Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (knee) is healthy heading into the 2024-25 campaign. He sprained his right MCL in the Heat's Play-In loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and missed the remainder of the postseason. Injuries have been an issue for Butler over the years, with the veteran appearing in 64 games or fewer in each of his five seasons in South Beach. When healthy, he's as good of a fantasy producer as it gets. But until Butler stays on the floor, his fantasy value is capped. Still, the 35-year-old warrants top-25 fantasy consideration in all scoring formats.

According to ESPN's Jamal Collier, Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankles) is anticipated to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 campaign. The 33-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds last season. He also shot 38.1% from deep, his highest since 2020-21. However, after Middleton appeared in only 33 games in 2022-23, he appeared in 55 last season and underwent surgeries on both ankles over the summer. That said, the 2012 No. 39 overall pick needs to stay healthy for the Bucks to consider themselves a championship-caliber club. He'll also need to find out how to avoid the injury report. Until then, Middleton will remain a risky fantasy option no matter what round he's drafted heading into the year.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (shoulder) "enters training camp with a clean bill of health." After beginning the 2023-24 campaign by serving a 25-game suspension, Morant averaged 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds for Memphis. Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder and underwent season-ending surgery. Without a doubt, the 25-year-old is an All-Star caliber performer. He also has MVP potential. However, Morant's off-the-court conduct remains a concern, and his inability to stay healthy over the years has been an issue. But he can still anchor a fantasy team, so he's worth drafting for those comfortable with taking a gamble.

The Grizzlies waived guard Derrick Rose on Monday. The 35-year-old appeared in 24 regular season contests for Memphis last season, averaging 8.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds. With one year left on his former deal, he requested his release, indicating his intention to remain playing. Without question, Rose's best days are well behind him. However, he was semi-productive in his seven starts with the Grizzlies in 2023-24, so he could have value at times during the 2024-25 campaign.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (foot) continues to rehab his surgically repaired left foot ahead of training camp, which starts Oct. 1. Back in July, Williams told Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic that everything felt good, there wasn't any pain or swelling, and that he was running and jumping. Fast forward to August, where the Bulls met up in Miami for some voluntary workouts, and Williams was forced to stop participating after he experienced discomfort in the same foot he had surgery on. As of right now, it's unclear if he'll be ready by the start of training camp, and then the discussion turns to whether he'll be ready by the start of the regular season. Williams appeared in just 43 games last year and averaged 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine has been in the middle of the rumor mill for a couple of seasons already, but it seems like he hasn't let that keep him away from team activities. According to Darnell Mayberry of the Athletic, LaVine is buying into the voluntary workouts and the player-led minicamps throughout the offseason. LaVine and the team are still working on trade options, but he's working to be an asset to his teammates in the meantime. He was present and a full participant when the team traveled to Miami for workouts, and when they went back to Chicago for some practices before training camp started. If LaVine stays on the Bulls for a portion of this coming season, he's likely to get plenty of offensive opportunities after DeMar DeRozan departed for Sacramento.

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (foot) underwent a foot surgery in May to address a stress injury that he suffered in the first round of last year's playoffs. According to Yaron Weitzman, the Knicks are not expecting Robinson to return until around the December/January time frame. The team is trying to be as cautious as they can, so they aren't planning to rush him back until he's as close to 100% as possible. Robinson also had surgery on his foot last December before returning in the playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers where re-aggravated the injury and needed further surgery to help alleviate the issue. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is planning to increase Julius Randle's minutes at center in the meantime, and even use OG Anunoby to guard opposing centers in shorter spurts.

Free-agent center/forward Harry Giles III agreed to a training camp deal with the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, he'll compete for a roster spot on a very bare-bones roster that suffered a lot of injuries last season. Giles didn't play at all in the NBA during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, then came back to play for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers last year. Through 23 total appearances last season, Giles averaged 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds across 4.3 minutes per game. Knee injuries have been his biggest issue since being drafted 20th overall in 2017, but he may find a depth spot if he can stay healthy and compete through the preseason.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (knee) continues to move toward a return to the National Basketball Association. The 26-year-old hasn't played since January 2022, undergoing multiple surgical procedures on his left knee, including receiving a meniscus transplant from a donor. Fortunately, he increased his workload throughout the summer, progressing to five-on-five scrimmages. Before going down with the injury, Ball had one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals. He also shot a much-improved 42.3% from deep. With that said, Ball will likely see the court sparingly once he's cleared to return. But the Bulls have a loaded backcourt featuring Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu. Zach LaVine is also still in the picture, at least for now. As a result, if Ball will have any value for fantasy managers in 2024-25, it may not come for at least a few months, meaning he won't see much attention during fantasy drafts.

New York Knicks forward Julius Randle expects "to be ready to play by or near the start of the season." The multi-time All-Star injured his ankle in January. He initially opted for rehab instead of surgery, hoping to join the Knicks for the postseason. Unfortunately, rehab wasn't successful, resulting in Randle going under the knife in April. From a production standpoint, the 24-year-old had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023-24, averaging 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 46 games. Without question, he is one of the most underrated players in the National Basketball Association. However, the Knicks' roster looks drastically different from when Randle was on the floor last, so it's hard to predict how the new additions might impact his fantasy contributions. Still, as long as he stays healthy, he should remain a reliable fantasy asset.

