Category: NBA

Lakers star LeBron James could not take the court to begin the preseason due to a right glute issue, and apparently, the injury is more serious than initially believed.

On Thursday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that James will miss at least three to four weeks due to sciatica in his right side. Due to the timeframe, he won't be available for Opening Night for the first time in his 23-year NBA career.

After failing to play at least 60 games in three consecutive seasons, James appeared in 71 and 70 games the past two. His absence opens up a spot within the Lakers' starting lineup, raising the fantasy ceilings of Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton.

Who will start with LeBron sidelined? Lakers head coach JJ Redick has multiple options at his disposal, but regardless of who he selects, that player will likely be more impactful defensively than offensively. Holdover Jarred Vanderbilt and offseason addition Marcus Smart are two possibilities, with each bringing more consistent production to the table on the defensive end of the floor. While Smart has been the better scorer of the two throughout their careers, he hasn't always been a consistent shooter.

Fantasy Basketball 2025-26: LeBron James, Paolo Banchero among players to avoid in drafts

Early ADP data shows that some players are potentially being overvalued by fantasy managers.

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Another option is offseason addition Jake LaRavia, who has started the Lakers' first two preseason games. While not the defender that Vanderbilt or Smart is, LaRavia's versatility makes him an intriguing deep-league option if he's allowed to start in James' place.

As for the remaining starters, Luka Dončić is the Laker whose draft outlook will be impacted the least, as he already boasts a top-5 ADP. He'll have even more responsibility to begin the year, so fantasy managers who land Dončićwill hope his efficiency does not take a hit with LeBron unavailable.

Reaves, Ayton and Rui Hachimura should all move up draft boards, with the former being the safest option to reach for. Last season, Reaves provided fourth-round per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Hachimura was a late-round option a season ago, and he remains a player who should be selected just outside the first 100 picks.

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Ayton is the wild card, especially considering his play in the Lakers' first two preseason games. After a listless effort in the team's opener, the center was better in Sunday's exhibition loss to the Warriors. The former first-overall pick doesn't lack talent, but inconsistent effort is why the Lakers signed him on a relatively cheap deal this summer.

Ayton totaled 95 appearances in his two seasons with the Trail Blazers, including 40 during the 2024-25 campaign.

One of the most impressive parts of LeBron James' career has been his durability. For example, in 22 seasons, he had never missed an opening night.

That changes this year. LeBron James is out with sciatica on his right side and will be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks, the Lakers have announced. That means he is out for opening night, Oct. 21, when the Lakers host Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the second game of a double-header, the games that mark the return of the NBA to NBC and its debut on Peacock.

Even the most optimistic timeline has LeBron missing the Lakers' first six games, but with him being re-evaluated in a month expect that number to climb into the double digits.

Sciatica is a shooting pain, often accompanied by weakness or numbness, along one side of the body due to pressure on the sciatic nerve. That nerve runs from the lower back through the hips and down the leg to the feet. That compression of the nerve can be caused by a number of things, such as a herniated disc, a bone spur, lifting something heavy incorrectly, or other issues. The treatment rarely involves surgery, but is more about rest, specific stretches and exercises (depending on the cause of the pain) and heat/ice on the affected area.

LeBron, 40, was a second-team All-NBA player for the Lakers last season averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists and 7.8 rebounds a game. The Lakers had hoped to use this year's training camp to get LeBron and Luka Doncic more comfortable playing next to one another, but LeBron's sciatica has put that on hold. Doncic has been a full participant in practices, Lakers coach J.J. Redick said today.

We've all seen the movie that played out with Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday before. A new report lights a fire under rumors that Antetokounmpo is eyeing another team — right now the Knicks — but then he comes out and throws cold water on it, calming things down. For now.

Here is what Antetokounmpo said on Wednesday, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

"I've said this many times, I want to be in a situation that I can win and now I'm here. I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I'm here to lead this team to wherever we can go and it's definitely going to be hard. We're going to take it day-by-day, but I'm here. So, all the other extra stuff does not matter. I think I've communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love that the moment I step on this court or in this facility I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I'm locked into whatever I have in front of me.

"Now, if in six, seven months, I change my mind, I think that's human too, you're allowed to make any decision you want, but I'm locked in. I'm locked in to this team. I'm locked in to these guys, to this group and to this coaching staff and to myself."

