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Kevin Durant misses start of Team USA camp with calf strain

Sun Jul 7 6:07pm ET
Field Level Media

Kevin Durant has been held out of the start of Team USA camp ahead of the Olympics later this month, the team's coach Steve Kerr confirmed to reporters Sunday.

The Athletic reported earlier in the day that Durant missed the first two days of camp with a calf strain. Kerr said Durant sustained the injury in the days leading up to camp and it is not considered serious, but the team is exercising "an abundance of caution" by keeping him out.

Durant is considered day-to-day. Team USA is scheduled to play its first exhibition game of the Olympic ramp-up Wednesday against Canada.

One of the NBA's biggest stars, Durant is also the leading scorer in Team USA history with 435 points (19.6 ppg). He was part of the U.S. teams that won gold in 2012, 2016 and 2021.


Team USA also features LeBron James, Steph Curry, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid among several other NBA stars.

Player Notes
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Sat Jul 27 4:50pm

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 21 points in Saturday's win over Greece. RJ Barrett had a team-high 23 points. However, as expected, SGH was still productive, going 5-for-10 from the field, adding seven assists, four boards, two blocks, and one steal. He is coming off a potent 2023-24 campaign, averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.0 steals. The 26-year-old also logged 75 games, his most since his rookie season. With that in mind, Gilgeous-Alexander should stay ready to produce for the remainder of the 2024 Summer Olympics. As a result, his fantasy value should continue to improve, heading toward what many predict will be an MVP season.

RJ Barrett Sat Jul 27 4:40pm

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett scored a team-high 23 points in Canada's Olympic victory over Greece. He added four rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points. However, it was Barrett who led Canada to a victory. The 24-year-old spent his entire career with the Knicks before getting traded to Toronto ahead of the deadline in the deal involving Immanuel Quickley and OG Anunoby. He played well in 32 games for the Raptors, logging a career-high 21.8 points and 6.4 rebounds. Without question, Barrett's fantasy value continues to improve, and his ceiling will rise even higher if he continues to play as well as he did on Saturday. Canada will look to stay unbeaten versus Australia on Tuesday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Sat Jul 27 4:30pm

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 34 points on Saturday. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as Greece dropped its first game of the 2024 Summer Olympics to Canada. The multi-time MVP was efficient in this one, going 11-for-17 from the field while surprisingly sinking 12 of his 15 tries from the charity stripe, adding five boards and two assists. Antetokounmpo missed most of the postseason due to a calf injury, so fantasy managers were happy to see him back on the floor. But Canada, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jamal Murray, was too much for Antetokounmpo and company. Greece will look to get on track against Spain on Tuesday.

Victor Wembanyama Sat Jul 27 4:20pm

San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama led France to a win over Brazil on Saturday. The 20-year-old finished with 19 points, tying Nicolas Batum for the game-high, going 7-for-13 from the field and 1-for-4 from deep. He added nine boards, four steals, and three blocks. Undoubtedly, Wembanyama plays at a level well beyond his years. He finished his inaugural NBA season by posting averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals to take home the Rookie of the Year award. Fantasy managers are already hoping to land Wembanyama early in fantasy drafts for the 2024-25 campaign. However, if he continues to play well during the Olympics, his fantasy value will increase even more. France will look to stay hot against Japan on Tuesday.

Josh Giddey Sat Jul 27 11:20am

Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey had a quality showing in Australia's win over Spain on Saturday. Giddey had five turnovers in this one. However, he made up for it by just missing out on a triple-double, amassing 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. The 21-year-old had a down season in 2023-24, averaging a career-low 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. He also logged only 25.2 minutes per contest. Fortunately, Giddey's move to Chicago will likely mean more minutes. With DeMar DeRozan now in Sacramento and the potential trades of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, Giddey has a chance to become the No. 1 scoring option for the Bulls during the 2024-25 campaign. Australia will look for another win on Tuesday against Canada.

