Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (Achilles) remains in the team's plans while he works his way back from surgery. ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective that Minnesota has no plans to trade DiVincenzo, who is on a $12.5 million expiring contract, though the organization has "a quiet hope" he could return before the end of the season. The 29-year-old tore the Achilles against Denver in April and underwent surgery the next day. Minnesota has rebuilt the backcourt around his absence, re-signing Ayo Dosunmu for five years and $112 million and trading for LaMelo Ball. DiVincenzo averaged 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in 30.4 minutes across all 82 games last season, but a return to that workload is unlikely right away. He belongs on watch lists, not draft boards, while Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark are cleaner short-term perimeter depth pieces.

Restricted free-agent center Jalen Duren remains firmly in Detroit's plans, with ESPN's Tim MacMahon reporting on The Hoop Collective that the Pistons have told rival teams they are "absolutely positively 100 percent" committed to keeping him. Any team pursuing a sign-and-trade is wasting its time, per MacMahon, leaving Duren nearly two months into an unresolved standoff with Detroit. The first-time All-Star averaged 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.8 blocks on 65.0 percent shooting across 70 games last season. Duren became eligible for a five-year max worth $287.1 million after earning All-NBA honors, while Jake Fischer has pointed to a possible four-year deal around $160 million. The contract noise should not knock him down fantasy boards. Detroit traded Isaiah Stewart to Memphis and has Paul Reed as the main center depth behind Duren, so the minutes and volume are waiting. The main risk is Duren taking the roughly $9.6 million qualifying offer and playing out a lame-duck year.

Indiana Pacers guard/forward Aaron Nesmith said he used the offseason to get healthy and tighten his ball handling, speaking Monday ahead of the Pacers Foundation Charity Softball Classic. "It was good getting a long offseason and getting the body right," Nesmith said. Injuries, including a neck issue, limited the 26-year-old to 45 games last season, and the heavier load on a 19-63 team came with efficiency costs. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from deep. Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) has said he is 100 percent cleared, which should help restore cleaner looks for Nesmith. He projects to start alongside Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, and Ivica Zubac, but Kelly Oubre Jr. and Jarace Walker give Indiana enough wing depth to keep Nesmith in watch-list territory rather than locked-in fantasy value.

The Minnesota Timberwolves waived guard/forward John Konchar on Saturday, one day after acquiring him from Utah in the Josh Green trade. The move was expected, as Minnesota plans to stretch Konchar's $6.17 million expiring salary into roughly $2.06 million charges over three seasons to help finalize Jonathan Kuminga's two-year, $12.4 million deal. The 30-year-old split last season between Memphis and Utah, averaging 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 19.9 minutes across 56 games, including eight starts. Konchar should clear waivers Monday and hit unrestricted free agency, but his low-usage profile keeps him off fantasy radars wherever he lands. The fantasy angle is Kuminga, who is projected to compete for the starting power forward job alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. Cody Williams, the other piece of the Utah trade, remains in Minnesota as reserve wing depth.