With the NBA trade deadline now officially behind us, let’s take a look at the moves that did (or didn’t) happen and how the sharp fantasy basketball managers are reacting to the roster shuffling.
Fantasy Basketball: Jose Alvarado Joins The New York Knicks
Jose Alvarado was sent to the New York Knicks for Dalen Terry, two second-round picks, and cash. While the trade deadline saw some massive names switch teams and others stay put (keep reading about those options), this is the move I consider the most impactful for our purposes, given the attention it received.
Alvarado is a great addition in “real” life for New York, and I actually think there’s a fantasy angle to explore.
Miles “Duece” McBride is going to have core surgery this week, and that very well could keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. Even if it doesn’t, this is a team poised to make noise in the postseason, which has me leaning toward a limited return, keeping Alvarado in position for a significant role.
What I don’t think is being addressed enough is Jalen Brunson. He’s pacing to clear 2,200 minutes for a fifth straight season: who is to say there’s not some management that comes into play in a month or so, should New York’s seed come into focus a bit?
Grand Theft Alvarado has averaged over a steal per game throughout his career, despite playing just 20.3 minutes per game. With the Pelicans, he was trending toward a career-low usage rate, but I don’t see that sustaining in this backcourt, which now lacks depth.
I’d love to see him score more, and maybe he gets a few additional looks with him being the ignored option in game plans, but even if that’s not the case, the assist and steal projections profile as useful.
The Knicks are the fourth-best shooting team on wide-open triples, but they only generate them on 17.7% of attempts, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Now, some of that has to do with how Brunson plays, and that’s not going to change, but Alvarado is averaging 7.2 drives per 36 minutes this season, and he passes out of those chances 55% of the time.
That’s a drive-and-kick artist and, as mentioned, he’s joining a team built to pay off those opportunities. McBride was giving us 15.7 points-plus-assists per game while holding fringe fantasy value. Alvarado can do that in a slightly more valuable way (fewer points but more assists, along with a spike in defensive counting stats), and that has me wanting to acquire shares when possible.
During his time in New York, Brunson has seen his assist rate gradually decline while his three-point rate has moved in the opposite direction. I see this move as amplifying those trends even further, opening the door to some risk.
The upside remains the same. On any given night, Brunson can be among the 10 most valuable assets in the game. But if he is relying more on triples and giving us less creation for his teammates as a result of what Alvarado brings to the table, there’s enough risk to give me some concern moving forward.
A light closing schedule might make that minor worry a non-issue, but if I could get full value for Brunson right now, I think I’d move on.
New York Knicks Fantasy Playoff Schedule
- Tuesday, March 17: vs. Indiana Pacers (21st scoring defense)
- Friday, March 20: at Brooklyn Nets (26th)
- Sunday, March 22: vs. Washington Wizards (29th)
- Tuesday, March 24: vs. New Orleans Pelicans (27th)
- Thursday, March 26: at Charlotte Hornets (18th)
- Sunday, March 29: at Oklahoma City Thunder (1st)
Fantasy Basketball: Giannis Antetokounmpo Stays Put In Milwaukee
We get a short break from the Giannis Antetokounmpo speculation media wave, but only until this offseason.
The Milwaukee Bucks have indicated to teams that they are keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and will start making other trades, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2026
The right calf injury that he suffered in the second half of January has kept the All-Pro without an official return timetable (he projected the end of February, but as many things as he can do, diagnosing injuries isn’t something his resume has proof of).
It should go without saying that you’re holding him because of his upside, but there’s a non-zero chance that there aren’t many productive weeks to chase from him for the remainder of this fantasy season.
Ryan Rollins cleared 20 points in each of the first three games this month while averaging nearly 13 rebounds-plus-assists. The aggressive 23-year-old doesn’t get to the line as much as we’d like when looking for a stable scoring base, but his accuracy from distance and comfort in taking shots off the bounce make him a real threat to flirt with 20 PPG the rest of the way.
The schedule for the second half of March isn’t too daunting for the Bucks, and if they continue to play without Antetokounmpo, Rollins can be a plus contributor in five categories.
Milwaukee Bucks Fantasy Playoff Schedule
- Tuesday, March 17: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (12th in scoring defense)
- Thursday, March 19: at Utah Jazz (30th)
- Saturday, March 21: at Phoenix Suns (6th)
- Monday, March 23: at Los Angeles Clippers (20th)
- Wednesday, March 25: at Portland Trailblazers (19th)
- Saturday, March 28: vs. San Antonio Spurs (3rd)
- Sunday, March 29: vs. Los Angeles Clippers (20th)
Fantasy Basketball: Ivica Zubac Joins The Indiana Pacers
The athleticism of Jay Huff is fun, and I worry that he’s a priority evaluation moving forward in this front court.
The Pacers operate at the ninth fastest pace in the league this season, and that’s without Tyrese Haliburton on the court. Huff fits that mold better than Zubac, and this team has one year left until they need to decide on a club option.
I want to say the most likely outcome is that they try a two-big lineup, but will that happen right away? Will it work?
It might, but we are introducing questions to a stable Zubac profile (consecutive seasons with 14+ points, 11+ rebounds, and a +61% FG). He’s very clearly still a viable asset, but this is a knock to his value at the worst possible time, if for no other reason than it increases uncertainty.
