NBA Player News

Just a few days after their former coach landed a gig in Detroit, the Suns have found their man who they hope can lead them to the promise land. Vogel most recently coached the Lakers, leading them to an NBA title in the bubble during the 2019-20 season. However, he was let go after a disappointing 2021-22 campaign. Before his Lakers tenure, Vogel had coaching stints with the Magic and most notably the Pacers, leading Indiana to the playoffs in five of his six seasons at the helm. In his 11 total seasons as head coach, Frank boasts a 52% winning percentage (431-389).

Mamu delivered excellent production off the bench for the Lakers in the first half of Tuesday’s game, scoring 13 points in 12 minutes. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as effective after halftime, scoring four points on 2-of-4 shooting. Although Tuesday was a tale of two halves for Mamukelashvili, his ability to score points in bunches makes the forward/center worth rostering in 14-team leagues.

Reaves, whose point total increased in each of the Lakers’ first three games, has scored 23+ points in all four outings. He didn’t record any defensive stats on Tuesday, but most fantasy managers target Reaves for his offensive production. Efficient against Portland, the Lakers guard didn’t turn the ball over at all in his 39 minutes. Reaves is shooting 63.3 percent from the field over four games, an incredible percentage given his place in the Lakers’ pecking order and how much attention opposing defenses pay him.

One game removed from dropping 52 points on the Jazz, Dončić had another prolific scoring night on Tuesday. In addition to the high field-goal percentage, he kept the turnovers in check, committing only two. Despite averaging nearly six turnovers per game, Dončić has been one of the most valuable players in nine-cat formats. Shooting 87.5 percent from the foul line, which represents significant improvement, certainly helps.

The Time Lord doesn’t need to log many minutes to offer solid fantasy value, as his Tuesday performance shows. Williams played 21 minutes off the bench and recorded a double-double with three “stocks.” As a result of his play throughout the victory, Williams was on the court in crunch time while starter Donovan Clingan (nine points, 10 rebounds, one assist, one block and two three-pointers in 26 minutes) was on the bench. Williams remains a deep-league option at best, but that could change with a few more performances like Tuesday’s.

After comfortable wins over the Suns and Kings, we got our first “Dame Time” moment of the 2026-27 season on Tuesday. Lillard’s three-pointer with 43.1 seconds remaining extended Portland’s lead to six, essentially ending the game. He scored 10 of his 21 points in the final quarter, and he and Deni Avdija accounted for 19 of the Blazers’ 34 points in the frame. It’s still early in the season, but so far Portland’s perimeter rotation hasn’t hurt Lillard’s fantasy value.

After scoring 11 first-half points on Tuesday, Avdija went quiet in the third quarter, scoring two points on 1-of-4 shooting. But he was front and center when the Trail Blazers needed him most, recording nine points, two rebounds, four assists and two three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Thanks in part to Avdija’s stellar play, the Trail Blazers outscored the Lakers 34-26 in the fourth and moved their record to 3-0.

After totaling 20 points in Portland’s first two games, Holiday had his most productive night of the season on Tuesday. The veteran guard played 30 minutes off the bench, and his minutes have increased in each of Portland’s three games. Thirty minutes may be Holiday’s cap, not because of health, but because of Portland’s perimeter depth. Starters Damian Lillard and Ja Morant also played at least 30 minutes, with fellow reserve Scoot Henderson logging 17.

Sure, the Trail Blazers have played only three games, but they haven’t had any issues with how they distribute offensive responsibilities. Morant, Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija can all operate on or off the ball, and that was a huge factor in their win over the Lakers. While Morant took a back seat in the fourth quarter, he scored 10 of his 23 points in the first. With good percentages and a low turnover rate, he’s been close to a top-50 player in nine-cat formats so far.

Robinson entered Tuesday averaging 19.7 points and 5.0 three-pointers per game. The Knicks focused more on him defensively, and the Pistons’ wing had a rough night. Robinson shot 0-of-8 from the field in the first half and missed all six of his three-point attempts. He got a couple to fall in the second half, but the final return wasn’t what fantasy managers hoped for.

Given Cunningham’s scoring trend in Detroit’s first four games, he’s likely to score 20+ against the Hornets on Wednesday. The Knicks kept him in check for most of the night, with Cade totaling 10 points in the final three quarters of Tuesday’s defeat. The good news for fantasy managers was that he put up quality rebound and assist numbers, finishing one board and two helpers shy of a triple-double.