Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Max Strus has surfaced as a salary-matching piece in the team's pursuit of Denver restricted free agent Peyton Watson, with Evan Sidery reporting that Cleveland is looking for a team willing to take on Strus' $16.7 million expiring contract. The 30-year-old missed the first 67 games last season after left foot surgery, then averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 12 games while shooting 40.2 percent from deep. Strus still has value as a floor-spacer, but his fantasy outlook depends heavily on landing spot. If he is moved, Jaylon Tyson could get a cleaner path to wing minutes, while Sam Merrill would remain a bench shooting option.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers center Olivier Sarr is headed overseas after signing a two-year deal with Real Madrid through the 2027-28 season. The 27-year-old spent most of his NBA time with Oklahoma City before a two-way stint in Cleveland, and Madrid added him for frontcourt depth with Usman Garuba recovering from a ruptured left Achilles. Sarr averaged 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 39.1 percent from three across 50 NBA games, and he was productive enough in the G-League to earn another look. He held no standalone fantasy value on a two-way deal, so his exit does not change Cleveland's fantasy outlook. The more relevant fantasy name remains his younger brother, Washington Wizards center Alexandre Sarr, who is recovering from offseason foot surgery.

Real Madrid officially signed Ukrainian guard Max Shulga to a two-year deal through the 2027-28 season, ending his brief run in the Boston Celtics organization. The 24-year-old was the No. 57 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he logged just 11 regular-season games at 3.3 minutes per night before Boston declined his team option and did not tender him a qualifying offer. Shulga built his name at VCU, shooting 41.5 percent from three on 207 attempts in 2023-24 before earning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors in 2024-25. His years in Spanish youth basketball help him count as a locally trained player for Real Madrid, but there was no NBA fantasy value here, and the overseas move closes any stash appeal.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving remains the team's biggest question entering 2026-27, with ESPN's Tim MacMahon noting that Dallas needs him to return to form to become a real postseason threat. The nine-time All-Star has been sidelined since tearing his left ACL in March 2025, when he was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 50 games. Dallas is intrigued by Irving's fit next to Cooper Flagg, as his off-ball shooting and creation should ease the burden on the young franchise centerpiece. Until Irving is fully cleared, Max Christie has the clearest path to extra backcourt minutes, while the rest of Dallas' depth guards remain low-usage options. Irving remains a draft-and-stash target once his return timeline sharpens.