RADIO
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Well, that was a busy NBA trade deadline.
Now that the smoke has cleared, there are some big names, and some not so big names, who will be playing for new teams going forward. A record number of players and picks were moved before the 3pm deadline on Thursday, and the aftermath is sure to cause plenty of ripples in the fantasy basketball world.
Now that the wheeling and dealing is done, RotoBaller.com has assessed the damages and gone throught the winners and losers, in terms of fantasy impact for the deadlines major players.
THE WINNERS
Dragic made it known that nothing could keep him in Phoenix past this season, so the Suns were forced to move him. He ends up in a terrific situation in Miami. Dragic is sure to take over the starting point guard duties, and with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh sidelined, he's also going to be looking at a huge usage rate for the foreseeable future. Owners that stuck out his disappointing season are about to see their patience pay huge dividends. Expect numbers much closer to last year's breakout campaign going forward.
Simply put, Thomas went from a team with a lot of competition for playing time at his position, to a Celtics team with with none, and no, I don't consider Marcus Smart or Evan Turner viable threats. Thomas becomes Boston's only legitimate scoring threat, and I think he's going to see a huge increase in usage rate going forward.
I wrote about Green in my weekly waiver wire piece, and that was when I was certain that only Dragic would be traded at the deadline. With IT2 also gone, there are going to be plenty of minutes for Green to gobble up. He's been really cold lately, but he's notoriously streaky, so grab him now before he heats up again.
Young will move to the Nets, and should fit right into Kevin Garnett's vacated starting power forward spot. With no Deron Williams and an aging Joe Johnson, Young is another guy who could be in for a huge increase in usage rate. Young will no longer have to look over his shoulder and wonder if guys like Andrew Wiggins and Shabbazz Muhammad will cut into his playing time. I'm not sure he'll get there, but I think his ceiling is Paul Milsap-like production going forward.
The dumpster fire that is the Sixers keeps getting worse, and it's hard to see exactly what the plan in Philadelphia is now that they have let go two talent youngsters in Michael Carter-Williams and K.J. McDaniels. Canaan is part of the return Philly got for McDaniels, and he will assume starting point guard duties for the Sixers right away. In Houston, Canaan was able to put up 6.2 points and 1.3 three pointers per game in just under 15 minutes per, so the increased playing time that comes with being a starter is enough to call him a solid add here, especially if you need a point guard.
Jackson owners were rewarded for their patience after the trade deadline, as Jackson was sent to the Pistons for D.J. Augustin. Jackson was terrific at the start of the season filling in for an injured Russell Westbrook, and there is no reason to think he won't pick up right where he left off once given a starting role again. It also doesn't hurt that he's playing for a contract. I see no reason why Jackson can't put up similar numbers to what Augustin was giving Detroit when he stepped into the starting point guard role.
THE LOSERS
Knight was in the midst of a career year, but with free agency looming, Milwaukee decided to send him to Phoenix. I'm not a huge Knight guy, and there is a part of me that wonders how much credit Jason Kidd's tutelage gets for Knight having his best season. My guess is it's a lot, and I'd be looking to deal Knight to an owner who may need a point guard. I don't think his game is a great match with Eric Bledsoe's. I'm willing to bet Knight's numbers take a big hit here, much like Dtagic's did.
Kanter was a fringe player at best in standard leagues, but he was still able to give owners a handful of points and rebounds and a good field goal percentage. That was for the Utah Jazz. Now Kanter finds himself on the Thunder, and while that's definitely a better team, it's going to kill his scoring chances. That combined with his lack of defensive stats make him a cut candidate going forward.
