Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson (hamstring) is set to miss four to eight weeks after suffering a left-hamstring tear earlier this week. The third-year guard, who averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 assists per game last season over 66 appearances, will begin rehab immediately, with a return expected in late October or November. Henderson's absence shifts point guard duties to veteran Jrue Holiday, giving him a larger role in the backcourt. For fantasy managers, Henderson remains a strong late-round stash due to his ability to provide consistent points and assists once healthy. While he won't contribute in the short term, securing him now could pay dividends down the line, especially in deeper leagues where his return could immediately impact multiple categories. Monitoring his recovery timeline will be key to timing his activation and maximizing fantasy value.

Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond was in great spirits during media day as he said he was at 100 percent regarding his toe injury. He first suffered the toe sprain before Christmas last year, and then it lingered around for the rest of the season. Now, he said that he's "looked great" during workouts and he has added motivation because he feels like he let the city down last year. Across 40 appearances he averaged 7.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 18.8 minutes per game. The front court got a little more crowded over the offseason as the Sixers added rookie Johni Broome, and Adem Bona received some great experience with playing time last season and with Turkey in the EuroBasket tournament. So, even if Drummond is healthy to start the season, he may not see the same type of minutes he was getting before, depending on Nick Nurse's rotation.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is entering his eighth year with the team and the 23rd season of his career. He's also entering the final year of his contract after opting into $52.6 million player option, and the two sides have not negotiated any sort of extension yet. There's been plenty of speculation about whether or not this will be his last season, but Lakers GM Rob Pelinka spoke at media day and said they'd love to have him retire a Laker. With that being said, they're also trying to let James decide his own future without pressuring him one way or another. At the age of 40, James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game across 70 appearances. Playing alongside another superstar like Luka Doncic is enticing for anyone getting into the later stages of their career, but James still has enough juice to be a great asset no matter where he wants to end up.

Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Paul George (knee) couldn't have had much worse of a first season with his new team last year. He played in exactly half of the team's games, which was his second-lowest total since the 2014-15 season. In his press conference for media day, he even referenced how difficult the 2024-25 season was individually and as a team, saying it was a "rock bottom kind of season." When asked about his knee/health, he said he doesn't think he'll be participating at the start of training camp but would help in the vocal leadership department. There wasn't a specific timeline given, but he said he wants to be at 100 percent as much as possible. Last season, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game across 41 games.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) is consistently one of the biggest question marks in the league when it comes to his health. He's only registered two seasons playing more than 65 games out of his nine-year (technically 11) career. So, naturally, he faced a lot of questions about his knee and how he's feeling heading into this new season. Embiid said that he felt pretty good and was "taking it day by day." He even said there was a plan for his health this season, but didn't give any specifics. He also said in regards to comparing last media day to the current one that, "this time is a different story." Embiid also went on to say that last season was so unpredictable that it was mentally draining, but this year he's more positive and has a brighter vision of the season. For fantasy purposes, depending on Embiid could be disastrous for managers, but if he does stay healthy, he remains one of the elite options around the league in any format.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is eligible for an extension; however, it looks like he's headed for restricted free agency after the 2025-26 season. According to The Athletic's Tony Jones, the two sides have stopped extension negotiations and are not expected to get a deal done before the October 20th deadline. The Jazz did make an offer to Kessler over the offseason, but they weren't close to actually agreeing on a deal. Jones also reports that the team is prioritizing cap flexibility for next year's free agency period. They have received calls with trade offers for Kessler, but have denied all of them. The 24-year-old appeared in 58 games last season and averaged 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game.

The Indiana Pacers will not sign point guard Monte Morris (calf) to a contract, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star reports. It was announced earlier this week that the Pacers would snap up Morris on a one-year deal. However, the team has decided against signing him after its medical staff determined that a calf strain Morris recently suffered would keep him out of most of training camp. Instead, the Pacers will bring in Delon Wright for camp. Indiana has been seeking extra depth at the point guard position, with Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) ruled out for the upcoming season.

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Jared McCain (thumb) sustained a UCL tear in his right thumb during a workout Thursday, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. Sources told Bontemps that McCain and the team are working with specialists to determine the next steps. This is very unfortunate news, as McCain's rookie year was already ruined by injury last season. He had season-ending surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee in December, resulting in only 23 appearances. McCain looked very promising during the couple of months he played, averaging 15.3 points and 2.6 assists in 25.7 minutes per game.

Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly (thumb) will not be available for training camp, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports. The Wizards expect him to be ready for action by the first or second week of the regular season. Coulibaly had thumb ligament surgery on Sept. 12. The athletic forward was also impacted by injuries last season, making only 59 appearances. Coulibaly's shooting numbers were underwhelming, but he posted respectable numbers with 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals. Due to Coulibaly's absence, players like Kyshawn George and Cam Whitmore could get more playing time in the first few games of the season.

