Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring DeAndre' Bembry
See More
Bembry had a strong final season with the Raptors during the 2020-21 campaign. The forward managed to set a career-high shooting percentage from the field (51.3) and from the charity stripe (68.2) while he averaged 5.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in his first year with Toronto. After receiving minimal playing time in the first half of the season, Bembry earned roughly 22 minutes a game for the second half of the year and even recorded a career-high 23-point performance against the Hornets. This offseason, the 27-year-old forward decided to join the Nets' superteam. His free agency decision will ultimately land him a spot as a depth role player for the Nets. He could end up filling in for players who are injured, but he likely won't receive consistent playing time.
Entering his fourth season in the league, Bembry is still looking for some sort of breakthrough after he averaged just 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 21.3 minutes during the 2019-20 season. The 26-year-old is leaving the Hawks after four seasons, inking a two-year, $3.7 million contract with the Raptors. With Toronto, he could see a similar workload, though he'll be behind OG Anunoby, Norman Powell and Fred VanVleet. He'll also have to compete for minutes with Terence Davis. As a result, Bembry can be largely ignored in fantasy, unless fantasy managers are desperate for steals production.
Bembry continued to grow in his third season with Atlanta, registering career highs in points (8.4), rebounds (4.4), assists (2.5) and steals (1.3). He logged 23.5 minutes per contest across 82 games -- new career highs -- after playing a combined 64 games across his first two seasons due to a litany of injuries. Bembry isn't a great shooter, but he is a solid defender and rebounder who has the ability to score at a high clip when needed. The Hawks drafted two wing players in this year's draft in De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish, adding veterans Allen Crabbe and Evan Turner to the mix as well. It's a crowded rotation in Atlanta, but Bembry should find his way to minutes in the low-20s again as the primary backup at small forward. He's fully healthy heading into his fourth season, and if he can continue his upward trajectory, Bembry offers deep-league value.
Wrist, groin and abdomen injuries kept Bembry off the floor for much of the 2017-18 campaign, resulting in just 26 total games played. He did see an uptick in playing time when healthy and was a part of the regular rotation, though, upping his rookie-year average of 9.8 minutes to 17.5. He chipped in with 5.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists, while shooting a respectable 36.7 percent from the three-point line (11-for-30 3Pt). The Hawks clearly tried to get the former first-round pick involved more, but again, injuries hurt his ability to capitalize. With Taurean Prince back as the starting small forward, Bembry is looking at a similar role going into the 2018-19 season. He's currently slotted in for backup duties, though veteran Vince Carter was added in the offseason and the Hawks also drafted Kevin Huerter with the 19th overall pick in the draft, so there's going to be a few more bodies to compete with on the wing. As a result, Bembry will likely struggle to average more than the 17.5 minutes he did last season, keeping him off the radar for the majority of Fantasy leagues.
Bembry was selected by the Hawks with the 21st overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but spent the majority of his rookie season in a developmental role. He saw action in just 38 games, posting averages of 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds over 9.8 minutes, as he struggled to move up the depth chart. Looking forward to the 2017-18 season, Bembry has a fantastic shot at improving his numbers considering the Hawks are going into full rebuild mode. Both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Thabo Sefolosha are gone, opening up more minutes at both shooting guard and small forward. Small forward could be Bembry's quickest path to playing time, though, and he may even open the season second on the depth chart. Taurean Prince is expected to start, but Bembry will have the chance to secure that second spot. That means he should hold down a regular rotation role and see minutes in every game that he's healthy, setting the stage for a breakout sophomore campaign.
The Hawks made addressing depth on the wing a priority in the 2016 NBA Draft, selecting Taurean Prince at No. 12 overall before spending their second first-round pick on Bembry, a small forward from Saint Joseph's. Bembry, the reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, solidified his spot in the first round during the NBA Combine, where scouts lauded his athleticism and ability to finish at the rim. His three-point stroke remains much more of a work in progress and may prevent him ever serving as a full-time starter in the league barring significant improvement, but with the Hawks re-signing Kent Bazemore this offseason, the team won't rely on Bembry to give them major minutes as a rookie. Bembry's high energy could prompt coach Mike Budenholzer to occasionally turn to the youngster as a sparkplug off the bench, though such a role is unlikely to translate into much meaningful fantasy production.