Thank God. Seriously. If you’re an NBA fan I guess you can’t help but get caught up in the soap opera drama that has (unfairly) taken away from the great basketball that has taken place on the court. Now that (the spoiled ‘brat’) Carmelo Anthony finally gets his wish in a trade to the Knicks, the rest of the NBA is free to continue doing business. What does this mean? And what else will happen from now until the end of the deadline 3:00pm EST Thursday?
As of right now, the Knicks have not gotten all that much better talent-wise. They gutted their entire starting 5 (except Amar’e) and lost some depth (and chemistry) off the bench. Best-case scenario for this season is that NYK slips into the 5th playoff seed and play the Magic in the first round. Realistically, they will remain the 6th seed and play dark horse against either the Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat in the first round. Although they remain fairly paltry in Championship contender conversations, the New York Knicks are believed to be heavily coveting Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, or maybe even Dwight Howard within the next year or so.
Here are some players that will be affected by this one trade so far:
Hot Players
Chauncey Billups (NYK) – Playing in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system has always helped a player’s fantasy value. Billups was having a quiet (but good) season in Denver and now has been thrust back into the spotlight in New York. His points per game should remain around the 16-17 he’s averaging this year; his FG% should get a bump with two of the NBA’s elite scorers taking attention away from the defense; Billups should average close to 8 assists the remainder of the season; and his steals should also see a slight uptick.
Danilo Gallinari (DEN) – Galo was a key piece in the rebuilding stage for the Nuggets. He will immediately start at SF in place of Anthony and should get all the shots he desires. Look for Gallinari’s stats to remain steady, with a slight increase in points.
Arron Afflalo (DEN) – Afflalo is playing excellent basketball this year. He also happens to be in a contract year (amazing how money can motivate). Coach George Karl insisted on taking the Knicks trade offer for Carmelo over the NJ Nets offer because the Nuggets would still be able to compete for the playoffs this year. Afflalo should continue to see 35+ minutes a game and get a few more shots now Melo is out. His scoring should be around 15 per game from here on out.
Players Heating Up
Ty Lawson (DEN) – Lawson looks to benefit from Carmelo Anthony’s departure taking Denver’s former starting PG Chauncey Billups with him. Raymond Felton may push Lawson for the starting gig if he sticks around; but rumor has it he will be moved again before the deadline. Reference Lawson’s splits as a starter if you need proof.
Ronny Turiaf (NYK) – With the Knicks trading anyone not named Amar’e Stoudemire in their quest to land Melo, Turiaf stands to become the starting Center for the remainder of the season. If Ronny can hold onto the starting spot, he should provide owners a nice boost in blocks, decent boards and FG% since all he does is dunk.
Devin Harris (NJN) – Although the Nets were unable to land Carmelo Anthony and unload Harris; they are still looking for a suitable trade partner for the former All-Star. If he ends up in either Portland (for Andre Miller) or Denver (for recently acquired
Raymond Felton), Harris will have the green light to “light” it up.
Jury Out… Stay Tuned
Wilson Chandler (DEN) – Chandler was enjoying an excellent season prior to being traded to the Nuggets. If Chandler comes off the bench, his value will definitely take a hit. If Chandler seizes the starting PF slot, he may stay on pace to breakout with NBA scouts comparing his potential to Shawn Marion in his prime.
Corey Brewer (NYK) – If Brewer sticks around in a NY Knick uniform, he should benefit from playing in an up-tempo system and play a similar role off the bench former Knick Wilson Chandler played this season.
Timofey Mozgov (DEN) – Believed to be the key piece holding up the Carmelo deal. New York finally caved and traded their 7-foot Russian rookie to land the perennial all star Anthony. Interest in Mozgov may have been a smoke screen by Denver to gain more bargaining chips to flip for someone more desirable. The Nuggets are believed to be trying to move newly acquired Mozgov and Raymond Felton for Devin Harris. Wherever Mozgov ends up, he will remain an interesting player but most likely will not produce the stats that warrant universal ownership.
STAY TUNED AS
FANTASYCOUCH.COM WILL COVER ALL THE TRADES AND AFTERMATH TO FOLLOW IN THE UPCOMING DAYS AHEAD