Haliburton, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, did not play at all last season. In addition to recovering from that injury, he had to deal with a case of shingles in February. The good news for the Pacers is that their star point guard is back to full strength and should be good to go for the start of next season. “I feel like I’m operating like I’m a healthy NBA player for the first time in a long time, which is exciting,” Haliburton said on Saturday. “The fact that I’m able to come here without having to answer questions from anybody in our organization about my health, that I’m just able to jump in and do some things with the kids, that means the world to me. It’s something I don’t take for granted after the last 12 months.” While he may need some time to shake off the rust, a healthy Haliburton is one of the most valuable players in fantasy basketball.

Butler, who suffered a torn right ACL during a January 19 game against the Heat, said during a recent appearance that he is making strides in his recovery. However, he still has not been cleared to run or jump off two feet, and the veteran forward also has not been allowed to land on his right leg. Butler guessed that he’s a month and a half away from being cleared to resume running. Given when the injury occurred, Butler may not be ready to go when the Warriors open training camp in late September. However, the Warriors’ focus is on him being healthy for the stretch run as the franchise looks to win another title during Stephen Curry and Draymond Green’s time in San Francisco.

Injuries limited White to 50 games last season. After a midseason trade to the Hornets, his minutes went from 29.1 per game in Chicago to 19.3 per game in Charlotte. White still averaged 15.6 points with the Hornets playing behind LaMelo Ball. With Ball now in Minnesota, White projects as a starter for the Hornets this upcoming season. He’s one of the big winners of the early offseason in terms of fantasy value.

Charania reported late Wednesday night that the Hornets were fielding offers for Ball and NBA Insider Marc Stein pinpointed the Timberwolves as one of the interested teams. Now both sides have agreed on a deal that sends Ball along with Josh Green to Minnesota in exchange for Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round picks. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Anthony Edwards was frustrated with how he’s been double-teamed since the team traded Karl Anthony-Towns. Now the Timberwolves have sent a haul to the Hornets to pair Edwards with Ball in the backcourt. Ball stayed healthy playing 72 games last season and is in line for similar fantasy production in Minnesota while the Hornets’ Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller could see increased usage with Ball no longer in Charlotte.

Horford declined his player option, but is staying with the Warriors on a two-year deal. Horford turned 40 earlier this month and is entering his 20th season in the NBA. He’ll be the 13th player in league history to reach 20 seasons. Horford’s return is the first move in securing Golden State’s frontline for the upcoming season. The organization is in talks to bring Kristaps Porzingis back on a short-term contract and expects Draymond Green to exercise his player option. A part-time player at this point of his career, Horford doesn’t carry much fantasy value. He averaged career-lows in points, rebounds and minutes last season.

While the report says the Hornets have not signaled they’re looking to move on from Ball, that has not kept some teams from taking the initiative to see if they can get something done. According to both Charania and NBA insider Marc Stein, Minnesota and Toronto are the teams in question. Having struggled with injuries in recent years, Ball appeared in 72 games last season and was one of the reasons why the Hornets landed in the Play-In tournament. He averaged 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.8 three-pointers per game, shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 89.9 percent from the foul line. If Ball is moved, it would be a clear sign that Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel are the Hornets’ cornerstones.

There were rumors over the past week that Detroit could be open to moving Stewart, but this is clearly a cost-cutting move. Stewart’s departure should open the door for Paul Reed to become the backup center behind Jalen Duren, barring other moves. Stewart should fill out the backup center minutes in Memphis behind Zach Edey. The Grizzlies were the worst rebounding team in the league after the All-Star break last year, but with Edey healthy and Beef Stew in town, the frontcourt should be far more formidable next season.

With Reaves back in the fold, the Lakers have he and Luka Dončić locked in as franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future. The Lakers will have a busy offseason as they navigate LeBron James’ potential return and decide what moves to make to get the team in a more competitive position.

A five-star recruit, the 6-foot-4 Burries spent one season at Arizona before turning pro. As part of a team that took the Wildcats to the Final Four for the first time since 2001, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.8 three-pointers while shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three and 80.5 percent from the foul line. A first-team All-Big 12 selection, Burries is an effective scorer on all three levels and defends his position well. In addition to his scoring ability, he is an excellent perimeter defender. With Milwaukee embarking on a new era after the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, he will be a key building block for the franchise.

After initially entering his name into the draft with an open mind toward returning to Michigan for another season, Johnson shot up draft boards throughout the spring. And his defensive ability is a big reason why. During his lone season in Ann Arbor, the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward/center averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 62.3 percent from the field and 78.2 percent from the foul line. Johnson can be used at either the four or the five, with the latter role coming as part of a smaller lineup. Dallas hired Dusty May as their next head coach, and May just won a national championship with Johnson at Michigan. The two will reconnect and look to build a strong frontcourt alongside Cooper Flagg.