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So, the trade deadline came and went in a flurry on Thursday and there are a lot of fantasy winners and losers to talk about. So instead of hitting you with all the details and emotions after a big-game night that saw Luka Doncic drop 51 points and seven triples on the Clippers, Kyle Lowry and Kyle Kuzma triple-double, Cam Thomas explode, Jaren Jackson Jr. disappear, C.J. McCollum hit 6-of-21 shots (in a loss), Gary Trent Jr. hang 42 on the Rockets, Kevin Porter Jr. go off, Chris Paul go nuts and Stephen Curry return to form, we’re going to talk trade deadline winners and losers. If you want the details on any of the guys I just mentioned we can do that too! Just click on their name above and take it all in.
If you want fantastic breakdowns of every trade that took place on Thursday, Matt Stroup’s Trade Deadline Live Blog has it all broken down for you, timelines included, and Brad Stonebraker has a comprehensive deep-dive into all the trades and their fantasy implications. I’m not going to recap every player who was traded and all the impacts, as that information is all a click away. Instead, I’m cutting straight to the nuts and bolts of the fantasy impacts of what happened on Thursday. So, let’s dive in.
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Trade Deadline Fantasy Winners
Ben Simmons – I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Simmons is a Brooklyn Net and will try to help Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant (knee) eventually right the ship. I know you’re not going to believe this, but the Nets have lost 10 straight games and currently sit as the No. 8 seed in the East, while Durant remains out indefinitely. Simmons, who is probably still scared to shoot a jump shot, layup, dunk or free throw, is finally free to play for a new team and the Nets are going to hope he’s mentally (and physically) ready to play basketball again. I haven’t spoken to his therapist or agent, but we have to assume he’ll be in uniform fairly quickly for the Nets. This dude hasn’t played an NBA game since last June and is probably emotionally scarred from the experience, as the last meaningful thing he did was pass up an open dunk for fear of being fouled and having to shoot freebies. And while he’s still fully capable of ruining shooting percentages across the board and would rather have a root canal than shoot a 3-pointer or free throw, the fact remains he’s also still a walking triple-double threat every time he hits the court. The Simmons-to-Brooklyn experiment could either be a massive success or a huge failure, but the key is we’re actually going to get to see Simmons play basketball again. And if you’ve been sitting on him waiting for this day, you have to be thrilled. I honestly cannot wait to see how Simmons and Irving co-exist, as two of the more interesting ‘thinkers’ in the league are going to now share a locker room. I’d be a lot more excited to see how the Nets do if we knew when Durant was going to be ready to play again but the drama in Brooklyn from here on in should be fun. And with several blue states suddenly dropping COVID mandates it’s possible that New York could follow suit and Irving might be able to play home games at some point in the near future. But even if he continues to exclusively be a road player going forward, circle March 10 on your calendars. That’s when Simmons will be “welcomed” back to Philly by Sixers fans. And that’s going to be some must-see TV. Congratulations if you have Simmons. May your triple-doubles be many and your free throw shooting be strong enough to survive him.
Devin Vassell – Derrick White was shipped out of San Antonio for Josh Richardson, who is a shell of his former self. We’ll have to see how Gregg Popovich decides to use J-Rich but this move looks like it should set up very well for Vassell. He’s put up some monster lines this season but has also been dogged by inconsistency. Getting White out of the way should fix that problem and Vassell is coming off a game where he came off the bench for 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two 3-pointers on 8-of-16 shooting. And White went for 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block and two 3-pointers in 32 minutes in that game. Even if Richardson gets meaningful minutes in San Antonio, Vassell is almost guaranteed to succeed. Even after we hyped him all day after the trade deadline passed Vassell’s still only rostered in 34 percent of Yahoo! leagues. Go get him.
Raul Neto and Ish Smith – I still can’t wrap my head around the fact the Mavericks traded Kristaps Porzingis for a deal “centered around Spencer Dinwiddie” but that should have a big impact on the Wizards’ point guards. Either Neto or Smith is going to start and Neto celebrated Dinwiddie’s departure with a line of 21 points and six assists on 7-of-9 shooting Thursday. Smith is going to join the mix after a move from Charlotte but I think Neto will likely be the guy to keep the starting gig in Washington. Neto looks like a strong add to me and it’s possible that both guards could get run with Bradley Beal done for the season. Had the Wizards not gotten Smith in the Montrezl Harrell deal, Neto would be a ‘run, don’t walk,’ pickup, but as it stands I still think he’s worth jogging to the waiver wire for.
Andre Drummond – Drummond is now a Net and has a chance to start at center for his new team. Yes, Nicolas Claxton and grandpa LaMarcus Aldridge stand in the way but both of them are hurt and have been for much of the season. Drummond is healthy and put up some pretty sweet numbers whenever Joel Embiid was resting for the Sixers. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him start from the get-go and not give up the job. The days of him being a fantasy monster are behind him and his free throw shooting is always a concern, but he is still a big man who can score, rebound, steal and block shots. In 12 starts this season Drummond averaged 9.0 points, 14.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.8 blocks in 29 minutes. Any way you slice it, not playing behind Joel Embiid is a winning situation for Drummond.
