Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wired, Week 16: Trade Deadline Winners & Losers
It’s been another exciting week in the Association, and this time it was punctuated by a busy NBA Trade Deadline Day! Though the day was busy in terms of quantity, it was certainly a bit lacking in terms of quality. The Mavericks made a pair of deals that should improve their roster immediately, and the Sixers added a premier scorer and shooter, but no moves made on Wednesday or Thursday were franchise-altering or even close to it.
To sum it up, the deadline… was a little lame. No Dejounte Murray deal. No Zach LaVine blockbuster. When the biggest move of the day involved writing meaningful paragraphs on Marvin Bagley III, you know what kind of day it was.
With all of that said… there is still quite a bit to unpack in terms of fantasy hoops. Sure, we don’t care about where Furkan Korkmaz or Danuel House will end up, but we’ll certainly pay attention to Charlotte’s new roster. We’ll absolutely dive into Philly’s depth chart. And we’ll take a long hard look at Dallas’ new frontcourt rotation. Winners? Losers? We’ve got plenty of them!
In addition to the numerous deals, injuries continue to pile up, but we’ve got you covered with the best fantasy basketball adds and drops of Week 16!
The format for this article will feature players who are “tired” and those who are “wired.” Tired players are those worth adding off the wire but with tempered expectations or highly rostered players who can be dropped in favor of a hot pickup. Wired players are those who are the best additions with the highest rest-of-season ceilings.
Thanks for reading! It’s going to be an exciting season bringing this column to you each and every week. LET’S GO!
The Deals
Robin Lopez traded to the Kings for cash
Fantasy impact: None
Dalano Banton traded to the Trail Blazers for a second-round pick
Fantasy impact: Banton is a deeper league add given Portland’s struggles in fielding a healthy frontcourt rotation.
Jaden Springer traded to the Celtics for a second-round pick
Loser: Springer goes from a team with a shallow bench to one of the deepest teams in the Association. Great real-life move for Springer, but this is a downgrade in fantasy hoops value.
Cory Joseph traded to the Pacers for a second-round pick and cash; waived
Fantasy impact: None
Doug McDermott traded to the Pacers for Marcus Morris, a second-round pick and cash
Fantasy impact: None
Patrick Beverley traded to the Bucks for Cam Payne and a second-round pick
Winner: Payne will have an opportunity for more minutes with a Sixers team dealing with multiple key injuries. The improvement is negligible, and Payne is still not worth rostering in 12-team leagues.
Neutral: Beverley’s value doesn’t change. He’ll provide much-needed perimeter defense for Milwaukee and likely see minutes in the mid-to-high teens, but he's a better real-life option than fantasy option.
Royce O'Neale and David Roddy traded to the Suns for three second-round picks, Yuta Watanabe traded to the Grizzlies
Winner: Royce O’Neale has averaged fewer than 25 minutes per game with Brooklyn, but he could see a little more run with Phoenix thanks to his defense and floor spacing.
Loser: David Roddy is going to be buried on the depth chart, which was not the case in Memphis.
P.J. Washington traded to the Mavericks for Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a first-round pick
Winner: P.J. Washington, Grant Williams and Seth Curry should all see increased run for their new teams. Williams and Curry will have far less competition for touches, and Washington’s role should be more consistent while playing alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Washington is a must-roster option, while Williams is an end-of-the-bench guy in 12-team leagues, and Curry is a deep-league option.
Loser: Derrick Jones Jr. will likely cede some minutes to the newly acquired Washington, and DJJ doesn't belong on fantasy rosters.
Spencer Dinwiddie traded to the Raptors for Dennis Schroder and Thaddeus Young; Dinwiddie waived by Raptors, Young waived by Nets
Winners: Dennis Schroder should get a small boost as he’s got a chance to start for Brooklyn. Gary Trent Jr. should remain with the starting five in Toronto or at least push for 30 minutes off the bench now that Schroder is no longer around.
