NBA Trade Deadline: Fantasy Implications for Every Deal

Clippers add Morris for stretch run

Clippers get: Marcus Morris, Isaiah Thomas

Knicks get: Maurice Harkless, Clippers' 2020 first-round pick

Wizards get: Jerome Robinson

In a trade that took a while to finalize, the Knicks and Clippers ended up roping in the Wizards, who will take Jerome Robinson off LA's hands. The biggest piece in the deal is Morris, who's an upgrade over Harkless and gives the Clippers another versatile wing to throw at LeBron James in an eventual playoff series. 

Morris was in the midst of an all-time bad team/good stats season in New York, where he averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.7 made threes in 32.3 minutes per game. His numbers will almost certainly take a significant hit, even if he slides right into the starting spot vacated by Harkless. Thomas is an interesting addition for the Clippers, though he may have trouble finding regular minutes when the backcourt is fully healthy.

Harkless draws the short straw in leaving a title contender for the Knicks, though he's a Queens native who went to college at St. John's -- so maybe it's not all bad. Basketball-wise, Harkless now finds himself in a morass of average-to-below-average forwards. He'll compete with Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Kevin Knox, and Taj Gibson for minutes as New York runs out the clock on another lost season. - Nick Whalen

Sixers dump Ennis in Orlando

Magic get: James Ennis

76ers get: Second-round pick

Not much to see here. This is simply a maneuver by Philadelphia to clear a roster spot with Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III incoming. Ennis had been a regular off the bench for the Sixers, but it's clear they preferred the Burks/Robinson combination. Ennis averaged 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game. - Nick Whalen

Grizz flip Johnson to Minnesota

Timberwolves get: James Johnson

Grizzlies get: Gorgui Dieng

The Grizzlies seemingly had little interest in retaining the nearly 33-year-old Johnson, so in a bad-contract-for-bad-contract swap, Memphis sent Johnson to Minnesota in exchange for the 30-year-old Dieng. Dieng has had moments this season, starting 17 games while Karl-Anthony Towns missed time, and he's averaging three-year highs nearly across the board. Still, we should expect him to play a true backup role behind Jonas Valanciunas.

Johnson's potential role for the Wolves is intriguing. He may actually start at power forward for Minnesota due to the lack of positional depth. He played just 18 games for the Heat this season, getting bumped from the rotation. In 219 career starts, Johnson has averaged 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 25.3 minutes. There's a world in which he's a passable 14-team fantasy league add, but a wait-and-see approach is probably best. - Alex Barutha

Pistons send Drummond to Cavs

Cavaliers get: Andre Drummond

Pistons get: John Henson, Brandon Knight, 2023 second-round pick

It was fair to expect the return for Drummond to be relatively low given that he has a $28.7 million player option for next year, and it's not clear how he's going to approach that. But this...this is low. In exchange for a two-time All-Star and one of the best rebounders in the NBA over the past half decade, the Pistons got two expiring contracts and a second-round pick that will convey so far in the future that there's almost no way to predict how good it will be.

As this is being written, Tristan Thompson is still on the roster, but I'd still expect Drummond to see his customary 30-plus minutes if it remains that way. From a fantasy perspective, this may not affect Drummond much at all. That'll especially be the case if the Cavs opt to buy out Thompson.

Knight has played 16 games this season, and I'm not sure he'll be able to double that before the season is over, even on whatever this Pistons team is. Henson will, I guess, compete for a starting job? I think Christian Wood will start, but Thon Maker is also there and is likely to get minutes. Ultimately, the move in all of this in fantasy may be to pick up Wood and hope he can finally get 25-30 minutes on a regular basis. - Alex Barutha

Wiz swap McRae for Napier

Wizards get: Shabazz Napier

Nuggets get: Jordan McRae

Initially part of Tuesday's four-team deal, Napier is on the move again -- this time to Washington, where he'll compete for minutes with Ish Smith and the newly acquired Jerome Robinson. It's somewhat of a lateral move for Napier, and his role in Washington will depend on the team's commitment to giving Robinson a shot. At the end of the day, Napier's fantasy value takes a pretty significant hit considering he was locked in as the Wolves' starting point guard 48 hours ago.

