Fantasy Basketball Trade Analyzer: Coming off big game before All-Star break, sell high on Klay Thompson
By Henry Weinberg, RotoWire
Special to Yahoo Sports
The NBA All-Star break ends Thursday, and with only about two more weeks left before most leagues' fantasy trade deadline, it's an important point in the season. If you plan on making a push up the standings and are worried scouring the waiver wire won't be enough, now is the time to evaluate your needs and float trades out to fellow managers.
Trade away: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
This is not a panic sell on Brown, but converting him into a different fringe star is desirable. Across 20 contests since the beginning of January, Brown is hitting just 30.9% of 4.8 3s per game. His overall efficiency has been solid, yielding 20.5 points and 15.9 shots per game on 49.8% shooting. The lack of 3s and 69.7% free-throw shooting leaves much to be desired.
His supplemental stats of 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals over the aforementioned span combine to create a strong but unspectacular fantasy profile. His durability is advantageous, but with Boston mounting a 6.0-game lead in the Eastern Conference through its first 55 games, he is a candidate to receive the occasional night of rest moving forward.
Other players I would target in favor of Brown include: Brandon Ingram, Devin Vassell and Darius Garland, while a combination of two players from a tier of RJ Barrett, Jonathan Kuminga and Collin Sexton would be an excellent starting point in negotiations.
Trade away: Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Thompson has potentially blossomed into too much of a known commodity to be movable at this point, but if there were ever a time, selling him following a 35-point eruption in Golden State's final contest prior to the All-Star break is the moment to capitalize on.
Moving to the bench does not alter his fantasy outlook much — he is still going to enter the game and bomb 3s. A slightly reduced workload or guarding members of the opponent’s second unit will not fuel a defensive awakening either. Thompson is cooked from a defensive playmaking standpoint.
Prior to his aforementioned eruption, Thompson had averaged 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals across eight contests. That stretch featured multiple games with 20-plus points and multiple games with single-digit points. I expect volatility to continue, but leveling out near those thresholds is still plausible.
However, I can source that nightly production by streaming somebody off the wire and benefit from having more games played. Flipping Thompson as part of a larger package to get a bona fide upgrade would be a priority for me.
Trade for: Ayo Dosunmu, Chicago Bulls
Dosunmu is already being heavily leaned on, averaging 34.7 minutes across his last 10 games. He is averaging 16.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks while canning 52.8% of 5.3 triples over that span. Eight of those contests have come in the starting lineup, but the 24-year-old carries plenty of upside even if he's coming off the bench.
Patrick Williams (foot) has not begun running and appears set for a multi-game absence following the All-Star break. Torrey Craig (knee) is officially set for a multi-week absence following the All-Star break. Dosunmu profiles as one of Chicago's better wing defenders, so he’ll absorb some of the vacated forward minutes. He is a critical two-way energizer for the Bulls and is a candidate to continue producing at his aforementioned levels.
Dosunmu is shooting over 62.0% at the rim for a third consecutive season. He entered the league as a quality finisher, which is extremely impressive. His shooting portfolio is versatile and excellent as well. Dosunmu is knocking down 41.9% of his catch-and-shoot looks and 45.0% of his off-the-dribble attempts, ranking in the 80th and 87th percentile among all players this season.
Increasing the sample minimum to 150 catch-and-shoot attempts and 50 dribble attempts, Dosunmu ranks 35th and 25th league-wide, respectively. He is a rising star, and his versatility allows him to handle the ball in lineups next to Alex Caruso and play off of DeMar DeRozan.
Trade for: Dennis Schröder, Brooklyn Nets
Schröder is the man for new interim coach Kevin Ollie. Ollie is seeking “energy-generating" behaviors. At his introductory press conference Tuesday, Ollie said “I want hunters. If you hunt, you're gonna play. If you don’t hunt, you're not gonna play.” Schröder is a hunter.
Schröder has an excellent track record of winning with the German national team as well as multiple tenures with the Lakers, fueled by his defensive tenacity and savvy point guard skills. He is a sizable upgrade over Spencer Dinwiddie in Brooklyn's offense. Schröder’s ability to create for others while bringing two-way energy could lead to a consistently large role under Ollie.
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Ben Simmons is the primary competition, so at times there will be no primary competition. Cam Thomas is also a hunter, so he will maintain some ball-handling duties, but that’s the cast of lead guards. Mikal Bridges will likely transition to an off-ball role more frequently. If Simmons (back/hip) misses time, there is plenty of workload available for Schröder.
Across 34 starts this season, Schröder is averaging 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists (just 1.9 TOs) and 1.1 steals while shooting 43.3% from the field and 34.7% from deep. Returning to that level of output down the stretch feels realistic.