Portland

Trail Blazers

Graham has been an unrestricted free agent since early July when the Hornets waived him after Charlotte acquired him from San Antonio. The 2018 second-round pick appeared in 46 games over two seasons with the Spurs and is likely to take on a similar role with the Blazers. Fantasy managers don’t need to consider him a viable option in drafts.

Not needing to attempt many perimeter shots during his two seasons at UConn, Clingan has been given the leeway to take those shots in summer league. On Friday, seven of his 13 field goal attempts came from beyond the arc, and the 7-foot-2 center was one of two Blazers (Olivier Nkamhoua) to hit multiple 3-pointers. Spending more time on the perimeter did not detract from Clingan’s production in other areas, as he was dominant on the boards while recording six “stocks.” He should be one of the first rookies off of boards in drafts, and Portland moving Robert Williams III (or Deandre Ayton) would raise Clingan’s fantasy ceiling even higher.

While the scoring remains a work in progress, Clingan was again impactful as a rebounder and shot-blocker. He hit double digits in rebounds for the second consecutive summer league game, and he’s up to eight blocked shots in Las Vegas. A welcome bonus on Monday was Clingan’s work as a facilitator, dishing out five assists on the night. Clingan’s fantasy value as a rookie would increase if he could occasionally serve as a playmaker within Portland’s offense.

While he did appear in 62 games as a rookie (29 starts), Murray was not a factor in fantasy until the Blazers pulled the plug late in the season. This summer is about putting himself in a position where he can earn consistent rotation minutes in training camp. Murray was solid on Saturday night, laying a solid foundation for the next week-plus in Las Vegas. The best path to consistent rotation minutes would be for Portland to move Jerami Grant, but that does not appear in the cards right now.

Rupert, who took on a limited role within the Blazers’ rotation late last season, shot the ball well in Saturday’s defeat. While he was also responsible for five turnovers, the second-year wing played with an aggressiveness rarely present during his rookie campaign. Rupert isn’t a lock to be in a position to offer consistent fantasy value in 2024-25, but he’s worth keeping an eye on for the remainder of the summer.

Making his summer debut, Clingan struggled with his shot on Saturday. However, Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and team decision-makers had to be pleased with the rookie’s performance as a rebounder and shot-blocker. Clingan led all players in rebounds, blocked shots, and threw in a steal for good measure. Five of his eight field goal attempts came from beyond the arc, a departure from what Clingan did offensive during his time at UConn. Clingan’s fantasy value would be significantly boosted if he could become a credible pick-and-pop option while continuing to produce as a rebounder and defender.

McGowens is benefitting from his strong summer league play. The 21-year-old wing was waived by the Hornets after averaging 24.5 points in a pair of exhibition games. Portland has too many young wings for him to be a legitimate fantasy asset next season, though.

Minaya has suited up in 38 games for the Blazers over the last two seasons. He’ll be back with them next year, but he will likely once again spend the majority of his team in Rip City, which means this won’t have much not an impact in fantasy.

Acquired from the Celtics at the February trade deadline (Boston received a trade exception), Banton’s play was one of the few positives for the Trail Blazers last season. In his 30 games with Portland, the 2021 second-round pick averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.9 3-pointers in 29.2 minutes. It should be noted that, by that point in the season, Portland had been decimated by injuries, freeing up additional minutes for Banton. Regardless of how the opportunities came about, he did enough with them to get his contract guaranteed for next season.

After winning a national championship with UConn as a freshman, Clingan decided to run things back before entering the NBA draft. That resulted in another ring for him, and he became one of the top prospects for many teams. He averaged 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks in just 22.5 minutes per game this past season, which were significant improvements after he played just 13.1 minutes per game as a freshman. Clingan measured in at nearly 7’2” at the combine, and he should be able to contribute on the defensive end immediately as a bigger body that can provide a different look to slow down some of the league’s elite centers. Portland has two centers under contract, Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams, so the Clingan selection may mean one (or both) of those veterans is on the way out. If that happens, the former UConn standout will have value in redraft leagues; both staying would make Clingan more of an option in dynasty leagues.