Nikola Jokic is in Europe for EuroBasket, turning Serbia into one of the gold favorites as the calendar flips to late August. The tournament runs Aug. 27 through Sept. 14 across four groups of six, with Serbia headline Group A alongside Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, and Turkey. Serbia’s path should be manageable, but the 24-team field is deep, demanding top-tier performances from Jokic and a cohort of EuroLeague veterans and NBA role players to survive the round-robin and the knockout grind. Courtside 1891 and FIBA YouTube will carry the action, giving fantasy enthusiasts a steady stream to monitor Jokic’s usage and his teammates’ rising impact.

Beyond Jokic, Serbia benefits from a staff deeply intertwined with the Nuggets—assistant coach Ognjen Stojakovic and athletic trainer Jason Miller are on Serbia’s sideline. The roster also features Jokic teammates and peers who could swing fantasy levers: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic, and Nikola Topic join Jokic in shaping Serbia’s attack, while other European standouts and a newly added Nuggets presence add intrigue. The group stage introduces notable clashes—Latvia’s Kristaps Porzingis headlines a Group A that tests Serbia’s depth, and Turkey’s Alperen Sengun poses a direct Jokic-sized matchup, raising intriguing dynamic questions for fantasy managers tracking minutes, usage, and matchup-driven ceilings.

EuroBasket’s depth is built to test rosters and expose sleepers: Lauri Markkanen and Germany’s Franz Wagner anchor Group B; Giannis Antetokounmpo brings Greece’s star power in Group C alongside a younger Spain and rising Italians, with Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas squarely in the mix for Lithuania and New Orleans. The mix of NBA stars and Euro stars means daily fantasy managers should keep a close eye on minutes allocations, rest days, and the tactical emphasis each nation brings to the court. Jokic’s Serbian run is as much about preserving pace and health for Nuggets fans as it is about adding a high-variance, high-ceiling narrative to late-summer rosters.

Rockets-Warriors tension spikes as Alperen Sengun and Draymond Green trade barbs after a Turkish interview, with Green replying, Hold that L, and the feud spilling into what could be a high-stakes Emirates NBA Cup 2025 group-stage clash on ESPN. Sengun suggested Golden State’s officiating chatter in the playoffs, while Green’s veteran edge promises a marquee one-on-one battle when Houston visits Golden State. The ripple: Kevin Durant joins Houston for the event, reuniting with Green and boosting the Rockets’ firepower as they chase early-season fantasy leverage. The frame also hints at how Sengun’s playoff numbers (peaking around 21-12-5) project his ceiling, especially with Durant on board, potentially reshaping usage and shot profiles for Rockets’ role players.

Expect a chess-match of pace, pick-and-rolls, and whistle discipline as the two teams grid for minutes in a tournament setting that could foreshadow playoff-level clashes. Sengun’s offense and vision will be tested by Green’s switch-heavy defense, while Durant’s addition widens Houston’s floor and creates new driving lanes for Sengun, allowing him to maximize playmaking. For fantasy managers, the narrative strengthens the case for Rockets assets who thrive in multi-guard lineups and for Warriors defenders who can contest Sengun while chasing Durant’s creation.

Jimmy Butler lands at No. 40 in NBA 2K26 with an 87 overall rating, his lowest since NBA 2K16 and a notable dip from the 90s he had in recent years. The Warriors’ late-season acquisition of Butler is reflected in a 35-game sample last season, where he averaged about 17.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. Butler shares the 87 rating with Amen Thompson, Derrick White, Ivica Zubac, Zion Williamson, Darius Garland, LaMelo Ball, Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis at a slate of 87s, highlighting a crowded mid-80s tier among top stars. The countdown emphasizes the shifting value of veteran scorers and the evolving fantasy landscape as 2K26 climbs toward September’s release date.

The piece situates Butler’s rating in a broader context: a historic stretch of 90+ ratings earlier in his career, the impact of a midseason trade, and the way 2K26’s top 100 framing positions a mix of established veterans and rising talent. For fantasy managers, Butler’s rating suggests cautious optimism—elite scoring with questions about durability and health-driven minute volatility—and underscores the importance of roster construction around a player whose role could swing with the Warriors’ mix of veterans and younger contributors.

N’Faly Dante’s restricted free-agent move to Atlanta is official after Houston declined to match a two-year, $4.5 million offer. Dante, 23, spent last season with Houston on a two-way deal and posted strong G League numbers (15.1 PPG on 74.3% FG, 9.8 RPG, 2.2 BPG, 1.0 SPG) with Rio Grande Valley. The Rockets’ hard-cap dynamics made matching unlikely, clearing the path for Atlanta’s bid. Capela’s recent signing with Houston is a surprising twist that may have opened the door for Dante to land in Atlanta, where his size and efficiency could translate into meaningful minutes backing a frontcourt rotation.

The Hawks land Dante amid a frontcourt landscape that includes Sharpshooting and rim protection expectations, while Houston stacks centers—Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela—keeping Dante without a clear minutes path. The Romeo-and-Juliet turn of Capela’s career, from Hawks to Rockets, is a key narrative thread that underscored Atlanta’s incentive to add Dante. The move shifts Dante from a two-way role to a full-time NBA rotation piece, with fantasy upside anchored in his G League efficiency and rebounding bursts.

For fantasy managers, Dante’s upside hinges on a clear route to minutes behind or alongside the Hawks’ core. Expect a role that mixes interior scoring, rebounding, and rim protection, with potential spikes in blocks and efficient finishing near the basket. The cap-space constraints that doomed Houston’s attempt to retain him also signal Atlanta’s commitment to a versatile, size-equipped lineup that could yield solid mid-round fantasy value if Dante locks in a steady workload.

Houston enters 2025-26 with one of the league’s easiest schedules, according to HoopsHype. October and February show SOS above 100 by a slim margin, while October’s sample is tiny due to an early start. The rest of the season sits below league-average difficulty, hinting at weeks where wins could turn into strong fantasy numbers.

Kept in focus: Kevin Durant arrives, Amen Thompson continues to develop, and Alperen Sengun should benefit from more spacing and playmaking. If health cooperates, Houston has a rare window to translate favorable months into meaningful counting stats, supporting a diversified fantasy approach across its core.