👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Making Sense Of The NBA Trade Deadline

We should have known better when we thought that things were a bit too quiet last week. The NBA has taught us again and again near the trade deadline that bombs can be dropped at any given moment and usually, it's in a way we don't expect.

This was the case when it came to last year's blockbuster trade of DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans, and it happened again this year with the Clippers, seemingly out of nowhere, dealing Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons.

As we prep for a week of Wojbombs and Shamwows, let's take a minute to digest what's already gone down and the impact that those moves will have for fantasy.

Featured Promo: New Novig users get a $25 purchase match (50% discount up to $25) on your first Novig deposit, and 6 free months of RotoBaller's "Big-4" Premium Pass (NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL) which includes exclusive tools for Betting, Props, DFS and more! CLAIM IT NOW

 

Blake Griffin Moves North

The Deal:

Pistons acquire: Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson, Willie ReedClippers acquire: Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a protected 2018 first-round pick, a future second-round pick

Winners:

SG/SF Stanley Johnson, SG Luke Kennard (Detroit Pistons): With Avery Bradley being out in the Griffin mega-deal, the 31.7 minutes a game that the departing wing was playing need to be distributed, and these two guys are the first in line to absorb the bulk of it. Stanley Johnson has been a disappointment so far in his young career due to absolutely atrocious shooting. That won't change, but with 30+ minutes a game, Johnson can almost act like a Robert Covington lite - A sizable source of steals and 3s for a punt FG% team.

Kennard is looking at minutes in the high-20s, and the impact this trade will have on him is a bit more murky. The rookie has the skills to be more than just a 3-point specialist, and whether he can become that this season is dependent on how much trust Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy has in the kid to let him handle the ball more and be more involved in creating offense for the second unit. That extra involvement can be the difference between Kennard being a streamer/deep league guy versus a standard league guy.

Reggie Bullock is also worth mentioning -- he was already starting alongside Bradley, and now slots into Bradley's spot at the 2 with Johnson at the 3. His minutes aren't really changing from what they already had been for much of December and January, but they're more secure, and he's had a hot hand (shooting 45% from 3 on the year), so he's worth owning in a lot of leagues.

C Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons): The underrated aspect of the trade working for the Pistons is the fact that Blake Griffin is a significantly better playmaker than Tobias Harris was. With Blake looking to playing a Point Forward type role, Detroit's off-ball players will get better looks than they did previously, and the giant Griffin/Drummond pick and roll will be all kinds of fun to watch. Drummond seems to be excited to team up with Blake, and there's no reason to expect his fantastic season to lose any steam after this trade.

SF/PF Tobias Harris (Los Angeles Clippers)With DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams looking to be on the way out, Tobias Harris is in line to be the Clippers go to guy going forward and should have every opportunity to thrive as the de facto number one option. Harris should see an increase in rebounds once Jordan gets moved, as Drummond was a vacuum on the boards suppressing the numbers of his teammates.

SG Avery Bradley (Los Angeles Clippers): Avery Bradley was having a down season in Detroit, and the change of scenery should be good for the guard. He saw his rebound numbers drop significantly with the move from Boston to Detroit, as he went from a terrible rebounding team in Boston to playing along side the aforementioned vacuum in Andre Drummond. While he might not get back to the heights of last season, Bradley should be a bit more productive in LA than he was in Detroit.

Neutral:

PF/C Blake Griffin (Detroit Pistons): Not much changes with Blake. He still is playing alongside a big center, and he still will have carte blanche to handle the ball in a point forward type role. He does move away from his brilliant 4-4-4 playoff schedule, but the Pistons still possess a solid 3-4-4 schedule so you only lose one game with the move. He will remain a top-30 level guy.

Losers:

PG Reggie Jackson (Detroit Pistons): Jackson's value as a point guard was already precarious due to his lack of steals and low 3s. His saving grace was fairly decent assist numbers for a later round point guard, and that stands to take a hit with Blake coming in and taking over some of the ball-handling duties. It's hard to see Reggie being a top-100 guy going forward.

PG/SG Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers): Bringing in Avery Bradley means adding another mouth to feed in the guard rotation, and Bradley will eat into Lou's minutes if Lou doesn't get moved. The chance of Lou getting moved also increases as the move signals a rebuild for the Clippers, and it's hard to envision a better situation for Sweet Lou than the one he had found himself in the last few months.