Grayson Allen – Donte DiVincenzo was sent to the Kings which should free up a logjam that was stifling both Allen and Pat Connaughton in Milwaukee. Allen was already starting and should see a boost in minutes, while Connaughton should also catch an uptick. I don’t think Allen is someone you need to race to your waiver wire to pick up, but he should be better the rest of the way than he was when DiVincenzo was still a Buck. Allen is worth grabbing in many leagues while Connaughton should be watched closely over the next week.
Marvin Bagley – Bagley started out the season completely out of the Kings’ rotation and while he eventually worked his way back into the mix, perhaps no player in the NBA needed a change of scenery more. This kid has to go to bed every night knowing that he was drafted in front of both Luka Doncic and Trae Young and will get a fresh start in Detroit. Of course, his outlook would be a lot more bright if the Pistons had swung a deal to move Jerami Grant yesterday, but he’s still a Piston. And that means we now have a logjam with Grant, Bagley and Kelly Olynyk all needing big-man minutes, not too mention Isaiah Stewart, who has been playing better of late. Olynyk has been awful and the Pistons have no reason to keep giving Grant big minutes, so Bagley and Beef Stew both look like potential winners here. I think Bagley is worth a flier simply for the change of scenery, but he still has plenty of obstacles that might keep him from becoming a reliable fantasy player. Just keep an eye on the big-man situation in Detroit and act accordingly. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bagley do some nice things for his new team.
Thomas Bryant & Daniel Gafford – Montrezl Harrell was shipped to the Hornets for Ish Smith which should somewhat free up the logjam that was holding Bryant and Gafford back. And while Gafford’s shot blocking and potential are intriguing, I think Bryant might be the guy the Wizards showcase the rest of the way. At his peak in 2020 Bryant averaged 13.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 1.1 blocks and 0.8 3-pointers for the Wizards. He’ll still have to deal with Gafford but now that he’s healthy, Bryant is in a position to have a strong finish in D.C. If you’re in a deeper league both Bryant and Gafford are worth a pickup but in my eyes, Bryant is the stronger option.
Alperen Sengun – The Rockets sent Daniel Theis to Boston for Dennis Schroder possibly clearing up some more minutes for Sengun. Sengun was already trending way up and despite coming off the bench on Thursday, the future is still bright. The Rockets simply need to find him 30 minutes a night and let him develop. Sengun posted an absolute dud on Thursday when the Rockets scored 120 points but I still think they’re going to turn him loose at some point. And the fact that Theis is out of the way just helps our case that he’s going to eventually become a baller at some point between now and the end of the season.
CJ Elleby – We still haven’t seen Josh Hart and Eric Bledsoe do their thing for their new team (the Blazers) so Elleby’s future is a bit murky. But he started and played a whopping 43 minutes for the Blazers on Wednesday, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. The arrival of Hart and Bledsoe is sure to hurt, but the Blazers also appear to be in tank mode. Elleby looks like a luxury stash until we see how this shakes out. Don’t drop anyone good to get him but keep a close eye on him on Saturday against the Knicks. The C.J. McCollum trade is why Elleby is suddenly relevant. While we’re here, Anfernee Simons looks like he might end up being the waiver-wire pickup of the year, so congratulations are in order if you grabbed him a month or so ago.
Maxi Kleber & Marquese Chriss – I’m still trying to figure out why the hell the Mavericks traded Kristaps Porzingis for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans but am starting to think Luka Doncic may have told management to get him out of Dallas at all costs. He might regret that decision later as Dinwiddie makes no sense for a team already sitting on Luka and Jalen Brunson, and Bertans is a small forward playing behind a guy getting ready to sign a huge extension in Dallas (Dorian Finney-Smith). Kleber played 27 minutes and had eight points and nine rebounds on Thursday while Chriss saw just five minutes and didn’t score. Kleber has had plenty of opportunities filling in for KP this season and has been completely hit-or-miss while doing so, while Chriss has been signed by Dallas for the rest of the season. Chriss has shown signs of life at times but now that Porzingis is gone someone is really going to have to step up for the Mavs. And I actually am more intrigued by Chriss than I am Kleber. Neither is a must-roster player at this point but one of them is going to emerge in the near future. Just keep an eye on both of them.
Trade Deadline Fantasy Losers
Richaun Holmes – As you know, the Kings acquired Domantas Sabonis from the Pacers and Holmes played just 12 useless minutes in Sabonis’ debut on Wednesday. Word on the street is that the Kings don’t plan on playing the two big men next to each other which means Holmes is now Sabonis’ towel boy. I really thought the Kings would move Holmes yesterday, as he still has a lot left in the tank, but now he’s in back up purgatory in Sacramento. It will likely take an injury to Sabonis for Holmes to become relevant and I think you make a few trade offers and then dump him. Holmes could have been a big trade-day winner but now he’s the biggest loser because the Kings couldn’t find a deal for him. It’s kind of sad.
