Hello and welcome back to the NBA Roundtable! The NBA trade deadline of Feb. 7 is quickly approaching, so forward-thinking fantasy owners should start planning ahead now. Personally, I’m a big fan of streaming one or two of my last roster spots, but as we get closer to February I’ll change course a bit and opt for stashes that could hit the jackpot after deadline day. Tommy Beer will kick things off for us this week with his favorite stashes.
Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer)
Mitchell Robinson and Luke Kornet:
If the Knicks are unable to trade Enes Kanter before the deadline, they may buy him out so he can sign on with a team headed to the postseason. Either way, it seems unlikely that he finishes the season in New York. In addition, Noah Vonleh is a strong candidate to be traded as well. As a result, there will likely be plenty up minutes up for grabs up front in NYC. In such a scenario, both Luke Kornet and Mitchell Robinson would see all the playing time they could handle. Kornet will provide points and treys, while Mitch Rob will supply blocks and boards.
Late last season, with both Devin Booker and T.J. Warren sidelined, Josh Jackson was a fantasy force. Over the final ten games of the 2017-18 campaign, Jackson averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals in 35.5 minutes per contest. It certainly wouldn’t be shocking if Phoenix decided to tank their way home in 2018-19, which could open up increased opportunities for Jackson once again.
Nikola Vucevic will be an unrestricted free agent in July, which means the Magic have to seriously contemplate trading him in February, or risking losing their stud center for nothing. If Vooch gets moved, Bamba will step into the spotlight. This season, Bamba is averaging 13.7 points, 10.8 rebounds, 1.0 treys and 3.0 blocks per-36 minutes.
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Larry Nance Jr.
Both Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love are prime shutdown candidates. Nance may have been dropped in your league due to his sprained right MCL, but he’s already proven he can put up terrific all-around fantasy numbers when he’s healthy. If either Love or Thompson is rested late in the season, Nance’s value would immediately increase.
Jonas Nader (@JonasNader)
Gorgui Dieng- Here’s a name we don’t hear too often anymore. It’s no secret that the Wolves have been trying to unload Dieng’s contract, with $16M due in 2019-20 and $17M due in 2020-21. He’s being used exclusively as the backup center in Minnesota and he’s playing behind one of the most durable players in recent memory — Karl-Anthony Towns has yet to miss an NBA game. The last time Dieng was used consistently, he was the 52nd ranked player in 2016-17, the 53rd ranked player in 2015-16 and the 49th ranked player in 2014-15. Just throwing this out there, but the Rockets would make a lot of sense for Dieng with Clint Capela injured and they could probably snag him for a draft pick and Brandon Knight’s contract.
Mo Bamba- I’m in agreement with Tommy on this one. The Magic have an interesting decision to make regarding Vucevic, as he’s playing at an All-Star level and has been their best player by a considerable margin. Unfortunately, he’ll be 29 next season and doesn’t fit with the timeline of this team, as the Magic are nowhere close to contention in the East. Moving him for a stockpile of young assets and picks while giving Bamba the minutes he needs to develop could be a win-win for both parties. Blocks are the hardest category to find on the wire, putting Bamba in the conversation with Mitchell Robinson as the best shot-blocking stash.
Harry Giles- For those of you in deeper leagues, you’ve likely seen this name pop up on your radar recently. The Kings have been in trade talks for guys like Enes Kanter, suggesting that Willie-Cauley-Stein could be viewed as expendable since he’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason. WCS also grades out as one of the worst interior defenders despite his size/athleticism while Giles has ranked inside the top-10 for the past two weeks defending shots within six feet of the rim. I don’t think the Kings are ready to turn the center position over to Giles, but he has played well enough to earn a 20-minute role which should be enough for him to impact deeper leagues at the very least.
David Leggieri (@legsanity)
Alex Len is an interesting stash with Dewayne Dedmon most likely on the move.
Dennis Smith Jr. doesn’t appear to be in the Mavericks’ plans, which sets him up for a potential move to a place where he can start and put up good numbers.
Bobby Portis was likely snatched up in your league with the news of Wendell Carter Jr.‘s injury, but with Robin Lopez, and possibly Jabari Parker, likely on the out, Portis stands to gain a more consistent role going forward. He’s worth grabbing if he’s still available or becomes available again.
Reggie Bullock is set to become an unrestricted free agent, which makes him an interesting candidate to be moved. If so, Luke Kennard would likely step into his role in the starting unit and pick up a bunch of playing time.
Jeff Green and Markieff Morris are also set to become free agents, which means there’s a chance they’re moved. If either or both are moved, the newly acquired Sam Dekker would be thrust into a larger role.