 

The Montenegro Alpha Meets Mardi Gras

The Deal:

Pelicans acquire: Nikola Mirotic, second-round pick; Bulls acquire: Tony Allen, Jameer Nelson, Omer Asik, protected first-round pick

Winners:

SF/PF Nikola Mirotic (New Orleans Pelicans): Nikola Mirotic looks to have a more solidified role and should see his minutes settle close to the 30 minute mark for a team that desperately needs help up front with the season ending injury to DeMarcus Cousins. With Anthony Davis commanding the type of defensive attention he gets, Mirotic will be able to carve out a role next to the generational big man and his value should increase. He should settle in as a borderline top-50 guy.

PF/C Bobby Portis, SF/PF Paul Zipser (Chicago Bulls): These are the two guys who should be in line to absorb the majority of Mirotic's minutes. Neither of these guys are particularly good players, but the opportunity is there for them to provide some value. Portis looks to get minutes in the high 20s, and he can almost provide a double double in that time with a bit of defense and 3s. He can be a top-100 guy given those minutes and should be added in standard leagues.

Zipser still remains a ways away from being standard league relevant, but should see his minutes rise and coach Hoiberg likes him, so there is a chance he can reach streamer relevancy at some point this season.

C Omer Asik (New Orleans Pelicans): Just kidding! The corpse of Omer Asik is still as useless as ever.

Losers: 

SF/PF Dante Cunningham, SG/SF Darius Miller (New Orleans Pelicans): The random Pelicans front court flotsam all take a hit with this trade. They had borderline standard league relevancy before, and almost zero relevancy now.

 

#FreeGreg

Suns buyout Greg Monroe

Winner:

PF/C Greg MonroeWherever Greg goes will be better than his current situation as a walking DNP-CD. If Monroe ends up on a team with a shallow front court, like the Boston Celtics, he can be close to the top-70 guy he has been in previous seasons in a role with minutes in the high-20s. This is great news for Monroe and he is worth a speculative add as he has great upside if he ends up in the right situation.

 

More Fantasy Basketball Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shohei Ohtani

Might Not be Fully Built Up as a Pitcher by Opening Day
Travis Etienne Jr.

has "Legitimate Interest" in Joining Chiefs
Zach Charbonnet

Undergoes Knee Surgery on Friday
Austin Reaves

Back in Starting Five
Matisse Thybulle

Kris Murray, Matisse Thybulle Suit Up Friday
Scoot Henderson

No Longer Limited
Ben Joyce

Throws Successful Bullpen Session on Friday
Jamal Murray

Jalen Pickett Available Friday vs. Portland
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

to Start on Saturday
LeBron James

Upgraded to Available Friday vs. Clippers
Bryan Ramos

Orioles Claim Bryan Ramos Off Waivers From Cardinals
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Have Intensified Talks With Max Scherzer
Marcelo Mayer

Likely Out for a Few More Days
Yimi García

Yimi Garcia Won't be Ready for Opening Day
Max Christie

is Downgraded to Out
Evan Mobley

is Unavailable for Friday's Game
Tyler Herro

to Make his Return on Friday
Norman Powell

is Cleared to Play on Friday
Nicolas Claxton

to Remain Out on Friday
Kyshawn George

Won't Play on Friday
Andrew Nembhard

is Ruled Out on Friday
T.J. McConnell

is Available on Friday
Lauri Markkanen

Won't Suit up on Friday
Gerrit Cole

Hits 96.9 MPH in First Live Session
Nolan Schanuel

Improves Bat Speed, Hoping for More Power
Tyler Mahle

Expected to Face Hitters Next Week
Félix Bautista

Orioles Place Felix Bautista on 60-Day Injured List
Sung-Mun Song

to Make Spring Training Debut Soon
Jason Adam

to be Ready for Opening Day?
Yuki Matsui

Dealing With Groin Tightness
Johan Oviedo

Red Sox Want Johan Oviedo to be More Explosive
Sawyer Gipson-Long

to Throw a Bullpen on Friday
Drew Rasmussen

to See Career-High in Innings?
Bryce Miller

Looking to "Go Even Further" in 2026
Brandon Nimmo

Ramping Up Slowly With New Team
Wyatt Langford

Rangers Easing Wyatt Langford into Cactus League Games
Pablo López

Pablo Lopez to Have Season-Ending Tommy John Surgery
CFB

Curt Cignetti Agrees to New Deal With Indiana, Will Earn $13.2 Million Per Year
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Returns to Practice
Josh Morrissey

Remains Out Against Finland
Sidney Crosby

Won't Play Friday
Anthony Hernandez

Set For UFC Houston Main Event
Sean Strickland

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Uros Medic

Set For UFC Houston Co-Main Event
Pascal Siakam

Remains Out for Personal Reasons
Geoff Neal

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Ty Jerome

Scotty Pippen Jr. Ruled Out Friday vs. Utah
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Expected to Play Friday
Deandre Ayton

