
The Pistons declined the team option on guard Evan Fournier. He is now heading toward unrestricted free agency. The 31-year-old began the 2023-24 campaign with the Knicks. However, he appeared in only three games for New York before being moved ahead of the trade deadline. Fournier suited up in 29 games for the Pistons, and he finished the year by averaging 7.2 points and 1.9 assists. He was due to make $19 million had Detroit kept him, so this move wasn't surprising. Still, Fournier will likely find work elsewhere in the National Basketball Association, although he probably won't see much action, considering his production has declined significantly over the last few seasons.


According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, forward LeBron James declined his $51.4 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, while the multi-time All-Star is heading toward unrestricted free agency, he's expected to re-sign with the Lakers on a new deal. Despite his age, James is still one of the most potent players in the National Basketball Association, recently finishing the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 25.7 points, 8.3 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. He battled nagging injuries all last season and was limited to 71 games. Still, fantasy managers should expect at least one more year of production from James in 2024-25, although he could have at least a few more solid seasons left in the tank.


Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook exercised his $4 million player option with the team on Saturday. The 35-year-old has been one of the most productive players in the history of the National Basketball Association. However, he is coming off arguably the worst year of his career, finishing the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals. Westbrook likely will remain a bench option in 2024-25. Still, his fantasy outlook could improve if the Clippers can't bring back Paul George, who isn't a lock to remain in Los Angeles moving ahead.


The Atlanta Hawks declined to extend a qualifying offer to forward Saddiq Bey, making him an unrestricted free agent. The former Villanova Wildcat averaged 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 2023-24. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL, limiting him to 63 games. Without a doubt, Bey will draw interest from teams around the National Basketball Association, especially from teams with cap space. While his fantasy outlook hinges on where he'll end up for the 2024-25 campaign, he should remain a relatively reliable producer for managers as long as he stays healthy.


Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell picked up his $18.7 million player option on Saturday. The 28-year-old had one of the best seasons of his career in 2023-24, finishing the campaign by averaging 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds while shooting a career-high 41.5% from behind the arc. Despite Russell's decade of service in the National Basketball Association, he's showing no signs of slowing down. He also played in 76 games last season, his most since 2018-19, so his fantasy worth may continue to climb if he continues to stay healthy moving ahead.
