continue their quest for gold next week during the quarterfinals.

Trent hyperextended his elbow during Sunday’s exhibition opener when he ran into a Jalen Duren screen and immediately exited the game. The good news is that Rivers expects Trent to be available for Thursday’s matchup with the Lakers. With Khris Middleton still sidelined, GTJ is worth a look in the late rounds of fantasy drafts, as he may be the replacement in the starting lineup.

Having not appeared in an NBA game since 2022, Ball was cleared to resume 5-on-5 action in August. According to multiple reports, he’s looked good, but the Bulls are not rushing to get their guard into game action. While Donovan did say Lonzo will play during the preseason, he will sit out Tuesday’s exhibition against the Cavaliers. With Chicago acquiring Josh Giddey during the offseason, fantasy managers should take a “wait and see” approach with Ball.

After a strong Summer League, Sensabaugh’s play has been excellent in limited action during the preseason. He has scored in double figures in both of their preseason outings, and he added two triples in this one after not hitting one in their first game. Sensabaugh isn’t a player to target in redraft leagues, but dynasty managers have to be excited about what they have seen from him to this point. He’ll have a chance to earn a larger role as the season goes on, and if the Jazz find themselves way outside of the playoff picture again, he will have some value during silly season.

Hendricks remained in the starting unit for the second straight game, and he had more success on the offensive end than he did in the last one. He is more than capable of contributing on both ends of the floor, and if he remains in the starting lineup when the regular season begins, he has the chance to be a fantasy stud in the later rounds. His ADP will likely rise now that he has seen some starts, which may make him more difficult to draft, but he should be worth it if you can get him.

After having no issues against the New Zealand Breakers on Friday, Markkanen had an off-night on Monday. He struggled from the floor but still led the team in scoring by making a big impact from the free throw line. Markkanen should be drafted in the first few rounds in drafts this year, and there is no reason to be scared off by a poor preseason performance. He won’t struggle like this often.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Sheppard, and this was a nice reminder that he’s still a rookie. Sure, the defensive numbers were great, but only four points and zero 3-pointers in 20 minutes isn’t great. Still, it was only his first game, so it’s difficult to be too critical. Dynasty managers will continue to keep a close eye on him, and while he is worth a late round dart throw in redraft leagues, the expectations should be low early on.

Whitmore did a bit of everything off the bench in this one and had a mean poster dunk over Walker Kessler. He’ll likely play a large reserve role this season and provide the Rockets with some offense, but Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason didn’t play in this game. When the team is fully available, there may not be enough minutes and shots to go around for Whitmore to make a big impact this season.

Things went well for the Rockets when Green was in the game, as they outscored the Jazz by 15 points in his 20 minutes. He kicked off the preseason with a strong offensive performance in limited action, which is encouraging for fantasy managers that plan to draft him in the middle rounds. He didn’t have any assists, and he turned it over four times, which isn’t ideal, but it’s just the preseason. This is an important year for Green, who needs to prove why he can be the star that Houston drafted him No. 2 overall to be.

Hardy got the start with Dallas resting their three starting perimeter players, and he shined brightly. He missed all six of his 2-point attempts, but he knocked down six of his 10 3-point attempts and provided plenty of assists and steals. Hardy may be a fun reserve this year with Tim Hardaway Jr. gone, but it is unlikely that he makes a consistent fantasy impact when the roster is healthy.

Lively came off the bench, which isn’t what fantasy managers want to see at this point. However, he still played a large role and made a significant impact. He even went coast-to-coast for a layup, which was fun to see from the big man. Lively still has loads of untapped potential, and he still may be able to beat out Daniel Gafford for the starting job. Lively is a high upside pick in the middle to late rounds.