Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is expected to have a big comeback campaign in 2024-25. We have seen very little of Morant recently due to various issues, but the upcoming season could be his best one yet. "Ja Morant is coming for all the work this year. All of it," said Morant's agent, Mike Miller, on The OGs Show. "How soon they forget. That's all I'll say: He's about to come for it." Morant was limited to nine appearances in 2023-24, posting 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. It was reported in early July that the explosive guard had been cleared for five-on-five action after recovering from shoulder surgery.

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard has been voted the best draft pick of the 2024 class in a poll conducted by ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo among the NBA's decision-makers. 20 executives and scouts took part in the poll. Sheppard, who was selected third in this year's draft, picked up seven votes to be the "best pick" of the 2024 draft. He was followed by Portland's Donovan Clingan, who received three votes. The No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher from Atlanta, was voted the best by only one person. Sheppard boosted his reputation with outstanding Summer League performances. He averaged 20.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.8 steals in Las Vegas. Big things are expected from Sheppard in the future, with one high-ranking Eastern Conference executive saying that Sheppard has a "chance" to become an All-Star in the future.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid will rejoin Team USA's starting lineup on Saturday against Puerto Rico. Embiid had a poor 11-minute outing in the USA's first game against Serbia and was a DNP-CD on Wednesday versus South Sudan. Anthony Davis replaced the 2023 MVP in the starting unit. Team USA head coach Steve Kerr said that the change was made to match up better with South Sudan's speed. Kerr will also bring back Jrue Holiday to the first unit on Saturday. Jayson Tatum started in his place in Wednesday's 103-86 win, which sent Team USA to the quarterfinals.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic came extremely close to a triple-double despite playing only 23 minutes in Serbia's huge 107-66 win over Puerto Rico at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Wednesday. Jokic finished the contest with 14 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and one block. He shot 5-for-7 from the field and 4-for-5 at the charity stripe. After losing to Team USA, Serbia still has some work to do to move to the quarterfinals, so we should see another big effort from Jokic on Saturday against South Sudan. The three-time MVP has averaged 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists at the Paris Olympics.

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum settled for four points on 2-for-4 shooting in his Paris Olympics debut against South Sudan on Wednesday. After sitting out the entire game in Team USA's opener against Serbia as a DNP-CD, Tatum was inserted straight into the starting lineup on Wednesday, replacing Jrue Holiday. He logged 17 minutes and finished off his work in a 103-86 win with five rebounds, two assists, and one block. Team USA head coach Steve Kerr has suggested that more changes to the lineup are coming and has already confirmed that Tatum will head back to the bench for Friday's contest against Costa Rica.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was Team USA's top performer as the Americans locked up a quarterfinal berth at the Paris Olympics with a 103-86 victory over South Sudan on Wednesday. Coming off the bench, Adebayo had a team-high 18 points in 21 minutes, shooting 8-for-10 from the field. He even hit a pair of corner threes to finish 2-for-3 from outside. Adebayo was also among the top rebounders in the game with seven boards and notched one assist with one steal and two blocks. The Heat star takes great pride in his defensive work, but he also had a fantastic game offensively on Wednesday. Adebayo hitting threes might become a new thing in fantasy basketball next season. He impressed with 14-for-28 shooting behind the arc across the final 17 regular-season games last term.

Free-agent guard Luke Kennard agreed to a one-year, $11 million contract with the Grizzlies. The 2017 No. 12 overall pick finished last season by averaging 11.0 points while shooting 45.0% from behind the arc. Yet, he appeared in just 39 games due to injury. Most had assumed Kennard would be back in Memphis, although the deal took longer than anticipated. With that said, he should continue to receive minutes during the 2024-25 campaign. However, outside of efficient three-point shooting, he likely won't be a consistent producer for category managers.

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen agreed to a three-year, $91 million contract extension with the team. The deal will commence at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign, and it will allow Allen to earn $131 million guaranteed in the next five seasons. The 26-year-old has been a top center in the National Basketball Association for years. However, he's coming off the best season of his career, averaging 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 77 games. It's been a busy offseason for Cleveland, with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley also receiving extensions. With that in mind, Allen should be a potent fantasy producer for years to come, even more so for category managers looking for a consistent double-double threat.

Denver Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook is seen as a good fit for the team by former Nugget and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. "(Westbrook) is going to bring some toughness and a mentality to that team that I think will be welcomed," Billups said in a recent interview. "So I'm happy for him. And I think he's going to make that team better." The presence of Jamal Murray means that Westbrook will continue to come off the bench in Denver. But he is expected to see a healthy amount of minutes, which will help him produce the goods in fantasy basketball.

