NBA Player News

Murray amassed 23 points (9-18 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and two steals over 34 minutes during Wednesday's 123-120 loss to the Pacers.

Murray didn't miss a beat, delivering a two-way masterclass despite the loss Wednesday. He led the team in minutes, points, assists, steals and blocks, rewarding anyone who took a chance on him in drafts. While his production could ebb and flow, to some degree, managers should feel relatively confident when it comes to his floor, given his proven ability to contribute across multiple categories, as evidenced in this performance.

Jerome finished with 45 points (17-25 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and one block across 32 minutes in Wednesday's 123-103 win over Utah.

Jerome wasn't messing around to kick off the 2026-27 campaign, reaching a new career high in scoring while simultaneously setting a franchise Opening Night scoring record. The 29-year-old ended the 2025-26 campaign by averaging a career-best 19.7 points in 15 regular-season games with the Grizzlies. While Jerome will have difficulty maintaining Wednesday's level of production throughout the rest of the 2026-27 campaign, there's reason to believe he is on the cusp of a career year.

Poeltl ended Wednesday's 135-92 win over the Bulls with three points (1-1 FG, 1-3 FT), six rebounds, one block and one steal over 22 minutes.

Four of the five Raptors starters scored 20 or more points during Wednesday's regular-season opener, but Poeltl was a non-factor on the offensive side of the floor. Collin Murray-Boyles came off the bench and made arguably a bigger impact on both ends of the floor, so the big-man duo could be looking at an even split in playing time to open the 2026-27 season.

Queen contributed 10 points (2-4 FG, 6-6 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and two steals over 18 minutes during Wednesday's 123-120 loss to Indiana.

Queen recorded a double-double, albeit just, delivering a solid line despite playing limited minutes off the bench. With Yves Missi having arguably the best game of his life as the starting center, it appears as though Queen is going to serve as the backup, at least for the foreseeable future. He remains a viable asset in standard leagues, with a view to increasing his value, if and when his role also increases.

Graves finished Wednesday's 135-92 victory over the Bulls with five points (2-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, three blocks and one steal in 19 minutes.

Graves scored only five points in his NBA regular-season debut, but the rookie first-rounder showed plenty of effort on both ends of the floor. He was responsible for three of the Raptors' six blocks, and four of his five rebounds came on the offensive glass. Even with Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett in the lineup, Graves should carve himself a consistent role in the rotation as long as he continues to bring energy off the bench.

Missi ended with 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals across 30 minutes during Wednesday's 123-120 loss to the Pacers.

Missi made the most of his promotion to the starting lineup, turning in arguably the best performance of his young career. For anyone who took a chance on him at the end of drafts, now could be an ultimate sell-high opportunity. With that said, it does appear as though he is going to be the starting center moving forward. While managers shouldn't expect numbers like this on a nightly basis, he should be a solid source of rebounds and blocks.

Barnes supplied 23 points (8-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), six rebounds and five assists across 26 minutes during Wednesday's 135-92 victory over the Bulls.

Barnes, Kawhi Leonard and Immanuel Quickley each scored 23 points during Wednesday's win, and the Raptors starters sat out for most of the fourth quarter thanks to their efforts over the first three quarters. Despite the lack of steals and blocks, the defensive efforts of Barnes and Leonard contributed to the Bulls committing 27 turnovers. Barnes' versatility on both ends of the floor will have him filling up the box score on a night-to-night basis.

Quickley supplied 23 points (6-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 7-8 FT), four rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 135-92 victory over the Bulls.

Quickley came out of the gate hot with 14 points in the first quarter, which included three triples. He joined the starters on the bench for most of the fourth quarter, and his 23 points were tied with Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes for most on the Raptors in Wednesday's regular-season opener. Leonard and Barnes figure to be the focal points for the Raptors on both ends of the floor, but Quickley will still be tasked with commanding the offense, as demonstrated by his game-high seven assists. Toronto will hit the road for Friday's game against Washington.

Smith ended Wednesday's 135-92 loss to Toronto with 15 points (5-10 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one block across 19 minutes.

Smith's 19 minutes were the fewest among the Bulls' starters, and he didn't play for the entire fourth quarter due to the team's large deficit. Still, he was the only starter who connected on at least 50 percent of his field-goal attempts, and his four offensive rebounds were tied with Allen Graves for most in the game. Smith established himself as a consistent starter toward the second half of the 2025-26 season, and he should maintain that role for the next couple of weeks while Nic Claxton rehabs from a hamstring injury.

Siakam posted 30 points (13-23 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-8 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal over 35 minutes during Wednesday's 123-120 victory over New Orleans.

Siakam showed no signs of rust, attempting 23 shots en route to a game-high 30 points. With Tyrese Haliburton back steering the ship. Siakam should be free to go about his business on the offensive end. While he won't score 30 points every night, managers should expect another strong season for Siakam, likely flirting with top 50 value.