NBA Player News

The hip injury that Trent Jr. sustained against the Rockets on Wednesday will keep him out of Friday’s contest. The veteran shooting guard had been playing well recently in an elevated role, with his three-point shooting and scoring providing his value. While he’s sidelined, Cormac Ryan and AJ Green will have chances to put up solid fantasy production.

The Clippers and Raptors agreed to a deal that would send Leonard to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and future draft compensation in July. However, an investigation into Leonard’s contract with the Clippers put those plans on hold. The Justice Department has opened its own investigation into the deal, but the NBA concluded its probe and penalized the Clippers on September 2. With Clippers governor Steve Ballmer accepting the ruling after initially vowing to fight, the door may now open for the Leonard trade to be completed soon. Kawhi was with the Raptors players in Miami for their minicamp last week but worked out individually because the trade wasn’t official.

Not selected in the 2025 draft, Milicić agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the 76ers but was waived before the start of the 2025-26 campaign. During his final season of college basketball, the 6-foot-10 forward averaged 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game at Tennessee. The Knicks have not filled any of their available two-way contract slots, so Milicić is likely competing for one of those opportunities in training camp.

The 13th overall pick in the 2024 draft, Carter could never get untracked during his two seasons in Sacramento. Due to shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-2 guard did not make his NBA debut until January 2025. Carter also missed time due to injury last season and has appeared in 74 NBA games over two seasons. He was acquired by the Hawks in late June, with Atlanta also receiving a 2033 second-round pick. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Celtics may be interested in Carter, and the franchise has a good track record of using the G League to develop players into solid contributors.

Charania notes that Williams will miss “an extended period of time” after suffering the injury during an offseason workout. Williams’ injury history is extensive and well-documented, so this latest injury puts him in “do not draft” territory. Suddenly, Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach are late-round fliers in standard leagues, with Maluach the early favorite to take over starting duties due to his strong Summer League play.

The average annual value of the reported offer exceeds the deal the Pistons reportedly offered Duren earlier this summer, which came to $35 million annually. According to the report, the restricted free agent is seriously considering signing his qualifying offer for the 2026-27 season, worth $9.6 million. That route would let Duren enter unrestricted free agency next summer, but it comes with considerable risk. Of course, there’s the injury factor, but it also opens the door for the Pistons to trade Duren to avoid losing him in free agency for nothing. Duren has until October 1 to sign the qualifying offer; waiting until then means he would miss the first week of training camp.

Beal wore No. 0 for his first season with the Clippers, allowing then-teammate Chris Paul to keep his No. 3 jersey for his farewell season in Los Angeles. But with Paul now retired, Beal will reclaim the jersey number ahead of the 2026-27 season. The veteran guard played just six regular-season games for the Clippers last season before suffering a season-ending hip injury. He averaged 8.2 points and 1.7 assists in just over 20 minutes per game.

Although Leonard’s return to Toronto was initially agreed to in July, the NBA’s investigation into his contracts with the Clippers delayed the transaction. The investigation has since concluded, with Leonard receiving a $700,000 fine, the Clippers losing five first-round picks and being forced to pay a $30 million fine, and Steve Ballmer, Lawrence Frank, and Gillian Rucker receiving suspensions ranging from six months to one year. However, the Clippers have not agreed to the trade because they reportedly need to finalize their new front-office structure while Frank is unavailable. As a result, Leonard could only work out individually while the Raptors went through their paces in Miami. As long as the deal is completed in time for training camp, fantasy managers have nothing to worry about regarding Leonard’s value. If not, that would put another dent in his value along with the availability concerns.

The episode is set to air on NBC and Peacock on September 26. After leading the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years, Brunson, the reigning Finals MVP, is on top of the basketball world. Now he’ll join a long line of pro athletes who have hosted Saturday Night Live. Brunson had offseason wrist surgery, but he’s expected to be ready for training camp later this month. The 30-year-old point guard has an ADP in the late-second round of fantasy drafts.

Acquired from the Grizzlies on Tuesday, Gibson appeared in 10 games last season after joining the team in late February. His contract for the 2026-27 season was not guaranteed, so New Orleans unsurprisingly prioritized salary cap flexibility. Once he clears waivers, the 41-year-old Gibson will be an unrestricted free agent.

While details of the contract were not disclosed, Mbeng is most likely joining the Hornets on an Exhibit 10 contract. He appeared in 15 NBA games with the Jazz last season, starting five, and averaged 8.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals in 32.8 minutes. Given Charlotte’s depth in the backcourt, Mbeng is likely to spend most of his time in the G League. With the Sioux Falls Skyforce currently holding his G League rights, the Hornets would need to make a deal with them to get Mbeng to Greensboro.