NBA Player News

Jerome is emerging as a potential option at point guard for the Grizzlies, Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal reports.

With Memphis still sorting through its point guard depth chart, it's possible Jerome is in pole position to begin the season as Memphis' top point guard in favor of Scotty Pippen. Health has long been a major obstacle for Jerome, but he's certainly shined in his starting opportunities over the past several years. Dating back to 2020-21, the 29-year-old has averaged 18.6 points, 5.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in just 25.6 minutes per contest across 25 regular-season games as a starter in his career.

Santos isn't in line to start Sunday's preseason opener against the Clippers, per Luca Evans of the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Warriors have a pair of starting positions up for grabs due to the absences of Jimmy Butler (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (undisclosed), but it's set to be rookie Yaxel Lendeborg and veteran Al Horford claiming the spots in the first unit initially. Santos should still be in contention for a starting role at some point this preseason while Golden State mixes and matches its exhibition lineups, as Santos averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per contest in 30 regular-season games as a starter in 2025-26.

Caruso is feeling healthy at training camp, per Clemente Almanza of USA Today.

"I mean, Day 3 of training camp's the third-best day you're going to feel all year besides Day 2 and Day 1," Caruso said Friday. The veteran swingman made zero starts for the Thunder a season ago and has made three altogether since joining Oklahoma City in 2024-25, but he should at least remain a strong source of steals for fantasy managers in category-driven leagues for 2026-27. Despite never logging at least 30 minutes per game, Caruso has averaged at least one steal in each year of his career besides his rookie campaign.

Wilson is acclimating to NBA practices, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network.

"Honestly, my first two days, it seemed like everything was moving so fast because you're going against NBA talent and everybody's athletic, and the gaps close really fast. But now, it's way more chill. [Friday] was a really good day for me," Wilson said. After Wilson was selected by the Bulls with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the rookie forward is expected to be thrust into a big role immediately and is being treated as a mid-round player in most fantasy drafts.

Sabonis downplayed offseason trade rumors, per Sam Amico of HoopsWire.com.

Sabonis isn't an unrestricted free agent until the 2028-29 campaign, so the rebuilding Kings may not pull the trigger on a potential deal until the star big man builds his stock back up. He averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game last year, all his lowest marks since 2018-19, before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in February.

Antetokounmpo is expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Toronto, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The superstar forward is in line to make his highly anticipated first appearance in a Heat uniform Saturday. Antetokounmpo is looking to stay on the floor more often in his Miami debut season after logging a career-low 36 regular-season appearances for the Bucks in 2025-26.

Adebayo is expected to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Toronto, per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo also in line to suit up, fantasy managers should get their first taste of Miami's new-look frontcourt Saturday. Adebayo has averaged at least 18.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in six straight seasons for the Heat.

Edey (ankle) remains on track for Opening Night, per Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian.

The Grizzlies continue to evaluate Edey throughout training camp, and they believe he's trending in the right direction. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his recovery from elbow and ankle surgeries.

Lillard may open training camp with Portland's starting group, according to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire.

With Lillard coming off an Achilles injury and now with a questionable fit alongside Ja Morant, the Portland backcourt has been one of the league's top camp storylines. The Trail Blazers open their preseason Wednesday against Golden State, and perhaps their first exhibition starting lineup will offer a hint to their plans for the regular season. Jrue Holiday is already expected to spend more time on the wing, so Portland could experiment with three-guard lineups featuring Lillard, Morant and Holiday at times.

The Warriors hope to have Butler (knee) back early in 2027, per Keith Watkins of Yahoo Sports.

Butler is still months away from retaking the floor, according to Nick Friedell of The Athletic, so a season debut at some point in December might be too optimistic. The star forward remains without a definitive timeline for a return after undergoing ACL surgery in early February, which typically carries at least a nine-month recovery period. Butler makes sense as an injury stash at the end of fantasy drafts, but managers should likely be bracing for him to miss at least the first two months of the regular season.