NBA Player News

Caruso did not play in Thursday’s win over the Lakers, while Dort injured his back during the third quarter and did not return. Their ability to practice is certainly encouraging, with the Thunder facing the Jazz on Sunday.

Irving was targeting a return last March, but the Mavericks’ lottery odds weren’t the only factor that prevented him from playing last season. Irving’s calf strain set him back eight weeks, which means he wouldn’t have been ready to return until well after their season ended. He will play in one of their two preseason games in China against the Rockets this weekend, though it hasn’t been decided which one.

Kelly, who spent some of his rookie campaign with the Mavericks on a two-way deal, is with the Warriors on an Exhibit 10 contract. His chances of making the team’s Opening Night roster are slim, but a night like Wednesday doesn’t hurt. He shot 6-of-11 from beyond the arc and led all scorers with 24 points while also providing solid value in rebounds and assists. Don’t be surprised if the Warriors look to keep Kelly with their G League affiliate this season.

With Wednesday’s game being their second in as many nights, the Warriors rested most of their available rotation players. Among those who benefited was Terry, who is in the Warriors’ training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal. Logging 43 minutes, the former first-round pick recorded a stat line that would make many fantasy managers ecstatic. However, while this was an excellent night for Terry, he still faces long odds to make the Warriors’ Opening Night roster.

As a rookie, Richard averaged 20.0 minutes per appearance and shot 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. With Jimmy Butler III and Moses Moody both out recovering from knee injuries, Richard will have opportunities to earn more playing time. He started against the Trail Blazers, as the Warriors rested many key contributors in the second game of a back-to-back. Despite his showing in Portland, Richard isn’t a must-draft player, especially in 12-team formats.

With the Warriors playing their second game in as many nights, most of the players expected to log consistent rotation minutes were held out. That opened the door for Williams, who scored 17 points in 18 minutes. He earned consistent minutes in Dallas last season, and a performance like Wednesday’s can go a long way toward solidifying Williams’ immediate future with the Warriors. If he’s on the Opening Night roster, $1.4 million of Williams’ contract will be guaranteed. The rest would be guaranteed if he’s on the roster on January 10.

With Donovan Clingan on the roster, Williams is locked into the backup center role. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t provide good value, especially for managers punting points or free-throw percentage. Against the Warriors, Williams was an excellent rim protector and already appears to have established good on-court chemistry with Ja Morant. With an ADP outside the first 100 picks, the Time Lord can be a fantasy surprise, especially if injury restrictions aren’t the issue they’ve been in past years.

Holiday came off the bench in Wednesday’s preseason opener, as expected. The good news for fantasy managers is that the veteran guard still provided positive value in rebounds and assists. Coming off the bench does lower Holiday’s fantasy ceiling considerably, pushing his ADP outside the first 100 picks in 12-team leagues. He’ll be worth a look for managers hoping to add a “safer” option in the latter rounds of drafts.

Clingan didn’t shoot the ball well on Wednesday, but he was active as a rebounder and defender. And, truth be told, those are the areas where fantasy managers expect to receive value if they draft the former UConn center. Last season, Clingan provided third-round per-game value in nine-cat formats and was an excellent option for managers punting either points or free-throw percentage. That’s unlikely to change this season, especially with Portland adding Damian Lillard and Ja Morant to the rotation.

Making his unofficial Trail Blazers debut, Morant logged 19 minutes and recorded five assists. By comparison, the other four starters combined for six helpers. He didn’t score much, but that shouldn’t concern fantasy managers. The concern is Morant’s availability, as managers should assume at least one extended injury absence. After appearing in at least 61 games in three of his first four seasons, Morant has played 79 games over the last three. That concern knocks him down most draft boards, regardless of league format.

With Damian Lillard and Ja Morant in the fold, questions arose this offseason about how that would affect Avdija’s usage. Coming off the best season of his NBA career, the Trail Blazers forward looked good in the team’s preseason opener. A 31.8 percent shooter from three last season, Avdija made three of his six attempts from beyond the arc and shot 6-of-7 from two. His usage of 30.2 was the highest among the Blazers starters, and he led the team in shot attempts. His assist output may take a hit this season because of the number of quality guards on Portland’s roster, but Avdija won’t lack scoring opportunities.