NBA Player News

Missi didn’t have a productive night, and things worsened during the fourth quarter. The second-year center sprained his right ankle on a layup attempt and had to exit. While Hunter Dickinson (two points and one blocked shot) played five minutes during the first half, he did not see any action after halftime. Rookie Derik Queen (wrist) played 15 minutes in his debut, putting up three points, five rebounds and one blocked shot. New Orleans went small for stretches, which they may do more often if Missi has to miss time.

Limited to seven points in Sunday’s loss to the Spurs, Marković more than doubled that output on Monday. The rookie forward, who remained overseas last season after being selected with the 47th overall pick, shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc against the Suns. Overall, Marković has looked more comfortable than fellow rookie Nate Ament (eight points, three rebounds, one assist, one block and two three-pointers vs. Phoenix), which can be owed to the former’s prior professional experience. The question when training camp opens in September is whether there will be room in the Bucks’ frontcourt rotation for both Marković and Ament.

Playing against college teammate Koa Peat for the first time as pros, Burries recorded his second 20-point game in as many nights. The former Arizona guard was efficient as a scorer and playmaker, committing just one turnover. If there was an issue for Burries, it was that he went 3-of-7 from the foul line, but that was not an issue for him at the college level. His play in Las Vegas has been encouraging for both the Bucks and fantasy managers considering Burries in their drafts. Milwaukee’s perimeter logjam may make it challenging for Burries to log heavy minutes as a rookie, but getting into the rotation is certainly a reasonable expectation.

Re-signed to a two-way contract earlier in July, Brea showed off the perimeter shooting ability that made him a second-round pick in the 2025 draft. He shot 6-of-11 from beyond the arc on Monday, rebounding from a poor showing on Sunday, when Brea was 1-of-11 from the field overall and 0-of-7 from three. Brea appeared in just 12 NBA games as a rookie, with most of his reps coming in the G League. He’ll look to earn a longer NBA look when the Suns open training camp in the fall.

Peat has played well in all three of Phoenix’s games in Las Vegas, with Monday’s game being the most productive in points. The rookie forward recorded just one assist, but the Suns seemed to have no problem with him bringing the ball up the floor and facilitating. With Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges on the roster, Peat is unlikely to have the ball in his hands much as a rookie. However, he’s shown the ability to influence play despite offering little as a perimeter shooter.

Maluach has recorded a double-double in each of Phoenix’s first three games in Las Vegas, with Monday’s being the best of the bunch. Not only did he shoot 50 percent from the field and grab 10 rebounds, but the second-year center also blocked four shots. With the Suns re-signing Mark Williams, one would assume that he’ll be the starter. However, Maluach may be given every opportunity to compete with Oso Ighodaro for the backup role, especially when considering how well he’s played this week. A must-roster player in dynasty leagues, Maluach would have increased value as a backup in redraft leagues given Williams’ injury history.

Even with the signing of Tim Hardaway Jr., the Heat need more wing scoring to supplement a roster now headlined by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. As a result, Thompson is said to be a player of interest to the franchise, despite his struggles over two seasons in Dallas. He is still one of the best perimeter shooters in NBA history and can provide the spacing needed to create cleaner driving lanes for players like Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. It was also noted that the Heat’s interest is not contingent on them signing LeBron James in free agency. However, to make something happen, Thompson would need to be bought out of the final year of his current contract, which is worth $17.5 million.

Essengue logged just 18 minutes on Monday and appeared to injure his right thumb on a fall during the second half. He remained in the game after getting his hand taped, but the last thing he needs is another injury after playing only two games as a rookie. The good news for Chicago is that Essengue has been active defensively in the team’s first two games, totaling four steals and six blocks. Even with the acquisition of Nic Claxton, Essengue should have ample opportunities to prove himself during the regular season.

While Caleb Wilson has been the toast of summer league, Chicago’s other 2026 first-round pick has struggled mightily in Las Vegas. Swain missed all nine of his field-goal attempts on Monday, including a few layups that failed to draw iron. The good news is that this is “only” summer league, but it would do wonders for Swain’s confidence if he could get going before the end of the week. The Bulls play again on Tuesday, and giving Wilson a day off could make Swain the offensive focal point.

With no Darryn Peterson, the Jazz had to look elsewhere for offensive production on Monday. Robinson, who is with the team as an unrestricted free agent, was one of the players who stepped up. The veteran center finished one rebound shy of a double-double and blocked two shots. Utah’s three two-way contract slots are currently occupied, but players like Robinson are effectively auditioning for the entire NBA in Las Vegas. He’ll look to leave with either a two-way deal or an Exhibit 10 that includes an invite to training camp.

After going off for 35 points in his summer league debut, Wilson was bound to slow down some. That’s precisely what happened, as the Bulls forward started slowly. However, he would do more than score against the Jazz, with the final stat line including two steals and five blocked shots. In fantasy basketball, defensive production can compensate for offensive struggles, so that was good to see from Wilson. The negative from his performance on Monday was the 0-of-6 night at the foul line. Wilson is now 2-of-12 from the charity stripe in Las Vegas, but this should not be a long-term concern for fantasy managers.