Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • 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 49 minutes ago
     
  • Porzingis undergoes surgery, out 5-6 months
    ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reports that “Kristaps Porzingis had surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon, and that he will return to play in ‘5-to-6 months.’”

    Advice: Brad Stevens mentioned Wednesday that Porzingis was likely to miss the start of the season, and this latest report from Bontemps confirms that assertion. The 5-6 month timeline puts a potential return in the late November to late December range, which means he could potentially miss up to two months to start the 2024-25 campaign. That should mean plenty of run for Al Horford, with guys like Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard and Luke Kornet in the mix for more run off the bench. Rotoworld Today, 8:23 am
     
  • Undergoes foot surgery
    The Celtics announced Thursday that Porzingis recently underwent successful foot surgery and is expected to return to play in 5-6 months, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: Porzingis dealt with a lower left leg injury during the playoffs, and offseason surgery was expected. He underwent a procedure to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon and will likely be forced to miss the start of the regular season in the 2024-25 campaign. Rotowire.com Today, 7:41 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
     
  • 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
     
  • Set for four-year extension
    Claxton intends to sign a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Nets, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

    Advice: Less than 24 hours after dealing Mikal Bridges to the Knicks, Brooklyn is on the verge of locking up Claxton for four seasons. The 24-year-old started in each of his 147 appearances over the last two seasons, averaging 11.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.1 blocks per game in 2024. Claxton's name had been rumored in trade talks this offseason with the Nets slated for a rebuild, but for now, he's one of the franchise's cornerstones. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 4:46 pm
     
  • Woj: Nic Claxton intends to re-sign with Brooklyn
    Nic Claxton intends to re-sign with the Nets on a four-year, $100 million deal, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

    Advice: The Nets may be shifting towards a tank after making two big trades on Tuesday, but they’ll retain Claxton for at least four more seasons. The athletic big should continue to be a strong fantasy asset, and he may get the chance to grow his offensive game on a tanking squad. Noah Clowney had a chance to move into the starting unit if Claxton walked, but he will still see a significant role next season. Rotoworld Yesterday, 4:38 pm