NBA Player News

Not selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, Alexander signed a two-way contract with the Nuggets last July. The former Creighton guard only appeared in 24 regular-season games for Denver, but he made his mark in the G League. Alexander averaged 25.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game for the Nuggets’ G League affiliate, earning league Rookie of the Year honors. His expected departure will not impact Denver from a fantasy basketball standpoint.

After missing this third straight contest on Monday vs. the Cavs, Caruso is expected to not be out long term as his ankle sprain is not deemed serious. Even when the veteran guard gets back into the fold, the Thunder will still rely on the younger guys for heavy minutes.

Terry enters his fifth season in the NBA, departing from the Warriors G League team in Santa Cruz. In 218 games played, Terry has averaged 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists. His most recent stints last season with the Bulls and 76ers, saw him play just 11.5 minutes per game. The 6-7 wing will help provide the Thunder some depth in that position as the injuries have piled up just in the opening weeks of the season.

Garland’s efficiency remains an issue for fantasy managers. In addition to the poor shooting, he committed seven turnovers against the Raptors. Four of those turnovers occurred in the fourth quarter, as the Clippers were outscored 47-27 and surrendered a 13-point lead. Some may view this as a good “buy low” opportunity, but Garland has committed at least five turnovers in five of the Clippers’ first seven games.

Nearly a month after injuring his foot during a preseason game, Strus made his Clippers debut on Monday. Unsurprisingly, he was a bit rusty offensively, but Strus made contributions on both ends of the floor. He played 23 minutes, a number that will increase as any restrictions are lifted. Fantasy managers in 12-team leagues can hold off on adding Strus for now, but he may be worth picking up soon.

Inconsistent as a starter in the Clippers’ first six games, Jackson was moved to the bench on Monday. The decision could have been matchup-based, but Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue stuck with Brook Lopez (12/6/1/1/1 with one three-pointer) as the starting center after Toronto ruled out Jakob Poeltl. Jackson didn’t let the demotion get him down, as he recorded a season-high point total and matched his previous high in rebounds. Simply put, even if Jackson continues to come off the bench, those rostering him shouldn’t throw in the towel.

The Clippers didn’t have Derrick Jones Jr. or Rui Hachimura for Monday’s game, so Sanders made his second start of the season. The second-year wing had the best night of his NBA career, dropping a career-high 26 points. Sanders scored 13 points in both halves, but he may have run out of steam late. Shooting 1-of-5 from the field, Sanders scored five points in the fourth quarter, and the Clippers shot 30.4 percent as a team. That’s how a team goes from leading by 13 to losing by seven.

Barnes appeared to aggravate his sore left hip during the third quarter, but he returned to the game after some time on the bench. And it’s a good thing he did, as the Raptors forward was outstanding in the fourth quarter. Barnes recorded 15 points, eight rebounds, one assist and two steals in the quarter, helping the Raptors erase a 13-point deficit to win by seven. Barnes struggled at the foul line, but that was his only negative on his final stat line.

With Jakob Poeltl (shoulder) out for a second straight game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic gave Murray-Boyles his first start of the season. The second-year forward capitalized on the opportunity, finishing two points shy of his career high. Add in the rebounds and blocks, and this was a good night for fantasy managers rostering Murray-Boyles. Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was ineffective as a starter on Sunday, played just two minutes against the Clippers.

The Raptors entered the third quarter trailing by 13, but thanks to the tandem of Quickley and Scottie Barnes, they managed to walk down the Clippers and win by seven. Quickley and Barnes scored 29 of Toronto’s 47 points in the quarter, with Quickley providing 14. It’s early, but IQ has been close to a top-50 player in nine-cat formats, exceeding his Yahoo ADP by a comfortable margin.

Barrett scored 16 points in the first half of Monday’s game, shooting 7-of-9 from the field. The overall stat line was good, except for one category: free-throw percentage. Barrett is shooting a career-worst 58.8 percent from the charity stripe this season, a number that has done his category league value no favors. That said, Barrett is a career 69.5 percent shooter, so it may not be too surprising that he’s started slowly in that regard.