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (knee) told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel that he's "feeling good" ahead of training camp. However, his status for training camp is up in the air. "Camp and the return will come in time, in [God's] time, but our process is really working and I love the spot that we're in right now," Suggs said. Health issues almost entirely ruined Suggs' 2024-25 campaign, as he featured in only 35 regular-season games. He sat out the playoffs after undergoing knee surgery in March. The Magic backcourt will rely on Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones if Suggs isn't ready to start the season.

Brooklyn Nets center Nicolas Claxton is both physically and mentally ready for the new campaign, Brian Lewis of The New York Post reports. Claxton was limited by a back problem last season and wasn't as productive as he wanted to be. Still, Claxton had a fairly decent year, averaging 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 26.9 minutes. However, Claxton has previously shown that he can come close to averaging a double-double when healthy, and before last season, he recorded at least two blocks per game in back-to-back years. Claxton could be a highly valuable addition to fantasy squads if he regains his top form.

New York Knicks guard Malcolm Brogdon is reportedly viewed as a key bench piece by his new team. "Brogdon, I'm told, he's expected to play a key bench role in the rotation," ESPN's Shams Charania said on NBA Today. The Knicks picked up Brogdon on a non-guaranteed one-year contract, but it definitely looks like he will play a significant role on the team moving forward. Brogdon has previously shown he can be highly productive coming off the bench, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2023. Despite not starting a single game with the Boston Celtics in 2022-23, Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 26.0 minutes.

Forward/center Precious Achiuwa has signed a non-guaranteed one-year contract with the Miami Heat, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. The big man, who spent the last season and a half with the New York Knicks, returns to the team where he started his NBA career in 2020. Achiuwa is capable of putting up solid numbers if given enough time on the floor. He averaged 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 20.5 minutes last season. In Miami, Achiuwa will serve as backup for Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Saddiq Bey (knee) has completed his rehab and is ready for the 2025-26 campaign. Bey sat out the entire 2024-25 season with a torn left ACL. The 26-year-old aims to be a "Swiss army knife" for the team, making an impact with his versatility. We haven't seen Bey on the court in a while, and it remains to be seen what his role will be with the Pelicans; however, he has previously been a solid contributor on teams. For his NBA career, Bey has averaged 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 30.1 minutes.

Utah Jazz forward/center Kevin Love is expected to attend the team's training camp, Grant Afseth of RG reports. Love arrived in Salt Lake City as part of a three-team trade, and his future has been uncertain since the 37-year-old doesn't fit into the Jazz's rebuilding plans. It has been speculated that the Jazz would buy out Love's contract to let him join a contender for his 18th NBA season. However, it appears that Love will begin preparing for the season with the Jazz. Love provides veteran experience but lacks significant fantasy value. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes last season. The former All-Star has an expiring contract worth $4.2 million this year.

The Miami Heat exercised their $4.7 million team option on forward/center Kel'el Ware, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports. The option will come into effect for the 2026-27 season, and in a year's time, the Heat must decide whether to pick up a $7.1 million fourth-year option in Ware's contract for the 2027-28 campaign. Considering Ware's impact during his rookie year, it's safe to assume that he will remain in Miami for the foreseeable future. The 21-year-old notched 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 22.2 minutes last season. He was a double-double machine as a starter, and Ware's role on the team is expected to grow further in 2025-26.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps, New York Knicks forward Josh Hart will play through his finger injury this season and address it next offseason. Hart underwent finger surgery during the offseason, but unfortunately, he re-aggravated the injury. The 30-year-old will likely elect to wear a splint during the upcoming campaign. Hart averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals across 77 games last season. Despite the setback, he should continue to provide plenty of value to fantasy managers.

Shams Charania of ESPN reports that free agent point guard Monte Morris has agreed to a one-year deal with the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. The 29-year-old appeared in 45 regular-season games with Phoenix last season, averaging 5.2 points, 1.6 assists and 1.5 rebounds across 12.7 minutes per contest. Despite providing the Pacers with backcourt depth, Morris will not be a fantasy asset for fantasy managers during his ninth campaign in the NBA.

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reports that New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns dismissed recent rumors on Tuesday, clarifying that he did not undergo any procedures on his finger or knee this summer despite speculation to the contrary. Speaking at media day, Towns told reporters, "No, I did not have a knee [procedure]. Where are you hearing this?" If fully healthy, Towns could be a significant fantasy asset across all formats. In his first season with the Knicks, he averaged 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and shot an impressive 42.0% from three-point range.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson expects new executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars to be hard on him this season. "He's going to hold me accountable, and as he holds me accountable, he's going to give me a lot of responsibility as well, which I'm excited for, " Williamson said regarding Dumars on Tuesday. The 6-foot-6, 284-pound power forward has struggled with injuries, missing 268 games over five seasons in the NBA. However, when he is available to suit up, Williamson is a fantasy force across all formats, averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals in 214 regular-season contests.