NBA Player News

Head coach Mitch Johnson said he expects Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Fox to play together more during the regular season, per Raul Dominguez Jr. of the Associated Press.

Fox played through an ankle sprain for the Spurs during the NBA Finals, averaging only 12.8 points per game while shooting 34.4 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from deep across the five Finals contests. The emergence of Dylan Harper last postseason has a serious threat nipping at Fox's heels for more playing time at point guard, but it sounds like the Spurs are willing to deploy all three in the lineup at times to accommodate for all their backcourt talent.

Huerter said Monday that he's healthy entering training camp after undergoing surgery during the offseason to address a groin injury, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Huerter said the injury initially occurred during his time with Chicago before he aggravated it during Detroit's first-round playoff series against Orlando. He underwent a cleanup procedure after the Pistons' postseason run ended and has since returned to full health, putting him on track to participate in training camp without limitations.

Wagner (calf) is eager for the new season to begin, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

After sitting out for Germany during FIBA World Cup action over the summer, Wagner appears to have a clean bill of health this fall. Ankle and calf injuries held Wagner to just 34 regular-season appearances last year, but the star forward was highly effective when healthy to the tune of 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game.

James made it clear Monday that he's entering his first season with Philadelphia with championship aspirations, though he acknowledged that the new-look roster will need time to develop chemistry, Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com reports.

"I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round, I know that," James said. The veteran forward also stressed that Philadelphia's new group won't click immediately, pointing to practices, film sessions and time together on bus and plane rides as opportunities to accelerate the chemistry-building process. James will be tasked with quickly finding his place alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown as the 76ers attempt to turn their revamped roster into a contender.

Head coach Darko Rajakovic hinted Monday the Raptors will have a management plan for Leonard in 2026-27, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

Staying on the court has long been a major concern for Leonard, who didn't play in 2021-22 and hasn't made 70 regular-season appearances since 2016-17 with the Spurs. The focus for Toronto will be to keep the star forward healthy throughout the course of the year, which means Leonard could face sporadic absences. Although he carries plenty of risk in fantasy drafts for that caveat, Leonard averaged a career-high 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game over 65 regular-season appearances for the Clippers last year.

Banchero drew praise from teammate Wendell Carter on Monday for the work he put in during the offseason, with Carter saying the star forward is "looking like young Paolo," Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Carter described Banchero as "very springy" and "very bouncy" after seeing him work out this summer, an encouraging assessment of his conditioning and athleticism heading into training camp. Banchero also said Monday that new head coach Sean Sweeney made an immediate effort to build a relationship with him after being hired, including traveling to Seattle to spend time with the 23-year-old during the offseason.

Gafford could have the green light to attempt occasional three-pointers this season, with head coach Dusty May encouraging the center to expand his offensive game, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

May said the Mavericks want Gafford to become more of a playmaking decision-maker on the perimeter and indicated that he'll be allowed to take rhythm threes as long as he earns those opportunities. Gafford has attempted just one three-pointer across his seven NBA regular seasons and has yet to make one, so any development of a perimeter shot would represent a significant change to his offensive profile. He averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.7 minutes across 55 regular-season appearances in 2025-26.

Marshall said during Media Day that improving his three-point shooting was a major focus during the offseason, Austin Veazey of SI.com reports.

The 28-year-old expressed confidence that the work will translate this season, saying that becoming a more consistent perimeter threat would make him "unstoppable." Marshall averaged a career-high 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals across 74 regular-season appearances in 2025-26 despite shooting just 29.1 percent from three. A significant improvement from beyond the arc would add another dimension to his offensive game after Dallas signed him to a three-year extension in August.

Wembanyama believes he's in better shape this season, per Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio.

Head coach Mitch Johnson is also looking for more growth in Wembanyama as a playmaker, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Any rise in ball-handling duties would be a welcome addition for the superstar big man, who's already a candidate to go first overall in fantasy drafts this fall as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Booker is feeling the healthiest in his career this year, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Booker is looking forward to his 12th year with the Suns in 2026-27 and is set for another huge campaign as the team's top scoring option. The star guard stands out as a safe investment in the early rounds of fantasy drafts, having played at least 64 games in each of the past eight seasons while averaging at least 25 points, five assists and nearly four rebounds plus one steal in all of the last four years.