Unsurprisingly, coach Doc Rivers was trying to play things down as well.

"If you read [Antetokounmpo's] comments this summer, every comment he's made is about being in Milwaukee, loving the city, but for some reason. And it's funny, what's the old saying, you create the story and then you report on the story you created. And that's what it feels like. And it gets old for us. But at the end of the day, there's nothing we can do about it, but I can tell you Jon has never called a team about Giannis. That has never happened. And until that happens, you really don't have a story."

Notice Antetokounmpo said, "if in six, seven months I change my mind," which would be next offseason, not him pushing for a trade at the February deadline. Antetokounmpo realizes that trading his $54.1 million salary in-season to a place he wants to be is incredibly difficult and unlikely to happen.

The real inflection point in this relationship between the Bucks and Antetokounmpo comes next offseason, when Antetokounmpo is extension eligible and the Bucks can offer a max deal of four years, around $260 million (or more, depending upon the salary cap). In the past, every time he was extension eligible, Antetokounmpo has used that as leverage to get the Bucks to do more to build a contending team, but he ultimately signed the deal and stayed in Wisconsin. He may well do that again, or he might refuse to sign it and then the trade talks are on.

Until then, Antetokounmpo says he is all in with the Bucks for this season.

The NBA preseason is well underway, and we're a little over a week away from the regular season tipping off. That means we've got plenty of fantasy basketball draft content up on the site.

Whether it's dynasty sleepers or players to avoid at ADP or just straight rankings, we've got it all up there. Today, I'm going to add to that collection by looking at players who can help you in drafts if you're looking for three-point value.

In a standard 9-category fantasy basketball league, you pile up stats in Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Field Goal Percentage (FG%), Free Throw Percentage (FT%), 3-Pointers Made, and Turnovers. That means, when we're looking for three-point help, we are looking for accumulators, players who will make a lot of threes, but also players who shoot at a high enough percent that they won't tank our field goal percentage.

In this article, I looked at some of my favorite targets, specifically for three-point value, spread throughout the draft. I separated the article into two sections: early round picks (guys in the top 100 in ADP, which is approximately the first eight rounds) and then everybody outside of that. So flag some of these guys in your draft prep, and good luck assembling your teams.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Draft Prep Guide: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results, and more

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2024-25 NBA Three-Point Leaders

TOP 10 IN THREE-POINTERS MADE PER GAME

TOP 10 IN THREE-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (QUALIFIED)

Fantasy Basketball Draft Targets: Three-Pointers

It's obvious that, if you want three-point value, you're going to want to draft the best three-point shooters in the league, so I'm not going to include guys like Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, Derrick White, Zach LaVine, Klay Thompson, etc. We're going to focus on guys going in the early rounds (inside the top 100 picks) and guys going in the later rounds (post top 100 picks) who can provide you with 3-point value if your team is lagging there at various points in the draft.

▶ EARLY ROUNDS

Jordan Poole - PG/SG, NOR

(ADP: 66)

It's fun to clown on Jordan Poole on social media because he's made some boneheaded plays, and he also got punched in the face by his own teammate once, but he can shoot. Poole had a bit of a mini-breakout with Washington last season, and put up 9.1 three-pointers per game, ninth-most in the league, while making 37.8% of them. His 3.5 made threes per game was 9th-best in basketball. Poole now heads to the Pelicans, where only Zion Williamson is a really high-usage player in the starting lineup. Trey Murphy III is a talented player, but Poole didn't have a 30% usage rate in Washington just to cede tons of opportunities to Murphy. Zion also only played 30 games last year and has a checked injury past, so when he is inevitably out for a bit, who do you think it's going to be putting up shots?

Brandon Miller - SG/SF/PF, CHA

(ADP: 71)

Miller put up the third-most three-point field goals per game at 10.9 attempts and also made a solid 35.5% of them. That's not shooting the lights out, but that's a pretty good clip given the amount of shooting he's doing. The 22-year-old played only 27 games last season, but he had a 28% usage rate, and I see no reason why that wouldn't continue. I think you're getting a bit of a discount based on his injury, but I will take a 36.6% career three-point shooter who has put up nearly eight threes per game in his young career.

