NBA Free Agency Moves and Fantasy Basketball Breakdowns: Deandre Ayton, Two Charlotte Guards and More

A couple days ago, we took a look at some of the offseason NBA transactions that had been announced.

I'm back again to discuss some more moves over the past few days.

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Deandre Ayton Signs with Lakers

The big free agency pickup recently was Ayton landing with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LA has been desperate for a big man since trading away Anthony Davis last season. Ayton finally fills that hole.

He'll start alongside LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, putting Ayton in a position to deliver good fantasy totals. Ayton is already a double-double threat every time he takes the floor, and having all that talent around him is going to only help him deliver good fantasy results.

The move doesn't negatively impact anyone too much on the Lakers, mostly because there wasn't a center in place already. 

The Lakers' starting lineup is good, but their depth is lacking overall. I think LA still needs to make a couple more moves before it could be considered a serious contender in the Western Conference. Right now, I only see LA competing for a postseason spot.

We'll see what other moves the Lakers can make before next season kicks off.

Spencer Dinwiddie Lands in Charlotte

Dinwiddie signed a one-year deal with the Hornets.

He's coming off a pretty strong season with the Mavericks, but likely won't have as big a role for the rebuilding Hornets. Dinwiddie started 30 of his 79 games played in last season, and averaged 27 minutes a contest.

Charlotte has LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller locking down the guard spots. Collin Sexton is also there, so Dinwiddie doesn't even have a super clear path to playing time right now.

Ball has been injury prone over his career, and Miller is coming off a season where he suffered a big injury, so this move gives Charlotte some insurance in case either of the starters go down. 

I don't fully understand this move, unless Charlotte trades away a guard before next season kicks off. It definitely improves their roster, but the Hornets are likely to struggle again and continue retooling their roster going into next offseason.

Dinwiddie's fantasy outlook is not the best in his new home, and it'll likely take an injury, or roster move, to get him back into a favorable spot.

Tre Mann also Back in Charlotte

Another reason why I don't understand the Dinwiddie signing is because Mann was brought back on a three-year deal. 

Mann was averaging 14.1 points per game over 24.5 minutes in his first 13 appearances of last season before going down with a season-ending injury.

There are too many guards in Charlotte, and if Ball stays healthy, there's going to be a logjam for playing time. I fully expect the Hornets to trade a guard, or two, away before the start of next season.

Another thing working against Dinwiddie is that he's the veteran of that guard room. A rebuilding team is more likely to give playing time to younger players, so unless there's injuries or transactions made, expect Dinwiddie to have a pretty limited role for next season.

Duncan Robinson Moves to Pistons

The Pistons added a 3-point shooter to the roster by locking Robinson into a three-year deal.

Robinson has been a double-digit scorer for five of the past six seasons, but that's about all he provides from a fantasy perspective. He'll likely fill a reserve role for Detroit.

Cade Cunningham is the engine of the team, and Jalen Duren is the other big starting piece. Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson are the other projected starters right now. 

Detroit wanted to add some more depth to their team, and has done it. Caris LeVert signed with the Pistons in free agency and now Robinson joins the likes of Marcus Sasser, Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland II.

I still think Detroit needs more if it wants to take a step forward in the Eastern Conference, so I don't think they are done making offseason moves yet.

Denver Lands a Veteran

Tim Hardaway Jr. agreed to a one-year deal with the Nuggets.

He averaged 11 points over 77 games and 28 minutes with Detroit last season, and now helps Denver fill the void after it traded Michael Porter Jr. away.

Cameron Johnson was the player Denver got back in that deal, and he'll start alongside Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun.

Hardaway is a nice depth piece for the still-contending Nuggets. He'll have to contend with Bruce Brown (another free agent signing), Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther and others for playing time.

It's a low-key move, but a nice one for the team's outlook.

Jonas Valanciunas was also added to the Denver roster via trade. He'll be able to spell Jokic, and give the Nuggets a better chance to match teams when the starters are not on the court.

Denver doesn't look super formidable on paper, but with Jokic and a good amount of talent around him, the Nuggets can't be written off just yet.

Dennis Schroder Moves to Sacramento

Schroder signed with the Kings on a three-year deal.

It was a big move for Sacramento, who is trying to keep up in the super tough Western Conference. The starting lineup of Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis is strong, but outside Keon Ellis, there wasn't a ton of bench depth.

Schroder gives the team a much-needed backup guard, and he should play enough minutes to be a decent fantasy asset in 2025-26. An injury to Monk or LaVine would really boost his fantasy potential.

Sacramento still needs more talent if it wants to be a serious contender in the West. I'm not sure what moves the team could make to bring in talent that would swing the odds in their favor outside a big-time trade. Adding a couple more veterans to the mix and heaving everyone have career seasons is probably the best this team can hope for.

Other Notable Transactions

Tyus Jones signed a one-year deal with the Magic. He's capable of averaging double-digit points and tacking on a good amount of assists to be a decent fantasy asset.

Jones looks like a backup point guard at this point, but his $7 million contract suggests he'll play enough to have some fantasy value. He's insurance for Jalen Suggs, who is working his way back from an injury.

Kevon Looney landed in New Orleans on a two-year, $16-million deal. Looney isn't a big-time scorer, but given a good amount of minutes, he's a double-double threat.

He'll be a top backup option for Yves Missi, who averaged under 27 minutes in his rookie season. Derik Queen was drafted by the team, and while the Looney signing hurts his fantasy outlook, I still think he'll get enough minutes to make a difference.

Zion Williamson hasn't been able to stay healthy, so Queen and Looney are good insurance plans if injuries strike again.

We talked about the Lakers earlier, but I wanted to discuss Jake LaRavia separately. He reportedly is signing a two-year, $12-million deal with LA.

He'll likely come off the bench and be a backup option for Rui Hachimura. LaRavia could also get some run at power forward when LeBron is off the court (or moved to small forward).

LaRavia averaged 6.9 points and 3.9 boards over 20.4 minutes a game last season, and I could see him taking on a larger role for the Lakers, so he's a fantasy sleeper to keep an eye on.