NBA Player News

Wembanyama ended with 17 points (5-18 FG, 1-8 3Pt, 6-6 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and one block across 28 minutes during Thursday's 120-109 loss to Dallas.

Wembanyama finished just one rebound away from opening the 2024-25 season with a double-double, but this wasn't his best performance, as he looked rusty on offense and a step slow on defense at times. The fact that Wembanyama barely played in the preseason was noticeable in the regular-season opener, although matching up with the reigning Western Conference champions was far from ideal to open the campaign. The star big man should figure things out rather quickly, so fantasy managers shouldn't be concerned after just one subpar game by Wembanyama's standards.

Lively closed Thursday's 120-109 win over the Spurs with 15 points (6-8 FG, 3-5 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists and one steal across 28 minutes.

Lively outplayed Daniel Gafford, who got the start at center. The former showed a more efficient touch near the rim and made his presence on the glass at both ends of the court. As if that wasn't enough, Lively's six assists tied a career-high mark. The second-year center could steal the starting gig from Gafford if he puts up numbers like these off the bench regularly.

Sabonis ended Thursday's 117-115 loss to Minnesota with 24 points (8-13 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 5-8 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 38 minutes.

Sabonis had fewer rebounds than Keegan Murray, who led the team with 11 rebounds. Double-doubles are a regular occurrence for Sabonis, but he spent a lot of time outside the paint in the opener, possibly curtailing his ability to reach his typical threshold. The 24/8 line shouldn't be too concerning at this point, as he still has an enormous fantasy impact when he's a few rebounds short of a double-double.

Reid accumulated 19 points (6-10 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds and three assists across 27 minutes during Thursday's 117-115 win over the Kings.

Reid is expected to relieve Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert on a nightly basis. However, Reid actually shared the floor with both big men briefly in the fourth quarter of Thursday's win. The odd combo of Mike Conley, Donte DiVincenzo, Reid, Randle and Gobert isn't expected to happen often, but the quintet provided a much-needed boost that helped Minnesota regain the lead. Reid's role as a backup is assured, but we may see more of the oversized grouping moving forward.

Jokic logged 16 points (6-13 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, 13 assists, one block and two steals over 35 minutes during Thursday's 102-87 loss to the Thunder.

Jokic began the 2024-25 season in typical fashion, piecing together a triple-double despite the blowout loss. We should expect another battle for the lead in double-doubles and triple-doubles with Domantas Sabonis, who actually bested Jokic in both categories last season.

Holmgren closed Thursday's 102-87 win over the Nuggets with 25 points (11-18 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals in 36 minutes.

Holmgren is coming off an excellent rookie season, and he could have run away with the Rookie of the Year award if Victor Wembanyama wasn't in the mix. The Gonzaga product should see a substantial increase in minutes this season due to the lack of competition on the roster. Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) will be out at least another month, giving Holmgren max minutes at the five.

Gafford will start in Thursday's regular-season opener against the Spurs, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.

As expected, Dereck Lively will come off the bench behind Gafford. The 26-year-old is coming off a career-best year, during which he spent time with both the Wizards and Mavericks. Gafford averaged 11.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.0 combined steals plus blocks across 24.5 minutes per game in 74 regular-season outings in the 2023-24 campaign.

Lively will come off the bench in Thursday's regular-season opener against the Spurs, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.

As expected, Daniel Gafford will get the start over Lively. However, the 20-year-old will play a significant role off the bench and could be a candidate to enter the starting five later on, especially if injury concerns arise. Lively had a solid rookie campaign, during which he averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks across 23.5 minutes per game in 55 regular-season outings.

Koloko won't play Friday against the Suns as the Lakers work him back to playing condition, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Koloko missed Opening Night due to a long-term blood clotting issue, though the club is optimistic he will return to game action soon. The 24-year-old is not expected to play a significant role with the club, but he could step up as the Lakers' third-string center if Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) misses additional time.

Lopez is probable for Friday's game against the Bulls due to a right quadriceps contusion.

Lopez probably suffered the contusion in the season-opening win over the 76ers on Wednesday, where he recorded 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and six blocks across 36 minutes. The probable tag suggests he's very likely to play and handle his regular workload as Milwaukee's starting center, though.