NBA Player News

Despite clearly being compromised physically, Embiid deserves credit for the effort he put forth in Sunday’s series finale. The 76ers’ center didn’t miss a shot from the field and led his team in scoring. Unfortunately for Embiid and the 76ers, the Knicks were able to attack him on the other end of the floor when they weren’t knocking down one of their 25 three-pointers. During the regular season, Embiid provided second-round per-game fantasy value, but he was limited to 38 games due to injuries. Availability concerns decreased his ADP by a few rounds in drafts last fall, and that’s likely to remain the case ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The second-year man was waived by the Hornets less than a week ago, and it didn’t take long for him to find a new team. With LaMelo Ball playing in Minnesota and Kon Knueppel (hamstring) banged up, more minutes could be up for grabs in Charlotte’s backcourt, but it will be tough for Nembhard to see enough court time to be fantasy relevant.

Brown Jr. sustained the injury within the last three weeks, and he’s limited at the start of Nets’ training camp. There are no indications that he’ll miss any time to start the regular season, but fantasy managers should still keep an eye on his status moving forward.

Olynyk appeared for eight teams in 13 NBA seasons. Most recently, he was a frontcourt depth option for the Spurs in 2025-26 when they lost the NBA Finals to the Knicks.

Philon Jr. fell in the draft and landed with arguably the most talented roster in the Association. Starter’s minutes will be tough to come by, but he could carve out a role off the bench and make an impact for fantasy managers in deep leagues. He’s a must-roster player in dynasty leagues.

Signed to a one-year deal in early July, Nance suffered a hamstring injury a little over two weeks ago, according to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. As a result, the veteran forward/center has been limited to 5-on-0 work at the start of training camp. The Pacers hope that Nance will be fully cleared within a week or two. Once the regular season begins, he’s unlikely to have a role that will make him fantasy-relevant.

Moody is working his way back from a ruptured left patellar tendon that ended his 2025-26 season in late March. While he is progressing in his recovery, the Warriors have no concrete timeline for Moody’s return. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, they hope Moody can play sometime in January or February. Moody’s absence creates more opportunities for Gui Santos and Yaxel Lendeborg, with the former starting 26 of his final 29 appearances last season.

Butler said during Warriors media day that his testing numbers are “off the charts” and he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn right ACL. However, the Warriors are exercising caution with the veteran wing’s recovery, as he has not been cleared to go full speed or participate in contact drills. While Butler won’t be available to help fantasy managers immediately, he’s worth stashing with a late-round pick in standard leagues. His and Moses Moody’s (knee) absences likely free up additional minutes for lottery pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who the Warriors will need to contribute immediately, whether he starts or comes off the bench.

Kleiman said Edey could be ready for the start of the regular season. After having season-ending ankle surgery in March, Edey is right where he needs to be in his rehab, according to Kleiman. It doesn’t sound like the 24-year-old center will miss too much time, making Edey a worthwhile selection in the fifth-round of fantasy drafts.

Giddey, who underwent right ankle surgery in May, was cleared to play 5-on-5 in early September. He’ll be able to practice without any restrictions when the Bulls open training camp on Tuesday. When available, Giddey offered excellent fantasy value last season, especially in assists. With Norman Powell, Caleb Wilson and Nic Claxton among the newcomers, Giddey could crack double digits in that category after averaging a career-best 9.1 assists per game last season.

Two days after acquiring him from the Bulls, the Hornets have waived Dillingham. The eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, the 6-foot-3 guard couldn’t carve out a role in Minnesota before being traded to Chicago in February. Given the number of point guards on Charlotte’s roster, Dillingham faced long odds to make the team’s Opening Night roster.