NBA Player News

Johnson was a late addition to the injury report, and now he will be unavailable for this game against Minnesota. He has been on a tear over his last four games, and Atlanta will have plenty of available usage and minutes. Mouhamed Gueye and Asa Newell should both play larger roles with Johnson sidelined.

The 25th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Batum played 18 seasons in the league for four franchises, most recently the Clippers. While he may not have received an All-Defensive Team honor during his time in the NBA, the 6-foot-8 wing was long respected for his ability to take on a variety of matchups on that end of the floor. Offensively, Batum’s most productive season was the 2016-17 campaign as a member of the Hornets, when he averaged 15.1 points per game. For his career, Batum averaged 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.5 three-pointers per game. In addition to his lengthy NBA career, Batum has been a key contributor to France’s rise as a consistent contender for medals in FIBA and Olympic competitions.

The 54th overall pick in June’s draft, Jones played for the Warriors’ Summer League team but faced long odds of earning a roster spot in training camp. Instead of going to training camp, he’ll play in Italy this season, with the Warriors retaining his draft rights. With the Warriors signing former Gonzaga center Graham Ike to a two-way contract, all three of those slots are filled going into camp, with Malevy Leons and L.J. Cryer occupying the other two.

The contract extension comes after Detroit finished as the Eastern Conference’s top seed for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Thompson started 72 of 73 regular-season games en route to earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He averaged 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game, and will enter his fourth NBA season with a chance to build on his overall game. A jump in offensive production would boost his fantasy value.

Larsson carved out a solid role for the Heat last season, starting 54 of the 70 regular-season games and averaging 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game overall. He should again be a part of the nightly rotation in his third NBA season for a Miami team that expects to have a much higher ceiling with the offseason acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo. From a fantasy perspective, Larsson could take another leap in production and build in 2026-27 on a strong end to his second season.

Days after NBA insider Marc Stein called Denver a “team to watch” on Whitmore, the former first-round pick has officially agreed to a two-way deal. A blood clot in his shoulder limited Whitmore to 21 appearances for the Wizards last season, and he has not played 60 games in any of his three NBA seasons. His rookie season was Whitmore’s most productive, as he averaged 12.3 points per game with the Rockets. The move to Denver won’t affect redraft leagues, but Whitmore could remain in play in dynasty leagues if he can turn the two-way deal into something more.

After two seasons of inconsistent play, George took a significant step forward in 2025-26. The 6-foot-4 point guard recorded career-high averages in points, assists and steals. Averaging 23.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.5 three-pointers per game, George cemented his status as the point guard the Jazz will lean on as they look to move up the pecking order in the Western Conference. While having a healthy Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. may cut into George’s scoring, his assist production could increase in 2026-27.

After missing the entire 2024-25 season recovering from a torn ACL, Bey had the most productive season of his NBA career to date. Starting 64 of the 72 games he played, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.1 three-pointers while shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 84.1 percent from the foul line. Injuries to other wings freed up additional opportunities for Bey last season, but the contract extension shows he has clearly locked down a key role.

Bona, who is expected to compete with Ariel Hukporti for the backup center job, suffered the injury while representing Turkïye during FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The 76ers announced that he’ll be re-evaluated when training camp begins at the end of the month. While Bona’s injury won’t significantly affect his fantasy draft value, missing regular-season games would remove a potential safety net for managers who select Joel Embiid.

Mere days after his return to Toronto became official, Leonard is reportedly closing in on a lucrative contract extension. According to Fischer, the talented forward is eligible for a deal worth up to $126 million over two years. Leonard is going into the final season of a contract that will pay him just over $50 million. So, while the collective bargaining agreement limits how many years he can sign for, Kawhi’s average annual salary would get a nice bump if the extension comes to fruition.

With Mark Williams set to miss months after shoulder surgery, the Suns reportedly add another frontcourt option. Reath appeared in 32 games for the Trail Blazers last season before the Hawks acquired him ahead of the February trade deadline, and Atlanta waived him shortly after. Reath played just 8.1 minutes per game in Portland before undergoing foot surgery in January. While healthy, his prospects for achieving fantasy relevance in Phoenix aren’t much better. Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro will be Williams’ primary replacements, with Ighodaro starting 24 games last season.