Antetokounmpo's absence wasn't due to restrictions from Miami, as Greece's federation indicated the decision was made as part of his preparation for the upcoming season. The 31-year-old will begin a new chapter with the Heat after being acquired from Milwaukee in a blockbuster trade this offseason.
While George remains an effective two-way wing, he's unlikely to command the same offensive workload as Brown at this stage of his career, potentially leading to even greater scoring and playmaking responsibilities for Tatum. Assuming he returns to full health, Tatum has a legitimate path to career-best usage in 2026-27.
Young declined his $49 million player option and was initially going to test the waters in free agency.
Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported when the trade went down that the Trail Blazers had a Morant and Lillard backcourt pairing in mind, so it'll be interesting to see how the ball-handling responsibilities are divvied up in 2026-27 should they stick to that plan. Morant endured yet another injury-plagued campaign in 2025-26 with the Grizzlies, making just 20 appearances while shooting a career-low 41.0 percent from the floor and 23.5 percent from deep, and he's reached the 60-game mark just one time over his past five seasons. With plenty of questions surrounding his fit in his new digs, the dynamic 27-year-old point guard is shaping up as a difficult fantasy player to rank as a high-risk, high-reward gamble in the second half of drafts.
Wagner was limited to 34 regular-season appearances for Orlando last season but remained productive when available, averaging 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 30.0 minutes per game. The 25-year-old remains one of the centerpieces of the Magic's offense and should continue handling a significant scoring and playmaking workload alongside Paolo Banchero. Wagner's well-rounded production gives him considerable fantasy upside entering his sixth NBA season.
The Nuggets extended a qualifying offer at the end of July, but the team will now move on from Watson, who averaged a career-high 14.6 points, 2.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks across 29.6 minutes in 54 regular-season games in 2026. The 23-year-old, who also agreed to a four-year, $88 million contract with Cleveland, could make an immediate impact for a team looking to compete in a loaded Eastern Conference. While it's unknown if Watson will start consistently for the Cavs, he will likely receive plenty of minutes off the bench.