NBA Fantasy Trends: Team Notes: NBA Trade Deadline
The trade rumors around the NBA have cooled off due to the All-Star weekend, but we are in for a crazy few days leading up to the Feb. 18 trade deadline. Last year we saw huge names such as Goran Dragic, Brandon Knight, Enes Kanter, Reggie Jackson, Michael Carter-Williams and Arron Afflalo moved at the deadline, and many people were able to strike gold in fantasy by grabbing Rudy Gobert and Reggie Jackson off the wire. With that said, here are a couple of tips to prepare for the madness.
1.) Keep a roster spot open- If you have deadweight on your roster, do yourself a favor and drop them now. If a player is traded to an ideal situation and you want to add them to your roster, the last thing you want to do is to waste precious time by deciding who to drop.
2.) Clear your schedule- Most trades generally happen during the last hour or two before the deadline, so go ahead and clear your schedule now. The deadline ends at 3:00 ET, so plan accordingly.
3.) Make a watch list- I’ll talk about some of the best players to stash before the deadline, but the best thing to do is to make sure you put them on your watch list. Very few people knew about Isaiah Canaan last season, but he erupted after the All-Star break with averages of 12.6 points, 3.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 2.7 3-pointers all because he landed in a great spot for his value.
In order to help you prepare, I have created a team-by-team outlook of which players have been linked in potential deals. Keep in mind that a lot of reports you hear are nonsense and are leaked by sides with something to gain, so it’s best to take a skeptical approach. The funny thing about the deadline is that some deals will come out of nowhere, so just because you don’t see a player’s name on this list doesn’t mean he will not be moved.
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Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford– He’s one of the biggest names being tossed around right now, but it makes sense because the 29-year-old veteran will be a free agent this summer and will command a max deal. Atlanta may not believe that they are a championship contender compared to Toronto or Cleveland in the East, and the risk of losing Horford for nothing this summer should scare them. The Celtics are the most likely destination if he moves because they have several promising young players and a handful of picks to offer in a deal, and it’s no secret that their general manager (Danny Ainge) wants to make a splash. Horford’s fantasy value will be safe no matter what, but considering Tiago Splitter (hip) is looking at an extended absence, Walter Tavares is someone to keep on your radar in case Horford is dealt.
Jeff Teague– Atlanta is very high on Dennis Schroder and may feel like he’s ready to take over as the starting PG, and it hasn’t helped that Teague has struggled for most of the season. However, he has picked it up his play in recent weeks and is still under contract through the 2016-17 season on an excellent deal, so his value is very high around the NBA. It also helps that several teams are in desperate need for a PG. Orlando, Boston, Utah, Brooklyn and New York have all been linked to Teague, so stashing a guy like Schroder makes a ton of sense. The Hawks’ asking price for Teague and Horford is very high, so the chances of a trade are still slim.
Players that will likely be untouchable: Dennis Schroder, Paul Millsap, Kent Bazemore
Brooklyn Nets
Brook Lopez– The Nets don’t have a first-round pick this season and are starved of assets, so dealing Lopez would give them a chance to get some quality young players and/or picks in return. Lopez is under contract through the 2017-18 season, so it will take a massive offer for the Nets to budge. If the Nets get an offer that’s too good to refuse, Thomas Robinson and Willie Reed would benefit.
Thaddeus Young– Similar to Lopez, Young is under contract for the next few seasons and the Nets have no reason to sell him below market value. He has drawn interest from teams such as the Pistons and Raptors, but out of those two teams Toronto would have the most incentive to trade for him given their lack of talent at the four spot. If Young is moved, Thomas Robinson and promising rookie Chris McCullough would see a major bump in minutes. As for Young, his value would take a hit with a move away from Brooklyn.
Bojan Bogdanovic– He is on a reasonable deal and shooters are always in hot demand, so he may be the player that is most likely to be moved out of Brooklyn. He has struggled with consistency and doesn’t have a great upside, and it’s hard to imagine him playing a prominent role on most teams. His owners should hope he stays in Brooklyn where he could be unleashed down the stretch.
Joe Johnson– A buyout seems more likely because not many teams would be able to trade for his huge contract. If he is bought out, expect Miami and Cleveland to come calling. Markel Brown, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Bogdanovic and Wayne Ellington would all get a boost if Johnson left Brooklyn.
Likely untouchable: Hollis-Jefferson, McCullough
Boston Celtics
David Lee– He is the king of DNP-CDs these days and it’s clear that his time in Boston is coming to an end. A move seems very likely to happen, but there are not many teams that he could join and make an immediate impact in fantasy. He’s not a great stash and his contract is going to be hard to move. If the Celtics can’t deal him, a buyout seems likely.
Jared Sullinger– He’s set to become a restricted free agent this summer and will likely be the piece that has to move if the Celtics want to acquire a big name. Boston has a plethora of bigs which has limited Sully’s minutes to the lower 20s, so a move could be great news for his fantasy value.
Tyler Zeller– He will also be a RFA this summer, and the Celtics don’t really need him with Kelly Olynyk and Amir Johnson in town. Several teams could use Zeller’s size off the bench, but he’s not a good stash.
Likely untouchable: Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, Kelly Olynyk, Jae Crowder, Jordan Mickey
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets are sitting in eighth place in the East, but it’s unclear if they will be buyers or sellers at the deadline following the shoulder injury to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
Al Jefferson– He is on an expiring deal and is coming off knee surgery, so the Hornets would get very little, if anything at all in return for Jefferson. A deal is very unlikely.
Likely untouchable- Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, Frank Kaminsky and MKG
Chicago Bulls
Taj Gibson– He’s under contract for another season at a reasonable price, but the Bulls would be hesitant to deal him considering how many injuries they’re dealing with.
Pau Gasol– He is going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Bulls have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA over the last few weeks. Unless they still think they can compete in the East with the likes of Cleveland and Toronto, they will likely entertain some offers at the deadline as opposed to watching him walk away from Chicago this summer. Bobby Portis should be stashed everywhere.
Likely untouchable: Jimmy Butler, Bobby Portis, Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic
Cleveland Cavaliers
They are still well behind Golden State in terms of overall talent, so expect them to be busy at the deadline.
Kevin Love– He always seems to be in the rumor mill, but it doesn’t help that he has no clue how to defend the pick-and-roll. New coach Tyronn Lue is doing his best to make Love a focal point of the offense again and he has been better in recent weeks, so a trade would definitely be a surprise.
Timofey Mozgov– He’s the most disappointing player on Cleveland’s roster and it isn’t close. He looked great in the NBA Finals last season, but offseason knee surgery has slowed him down and he doesn’t look like the same player. If the Cavs make a move, Mozgoz is probably done in Cleveland. Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao would stand to benefit if that happens.
Likely untouchable: LeBron James, Kyrie Irving
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