X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Basketball - Veteran Free Agency Losers (Part 1): P.J. Tucker, Danilo Gallinari, Gary Payton II

fantasy basketball offseason trades free agents NBA sleepers

Antonio Losada looks at a few veteran free agents that got signed by NBA teams this summer who can be seen as potential fantasy busts ahead of the 2022-23 season, in the first and opening part of the veteran FA losers.

A key part of doing a fantasy draft is avoiding players who find themselves in a bad situation. The wrong pick can completely tank your season. On the other hand, rostering players in perfect situations can be the ultimately league-winning move for savvy fantasy GMs.

Today, let's talk about some veterans that entered Unrestricted Free Agency in early July and address their fantasy futures and situations. For whatever reason -- be it talent, lack of opportunity, chances to rack up minutes, good and bad environments, etc-- these are some players that can be very valuable on very particular roles for real-life teams, but not so much for their fantasy GMs... and also the exact opposite way in other cases. In other words, monitoring how those are handled by their new front offices and coaches leading up to tipoff night will be crucial to know how viable they will be in terms of their fantasy basketball value.

Let's look at some veterans that can be considered losers in the fantasy realm who most probably won't help their fantasy GMs, and explore their situations going forward to build their negative case.

 

Veteran Free Agency Losers - 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball

Gary Payton II, PG/SG - Portland Trail Blazers

You have to be happy about the Baby Glove. GP2 spent years fighting to get to the point he is at right now, and in a matter of three weeks, he checked the last two boxes open in his resume: winning the NBA title and filling his bag. The former, we love, the latter, not so much (in the fantasy realm only, of course!)

Payton entered free agency at the start of July and Golden State decided not to sign him to an extension. At the end of the day, you understand what the Warriors did because of where the Warriors come from. Yes, the biggest salary room+luxury taxes in the sport by a goddamn mile (approaching half a billion dollars). Kevon Looney was retained, but none other than him followed the track back to the Bay Area. GP2 signed a three-year deal with the Blazers, moving just north of Cali.

Nothing will change a lot for Payton on the court. He's a defensive menace, and he will surely make up and cover for Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons on the defensive end of play. That, though, doesn't mean he'll play more minutes than he did last year or have a larger/heavier/more solid role in the PDX. In fact, he's going from PG2 in GSW to PG2 in POR with a similarly young/up-and-coming SG next to him (Jordan Poole last season, Shaedon Sharpe next year.)

In his first season as a full-time player featuring in more than 30 games (he played 29 for the Wizards in 2020), GP2's efficiency cratered to a league-average 0.92 FP/min and he finished the year barely as a top-100 guard in fantasy leagues. He averaged a measly 16.2 FPPG and that's probably not going to change in Portland.

The addition of Jerami Grant and having a larger stable of big men around won't help his rebounding either, which has been historically good (considering he's a point guard) throughout his career. Other than keeping up his 1.4 SPG, I see no upside in drafting Gary Payton II next year.

Danilo Gallinari, SF/PF - Boston Celtics

After trading for second-tier star Malcolm Brogdon to bolster their backcourt, the Celtics took advantage of Atlanta's trade for Dejounte Murray and signed acquired-then-waived-out Gallo from the Spurs after Pop's team landed him as part of the Murray trade. To which I'd say: congrats Boston because you got an extraordinary performer on a very sweet deal. How this move affects Gallinari going forward, though, is a completely different story.

Gallo is far from his peak, of course, but he's been incredibly productive since turning 30 back in 2019 while he posted a career-high (seriously) 33.8 FPPG mark playing for the Clippers and started all 68 games he played. He kept that starting role in OKC a year later (when he moved to the PF position for the first time and where he's remained ever since) and was good for 30.5 FPPG. After that, though, Gallo's outcomes have cratered to 22.9 and 21.6 FPPG in the last two seasons as part of the Hawks franchise.

That should stay the same or even go further down in Boston with his usage and touches getting (one has to assume) hyper-limited. The Celtics lacked playmaking and shooting in the Finals and they were never beating the Warriors without that. Gallo isn't going to turn the ball over, but he won't do so mostly because he is just not tasked with creating or devising passing lines or dropping dimes.

Gallo will be out there mostly shooting spot-up shots, which he wasn't excellent at doing last season, falling from shooting 40% beyond the arc for the first time in the last four years (38.1% on 4.5 3PA per game) and hitting 43.4% of his total 9.0 FGA for the second season in a row, down from the 46.3% he hit in his career-best 2019 campaign. Gallo's getting to the NBA runner-up, but he's also doing so in an even more limited role than the one he had in Atlanta.

This man is an obvious winner in real life landing on a bona fide contender coming off a season in which the chip was this close to ending in the TD Garden rafters... but he's a loser for fantasy GMs out there looking to squeeze the last drops of his talent. More of a top-165-or-worse player than a top-65 as he was not that long ago.

P.J. Tucker, SF/PF - Philadelphia 76ers

Is the band back or what!? Shout-out Daryl Morey for bringing the Rocks Gang back together, only now organizing cheesesteak dinners in Philly. The Sixers will feature all of James Harden, P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and Trevelin Queen, all of whom of course played for the Rockets together a few years ago. Most prominently, the Harden-Tucker pairing shared the floor in the 2017-2020 span reaching its peak in the 2018 postseason when they fell 3-4 to the Warriors – yes, in that infamous 27-consecutive-three-point-shots-missed outing.