Santi Aldama Sat Jul 27 11:00am

Memphis Grizzlies forward/center Santi Aldama had a potent outing in Saturday's Olympic meeting with Australia. While Aldama's team couldn't come back for the win, he can't take any of the blame, finishing with a game-high 27 points while shooting 6-for-8 from deep, adding six rebounds and two steals. The 23-year-old averaged a career-high 10.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds in 2023-24. Unfortunately, he wasn't a consistent member of the rotation. The Grizzlies selected Zach Eddy in the 2024 NBA Draft, meaning Aldama may once again have trouble finding minutes this season. However, if Eddy, Jaren Jackson Jr., or Brandon Clarke miss time due to injury, Aldama will gain streaming potential for fantasy managers, even if he comes off the bench.

Daniel Theis Sat Jul 27 10:50am

New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis helped lead Germany to an Olympic win over Japan. Franz Wagner scored a game-high 22 points. However, Theis was just as instrumental in his team's success, amassing 18 points and going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field (2-for-2 from deep), adding seven rebounds and one steal. The 32-year-old has bounced around the league since entering it in 2017, most recently averaging 6.3 points in 59 games with the Los Angeles Clippers. With that in mind, Theis could be in line for his best season yet, considering he is expected to split time in the middle with 2024 No. 21 overall pick Yves Missi this season. Germany will look to remain undefeated versus Brazil on Tuesday.

Franz Wagner Sat Jul 27 10:40am

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner led Germany to a win over Japan in Saturday's Olympic matchup. He had issues finding the bottom of the net, going 9-for-17 from the field and 2-for-8 from deep. However, Wagner still finished with a game-high 22 points, adding six rebounds, one assist, and one block. The 22-year-old is coming off a potent 2023-24 campaign, averaging a career-high 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals. As a result, he was rewarded with a five-year maximum contract extension in early July. With a win in the books, Germany will continue the quest for a gold medal against Brazil on Tuesday.

Jordan Clarkson Fri Jul 26 8:20pm

According to Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson isn't drawing trade interest from other teams around the National Basketball Association. The 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year was a coveted player by contending clubs over the last few seasons. However, after a decline in statistical contributions during the 2023-24 campaign, teams no longer have him on the radar. Clarkson has two years remaining on his current deal. But with many teams in the NBA strapped for cash, he may end up staying in Utah. Unfortunately, his path for playing time could be compromised with Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, and 2024 No. 29 overall pick Isaiah Collier on the roster.

David Roddy Fri Jul 26 7:50pm

The Phoenix Suns traded forward David Roddy to Atlanta in exchange for forward EJ Liddell. The 23-year-old began his career in Memphis but was traded to Phoenix ahead of last season's deadline. He played sparingly in Phoenix, averaging only 1.3 points in 17 games. With that in mind, Roddy likely won't see much action with the Hawks. However, he could be worth adding to fantasy rosters if Atlanta needs to put him on the floor during the 2024-25 campaign.

Trey Jemison Fri Jul 26 7:30pm

The Pelicans claimed center Trey Jemison off waivers. He was recently waived by the Grizzlies after spending time with the team last season. In 23 games in Memphis, Jemison averaged 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. While the 24-year-old will likely spend time in the G League, the Pelicans may require his services at some point during the 2024-25 campaign, so the streaming potential is there for fantasy managers.

David Duke Jr. Fri Jul 26 3:20pm

The San Antonio Spurs have signed guard David Duke Jr. to a two-way contract. The young guard signed a two-way deal with the organization last December. However, Duke only ended up playing in four games with the Spurs. Before that, Duke spent two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets. This is looking more like a depth move than anything else. The assumption is that Duke will spend a majority of his time in the G-League.

Kessler Edwards Fri Jul 26 3:20pm

The Dallas Mavericks have signed forward Kessler Edwards to a two-way contract for the upcoming season. Edwards didn't make much of an impact on the court last season. He averaged 5.1 minutes per game across 54 appearances with the Sacramento Kings. Edwards started his career with the Brooklyn Nets but has played each of the last two seasons in Sacramento. He's a decent depth option but will likely spend most of his time in the G-League with the Mavs.

