NBA Player News

Simmons (wrist) is expected to be fully cleared for the start of training camp, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Simmons underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist on April 24th, but has had nearly five months to go through the recovery process. He's now made a full recovery and barring any surprises, should be a full go for the start of training camp next week. Simmons put together a career year in his first season with Orlando, averaging 13.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 three-pointer across 69 games (50 starts). However, with the Magic likely committing to the development of their younger players, as well as having both Evan Fournier and Jonathan Isaac at full strength to start the year, Simmons could struggle to match his numbers from last year. It wouldn't be surprising if he opened the year as Orlando's first player off the bench.

Head coach Brad Stevens said he expects everybody, including Yabusele (hand), to be a "full go" when training camp opens Tuesday, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

Yabusele was seen sporting a wrap on his left hand roughly a week ago, but it's apparently nothing overly serious considering coach Stevens expects to have everybody ready for camp. Barring a setback, look for Yabusele to head into the preseason without any restrictions and he'll continue to provide depth at both the power forward and center spots. Yabusele averaged 7.1 minutes across 33 games as a rookie and seems unlikely to make huge strides with his playing time considering the bodies above him on the depth chart.

Head coach Brad Stevens said he expects everybody, including Williams (knee), to be a "full go" when training camp opens Tuesday, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

Williams missed all but one summer league contest back in July due to knee soreness, but was never expected to miss any time in camp. Coach Stevens' announcement confirms that sentiment and the 27th overall pick out of Texas A&M should be ready to roll without restrictions in his first NBA training camp. Considering the Celtics depth across the roster, Williams doesn't have a clear path to playing time during his rookie season and will likely remain well of the radar in the majority of fantasy formats.

Rubio (hamstring) has been fully healthy since mid-summer and won't face any restrictions during training camp, David Aldridge of Turner Sports reports.

Rubio ended the past season on the sideline after pulling his left hamstring in Game 6 of the Jazz's first-round series with the Thunder. The injury resulted in him missing the entirety of the Jazz's five-game series with the Rockets in the second round, resulting in Donovan Mitchell shifting over to point guard for those contests. Now back to full strength, Rubio should reclaim a starting role in his second season in Utah. The 27-year-old saw his assists drop to a career-worst 5.3 per game in 2017-18, but he made strides as a shooter and scorer, averaging a personal-best 13.1 points per game while drilling 1.2 three-pointers per contest at a respectable 35.2 percent clip.

Head coach Brad Stevens said he expects everybody, including Hayward (ankle/leg), to be a "full go" when training camp opens Tuesday, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

Hayward has been able to play 5-on-5 since the start of September and already indicated he's 100 percent healthy, so this is merely confirmation that he'll be good to go for the start of camp. While he could be eased back into action during the preseason, Hayward should be without any restrictions by the season opener Oct. 16 against the 76ers. There may be a slight adjustment period as he gets comfortable playing alongside Kyrie Irving, but fantasy owners can go ahead and draft Hayward with confidence now that his injury is behind him. Stevens went as far as to say that he does not expect to hold Hayward -- or teammate Kyrie Irving -- out of any back-to-back sets, as of now. "I'm not sure I anticipate that with either of those guys from everything I've been told thus far," Stevens said. "I think they've really -- they've made great strides."

Jackson (ankle) recently indicated that he's day-to-day and his availability for the start of training camp is uncertain, James Edwards of The Athletic reports.

Jackson sat out nearly half of last season due to injury, as he missed 37 straight games due to a Grade 3 right ankle sprain. He did return to action late in the year and took the court for the final 12 games of the season, but apparently has dealt with some setbacks and has been working his way back to full strength this offseason. Considering he's still not 100 percent healthy, there's a decent chance Jackson is limited for, or needs to sit out, the start of training camp next week. Either way, it's an extremely concerning development when taking into account his past injury history and it will be a situation to monitor closely over the next few weeks. If Jackson does miss time, Ish Smith would likely take lead guard duties. Smith started 35 games in place of Jackson last year and averaged 12.1 points, 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds across 29.7 minutes.

Butler has requested a trade from the Timberwolves, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reports.

Butler has reportedly given Minnesota a list of 1-3 teams that he's open to signing a contract extension with, which could give the Timberwolves a bigger return. Butler is coming off his fourth straight All-Star selection, and he averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals in 2017-18. Wherever he ends up, he'll likely continue to be a top fantasy asset.

Okafor was waived by the Pelicans on Wednesday.

Okafor re-joined the league last season at age 34 after being out since the 2012-13 season. He appeared in 26 games (19 starts) and averaged 4.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 block in 13.6 minutes. The Pelicans signed Julius Randle in the offseason in the wake of losing DeMarcus Cousins, and the organization seems to feel that Randle can handle a significant chunk of reserve center minutes. Cheick Diallo and Jahlil Okafor are also in the fold at the position. It's possible the veteran secures a training camp deal and/or ends up making a final NBA roster, as he showed he can still provide solid defense and rebounding in backup minutes.

Anigbogu (knee) has resumed practicing and is fully cleared for the start of training camp, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Anigbogu sat out summer league after undergoing offseason knee surgery, but has apparently made a full recovery after nearly three months of rehab. He'll head into camp without restrictions, though he's unlikely to see much court time in his second season. Al Jefferson is no longer in Indiana, but Kyle O'Quinn was brought in this summer and the Pacers bring back both Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis as well. All three should slot in ahead of Anigbogu on the center depth chart, so don't be surprised if the 19-year-old once again spends significant chunks of time in the G-League.

Irving (knee) isn't expected to have any restrictions when the regular season opens Oct. 16 against the 76ers, David Aldridge of TNT reports.

Irving has been deemed fully healthy for three weeks now and with another month to go before the opener, he should have plenty of time to get comfortable with his knee and back into game shape. While the Celtics have excellent depth in the backcourt with both Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, Irving is still headed for a 30-plus minute role, so he should come off the board in the first two or three rounds of most fantasy drafts. The injury concerns are still there after missing at least 19 games in each of the last three years and he's also going to have to adjust to playing with Gordon Hayward, but he's still an All-Star candidate and will do the bulk of the play-making in Boston.