Well, that escalated quickly! On the eve of Trade Deadline Day, the Lakers, Wolves and Jazz orchestrated a blockbuster, three-team deal. Russell Westbrook was dealt to the Jazz, but he’s expected to secure a buyout and sign elsewhere. The Bulls and Clippers are reportedly interested in pursuing him.
ESPN Sources: The Lakers are finalizing deal to land Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade including Mike Conley and picks to Timberwolves and Russell Westbrook and a lightly protected 2027 LA first-round pick to Jazz.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
Rob Pelinka pulled off highway robbery by adding D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley while trading Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and just one future first-round pick. The Timberwolves landed Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, while the Jazz ended up with JTA and Jones in addition to Westbrook and his expiring contract.
The Lakers are huge winners as they try to claw their way back into the playoff picture, while it feels like Minnesota got fleeced yet again. The Jazz will clear some salary after the likely buyout of Russ, and they’ll unload guys who clearly didn’t fit with their long-term plans in Conley and Vandy.
Make sure to check out our live NBA Trade Deadline Reactions Q&A show on Thursday, February 9 at 5PM EST!
Fantasy winners of Lakers, Wolves, Jazz trade
Collin Sexton (63%)
Could he finally be a full-time starter and show us some of the “Young Bull” upside we’ve been waiting on? He averaged 24 points per game in his last fully healthy season with the Cavaliers, so there’s reason to be optimistic.
Talen Horton-Tucker (1%), Leandro Bolmaro (0%), Ochai Agbaji (1%)
All three will have a chance to make an impact with Beasley out the door, but which of these players will be the best fantasy option?
Malik Beasley (43%)
The Lakers sorely need his three-point shooting, so he should see plenty of minutes with his new team. He should be a top-100-ish player for the rest of the season, and he’s worth picking up in all formats.
Jaylen Nowell (6%):
Yes, Father Christmas had himself a night in Salt Lake City, scoring a career-high 30 points and matching his career-high in triples with six. Nowell got the starting nod with D’Angelo Russell (ya know, the guy who was traded?) out, and while Mike Conley has been added to the fold, there’s no guarantee he stays healthy or stays in Minnesota’s plans down the stretch. Nowell has been solid when given additional opportunities, so he’s absolutely worth a flier after this huge night. More minutes may be in store with Russell out of the picture.
Fantasy losers:
Jarred Vanderbilt (56%)
Vandy is the biggest loser to come out of this deal, as he’ll go from fairly stable minutes in Utah to uncertainty in a talented Lakers frontcourt that already features Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis. Both Hachimura and Bryant will likely see a dip in playing time to accommodate Vandy’s arrival, so all three players lose.
Neutral/Unknown:
Russell Westbrook
Westbrook’s fantasy value can’t be pinned down entirely until we find out if he’s going to be bought out by Utah and where he’ll sign following that buyout. Wherever he ends up, it’s highly unlikely he improves his poor shooting or commits fewer turnovers, so his value isn’t likely to move too much in either direction.
A smaller deal got done too, and the night was filled with excitement!
The Trail Blazers traded Josh Hart to the Knicks for Cam Reddish and a first-round pick. Hart should continue to see plenty of run on his new team, and his fantasy value is unlikely to change much.
The Knicks are trading Cam Reddish and a protected future first-round pick to the Blazers for Hart, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/whB5mS8lfs
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
Cam Reddish (4%) played well as a starter earlier this season, but he’s fallen out of New York’s rotation as of late. Hart’s departure frees up plenty of minutes for the incoming Reddish, Gary Payton II (7%) and Nassir Little (1%).
Now that we’ve gotten those deals out of the way, here are some viable pickups on the eve of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Top Pickups
Sam Hauser (1%)
Hauser posted 14 points and eight boards across 20 minutes Wednesday, and he could see some additional playing time moving forward with Jaylen Brown sidelined through at least the All-Star break. Brown is dealing with a facial fracture, so Hauser and Derrick White (19 points, six boards, three dimes, two blocks, three triples) will be asked to handle heftier workloads. Hauser posted 15 points, five triples and six boards when he filled in for Brown on Monday.
Josh Green (24%)
Green went off for a career-best 29 points in Monday’s win over Utah, leading the shorthanded Mavs to an improbable road victory. In seven games with at least 30 minutes, he posted 17.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 dimes, 1.0 steals and 2.1 triples while shooting 62.5% from the floor.
Eric Gordon (30%)
Gordon has been hot on offense as of late, averaging 23.3 points and 2.3 triples across his last four games. He’s added 5.8 dimes and 1.8 steals in that span, delivering solid fantasy value sans Kevin Porter Jr. KPJ remains without a timeline for return, so Gordon is worth an add.
Dwight Powell (11%)
He’s averaged 11.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across his last two contests, and he’s worth a speculative pickup in case he continues to see significant playing time.
Donte DiVincenzo (48%)
No Stephen Curry? No problem, because it’s DiVincenzo time! Over his last three (all off the bench), the Big Ragu has posted 13.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.3 dimes, 1.0 steals and 3.7 triples. His numbers in 12 starts have been similarly useful, and whether playing with the first unit or providing a spark off the bench, his playing time should be in the 25-30 minute range for as long as Curry is sidelined.
Isaiah Stewart (53%)
Since re-joining the starting lineup, Stewart’s averaged 11.0 points, 11.0 boards, 2.7 dimes and 1.0 triples. He’s available in nearly half of Yahoo leagues.
KJ Martin Jr. (40%)
In 14 straight games prior as a starter, Martin has averaged 14.0 points and 7.8 boards on 58.3% shooting across 31.5 minutes per contest. He should continue to start for as long as Kevin Porter Jr. is out.
Gabe Vincent (7%)
In seven starts, he’s averaged 16.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.7 triples while shooting 50.7% from the floor. Kyle Lowry is on the block and could be moved by Thursday’s deadline, which means GV could be in line for a full-time starting gig soon.
Jaden Hardy (3%)
It will be tough to carve out a meaningful role in a rotation that includes Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić, but Hardy’s career-high 29 points scored in Monday’s win are worth a second look. If you have room on your bench and want to shoot for the moon, he’s a fine add.
Deni Avdija (49%)
He’s been a top-100 guy over the last two weeks behind averages of 14.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 triples. Rui Hachimura isn’t walking back through those doors, so pick up the Israeli forward for solid ROS production.