The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to make at least one big move before training camp opens. According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian, the team is looking to move either Jerami Grant or Anfernee Simons. "I would be surprised if Jerami (Grant) or Anfernee Simons, that one of the two is not moved," Fentress said in a conversation with Sactown Sports. "I was told that that's definitely the goal, that one of the two would probably be gone before training camp." Grant has already been in trade rumors, with Portland reportedly looking to get two first-round draft picks for him. He's been mainly linked with the Lakers. There should be no storage of interest in Anfernee Simons, either. He's posted back-to-back 20-point campaigns and is still only 25 years old.

The Atlanta Hawks have snapped up forward Dominick Barlow on a two-way contract. The 21-year-old links up with the Hawks after spending two seasons in San Antonio. He made 33 appearances last term, scoring 4.4 points and grabbing 3.4 rebounds in 12.7 minutes. During his time in Texas, Barlow also saw quite a bit of time in the G League, posting 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. Atlanta is going with a youth movement, but it's unlikely we will see much of Barlow in 2024-25.

Orlando Magic forward/center Moritz Wagner contributed eight points, six rebounds, three assists, and one block in Germany's 86-73 win against Brazil on Tuesday at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Wagner was able to use his size against Japan in Germany's opener at the tournament to finish with 15 points off the bench, but he took a backseat offensively against a tougher frontcourt on Tuesday. Still, it was an effective performance as Wagner helped his team secure a quarterfinal spot with one game left in Group B. He should have a big role to play as well in the final contest, as the Germans face Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert in a clash with France on Friday.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Schroder had a fantastic two-way performance for Germany against Brazil at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, leading all scorers with 20 points and snagging four steals. Schroder and Orlando's Franz Wagner pushed the Germans to an 86-73 victory. The Brooklyn man did his damage offensively with 7-for-13 shooting, including a 4-for-9 effort from downtown. He completed his line with three rebounds and six assists. Schroder was named the MVP at last year's World Cup, and he's started another international tournament in good form, averaging 16.5 points and 9.0 assists.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner finished a horrible 0-for-6 with his triples against Brazil at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday but helped Germany to an 86-73 win with a good all-around performance. The 22-year-old had 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block. Wagner fully showed off his versatility, which earned him a five-year, $224 million extension this offseason. Orlando clearly sees him as one of the cornerstones of the team, and Wagner fills a hugely important role for Team Germany as well. He has posted 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals through the first couple of games at the Olympics.

Free-agent guard Devonte' Graham agreed to a one-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. The 29-year-old was one of the league's most promising young players, averaging a career-high 18.2 points and 7.5 assists in his sophomore season. Unfortunately, his statistical contributions have declined over the years. He also appeared in only 23 games in San Antonio last season. With that said, Graham may get some chances in the starting lineup during the 2024-25 campaign. However, he likely won't see consistent minutes behind Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe, among others.

Free-agent forward/center Precious Achiuwa agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with the Knicks. New York was rumored to be searching for other options to fill the void underneath the basket. However, the team will instead bring back the 24-year-old, who averaged 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 18 starts last season. With Isaiah Hartenstein now in Oklahoma City, Achiuwa should hold a stable role in Tom Thibodeau's rotation. Mitchell Robinson has had issues staying healthy throughout his career, meaning Achiuwa could spend more time with the first five during the 2024-25 campaign.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Atlanta Hawks released center Bruno Fernando on Tuesday. Fernando had been with the Hawks for just one season, and he will now look to sign with a new team before the start of training camp. The 25-year-old didn't contribute much in last season's first half, but he turned it around after the All-Star break, posting 7.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists across 19.3 minutes in 27 contests. Fantasy managers, if Fernando lands with a new team, don't expect him to carry much fantasy value going into the 2024-2025 regular season.

Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert posted seven points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal in 27 minutes during France's 94-90 thrilling overtime win over Japan in the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. The big man logged just 18 minutes in France's opener against Brazil. He likely saw an uptick in minutes against Japan due to the team's starting center, Victor Wembanyama, laboring at times as he grabbed his lower right leg and hip several times during the contest. Gobert and his French teammates have another tough matchup on Friday versus Germany in Group B play.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura scored 24 points for Japan in a crushing 94-90 loss to France at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. In addition to scoring 24 points, Hachimura shot 10-for-16 from the field and collected six rebounds before being ejected from the contest early in the fourth quarter after being called for his second unsportsmanlike foul of the game. The 26-year-old will get another opportunity to shine on Friday as Japan faces Brazil.

San Antonio Spurs forward/centerVictor Wembanyama scored eight of his 18 points in overtime to help France defeat Japan 94-90 at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. Wembanyama registered eight points in the first 3:20 of the contest, but his contributions were minimal in the final 3 1/2 quarters. However, in overtime, the 20-year-old dominated on the floor, finishing the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. France is undefeated at 2-0, and Wembanyama will have be on top of his game again on Friday, going up against a formidable German team.