Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Declines player option Sunday
    Brissett declined his $2.5 million player option with the Celtics on Sunday, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.

    Advice: Brissett will become an unrestricted free agent after declining his player option Sunday. The 26-year-old spent one season with the team, and he averaged 3.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.3 steals across 11.5 minutes in 55 regular-season games. Brissett was a non-factor for Boston in the playoffs, and his departure likely signals a desire for a larger role elsewhere. Rotowire.com Sunday, 2:38 pm
     
  • Bound for free agency
    The Nuggets declined Cancar's (knee) $2.35 million team option for the 2024-25 season Sunday, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post reports.

    Advice: Cancar will thus be eligible to begin negotiating with teams as an unrestricted free agent beginning July 30. The 27-year-old missed the entire 2023-24 season after undergoing surgery in August to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, but Cancar is expected to return to game action for the Slovenian national team in a 2024 Summer Olympics qualifying tournament in July. According to Durando, the Nuggets haven't closed the door on re-signing Cancar on a minimum contract. During his last healthy season with Denver in 2022-23, Cancar appeared in 60 games and averaged 5.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 14.8 minutes. Rotowire.com Sunday, 9:23 am
     
  • 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 see keeping Derrick Jones Jr. as a ‘priority’
    Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said on Friday that re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. this summer is a priority for the franchise.

    Advice: Jones was a fixture in the starting lineup throughout Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals. While his production did not make him a great option in most fantasy leagues, he fits nicely into Jason Kidd’s rotation alongside star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Dallas’s issue is that they don’t have much room financially heading into free agency, but that does not impact their view on Jones and his importance to the team. “I don’t know how we’re going to do it,” Harrison said of re-signing Jones. “But he’s priority 1-A (and) 1-B. I think he fits in with our team. He loves it here. We have to figure out the dynamics to get him to stay. But yeah, that’s a priority. We’ll do what we have to do to get it done.” “Airplane Mode” should make considerably more than the $2 million he did this season, whether in Dallas or elsewhere. Rotoworld Friday, 5:32 pm
     
  • Frank Ntilikina signs to play in Serbia
    Frank Ntilikina has signed a two-year deal with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia.

    Advice: Ntilikina suited up in five games for the Hornets last season before he was waived at the trade deadline. Now, he’ll head to play in Serbia after seven seasons in the NBA. Fantasy managers won’t have to adjust their draft boards because of this move. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:49 am
     
  • Pelicans ‘dangling’ Brandon Ingram in trade talks
    The Pelicans are reportedly “dangling” Brandon Ingram in trade talks and have contacted both Houston and Philadelphia about a potential deal, per The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.

    Advice: Since their season ended, rumors have been swirling about a BI trade, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before he is with a new organization. New Orleans looked into a deal that landed them Alperen Sengun, but the Rockets reportedly have no interest in that. Philly is in the market for a third star and have already been tied to wings like Paul George and Jimmy Butler. It wouldn’t be a shocking landing spot if they aren’t able to acquire either of the other two. Rotoworld Thursday, 7:56 am
     
  • Efficient in Game 5 loss
    Jones provided 10 points (4-8 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and one block in 22 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Jones started all 22 playoff games for the Mavericks and averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 blocks while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. The 27-year-old came into his first season with the team after struggling to carve out a role with the Bulls during two years in Chicago. Jones will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and his play throughout this season will likely earn him more interest around the league than last summer. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 12:21 pm
     
  • Derrick Jones Jr. scores 10 PTS in Finals finale
    Derrick Jones Jr. shot 4-of-8 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line in Monday’s 106-88 loss to Boston, amassing 10 points, one blocked shot, and one 3-pointer in 22 minutes.

    Advice: Despite hitting double figures for the second time in the series, Jones’ performance on Monday was not impactful. Besides the points, he only supplied one blocked shot and failed to grab a rebound in Game 5. Jones entered the season competing for a place in the Mavericks starting lineup but remained off the radar in most fantasy drafts. While “Airplane Mode” started 66 of the 76 regular season games he appeared in, he did not offer consistent fantasy value. Jones finished the year ranked well outside the top 200 in 8- and 9-cat formats, which surprised no one. He’ll be a free agent this summer, and regardless of where he lands, Jones is likely to be more valuable to his team than to fantasy managers. Rotoworld Jun 17, 8:52 pm
     
  • Kobe Bufkin expected to play in Summer League
    Hawks GM Landry Fields said on Monday that Kobe Bufkin is expected to play in Summer League action next month.

    Advice: Bufkin, the 15th overall pick in last summer’s draft, appeared in 17 games for the Hawks this season. So, Fields stating that the rookie point guard is expected to participate in Summer League action is unsurprising. Bufkin is a better option for dynasty leagues than redrafts due to the presence of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray on the roster. If one of those veterans gets moved this summer, Bufkin would have added value as a backup point guard. Rotoworld Jun 17, 3:38 pm