Fantasy Basketball Trade Deadline Talk: Who Should You Try and Buy Low On?

The NBA trade deadline is this Thursday afternoon and while there is a lot of speculation and anticipation surrounding the deadline, we can’t forget that there is a fantasy trade deadline coming up pretty soon too. Obviously the date is different in every league, but it should be looming here soon in most all leagues.

If you remember my Ten Tips To Becoming A Better Trader you’ll remember that you should be seeking to make your team better and get value, not just trade for the sake of trading. One of the ways to get value is to identify the guys in your league who might go in a trade for less than what they are actually worth.

Here are some of those kind of guys who I think could likely be had for a little bit less than what they’ll bring you in return.

Guards

Mo Williams: After in an offseason in which everyone named Mo Williams as the guy who would lead the Cavs post-Lebron, it has been a tough season where he has fallen short of those expectations.

Mo has struggled to stay on the court and because of that he hasn’t been able to find any kind of a rhythm in the time he has played.

There is another question regarding his health as he only played three minutes in his last game, but if everything checks out fine he may be worth grabbing for what would be half what he cost at the beginning of the year or less. Williams is a much better shooter than he has shown so far, and if he stays healthy and finds his shot, he could provide a lot of cheap help down the stretch.

Darren Collison: Here’s another guy who a lot of people were buzzing about at the beginning of the year, who struggled right out of the gate.

Collison was a bit inconsistent early and also was limited in minutes due to former coach Jim O’Brien.  Now with Frank Vogel in charge, Collison is logging at least 30 minutes or more nearly every game and is making better use of those minutes, averaging over six assists per game and scoring over 14 points per game with Vogel in charge.

Collison is coming off a tough couple of games, so this might be a good time to buy low for what I think might be a big second half.

Manu Ginobili: Unlike the first two guys Manu came out and started the year on a nice run, averaging over 20 points per game at the end of November. He then fell off a bit in December, only to bounce back again in January.

He has plenty of doubters who still think his 17.9 points per game isn’t an average that can hold up, but I am not one of those doubters.

He’s the Spurs number one scoring option this year and is playing more minutes than he has in the past. On top of that, he’s typically a strong second half player averaging 20.8 points over the last three months of the season last year. And the nice thing with Manu is that he’s so much than just a points scorer as he contributes in basically every category except blocks.

Forwards

Andre Iguodala: People are very down on A.I. and I’m not so sure that they should be. The reason for it is because his scoring is down to 14.2 points per game and that is always the first stat people look at when evaluating a guys performance, especially one who is known as a rather proficient scorer like Iguodala.

But he’s not a guy you can judge based on points alone. You have to consider his other stats which go like this: 5.8 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals and a solid 44.5 percent from the field. Iguodala’s fantasy contributions go much beyond just scoring and he’s hardly been a disappointment anywhere else.

Gerald Wallace: He’s hardly lived up to the second round pick that he was in nearly every league.

He’s gone from 18.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 48 percent FG to 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 43 percent FG.

Wallace really dropped off in January where he barely cleared 12 points per game and had only 6.7 rebounds. Since then though he’s turned his game back up, rejuvenated by new coach Paul Silas.

So far in February Wallace is averaging 16.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals and is shooting 47 percent. He seems to be well on his way back to his old form and you might be able to steal him from a bitter owner who can’t believe they spent a second round pick on him.

Antwan Jamison: I considered him a buy low before the season and I still consider him one now.

First he plays for the Cavs which automatically drops him a spot or two in people’s minds. And then he’s just one of those guys who is always undervalued, much like Manu Ginobili.

Since taking over as a starter he’s averaging 20.5 points, 1.8 threes and 7.3 rebounds per game. But in January and February he is over 21 points per game and almost 2 threes per game. He’s playing at the level of a Paul Pierce, but he can be had in a trade for the same price as a Lamar Odom a lot of times.

Centers

Andrew Bogut: He has shed some of the scoring load that he carried last year, and like I said with Iguodala, that’s the one stat people notice more than anything.

Meanwhile he’s pulling down 11.5 rebounds and swatting nearly three shots per game. I think some people expected Bogut to take the next step as a scorer and close in on 18–20 points per game this year, but just because he hasn’t doesn't mean he isn’t one of the better centers in the league.

Fortunately for you, you might not have to pay for him the way you would the other big name centers because he’s not scoring. Just don’t grab him unless you can take the hit at the free throw line. He doesn’t shoot a ton of freebies, but when he does it is not pretty.

Nene Hilario: Some, myself included, had him as a top 50 player going into the year.

A lot of those same people would argue he hasn’t played like one, but I would disagree.

He’s averaging a career best 15.0 points per game right now and he’s getting a steal and a block per game as well, along with a little over seven rebounds. His field goal percentage is a ridiculous 64 percent and he doesn’t hurt you from the line either.

He’s flying under most people’s radars and chances are the guy in your league who has him probably doesn’t realize his true value. If you are looking for a big man who will come cheaper than he should, Nene might just be your guy.

There is my breakdown on some of the guys who might come cheaper than I think they should in your league. Who are some guys you are targeting in your leagues?

Make sure to check back tomorrow for my list of sell high’s that you might want to consider offering up to get one of these guys. Meanwhile, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts or questions.

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