2023 NBA Trade Deadline Recap

Atlanta Hawks

  • In: Saddiq Bey, Bruno Fernando, Garrison Mathews
  • Out: Justin Holiday, Kaminsky

Fernando returns to his original NBA team, but the only fantasy-relevant addition is Bey. I would guess he displaces AJ Griffin to an extent and, being the gunner that he is, maybe takes some of Bogdanovic and Hunter’s shots. I’m not sure that’s a good thing for any of them or the Hawks, but there’s a chance Bey sees an uptick in efficiency with lower volume as he moves to a better team.

Boston Celtics

  • In: Mike Muscala
  • Out: Justin Jackson

Muscala could be a good handcuff if you roster Robert Williams III and/or Al Horford.

Brooklyn Nets

- in: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, DFS, Dinwiddie

- out: KD, Kyrie, TJ Warren, Markieff Morris

Somehow I missed the Nets, perhaps the most changed team at the deadline, when I initially wrote the piece. A Mikal Bridges breakout was in the offing and I’m excited to see what he does next season as the team’s focal point. Coincidentally, the Suns imports thrived while the Mavs imports had a rougher time adjusting to life in Brooklyn.

Charlotte Hornets

- in: Svi

- out: Plumlee, McDaniels

The other centers in Charlotte get one of the biggest fantasy bumps of all, especially in categories, where Plumlee had been very useful as a high percentage finisher, rebounder, and even distributor. I doubt either Mark Williams or Nick Richards will be used as a distributor as much as Plumlee, but should provide better block numbers. The assists could be picked up PJ Washington or one of the remaining wings.

McDaniels was the other player sent out by the Hornets, and I think the fantasy impact there for Charlotte will be negligible since Kelly Oubre is slated to come back soon and should step back into those minutes and shots. Gordon Hayward could also take a more prominent role assuming he stays healthy, and Washington could also see a slight bump with McDaniels gone. I doubt it results in fantasy relevance, but Kai Jones and Bryce McGowens could grab more minutes to show their stuff now.

Chicago Bulls

- in:

- out:

Cleveland Cavaliers

- in: Danny Green

- out:

Dallas Mavericks

- in: Kyrie, Markieff

- out: DFS, Dinwiddie

Kyrie will step into a Dinwiddie+ role, likely soaking up any shots that THJ, Josh Green, or Reggie Bullock would be getting as a result of Finney-Smith’s departure. It’s far more interesting from a real world standpoint as the Mavs traded away their best wing defender, which became far more important after they made this trade. The Lakers appear to be more of a threat to make the playoffs now and the Suns are in good shape to avoid the play in, and the Mavs are now left with Bullock or Josh Green guarding KD and LeBron in potential playoff matchups. Between those teams, the Clippers with Paul George and Kawhi, and the Pelicans with Zion and Brandon Ingram, they will almost certainly face some high quality wings in the playoffs. Someone will have to step up and defend them, and I don’t think it will be Luka.

Denver Nuggets

- in: Thomas Bryant, Reggie Jackson

- out: Bones

The league-leading Nuggets fortified their backup center position with Thomas Bryant after he requested a trade from the Lakers following AD’s return. Bryant is a high quality backup and while he might not get more minutes than he did behind AD, he’ll play at least 14-15 every night with the upside for more. Any Jokic owner should be interested in adding him as a handcuff.

The backup point guard minutes opened up by Bones’ trade are likely to be filled by either Ish Smith or Reggie Jackson, which, meh. There is an opportunity in the 7 or so minutes each night where Bones and Jamal Murray shared the court, which could be filled by Reggie Jackson or potentially Christian Braun, as he’s been playing more recently (22 MPG in his last 10 games, though it includes a couple blowouts). He might rise a spot or two in your rotation this year as a depth piece, but I think the impact is more for next year and beyond where he could be the first man off the bench for them and eventually replace KCP on the wing.

