NBA Player News

He’s far from the only one dealing with an illness around the league, and if LeBron and AD can’t play either (both questionable), the Lakers will be in serious trouble. Maybe Trevor Ariza gets more run but he’s the furthest thing from a fantasy asset there is.

While he shot 33.8 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie, shoulder surgery that ended his final college season prematurely factored into Coward’s shooting struggles last season. He was only 3-of-12 from deep on Monday and is now 12-of-34 from the field through two summer league games, but Coward did clean things up from inside the arc. The Grizzlies’ wing shot 6-of-9 from two on Monday after missing all four of his attempts on Saturday. Given the number of shots he’s gotten up so far, Coward may not see much time in Las Vegas later this week.

Williams entered the offseason with two directives: get stronger and improve defensively. He’s reportedly added 10 pounds to his frame, and the Jazz forward had an excellent all-around performance on Monday. After committing six turnovers in Saturday’s summer opener, Williams committed two against the Grizzlies and shot over 50 percent from the field. With the Jazz focused on actually competing next season, Williams’ margin for error is likely to be slim if he’s to earn rotation minutes. As for the rest of this summer, Utah’s decision-makers likely hope that he’ll show early in Las Vegas that he’s too good to be playing.

After dishing out two assists in his summer debut on Saturday, Peterson was elite as a playmaker on Monday. Two turnovers offset his 12 assists, and the second overall pick in last month’s draft also shot over 50 percent from the field. Even with the Jazz having Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier on the roster, there will be times when they need Peterson to do more playmaking for others. His improved ability to balance searching for his shot with getting others involved was highly encouraging and a reminder of the fantasy value he may provide as a rookie.

Injuries and inconsistent play when healthy conspired to make Saraf an afterthought during his rookie campaign. And with the Nets using their lottery pick to select Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr., having a good summer is essential for Saraf as he looks to carve out a consistent role for himself. Coming off the bench in Monday’s California Classic finale, the 26th overall pick in the 2025 draft shot the ball well and led the Nets in assists. Given Brooklyn’s youth on the perimeter, Saraf is worth keeping an eye on this summer.

During his junior and senior seasons at UCLA, Bilodeau averaged 1.6 three-pointers per game while making 43.8 percent of his attempts. So, it’s not like his ability to hit perimeter shots is a major surprise. However, the rookie forward was 6-of-9 in Monday’s 100-79 defeat, joining four other Nets in double figures. Bilodeau is on a two-way contract and the Nets acquired Julius Randle, so achieving fantasy relevance as a rookie will be challenging. But his effort on Monday should not be overlooked, especially considering how much the Nets relied on two-way players late last season.

After sitting out the Nets’ first two games at the California Classic, Brown made his summer debut on Monday. The lottery pick out of Louisville did not shoot the ball particularly well, but he dished out four assists and logged 19 minutes without issue. It remains to be seen how much Brown will play in Las Vegas, as he’s coming off a back injury that cost him 14 games last season. However, Monday’s effort was encouraging, even with the shooting struggles.

Dëmin played well on both Saturday and Monday as the Nets capped their California Classic with a 100-79 victory over the Warriors. As was the case for most of his rookie campaign, the 6-foot-9 guard spent more time finishing than playmaking, and he was excellent. While a foot injury ended his season in early March, Dëmin was the most promising of the five players the Nets selected in the first round of last summer’s draft. Thus far, his play this summer has shown that his foot is no longer an issue, and he’s ready to take another step forward in Year Two.

The combination of his two-way contract and the Spurs being loaded on the perimeter makes it challenging for Gillespie to achieve fantasy relevance during his rookie season. However, he shot the ball quite well on Monday, making five of his nine three-point attempts. Gillespie also dished out six assists while committing two turnovers in what was an excellent conclusion to his California Classic. He’ll look to do more of the same in Las Vegas at the end of the week.

A starter in both games he played at the California Classic, Reed recorded a double-double in Monday’s 88-84 defeat. And with fellow first-round pick Jayden Quaintance yet to play after revealing during his introductory press conference that he may need another procedure on his knee, the rookie out of UConn may be better equipped to compete for rotation minutes immediately. The Spurs won’t need Reed to be a prolific scorer, but his rebounding and defensive ability should give him an opportunity to contribute as a rookie.

With first-round pick Cameron Carr (five points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block) playing just 13 minutes in the Lakers’ final game of the California Classic, Mañon was the team’s best scoring option on Monday. And the two-way contract wing made the most of his opportunity, shooting 70 percent from the field and recording a complete stat line. Given his contract status, Mañon is unlikely to get the opportunities needed to make an impact in fantasy basketball next season. However, his first step is to surpass the nine NBA appearances he made during his rookie season.