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Anderson has struggled to become more than just a deep reserve since being selected late in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. In his first full year in Philadelphia, it was shin splints that derailed his season, costing Anderson 23 games from mid-November through early January. However, Anderson wasn't much of a contributor in the 38 contests he ended up taking part in, averaging just 6.2 points and 2.4 rebounds across 13.7 minutes. The former Virginia swingman now heads to his third team in just his fourth NBA season after being dealt to Atlanta this summer. He'll be joining a team that finished with one of the worst records in the NBA in 2017-18, but that doesn't mean the path to playing time will be much easier. The Hawks bring back Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince, and also drafted Kevin Huerter, so wing minutes are going to be hard to come by. Anderson does have the ability to operate as a small-ball power forward, showing of his positional versatility. But again, there's other young pieces that appear to have more upside than Anderson at the position, so he's likely set for only spot minutes off the bench.
Anderson, a late first-round pick by the Mavericks in 2015, was traded to the 76ers as part of the Nerlens Noel deal at the 2017 trade deadline. He began 2016-17 as a significant figure in the Mavericks’ rotation, averaging more than 19.0 minutes a game through October and November. However, he gradually lost playing time, averaging barely seven minutes in the final month and a half before the trade that brought him to Philadelphia. The former University of Virginia swingman has good size and strength and is very athletic, though his abilities don’t necessarily translate to Fantasy value without major minutes. In late 2016-17, when the Anderson saw 28.7 minutes over the final six games following a rash of injuries throughout the 76ers depth chart, he averaged 12.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 threes, and 1.2 steals. In 2017-18, the 76ers are too talented for Anderson to have much chance at cracking the regular rotation without another team-wide injury plague – he figures to backup 2016 first overall pick Ben Simmons and third-runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year Robert Covington at small forward.
As a rookie, Anderson appeared in 55 games, overcoming a slow start and working his way into the rotation by season's end. The former Virginia swingman saw fewer than nine minutes per game before the All-Star break, but his minutes nearly doubled after the break, as he averaged 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds over Dallas' final 22 games. In the postseason, Anderson remained a key contributor, averaging 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from the field in the Mavs' opening-round series loss to the Thunder. Anderson, perhaps the Mavericks' best pure athlete, projects to open as the sixth or seventh man in 2016-17, serving as the main backup to offseason addition Harrison Barnes. Anderson will also see time at shooting guard behind Wesley Matthews, and he can even slide over to power forward in certain small-ball lineups. Even with that versatility, though, Anderson is unlikely to provide enough counting stat production to warrant a draft selection in most fantasy formats.
The Mavericks selected Anderson with the 21st overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, enamored with his athleticism and ability to defend. He averaged 12.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 28 minutes per game in his junior season at Virginia and displayed long-range ability, connecting on 45 percent from three-point range while converting 47 percent of his shots from the field. Anderson proved those number could carry over onto the next level during Summer League, shooting 43 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc in six starts for Dallas. The rookie finished the summer league averaging 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He's got the versatility and talent to join a veteran-filled Mavericks rotation, but Anderson will have to earn every minute. Injury concerns to Wesley Matthews and Chandler Parsons could provide him an early opportunity to impress coach Rick Carlisle.