120-116
FINALCharlotte
Hornets
8-21|L10: 2-8
Dallas
Mavericks
13-17|L10: 6-4
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DAL • Forward • #14
about 2 months ago
Cisse, who was not selected in the 2025 draft after five seasons at Memphis, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss, was in training camp with the Mavericks. The 6-foot-11 center did enough to earn a two-way deal, and he should spend most of his time with the Texas Legends of the G League. This transaction does not impact fantasy basketball.
Source: Michael Scotto
CHA • Forward • #14
about 2 months ago
Hornets head coach Charles Lee alternated starting centers throughout the preseason, with Diabaté making three starts and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner getting the other two. While Mason Plumlee (three points and three rebounds in 10 minutes) also played rotation minutes during the preseason, most of the minutes went to either Diabaté or Kalkbrenner (6/1/2/0/1 in 15 minutes). Who starts Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Nets remains to be seen. Still, Diabaté and Kalkbrenner may get most of the playing time based on the breakdown of the preseason minutes.
CHA • Guard • #2
about 2 months ago
With LaMelo Ball getting the night off, Sexton served as the Hornets’ starting point guard on Friday. The results were mixed. While he did record a 20-point double-double, Sexton was also responsible for nine of the Hornets’ 21 turnovers. That isn’t a big deal for managers either punting turnovers or competing in eight-cat formats, but that’s an area Sexton will need to clean up. Especially when considering LaMelo’s injury history, there may be times during the season when the Hornets need Sexton to take on more playmaking responsibilities.
CHA • Forward • #0
about 2 months ago
Bridges, who only logged 18 minutes on Friday, finishes his preseason with a flourish. The Hornets forward scored 20 points or more in his final three games while shooting 26-of-47 from the field. While he isn’t a lock to provide top-50 value, due mainly to inconsistent defensive production, Bridges should be a relatively safe middle-round option in standard leagues. Based on his Yahoo! ADP of 63, it’s apparent that many fantasy managers view him similarly.
CHA • Guard • #2
about 2 months ago
For their final exhibition game, the Hornets will feature a combination of veteran and youthful players in their opening lineup. Bridges projects to be a regular-season starter, but aside from him, the rest of Friday’s starting five could have a chance to make one final impression before the preseason concludes. Charlotte will have a chance to finish the preseason with more wins than losses.
Source: Charlotte Hornets
DAL • C • #2
about 2 months ago
Lively’s preseason hasn’t been great during the preseason, but this game was a nice example of how productive he can be in fantasy basketball as long as Daniel Gafford (ankle) remains sidelined. There hasn’t been a reason for him to play big minutes, but in what was a “dress rehearsal” game, Lively did this in 25 minutes. He should easily outplay his 10th round ADP in Yahoo! leagues.
CHA • Forward • #0
about 2 months ago
Bridges scored a total of 15 points over his first two preseason games but has surpassed 20 in each of his last two. He was joined by LaMelo Ball (23) and Brandon Miller (21) in scoring at least 20 points. If all three are able to score at this rate, the Hornets will have a chance to push for a postseason spot. This was a strong night for Bridges, but he likely won’t shoot quite this well during the regular season often.
CHA • Forward • #14
about 2 months ago
Ryan Kalkbrenner remained in the starting unit at center for Charlotte in this game, but Diabate was able to make a bigger impact off the bench. The position battle between Kalkbrenner, Diabate and Mason Plumlee is a vital one for fantasy hoops; if Kalkbrenner or Diabate gets the nod, either will be worth taking at the end of drafts. However, Plumlee won’t be worth a selection, even if he plays a significant role.
DAL • • #
2 months ago
Kidd has been with Dallas since 2021 and will remain with the team for at least a few more seasons. Kidd will be tasked with getting this team back to the Finals after they lost in the play-in tournament this past season, which came after losing to Boston in the championship the year prior. Without Luka Doncic, Kidd will look to have this team win now and in the future with Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving leading the way.
