Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Will be cleared in near future
    Morant (shoulder) said Saturday he will be medically cleared for basketball activities in about two weeks, CBSSports.com reports.

    Advice: Morant played only nine games last year due to a 25-game suspension and a major shoulder injury. He averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals across 35.3 minutes. The All-Star had successful surgery on his right shoulder in mid-January and will be able to practice soon, meaning he should be 100 percent for next season's training camp. Morant hopes to take the Grizzlies back to the playoffs after a year ruined by injuries saw them finish with a 27-55 record. Rotowire.com Sunday, 8:19 am
     
  • Mavs to shop Tim Hardaway Jr. this offseason
    According to NBA reporter Mac Stein, Dallas will search for a trade partner to take Tim Hardaway Jr. as part of the team’s strategy to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr.

    Advice: Hardaway Jr. is entering the final year of his current deal and is set to make $16.2 million in 2024-25. THJ averaged 15.1 points and 2.8 triples in five seasons with Dallas, and the sharpshooter should be attractive to teams in need of three-point shooting. Rotoworld Saturday, 12:54 pm
     
  • GSW to fully guarantee Kevon Looney’s contract
    The Warriors plan to guarantee all of Kevon Looney’s $8 million contract for 2024-25 according to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.

    Advice: Only $3 million of Looney’s $8 million deal is guaranteed, but the remaining $5 million will be guaranteed on Monday. According to Slater, Golden State will keep Looney under contract through Monday, though that doesn’t rule out the possibility that he could be traded down the road. This is the final year of the three-year, $22.5 million deal Looney signed back in 2022. He has played with Golden State every year of his nine-year career. Rotoworld Saturday, 12:47 pm
     
  • Talks ‘essentially frozen’ between Klay, Warriors
    According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, there have been “no productive discussion between the Warriors and [Klay] Thompson or his representatives.”

    Advice: Slater also notes that “Talks are essentially frozen. With free agency now less than 10 days away, Thompson’s exit from the only franchise he has ever known feels closer and more probable than ever before.” It’s not a surprising update, as rumors of Klay’s move away from the Warriors have been in full force for months. Thompson has been linked to the Magic as a potential landing spot, but according to Slater, there’s been “no traction.” As we approach free agency, it’s unclear where Thompson will play next season, but it’s becoming clearer that it won’t be in Golden State. Rotoworld Saturday, 12:41 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II unlikely to be ‘pick-and-pop’ big
    Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said on Friday that he does not envision Dereck Lively II turning into a “pick-and-pop” big man next season.

    Advice: While Lively hit his first career 3-pointer during the NBA Finals and showed off his range during workouts throughout the series, fantasy managers should not expect to see him offer Brook Lopez-like production in that area next season. Dallas does not need him to do that, especially with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving running the show. “He’s not going to be a pick-and-pop guy,” Harrison said of Lively. “He has the skill to do it, but for our team, that’s not what we’re going to ask him to do. He’s really good in the short-roll, he can pass to both sides of the floor. He’s just going to get better. I think there’s a lot of room for him to grow, and he’ll do it.” Rotoworld Friday, 5:36 pm
     
  • Woj: Thunder to trade Josh Giddey to Chicago
    According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Thunder will trade Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso.

    Advice: The sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Giddey’s fantasy ceiling sank considerably as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became one of the league’s best players, and 2022 lottery pick Jalen Williams emerged as a rising star. Playing in a career-high 80 games this past season, Giddey averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.0 3-pointers in 25.1 minutes. The scoring average decreased by more than four points per game compared to the 2022-23 output (16.5), and Giddey’s perimeter shooting struggles led him to lose minutes to players such as Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace during the postseason. The move to Chicago could be just what the doctor ordered for Giddey, especially if Lonzo Ball cannot return from his knee injury. The Bulls roster should result in Giddey having the ball in his hands more, even with Coby White stepping up as the starting point guard this season. Fantasy managers should not use a top 60 pick on Josh (Yahoo ADP in 2023-24: 58.9), but he has top 100 potential with this move. Rotoworld Thursday, 2:21 pm
     
  • Dealt to Chicago
    The Thunder traded Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso on Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

    Advice: After receiving a significantly reduced role in the playoffs, averaging just 12.5 minutes across six games against Dallas, Giddey's long-term future in Oklahoma City seemed uncertain. As such, it is not surprising to see the 21-year-old guard dealt for Caruso, who can offer better perimeter defense for the Thunder. Giddey could receive an opportunity to have the ball in his hands more often now that he is no longer playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 25.2 minutes across 80 games in 2023-24. However, he will be competing for playing time in a crowded backcourt with Coby White, Zach LaVine, Ayo Dosunmu and Lonzo Ball (knee). Rotowire.com Thursday, 2:18 pm
     
  • Quiet in Game 5 loss
    Lively chipped in two points (1-2 FG), four rebounds and one block across 24 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Lively struggled playing on the road in the NBA Finals, accumulating six points and 16 rebounds in three games. However, Lively posted a double-double in both games in Dallas. This more closely resembled the rest of his successful playoff run, during which he averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent in 16 games. Overall, the 20-year-old had a successful rookie season and will look to increase his production in Year 2. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 1:05 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II struggles in Game 5 defeat
    Dereck Lively II finished Monday’s 106-88 loss to the Celtics with two points (1-of-2 FGs), four rebounds, and one blocked shot in 24 minutes.

    Advice: After recording double-doubles in Games 3 and 4, Lively had a rough Game 5 in Boston. The rookie center still played over twice as many minutes as starting center Daniel Gafford, as his skill set appeared to be a better fit for this matchup. The ending to the season wasn’t good, but this was a rookie year that Lively can build upon. Lively, the 12th overall pick in last summer’s draft, landed in an excellent spot regarding his career path. He’s played well off of star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, showing signs of being able to take on the “Tyson Chandler role” the Mavericks envisioned when they acquired his draft rights from Oklahoma City. Lively finished the season as a 10th-round player in 9-cat formats, with injuries and the passing of his mother limiting the rookie to 55 games. Another offseason to strengthen his skill set should boost Lively’s value, even if he continues to share the center responsibilities with Daniel Gafford. Rotoworld Monday, 9:13 pm