Miami Heat shooting guard Josh Richardson (shoulder) said on Monday that he is "close to returning" from his season-ending shoulder surgery that he received in March. Richardson admitted that his recovery has been frustrating but that he has the "mental to grind through" the rest of his rehab process. The 31-year-old was performing solidly off Miami's bench before obtaining the injury in February, averaging 9.9 PPG. Richardson still will need to show some progress before receiving playing time and will likely be eased into the rotation once back. Fantasy managers shouldn't need to worry about targeting the veteran in drafts. However, Richardson could be an intriguing waiver wire pickup midseason should he reach his normal levels of production once healthy.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler said on Monday, "I gotta prove that I'm a major part of winning," in response to not receiving a contract extension ahead of his player option for the 2025-2026 season. Butler is entering the third year of his three-year $146M contract with the Miami Heat, making the 2024-2025 season potentially Butler's final season with Miami if he does not opt into his player option next season. The 35-year-old has led the Heat to the playoffs in each of his five seasons with Miami, including two Finals appearances. Injuries have limited his ability to stay on the court but he has been productive when healthy, averaging 21.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 5.7 APG as a member of the Heat. With a contract year on deck, fantasy managers may be intrigued by the extra effort Butler may give this season and should target him in drafts. His current ADP of 50 may provide some value if Butler is able to stay healthy.

Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin delivered encouraging news at the Pacers Media Day, revealing he has been fully cleared to participate after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. The team is looking for a significant progression from the former No. 6 overall pick this year. Entering his third season at just 22 years old, Mathurin will be an integral part of a dynamic and fast-paced Pacers squad. Last season, he showcased his potential by averaging 14.5 points and 4 rebounds over 59 games. Mathurin stated he's been at full strength for about a month and a half, ensuring he's ready to make an immediate impact after his sophomore campaign was cut short by a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The Pacers are excited to see him back on the court for the upcoming season.

Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins opened the team's Media Day with a candid interview about his scoring role. When asked if he needs to score more this season, Wiggins replied, "More than I did last year for sure." He averaged a career-low 13.2 points per game last season and emphasized the need for better efficiency and aggression. As Wiggins embarks on his sixth season with the Warriors, he understands the importance of stepping up his game. If Golden State hopes to return to the playoffs, the veteran forward will need to play a key role in both scoring and defense. Last season, he averaged 27 minutes per game, 13.2 PPG, and 4.5 RPG while shooting 45.3% from the field, appearing in 71 games.

Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II expressed optimism about his health during Warriors Media Day. Before taking any questions, the 31-year-old stated, "Yes. I plan on being available this year. I feel good, healthy. Body's feeling great." Payton II appeared in 44 games last season and just 22 contests during the 2022-2023 season. Staying healthy has been a challenge for the defensive specialist, but when on the court, Golden State values his toughness and defensive prowess. He will provide depth at guard, coming off the bench for the team.

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is honing in on defense this season, with a bold goal in mind. "I have a big goal of trying to make the first-team All-Defense," Daniels stated during Hawks Media Day on Monday. Atlanta, which ranked 27th in defense last season, will welcome his focus. While the young guard has shown defensive potential, fantasy managers will hope he can boost his offensive production. He averaged 5.8 points in 22.3 minutes per game. His shooting struggles, including 31.1% from three-point range and 64.2% from the free-throw line, indicate that improving his offensive efficiency is essential for his development. At just 21 years of age, Daniels has time to refine his game and could be a sneaky draft pick with upside.

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons is determined to remind everyone of his abilities when fully healthy. "People forget me as a player when I'm healthy," Simmons said confidently in a recent interview. After being limited to just 15 games last season due to injuries, Simmons says he's "ready to go" following surgery. During Nets Media Day, he emphasized that health is his priority: "It's important just to be healthy. I want to play basketball at a high level and get the most I can out of my body. That's the focus. Money is nice and all that, but I want to play healthy. At the end of the day, I love playing basketball." Fantasy managers should watch his progress closely, as Simmons can be a stat-stuffer if he stays on the court consistently.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is coming into one of his most important seasons yet as the front office has surrounded him with arguably the most talented supporting cast he's experienced. The former MVP said that he lost 25-to-30 pounds this off-season as he tries to stay healthier and enter a postseason without any ailments for the first time in his career. Before hurting his knee, Embiid was on pace to outperform his MVP season and averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 52.9% from the floor and 38.8% from beyond the arc. The issue was that he only appeared in 39 regular season games, but he did show some maturity in his game and some fight in their playoff series against the New York Knicks. Embiid should remain a top pick in fantasy drafts this season, but he always comes with added injury risk.

Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies this off-season and has prepared to earn some more opportunities to be on the floor. The former 10th overall pick said that he felt like "a loose bird finally let out of his cage" when he was traded. He also went on to say that he felt trapped at times with the Grizzlies as he struggled to get on the floor that often throughout his three seasons with the team. While the Nets are in rebuild mode, Williams should receive plenty of opportunities to prove whether or not he deserves to be on the floor after they traded away Mikal Bridges and now have one of the younger teams around the league. In 150 total appearances (50 starts) for the Grizzlies, Williams averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 19.6 minutes per game.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson came into media day lighter and more focused as he explained how much of a breath of fresh air this off-season felt to him. According to Evan Sidery, the superstar power forward lost 15 pounds over the summer and Williamson said that being able to "really lock in on basketball" and break down film while working on things in the gym was a welcomed difference. In past off-seasons, Williamson has worked on coming back from injury or battling some weight issues according to many reports at the time. After playing a career-high 70 games last season, he's heading into his sixth season feeling as healthy as ever.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes talked about adding a lot to his game this off-season as he heads into the fourth season of his career. During the team's media day, Barnes spoke to reporters about how he's working on his shot creation, off-the-dribble moves in different sets, and being able to get to his spots more efficiently than before. He even cited using those skills to create for others, not just finding his own shot. He also named some individual goals as making the All-Star team and an All-NBA team, but those will also come with winning. Barnes is the undisputed superstar of this team, and his fourth season will arguably be the most important. Last year, Barnes registered his best season yet with averages of 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game with shooting splits of .475/.341/.781.

