NBA News

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Memphis Grizzlies released power forward Mamadi Diakite on Tuesday. Memphis acquired Diakite in the off-season from the Nets for 22-year-old forward Ziaire Williams. Last season, Diakite suited up for six games for the Knicks and Spurs, averaging 2.0 points and 0.7 rebounds. The 27-year-old free agent will not factor into fantasy should he land another NBA contract going into training camp.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso is looking forward to working with Mark Daigneault again, who coached him in the G League at the start of his career. "We have a great relationship," Caruso said in an interview with TexAgs Radio. "I know what to expect out of him and he knows how to coach and push me. If there was one word to describe it, just excited." Caruso had a career year in Chicago last term. Working with a coach who "knows" how to push him puts the versatile guard in a good spot to improve further in 2024-25.

Free agent center Boban Marjanovic has told Meridian Sport in Serbia that he "expects" to land a new NBA deal. The seven-foot-four giant has spent the last two seasons with the Houston Rockets. "I expect the NBA, but if that doesn't happen, there's a lot on paper right now," Marjanovic said. The 36-year-old made 14 appearances last season, scoring 3.2 points and grabbing 2.3 rebounds in 5.1 minutes. He has averaged 5.5 points and 3.6 boards in 8.7 minutes for his NBA career. Marjanovic has been a fan favorite during his stay in the NBA, but he has offered very little to fantasy managers.

Free agent center Robin Lopez has not ruled out a move to Europe to extend his playing career. "I'd absolutely consider it; I know how passionate the fans are and how high the level of basketball is," Lopez told Eurohoops. The 16-year NBA veteran is without a contract for next season after spending the 2023-24 campaign in Milwaukee with his twin brother Brook. Lopez played a very limited role with the Bucks, averaging 4.0 minutes across 16 games. He will likely be at the end of the bench again if he lands on a new team for the upcoming NBA campaign, leaving him without any fantasy appeal.

Italian veteran Danilo Gallinari is without a contract for next season but still hopes to earn a new NBA deal. "A return to Italy? Not yet," he said in an interview with Italian news outlet La Repubblica. "There is still time for (me in) the market, anything can happen at any time. Miami? It's not my time yet, there are other free agents and we'll decide later. It could be anywhere, as long as it's a competitive franchise." Gallinari, who turned 36 at the start of August, spent the 2023-24 campaign with three teams. Following stints in Washington and Detroit, he finished the season with the Milwaukee Bucks. It looks like Gallinari wants to land on another contender. However, he will have zero fantasy value if that's the case. Last season, Gallinari posted only 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds across 9.1 minutes in Milwaukee.

The Pelicans waived forward Matt Ryan, the team announced. Since entering the league, he's played for the Celtics, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Pelicans. However, he hasn't done much to benefit fantasy managers, averaging just 4.4 points in 63 games. Ryan could find a new team relatively soon. Yet, he'll likely spend most of his time at the end of the bench, which isn't ideal for fantasy purposes.

According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Brooklyn Nets forward Bojan Bogdanovic (foot, wrist) is expected to be ready for training camp on October 1. The 35-year-old began the 2023-24 campaign in Detroit, where he averaged 20.2 points and shot 41.5% from behind the arc. However, after being traded to the Knicks, his production declined significantly. Even worse, he suffered foot and wrist injuries, resulting in surgery. The Nets are a young, rebuilding team, and there's a chance the team isn't finished making moves ahead of the season. Yet, there's still room in the rotation for Bogdanovic, so there's reason to believe he'll turn things around this year. With that said, he'll need to prove he can remain on the floor, especially since he's missed time over the years because of various injuries.

Free-agent guard Lonnie Walker IV was reportedly taking part in competitive workouts with players from the Sacramento Kings. He was among a group of four free agents looking to make their way onto an NBA roster this coming season. Walker was joined by Isaiah Thomas, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Tony Bradley. Walker played in 58 games for the Brooklyn Nets last year and averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists across 17.4 minutes per game. He also shot 42.3% from the floor and 38.4% from beyond the arc. The six-year veteran could help an NBA team as a depth option, but he's unlikely to be a viable fantasy option unless he finds his way on a tanking team.

Free-agent forward Joey Hauser has agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Atlanta Hawks and will compete to make the roster through training camp and the preseason. The Michigan State product played for the Ontario Clippers in the G League last year and appeared in 34 games while starting in six of them. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.3 threes made per game. If he makes the team, he'd likely serve as a stretch-four role coming off of the bench. He would have to compete with the likes of Larry Nance Jr., Jalen Johnson, De'Andre Hunter, and even rookie Zaccharie Risacher.

Free agent forward Dylan Windler is heading to Australia after agreeing to a new deal with the Perth Wildcats on Thursday. The 27-year-old has played for four teams in four seasons throughout his NBA career. He was the 26th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and then he went on to play for the Knicks, Lakers, and Hawks this past season. Windler averaged 3.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game across 101 appearances while shooting 42.5% from the floor, 34.7% from deep, and 80.0% from the free throw line.

Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Emoni Bates has signed a new two-way deal with the team ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. The 20-year-old was also on a two-way contract last season after landing in Cleveland as the 49th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Bates made 15 appearances in the big league, notching 2.7 points in 8.9 minutes. He was a 20-point scorer in the G League. The young Michigan native clearly has good ability, but he still appears to be some way off from being an impactful NBA player.