Tucker has never been quite the extraordinary fantasy player, but now that he's signed with Philly, I'm envisioning his ultimate death in the fantasy realm. Tucker's best fantasy seasons came all the way back in 2014/2015 when he got to the 91st-overall by virtue of getting top-36 and top-32 finishes at the F position while still in Phoenix. After that, he's never entered the top-100 players in any single campaign, topping at 103 in 2016 and finishing in 2022 as the top-163rd player overall.

Never say never, but it's going to be hard for Philadelphia to get out of Tobias Harris (current starting PF) early unless they see a path to the championship so clear that they pony up some first-round in any potential trade to sweeten the deal. If that doesn't happen (and it 99% won't), then Tuck is going to hit the pine head first and violently.

Tucker is a very niche player who can knock down three-point shots (career-high 41.5 3P% on 2.7 3PA per game last year in Miami) and grab some boards (5.5 in 2022). P.J. bounced back a bit in Florida last year, starting 70 of 71 games and getting a bulky 28 MPG, but you'd be better off him unless you need what he does particularly well.

Folks will look at his years in Houston next to Harden – namely, that 2020 season in which he posted a 7-6-1-1 line, 41.5/35.8/81.3 splits, and an unreasonable 21.3 PER – and drool at the possibilities. Too bad for them that Tucker is not that player anymore, much less in an Embiid-Harden-Tobi team.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy basketball mobile app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, lineup notifications & DFS articles. All free!

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Sacramento Kings

Dennis Schroder Set to Join Sacramento
Bo Bichette

Out Again on Tuesday
Trent Grisham

Likely Heading to Injured List
Boston Celtics

Luke Kornet Agrees to Contract With San Antonio
Jonas Valančiūnas

Nuggets Trade for Center Jonas Valanciunas
Royce Lewis

Twins Activate Royce Lewis
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Signs Massive Extension With Oklahoma City
Corbin Carroll

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
New York Knicks

Knicks Pick Up Guerschon Yabusele
Yordan Alvarez

Could Return Early Next Week
NFL

Negotiations on 18-Game Season Not Expected Until Next Year
Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner Leaves Indiana, Signs With Milwaukee
Kerry Carpenter

Shelved with Hamstring Issue
Tyler Boyd

Steelers Have Talked With Tyler Boyd
Milwaukee Bucks

Damian Lillard Waived By Milwaukee
Darren Waller

Coming Out of Retirement to Play for Dolphins
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Andrei Kuzmenko

Signs Up for One More Year with Kings
Morgan Geekie

Signs Long-Term Extension with Bruins
Ivan Provorov

Stays in Columbus on Seven-Year Deal
Alex Pietrangelo

Stepping Away From Golden Knights for Health Reasons
Matias Maccelli

Maple Leafs Bring in Matias Maccelli
Evan Bouchard

Inks $42 Million Contract with Oilers
Vladimir Tarasenko

Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit
Patrick Kane

Signs New One-Year Deal with Red Wings
Brad Marchand

Lands Six-Year Extension
Aaron Ekblad

Remains a Panther on Eight-Year Deal
Mitchell Marner

Heads to Vegas
Randy Arozarena

Homers Twice, Plates Four Monday
Shea Langeliers

Hits Three-Run Homer In Return From Injured List Monday
Wilyer Abreu

Belts Grand Slam and Hits Inside-the-Park Home Run
Philadelphia 76ers

Trendon Watford Lands in Philadelphia
New York Knicks

Jordan Clarkson Expected to Sign With Knicks
Zack Wheeler

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings, Punches Out 10
Santi Aldama

Remains with Grizzlies
Atlanta Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Lands in Atlanta
George Springer

Exits Early Monday With Neck Injury
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Los Angeles Clippers

Brook Lopez Strikes Deal With Clippers
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Hunter Goodman

Likely Headed to Injured List
Chicago Bulls

Tre Jones Remaining in Chicago
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Houston Rockets

Dorian Finney-Smith Signing With Rockets
Trent Grisham

Exits With Hamstring Tightness
Atlanta Hawks

Caris LeVert Joining Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Porter Jr., Bucks Reach Agreement on a New Contract
Brooklyn Nets

D'Angelo Russell Heading to Dallas
Denver Nuggets

Bruce Brown Jr. Heading Back to Denver
Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela Returning to Houston
Cameron Johnson

Traded to Denver
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Matt Chapman

Could Return for Start of Giants Homestand
Wyatt Langford

Expected to Return on Saturday
Yanquiel Fernández

Yanquiel Fernandez Called Up to Majors
Tyler Mahle

Dealing With Rotator-Cuff Strain
Austin Wells

to Miss Next Two Games
Bo Bichette

Scratched With Sore Knee
Jurickson Profar

to Return on Wednesday
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Max Homa

Misses Cut at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Lucas Glover

Finishes Tied For Ninth at Travelers Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied For Sixth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Colby Thomas

Called Up From Triple-A
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF