The NBA thought it was time to mix things up again. This offseason has probably been one of the most dramatic in at least the past fifteen years. LeBron James returned to his hometown Cavaliers. Chris Bosh declined Houston's offer to re-sign with the Miami Heat with Dwyane Wade, adding Luol Deng in LeBron's spot. Trevor Ariza left Washington to sign with Houston, who failed to match the Mavericks' 3 year, $46 million offer for Chandler Parsons. Carmelo Anthony dramatically chose to re-sign a max contract with the Knicks after being pursued by Chicago and Houston. Chicago signed Pau Gasol, Aaron Brooks, and rookie Doug McDermott, making them one of the deepest teams in the league. It's been crazy, and I'm here to give you every little detail on how this affects the league and your fantasy year.
You can stay up to date on all the latest action here: http://www.thescore.com/nba/offseason
So who's stock is going to rise because of their new destination?
1. Chandler Parsons, Mavericks SF
This guy is one of the best all-around players in the league. He will consistently give you production across the board every night while shooting consistently and keeping the turnovers down. I predict he'll be a 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists guy in Dallas as one of the main options. Look for this guy early on in your draft.
2. Lance Stephenson, Hornets SG
Stephenson led the NBA in triple-doubles last season, and despite his reputation for blowing in superstars' ears, he's one of the toughest guards in the league, and one of the best rebounding ones as well. Last season, Stephenson was third in scoring, second in rebounds, and first in assists on the Pacers. Like Parsons, he's an across-the-board guy with a lot of potential on a struggling Charlotte team.
3. Trevor Ariza, Rockets SF
This guy's draft stock won't rise as much as the previous two, but he will be solid. Ariza is a defensive specialist with an efficient three-point shooting capability. In Houston, he will no longer have to shoulder a load like was required of him in Washington. I would look for him to have increased efficiency, more threes, a solid number of steals and blocks, and a few boards every game. If you can steal him deep in the draft, I recommend it.
4. Luol Deng, Miami SF
Deng has always been one of the best two-way players in the NBA. At this point in his career, I would rank him at 2 or 3, behind LeBron and Paul George. Regardless, Deng is a scorer, playmaker, rebounder, and defensive wall. He will provide across the board stats, and on a team devout of LeBron James and with a dwindling Wade, look for Deng to be the team's 1st or 2nd playmaking option this year.
5. Tyson Chandler, Mavericks C
Think back to the 2011 NBA Finals. Tyson Chandler is right in the middle, grabbing offensive and defensive rebounds, turning shots away and affecting even more, all while being very efficient. I would assume similar numbers this year in his return to Dallas. I wouldn't necessarily put him as a top 5 big man, but I wouldn't drop much further. You could expect 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and .650 field goal percentage from him this season.
Other players to consider who's stock are rising:
Paul George, Pacers SF - with the loss of Stephenson, much more production and responsibility is opened up to George.
Jordan Hill, Lakers PF - with the loss of Pau Gasol, Hill steps in as the strongest power forward on the roster, and he showed sparks of greatness this last season. Look for him to excel in L.A.
Carlos Boozer, Lakers PF - much as the same situation as Hill, it will be interesting to see if the Lakers start two power forwards, and if not, who will they decide to start.
Now, to players that are going to be negatively impacted by recent trades.
1. Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers PG
With the addition of LeBron to the Cavs roster, every player is given an instant boost of efficiency. However, there is a good chance there will be a loss in production of Irving, Waiters, and Verejao, just for instance. LeBron does everything, so naturally, there will be less for the other players to do. Irving is no longer a top-5 fantasy point guard, especially considering his recent injury struggles. Look for just about every Cavalier to level out fantasy-wise.
2. Isaiah Thomas, Suns PG
Last season, Thomas posted a solid season, making him relevant in just about every fantasy league. Now on the Suns roster, Thomas is now the third point-guard in the rotation behind Dragic and Bledsoe. Look for Thomas' production to decrease to that of a bench role.
3. Paul Pierce, Wizards SF
Pierce is no longer in his prime. That was very relevant last year in Brooklyn, and now, he will be a third or fourth option at best in Washington. You've got John Wall and Bradley Beal headlining the team, with Nene and Marcin Gortat down low. Paul Pierce is a veteran bringing experience and knowledge, not fantasy statistics.
4. Dwyane Wade, Heat SG
Wade has faulty knees, and that's the main reason he will drop drastically this season. If it wasn't apparent enough this last season that he is slowly deteriorating, nothing has changed and his drop will continue. LeBron has been replaced with Deng, and Wade may have the ball a little more but will lose efficiency as well as have an increase in turnovers.
This is just a preliminary post especially considering the start of the NBA is still nearly three months away. As the season gets closer, I will be back with more information and more recommendations.
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