Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • 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 in the regular season. 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 the Hawks drafted Zaccharie Risacher No. 1 overall, but there is no guarantee for minutes in Houston either. Rotowire.com Today, 11:17 am
     
  • 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
     
  • Undergoes toe procedure
    The Knicks announced Thursday that McBride underwent a procedure of the pinky toe on his right foot earlier this week, Fred Katz of The Athletic reports.

    Advice: The team didn't provide an official timeline for McBride's recovery, but he's expected to resume full basketball activities later in the summer, which puts him on track to be ready to go for the start of training camp in the fall. During his third NBA season in 2023-24, McBride struggled to find consistent playing time early in the campaign when the Knicks were in better health, but he took on a sizable role as injuries began to pile up over the course of the season. After the All-Star break, McBride appeared in 39 of the Knicks' 40 games (including playoffs) and averaged 11.7 points, 2.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 three-pointers in 29.6 minutes per contest. Though he excelled in a supporting role when given major minutes, McBride will likely see a stark drop in playing time in 2024-25 with the Knicks having acquired Mikal Bridges and re-signed OG Anunoby (hamstring) this offseason. Rotowire.com Today, 7:04 am
     
  • Progressing well
    Ball (knee) has been cleared to do "pretty much everything on the floor" and is on track to participate in 5-on-5 drills in August, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports.

    Advice: Vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas provided an update on Ball's status after the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft and was optimistic Ball could be ready in time for training camp. Ball hasn't played since January of 2022 due to left knee issues that have required three surgeries, but he's been taking part in basketball activities and could be healthy enough to play in the 2024-25 season. The 26-year-old picked up his $21.4 million player option for the upcoming season. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 8:39 pm
     
  • 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
     
  • Traded to Washington
    The Trail Blazers traded Brogdon, the No. 14 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and a 2029 pick to the Wizards on Wednesday in exchange for Deni Avdija, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Brogdon is a 31-year-old veteran on an expiring deal, so it wouldn't be shocking to see Washington buy him out, allowing Brogdon to join a contender. If he suits up for the Wizards, the oft-injured guard will likely compete for a starting spot, especially if Tyus Jones leaves in free agency. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 3:57 pm