Josh Giddy's post-practice poise signals Bulls' plans to lean into his breakout role, with camp clarity around everyone’s responsibilities and a path to 41-45 wins, possibly entering the playoffs as a six-seed or via a winning play-in run. Jonathan Kuminga’s rumored price tag and interest from Bulls, Kings, and Suns test the roster’s upside versus development. Giannis speculation stacks the offseason narrative as a one-piece-away gamble, even as Katie Duffy departs, reshaping the show’s chemistry. The episode mixes basketball strategy with playful personal bits and Taylor Swift chatter as a send-off.

Tyrese Maxi lands as a standout late-2nd round target in NineCat formats, especially with Joel Embiid’s health in question and a guard-heavy premium looming. Maxi’s upside is real—top-10 NineCat production without punting categories makes him a compelling anchor in roto and head-to-head alike. Miles Turner follows as a high-upside, low-variance piece alongside Giannis in Milwaukee, where his 3s, blocks, and improved durability could push him into steady value territory. Payton Pritchard steps into a starting role for Boston when Tatum is out, a golden opportunity to catapult in assists and 3s. Isaiah Jackson and Ace Bailey emerge as late-round sleepers for Indiana and Utah, respectively, each with a clear path to minutes and meaningful blocks and scoring. Cade Cunningham and a Detroit-flavored thread weave through the convo, underscoring the broader guard-heavy drafting ethos.

Overall, the show maps a guard-centric draft plan: lock top-quality guards early, then raid the late rounds for wings and bigs with clear starting paths. Health and role clarity drive most projections, with the Pacers and Celtics offering the clearest on-court paths for 9-cat value. The conversation also nods to Vegas-season-win expectations, helping gauge which teams are likely to keep players in rotation late into the year.

Five veteran fantasy voices spotlight five guards/forwards with safe floors and upside: Derek White, Austin Reeves, Miles Turner, Christian Brown, and Jaden McDaniels. White benefits from Boston’s reshuffle as Tatum’s usage shifts and minutes rise, Reeves steadies the ship for a Lakers squad likely to lean on him heavily, Turner soaks up value next to Giannis, Brown stays value-rich for Denver’s deep rotation, and McDaniels remains the sturdy, healthy defender who still contributes across categories.