NBA Player News

Robinson-Earl struggled with his shot in Sunday’s season finale, but he did provide solid value in the rebound and assist categories. He didn’t offer much value throughout the season, as rotation minutes were not guaranteed. Unfortunately for Robinson-Earl, he’s likely to encounter a similar situation in New Orleans next season with a healthy Zion Williamson in the fold.

Drafted by the Trail Blazers in 2018, Simons spent seven years in Portland and averaged between 17.3 and 22.6 points per game over the last four years. He’s entering a situation with the Celtics where he could be asked to carry a high-usage role in the absence of Jayson Tatum. With Simons on an expiring contract, the Celtics made a low-risk move getting away from the $72 million owed to Holiday. The Celtics could remain active in the trade market, only adding to Simons’ opportunity next year. Simons was ranked 110th in per game value on Basketball Monster last year. After playing a career-high 70 games last year, Simons could be set up for a career year with the Celtics.

One year after winning a championship and signing a contract extension, Holiday is on his way out of Boston. The 35-year-old point guard was traded back to the Trail Blazers in a move that saves Boston enough cap space to potentially get under the second apron. Holiday averaged 11.1 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game last year. He was ranked 107th in per game value by Basketball Monster. The Trail Blazers were aggressive in re-acquiring Holiday, who should have a major role with the team next year.

Gafford has been a key player for the Mavericks since joining the team via a trade with the Wizards prior to the 2024 trade deadline. The 26-year-old center averaged 12.3 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocks per game this past year. Gafford saw an increase in production in an 11-game stretch where the team was without Dereck Lively II. The Mavericks continue to value size as they keep Gafford to go along with Lively II, Anthony Davis and presumed No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in the frontcourt. Gafford probably has more real-life value than fantasy value at this point.

The Rockets have until Sunday to make a decision on VanVleet’s $44.9 million team option. NBA Insider Marc Stein also reported there’s a “strong expectation” that the Rockets agree to a long-term deal with VanVleet before free agency officially opens up on June 30. VanVleet could be looking at a three-year offer, though it would be for less money annually than his team option. The Rockets will be looking to stay under the first apron of the salary cap this year, but VanVleet is certainly a player they want to keep in the wake of the Kevin Durant trade.

No surprises here, as Middleton will get fully compensated for the final year of the three-year, $93 million deal he signed with Milwaukee in 2023. Given his recent injury history and declining play, Middleton’s next contract will surely be far less than what he makes this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.

As feared, Haliburton’s injury is severe, and it will likely cost him all of next season. It’s a brutal development for the emerging superstar, especially after the magical playoff run he led. In Hali’s absence, T.J. McConnell could see a big uptick in playing time and usage, while Ben Sheppard could see more time off the bench, and Andrew Nembhard could take on more responsibility as a facilitator.

It wasn’t always pretty, but SGA — who was named NBA Finals MVP afterwards — got the job done on Sunday night as the Thunder pulled away from Indiana in the second half to secure the franchise’s first title since moving to Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander shot a putrid 8-of-27 from the field and 2-of-12 from beyond the arc, but he got to the line 12 times and sank 11 free throws to buoy his scoring numbers. The 12 assists tie his season-high in that category, and his all-around contributions were spectacular, despite the inefficient shooting. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2024-25 season will go down as one of the best individual seasons for a guard in NBA history, as he won the scoring title, regular season MVP and Finals MVP. The Thunder are early favorites to win the 2025-26 title, and Gilgeous-Alexander has the second-shortest odds to win a second straight MVP, behind only Nikola Jokic.

Mathurin led Indiana in scoring and led all players in rebounds, though his minus-14 in the box score represented the lowest plus-minus of the game. Mathurin’s playoff run was a rollercoaster of ups and downs in minutes and scoring. His highs were high, and his lows were low, and Mathurin scored at least 20 points in four of the final 10 games of the postseason. The third-year man out of Arizona averaged career highs in points (16.1), rebounds (5.3), field goal percentage (45.8) and free throw percentage (83.1) in 2024-25, and he’ll look to improve on those numbers in his fourth season.

Like his superstar teammate, Williams was far from efficient as he and Shai Gilgeous Alexander combined for 49 points on 15-of-47 shots. Despite the poor shooting, Williams made a positive impact on the contest. He finished with the highest plus-minus in the game at plus-13 after recording a minus-40 in Game 6. Williams broke out in the regular season and broke out in an even bigger way in the Finals, as he scored 40 points in Game 5 and cemented himself as one of the best secondary options in the Association. The future looks bright for Williams and SGA.

Holmgren struggled offensively in this series, but he came through for his team in the title-clinching win. The big man knocked down 6-of-8 shots, hit five of his eight attempts from the charity stripe and made some monster plays on defense. So long as he can stay healthy, he should once again offer an early-round ceiling to fantasy managers thanks to his ability to hit triples and block shots.