NBA Player News

Payne has missed New York’s last four games with a sprained ankle. With Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride also out, Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek have handled the point guard responsibilities. If Payne and Brunson are available on Saturday, there won’t be much to gain from rostering Wright or Kolek in most leagues.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, George injured his knee during a recent workout. The 76ers wing only appeared in 41 games in his debut season with the team, as groin and knee injuries sidelined him for good in March. George initially hyperextended his left knee during the preseason, and it remained an issue throughout the year. With Joel Embiid also recovering from offseason knee surgery, the 76ers could be without two of their stars when training camp opens in September.

Toppin, who agreed to a two-way contract in March, played well in Las Vegas before suffering an injury. According to the Hawks, he’s dealing with a left hip injury sustained during the first half of Monday’s game. Given Atlanta’s depth at the power forward position, Toppin may struggle to get the minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball once the regular season begins. That said, the Hawks had to be pleased with his play at summer league.

With only $250,000 of Holmes’ contract for the 2025-26 season guaranteed, he was considered a candidate to be waived this offseason. The veteran forward/center appeared in 31 games for the Wizards last season, averaging 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 17.2 minutes. If Holmes were to catch on with another team, he could provide frontcourt depth, but he’s unlikely to impact fantasy basketball.

Deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder limited Wemby to just 46 appearances in Year 2. The superstar big man has been phenomenal through his first two NBA seasons, and fantasy managers should expect more of the same for the 2025-26 season, assuming there are no additional health issues. He should be a consensus top-3 pick in upcoming fantasy basketball drafts.

Raynaud suffered a right wrist injury, and it will cost him at least one game. The second-round pick from Stanford has been solid in Summer League play, and it could translate to a substantial role for Sacramento in Year 1.

Spencer agreed to a two-year, $4.5 million, fully guaranteed deal at the end of June, but his payday will get a bit bigger with this new deal.

Sheppard led Houston in scoring in two straight Summer League appearances, but he notably struggled with ball security and efficiency. Houston doesn’t need to see any more from the second-year guard in this year’s Summer League, and Sheppard will head into the season likely to occupy a similar role to the one he held as a rookie. Don’t expect much playing time for the offense-first guard.

Two days removed from putting on a show with a 32-point effort against the Hornets, Filipowski was not as effective on Sunday. He still surpassed 20 points, but sometimes the Jazz forward/center was not as decisive as he needed to be offensively. Instead of making quick moves to take advantage of mismatches, Filipowski was too deliberate at times, thus eliminating whatever advantage he had. With Utah trading John Collins, there’s an opening in the starting lineup. While Filipowski may be a candidate, the same can be said for Brice Sensabaugh, who played so well in Salt Lake City that the Jazz shut him down before arriving in Las Vegas.

Williams has surpassed 20 points in two straight games, a positive development for a player who struggled mightily as a rookie. However, the perimeter shot remains a work in progress. Williams was 1-of-6 from deep on Sunday, two nights after going 3-of-11 in the loss to the Hornets. He isn’t going to turn into a knockdown shooter overnight. Williams remains a player worth the risk in dynasty leagues, but managers in redraft leagues can afford to leave him on the board.

Richard was not as productive offensively as he was in Friday’s blowout loss to the Trail Blazers, but he once again provided value in multiple areas. The second-round pick out of Florida is in a similar position to Alex Toohey, with both yet to sign contracts with the Warriors. Not only does Golden State have two available two-way slots, but it also has multiple open standard contract slots. Some notable free agents are still available on the market, including restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, so Richard may be in a holding pattern of sorts as the Warriors’ front office sorts things out.