Trade Deadline Impact: Friday, February 20th
Now that the dust has settled in the aftermath of the trade deadline, use this information as a reference to help you sort out which players are available, and whose value has changed in tonight’s massive 13-game slate.
NOTE: This guide will be constantly updated throughout the day until 6:30 PM EST. More thorough analysis will be added as additional information becomes available.
NO @ ORL — 7:00 PM EST
PELICANS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PG JRUE HOLIDAY PG NORRIS COLE
UNLIKELY: PF RYAN ANDERSON,
UNKNOWN: SF SHAWNE WILLIAMS
STARTING LU CHANGES
NONE
ANALYSIS:
With Jrue Holiday & the newly acquired Norris Cole OUT tonight, it seems likely the Pelicans will again run Tyreke Evans at PG. He’s a strong option given his favorable matchup against the Magic, who struggle to defend PGs.
Backup PF Ryan Anderson is unlikely to play, but his minutes will likely be redistributed to rotational players (ex. Dante Cunningham) we can ignore tonight.
MAGIC
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: SF TOBIAS HARRIS
STARTING LU CHANGES
SF EVAN FOURNIER
ANALYSIS:
Tobias Harris has been ruled out and Evan Fournier will start in his place. While Fournier is an option now, the other Magic offensive threats usually see a nice boost in usage rate and production when Harris out, and are preferable targets to Harris’ replacement. C Nikola Vucevic and SG Victor Oladipo should be the biggest beneficiaries.
IND @ PHI — 7:00 PM EST
PACERS
[NO CHANGES]
76ERS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
UNLIKELY: PG ISAIAH CANAAN
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG TIM FRAZIER
SG JASON RICHARDSON (16 MINUTE LIMIT)
ANALYSIS:
With MCW shipped out of town & Isaiah Canaan unlikely to go tonight, the 76ers will likely turn back to Tim Frazier at PG. Frazier has at least 7 assists in each of the 3 games he’s played, and should again log heavy minutes at PG. He’s one of the better value PGs of the night.
Jason Richardson also returns from the dead tonight — but reports suggest he’ll be limited to 16 minutes. He can be avoided until that limit is lifted.
The trade of KJ McDaniels also should open up additional minutes and opportunites for Robert Covington. Of the few surviving 76ers, Covington has the 2nd highest usage rate when players like MCW & KJ McDaniels are off the floor. He’ll be chucking at will tonight.
TOR @ ATL — 7:30 PM EST
RAPTORS
[NO CHANGES]
HAWKS
[NO CHANGES]
CHI @ DET — 7:30 PM EST
BULLS
[NO CHANGES]
PISTONS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PG REGGIE JACKSON, SF TAYSHAUN PRINCE
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG SPENCER DINWIDDIE
SF CARON BUTLER
ANALYSIS:
With Reggie Jackson unavailable, something named Spencer Dinwiddie will start at PG — he’s a risky min-priced value option.
Caron Butler slides in at SF tonight. He’s the Pistons only real option at SF, with Tayshaun Prince unavailable & Quincy Miller only recently signed. Butler has been a volume shooter in the past which makes him an intriguing value option, but the threat of Jimmy Butler’s wing defense looms tonight.
MIA @ NYK — 7:30 PM EST
HEAT
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PF CHRIS BOSH
UNLIKELY: PG GORAN DRAGIC
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG MARIO CHALMERS
PF HASLEM/ANDERSON
ANALYSIS:
With the news that Chris Bosh is out tonight (and possibly for the season), the Heat frontcourt is looking awfully thin. They’ll be forced to rotate Chris Anderson/Udonis Haslem alongside Hassan Whiteside. Either is a theoretical value play where min-priced, though neither has a high ceiling. Whiteside is the beneficiary here.
It seems new PG Goran Dragic will debut on Saturday, not tonight, so Mario Chalmers will likely start at PG.
KNICKS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: SF CARMELO ANTHONY, PG SHANE LARKIN
UNKNOWN: SG ALEXEY SHVED
STARTING LU CHANGES
SF CLEANTHONY EARLY
ANALYSIS:
With Carmelo Anthony done for the year, the Knicks will look to establish a new starter at SF. Cleanthony Early becomes a theoretical value play as a result and will be overlooked due to the wealth of value at other positions.
CLE @ WAS — 8:00 PM EST
CAVS
[NO CHANGES]
WIZARDS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: SG BRADLEY BEAL
UNKNOWN: PG RAMON SESSIONS
STARTING LU CHANGES
SG RASUAL BUTLER
ANALYSIS:
With Brad Beal out tonight, Rasual Butler is expected to start at SG. He can score in bunches when he gets hot from three, and is a viable value play at SG — but the likely beneficiary here is PG John Wall, who will take on extra scoring responsibility with Beal out. Wall may also see additional minutes tonight if backup PG Ramon Sessions isn’t cleared to play.
Sessions has yet to pass is physical, but there’s optimism for his availability. He’s strictly a backup.
