Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Trade Deadline Shakeups Create New Adds

NBA trades are ramping up as the trade deadline approaches, and its reshaping rotations across the league. That makes the waiver wire even more important right now, so let's go over some of the most-added players today.

Here are the waiver stories from Monday and Tuesday. Be sure to check out the entire waiver wire list (link in next paragraph).

Check out fantasy basketball waiver wire adds all season on FantasySP!

Grizzlies On the Rise

GG Jackson II, Ty Jerome, Taylor Hendricks and Walter Clayton Jr. are four Memphis players on the rise. The Grizzlies sent Jaren Jackson Jr. and several others out in a trade on Tuesday.

GG Jackson is up 12.14% and sits at 35.45% overall now. Jerome is up to 92.96% owned after a 5.08% increase. Hendricks has been added in 3.09% of leagues, while Clayton is up 2.6% - Hendricks is rostered in 5.65% of leagues, while Clayton is at 6.1%.

Jackson is averaging 8.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1 assist and 0.6 steals and blocks over 17.1 minutes a game this season. He could pick up more after the trade the team just made.

He's been trending up of late already, scoring in double figures in five of the past six games. He's worth some deep-league adds today, but would really need to increase his production to get into standard leagues at some point.

Jerome has played in just two games this season, but it's helped his own percentage soar over the past week.

He has combined for 39 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and two steals over about 40 combined minutes in the two games. Jerome should take on more as he gets reacclimated to the game.

Jerome could remain a standard league must-own player if Memphis trades Ja Morant away, so that's something to keep in mind. At least add him and utilize Jerome for the time being.

Hendricks and Clayton were part of the trade yesterday. 

Clayton has a chance to earn some playing time at either guard spot. Jerome and Cedric Coward are the starters at those spots for the time being, and there's others (like Scotty Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) that Clayton will have to contend for playing time with. We'll see if the team gives the rookie a chance to shine.

Hendricks could play at power forward or center. GG Jackson and Santi Aldama are the starters there, with Kyle Anderson and Olivier-Maxence Prosper are options too. I like Hendricks' path to playing time more than Clayton's but both young players are worth watching as the season moves along.

Bulls to Add

Jalen Smith and Jaden Ivey are two Bulls on the rise after the trade of Nikola Vucevic.

Smith is up 11.27% and sits at 61.5% overall now. Ivey is rostered in 15.26% of leagues after a 4.07% increase.

Smith is the projected starter at center with Vucevic no longer around, so he's a big-time add today as a result. Matas Buzelis should cover the power forward spot, and then Patrick Williams, Dalen Terry, Lachlan Olbrich, Zach Collins and Julian Phillips are other options for those two spots.

Ivey was traded to Chicago yesterday, but seems to be blocked a bit at each guard spot. Josh Giddey and Coby White are the starters at the guard spots for now. Tre Jones, Anfernee Simons, Mike Conley and Ayo Dosunmu are also depth options alongside Ivey, so we'll see if more trades help Ivey out, or if he eventually gets a crack at more playing time.

Smith had already been trending up as a fantasy asset before the Vucevic trade. He returned from a brief absence and delivered 16 points, five rebounds and an assist over 20 minutes in the team's first game without Vuc last night.

In time, I'd expect his playing time to rise. He's averaging 20.1 minutes a night, but at least 24 or so minutes is doable without Vucevic around now. Smith is averaging 10.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.4 steals over his 42 games played (11 starts). 

Smith is definitely a player to add in all deeper leagues, and he could become a must-own player in standard leagues eventually, so keep close tabs on him. He'll be a double-double threat with a little more playing time, and he could really shine if the Bulls trade away some more top-end roster talent.

Ivey was off to a promising start over his first three years in Detroit, but an injury last season seemed to derail things for him. He only averaged 16.8 minutes a game with the Pistons this season, also averaging 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.4 blocks per game along the way.

In his first three years and over 181 games with Detroit, Ivey averaged 16.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks over 29.9 minutes a contest.

So Ivey has it in him, he just needs another opportunity. That opportunity looks murky at best right now in Chicago, but more trades could help him out. Keep tabs on him, but for now, he's just a deep-league fantasy asset.

Jazz Youngsters Trending Up

Isaiah Collier and Ace Bailey are two Jazz players on the rise. They are on the rise because of their play, not so much from the trade that happened yesterday.

Collier has been added in 8.9% of leagues, bringing his overall mark to 72.3%. Bailey is owned in 60.8% of leagues after a 3.46% increase.

Collier played every second of the team's win over the Pacers on Monday, helping out as the Jazz had just seven players play in total. Collier erupted for 17 points, 22 assists, five rebounds and three steals.

Along with the players missing the game after just being traded, Keyonte George and Kevin Love were also out for Utah. It opened the door for Collier to deliver, and he was a bright star in the game. 

His production is going to fade over time, but he's still probably going to play enough to be a good deep-league asset over time, and maybe worth some standard league usage too. He's going to play again on Thursday, and I'd be willing to stream him for that contest, so adding him today makes sense.

I'd hold and utilize him until his production drops back off. The return of George might be enough to drop Collier's production back down, but after the trade with Memphis, maybe Collier sticks as a better fantasy asset. At least keep tabs on him, if you don't feel like adding him today.

Bailey also played in the game on Tuesday, logging 40 minutes. He delivered 19 points, four rebounds, three steals and blocks and one assist.

It was a nice bounceback showing after scoring just four points his last time out. Even including that game though, Bailey is averaging 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1 steal and 0.8 blocks over 31.4 minutes a game over his last 12 contests.

The rookie is rising as a fantasy asset, and the trade should help him out some more.

Bailey should be the team's starter at small forward, even after the new trade assets filter in. He might not be the team's first, second or third offensive option, but Bailey could still deliver big, which makes him a good fantasy asset.

He should be owned in all deeper leagues by now, and he's a standard league streaming option going forward.