Wow, that deadline was incredibly fun. If you’re like me, and off work on Thursday due to snow on Saturday (gotta love NC!) you activated the old Shams notifications and were suitably entertained with deals and thoughts of deals. And of course, the fallout. Who’s going to be gaining minutes? Losing? Let’s shovel off some takes like the melting snow in a state where we’re off school five days for snow that’s melted.
For more, we gotcha covered here
My Biggest Winner
Guerschon Yabusele: Deep league special, Yabu played 33 minutes his first game in Chicago. The Bulls have very few frontcourt players (Nic Richards is another add), and the 6-7 Frenchman will get minutes. When he played 27 mpg in Philly he averaged 11/5.5/2 plus 2 treys per game. Given the Bulls fast pace, his first game results (15-11, 3-6 from deep) I expect to stand for the remainder of the season. I’ve picked him up everywhere. You should probably wait, but having watched his first game the big man is exactly what the Bulls need. Aggressive call, but I’m getting him in all leagues.
Other Winners:
Ayo Dosunmu: Moving to Minnesota is about a six hour drive from Ayo’s native Chicago, but the fit here is absolutely seamless. He should have no impact to his strong fantasy value, and long term we will benefit from his team competing for playoff seeds. It’s a great move for Ayo and his fantasy owners alike.
Luke Kennard: Kennard is leading the NBA in three point percentage at 49.8%. That’s good. The Lakers don’t need anyone else to handle the ball. What they did need, and what Kennard addresses, is a floor spacer that you can’t leave open. If the minutes are there, this is a 3-4 3PM per game player. If you need threes scoop him up.
Jonathan Kuminga: He fits the same type of profile as Jalen Johnson and that’s clearly worked out in Atlanta. Kuminga has a higher ceiling than anyone else at the 3 in Atlanta. Look for 15-20 PPG and a smattering of other goodies, albeit inefficiently played. Quinn Snyder is a good offensive coach. This is great news for Kuminga acolytes.
Tyus Jones: For some reason Jones has not gotten minutes in Phoenix last year or Orlando this year despite a continuing elite Ast/To rate. Even this year in only 15 minutes per game, Jones tallies 2.4 assists per game compared to only 0.3 turnovers. Going to Dallas, who has targeted him for a while now, maybe he gets minutes. It’s not a high end production here, but he’s capable of hitting threes and solid assist numbers with low turnovers. That’s valuable if he gets enough minutes for the volume.
Jared McCain: It’s always a good sign if the Thunder target you. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jaylen Williams both sidelined, McCain gives their offense some juice. Watch list for now, but if he’s getting more than 20 minutes worth a pickup.
Marvin Bagley: There’s not a lot of size in Dallas. He should be a deep league viable player now that he’s in a better rotation spot.
Coby White: Normally losing a starting spot is a bummer. But this time, going to a suddenly fun Hornets offense, it will help, especially with efficiency. White’s shooting is down to 43% and he’s averaging a career high 3 TO/game. Moving to a better ecosystem will help level out those numbers, even if his scoring goes down a bit. You won’t mind a few less points if the percentages go up, will you?
Losers:
Rob Dillingham: Guy needs a second chance, and gets traded to Chicago who now has five guards clearly better than he is. They don’t want to tank, so Dillingham has to earn minutes. I know it’s dumb but that’s how they roll in Chicago. The Bulls acquired Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons, and Colin Sexton, and they retained Josh Giddey and Tre Jones. If you were hoping for a Dillingham showing, this is the worst case scenario for him.
Jaren Jackson, Jr.: In theory it’s good for him to get out of Memphis. In actuality, Utah needs to keep their pick in the top 8 to keep it and will do so. In practice, this will look like a JJJ shutdown. He’s already listed with an injury, and given his history and Utah’s it’s a safe call that he’s in trouble this season.
Nikola Vucevic: The Vooch has been a bit of a cheat code in fantasy. He’s not sexy enough to get drafted high, but his role in Chicago was always good for a double double average and some threes. Blocks, well, when you have the lowest vertical in the league that’s not going to be your game. Now he’s in Boston, who actually have a defensive identity and other options. The minutes here will be the issue; Neemas Queta isn’t going to vanish. I’m in a league where I dealt Vooch for Mark Williams and while it looked rough for a while, I’m pleased. I would see if anyone believes in the role here and look to deal him away if you can.
Good weekend to keep pounding the box scores and see what shakes out. Good luck and thanks for reading!
Who would have thought that Charlotte would be considered a better ecosystem? Good for them although as a Miles Bridges owner, I am concerned about how mouths they have to feed. I grabbed Kuminga the second I heard the news and am holding my breath. Good stuff here…I like Tyus too and may add him next week once I get through a tough battle this week where I need to stream through Sunday.
Please rank top three that you would take a crack at: Tyus, Aaron Wiggins, Huff, Monk, DRob, Jarace, Hauser, YaBu, I Jax.
Context: 12 teamer, 9 cats.