New York Knicks guard/forward Mikal Bridges moved across the city this offseason as he was traded from the Nets to the Knicks over the summer. The Knicks proved that they weren't done there as they traded away Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo for Karl-Anthony Towns. After taking on Towns' massive contract, the Knicks are in win-now mode. According to Brian Windhorst, that sentiment gets even louder because Bridges is unlikely to sign an extension with the team. He'll likely wait another year to explore either an extension or signing with a different team because his negotiations become more flexible the longer he waits. Bridges was the number-one option for the Nets last season and averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 43.6% from the floor and 37.2% from deep. His numbers are more than likely going to drop as his usage falls since he'll be playing with Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, and Towns.

Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward Khris Middleton (ankle) underwent procedures on both ankles during the offseason and he has yet to be cleared to partake in five-on-five action, according to Chris Haynes. Middleton is progressing and is expected to be included in most camp activities, but he wouldn't be cleared to play an actual preseason game just yet. The 33-year-old appeared in 88 regular-season games over the last two seasons as he's dealt with a series of different injuries. Last year, he averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 27.0 minutes per game. If healthy, Middleton is one of the better wings in the Eastern Conference, but as he's getting older, his health has been the biggest question mark.

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (foot) will miss training camp after suffering a strained tendon in his left foot during a workout on Thursday. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks, although he remains without a return date. The 2022 No. 15 overall pick has shown promise since entering the league, most recently averaging 12.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 2023-24. Unfortunately, he was limited to only 19 games before suffering a season-ending back injury in December. Without Williams in the mix, Nick Richards, averaging 10.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 51 starts last season, will likely hold things down in the middle. With that in mind, Williams' health is always a concern. Still, he's worth taking later in fantasy drafts for those willing to stash him until he's ready to get back on the court.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado agreed to a two-year, $9 million extension with the team. The 26-year-old has spent his entire career in New Orleans, averaging 7.5 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals. Unfortunately, he has struggled to stay healthy, logging 61 games or fewer in each season since entering the National Basketball Association. Alvarado will hold a consistent spot in the rotation behind Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum this season. However, he won't be a routine fantasy provider, although his defensive prowess gives him added value in category formats.

San Antonio Spurs forward/center Zach Collins (shoulder) was cleared to participate in all basketball activities. Even better, he's anticipated to be ready for the Spurs opener in Dallas on October 24. The 26-year-old is a pivotal piece of the rotation and most recently averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 2023-24. However, he tore his labrum in April, resulting in surgery. As expected, Victor Wembanyama should see more minutes this season, likely meaning less work for Collins. Yet, the veteran will likely get more than a handful of starts in the 2024-25 campaign, so he should gain streaming attention.

New York Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo won't be able to play with the full Villanova squad this season as he was part of a trade package to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that DiVincenzo, along with Julius Randle and a first-round pick, are being traded to the Timberwolves in return for star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Reportedly, neither side of the trade requested a move, which is important to note as Towns has played all nine seasons of his career for Minnesota. DiVincenzo, on the other hand, came off of his best season yet as he averaged 15.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 44.3% from the floor and 40.1% from beyond the arc. He proved to be an important and talented role player while seeing a changing role with the team that went from sixth man to starting guard. Now, he'll look to continue that supporting guard role alongside Anthony Edwards in the Timberwolves' quest to make another deep playoff run.

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle will head back to the Western Conference as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal that included Karl-Anthony Towns. As reported by Shams Charania, the three-time All-Star has been traded along with Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for star big man Karl-Anthony Towns. Randle missed most of last season with a shoulder injury and the Knicks went on to have an explosive playoff run that ended ultimately due to more injury issues. It seemed like Randle was primed to play some more minutes at center since Mitchell Robinson (foot) would still be on the mend, but instead, he'll now play alongside Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards. In 46 games last year, Randle averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game with shooting splits of .472/.311/.781.

Minnesota Timberwolves center/forward Karl-Anthony Towns is on his way to New York as a trade is finalized to send him to play with the new-look Knicks. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the star big man will be reunited with his old head coach as Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick head to Minnesota. The Knicks are also sending salary, as well as DaQuan Jeffries, and draft compensation to the Charlotte Hornets as part of this deal. There hasn't been any word if the Hornets are sending any assets to either team in this trade. Towns has played all nine years of his career in Minnesota and was a key piece to the team's success this past season which saw them come one series away from the NBA Finals. The Knicks were in need of a big man after Mitchell Robinson (foot) was ruled out for the first couple of months, and now they land a star center to go along with Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby.

San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (foot) is anticipated to miss the start of the season. The 2020 No. 11 overall pick averaged a career-high 19.5 points last season. Unfortunately, he suffered a stress fracture in his right foot and was sidelined near the end of the 2023-24 campaign. An update on Vassell's status isn't expected until November 1, although it's unknown when he'll be back on the floor. Without question, the latest update won't earn him attention from fantasy managers heading into the year, especially since he remains without a firm return date. To make matters worse, it should take him time to ramp up to his usual workload once cleared. But until Vassell is back, Malaki Branham, averaging 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 29 starts last season, will likely take his place in the rotation.