Fullcourt Press is our bi-weekly look at the latest headline news from around the league. We'll examine stat trends, injuries, depth chart battles and schedule breakdowns, along with notable performances throughout the NBA season and offseason.

Last season, many low profile players made the giant leap into stardom. Heading into Draft Day, players like Bobby Simmons, Dan Dickau, Tayshaun Prince and Kyle Korver were completely off the majority of Fantasy Hoops owners' radars. However, they each became viable Fantasy options after relative obscurity in previous seasons.

Predicting sleeper candidates can make a gigantic impact on your Fantasy roster. The disparity between selecting Larry Hughes over Glenn Robinson turned out to be a massive difference. Owners that took Kerry Kittles over Manu Ginobili couldn't be too happy, either.

If you take a moment to look back at your league's draft, you'll see many glaring blunders like this. It's hard to believe that Nick Van Exel, Vlade Divac and Cliff Robinson were taken before Chris Bosh and Chauncey Billups in one of my many leagues. But, it happens… every year.

This year, there are several players worth monitoring for late-round steals. This edition of Fullcourt Press will break down some of the league's best sleeper candidates primed for huge breakout campaigns.

1. Shaun Livingston PG L.A. Clippers: At 20 years old, Livingston has the skills to be a successful point guard in the pros already. Limited to 30 games in his first year, the 6-foot-7 phenom averaged over 5.0 APG despite sharing the floor general duties with Rick Brunson and Marko Jaric. Out of last year's rookie class, Livingston is not mentioned with Emeka Okafor, Dwight Howard or Ben Gordon because of all the time he missed. Next year, Clipper-land is in for a treat. Target him in the middle rounds, but understand you'll get the most production out of him in the final months.

High-end Goals: 13.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, 5.0 RPG

2. Jameer Nelson PG Orlando: When Johnny Davis took over coaching reigns in Orlando, one of his first issues of business was to put Nelson in the starting lineup. The Magic's postseason dreams were slashed away shortly after that, but the team got a glimpse of their future. As one of the purest point guards in the league already, Nelson averaged a respectable 15.0 PPG, 4.5 APG and 4.0 RPG in the final two months, and earned himself a starting role next year.

High-end Goals: 15.0 PPG, 6.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG

3. Josh Childress SF Atlanta: Childress improved his scoring average in each of the final five months of the season. Along with Josh Smith and Al Harrington, the former Stanford start is the future in Atlanta. He averaged 14.7 PPG and 7.3 RPG in his final 26 games of the season and will be asked to carry even more of a load this year.

High-end Goals: 15.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG

4. Joel Przybilla C Portland: The 6-feet-11 fifth-year center was one of the most pleasant surprises in Fantasy last year. He finished with a stat line of 6.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 60 percent FG% and 2.1 BPG despite splitting time in the middle with Theo Ratliff. The Blazers are committed to changing the dynamic of their team, and Przybilla figures to be the primary center of the franchise's future. He averaged 15.2 rebounds per 48 minutes -- good for 10th in the league. He's a very solid Rotisserie option because of his high shooting percentage and block shots. Target him as your No. 2 Fantasy center in this year's draft.

High-end Goals: 8.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 60 % FG%

5. David West PF New Orleans: A knee injury sidelined West for 52 games last year. In the 30 games he did see the court, he only averaged 6.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG for one of the worst teams in the league. Those statistics might scare off many Hoops' owners for next year, but they shouldn’t. With Jamaal Magloire likely wearing a new uniform when the 2005-06 season starts, West will be needed to give some serious sting to the Hornets frontcourt. Look to steal him in the final rounds.

High-end Goals: 10.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG

6. Mike Dunleavy SF Golden State: Mike Dunleavy was bread to be a great ball player. He's been a great sleeper candidate since he entered the league, but has just been a marginal player so far. With Baron Davis, Troy Murphy and Jason Richardson the top-three options in Oakland, it's likely the Warriors will shop Dunleavy for draft picks or help at the center position. The team has contemplated the move for the past year, but they're tentative to pull the trigger on a deal because of Dunleavy's upside. Expect a move to happen sometime over the course of the season though -- he's scheduled to become a free agent at the end of next year.

