The 2025-26 NBA season is less than 50 days away, and the league is on a brief hiatus. Still, there will always be something to talk about when it comes to the Association. Between unsigned free agents, EuroBasket, and looming training camps, this is your quick guide to get up to speed on the latest news impacting fantasy basketball.
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🆓 My latest rankings
They’ll get a refresher on Friday, but ICYMI:
🆕 Free agency movement
The financial and punitive implications of the NBA’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) have led franchises to be more cost-conscious, resulting in fewer player movements than in previous years.
Notable moves:
Kevin Durant, Clint Capela ➡️ Houston Rockets (Click here for more)
Myles Turner ➡️ Milwaukee Bucks
Bradley Beal, John Collins and Brook Lopez ➡️ Los Angeles Clippers
Deandre Ayton ➡️ Los Angeles Lakers
D’Angelo Russell ➡️ Dallas Mavericks
Ty Jerome ➡️ Memphis Grizzlies
Nickeil Alexander-Walker ➡️ Atlanta Hawks
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Check out the rest of the free agency moves: 2025 NBA free-agent tracker.
🔓 Unsigned fantasy-relevant free agents
With money around the league drying up, six players remain unsigned as of September 2. Several notable restricted free agents have yet to agree to contract extensions and may be forced to play out their remaining deals in the hopes of securing their next big contracts. These players are worth tracking closely, as a contract-year motivation could heavily influence their fantasy value this season.
Josh Giddey – G/F, Chicago Bulls
Selfishly, I’d like to see Giddey play this season out with his next bag on the line, but his performance last season certainly earned him a raise. He’ll stuff the stat sheet for points and 9-cat leagues and I have him ranked as a top-40 player across formats.
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Cam Thomas – G, Brooklyn Nets
An elite scorer with limited peripheral stats, Thomas holds more appeal in points leagues unless he becomes more of a facilitator in Brooklyn (unlikely). Without consistent assists, rebounds or defensive contributions, his value remains that of a high-end scorer who’ll split volume with newcomer Michael Porter Jr.
Jonathan Kuminga – F, Golden State Warriors
JK needs to be traded. I don’t see him cracking the top 100 if he goes into another year with Golden State, seeking a role and opportunity that won’t come to fruition. He’s turned down offers from Golden State because he wants a fresh start; however, the potential suitors haven’t been able to meet the Warriors’ price. The situation is a mess that has prevented the Warriors from signing any new players this offseason.
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Russell Westbrook – G, Free agent
Westbrook can be serviceable in points leagues; however, there may not be a spot for him to contribute in the capacity we’ve grown to appreciate out of Russ.
Quentin Grimes – G/F, Philadelphia 76ers
Grimes remains a watchlist player for now; his fantasy relevance will depend on carving out at least 25+ minutes per night. The longer it takes to get under contract, the more time he’s providing Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe to catch up.
Al Horford – F/C, free agent
He remains an unrestricted free agent who has been rumored to be interested in signing with the Golden State Warriors. That would be a decent landing spot considering his fit as a stretch-5 who can still defend at a respectable level.
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🌎 Eurobasket 2025
Hot players
Deni Avdija – G/F, Portland Trail Blazers (Israel)
Watching Avdija step into the leadership role is something that will translate well as he heads into the regular season for Portland. He’s been the focal point on offense for Israel, leading it to the top spot in Group D. He’s the sixth-leading scorer at EuroBasket, averaging 22 points while adding 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and over a block per contest. I have him ranked as a top-70 player, which is probably too low considering how he’ll be utilized by the Blazers this season.
Lauri Markkanen – F, Utah Jazz (Finland)
The Finnish forward is averaging 29/8/3 with 2.5 steals per game through four contests, shooting 54% on 2-point FGs and 41% on 3s. He only trails Luka Dončić as the top scorer of the competition, so it’s great to see him be so aggressive on both ends of the floor. Now, if the Jazz don’t start their tank mid-season, Markanen could return to top-50 status as the top option for Utah.
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Other notable NBA players showing out:
🚑 EuroBasket injury news
Alex Sarr – F/C, Washington Wizards (France)
Sarr sustained a right calf injury and is done for EuroBasket. There’s still plenty of time until the start of the regular season, so I won’t be downgrading him in my rankings unless more comes out about the injury.
Bogdan Bogdanović – G/F, Los Angeles Clippers (Serbia)
He’s been ruled out for the rest of the tournament with a hamstring injury and even if he’s cleared by training camp, it won’t matter much for fantasy since the Clippers stockpiled depth this offseason.
Final thoughts
EuroBasket runs until September 14, so I’ll continue to update my rankings to reflect any notable updates as this remains the biggest tentpole NBA event until training camp gets underway at the end of September.
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