Pistons Sign Chris Wilcox
On the surface this move doesn't look very intriguing. Wilcox is coming off a disappointing season split between the Thunder and Knicks, where most of his time was spent on the bench. If he couldn't find playing time with two of the worst teams in the league, how could he hope for playing time with Detroit? Easy, the Pistons have a dearth of frontcourt talent. Following the offseason departures of Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess via free agency, the Pistons were left with Jason Maxiell, Kwame Brown and Charlie Villanueva to man the paint, with the hapless Brown slotted in as the starting center. Anyone who saw Brown play last year knows he's not a starter in the NBA. Even if Brown somehow wins the affection of Detroit's new coaching staff and sticks in the starting five, Wilcox will be the one earning starter minutes. Wilcox has tempted fantasy owners with his freakish athleticism before, but he has never been able to live up to the vast potential that made him a lottery pick in 2002. President of basketball operations Joe Dumars has made a living picking up underappreciated players from other teams, and Wilcox fits that mold. If given the minutes, Wilcox will be a solid fantasy player next season, just look at his averages of 13 points and 7.2 boards in 211 career starts.
Frye Headed to the Desert
Remember when Channing Frye was a rookie in New York? The skinny power forward out of the University of Arizona flashed tons of potential in his rookie campaign, averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 boards, numbers good enough to earn Frye a place on the 2005-06 NBA All-Rookie First Team. His sophomore campaign wasn't nearly as successful, and Frye eventually shipped to Portland as part of the Zach Randolph deal. Blazers coach Nate McMillan never gave Frye much of a chance, and he wastedaway for two seasons on Portland's bench. Now Frye finally has a chance to fulfill the promise he showed as a rookie after signing with Phoenix this offseason. The Suns pitch to land Frye was an abundance of playing time, and Frye's perimeter-oriented game seems to fit Phoenix's style perfectly. Plus, with Shaquille O'Neal being dealt to Cleveland, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Frye and Amare Stoudemire start alongside each other at power forward and center.
The Forgotten Man in Orlando/New Jersey Swap
Vince Carter got all the hype, but it's one of the players who landed in New Jersey that I love next season. Enter Courtney Lee. Besides salary cap relief, the biggest piece the Nets landed in the deal was Lee. Many remember Lee for his botched game-winning layup attempt in the NBA Finals, but he quietly put together a solid rookie campaign and held fantasy value after a move to the starting lineup before being a goat for the overmatched Magic. He should start at shooting guard from Day 1 and with Carter leaving behind 17 shots per games, Lee should see plenty more opportunities in the Meadowlands than he did with Orlando.
Are there any other under-the-radar moves that could have a surprising fantasy impact next season? Chime in below.