Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has officially entered trade rumors after failing to get through the second round of the playoffs yet again. A report floated around about the New York Knicks monitoring the situation in case the Sixers decided to blow it up. On the contrary, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Embiid is "very much untouchable" despite the talk surrounding him. Most would consider this a no-brainer but with James Harden wanting the max, it opened the door for a lot of possibilities at the time. At this point, those doubts can be laid to rest.
Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent (ankle) is good to go on Sunday against Denver. Vincent sprained his left ankle in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Boston Celtics and didn't suit up for Game 5. However, he's been good to go since then, although he has been a hit-or-miss fantasy producer during the postseason.
Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin (illness) is questionable ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals against Denver. He missed practice on Saturday, which isn't a good sign. However, with Martin being so valuable during the postseason, he'll likely do whatever it takes to get on the floor. At the same time, if he doesn't suit up on Sunday, Kevin Love could move back into the starting lineup. Unfortunately, Love hasn't been an impactful fantasy option, so managers should consider Haywood Highsmith, who had 18 points and two steals in Game 1.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (shoulder) is available for Sunday's game against the Denver Nuggets. The 25-year-old has battled shoulder discomfort for quite some time. However, he has been playing through it while wearing a compression shirt for support. It certainly didn't appear to impact his performance in Game 1, as he finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and one block in 40 minutes. Considering Adebayo hasn't had any issues putting up points versus Denver all year, DFS managers should keep him in mind for Game 2.
Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (hand) is out for Game 2 of the NBA Finals against Denver. It seemed there was a chance he could be back after missing nearly all of the postseason with a hand injury. However, Herro won't return for this one, although he's worth monitoring ahead of Game 3 on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Caleb Martin (illness) is questionable, so Miami could be even more shorthanded versus the Nuggets, who are up 1-0 after winning the series opener. If Martin isn't available, Haywood Highsmith, fresh off an 18-point performance in Game 1, will see more than enough attention from DFS participants.
New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle, the team announced on Saturday. Randle hurt his left ankle near the end of the regular season, missing the final five games, and also tweaked it in the first-round playoff series against Cleveland. The two-time All-Star will be able to resume basketball activities later this summer and is expected to be fully recovered for the start of the 2023-24 season. Randle completed his fourth season in New York averaging a career-high 25.1 points with 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Sacramento Kings forward/center Domantas Sabonis (thumb) has not ruled out offseason surgery on his right thumb. He was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb all the way back in December and Sabonis managed to play through the issue, helping the Kings end a 16-year postseason drought, but the team would obviously like to get him fully healthy for next season. Sabonis made the All-NBA Third Team this season and was named an All-Star for a third time, averaging 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and a career-high 7.3 assists.
Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Danuel House Jr. has picked up his $4.3m player option for the 2023-2024 season. The 29-year-old didn't have a lot of success in 2022-23, averaging only 4.8 points per game in 14.4 minutes, but he will get a fresh start under new head coach Nick Nurse and could play a larger role next season, depending on how the roster shapes up in the summer. Philadelphia's roster could look quite different in 2023-24, with James Harden, Jalen McDaniels, Georges Niang and Paul Reed becoming free agents.
Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden still has to make a big decision this off-season and the team's new head coach is going to make his pitch. During his introductory press conference, Nick Nurse said that he hopes Harden will return and run it back alongside Joel Embiid. Nurse also said that they offer him the best chance at winning it all. There have been a lot of conflicting reports on Harden's train of thought, so it was only a matter of time until Nurse was asked about it. The silver lining if Harden does walk away is the rumor that Fred VanVleet could be his replacement after some salary cap gymnastics.
Oklahoma City Thunder center Aleksej Pokusevski suffered a right humerus fracture during an off-season workout on Thursday and will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks. The 21-year-old missed most of this past season with injury issues as he was only able to play in a total of 34 games. This injury doesn't seem to affect his chances of playing at the beginning of the season, but it does jeopardize his off-season. His attention could be switched from improving to rehabbing while he'll be behind Chet Holmgren, who returns next year.
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler didn't have the best showing in the opening game of the NBA Finals. The 33-year-old scored just 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting and added seven rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and one block. Butler and the Heat didn't seem ready to be hit in the mouth right out of the gates. He and Bam Adebayo will need to channel their big games this postseason to combat the duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Butler usually bounces back after bad games, so Game 2 will be important for his momentum before going back to Miami.
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