NBA Player News

The Nets are without Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, opening up two spots in the starting lineup. Williams and Claxton will fill the voids, with the latter starting alongside Ben Simmons for the first time this season. Simmons should have the ball in his hands more as a primary playmaker, but he’s been a late-round player at best when available.

Smart’s Lakers deal will include a player option for 2026, according to Charania, which would allow him to test free agency. The 31-year-old point guard was pursued by the Lakers, Bucks and Suns once the Wizards granted him permission to explore other options. An 11-year NBA veteran, Smart spent nine years with the Celtics before spending time with the Grizzlies and Wizards over the last two seasons. Smart won the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year award and has been named to the All-Defensive first-team three times. In joining the Lakers, Smart not only is back on a contending team, but also has a clear path to significant playing time.

Waived by the Pelicans on July 3, Reeves averaged 13.5 points per game in New Orleans’ first four summer league outings. He finished his time in Las Vegas with a solid performance against the Pacers, which may keep him in the conversation for a two-way contract or an invitation to training camp. Regarding a two-way deal, New Orleans has already filled all three of its available slots. As a result, Reeves may have to look elsewhere for that kind of contract, unless the Pelicans were to waive someone.

While Fears did match his summer league turnover average in Friday’s defeat, committing five, he was more productive in the assist category. The lottery pick dished out four assists in New Orleans’ summer finale, and he was also productive in the points, rebounds and steals categories. Once the regular season begins, Fears won’t be under similar pressure to balance getting his shots and setting up his teammates. Also, he’ll be playing with and against better players. Given Fears’ age, as he won’t turn 19 until October, it’s unsurprising that he was inconsistent in Las Vegas.

After appearing in 22 games for the Pacers as a two-way player last season, Freeman was in Las Vegas this week as an unrestricted free agent. The 6-foot-7 forward finished his summer league with a solid effort against the Pelicans, recording a double-double while missing just one shot from the field. The foul shooting wasn’t the best, but Freeman’s activity in the frontcourt makes up for that deficiency. The Pacers have one open two-way spot, and Freeman may have helped his chances of filling the void next season.

With Quenton Jackson inactive, Dennis was the lone two-way player to see action for the Pacers in the team’s summer league finale. He was an effective playmaker on Friday, recording a game-high 11 assists while committing just three turnovers. Dennis and Jackson will be worth tracking during training camp as the Pacers continue without the injured Tyrese Haliburton. While neither is likely to be in a position to be a reliable fantasy option from the start, there may be times when Dennis or Jackson has some streaming value in deep leagues due to injuries.

After shining in his summer league debut on July 14, Tonje’s production was a bit uneven. And he struggled mightily in Friday’s finale, shooting 0-of-6 from beyond the arc. How the 53rd overall pick in last month’s draft fits into the Jazz roster is something to watch, as he has not agreed to a contract. Utah has one standard contract slot and one two-way slot available. Utah has a lot of young forwards, which further complicates things for Tonje ahead of training camp.

While the Jazz suffered another defeat in their final game of the summer, Williams’ production against the Bulls was positive. Coming off a disappointing rookie season, it’s unsurprising that the 2024 lottery pick would play in all five games in Las Vegas. Whether or not the final performances boost Williams’ confidence ahead of the 2025-26 season remains to be seen. However, given the number of young forwards on the Jazz roster, he won’t be worth the risk in most redraft leagues.

After spending his rookie season with the Grizzlies on a two-way contract, Kawamura played with the Bulls in the summer league as an unrestricted free agent. While the 5-foot-8 guard may be considered small for his position, his playmaking ability put people on notice in Las Vegas. Kawamura racked up 10 assists on Friday and was also 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. There are still strides for him to make defensively, but it would be unsurprising if Kawamura landed a two-way deal based on his play in Las Vegas. However, Chicago has already filled all three of its slots, so it would have to be with another team, or the Bulls would have to waive someone.

After spending last season with the Bulls ' G League affiliate, Freeman-Liberty entered summer league play as an unrestricted free agent. His play in Las Vegas may have opened some eyes within the Bulls organization and among the other 29 NBA teams. Freeman-Liberty capped his week with another 20-point scoring effort and recorded a complete stat line. However, until his next destination is known, there’s no need to consider JFL in fantasy leagues.

The 33rd overall pick in the 2024 draft, Smith finished his 2025 summer league experience with a solid offensive showing against the Heat. He appeared in 23 games as a rookie, averaging 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.3 minutes. Given the number of wings on the Bucks’ roster, Smith faces an arduous climb to earn consistent rotation minutes. While managers in deeper dynasty leagues may keep an eye on him, there won’t be a need for that in redraft leagues.