Cleared to Return Friday
Melquizael Costa

A Favorite At UFC Houston
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Shut Down for Remainder of Season
Aaron Nesmith

to Miss Second Half of Back-to-Back
Devin Booker

Exits Early in Blowout Loss
Dan Ige

An Underdog At UFC Houston
Logan Cooley

Sheds Non-Contact Jersey
Maxwell Crozier

to Miss 10 Weeks After Surgery
Kirill Marchenko

Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Petr Mrazek

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
Victor Hedman

Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Sidney Crosby

Considered Day-to-Day
Rashee Rice

Accused of Assault by Long-Time Girlfriend
Ben Griffin

Looking to Return to Top Form at Riviera
Keegan Bradley

Looking to Build Momentum at Riviera
J.J. Spaun

Putting a Major Concern at Riviera
Sepp Straka

May Have Tough Time at The Genesis Invitational
Shane Lowry

Trending Up Entering the Genesis Invitational
Justin Rose

Off Most Radars at The Genesis Invitational
Robert MacIntyre

a Long Hitter to Watch at Riviera Country Club
Jake Knapp

Red-Hot Heading to Riviera
Min Woo Lee

Attempts to Build Momentum After Pebble Beach
Harry Hall

an Unknown for The Genesis Invitational
Matt Fitzpatrick

Has Favorable Path to Success at Riviera This Week
Wyndham Clark

Not Likely to Contend at Genesis Invitational
Ludvig Aberg

Might Find the Genesis Invitational More Challenging
Harris English

Carries Strong Form to Riviera
Patrick Cantlay

Eyes Another Strong Week at The Genesis Invitational
Daniel Berger

Needs Short Game to Show Up at Riviera
Sam Burns

Hopes Return to Form Continues at Riviera
Collin Morikawa

Riding Wave of Victory Into Riviera
Hideki Matsuyama

Looks to Have Repeat Success at The Genesis Invitational
Scottie Scheffler

Looks to Find Paydirt at Riviera
Xander Schauffele

Rounding into Form Before Genesis Invitational
Morgan Rielly

Available After Olympic Break
Charlie Lindgren

Practices Fully Tuesday
John Carlson

Ready to Rock After Olympics
Radek Faksa

Unavailable Against Team Canada
Anton Lundell

Good to Go Wednesday
Brandon Bussi

Earns Three-Year Extension
SJ

Sharks Terminating Jeff Skinner's Contract
Mike Evans

Will Return in 2026
Kenneth Walker III

Seahawks Not Expected to Use Franchise Tag on Kenneth Walker III
Bucky Irving

Undergoes Offseason Shoulder Surgery
Tyreek Hill

Says he Will Play in 2026
Joey Logano

Finishes Third in the 2026 Daytona 500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. Finishes as the Runner-Up in the Daytona 500
Chase Elliott

Falls Short of His First Daytona 500 Victory Again
Brad Keselowski

Ends Daytona 500 With a Top-Five Finish
Tyler Reddick

Wins the Daytona 500 for the First Time with 23XI Racing
Tyreek Hill

Released by Dolphins
Joey Logano

Should DFS Players Roster Joey Logano At Daytona?
Ryan Blaney

Is Ryan Blaney Worth Rostering for DFS at Daytona?
Chase Briscoe

May Not be Worth DFS Consideration for Daytona
Chase Elliott

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Daytona This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric

May Be Worth Rostering At Daytona
Cleveland Browns

Browns to Spend Top Draft Picks on Receiver or Offensive Lineman?
Brad Keselowski

Is Brad Keselowski Worth Rostering for Daytona Lineups?
Tyler Reddick

May be A Solid and Sneaky Pick for Daytona Lineups
Alex Bowman

is A Highly Favorable Mid-Tier Option for Daytona
Ross Chastain

Could be A Top DFS Scorer for Daytona
Justin Allgaier

is One of the Safest DFS Options for Daytona
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Matches Team Germany Record With Third Goal
Jack Eichel

Off to Hot Start in Olympics
OTT

Mads Sogaard Injured Saturday
NASCAR

Christoper Bell Emerging As One of The Best at Daytona
William Byron

Trying for Third Straight Daytona 500 Victory
Kyle Larson

Has Never Posted a Top-Five Finish at Daytona
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Overrated at Daytona?
Chris Buescher

an Easy DFS Pick for the Daytona 500
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF