NBA Player News

With Cameron Boozer, Karim Lopez (undisclosed) and Jerami Grant now in the mix, Jackson faces increased competition for playing time in the 2026-27 campaign.

The Grizzlies are expected to focus on developing their young talent this season, though Jackson still faces plenty of competition for minutes. Memphis drafted Boozer and Lopez in June before acquiring Grant in the Ja Morant deal later that month. Jackson has flashed potential throughout his time in the NBA, which the Grizzlies rewarded this summer by exercising his $2.4 million team option. The 21-year-old's long-term upside could help him retain a meaningful role, but he isn't guaranteed steady minutes when the team is at full strength. Jackson is coming off a solid season for an injury-riddled Grizzlies squad in 2025-26, averaging 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 combined steals-plus-blocks while shooting 49.6 percent from the field across 21.4 minutes per game in 55 regular-season appearances (28 starts).

Sasser will compete for playing time off the Mavericks' bench in 2026-27, and he could operate as the primary backup to Kyrie Irving (knee).

After spending the first three years of his career with the Pistons, Sasser will get a fresh start in Dallas. The 25-year-old logged several career lows in 2025-26, averaging 5.2 points, 2.0 assists, 1.0 rebounds and 0.5 steals in 12.0 minutes per showing across 38 regular-season outings (five starts). Although he shot a career-worst 39.0 percent from the field last season, Sasser connected on a career-high 41.5 percent of his three-point tries on 2.8 attempts per contest. He'll have a much clearer path to a consistent role with the Mavericks, as he'll presumably compete with rookie Sergio de Larrea for playing time off the bench behind Irving. While Cooper Flagg should continue to take on significant ball-handling duties, Sasser will likely have the opportunity to carve out a meaningful role, especially if he impresses during training camp and the preseason.

The Hawks waived Carter on Friday, Jake Fischer of BleacherReport.com reports.

After coming over from the Kings in an offseason trade, Carter is being let go by Atlanta before getting the chance to report for training camp. The 2024 first-rounder averaged a career-high 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals in 18.4 minutes per contest across 38 regular-season appearances for Sacramento in 2025-26, so he should draw some interest on the open market provided he clears waivers.

Head coach Ime Udoka said Friday that VanVleet (knee) is ramping up his rehab work, Lachard Binkley of SI.com reports.

With VanVleet having missed the entire 2025-26 campaign after suffering a torn ACL late last offseason, it's encouraging to hear he's back on the court. The veteran point guard is almost a full calendar year removed from the surgery, so there's optimism he'll be ready for Opening Night in late October. His level of participation in training camp and the preseason remains a question mark, though.

The door is open for Maluach to start at center for the Suns in the wake of Mark Williams' offseason shoulder surgery, Bobby Marks of ESPN.com reports.

The 2025 first-rounder is coming off a promising Summer League run, averaging 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor over four appearances. Williams is expected to miss around five months, so the runway with Phoenix's top spot at center could be a long one. Maluach does have Oso Ighodaro to overcome for the role, so fantasy managers should keep close tabs on what projects to be a fierce camp competition.

Kessler was highlighted as a strong fit with Luka Doncic after the Lakers paid a steep price to acquire him, Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports reports.

The Lakers' depth at center behind Kessler appears to be razor-thin, including veteran Kevon Looney as his primary backup, so Los Angeles could lean heavily on Kessler during his debut season in Los Angeles. He's slotting in as a distant tertiary scoring option behind Doncic and Austin Reaves, though the prospect of being the top lob threat for the dynamic backcourt duo bodes well for his efficiency; Deandre Ayton shot a career-high 67.1 percent from the field in that role last season. Kessler also seemed to be adding a three-point shot to his arsenal before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery last year, averaging 1.2 threes to go with a career-high 3.0 assists per game in his five regular-season appearances for Utah, so he looks to have plenty of nine-category fantasy upside if he's able to shoot a reasonable percentage from the free-throw line.

Ighodaro has a chance to begin the season as Phoenix's starting center after Mark Williams underwent shoulder surgery Thursday.

The expectation is that Williams will be on the shelf for about five months, likely ruling out the big man until sometime around the All-Star break. Ighodaro filled in serviceably when Williams was injured in 2025-26, as the former averaged a productive 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game while shooting 67.4 percent from the field over 22 regular-season appearances with Williams unavailable. However, Ighodaro did shoot a paltry 40.8 percent from the free-throw line in those outings. Benjamin Garcia of the Locked On Podcast Network is hearing internal praise directed toward Khaman Maluach, who just averaged 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game across four appearances in a dominant Summer League run, so the Suns appear to have an intense camp battle brewing for the top center spot in Williams' stead.

Williams underwent surgery Thursday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and will miss an extended period, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

This is a tough blow for the center with training camp right around the corner. With Williams on the inactive list, Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach figure to see increased playing time, with the latter already drawing buzz during Summer League play. More clarity on Williams' timeline should be known in the coming weeks, and while nothing official has come from the Suns, Phoenix radio host John Gambadoro reports that the center could potentially miss around five months.

Bittle (lower leg) was spotted in a walking boot Wednesday, Esfandiar Baraheni of The Athletic reports.

Bittle missed Toronto's Summer League finale due to right knee soreness, though it's unclear exactly what he's dealing with now. The 23-year-old center out of Oregon signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors in June and is set to compete for a spot on the regular-season roster at training camp, so his status will be worth monitoring moving forward.

Toohey (knee) signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Warriors on Wednesday, Anthony Slater of ESPN.com reports.

Toohey was selected by the Warriors with the 52nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, though he was waived from his two-way deal in December before undergoing left knee surgery. The 22-year-old will compete for a spot on Golden State's regular-season roster in training camp, but it's unclear if he's fully recovered from the knee injury after missing Summer League.