NBA Player News

Duarte came off the bench Wednesday night, with Harrison Barnes and Sasha Vezenkov serving as the starting forwards. The latter filled in for the banged-up Keegan Murray (thumb), finishing with seven points, three rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer, shooting 3-of-11 from the field. Meanwhile, Duarte played well enough in the first half to replace Vezenkov to start the third quarter. The key for both players, as far as rotation minutes are concerned, is whether or not Kings coach Mike Brown has Vezenkov locked into the power forward position. If so, the coach’s comments about Sasha not being a lock to be in the regular season rotation weren’t just “coach speak,” as Trey Lyles (five points, two rebounds, one assist, and one 3-pointer in 18 minutes) will play. That would be good news for Duarte, who’s a three capable of playing some two-guard. That said, fantasy managers should look elsewhere for late-round fantasy value.

After shooting 2-of-15 from three in the first six games of the Western Conference Finals, Fox shot 3-of-7 in Game 7. In total, seven Spurs scored in double figures, with the balanced effort being enough to counter Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who put up a game-high 35 points. Fox will now make his first NBA Finals appearance, with the Spurs hosting the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday.

Williams shone in Game 7, recording his first double-double of these playoffs. Given the struggles of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein (seven points, five rebounds and one steal), JayWill’s production was one reason why the Thunder had a chance late. Williams has not been a consistent option for fantasy managers during his time in Oklahoma City, but that could change next season. Hartenstein has a team option worth $28.5 million, while new deals for Holmgren and Jalen Williams will begin. The salary cap situation could make JayWill someone whom the Thunder have to rely on more in 2026-27.

Holmgren picked the worst possible time to have one of his worst games of the season. Due to injuries, the Thunder needed more production from the 7-foot-1 forward/center, and he was unable to answer the call. Holmgren attempted just two shots from the field, an inexcusable number given his talent and what was on the line. However, for as disappointing as his Game 7 performance was, Holmgren will remain a highly regarded player in fantasy basketball. He finished this regular season as a second-round player, and that should be the case in 2026-27.

Making his second start of the Western Conference Finals, Wallace stepped up with his best performance of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The Thunder guard shot 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and recorded a complete stat line. On a night when three other starters failed to score in double figures, Wallace was one of Oklahoma City’s most capable options in Game 7. Due to the team’s depth, his fantasy ceiling has been somewhat limited, but Wallace has been a solid option in category leagues. He’ll be extension eligible this summer, and a larger role could be in the cards for 2026-27, especially considering Luguentz Dort’s struggles.

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.