Thu Feb 29 | 13:38 | Patty Mills Waived By Hawks | Patty Mills | PG | Trailblazers | Free Agent |
The Atlanta Hawks have waived veteran guard Patty Mills. The 35-year-old leaves the team after averaging just 10.6 minutes of action across 19 games in 2023-24. The team made the move to covert Trent Forrest's two-way contract into a standard deal. Forrest, who's playing his fourth year in the league, has had a similar role to Mills, featuring in 20 games and averaging 10.5 minutes, but he's a much younger player and could offer a lot more to the team going forward. However, Forrest has yet to make an impact in the NBA, with his career averages standing at 2.8 points and 1.7 assists. |
Source: Shams Charania | RotoBaller.com |
Thu Jan 4 | 16:18 | Ricky Rubio Announces Retirement After Buyout | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
Free-agent guard Ricky Rubio, who was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers via buyout on Thursday, has announced his retirement from the NBA. Rubio had not yet suited up for the Cavaliers in the 2023-24 campaign after stepping away from the game before training camp to focus on his mental health. In the second season of a three-year, $18.44 million deal, Rubio has decided to call it a career after 12 years of service in the Association. Drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA Draft, the 33-year-old floor general hangs up his sneakers with career averages of 10.8 points, 7.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 29.6 minutes per game over time also with the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. Rubio might not have been a prolific scorer, but his two-way skills have him ranked 11th among active players in assists (5,160) and 13th in steals (1,226). |
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski - ESPN | RotoBaller.com |
Sat Oct 21 2023 | 07:00 | NBA Draft 2023: Second-Round Rookies to Watch Early | Ayo Dosunmu | | | Free Agent |
| | | Danny Green | SG | Spurs | Free Agent |
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.  IntroductionI 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.  |
Sat Aug 5 2023 | 09:07 | Ricky Rubio Announces He's Taking A Break From Basketball | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Ricky Rubio has announced that he's taking a break from basketball for mental health reasons. The announcement comes just three weeks before Rubio was set to help Spain defend the World Cup crown. Rubio was the MVP of the last World Cup in 2019. "I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health," Rubio said in a statement. Rubio, who turns 33 in October, still has two seasons left on a three-year contract he signed with the Cavaliers last summer. He returned from an ACL tear in 2022-23, recording 5.2 points and 3.5 assists in 17.2 minutes of action. The 12-year veteran should be considered out indefinitely by fantasy managers. |
Source: Spanish Basketball Federation | RotoBaller.com |
Sat Jul 8 2023 | 16:21 | Patty Mills On The Move Again | Patty Mills | PG | Trailblazers | Free Agent |
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, OKC traded guard Patty Mills to Atlanta on Saturday. In exchange, the Thunder will receive Rudy Gay, Usman Garuba, TyTy Washington Jr., and a second-round pick. Mills, who has been traded three times in the last 10 days, averaged 6.2 points in 40 games with the Nets last season. However, the 34-year-old may not remain in Atlanta, considering he's on an attractive $6.8 million expiring contract. At any rate, Mills' role will be contingent on where he eventually ends up. While he may get some chances to produce in 2023-24, he likely won't be a consistent fantasy contributor. |
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski | RotoBaller.com |
Sat Jul 8 2023 | 16:13 | Rudy Gay Traded To OKC | Rudy Gay | SF | Grizzlies | Free Agent |
The Hawks traded forward Rudy Gay, along with TyTy Washington Jr., Usman Garuba, and a second-round pick, to OKC on Saturday in exchange for guard Patty Mills. Gay, who was recently moved from Utah as a part of the deal surrounding John Collins, was never expected to suit up for Atlanta, so the move isn't a surprise. The 36-year-old has averaged 15.8 points since entering the league in 2005. However, his production has significantly declined over the years, so he'll have little-to-no fantasy value heading into 2023-24 and beyond, no matter where he's playing before calling it quits. |
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Jul 5 2023 | 18:20 | Garrett Temple Waived By The Pelicans | Garrett Temple | SG | Bobcats | Free Agent |
New Orleans Pelicans guard Garrett Temple is getting waived ahead of the July 7 deadline, according to Michael Scotto of USA Today. The 13-year veteran was a deep reserve for the team and only appeared in 25 games last season. Since he was owed $5.4 million if kept past the deadline, the team decided to waive him and save the money. He already wasn't relevant in any fantasy format, however, if he signs with a competitive team in need of shooting off of the bench, Temple could find some use in deep leagues. |
Source: Michael Scotto | RotoBaller.com |
Sun Jul 2 2023 | 09:52 | Patty Mills Not Expected To Remain In Houston | Patty Mills | PG | Trailblazers | Free Agent |
Newly acquired Patty Mills is expected to quickly move on from Houston, with the Rockets looking to use him in a sign-and-trade deal for Dillon Brooks. Mills was picked up Saturday from the Brooklyn Nets, where he played very sparingly last season, averaging 6.2 points in 14.2 minutes while logging only 40 appearances. He'll provide veteran presence and three-point shooting wherever he eventually lands, but the days of Mills being a fantasy asset appear to be behind us. |
