NBA Player News

Head coach Ty Lue has been very impressed with Garland's offseason, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.

Lue also notes he'll push Garland when needed, so it sounds like the Clippers are planning to give the star guard all the usage he can handle amid Brandon Ingram's (Achilles) absence. Provided he stays healthy after playing a career-low 45 regular-season games last year, Garland has the upside for a career campaign with a rebuilding Los Angeles team.

Sam Amico of Hoops Wire believes Knecht is on the Lakers' roster bubble.

Despite LeBron James' offseason exit, Knecht still likely finds himself behind newcomers Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Cameron Carr, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams on the depth chart. A different situation may be needed for Knecht to attain fantasy relevance in 2026-27.

Head coach JB Bickerstaff said Thursday the plan is for Thompson to play more this season, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

Thompson already averaged a career-high 25.9 minutes per game last regular season, but it sounds like the Pistons are ready to trust him with an even larger workload. His shooting form remains a work in progress -- Thompson has never shot higher than 65 percent from the foul line or 25 percent from deep -- but the swingman has seen his assist and steal totals rise in each of his first three seasons and carries plenty of multi-category upside in the mid-to-late rounds of fantasy drafts.

Gonzalez is looking to take a step forward in his second season, per Bobby Krivitsky of Forbes.com.

The door is open for Gonzalez to claim a larger role at training camp in the wake of Jaylen Brown's departure to Philadelphia. The camp battle between Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser will remain one for fantasy managers to keep tabs on this fall, though it's possible Boston will ultimately take a hot-hand approach with the three throughout the course of the year.

The Wizards announced Thursday that Vukcevic (hip) will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Although the big man will remain a limited participant in training camp as he continues his rehab from a hip impingement, it sounds like his absence from game action will extend into the regular season. Deandre Ayton should have the backup center role all to himself until Vukcevic is cleared to retake the floor.

Christie is eying a larger role in the backcourt this season, per Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.

Christie already made a career-high 68 starts a year ago, and he appears to be the early favorite to start at shooting guard over newcomer Zaccharie Risacher and Naji Marshall. The sharpshooter should see plenty of open looks from long range, now that Kyrie Irving is back in the fold, but Christie is just a late-round fantasy flier as the expected third of fourth scoring option in the Dallas offense.

Olynyk is close to landing a contract with BC Rome, per Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio.

It sounds like Olynyk is heading overseas after spending the entire offseason as an unrestricted free agent. The journeyman center has spent the past 13 years of his career in the NBA, most recently making 41 regular-season appearances off the bench for the Spurs.

Barrett wants to stay with the Raptors, per Sam Amico of HoopsWire.com.

Barrett is set for unrestricted free agency next summer following the expiration of his rookie contract extension, originally signed as a member of the Knicks back in 2022. The 26-year-old swingman tends to be a better fantasy investment in points leagues -- he's never shot at least 75 percent from the free-throw line and has averaged at least one steal just one time his career.

Mitchell (calf) is healthy and participating fully in training camp after ending the 2025-26 season injured, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman reports.

Head coach Mark Daigneault said Wednesday that Mitchell "got himself healthy" during the offseason and praised the guard's conditioning and overall form early in camp. Mitchell's unrestricted participation indicates he's moved past the calf injury that ended his 2025-26 campaign and should be available for Oklahoma City's preseason slate.

76ers coach Nick Nurse said Bona (foot) will be re-evaluated in a couple days, Tony Jones of The Athletic reports.

Bona has been recovering from a foot sprain he suffered during the offseason. According to Nurse, there's a chance he could be back for a portion of the preseason. Bona is currently penciled in as Joel Embiid's backup for the upcoming season.