High-end Goals: 17.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.5 SPG

Around the league:

Can Milwaukee resign their top Buck?:

In a recent interview, Michael Redd indicated that he hopes to stay with the Bucks. But he insisted that he must look at all his options and talk with his family before making a decision on his pro future.

Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping that Redd will bolt back to his home state of Ohio to team up with LeBron James, and possibly Larry Brown. "Being in Columbus, I get the questions every day," Redd said. "I just deal with it, try to ignore it and try to focus on myself. Anytime you have somebody the caliber of Larry Brown involved in anything, you can bet on good things."

Redd is scheduled to become a free agent on July 1, if the players association and the league can reach a new collective bargaining agreement by that time. If no agreement were in place, he would be unable to sign with another team.

"I've always said that's the beauty of free agency," Redd told the Milwaukee Sentinel. "Being a free agent, you have the ability to weigh your options. Obviously, Milwaukee would be my first choice, to figure out something we could do here. I obviously want to win. My family and I will make a sound decision."

Under the knife:

Michael Finley had successful arthroscopic surgery Friday to remove bone chips in his right ankle. He began feeling pain in his ankle early this season and spent a month on the injured list. His 15.7 PPG scoring average was his lowest in nine seasons. The former All-Star is expected to be fully recovered by training camp.

Antawn Jamison underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue in his right knee on Wednesday, May 25. The first time All-Star averaged 19.6 PPG and 7.6 RPG this year. He helped Washington to their best record in 26 years (45-37).

Limited to 25 games because of a wrist injury, Bobby Jackson will be playing Monday night in the opening game of the Sacramento Professional Developmental League. He's expected to be 100 percent for the start of the 2005-06 season.

Eddy Curry remains sidelined by an irregular heartbeat -- since March 28. He has undergone testing in Charlotte, Boston, Minnesota and Chicago. He's growing increasingly frustrated within the uncertainty of his health and that is consequentially hurting his free-agent value.

''He figures they ought to know by now whether he is healthy to play or not,'' a friend of Curry's told the Chicago Sun-Times. ''He's also hurt that the longer he's kept out of the gym for testing, the more it hurts his market value becomes nobody else will want to bid on him. They will think he's in worse shape than he is.''

He might have to take more tests, especially a DNA blood test and a catheterized angiogram, before the Bulls are willing to clear him to play. The 22-year old becomes a restricted free agent on July 1. Teams can make offers, but Bulls operations chief John Paxson said he would match any offer.

On the coaching front:

Phil Jackson returned last week from an extended holiday weekend at his Montana home. He said last month he would decide on his coaching future by mid-June, if not earlier. At this point, it appears the Lakers, Knicks and Cavaliers are his top-three options.

Sources for the Lakers said Kobe Bryant would already have voiced concerns about Jackson if he had any. "I think he and Kobe have to discuss what were the differences," Magic Johnson told the Los Angeles Times. "It was more little things. They can get over those little things. I think what they've got to do is have better communication and have a no-press policy, like we used to have. If they have a difference, just settle it between them and don't involve you [media] guys because that hurts everything."

The same old Jazz:

The Utah Jazz have expressed interest in trading up in the draft on June 28. They currently have the No. 6 selection and are in dire need of a point guard.

"People ask if a player is 'untouchable,' and you get in trouble mentioning names," owner Larry Miller told the Deseret News. "But I'll name one: I mean, we're not trading Andrei (Kirilenko) — for any team in the league. He's just too exciting to watch, and his head's screwed on too straight. So Andrei's not going anywhere -- except home to Russia for the summer, and then back."

Please e-mail your unique commissioner rules to Matt Lawrence at fullcourt@sportsline.com. Be sure to put Attn: Full Court in the subject field. We will highlight some of the more interesting ideas in Fullcourt Press when the Fantasy season comes to its conclusion.

Matt Lawrence is the champion of the 2005 Sportsline.com Head-to-Head Experts Fantasy Basketball League.