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Justin Carter’s fantasy basketball risers and fallers after the NBA trade deadline. These NBA players could be lineup sleepers and busts for fantasy basketball owners.
The NBA's trade deadline has past, and the past three days of trades have been an adventure. It started with a four-teamer that sent Clint Capela to Atlanta and Robert Covington to Houston, then culminated a smattering of last hour deals, including Andre Drummond getting shipped to Cleveland.
A lot happened, which is why RotoBaller is here to help you sort it all out.
Below, you'll find my picks for the biggest fantasy winners and losers of this year's NBA trade deadline.
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Trade Deadline Winners
Andrew Wiggins- G/F - Golden State Warriors
The Warriors traded D'Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins in a deal that seems odd on the surface, since Russell's the better short and long term asset. But concerns about how D'Lo fits with Golden State's (hopefully) healthy core next year abounded, and the Timberwolves really wanted him, and now Wiggins is a Warrior.
While I think Wiggins' value starting next season drops, he should put up strong statistical numbers in the short term in Golden State, since Curry is out and their other top two scorers on the year aren't on the team now. Between Russell and Alec Burks, Golden State's got 39.7 points per game to replace, and that's not to mention Glenn Robinson III getting moved as well.
Wiggins is going to be asked to be the team's number-one option for now, and while that could result in a drop in efficiency, it should also lead to Wiggins putting up even higher counting stats than he already was.
Andre Iguodala - G/F - Miami Heat
Iguodala goes from sitting at home and not playing for Memphis to actually showing up and playing for the Heat, so it's a no-brainer that he gets tagged as a winner here.
How much of a winner is a different story. Should you roster Iggy? He has the potential to be a good player, but his value is much more as a postseason player than a regular season player at this juncture of his career. Will his seven points and five rebounds per game help you in your fantasy leagues? Maybe not, but he's a cheap option who has a chance to play important minutes, so for now he's a winner.
Christian Wood - F/C - Detroit Pistons
The Pistons traded away Andre Drummond, which means Christian Wood will be the team's starting center moving forward. He's played well lately, with his last five games seeing him average 15.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals on 51 percent shooting. The Pistons are a mess at this point, and Wood will get a chance to prove that he can be the team's center moving forward. Based on his per-36 numbers, Wood should excel in this expanded role.
Robert Covington - F - Houston Rockets
Houston has committed to always being small, which means Covington will get lots of minutes at the four. He took seven threes in his Rockets debut -- 0.5 more than his season average, and a likely a lower number than he'll end up averaging over the rest of the year. He should see his scoring and rebounding averages go up, with his field goal percentage increasing because he'll be playing with James Harden and Russell Westbrook, both good passers who also help open up space for RoCo to drain open corner looks.
Shabazz Napier - G - Washington Wizards
On Wednesday, Napier was traded to Denver. That would have been bad, as Napier finding minutes on that team would have been tough based on their construction. But on Thursday, he became a Wizard, and the path to Napier averaging double-digit points the rest of the way seems to be pretty open.
Trade Deadline Losers
Tristan Thompson - F/C - Cleveland Cavaliers
As long as he isn't bought out, Thompson -- who was already trending down -- is now behind Andre Drummond, which...you don't want to be behind the double-double machine that is Andre Drummond. Plus, we're not even sure if Cleveland intends to play Thompson the rest of the way, so there's that!
Alec Burks - G/F - Philadelphia 76ers
I love Burks's fit in Philly, but the minutes that he was getting in Golden State just won't be there. The Sixers rely too much on their starters, and while Burks can have a positive impact on this team winning basketball games, his scoring average will take a significant dive in his new role. See also: Glenn Robinson III.
Danuel House - F - Houston Rockets
I love House, but Robert Covington now occupies his role. We saw his minutes drop back into the 20s on Thursday, and he took just four threes, his fewest since January 24th. A drop in usage will lead to a drop in results.
Clint Capela - C - Atlanta Hawks
Good piece for the Hawks in the future -- I'm salivating at the idea of Trae Young and Clint Capela pick-and-rolls, since Capela is such a good finisher -- but the Hawks at 14-38 and have no viable shot at a playoff spot, even in the Eastern Conference. It's hard to imagine Capela getting back on the floor anytime soon as he deals with a heel injury.