Source: Kelly Iko | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Jun 28 2023 | 09:35 | Rudy Gay Not Expected To Suit Up For The Hawks | Rudy Gay | SF | Grizzlies | Free Agent |
Atlanta Hawks forward Rudy Gay isn't expected to play for the team following his arrival from Utah in the John Collins deal. Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that the Hawks are looking to trade the veteran, and if a favorable move can't be worked out, Atlanta will likely waive Gay. With 17 NBA seasons under his belt, Gay is clearly past his best, and he posted career-low numbers across the board last season. He will be 37 in August and will likely settle for a bench role if another team decides to pick him up, meaning Gay's fantasy appeal is set to remain marginal. |
Source: Lauren Williams | RotoBaller.com |
Sat Apr 15 2023 | 06:50 | Garrett Temple Not Ready To Retire | Garrett Temple | SG | Bobcats | Free Agent |
New Orleans Pelicans guard/forward Garrett Temple played a very marginal role this season and will turn 37 in May, but he is still planning to continue his NBA career and wants to stay in New Orleans. The Louisiana-born veteran averaged only 6.5 minutes across 25 games with the Pelicans this season. It was his second year with the club after Temple had represented 10 different teams in his first 11 seasons in the league. Temple averaged a career-high 10.3 points and 3.5 rebounds just a few campaigns ago with Brooklyn, but he isn't somebody fantasy managers should look to draft. |
Source: Christian Clark | RotoBaller.com |
Fri Mar 10 2023 | 10:24 | Patty Mills Posts Vintage Performance Against Milwaukee | Patty Mills | PG | Trailblazers | Free Agent |
Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills turned back the clock a little bit on Thursday night despite the five-point loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks. The 34-year-old Aussie posted 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block on 8-for-16 shooting while adding five made threes. This was the second-highest minutes he received in a game this season and delivered his second-highest point total to go along with it. He's still hard to trust in any fantasy format for the playoffs unless the Nets decide to go full tank mode at some point. |
Source: ESPN | RotoBaller.com |
Thu Mar 2 2023 | 12:52 | LaMelo Ball Post-Mortem: Fantasy Basketball Impact | Jaylen Brown | | | Free Agent |
| | | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
On Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets made it official when they shut down their star guard LaMelo Ball for the remainder of the 2022-2023 NBA season.Many fantasy managers' worst fears were realized when Ball's non-contact injury in Monday night's game against Detroit turned out to be a fractured ankle. Charlotte's season was already lost, but fantasy managers were hoping to get a few more weeks from Ball who, when healthy, was putting up huge numbers this season.To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NBA, make sure to favorite or bookmark the RotoBaller Fantasy Basketball Newspage, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy basketball mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news.  2022-2023 Season RecapLaMelo Ball will finish his third NBA season with the following numbers. 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 4.0 3PM, 1.3 STL, 0.3 BLK, 3.6 TO, 41.1% FG%, 83.6% FT%He played in only 36 games this year and is currently 32nd overall in per-game value for 9-cat in Basketball Monster's player ratings.When he was on the floor, he was a triple-double threat on a nightly basis. His talent is undeniable. Just look at what he did to the Spurs only a few weeks before getting hurt. |
Wed Mar 1 2023 | 09:25 | LeBron James Out-Could He Miss The Rest Of The Season? | Jaylen Brown | | | Free Agent |
| | | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
LeBron James has dominated the National Basketball Association since entering the league straight from high school. He's won numerous awards and has led several teams to an NBA Championship. During the 2022-23 season, the Akron, Ohio, native continued to get it done, despite battling several nagging ailments along the way.However, James' latest issue, a right foot injury, is expected to keep him out indefinitely. So what does this mean, and will we see James back on the court this season? Is there a chance he won't return?To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NBA, make sure to favorite or bookmark the RotoBaller Fantasy Basketball Newspage, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy basketball mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news.  