Fantasy Basketball: Trade Deadline Fallout

TRADES! TRADES! TRADES!

The trade deadline has passed and the biggest thing to take away is that the east now has 6 good teams that can genuinely compete with the playoff teams of the west. Let’s break down each trade.

Knicks-Nuggets-TWolves:

The Knicks got: Carmelo, Billups, Corey Brewer, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman

The Nuggets got: Wilson Chandler, Ray Felton, Danilo, and Mozgov

The T-Wolves got: Anthony Randolph

The interesting part of this trade is that it has very little fantasy impact. Starters will stay starters and bench players will stay bench players. The players who got traded are also mostly untouchables. Corey Brewer, Shelden Williams, and Anthony Randolph are the only players on the waiver wire who have an outside chance of becoming fantasy relevant, and I mean OUTSIDE chance.

The player who receives the biggest boost from this trade will be TWolves SF: Wes Johnson. With Brewer gone, the rookie gets a chance to be the unquestioned starter and will probably get around 35 minutes a game. Since December 15th Wes Johnson has played more than 30 minutes 8 times. In those games he has averaged 2.5 threes, 1.5 steals, 0.75 blocks, and 15.1 points. While his % game is terrible, his mastery of defensive stats and threes makes him a fantasy relevant player now.

Ty Lawson is the other player who might become a worthwhile pickup if you need FG% help. This depends on how much the Nuggets like Felton’s game, but I would keep an eye on his production in the next couple of games.

Jazz-Nets:

Jazz got: Devin Harris and Derrick Favors

Nets got: Deron Williams

The trade that came out of nowhere moves one of the best PGs in the league over to a team with very few options. Every Nets player should receive a boost because of Deron Williams’ ability to distribute, but we’ll have to wait to see who will be his favorite targets. Based on his stint in Utah, big men will probably be at the receiving end of DWill’s dishes. This bodes well for Brook Lopez if you can tear away the center from a disappointed fantasy owner. This also bodes well for previously unremarkable Kris Humphries. Look for him to become a poor man’s Kevin Love without threes. In other words – barely useful.

Derrick Favors becomes completely worthless now as the Jazz are stock full of big dudes who can rebound and block shots. Look out for CJ Miles who might receive more minutes in a new Jazz system and loves to shoot the three ball.

Cavs-Clippers:

Cavs got: Baron Davis

Clippers got: Mo Williams and Jamario Moon

Both Davis and Williams are in similar positions. They are oft injured PGs moving to teams where they could be productive but the teams are so bad that they may give up on the veterans and instead try to get their youth some experience. I would try to unload these players if you can. Try to get a Darren Collison or DJ Augustin.

Now lets list the backups and whether they will gain or lose value:

Ramon Sessions – Lose Value

Eric Bledsoe – Gain Value

Daniel Gibson – Lose Value

Bobcats-Blazers

Blazers got: Gerald Wallace

Bobcats got: Joel Pryzbilla and Dante Cunningham

A new Gerald is in town! Wallace is out and Henderson is in! Too bad Gerald Henderson is worthless.

This trade essentially destroys some players fantasy relevance without creating new players to pickup off the waiver wire. Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum, and Wesley Matthews are all about to lose touches and therefore points and therefore the only thing that made them worthwhile.

The only player who might become reinvigorated stat-wise could be JoelP. Last year when he started he averaged 9.3 Rebs, and 1.8 Blks. In the outside chance that Charlotte places faith in Pryzbilla instead of Kwame B, we could see these type of numbers again.

The rest:

Pickups:

The Rockets got rid of Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier, which means that you need to get Chase Budinger and Kyle Lowry off the waiver wire.

Kirk Hinrich for Mike Bibby will make Hinrich fantasy relevant again. Pick him up.

Kendrick Perkins is totally worth a pickup on the newlook of the Thunder frontcourt.

If Marcus Thornton gets minutes for the Kings, he’s a great addition to a team needing 3s and FG%.

Tony Allen will be getting the brunt of Rudy Gay’s minutes now that he’s injured and the Grizz acquired Battier. And he will produce. Watch out for Sam Young though.

Drops:

Jeff Green is going to get stuck on the bench of the loaded Celtics.

Aaron Brooks was already worthless, but now there is no hope for him behind Steve Nash.

Mike Bibby is also totally useless as he goes onto a bench behind John Wall.

Good luck and look for the update in a week.

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