NBA Player News

Powell will not play on Friday and has not traveled to Seattle for the exhibition. With Kawhi Leonard (knee) also sidelined, the Clippers should take a more extended look at players such as Kevin Porter Jr. and Amir Coffey. While Porter offers significant fantasy upside, there’s the question of whether or not the NBA will suspend him for off-court issues in the summer of 2023 that factored into his not catching on with a team last season.

After missing Tuesday’s game against the Lakers with a broken nose, Podziemski returned on Friday and played while wearing a protective mask. He was just 2-of-7 from beyond the arc, but the points and steals outputs were solid. Podziemski came off the bench on Friday, while De’Anthony Melton (nine points, one rebound, five assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer) started for Stephen Curry and played 21 minutes. There should be excitement regarding Podziemski’s potential, but the Warriors’ perimeter depth could lower his fantasy ceiling this season.

While the Lakers did not play any of their key players, the Warriors had everyone available except Stephen Curry. His absence freed up additional opportunities for others, with Kuminga taking full advantage. Kuminga led six Warriors in double figures while shooting over 50% from the field. He didn’t provide any defensive stats on Friday, and that will be key if Kuminga is to be a credible fantasy asset during the regular season. For now, he’s a late-round option in most leagues.

Moved into the starting lineup for the Lakers’ preseason finale (and second game in as many nights), Reddish failed to take advantage of the opportunity presented to him. Outside of the three steals, he didn’t have much of an impact on a night where the rotation was set up for him to take on a starring role offensively. When the Lakers are whole, Reddish is on the back end of the rotation, which means he offers little fantasy value.

The Lakers’ first-round pick in 2023, Hood-Schifino didn’t get many opportunities to show what he can do as a rookie before undergoing season-ending back surgery in March. That made Friday’s start so important, even if it was only a preseason game. Hood-Schifino nearly had as many turnovers (six) as assists (seven) while shooting 3-of-10 from the field. As long as the Lakers stay healthy on the perimeter, Hood-Schifino is unlikely to factor into the rotation this season.

With the Lakers resting every player of consequence after beating the Suns in overtime on Thursday, Bronny was allowed to start and log heavy minutes. Numbers-wise, he had a solid night playing quality minutes against players expected to be part of the Warriors’ rotation when the regular season begins. However, Friday night should not fool anyone into thinking James is ready for NBA rotation minutes. He may get a cameo appearance to make history with his father, LeBron, but Bronny won’t be a factor in fantasy basketball this season.

To be fair to Kessler, no player in a Jazz uniform had a good night in the 124-86 defeat. But, after a promising start to the preseason, he went out with a dud. Thoroughly outplayed by Portland rookie Donovan Clingan, Kessler finished with twice as many turnovers (four) as points (two). Kessler should be the starting center when Utah opens its season on Wednesday. But nights like Friday keep John Collins (seven points, five rebounds, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer in 12 minutes) in the conversation.

Simons did not play in any of Portland’s first three preseason games, with Scoot Henderson as the starting point guard. The return of the former meant the latter had to come off the bench against the Jazz. Simons didn’t have a great night, shooting 1-of-5 from three, but he appears locked into the starting point guard role with Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant on the wings. As for Henderson, he shot 2-of-13 from the field and finished with six points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 24 minutes.

Avdija’s had better nights shooting the basketball, but he was impactful in multiple areas on Friday. He shared the team-high in assists while producing solid numbers in the rebounds, steals, and blocks categories. He’ll have more opportunities to display his skill set in Portland than in Washington, especially if Chauncey Billups doesn’t start Scoot Henderson (he didn’t start on Friday in Anfernee Simons’ return to the lineup).

Grant may not offer much value as a rebounder, but Friday’s performance was excellent regarding fantasy value. He tied for the team-high in assists while racking up three steals and three blocked shots. Last season, Grant did not have a single game with at least five defensive contributions and two of just four. So, while he certainly deserves credit for Friday’s performance, fantasy managers should not expect consistently high defensive production from Grant.

With Deandre Ayton sitting out Friday’s preseason finale, Clingan moved into the starting lineup opposite Utah’s Walker Kessler. And the lottery pick out of UConn was spectacular, producing a dominant performance as a rebounder and shot blocker. Clingan’s fantasy value to begin the regular season may not be significant due to Ayton’s presence, but he can be an asset in a backup role. Given the expectations for the Trail Blazers, it would be unsurprising if Clingan was moved into the starting lineup later in the season.