James injured his right foot during the third quarter of Sunday's comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks. It was a tense few seconds after the multi-time MVP clutched his foot after suffering what was deemed a "non-contact injury." The concern grew to greater heights after he was overheard saying, "I heard a pop." Situations like this are never good, as many were concerned that an Achilles tear could be the culprit.https://twitter.com/FanDuelTV/status/1630602449227595777?s=20Yet, after James gathered himself, he tightened his shoe and finished the game, totaling 26 points, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal. Head coach Darvin Ham appeared optimistic while speaking postgame, stating the 38-year-old was "good."However, that couldn't be further from the case, with The Athletic's Shams Charania reporting that James would "miss an extended period of time" because of the foot injury. Charania later added that the all-time scoring leader would "require multiple opinions."https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1630363560051187712?s=20  LeBron James' Season RecapDespite James' advanced NBA age, he's still productive. In 47 appearances, he's averaged 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists. While his three-point percentage has regressed, that's never been his strong suit.James was also named an All-Star captain while recently passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time scoring leader.https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1623184801284104192?s=20That said, despite some high-level accomplishments, the year has been a rough one for the 2003 No. 1 overall pick. He's battled left foot soreness for nearly the entire season, so much so that he routinely carried some type of injury designation heading into almost all of his games over the last few months.... [ More] |
Thu Feb 23 2023 | 10:24 | Ricky Rubio Ruled Out On Thursday Against Nuggets | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio (injury management) has been ruled out in the first game back after the All-Star break due to left knee injury management. The Spaniard sat out of the team's last game against the Philadelphia 76ers with an illness at the time, so this game may have just been a planned rest day. While Rubio is sidelined, Caris LeVert should see some more usage while Raul Neto may see some more opportunities off of the bench. |
Source: NBA Injury Report | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Feb 15 2023 | 18:47 | Ricky Rubio Sitting Out Against Sixers | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio (illness) will be sidelined for Wednesday's contest against the Philadelphia 76ers. Rubio is feeling under the weather and will not be able to go after being listed as questionable from a non-COVID illness. Caris LeVert should see ample minutes off the bench on Wednesday with Rubio ruled out. |
Source: Chris Fedor | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Feb 15 2023 | 18:12 | Danny Green To Make Cavaliers Debut Wednesday | Danny Green | SG | Spurs | Free Agent |
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Danny Green will make his return to Cleveland in Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Green was recently picked up from waivers by Cleveland, one of his former teams. Green will officially be available Wednesday, but his role has not been determined yet. Green will likely battle with Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert and Cedi Osman for minutes. |
Source: Kelsey Russo | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Feb 15 2023 | 14:38 | Rudy Gay Questionable For Wednesday's Game | Rudy Gay | SF | Grizzlies | Free Agent |
Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay (illness) has been listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies. The veteran is battling an illness and could be out for only the second time in 2023. Gay is playing a very limited role for the Jazz, averaging fewer than 15 minutes per game, and his absence likely won't affect the team too much. Although with Lauri Markkanen (knee) also possibly out, there would suddenly be a nice chunk of minutes available for others if both players end up sitting out the game. Ochai Agbaji, Talen Horton-Tucker, Simone Fontecchio and Juan Toscano-Anderson are all candidates to pick up more work. |
Source: NBA Injury Report | RotoBaller.com |
Wed Feb 15 2023 | 13:19 | Ricky Rubio Officially Questionable Against 76ers | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio (illness) did not participate in shootaround on Wednesday and is still dealing with a non-COVID illness, which has landed him on the injury report as questionable. The 32-year-old seems to get a game off every few games while being eased back on to the court, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him get the night off before an extended break. If he does stay on the sidelines, look for Caris LeVert to take on more guard duties with the second unit. |
Source: Chris Fedor | RotoBaller.com |
Sun Feb 12 2023 | 16:00 | Danny Green Nearing Agreement With Cleveland | Danny Green | SG | Spurs | Free Agent |
According to team reporter Chris Fedor, free-agent guard Danny Green is nearing a deal with the Cavaliers. The veteran, who was recently acquired and bought out by the Rockets, played only three games for the Grizzlies after missing the start of the season recovering from a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. With that said, although Green has shot at least 37.5% from deep in each of his last five seasons, his best days are behind him. As a result, he's not expected to offer much on the fantasy end, so he should remain off rosters until he gets more involved. |
Source: Chris Fedor | RotoBaller.com |
Fri Feb 10 2023 | 20:38 | Ricky Rubio Getting The Night Off On Friday | Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves | Free Agent |
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ricky Rubio (knee) won't play on Friday night against New Orleans. The veteran had eight points and two steals in 16 minutes on Wednesday versus the Piston. However, with the Cavs going into a back-to-back, Rubio will sit out on Friday before likely returning for Saturday's matchup with the visiting Chicago Bulls. Nevertheless, with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell both back in the lineup, Rubio probably wouldn't have gotten much work anyway. |
Source: NBA Injury Report | RotoBaller.com |