The NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching. There are also plenty of trades to be made to help bolster fantasy squads for the second half of the season. Let's discuss some players to buy low on, sell high on or hold based on their current production.
Buy
P.J. Washington Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Washington is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game this season, which is the highest mark of his career. He is also averaging 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks. However, his average of 13.1 points per game has been a bit underwhelming. He is also shooting a modest 43.8% from the field.
While Washington hasn't been scoring a ton, the Mavericks will need more production from him moving forward. Luka Doncic (calf) might not be back until February, and now Kyrie Irving (back) is expected to miss one-to-two weeks. Even Daniel Gafford went down with an ankle injury that could force him to miss time. With plenty of minutes and added shot attempts coming his way, now is the time to try to acquire Washington for your squad. With Doncic, Irving and Gafford all out Tuesday against the Lakers, Washington produced 22 points and eight rebounds over 39 minutes.
Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
Known for his rebounding prowess, Gobert has logged fewer than eight rebounds in five of his last 11 games. During that span, he only averaged 8.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Gobert is currently averaging 10.6 rebounds for the season, which is on pace to be his
The NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching. There are also plenty of trades to be made to help bolster fantasy squads for the second half of the season. Let's discuss some players to buy low on, sell high on or hold based on their current production.
Buy
P.J. Washington Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Washington is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game this season, which is the highest mark of his career. He is also averaging 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks. However, his average of 13.1 points per game has been a bit underwhelming. He is also shooting a modest 43.8% from the field.
While Washington hasn't been scoring a ton, the Mavericks will need more production from him moving forward. Luka Doncic (calf) might not be back until February, and now Kyrie Irving (back) is expected to miss one-to-two weeks. Even Daniel Gafford went down with an ankle injury that could force him to miss time. With plenty of minutes and added shot attempts coming his way, now is the time to try to acquire Washington for your squad. With Doncic, Irving and Gafford all out Tuesday against the Lakers, Washington produced 22 points and eight rebounds over 39 minutes.
Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
Known for his rebounding prowess, Gobert has logged fewer than eight rebounds in five of his last 11 games. During that span, he only averaged 8.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Gobert is currently averaging 10.6 rebounds for the season, which is on pace to be his lowest mark since the 2014-15 campaign.
While Gobert has been a disappointment lately, he is still averaging a double-double for the season. He is also shooting 62.1% from the field and providing 1.5 blocks per game. He might not be able to replicate the stellar production that he provided last season, but he also provides a high floor for fantasy managers looking to acquire some help at center.
Sell
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Leonard jumped right back into the starting lineup in his return from a knee injury. He logged 19 minutes in his first game against the Hawks, then played 21 minutes against the Timberwolves on Monday. He made a total of five three-pointers and produced two steals in those games. More importantly, he emerged from both games without any complications.
The Clippers will likely continue to bring Leonard along slowly. It could be well over a week until we see him approach 30 minutes in a game again. However, fantasy managers who have held him for this long are certainly happy to have him back. The question is, how long can he stay healthy? Given his checkered injury history, he is likely going to sit out at least one half of back-to-back sets for the remainder of the season. He also might not play much more than 30 minutes in a game, even during the second half of the season. There are too many question marks that come with rostering Leonard. If another fantasy manager wants to take a chance on him, trade him now.
Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets
The dismantling of the Nets is underway. They have already traded away Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith. Cameron Johnson might not be far behind them. Even D'Angelo Russell, who they acquired from the Lakers in the Finney-Smith trade, could be on the move again before the trade deadline.
Claxton likely won't be traded because he just signed a contract extension with the team. However, it's clear that the Nets are willing to trade away their other best players to continue their rebuild. In their effort to rack up losses and improve their draft positioning, we could see plenty of rest days for Claxton down the stretch. Trade him now while he is still playing on a nightly basis.
Hold
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Reaves is averaging 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.6 three-pointers, all of which are on pace to be the best marks of his career. While his efficiency has taken a hit, he isn't exactly hindering fantasy managers in a major way by shooting 43.8% from the field. He is still shooting 81.3% from the charity stripe.
Reaves has picked up his production lately, averaging 22.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 2.9 three-pointers over his last seven games. With Russell no longer in town, Reaves should continue to have more ball-handling responsibilities. This might seem like an opportune time to try to sell high on him, but Reaves is in an excellent spot to thrive for the remainder of the season. Keep him on your roster.
Josh Hart, New York Knicks
Hart might seem like the poster child for a sell-high option. He is averaging 14.3 points per game, which is on pace to be the second-highest mark of his career. He is also shooting 56.3% from the field and 81.4% from behind the arc. Those are also on pace to be the best marks of his career. What really makes Hart valuable is his versatility, given that he is also averaging 9.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Hart plays for one of the most fantasy-friendly coaches in the league in Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau has a history of giving his starters big minutes, and Hart is no exception. He is averaging 38 minutes per game and his missed just one game all season. The Knicks have a great starting five, but their bench is thin on viable options. With that in mind, Hart isn't going to see his playing time decline anytime soon. Don't try to sell high on Hart. He can remain at this level of production for the entirety of the season.
