NBA Player News

Pippen (toe) has a chance to begin the new year as Memphis' starting point guard after Portland acquired Ja Morant in a trade with the Grizzlies earlier this offseason.

Pippen will have to gain clearance ahead of training camp after undergoing a toe procedure in March, but he certainly appears to be a winner of the team's offseason moves. Ty Jerome (ankle) poses a significant risk to Pippen's role, however, and the two guards figure to engage in a battle for the top role at the point this fall. Pippen is looking to bounce back following an injury-ruined 2025-26 campaign, during which he averaged 11.4 points, 4.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 21.2 minutes per game across 10 regular-season appearances (six starts).

Jerome (ankle) moved up the depth chart earlier this offseason when Portland acquired Ja Morant in a trade with the Grizzlies.

Scotty Pippen (toe) appears to be the early favorite for the starting spot at point guard, but there's no denying how effective Jerome was when healthy in 2025-26. Across 15 regular-season appearances, Jerome averaged a hyper-efficient 19.7 points, 5.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in just 22.6 minutes per game. Pippen underwent a toe procedure in March, so it remains to be seen if he'll be cleared for full participation in training camp this fall.

Irving (knee) should be fully healthy by the end of the offseason, per Christian Clark of The New York Times.

Irving is close to a full recovery from ACL surgery, so he should be a full participant by the time training camp comes around in the fall. The star guard hasn't yet gotten the chance to take the floor since the Mavericks drafted Cooper Flagg last year, so it'll be interesting to see how the two mesh once they're sharing the backcourt duties.

Alexander-Walker could face increased competition for minutes after Atlanta added Luguentz Dort, Rylan Stiles of SI.com reports.

Additionally, the Hawks added rookie Kingston Flemings while previously acquiring Aaron Wiggins. Alexander-Walker's defensive versatility and three-point shooting should still earn him a big role in the rotation, but the Hawks suddenly have much greater depth on the wing, making it more difficult for him to secure consistent touches. As a result, Alexander-Walker's upside may not be as appealing as it was in 2025-26.

Hauser's role could become more secure following Boston's offseason shakeup with the team swapping Jaylen Brown for Paul George and other assets, John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports.

While George is expected to absorb most of Brown's minutes, George's recent durability concerns may create additional opportunities for Hauser on the wing throughout the season. Hauser should continue to provide elite three-point shooting, with his fantasy value receiving a boost whenever George requires maintenance days or misses time.

Pritchard could benefit from additional offensive opportunities after Boston dealt Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia, John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports.

Although Paul George is expected to step into a starting role, Brown's departure creates extra ball-handling and scoring chances throughout the rotation, potentially allowing Pritchard to build on last season's breakout campaign. Increased minutes in three-guard lineups could help preserve his fantasy relevance despite George's arrival.

White could see a slight uptick in offensive responsibility following Boston's acquisition of Paul George in exchange for Jaylen Brown and other assets, John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports.

George's ability to space the floor and operate off the ball should fit well alongside White. However, Brown's departure leaves significant shot-creation opportunities that White may be asked to fill. His versatile stat profile already gives him a high fantasy floor, and a modest increase in usage would further boost his value.

Tatum (knee) should once again serve as the unquestioned centerpiece of Boston's offense after the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown for Paul George and other assets, John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports.

While George remains an effective two-way wing, he's unlikely to command the same offensive workload as Brown at this stage of his career, potentially leading to even greater scoring and playmaking responsibilities for Tatum. Assuming he returns to full health, Tatum has a legitimate path to career-best usage in 2026-27.

Porter (hamstring) could see his offensive role shift after the Nets acquired Julius Randle, who figures to become one of the focal points of Brooklyn's half-court offense, Sameer Kumar of SI.com reports.

While Porter should continue to benefit from Randle's ability to draw defensive attention, Randle's high-usage style may reduce Porter's shot volume after he emerged as the team's top-scoring option last season. Porter should still have plenty of fantasy appeal due to his elite shooting and rebounding, but his scoring upside may take a slight hit if Randle dominates possessions as expected.

The Nuggets matched the Thunder's two-year, $12 million offer sheet for Jones on Sunday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

The Nuggets will hold onto Jones after the Thunder offered him a deal Saturday. The 25-year-old wing went undrafted in 2024 and began his career on a two-way pact, though he was eventually upgraded to a standard deal in February. He appeared in 64 regular-season games (37 starts) in 2025-26, averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.8 steals across 22.1 minutes per contest.