Giannis Trade Rumors and Tuesday’s Must-Start Fantasy Basketball Streamers
Streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Tuesday.
It has now been just over a year since Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. It seemed like one of the worst trades in the history of sports at the time, and it has only gotten worse, as Doncic has played like an MVP, and Anthony Davis is out again.
As we approach this season's trade deadline, there are a few big names possibly on the move, a few of which we will talk about below. Davis is one of those names; could Dallas get a little redemption by flipping him for value? No matter the actual outcome, there will be plenty of rumors over the next few days.
Moving to fantasy, let's look at streaming players from three NBA teams with good matchups on Tuesday. We'll focus on the guys who get on the court and are widely available in fantasy leagues. Most stats are from NBA.com.
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Indiana Pacers vs. Utah Jazz
Utah plays at the third-fastest pace and has the worst defensive rating in the league. The Jazz's rating is more than two points worse than the team in 29th, Washington; there isn't a gap of even one full point between teams anywhere else outside of the top-three defenses, where the best of the best stand out. Utah truly is as bad as those top teams are good.
The Pacers are among our target teams some days when we don't have great targets, sitting right near 10th in pace and the bottom 10 in defensive rating. With great targets today, we won't highlight Indiana as a team to go after, but there could be a lot of points in this one with two teams that move quickly.
Guard
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McConnell is the better fantasy player here, but he is still limited, averaging 9.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in just over 17 minutes. He also almost never makes 3-pointers. Sheppard is even a lower-level fantasy guy and not on the radar even in the deepest leagues.
Forward
Nesmith plays the most minutes from this group and generally puts up the most stats, averaging 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. That's not great, but it's good enough to be on the streaming radar and worthy of a roster spot in deep leagues.
Walker has been at his best in January, averaging 11.7 points versus his season-long average of 9.8. Walker scored double figures in each of his past five games and did so in 11 of 15 games last month. Furphy is a deeper rotation player who doesn't do enough to get on the fantasy radar.
Center
Huff and Potter have had inconsistent usage, switching between who plays most with both staying mostly in backup roles. Huff is coming off back-to-back games in which he played over 20 minutes and scored at least 10 points, but in the two games prior to that, he combined to play just five minutes while Potter played 45. Until we see a more stable rotation, it's best to skip these centers.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls
Chicago plays at the fourth-fastest pace and has the seventh-worst defensive rating. The Bulls got involved in trade deadline season a few days ago when they received two second-round picks as payment for taking on Dario Saric's contract in a Cleveland/Sacramento swap. It would behoove Chicago to not stop there and keep finding ways to add future assets, including by shedding veterans.
The Bucks are THE story of the trade deadline right now, as everyone waits to see what will happen with Giannis Antetokounmpo. It seems likely that he will be on the move, but the team doesn't have to trade him and could wait until the offseason if nothing they like materializes. Just because a trade is likely doesn't mean that Milwaukee has to accept poor value. Giannis will be out past the trade deadline, possibly complicating things.
Guard
Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Harris have both missed multiple games (Porter a few weeks) and are questionable for this one. Their continued absences would provide more opportunities for Green and Anthony (along with the guys in the Forward section). Green scores and shoots (10.1 points, 2.9 3-pointers per game), but that's all he offers. Anthony is a low-level statistical player, not on our fantasy radar.
Forward
If Harris remains out, that makes a big impact on these two. Harris is just a reserve, but if he's out, more minutes will get pushed to these guys (particularly Trent). Kuzma is an OK streamer, averaging 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists; that's nothing special, but he has reached double-digit points in 10 of 13 games since the beginning of January. Trent isn't as much of a fantasy player, off our radar outside of the deepest leagues, though he'll get more minutes if the others are out.
Center
Portis has been at his best the past two months, averaging 16.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in December and 14 points and 7.3 rebounds in January (versus his season-long averages of 13.2 and 6.7). He is a good streamer, getting a bump because he can slot in at both forward and center. Nance can also play both positions, but he doesn't get on the court enough to be a real fantasy option.
New York Knicks @ Washington Wizards
Washington plays at the sixth-fastest pace and has the second-worst defensive rating. The Wizards were the team that was far worse than everyone else in defense early in the season, but as Utah has fallen, Washington has crept toward the rest of the league, now merely near the bottom and not setting the pace of futility on D.
The Knicks are one team connected to the big names who might be available, like Antetokounmpo. New York is in as good a position as anyone in the East to make the Finals, and making a huge move for a dominant star would potentially push them to the top of the conference. Then again, the Knicks already look like a contender, so they might choose smaller upgrades rather than a major shakeup.
Guard
McBride has missed the past three games and is questionable here, so he needs to be verified as playing before you consider him for your lineup. If he plays, then McBride is the best streamer on the Knicks, averaging 12.9 points and 2.9 3-pointers per game (without much else). Kolek is a deeper reserve who will get a little more time if McBride remains out, but he doesn't put up many stats.
Forward
Shamet can play both guard and forward, giving him a little boost. He can score the ball but does it inconsistently, leaving him as a risky player. Shamet is coming off a game in which he scored 23 points in 26 minutes with six 3-pointers.
Center
Robinson is doing one thing well in fantasy: rebounding. He is averaging 9.1 per game on the season and was at 10.1 in January, reaching double digits in eight of 12 games. He won't add much else, but if you're desperate for boards, Robinson could be your guy.
