NBA Player News

Portis will be sidelined for a fifth straight game, which should continue to provide extra minutes for Pete Nance. He may hold some upside in this game with how shorthanded the Bucks will be, but he is still a risky streaming choice.

Nelson only played 19 minutes in his first summer league game, and while he was able to grab some boards and collect some defensive stats, he wasn’t able to contribute much else. He was able to rack up the rebounds in stocks at USF last season, which is enticing for dynasty managers. His role should increase as the summer continues.

Richardson didn’t play a ton as a rookie, but he’s an incredibly talented player. He should see his role increase in year two, though it likely won’t be large enough for him to hold any fantasy relevance. He was productive during his two summer league performances last year as well, and he may not see many more appearances in Las Vegas.

Penda entered last season as a strong defensive prospect with some playmaking abilities, but the main concern was his scoring ability. He didn’t have a scoring strength. That held true as a rookie, so seeing him knock down five three-pointers and shoot 4-of-5 inside the arc is incredibly encouraging. Penda is worth keeping an eye on this summer since he could be a rotation piece for Orlando this season and has star upside in fantasy hoops.

McNeeley was a star in his two summer league performances last year, but he didn’t contribute much during his rookie season. However, he showcased that same shooting touch that he had in Las Vegas last summer once again. He was just 2-of-10 inside the three-point line, which is concerning, but his strength is his deep-range shot. If he’s going to crack the Hornets’ rotation this year, it’s going to be because of his shot.

Kalkbrenner was solid for the Hornets as a rookie, especially early on. He showcased more playmaking in this game than he did as a rookie, but he also did a lot of the things that he did as a rookie. Shot blocking, rebounding and interior shooting were all strengths for Kalkbrenner last season, and he should once again be in the center rotation for Charlotte this season alongside Moussa Diabate, Naz Reid and Hannes Steinbach.

Salaün entered the league as a raw prospect and didn’t contribute much through his first two seasons, which is why he is playing in summer league in year three. He didn’t dominate during his 22 minutes, but he was solid. Still, if Salaün continues to play this summer, the hope is that he shows he’s significantly better than everyone else since he has two NBA seasons under his belt. However, it’s easy to forget that Salaün is younger than quite a few players that were drafted in the first round. There is still time for him to figure things out.

It wasn’t a flawless debut for Steinbach, but he showcased why he is such a good prospect for fantasy basketball. He’s a double-double machine, and even if he isn’t the best defender, he has a knack for racking up defensive stats. He’ll compete for minutes down low during his rookie season, and there is a path for him to get the starting job and become a fantasy monster in year one.

Anderson was one of the best shooting prospects in the draft, and he’ll be fine, but it was a disappointing first summer league game for him. He missed all five of his shots from deep and didn’t do much as a facilitator. It was only one exhibition, but Anderson isn’t going to be the LaMelo Ball replacement in his first season. He’ll likely play a role off the bench as a rookie and should be better moving forward this summer.

It wasn’t the most efficient shooting performance for de Larrea, but there was a lot to like about what he did in his first summer league action. He flashed upside on both ends of the floor, but he’s clearly a prospect that has a lot of developing to do. He should get that opportunity for Dallas this season and is worth stashing in dynasty formats.

In his summer league debut, Johnson showcased why he was the first of the three Michigan lottery picks to be selected. He did a little bit of everything and had a dominant offensive showing. He was a well-rounded producer in college, so it isn’t surprising that he was able to contribute to this extent in his first summer league appearance. If he starts, he has a chance to be one of the more impactful rookies in fantasy basketball this season.