In McRae, Denver gets another guard who can pick up some of the minutes vacated by Malik Beasley. The 28-year-old McRae has bounced around the league and only appeared in 115 career games, but the Nuggets will have a few months to evaluate him before he's due a qualifying offer this summer. If he shows well, McRae  -- who posted averages of 12.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists for Washington -- could be a low-cost reserve for the future. In the short-term, though, his fantasy value will likely fall off. - Nick Whalen

Labissiere to Atlanta

Hawks get: Skal Labissiere, cash considerations

Trail Blazers get: TBD

It's unclear what Portland is getting back for Labissiere, but the primary goal is likely to clear a roster spot. Labissiere has been injured since late-December, though prior to that he held down a regular role off the bench. The Hawks reportedly plan to keep Labissiere on the roster. Not much for fantasy implications here. - Nick Whalen

Rockets swap Bell for Bruno

Rockets get: Bruno Caboclo

Grizzlies get: Jordan Bell

The "Jordan Bell Backup Center" era in Houston has ended. He might have an easier time getting minutes in Memphis than he did in Minnesota, but we still shouldn't expect him to be fantasy relevant as long as Jonas Valanciunas is healthy. As far as Caboclo goes...maybe he plays third-string center behind P.J. Tucker and Isaiah Hartenstein once he's healthy? That's a sentence I couldn't have imagined typing even last year. The move ultimately doesn't help his stock much, either. - Alex Barutha

Minnesota sends Wiggins to Golden State for Russell

Warriors get: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota's 2021 first-round pick (top-3 protected) and 2021 second-round pick

Timberwolves get: D'Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, Omari Spellman

Well then. Just when it seemed like the Russell-to-Minnesota discussions had cooled off, the two sides finally agreed to a deal that unites Russell with Karl-Anthony Towns. While we can quibble about Russell's eventual fit with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, this feels like a massive win for Minnesota, which gets off of the Andrew Wiggins contract and avoids sending multiple picks to Golden State. If the top-3 protected 2021 first doesn't convey next June, it will convert to an unprotected 2022 first-rounder, but that's a minor concern for Minnesota, which gets to keep Malik Beasley, as well as the Nets 2020 first-round pick it acquired as part of Tuesday's four-team deal.

For fantasy purposes, this probably doesn't change much for Russell, who was playing well as the focal point of an undermanned Warriors roster. Through 33 games, Russell averaged 23.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds, while shooting 43 percent from the field and a career-best 37.4 percent from three on nearly 10 attempts per game. Towns is a significantly better partner than Draymond Green, but the Timberwolves might be a two-man show the rest of the way.

For Wiggins, it's a fascinating move from one of the worst franchises in the league to one of the best. He'll have a chance to be the No. 1 option for now -- at least until Curry returns -- but his long-term fit is the more interesting narrative. Will the Warriors be the team to finally unlock Wiggins' potential, or will he simply be the next evolution of Harrison Barnes? - Nick Whalen

Walton to Atlanta

Hawks get: Derrick Walton

Clippers get: Second-round pick

In a marginal move, and one that potentially helps the Clippers open up a roster spot for another trade, Walton will head to a new situation in Atlanta. He's seen solid run on occasion, garnering at least 10 minutes in nine games, averaging 4.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in those contests. But he could end up as the Hawks' third or fourth-string point guard behind Trae Young, Jeff Teague and possibly Brandon Goodwin. Really not much to see here from a fantasy perspective. - Alex Barutha

Sixers pick up depth pieces

Warriors get: Three future second-round picks

76ers get: Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks

Philadelphia has the top-level talent to be legitimate title contenders, but the bench depth was severely lacking prior to this deal. After the starting five, it's Furkan Korkmaz who has played the most minutes (1,039) on the team, followed by Mike Scott and rookie Matisse Thybulle.

Adding Robinson and Burks gives Philly added stability off the bench, and the two have combined to average 29.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game this season with the Warriors. It's possible they each continue to see 25-plus minutes regularly, and Burks might be able to provide some quality backup point guard minutes behind Ben Simmons.

But from a fantasy perspective, this move probably results in a loss of value for both players, as they'll no longer be getting starter's minutes on one of the worst teams in the league. Burks might be able to retain some 14-team value, but by no means should fantasy owners feel compelled to keep him.  - Alex Barutha

Iguodala to Miami, Winslow to Memphis

Heat get: Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill

Grizzlies get: Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, James Johnson

Miami wasn't among the usual teams discussed as possible Iguodala destinations, but the Heat moved quickly and were able to get a deal done by Wednesday night -- one that includes Iguodala agreeing to a two-year, $30 million extension. While the second year is a team option, that's still a good chunk of change to devote to a player who will turn 37 midway through next season.