Raphielle Johnson (@RaphielleJ)
Luke Kornet/Mitchell Robinson: Agree with Tommy on the choice of these two Knicks big men. The names of both Enes Kanter and Noah Vonleh have come up in trade rumors recently, but even if those two stick around at some point the Knicks will need to give the lion’s share of those minutes to Kornet and Robinson in order to evaluate both for the future. Kornet’s had his moments over the last month, including two 23-point performances, and his ability to step away from the basket and score gives the Knicks something they lack with either Kanter or Robinson. As for the rookie, he’ll probably be worked back into the rotation slowly as he returns from a groin injury, but his production as a shot blocker (3.8 blocks per 36 minutes) warrants a longer look once he’s deemed to be a full go minutes-wise.
DeAndre’ Bembry: While Kent Bazemore is still on the roster (trade rumors heating up), his ankle injury is partially responsible for even more playing time for Bembry (30.7 mpg since Bazemore went down, 23.3 mpg prior). The third-year wing has been solid of late, as he’s averaging 12.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 steals per while shooting 49.2% from the field over his last six games (all starts). Which players will fit best around Trae Young and John Collins as Atlanta continues with its rebuild? With Bembry under contract through next season, the coming months provide a good opportunity for the coaching staff to further evaluate the former first-round pick.
Josh Jackson: Given the injury issues that Devin Booker’s had this season, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if at some point later this season the Suns looked to cut back on his workload some. That would likely mean even more opportunities for Jackson to showcase himself and show the franchise that he can be a key part of the rebuild moving forward. In the six games prior to Tuesday’s loss to the Pacers the second-year wing averaged 15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per while shooting 49.3% from the field and 85.7% from the foul line. Not great numbers, but for a player who’s had his issues offensively since entering the league it’s a step in the right direction.
Mike Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher)
All good stashes! I have way too many Harry Giles and Mitchell Robinson shares. So happy Dave Joerger is finally playing Giles over Kosta Koufos. I’ll add some stashes in deep leagues.
Jevon Carter - He has yet to play in an NBA game and get a win with the Grizzlies going 0-11 in games with Carter in the mix. The Grizzlies are going nowhere fast with their 1-9 record in their last 10 games. Carter made his first NBA start over the weekend and is getting more minutes next to Mike Conley right now. He can’t shoot worth a lick, but he has 4.5 dimes and 2.1 steals per 36. The Grizzlies might be tanking it up to keep their top-eight protected pick from Boston, and Conley’s injury history suggests he could be a shutdown candidate.
Omari Spellman - The Hawks have suddenly shown confidence in starting Spellman at the five, including against Steven Adams. Dewayne Dedmon is a good bet to be moved, and Alex Len can’t stay on the floor. Spellman will shoot threes, and he might have an even higher offensive upside if John Collins’ ankle wears down.
Shaquille Harrison - The Bulls are fighting their hardest for a top lotto spot, and there could be some turmoil for some of the better players like Zach LaVine. Harrison has 2.6 steals per 36 this season and he plays three positions, so he has several avenues for playing time.
Jalen Brunson - He’s not there yet as far as filling up stats go, but the Mavs clearly want him to play 27-30 minutes. Wesley Matthews and Dennis Smith Jr. are on the block mostly because they want to play the Villanova rook. Brunson’s per-36 stats aren’t too strong at just 13.6 points, 3.5 boards, 4.4 dimes, 1.2 steals and 1.2 treys, but he could improve as the Mavs get thinner with their roster.
Khem Birch and Isaiah Briscoe - Birch has two blocks per 36 minutes and would likely be looking at around 20 minutes per game if Vooch is dealt. Plus, the Magic may not want to extend Bamba’s minutes too much given his newest injury right now. Briscoe just played 20 minutes on Wednesday and could get minutes in the upper 20s if the Magic totally sell everything off.
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk - The Lakers better start winning soon or we might see them sell off some guys before the deadline. Svi can shoot the lights out and dropped 47 in a G League game earlier this year, so maybe he can be a Kevin Huerter Light without the dimes.
Jonas Nader (continued)
Terry Rozier- I haven’t seen his name yet, so I figured I’d throw Terry Rozier into this conversation as well. Danny Ainge missed the boat on trading Rozier for maximum value after his impressive close to the 2017-18 season, but he’s an interesting buy-low target in real life and the thought of him playing for Orlando, Detroit or Phoenix should make fantasy owners excited. Rozier has always been more comfortable as a starter because he’s a rhythm player and the numbers back that up, so all he needs is a change of scenery.
Derrick Jones Jr.- Last but certainly not least, I’ve already stashed Derrick Jones Jr. in most of my leagues for his excellent per-minute upside in steals and blocks. Miami’s horrific rotations are holding him back, but the Heat have a bunch of laughable contracts and I expect them to be the busiest team on deadline day. When one or two roadblocks are removed, Airplane Mode will be cleared for takeoff, or in this case, mid-round fantasy value.
