Morgan presumably signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Boston before being waived in order for the team to secure his G League rights. Over 32 outings between the Maine Celtics and Salt Lake City Stars in 2025-26, the 24-year-old averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.5 steals across 14.9 minutes per contest.
The Grizzlies are expected to focus on developing their young talent this season, though Jackson still faces plenty of competition for minutes. Memphis drafted Boozer and Lopez in June before acquiring Grant in the Ja Morant deal later that month. Jackson has flashed potential throughout his time in the NBA, which the Grizzlies rewarded this summer by exercising his $2.4 million team option. The 21-year-old's long-term upside could help him retain a meaningful role, but he isn't guaranteed steady minutes when the team is at full strength. Jackson is coming off a solid season for an injury-riddled Grizzlies squad in 2025-26, averaging 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 combined steals-plus-blocks while shooting 49.6 percent from the field across 21.4 minutes per game in 55 regular-season appearances (28 starts).
After spending the first three years of his career with the Pistons, Sasser will get a fresh start in Dallas. The 25-year-old logged several career lows in 2025-26, averaging 5.2 points, 2.0 assists, 1.0 rebounds and 0.5 steals in 12.0 minutes per showing across 38 regular-season outings (five starts). Although he shot a career-worst 39.0 percent from the field last season, Sasser connected on a career-high 41.5 percent of his three-point tries on 2.8 attempts per contest. He'll have a much clearer path to a consistent role with the Mavericks, as he'll presumably compete with rookie Sergio de Larrea for playing time off the bench behind Irving. While Cooper Flagg should continue to take on significant ball-handling duties, Sasser will likely have the opportunity to carve out a meaningful role, especially if he impresses during training camp and the preseason.
Butler presumably signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hawks on Thursday before being waived the next day. The Hawks still hold the guard's G League rights, so he's expected to join the College Park Skyhawks for the 2026-27 campaign.
After coming over from the Kings in an offseason trade, Carter is being let go by Atlanta before getting the chance to report for training camp. The 2024 first-rounder averaged a career-high 8.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals in 18.4 minutes per contest across 38 regular-season appearances for Sacramento in 2025-26, so he should draw some interest on the open market provided he clears waivers.
With VanVleet having missed the entire 2025-26 campaign after suffering a torn ACL late last offseason, it's encouraging to hear he's back on the court. The veteran point guard is almost a full calendar year removed from the surgery, so there's optimism he'll be ready for Opening Night in late October. His level of participation in training camp and the preseason remains a question mark, though.
The 2025 first-rounder is coming off a promising Summer League run, averaging 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor over four appearances. Williams is expected to miss around five months, so the runway with Phoenix's top spot at center could be a long one. Maluach does have Oso Ighodaro to overcome for the role, so fantasy managers should keep close tabs on what projects to be a fierce camp competition.
The Lakers' depth at center behind Kessler appears to be razor-thin, including veteran Kevon Looney as his primary backup, so Los Angeles could lean heavily on Kessler during his debut season in Los Angeles. He's slotting in as a distant tertiary scoring option behind Doncic and Austin Reaves, though the prospect of being the top lob threat for the dynamic backcourt duo bodes well for his efficiency; Deandre Ayton shot a career-high 67.1 percent from the field in that role last season. Kessler also seemed to be adding a three-point shot to his arsenal before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery last year, averaging 1.2 threes to go with a career-high 3.0 assists per game in his five regular-season appearances for Utah, so he looks to have plenty of nine-category fantasy upside if he's able to shoot a reasonable percentage from the free-throw line.
The expectation is that Williams will be on the shelf for about five months, likely ruling out the big man until sometime around the All-Star break. Ighodaro filled in serviceably when Williams was injured in 2025-26, as the former averaged a productive 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game while shooting 67.4 percent from the field over 22 regular-season appearances with Williams unavailable. However, Ighodaro did shoot a paltry 40.8 percent from the free-throw line in those outings. Benjamin Garcia of the Locked On Podcast Network is hearing internal praise directed toward Khaman Maluach, who just averaged 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game across four appearances in a dominant Summer League run, so the Suns appear to have an intense camp battle brewing for the top center spot in Williams' stead.
