The Impact of the NBA Trade Deadline on Fantasy Basketball

The NBA trade deadline this season created a frenzy as several top players were traded to new teams. In this article, we will discuss the most significant deals and analyze how they will influence fantasy basketball going forward.

Lakers, Mavericks and Jazz complete a three-team trade that sends Luka Dončić to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks

This move happened last weekend and sent shockwaves across the NBA. There weren’t even any reports that the Mavericks were open to trading Dončić, who is only 25 years old and is already one of the best players in the league. However, they decided to take the franchise in another direction, focusing more on size and defense with the addition of Davis.

Fantasy Impact:

Dončić and Davis remain top fantasy options, no matter where they play. Dončić is nearing his return from a calf injury, while Davis is working his way back from an abdominal injury. Davis is likely to shift over to power forward with the Mavericks, starting alongside Daniel Gafford. While Gafford is expected to remain a starter, he could see his production take a slight dip playing alongside Davis.

Once Dončić returns, Austin Reaves could see his role take a significant hit with the Lakers. Dončić and LeBron James should be tasked with running the Lakers’ offense, which could lead to fewer opportunities for points and assists for Reaves.

Lakers acquire Mark Williams from Hornets

The trade that sent Davis to the Mavericks left the Lakers with a big hole at center. They filled it by acquiring Williams from the Hornets for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap. While Williams has a checkered injury history, he has been stellar when healthy. He has averaged 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks over just 25 minutes per game this season.

Fantasy Impact: 

Knecht might be one of the biggest fantasy winners of this trade deadline. He’ll go from a limited role on the Lakers to possibly starting for the Hornets. If he doesn’t start, he should at least approach 30 minutes per game. He averaged 9.4 points and 1.6 3-pointers over just 21 minutes per game with the Lakers, so he’s a great waiver wire target. Knecht is still available in 81% of Yahoo leagues.

With a huge void left at center after dealing Williams, the Hornets then swung a trade with the Suns. They dealt Cody Martin, Vasilije Micić and a 2026 second-round pick for Jusuf Nurkić and a 2026 first-round pick. After falling out of favor with the Suns, Nurkić could find himself as the starting center for the Hornets. Those who have held onto Nurkić in fantasy hoping that he gets traded couldn’t have asked for a much better landing spot for him.

Kings, Spurs and Bulls complete a three-team trade that sends De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs and Zach LaVine to the Kings

Reports indicated that Fox was planning to leave the Kings when he became a free agent after next season. The Kings were then open to trading him and moved quickly to send him to the Spurs in a deal that netted them LaVine and draft picks. If LaVine picks up his nearly $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season, the Kings will have him for two more seasons, instead of just one with Fox. The draft picks will also help them take the franchise in a new direction following the trade of their leader.

Fantasy Impact:

Fox shouldn’t see his fantasy value change much on his new team. He should continue to have a high usage rate playing alongside Victor Wembanyama. The biggest impact might be felt by Stephon Castle, who moved to the bench in Fox’s first game Wednesday against the Hawks.

LaVine rejoins former teammate DeMar DeRozan on the Kings after the duo had spent the previous three seasons together on the Bulls. The Kings don’t have a true point guard now, but LaVine, DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis, and Malik Monk are all good passers, so they don’t necessarily need a straight playmaker at point guard.

With LaVine no longer on the Bulls, Josh Giddey, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Lonzo Ball are all primed for an increase in fantasy value. Dosunmu is still available in 63% of Yahoo leagues and has averaged 12.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 1.8 3-pointers over the last five games without LaVine. Another member of the Bulls to consider on the waiver wire is Matas Buzelis, who is available in 76% of leagues. As the Bulls focus on the future, Buzelis has logged at least 20 minutes in six straight games. During that span, he averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.8 3-pointers per game.

Warriors acquire Jimmy Butler, Heat add Andrew Wiggins in multi-team trade

The Warriors might actually be the best landing spot for Butler’s fantasy value because they desperately need someone to take some of the scoring pressure off of Stephen Curry. The Warriors also reportedly signed Butler to a two-year contract extension, which should make him happy in his new home. A motivated Butler can be a force in fantasy, so his arrow is pointing up with this trade.

Fantasy Impact:

Wiggins goes from being the second-best scoring option on the Warriors to probably the third option on the Heat behind Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Butler hasn’t been playing while suspended, which has provided a boost for the likes of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović. With Wiggins now in the fold, both players could see a decline in minutes and production.

Bucks trade Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson and a pick swap to the Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and a second-round pick

Middleton has been a staple of the Bucks’ franchise during their recent run of success and was on their most recent championship team. However, injuries have limited him to just 23 games this season. Even when he has been on the floor, he has only averaged 23 minutes per game. The acquisition of Kuzma gives the Bucks a healthier, younger alternative under contract through the 2026-27 season.

Fantasy Impact: 

This move could provide a boost to the fantasy value of Kuzma, who has only averaged 28 minutes per game as the Wizards were blown out often. They had also already turned their attention towards giving their younger players added minutes. Middleton could receive plenty of rest days down the stretch, as could fellow veteran Marcus Smart, who the Wizards traded for in a separate deal with the Grizzlies. Both veterans have dealt with injuries and the Wizards are out of the playoff hunt, so there is no reason for them to push either of them to play heavy minutes.

Pelicans trade Brandon Ingram to Raptors for Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, one first-round pick and one second-round pick

Ingram will be a free agent at the end of this season and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury. He hasn’t played in two months, so when he does eventually return, he will likely be eased back into action.

Injuries have been a problem for him throughout his career. He hasn’t played more than 64 games in a season since his rookie campaign. The Raptors would need to jump three teams to make the Play-In Tournament, so they may look to sign Ingram to a contract extension.

Fantasy Impact:

When Ingram does return, he figures to eat into the usage rates of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley. Ingram himself could also be in line for fewer shot attempts than he saw with the Pelicans. Gradey Dick would likely move to the bench, dealing a blow to his fantasy value.

The biggest fantasy winners of this trade are Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III, who will be plenty busy now that Ingram is officially no longer in the picture. Keep an eye on Kelly Olynyk, who will likely play reserve minutes at power forward and center for the Pelicans. If Williamson were to miss any time, Olynyk would be an attractive waiver wire option.

Hawks send De’Andre Hunter to the Cavaliers and Bogdan Bogdanović to the Clippers

The Cavaliers are making a push for a title with the addition of Hunter, who they acquired from the Hawks for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks, and two pick swaps. Hunter has been a valuable source of points and 3-pointers for fantasy managers, averaging 19.0 points and 2.6 3-pointers per game. With more talent around him on the Cavaliers, his usage rate should decline.

The Hawks weren’t done dealing, sending Bogdanović and three second-round picks to the Clippers for Bones Hyland and Terance Mann. Bogdanović provides the Clippers with an immediate upgrade as their sixth man off the bench.

Fantasy Impact:

The biggest fantasy winner from these two trades could be Zaccharie Risacher, who is in line for added minutes and shot attempts down the stretch. With Jalen Johnson and Bogdanović out, Risacher has averaged 17.5 points and 2.5 3-pointers over the last four games. Risacher is available in 76% of Yahoo leagues. Don’t expect him to provide much in the way of rebounds and assists, but fantasy managers who need a boost in scoring and 3-pointers should consider adding him.