NBA Player News

Unless the team is still competing for a championship, game five at the summer league in Las Vegas usually features players fighting for an opportunity somewhere. Lewis, who the Nets waived on June 27, certainly qualifies. The 2023 second-round pick had a good day shooting the basketball, making all four of his three-point attempts while leading four Mavericks in double figures with 18 points. Dallas has already filled two of its three two-way contract slots, and Lewis’ performance against Orlando may keep him in the conversation for the third. At the very least, he may be able to earn an invitation to training camp.

Mitchell moved into the starting lineup Monday with the Thunder dealing with a number of injuries and dropped a career-high 30 points in the win over the Suns. He scored 29 points Wednesday against the Mavericks, though it still wasn’t enough to prevent a blowout loss. Nevertheless, Mitchell has become a must-roster player and potentially a league-winner as he continues to produce at a high level when given increased opportunities.

Washington has now had at least 18 points, at least nine rebounds, at least two three-pointers and at least one block in three of his last four games. He’ll easily pay off his draft cost if he keeps up this level of production.

Flagg is averaging 25.3 points, 6.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks through four games this year. The 19-year-old’s game Wednesday against the Thunder was even more impressive considering he also had zero turnovers. Easily the best young player in the league, Flagg may already have elevated himself into being part of the MVP conversation.

Castle’s ability to put up peripheral stats will be an important part of his fantasy outlook in dynasty leagues. The main thing that is notable at this point is that he has attempted 8.2 3PT attempts per game this season which is up from 3.6 last season. In the present, if you drafted him, you’d be feeling pretty happy with the start he has had this season. He’s gotten you points, rebounds, and assists on a consistent basis. If he is shooting 3’s on a consistent basis, he could be a fantasy monster and a staple in the top 50 for years to come.

This game had the outline of a monster fantasy performance with the rebounds and assists. Unfortunately he shot 4-17 from the field which puts a dampener on everything else. Once he becomes the established guy, he will be an absolute monster in fantasy. His ability to get to the rim at will is going to be one of the best in the league when he’s at his peak.

Vassell made some big shots in the fourth quarter to keep the Spurs in this game. While it was a good performance, he’s only up to 12.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on the season. He’s a points and 3-point streamer who will occasionally have good games but is not a must in most redraft leagues. There’s too many high usage players on the team for him to be able to score like this consistently.

Wembanyama took advantage of the mediocre Jazz defense and got whatever he wanted in this game. His defensive presence changes how offenses attack the rim. He has been exactly what you wanted if you drafted him with the first pick in redraft leagues. Its hard to complain and you hope he doesn’t get hurt if you have him.

While the Bulls await Nic Claxton’s return from a strained hamstring, Smith continues to provide reliable fantasy value. He finished Wednesday’s loss with his second double-double of the season and provided solid value in assists, blocks, and three-pointers. Smith is rostered in 46 percent of Yahoo leagues; managers needing a center for Friday’s 10-game slate should make sure he isn’t sitting on the waiver wire.

Brice Sensabaugh is a bench scorer who thrives on hitting tough shots. While Lauri and Jaren are out, Brice could be looked at as a stream option if you need some points and three pointers, but he won’t give you much more than that.

Wilson has scored 20 or more points in three of his last four games and continues to improve. The Bulls’ rookie didn’t shoot as well as he can against the Knicks, but he still made an impact on both ends of the floor. The Bulls led by as much as 19 in the third quarter before the Knicks rallied to win. Wilson will be a fun player to watch develop in the years to come, and his fantasy value should only improve.