Oklahoma City

Thunder

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.

In a scene that has become familiar as he’s developed into a star in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander got much of what he wanted offensively in Sunday’s bronze medal game. He shot 10-of-17 from inside the arc, and the 12 assists were countered by just one turnover. SGA’s play throughout the tournament is a big reason why Canada was able to clinch its best-ever performance at a FIBA World Cup, despite not having Jamal Murray or Andrew Wiggins. Regardless of what those two decide, Gilgeous-Alexander will be a key leader for the Canadians at next summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. As for the 2023-24 NBA season, SGA should be no worse than a top-5 pick in redraft leagues.

SGA had another big time performance and has unquestionably been the MVP for Canada in the World Cup. However, RJ Barrett also had a really good game with 24 points and nine rebounds. Still, they weren’t the highlight of the game. Dillon Brooks (14 points) and Luka Doncic (26 points) were both ejected, which played a key role in Canada securing the win. They’ll play Serbia on Friday, and if they win, they’ll advance to the championship.

Canada managed to rally past Spain on Sunday, not only clinching a spot in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals but also guaranteeing itself a place in next summer’s Olympic Games in Paris (their first appearance since 2000 in Sydney). And much of the credit should go to SGA and Dillon Brooks, who combined to score 52 of Canada’s 88 points on the night. While Gilgeous-Alexander was his usual, crafty self on the offensive end of the floor, Brooks shot 8-of-12 from the field (3-of-3 3-pointers) and supplemented his 22 points with five rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot. Next up for Canada will be a quarterfinal matchup with Slovenia on Wednesday. Look for Brooks to spend a lot of time defending Luka Doncic in that one.

Coming off his second season in the NBA, Giddey has been dominant for Australia this summer. He’ll turn 21 in October, so he’s still one of the youngest players in the league. To do what he’s doing at his age is impressive to say the least. This level of production may not carry over to the NBA, but he’s certainly going to be in for a big season, which is why he’s being drafted as early as he is in redraft leagues. In dynasty leagues, the sky is the limit for him.

Team Canada didn’t look great in their exhibition games, but they showcased just how dominant they can be in their first official game of the World Cup. SGA led the way with an elite performance, and that should continue for the rest of the tournament. SGA should go early in fantasy drafts this season after finishing third in 9-cat scoring last season.

The Thunder were busy on Monday, as they inked Sarr to another two-way deal and waived Usman Garuba. With Sarr’s deal, all three of Oklahoma City’s two-way slots have been filed, with Keyontae Johnson and Lindy Waters III being the others. None will significantly impact fantasy basketball next season.

The 23rd pick of the 2021 Draft played a limited role in two seasons with Houston before his trade to OKC in the offseason. The young big man shouldn’t have trouble finding a new team, but it’s unlikely he’ll be a relevant fantasy option in 12-team leagues.

Waters suited up for the Thunder in 41 games last season and averaged 5.2 points per game. He’ll spend the majority of his time in the G-League, though he did prove that he can be a competent deep-range shooter when he’s given the chance.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s overall field goal percentage wasn’t great, but that was due to his poor shooting from beyond the arc. SGA missed all six of his 3-point attempts, which dropped the overall field-goal percentage below 50%. But he still managed to produce a quality stat line across the board, which was the case for most of the 2022-23 season with the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander won’t give managers much in the way of 3-point production, but his work in the other categories is what makes him a very good fantasy player to have on your roster.