NBA Player News

Coming from an 18-month stretch where he underwent three surgeries, Whitehead is working off the rust in Las Vegas. The rookie wing did not shoot the ball particularly well on Sunday, but he displayed flashes of the athleticism and offensive ability that made him one of the top players in the Class of 2022. With the Nets pivoting to a rebuild, Whitehead will have opportunities to contribute as long as he remains healthy. The rookie is worth tracking for the remainder of summer league action.

According to Irving’s agent, “this is about Kyrie being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season.” Dallas is near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, and the team has no incentive to rush Irving back before he’s fully healthy. Fantasy managers holding out hope for an end-of-season return can finally drop him and free up a valuable IL spot.

Sent to Oklahoma City in exchange for Ousmane Dieng, who was rerouted to Chicago and then to Milwaukee, Plumlee was waived on February 4. While his addition to the roster gives the Spurs another frontcourt option in the short term, the veteran center is highly unlikely to affect fantasy basketball. Plumlee can be left on the waiver wire.

Robinson, who was on a two-way contract, appeared in just four games for the Magic before the All-Star break. In a corresponding move that won’t affect fantasy basketball, the team signed wing Alex Morales to a two-way contract.

Walker, who was on a two-way deal, maxed out his 50-game limit before the All-Star break. This move ensures that he’ll be available to play in games for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. While Walker’s signing ensures the 76ers of another option in the frontcourt if needed, he’s unlikely to affect fantasy basketball.

Williams, who played with the Heat’s Summer League outfit this past summer, makes the move up after playing for the Wizards’ G League affiliate this season. The fourth-year guard was named a G League All-Star earlier this month. While he may have opportunities to show what he can do, Williams is unlikely to have a significant impact on fantasy basketball.

Williams spent time with the Rockets over the last few seasons and actually signed a four-year deal with them last March. However, he was waived over the summer and has been playing this season with the Long Island Nets. Williams went undrafted in 2022 and hasn’t been able to stick around with a team since then, but he’ll get the chance to establish himself with Golden State, though he will likely spend most of his time in the G League.

Payne spent time during the preseason with the Pacers but has played in Serbia since then. However, he is “securing a buyout,” which will allow him to sign with Philadelphia. The veteran point guard will provide depth behind Tyrese Maxey, but he won’t see significant minutes unless there is an injury in front of him. In that scenario, he may be able to provide decent value in assists.

Edwards received 10 of the 14 votes for MVP of the All-Star Game, with Kawhi Leonard receiving the other four. Edwards’ highest-scoring game was the first matchup with Team World, which ended with a Scottie Barnes game-winning triple after Edwards forced overtime with a three-pointer of his own. They lost to Team USA Stars in the second game of the night, but they got revenge in the championship by winning 47-21. Edwards has had his best season as a scorer thus far and will look to build on this performance with a strong finish to this season.

Team USA Stars ultimately lost to Team USA Stripes in the championship, but overall, this was a great performance from Leonard, who has had an excellent season for the Clippers. De’Aaron Fox hit a game-winning triple to beat the Stripes in the first matchup, but Leonard provided the heroics in his home arena against Team World. He scored 31 points in that 12-minute game, including what ended up being the game-winning triple. However, he fell flat in the championship game. Still, Kawhi has been incredible this season and will get the next few days off to ensure he is fresh for the final stretch of the season.

Team World lost both of their games to each of the Team USA teams by a combined total of five points. Wemby certainly can’t be blamed for the losses. He scored 33 of the team’s combined 80 points and was efficient while doing it. Heroics from Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard prevented Wemby and Team World from getting a win, but Wembanyama was still one of the best players in the All-Star Game and appears primed to finish the regular season strong.