NBA Player News

Hartenstein (ankle) won't play for Germany during this summer's FIBA 2027 World Cup Qualifiers, per Eurohoops.net.

The 28-year-old center is erring on the side of caution ahead of the NBA regular season, opting to sit out the international competition. It doesn't sound like there's much concern regarding his availability for the start of training camp in the fall, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on Hartenstein's status until then.

Sharp signed a two-way contract with the Clippers on Sunday, Lauren Rosen of FanDuel Sports Network SoCal reports.

Sharp spent the 2025-26 campaign in the G League with the Texas Legends, and he finished the season with averages of 7.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 1.0 steals in 25.1 minutes per tilt across 39 appearances. He's likely to spend most of his time with the Clippers' G League affiliate, the San Diego Clippers, in 2026-27.

Maluach is set to battle with Oso Ighodaro for the top backup role at center behind Mark Williams during training camp.

The 19-year-old big man put forth a dominant 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 field over four appearances. Ighodaro is the early favorite to handle the No. 2 center minutes behind Williams, though a strong showing at camp could force the Suns to give Maluach more consideration.

Mara is set to contend with Jaylin Williams for the backup center job behind Isaiah Hartenstein during training camp.

The possibility of a bigger opportunity went by the wayside once Hartenstein re-upped with the Thunder this offseason, but the door is still open for Mara to have an impressive camp and stake a claim for an Opening Night role. The rookie No. 12 overall pick averaged 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 blocks in 23.9 minutes per game over five Summer League appearances.

Reed could have a hard time cracking San Antonio's Opening Night rotation.

Reed lines up as the Spurs' third-string center behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet in 2026-27. Jayden Quaintance's status for the start of his rookie season appears to be in serious doubt due to offseason knee surgery, but Reed is still likely to need an injury to either Wembanyama or Kornet in order to come into legitimate fantasy relevance.

Beringer could play an expanded role in 2026-27 after the Timberwolves sent Naz Reid to the Hornets as part of the LaMelo Ball trade.

After logging just 7.9 minutes per game last regular season, the 2025 first-rounder is now slotting in as Minnesota's No. 2 center behind Rudy Gobert now that Reid is out of the frontcourt mix. Beringer dominated at times during the 2025-26 G League regular season, averaging 15.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 64.0 percent from the field.

Ejiofor enters his rookie campaign after the Hawks selected him 23rd overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-9 forward flashed his two-way potential during Summer League, including a performance in which he recorded 13 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Atlanta's veteran depth could prevent Ejiofor from immediately seeing heavy minutes, but his rebounding and defensive ability give him a path toward becoming a useful rotation piece.

Raynaud enters his second NBA season after flashing intriguing offensive versatility during his rookie campaign.

The seven-footer can stretch the floor and facilitate from the frontcourt, giving Sacramento a unique developmental option. However, as long as Domantas Sabonis is in town, Raynaud will likely be competing for reserve minutes. Another year of development could help Raynaud carve out a consistent role in the Kings' rotation, and if he continues to impress, the Kings may be more willing to part ways with Sabonis.

Cardwell returns to Sacramento after spending last season with the organization, giving him a leg up in the battle for frontcourt minutes entering training camp.

The big man provides size, rebounding and rim protection, though he'll likely be competing for a reserve role behind Domantas Sabonis and Maxime Raynaud. Across 44 regular-season games in 2025-26, Cardwell averaged 5.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 20.6 minutes per contest.

The Raptors announced Wednesday they've signed Jemison to a two-way contract.

Jemison had previously been an unrestricted free agent after the Knicks declined to tender him a qualifying offer earlier this offseason. The big man is preparing for his fourth NBA season ahead of 2026-27, but most of his playing time is likely to come with the G League's Raptors 905.