Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (Achilles) could be back this season if his recovery continues. He made it clear on ESPN's First Take that he has not ruled out a return this season and stated that "I don't go to rehab six days a week for nothing." He also clarified that a full recovery is the top priority and that he will not rush back. Tatum suffered his torn Achilles against the Knicks in May, but it is clear he is still looking to return this season. Whether he'll be able to do that or not still remains to be seen, though, and if he does get back will the Celtics be in a place where he can be effective enough to make a difference. His recovery will be a key storyline to follow throughout the season.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (toe) remains without a timetable to return, according to Cavaliers' President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman. Altman said, "He had a really good offseason. He focused on weight room. He's stronger. He's back on the court now and doing basketball activities. Toe looks good, he feels good. But we're not putting a timetable on it." Garland is expected to miss the start of the season after he underwent surgery in June following a big toe injury at the end of last season. He tried to play through the injury in the second round against the Pacers, but he was not close to 100%. Donovan Mitchell will likely carry the load to start the year, although Lonzo Ball has also been cleared to start camp and could be in the mix for playing time with Craig Porter Jr. and second-round pick Tyrese Proctor.

Brooklyn Nets forward Haywood Highsmith (knee) said the plan is for him to be ready for the start of the regular season after he had meniscus surgery on August 8. Highsmith was traded this offseason from the Heat to the Nets following that surgery in what seems to be a cost-cutting move for Miami. Highsmith started his career with the 76ers but has played the last four seasons in Miami. He started 42 of his 74 games in 2024-25 with a career-high average of 24.6 minutes per game. He contributed 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.9 steals per game as a solid rotational piece. How he fits in the Nets' rotation remains to be seen, but the first step to figuring that out is his return to full health.

Free Agent center Thomas Bryant has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he'll back up the big men in Cleveland after spending last year with the Heat and the Pacers. He'll be starting his ninth NBA season after playing some important minutes down the stretch last season for Indiana. He made eight starts in his 56 games with the Pacers, averaging 6.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.6 blocks in 15.1 minutes per game. He will serve as depth behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley with his new team, but he could be worth a look if either goes down due to injury. Bryant has been productive for short stretches throughout his career, but doesn't typically log heavy minutes.

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (knee) will not participate in training camp, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports. Williams tore his right ACL in late November of last year and needs more time to rehabilitate before he can rejoin the action. The 26-year-old does not have a specific timeline for his recovery, but Boone notes that he may not be "far off" from returning. Before injuring his knee, Williams enjoyed a decent start to life in Charlotte, posting 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. However, due to the serious nature of the injury, it might take some time before Williams can consistently produce similar numbers.

Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Josh Green (shoulder) has not recovered in time to be ready for training camp, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer reports. Green had surgery in June to address instability in his left shoulder. With Kon Knueppel and Collin Sexton in the mix, Green faces additional competition for playing time this season, and it's a bad blow for him that he can't battle for his position during training camp. During his first year in Charlotte, Green averaged 7.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, starting 67 of 68 contests.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (Achilles) does not have a timeline for his return, head of basketball operations Joe Dumars confirmed on Monday. The versatile guard tore his right Achilles tendon on Jan. 31 during a contest against the Boston Celtics. While it's unclear when Murray will be able to return to the court, Dumars mentioned that he is "deep" into rehab and his recovery is going "very well." Murray had his first campaign with the Pelicans last season, averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.0 steals. Jordan Poole will lead the Pelicans' backcourt at the start of the campaign without Murray.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (shoulder) is completely healthy as the new season begins. The Pelicans' head of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, confirmed that Jones is back at 100 percent after his 2024-25 season was cut short due to a torn right labrum. Jones has been participating in scrimmages with the team for several weeks, working at full speed. Before landing on the shelf in February, Jones demonstrated impressive two-way quality, averaging 10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 steals. Jones agreed to a three-year, $68 million contract extension during the offseason, cementing his place among the Pelicans' core.

New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Trey Murphy III (shoulder) has been cleared for training camp. The Pelicans' head of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, noted on Monday that Murphy III is 100 percent healthy. He has been scrimmaging at the club's practice facility for the past 2-3 weeks at full speed, playing five-on-five. This is excellent news for the Pelicans and fantasy managers alike. Murphy III's season ended early in 2024-25 due to a right shoulder injury sustained in March. The 25-year-old is capable of providing outstanding fantasy value, having averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals last term.

Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet (knee) has suffered a torn ACL and is expected to miss the 2025 season. VanVleet was a key piece of Houston's 52-win campaign last year, averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals. His absence leaves a major hole in the backcourt for a Rockets team that entered the season with championship aspirations after adding veteran Kevin Durant. Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson are expected to take over point guard duties, though the loss of VanVleet's steady playmaking could dampen the ceilings of Durant, Alperen Sengun, and the rest of Houston's offense.

Charlotte Hornets rookie forward Kon Knueppel, the fourth overall pick in this year's draft, is expected to be a major focal point of the team's rebuild. The 6'7" sharpshooter brings polished scoring ability, having knocked down 40.6% of his threes and 91.4% of his free throws in college. With Charlotte prioritizing player development, Knueppel should see heavy usage from the start, giving him one of the highest fantasy ceilings among this rookie class. His fit alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller gives the Hornets a young trio to build around, while also putting Knueppel in position to thrive as both a spot-up shooter and secondary scorer. Fantasy managers should view Knueppel as one of the top rookies to target in drafts, with early playing time and scoring volume likely to make him a valuable contributor right away.

