NBA Mailbag: Trade Questions, Waiver Pickups + Who Would You Keep?

This week's mailbag column received some interesting submissions, including a trade involving two players who were also just traded in the NBA. While things are still fluid leading up to Thursday's trade deadline, let's provide some answers to this week's questions.

I have a trade offer. I would give up CJ McCollum and Klay Thompson for Domantas Sabonis and Will Barton? Context: I'm fighting for the last playoff spot in my league, so I'm not sure that I have much to lose. Thoughts? - @ShawnJMcFarland

This question was submitted to me before McCollum was traded to the Pelicans and Sabonis was moved to the Kings. Now that both players have been dealt, the question might be even more pertinent.

First off, both McCollum and Sabonis are going to have prominent roles for their new teams. With that being said, McCollum might see a slight decline in scoring opportunities playing alongside Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas. If Zion Williamson (foot) were ever to return, that could also hurt his usage rate.

Sabonis moves from a Pacers team that has been ravaged by injuries to a Kings team that is hoping to make a playoff push around him. Outside of De'Aaron Fox and Harrison Barnes, the Kings don't have a ton of scoring options, so Sabonis should be able to maintain his current fantasy value while playing for his new team.

The secondary players in this deal both have their own issues. The Warriors have taken a cautious approach with Thompson in his return from injury, limiting his minutes and resting him for one game of back-to-back sets. Don't expect that trend to change down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Nuggets have relied heavily on Barton, leading him to excellent averages of 15.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.3 three-pointers per game.

Sabonis and Barton are the safer duo in this deal, so I'd go ahead and make the trade.

How would you rank these keepers? Tyrese Maxey, Chris Duarte, Nicolas Claxton, Killian Hayes and Alperen Sengun? - @dreines

Since we're talking keepers, Sengun is at the top of this list for me. Despite only averaging 19 minutes, the rookie has provided 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 blocks per game. His unique skillset could make him a dominant fantasy option for years to come.

Next for me would be Maxey, followed by Duarte. Maxey has already taken the next step forward in his development, averaging 16.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4 three-pointers, while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 87.1 percent from the charity stripe. The situation surrounding Duarte is still fluid, but he's someone that the Pacers will likely try to build around.

Claxton ranks fourth on this list, with Hayes bringing up the rear. Claxton's situation with the Nets isn't ideal, but he's shown he can be productive when given the opportunity, posting 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes for his career. The jury is still out on Hayes, who has been in an extremely inefficient shooter during his brief tenure in the league.

Since Bradley Beal is out for the season, should I pick up Rui Hachimura? - @Dewick911

In short, no. Hachimura is in the midst of what is looking like a lost season. He's only played in 14 games because of a personal matter and a bout with COVID-19. When he has been eligible to play, he's only averaged 18 minutes per game. Despite Beal's absence, the Wizards still have a lot of depth up front, which means Hachimura could continue to struggle to get enough minutes to have fantasy value.

Which duo would you rather have, Seth Curry and Royce O'Neale, or Norman Powell and Marcus Morris? - @WESYAP

Powell's trade to the Clippers could actually be a plus for his production. The Clippers have very limited scoring options around him, so he should receive all of the shot attempts that he can handle. He's been eased into his new team by playing a total of 47 minutes across his first two games, but he still totaled 44 points on 28 shot attempts and 10 free-throws. 

While O'Neale plays a lot for the Jazz, his limited role within their offense makes him someone who is best utilized as a streaming option when they have a favorable schedule. The same can't be said for Morris, who is averaging 15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 three-pointers per game. As good as Curry has been, I prefer Powell over him, and I definitely would rather have Morris than O'Neale.

I'm in a points league. Would you drop Franz Wagner? Some replacements I had in mind are Jae'Sean Tate, Herbert Jones and Dillon Brooks. Also, do you think I should drop Kawhi Leonard? - @flip_pina

In general, I wouldn't be looking to drop Wagner. He's been valuable, regardless of league format, putting up 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.3 three-pointers per game. He's averaged 32 minutes per game during his rookie campaign and should continue to play a ton down the stretch. 

Of the three players who are available to be picked up, Brooks is the most appealing. However, his general lack of rebounds and assists makes him a bit of a buzzkill in points leagues. Jones is now in a more crowded situation with the Pelicans, and he's already struggled to make much of an impact in the scoring column with an average of 9.6 points per game. Stick with Wagner.

With regards to the second question, there's no need to hold onto Leonard anymore. All signs point to him sitting out the season with his knee injury. Even if he does surprise everyone and return, it will likely be too late in the season for him to have any impact in fantasy.