Latest NBA News and Fantasy Basketball Roundup: Thunder, Tyrese Haliburton, Kevin Durant and More

The NBA 2024-25 season has finally come to an end.

There's several big things that have happened over the past few days, so let's assess things from a fantasy basketball perspective.

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Thunder Win it All

We'll begin with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers in seven games.

I had OKC winning, but in five games, so credit to Indiana for extending the series as long as they did. It was a pretty entertaining Finals, and both teams have pretty bright futures.

OKC was the best team in the Western Conference this regular season, and they backed things up by winning it all. They have a young core of players, and a multitude of picks to come, so we might be witnessing the start of a dynasty.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the team's star, and is also a fantasy basketball stud. That isn't going to change for several years.

Jalen Williams also had a monster fantasy season and is a great fantasy asset. Chet Holmgren is another young and emerging player who has a ton of fantasy value for years to come.

Isaiah Hartenstein, Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso and Kenrich Williams were the next-best fantasy performers on the team this season.

I'll be interested to see how OKC tries to keep this group of players together, because at some point, they all need to get paid. 

Indiana Loses Finals and Key Player

Not only did Indiana lose the NBA Finals, but they lost Tyrese Haliburton to a torn Achilles. 

The injury might keep Haliburton out the entire 2025-26 season given the timing of the injury. That's a massive blow to the Pacers' ability to contend and will obviously change things from a fantasy perspective for several Indiana players.

The team will no doubt switch its roster up a bit to help offset the absence of Haliburton. T.J. McConnell is the top backup point guard in Indy, and Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard are among the guys who might be asked to run the point more now next season.

Haliburton was the team's top fantasy player, so that will be a big-time fantasy player who is likely not draftable next season.

Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner will likely shoulder more scoring/playmaking and be bigger fantasy assets as a result. Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker and Aaron Nesmith were the next-best fantasy assets this past season, and could all take on larger roles next season.

The loss of Haliburton is going to hurt several other player's fantasy outlooks, unless the Pacers are able to obtain another high-level point guard during the offseason.

Kevin Durant Traded to Rockets 

A massive NBA trade took place between the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets.

Houston got the star of the deal in Durant, a 15-time All-Star. Houston sent Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the upcoming draft and five future second-round picks to Phoenix in the deal.

Of course, Durant is one of the league's best players, and one of the best fantasy players in the game. He will be a big-time fantasy asset for any team he plays for between now and the day he retires.

I love this landing spot for Durant, as he can still be a star. There's still enough talent on the Rockets' roster after the trade for Houston to be a real contender in the Western Conference, although I still think they need more help.

Alperen Sengun was the Rockets' top fantasy player this season. He might be passed by Durant (if he doesn't miss too many games), but I think the addition of KD will help Sengun as a fantasy player.

Amen Thompson did some great things this season, and now learning from Durant might take his game to another level yet. Those who have Thompson in dynasty/keeper leagues have to love the addition of Durant, even if it takes away some scoring chances.

Fred VanVleet, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. were the next-best fantasy assets on the team this season. Smith and Eason could become trade assets with Durant now in town, but if they stick, there should be enough playing time still available for those two to still shine.

After the trade for Durant, I'm really interested to see what else the Rockets might do this offseason. They could become a major title contender with a few more moves, which I'll be expecting if they added a guy on the back nine of his career.

Khris Middleton Picks Up Player Option

Unsurprisingly, Middleton picked up his $33.3 million player option for the 2025-26 season.

He was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline last season, and now is a veteran voice for a pretty young Washington team otherwise.

I'm guessing that the Wizards will look to trade Middleton this offseason, although that might be difficult at his salary, and knowing Middleton has struggled with injuries over the past few seasons. He's still a solid asset when on the court, so a playoff contender with a lot of cap space might be willing to take him on.

Middleton is a risky fantasy asset because of all his missed games, so it'll be interesting to see what team he ends up with, and where he's going in fantasy drafts as next regular season approaches.

Jordan Poole, Bub Carrington and Alexandre Sarr were the top-three fantasy assets for Washington last season, and even if Middleton stays, that might remain the same in 2025-26. Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie and Corey Kispert also had solid fantasy seasons.

Washington is a team that could have a truly different look by the time the regular season kicks off, so they'll be a team to watch this offseason.