TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
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
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Freddy Peralta

Mets in Serious Talks to Acquire Freddy Peralta From Brewers
Jonas Valančiūnas

Jonas Valanciunas Questionable Versus the Wizards
Seth Jones

to Miss Olympics
Christian Braun

Remains Sidelined on Thursday
Martin Pospisil

Makes Season Debut Wednesday
Jalen Suggs

Questionable Versus Charlotte
Teddy Blueger

Available Wednesday Night
Tom Wilson

Comes Off Injured Reserve
Luke Hughes

Devils Place Luke Hughes on Long-Term Injured Reserve
Valeri Nichushkin

Returns to Action Wednesday
Kris Letang

a Game-Time Call Wednesday
Caris LeVert

Sidelined Wednesday
Cade Cunningham

Unavailable on Wednesday
Tre Mann

Available Versus Cavs
Ja'Kobe Walter

Out of Action Again on Wednesday
RJ Barrett

Remains Sidelined on Wednesday
Collin Murray-Boyles

Ruled Out on Wednesday
Domantas Sabonis

Sidelined Wednesday
Kyle Tucker

Expected to Bat Second or Third in Dodgers' Lineup
CFB

Justin Joly Bringing Strong Resume of Production to NFL
Brandon Aiyuk

has "Played his Last Snap as a Niner"
Cody Bellinger

Signs Five-Year, $162.5 Million Contract With Yankees
Adam Scott

Looks to Overcome Putting Woes at American Express
Billy Horschel

Looking to Rebound at The American Express
Josh Allen

Might Need Foot Surgery
Russell Henley

Looks to Build on Strong Start at The American Express
Jason Day

Looking to Start 2026 Strong at The American Express
Wyndham Clark

Looking to Regain Form at The American Express
Sam Burns

Looks to Continue Success at The American Express
Akshay Bhatia

Looking to Flip the Script at The American Express
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looking to Build on Strong Fall in Season Debut
Kurt Kitayama

Hopes To Continue Strong Start to 2026 Season at American Express
CFB

Princewill Umanmielen Expected to Sign with LSU
Scottie Scheffler

Returns To American Express After Missing Last Year's Edition
Robert MacIntyre

Keeps Momentum Rolling Heading Into American Express
Brian Harman

Can Challenge at American Express if His Putter Stays Hot
Ben Griffin

Outstanding Form Continues Heading Into American Express
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Playing Well Following Outstanding Finish to 2025 Season
Patrick Cantlay

Looks to Get a Jump Start on His 2026 Season
Blades Brown

Set to Make First PGA Tour Appearance of 2026
Kevin Roy

Has Some Confidence Heading to Southern California
Josh Morrissey

Has Three-Point Night Against Blues
Min Woo Lee

Poised to Make Bigger Impact in 2026
Miro Heiskanen

Records Three Helpers Tuesday
Brandon Hagel

Stays Hot Tuesday Night
Ryan O'Reilly

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Max Homa

Needs a Better Start for 2026
Konsta Helenius

Bags Three Points In Tuesday's Win
Tony Finau

Trying to Reverse Disturbing Trend
Anthony Cirelli

Injured Versus Sharks
Cam Davis

Aims for More Accuracy at American Express
Darcy Kuemper

Hurt on Tuesday Night
Isaiah Hartenstein

Unavailable Against Bucks
Myles Turner

Uncertain for Wednesday Night
Luisangel Acuña

Luisangel Acuna Sent to White Sox in Trade
Kevin Porter Jr.

Questionable Wednesday
Luis Robert Jr.

Mets Acquire Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox
Cam Thomas

Rejoins Nets Lineup for Meeting With Knicks
Jaylen Brown

Considered Probable Wednesday
Steven Adams

Out Indefinitely With Ankle Sprain
Deandre Ayton

Exits Early With Eye Injury
Los Angeles Chargers

Mike McDaniel Expected to Become Chargers Offensive Coordinator
Kel'el Ware

Unavailable on Tuesday
Mikko Rantanen

Out Tuesday
Andrew Peeke

Returns to Action Tuesday
Rodrigo Abols

Expected to Miss Several Months
Luke Hughes

Out Tuesday
Jonas Brodin

Will Miss Olympics
Carlos Beltran

Andruw Jones Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Alexandre Texier

Won't Play Tuesday
Kirby Dach

Rejoins Canadiens Lineup
Mark Williams

Active On Tuesday
Brice Sensabaugh

Unavailable Tuesday
De'Anthony Melton

In for Back End of Back-To-Back
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Expected to Land at Georgia Tech
Malik Nabers

Giants Hope Malik Nabers Will be Back for Start of Training Camp
CFB

Duke Suing Quarterback Darian Mensah
Cam Skattebo

Should be Ready by OTAs
George Kittle

Expects to Return "Well Before November"
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Entering Transfer Portal
Mookie Betts

Plans to Retire at the End of his Current Contract
Tennessee Titans

Titans Set to Hire Robert Saleh as Next Head Coach
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Expected to Hire Jeff Hafley as Next Head Coach
Zach Charbonnet

has Torn ACL
Zach Charbonnet

Needs Knee Surgery, Out for Rest of Playoffs
Tennessee Titans

Mike McCarthy a Finalist for Titans Head-Coaching Job?
Colston Loveland

Suffers Concussion in Divisional Round Loss
Kyren Williams

Scores Two Touchdowns in Divisional Round Win
Buffalo Bills

Bills Fire Head Coach Sean McDermott
Rhamondre Stevenson

Returns in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round Game
Ha-Seong Kim

has Finger Surgery, Out 4-5 Months
Rhamondre Stevenson

Questionable to Return on Sunday With Eye Injury
Woody Marks

Returns Following Brief Exit on Sunday
Dalton Schultz

Won't Return in Sunday's AFC Divisional Round Game
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Open to Aaron Rodgers Returning in 2026?
Jarrett Stidham

to Start AFC Championship Game
Zach Charbonnet

Questionable to Return Against 49ers
CFB

Darian Mensah Entering Transfer Portal
J.T. Realmuto

Signs Three-Year Deal to Return to Phillies
Bo Bichette

Agrees to Three-Year Contract With Mets
CFB

Weber State Signs former Ohio State, Cal Quarterback Devin Brown
Bo Bichette

Phillies the "Overwhelming" Favorite to Sign Bo Bichette
Josh Lowe

Angels Acquire Josh Lowe in Three-Team Trade
Kyle Tucker

Signs Four-Year Contract With Dodgers

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP