Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Declines player option
    Gordon declined his $3.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season Thursday and will become a free agent, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Gordon's output has declined over the past few seasons, but he shot 37.8 percent from beyond the arc during the 2023-24 campaign during his first year with the Suns. Over 68 regular-season appearances with Phoenix, he averaged 11.0 points and 2.0 assists in 27.8 minutes per game. He's expected to draw interest from multiple contenders as a free agent, so he could carve out another decent role next year, especially if he maintains his three-point efficiency. Rotowire.com 38 minutes ago
     
  • Dealt to Houston
    The Hawks are trading Griffin to the Rockets in exchange for the No. 44 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

    Advice: After being a first-round pick by Atlanta in the 2022 NBA Draft, Griffin saw a minimal role in his second season with the team. In 2023-24, the 20-year-old forward averaged 2.4 points in 8.6 minutes across 20 bench appearances, as he spent much of the season out with an ankle injury or in the G League. Trading Griffin was likely done to make room in the forward rotation after Hawks drafted Zaccharie Risacher No. 1 overall, but there is no guarantee for minutes in Houston either. Rotowire.com 56 minutes ago
     
  • Dealt to Golden State
    The Thunder traded Waters to the Warriors on Thursday in exchange for the No. 52 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports.

    Advice: Waters saw his averages decrease over his first three years in the league, and he wasn't a consistent part of the Thunder's rotation last year, averaging 3.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game over 38 regular-season appearances. He had a more prominent role when he suited up for the G League's Oklahoma City Blue, averaging 21.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 33.0 minutes per game over 10 regular-season outings. Waters has a $2.2 million team option for next season, and the Warriors plan to exercise it to use him as a depth option. Rotowire.com Today, 11:12 am
     
  • Wendell Moore traded to Detroit in pick exchange
    The Timberwolves traded Wendell Moore and the No. 37 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to the Pistons for the Np. 53 pick.

    Advice: The Duke product averaged just 4.2 minutes in 54 NBA appearances across his first two professional seasons. He could see more minutes while playing on a less talented Detroit roster, but he’s unlikely to be relevant in most fantasy leagues. Rotoworld Today, 10:51 am
     
  • Traded to Detroit
    The Timberwolves traded Moore and the No. 37 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to the Pistons on Thursday in exchange for the No. 53 pick, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: Moore wasn't a major part of the Timberwolves' rotation last year, but he was productive in the G League, averaging 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 35.2 minutes per game over eight regular-season appearances with the Iowa Wolves. He'll likely play a similar role in Detroit. Rotowire.com Today, 10:17 am
     
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope might not be back in FA
    In a recent interview with Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports, Nuggets GM Calvin Booth alluded to a potential Kentavious Caldwell-Pope free agency departure.

    Advice: Booth said, “Yeah, I think you have to look at everything and the nature of free agency is that he’s unrestricted. So we can try to bring him back and if he doesn’t want to come back or opts to go somewhere else, that’s his prerogative so we’ll have to work with that.” That comment is innocuous, but his final word on the matter speaks to the possibility of KCP departing in free agency. According to Booth, “It would be nice if he’s back, we’d have a lot of continuity together, but all the stuff I’ve looked at with lineup stuff and everything, Christian Braun is one of the best net rating guys in the league — as is KCP. So I think if he’s to step into the starting lineup, I would project that we’ll be OK if KCP doesn’t return.” If Caldwell-Pope doesn’t return to the Nuggets next season, Braun is an intriguing late-round pick. He’s played well in limited minutes, and a starting role would do wonders for his fantasy value. Rotoworld Today, 8:39 am
     
  • Healthy after surgery
    Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said Wednesday that LaVine (foot) has been "fully cleared" after undergoing surgery in February, Will Gottlieb of AllCHGO.com reports.

    Advice: LaVine had surgery on his right foot in early February with a recovery timetable of 4-to-6 months. A little over four months removed from the procedure, LaVine has been fully cleared and should be a full-go for training camp. The 28-year-old appeared in just 25 games during 2023-24 due to a few injuries, including the right foot issue that lingered throughout the campaign before February's shut down. He averaged fewer than 20 points and four assists per for the first time since 2017 last year. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 8:29 pm
     
  • Jimmy Butler to go into 2025 FA w/o extension
    According to Shams Charania, “I’m told (Jimmy Butler) will not be signing an extension with the Heat or any other team ahead of his opt-out in 2025 free agency.”

    Advice: This doesn’t rule out the possibility of returning to Miami after the 2024-25 campaign, but it keeps Butler’s options open ahead of next summer’s free agency. Rotoworld Yesterday, 5:09 pm
     
  • Traded to Portland
    The Wizards traded Avdija to the Trail Blazers on Wednesday in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon, the No. 14 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and a 2029 pick, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Avdija had a career year for the Wizards in 2023-24, averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 30.1 minutes across 75 appearances (all starts). Avdija's fit in Portland is unclear. Jerami Grant signed a massive extension last offseason, and Shaedon Sharpe was a lottery pick in 2022 who showed promise last season before an abdomen injury shut him down. In Portland's backcourt, Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons are expected to lead the way. Avdija signed a four-year, $55 million deal with Washington last season and is owed $15.6 million next season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 3:56 pm