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I don’t know what to do with my hands.
The NBA trade deadline is hours away, and moves, rumors and speculations are flying around the social media world. It’s going to be a rather hectic day, and fantasy hoops owners need to know what to make of the handful of moves that will be made this afternoon.
You rang?
Cavaliers acquire Spencer Hawes
Perhaps the biggest deal so far came out of Philadelphia, which certainly isn’t a surprise. The 76ers have been the biggest trade target for months now, and finally made a move, sending center Spencer Hawes to the Cavaliers. In return, they received two second round draft picks for 2014, Earl Clark and big man, Henry Sims. The move is an interesting one, as the Cavs already have Anderson Varejao manning the center position, but he’ banged up right now, which could be why Cleveland went out and grabbed Hawes. I feel like Varejao could even have been dealt after this move, if he wasn’t hurt. Hawes value takes a huge hit, seeing as he may not be starting anymore and he loses the league’s highest pace in Philly. The team uses 102.5 possessions per game, which is almost three more than any other team in basketball, which also allowed Hawes to see a very healthy 68.4 offensive touches per game. That won’t happen in Cleveland, as guys like Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters handle the ball a lot, while the Cavs rank just 20th in pace this year.
As for the 76ers, I want to believe that someone like Lavoy Allen will slide in and handle the starting center role, and that would make him arguably a must-add in leagues for the same reasons I mentioned about Hawes. However, I’m not sure that Philadelphia is done making moves. Perhaps they use those two second round draft picks to grab another big man on the trade block. Perhaps someone like Omer Asik is a strong possibility. If you want to try to get ahead of the pack, sure, grab Allen. But keep an eye on the 76ers all day long. They’ll be busy.
Evan Turner to IND, Danny Granger to PHI
The biggest trade of the day was announced about a half hour after the deadline was up.
Everyone had a feeling that Evan Turner would be out the door, but Indiana was surely a darkhorse. The East’s best team traded former All-Star Danny Granger and Byron Mullens to the Sixers in exchange for Turner and Lavoy Allen, who is no longer in must-add territory. Turner, who was a high-end fantasy option for a string of weeks, is now dropable in most formats. He’ll play behind the likes of Paul George and Lance Stephenson, just as Granger did. However. Granger is intriguing because he’ll likely log all the minutes he can handle in Philly alongside Michael Carter-Williams. He’s not his former self by any means. Watch him and you’ll see his form is off, he’s slower and doesn’t have that scorer’s instinct. He may be worth a short-term add, but don’t be surprised if his stint with the 76ers is short-lived.
And as for Mullens, if he starts at center, I guess you kind of have to add him (and take a shower afterwards).
Oh, and someone please, please pray for Thaddeus Young. The tank is real, folks.
Steve Blake dealt to Golden State
Zero.
That’s what I received from Steve Blake on Wednesday night in my daily game. He was traded to the Warriors while warming up for his game against the Rockets, and thus, ruined my evening. Not really, but let’s break down the fantasy implications, shall we?
The biggest winner in this deal is easily Kendall Marshall. Anyone who has asked me whether or not they should keep Marshall, my response was always yes. He is the perfect fit for this Mike D’Antoni offense that features point guards heavily. With Blake out of the lineup and Steve Nash likely being banged up for the rest of the season, Marshall will see some major run the rest of the way. We’ve seen Marshall post some crazy assist numbers in limited minutes, and suddenly ranks second in assists (9.8). His 70 passes per game ranks fourth among all players, presenting crazy assist potential. The Lakers, meanwhile, play at the second-highest pace in basketball, and with Jodie Meeks headlining some trade rumors, the backcourt could undoubtedly belong to Marshall.
As for Golden State, Blake is essentially unownable unless you are in the deepest of leagues. He is going to back up Stephen Curry, but Jordan Crawford is also in the mix there, who they like for defensive purposes. Meanwhile, MarShon Brooks was moved to the Lakers in this deal, who could have some upside if he gets enough run. He’ll get far more than what he got in Golden State, anyway. Give him a look in deeper formats.
Rather boring, no?
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
