NBA Player News

Kennard is dealing with neck soreness and is listed as questionable for Game 2 on Thursday. With Austin Reaves returning to the starting lineup in Game 6 of the first round series against the Rockets last week, Kennard will be back in a bench role if he’s available for Game 2.

After struggling from deep for most of Oklahoma City’s three games in Salt Lake City, Stirtz was a solid 3-of-8 from beyond the arc on Friday. The four turnovers weren’t great, but he generally took good care of the basketball as a collegian, so there isn’t much to worry about there. Given Oklahoma City’s perimeter depth, they won’t have to ask too much of Stirtz immediately. As a result, he’s likely to be more valuable in dynasty leagues than redraft leagues.

Coming off a good run at the California Classic, Carr performed well in his first appearance at the Vegas Summer League. The lone negative for the first-round pick out of Baylor was his three-point shooting, as he made just one of five attempts. However, perimeter shooting should not be a concern when evaluating Carr’s chances of playing rotation minutes as a rookie. And he’s played well enough this summer to raise questions about whether the Lakers will shut him down before the conclusion of the Vegas Summer League.

After a solid showing at the California Classic, Thiero was one of the Lakers’ key contributors in Friday’s 96-84 win in Las Vegas. His athleticism was on display throughout the game, with the Lakers’ forward supplying athletic finishes and blocked shots. With LeBron James and Rui Hachimura out of the picture, there’s an opportunity for Thiero to earn a spot in JJ Redick’s rotation. In the short term, it’s fair to wonder if Thiero will be shut down before the Vegas Summer League continues. Even with the poor three-point shooting, he has looked like a player who has outgrown Summer League.

Tonje, who spent time with the Celtics last season on a 10-day contract, is competing in summer league as an unrestricted free agent. Boston has filled only one of its three two-way contract slots, so it’s conceivable that Tonje is competing for one of the two remaining deals. If so, Friday’s performance was a step in the right direction, as he shot 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. Tonje’s status won’t affect fantasy basketball next season, especially with Boston’s current roster boasting plenty of depth on the perimeter.

In his lone college season, Cenac shot 30-of-90 from beyond the arc; it wasn’t a major aspect of his game. On Friday, he shot 2-of-4 from deep, including one in the final seconds of regulation that forced overtime. Of greater importance to the Celtics was Cenac’s activity as a rebounder and defender, as he recorded 10 rebounds and five defensive contributions. Boston’s depth in the post should give Cenac time to develop, but he’ll be a solid option for managers competing in dynasty leagues.

González didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball, going just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. However, his ability to contribute in other ways was on display, with the second-year wing hitting double digits in rebounds and leading the Celtics in assists. It was reported earlier this summer that the Celtics refused to part ways with González, which contributed to their not getting Giannis Antetokounmpo. So it’s clear that the decision-makers in Boston think highly of him. While González is not a must-draft player in standard leagues, the injury history of the new addition, Paul George, makes it likely that Hugo will be fantasy-relevant at some point.

After appearing in 22 NBA games as a rookie, Williams is once again on a two-way contract. And with the Celtics giving Neemias Queta an extension and signing Mitchell Robinson in free agency, earning consistent rotation minutes will be a challenge. However, Williams played well in his first action of this summer league, an encouraging development for the Celtics as they move forward after the Jaylen Brown trade.

Signed to an Exhibit 10 contract on Friday morning, Bittle had an excellent summer league debut. The 7-footer blocked six shots and shot 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, providing value on both ends of the floor. In the past, the Raptors have enjoyed success developing players through their G League affiliate. At a minimum, Bittle knows that he’ll be in an NBA training camp come September. Not a bad deal for a player who went undrafted after a productive college career at Oregon.

Making his summer debut, Graves displayed the versatility that made him the 19th overall pick in last month’s draft. Efficient offensively, the former Santa Clara forward was also a pest defensively. What the Raptors’ rotation will look like once the regular season begins is unknown, as the Kawhi Leonard trade has been placed on hold. Regardless of what happens, Graves has the tools needed to crack the rotation, just as Collin Murray-Boyles did as a rookie last season.

While Caleb Wilson put forth a historic performance in the Bulls’ summer opener, fellow first-round pick Swain struggled. Memphis’ perimeter defenders consistently got into the rookie’s body, making it challenging for Swain to handle the ball. The good news is that the inefficient shooting did not carry over into the ball control, as Swain committed just two turnovers. He’ll look to bounce back on Monday when the Bulls face the Jazz in their second game in Las Vegas.