Detroit Pistons

- in: James Wiseman

- out: Saddiq Bey

The biggest losers here are Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart as they have another young big in contention for minutes, and reports indicate Wiseman will step right into the starting position. Duren will be hurt the most since he’ll likely move back to the bench despite averaging a double double as a starter. Wiseman, on the other hand, will get ample opportunity to play and not worry about minutes or getting benched or deferring to existing stars on the team. I think we’ll have a good idea soon enough about whether or not Golden State was right to keep him glued to the bench, even when healthy.

The other side is the departure of Bey, which has less clear implications as his shots could go to any number of players, though his minutes seem likely to go to Isaiah Livers and/or Hamidou Diallo. That’s a situation to monitor because as the season winds down, the Piston may shut down Bogdanovic and other vets.

Golden State Warriors

- in: GP2

- out: James Wiseman

Payton goes back to the Bay, where he broke out last year and ended up being a rotation player for both the Warriors and fantasy teams. He’ll likely slot right back in where he was last year, possibly bumping JaMychal Green or allowing the Warriors to keep Anthony Lamb’s game count down for his two-way deal.

Houston Rockets

- in: Danny Green, Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky

- out: Bruno Fernando, Garrison Mathews, Eric Gordon

Green and Holiday could provide some steady veteran play on the wings if they stick around. Both of them are past their prime but can still shoot the ball, play team defense, and provide some leadership for a young squad. Eric Gordon’s departure opens up some ballhandling opportunities on the wing for those young wings, including rookies Jabari Smith Jr. and TyTy Washington.

It’s tough to say who exactly will benefit since there are so many young players battling for a spot on the Rockets. Tari Eason and Josh Christopher have been getting more time recently, and Kevin Porter Jr. will be back at some point. Removing a reliable veteran ballhandler like Gordon could hurt players who rely on others like Eason, Smith, and Usman Garuba to set them up as the service to them will likely be more erratic. If Holiday and / or Green are bought out, then this goes doubly since they’ll be losing spacing.

Indiana Pacers

- in: Jordan Nwora

- out: Bitadze, Terry Taylor, George Hill, Serge Ibaka

A lot of movement, but nothing too notable. Terry Taylor is probably too good for the G League and maybe not good enough for the NBA. Bitadze seems likely to go back to Europe and bounce back. Nwora will get minutes in Indiana, but probably not enough to be fantasy relevant.

Los Angeles Clippers

- in: Plumlee, Bones, Eric Gordon

- out: Wall, Reggie Jackson, Kennard

Wow, a lot of action here. It remains to be seen how the minutes shake out between Bones and Eric Gordon, but with Wall, Reggie Jackson, and Luke Kennard all leaving, there is plenty of opportunity up for grabs. I’d guess Bones goes into the starting lineup since he’s more of a point guard than Gordon and Tyronn Lue has insisted on having a “true” point guard in the lineup next to PG13 and Kawhi. That leaves the Kennard role for Gordon as a shooter coming off the bench. Gordon is more stout on defense than Kennard or Bones, so he may close more games and generally find his way into more minutes than Bones or the departing players, but it remains to be seen if that’s enough to keep him fantasy relevant.

It’s too early to drop Plumlee since there’s still 18 non-Zubac minutes that are presumably now Plumlee’s to lose and he would immediately step into the starting lineup if Zubac got hurt. But it’s tough to see anything besides an injury opening up enough time for Plumlee to be nearly as impactful as he’d been in Charlotte. He’s now just a depth piece.

Los Angeles Lakers

- in: Mo Bamba, Davon Reed, DLo, Beasley, Vando, Rui

- out: Westbrook, PatBev, Thomas Bryant, JTA, Kendrick Nunn

Even more action on this side of LA. Westbrook wasn’t starting, but his usage was still very high and he played 29 minutes. D’Angelo Russell will presumably step into the starting spot that was Beverley’s and take most of the shots that were Westbrook’s. He should get plenty of spot up three point opportunities next to LeBron and assists playing off of him, and running plenty of pick and rolls when LBJ isn’t out there.

