2 years agoPoint guard Sharife Cooper has cleared waivers and is now an unrestricted free agent. The 21-year-old was waived by the Atlanta Hawks a few days ago. He was drafted by the team in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft and logged just 39 minutes as a rookie last year. Known for his passing abilities, Cooper averaged 8.1 assists per game during his lone season at Auburn in 2020-21. He also performed well in the G League last year, averaging 19.2 points and 5.5 assists per contest over 11 games with the College Park Skyhawks.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: Michael Scotto

2 years agoNew York Knicks forward RJ Barrett has been brought up as a potential piece in a trade that would send star Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell to the Big Apple. However, the Knicks have stated that they are not interested in dealing Barrett at this time, and now we have a new report suggesting that the Jazz wouldn't even be targeting Barrett in a deal. During his "Please Don't Aggregate This" podcast this week, Jake Fischer stated that the Jazz aren't interested in acquiring Barrett, mostly due to the fact that they don't want to be responsible for his next contract. Barrett is locked up for about $11 million this year, then he has a qualifying offer for $14 million in 2023-24. After that, he's set to be a restricted free agent and there's a good chance he'll be due for a big payday.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: Please Don't Aggregate This

2 years agoAccording to Mike Scotto of HoopsHype, in order for the Los Angeles Lakers to complete a trade involving Russell Westbrook, the Lakers will have to include a pair of future first-round picks. The 33-year-old is due to make $47 million this year, making him a massive burden on any team's books. On the bright side, he has just one more year on his contract before he becomes a free agent. The likelihood of a Westbrook deal seems minimal at this point, and there have been reports that the team's trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook is eager to make things work in Los Angeles.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: HoopsHype

2 years agoPhiladelphia 76ers guard James Harden recently signed a two-year deal with the organization. The All-Star guard took a deal worth nearly $69 million, which is actually a paycut. Harden wanted to take less money than his original contract in order for the Sixers to be able to bring in more talent around him. Harden played part of the season with the Sixers last year. The 31-year-old clearly believes this roster is ready to win right now. He recently mentioned that Philly is where he wants to be, so Sixers fans shouldn't have to worry about Harden trying to leave mid-season. The Beard look solid in a Sixers' uniform last season, so his fantasy value should continue to be top tier in 2022.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Kyle Neubeck

2 years agoGolden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is reportedly seeking a max contract extension. The front office appears to be hesitant to offer Green a max deal, which could lead to problems down the road. That being said, Green has been vocal about moving on if the team won't pay him what he is worth. Currently, Green is still under contract for the next two seasons. Although, the second year is a player option, so Green could become a free agent as early as next season. He isn't eligible for an extension until August 3rd, so there is still a little time left. This might not be an issue right away, but this could become a bigger problem if the two sides can't come to a solution.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic

2 years agoGolden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is reportedly discussing an extension with the organization. It was reported a few weeks ago that the Warriors weren't in a rush to get Wiggins under contract. Now, the two sides are having initial talks on a contract extension. Wiggins is coming off a stellar campaign and earned himself his first All-Star selection of his career. He was also a significant factor during the Warriors playoff run, which should help him during contract talks. The main priority of the Warriors should be signing Wiggins to a long term deal.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic

2 years agoAustrailian center Aron Baynes (spine) will resume playing basketball with the Brisbane Bullets in Australia. This is incredible considering Baynes suffered a possible career-ending spine injury roughly a year ago. His ultimate goal is to return to the NBA, but he'll take it one step at a time. His current contract with the Bullets does have an opt out, so he can return to the NBA. It's unlikely that Baynes would have consistent fantasy value, assuming he does return to the league. Regardless, it's fantastic to see Baynes back on a basketball court.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Brian Windhorst

2 years agoThe Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets have been unable to see eye-to-eye on a potential Kevin Durant trade. As a result, according to sources of the Miami Herald, the Heat are now planning to move forward with their current roster. The Nets weren't happy with the offer that the Heat came up with for Durant. The main problem was that the Heat were reportedly unwilling to part ways with star center Bam Adebayo. With the Heat now seemingly out of the running for Durant, it appears even more likely that he'll be back in Brooklyn once again this coming season.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: Miami Herald

2 years agoBoston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum spoke to the media Tuesday night and was asked about his thoughts on a potential blockbuster trade that would send Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant to Boston. Tatum praised Durant and noted that he had played alongside him in the Olympics. However, he also added, "I love our team. I love the guys that we got." Tatum was adamant that the decision on a Durant trade wasn't his to make while also being clear that he'd be eager to run things back with last year's nucleus.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: Mass Live

2 years agoFree-agent forward Carmelo Anthony is going into his 21st season in the NBA. Where he'll play for that season still remains a question. The 38-year-old could wind up returning to the Los Angeles Lakers next year, but according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, one NBA general manager thinks that the Golden State Warriors are a better fit for the veteran. The Warriors are tight on salary cap space, but Anthony would certainly be open to taking the veteran's minimum in order to chase his first NBA title. He'd also help balance out the team's heavily youthful roster.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: Heavy.com

2 years agoFrench forward Yves Pons has agreed to a two-year contract with ASVEL Villeurbanne of the French Pro A League. Pons spent four years playing college basketball at the University of Tennessee, then went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft. He landed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies last year, but appeared in just 12 games for the team and saw limited minutes when he came off the bench. The 6'6" 23-year-old certainly flashed some versatility during his brief stint in the G League last year, averaging 11.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.2 three-pointers per game across six outings.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: ASVEL

2 years agoFree-agent center Dwight Howard could wind up landing with the Brooklyn Nets. On Spotify Live this week, NBA Insider Scoop B stated that he had reached out to Howard directly and noted that there was "mutual interest" between Howard and the Nets. The 36-year-old spent the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers and averaged 6.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while logging 16.2 minutes per contest. With all the drama surrounding the Nets, it's unclear what type of roster they'll have by the start of the 2022-23 season, but if the team holds onto its core, then signing Howard certainly makes sense.--Andrew Ericksen - RotoBallerSource: Scoop B

2 years agoThe Toronto Raptors have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with forward Juancho Hernangomez. He was recently waived by the Utah Jazz, but it didn't take long for Hernangomez to find a new home. The Raptors have quite a few long wings, but Hernangomez should still get into the mix. It's highly unlikely that Hernangomez has fantasy value as long as the Raptors can stay relatively healthy. He recently became popular because of his appearance in the recent film Hustle. Hernangomez put on some impressive moves in the movie, but it's hard to imagine him making much of an impact on a real NBA court.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski

2 years agoBoston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown mentioned that he wants to stay with the organization despite trade rumors. The Celtics reportedly offered Brown, Derrick White, and a draft pick for Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets. Sadly for Boston, the Nets reportedly declined that trade and asked for more. Despite that, the Celtics arguably can put together the best trade package for Durant. It's worth noting that any trade for Durant would likely involve Brown. He recently refuted claims that he won't re-sign in Boston. It sounds like the 25-year-old wants to stay in Boston, but he might not get his wish.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic

2 years agoDenver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland is expected to have a bigger role on the team next season. Earlier this offseason, the Nuggets traded Monte Morris and Will Barton to the Washington Wizards. That being said, it was assumed that Hyland would take on a heavier workload with Morris and Barton departing. Despite that, head coach Mike Malone would not commit to Hyland being the team's backup guard. It sounds like Hyland could be battling with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ish Smith for minutes off the bench. The expectation is that Hyland will have a bigger role and more fantasy value, but fantasy managers will have to wait and see before getting too excited.--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: thednvr.com