Payton Pritchard - PG, BOS (ADP: 78)

Anfernee Simons - PG/SG, BOS (ADP: 82)

Yes, it's possible that we've pushed Pritchard's draft cost up too high in this new-look Celtics offense that tried hard to rid themselves of big salaries after the Jayson Tatum injury, so they could get under the second apron. We know Pritchard is going to start and see big minutes, but a top-80 pick is certainly a decent investment. Still, if you need three-point value, it's hard to pass up on a guy who shot 40.7% from behind the arc and whose 3.2 made threes per game was 14th-best in basketball. The Celtics as a team love to shoot threes. Now, that philosophy might change a bit with the new personnel, but I can't see them simply becoming a grind-it-out team like the Marc Gasol Grizzlies, so there will be three-point shots taken, and both Pritchard and Simons are likely to take them. I'm shocked the Celtics were able to get Simons this offseason, but it's a nice add for the team, and his 3.1 made threes per game last year with Portland was 17th-best in basketball. Simons is not as efficient a shooter as Pritchard is, but I like his all-around game better, so I'd rather take him since both are going in the same range.

Cam Thomas - PG/SG/SF, BKN

(ADP: 79)

Thomas is another guywho didn't play a full season last year, playing only 25 games due to hamstring injuries. When he was on the court, he was a 32% usage player who took 7.8 three-point attempts per game, which was 24th-most in basketball. His 2.7 made three-pointers per game last year ranked 33rd in the NBA, and while he shot them at just 34.9%, which is slightly below a few players on this list, it's not really a mark that's going to hurt your overall field goal percentage. Since you want to focus more on the made three-pointers when targeting three-point value in the draft, I like Thomas because who else is going to shoot on Brooklyn? Thomas is also playing on a qualifying offer, which means he's going to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and you know he's going to try and earn a big payday.

Norman Powell - SG/SF, MIA

(ADP: 84)

His 3.0 made threes per game was 19th-best in basketball. While that was with the Clippers, he finds himself in a pretty good situation in Miami with Tyler Herro out. Andrew Wiggins posted just a 25.5% usage rate last year and is not a three-point shooter. Davion Mitchell is not a huge usage player and averaged just 2.9 three-point attempts per game in his career. The Heat are going to need Powell to space the floor and create space in the post for Bam Adebayo and slashing lanes for Wiggins. I think the three-point value will be here again.

Matas Buzelis - SF/PF, CHI

(ADP: 88)

A little over a week ago, I had Buzelis as a sleeper based on his ADP of 110 at the time. That ADP has since been slowly creeping up, and then he went out on Tuesday night and scored 19 points in 18 minutes in the first preseason game. Buzelis shot 36.1% from deep last season, but he played only 19 minutes per game and took only 6.9 total shots per game. However, he joined the Bulls starting lineup in February and took 4.9 three-pointers per game in 22 games between March and April. He also shot 39% from deep over those 22 games. I think this kid is going to be special, and I could see him being a high usage player on this Bulls team.

Cameron Johnson - SF/PF, DEN

(ADP: 92)

Look, Cam Johnson is not going to head to Denver and be a high-usage player, but the good news is that he wasn't one in Brooklyn either. Johnson had just a 22.5% usage rate in Brooklyn last season, but still took 7.2 three-point attempts per game with the Nets, which was 33rd-most in basketball. His 2.8 made three-pointers per game ranked 31st in the NBA, and he shot them at 39%. Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon are not three-point shooters. This is what Johnson was brought to Denver to do, and now he gets to do it on a significantly better team.

Fantasy Basketball 2025-26 Preseason Top 200: Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead the way

Nikola Jokić headlines Rotoworld’s Preseason Top 200, but key injuries across the league make this one of the most unpredictable fantasy seasons in years.

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▶ LATE ROUNDS

De’Andre Hunter - SF/PF, CLE

(ADP: 152)

Hunter was pretty good in Cleveland after coming over in the middle of the season from Atlanta, but a lot of his totals dipped a bit in a bench role. Still, on the season, his 2.5 made three-pointers per game last year ranked 44th in the NBA, and he shot them at a 40.5% clip. With Max Strus hurt and Isaac Okoro no longer in Cleveland, there's a decent chance that Hunter will begin the season as the starting small forward for the Cavs. If that's the case, he should put up something closer to his 6.7 three-point attempts per game with the Hawks, and, considering he's a career 37.3% shooter from deep, that you could be looking at around 2.5 made three-pointers per game while also posting stats across the board on one of the best teams he's ever been on.

