NBA Player News

The Pistons don’t look to Thompson for much offensive production, but his deficiencies on that end were a problem against the Cavaliers. While the elite defensive ability is why Ausar logs heavy minutes, the inability to shoot was just as problematic for Detroit as center Jalen Duren’s struggles. Extension-eligible this summer, Thompson must make strides on offense to not only raise Detroit’s ceiling but his as well. Fantasy-wise, Ausar is capable of offering excellent value in category leagues, but only if he can expand his game.

Acquired from the Bulls in a three-team deal that also involved Minnesota, Gueye was expected to be waived at some point. In fact, Thursday’s transaction comes after Valencia Basket in Spain announced that the 6-foot-10 forward will be on its roster for the 2026-27 season. Gueye’s departure does not affect fantasy basketball, as he was not going to be in the Hornets’ rotation had he not agreed to a deal with Valencia.

Following four seasons at Tennessee, Richardson spent a decade in the NBA, with most of that time being spent in Miami. He was drafted by the Heat with the 40th pick in 2015 and spent his first four seasons with them. He bounced around the league after that, spending time with the 76ers, Mavericks, Celtics, Spurs and Pelicans before returning to Miami for two more seasons. He spent last year in Spain before officially announcing his retirement on Instagram.

The Clippers agreed with the Raptors on a trade that would send Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft compensation. However, due to the investigation into the contract that the Clippers signed Leonard to, that transaction is on hold. And with Wednesday’s report, it’s fair to wonder if the trade will ever get done, as a potential penalty would be to void Leonard’s contract, making him a free agent. Also, Toronto would assume the penalties if they were to acquire Leonard before a ruling was made, hence the decision to delay the trade.

While Mathurin has yet to find a home after hitting restricted free agency, teams have expressed interest in the former lottery pick. In addition to the Pelicans, the Bulls have reportedly joined the pursuit. While Chicago added Norman Powell in free agency and selected Caleb Wilson in the draft, adding another wing scorer like Mathurin to the mix could give their offense a boost. However, the Bulls would likely need to free up cap space to make an offer that the Clippers would refuse to match to land Mathurin. For most of his NBA career, Mathurin has been a better option for points leagues than category leagues.

In the aftermath of his exit from Sacramento, DeRozan was considered to be a player likely headed to a team with postseason ambitions. Miami, Cleveland and Denver have all expressed interest since the veteran wing hit free agency, and now Washington has reportedly worked its way into the mix. Given the number of young wings on the Wizards’ roster, adding DeRozan would create even more of a logjam, potentially limiting the short-term fantasy potential of a Kyshawn George or Will Riley.

The move keeps Philly under the first and second aprons while signing LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Broome will operate as a depth option in LA behind Brook Lopez, Isaiah Jackson and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.

Green turned down the same amount of money to give Golden State cap flexibility in its pursuit of LeBron James, but with James in Philly, Green will return to the Warriors for the 2026-27 campaign. Expect him to retain a similar role to the one he had a season ago.

While it was reported that the Nuggets offered Watson $70 million over four years, another report says the team is willing to put up that amount over five years. The Nuggets are looking to get back under the second apron, hence the figure being offered to Watson. Regardless of the contract’s length, the annual value is a far cry from the $25 million that Watson was reportedly seeking. And with teams that have reportedly expressed interest in signing Watson needing to execute a sign-and-trade to get something done, the Nuggets have leverage. Watson has the option to accept his qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent next summer, but that path carries significant risk. If he were to either play poorly or suffer an injury, Watson could stand to lose even more money next summer.

While Lively finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2024 as part of a team that reached the NBA Finals, injuries have been a major issue in his three seasons. The 7-foot-1 center has struggled with right foot injuries, most recently appearing in just seven games last season before undergoing surgery. With Daniel Gafford on the squad and the Mavericks having added Santi Aldama and rookie Morez Johnson Jr., the team has options in the frontcourt. Lively and the Mavericks have until just before the start of the 2026-27 regular season to agree on a new deal. If they can’t, he will be a restricted free agent next summer. Lively can be a productive option for fantasy managers, but the injury concerns may make him someone not worth the risk in standard leagues.

Philadelphia’s reported interest in moving on from Broome has more to do with the pending signing of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope than anything else. Just as the team needed to waive Dalen Terry to have the roster spot needed to make the LeBron James signing official, another roster spot is needed to add KCP. Broome, who was limited to 11 NBA appearances last season and missed time with a knee injury, played well during Summer League. Still, the 76ers have Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti to absorb minutes behind starting center Joel Embiid. In the right situation, Broome could have some streaming value throughout the season. According to Fischer, waiving Jabari Walker is another possibility, but the 76ers hope to hold onto him.