NBA Player News

Tuesday’s game is the first of two in as many days for the Hornets, who visit the Celtics on Wednesday. His absence frees up rotation minutes for fellow reserve Tre Mann, who is not worth the streaming risk.

The Raptors have experience with how to approach Leonard’s availability, as the team exercised caution with him during his first stint with the franchise. The training staff is taking a similar approach, as he was not made available for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Heat in Quebec City. According to TSN, Leonard is also expected to sit out the Raptors’ second exhibition, which is scheduled for October 10 in Vancouver against the Clippers. Fantasy managers don’t have much to worry about regarding Leonard’s availability once the regular season begins. However, the injury management may give some managers pause when evaluating whether to select him with an early-round pick in drafts.

Antetokounmpo’s Heat preseason debut is Miami’s biggest storyline, but Thompson’s fifth-man role also merits mention. He came off the bench for most of his two seasons in Dallas, which may have contributed to the veteran sharpshooter’s failure to provide consistent fantasy value. Thompson is one player expected to provide the perimeter shooting that Miami needs to keep the paint somewhat clear for Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. That would also enhance Thompson’s fantasy outlook, making him a player worth selecting in the latter rounds of standard league drafts.

The 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Hawkins could not carve out a consistent role for himself in New Orleans. The Pelicans traded him and Micah Peavy to the Grizzlies in early September, but the former lottery pick went from one crowded backcourt to another. According to Charania, the Grizzlies and Hawkins mutually agreed to part ways, allowing the guard to find a new team once he clears waivers. Regardless of where he lands, Hawkins is unlikely to impact fantasy basketball.

The standoff between Duren and the Pistons has finally ended, with the 6-foot-10 center receiving a fully guaranteed deal worth $40 million per year. Although Duren had the best regular season of his career to date and earned All-NBA honors, his postseason struggles factored into Detroit needing seven games to eliminate Orlando before falling to Cleveland in the second round. Thursday’s agreement comes less than two hours before the deadline for Duren to accept the one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer that would have made him an unrestricted free agent next summer. With his immediate future in Detroit now secure, Duren offers third-round potential in standard fantasy leagues. The question is whether this saga will affect his performance, especially early in the season.

Signed to a two-year, two-way contract in late August, Castro is coming off a final season of college basketball in which he averaged 15.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game at George Washington. With Thursday’s reported transaction, the Rockets have freed up a two-way contract slot. Guards Quadir Copeland and Sean Pedulla occupy the other two slots.

Thompson averaged a career-high 26 minutes last season, but his coach said the expectation will be for more minutes this season. How many more minutes is unclear, but we can expect the 23-year-old Thompson to be more of a full-time player this year. That’s a boost to Thompson’s fantasy value as he comes off the board in the eighth-round of fantasy drafts.

Fall will miss at least two weeks with a left hip strain, the 76ers announced Thursday. Once he’s healthy, Fall will compete with Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti for backup big man minutes behind Joel Embiid.

Vukcevic suffered a left hip impingement and will be re-evaluated in four weeks, the Wizards announced Thursday. The former second-round pick is entering his fourth season in the NBA.

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.