Charles Bassey

Bassey had his 2023-23 season shortened when he had a displaced kneecap in the final month of the season, but he showed some promise as a backup center before that. The big man missed most of the first half with different ailments but went on to average 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.0 blocks on 62 percent shooting across the final 10 games of his season. He did that damage across 17 minutes a night, and fantasy managers were praying we could see Bassey play a full allotment of minutes over the final month with that sort of stat line. Those are some elite per-minute averages, but playing just 35 games is not an encouraging sign, either. His fantasy value took another major dip in the offseason, with San Antonio adding Victor Wembanyama. The top pick is expected to be the centerpiece of this franchise. It was already difficult for Bassey to reach 25 minutes with Zach Collins out there, so he might fall out of the rotation altogether. We do need to keep an eye on San Antonio to see if they tank the final months of the season because sitting Wembanyama and Collins could make Bassey a fantasy beast over the closing weeks of the year. Until then, Bassey needs to remain on waiver wires.

Bassey was selected by the 76ers with the 53rd overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Bassey was a three-year performer for Western Kentucky. The 6-foot-11 center averaged a double-double last season with 17.6 points and 11.6 rebounds across 28 starts. Bassey will have the privilege to learn the game from one of the most dominant big men in the league in Joel Embiid, and he'll be fighting for reserve minutes with Andre Drummond.