NBA trade deadline week is here and from now until the mid-afternoon on Thursday, fantasy basketball waiver wire value can present itself at any given moment once a trade is made. The Brooklyn Nets just traded Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris to the Dallas Mavericks and in return received Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith along with future draft picks. This will certainly open up value on Brooklyn especially with Kevin Durant still hurt. Until Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith get settled into the Nets offense, a few Nets backcourt and midcourt players could see more playing time for the short-term. Irving arriving in Dallas will take shots away from Tim Hardaway Jr and most likely Luka Doncic as well. Here are a few players you can look to add from the fantasy basketball waiver wire, but if you have first come first serve pickups for your teams, be on high alert because once an NBA trade is made, you’ll have to act fast. 

 


Cam Thomas SG Brooklyn Nets-50% rostered

Not only were the Nets not playing Kyrie Irving until they traded him, but they also are dealing with a few other players being out of the lineup including Kevin Durant and Seth Curry. Thomas is coming off a 44-point game and he’s scored at least 19 points in each of his last 3 contests taking 13-plus shots. Thomas should continue playing 25-30 minutes until the Nets are healthier. Spencer Dinwiddie getting into the mix shouldn’t impact Thomas too much, but when Curry and eventually Durant play, Thomas will likely lose out on shots. He’s also grabbed four rebounds and a steal in two of his last four battles. He’ll look to get open around the arc on offense for the most part, but he’ll try to get in the paint a bit as well to get closer to the basket and get better looks. The Nets need offensive relief to fill the void left behind by Irving until Durant returns and Thomas will continue taking more shots to help build that bridge. The Nets also may not be done making moves prior to Thursday’s trade deadline. 

Xavier Tillman PF, C Memphis Grizzlies-15% rostered

The Grizzlies have tried multiple options to find the best frontcourt lineup. Their frontcourt defense hasn’t been strong especially with Steven Adams still hurt, but Tillman is starting to breakthrough and get the trust from the Grizzlies coaches. He’s drawing starts and he’s played no fewer than 25 minutes in 4 straight battles. He doesn’t take many shots, but he’s been helpful in other areas, including rebounding and steals. Tillman will mainly set screens at the top of the key and then softly roll to the basket, but the problem for him is Ja Morant’s creativity with the ball and he doesn’t need big men to bail him out in the lane. He has a lot of success getting to the basket and unless Tillman has no one on him, he’ll likely fall back out of the paint once he rolls to the basket and wait for the shot to go up so he can attack the rim and keep the play alive. Tillman has posted two games of 10 rebounds or more and 3 games of at least 9 rebounds during that span. He’s even recorded three, three-plus steals contests in his last five. He has value for another couple of weeks before Adams returns to action.

Daniel Gafford C Washington Wizards-42% rostered

The Wizards are in a tough spot because they traded Rui Hachimura to the Lakers and Kyle Kuzma is hurt. They’ve had success using bigger lineups and Taj Gibson can only do so much and Gafford will be relied on more in the post as Kristaps Porzingis is expected to help stretch the floor even more until Kuzma is healthy enough to play. Gafford has hit the 30-minute mark twice in his last 4 games and produced 2 double-doubles during that stretch. Gafford should continue to see more minutes and he’ll stay on the low block without going to the arc to try to create plays. He’s registered a lot of blocks as well lately swatting away 11 shots over his last 4 games. He’s blocked shots in seven straight outings. He flirts with double-digit scoring a lot when he doesn’t hit 10 points and he should continue to play a more significant role in the rotation as it doesn’t seem like the Wizards will make a major move before Thursday. 

Malik Monk SG Sacramento Kings-40% rostered

Monk’s scoring has been up and down over the last couple of months, but he should be added until he cools off because he’s scored 13 points or more in 5 straight outings. Even with De’Aaron Fox back in the lineup, he should continue getting a good number of shots. He’s been taking double-digit field goals a lot more lately. It’s encouraging seeing Monk help in other fantasy basketball categories as he can be a bit scoring dependent. Monk’s pulled down three or more boards in four of his last five outings. The Kings operate at a quick pace and should have more possessions in a game than most teams. Monk has even dropped five dimes in three of his last four matchups. Every little bit helps when it comes to Monk’s production. He’s been helpful grabbing swipes, posting two three-steal games in his last four contests. 

Chris Boucher PF, C Toronto Raptors-34% rostered

The Raptors are a team that could feature a lot of changes in roster composition over the next few days, but with OG Anunoby hurt, the Raptors tight rotation opens up a bit and Boucher has played 20-plus minutes in 4 straight games. Despite pulling down fewer than six rebounds per game, Boucher has exceeded his average in six of his last eight outings including posting two games of double-digit rebounds in his last four contests. He’s coming off posting a double-double and he’s been helping score the basketball more with the Raptors second unit. He’s scored at least 10 points in 6 of his last 8 matchups. Boucher has been taking more shots lately shooting nine or more field goals in three straight games. If the Raptors trade one of their starters, Boucher will be in line for even more playing time. He’s even blocked shots in four of his last seven games. Just about every starter for Toronto is circling the rumor mill prior to the trade deadline.

Kenrich Williams F Oklahoma City Thunder-8% rostered

The Thunder are still missing Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Luguentz Dort is also sidelined and their frontcourt needs to be able to help the backcourt produce on offense. He’s done just enough to deserve a spot at the end of fantasy basketball benches. He’s shot over 51 percent over his last four games, and shoots over 52 percent from the field this year. He’s a sharp-shooter from beyond the arc hitting 40 percent of his three-pointers. Despite not playing a lot of minutes last game, Williams was able to hit double figures in scoring for the third time in his last six outings. He's swiped seven balls combined over his last three games. He’s been a reliable rebounder lately as well pulling down at least six in six of his last seven contests. For those that added him at some point in the last month since he was last recommended, keep him on a short leash and if any of the other injured Thunder frontcourt players return, he’ll likely lose his shots and minutes as well.

Isaiah Hartenstein C New York Knicks-39% rostered

Just when it seemed like Jericho Sims was the more aggressive fill-in option for Mitchell Robinson, Hartenstein has been showing his toughness in the lane on defense and produced four straight games of grabbing 10 rebounds or more. He’s even blocked shots in three of his last five outings with two of those contests being multi-block games. He should continue playing around 30 minutes for the most part until Robinson comes back in a month if he continues showing he can clog the lane. The Knicks could go with a hot-hand type of approach between Hartenstein and Sims, and they’ll even shift up Julius Randle to play a bit of center as well. Hartenstein stole the ball four times collectively over his last few games. The Knicks have a few beatable frontcourts coming up on their schedule and Hartenstein should continue finding success pulling down rebounds in the paint. His offense has been a bit all over the place and he hasn’t taken many shots recently. If his rebounding and playing time drops off, release him back to the waiver wire.