PHX @ MIN — 8:00 PM EST
SUNS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PG BRANDON KNIGHT, SG MARCUS THORNTON, SF DANNY GRANGER, SF JOHN SALMONS
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG ERIC BLEDSOE
SG GERALD GREEN
ANALYSIS:
Welcome to the BLEDSHOW. With Goran Dragic gone and his replacement, Brandon Knight, unavailable tonight, the bulk of the Suns offensive responsibilities fall on Bledsoe. He’s one of the top options of the night… and evvvvvvverybody knows it.
Gerald Green represents a strong value option given the Suns sudden lack of guard depth and his streaky scoring abilities. His usage rate is massive (even higher than Bledsoe’s) without Dragic and Thomas on the floor.
Both Alex Len & Brandan Wright should see a few more minutes with the trade of C Miles Plumlee.
TIMBERWOLVES
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PF KEVIN GARNETT
STARTING LU CHANGES
PF GORGUI DIENG
ANALYSIS:
The trade of Thad Young means we should see a Dieng/Pekovic frontcourt for the Timberwolves tonight. Dieng is the main beneficiary but will be risky with the T-Wolves at full strength. That said, he’ll also be largely overlooked with all the other news, and has double-double & multi-block potential when given starter’s minutes.
HOU @ DAL — 8:30 PM EST
ROCKETS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
UNLIKELY: KJ MCDANIELS, PABLO PRIGIONI
ANALYSIS:
Not much impact here — both McDaniels & Prigioni are likely only rotational players going forward.
MAVERICKS
No trades or injuries, but do note they also played last night
DEN @ MIL — 8:30 PM EST
NUGGETS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
UNKNOWN: PF THOMAS ROBINSON, G VICTOR CLAVER, G WILL BARTON
STARTING LU CHANGES
SG DANILO GALLINARI
ANALYSIS:
Brian Shaw will start Danilo Gallinari at SG tonight in the wake of the Arron Afflalo trade. Expect Afflalo’s shots to be redistributed among Gallo & SF Wilson Chandler. Gallo’s strength is his shooting, and Afflalo was averaging 4.5+ 3PA per game.
BUCKS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PG MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS
UNKNOWN: PF JOHN HENSON
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG JERRYD BAYLESS
ANALYSIS:
While we know the newly acquired MCW won’t suit up in this game, but the other two Bucks acquisitions, Miles Plumlee & Tyler Ennis, will. Plumlee appears buried for now, but Ennis may see some run while MCW is out.
In the meantime, Milwaukee beat writers expect Jerryd Bayless to start at PG in MCW’s place. He’s a sneaky value option given that the Bucks have few alternatives at PG.
The real winner here is Giannis Antetokounpo, who should see additional offensive responsibility now that Brandon Knight is gone.
POR @ UTA — 9:00 PM EST
TRAILBLAZERS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
UNKNOWN: SG ARRON AFFLALO
ANALYSIS:
Afflalo becomes the new sixth man for the Blazers, but his availability tonight is unknown.
JAZZ
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
UNKNOWN: C KENDRICK PERKINS
STARTING LU CHANGES
C RUDY GOBERT
ANALYSIS:
The time has come. With Enes Kanter traded to the Thunder, Rudy Gobert will likely be unleashed in a regular starting role. He has elite block potential and is a near-lock for a double-double given starter’s minutes.
BOS @ SAC — 10:00 PM EST
CELTICS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PF JARED SULLINGER, C KELLY OLYNYK
UNLIKELY: PG ISAIAH THOMAS
UNKNOWN: SF JONAS JEREBKO, SF GIGI DATOME
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG MARCUS SMART
PF BRANDON BASS
ANALYSIS:
With Isaiah Thomas unlikely to play, Marcus Smart likely will remain the Celtics starting PG for at least one more game.
Brandon Bass should start at PF tonight with Jared Sullinger’s injury. He’s been an effective value play when given starter’s minutes.
KINGS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PG DARREN COLLISION
UNKNOWN: PG ANDRE MILLER
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG Ray McCallum
ANALYSIS:
With Darren Collison ruled out tonight, Ray McCallum becomes a strong value option at PG
SAS @ GS — 10:30 PM EST
SPURS
No trades or injuries, but do note they also played last night.
WARRIORS
[NO CHANGES]
BKN @ LAL — 10:30 PM EST
NETS
PLAYER AVAILABILITY
OUT: PG JARRETT JACK
STARTING LU CHANGES
PG DERON WILLIAMS
PF THAD YOUNG?
ANALYSIS:
The Nets have new starters at PG & PF tonight. The newly acquired Thad Young HAS been cleared to play (he was reported unavailable earlier), but we don’t know how much he’ll play or if he’ll start. His uncertain role makes him risky… but the tasty matchup keeps him in consideration.
At PG, Jarrett Jack has been ruled out. Deron Williams will start in his place and has an excellent matchup against the Lakers.
LAKERS
STARTING LU CHANGES
PF TARIK BLACK
ANALYSIS:
Tarik Black is reportedly starting in place of Jordan Hill tonight. Zzzzzzz