Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard took a big leap in 2024-25 and aims to improve even more in the upcoming season. "I feel like everybody should be excited," Pritchard said on the Celtics Talk Podcast. "There's a lot of opportunities across the board. For me, personally, I'm excited every year. Because it's an opportunity to prove myself again, to show that I can take another step. And that's my goal every year. I'm definitely hungry and motivated this year, been working really hard. So I'm excited." Pritchard was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year last season after he averaged 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, shooting 40.7 percent from downtown. Following an offseason of change in Boston, Pritchard will have every chance to play an even more important role on his team.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is projected to command a major pay raise with his next contract. The 27-year-old is currently on a four-year, $54 million deal, which has a player option for the final season (2026-27). Reaves will likely more than double his current annual salary. "I think he will get $30 [million] plus," an NBA executive told ESPN. According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, NBA executives expect the Lakers to keep Reaves as Luka Doncic's long-term backcourt partner. Reaves will start the next season after a career year, during which he averaged 20.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.1 steals. His stats slightly dipped in all categories after Doncic arrived mid-season, and it will be intriguing to see how well the two work together moving forward.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (Achilles) was seen at the New England Patriots' practice on Wednesday, walking without a boot or brace. It's been nearly three months since Tatum ruptured his right Achilles during the playoffs against the New York Knicks. He appears to be making great progress. An anonymous NBA scout mentioned last week that Tatum "looked way ahead" in his recovery and was "kind of shocked" by how well the six-time All-Star was moving during a basketball camp in Las Vegas. While Tatum's progress is promising, the Celtics have no reason to rush him back, and it wouldn't be surprising to still see him sit out the entire 2025-26 campaign.

The San Antonio Spurs have signed forward/center Micah Potter to an Exhibit 10 contract. He will get a chance to impress during training camp after parting ways with the Utah Jazz. Potter spent three seasons in Salt Lake City on a two-way contract. 2024-25 was his most successful campaign, as Potter occasionally filled in as a starter and averaged 4.3 points with 4.3 rebounds in 18.6 minutes. Potter, who began his pro career in 2021-22 with the Detroit Pistons, turned 27 in April and clearly doesn't have many opportunities left to stick in the NBA.

Forward/center Richaun Holmes will head overseas for next season, having agreed to a two-year deal with Panathinaikos. He was a free agent after the Washington Wizards decided to waive Holmes last month. Holmes made 31 appearances with the Wizards in 2024-25, averaging 7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. For several years, Holmes has struggled to crack the regular rotation on teams and will now try his luck in Greece. Panathinaikos, a seven-time EuroLeague champion, also has other former NBA players on its books, including Kendrick Nunn and Cedi Osman.

Indiana Pacers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin is penciled in for a starting role in 2025-26. "I'm projecting him as our starter at the 2 this year on Day 1," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told Caitlin Cooper of Basketball, She Wrote. "I told him this, I was on the phone with him and his agent four days ago, and I said, 'You're going to be with the starters on Day 1. It's your job to lose. But here's what we need from you: We need you to keep working on the running and simply running to the corners and stretching out the defense.'" The starting role will boost Mathurin's fantasy value. In 85 career games as a member of the first unit, Mathurin has posted 16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland (toe) is progressing from offseason surgery but will likely not be ready for the start of the season. "That's not a medical opinion. That's just my sense of this," Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. "Under-promise and over-deliver. We're not going to rush or push this. If he is ready, then great. I will rely on (trainer) Steve (Spiro) and Darius to tell me. But I don't expect that." Garland injured his left big toe in March and went under the knife in early June. It was then expected that he would miss 4-5 months. Lonzo Ball is set to begin the 2025-26 season as Cleveland's starting point guard if Garland isn't healthy enough to play.

Forward/center Chris Boucher has joined the Boston Celtics as a free agent. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Boucher signed a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the team. Boucher came off a three-year, $35.25 million deal this offseason. The 32-year-old was a valuable impact player off the bench for the Raptors but could find himself in a much more important role in Boston. The Celtics have essentially lost all their frontcourt depth over the summer, and they might even consider Boucher as a potential starter. In his last season with the Raptors, Boucher averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes.

The Utah Jazz have agreed to acquire forward Georges Niang in a trade with the Boston Celtics. In another money-saving move, the Celtics are trading away Niang and two future second-round picks for rookie guard/forward RJ Luis Jr., who the Jazz signed to a two-way deal after he went undrafted in June. Niang will pack his bags for the second time this offseason. Boston picked him up last month from the Atlanta Hawks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade. Early in his career, Niang spent four campaigns with the Jazz. He will add veteran presence and three-point shooting to the squad but isn't expected to be a fantasy factor. Last season, Niang shot 40.6 percent from deep to average 9.9 points in 21.5 minutes across 79 games with the Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Guard/forward Brandon Boston Jr. has joined 2025 EuroLeague champions Fenerbahce on a one-year contract. The former Kentucky Wildcat moves to Europe after playing four years in the NBA. Following a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Jr. put together a strong campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans. In 2024-25, Boston Jr. notched 10.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 23.6 minutes over 42 appearances with the Pelicans. Surprisingly, the 23-year-old failed to land an NBA deal after a good season. However, he now has a chance to impress in Turkey with a team that features many former NBA players.

Shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV will return to Europe for the start of the 2025-26 season after signing a three-year deal with six-time EuroLeague winners Maccabi Tel Aviv. Walker IV also began last season overseas with Zalgiris Kaunas but finished it with the Philadelphia 76ers. The former first-round pick posted 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game with the 76ers. However, Philadelphia declined to exercise its team option on Walker IV's contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. Walker IV reportedly has an NBA out clause in his contract with Maccabi, so he might be back in North America soon.

Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta revealed that he underwent offseason surgery to address a lingering knee problem. "It's been good," Queta told Bobby Manning of CLNS of his recovery. "We've been dealing with this stuff (since) a couple years ago. We just decided it was a great time for us to do it. We're trying to get back to 100%. We feel pretty confident in the process and we're just grateful that we were taken care of, and I want to make sure I'm healthy and get back to 100% and I feel like I'm on the right path to do that." So far, Queta's role with the Celtics has been limited, but with Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kornet leaving and Al Horford's return unlikely, he may become a player to watch for fantasy managers next season.

Guard/forward Johnny Juzang has agreed to a deal to join the Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Juzang will sign a one-year contract. Juzang was left looking for a new team after the Utah Jazz waived him on June 30. The 24-year-old had some solid stretches with the Jazz, averaging 8.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 19.8 minutes last season. However, he'll face much tougher competition for playing time with the Timberwolves and looks set to start the 2025-26 season as a third-stringer at the end of the bench.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic shouldn't be considered a buyout candidate. There have been numerous reports that a buyout could take place. However, Stein has repeatedly denied the validity of the reports and insists that Vucevic will begin the 2025 season with the Bulls unless "a trade materializes between now and the start of training camp." The 34-year-old finished the 2024 campaign by averaging 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in 73 appearances. While his production has dipped over the last few seasons, he remains a double-double threat. Another All-Star selection also shouldn't be ruled out. Of course, there are a number of teams interested, although it may make sense to wait things out, considering Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Bulls would love to get something in return before then, so the club may be forced to settle for a trade that's less than ideal.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, "there's still nothing set in stone" regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future with the Milwaukee Bucks. "I reported it in mid-May that he's evaluating whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or is it elsewhere," said Charania on ESPN's Get Up on Monday morning. "That process is continuing. There's been some very real conversations over the last week or so." The 30-year-old had another fantastic season in 2024, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks. The Bucks attempted to bolster the roster to Antetokounmpo's liking by adding Myles Turner and Cole Anthony. The club also re-signed Bobby Portis and Kevin Porter Jr. However, the team parted ways with Damian Lillard (Achilles), who isn't expected to play in 2025. Time is ticking before the start of the regular season, although Antetokounmpo should remain in the MVP conversation regardless of what uniform he is wearing moving ahead.

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac.com,forward Daniss Jenkins agreed to a two-way contract with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Jenkins played in just seven regular-season Pistons games during last year's NBA campaign. He spent most of 2024-25 in the G League with the Motor City Cruise, averaging 18.5 points, 6.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals across 35.7 minutes per contest during 47 outings. The 23-year-old won't factor into fantasy as he will likely spend most of 2025-26 once again in the G League.

Michael Scotto of USA Today reports that the Washington Wizards waived forward Jaylen Martin on Monday. Martin played in 16 NBA regular-season games last season, averaging 4.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists across 14.9 minutes per contest with the Nets and Wizards. Most of the 2024-25 campaign, Martin spent in the G League posting averagesof 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.0 minutes per game across 20 outings. The 21-year-old free agent will now look to land another opportunity before training camp in the fall.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, guard De'Aaron Fox (finger) agreed to sign a four-year, $229 million maximum contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. The 27-year-old star guard landed with the Spurs before the trade deadline last February. He had finger surgery in March and could be ready for the start of training camp. Fox averaged 23.5 points and 6.3 assists across 62 games during the 2024-25 campaign, and after several seasons, he still remains a valuable fantasy asset.

The Portland Trail Blazers guaranteed the $2.22 million salary of forward/center Duop Reath on Friday. The 29-year-old averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 rebounds as a rookie in 2023. However, it was a different story in 2024, with Reath amassing 4.2 points and 2.0 boards in 46 regular-season contests. He can play both the four and five spots. Still, the Blazers have depth at both positions, meaning Reath could have trouble finding consistent playing time throughout the 2025 campaign, giving him little-to-no value in any fantasy format. On the other hand, his stock might rise if there is an injury, which could open the door for streaming opportunities for fantasy managers.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic agreed to a three-year, $165 million extension with the team. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick spent his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks before being traded to the Lakers ahead of last season's deadline. He played as well as expected in 28 regular-season contests in Los Angeles, although he turned up the volume during the postseason by averaging 30.2 points. The Lakers appear to be heading in a new direction, with LeBron James potentially entering his final year with the franchise. However, the organization will presumably look to keep Doncic on the roster well beyond his most recent extension, assuming he remains productive. The 26-year-old has reportedly revamped his diet while changing his approach to his offseason conditioning. If he can stay healthy, he should have an excellent chance of winning the first MVP award of his career. Doncic is also arguably the No. 1 overall fantasy option in any format, even though his three-point percentage and tendency to turn the ball over will lower his value somewhat for dynasty managers.