NBA Player News

Injuries to Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) and Jaylin Williams (hamstring) have prompted Oklahoma City to make a signing. Reese, who was with the team during the preseason, will stick on a non-guaranteed, standard contract. The former Alabama forward has had quite the journey, stepping away from basketball after four college seasons before returning to play overseas. Reese’s signing will not impact fantasy basketball.

Minnesota is the lone team that has yet to reach the league max of 15 standard contracts, sitting at 16. Bates-Diop not practicing on Saturday may indicate that he’s the odd man out and will ultimately be waived. His status will not impact fantasy basketball, as KBD was unlikely to be in the rotation.

The Pistons were active on Saturday, signing Swider and Williams off of waivers. Both were with the Heat organization last season, with Swider going through training camp with the Pacers and Williams with the Clippers. Fantasy managers should not expect either to have an impact, so leave them on the draft board.

Strus had a tough preseason regarding injuries. He suffered a right hip contusion during an October 8 game against the Bulls, but the more significant injury occurred on Thursday. According to the Cavaliers, Strus sprained his right ankle during an individual workout and will be re-evaluated in six weeks. This leaves Cleveland down a starter and one of its best perimeter shooters. Caris LeVert would be the best option to consider utilizing a late-round pick in drafts or simply streaming him if you’ve already put together your roster.

After failing to establish themselves as NBA players with their initial teams, Flynn (Raptors) and Boston (Clippers) were in Spurs training camp this fall. Unfortunately, neither could do enough to justify sticking in San Antonio. Once Flynn and Boston clear waivers, they will be unrestricted free agents.

This is a brutal turn of events for Shamet, who appeared on track to earn a standard roster spot before he dislocated his shoulder during Tuesday’s exhibition against the Hornets. According to Charania, the Knicks will go into the regular season with 12 players on standard contracts and hope to sign Shamet once he’s healthy. Shamet’s exit leaves New York’s bench extremely thin, and there may now be room for rookie guard Tyler Kolek in the rotation.

After appearing in 58 games during the 2022-23 season, Koloko did not play at all in 2023-24 due to a severe blood clot issue. While the league’s fitness-to-play panel has not decided on the center’s availability for this season, there is reportedly optimism within the Lakers organization that Koloko will receive good news. That likely factored into the decision to waive Colin Castleton, with rookie guard Quincy Olivari receiving his two-way contract slot.

Saturday is a busy day in the NBA, with many teams beginning the process of trimming down their rosters in advance of opening night. Orlando waived four training camp participants, with former lottery pick Culver boasting the highest profile. He was unlikely to factor into the rotation if retained, and the same can be said for Morales, Slawson, and Thompson. Look for some players to land with Orlando’s G League affiliate.

Williams sprained his ankle during Thursday’s exhibition against the Hawks. Oklahoma City’s season opener is not until Wednesday, so he has time to recover. If JDub cannot play in the opener, Alex Caruso’s importance is even more significant, as the Thunder are already without Isaiah Hartenstein.

The second overall pick in this summer’s draft, Sarr sat out Washington’s final two preseason games with a sore calf. The vacancy in the starting lineup was filled by two players, with Marvin Bagley III filling the void in the first exhibition and Jonas Valanciunas in the second. Of the two, Valanciunas may be the better option for fantasy managers looking for a streamer.

The Celtics face a hefty luxury tax bill, so it would take a lot for Walker to earn the team’s final standard contract slot. If Walker were to remain, the Celtics would be on the hook for some $11 million in salary and luxury tax payments. If another NBA team does not claim him off of waivers, Walker will join the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League.