NBA Player News

Butler (knee) is still in the relatively early stages of his recovery and has only recently begun getting back on the court, according to Danny Emerman of SFStandard.com.

There remains significant uncertainty surrounding his return timeline, as his injury typically carries a nine-to-12-month recovery window. A return sometime between Christmas and March appears to be a reasonable range for now, though fantasy managers shouldn't put much stock into a specific target date until Butler progresses further in his rehab.

Thompson cleared waivers and officially agreed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract with the Heat on Sunday, Sam Amick and Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic report.

Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason, but the Heat are now adding Thompson in hopes of bolstering the team's chances of winning another championship. The 2011 No. 11 overall pick is coming off his worst season, averaging 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 21.7 minutes, all career lows, in 69 regular-season games with the Mavericks. It's unlikely that Thompson will return to All-Star form with the Heat, considering he will turn 37 during the 2026-27 campaign. Regardless of his role, Thompson should have an opportunity to be much more productive than he was in Dallas, especially since his shooting acumen will provide spacing for Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Duren and the Pistons have seemingly not made any progress on a long-term extension, with Tim MacMahon of ESPN reporting that negotiations have been "nasty."

MacMahon didn't elaborate on just how bad things have been between the two sides and isn't sure if Duren plans to sign an extension. The 2022 No. 13 overall pick spent his first four years with Detroit, though he is coming off his most productive campaign to date, averaging a career-high 19.5 points along with 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 28.2 minutes per showing across 70 regular-season games in 2025-26. Additionally, he earned his first All-Star nod. However, it was a different story during the postseason, with the 22-year-old averaging 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks over 30.1 minutes per game in 14 playoff appearances. There are several directions this situation can go, including Duren agreeing to the proposed contract of roughly $35-$38 million annually. He can also accept a one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. While there is still time for progress to be made, both sides are likely running out of patience, which won't improve the chances of Duren remaining in Detroit beyond the 2026-27 campaign.

Queta could take an offensive leap in the 2026-27 campaign after averaging a career-high 10.2 points over 76 regular-season games last season, Jack Simone of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

With Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford out of the picture, Queta was a regular in the starting five last season. The big man averaged 10.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.8 steals in 25.3 minutes per regular-season tilt. While he averaged a career-high mark in scoring and took a significant jump on the defensive end, there's still plenty of room for Queta to improve offensively. Jaylen Brown was traded to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George this offseason, so there should be more shot attempts up for grabs. Additionally, Jayson Tatum is expected to start the season at full health after missing most of the 2025-26 regular season while recovering from a torn Achilles. Tatum's ability to get his teammates involved could be key to unlocking Queta's full offensive potential. The Celtics also lost Nikola Vucevic to free agency while landing Mitchell Robinson, who represents an upgrade defensively but a downgrade on the offensive end. Queta figures to handle a starting role once again and will look to grow his offensive game while providing Boston with efficient scoring around the rim.

The Nuggets added another playmaker with the signing of DeMar DeRozan on Friday to pair alongside Jokic to help handle the offensive pressure in 2026-27.

Jokic averaged a triple-double for the second straight season in 2025-26, though it's possible the addition of DeRozan slightly cuts into his ball-handling responsibilities. Regardless, the presence of DeRozan, a six-time All-Star, as opposed to the more defensive-minded Peyton Watson, should aid Jokic's efficiency as well as his ability to find open looks all around the court in 2026-27.

The Nuggets signed DeMar DeRozan on Friday, giving Murray another competitor for usage in 2026-27.

There could be a tighter squeeze for usage in Denver this season, as DeRozan is effectively replacing the more defensive-minded Peyton Watson on the roster. Murray should remain the team's clear-cut No. 2 scoring option behind Nikola Jokic, but it remains to be seen if the addition of DeRozan, who should compete for a starting job during training camp, will adversely impact Murray's productivity.

Lewis will continue playing overseas during the 2026-27 season, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.

Lewis was selected with the 60th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and had his rights traded to the Bucks, though he'll remain in Australia for the time being. Over 25 appearances for the South East Melbourne Phoenix last year, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 combined steals-plus-blocks in 21.3 minutes per tilt. The 21-year-old forward is expected to join the Cairns Taipans this season, according to Olgun Uluc of ESPN.

The Clippers traded Kamagate's draft rights to the Cavaliers on Thursday, NBA writer Justin Russo reports.

This was part of the deal that sent Max Strus to the Clippers on Thursday in a five-team trade. Cleveland will now have Kamagate's draft rights should he elect to pursue an NBA opportunity.

Porter is lined up as Cleveland's top backup point guard after the franchise re-signed James Harden.

Porter did benefit from the departure of Dennis Schroder, who previously served as the team's No. 2 point guard following last year's trade deadline. Tre Mann, who was originally acquired for Schroder, has since been rerouted to Washington, so Porter seems to have only Tyrese Proctor to beat out for the role during training camp.

Mitchell will be sharing the backcourt with James Harden again this season after the latter re-signed with Cleveland.

Harden may soak up more usage than Mitchell's previous backcourt partner, Darius Garland, but Mitchell didn't see a notable drop-off in fantasy value with Harden in the fray following last year's trade deadline. Mitchell averaged 26.0 points, 5.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 22 regular-season appearances with Harden in 2025-26, keeping the former squarely in conversations as an elite fantasy asset.