Bamba is a more willing shooter from three than Thomas Bryant (6.8 3PA per 100 vs 3.4 over their careers, and a larger difference this year), so he might get more time next to AD and LeBron than Bryant did. Beasley is pretty similar to Lonnie Walker and I’m interested in seeing who wins out there - Walker has been playing well this year, but Beasley has the bigger contract. They’ll likely share the court some to surround LBJ with shooters who are still capable defenders with some size. Both Bamba and Beasley are under contract for the 2023-24 season (Beasley with a team option), which could be part of why the Lakers targeted them.

I don’t know quite how Vando fits in with the Lakers, but he’s a winning player who will find his way into minutes one way or another.

We’ve seen Rui with the Lakers for a few weeks now and while he’s been starting, the bottom line hasn’t changed much for fantasy purposes. He’s still a play finisher who will have some big games but is inconsistent.

My guess at their new look starting lineup is Russell - James - Davis - Walker - Bamba. But only Russell, Davis, and James are locked in. Walker could be replaced by Troy Brown Jr, Austin Reaves, Beasley, Schroder, or Rui. Bamba could be replaced by Rui or Vando. I do think that Pelinka and company did a very good job this trade deadline and I expect them to be more competitive moving forward and a threat in the playoffs provided they make it and are healthy. Portland and Utah made trades that seem to lower their playoff odds and OKC is a nice story but unlikely to push that hard for a play-in spot.

Memphis Grizzlies

- in: Luke Kennard

- out: Danny Green

Kennard plays a bit like Desmond Bane on offense so I’d expect him to come in off the bench for him and maybe play alongside him some. It looks like Ziaire Williams may be on the outside looking in for the rest of the year, capping a disappointing sophomore season.

Miami Heat

- in:

- out: Dewayne Dedmon

This opens up a spot for Orlando Robinson to be promoted to the 15 man roster from his two-way deal.

Milwaukee Bucks

- in: Jae Crowder

- out: George Hill, Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora

Crowder should slot right into the Bucks’ rotation, taking Nwora’s minutes and providing some insurance for Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton as they work their way back from injuries. He could also eat into Joe Ingles’ minutes.

Minnesota Timberwolves

- in: Mike Conley, NAW

- out: DLo

Conley brings a different attitude to the Wolves’ point guard position and opens up some shots for KAT once he gets back. I’m sure the Wolves also figure Conley might help get Rudy Gobert back on track and make that trade look a bit better. Anthony Edwards will also soak up some of the shots and opportunities left by Russell that Conley won’t be taking.

NAW might get some hype moving to another new team, but I don’t think he’s much closer to being rosterable than before.

New Orleans Pelicans

- in: Josh Richardson

- out: Devonte Graham

Richardson is on a better team now, but won’t get as many shots in New Orleans as he was getting in San Antonio. He was a fringe option before and remains in that area, just pushed down a bit. I think he might take some minutes from Dyson Daniels or Naji Marshall, but will probably just slot into Devonte Graham’s bench gunner role.

New York Knicks

- in: Josh Hart

- out: Cam Reddish

Hart could become a starter for the Knicks, though he could also strengthen the Knicks’ bench alongside Immanuel Quickley. He probably loses a bit of value as his minutes seem to go down a bit, but he should still be a rotation player in fantasy.

Oklahoma City Thunder

- in: Justin Jackson (UNC), Dario Saric

- out: Mike Muscala, Darius Bazley

Saric could step in and get more minutes here than in Phoenix, but they have Poku coming back in a couple weeks and Jaylin Williams has emerged after dominating in the G League. I don’t think Justin Jackson will get off the bench much.

Orlando Magic

- in:

- out: Mo Bamba

The Bol Bol experience is back on track! He and Mo Wagner should take up the minutes that Bamba had been playing.

Philadelphia 76ers

- in: Jalen McDaniels

- out: Matisse Thybulle

Jalen McDaniels will unfortunately see his minutes and opportunities likely cut by this move to Philly from Charlotte, and I don’t think he’ll take the minutes from any of Philly’s starters or Tyrese Maxey. He could play over Georges Niang, but who gets more time is likely matchup dependent.