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Derrick White – White is now looking like the sixth man for one of the better teams in the East but will likely be playing behind guys named Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown instead of starting for a bad team. His role will likely be severely decreased in Boston and I dropped him for Devin Vassell in a few leagues on Thursday afternoon. White was averaging 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.7 3-pointers in 30 minutes for the Spurs but those numbers almost have to take a hit in Boston. He’s not an automatic drop but he is a clear trade-deadline loser. If he’s the most droppable player on your roster and you have a free agent you want to pick up, do it. It will likely take an injury to Smart or Brown for him to prosper in Boston.
Spencer Dinwiddie – So the Mavericks, in desperate need of a center or power forward, or a big scorer to help Luka Doncic, traded Kristaps Porzingis for a point guard and a 6’10” small forward who likes to hang around the perimeter and heave threes (Davis Bertans), which sounds a heck of a lot like – Porzingis. I still haven’t recovered from this trade and while Bertans could play meaningful minutes and have a role in Dallas, I just don’t see a path for Dinwiddie to have much success on a team with Luka and Jalen Brunson. Dinwiddie was already one of the more frustrating point guards to roster in fantasy and his situation just took a big turn for the worse. Maybe the Mavs have some master plan to find a way to play Luka, Brunson and Dinwiddie together, but I just don’t see it. And given the fact Dinwiddie had scored seven or fewer points in five of his last seven games (with a weird triple-double thrown into the middle of it), fantasy managers already had their itchy finger on the drop trigger. There HAS to be a reason the Mavs picked up another point guard for Porzingis. I just don’t know what it is and I’m not going to hold onto Dinwiddie to try to figure it out. If they somehow move Luka to small forward and let Brunson and Dinwiddie handle the guard duties I’ll stand corrected and offer my apologies in advance. What a weird trade.
Jaxson Hayes – I really thought Hayes was about ready to take off and then he was benched on Thursday night as the Pelicans started Devonte’ Graham, C.J. McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones and Jonas Valanciunas in a loss to the Heat. Hayes only got 17 minutes off the bench and I don’t know what to say. I’m going to hang onto him for another game or two but if the minutes don’t return by the end of the weekend I’m going to move on. I really though Hayes was going to get run for the Pels but it’s also hard to argue with stifling young stud-in-the-making Jones. This is just an unfortunate situation for Hayes, who may need an injury to Jones or Valanciunas to make any more noise. Like I said, I’ll hang in there until Sunday night and then I’m out if he’s still invisible.
Chris Boucher – I got duped by a fake Chris Haynes tweet on Thursday afternoon and was celebrating Boucher’s fake trade to the Rockets. In my defense, things were incredibly hectic and I was in the midst of posting blurbs, podcasting and doing a bit on Twitter Spaces, so I was multitasking. In any case, the tweet was fake, Boucher is still in Nick Nurse’s personal jail cell and the Raptors acquired Thaddeus Young, who can play everything from small forward to center. It’s just another big for Nurse to play with and the odds of Boucher getting buried even deeper in the rotation increased significantly. Of course, Boucher played well with 16 points, five boards, a steal and a 3-pointer in 23 minutes but I’m afraid the arrival of Young might be the final nail in Boucher’s coffin for this season. I’m going to probably hold him until Young officially ruins him, but if you’ve got Boucher and want to drop him for a hot free agent it will probably work out. Dammit.
Tyrese Maxey – Any point guard you stick James Harden next to is going to take a hit. And that’s why my man Maxey is on this list. But unlike some of the other guys on this list, Maxey still has a path to success and should be held everywhere. First of all, Harden’s not fully healthy. Secondly, Maxey is still the starting point guard in Philly. A starting lineup of Maxey, Harden, Matisse Thybulle, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid is a bit scary for the rest of the league. But someone has to pass the ball to Harden, Harris and Embiid and while that guy may be James Harden half of the time, Maxey still has a chance to stay relevant. But if your starting point guards were Maxey, Dinwiddie and Derrick White, you could be in some trouble. And I might be one of those folks.
Isaiah Jackson – As if Jackson didn’t already have enough problems. A sprained ankle that we still don’t have a timetable for, Goga Bitadze and the eventual return of Myles Turner. He’s been out for four games and is iffy for Friday. When Domantas Sabonis was traded to the Kings things were looking up for Jackson but the Pacers traded Torrey Craig for Jalen Smith on Thursday. And Smith is basically a clone of Jackson, meaning the two young guns are going to compete with Bitadze, Turner and each other for minutes going forward. Indy’s front court actually looks like a mess going forward and I’m barely hanging onto Jackson where I have him. It was a bad day for guys named Jackson, as Isaiah and Jaxson Hayes both seemed to take a hit. I’d rather have Alperen Sengun that Jackson at this point.
P.J. Washington – PJW’s season would have gone much differently had he been named a starter over Mason Plumlee, but it wasn’t meant to be. And while he’s shown glimpses of big stuff off the bench for Charlotte this season the arrival of Montrezl Harrell isn’t going to help him. At all. PJW was already a very borderline hold in all formats and the arrival of Harrell makes him a big drop candidate. I’m not messing with him anywhere.