Obviously, Miami feels confident that Iguodala will be ready to step in and contribute right away, but it's fair to question whether his reputation exceeds his utility at this point in his career. Iguodala can still be an elite defender, but he was just a 31 percent three-point shooter over the last two seasons in Golden State. Adding Jae Crowder gives the Heat some more insurance on the wing, though he'll likely step into a reduced role after averaging nearly 30 minutes per night as a starter in Memphis.

Outside of the extension, the primary price paid by Miami is giving up Justise Winslow, who's been sidelined for the majority of the season with a back injury. It's very much unclear when he'll be ready to return, but getting Winslow -- who's still only 23 and under contract through 2022 -- is likely a better return than the late-first-round picks Memphis may have received from Philadelphia, Milwaukee or the Los Angeles teams.  - Nick Whalen

Dedmon heads back to Atlanta

Hawks get: Dewayne Dedmon

Kings get: Jabari Parker, Alex Len

It appears the Hawks are quickly transitioning from rebuilding to competing, and this trade cements that notion. Not only has Atlanta committed to the three years and $55.5 million left on Clint Capela's contract, they've also committed to the 2020-21 salary of $13.3 million for a backup center in Dedmon -- his $13.3 million for 2021-22 is non-guaranteed.

For Sacramento, moving off of Dedmon's contract was a priority since he was unhappy with his role there, though he was being outplayed by Richaun Holmes. Now the Kings are roped into some younger gambles. Parker has a $6.5 million player option next year -- he's opting into that -- and Len's contract expires after this year. It's a pretty uninspiring return. For Parker, the Kings will be his fifth team in the last three-and-a-half seasons.

From a fantasy perspective, this helps Dedmon, mostly because he's going to actually play now. I assume he'll see 15-20 minutes per game behind Capela. He could be rosterable in 16-team formats if that's the case. I'm expecting next to nothing from Len and Parker, so you can probably still avoid them. Even in dynasty formats, it's getting tough to hold out hope for either player panning out.  - Alex Barutha

Hawks acquire Capela, Rockets get Covington in four-team, 12-player deal

Timberwolves get: Evan Turner, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Nets' 2020 first-round pick

Hawks get: Clint Capela, Nene

Rockets get: Robert Covington, Jordan Bell, future second-round pick

Nuggets get: Shabazz Napier, Keita Bates-Diop, Noah Vonleh, Gerald Green, Houston's first-round pick

The deal that initially broke the levy late Tuesday night was a massive one. In terms of the number of players involved, it's the NBA's largest deal in nearly two decades, with 12 players on the move and four teams involved. 

The headliner, of course, is Clint Capela heading to Atlanta, where he'll join John Collins and Trae Young to form what's suddenly a really nice under-25 threesome. Capela has his limitations, and the Rockets clearly weren't thrilled about paying him the rest of his five-year, $90 million deal, but this is a move the Hawks had to make, given how little they gave up for an All-Star-caliber center in his prime.

Fantasy-wise, Capela goes from one run-and-gun system to another, but he'll slot in alongside another athletic big man in Collins, which could impact his elite rebounding numbers. Capela is a far superior defender to Collins, however.

For Houston, adding another two-way win was clearly a priority, and essentially flipping Capela for Covington signals a shift into full-time small ball mode. It's a risky move given the wealth of star big men in the West, but Houston has flirted with this idea in the past, so if there's a team that call pull it off, it's the Rockets. They'll be tested right away Thursday night by Anthony Davis and the oversized Lakers' frontcourt.

Both Denver and Minnesota mostly acquire bit pieces, with Minnesota's haul looking a bit more appealing -- and rightfully so, considering they gave up Covington. In addition to snagging the Nets' lottery-protected 2020 first-rounder from Atlanta, Minnesota gets a competent veteran in Evan Turner, as well as three younger assets in Vanderbilt, Beasley and Hernangomez. Of those three, Beasley is clearly the crown jewel, and the Timberwolves are expected to try to sign both he and Hernangomez to new deals this summer. 

Beasley had a breakout year in Denver last season, but he's fallen back into a lesser role in 2019-20, and his numbers have regressed accordingly. The move from one of the deepest rosters in the league to one of the shallowest could be huge for his fantasy value. He finished inside the top 120 last season in terms of total production. - Nick Whalen