Daniel Gafford traded to the Mavericks for Richaun Holmes and a future first-round pick
Winners: Richaun Holmes and Marvin Bagley III are both in line for expanded minutes. Bagley III will presumably be the Wizards’ starter, but Holmes could see meaningful minutes off the bench. Bagley III is out Friday, and we could get our first taste of Holmes in a Washington uniform. Holmes is worth adding at minimum as a Friday streamer with the potential to hold value beyond that.
Losers: Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and Maxi Kleber are all likely to see their minutes reduced, with Kleber the most likely to fall out of the rotation completely. Lively II is dealing with a nasal fracture and is expected to miss the Mavericks’ next two games at minimum. Gafford should post monster numbers when Lively II is out, but when both are healthy, they’ll likely cannibalize one another’s minutes.
Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks traded to the Knicks for Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn and two second-round picks
Winners: Ausar Thompson’s and Quentin Grimes’ fantasy values are on the rise following this trade. Grimes goes from a loaded Knicks team to a rebuilding and shallow Pistons squad, and he should see more run for his new team. Is it finally time to free Thompson? Will he return the same value he did to start the season?
Losers: Josh Hart, Precious Achiuwa, Donte DiVincenzo and Alec Burks could all see reductions in fantasy value after this move. In the short term, Hart and DiVincenzo may not see a big shift in minutes now that OG Anunoby is out for at least three weeks, but the arrival of Bogdanovic means Achiuwa’s brief run as a fantasy-relevant option is likely at an end.
Danuel House traded to the Pistons for a second-round pick; waived by Detroit
Fantasy impact: None
Gordon Hayward traded to the Thunder for Tre Mann, Davis Bertans and Vasilije Micic
Winner: Tre Mann could be in line for big minutes down the stretch of silly season, as LaMelo Ball is a prime shutdown candidate.
Losers: Gordon Hayward was a drop candidate before this trade went down, but he’s even further off the fantasy map now that he’s been dealt to a much better team.
Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Raptors for Kira Lewis, Otto Porter and a 2024 first-round pick
Winners: Kelly Olynyk, Taylor Hendricks, John Collins and Walker Kessler are all in line for more minutes after alleviating (to some degree) Utah’s frontcourt logjam. Hendricks in particular figures to see a massive bump in fantasy value moving forward.
Losers: Ochai Agbaji and Jontay Porter will now have more competition for minutes, and neither are anywhere close to the fantasy map at this point. They were barely on the radar before this deal was struck.
Buddy Hield traded to the 76ers for Marcus Morris, Furkan Korkmaz and three second-round picks; Korkmaz waived by Indiana
Winners: Hield is seeing his fewest points, rebounds, triples and minutes in seven seasons, and he goes from a loaded team to a shallow team that is desperately in need of his services. Expect a spike in playing time and production.
Losers: Morris and Korkmaz lose whatever scrap of fantasy value they were clinging to before this trade.
Monte Morris traded to the Timberwolves for Shake Milton, Troy Brown and a second-round pick
Fantasy impact: None
Xavier Tillman traded to the Celtics for Lamar Stevens and two second-round picks
Winners: GG Jackson and Santi Aldama should see even more minutes moving forward with both Tillman and David Roddy gone.
Losers: Tillman will be backing up Kristaps Porzingis and fighting for minutes with Al Horford and Luke Kornet. He had far less competition for minutes in Memphis.
Simone Fontecchio traded to the Pistons for Kevin Knox, 2024 second-round pick
Winners: Talen Horton-Tucker, Kris Dunn and Keyonte George could all get bumps in playing time following Fontecchio’s departure… or Utah could just lean even more heavily on its starters. It’s hard to tell what the rotations will look like moving forward, so keep an eye on minutes distribution in upcoming games. Fontecchio’s value is mostly the same, though it could get a slight bump here.
Losers: None
Pickups in Order of Priority
Ausar Thompson
GG Jackson
Andre Drummond
Amen Thompson
Brandin Podziemski
Marvin Bagley III
Taylor Hendricks
Ayo Dosunmu
Tre Mann
Kelly Olynyk
Richaun Holmes
Corey Kispert
Tired: Zach LaVine 58%
Wired: Ausar Thompson 57% ⚡
LaVine underwent season-ending surgery earlier in the week, yet he’s still rostered in more than half of Yahoo leagues. If you’re still holding him, consider this your wake-up call to drop him in favor of a player who will take the court again this season.
