NBA Player News

After agreeing to a contract buyout with the Trail Blazers, Ayton agreed to a two-year deal with the Lakers with a player option. Taking on the starting center role on a roster that will, once everyone is available, include Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, Ayton can offer top-100 fantasy value, even if he’s the fourth option on most nights. However, Friday’s performance was a letdown, especially with Dončić and James unavailable. Ayton only attempted two shots from the field, which cannot happen under those circumstances. The good is that he was active on the glass and recorded three “stocks,” but the 7-footer must be more involved offensively.

Walker, who was on a two-way deal, maxed out his 50-game limit before the All-Star break. This move ensures that he’ll be available to play in games for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. While Walker’s signing ensures the 76ers of another option in the frontcourt if needed, he’s unlikely to affect fantasy basketball.

Williams, who played with the Heat’s Summer League outfit this past summer, makes the move up after playing for the Wizards’ G League affiliate this season. The fourth-year guard was named a G League All-Star earlier this month. While he may have opportunities to show what he can do, Williams is unlikely to have a significant impact on fantasy basketball.

Williams spent time with the Rockets over the last few seasons and actually signed a four-year deal with them last March. However, he was waived over the summer and has been playing this season with the Long Island Nets. Williams went undrafted in 2022 and hasn’t been able to stick around with a team since then, but he’ll get the chance to establish himself with Golden State, though he will likely spend most of his time in the G League.

Payne spent time during the preseason with the Pacers but has played in Serbia since then. However, he is “securing a buyout,” which will allow him to sign with Philadelphia. The veteran point guard will provide depth behind Tyrese Maxey, but he won’t see significant minutes unless there is an injury in front of him. In that scenario, he may be able to provide decent value in assists.

Edwards received 10 of the 14 votes for MVP of the All-Star Game, with Kawhi Leonard receiving the other four. Edwards’ highest-scoring game was the first matchup with Team World, which ended with a Scottie Barnes game-winning triple after Edwards forced overtime with a three-pointer of his own. They lost to Team USA Stars in the second game of the night, but they got revenge in the championship by winning 47-21. Edwards has had his best season as a scorer thus far and will look to build on this performance with a strong finish to this season.

Team USA Stars ultimately lost to Team USA Stripes in the championship, but overall, this was a great performance from Leonard, who has had an excellent season for the Clippers. De’Aaron Fox hit a game-winning triple to beat the Stripes in the first matchup, but Leonard provided the heroics in his home arena against Team World. He scored 31 points in that 12-minute game, including what ended up being the game-winning triple. However, he fell flat in the championship game. Still, Kawhi has been incredible this season and will get the next few days off to ensure he is fresh for the final stretch of the season.

Team World lost both of their games to each of the Team USA teams by a combined total of five points. Wemby certainly can’t be blamed for the losses. He scored 33 of the team’s combined 80 points and was efficient while doing it. Heroics from Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard prevented Wemby and Team World from getting a win, but Wembanyama was still one of the best players in the All-Star Game and appears primed to finish the regular season strong.

Undrafted from Arizona in 2024, Johnson has been a part of the Heat’s bench for the last two seasons. The 24-year-old forward won the slam dunk contest, besting the Spurs’ Carter Bryant in the final round. Bryant earned the only 50 score of the night with a dunk that resembled Vince Carter’s iconic dunk in the 2000 slam dunk contest, but failed to complete a dunk on his next turn. Johnson won the competition with a windmill jam after taking off from a step inside the free throw line.

Lillard’s score of 29 in the final round was enough to beat Kon Knueppel, who had 17, and Devin Booker, who had 27. The 35-year-old point guard won the three-point contest for the third time in his career, tying Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for most in NBA history. Lillard is out for the season after rupturing his left Achilles during last year’s playoffs.

A solid rotation player with the Heat in previous years, Highsmith hasn’t appeared in a game yet this season after offseason knee surgery and was waived by the Nets earlier this month. The 29-year-old small forward chose to join a Suns team that currently occupies the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoff race. While he could provide some important bench minutes for Phoenix, he’s not worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.