Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • 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
     
  • 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
     
  • Quiet in Game 5 loss
    Lively chipped in two points (1-2 FG), four rebounds and one block across 24 minutes during Monday's 106-88 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Lively struggled playing on the road in the NBA Finals, accumulating six points and 16 rebounds in three games. However, Lively posted a double-double in both games in Dallas. This more closely resembled the rest of his successful playoff run, during which he averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent in 16 games. Overall, the 20-year-old had a successful rookie season and will look to increase his production in Year 2. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 1:05 pm
     
  • 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
     
  • Dereck Lively II struggles in Game 5 defeat
    Dereck Lively II finished Monday’s 106-88 loss to the Celtics with two points (1-of-2 FGs), four rebounds, and one blocked shot in 24 minutes.

    Advice: After recording double-doubles in Games 3 and 4, Lively had a rough Game 5 in Boston. The rookie center still played over twice as many minutes as starting center Daniel Gafford, as his skill set appeared to be a better fit for this matchup. The ending to the season wasn’t good, but this was a rookie year that Lively can build upon. Lively, the 12th overall pick in last summer’s draft, landed in an excellent spot regarding his career path. He’s played well off of star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, showing signs of being able to take on the “Tyson Chandler role” the Mavericks envisioned when they acquired his draft rights from Oklahoma City. Lively finished the season as a 10th-round player in 9-cat formats, with injuries and the passing of his mother limiting the rookie to 55 games. Another offseason to strengthen his skill set should boost Lively’s value, even if he continues to share the center responsibilities with Daniel Gafford. Rotoworld Monday, 9:13 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 Monday, 8:52 pm
     
  • Poole: Klay Thompson looking for a 3-year deal
    According to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole, league sources believe Klay Thompson is seeking at least a three-year deal.

    Advice: The Warriors’ “big three” era of Thompson, Stephen Curry, and Draymond Green may end this summer, as the former is set to hit unrestricted free agency. While a max contract is undoubtedly off the table, the veteran shooting guard is reportedly looking for at least a three-year deal. Thompson is another year removed from a stretch in which he missed two consecutive seasons due to knee and Achilles tendon injuries, but his production dropped considerably in 2023-24. Landing with a team that needs to add 3-point shooting to its starting lineup would boost Thompson’s fantasy value, but the trick is finding that spot. Remaining with the Warriors may include Klay being asked to come off the bench, which would lower his fantasy ceiling. Rotoworld Monday, 3:56 pm
     
  • Another double-double
    Lively contributed 11 points (4-5 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 12 rebounds and one steal across 22 minutes during Friday's 122-84 victory over the Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

    Advice: Lively has been coming off the bench, but he's made a substantial impact on both ends of the court. The rookie out of Duke owned the paint and was a massive factor in the rebounding battle that saw the Mavericks dominate the contest. Lively is the first rookie to record multiple double-doubles in the NBA Finals since Magic Johnson in 1980. Rotowire.com Jun 14, 9:11 pm