Bojan Bogdanovic is gone! Hallelujah! Will we finally get the Ausar Thompson of the first month of the season? That guy was phenomenal, racking up stellar rebound totals and elite defensive stats, but since Uncle Bogey returned and took his spot in the starting five, Thompson has struggled to find consistent playing time or production. Detroit’s injury report rivals the longest CVS receipt, so there should be plenty of minutes available for the rookie moving forward.
Tired: Russell Westbrook 75%
Wired: Marvin Bagley III 33% ⚡
Westy is logging just 22.8 minutes per game this season, and his production has been lackluster at best. He’s ranked just inside the top 200 in per-game fantasy value, and his counting stats are no longer enough to overcome his poor efficiency and relatively high turnovers.
Bagley III started his Washington tenure out on the right foot by averaging 20.5 points, 11.5 boards, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in his first two games with the franchise (both starts). Since then, he’s come off the bench in six straight to average 13.8 points and 7.3 boards across 19.7 minutes. With Daniel Gafford gone, this should be Bagley III’s backcourt moving forward.
Tired: Shaedon Sharpe 61%
Wired: Richaun Holmes 5% ⚡
The promising second-year man was hot to start the season, but he’s now missed 14 in a row and will undergo surgery for a core muscle injury. He has no timeline for return and given how late it is in the season and how far out of playoff contention the Blazers are, there’s no reason for the team to rush him back. His fantasy season is almost certainly over. Feel free to drop him.
From 19-20 to 21-22, Holmes averaged 12.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on 64.6% shooting across 27.1 minutes for the Kings, delivering 3-5th round value in that span. He’s not going to post numbers that big in Washington so long as Bagley III is healthy, but he should see more minutes than he did in Dallas. Holmes is a Bagley III injury away from a monster role.
Tired: Tari Eason 44%
Wired: Amen Thompson 31% ⚡
Eason will miss Friday’s matchup with the Raptors, which will be his 20th straight absence. He’s still got no timeline for return, and fantasy managers do not need to hang onto him. He was a borderline 12-team league guy before getting hurt, so he can be dropped now in favor of our next guy.
Thompson is ranked just outside the top 100 in per-game fantasy hoops value over the last 3 weeks, and his stock is rapidly rising. He’s averaged 12.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across 23.8 minutes over his last four outings, and in two starts, he’s posted two double-doubles. Thompson averaged 14.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 blocks across 33 minutes in that pair of starts. With Fred VanVleet set to miss multiple games, Thompson is a must-add.
Tired: Gordon Hayward 53%
Wired: Tre Mann 2% ⚡
Hayward hasn’t been a guy to roster in quite some time due to his extensive injury history and current ailment. His move from the rebuilding and cellar-dwelling Hornets to an up-and-coming top Western Conference team in OKC is a great one for his career, but it means he’ll see less run and production moving forward. Hayward is not someone to roster in fantasy hoops.
Mann, oh Mann! LaMelo Ball is a shutdown candidate, and Terry Rozier is a member of the Miami Heat. Ball is set to be sidelined on Friday, which will mark his eighth straight absence. He’s played only 22 games this season, and Charlotte’s backcourt could user some help. Mann has averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.2 triples in 31 career games as a starter, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he turned into a silly-season hero post-All-Star-Break.
Tired: Mark Williams 75%
Wired: Kelly Olynyk 26% ⚡
It feels like we’re beating a dead horse at this point, but Williams will sit out Friday and miss his 31st straight game due to a lingering back injury. Charlotte has been tight-lipped about his status from week to week, and there’s still no timeline on a potential return. Why would you waste a roster spot on Williams when there are so many quality options on the waiver wire?
Big Kelly O has taken a big step back in playing time this season, but he’s still averaging 8.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists (career high) and 56.2 FG% (career high) in just 20.4 minutes. Toronto’s depth chart is mighty thin, particularly in the frontcourt, so Olynyk should be in line for expanded minutes and production. He’s worth a look, especially if you play in a deeper league.
