NBA

The Warriors’ vets have reportedly approved the team adding Howard, and he’s now heading to LA to work out with Draymond Green and Chris Paul. It seems likely that Howard ends up with the Warriors within the next few days, but even if he adds some depth down low, the odds of him playing a large enough role to impact fantasy hoops are slim to none.

Hield and the team had been discussing an extension, but Charania reported that negotiations “stalled out”. There haven’t been any teams with reported interest as of now, but Hield is no stranger to the trade block. Wherever he ends up, Hield will likely have a smaller role than he has had with Indiana over the past few seasons. Hield was a top-50 player in 9-cat leagues last season and has been one of the best deep range shooters in the league since he entered. He’ll be a valuable player to whatever team he ends up with, but it’s unlikely that he ends up replicating his production from the past few seasons.

Poku missed the FIBA World Cup due to an arm injury sustained in late May, and given his new injury, there’s a chance he’s not ready for the start of training camp. It’s a make-or-break season for Poku, who has appeared in just 140 games in three seasons and will play in the final year of his rookie contract in 2023-24.

After spending his first professional seasons with the G League’s South Bay Lakers, McCoy is headed to San Antonio for training camp. Since he’s on an Exhibit 10 deal, this move was likely made with the roster of the Spurs’ G League affiliate in mind. McCoy averaged 14.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in nearly 26 minutes per game last season.

One week after it was reported that some teams viewed Miami as the favorite to sign Oubre, he’s reportedly headed to Philadelphia. Limited to 48 games last season in Charlotte due to injury, he averaged a career-best 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 2.3 3-pointers in just over 30 minutes. Oubre finished last season as a top 100 player in 9-cat per-game value, but the impact was muted due to injuries. How big of an impact he has on fantasy basketball in Philadelphia will depend on what happens with James Harden, who’s made it clear that he wants out. If Harden sits or is moved, that gives Oubre a better chance of making an impact.

Morris isn’t expected to play a big role for Dallas, and he’ll return to the team to provide frontcourt depth only. There’s no reason to have him on your fantasy radar this season.

Alvarado was supposed to be ready for training camp after missing the end of last season. However, he may remain sidelined due to a new injury. If he isn’t able to go, Dyson Daniels and Kira Lewis Jr. will see more opportunities at point guard during camp, and that could spill into the season if it goes well.

Nix spent his first two NBA seasons with the Rockets franchise, appearing in 57 games in 2022-23 and averaging 4.0 points and 2.3 assists per game. He’s joining the team on an Exhibit 10 contract, which only guarantees him a spot in training camp. While this does give him an opportunity to earn a roster spot, Nix’s signing will not impact fantasy basketball. The Timberwolves are at the league maximum for guaranteed contracts (15).

With Harden wanting out of Philadelphia, the Clippers were pegged as his preferred destination. It was reported last month that the 76ers had taken the star guard off the trade market, but Windhorst reports that this was not the case. "(The Clippers) tried to trade for James Harden, and that deal didn’t happen,” Windhorst said. “And from what I understand, it was the Clippers who said, ‘Okay, there’s no deal here. We’re gonna move on.’ And while I assume that they could certainly make a deal midseason, I assume that this is what they’re gonna go with.” The question now is whether or not Harden reports for training camp, but an extended holdout could keep him from becoming a free agent next summer. Harden may not provide first-round value due to his displeasure with the 76ers franchise, but he’s a player fantasy managers can’t afford to let slip too far down draft boards.

Less than a week after he was waived by the Kings, Queta has found a new home. The 39th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Queta saw the majority of his minutes with the Kings’ G League affiliate, where he established himself as one of the best bigs in the league. While the Celtics do have established big men in Robert Williams, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford, the first two have struggled with injury issues. There’s no need to select Queta in any fantasy league, but there could come a point where he offers value as a deep-league streamer.