Stein: Richards ‘prime candidate’ to sign with MIA

Not selected in June’s draft after two quality seasons at George Washington, Castro was initially reported to have signed with the Bucks on a two-way deal. However, the deal was never finalized, opening the door for Castro to sign with the Rockets. To make room for Castro, the Rockets have waived two-way guard Tristen Newton.

The 49th overall pick in the 2026 draft, Hopkins had a productive Summer League run in Las Vegas. The former St. John’s standout has been rewarded with a two-way deal, and there could be times during the season when he’s called upon to provide added depth on the wing. While worthy of a look in dynasty leagues, there’s no need to consider Hopkins in redraft formats during draft season.

Miller’s injury could mean additional run for Keaton Wagler and Kris Dunn, though the pair will compete with Gradey Dick, Bradley Beal and Darius Garland for minutes.

Kuminga’s free agency saga is over as he joins a contender where he’ll likely have a starting role. Kuminga’s deal has a player option in Year 2, giving him the chance to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027.

According to Shams, the Pels asked the Clippers to withdraw their qualifying offer on the restricted free agent so that they could get the deal done. Mathurin’s deal includes a player option that will give him the chance to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent next summer. He should play a significant role for New Orleans, though the competition for minutes will be fiercer than it was in LA.

Like Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Mathurin’s status as a restricted free agent has made the task of landing a contract a challenging one. Few teams have the cap space to make the former lottery pick an attractive offer, and the Clippers also have to factor in the Kawhi Leonard trade, which the Raptors paused while the NBA investigates his contract. According to Fischer, the Pelicans remain interested in adding Mathurin via sign-and-trade. However, with more players becoming trade-eligible in September, that may have to wait. Another option for Mathurin is to accept the Clippers’ qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Thanks to a foot injury suffered before the start of training camp, Niang did not play at all in 2025-26 after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Jazz. The veteran forward, who was sent to Memphis as part of the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, was waived shortly thereafter. Playing for the Cavaliers and Hawks, Niang averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.1 three-pointers per game in 2024-25, shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc. He’ll provide the Warriors with added frontcourt depth but is unlikely to be in a position where he consistently affects fantasy basketball.

In his third season with Dallas, Williams enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career behind averages of 13 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 “stocks.” He’ll offer depth to a Warriors team that surprisingly stood pat during free agency, and Williams will compete for backup guard minutes with the likes of De’Anthony Melton and Will Richard.

The Heat continue filling out their roster, most recently signing Klay Thompson to a two-year deal. However, they still need interior depth, and Richards is reportedly under consideration. Stein’s report aligns with those of Heat beat reporters in recent days. However, if he were to sign with the Heat, Richards’ addition would not have a significant impact on fantasy basketball.

After fighting to establish himself as an NBA player in his first four seasons of professional basketball, Williams broke through in 2025-26. With Kyrie Irving unavailable as he recovered from a torn ACL, Williams appeared in 66 games for the Mavericks. In those appearances, he averaged 13.0 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists, shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 79.3 percent from the foul line. While his signing gives the Warriors another option on the perimeter, Williams is not a must-draft player in redraft leagues.