NBA Player News

In Barnes’ return, it won’t be Agbaji that gets demoted to a reserve role. Davion Mitchell, who had been starting at point guard in place of Immanuel Quickley, will return to coming off the bench. He should still play plenty of minutes, but the streaming appeal isn’t there anymore.

Smith is entering the final year of his two-year, two-way contract, making these games in Las Vegas critical. The issue for him is Detroit’s frontcourt rotation, as Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed are all under contract for the 2025-26 campaign. His skill set is similar to that of Duren and Stewart, who also don’t offer much value as a face-up post player. Smith’s fantasy prospects for the 2025-26 season aren’t the best, even if he offers some intrigue as a rebounder and rim protector.

After spending last season with the Pistons on a two-way contract, Jenkins is a free agent this summer. And with Detroit having one two-way slot available, he’s among the players competing for that opportunity. Performances like the one he produced on Sunday will only help Jenkins’ chances of earning another deal, whether with Detroit or another team. This won’t impact fantasy basketball, but Jenkins’ play in Las Vegas will impact how the Pistons finalize their training camp roster.

With Khaman Maluach held out of Sunday’s game, the Suns relied on Ighodaro even more than they did in Friday’s win over the Wizards. Coming off a rookie season in which he did not receive many opportunities to contribute, the former Marquette standout is looking to earn consistent opportunities in year two. Ighodaro’s ability to facilitate offensively and protect the paint on defense could make him a factor within the Suns’ rotation, even with the additions of Maluach and Mark Williams, and the return of Nick Richards.

The 55th overall pick in last month’s draft, Brea’s start in Las Vegas has been encouraging. Having scored 19 points in his summer debut on Friday, the rookie wing had another solid performance against the Hawks. Phoenix has a surplus of wings on its roster, which limits Brea’s short-term fantasy upside. However, the three-point shooting and defense make him an intriguing prospect in deeper dynasty leagues.

Bufkin did not have a good day shooting the basketball, but that’s unsurprising given the amount of time missed. He’s working his way back from season-ending shoulder surgery in December, so the rust is expected. The positive for Bufkin is that he dished out nine assists while committing just one turnover. Trae Young running the show eliminates any other Hawks point guard’s fantasy value, unless one were to consider Dyson Daniels a point guard. However, Bufkin reaching the point where he can be trusted with rotation minutes would benefit the franchise.

Newell was considerably better in his second appearance after an inefficient scoring night on Friday in his summer league debut. The first-round pick out of Georgia only missed two of his nine shot attempts and recorded a double-double. Also, Newell shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. While he was only a 29 percent shooter at Georgia, the Hawks forward/center will have every opportunity to expand his game. Atlanta’s frontcourt depth should allow Newell not to be rushed through his development, which may pay dividends in the long run.

Flagg played two games at Summer League and averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 dimes, 1.5 steals and a swat. Dallas has apparently seen enough from the generational talent, and he won’t get any more run for the final six days of the summer run. There’s no indication that this shutdown has anything to do with injury, so expect Flagg to be all systems go when the 2025-26 season tips off in October.

After recording a complete 10/4/5/1/3 stat line in his summer debut on Friday, Yang was not as impactful on Saturday. The rookie recorded five turnovers, a reminder that there will be nights like this for the 20-year-old as he gets acclimated to the NBA game. However, Yang’s abilities as a facilitator were still evident, and that’s an area where he can offer value. Portland moving on from Deandre Ayton helped free minutes for Donovan Clingan, who will be the starting center, and Yang. However, Robert Williams III is also on the roster, and his presence may allow Portland to take a more conservative approach to Yang’s playing time next season.

While Love finished Saturday’s defeat with a solid point total, this was not one of the rookie’s best efforts. He did not provide much value outside of points and three-pointers, and the undrafted rookie was inefficient as a scorer and playmaker. Love is on a two-way deal for the 2025-26 season, and becoming more consistent as a floor general will be critical for the former Arizona standout as he looks to solidify his place in the NBA.

Cissoko is on a two-way contract, so his fantasy value for the 2025-26 season is virtually non-existent. However, players on those deals can earn opportunities throughout the season. Cissoko, who was traded twice before the February deadline, played well against the Grizzlies, but he’ll have to do a lot to crack a deep forward rotation in Portland.