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Braden Smith dishes out five assists, scores 16

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Braden Smith

IND Guard

Player Stats

Braden Smith tallied 16 points (3-of-6 FGs, 6-of-7 FTs), two rebounds, five assists, two steals and one three-pointer in Saturday’s loss to the 76ers.

The Pacers were in danger of being run out of Cox Pavilion on Saturday, but the play of their point guards helped force overtime. Smith, the NCAA Division I all-time assist leader, racked up five while also scoring 16 points. However, it was Yuki Kawamura who provided the initial spark, and he finished with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and one three-pointer. All three of the Pacers’ two-way contract slots have been filled, so Smith and Kawamura may be competing for one training camp invite in Las Vegas. Being the draft pick may give the latter an edge in the competition.

- Raphielle Johnson

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Ethan Thompson

FA Guard #55

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According to EuroHoops, Ethan Thompson has reportedly come to terms on a contract with Partizan Belgrade.

For the deal to be finalized, Thompson’s departure frees up a two-way contract for the Pacers. That gives the team, which is hard-capped at the first apron, another possible avenue to sign second-round pick Braden Smith. While he could also be signed to a deal paying the rookie minimum, Smith on a two-way deal would give the Pacers a little more financial flexibility.
Yuki Kawamura

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Clippers signed Yuki Kawamura to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Kawamura has appeared in 40 NBA games over two seasons, most recently spending the 2025-26 season with the Bulls on a two-way deal. In 18 NBA appearances for Chicago, the 5-foot-9 guard averaged 3.6 points and 2.6 assists in 11.6 minutes. Kawamura played for the Pacers’ summer league team in Las Vegas, doing enough to earn a training camp invite from the Clippers. He still has two-way contract eligibility, and that may be the path that Kawamura is asked to take in 2026-27.
Braden Smith

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Braden Smith finished Monday’s loss to the Raptors with zero points (0-of-7 FGs), three rebounds, nine assists and two steals.

While Smith had a rough shooting day, missing all four of his three-point attempts, the rookie guard did a good job running the team in Indiana’s 94-93 defeat. Smith committed just two turnovers in his 27 minutes while recording a team-high nine assists. The Pacers don’t have an open two-way contract, so Smith is likely competing for an Exhibit 10 deal unless the front office waives someone.
Braden Smith

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Bulls selected Braden Smith with pick No. 38 in the NBA Draft.

The 5-foot-10 Smith finished his Purdue career as the NCAA’s all-time assist leader, and he was also a consensus All-American in each of his final two seasons. As a senior, he averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.6 three-pointers, shooting 44.0 percent from the field and 82.5 percent from the foul line. While his size is not an asset, Smith’s ability to run a team and get scorers the ball in spots where they can be successful cannot be overlooked. Chicago will send Smith to Indiana in exchange for Kam Jones. Arguably the best playmaker in the draft will be a backup option behind one of the best playmakers in the league.
Josh Giddey

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Josh Giddey (hamstring) is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Raptors.

Giddey has missed Chicago’s last four games with a strained hamstring. With the Bulls trading Coby White to the Hornets, they will be asking a lot of Ayo Dosunmu if he’s healthy enough to play. Dosunmu is also questionable for Thursday’s game, which could make this a showcase for Yuki Kawamura if Ayo and Josh can’t play.
Kevin Huerter

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Kevin Huerter (back) is questionable to play against the Bucks on Tuesday.

Huerter missed Sunday’s game, but he could be back against Milwaukee. Yuki Kawamura, Dalen Terry and Julian Phillips played significant roles in the blowout loss but will lose out on minutes if Huerter and Jalen Smith (calf) return. However, none of the three are productive enough to be worth streaming regardless.
Yuki Kawamura

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ESPN’s Shams Charania reports Yuki Kawamura has agreed to a two-way deal with the Bulls.

No surprise here as Kawamura is rewarded with a two-way deal after a strong summer league performance with the Bulls as a free agent. Kawamura spent his rookie season with the Grizzlies on a two-way deal. The 5-foot-8 guard has limited upside due to his size, but his playmaking ability was on full display in Vegas.
Yuki Kawamura

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Yuki Kawamura amassed 20 points (6-of-11 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and six three-pointers in Friday’s win over the Jazz.

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.
Scotty Pippen

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Scotty Pippen Jr. (back) is out for Sunday’s game against the Mavericks.

Memphis is sitting its top rotation players for Sunday’s game, as they will be the seventh or eighth seed in the West, depending on the results. With Pippen and Ja Morant out, Cam Spencer should play heavy minutes, with Yuki Kawamura likely moving into the rotation. Spencer is the player worth targeting in active deep leagues.
Ja Morant

MEM Point Guard #12

Ja Morant (shoulder) and Desmond Bane (groin) have been ruled out against the Mavericks on Sunday.

As expected, both star guards will miss the regular season finale. While the Grizzlies still have a chance to move up to seventh in the West, they will be in the Play-In Tournament regardless, so they will prioritize having their stars rested for the postseason. Cam Spencer and Yuki Kawamura should be in line for significant workloads.

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Keegan Murray

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Keegan Murray accounted for two points (1-of-8 FGs), four rebounds and one steal in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.

Given Darius Acuff Jr.'s struggles on Wednesday, Murray’s night may avoid some scrutiny. However, he also struggled, missing his first seven attempts and not scoring until 9:08 was left in the fourth quarter. And Murray didn’t do much in the other categories either, which is a concern for fantasy managers. He’ll look to bounce back on Friday when the Kings host Portland.
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Darius Acuff

SAC Guard #5
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Darius Acuff Jr. amassed 12 points (5-of-24 FGs, 2-of-5 FTs), three rebounds, three assists and three steals in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.

Most fantasy managers and basketball fans expect rookie point guards to be inefficient. However, Acuff’s performance against the Clippers was rough. He missed all seven three-point attempts, shot 5-of-24 from the field, and finished with more turnovers (four) than assists (three). Acuff’s upside is undeniable, but he’ll have games like Wednesday.
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Domantas Sabonis finished Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers with 14 points (5-of-5 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), 18 rebounds, eight assists and one steal.

Sabonis didn’t miss a shot on Wednesday and finished two assists shy of a triple-double. However, it’s fair to ask why he didn’t get more shots, especially when Darius Acuff Jr. and Keegan Murray combined to shoot 6-of-32 from the field. Playing alongside a rookie point guard can be challenging for a veteran post player like Sabonis, who can also facilitate offense. However, Wednesday’s outing showed he can offer excellent fantasy value on nights with low shot attempts.
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Zach LaVine recorded 28 points (10-of-19 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), four rebounds, four assists and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers.

After injuries limited him to 39 games in his first full season with the Kings, LaVine looked completely healthy on Wednesday. Without him and fellow veteran Domantas Sabonis, the Kings would have fared worse, but they still lost the opener 121-96. As long as he stays healthy, LaVine should return to being a reliable fantasy asset. The question is whether a good first half of the season would convince a contending team to acquire him before the February trade deadline.
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Keaton Wagler notched 15 points (4-of-8 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), five rebounds, five assists, two steals and three three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

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Brook Lopez accumulated 17 points (7-of-12 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one three-pointer in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

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Rui Hachimura tallied 10 points (3-of-13 FGs, 2-of-5 FTs), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and two three-pointers in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

Given the Clippers’ lack of proven scorers, Hachimura is in a position to offer more value than he did as a Laker. However, you have to make shots, and he didn’t do that consistently enough on Wednesday. Hachimura shot 1-of-6 from inside the arc, which hurt his field-goal percentage. He did put up decent numbers in rebounds, steals and blocked shots, so Wednesday wasn’t a total loss for those rostering Hachimura.
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Isaiah Jackson accounted for 13 points (6-of-8 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), five rebounds and one steal in Wednesday’s win over the Kings.

Jackson’s starting nod was expected to raise his fantasy ceiling, and he was productive Wednesday night. However, the Clippers’ center played just 15 minutes because of foul trouble. Backup Brook Lopez played 27 minutes, and that may not have happened if Jackson were able to stay on the court. Jackson is worth a look in 12-team leagues if he’s on the waiver wire, even with the foul trouble against Sacramento.
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Darius Garland finished Wednesday’s win over the Kings with 30 points (11-of-19 FGs, 5-of-8 FTs), one rebound, four assists, one steal and three three-pointers.

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Scoot Henderson

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Scoot Henderson accounted for 15 points (7-of-14 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one three-pointer in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

Among the four guards in Portland’s rotation, Henderson (19 minutes) played the least on Wednesday. He played nine of those minutes after halftime, while starters Ja Morant and Damian Lillard and reserve Jrue Holiday (8/4/1/2) logged between seven and nine minutes each. While Henderson having a role won’t be an issue for him, his playing time might be, especially against tougher opponents.
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