The dust is beginning to settle following the trade deadline. We've got a look at some of the new faces in new places and how new-look rotations might shake out. It's a small sample, but we can still draw some early conclusions on potential winners and losers.
Winners
Grant Williams, Hornets
Williams started off the season hot, making 2.8 3s per game at 48 percent to fuel 11.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 29.6 minutes. However, he experienced a massive cooldown. In the following 34 games, made just 1.3 3s at 31.9 percent for 6.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 25.1 minutes.
In two appearances since being traded to Charlotte, he's seen increased usage and shot well. He's taken double-digit shot attempts in both games, but most notably, he's combined for 10 free-throw attempts. Fifteen percent of his total free-throw attempts on the season have been in a Hornets uniform. I'm skeptical, since this is outside the realm of anything he's done in his career up to this point. I don't think he'll continue averaging 18 points, but he's at least worth adding in fantasy to see what happens. At the very least, his workload seems more secure, as he's played at least 30 minutes in his first two outings.
Tre Mann, Hornets
Mann is a winner by default, since he wasn't a part of Oklahoma City's rotation this season, playing just 102 total minutes with OKC. In his first two games with the Hornets, Mann has started and totaled 20 points, 16 assists, 13 rebounds and two steals in 61 minutes. The caveat here is that LaMelo Ball has been sidelined. It remains to be seen what Mann's role will be with Ball on the floor. Still, Mann could see plenty of time as a combo guard, especially since Cody Martin is injury-prone and Seth Curry is also injury-prone but doesn't fit Charlotte's timeline as a 33-year-old.
Buddy Hield, 76ers
What a debut for Hield! In his three games with Philly, he's averaged 22.3 points on 51/45/67 shooting, 6.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 37.3 minutes. There are "buts" here, though. But, De'Anthony Melton is out, as is Nic Batum. But, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey each missed one of those games. But, Kyle Lowry just signed with the team. So what do we really expect from Hield going forward?
I think he'll be much more fantasy-relevant in Philadelphia than he was in Indiana, but I'm not expecting something like top-60 value. The minutes should decrease when the team is healthier, the shooting will cool off, and the big assist numbers are not something he's proven capable of at any point in his career. Pick him up if he's available, but sell high if someone is crazy enough to offer guaranteed top-75 value.
Marvin Bagley, Wizards
Bagley's role fluctuated during the early portion of the season with the Pistons, mostly seeing increased run when Jalen Duren was sidelined. After being traded to Washington, Bagley saw increased usage, but he remained in a bench role behind Daniel Gafford. But good news for Bagley, Gafford was traded to Dallas.
Bagley's first game as the full-time starter was underwhelming, as he was returning from injury and played just 15 minutes. The following game, he played 28 minutes and posted 12 points, 13 boards, two assists, one steal and one block. Overall as a starter this season, he's averaged 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 26.2 minutes – certainly good enough to roster in standard formats. Managers in deep leagues should keep tabs on backup Richaun Holmes, who got in the rotation for 13 minutes in Washington's last game.
Losers
Bojan Bogdanovic, Knicks
I don't want to bury a guy after he's played two games with a team, but it doesn't look good for Bogdanovic. He's totaled 26 points on 23 shots, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block in 56 minutes. Before the trade, Bogdanovic was struggling to stay inside the top 100 as arguably the Pistons' best scorer. Now his usage and minutes are decreasing while Julius Randle and OG Anunoby aren't even available. I'd be comfortable trading Bogdanovic away for basically anyone who has fringe-fantasy-starter value.
Spencer Dinwiddie, Lakers
Surprisingly, Dinwiddie saw 31 minutes in his Lakers debut. His performance was a mixed bag, with six points on six shots, seven assists, four turnovers, two rebounds and two steals. Dinwiddie was hardly worth a 14-team league spot when seeing 30.7 minutes per game for Brooklyn. There's no way that improves on a roster featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves as competition for touches. Like Bogdanovic, see if you can trade Dinwiddie for almost anything before dropping him, but you probably won't get any takers.
Stay Tuned
Pistons players
Potential winners include Ausar Thompson, Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes, but Grimes has been sidelined, and Isaiah Stewart has also been out. Most likely Troy Brown, Shake Milton and Mike Muscala will have their minutes reduced to accommodate. Fantasy managers should feel fine picking up Thompson and Fontecchio to see what happens, but make sure to keep an eye on the rotation after the break.
PJ Washington, Mavericks
Washington is one of the most inconsistent players in the NBA, as fantasy managers who've rostered him throughout the years are well aware. In two performances with Dallas, he's totaled 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal in 60 minutes. But Dereck Lively has been sidelined, as has Dante Exum. We'll see how the rotation and usage shakes out with everyone available. Don't drop him yet if you've hung on this long.
Gordon Hayward, Thunder
Hayward won't suit up until after the All-Star break. I have mixed feelings about what the move to OKC could do for Hayward's fantasy value. I think the general competency of the on-court action could benefit him, especially from an efficiency and assists standpoint. On the other hand, will they play him more than mid-20 minutes consistently? And where do those minutes come from? My guess is that he steals minutes from a combination of Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams and Ousmane Dieng. But Lu Dort, Josh Giddey and Cason Wallace could take small hits as well, potentially depending on the game script. Managers in deep leagues should take no issue with adding Hayward off the wire if he's available to see what happens.
Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers
Mathurin has had a rough go lately, dealing with a toe injury, illness and knee bruise. Despite Buddy Hield being traded to Philly, Mathurin has averaged just five points and 2.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes in the three games since. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's just banged up, with the hope that he starts seeing closer to 30 minutes consistently. But it also seems like coach Rick Carlisle just doesn't trust him that much. I'm just not giving up quite yet, given Mathurin's offensive talent.
Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, Mavericks
Gafford has been awesome in his first two Mavs games, totaling 35 points, 26 rebounds, six blocks, two steals and two assists in 41 minutes. Having Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as distributors only figures to help Gafford's scoring compared to his time in Washington. However, we have yet to see Lively since the deadline, as he's been injured. It's possible they both end up seeing decreased value, but it's a wait-and-see situation.
Nets players
More minutes are available in Brooklyn after Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O'Neale were traded away. I'm curious as to how things shake out. Can Dennis Schroder regain relevance? Is Ben Simmons going to have a revival? What happens when Cam Johnson returns? Will this team pull the plug even though they don't own their first-round pick? Monitor the situation.
Kelly Olynyk, Raptors
What is Toronto up to? Keep in mind, their 2024 draft pick is top 1-6 protected to San Antonio. The Raptors should, seemingly, be doing everything they can to make sure it doesn't convert. They currently have the seventh-worst record in the NBA, one game behind Memphis but 3.5 games behind the fifth-place Trail Blazers and a staggering 6.5 games back of the fourth-place Hornets. Regardless, Olynyk has looked great in his first two Raptors games, totaling 28 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, six steals and one block in 43 minutes. Pick him up if he's available.
Dalano Banton, Trail Blazers
Deep-league managers, keep an eye on this one. Banton has totaled 28 points, eight rebounds, six assists and one steal in 51 minutes during his first two games as a Blazer. Malcolm Brogdon has been out, while Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson missed the first game. Still, there are other players whose minutes could be reduced to make way for Banton. For his career, he's averaging 13 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per 36 minutes.
Vasilije Micic, Hornets
Micic was fantastic in his first game in Charlotte with 18 points and nine assists in 26 minutes. He followed that with two points and four assists in 21 minutes. LaMelo Ball coming back could destroy any semblance of value for the 30-year-old rookie. But he's too good of a passer (7.9 assists per 36) to write off entirely.