Fantasy Basketball 2023-24 - Fantasy Impact of Biggest Trades and Signings

The NBA offseason is a pivotal period of roster adjustments, where teams make strategic moves to prepare for the upcoming season. In the summer of 2023, the league witnessed a flurry of player transfers, trades, and high-profile signings that have captured the attention of fantasy managers. Let's examine the key transactions that have the potential to reshape the NBA landscape and discuss their prospective impact on fantasy basketball.

Biggest Changes

Phoenix trades for Bradley Beal

Seeing the potential to move off of Chris Paul's contract and get a high-level player in return, the Suns sent CP3 to Washington -- later traded to Golden State -- in exchange for Beal. Previously the No. 1 option in Washington, Beal now sits behind Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in the pecking order. While Beal won't see the volume he has in previous seasons, there will still be plenty of nights where he leads the team in points or assists.

Surprise trade sends Kristaps Porzingis to Celtics, Marcus Smart to Grizzlies, Tyus Jones to Wizards

Porzingis goes from being the No. 2 option in Washington to the No. 3 option in a crowded Boston frontcourt. He's shown second-round upside, but his injury history and a reduced role means it may not be worth drafting him until the fourth or fifth.

Smart will fill the starting point guard spot for the first 25 games of the season while Ja Morant serves a suspension. The Grizzlies are a bit thin for offensive weapons, so he could see higher usage until Morant returns.

Jones has been lauded as one of the league's best, if not the best, backup point guard. Washington has other backcourt options, and plenty of usage should still go to Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, but Jones could be worth a top-100 pick if he plays 30 minutes per night.

Chris Paul, Jordan Poole swapped

The Warriors seem less concerned about fit and more concerned with veteran experience. Adding Paul to an egalitarian offense led by Stephen Curry and Draymond Green is an experiment. CP3 is talented enough to make something work, even if his role is significantly reduced. If he plays minutes in the mid-to-high 20s, he'll still be worth rostering in almost every league.

Poole is going from being a microwave high-minute sixth man to leading an offense. Even surrounded by high-usage players in Golden State last season, he averaged 20.4 points and 4.5 assists. He's one of this season's fantasy breakout candidates and will probably do his best to lead the league in scoring.

Fred VanVleet heads south for winter

Another Toronto point guard is fleeing to a warmer climate. The Rockets are attempting to speed up their post-Harden rebuild by signing veterans while their drafted young players are rising. VanVleet should lead Houston's offense, though Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Alperen Sengun and Dillon Brooks will all want their touches. New coach Ime Udoka also may not play FVV 37.1 minutes per game, which he's seen over the past three seasons. The point guard could see reduced usage overall, but he still figures to be an elite source of threes, assists and steals.

Fantasy Building Blocks

Kyrie Irving, Mavericks make it official

As expected, Dallas inked Irving to an extension after trading for him last season. Injuries and absences limited him and Luka Doncic to just 16 appearances together, but neither of their numbers suffered significantly when they shared the floor.

Khris Middleton re-ups with Milwaukee

Injuries limited Middleton to 33 appearances last season, but he underwent offseason surgery and is expected to be okay. He's getting older but still projects to be a walking 20-5-5 guy.

Cameron Johnson inks extension with Brooklyn

Johnson averaged 16.6 points in 30.8 minutes after being dealt from Phoenix to Brooklyn at last year's trade deadline. He may blossom into the team's second-leading scorer behind Mikal Bridges.

Jerami Grant re-ups in Portland

Grant's exact role will depend on what happens with Damian Lillard, but he scored 20.5 points on efficient shooting last season. A Lillard departure may not even add that much more usage to Grant's plate, as Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe would all step up.

Golden State keeps Draymond Green

The Warriors inked Green to a four-year, $100 million contract, further cementing the core into place. Adding Chris Paul could take some usage away from Green, but the pair could also form an intriguing pick-and-roll combination.

Wizards extend Kyle Kuzma in start of post-Beal era

Kuzma is coming off a career year and should have even more opportunities for touches now that Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis are gone. Jordan Poole still figures to be the No. 1 option, however.

Toronto caves and decides to play a center

After years without committing to a traditional center, the Raptors went back to the well with Jakob Poeltl, who they drafted in 2016. Toronto has plenty of questions to answer about the direction of the team and this season's offense, but Poeltl should continue putting up his usual numbers.

The Lakers backcourt

This summer, the Lakers inked Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell to extensions while adding Gabe Vincent. In the playoffs, Reaves shined while Russell struggled. But Reaves can only take on so much more usage with LeBron James and Anthony Davis around, and Russell can only sink so low given his talent. Both are worth drafting in fantasy in the 80-100 range, and selecting both is not a bad idea for a handcuff. Vincent is a better real-life player than fantasy asset.

