Chicago Bulls guard/forward Kevin Huerter (groin) practiced on Monday and might be available for action on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports. Groin tightness has kept Huerter off the floor during the preseason, and he isn't expected to feature in Tuesday's game against the Denver Nuggets. But Chicago's preseason finale on Thursday appears to be Huerter's target date, and he is trending toward being ready to play. Huerter had a great run with the Bulls last season, averaging 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. However, he will likely be relegated to a reserve role for this season, which will be a big blow to his fantasy prospects.

Chicago Bulls point guard Tre Jones (foot) missed Monday's practice but could still play on Tuesday against the Denver Nuggets, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports. Jones appears to be dealing with only a minor issue and may remain in the lineup on Tuesday for his fourth preseason appearance. The 25-year-old has done well during preseason, averaging 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.7 steals in 22.3 minutes. Jones will come off the bench for the Bulls this season, but he'll be a regular part of the rotation, and a strong preseason will increase his chances of earning a meaningful role on the team.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (Achilles) is expected to make his team debut in Tuesday's preseason contest against the Phoenix Suns, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports. Smart has dealt with an Achilles issue during training camp and also battled an illness last week, but the veteran is now good to go. The Lakers will likely ease him into action and limit Smart's playing time. Smart is projected to start out the season as a member of the second unit, but LeBron James' (sciatica) absence could give him an increased workload.

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (ankle) won't be in the lineup on Tuesday against the Portland Trail Blazers, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reports. The veteran star was initially expected to play, but he's dealing with an ankle issue and will receive some extra rest on Tuesday. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr hopes that Butler III can recover in time for Friday's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Clippers. Next week, Butler III will start his first full season in San Francisco, with high expectations on his shoulders as his two-year, $121 million contract extension kicks in. During his 30-game spell with the Warriors last season, Butler III struggled with his shooting, averaging 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 steals in 32.7 minutes.

Miami Heat forward/center Bam Adebayo (knee) sat out most of the second half of Monday's preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. The team announced that Adebayo had sustained a right knee contusion. Before exiting, Adebayo put up 13 points and had nine rebounds with three assists in 19 minutes. After a trip to the locker room, Adebayo cheered on his team from the bench, indicating that the injury doesn't seem serious. It's possible he might have even continued playing if it had been an important game. Still, ideally, a player would want to be fully healthy with a week to go before the regular-season opener. Miami begins the action on Oct. 22 against the Orlando Magic.

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (wrist) made his 2025 preseason debut in Monday's 114-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The Finnish star notched 10 points in 18 minutes, shooting 4-for-9 from the field. Three of his misses came from downtown as Markkanen failed to make a single three-point attempt. He also tallied four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Markkanen had missed the previous preseason contests due to a wrist problem. Utah closes out its preseason schedule on Thursday against the Portland Trail Blazers, giving Markkanen one more opportunity to shake off some rust before the regular season begins. The same applies to Kyle Filipowski (back), who also made his preseason debut against Dallas.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reports that Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (rest)is expected to play in Tuesday's preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. Doncic has competed as a full participant throughout Lakers training camp and is all set to make his first preseason debut. Barring any setbacks, fantasy managers should anticipate that the 26-year-old star guard will be ready to go for the Lakers' regular season opener on October 21st against the Warriors.

Portland Trail Blazers forwardToumani Camara(knee)was held out of practice on Monday due to knee soreness, per Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland. Camara is now deemed questionable for Tuesday's preseason matchup with the Golden State Warriors. Despite the setback, the 25-year-old is still expected to be available on October 22nd for the team's regular-season opener against the Timberwolves. Last season, Camara provided strong all-around production, averaging 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals during 32.7 minutes per contest across 78 appearances.

K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports on Monday that Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan doesn't expect guardCoby White(calf)to suit up during the preseason but anticipates him to be ready for Opening Night. White is close to full recovery after dealing with a calf strain. Fantasy managers should expect the 25-year-old to have a solid upcoming season after he averaged 24.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists after the All-Star break during the 2024-25 campaign.

According to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Hornets guard Tree Mann (hip) is listed as day-to-day due to soreness in his right hip, putting him in jeopardy of missing Wednesday's preseason matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies. Mann agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal in July to remain with the organization after managing to suit up for just 13 games last season due to a back issue. Before going down, Mann averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists across 24.5 minutes per contest. Once the 24-year-old guard is good to go, he will come off the bench and won't see enough action to secure a roster spot across most fantasy formats.

Los Angeles Lakers small forward Dalton Knecht has turned heads in training camp, with head coach JJ Redick calling him the team's best offensive performer so far. Knecht's scoring efficiency matched LeBron James with a 117 offensive rating last season. However, his defensive struggles remain a concern, as evidenced by his 118 defensive rating, one of the worst on the roster. With the Lakers entering their first full season featuring Luka Doncic and chasing another championship run, Knecht's ability to evolve into a more reliable two-way player could determine how large a role he earns in Redick's rotation.

Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody (calf) will miss the rest of the preseason due to a calf injury that he suffered during practice. ESPN's Anthony Slater reports that head coach Steve Kerr and the team are hopeful that Moody can return for the season opener. Kerr also said that he's "not too concerned," which comes as good news in the long run. Moody set career highs last season in games started (34), minutes per game (22.3), points per game (9.8), assists per game (1.3), and three-point percentage (.374). After signing a contract extension in October of 2024, Moody looks to be in the team's long-term future plans. He'll likely hold the most value as a streamer throughout the fantasy season whenever Stephen Curry and/or Jimmy Butler III are getting rest days. If he's unable to suit up for the first game, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, and Gary Payton II would likely see some added minutes.

Miami Heat center Kel'el Ware seems to be entering quite the pivotal season for both his development and relationship with head coach Erik Spoelstra. After a good rookie season, which saw him finish sixth in Rookie of the Year voting, Spoelstra has issued him a challenge through the preseason. He wants to see Ware consistently impact winning along with his box score. On Sunday, Ware finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and one assist, but ended up with a -12 in plus/minus. Spoelstra did say he was "encouraged" by Ware's preseason so far, and after his performance against the Orlando Magic, Spoelstra added, "He did some impressive things, I love the way he was on the offensive glass, and we'll just continue to work with him." Ware will likely have his place in deeper fantasy leagues, but it won't be surprising if he goes undrafted in smaller leagues until he can prove to Spoelstra that he deserves to get more opportunities.

Los Angeles Lakers guard/forward Austin Reaves put together a very efficient shooting night in the preseason win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. The 27-year-old finished the game with 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting overall, 2-for-4 from three, and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. He also contributed three assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block, but coughed up five turnovers. Reaves should be a good mid-round pickup in both points and category leagues, since he'll likely be asked to be the a top two option a lot of nights. Last season was one of his best yet with averages of 20.2 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game.

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White was up to his usual all-around heroics in the team's preseason win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. The veteran combo guard finished the game with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three blocks across 22 minutes while shooting 4-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-7 from three. White has been a huge part of the Celtics' success ever since he came to Boston, and his value for category leagues has been immense. As one of the best guards for rebounding and block numbers, he'll likely be a hot commodity again across all fantasy leagues.

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski posted a solid outing against the Los Angeles Lakers in Sunday's preseason game. Entering his third year, the former 19th-overall pick is looking to step up his game yet again. In Sunday's exhibition game, he finished with 23 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and one steal while shooting 10-for-16 from the floor and 3-for-7 from beyond the arc. While he likely won't carry a heavy workload every night this season, Podziemski is a big part of their future while he learns from Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler III. Through two seasons, he's averaged 10.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 turnovers across 26.7 minutes per contest. As of right now, he'll likely be a solid, later-round pickup in category leagues.

Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (thumb) will undergo surgery to repair a torn left ulnar collateral ligament. He will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. Murray was selected No. 4 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft and has appeared in 233 regular-season contests. Although he's coming off a down year in terms of production, he's still averaged 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 37.2% shooting from behind the arc throughout his career. The 25-year-old is currently eligible for a rookie scale extension. However, he has logged at least 76 games in each of his three seasons in the National Basketball Association, so his durability shouldn't be a concern. Until Murray is cleared to return to the court, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine might shuffle to the three and four spots, with Malik Monk entering the starting lineup. Of course, that could change periodically while Murray is on the shelf.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent guard Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kings have a "strong mutual interest" in a contract heading into the 2025 campaign. The Kings struggled to get production from the bench in 2024, so adding Westbrook could go a long way in helping the team stay competitive throughout the season. The 36-year-old averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds last season for the Nuggets. However, he declined his $3.5 million player option to become a free agent. Sacramento has an open roster spot, although only time will tell if both sides can work out a new deal. While Westbrook should still have some gas left in the tank, his MVP days are likely well behind him. Still, he should offer flashes of fantasy production throughout the season, assuming he eventually lands a contract.

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton, the team's marquee offseason addition, revealed Wednesday that he has yet to share the floor with superstars Luka Doncic or LeBron James. With James expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, Ayton's ability to mesh quickly will be crucial to keeping Los Angeles competitive out of the gate. The 27-year-old big man averaged 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds across 40 games with the Trail Blazers last season but has battled inconsistency and injuries throughout his career. The Lakers are banking on Ayton's presence inside to stabilize the frontcourt and complement Doncic's playmaking once the team's full roster is healthy.

Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe (hip) is dealing with a sore hip, which held him out of practice on Thursday. Beat reporter Kyle Neubeck states that the rookie will not play on Friday, and he's considered day-to-day. Edgecombe is expected to practice next week and even participated in shootaround on Friday morning. This issue seems to be more precautionary than anything else, but his return to practice would still be something to monitor. Edgecombe was the third-overall pick in this year's draft and displayed some insanely athletic plays during the two preseason games against the New York Knicks. With Jared McCain (thumb), Paul George (knee), and Joel Embiid (knee) all on the mend, Edgecombe could see a sizeable chunk of minutes to start the season.