NBA Player News

Puerto Rico will participate in the men’s basketball competition at the Summer Olympics for the first time since 2004, and Alvarado led the way in Sunday’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament final. The Pelicans guard takes on a vastly different role with Puerto Rico, taking on more scoring responsibilities. Alvarado led Puerto Rico in scoring while also knocking down four 3-pointers. While he only recorded one steal on the day, the point guard’s point-of-attack defense was crucial. Puerto Rico will compete in Group C in Paris, joining the United States, Serbia, and South Sudan.

Pippen has been rewarded with a standard contract after playing well for the Grizzlies at the end of last season and in Summer League. How much he plays will depend on Ja Morant’s health. There isn’t much to gain from drafting Pippen now, but given Morant’s injury history, there may come a time when he’ll have streaming value.

Okogie has been sidelined since the Suns’ third preseason game, a home win over Detroit. He played nine minutes in that contest, and it’s unknown when he’ll be available to practice, much less appear in a game. Okogie’s availability will not impact fantasy basketball.

Allen has not seen any action during the preseason and has not been cleared to resume full basketball activities in a practice setting. The addition of Tyus Jones will drop Allen to the bench, lowering his fantasy value after a career 2023-24 campaign. The Achilles issue worsens matters, as Allen should not be drafted in standard leagues.

The Suns scrimmaged on Tuesday, but Nurkis was one of the players who did not participate. He still has not been cleared to begin basketball work, which casts some doubt on Nurk’s availability for the start of the regular season. If Nurkic isn’t cleared to play by next Wednesday, Mason Plumlee should remain the starter while rookie Oso Ighodaro picks up a few minutes off the bench.

The Knicks’ starting five will sit out Wednesday’s exhibition, their final home game before the regular season starts next week. This likely means Friday’s preseason finale in Washington will be used as a dress rehearsal. Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby, and Towns sitting means more opportunities for Cam Payne, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, and Precious Achiuwa on Wednesday.

George injured his knee during Monday’s exhibition in Atlanta and immediately exited the game. The good news is that doctors found no structural damage, but he may not be ready for Philadelphia’s season opener on October 23. With Joel Embiid (knee) also in doubt for the opener, Tyrese Maxey is of even greater importance to the 76ers. In the short term, Kelly Oubre and Caleb Martin will have added fantasy value.

After undergoing a procedure on his right knee during the offseason, Leonard will not see any game action before the Clippers’ regular season opener on October 23. While he’s questionable for that matchup with the Suns, Leonard has not even gone through contact drills in practice. Following Monday’s preseason win over the Mavericks, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue confirmed that the five who started (James Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac) will most likely hold those roles to begin the season. Powell becomes more attractive as a late-round option in standard leagues, while Mann and Jones are better suited for deeper formats.

George injured his knee during the first quarter of Monday’s game and walked back to the bench without assistance shortly after. Before Monday’s game, it was also made clear that, like Joel Embiid, George’s availability in back-to-backs may be inconsistent. So, Monday’s development certainly concerned fantasy managers. Recent developments boost Tyrese Maxey’s value in the early rounds of drafts, while Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, and Caleb Martin are more appealing as late-round targets.

Joiner averaged 7.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game for the College Park Skyhawks last season. He’s not likely to make Atlanta’s opening night roster and become a relevant fantasy player soon.

Bouknight didn’t pan out with the Charlotte Hornets after being selected 11th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. He averaged just 3.6 points per game in the 14 NBA contests he appeared in last season and isn’t likely to crack Portland’s deep guard rotation.