Phoenix Suns

- in: KD, TJ Warren, Bazley

- out: Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae, Saric

This fantasy situation might be pretty straightforward as KD will take Bridges and Cam’s shots while also bringing down their other stars’ ceilings, though which star is impacted the most will depend on the format. Ayton should still grab some boards and get his easy buckets, but will be hurt in simple points by a likely decrease in post up and other ISO opportunities. The situation will be similar for CP3, while Booker will still probably get his buckets but might see a decrease in assists as KD sees more of the ball.

It’s a scary Suns squad that has been assembled in the desert, though they’ll be relying a lot on Torrey Craig, Damion Lee, Josh Okogie, and TJ Warren to fill that other wing stop and provide defense and spacing. And for as talented as the team is, it’s a group that has missed a lot of time this year between CP3, KD, and Booker and any untimely injuries could severely test their depth.

In terms of playoff matchups, most of the defensive wings that were traded at the deadline moved from the West to the East (Bridges, DFS, Hart, Jae, etc), so teams could have a hard time matching up with both Booker and KD. The Lakers have more length now and the Warriors have Wiggins and (maybe) GP2, but both have ground to make up in the standings. Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, and Dillon Brooks are the primary wing defenders for the current top three seeds, but each team will really need a team effort to slow down a healthy Suns team.

Portland Trail Blazers

- in: Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle, Kevin Knox

- out: Josh Hart, GP2

Reddish immediately becomes more fantasy relevant as he gets freed from Thibodeau’s doghouse and stepped right into the starting lineup in Portland. We’ll see if he sticks in it over Nassir Little and Shaedon Sharpe, but for now he’s back to rosterable. Thybulle could step into the rotation once he’s healthy, though he’ll also be competing for a wing spot with Sharpe, Little, and Reddish.

Sacramento Kings

- in: Kessler Edwards

- out:

I like Kessler Edwards in general, but he won’t be fantasy relevant. Expect to see him get time with Sacramento’s G League team in Stockton.

San Antonio Spurs

- in: Devonte Graham, Khem Birch

- out: Josh Richardson, Jakob Poeltl

Graham steps into a backup point guard and bench gunner role that brings him into more fantasy relevance. He’s going to have more shots and touches with this inexperienced Spurs group instead of being forced off the ball by Ingram, Zion, and McCollum in New Orleans.

Birch could get some minutes as a backup center, but the Spurs might try Charles Bassey out in that role to see if he can stick.

Toronto Raptors

- in: Jakob Poeltl

- out: Khem Birch

Poeltl goes back to Toronto as they push for the playoffs. He’ll help shore up their defense and provide a big for FVV to play pick and roll with, potentially boosting FVV’s numbers. His own offensive numbers will likely dip in deference to Siakam and FVV, maybe looking more like they did in 2020-21.

Utah Jazz

- in: JTA, Damian Jones, maybe Westbrook

- out: Malik Beasley, Vando, Conley, NAW

The Jazz seem to be moving closer to the tanktastic team everyone expected at the beginning of the year. Of course, Lauri has been amazing, Jordan Clarkson has stepped up, and Walker Kessler is doing a pretty good Rudy Gobert impression as a rookie to keep them competitive.

However, they moved two guards from their rotation and a great glue guy in Vanderbilt while getting nobody who seems likely to crack into their new rotation. Westbrook could join the club, but for now I’d guess he gets bought out. Talen Horton-Tucker and Collin Sexton appear to be the big beneficiaries so far as they’ve stepped into the rotation. This has been a long time coming for Sexton as he worked his way back from injury and he could be a big time fantasy player as the season hits the home stretch with the increased minutes. THT will have some big nights, but his inconsistency might make it hard to rely on him for now unless he shows enough to break into the starting lineup for Kelly Olynyk.

Washington Wizards

- in:

- out: Will Barton

The Wizards bought out Will Barton as their only deadline move. He had fallen out of the rotation anyway, so nothing much changes here.

Buyouts

- Reggie Jackson, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Will Barton, Dewayne Dedmon, PatBev