Atlanta Hawks -- The Hawks traded four players and a draft pick to Sacramento on Saturday for Mike Bibby. The Hawks sent starting point guard Anthony Johnson, 2007 first-round pick Shelden Williams, backup point guard Tyronn Lue, veteran forward Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second-round pick to the Kings. Bibby was expected to join the team in Los Angeles on Monday. With Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Al Horford at his disposal, his assist totals should rise. What could end up happening, however, is that there could be a leveling out in the scoring numbers for all five players, the way Boston's Big Three have cut into each other's scoring a totals.
Boston Celtics -- While teams around the league are making trades left and right to improve their chances for the stretch run, Celtics GM Danny Ainge is happy with his current roster. That means it will be Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins the rest of the way. Don't expect much from the team's secondary players in the second half as the rotation will start to get tighter and tighter. Glen Davis, James Posey and Eddie House won't be very helpful in any Fantasy format for long.
Charlotte Bobcats -- The Bobcats are done dealing after altering the look of their team when they moved Walter Herrmann and Primoz Brezec to Detroit for Nazr Mohammed. Mohammed has helped solidify the team in the frontcourt while providing productive minutes behind Emeka Okafor, but his role remains limited after a short stint as a starter with the Bobcats where he was producing double-doubles.
Chicago Bulls -- The Bulls have been in talks with several teams about acquiring a swingman, which indicates that they are more than a little concerned with the injury to Luol Deng (Achilles'). One report had Rasual Butler as a possible target, which isn't a bad fit. Butler has been a decent Fantasy points-per-minute producer in the past, but hasn't been able to crack the rotation in New Orleans. He's worth a flier in case he gets dealt.
Cleveland Cavaliers -- LeBron James has made it public that he feels the team should make a move to get him some help. Apparently, the fact that the team couldn't make a serious play at Jason Kidd (forgive the Kidd and Play reference) made him angry. The team has trade bait in players like Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao, all names that could be moved prior to Thursday's trade deadline. If Gooden or Varejao is traded, it would do wonders for the Fantasy value of the remaining players. Hughes could have much of his dormant Fantasy value revived if inserted into a team that needs a third or fourth scoring option. His days of being a 20 ppg scorer are a distant memory, though.
Dallas Mavericks -- Is the trade on, or is the trade off? We should find out soon either way. The deal has been revised to include Trenton Hassell and retired swingman Keith Van Horn in place of Devean George and Jerry Stackhouse. What we are hearing is that the deal is resting solely on the availability of Van Horn, who hasn't played in two seasons. He'd be getting somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 million practically for nothing, however, and it would be a hard deal to turn down if you are in his shoes. Expect the deal to get done, but the remaining wild card is Antoine Wright. He was expected to be sent to Dallas in a separate deal before all the madness went down and there is talk that he would still be sent to Dallas if the big trade can get done. If he gets dealt, he would likely start to steal minutes from, ironically, Stackhouse and George.
Denver Nuggets -- There are rumors around the Nuggets that indicate they may be a player in the Ron Artest sweepstakes. Such a deal would probably cost them a player like Linas Kleiza, who is rumored to be a target for several teams. The Nuggets should realize that they need Kleiza's scoring off the bench as much as other teams who are seeking his services. Don't expect the Nuggets to make a major move this week.
Detroit Pistons -- The Pistons continue to have one of the tightest rotations in the league, not allowing for much room to grow for the team's secondary players. Jason Maxiell and Jarvis Hayes are talented young players, but they are not going to get enough of a role in the second half -- barring injury -- for them to become consistent Fantasy options.
Golden State Warriors -- The Warriors already made their move prior to the deadline by acquiring free-agent Chris Webber. They may make one more deal, though, with Mickael Pietrus asking to be moved. The team wants fair trade value for a player who was a first-round pick in 2003, chosen with the 11th pick overall. Pietrus, who's 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, said he's frustrated at having to play out of position at power forward and even occasionally center, something that's been the case ever since Stephen Jackson took over as the starter at small forward in January 2007. Before Jackson's arrival, Pietrus was averaging 13.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 31.1 minutes per game last season. In the right situation, that could happen again. He's another player who is worth a flier -- just in case.
Houston Rockets -- The trades that other Western Conference teams made to improve themselves for the playoff run haven't caused much movement in the Rockets' front office. The Houston Chronicle reports that GM Daryl Morey has nothing in the works.
Indiana Pacers -- The biggest question mark in the second half for the Pacers is the health of Jermaine O'Neal (knee). He is expected to begin some conditioning in the pool this week, but that's just the first step toward a recovery. There has been some talk that he may not return at all this season, although he's refuted that. His banged up knee will be the reason he won't be moved at the trade deadline, though.
Los Angeles Clippers -- Sam Cassell has been rumored to be traded all over the league this season, but it appears the team may be silent this trade deadline. There hasn't been any deal offered for Cassell that has knocked their socks off and they don't seem to be in a hurry to trade their point guard with Shaun Livingston (knee) a long shot to return.
Los Angeles Lakers -- The Lakers seem to be set with their move to acquire Pau Gasol. The team's biggest addition in the second half will be the return of Andrew Bynum (knee) some time in March. The earliest timetable for his return is for mid-March, but it could be even longer than that. He said he'd be available for about the final 10 games of the regular season to get himself ready to play in the playoffs. That means his Fantasy value is virtually lost for this season. His value is highest in keeper formats at this time.
