Bulls granted injury exception for Lonzo Ball

The final weekend of the NBA2K Summer League is here, with many teams having already decided to shut down players who should be competing for rotation minutes in training camp. But there's still a championship decided, with Friday's results determining the four teams still alive for Summer League rings. This edition of the Daily Dose will begin on a negative note, unfortunately, as we now know for sure that the Bulls will be without their point guard for the entire 2023-24 season.

Bulls receive DPE for injured Ball

Last month, Bulls chief executive Arturas Karnisovas said that the team was operating under the assumption that Lonzo Ball would not play next season after he underwent a third procedure on his left knee in March. The most recent procedure was a cartilage transplant, and it remains to be seen if he'll be able to play again. Thursday evening, it was reported that the NBA granted the Bulls a disabled player exception worth $10.2 million due to Ball's injury. The DPE means that Ball can't play at all next season. The Bulls can use the exception to trade for or claim a player who is in the final season of his contract, or sign a free agent to a one-year deal.

With Ball's status in mind, Chicago re-signed Coby White and added Jevon Carter to the roster when free agency kicked off at the beginning of July. Also, restricted free agent Ayo Dosunmu has yet to sign an offer sheet with anyone, so the Bulls can bring him back (also, the team holds his Early Bird rights) if they so choose. Alex Caruso also has point guard eligibility as far as fantasy basketball is concerned, and he started 36 of the 67 games he appeared in last season. Whoever wins the starting point guard job will be worthy of consideration in fantasy leagues, but as a late-round pick at best, since Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan will handle a significant amount of the playmaking responsibilities.

Nets reportedly sign Bazley to a one-year deal

Friday afternoon, Darius Bazley became the latest free agent to find a new home, with the Nets signing him to a one-year deal according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Between Oklahoma City and Phoenix, Bazley appeared in 43 regular season games in 2022-23, averaging 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 0.5 3-pointers in 14.3 minutes. He was largely out of the rotation in Phoenix, and in his best fantasy season (2021-22), Bazley didn't even crack the top 150 in 9-cat, per-game value.

This signing gives the Nets another body at the forward positions, and they already have veterans Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith, Noah Clowney was selected in the first round of last month's draft, and Jalen Wilson was a second-round pick. Even if Bazley can crack Jacque Vaughn's rotation, he's unlikely to get the minutes needed to be of value to fantasy managers.

Summer League semifinals are set

Cleveland, Houston, and Utah all finished the NBA2K Summer League with 4-0 records, while Brooklyn's point differential (10.0 per game) made it the top 3-1 team. So Sunday's semifinals are set, with the Cavaliers and Nets meeting in one matchup, and the Rockets and Jazz in the other. Amen Thompson (ankle) is already finished, as are healthy Rockets Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. As a result, the pickings will be slim regarding potential fantasy options. The one player to watch: Cam Whitmore, who dropped to the 20th pick in last month's draft.

He's gotten better by the game in Las Vegas, and Houston's decision to sit Smith and Eason has thrust Whitmore into a starring role offensively. It would not be a surprise if Whitmore turned out to be one of the steals of this draft class and a valuable rookie in fantasy leagues. Cleveland's second-round pick Emoni Bates could have value down the line, but the Cavs did bolster their wing rotation in free agency. That will make it difficult for the rookie to crack the rotation next season, but he'll be worth tracking for dynasty reasons.

Utah forward Luka Samanic played well in Friday's win over the Suns, recording a line of 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal, two blocks, and four 3-pointers. But he's going to have a tough time getting the minutes needed to be a fantasy factor during the regular season, especially with the Jazz acquiring John Collins from the Hawks. Keyonte George was fun to watch and productive in Las Vegas, but he's been sidelined by the sprained right ankle he suffered on Wednesday. Lastly, there's Brooklyn, and while the aforementioned Clowney will be worth watching, the Nets have the veteran bodies needed to bring him along slowly once the season begins.

Wizards' Coulibaly a handful defensively

Bilal Coulibaly played in the shadow of Victor Wembanyama last season, but he ultimately emerged as a lottery pick during Metropolitans 92's run to the France LNB Pro A Finals. The athleticism, length, and defensive ability that he brings to the table were viewed as Coulibaly's strongest selling points, and they were on display in Friday's win over the Thunder. He blocked four shots while also accounting for 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one 3-pointer, playing 32 minutes. The only concern may be the number of bodies that Washington has at the two and three, which could make it difficult for Coulibaly early on as far as playing time is concerned.

Washington currently has 16 players under contract for next season, so someone will have to go, and that's one way to free up additional minutes for Coulibaly. Kyle Kuzma started at the three last season, but that was with Kristaps Porzingis on the roster. With KP having been traded to the Celtics, would Washington move Kuzma to the four? And there's also Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija to take into consideration. So while Coulibaly brings some attributes to the table that should make him a solid fantasy asset, that may not happen next season.

What can Brown do for the Clippers?

When a team is in "win now" mode like the Clippers are, it's easy for a rookie to get lost in the shuffle. First-round pick Kobe Brown may be giving Tyronn Lue and his staff something to think about, especially in the aftermath of his performance against the 76ers on Friday. Playing 33 minutes, Brown shot 13-of-19 from the field and finished with 35 points, eight rebounds, three assists, four steals, two blocks, and seven 3-pointers. Brown shot 45.5% from three (3.3 attempts per game) and 79.2% from the foul line during his final season at Missouri, signs that he can add value as a shooter.

With the ball being in the hands of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George on the majority of the Clippers' possessions, having solid shooters is paramount. Not sure if Brown can be a fantasy asset immediately, as the Clippers still have Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, and Robert Covington on the roster, and they acquired KJ Martin from the Rockets. But the way he's played recently could be enough to earn the rookie a legitimate shot to compete for rotation minutes in training camp.

O-Max shines again for the Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Prosper (and fellow first-round pick Dereck Lively II) began Summer League on a minutes restriction, as he only participated in one practice before the games began. The restrictions are gone, and O-Max has been playing to the level the Mavericks hoped to see from him when they made the trade for his rights on draft night. Prosper put up 18 points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in Friday's win over the Pacers. And while he was 0-of-3 from beyond the arc, the rookie forward was 3-of-5 in the game prior.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said at the beginning of Summer League that they're hoping Prosper can help the team account for the loss of Dorian Finney-Smith, who was traded to Brooklyn in the Kyrie Irving deal. There's still work to be done on the perimeter shot, as O-Max made 33.9% of his 3.2 attempts per game (while also shooting 73.5% from the foul line) during his final season at Marquette. But the raw defensive ability is there, which will give him every opportunity to earn rotation minutes from Day 1.

Pistons' Thompson can be a top fantasy rookie

I'm not sure if Ausar Thompson will be on par with a Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, or Scoot Henderson next season when it comes to fantasy value, but he shouldn't be far off the pace. Why? Because he can contribute in just about every statistical category. Thompson recorded a line of 18 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers in Friday's win over the Spurs, and this was the one game of his in which the "stocks" (steals and blocks) production wasn't impressive. He grabbed at least eight rebounds in all four of the Pistons' games and had at least four "stocks" in each of the first three.

Being able to produce consistently in those categories will go a long way toward boosting Thompson's fantasy value, despite it appearing likely that he'll come off the bench. Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Bojan Bogdanovic are all back, so starting may not be in the cards for Thompson. But why can't he be the first wing off the bench, even with the Pistons acquiring Joe Harris from the Nets? Even in a reserve role, I'm on the Ausar bandwagon.

Nuggets' "old" rookies Strawther, Tyson shine

Denver went old with its three draft picks, selecting players with plenty of college experience in hopes that they'll be better equipped to contribute immediately. Two of those three, first-round pick Julian Strawther and second-rounder Hunter Tyson, were outstanding in Denver's blowout of the Heat. Strawther (23/6/4/1 with four 3-pointers in 27 minutes) had his best game of the summer, while Tyson was nearly unstoppable. Shooting 11-of-13 from the field, he put up a game-high 31 points with four rebounds, two assists, and seven 3-pointers in 27 minutes. The third draft pick, Jalen Pickett, chipped in with 11 points, three rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block, and one 3-pointer.

The one negative for this trio is that Denver doesn't lack promising young talents, especially on the wing and at the four. Christian Braun was a rotation player for the champs, while there's a lot of optimism surrounding Peyton Watson. Of the three rookies, Tyson may be the one with the most to offer fantasy-wise, especially if he can crack the rotation. The former Clemson standout averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3.8 3-pointers per game in four Summer League appearances, shooting 58.3% from the field and 88.9% from the foul line.