Jerami Grant - SF/PF, POR

(ADP: 188)

Last year in Portland, Grant had just a 19.5% usage rate, but he still put up 6.3 three-point attempts per game, which was 49th-best in basketball. He shot them at a 36.5% mark, so he didn't hurt your field goal percentage, and hit 2.3 per game, which made him a value in that category. With Anfernee Simons now in Boston, opportunities are there for the taking. Jrue Holiday was brought in, but he's more of a facilitator than a guard who looks for his own shot. I like Deni Avdija, and Shaedon Sharpe could take a big step forward this year, but he's a career 33% shooter from three, so I don't think he's going to threaten Grant's ability to space the floor. Plus, at this ADP, the risk is so minimal.

Royce O’Neale - SF/PF, PHO

(ADP: 196)

I don't know what O'Neale's role is going to be on this team with Durant gone, but Jalen Green in town. Still, his 2.4 made three-pointers per game last year ranked tied for 46th in the NBA, and he shot them at a career-high 40.6%. There is a chance that Green and Devin Booker will simply shoot so much that O'Neale doesn't get enough opportunities, and that also goes for Grayson Allen - PG/SG/SF, PHO (ADP: 219), but both of these guys are willing to launch from deep and can hit at a high clip, so if we start to see one getting more opportunities this pre-season, it's time to pounce.

Gary Trent - SG/SF, MIL

(ADP: 242)

I mentioned Trent Jr. on Twitter/X as one of my sleepers for this season because I think he has a good chance to start on this Milwaukee team. There are a lot of high usage players in this lineup, but there are also a lot of players who command defensive attention, so Trent is going to be used to space the floor, and he's likely going to get plenty of open looks. His 2.4 made three-pointers per game last year ranked 46th in the NBA, and he shot them at 41.6%, which was the second-best mark of his career. If you need three-point value with one of your last picks, he's perhaps my favorite.

Fantasy basketball season is here, and the best way to prep for your drafts is to mock, mock again and mock some more!

Drafting out of the No. 12 spot in a 12-team, 9-cat league offers the benefit of back-to-back picks to start your build, but it comes with its own set of challenges. The top-tier players have been selected, and your two picks will be the only ones you have until your next two picks nearly two full rounds later.

I completed a mock drafting from this spot to show how it might play out. Here are the results and brief analysis.

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Round 1

1. Nikola Jokić (DEN - C)

2. Victor Wembanyama (SAS - C)

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL - PF,C)

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC - PG)

5. Luka Dončić (LAL - PG,SG)

6. Cade Cunningham (DET - PG,SG)

7. Anthony Davis (DAL - PF,C)

8. Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK - PF,C)

9. Anthony Edwards (MIN - PG,SG)

10. Devin Booker (PHX - PG,SG)

11. Trae Young (ATL - PG)

12. Amen Thompson (HOU - PG,SG,SF)

Round 2

13. Jalen Williams (OKC - SF,PF)

14. James Harden (LAC - PG,SG)

15. Domantas Sabonis (SAC - C)

16. Kevin Durant (HOU - SF,PF)

17. Donovan Mitchell (CLE - PG,SG)

18. Stephen Curry (GSW - PG)

19. Evan Mobley (CLE - PF,C)

20. Tyrese Maxey (PHI - PG)

21. Jalen Brunson (NYK - PG)

22. Alperen Sengun (HOU - C)

23. Chet Holmgren (OKC - PF,C)

24. Jalen Johnson (ATL - SF,PF)

Drafting from the 12 spot with back-to-back picks, my options are wide open, but there is some strategy involved here.

With the clear-cut top options off the board, I turned my attention to the slew of quality second-rounders. Having the 12th pick means I get two players and don’t get to draft again for 23 more picks. Taking Thompson and J-Dub here may look like a slight reach, but I value them more highly than any of the other players taken in the same range, and neither would have gotten back to me at Pick 36.

My first two picks lean into a build that’s punting three-pointers, but I try to make up some ground in that category later in the draft. I’m already off to a solid start with rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and FG%. I’m not too shabby in the scoring department with this duo, but points won’t be at a premium after my selections in Rounds 3-4.

