NBA Player News

Siakam has been eligible since July 6 to sign a three-year extension worth up to $207 million with Indiana, according to Zion Brown of the Indianapolis Star.

Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan declined to discuss the team's extension plans, saying he prefers to keep contract matters confidential out of respect for players and their agents. Siakam's current contract runs through the 2027-28 season, so there doesn't appear to be immediate pressure for the two sides to reach a new agreement.

Acuff is projected to open the season as Sacramento's starting point guard, according to Brenden Nunes of KHTK Sactown Sports 1140.

Nunes views Acuff, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, De'Andre Hunter and Domantas Sabonis as the Kings' most likely starting five. If Acuff does secure the starting job, the rookie should have an opportunity to handle significant minutes and playmaking responsibilities from the outset. Efficiency could be an issue early on given the learning curve at the position.

Lillard (Achilles) is expected to enter training camp without limitations, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic.

Toumani Camara has matched up with Lillard during pre-camp workouts and was particularly impressed by the veteran guard's first step and speed following his lengthy rehabilitation. Lillard appears to be making significant progress ahead of his return to game action, though his workload and availability during the preseason will still be worth monitoring.

Carr could be part of the Lakers' rotation as a rookie, according to head coach JJ Redick, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.

Redick indicated that Los Angeles plans to utilize a deeper rotation this season, which could create an opportunity for Carr to earn minutes. The rookie will still need to establish himself during training camp and the preseason, but he appears to have a path to a regular role. Keep an eye on him in deeper formats.

Lakers president Rob Pelinka referred to Reaves, Luka Doncic and Walker Kessler as the team's "Big 3" while discussing the continuity of the roster, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.

The comments reinforce Reaves' prominent role in Los Angeles' offense and suggest he should remain a major part of the team's plans alongside Doncic and Kessler this season. Fantasy managers can expect a mild bump in offensive usage with LeBron James out of the mix as well.

Kessler (shoulder) is fully healthy and has been cleared for the start of the season, according to Lakers president Rob Pelinka, Ryan Ward of SI.com reports.

Kessler underwent shoulder surgery back in November, but Pelinka said the big man is looking forward to playing in a lot of games this year. The 25-year-old appears on track to enter training camp without restrictions and should have a prominent role in Los Angeles' frontcourt with Luka Doncic setting him up with easy looks.

The Grizzlies waived Russell on Friday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

This has been the expectation for a while with the Grizzlies needing to trim their roster. This allows Russell the opportunity to join another team ahead of the preseason, though his market could be limited. Across 26 regular-season appearances with Dallas in 2025-26, he averaged 10.2 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 19.0 minutes.

Flagg said at Mavericks Media Day that he has grown from his listed height of 6-foot-9 last season to an official barefoot measurement of 6-foot-10, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reports.

The 19-year-old's continued physical development gives him even more positional size heading into his second NBA season after an impressive rookie campaign. The sky is the limit as Flagg will now benefit from playing alongside a healthy Kyrie Irving in 2026-27.

Mavericks president Masai Ujiri offered an encouraging update on Irving's recovery from his knee injury Friday, saying the veteran guard is "right there" as he works toward returning to game action, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Irving missed the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, but he has been participating in pickup games during his ramp-up process. The 34-year-old last played in 2024-25, when he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 36.1 minutes across 50 regular-season appearances. Ujiri's comments provide another positive sign that Irving is closing in on his return, though Dallas has yet to announce a definitive timeline.

Mavericks president Masai Ujiri said Friday that Lively (foot) is "making good progress" in his recovery, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Ujiri noted that Lively has progressed to shooting and is working toward running on the court, though Dallas intends to remain patient with the 22-year-old. Lively underwent right foot surgery in December after appearing in just seven regular-season games in 2025-26, averaging 4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 16.4 minutes per game. He has yet to be cleared for training camp, and his status for the beginning of the regular season remains uncertain.