There’s nothing better than sitting on the toilet doing morning business, and major, major trades go down. I’m talking NBA trades. Should probably avoid potty humor, right? So before this goes down the drain, let’s go through a few of the trades that went down and how it affects rotations.
Lakers: Get Mark Williams. Don’t know why the Hornets dealt him? He’s obviously going to play a ton of minutes, no change there. If you were counting on Jaxon Hayes to pick up some time, that dream ends. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope slides into the 30 minute 3 and D role, and Rui Hachimura remains a safe play.
Hornets: Moussa Diabate is the only center on the roster now, so get him. They’re in full tank mode. I wouldn’t expect LaMelo Ball back soon. Dalton Knecht will get all the minutes he can handle, as will Nick Smith. The tanking backcourt is alive! Josh Green is also going to get his final chance to see what numbers he can put up.
Warriors: Jimmy Butler is here, and presumable healthy for the rest of the season since he hasn’t played much lately. Buddy Hield will soak up most of Andrew Wiggins’ departed minutes. Gary Payton’s kid should also get 24 minutes or so. Brandon Podzeimski isn’t as good as these guys and will sit more.
Heat: Andrew Wiggins fits this versatile team like a glove. Once he learns Heat Culture at least 28 minutes will be coming. Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo will continue to start in the frontcourt; the wings are a fluid situation. I’ve moved off Nikola Jovic thinking he’s gonna be under 20 minutes, and Haywood Highsmith as well. Terry Rozier continues to be a gamble (see what I did there) on a nightly basis. So for the Heat, it’s a good real life move that kills the fantasy value of most of the guys involved.
Raptors: Brandon Ingram will try to earn his large payday north of the border, and the Raptors are trying to corner the market on somewhat disappointing 6-8 ACC alumni. He’s a lock for big minutes. No big changes for Toronto otherwise.
Pelicans: They have a BI sized hole now, which is tall but rather slim. I’m predicting a Zion Williamson trade here also (you heard it here first!) Bruce Brown and JaVonte Green can battle for his minutes to see who can make the most hustle plays without being able to shoot. Yves Missi is a large add; Daniel Theis was traded away so Missi gets all the minutes he can handle without fouling out.
Jazz: Broski’s ain’t gonna play Dennis Schroeder. Don’t worry your little heads on that one. All the Jazz will stay the same.
Bulls: Extended Lonzo Ball. They have an “Oops all guards” 2K build. Keep monitoring, a pickup could happen any time today.
Thanks for reading! If deadline day is as good as Deadline Eve it’s gonna be epic!