Round 3

25. LeBron James (LAL - SF,PF)

26. LaMelo Ball (CHA - PG,SG)

27. Scottie Barnes (TOR - SG,SF,PF)

28. Jaylen Brown (BOS - SG,SF)

29. Josh Giddey (CHI - PG,SG)

30. Pascal Siakam (IND - PF,C)

31. Jamal Murray (DEN - PG,SG)

32. Bam Adebayo (MIA - PF,C)

33. Derrick White (BOS - PG,SG)

34. Franz Wagner (ORL - SF,PF)

35. Ivica Zubac (LAC - C)

36. Paolo Banchero (ORL - PF,C)

Round 4

37. Cooper Flagg (DAL - SF)

38. De'Aaron Fox (SAS - PG,SG)

39. Desmond Bane (ORL - SG,SF)

40. Trey Murphy III (NOP - SF,PF)

41. Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM - PF,C)

42. Kawhi Leonard (LAC - SF,PF)

43. Dyson Daniels (ATL - PG,SG,SF)

44. Deni Avdija (POR - SF,PF)

45. Jimmy Butler III (GSW - SF,PF)

46. Ja Morant (MEM - PG)

47. Zion Williamson (NOP - SF,PF)

48. Myles Turner (MIL - C)

Banchero is expected to take another step forward in Year 4 after a tremendous 2024-25 campaign in which he averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocked shots and 1.9 three-pointers. His shooting percentages weren’t elite (45.2 FG%, 72.7 FT%), but Banchero offered a ton of value as a scorer, rebounder and facilitator. His dual eligibility as a PF and C makes him an excellent and versatile selection, but he will need to improve his percentages and defensive contributions to pay off his Round 3-4 ADP.

The first rookie comes off the board at 37, and he goes to me. Flagg is expected to take on a sizeable role in Year 1, and he could be utilized even more on offense while Kyrie Irving is out. Flagg represents an elite, two-way talent who can rack up points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots. Taking him at 37 is a bit of a reach, and I’m probably grabbing him at his ceiling. Nevertheless, I want to get him on my team for the tremendous upside, and he won’t be available when it’s my turn to pick at the 5-6 turn.

Round 5

49. Kristaps Porziņģis (ATL - PF,C)

50. Joel Embiid (PHI - C)

51. Brandon Miller (CHA - SF,PF)

52. Austin Reaves (LAL - PG,SG)

53. Lauri Markkanen (UTA - SF,PF)

54. Miles Bridges (CHA - SF,PF)

55. Nikola Vučević (CHI - C)

56. DeMar DeRozan (SAC - SF)

57. Josh Hart (NYK - SG,SF,PF)

58. Jalen Duren (DET - C)

59. Walker Kessler (UTA - C)

60. Deandre Ayton (LAL - C)

Round 6

61. Ausar Thompson (DET - SF,PF)

62. Jarrett Allen (CLE - C)

63. Zach LaVine (SAC - PG,SG)

64. Darius Garland (CLE - PG)

65. Coby White (CHI - PG,SG)

66. Paul George (PHI - SG,SF,PF)

67. Payton Pritchard (BOS - PG)

68. OG Anunoby (NYK - SF,PF)

69. Brandon Ingram (TOR - SG,SF,PF)

70. Isaiah Hartenstein (OKC - C)

71. Rudy Gobert (MIN - C)

72. Immanuel Quickley (TOR - PG,SG)

The purpose of mock drafts is to learn. Trial-and-error is the name of the game, and admittedly, this is a bit of an error. While there is nothing inherently wrong with selecting Ayton at 60, I didn’t need to grab him. Paolo Banchero is eligible at Center, meaning I could have pivoted to a player with PG eligibility - a position with which this team is scarce on depth. I addressed Center depth later in the draft with Jakob Poeltl, who is a fine pick a couple rounds later. Live and learn.

I’m happy to grab Thompson at 61, but he is far riskier than his “breakout” moniker implies. Like his brother, Detroit’s Thompson is an athletic phenom, capable of scoring in transition and elevating at the rim on offense and adept at disrupting opponents on the defensive end. He doesn’t have an outside shot, and playing time is still questionable given how many minutes he’s played in his first two seasons. A bump in court time and additional usage as a playmaker would do wonders for his fantasy value.

