Player Notes

Bryant (Achilles) is hoping to return by November or December of next season, the LA Daily News reports. Regarding his activity level, he said, "I'm fully mobile. I can't run obviously."
Recommendation: Bryant sustained a torn Achilles near the end of the Lakers' third-to-last game of the regular season but seems to be progressing well in his recovery. The relentless one will likely commit all of his attention to rehab, and with a 6-to-9 month expected timetable, a return during the first two months of the upcoming season is certainly within the realm of possibility. The state of Bryant's game will be of particular interest, considering the severe nature of the injury and the fact that he will be entering his age-35 season.

Chalmers scored 20 points and sunk four of his five three-point attempts in Tuesday's Game 6 win over the Spurs.
Recommendation: Chalmers scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half, but did hit a big three-pointer to pull the Heat within seven points at the start of the fourth quarter. Only Lebron James played more minutes for Miami, while Norris Cole didn't make it off the bench. We wouldn't expect to see much (if any) of Cole in Game 7, so look for Chalmers to take on a heavy workload again.

Lewis will likely return to the Heat for the 2013-14 season, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Recommendation: Lewis is not 100 percent, but if the Heat indeed finish off the Spurs in Game 7 of the finals Thursday, he could hang up the sneakers a champion for the first (and last) time. He has appeared in just 11 of Miami's 22 playoff tilts, averaging 1.5 points (on 40 percent shooting), while missing each of his four three-point attempts, in 4.2 minutes. If he does return for a 16th NBA season, he may find it difficult to earn much more run than the 14.6 minutes he received nightly during this past regular season.

Beal (leg) is expected to be cleared for basketball activities by July 1, the Washington Post reports.
Recommendation: The delay in Beal's recovery from a stress injury to his right fibula could place doubt on his availability for the Las Vegas Summer League, which tips off on July 12. Even if he misses those exhibitions, he'll more than likely be able to participate in the Team USA minicamp, also in Las Vegas, from July 22-25. In the meantime, he has been held to taking shots standing still, but his exercises away from the court have ramped up in recent weeks.

Duncan finished with 30 points (13-21 FG, 4-5 FT) and 17 rebounds in Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Heat, but he he didn't score a single point in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Recommendation: Duncan scored 25 in the first half and another 5 in the third quarter, before the Heat finally found a way to shut him down when it mattered most. Even with the slow finish this was arguably Duncan's finest game of the postseason, though we suspect that he won't be satisfied with his performance given the end result.

Leonard compiled 22 points (9-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds, and three steals in Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Heat.
Recommendation: Leonard broke the 20-point barrier for the first time this postseason and threw down a highlight-reel dunk over Miami's Mike Miller. He scored five points in the fourth quarter and another four in overtime, but also went 1-for-2 from the line with 19 seconds left in a situation where hitting both free throws would have given the Spurs a four-point lead. Leonard's missed free throw came back to haunt San Antonio when Ray Allen hit a game-tying three-pointer with less than six seconds remaining to send the game in to overtime.

Landry must decide by next Wednesday whether to opt into his contract for next season, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
Recommendation: Landry, who is expected to decline his player option, played a key role in the Warriors' frontcourt rotation during their recent playoff run. In 12 playoff contests, he recorded 11.8 points (on 52 percent shooting), 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 20.5 minutes. With an expanded role on a new squad, he could become a legitimate double-double threat on a near nightly basis. However, a decision must be made with his contract status before that discussion can take place.

Jackson intends to continue his career next season, USA Today reports.
Recommendation: Jackson was abruptly cut by the Spurs just six days before the end of the regular season. The decision was clearly a mutual one, though, as he holds great respect for San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich. Even at 35 years of age, Jackson has something left in the tank, after averaging 6.2 points (on 37.3 percent shooting), 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.8 treys on 19.5 minutes in 2012-13. Expect him to latch on elsewhere as a modest wing threat next season.

Wade missed the start of the third quarter of Tuesday's Game 6 overtime victory, as his left knee swelled up at halftime, ESPN reports.
Recommendation: Wade put up his lowest offensive output since his miserable Game 2, tallying 14 points (6-15 FG, 2-2 FT), four assists, four rebounds, and two blocks. Despite the middling line, just one game stands between him and his third championship, so his status is not really in doubt heading into Game 7 on Thursday.

Ginobili scored just nine points and turned the ball over eight times in Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Heat.
Recommendation: Ginobili finally came through for the Spurs in Game 5 with 24 points, but he followed it up with an absolute dud in Game 6. Although he scored six of his nine points in the fourth quarter, Ginobili will be best remembered in this game for turning the ball over in the final seconds of overtime and missing a free throw at the 28-second mark of the fourth quarter. If the Spurs lose Game 7, he will likely go down as the biggest goat from one of the most memorable games in recent NBA history. Of course, he may have some competition there from Kawhi Leonard, though Leonard played reasonably well in overtime after missing a crucial free throw in the final 20 seconds of regulation.

Kidd-Gilchrist will participate in the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts on July 12, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Recommendation: Selected second overall in the 2012 draft, Kidd-Gilchrist struggled in his first campaign as one of the youngest players in the league. The 19-year-old posted 9.0 points (on 45.8 percent shooting), 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 26.0 minutes per contest. He is a nice rebounder for his size (6-7, 233) but could serve to improve upon numerous facets in the game, namely a consistent outside shot, after knocking down just 2-of-9 three-pointers during his entire rookie season.

Taylor will take part in the Las Vegas Summer League, which starts on July 12, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Recommendation: During the 2012 draft, Taylor was selected with the first pick of the second round but still managed to take the court for 19.6 minutes per outing. Overall, he averaged 6.1 points (on 43.1 percent shooting), 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, while knocking down 53 treys in 77 games. With more work on his outside game, he could become a viable threat in that aspect of fantasy as his career carries on, but his line otherwise is not very appealing.