NBA Player News

Kanter was sent to the Knicks alongside Doug McDermott in a trade for Carmelo Anthony on Saturday, Adrian Wojnawrowski of ESPN reports.

With this trade to the Knicks, Kanter has the potential to become the starting center, competing with Willy Hernangomez and Joakim Noah. He could also see some time at power forward, backing up Kristaps Porzingis. In his final season with the Thunder, Kanter averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game across 72 games.

McDermott has been sent to New York, alongside Enes Kanter, in exchange for Carmelo Anthony, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

McDermott spent just 22 games with the Thunder after being traded from the Bulls, and averaged 9.0 points, and 2.7 rebounds in 2016-17 across his time with both teams. In his three seasons, he has been impressive as a deep threat and as a scorer, but lacks defensively. With the Knicks, he may see a bigger role, as he'll face much less competition for playing time than he would have with Oklahoma City in 2017-18. There will likely be more updates on his role in the Knicks rotation going forward.

The Knicks have agreed to trade Anthony to the Thunder for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a future draft pick, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.

It has been long expected that Anthony would be traded, but it is a surprise that Oklahoma City is where he will finally be traded to. With the recent acquisition of Paul George, he will likely see time at both small forward and power forward, as he did in New York. The 13 year veteran will add not only experience, but another strong scoring option to play around with. While his production will likely take a small hit due to the offensive threats of Russell Westbrook and Paul George around him, it shouldn't be forgotten that Anthony averaged 22.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 34.3 minutes per game in 74 appearances in his final year with the Knicks.

Williams' initial diagnosis has revealed he suffered a partially torn meniscus, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports.

Williams' timetable for return likely won't be determined until after his MRI on Saturday, though it's safe to assume he'll be out an extended period. As a result, other big men on the team such as Alex Len, Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender could all see additional time at center. Though, the actual rotation at the position will probably be hammered out during training camp and the preseason.

Daniels was traded to the Suns from the Grizzlies on Friday along with a conditional 2018 second-round pick in exchange for a top-55 protected 2018 second-round pick, Shams Charania of The Vertical reports.

Daniels played a significant role on the Grizzlies last season, posting 8.2 points across 17.7 minutes per game on 38.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc. He'll be joining a Suns team devoid of significant shooting guard depth and will seemingly compete with Elijah Millsap for the No. 2 spot behind Devin Booker. That said, it doesn't seem likely he'll see a bump in workload meaningful enough to warrant fantasy ownership in most leagues, as developing Booker is the Suns' main objective at the position.

Williams suffered an injury while landing on a teammate's foot during a workout Friday and will undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine the extent of the damage, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports.

While the full extent of Williams' injury is yet to be determined, the fact that the Suns have decided an MRI is necessary doesn't bode particularly well. The big man notably ended 2016-17 on a high note, posting 11.4 points and 9.1 rebounds across 22.6 minutes per game after the All-Star break. If he's out for an extended period, Alex Len is likely the immediate candidate to absorb Williams' minutes. Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender could also see time at center in smaller, quicker lineups.

Morris (abdomen) is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks after undergoing successful surgery to repair a sports hernia.

The timeline puts Morris' return sometime around early-to-mid November. That said, he's still standing trial for felony assault charges -- a situation which could end in league discipline if he's found guilty, possibly extending his absence. In any event, the Wizards will have to find a replacement starting power forward, with the most likely suitor being Otto Porter, who could slide one spot up in the lineup. That would create a void at small forward, which Kelly Oubre could fill nicely. The situation certainly puts Morris' fantasy value in flux, though assuming he's found innocent in the trial, he may only end up missing around 10 games.

Vonleh suffered a right shoulder strain during a pickup game at the Trail Blazers' practice facility and is expected to miss training camp, as well as likely the first two weeks of the regular season, Jason Quick of CSNNW.com reports.

Vonleh, while not a high-volume player, carved out a solid role in the team's rotation last season, averaging 17.1 minutes per game. He also started 41 of his 74 appearances, providing a solid defensive presence to begin games. Portland will now have to look elsewhere for help at the power forward slot to begin the season, likely turning to Al-Farouq Aminu or possibly deploying rookie Zach Collins.

Westbrook had a PRP injection in his left knee and will miss the first few days of training camp, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman reports.

The news comes via GM Sam Presti, who stressed at the team's media day Friday that the injection is nothing serious and is unrelated to any of Westbrook's previous injuries. The expectation is that the reigning MVP will sit out the first few days of camp as a precaution, but Presti said Westbrook will log some action in preseason contests.

Patterson (knee) said Friday that he'll "most likely" play during the preseason, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman reports.

Patterson underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee back in August, but he's progressing well in his recovery and is not expected to miss any regular season time. With a shortened preseason, Patterson isn't likely to log heavy minutes, but the fact that he expects to be cleared is nonetheless encouraging. Assuming he's healthy, Patterson is expected to step in as the Thunder's starting power forward.