Round 7

73. Andrew Nembhard (IND - PG,SG)

74. Jordan Poole (NOP - PG,SG)

75. Tyler Herro (MIA - PG,SG)

76. Julius Randle (MIN - PF,C)

77. Michael Porter Jr. (BKN - SF,PF)

78. Norman Powell (MIA - SG,SF)

79. Anfernee Simons (BOS - PG,SG)

80. Bradley Beal (LAC - SG,SF)

81. Jrue Holiday (POR - PG,SG)

82. Jalen Suggs (ORL - PG)

83. Jalen Green (PHX - PG,SG)

84. Cam Thomas (BKN - SG,SF)

Round 8

85. Jakob Poeltl (TOR - C)

86. Christian Braun (DEN - SG,SF)

87. Donovan Clingan (POR - C)

88. Matas Buzelis (CHI - SF,PF)

89. Mark Williams (PHX - C)

90. Bennedict Mathurin (IND - SG,SF)

91. Cameron Johnson (DEN - SF,PF)

92. John Collins (LAC - PF,C)

93. RJ Barrett (TOR - SF,PF)

94. Kel'el Ware (MIA - PF,C)

95. Onyeka Okongwu (ATL - C)

96. Shaedon Sharpe (POR - SG,SF)

Thomas is my favorite player in fantasy basketball this season. He’s a certified bucket coming off the best statistical season of his career. Thomas’ would-be breakout campaign was hampered by injuries, and he’ll surely be hungry to get back on the court in 2025-26. Thomas should also have some additional motivation after going through lengthy contract negotiations with Brooklyn that ultimately led to him accepting a qualifying offer. He’ll be playing for pride and for a new contract. Watch out.

As mentioned earlier, I didn’t need to reach for Ayton at the end of the fifth round. I had Banchero, and Poeltl was available three rounds later as a strong, later-round center option. He’s coming off the best season of his career and just inked a big extension with the Raptors. Toronto’s center depth is bare, so fantasy managers should expect big minutes and solid production with a discount price tag on draft day.

Round 9

97. Mikal Bridges (NYK - SF,PF)

98. Devin Vassell (SAS - SG,SF)

99. Santi Aldama (MEM - PF,C)

100. D'Angelo Russell (DAL - PG)

101. Tobias Harris (DET - PF)

102. Herbert Jones (NOP - SF,PF)

103. Andrew Wiggins (MIA - SG,SF)

104. Nic Claxton (BKN - C)

105. Alex Sarr (WAS - C)

106. Naz Reid (MIN - PF,C)

107. Draymond Green (GSW - PF,C)

108. Kevin Porter Jr. (MIL - PG,SG)

Round 10

109. Kyshawn George (WAS - SG,SF)

110. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (ATL - SG,SF)

111. Keegan Murray (SAC - SF,PF)

112. Dereck Lively II (DAL - C)

113. CJ McCollum (WAS - PG,SG)

114. Zach Edey (MEM - C)

115. Aaron Gordon (DEN - PF,C)

116. Wendell Carter Jr. (ORL - C)

117. Jeremy Sochan (SAS - PF,C)

118. Jaden Ivey (DET - PG,SG)

119. Jaden McDaniels (MIN - SF,PF)

120. Bobby Portis (MIL - PF,C)

KPJ is penciled in as Milwaukee’s starting PG, and we’ve seen his tremendous upside in flashes throughout his career. Porter Jr. had some good moments in Cleveland before moving to Houston and breaking out at the end of the 2020-21 campaign. Injuries and off-court issues have prevented him from being on the court more during his NBA tenure, but if he can stay healthy and out of trouble in 2025-26, he should be able to post respectable numbers. KPJ averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.7 steals across five starts between the Clippers and Bucks last season.

George is one of the players I highlighted in Rotoworld’s Staff Favorites article. The young and athletic George is a versatile wing with the ability to get hot from downtown and make a major impact on defense. He played solid minutes for Washington a season ago, but his playing time could increase in Year 2 as the team continues its rebuild. Bilal Coulibaly is dealing with a thumb injury and will miss time early in the season. That opens the door for George to be a starter on opening night. If he can build momentum from the jump, he could parlay early-season success into a quality campaign.

