NBA Player News

Wall, who last suited up during the 2022-23 season for the Clippers, has officially called it a career. The first overall pick in 2010, Wall had an excellent run with the Wizards for most of the decade before short stints in Houston and Los Angeles. The five-time All-Star made the All-NBA third team during the 2016-17 season and averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game over his career.

Avdija’s back has been an issue at times over the past two seasons, even causing him to miss Israel’s FIBA World Cup qualifiers this summer. The good news is that he’s on track to be fully available when the regular season begins. Avdija did not say whether there would be any restrictions when the Trail Blazers open training camp on Tuesday, but fantasy managers should feel comfortable selecting him in drafts. The concern is the number of playmakers on the roster, with Damian Lillard (Achilles) healthy and Ja Morant now in the fold after being acquired from the Grizzlies. With those two available, Avdija’s fantasy ceiling likely drops.

While Porter was a surprisingly valuable player for fantasy managers last season, he played only 38 games before being shut down in late March. The good news is that Porter will go into training camp at full strength. However, with Milwaukee adding multiple guards to their roster, including Tyler Herro and lottery pick Brayden Burries, KPJ’s fantasy ceiling likely took a hit. He should be drafted, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo no longer in the fold, but managers will need to keep their expectations for Porter in check.

This is a major blow for the Clippers to start the post-Kawhi Leonard era. With BI on the shelf indefinitely, Max Strus, Keaton Wagler and Gradey Dick are all candidates to see increased run. The rookie Wagler has the most upside and makes for a fine, late-round selection in fantasy drafts.

Lillard, who did not play last season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, was cleared to resume 5-on-5 in late April, so his statement at Trail Blazers media day is not a surprise. Lillard said that he’s “operating like I wasn’t hurt,” which is music to the ears of fantasy managers. However, one concern as he begins his second stint in Portland is the team’s perimeter depth. The Trail Blazers acquired Ja Morant from Memphis, and they also have holdovers Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. That may lead to Lillard’s workload being managed early in the season, potentially lowering his fantasy ceiling.

After spending the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the Knicks, Robinson moved north and signed with the Celtics in free agency. One question for the 7-footer is how much he’ll be able to play after ankle issues limited his minutes in each of his final three seasons with the Knicks. Robinson, likely to serve as Neemias Queta’s backup, expressed confidence that he’ll be able to play more after averaging 19.6 minutes per game last season. “Oh, definitely. I feel very confident in myself,” Robinson said. “I’ve been working on my body this whole summer. Figuring things out. And I’m very confident in myself right now.” If he can get his playing time into the mid-20s, that would make Robinson a viable option for fantasy managers, especially those willing to punt free-throw percentage. However, Queta’s presence does limit Robinson’s fantasy ceiling.

After suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in the second round of the 2025 playoffs, Tatum surprised many by returning to action in early March. However, the Celtics star played only 16 games before a lingering left knee issue kept him out of Game 7 of Boston’s first-round series against Philadelphia. The good news is that Tatum spent most of his offseason getting “stronger and more explosive” instead of rehab, and he “feels great” going into training camp. That’s excellent news for the Celtics and for fantasy managers, who should look to select Tatum in the first round of standard league drafts.

Duren is still embroiled in contract negotiations after turning down a $200 million deal from Detroit, and he could be headed toward signing a $9.6 million qualifying offer. The deadline to sign the qualifying offer is Thursday, and if Duren pursues that option, he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Sacramento has been linked to Duren as a team that would potentially pay him what he wants, but he could entertain offers from other suitors. John Collins is an interesting later-round flier in standard leagues, and Paul Reed makes a fine pick in deeper leagues.

Porziņǵis has appeared in only 74 games across the last two seasons, and availability will be a major concern heading into the 2026-27 season. Al Horford and Draymond Green are well past their primes, and Jimmy Butler is still on the mend after tearing his right ACL in January. With so many frontcourt minutes up for grabs, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg is a fascinating late-round selection with upside.

Acquired from the Bucks in early July in the trade that sent Caris LeVert and future draft capital to Milwaukee, Harris faced long odds to crack the Pistons’ rotation had he made the Opening Night roster. Injuries have limited the veteran guard to 54 games or fewer each of the last four seasons, and Harris has not exceeded 65 games since 2017-18. The Pistons’ decision to waive Harris will not affect fantasy basketball.

Under normal circumstances, an Exhibit 10 contract would guarantee a player the opportunity to compete in training camp. However, the Heat have signed Smith to such a contract to retain his G League rights after the former lottery pick finished last season with the Sioux Falls SkyForce. Smith, who won’t participate in Heat training camp, is eligible to receive a bonus of up to $91,000 if he remains with Sioux Falls for 60 days.