Russell Westbrook Fri Jul 26 3:10pm

The Denver Nuggets have signed guard Russell Westbrook to a two-year deal. The veteran guard will receive $6.8 million over the next two seasons. Westbrook officially joins the Nuggets after being waived by the Utah Jazz following a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. This was expected to happen after Utah waived the star guard. The assumption is that Westbrook is going to see significant minutes off the bench in Denver. He should immediately upgrade this bench that struggled to produce last season.

Brook Lopez Fri Jul 26 11:50am

According to Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst, the team doesn't plan on trading center Brook Lopez. "Brook is so core to who we are," said Horst during an interview. "Of course, he has value around the league. That's a credit to him. But we've not engaged in any real conversations about trading Brook. I hope Brook retires as a Milwaukee Buck." The 36-year-old has been with the Bucks since the 2018-19 campaign. Since then, he's appeared in at least 68 games in all but one season. While Lopez's production has decreased over the years, he remains a double-double threat and one of the most durable big men in the National Basketball Association, giving him value for fantasy managers heading into the 2024-25 season. His abilities from deep and as a shot-blocker also give him a higher ceiling for category participants.

Draymond Green Thu Jul 25 8:10pm

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been instrumental to the team's success over the years. It's known his career is nearing an end. Yet, he added some clarity recently, stating during an interview he's "probably got two more" seasons left before he hangs it up. The 34-year-old has spent his entire career with the Warriors since entering the National Basketball Association, averaging 8.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks. He's also a four-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion, and the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. Without question, Green has a Hall of Fame resume. While he should have more than a few quality showings for fantasy managers on the horizon, his days of consistent production are likely over, even with Klay Thompson now in Dallas.

Stephen Curry Thu Jul 25 8:00pm

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry wants to finish his career with the team. While it's hard to envision the multi-time NBA champion playing for another club, he seemingly hasn't ruled it out. "I've always said I want to be a Warrior for life," Curry said during an interview with Marc J. Spears. "I'm taking it one step at a time, to be honest. I want to win. Let's put it this way, it's a long-winded way of saying that if it is a situation where you're a bottom feeder and it's just because you want to stay there, I'd have a hard time with that." The 36-year-old is entering the final phase of his Hall of Fame career. However, he's still playing at an All-Star level, most recently averaging 26.4 points and 5.1 assists while shooting 40.8% from deep during the 2023-24 campaign. It's a new era in Golden State, with Klay Thompson now a member of the Dallas Mavericks. But Curry has a chance to remain productive for fantasy managers, so he has a good chance of remaining a top-20 option in nearly every format imaginable.

Josh Christopher Thu Jul 25 7:50pm

Free-agent guard Josh Christopher agreed to a two-way deal with the Miami Heat. The 22-year-old spent the last two years with the Rockets. In 138 games in Houston, he averaged 6.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. With that said, he likely won't see much work with the big club during the 2024-25 campaign. However, even if Christopher gets his chance with the main unit, he probably won't play often enough to be a relevant fantasy option.

Anthony Gill Thu Jul 25 7:40pm

Free-agent forward Anthony Gill re-signed with the Washington Wizards. The terms of the deal haven't been disclosed. The 31-year-old has spent his entire career with the Wizards. However, he hasn't done much, averaging 3.6 points in 179 regular season contests. Gill was decent in his three starts in 2023-24, averaging 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. Yet, he'll presumably spend most of his time at the end of the bench this season, making him nearly irrelevant for fantasy purposes.

Killian Hayes Thu Jul 25 7:30pm

Free-agent guard Killian Hayes agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Brooklyn Nets. It's an Exhibit 10 deal, so he'll have a chance to compete for a roster spot during training camp. The 2020 No. 7 overall pick has spent his entire four-year career with the Pistons. In 210 games, he averaged 8.1 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. With the Nets recently commencing a rebuild, there's a chance Hayes could get minutes and even start, giving him streaming value for fantasy managers. However, he'll need to make the team first.