Source: Marc Stein
DAL • F-C • #3
2 months ago
Davis had a well-rounded performance on Monday in his third preseason game as a Maverick. He recorded preseason-highs in minutes and points while finishing as the game’s leading scorer. Offensively, the veteran forward showcased his versatility by converting efficiently both inside and outside the arc throughout the contest. At the same time, his pair of blocks and steals are precisely what have helped make him a high-ceiling fantasy basketball option throughout his career. Davis should be in line for a stellar fantasy season.
DAL • F • #13
2 months ago
On the heels of a 13-point outing against the Hornets, Marshall was one of the most productive members of the Mavericks’ bench against the Jazz on Monday. He scored efficiently and needed just seven shot attempts to nearly reach 20 points and finish as Dallas’ second-best scorer. Marshall is coming off a career-best season as a scorer, although he shot poorly from beyond the arc last season. If he can find his touch from deep, he has a chance to enjoy another productive season in his second campaign with Dallas.
DAL • F • #25
2 months ago
With D’Angelo Russell out against the Jazz, Washington gets the spot start in the Mavericks’ third preseason game alongside Flagg, Davis, Lively II and Klay Thompson. The super-sized starting unit could allow Flagg, the 2025 first-overall pick, to get reps as the team’s point guard. He’s scored in double figures in each of the first two preseason games and displayed rebounding and playmaking abilities in his minutes.
Source: Marc Stein
CHA • • #
2 months ago
Hornets head coach Charles Lee has not settled on a starting center, and the competition may run for the preseason. However, after Moussa Diabaté started the first two preseason games, Kalkbrenner got his shot Saturday night. And the second-round pick out of Creighton played well, not missing a shot from the field while recording a double-double in 25 minutes. Diabaté (6/2/1) played 12 minutes and veteran Mason Plumlee (zero points, four rebounds) played 11 in Saturday’s victory. Even if Kalkbrenner isn’t the starter when the regular season begins, he’ll likely be given every opportunity to earn the job. He’s definitely a rookie worth selecting in redraft leagues.
DAL • G • #0
2 months ago
Exum, who agreed to a one-year deal in July that did not become official until late August, has not participated in training camp or either of Dallas’ two preseason games with a sore right knee. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Saturday that the team was cautiously approaching the guard’s recovery but did not offer a timeline for his return. With Kyrie Irving (knee) also out, there may be room in the rotation for Brandon Williams once he returns from his hamstring injury. That isn’t enough to make Williams a draftable option in most leagues, but Dallas’ current point guard depth chart enhances D’Angelo Russell’s early-season value.
Source: Mike Curtis
CHA • Guard • #2
2 months ago
Sexton came off the bench and got to work quickly on the offensive end against the Thunder. Largely due to his three-point production, the veteran guard finished as one of five Charlotte players to score in double figures. He didn’t have much of an impact in any other categories on Thursday, but still displayed how he could be useful for the Hornets during the 2025-26 season. Sexton could potentially begin the regular season as a reserve player.
CHA • Guard • #23
2 months ago
Mann replaced Kon Knueppel in the starting lineup on Thursday and had a strong offensive showing. The fifth-year guard shot efficiently and utilized the three-point shot to leave his mark on offense. In just 23 minutes, he led all Charlotte players in scoring en route to a productive game overall. Mann is looking to have a bounce-back season after playing just 13 games for the Hornets a season ago.
CHA • Guard • #1
2 months ago
Ball ramped up his minutes in his second preseason game. After logging 15 minutes on Sunday, he played 25 in Thursday’s contest, where he tied a team-high in made threes. As a high-usage guard, Ball will have nights when he finishes with high turnover totals, as was the case on Thursday. Still, he’ll be a high scorer and should rack up assists and threes on most nights, leaving him with high fantasy basketball potential in points leagues.
