Well, I didn’t predict any of these trades yesterday. What I should have done is write this article this morning, and backdate it so I looked really smart.
Now, for some winners and losers, not team version. There’s a lot of those. Here’s some guys to pick up or drop based on yesterday’s moves (or non moves)
Winner Winner Chicken Dinners
Tre Mann, now on the Hornets who by the way released all their guards yesterday, has a chance to cement the starting 2 position for years to come in Charlotte. He’s got unlimited runway to this job if he’s good. And yes, he can be really good! I’d get him now if you have the space. If not, wait a bit and pounce when the minutes rise up. This is a when it happens situation, not a maybe one. He’s a key pickup for the end of the season.
I’ve talked about Andre Drummond in this space in the recent past. His minutes are on the rise as the Bulls are beginning to roll out a two towers lineup. Yes, Drum and Nikola Vucevic jump about as high and are as mobile as most towers, but the production for Drummond is hard to ignore. He’ll continue to produce prodigious per minute rebounds and FG % while tanking your free throws. Drummond is going to be helpful for the rest of the year now that he hasn’t been traded.
Gordon Heyward: Hmmm. Not sure about him actually. Just monitor him, if he beats out Josh Giddey, and he’s a better player when healthy, pounce like Josh at a senior prom.
Royce O’Neal: He’s a good 3 and D specialist now in Phoenix. Probably get 25 minutes or so per game, and is a great streamer during the plethora of injury off days. Decent pickup if you have the room
Daniel Gafford: Moves into a timeshare at C with Derrick Lively, who is the future, but could produce double double numbers with blocks to boot until Lively gets back. Could stick as the starter for the rest of the season.
Grant Williams: Going to get 30 minutes in his hometown of Charlotte. 2 3PM and good rebounds and assist numbers forthcoming.
Tried to keep it away from the obvious ones here, maybe something to think about?
Loser Loser Carlos Boozer
Spencer Dinwiddie just lost a starting job and then got bought out. That’s not a good career arc. It’s like being a principal and then demoted to part time custodian.
Gary Trent, Jr. Pending free agent and they just traded for Ochai Agbaji, probably means he’s gone, which probably means his minutes are going to dwindle.
Bogjan Bogdanovic: Not a Thibs guy, temporary value but when they’re at full health he’s a 20 minute guy at the most.