Tired: Desmond Bane 97%
Wired: GG Jackson 11%, Santi Aldama 26% ⚡
Bane is set to be re-evaluated after the All-Star Break, but he’s shown tremendous progress in his recovery. Even if he beats his initial timeline to return to the court, there’s no way the Grizzlies give him big minutes or play him every night to close out the season. Memphis is not going to make the playoffs, and it would do the team more harm than good to be competitive in games late in this lost season.
David Roddy and Xavier Tillman were moved at the deadline, so it’s time to go and get one of these two dudes! GG Jackson has averaged 15.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks and 2.6 triples across 27.6 minutes in nine starts this season. He could see a lot more starts down the stretch. Aldama has averaged 10.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.3 triples in 28.0 minutes across his last eight appearances. Jackson went off for a career-best performance Thursday with 27 points, nine rebounds and four triples. This is just a glimpse of what he can do to close out silly season in fantasy hoops.
Tired: Herb Jones 53%
Wired: Brandin Podziemski 49% ⚡
Believe it or not, Jones was posting first-round value thanks to monster defensive contributions. He’s fallen off spectacularly, and over his last eight, he’s averaged just 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists with 0.9 combined blocks and steals. He’s ranked outside the top 150 in that span, as he continues to trend down. There’s no reason to continue rostering him.
Podziemski has been balling as of late, and he’s ranked inside the top 60 in per-game fantasy hoops value over the last week. In that span, he’s averaged 11.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.0 steals. He’s getting it done as a rebounder and facilitator to go with some serviceable points and steals.
Tired: Jaden McDaniels 45%
Wired: Taylor Hendricks 2% ⚡
McDaniels is ranked outside the top 200 over the last three weeks, and he’s just inside the top 180 on the season overall. He’s averaged just 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 triples over his last nine games, and those types of numbers just don’t cut it for a competitive fantasy basketball team.
Hendricks has been buried on Utah’s depth chart, but the rookie has a chance to take on more playing time and more responsibilities to close out the season. He’s been solid in limited action, and Hendricks averages 12.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.4 blocks and 2.4 triples per 36 minutes.
Tired: Aaron Gordon 83%
Wired: Corey Kispert 12% ⚡
AG is ranked just inside the top 170 over the last three weeks. He’s a reliable scorer and rebounder, though his numbers are not elite in either category. He doesn’t hit many threes, his defensive contributions are sparse, and his FT% is dreadful. He’s not a must-roster option, though his 83% roster percentage would have you thinking otherwise.
Don’t look now, but Kispert is a top 85 player over the last week behind averages of 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.3 triples on 54.3/80 shooting splits. Jordan Poole has been so bad lately that the home crowd in DC has been booing him, but fortunately, Kispert has been there to provide an offensive spark. He’s mostly a points and threes guy, but the numbers in those categories have been good enough to keep him on the radar in 12-team leagues.
Tired: Saddiq Bey 51%
Wired: Andre Drummond 39% ⚡
Bey has averaged just 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 triples while shooting under 39% from the floor over his last 11 contests. He’s ranked outside the top 160 in that span, and though he’s had some improved offensive games over the last week with Clint Capela out of action, Bey’s production is inconsistent. There are better options out there.
Surprisingly, Drummond was not moved at the deadline, though he’s still got plenty of fantasy value as Nikola Vucevic’s backup. Drummond started Tuesday alongside Vooch to go against the size of Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, and he posted 16 points, 16 boards and four blocks. He came off the bench and played 31 minutes Thursday to deliver 21 points, 13 boards and a swat. With Chicago’s rotation thinner than ever due to the absences of Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams, Drummond could see big minutes moving forward. He’s a must-add.
Others: Ayo Dosunmu, Cody Martin, Marcus Sasser, Andre Drummond, Peyton Watson, Miles McBride, Keyonte George, Kris Dunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Paul Reed, Gary Trent Jr.
