NBA Player News

Collins has been out since late December with a sprained left big toe. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said on Saturday that the 6-foot-11 forward/center suffered a “pretty significant sprain” and will remain in a walking boot for the foreseeable future. Surgery isn’t currently on the table, but the team has been seeking additional opinions on Collins’ injury. Chicago will continue to rely on Jalen Smith to absorb most of the backup center minutes.

Focusing on honing one’s craft during the offseason, rather than rehabbing from an injury, can make a significant difference for a player. That was the case for Melton this offseason, despite procedures on both thumbs. Last summer was spent recovering from a torn ACL, while a back injury was the issue in the summer of 2024. A healthy Melton can be a factor in fantasy basketball, especially category leagues, whether he starts or comes off the bench. His injury history puts him in “late-round flier” territory in drafts, but Melton can still be a steal for managers.

Penda tweaked his hamstring just before training camp opened, but there is no concern that it will become a long-term issue. Like Anthony Black, who’s dealing with an ankle injury, the Magic are exercising caution with Penda’s workload. He had his moments as a rookie, but Penda has a limited ceiling in standard fantasy leagues because of Orlando’s depth at forward.

Black injured his ankle during voluntary workouts before training camp opened. The good news is that the injury is not serious, and the Magic are exercising caution. Black started 40 of the 64 games he appeared in last season, thanks in part to injuries to Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, emerging as a player who had to be rostered in standard leagues. Black should once again be a late-round pick in drafts.

Smith, who played a career-high 70 games last season, is dealing with a strained right calf. With the reported timeline, he may be limited when the regular season begins. Smith’s absence doesn’t affect fantasy basketball, but it does leave a Heat team already light on options at point guard down a rotation piece. Starter Davion Mitchell has become more important, especially if Smith isn’t ready when the regular season begins.

The deal runs through the 2029-30 season. A second-round pick two years ago, Shead appeared in all 82 games last year and averaged 5.4 assists off the bench. With the Raptors facing a salary cap crunch in future years, locking in Shead below the mid-level is a bet on continued growth from the 24-year-old guard.

The second-year man was waived by the Hornets less than a week ago, and it didn’t take long for him to find a new team. With LaMelo Ball playing in Minnesota and Kon Knueppel (hamstring) banged up, more minutes could be up for grabs in Charlotte’s backcourt, but it will be tough for Nembhard to see enough court time to be fantasy relevant.

Brown Jr. sustained the injury within the last three weeks, and he’s limited at the start of Nets’ training camp. There are no indications that he’ll miss any time to start the regular season, but fantasy managers should still keep an eye on his status moving forward.

Olynyk appeared for eight teams in 13 NBA seasons. Most recently, he was a frontcourt depth option for the Spurs in 2025-26 when they lost the NBA Finals to the Knicks.

Philon Jr. fell in the draft and landed with arguably the most talented roster in the Association. Starter’s minutes will be tough to come by, but he could carve out a role off the bench and make an impact for fantasy managers in deep leagues. He’s a must-roster player in dynasty leagues.

Signed to a one-year deal in early July, Nance suffered a hamstring injury a little over two weeks ago, according to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. As a result, the veteran forward/center has been limited to 5-on-0 work at the start of training camp. The Pacers hope that Nance will be fully cleared within a week or two. Once the regular season begins, he’s unlikely to have a role that will make him fantasy-relevant.