The 2025 trade deadline brought more change to the landscape of the league than many would have anticipated. The action began in the first week of February, when the high-profile trades including Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, De'Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine shocked the association. The drama carried over into last week, where more big names, including Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, Brandon Ingram, Andrew Wiggins, and Marcus Smart found new homes, creating ripples through the fantasy world. In this article, we will review some of the most notable moves from last week, looking at how the results may affect each player's fantasy outlook through the rest of the campaign.
New Lay of the Land
First off, one of the more notable trades of the week was one that did not even go through, as the Lakers made a deal to send Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish to the Hornets, in exchange for Mark Williams. The trade would have given the Lakers a top-notch solution to their need for an interior presence, especially after the departure of Anthony Davis. However, in a strange twist of events, Williams did not pass his physical with his new squad, resulting in the trade being rescinded and all players being sent back to their original teams. With the concerning results, it is unclear how the Hornets will handle bringing Williams back in the lineup, especially in light of his previous injury troubles and the fact that the Lakers
The 2025 trade deadline brought more change to the landscape of the league than many would have anticipated. The action began in the first week of February, when the high-profile trades including Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, De'Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine shocked the association. The drama carried over into last week, where more big names, including Jimmy Butler, Khris Middleton, Brandon Ingram, Andrew Wiggins, and Marcus Smart found new homes, creating ripples through the fantasy world. In this article, we will review some of the most notable moves from last week, looking at how the results may affect each player's fantasy outlook through the rest of the campaign.
New Lay of the Land
First off, one of the more notable trades of the week was one that did not even go through, as the Lakers made a deal to send Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish to the Hornets, in exchange for Mark Williams. The trade would have given the Lakers a top-notch solution to their need for an interior presence, especially after the departure of Anthony Davis. However, in a strange twist of events, Williams did not pass his physical with his new squad, resulting in the trade being rescinded and all players being sent back to their original teams. With the concerning results, it is unclear how the Hornets will handle bringing Williams back in the lineup, especially in light of his previous injury troubles and the fact that the Lakers were not satisfied with his condition. On the other hand, Knecht and Reddish are likely to fit back into modest roles with the Lakers, but could see less and less playing time as the team gears up for the postseason. The Lakers also went out and signed free-agent center, Alex Len, who is now in line to take on a key role with the club, which could cut into the playing time of Jaxson Hayes and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Jimmy Butler was another big name to make a splash at the deadline, as the Heat moved on from the veteran forward by trading him to the Warriors for Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson and Davion Mitchell. The deal also included the Raptors, Jazz, and Pistons, where Josh Richardson and KJ Martin went to the Jazz, Lindy Waters and Dennis Schroder moved to the Pistons, and P.J. Tucker landed with the Raptors. After a troublesome season with the Heat, Butler is likely to thrive in his new environment, especially while playing alongside the respected veteran talents of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. Additionally, Wiggins has a great opportunity to flourish as a key contributor on both ends of the floor for the Heat, and he should at least carry on with similar production, if not even showing a boost in his numbers. Anderson and Mitchell are also likely to be valuable contributors to the Heat but may not be in position to be rostered in most fantasy leagues.
The Mavericks traded Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second-round pick to the 76ers in exchange for Caleb Martin. Grimes has already scored in double digits in three straight games with the 76ers, while averaging 31.7 minutes per game over that span, marking a significant increase from his 22.8 minutes per game with the Mavs this season. Meanwhile, Martin had a modest start to the season and has been sidelined since January 12. He will surely provide energy off the bench when he returns to action for the Mavs, but he is unlikely to produce significant numbers on a consistent basis.
Jonas Valanciunas is now a member of the Kings, as he was traded by the Wizards for Sidy Cissoko and two future second-round picks. The veteran big man did not have much opportunity to shine in his previous role but has the chance to establish a more significant profile with a competitive Kings squad. He came off the bench in his first three games with the club but saw key minutes in the clutch during their last outing. The best-case scenario would be that he earns a starting job alongside Domantas Sabonis, where he would surely stuff the stat sheet on a regular basis, but if he remains in a bench role, he should only be rostered in deeper leagues.
The Suns dealt Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Hornets in exchange for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic and a 2026 second-round pick. The idea to target Nurkic seemed to be in conjunction with the Hornets' plan to move on from Mark Williams, but with that trade rescinded, there could now be competition for minutes between the two centers. However, neither player looks like a safe bet for fantasy managers at this point, as they are both dealing with injury trouble, in addition to the fact that the Hornets have also been looking to Moussa Diabate to step up, lately. On the other side, the Suns should benefit from the addition of a true point guard like Micic, who could certainly take on a notable role down the stretch of the season, especially if he is able to develop good chemistry with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. Furthermore, Martin provides good support at the wing but is unlikely to put up major numbers while competing with Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen for minutes.
The Raptors joined the action by trading for Brandon Ingram in a move that included Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a first-round and a second-round pick heading to the Pelicans. Ingram has been sidelined since early-December 2024, but will provide the up-and-coming club with a reliable scoring threat. Ingram joins an energetic young core and will have to find room between RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes to thrive offensively, which means his overall production is unlikely to increase in the new environment. On the other side, Bruce Brown should be a good addition to the Pelicans, providing depth and versatility to their backcourt rotation. He should also find room to step up in the absence of Dejounte Murray, potentially making him a good player to roster in deeper leagues down the stretch of the season. Olynyk is in line for a backup role in the frontcourt but is unlikely to emerge as a stand-out contributor.
The Wizards are set up to be a more competitive team next season after adding veterans Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart through two separate trades. The squad let go of Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims in exchange for Middleton and AJ Johnson, from the Bucks, and they traded Marvin Bagley, Johnny Davis to the Grizzlies for Smart. Both Middleton and Smart bring great veteran experience, as Middleton can provide reliable and efficient scoring, and Smart can help establish a defensive mindset that will ideally permeate through the young roster. However, both players are unlikely to deliver impactful numbers down the stretch of a foregone campaign for the Wizards. Meanwhile, the Bucks got a high-potential player in Kuzma, who will go from a top offensive option on the Wizards to a third option on the Bucks, which will almost certainly result in decreased fantasy production. Nonetheless, his presence provides the roster with an experienced scorer that can step up when the others are unavailable or having an off-night.
The Clippers moved Terance Mann, Bones Hyland and three second-round picks to the Hawks for Bogdan Bogdanovic. The deal gives the Clippers another capable scorer and playmaker in Bogdanovic, who could turn up his production while looking to make an impact for a competitive club. It must also be noted that the Clippers acquired Ben Simmons, after he was bought out by the Nets late last week. The presence of Simmons may reduce the opportunity for Bogdanovic to stand out as a facilitator, but it should also increase his chances to shine as a leading scorer for the second unit. Moreover, Mann is unlikely to turn heads with his production on the Hawks, while Hyland was let go by the club.
The Hawks also picked up Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two pick swaps in a deal with the Cavaliers, in exchange for De'Andre Hunter. LeVert can be expected to handle a sixth-man role with the Hawks but is unlikely to show much of a change in his production, after playing a similar role with the Cavs. Niang will help cover for the absence of Jalen Johnson, but he is not a reliable option for fantasy managers, as the Hawks have quite a few options at the forward position. Meanwhile, Hunter enters a great situation with a highly competitive Cavs team and should see a fair amount of playing time as a supporting player on the wing. He could also make a push for the starting job, as he was working on a career season with the Hawks, averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game.
