NBA

Grant isn’t eligible to be traded until January 15th, but that gives Portland about a month to move him before the trade deadline in February. Grant should start the season as the primary scoring option in Portland, which should lead to real fantasy success. However, if he ends up dealt to a contender, his production would likely drop significantly. They signed him to a massive five-year, $160 million deal, so we’ll have to see what contenders could be interested in bringing in that lengthy contract.

Oladipo has struggled mightily to remain healthy since rupturing the quad tendon in his right knee in 2019. The most significant injury since then was a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee in late April during Game 4 of Miami’s first-round series against the Bucks. With the Thunder having a roster loaded with young talent that needs to play, there would not have been much room for Oladipo had he been fully healthy. In fact, Presti also said during his press conference that the team will have to make a decision on Oladipo’s contract when the time comes. So, don’t expect to see him in a Thunder jersey once medically cleared to play.

Hampton, waived by the Pistons in late June, was a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He appeared in 47 games for the Magic and Pistons last season, averaging 6.4 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 16.0 minutes. Hampton is unlikely to get the minutes needed to be of value to fantasy managers, but this contract gives him another opportunity to solidify his place in the NBA.

Leonard and George had their 2022-23 seasons come to a premature end due to knee injuries, with the former having undergone what was described as a “clean-up procedure” in late June. Frank saying that both are healthy and had “extremely productive offseasons” is good to hear, but we’ve been down this road before. Leonard has reached the 60 games played mark once since his final season in San Antonio (2017-18), while George hasn’t hit or exceeded that mark since 2018-19. Both should be productive enough to offer top-25 fantasy value when healthy, but the availability concerns will impact their respective draft placements.

Little and Johnson had little fantasy value heading into this season on a rebuilding Blazers roster, and their fantasy value is nearly non-existent now that they’ve landed with a title contender. Jabari Walker and Kris Murray could find more playing time now on an even thinner Portland team.

Allen played big minutes for Milwaukee last season, and while his three-and-D skills were helpful to the Bucks in the real world, they didn’t translate to meaningful fantasy production. Allen’s role will surely be diminished with his new team, and there’s no guaranteed playing time off the bench after the Suns retooled in the offseason and added more shooters. There’s no reason to draft Allen in fantasy hoops this season unless you’re playing in a deep league. Malik Beasley looks quite appealing as a late-round flyer, and he may have the inside track to a starting job with the new-look Bucks in 2023-24.

Nurkic has had trouble staying on the court over the last four seasons, and even though he has a fantasy-friendly skillset as a shot-blocker and quality passing big man, the move to Phoenix is a downgrade. He’ll go from a rebuilding roster to a title contender featuring some of the league’s best scorers, which means his already-shaky fantasy value takes a hit. He’s certainly worth a flyer outside the top 100, but don’t get your hopes up too high.

Ayton will have a new coach to squabble with out in the Pacific Northwest as he suddenly finds himself on a rebuilding Portland roster. From a real-world NBA perspective, it’s a massive downgrade for the big man, but for fantasy? It’s a boost in value! Ayton will not be playing alongside a Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Instead, he’ll be one of the “veteran” players in the locker room of a team whose core is comprised of rookie Scoot Henderson and second-year man Shaedon Sharpe among others. Jusuf Nurkic was dealt to Phoenix, leaving Ayton with little competition for touches at center.

Portland also received a 2029 first-round pick from Milwaukee and a pick swap as part of the blockbuster trade. Holiday recently noted that he’d like to finish his career with Milwaukee, but Giannis Antetokounmpo asked for help, Dame asked for a trade, and Holiday is unfortunately part of the fallout. The veteran point guard is perennially a top-35 fantasy option, and if he commands 30+ minutes a night in Portland, that’s unlikely to change. The biggest loser here is Scoot Henderson, who now has to share the backcourt with Holiday, but Woj reports that the Blazers will try to trade Holiday to a contender. Doing so will make the most sense for a Portland team looking to develop its young core, but the jury is out on Holiday’s and Scoot’s fantasy values until that happens.

Well, that was unexpected. After requesting a trade more than a month ago, Lillard is on his way to Milwaukee, where he’ll form a superteam with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who made his feelings about staying with the Bucks clear not long ago. Jrue Holiday and Deandre head to the Blazers in the deal, while Phoenix gets Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. Lillard should play big minutes for his new team, and his fantasy value isn’t likely to take a big hit. He should still be expected to post first or second-round numbers based on his scoring, shooting and assist numbers.