Brook Lopez, Bucks decide to grow old together

Quietly one of the older teams in the NBA, the Bucks decided to hang onto 35-year-old Lopez, who is coming off a revival season. However, part of that was increased responsibilities with Khris Middleton missing time. What's in store with Middleton back in the saddle, plus a new head coach? It could be less usage and minutes in the mid-20s.

Upside Plays

Miles Bridges takes what he can get

A felony domestic violence charge resulted in Bridges missing last season, and he's suspended for the first 10 games of this year. He signed the qualifying offer with Charlotte -- both his role and readiness under question. But the upside is difficult to ignore in fantasy when thinking about his breakout 2021-22 campaign.

Bruce Brown cashes out

Brown was presumably offered a bigger role with the Pacers to leave the comfort and championship upside of Nikola Jokic's Nuggets, accepting a two-year, $45 million contract. He was a good streaming option in fantasy last season and is fine to draft around pick 100 this year. Brown will only handle the ball so much in an offense dominated by Tyrese Haliburton.

Lakers take no-lose gamble on Christian Wood

Unsigned until Sep. 5, Wood continues to wear out his welcome around the NBA. But inking him to a two-year, $5.7 million deal is a no-risk gamble for the Lakers, who are dealing with two frontcourt players, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who have struggled to stay on the court recently. Wood is worth drafting around pick 100 in fantasy, but he may see just 20 minutes per game on nights when everyone is healthy.

Clippers throw Russell Westbrook lifeline

As much of a Westbrook critic as I've been, he deserves the assist from the Clippers after he gave it his absolute all against the Suns in the first round. He's still a productive fantasy player if you ignore his percentages, and with how many games Paul George and Kawhi Leonard routinely miss, there will be plenty of nights where Westbrook is the No. 1 option.

Atlanta finally trades John Collins

In the epitome of selling low, the Hawks finally dealt Collins after years of fielding offers. Utah gave up Rudy Gay and a protected second-round pick to take a chance on a guy who once averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds and 2.4 combined blocks and steals on 58/40/80 shooting in 2019-20 -- this just one year after turning Lauri Markkanen into an All-Star. Somebody ask Danny Ainge what stocks he thinks are undervalued. Collins is an easy fantasy investment at his current ADP (105 on Yahoo).

Toronto gets hitched to painfully-obvious rebound

Immediately after Fred VanVleet left Toronto for Houston, the Raptors grabbed Dennis Schroder in free agency, signing him to a two-year, $26 million deal. Schroder is the ultimate fringe starter. Over the past three seasons, he's gotten the nod in 140 of 191 games, averaging 13.8 points and 4.9 assists. It's tough to gauge exactly how Toronto's offense will run, but Schroder is worth considering as a final pick in a fantasy draft.

Obi Toppin gets fresh start in Indiana

Toppin has been stuck behind Julius Randle, one of the NBA's minutes leaders over the past three years, since he got drafted No. 8 overall in 2020. The Knicks gave him away to the Pacers for two second-round picks. Though the Dayton product has seen only 30-plus minutes in a game 10 times, he may be able to win the starting job during training camp. Even if he doesn't, the Pacers' forward rotation is relatively thin, so he'll likely consistently see minutes in the mid-20s. Though he doesn't have much of a track record, Toppin is a decent gamble in the last round or two of a fantasy draft.

76ers hang onto Paul Reed

The news here is less that the 76ers matched Reed's three-year, $23 million offer sheet from the Jazz, but that new coach Nick Nurse has hinted at using Reed more. He's not a great fit next to Joel Embiid, but Embiid can space enough to make it work. It's really about minutes for Reed, whose per-minute production is enticing from a fantasy standpoint. Per 36 minutes for his career, he's averaged 14.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 steals, 2.3 blocks and 1.6 assists. It will be something to monitor in the preseason.

Richaun Holmes moved to Dallas

Holmes fell out of favor with Sacramento last season, but he was a must-roster fantasy center in 2019-20 and 2020-21, when he averaged 13.3 points on 64.1 percent shooting, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 assists in 28.7 minutes. He'll fight with Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber and rookie Dereck Lively for minutes. But if Holmes can find even a consistent 20 minutes per game, he projects to be a valuable streaming option.

Other Notables

Spurs ink Tre Jones to modest extension

One of the league's most anonymous starting point guards, Jones is coming off a quality year where he averaged 12.9 points and 6.6 assists with just 1.6 turnovers. His role shouldn't change much, even with the entrance of Victor Wembanyama.