Boston Celtics forward Sam Hauser is expected to take on a much larger role this season with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) likely to miss the entire 2025-26 campaign. Hauser started 19 games last season and proved to be a reliable floor spacer, shooting 41.6% from beyond the arc. His ability to stretch defenses should help open driving lanes for Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, while also giving Boston another perimeter weapon in the starting lineup. While Hauser lacks the all-around scoring and playmaking that Tatum provided, his three-point shooting could make him a valuable complementary piece. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should keep Hauser in mind as a potential streaming option for threes and efficiency, though his overall ceiling remains limited with Brown and White set to shoulder most of the offensive load.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dallas Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis (eye) recently participated in five-on-five games. The 32-year-old was dealt to the Mavericks ahead of the deadline in the trade that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Unfortunately, Davis had trouble staying on the floor for the Mavs, mostly due to a strained adductor muscle. He would go on to average 20.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in nine appearances. Davis underwent surgery back in July to repair a detached retina, although his involvement in five-on-five contests was his first taste of "game-speed action" since the procedure. It appears AD is on track to be ready for the opener. However, while he is certainly an All-Star caliber performer, nagging injuries over the years will force managers to look for other options in fantasy drafts heading into the 2025 campaign.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (shoulder) stated he's "100% cleared" for full basketball activities. The rookie, selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, sustained a torn rotator cuff six games into the 2025 season at Washington State, requiring surgery. Fortunately, he won't have any restrictions or limitations heading into the 2025 campaign. Coward appeared in 73 games at the collegiate level, most recently averaging 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks with the Cougars in 2024-25. The injury may have set Coward back in terms of his development to begin the 2025 campaign, so he won't be an ideal redraft option. On the other hand, fantasy managers can stash him in dynasty formats.

Free-agent forward Keyontae Johnson is signing a camp deal with the Charlotte Hornets, according to their public relations team. He'll likely head to the G League, where he spent last season with the Greensboro Swarm, but he'll at least get a chance to compete for a roster spot. The Hornets already have 16 players on guaranteed contracts and have now reached the offseason limit of 21 players in total. Last year, he averaged 17.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 turnovers across 32.4 minutes per game for the Swarm. Johnson was originally the 50th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Free-agent guard Dennis Smith Jr. has agreed to return to the Dallas Mavericks on a one-year deal. Shams Charania of ESPN was the first to report the new deal, but Kurt Helin of NBC Sports has some further details on the one-year signing. This is reportedly not a guaranteed contract, and Smith will have to compete with Brandon Williams for the third point guard spot. With Kyrie Irving (knee) still recovering, the three current point guards are D'Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Williams. Russell and Exum have guaranteed contracts, so that leaves Williams' spot up for grabs since he only has a partially guaranteed deal. Smith appeared in 56 games for the Brooklyn Nets two seasons ago and registered 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (foot/ankle) has reportedly been dealing with a foot and ankle impingement since the middle of the summer. According to Anthony Chiang, beat reporter for the Miami Herald, Herro was trying to avoid surgery and received some platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments along with some cortisone injections. That apparently has not been helping over the recent weeks, so surgery was considered necessary to avoid issues down the road. The six-year pro is now expected to miss the beginning of the season, and it looks like he may return in late November. He was named as an All-Star for the first time last season while averaging 23.9 points, 5.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.3 threes per game. As of right now, it looks like Davion Mitchell, Terry Rozier, and Norman Powell could all see a boost in minutes at first.

New York Knicks guards Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon joined the team on non-guaranteed deals last week before training camp. However, the team can only carry one of their veteran non-guaranteed salaries on their roster due to being hard-capped. Brogdon, Shamet, Garrison Mathews, Matt Ryan, and Alex Len are all playing for that spot, but The New York Post's Stefan Bondy reports that the Knicks want to keep both Shamet and Brogdon, which would mean a trade needs to be made. Both veterans passed on other opportunities, according to Bondy, indicating they don't expect to be cut. Bondy threw out a Miles McBride trade as a spicy possible solution, although trading Pacome Dadiet or Tyler Kolek would be more minor deals that could open the roster space as well. Both Shamet and Brogdon have to show that they are healthy, but if they are, it will be interesting to see how the Knicks' rotation looks this year under new head coach Mike Brown.

Dallas Mavericks center/forward Anthony Davis (eye) underwent offseason surgery to repair a detached retina, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Stein said that Davis is "not fully back on the court yet," and his availability for the start of practice and training camp is uncertain. While the team doesn't start the regular season until October 23, it is concerning that after Davis had so many injury issues last year, he could already start the year less than 100%. The potential of Davis' missing practice could make the start of the year even tougher as the team tries to prepare for the absence of Kyrie Irving (knee) as well. Irving is "ahead of schedule" according to general manager Nico Harrison, but he will still miss significant time to start the season after tearing his ACL last March.

Charlotte Hornets guard DaQuan Jeffries was released on Thursday after playing 47 games, including 20 starts for the team this past season. He averaged a career-high 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 22.8 minutes per contest and will now have a chance to find a new team before the season starts. In his previous seasons, he played with the Kings, Rockets, Grizzlies, and Knicks before landing with the Hornets last season. Where he ends up will go a long way to determining his fantasy value, if any, this season. The Hornets' backcourt will be well-stocked with a hopefully healthy LaMelo Ball, along with newcomers Collin Sexton, Kon Knueppel, and Liam McNeeley.