NBA Player News

Lamb only made it through nine minutes of Monday’s game against the Heat before being forced to exit due to the injury, a game in which Len and Jackson were both absent from altogether. Lamb’s absence should mean more minutes for Donte DiVincenzo, who posted a 12/5/3 line with four treys and three steals in 32 minutes on Monday, and he’s looking like a must-start player this evening with so many Kings on the shelf. Damian Jones will continue to start at center and has been alright, while Jackson is a negligible fantasy option.

DeRozan’s time with the Kings ended earlier this summer, and there has been speculation about his next stop. Miami, Denver, Cleveland and Washington have reportedly expressed interest in the veteran wing, and there were also reports that Portland was involved. However, according to Stein, the Trail Blazers have not pursued the possibility of signing DeRozan. Given the team’s surplus of perimeter players, it is unsurprising that Portland would not be in the mix for the 36-year-old.

The report indicates the Kings are interested in adding a veteran mentor for Darius Acuff Jr., who they just selected with the 7th overall pick. Westbrook and Oladipo have experienced a lot during their NBA careers, so either would be a good locker room presence for Acuff to have around. However, with Acuff as the priority, neither would likely play enough to make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Despite rumors that Holiday would join the 76ers after securing a buyout, Portland intends to keep him around. Holiday appeared in 53 games for the Trail Blazers last season, averaging 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and a career-high 2.6 three-pointers per game. With Ja Morant now in town and Damian Lillard healthy, it’s unclear what Holiday’s role will be, but he should see plenty of minutes as one of the best defenders on the team.

Houstan spent his first three seasons with the Magic before joining the Hawks on a two-way deal in October. Atlanta would convert him to a standard contract before waiving Houstan in early April. He appeared in 18 NBA games for the Hawks, averaging 2.3 points per game. Houstan will compete for the Pelicans’ final standard roster spot, as his contract is not guaranteed. Kobe Bufkin and Christian Koloko will be in the Pelicans’ camp on similar deals.

A door that was once closed for Mitchell and other players like him swung open earlier this summer thanks to a court ruling that now gives college players five seasons of eligibility to be completed over five years. The original rule gave them four years of eligibility. Despite playing well for the Celtics’ summer league team, Mitchell is reportedly considering returning to school to fill the final available roster spot for the two-time defending Big East champions. If Mitchell, who has yet to finalize a contract with the Celtics, were to return to school, Boston would retain his draft rights. Given how lucrative NIL deals can be for some players in this new era of college sports, a domestic “draft and stash” may not be a bad idea for Mitchell, especially when considering that he would be playing for one of the sport’s best coaches in Rick Pitino.

Added via sign-and-trade ahead of the 2024-25 season, Thompson’s first two seasons in Dallas have not gone as planned. While his 38.7 percent mark from three is respectable, that is nearly four percentage points lower than his number with the Warriors. Also, the Mavericks have not been a contender in Thompson’s two seasons, especially after former lead executive Nico Harrison decided to trade Luka Dončić to the Lakers. With 16 players on standard contracts and a new lead executive, Masai Ujiri, calling the shots, it’s unsurprising that the Mavericks would reportedly explore the market for Thompson. In July, it was reported that Miami had interest in Thompson, potentially adding another shooter to play off of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Marshall is entering his third season in Dallas and is now set to be tied to the team until 2030. The two best scoring seasons of his career have come during his time with the Mavericks, and his veteran presence will be important as they continue to add young talent. Marshall has stepped up when Dallas has dealt with injuries in the frontcourt, and he’ll likely continue to be a valuable reserve option for them next season.

Moody is one of two Warriors rotation players working their way back from season-ending knee injuries, with Jimmy Butler being the other. While Butler is recovering from a torn ACL, Moody suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee in late March. He has made progress in his recovery but still has not been cleared to resume running or on-court activities. The hope is that Moody will receive that clearance sometime in September, but there is still no concrete timeline for a return to game action. While fantasy managers can justify stashing Butler in an IL+ slot, that should not be their approach with Moody.

In an unsurprising move, LaVine exercised his player option for the 2026-27 season, as he is set to make just over $49 million. Given the youth of Sacramento’s roster, the veteran guard’s role for next season is unknown. What is reportedly known is that the front office is not willing to put its long-term financial future at risk by waiving LaVine and stretching his contract. The contract makes LaVine a challenging player to move, which would not have been the case had he not picked up the player option. When at his best, LaVine can offer middle-round value in standard fantasy leagues. However, due to the Kings’ current position as a rebuilding team and LaVine coming off a season in which he played 39 games, his draft value may be knocked down a few rounds.

Sochan’s deal with Portland will mark the forward’s third stop in his NBA career. He split last season between the Spurs and Knicks, ultimately finishing as an NBA champion in New York. Sochan saw career lows in playing time, points, rebounds, and assists in 2025-26, but a change of scenery could benefit him. Still, the Trail Blazers are loaded with talent, so there’s no guarantee Sochan will carve out a big enough role to make a fantasy impact.