NBA Player News

Exum injured his finger during Australia’s preparations for the Paris Olympics, sitting out the team’s group play opener against Spain. He played the remainder of the Boomers’ games without issue and is a full go for Mavericks training camp. While Exum wasn’t a significant fantasy asset last season, he did have a run in December in which he scored 11 points or more in 11 of 12 games. During this stretch, Exum averaged 16.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.9 3-pointers in 31.5 minutes. He isn’t a player who needs to be drafted in most leagues, but there could be times during the season when Exum offers solid streaming value.

Both guys will get the night off, which will allow some of the younger guys to get extended minutes. Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama will also be suiting up for the first time this preseason, which will likely be the main focus for fantasy managers.

FVV and Adams will get a rest night, which means we’ll get an extended look at just the young guys in Houston. Amen Thompson will be taking over point guard duties, which will have dynasty managers excited about the future.

This is OKC’s first game with their full rotation available, and they are rolling with Caruso as the new acquisition that fills Josh Giddey’s spot. This doesn’t mean that they’ll roll out this lineup every game, so managers that are wanting to draft Isaiah Hartenstein shouldn’t freak out yet. However, it is worth keeping an eye on as the preseason continues.

McBride starred in their first preseason game, scoring a team-high 22 points off the bench. However, with him sidelined for this game, Tyler Kolek should get extended minutes behind Jalen Brunson, who will likely only play a small role in this exhibitiion.

Brown logged less than 10 minutes per game for Portland last season, and he joined the Lakers for the Las Vegas Summer League without landing a deal. He’ll now compete for a roster spot in New York with a front court depth chart that includes Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa, among others.

Washington Jr. has appeared in 79 contests for the Pacers and Suns across his first two NBA seasons. He’ll look for a new home before the 2024-25 campaign tips off on October 22.

Exum logged 19.8 minutes across 55 appearances for the Mavs last season. His early absence should free up additional playing time for Spencer Dinwiddie and potentially Quentin Grimes or Jaden Hardy.

Due to injuries, Whitehead only played a few games for the Nets as a rookie. The 2023 first-round pick is well off the radar in fantasy basketball, but he’s one of the Nets who may have value during the second half of the season. There’s no need to draft Whitehead outside of dynasty leagues, but he is someone to be mindful of after the trade deadline.

Williams was traded to Brooklyn by the Grizzlies during the offseason. While that means he’s unlikely to play for a contender in 2024-25, there should be more opportunities to show what he can do as a pro. Williams played well in Brooklyn’s preseason opener, attacking the basket consistently and providing solid scoring off the bench. The complete stat line will intrigue fantasy managers, especially if Brooklyn falls out of contention relatively early, as many expect. Williams is not a player who should be drafted, but deep-league managers will want to have him on their watch lists for later in the season.

In Brooklyn’s preseason opener, three was Clowney’s lucky (or unlucky) number. The second-year forward missed all three of his 3-point attempts and was responsible for three turnovers. Add in the points, rebounds, and assists; Tuesday night was difficult for Clowney. With Day’Ron Sharpe (hamstring) out until mid-November at the earliest, the door is wide open for Clowney to claim minutes behind starter Nic Claxton. Even with Tuesday’s performance, the opportunity makes him worth a late-round flier in drafts.