NBA Player News

Chealey signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Hornets back in the offseason but was waived in October. He’s spent the year with Charlotte’s G League affiliate. He should be left on waivers.

After sitting out Thursday’s exhibition against the Spurs with a left knee contusion, Dort will make his unofficial Hawks debut on Saturday. He was a starter while with Oklahoma City, but the veteran guard will likely come off the bench in Atlanta once the regular season begins. If so, Dort, whose fantasy value as a starter wasn’t great, won’t be worth the risk in most leagues.

Filipowski, who appeared in 77 games last season, missed the final two contests due to a back injury. Ultimately, the 6-foot-11 big man had to undergo surgery to address a herniated disc. According to Jazz head coach Will Hardy, while Filipowski is progressing in his recovery, he has not reached the point where he can resume on-court activities. There’s no concrete timeline, with Hardy simply saying that the Jazz hope to get Filipowski back “soon.” With Jusuf Nurkic (foot) out for at least four weeks, Jaxson Hayes is the most likely replacement at center if Utah sticks with a traditional post player.

The extension is fully guaranteed and includes a mutual option in the fifth year as well as a trade kicker, according to Charania. Podziemski is coming off his best season in the NBA where he played in all 82 games and set career-highs nearly across the board. He’s coming off the board in the ninth-round of fantasy drafts this year.

Wilson started and played 32 minutes, which was the most of anyone on either team. The 20-year-old forward who was the fourth overall pick in the draft had 21 points on 17 attempts. He bounced back after missing all four of his three-point attempts in his last preseason game to make 5-of-11 threes against the Grizzlies. Wilson is an intriguing pick with upside in the top-75 of fantasy drafts this year.

Edey made his preseason debut earlier this week after returning from offseason ankle surgery. The 24-year-old big man from Purdue played well in 16 minutes. He had 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. Healthy again, Edey is a solid pick in the middle of the fifth-round of fantasy drafts this year.

Jerome was excellent as the 29-year-old point guard gets ready for the regular season. In just 14 minutes, he had 16 points, four assists and four three-pointers. Jerome played only 15 games for Memphis last year, but averaged 19.7 points, 5.7 assists and 2.8 threes. He’s coming off the board in the eighth-round of fantasy drafts this year.

Stewart’s preseason debut with the Grizzlies lasted just two minutes when he sprained his left ankle in Monday’s game against the Pistons. He has since been diagnosed with a moderate sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Based on the timeline, Stewart will miss the regular-season opener on October 21, but could return shortly after. His absence won’t significantly affect fantasy basketball, especially since Zach Edey is healthy.

The Kings were without Domantas Sabonis for Thursday’s game, so Raynaud started. An All-Rookie selection last season, the 7-foot-1 center made 56 starts for the then-injured Sabonis. Raynaud finished the defeat with a double-double, and he had 18 such games last season. With Sabonis back, Raynaud is at best a late-round option in 12-team drafts. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if his role expanded at some point, especially if the Kings moved Sabonis.

After attempting just two shots in the Kings’ first meeting with the Lakers this preseason, Achiuwa was far more active on Thursday. Only Darius Acuff Jr. among the Kings’ starters took more shots, and Achiuwa shot well over 50 percent from the field. His viability as a fantasy option this season depends in part on Keegan Murray’s health, as he hasn’t played in either of Sacramento’s first two preseason games. While a healthy Murray would likely push De’Andre Hunter to the bench, his presence in the lineup could also mean fewer shots for Achiuwa.

Outside of a solid finish to the first half, Acuff struggled mightily on Thursday. The rookie point guard missed his first nine field-goal attempts, and he finished with more turnovers (three) than assists (one). Reading too much into two preseason appearances would be foolish, but those who roster Acuff will need to exercise patience.