The NBA trade deadline is in our reviewer mirror, and it had plenty of ripple effects across fantasy basketball. Among the submissions that came in for this week's mailbag column was a question about some players who stand to benefit from their respective teams making deals. I'll also address a couple of injured stars, and what to do with them moving forward.
Would you trade Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry for James Harden and Tobias Harris? - @WESYAP
Let's start things off with a blockbuster trade proposal. Adebayo is as reliable as they come at the center spot, averaging 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 52.7 percent from the field. His assists have taken a bit of a hit with Lowry in fold, while Lowry has seen his scoring numbers drop to 13.0 points per game on a talented Heat roster. He's also shooting a meager 42.0 percent from the field.
Harden and Harris now find themselves as teammates in Philadelphia. That could be bad news for Harris, but Harden could receive a boost now that he no longer has to share ball-handling responsibilities with Kyrie Irving. Harden's hamstring injury is a concern, but when healthy, he's the best player in this deal. Since Harris and Lowry both come with their own degree of risk, I prefer Harden over Adebayo, so I'd make the deal.
Should I drop Gordon Hayward? I don't know if he will return before the fantasy playoffs. I would use his roster spot for streaming purposes. - @nikkiosus
Hayward, who has a checkered injury history, has found himself on the sidelines, yet again. This time, he's dealing with sprained ligaments in his left ankle that have ruled him out indefinitely. His absence is a tough blow to a Hornets team that doesn't have many playmakers left outside of LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier.
Since we don't know when Hayward will come back, this comes down to wherever this fantasy manager is in the standings. If you're cruising towards a playoff spot, then you could hold onto Hayward with the hope that he's healthy when it matters the most. If you're fighting just to get into the playoffs, though, it's ok to drop him to add someone who can help out immediately.
Should I drop Paul George for Devin Vassell? I'm already without Kevin Durant and Draymond Green. - @flip_pina
It's been a long time since we've seen George (elbow), who hasn't taken the floor since before Christmas. When he's healthy, he's a first-round talent for fantasy. He's scheduled to get a follow-up MRI on February 24, which could determine his status for the remainder of the season.
If his MRI reveals that he will need surgery, his season would be over. Even if he gets good news, it will likely take him time to ramp back up to full strength. Best-case-scenario is that he's probably playing his customary number of minutes towards the end of March. That might make it too late for him to have a significant impact in fantasy, and again, that's probably best-case-scenario.
Vassell now finds himself with a starting role for the Spurs after they traded away Derrick White. He's played well when given the opportunity, averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.0 three-pointers across 10 games in which he has logged at least 30 minutes. Since you're already holding onto Durant and Green, go ahead and cut George to make room for Vassell.
Would you rather have Bogdan Bogdanovic or Darius Bazley in a 10-team, nine-category head-to-head league? - @SyracuseKZ
Bazley has provided good counting stats lately, providing 13.9points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.5 three-pointers over his last 11 games. The problem is, he's shooting 40.0percent from the field and 69.7 percent from the free-throw line this season. That comes on the heels of him starting out his career by shooting worse than 40.0 percent from the field and 71.0 percent from the charity stripe in back-to-back seasons.
I don't have a ton of faith that Bazley can remain this productive, let alone long enough to make him a difference-maker in a 10-team league. Bogdanovic hasn't exactly been a pillar of health, but when he has been on the floor, he's been productive. He's been even more valuable of late, averaging 16.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.1 three-pointers over the last 12 games, while shooting 47.6 percent from the field. Cam Reddish is gone and the Hawks didn't make any significant moves at the deadline to add depth, so Bogdanovic should be locked into a very significant role off the bench down the stretch. He's not a must-roster in a 10-team league, either, but I prefer him over Bazley.
In a points league (points, rebounds and assists are all worth one point, blocks and steals are worth two points), which three players do you think are worth a roster spot? Patty Mills, Davion Mitchell, Malik Monk, Ayo Dosunmu, Devin Vasselland Justise Winslow. - @anto_fbc
The trade deadline has had a major impact on the fantasy value of most of the players in this question. First off, I'll rule out Mills. The addition of Seth Curry could hurt his production, especially in games that Kyrie Irving is eligible to play. When Kevin Durant (knee) eventually returns, that will further hurt the scoring-dependent Mills.
Mitchell is more appealing now that the Kings have dealt away Tyrese Haliburton, but they also added some depth by bringing in Justin Holiday, Donte DiVincenzo and Jeremy Lamb. That could lead Mitchell with limited playing time.
Monk is back in play with Anthony Davis (ankle) suffering what looked like a significant injury Wednesday. While initial reports indicate he will be back at some point this season, he could be out multiple weeks. During a nine-game stretch that Monk started when Davis was down earlier this season, he provided 18.4 points and 3.4 three-pointers per game. However, he only averaged 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.7 steals during that stretch. He's more valuable in a roto league in which his three-pointers given him a boost, as opposed to a points league format.
To me, the easy answer here is to roll with Dosunmu, Vasselland Winslow. As previously mentioned about Vassell, he's primed to play significantly more down the stretch. The Bulls didn't add any guards at the trade deadline, which should leave Dosunmu in a starting role for the next few weeks, at least, because of the injuries to Lonzo Ball (knee) and Alex Caurso(wrist). As a starter, Dosunmu has averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals across 20 games.
Winslow might be one of the biggest winners of the trade deadline. He went from barely playing for the Clippers to starting and logging a ton of minutes for the depleted Trail Blazers. Since joining his new team, he's put up 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 three-pointers over five games.
