NBA Player News

Charlotte coach Charles Lee played his starters into the third quarter of Sunday’s exhibition opener, with Ball being the only one not to reach 20 minutes. While there was some rust to work off, as evidenced by the four turnovers, Ball looked good. Also, there were stretches in which he played alongside backup Vasa Micic (8/3/5 in 18 minutes), so Ball getting time off the ball is something to keep an eye on once the regular season begins. As for the lingering ankle issues, LaMelo is now wearing ankle braces. Hopefully, for the sake of fantasy managers, he’ll be able to stay on the floor.

Lillard looked incredibly sharp in Milwaukee’s preseason debut, shooting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in the first quarter. There was no need for Doc Rivers to see much else from his star guard, with “Dame Time” reaching its conclusion at halftime. Milwaukee was without Giannis Antetokounmpo for Sunday’s exhibition, but Lillard should look more comfortable in Year 2, regardless of who is (or isn’t) on the court. He’s been a third-round selection in most early drafts, but don’t be surprised if Lillard exceeds that value.

Trent injured his elbow on a Jalen Duren screen, heading back to the locker room and eventually being ruled out for the remainder of Sunday’s preseason opener. With Khris Middleton working his way back from offseason surgeries on both ankles, Trent’s fantasy value would have been boosted for the start of the regular season. However, Sunday’s elbow injury changes things, shifting the focus to Taurean Prince (five points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one 3-pointer in 16 minutes).

Dick appears on track to be Toronto’s fifth starter when the regular season begins, as he’s the option best equipped to offer spacing to a lineup that will include Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl. The second-year wing didn’t have a good night from three on Sunday, missing all four attempts. However, he was good inside the 3-point line while providing solid value in the rebound and assist categories. Provided he locks down the starting role, Dick will be worth a late-round dice roll in drafts.

After struggling mightily throughout Summer League play in July, Sarr dropped down early fantasy draft boards. However, he’ll have every opportunity to show what he can do for the Wizards, who are embarking on a rebuild. Sarr looked good on Sunday, starting alongside Kyle Kuzma in the frontcourt and shooting 75% from the field. Turnovers could be problematic throughout the season, and he had three on Sunday. However, Sarr is worth the risk for managers willing to punt turnovers or field-goal percentage.

After playing most of his minutes as a shooting guard last season, Poole will be the Wizards’ starting point guard in 2024-25. While Sunday’s preseason opener did not produce the desired result for the team, the Wizards were likely pleased with Poole’s performance. He shot better than 50% from the field, and zero turnovers countered the six assists. There will be hiccups, as Poole was a combo guard for each of his first four NBA seasons. However, the move to the point should boost his fantasy value, even if occasionally turnovers and shot selection may be an issue.

Barrett took a hit to his right (non-shooting) shoulder during the first half of Toronto’s preseason opener, cutting short what had been an excellent night. Shooting 7-of-10 from the field, he finishes with 17 points, two rebounds, two assists, and three 3-pointers in 14 minutes. Barrett’s injury isn’t considered serious, but there’s no reason for Toronto to push him at this stage in the season. The move to the Raptors has made Barrett a viable fantasy option, especially with Toronto getting him more opportunities to attack the basket.

Sunday’s preseason opener was the first time Miller shared the court (in a game) with LaMelo Ball since January 26, as the point guard’s season ended that night due to an ankle injury. It’s possible that impacted Miller’s shot profile on Sunday, as seven of his eight field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc. Last season, he produced a 3-point attempt rate of 45.5%, so fantasy managers should not expect too many nights like Sunday once the regular season begins. The presence of Ball, Miles Bridges, and Mark Williams could limit Miller’s ceiling, but this isn’t something that should concern fantasy managers.

In Knicks camp on an Exhibit 9 contract, Shamet’s odds of making the opening night roster improved once the Karl-Anthony Towns trade was consummated. With Donte DiVincenzo included in that deal, the Knicks need reliable shooting, and Shamet can provide it. He shot 50% from three on Sunday, and the chemistry established with Mikal Bridges via their time together in Phoenix may also help his chances of making the cut. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has spoken highly of Shamet throughout camp, so it would be unsurprising if he were eventually signed to a standard contract.

For most of last season, McBride was most valuable to fantasy managers when the Knicks were down a starter. With the Knicks including Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle in the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, they may need more consistent production from Deuce. While Sunday’s game was only an exhibition, the Knicks had to be encouraged by what they saw from McBride. He may not be worth a draft pick in standard leagues, but there could be a point when Deuce is well worth the risk as a streamer.

Like the other Knicks starters, Bridges only saw action during the first half of Sunday’s preseason opener. Simply put, there wasn’t enough evidence to make definitive statements regarding his fantasy value for the upcoming season. Bridges may not have done much scoring or provided any defensive stats, but Sunday was more about getting used to his new teammates in a competitive setting while also working off the off-season rust. Whether or not Bridges can be a top-50 fantasy player will depend on his efficiency after the field-goal percentage dipped last season. Playing alongside Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns should help.