Indiana Pacers Fantasy Playoff Schedule
- Tuesday, March 17: at New York Knicks (13th in scoring defense)
- Wednesday, March 18: vs. Portland Trailblazers (19th)
- Saturday, March 21: at San Antonio Spurs (3rd)
- Monday, March 23: at Orlando Magic (16th)
- Wednesday, March 25: vs. Los Angeles Lakers (23rd)
- Friday, March 27: vs. Los Angeles Clippers (20th)
- Sunday, March 29: vs. Miami Heat (5th)
Benedict Mathurin lands in Los Angeles on the other side of this deal. Availability has been an issue this season, but he’s averaged 17.8 PPG for the Pacers in his 28 games (24 starts), continuing to show himself as a balanced offensive threat (5.6 3PA and 5.2 FTA).
Does that role present itself for the Clippers?
At full strength, I fear that we’d be threading a thin needle. Darius Garland was brought in to lead the offense, Kawhi Leonard is the scoring star, and John Collins has breakout potential.
That said, Zubac, as mentioned, is no longer on this roster, and he figures to be replaced in the starting unit by Brook Lopez, a net win for a player like Mathurin that is at his best when there is space to attack in the paint.
Oh yeah, and Garland has struggled to stay on the court. If you want to bet against Garland, Mathurin is a great way to do that. He has more turnovers than assists for his career, so we’ve yet to see him flourish as a creator, but this is a reasonable environment to see if the 23-year-old can work that into his skill set.
If so, there’s a lot to like here. The percentages have traditionally been strong, and if we are talking about a 32+ minute role, the PRA numbers should take care of themselves.
I think the growth potential in the rebound and assist departments outweighs any minor scoring regression. I like this move if I have Mathurin, and I’d target him in the secondary trade markets.
Los Angeles Clippers Fantasy Playoff Schedule
- Monday, March 16: vs. San Antonio Spurs (3rd in scoring defense)
- Wednesday March 18: at New Orleans Pelicans (27th)
- Thursday, March 19: at New Orleans Pelicans (27th)
- Saturday, March 21: at Dallas Mavericks (11th)
- Monday, March 23: vs. Milwaukee Bucks (22nd)
- Wednesday, March 25: vs. Toronto Raptors (9th)
- Friday, March 27: at Indiana Pacers (21st)
- Sunday, March 29: at Milwaukee Bucks (22nd)
Fantasy Basketball: Ayo Dosumnu Joins the Minnesota Timberwolves
We know that Anthony Edwards drives the usage ship in Minnesota, and that’s not going to change, but I don’t think it has to for Ayo Dosumnu to be an asset.
The 26-year-old was Chicago’s best 3-point shooter when letting the ball fly within two seconds of getting the rock (44.5%), and with the gravity of Edwards, it stands to reason that he could see the percentage of his looks from distance increase from the 35.6% rate he’s held this season to date.
Who, among secondary ball handlers in Minnesota, do we know for sure is going to subtract from Dosumnu’s opportunity? Donte Divincenzo has improved as a creator this season, and his range is valuable, but would this team be looking for backcourt help if they were sold on him being a plus-asset for over 30 minutes a night?
Bones Hyland hung 20 points on the Raptors on Wednesday, but the former first-round pick has been unable to sustain a role up to this point in his career, and I think that’s the most likely outcome the rest of the way.
That leaves the door for Dosumnu to continue giving us the best numbers of his career, and I don’t think it’s crazy to think that he could be even more valuable alongside Edwards. With three-point volume and versatility in terms of traditional counting numbers, I think he is a fine option the rest of the way, while Divincenzo is at risk of seeing his value dip a bit.
Minnesota Timberwolves Fantasy Playoff Schedule
- Tuesday, March 17: vs. Phoenix Suns (6th in scoring defense)
- Wednesday, March 18: vs. Utah Jazz (30th)
- Friday, March 20: vs. Portland Trailblazers (19th)
- Sunday, March 22: at Boston Celtics (8th)
- Wednesday, March 25: vs. Houston Rockets (4th)
- Saturday, March 28: vs. Detroit Pistons (2nd)
Fantasy Basketball: Ja Morant Stays Put In Memphis
This elbow injury is set to keep Ja Morant out for a minimum of two more weeks, and that was going to make his return strong value down the stretch of the fantasy season something of an uphill battle, no matter the team he called home.
When active, Morant’s usage rate has been in line with recent expectations thanks to a career-high pace in assist rate. That suggests that the team is trusting him to create and make decisions, and what are those decisions going to look like in an offense that no longer has Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Ty Jerome is an interesting winner here. He made his season debut on the final day of January and had a strong first week, positioning him to soak up the usage left behind.
Morant is going to continue to attack, especially if he continues to struggle with the jumper, and that puts the 2019 first-round pick in a position to get high-quality looks from distance (38% career 3P%).
Take it a step further, and maybe we see Morant be more aggressive in creating for himself. With Jerome lining up to share the court with him, that could give him a nice assist floor. We’ve never really seen him be released on the offensive end (career high 12.5 PPG last season for the Cavaliers), but that seems more likely than not to be the case for the remainder of this season, and that makes him a specific box checker in all fantasy formats.
Memphis Grizzlies Fantasy Playoff Schedule
- Monday, March 16: at Chicago Bulls (25th in scoring defense)
- Wednesday, March 18: vs. Denver Nuggets (23rd)
- Friday, March 20: vs. Boston Celtics (8th)
- Saturday, March 21: at Charlotte Hornets (18th)
- Monday, March 23: at Atlanta Hawks (17th)
- Wednesday, March 25: vs. San Antonio Spurs (3rd)
- Friday, March 27: vs. Houston Rockets (4th)
- Saturday, March 28: vs. Chicago Bulls (25th)