Forward Keyontae Johnson has signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets. Johnson joins the Hornets organization following an underwhelming rookie year in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 24-year-old was limited to only nine appearances and 7.4 minutes per game. However, Johnson had a great spell in the G League, notching 19.4 points per game with 6.7 rebounds and helping the Oklahoma City Blue win the championship. Johnson should get more opportunities on a rebuilding team like the Hornets, but he remains off the fantasy radar for now.

Guard/forward Javonte Green is set to sign a one-year contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, sources have told NBA insider Shams Charania. After starting out in the G League, Green had an impressive nine-game spell with the Chicago Bulls at the end of last season, averaging 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. However, a repeat of it in New Orleans appears unlikely, as Green will be limited to a bench role. The 31-year-old has posted 5.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.3 minutes across 195 career games in the National Basketball Association.

Washington Wizards forward Eugene Omoruyi has been waived. The 27-year-old is on a non-guaranteed $2.2 million contract for 2024-25. After going undrafted in 2021, Omoruyi has spent three seasons in the NBA. He landed in Washington last offseason after being waived by the Detroit Pistons. Omoruyi had a minuscule role on the team, averaging 4.8 points in 9.1 minutes across 43 games. He will become an unrestricted free agent if no team picks him up off waivers. Following the move, the Wizards still have some maneuvering to do, as there are 16 players on the roster.

Phoenix Suns forward EJ Liddell was waived on Wednesday. The 23-year-old had spent just four weeks as a member of the team. The Suns acquired Liddell from Atlanta last month in exchange for David Roddy. Liddell, a second-round pick in 2022, made his first eight NBA appearances with the New Orleans Pelicans last season. However, he logged only 23 total minutes. After also waiving Nassir Little, Phoenix expects big things from 21-year-old forward Ryan Dunn during his rookie year. Additionally, the moves opened up a roster spot for the team.

Phoenix Suns forward Nassir Little has been waived by the team. Little's stint with Phoenix came to an end after only 45 games. He was acquired ahead of last season from Portland in a three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. The 24-year-old couldn't make an impact on his new team, logging only 10.2 minutes per game and scoring 3.4 points. According to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, the Suns plan to stretch out the $22 million remaining on Little's deal over three years. Little had a solid campaign in 2021-22, posting 9.8 points and 5.6 rebounds, but he has struggled to stay healthy and hasn't been a factor in fantasy hoops in recent years.

According to Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs tried to trade for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. Although Mathur didn't get into the details of each offer, it's apparent it wasn't enough. The Cavaliers made moves this offseason to bolster the roster for years, specifically, giving new deals to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. However, Garland's future with the Cavaliers is far from guaranteed. The 24-year-old has spent his entire career in Cleveland since entering the NBA in 2019. He finished last season by averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 1.3 steals. While some of those averages are a dip from the 2022-23 campaign, Garland has at least kept himself with the club. He could still be one of the first players traded if things fall apart for the Cavaliers, impacting his fantasy value. But outside of that, Garland's inability to stay healthy remains the most significant issue for fantasy managers, considering he's logged fewer than 60 games in three of his first five years in the league.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (hand) remains "on course" to be ready for the start of training camp. The multi-time All-Star had a stellar year in 2023-24, averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. He also shot 41.1% from deep, one of the best marks of his career. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken left hand while training and underwent surgery in mid-July. While the addition of Klay Thompson might cause Irving to see few scoring opportunities, he could remain a potent fantasy producer for at least a few more seasons moving forward, assuming he can stay healthy and out of trouble.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray will draw attention as he looks for a new contract. While KSE vice chairman Josh Kroenke didn't get into specifics regarding the situation, he still took the time to express his confidence in Murray despite the All-Star's most recent issues staying healthy. " Jamal's a great player, one of the best in the NBA," Kroenke said during a recent golf outing. "I know he was frustrated a little bit. So I have no doubt he'll use that the right way for motivation going into the season." Without question, Murray is one of the best players in the NBA. He finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging career-highs in points (21.2), assists (6.5), and three-point shooting (42.5%). However, he appeared in just 59 regular season games due to various injuries. Murray was also limited throughout the 2024 Summer Olympics. At any rate, fantasy managers can't trust that the 27-year-old will remain ailment-free. Yet, if Murray does stay off the injury report, he has top-25 fantasy potential.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro is hoping to stay healthy this season. He's also looking to improve in certain areas of his game. "My biggest thing right now is developing my body and trying to get stronger so that I can stay as healthy as possible throughout the season," said Herro during a recent interview. "As for adding to my strengths, I really want to sharpen up my efficiency to maximize my abilities as a scorer." The 24-year-old was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 2022. However, after moving into the starting lineup in the last two seasons, he's been limited to 109 games due to injury. On a positive note, Herro finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 20.8 points, a career-high, and making 39.6% of his tries from behind the arc. But considering Herro hasn't played more than 67 games in a season since entering the NBA, he must prove he can remain off the injury report before fantasy managers feel comfortable adding him to the roster in the years ahead. With that said, if the 2019 No. 13 overall pick can stay on the floor, he has All-Star potential.