RADIO
Daniel Benjamin highlights three fantasy basketball takeaways from the NBA's February 6, 2019 slate. This recap focuses on Harrison Barnes, Iman Shumpert, and Josh Jackson.
The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching (Thursday at 3 p.m. ET), and there has been a slew of trades so far. Anthony Davis is still with the Pelicans, but Tobias Harris, Kristaps Porzingis, Harrison Barnes, and Dennis Smith Jr. have changed teams.
The Wizards and Kings were the most active in the trade market on Wednesday. Both Washington and Sacramento made two deals, although the Wizards get the headline because they have changed the dynamics of their team. Two days after learning that point guard John Wall will be out until at least next February after tearing his Achilles in a freak fall, the Wiz have moved on from forwards Otto Porter Jr. and Markieff Morris. Porter was traded to the Bulls for Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis as well as a 2023 second-round draft pick. Meanwhile, they shipped Morris and a 2023 second-round draft selection for Wesley Johnson.
So, what do these trades mean for the Wizards? These two deals save the franchise money as the Wiz are now below the luxury-tax line by cutting around $9.5 million off of the payroll, according to Kevin Pelton of ESPN. Washington could save even more money by not picking up Parker's $20 million player option this offseason. If they don't retain Parker, they'll have around $30 million or so under the tax to fill out the roster instead of starting against the tax line, which would allow the Wizards to re-sign starters Thomas Bryant, Tomas Satoransky and Trevor Ariza. While Bryant and Satoransky will be restricted free agents, Ariza will be an unrestricted free agent. Both Portis, who will also be a restricted free agent this summer, and Parker will likely be coming off the bench for the remainder of the season. However, Portis could have some fantasy value as he could also see some time at center. The rest of the article will look at my top three fantasy basketball takeaways from Wednesday, February 6, 2019.
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Harrison Barnes Shipped from "Big D" to Sac-Town
The Kings made the biggest splash of the night by landing Barnes from Dallas for veteran Zach Randolph and second-year forward Justin Jackson. The 6-foot-8 combo forward gives the Kings the size that the organization was looking for at small forward to go along with smallish wings Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield, both of whom are shooting guards by trade.
Barnes will provide Sacramento with more options offensively. He can either play the three or four. The 26-year-old is a high-volume scorer who has become more effective from beyond the arc as his career has progressed.
Barnes had a nice run two-plus year run with the Mavs as he posted 19.7 points per 36 minutes and made at least 200 three-pointers in each of his first two years with the team. The seventh-year forward is averaging a career-high 2.5 triples a game while shooting them at a 38.7 percent clip this year. However, he averaged just 1.2 points per shot, and his true shooting percentage has hovered around 54 percent with the team, which is well below the league average of 58 percent. Moreover, Barnes is shooting just 40.4 percent from the field in 2018-19, which is his second-lowest shooting percentage ever.
The bigger issue is that the former North Carolina star doesn't do much else besides score. He averaged 5.5 rebounds along with a paltry 1.8 assists and didn't contribute anything on the defensive end during his tenure with the Mavericks. Barnes has racked up 10 double-doubles over his last 204 games with eight of those double-doubles occurring during the 2017-18 campaign.
Barnes will move into the Kings' starting lineup at small forward replacing Iman Shumpert, who was involved in a three-team trade that brought Alec Burks to Sacramento. Burks is a versatile wing who can also play the point. He is known more for his scoring, although the 27-year-old has shown he be a decent playmaker.
With Barnes in the starting lineup, Bogdanovic will head back to the bench, serving as Barnes and Hield's primary backup. Meanwhile, Burks will likely fill Jackson's spot at the end of the rotation, meaning he could see anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes a game, although there is a chance that the 27-year-old could cut into backup point guard Yogi Ferrell's minutes as well.
What does Iman Shumpert mean for the Rockets?
In what was the biggest trade of the day, in terms of the number of players, the Rockets acquired three players including Shumpert, Nik Stauskas, and Wade Baldwin. While a big reason for the Rockets being part of the deal is financial relief and roster flexibility for next year, Shumpert has the ability to be a valuable contributor for Houston.
Shumpert is a quality defender who has had a little bit of resurgence shooting the ball from long distance. The 28-year-old is averaging a career-best 1.8 treys a game while making those shots at a 36.6 percent clip. He will likely step right into the starting lineup, for the time being, at small forward for the Rockets. However, when Clint Capela returns from injury, the eighth-year pro will presumably have to compete with Austin Rivers for the third the spot on the wing out of the reserves. Eric Gordon and Gerald Green will remain the team's top options off the bench.
Shumpert does not have any fantasy appeal. Meanwhile, it doesn't appear that Stauskas or Baldwin will have a role with the team as the Rockets' backcourt is quite crowded. Stauskas could get some run if there is an injury. The 25-year-old had played reasonably well for the Trail Blazers in 44 outings this year.
Josh Jackson continues to play well
Jackson has played extremely well since replacing the injured T.J. Warren in the starting lineup. The 21-year-old topped the 20-point mark for the third-straight game last night as he dropped a season-high tying 27 points in Wednesday's loss to the Jazz. It was his sixth-straight game of scoring in double-figures and the eighth time in the last nine outings.
The second-year pro made nine of 16 shots from the field, including one of four attempts from long distance and eight of 10 free throw attempts versus the Jazz. He also added four rebounds, seven assists, and five steals along with four turnovers. His assist total tied a season-high while he set a career high in steals. Jackson has now recorded a steal in three straight games.
Jackson is averaging 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals over his last seven games. He is averaging 25.7 point and 3.7 assists along with three steals while also shooting 55.6 percent from the floor in February.
