NBA Player News

According to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, the NBA's salary-cap circumvention investigation involving Leonard and the Clippers could extend into 2027 if the sides cannot agree on the findings or any proposed discipline.

The unresolved probe continues to delay Leonard's trade to Toronto, while the Clippers have maintained their innocence and are reportedly prepared to challenge any league-imposed penalties through arbitration. Adam Silver has publicly stated that he wants this investigation wrapped up prior to the 2026-27 season, so this will be a messy situation for fantasy managers to navigate until there's some clarity.

Murray (ankle) is projected to start at power forward for the Kings in 2026-27, according to Kings beat writer Chris Watkins.

Watkins believes De'Andre Hunter will start at small forward next to Murray, with rookie Alex Karaban coming off the bench. Murray underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove loose bodies in his left ankle back in May, though he's expected to be ready in time for training camp.

Sharpe could face increased competition for offensive opportunities after Portland acquired Ja Morant, according to Robert Ohman of Willamette Week.

Sharpe has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate as the Trail Blazers reshape their roster, though he can provide a scoring punch if he stays in Portland. His long-term upside remains intriguing, but Morant's arrival may cap his usage entering 2026-27.

Camara should continue to play a major role following Portland's trade for Ja Morant, according to Robert Ohman of Willamette Week.

The Trail Blazers have been reluctant to include Camara in trade discussions because of his defensive value, and he'll remain an important complementary piece alongside Ja Morant, Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija. Camara's fantasy value should continue to be driven primarily by steals, rebounds and hustle stats in general.

Avdija's outlook remains bright despite Portland's acquisition of Ja Morant, according to Robert Ohman of Willamette Week.

Morant's arrival could reduce Avdija's on-ball responsibilities after his breakout campaign, but the Trail Blazers continue to view him as a foundational piece. Even if his usage declines slightly, Avdija's ability to contribute across every category should keep him among Portland's top fantasy options.

The Wizards announced Thursday that Watkins has undergone surgery for a torn ACL.

Watkins, a two-way player for the Wizards, suffered the injury during the Summer League. Although Washington has yet to offer a timetable for a return, a typical recovery time for the procedure is approximately 9-to-12 months. That leaves Watkins in serious jeopardy of missing most, if not all, of the 2026-27 season, and it remains to be seen if the team will stay committed to keeping him around on a two-way roster spot while he's injured.

Dunn could be restricted to a reserve role next year after Phoenix acquired Miles Bridges from Charlotte this summer.

The Suns may have lost Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale this offseason, but they signed sharpshooter Luke Kennard in addition to receiving Bridges in a trade with the Hornets. Dunn opened 2025-26 as a starter before being phased out of Phoenix's rotation entirely during the playoffs, ultimately averaging a pedestrian 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.4 minutes per game over 70 appearances (16 starts) during the regular season. Dunn figures to be battling for a bench role with the likes of Jordan Goodwin, Haywood Highsmith, Rasheer Fleming and perhaps even rookie first-rounder Koa Peat at training camp this fall.

Brooks could play a different role next season after Phoenix acquired Miles Bridges from Charlotte this offseason.

There could be a crunch for usage in Phoenix's starting lineup in 2026-27, which wasn't the case particularly often for Brooks in 2025-26. The Suns landed Jalen Green in last summer's Kevin Durant trade as compensation for the loss of the future Hall of Famer, but Brooks capitalized with a career campaign, which may have come largely due to Green's inability to stay on the court consistently due to nagging hamstring injuries. Over 56 regular-season appearances, Brooks averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 30.4 minutes per game but could be at risk of seeing those numbers drop now that Bridges is in the mix.

Booker will be sharing a different starting lineup next year after the Suns acquired Miles Bridges from the Hornets this summer.

The Suns have constructed a talented roster around their franchise centerpiece, now featuring Bridges as opposed to lower-usage options such as Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale. Although Bridges could theoretically cut into Booker's ballhandling opportunities to an extent, the latter could experience a jump in efficiency after shooting 45.6 percent from the field last regular season, his lowest mark since 2017-18. Booker also shot just 33.0 percent from deep last regular season, his worst figure since 2018-19, and Bridges' presence could result in more open looks from downtown.

Green could experience a downtick in usage next season after the Suns acquired Miles Bridges from the Hornets this offseason.

Phoenix is welcoming in a new member of its starting lineup in 2026-27, with Bridges set to replace Royce O'Neale in that role. The Suns effectively replaced Grayson Allen with Luke Kennard, as both players profile similarly as three-point shooters, but Bridges poses a far greater risk to Green's usage than Kennard. Green still figures to slot in as the team's No. 2 scoring option behind Devin Booker, and the former will be looking to bounce back after averaging 17.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 three-pointers in 25.9 minutes per game over 32 regular-season appearances amid an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign.