Utah Jazz forward Georges Niang (foot) will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks. The team announced that Niang suffered a fourth metatarsal stress reaction in his left foot during offseason training and conditioning. He is scheduled for re-evaluation in two weeks. This marks a setback for Niang ahead of his return to Utah. He'll be expected to help improve the team's poor 35 percent three-point shooting from last year. Niang himself shot 40.6 percent from distance across 79 appearances with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. He averaged a career-high 9.9 points while grabbing 3.4 rebounds in 21.5 minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Jared McCain (thumb) will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The talented sophomore is set to undergo surgery after suffering a UCL tear in his right thumb. Given the expected timeline for his recovery, McCain is likely to miss at least the first few games of the regular season. His absence might lead to more playing time for Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon, although the two veterans have been struggling to be effective in recent seasons, so fantasy managers should keep their expectations low.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Gradey Dick (knee) will be available for training camp, TSN's Josh Lewenberg reports. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster had no injuries to report ahead of camp during his press conference on Friday. Dick missed the end of 2024-25 due to a knee injury, playing his final game on March 2. He had a good sophomore season, averaging 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 29.4 minutes. However, Dick benefited from Toronto's injuries throughout the year, and his numbers are likely to take a hit in 2025-26, now that the team is healthy again.

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (shoulder) is back at 100 percent for the start of training camp, general manager Onsi Saleh told reporters during his preseason press conference. Johnson's 2024-25 campaign ended in January due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Before the injury, Johnson was having a breakout season, averaging 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks. Johnson's versatile skill set makes him a highly valuable player in fantasy basketball, and he still has considerable room to grow, considering the Duke product won't turn 24 until December.

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram (ankle) has been cleared for training camp, TSN's Josh Lewenberg reports. Raptors general manager Bobby Webster told reporters at his preseason press conference that the team has no injuries heading into camp. An ankle injury limited Ingram to just 18 games last season, and he didn't make a single appearance with the Raptors after the team acquired him from the New Orleans Pelicans in February. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the Raptors offense, which already features Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley.

The Memphis Grizzlies took another hit to their already thin front court, as power forward Brandon Clarke (knee) is set to undergo a procedure to address knee synovitis and will be re-evaluated in six weeks, putting his status for the start of the season in doubt. With Jaren Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey also sidelined, Memphis enters the start of the year dangerously short on big men. This puts added pressure on Ja Morant to shoulder more of the load offensively, while Santi Aldama should see a major bump in minutes. Aldama proved capable last season, averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in 16 starts, making him a strong short-term fantasy option until the Grizzlies regain front court depth.

Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (ankle) remains sidelined following June 7 surgery to repair laxity in his left ankle and is still six to nine weeks away from a potential return. While he has begun ramping up basketball activities, the Grizzlies expect the 23-year-old big man to return in early December, leaving the team thin in the front court alongside the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. Edey was a defensive presence as a rookie last season, averaging 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and shooting 58% from the field across 66 appearances (55 starts). He profiles as a late-round fantasy pickup who can contribute in rebounds, blocks, and boost field goal percentages once healthy.

Center Jaren Jackson Jr. (toe) is expected to miss the start of the season, as the Memphis Grizzlies announced he is still four to six weeks away from returning after undergoing a July 2 procedure to repair turf toe in his right foot. While he has started ramping up basketball activities, he remains at least a month from being game-ready, putting his return timeline in late October or early November. Jackson is still considered a strong fantasy option after averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks last season, and he remains an essential piece of Memphis' core once healthy.

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.