Toronto Raptors guard/forward Bruce Brown (knee) is set to miss the beginning of the NBA pre-season after undergoing an arthroscopic knee surgery this week. The veteran do-it-all role player won't be re-evaluated for another three weeks, but it doesn't seem like he's supposed to miss significant time. Brown was reportedly dealing with knee issues for a couple of months after he was traded to the Raptors in the deal that sent Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors begin training camp on October 1, and the team is hopeful that he'll be back on the court before the end of pre-season in time for their first game on October 23. Brown averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game across 34 appearances for Toronto last year.

Free agent guard Killian Hayes is on his way to Brooklyn after agreeing to an Exhibit 10 deal to try to find his way on the Nets' roster. The former seventh-overall pick has been looking for a new home after being waived by the Detroit Pistons. Hayes was still on his rookie deal and saw a decrease in stats across the board before he was let go. Through his first four seasons, Hayes averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.0 turnovers per game with shooting splits of .382/.277/.775. If Hayes can't prove that he's grown in shooting efficiency and ball security, then he won't likely stick on an NBA roster. Brooklyn will be one of his best opportunities as they've started the rebuild after trading away Mikal Bridges this offseason.

Free-agent guards Mac McClung and Javonte Smart have signed training camp deals with the Orlando Magic, along with Ethan Thompson. In a corresponding move, the team waived Myron Gardner and Tre Scott. Smart has appeared in the most NBA games out of the three new signings with 18 appearances across two seasons with three different teams. He most recently played one game for the Philadelphia 76ers last season but averaged 8.9 points per game in 22 games for Crvena Zvezda in Serbia after being waived in December. McClung received MVP honors if the G League last season while playing with the Magic's G-League affiliate. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game across 27 games.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has officially agreed on a three-year extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2027-28 with a player's option for 2028-29. According to Adam Schefter, the three-year max extension is worth $192.9 million and it gives the 2023 MVP a total of $299.5 million in guaranteed money through the 2028-29 season. Since stepping on the floor for the Sixers in 2016, Embiid has been the key piece on both sides of the ball. Now that Daryl Morey and company have put a championship-or-bust roster around him, it's time for him to lead them to the promised land. As long as he's healthy, he should also remain one of the best fantasy basketball assets in the league. Last season, the big man averaged 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game across 39 appearances.

According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid might agree to a new contract "in the near future." The 2023 Most Valuable Player became eligible for an extension worth nearly $200 million in July. While it's tough to say for certain how this situation will go, it may be in Embiid's best interest to sign on the dotted line, considering his injury history over the years. If both sides can't come to an agreement, talks will get put on hold until next offseason. The 2014 No. 3 pick averaged a career-high 34.7 points with 11.0 boards, 5.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 2023-24. Yet, he was limited to 39 games due to injury. Without a doubt, Embiid's consistent ailments will cause his fantasy stock to dip heading into the regular season. But he could be the top overall fantasy producer if he can figure out how to stay on the floor and off the injury report.

Dallas Mavericks guard/forward Klay Thompson is ready to start another chapter after spending his entire career in Golden State. "I'm excited for a whole new chapter of my career that has a chance to be so special," said Thompson to The Dallas Morning News. "I know we can do something special." Thompson's resume includes four NBA championships and five All-Star selections. Unfortunately, he is coming off a down year, averaging 17.9 points and 38.7% shooting from behind the arc. The 34-year-old also spent time coming off the bench, which caused friction with his previous coach, Steve Kerr. But Thompson should remain in the starting lineup all year, so he could have a bounce-back year as long as he stays healthy.

Per The Athletic's Andrew Schlect, Oklahoma City Thunder forwardKenrich Williams(knee) had a successful arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right knee on Tuesday. Williams's knee will be reevaluated after the Thunder's preseason concludes. In 2023-24, the 29-year-old appeared in 69 regular-season contests and averaged 4.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Once healthy, Williams will likely not be much of a fantasy contributor.

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, center Boban Marjanovic landed a deal with EuroLeague team Fenerbahce on Tuesday. Majanovic's new deal was first reported on Eurohoops.net. The contract is a one-year deal with the option for both sides to opt out until January. He averaged 5.5 points and 3.6 boards in 8.7 minutes during his NBA career. He has been a fan favorite during his nine years in the NBA but rarely made an impact in fantasy basketball.

Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) has recovered from surgery and is expected to "be ready to compete for minutes from the start" in 2024-25, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. Hood-Schifino underwent lumbar microdiscectomy back surgery in March. He was limited to 21 appearances during his rookie campaign. The 21-year-old, who was the 17th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, mostly picked up action in garbage time and averaged only 5.2 minutes per game. He appears set for a more significant role in 2024-25, although there are quite a few bodies in front of Hood-Schifino on the depth chart, and it will be tough for him to get regular playing time.

Los Angeles Lakers small forward Cam Reddish has returned to full health ahead of the new campaign, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. An ankle injury limited Reddish to 48 appearances last season. He featured just 13 times after the All-Star break and didn't see any action in the playoffs. Reddish finished his debut campaign in L.A. with a 5.4-point scoring average and 2.1 rebounds. He saw big minutes early in the season as a starter, and that likely won't happen in 2024-25, although Reddish could have a chance to earn some extra minutes in the rotation due to injuries. Christian Wood (knee) has been ruled out for the start of the season, and Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) isn't at 100 percent.