Knicks add cook to backcourt kitchen

New York is complicating its backcourt even more by signing Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year, $50 million deal. Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett will start, but other mouths to feed include Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley and Josh Hart. Dare I say I'm the most worried about Barrett? Coach Tom Thibodeau stopped trusting him in fourth quarters down the stretch, and he was again underwhelming in the playoffs.

Herbert Jones re-ups with Pelicans

Jones is one of the best defenders in the NBA, but he's a low-usage offensive option on a deep depth chart. He's draftable in fantasy leagues if you're desperate for steals, but he needs to learn how to shoot threes to reach his full potential.

Max Strus sign-and-traded to Cavaliers

Cleveland is attempting to fix its horrible floor spacing by adding Strus, who launched 2.5 threes in 28.4 minutes per game for the Heat last season. It's unlikely he will take on a ton more usage, but his presence could negatively affect Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro.

Dillon Brooks sign-and-traded to Houston

It turns out Brooks doesn't just have value in the meme economy, fetching $80 million from the Rockets. The team is deep, but Brooks figures to start and set the defensive tone. He's still projected to be a fringe fantasy option. 

Cleveland hangs onto Caris LeVert

With Ricky Rubio indefinitely taking time away from the sport, LeVert could step into more playmaking responsibilities. He's been a good streaming option, especially when the Cavs are dealing with a backcourt injury.

Grant Williams sign-and-traded to Mavericks

Williams is an excellent fit for a team in need of defensive size. But he's simply a low-usage player with little fantasy value.

P.J. Washington, Hornets end months-long standoff

Surprisingly, it took until Aug. 26 for the two sides to agree on a three-year, $48 million contract. Washington should continue seeing sixth-man-to-starter playing time, though his presence may cut into Nick Richard's backup minutes at center.

Rui Hachimura stays with Lakers

Hachimura got hot from three and saved the Lakers a few times in the playoffs. But he's never been a top-100 fantasy player, and that's not expected to change.

Extra Credit

Joe Harris sent to Detroit

The Nets gave up two second-rounders to get off Harris' contract, if that tells you how much his value has fallen. He should continue seeing minutes in the 20s for a team that needs three-point shooting, but he'll only be worth rostering in fantasy if he can register around 2.5 threes per game.

Bulls unsure about Coby White, give him $36 million

Bulls unsure about Ayo Dosunmu, give him $21 million

Bulls unsure about Jevon Carter, give him $19.5 million

Chicago's backcourt is a massive logjam, and I doubt any of these three are better than streamers in fantasy.

Portland keeps Matisse Thybulle because they can

Portland is thin at forward, so Thybulle could see minutes in the 20s. Fantasy managers in deep leagues should give him a look if in need of defensive stats.

Joe Ingles opts for warm weather

After a solid season with the Bucks, Ingles joins the younger Magic. He could have streaming value if there are injuries at forward.

Chris Duarte traded to Sacramento

Is Duarte good? I don't think so, but he had enough relevance as a rookie to at least be aware of this move.

Monte Morris moved to Detroit

Morris was a full-time starter the past two years. He'll probably see a role reduction, but the bigger impact might be crushing Killian Hayes' minutes.

Victor Oladipo sent to OKC

Oladipo's injuries have caught up with him in a major way. The Thunder may try to rehabilitate his value and keep him fresh before attempting a trade.

Georges Niang signs with Cleveland

Niang is one of the few actual forwards on Cleveland's roster, and he's an excellent three-point shooter -- a skill the team needs.

Malik Beasley to space floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Beasley averaged 19.6 points with 3.5 threes in 2020-21, and it makes sense for the Bucks to take a flier on him. Managers in deep leagues should keep an eye on his preseason performance.

Dennis Smith banking on Ben Simmons' struggles

Smith had a bounce-back year in Charlotte last season but will change teams yet again. He may only play when Simmons doesn't, but Smith's passing and defense are significant positives.

Phoenix signs Bol Bol to be Kevin Durant's protege

Bol was the fantasy breakout of last year until January when the Magic got healthy, and he closed the year averaging 16.3 minutes. Reserve forward minutes in Phoenix might be an open competition, so preseason will tell us more.

Mason Plumlee given $5 million to do dribble hand-offs

Plumlee was a must-roster fantasy player as a starter in Charlotte last year before being traded to the Clippers and serving as Ivica Zubac's backup. If Zubac suffers an injury, Plumlee could again be a must-roster player.