CHA • Guard • #23
2 months ago
Mann gets the start over rookie Kon Knueppel on Thursday for the Hornets. The fifth-year guard appeared in 28 games for the Hornets during the 2023-24 season and started all of them after being acquired via trade, but didn’t start in any of his 13 appearances for Charlotte last season. He recorded seven points, five rebounds and five assists in 17 minutes in Charlotte’s preseason opener on Tuesday.
Source: Charlotte Hornets
DAL • Forward • #5
2 months ago
Banton has spent time with the Raptors, Celtics and most recently the Trail Blazers. It’s unclear what kind of deal he’s signed with the Mavericks, but Banton will likely be competing for a spot on Dallas’ final roster. He provided a spark for the Blazers last season, averaging 16 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 triples across the final seven games of the 2024-25 campaign.
Source: Mavs PR
DAL • Guard • #1
2 months ago
Russell surveyed the court well in his limited reps on Monday evening. He recorded a team-high in assists and chipped in a basket from beyond the arc along the way. Russell’s continuity with Anthony Davis, his former teammate with the Lakers, is expected to play a key role in the Mavericks’ start to the season. His shooting and playmaking will also be pivotal while the Mavericks remain without an expected return date for their superstar guard, Kyrie Irving (knee).
DAL • F • #25
2 months ago
After serving as a full-time starter over his first two seasons with the Mavericks, Washington came off the bench in Dallas’ preseason opener. The veteran forward was productive in his new role, finishing as one of the team’s scoring leaders against the Thunder, despite logging limited minutes. Washington will likely remain as a reserve frontcourt player to begin the regular season, as he backs up Cooper Flagg. Still, he should play valuable minutes and could function as one of the more reliable second-unit players in the league.
CHA • • #
2 months ago
The No. 34 pick teased a double-double and made an impact on the defensive end in his first preseason game. The big man shot an efficient 4-of-6 from the field, though he went just 3-of-5 from the charity stripe. He should see plenty of run in his first NBA season, and he’s in contention to land the starting center job for a team bereft of depth at the position.
DAL • G • #11
2 months ago
Irving tore the ACL in his left knee in March, with his absence prompting the Mavericks to sign D’Angelo Russell in free agency and re-sign Dante Exum. However, general manager Nico Harrison’s comments in July that Irving was “ahead of schedule” in his recovery sparked optimism that the point guard could return sooner than expected. Irving clarified in his recent livestream that he has no timeline for a return to action. “There’s no timetable for when I’m coming back, so please don’t ask me when I’m coming back,” Irving said. “Please don’t badger me with all the questions like, ‘Hey, if you’re healthy by November, what do you think about it?’ Please don’t badger me with any questions, guys. I’m going to be ready when I’m ready.” Russell is expected to assume the starting point guard duties in Irving’s absence, raising his fantasy ceiling. Someone else to track during the preseason is undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard, who has received positive reviews in training camp.
Source: Kyrie Irving
CHA • • #
2 months ago
Kalkbrenner, the 34th overall pick in June’s draft, is one of the options competing for the right to start at center when the regular season begins. And he’s made a positive impression on Hornets head coach Charles Lee, who’s obviously the person Kalkbrenner needs to impress. “His basketball IQ stands out to me, his competitiveness stands out to me and I think his willingness to keep it simple stands out to me,” Lee said. “I think that he’s in the right positions a lot of times because he’s willing to do whatever it takes to kind of help his teammates defensively and offensively. And so he’s been phenomenal — as have all the rookies. But he’s stood out.” Kalkbrenner won Big East Defensive Player of the Year four times, something only Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) had accomplished in the conference’s history. Having also made steady improvements offensively throughout his time at Creighton, Kalkbrenner has the skill and IQ required to have an immediate impact if he can beat out Mason Plumlee and Moussa Diabaté for the starting job. At a minimum, the Hornets’ rookie is worth selecting with a late-round draft pick.
Source: Charlotte Observer