K.J.

McDaniels

OKC’s G-League affiliate owns the rights to McDaniels, so if he doesn’t make the team, that’s where he’ll be heading. That said, the Thunder are fairly thin at the three-spot, so McDaniels has a reasonable chance of making the regular-season roster.

McDaniels is currently without an NBA contract, but should he decide to suit up for the G-League, he’ll be playing for OKC’s G-League affiliate. The former second-round pick probably regrets signing a one-year, non-guaranteed deal during his rookie year in Philly.

This is important to note since Dekker did absolutely nothing on the court before having back surgery during his rookie season. Some names joining him on the team include Michael Beasley, Montrezl Harrell, K.J. McDaniels and Gary Payton II.

The Rockets will likely play a big part of the NBA Draft trade landscape and it looks like they’ll try to involve Ariza, Beverley, and/or McDaniels in potential deals. While Ariza delivered top-40 value in nine-category fantasy leagues, his value could take a hit if his role is diminished on a new team.

McDaniels abused would-be defenders like Patrick McCaw all night long, and the only real blotch on his performance was a terrible turnover that may have cost Houston the (meaningless) game. He doesn’t have a clear path to minutes while James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Corey Brewer and Eric Gordon are healthy, but he’s at least improved his stock with a very strong showing in Vegas.

With Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer available on the wings for Houston, it’ll be hard for McDaniels to demand a reliable spot in the rotation this year. In case injuries open up more playing time, deep-league owners should still be aware of his sneaky per-36 minutes averages -- 13.1 points, 1.1 threes, 5.5 boards, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks.

McDaniels is stepping into the lineup with Patrick Beverley (knee) out of action. If he sees a real role in Mike D’Antoni’s rotation, McDaniels is worth a late-round flier given his fantasy-friendly game and versatility.

D’Antoni said that Gordon isn’t starting on Saturday because he wants to keep him in the role that he’s expected to have when Beverley returns, but then added in the same breath that EJ could eventually start over Beverley. It doesn’t sound like even D’Antoni is sure on exactly what he wants to do, but it’s nice to have options. Regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench, Gordon should play closer to starter’s minutes and looks like a good late-round source of 3-pointers and scoring so long as he remains on the court.

McDaniels and Corey Brewer (four points, two assists in 15 minutes) have both secured spots in the rotation, but their upside is severely limited while James Harden, Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza are dominating the wing positions.

He was also 1-of-2 from 3-point range and added eight rebounds and two blocks in just 20 minutes. Coach Mike D’Antoni has been talking him up a bit and it’s possible that he could eventually leapfrog Corey Brewer (four points in 19 minutes) in the rotation if he keeps this up. He’s got some upside, so just put him on your radar for now.