NBA Player News

Charlotte currently has the 12th overall pick in the June 20 draft and with the not having much room cap-wise, moving up in the lottery may be the easiest path to improving the roster around All-Star Kemba Walker. “We’re talking to a lot of teams. We would like to move up,” Kupchak said Friday. “Historically, if you look at what it costs to move up four slots or two slots or five slots, a lot of times it’s an expensive transaction.” The question worth asking is can Charlotte move up in the lottery while also finding some salary cap relief. If so, that would be optimal heading into free agency. Walker, who will be an unrestricted free agent later this month, is eligible for a super max contract, and Jeremy Lamb will also be a free agent.

Veesaar, the 52nd overall pick in June’s draft, suffered the injury during a workout on September 15. As a result, the 6-foot-11 center will miss the entire 2026-27 season. Veesaar’s injury leaves the Hawks down a player in the minutes battle behind starting center Onyeka Okongwu. Jock Landale projects to be the primary backup, with rookie Zubi Ejiofor also in the mix for minutes.

The 50th overall pick in June’s draft, Bradley was initially signed to a two-way contract. However, because the Raptors were limited in their ability to spend to fill out their available standard contracts, the former Arizona guard’s deal has been converted to a four-year deal worth just under $9.3 million. While Monday’s transaction gives Bradley a little more short-term security and frees up a two-way slot for the Raptors, it’s unlikely to significantly affect fantasy basketball.

The 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Batum played 18 seasons in the league for four franchises, most recently the Clippers. While he may not have received an All-Defensive Team honor during his time in the NBA, the 6-foot-8 wing was long respected for his ability to take on a variety of matchups on that end of the floor. Offensively, Batum’s most productive season was the 2016-17 campaign as a member of the Hornets, when he averaged 15.1 points per game. For his career, Batum averaged 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.5 three-pointers per game. In addition to his lengthy NBA career, Batum has been a key contributor to France’s rise as a consistent contender for medals in FIBA and Olympic competitions.

The 54th overall pick in June’s draft, Jones played for the Warriors’ Summer League team but faced long odds of earning a roster spot in training camp. Instead of going to training camp, he’ll play in Italy this season, with the Warriors retaining his draft rights. With the Warriors signing former Gonzaga center Graham Ike to a two-way contract, all three of those slots are filled going into camp, with Malevy Leons and L.J. Cryer occupying the other two.

The contract extension comes after Detroit finished as the Eastern Conference’s top seed for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Thompson started 72 of 73 regular-season games en route to earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, and will enter his fourth NBA season with a chance to build on his overall game. A jump in offensive production would boost his fantasy value.

Larsson carved out a solid role for the Heat last season, starting 54 of the 70 regular-season games and averaging 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game overall. He should again be a part of the nightly rotation in his third NBA season for a Miami team that expects to have a much higher ceiling with the offseason acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo. From a fantasy perspective, Larsson could take another leap in production and build in 2026-27 on a strong end to his second season.

Days after NBA insider Marc Stein called Denver a “team to watch” on Whitmore, the former first-round pick has officially agreed to a two-way deal. A blood clot in his shoulder limited Whitmore to 21 appearances for the Wizards last season, and he has not played 60 games in any of his three NBA seasons. His rookie season was Whitmore’s most productive, as he averaged 12.3 points per game with the Rockets. The move to Denver won’t affect redraft leagues, but Whitmore could remain in play in dynasty leagues if he can turn the two-way deal into something more.

After two seasons of inconsistent play, George took a significant step forward in 2025-26. The 6-foot-4 point guard recorded career-high averages in points, assists and steals. Averaging 23.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.5 three-pointers per game, George cemented his status as the point guard the Jazz will lean on as they look to move up the pecking order in the Western Conference. While having a healthy Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. may cut into George’s scoring, his assist production could increase in 2026-27.

After missing the entire 2024-25 season recovering from a torn ACL, Bey had the most productive season of his NBA career to date. Starting 64 of the 72 games he played, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.1 three-pointers while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 84.1 percent from the foul line. Injuries to other wings freed up additional opportunities for Bey last season, but the contract extension shows he has clearly locked down a key role.

Bona, who is expected to compete with Ariel Hukporti for the backup center job, suffered the injury while representing Turkïye during FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The 76ers announced that he’ll be re-evaluated when training camp begins at the end of the month. While Bona’s injury won’t significantly affect his fantasy draft value, missing regular-season games would remove a potential safety net for managers who select Joel Embiid.