Memphis Grizzlies -- The Grizzlies aren't done trading yet despite their recent blockbuster. Players up and down the roster from Kyle Lowry to Mike Miller are said to be available. Lowry would likely maintain a similar role as a backup if he were to be traded, but Miller's Fantasy value might be affected on another team if he were to become a secondary scorer or a sixth man on a better team.
Miami Heat -- Head coach Pat Riley maintains that the team will be "listening to offers", but he is not actively looking to trade anyone. The possible targets for other teams on his roster include Jason Williams, Ricky Davis and Udonis Haslem, but Haslem is likely not going to get dealt because he is dealing with an ankle injury. Williams and Davis could be re-invigorated by a deal to a contender and Marcus Banks could benefit from such a deal.
Milwaukee Bucks -- The team isn't rumored to be a buyer or a seller this trade deadline, but there could be a shift in the Fantasy values of Charlie Villanueva and Yi Jianlian. Villanueva had just supplanted the rookie as the Bucks starting power forward prior to getting hurt and missing Wednesday's game with a sprained ankle. He's the type of player who can put up double-doubles as a starter, but this situation is far from settled.
Minnesota Timberwolves -- The T'Wolves aren't expecting to make any moves prior to the deadline. There have been rumors that Antoine Walker could be on the block, but he hasn't exactly made himself appealing to other teams this season. He's shooting a career-worst 36.6 percent from the field and is not in a position to help Fantasy owners much.
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| Marcus Williams will likely get a crack to show what he can do running the point with the Nets. (Getty Images) |
New Orleans Hornets -- The team isn't looking to make any big deals, but they could be re-arranging their bench with some minor moves. With the team very close to the top seed in the Western Conference, there isn't much they want to tweak at the moment.
New York Knicks -- The Knicks are stuck in a bit of a precarious situation at this trade deadline. The team is expected to be parting ways with beleaguered coach/GM Isiah Thomas after the season, so while they need to put themselves in a situation to improve in the future they also don't want the man who buried the franchise in such an unenviable ditch making any more moves that will impact the team for the next few years.
Orlando Magic -- There are rumors that indicate the team could deal backup guards Carlos Arroyo or J.J. Redick. That could only be a good thing for Redick, who has become an afterthought in Orlando. He could be shipped to a team that has an outside shooting role available for him that could provide more playing time.
Philadelphia 76ers -- There aren't many trade rumors concerning the Sixers. If the team stays as is for the second half, the biggest change in Fantasy value could come from rookie Thaddeus Young, who has become a fixture in the starting lineup. He averaged 11.4 ppg and 7.4 rpg in his last five games prior to the break.
Phoenix Suns -- The team needs to make a move to add a 13th player by Feb. 22 to fill the void left when they traded two players for Shaquille O'Neal. The team is said to be looking for defensive help and there is no reason to believe they are going to make a move to acquire a player that will be of much Fantasy help. As for Shaq, his hip problem is not expected to keep him out much longer. His presence will move Amare Stoudemire to the power forward slot, which could result in a slight dip in his rebounding numbers.
Portland Trail Blazers -- There is a lot of talk centering around Jarrett Jack. The Blazers are said to be shopping him hard and there could be several suitors around the league. Jack, who averaged 12.0 ppg, 5.3 apg and 2.6 rpg in his second NBA season a year ago, lost his starting job early in the season and then lost his role as the team's sixth man to Travis Outlaw. A move to a team who needs a point guard or a shooting guard would greatly increase his Fantasy value. He's worth a flier in deeper leagues -- just in case.
Sacramento Kings -- The trade that sent Mike Bibby to Atlanta has created another chance for Beno Udrih to start. He regularly provided around 13-15 points and 3-5 assists as a starter for Bibby for the first few months of the season and he should return to those figures. A possible Ron Artest deal would also allow John Salmons to flourish again.
San Antonio Spurs -- The Spurs have not ruled themselves out of trade talks, but it does not seem likely the team will do anything drastic. Expect the team to remain top-heavy in terms of Fantasy appeal with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan being the only reliable Fantasy options on a regular basis.
Seattle SuperSonics -- It seems highly likely the Sonics want to move Wally Szczerbiak, but there are also rumors that the team will deal Kurt Thomas. While the deals would make perfect sense for a young team that's looking to clear cap space, the team is having a tough time finding a match. A deal to a contender looking for a scoring option would increase the Fantasy appeal of Szczerbiak, but Thomas doesn't figure to see a boost.
Toronto Raptors -- The Raptors appear to be "stuck" with their current roster for the second half. Their biggest second-half boost could come from Andrea Bargnani, who has picked up his play of late after a slow first half. He's averaging 17.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg in February after averaging just 8.7 ppg and 3.5 rpg in January.
Utah Jazz -- There isn't much trade talk surrounding the Jazz, with the team setting its roster for the stretch by acquiring Kyle Korver from Philadelphia. Korver continues to be a bit erratic with his current role as the team's sixth man, but he has the ability to drain multiple threes and contribute double digits on most nights. As long as he continues to see around 25 minutes per night, he'll remain a suitable low-end starter in Fantasy play.
Washington Wizards -- The biggest second-half acquisitions for the Wizards will be the return of Gilbert Arenas (knee) in the next two weeks or so and the possible return of Etan Thomas from a heart ailment. Arenas' return will spell the end for Antonio Daniels' low-end Fantasy appeal while Thomas could cut into the minutes of breakout center Brendan Haywood.
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