Coach Scott Brooks said that he thinks Bradley Beal can "average eight or nine assists a game."

Advice: In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Brooks raved about his superstar shooting guard. In particular, Brooks explained how he believes there is "no limit" to his upside and that Beal can become an elite distributor with John Wall sidelined. "I think [Beal] can average eight or nine assists a game. I think those are numbers that are attainable, and I think he's ready for that challenge," said Brooks. That's a seemingly unattainable goal, as Beal has never averaged more than 5.5 assists per contest in his career. However, Beal's fantasy value would continue to climb if he bumped his dimes up into the six or seven apg range. Rotoworld.com Today, 10:29 am

Kyle Kuzma is dealing with a left ankle injury that will prevent him from participating in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Advice: Kuzma was ruled out of Saturday’s exhibition loss to Australia due to left ankle soreness, and it appears it is serious enough to prevent him from making the final roster. We should have an update on the injury shortly, but there's no reason to believe it will prevent him from being ready for the start of training camp in late September. Rotoworld.com Today, 7:52 am

Dwight Howard has completed a buyout with Grizzlies officials, and he will sign with the Lakers once he clears waivers, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Advice: It's a non-guaranteed deal, so Howard will have to earn a roster spot even though the odds are in his favor. The Lakers have reportedly been interested in Howard since last month, and the injury to DeMarcus Cousins (ACL) made it even more likely there would be a reunion. Injuries have been a problem for Howard in the past few years, and he's played for four different teams in the last four years -- also was traded to the Nets and Grizzlies without any games there. Howard is 33 years old and will likely help back up JaVale McGee, so he would only be a desperation late-round pick in fantasy leagues. Rotoworld.com Yesterday, 2:19 pm

Jordan Clarkson will not play for the Philippines national team in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Advice: Clarkson was initially included in the 19-man pool submitted for the World Cup by the Philippines, but will not suit up. He averaged a career-high 16.8 points per game for Cleveland last season, and it has been rumored that the Cavs will look to shop him before February's deadline. Rotoworld.com Yesterday, 8:47 am

Donte DiVincenzo said he's feeling "100 percent" healthy after being shut down in March with bilateral heel bursitis.

Advice: DiVincenzo has an uphill battle to earn fantasy-relevant minutes in the veteran-filled Bucks backcourt, but he'll make his case in training camp this September. "I just want to get back on the court," he said. "It’s hard when you go from playing in the beginning of the year to just stopping." We'll let you know if he creeps onto the radar. Rotoworld.com Thursday, 3:37 pm

Marcus Smart (calf) has been named a captain of Team USA, along with Kemba Walker and Donovan Mitchell.

Advice: Smart sat out the team's camp due to his calf injury, but has been cleared for a full return. His leadership will be important as Team USA looks to win the FIBA World Cup with a far different roster than they'll have for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Rotoworld.com Thursday, 2:05 pm

President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas said he views Jarrett Culver as a secondary ball-handler.

Advice: Rosas added that Culver could play 1-3 for the Wolves, which could be huge given Jeff Teague's recent run-in with injuries. Culver saw a usage spike at Texas Tech last year at 32.2, which was a massive boost from the 22.1 in his freshman year. He is not going to offer the biggest upside with the Wolves looking to others for play-making and scoring chances, but there's still plenty to like as a late-round pick in even 10-team leagues. Rotoworld.com Thursday, 12:10 pm

During a recent interview, Tobias Harris explained why he declined to suit up for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup this summer.

Advice: "For me, the last two seasons playing every game is a lot," said Harris. "When this past season ended I wasn’t truly healthy, so I wanted to take the time to rest." Harris' efficiency dropped off towards the end of last season, and perhaps part of that can be explained by the fact that he wasn't quite 100%. Still, he played through whatever he was dealing with, which is always nice to see in the age of load management. Harris has missed a mere three games over the past three seasons, making him an extremely reliable early-round target. Rotoworld.com Thursday, 10:54 am

Trevon Bluiett has signed a contract with the Jazz.

Advice: The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but this is likely just a camp invite with Utah's 2019-20 roster mostly complete. Bluiett was on a two-way deal with the Pelicans last year, so maybe he'll be able to earn a similar contract with the Jazz. Rotoworld.com Thursday, 7:13 am

LaMarcus Aldridge "hinted" this summer that he hopes to return with the Trail Blazers eventually, according to Pau Gasol.

Advice: This confirms what Aldridge himself said in March. At the time, he said, "[I] keep telling [Damian Lillard] I'm going to come back and finish [in Portland]." He'll try to lead the Spurs on another playoff run this year but his future beyond that is uncertain, since he has a non-guaranteed $24 million salary for 2020-21. We haven't heard much about Aldridge this summer, but he projects as a steady top-40 fantasy guy after playing well in 81 games last season. Rotoworld.com Wednesday, 7:37 pm