Round 11

121. Donte DiVincenzo (MIN - PG,SG)

122. Dennis Schröder (SAC - PG,SG)

123. Keyonte George (UTA - PG,SG)

124. Jaylen Wells (MEM - SG,SF)

125. Lonzo Ball (CLE - PG,SG)

126. Quentin Grimes (PHI - SG,SF)

127. Brandin Podziemski (GSW - PG,SG)

128. Reed Sheppard (HOU - PG,SG)

129. Toumani Camara (POR - SF,PF)

130. Klay Thompson (DAL - SG,SF)

131. Malik Monk (SAC - SG)

132. Kon Knueppel (CHA - SF)

Round 12

133. Jonathan Kuminga (GSW - SF,PF)

134. Cason Wallace (OKC - PG,SG)

135. Stephon Castle (SAS - PG,SG)

136. Chris Paul (LAC - PG)

137. Aaron Nesmith (IND - SF)

138. Jabari Smith Jr. (HOU - PF,C)

139. Davion Mitchell (MIA - PG)

140. Ty Jerome (MEM - SG)

141. Yves Missi (NOP - C)

142. Tari Eason (HOU - SF,PF)

143. Kyle Kuzma (MIL - SF,PF)

144. Brook Lopez (LAC - C)

Another rookie comes off the board as I grab Charlotte’s Kon Knueppel. The Summer League MVP is poised to see big minutes for the Hornets in Year 1. Elite, long-range shooting is his calling card, but he’s a hound on defense and a guy able to get teammates involved with his quality, playmaking abilities.

No player had a more tumultuous offseason than Kuminga. After a bizarre 2024-25 season in which he was taken in and out of Golden State’s lineups for reasons that still aren’t inherently clear, Kuminga dealt with trade rumors and contract disputes with the team for months. He finally agreed on a two-year deal, but the prevailing thought is that the Warriors will use him as a trade piece after he’s eligible to be traded in early 2026. He’s playing for his next deal, and the Dubs may look to give him ample playing time as an audition. He’s a risky pickup here, but there is plenty of upside.

Round 13

145. Daniel Gafford (DAL - C)

146. P.J. Washington (DAL - SF,PF)

147. Kyle Filipowski (UTA - PF,C)

148. Isaiah Collier (UTA - PG,SG)

149. Zaccharie Risacher (ATL - SF,PF)

150. T.J. McConnell (IND - PG)

151. Scoot Henderson (POR - PG)

152. Ace Bailey (UTA - SF)

153. VJ Edgecombe (PHI - SG)

154. Dejounte Murray (NOP - PG,SG)

155. Jay Huff (IND - C)

156. Dylan Harper (SAS - SG)

I debated grabbing Kyrie Irving here but opted to go for a player who could be an immediate contributor. Harper’s path to meaningful minutes isn’t clear given the competition for playing time at guard with De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, but the No. 2 pick surely won’t spend the entirety of his rookie season on the bench. There’s upside here, and that’s what the final round of fantasy drafts is all about. If Ace Bailey hadn’t been taken four picks earlier, he would have been my selection. Given how good he’s looked in the preseason, I highly doubt he’ll be available this late again.

My team

1. Amen Thompson (HOU - PG,SG,SF)

2. Jalen Williams (OKC - SF,PF)

3. Paolo Banchero (ORL - PF,C)

4. Cooper Flagg (DAL - SF)

5. Deandre Ayton (LAL - C)

6. Ausar Thompson (DET - SF,PF)

7. Cam Thomas (BKN - SG,SF)

8. Jakob Poeltl (TOR - C)

9. Kevin Porter Jr. (MIL - PG,SG)

10. Kyshawn George (WAS - SG,SF)

11. Kon Knueppel (CHA - SF)

12. Jonathan Kuminga (GSW - SF,PF)

13. Dylan Harper (SAS - SG)

Strengths: Defense, rebounding, FG%

Weaknesses: Three-pointers

I grabbed several quality defenders here, so my team is good to go with steals, blocks, rebounds and FG%. Three-pointers have been punted, though we may have a few surprisingly competitive weeks in that category if Cam Thomas, Kyshawn George and Kon Knueppel go off.

Ultimately, this is a risk/reward build. Jalen Williams is a safe selection, but there are question marks everywhere across this roster. Will the Thompson twins break out? Will Paolo Banchero improve his percentages and defensive numbers enough to make his early-round selection worth the cost? Rookies are always an unknown, and despite the buzz around Cooper Flagg, his early success is far from a guarantee.

Picks 7-13 are full of big swings, but they could all be home run selections. Safe picks have never been my forte, so this final roster is certainly indicative of my draft style.