Basketball is back baby! The NBA season returns from the All-Star Break tonight after four-and-a-half months off… Maybe hyperbolic, but certainly feels that way!
And right as games start, we’ve got the NBA Trade Deadline passing this afternoon at 3:00 PM EST. That was fast! We’ve got a big day of trade analysis, with a live post that will go up around 1:00 PM-ish EST and get frequently updated to track all of the last-minute trades as they go down, then a slightly later podcast record time with our special edition Trade Deadline Razzball Basketball Podcast up sometime around 4:00-4:30 PM EST. It’s all hoops all afternoon!
With these big changes about to ripple through the fantasy hoops landscape, the biggest news from over the break is probably the most anti-climatic – Carmelo Anthony has been officially shutdown. “3P0 – Shut down all the garbage smashers on the detention level!” “No! Shut them ALL down, hurry!” Pretty apt to The Poppycockers shituation, amiright?! We’ve known Melo was about to be Melba Toast sometime around the break, and now the swift gavel of realism has hit (huh? weird metaphor day! I’m rusty OK?!). Langston Galloway, who has probably been picked up in most leagues (and subsequently dropped in some after struggling) should likely be scooped up. He’s not going to do anything too special, but his career-high in shots (19) was in a Melo-less game and should give you some low-TO guard stats. Tim Hardaway Jr. also gets a bit of a boost, but he does absolutely nothing beyond score and trey. Would be a nice, high-minute ThrAGNOF! But those ain’t got no face… So I’m not married to Timmy J at all even if he starts hot with Melo now gone. Here’s what else has gone down since we left for the break:
Goran Dragic – Hot PG name on the block #1! I don’t blame him for wanting out of Phoenix, he’s the Suns best player! Maybe Hornacek is mad that his shorts aren’t short enough… The Dragon is uncomfortable with the situation in Phoenix, and feels like he’ll be warm and snuggly with Khaleesi somewhere else. The mix of the Knicks, Lakers and Heat are the biguns after Dragic and hot PG #2, and he’d obviously get a nice boost if moved. While it sounds pretty likely, we’ve seen more likely trades seem close and not go through. Isaiah Thomas would get a monster boost – he shouldn’t be available anywhere anyway – but I think Gerald Green is the big benefactor on Phoenix. Yes, Green, the guy I hated on all last year! Could be the Green we saw last year in a 25ish minute bench role.
Reggie Jackson – Hot PG name on the block #2! At least we think… RJax’s agent has asked for a trade before the deadline, but maybe OKC will force him to contribute off the bench in their playoff push. It certainly doesn’t help they started so slow and need all hands on deck. Knicks, Lakers and Heat remain the big kahunas in the sweepstakes, but Slim thinks the chances of RJax getting moved are… well, slim. We’ll keep you updated on the live post!
Jrue Holiday – Ughhhhh. Way to damper an exciting day… Re-aggravated his stress reaction in his leg to re-aggravate the stress levels of Jrue owners… He’s going to get re-evaluated – not return – in three weeks which makes him close to unownable in H2H leagues. Best-case scenario to me is he gets back sometime in the fantasy playoffs while being on a minutes limit. No thankee! Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans will continue to man down the combo gaurd minutes, but Toney Douglas remains mad interesting. Just signed his second 10-day deal and is a near lock to be signed for the year with the blue Jrue news. And Reke and Gordon are both big injury risks, which would make extra-E Toney a must-own.
Thaddeus Young – Talks have heated up he could get moved to Brooklyn for Kevin Garnett. Definitely pulled a Sheila Broflovski “what what what?!” when I saw that! KG returning to his roots makes some sense considering he wants to buy them one day… Some picks and big money will have to be involved here.
Kevin Seraphin – Another rumored guy heading to the Wolves in a possible swap for Anthony Bennett. I love me some Frenchaphin! If both of these went down, Seraphin could easily start at PF if Flip wants to keep Gorgui Dieng playing backup C to Nikola Pekovic. Which might get Seraphin a lot of hate mail from Dieng Train owners!
Arron Afflalo – Probably the most sure-fire guy to get traded this afternoon. And most sure-fire guy to be dropped in most leagues. Likely heading into a 6th man role wherever he lands, Wilson Chandler could also get shipped off opening a ton of minutes at SG and SF. Danilo Gallinari should get a boost if both happen, but don’t sleep on Randy Foye. Hah, just like Gerald Green, a scrubby SG I slammed on last year! But if Foye is healed up with this extra time off, they could start him again…
Ty Lawson – The Nugs really want to deal, and Lawson is a big name on their trading block. Brian Shaw is hoping to get George Hill from the Pacers, and also trying to shorten his already thin-ice tenure. I mean, Hill for Lawson?! Does Shaw not watch the Nuggets play?! Lawson is all they have! And to only get George Hill?! Smh.
Thomas Robinson – Poor TRob is having more trouble sticking than uncooked pasta to the wall. Bad metaphor day continues! Likely a part of a deal to maybe get one of those Nugs guys – either Afflalo or Chandler.
Amar’e Stoudemire – Cut by The Poppycockers to play for the Dallas Oldmanners. Seriously, the average age of that team would rival a Bridge parlor! Should get some decent backup PF/C minutes, but nothing too interesting.
Paul George – Yeah, I’m not going here. I know he’s been a hot pickup saying he’s hoping to return mid-March, but like Holiday, best-case to me is he comes back during the H2H playoffs off the bench in a minutes restriction. Roto leaguers with a big cushion, sure maybe you get a tad more out of him if you’re not stashing any other injuries.
Larry Sanders – Dude, what a life. You get signed for $44 million dollars, barely play in the first year of it then play even less in the 2nd year and got bought out. He’s got some personal things to work out though, which I commend. May never play in the NBA again…
John Henson – Would get some solidity to his role, but the Bucks have been dangling him in the trade market! Zaza Pachulia for 48 minutes every night!
Jordan Hill – Looks like he’ll be back from the hip. His hip don’t lie! Be sure he’s owned in your league – a lot of owners probably jumped hip.
Streamers/Cheap Daily League Picks:
Spencer Hawes (43% owned) – Whoa, a little surprised Samurai Spence is still owned in so many leagues, but tonight is a nice one! Blake Griffin is recovering nicely but is still out, giving Hawes a nice big man matchup against the Spurs. Sure he’s more a stretch big than the post guys that tend to ravage San Antonio inside, but I see a good game.
Dion Waiters (38% owned) – I know, I know, I usually pick lesser-owned guys – at least one of them – but it’s only two games tonight of pretty rotation-locked teams. If RJax is indeed moved, Waiters should have a boatload of minutes with the second unit as the pure 6th man, and if not he still has good enough streaming upside for a fairly available guy.
