NBA Player News

Shams notes that Curry has already been ruled out for Game 2 on Thursday, but the week timeline means he’ll miss Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday with a chance to return for Game 5 on Wednesday. This is the first muscle strain of Curry’s career, so how quickly he returns will depend on how he responds to rehab. Fortunately for Golden State, the team came away with a win on the road in Game 1, and two of the next three games will be at home, giving the Warriors a chance to stay alive while their superstar PG is out. Expect Buddy Hield to step into a much larger role on offense while Curry is sidelined. Hield has totaled 57 points across his last two games while stroking a blistering 14-of-18 shots from beyond the arc.

After spending the last three seasons with the Spurs, Bassey is an unrestricted free agent playing with the Celtics in Las Vegas. While Boston did sign Luka Garza and Josh Minott in free agency, this could be an intriguing landing spot for Bassey, even if it’s on an Exhibit 10 deal or two-way. On Sunday, he was highly active as a finisher and defender, recording an impressive stat line. Bassey currently doesn’t offer any fantasy value, but an opportunity to contribute in Boston may change that.

Given the many changes to the Celtics’ roster since the end of the 2024-25 season, Scheierman is a young player who should have more opportunities to contribute next season. He shot 1-of-7 from three on Sunday, but the rebounds and assists were encouraging. Scheierman is not a must-select player in 12-team drafts, but he’ll be worth a look in deeper formats. What could change that would be if Boston were to trade Sam Hauser, whose name has come up in rumors this offseason as the Celtics navigate the salary cap.

After going off for 28 points against the Clippers on Friday, Sheppard was held in check Sunday afternoon. The turnovers were more concerning than the shooting, as the second-year guard recorded six while dishing out just one assist. To make an impact with the Rockets next season, Sheppard has to be consistently efficient on offense while not being a liability on defense. How much more he plays in Las Vegas remains to be seen, but he may want an opportunity to redeem himself on the heels of Sunday’s effort.

Smith is entering the final year of his two-year, two-way contract, making these games in Las Vegas critical. The issue for him is Detroit’s frontcourt rotation, as Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Paul Reed are all under contract for the 2025-26 campaign. His skill set is similar to that of Duren and Stewart, who also don’t offer much value as a face-up post player. Smith’s fantasy prospects for the 2025-26 season aren’t the best, even if he offers some intrigue as a rebounder and rim protector.

After spending last season with the Pistons on a two-way contract, Jenkins is a free agent this summer. And with Detroit having one two-way slot available, he’s among the players competing for that opportunity. Performances like the one he produced on Sunday will only help Jenkins’ chances of earning another deal, whether with Detroit or another team. This won’t impact fantasy basketball, but Jenkins’ play in Las Vegas will impact how the Pistons finalize their training camp roster.

With Khaman Maluach held out of Sunday’s game, the Suns relied on Ighodaro even more than they did in Friday’s win over the Wizards. Coming off a rookie season in which he did not receive many opportunities to contribute, the former Marquette standout is looking to earn consistent opportunities in year two. Ighodaro’s ability to facilitate offensively and protect the paint on defense could make him a factor within the Suns’ rotation, even with the additions of Maluach and Mark Williams, and the return of Nick Richards.

The 55th overall pick in last month’s draft, Brea’s start in Las Vegas has been encouraging. Having scored 19 points in his summer debut on Friday, the rookie wing had another solid performance against the Hawks. Phoenix has a surplus of wings on its roster, which limits Brea’s short-term fantasy upside. However, the three-point shooting and defense make him an intriguing prospect in deeper dynasty leagues.

Bufkin did not have a good day shooting the basketball, but that’s unsurprising given the amount of time missed. He’s working his way back from season-ending shoulder surgery in December, so the rust is expected. The positive for Bufkin is that he dished out nine assists while committing just one turnover. Trae Young running the show eliminates any other Hawks point guard’s fantasy value, unless one were to consider Dyson Daniels a point guard. However, Bufkin reaching the point where he can be trusted with rotation minutes would benefit the franchise.

Newell was considerably better in his second appearance after an inefficient scoring night on Friday in his summer league debut. The first-round pick out of Georgia only missed two of his nine shot attempts and recorded a double-double. Also, Newell shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. While he was only a 29 percent shooter at Georgia, the Hawks forward/center will have every opportunity to expand his game. Atlanta’s frontcourt depth should allow Newell not to be rushed through his development, which may pay dividends in the long run.

Flagg played two games at Summer League and averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.5 dimes, 1.5 steals and a swat. Dallas has apparently seen enough from the generational talent, and he won’t get any more run for the final six days of the summer run. There’s no indication that this shutdown has anything to do with injury, so expect Flagg to be all systems go when the 2025-26 season tips off in October.