Utah Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski (back) wasn't available for practice on Tuesday. According to the team, Filipowski is dealing with a lower back injury. Once he's healthy again, Filipowski will start getting ready for his sophomore campaign in the Association. His rookie year went well, as the Duke product averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 21.1 minutes. Filipowski followed it up with impressive play in the Las Vegas Summer League, earning him the tournament's MVP award. The 21-year-old can make a significant impact in fantasy basketball, but he must get healthy and secure a starting spot.

Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (wrist) sat out Tuesday's practice. The team announced that the Finnish star is dealing with a left wrist contusion. It remains to be seen whether this injury will affect Markkanen's availability for the preseason. Utah's first game is scheduled for next Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. Injuries have held back Markkanen over the last few seasons, and it would be unfortunate to see him miss time again early in the year. Especially after Markkanen showcased his full potential during the recent EuroBasket tournament, where he averaged 23.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 28.9 minutes.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (Achilles) didn't practice on Tuesday and is expected to be out until next week, Mike Trudell of Spectrum Sportsnet reports. Smart is dealing with left Achilles tendinopathy. This is unfortunate for Smart, considering he has joined a new team and would benefit from having as much time as possible to work with his new teammates. The defensive specialist has fought health issues for several years, making only 34 appearances in the 2024-25 season. When healthy, Smart can contribute to fantasy teams in many ways, but it seems a change of scenery hasn't helped him leave injuries behind.

San Antonio Spurs forward/center Jeremy Sochan (calf) will participate in training camp, Jeff Garcia of KENS 5 San Antonio reports. Sochan was forced to skip the EuroBasket 2025 tournament due to a calf injury, but he has fully recovered in time for training camp. During the last NBA season, Sochan also battled injuries, missing 28 contests. He made 23 starts over the course of the campaign, averaging 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. With Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk in town, Sochan faces more competition in the Spurs frontcourt, which could impact his fantasy value.

Houston Rockets center Steven Adams will likely have his workload managed early in the season, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports. Adams has had knee issues, missing an entire campaign in 2023-24. Currently, he feels "confident" with it, but Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said the team might still be cautious with Adams on back-to-backs to start the season. Adams made 58 appearances last term, averaging 3.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 13.7 minutes. His playing time increased significantly late in the season, and the New Zealand big man posted 5.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game in 22.1 minutes during the playoffs. Adams could emerge as a viable fantasy option if he starts regularly seeing 20-plus minutes a night

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Kevin Porter Jr. is poised to join the starting lineup this season, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports. The Bucks no longer have Damian Lillard on their squad, opening up the starting point guard role. Porter Jr. has prior experience as a regular starter from his time with the Houston Rockets. He faced some consistency issues but generally performed well. Over his career, Porter Jr. has averaged 17.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a starting role. His move to the first unit will boost Porter Jr.'s fantasy value in 2025-26.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, forwardJonathan Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million contract to return to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, ending a long summer of negotiations. The new contract also includes a second-year team option. Kuminga suited up for just 47 regular-season games in 2024-25 due to spraining his right ankle in January. When he was healthy, the 22-year-old averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across 24.3 minutes per contest. He will likely begin the season coming off the bench and could definitely see some action as a starter as the campaign progresses.

Cody Taylor of USA Today reports that Orlando Magic guardJalen Suggs(knee) was able to participate in all non-contact drills during Tuesday's practice. Suggs last played on January 25 and underwent surgery in early March to address a torn ligament in his left knee.The 24-year-old appears to be heading in the right direction and could potentially be available for the Magic's first regular-season contest on October 22 versus the Heat. Before his season abruptly ended, Suggs averaged 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game across 35 contests in 2024-25.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Scottie Barnes has put a lingering hand issue behind him, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Barnes said he took a couple of weeks off after the season and is "feeling a lot better" heading into camp. The 24-year-old missed two games in April with a right-hand contusion but is expected to be ready for preseason action. He appeared in 65 games last year, averaging 19.3 points, 7.7 boards, 5.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 32.8 minutes. Even though his field-goal percentage dipped to a career-low 44.6, Barnes still projects as a key fantasy option for 2025-26.

NBA reporter Matthew Tynan reports that San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson stated that both the organization and the NBA have cleared centerVictor Wembanyama to participate in training camp with no restrictions following his diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder last season. Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 46 contests before the condition ended his season abruptly in February. Now, with a clean bill of health, the 21-year-old superstar is going to be a significant fantasy contributor across all formats during the upcoming campaign.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports that Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (pinched nerve) was held out of Tuesday's practice due to nerve irritation in his glute. James joined Marcus Smart (Achilles), rookie Adou Thiero (knee) and Gabe Vincent (knee) on the sideline. While the 40-year-old's setback is considered minor, the Lakers are expected to proceed cautiously. James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals over 70 outings last season and remains a reliable fantasy asset across all formats going into his NBA 23rd campaign.

According to Tony East of WTHR Channel 13, Indianapolis, Indiana Pacers power forwardJarace Walker (ankle) focused on conditioning this offseason after suffering an ankle injury during last season's Eastern Conference Finals. In 2024-25, the 22-year-old averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 15.8 minutes per contest across 75 appearances. Fantasy managers should expect the Pacers frontcourt to lean on Walker during the upcoming campaign after Myles Turner signed with Milwaukee in July.

Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams III (knee) has not been fully cleared to play after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure to address inflammation in his left knee last March. The original timeline was just four to six weeks, but Williams has taken longer than expected to recover. He said at Blazers' media day, ""Injuries are tough. They aren't easy for anyone. But as soon as I'm on the court moving and feeling like my old self, it goes away." He said that he and the team trainers have a target date, but declined to say exactly when that date is. He'll be important backcourt depth for Portland when healthy, and he showed last season that he can contribute meaningful numbers across the box score when available.

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler expressed frustration at Utah Jazz media day over his contract situation. Earlier reports indicated that the Jazz will not extend the center before the Oct. 20 deadline for fourth-year players. Kessler said he didn't want to talk about the issue after training camp started, but added "that being said, I'm definitely a little frustrated." If Kessler does not sign an extension before the October deadline, he would become a restricted free agent after the season, giving any team the chance to offer him a new contract, with the Jazz retaining matching rights on any deal. Kessler has put up big numbers when healthy and drawn plenty of trade interest, most notably from the Lakers. If he stays in Utah, he could be a big piece to build around for the Jazz, or they could look to turn him into more assets at the trade deadline this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland (toe) underwent surgery in June to repair the turf toe injury, which limited him in the playoffs. At Cavaliers' media day, Garland said that he has been back on the court working out for a month, and that "Everything's been looking great, the doctors have been saying everything's been looking great, so I'm happy where I'm at right now." Despite his progress, there remains no clear timetable for his return to game action, and he is expected to miss some time at the start of the regular season. While he is out, Donovan Mitchell is expected to shift to point guard with Sam Merrill moving into the lineup. Craig Porter Jr. and Lonzo Ball will also have to carry more of the offensive workload in the second unit.

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant expects to be in the starting lineup this season and said, "I don't really expect that" when asked how he felt about coming off the bench at Blazers' media day. Grant was limited to 47 games for the Blazers, and he started every one of them. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game in his 32.4 minutes per contest, remaining very productive even after 11 seasons in the Association. He has not come off the bench in any of his three years with Portland, starting 118 of his 118 games over those three seasons. With Jrue Holiday and Donovan Clingan likely locked into two starting spots, there are three spots for Grant, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Shaedon Sharpe. If everyone is healthy, Portland could have a crowded early-season rotation, which will be important to figure out for fantasy value on the new-look roster.

Cleveland Guardians point guard Lonzo Ball didn't shut down the possibility of playing in back-to-back games later in the year. He did say that he doesn't expect to play in both halves early on, which was how he approached that situation last year in Chicago, even when he was healthy. As the season goes on, he could potentially play both games of back-to-backs, though he said it hasn't been something he's discussed with his new team. Cleveland acquired Ball from the Bulls in a trade that sent Isaac Okoro to Chicago. He will help fill in the void left by Ty Jerome's departure via free agency and could get even more work early on depending on the status of Darius Garland (toe). Last year, Ball returned after missing two full seasons and played 35 games for the Bulls, producing 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 22.2 minutes per game. He'll be a key rotation piece for the Cavs and could have fringe fantasy value in the right matchups and situations.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus (foot) was expected to miss multiple months after requiring surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot, and he is still months away from returning, according to updates he provided at Cavs' media day. He sustained the injury during a late-August offseason workout in Chicago. At the time of the operation, Strus was expected to resume basketball-related activities in about three to four months, and after that, he will need an extended ramp-up window before he receives clearance for a season debut. Ultimately, he could miss about half the regular season before he's ready to return. While he's out, De'Andre Hunter will likely start for Cleveland, while Sam Merrill and Dean Wade may also see additional usage and time on the court. Strus isn't someone to reach for in season-long drafts except for in the deepest of formats.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter expects to have a starting role this season, Chris Fedor of the Plain Dealer reports. "I feel like that's a role I will probably have," Hunter said during media day on Monday. After arriving from the Atlanta Hawks as part of a mid-season trade, Hunter started only five of 27 appearances with the Cavaliers last term. He still made a positive impact, averaging 14.3 points in 25.0 minutes, but Hunter should be even more productive as a starter. The 27-year-old last played an entire campaign as a starter in 2022-23, averaging 15.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 31.7 minutes with the Hawks. Given the potential absence of Darius Garland (toe), Hunter could have a major role in the Cavaliers' offense at the start of the season.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal (knee) is healthy for the start of the season, Law Murray of The Athletic reports. Last season, Beal dealt with inflammation in his right knee and had it scoped during the summer. He now feels "good" and is ready to go for the 2025-26 campaign. Beal's fantasy stock has nose-dived in recent years, and it will be interesting to see how he performs with the Clippers. He hasn't been available for more than 60 games in six consecutive seasons, so staying healthy will be key for the former All-Star.