Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (groin) will not suit up for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He is coming off a productive game (16 points, six rebounds, and four blocks) while logging 37 minutes in Thursday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, he is dealing with left groin soreness and will sit out Friday's game. Stevens joins a long list of injured Grizzlies players, which is nothing new for this team. His final chance to return to action will be on Sunday against the Denver Nuggets. Trey Jemison will likely take on a large role again.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (groin) will suit up Monday against the Denver Nuggets. Stevens has been dealing with a left-groin strain. He will take the court for the first time since March 10. The 26-year-old averaged 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes across his last five outings before getting injured. Despite a depleted Grizzlies roster, Stevens may still see limited minutes Monday night.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (groin) will remain out for a third consecutive game on Saturday against Oklahoma City. Following a string of solid performances, Stevens picked up an adductor strain, leaving Memphis without another frontcourt option. The trio of Trey Jemison, GG Jackson II, and Jake LaRavia has put in a lot of work lately to make up for the absentees, and they could be heavily involved again on Saturday, depending on the fate of Jaren Jackson Jr. (quadriceps) and Santi Aldama (elbow). Both players are listed as questionable for the game.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (groin) won't make his return to the lineup on Wednesday against Charlotte, missing a second consecutive game. The 26-year-old is troubled by left adductor soreness. Stevens is one of many frontcourt players missing the action on Wednesday, meaning the likes of Trey Jemison, GG Jackson II, and Jake LaRavia are facing a heavy workload. All three had strong performances on Tuesday versus Washington and should do well again against another struggling team.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Lamar Stevens (groin) has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's encounter with the Wizards. He's in danger of missing the game due to left adductor soreness. Stevens has played a fairly important role for Memphis since arriving from Boston, averaging 21.7 minutes across 12 games with one start. He's recorded 11.3 points while grabbing 4.9 rebounds. On Tuesday, the 26-year-old could play an even bigger part in the proceedings, as Jaren Jackson Jr. (quadriceps) will miss the game.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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San Antonio Spurs forward Lamar Stevens has been waived by the organization on Monday. Stevens was acquired by the Spurs as part of the sign-and-trade deal that sent Max Strus to the Cleveland Cavaliers. His contract was set to become fully guaranteed on Monday, so San Antonio decided they didn't have a use for Stevens. The 26-year-old averaged 5.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 18.1 minutes per game last season. He should be able to contribute on a bench somewhere, but probably won't have fantasy value.

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward/center Evan Mobley (knee) and small forward Lamar Stevens (knee) have been deemed questionable to play in Friday's game vs. Toronto. Mobley has not missed a game this season en route to averaging 14.8 points and 9.1 boards as a staple of the Cavs' starting five, while Stevens has missed the past three contests due to a sore right knee. While Isaac Okoro has slid back into the starting five, the second unit trio of Kevin Love, Caris LeVert and Cedi Osman have all picked up the slack on the wing/in the frontcourt. While Stevens has reprised mostly a starting role in 2022-23, his value lies primarily on his on-ball defense, making him a difficult fantasy option, even if he does ultimately suit up Friday.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Lamar Stevens (knee) is regarded as doubtful for Wednesday's game against Milwaukee. He has an issue with his right knee and could be forced to miss a third consecutive game. Isaac Okoro should remain in the starting unit if Stevens can't return. The 21-year-old has had a couple of strong outings, but Okoro typically doesn't make a big impact in games and it's safe to leave him on the waiver wire. In six total starts this season, Okoro has averaged only 6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds with 0.8 assists and 0.8 steals in 26.5 minutes.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens will start on Friday versus Cleveland, replacing Caris LeVert. With the Cavs looking to end its five-game skid, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will turn to Stevens to bolster things on the defensive end. The 25-year-old has averaged 12.5 points in two starts in 2022-23. However, with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland on the floor, Stevens isn't expected to be featured offensively, making him a risky fantasy option across the board.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence. ... [More]

Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Lamar Stevens (ankle) has been ruled out for the rest of Friday's contest against the Pistons due to a sprained right ankle. Stevens' injury came shortly after he entered the contest, as he did not log a contribution to the stat sheet before exiting. Stevens has been lightly utilized off the bench this season, averaging just 2.1 points and 1.9 boards per game coming into the night. Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler are two candidates to see elevated run while Stevens is unavailable. His next chance to return comes Saturday vs. Boston.