Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Woj: Bulls to trade Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City
    According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Bulls are trading Alex Caruso to the Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey.

    Advice: Caruso is reportedly on the move after spending the last three seasons in the Windy City. After injuries limited the veteran guard to 41 games during the 2021-22 campaign, he played 67 and 71 games the following two seasons. Caruso averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.9 3-pointers this past season in 28.7 minutes. Posting career-high averages in points, rebounds, steals (tied with 2021-22), blocks, and 3-pointers, Caruso provided 5th-round per-game value in 8- and 9-cat formats. He’s never been a high-usage player, and that attribute, combined with the defending and 3-point shooting, should make for a good fit next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Rotoworld Thursday, 2:14 pm
     
  • Shams: 76ers interest in Paul George has ‘waned’
    According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the 76ers’ interest in pursuing Paul George this offseason has “waned in recent days.”

    Advice: Philadelphia is one of the teams that will head into free agency with a significant amount of cap space, even with the need to re-sign point guard Tyrese Maxey. George’s name has come up often recently, and Joel Embiid showing up at the NBA Finals while the Clippers star was working with ESPN certainly raised eyebrows. However, according to Charania, Philadelphia “is expected to be aggressive elsewhere” with its cap space and draft capital as the team looks to strengthen the roster around Embiid and Maxey. George has a player option for next season worth a little under $49 million, and there wasn’t much movement regarding negotiations with the Clippers on an extension. Should he opt for free agency, George will be one of the most sought-after players on the market, even if Philadelphia’s interest has decreased, as Charania reported. Rotoworld Thursday, 2:08 pm
     
  • Report: Bulls actively shopping Zach LaVine
    The Bulls have made as many as 15 trade offers centered around Zach LaVine, per NBC Sports’ K.C. Johnson.

    Advice: It shouldn’t be surprising that Chicago is looking to move LaVine based on how last season went, but for a team that hasn’t made a trade in years, they’re being far more active than normal. They’ve reportedly made offers to the Kings, Magic and 76ers, among other teams. At this point, it seems like LaVine has played his last game as a Bull. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:57 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
     
  • Report: Gary Payton II to opt into player option
    According to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, Gary Payton II will opt into his $9.1 million player option for the 2024-25 season.

    Advice: By opting in, GPII has the flexibility to sign an extension with the team this offseason according to Andrews. Payton II has played a key defensive role for Golden State in recent seasons, but he’s much better in real life than he is in the realm of fantasy hoops. Rotoworld Wednesday, 9:14 am
     
  • Picks up player option
    Payton exercised his $9.1 million player option for the 2024-25 season Wednesday, Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: By exercising his player option, Payton will be on the books for the upcoming season and will now be able to negotiate a possible contract extension with the Warriors. Payton has had some tough luck with injuries in recent seasons, but he's invaluable to the Warriors for his perimeter defense. In 44 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, Payton averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 15.5 minutes per contest while shooting 56.3 percent from the field. Rotowire.com Wednesday, 9:11 am
     
  • Drains clutch 3 in Game 5 win
    Pritchard posted three points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3Pt) in under one minute of playing time during Monday's 106-88 win over Dallas in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: As he did periodically during the regular season and postseason, Pritchard once again drained a half-court end-of-quarter three just when the Celtics needed a boost. In Game 5, he heaved a half-court triple with under four seconds to help Boston take a 21-point lead into halftime. It was a lead the Celtics would never relinquish as Boston earned its 18th banner. Pritchard hit three triples over five 2024 NBA Finals games. He has three years remaining on his current contract, so expect more off-the-bench heroics moving forward. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 7:05 am
     
  • Shoots poorly in Game 5 loss
    Irving posted 15 points (5-16 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine assists, three rebounds and one steal over 41 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Irving struggled to get going in the Game 5 loss to the Celtics after a strong performance in Game 4, when he put up 21 points, six assists and four rebounds on 55.6 percent shooting from the field. The eight-time All-Star averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 0.6 steals in five NBA Finals games while shooting 41.4 percent from the field. Irving has now been to four NBA Finals with a 1-3 record, and he will attempt to help lead Dallas back to the championship round next year with Luka Doncic by his side. Rotowire.com Monday, 9:56 pm
     
  • Kyrie Irving dishes out nine assists in Game 5
    Kyrie Irving finished Monday’s 106-88 loss to the Celtics with 15 points (5-of-16 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), three rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and three 3-pointers in 41 minutes.

    Advice: As in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, Irving struggled in Game 5. The nine assists weren’t enough to counter another poor shooting night, which is bound to leave a bitter taste in the Mavericks guard’s mouth heading into the offseason. Boasting a Yahoo ADP of 14.1, Irving exceeded that number in 8- and 9-cat formats. The veteran guard was slightly better in 9-cat, ranking within the top 10 according to Basketball Monster. The lone negative for Irving managers was the availability, as he was limited to 58 regular season games. While he certainly has top-10 fantasy potential, availability keeps him outside that threshold in drafts. Irving has met or exceeded 65 games once in his last seven seasons, except his final season in Boston (2018-19). Rotoworld Monday, 8:48 pm