NBA Player News

Chiozza joined the Nets on a two-way deal in September, but he’ll have to look elsewhere for a chance at a roster spot. He wasn’t going to see much playing time if he was on the team, so this won’t have an impact on fantasy hoops.

With no Jalen Williams or Ajay Mitchell, Gilgeous-Alexander was once again in a position where he needed to put the Thunder on his back. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player was outstanding in Game 7, but the Spurs received more contributions across the board, and that was the difference. Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the best players in fantasy basketball this season, regardless of position, and that shouldn’t change anytime soon. Regardless of league format, SGA should go no lower than third overall in fantasy drafts next fall.

Turnovers were an issue for Castle in Game 7, as he was responsible for six, but the second-year guard managed to contribute in other ways. In addition to shooting the ball well, Castle was active on the glass and took most of the hits in guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. One would assume that he’ll be given the task of defending New York’s Jalen Brunson in the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday in San Antonio.

Champagnie came through with his second 20-point game of the Western Conference Finals, helping the Spurs clinch their first NBA Finals trip in 12 years. Shooting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, the Spurs’ forward knocked down key shots at key times, including one triple that extended San Antonio’s lead to 11 with 5:33 remaining in the fourth quarter. Champagnie and the Spurs will host the Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.

Thought to be a year away from truly contending, Wembanyama and the Spurs are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. While his stat line wasn’t the gaudiest, the 7-foot-4 sensation’s fingerprints were all over Game 7. Wembanyama thoroughly outplayed Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and finished with a complete stat line. Next up for San Antonio are the Knicks, with Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for Wednesday night.

After calling on Jared McCain to serve as the fifth starter in Games 5 and 6, the Thunder turn to Wallace to fill the void left by Jalen Williams (hamstring). The third-year guard started Game 4, logging 21 minutes and finishing with five points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals and one three-pointer. Wallace will look to offer greater production on Saturday, with the winner headed to the NBA Finals. Despite moving to the bench, McCain will still figure prominently in the Thunder rotation.

Irving has not appeared in a game since suffering a torn left ACL in March 2025. While there was some optimism last summer that the point guard was ahead of schedule, he did not play at all during the 2025-26 campaign. Based on Irving’s words during a recent livestream, he’s on track to be good to go for the start of the 2026-27 season. “I am definitely close to being over at 100% in terms of my ACL recovery,” Irving said on Friday. “It’s been a while now…I’m so grateful that I’ve had the time to heal and just experiment with my body more on the court and off the court in the weight room & just pushing myself to the limit.” With Cooper Flagg coming off a Rookie of the Year season and the Mavericks adding another lottery pick to the mix this summer, it will be interesting to see where Irving fits in the rebuild under new lead executive Masai Ujiri. A healthy Irving can provide top-25 fantasy value, but his playing time could be limited early on for injury management reasons.

Duren was named to the All-NBA third-team last week, making him eligible for a max contract worth up to $287 million over five years. Amick, who appeared on the Run It Back show Friday, said he has a hard time seeing the Pistons offering that much, which potentially could leave the organization and the player far apart in negotiations initially. With only a handful of teams with cap space this offseason, Duren, a restricted free agent, may still get his best offer from the Pistons, even if it isn’t a max deal.