The NBA Trade Deadline last week featured some of the biggest fireworks we've seen in the NBA in recent years, with several big deals including the mega deal between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers that shook the entire landscape of the league.
While it's easy to get caught up in the big names, all these moves opened up lots of opportunities for unheralded players to shift into new roles and start producing fantasy-worthy stats.
Unsurprisingly, this week's Diamonds in the Rough features several players taking advantage of these new opportunities to get onto the fantasy hoops landscape.
Darius Bazley, Oklahoma City Thunder (19.3% rostered in ESPN leagues): Bazley has been in this space previously, at various points when he showed signs of breaking out of his season-long funk. But, he's put together an extended streak now of performing at the level he was expected to when the season began, so this may be the last time that you see his name here. Over his last 10 games, Bazley has averaged 15.1 PPG (44.5 FG%, 71.8 FT%, 42.5 3P%), 8.1 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.7 3PG, 1.3 SPG and 1.0 BPG in 33.7 MPG. During that stretch, he's grabbed double-digit boards three times, scored over 20 points twice, and is averaging well over a 3-pointer, a steal and a block per game to show real value in both points and roto leagues.
Terance Mann, LA Clippers (14.5%): Mann has come alive since moving back into the starting lineup after Norman Powell's foot injury. Mann has scored in double figures in a season-high-tying four straight games, and has set and then re-set his season high in points scored in each of the last two games. During that stretch, he's averaging 18.3 PPG (57.7 FG%, 60.0 FG%, 36.4 3P%), 6.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG and 1.0 3PG in 32.8 MPG. Mann is a young player, and has been up-and-down all season, but he's playing his best basketball of the season and could have an extended role for the foreseeable future with all of the Clippers' injuries on the wings.
Oshae Brissett, Indiana Pacers (12.3%): The Pacers traded away Domantas Sabonis to the Kings for a package of impact perimeter players. With Myles Turner (foot) still sidelined, the Pacers had a big man vacuum in their line-up. Brissett has stepped forward to fill that hole with three straight strong game, including back-to-back double-doubles in his last two outing since moving into the starting line-up. Overall, he's averaging 18.3 PPG (45.9 FG%, 73.7 FT%, 43.8 3P%) with 10.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.3 3PG, 1.3 BPG and 0.7 SPG in 34.7 MPG in those three outings.
Justise Winslow, Portland Trail Blazers (8.3%): Winslow was traded to the Clippers as part of the Norman Powell deal, and has slotted in as the new starting power forward from the trade-depleted Trail Blazers. Winslow has started the last four games, and is averaging a solid 12.5 PPG (46.7 FG%), 7.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG and 1.0 3PG in 33.8 MPG in that stretch. His jumper is still broken (57.1 FT%, 23.5 3P% in those four starts) but he's producing enough all-around numbers to be of interest. The Trail Blazers are square in rebuild mode right now, so Winslow could get these types of minutes moving forward.
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets (7.9%): Thomas entered the season as one of the most talented scorers in this rookie class, fresh off dominating in the Las Vegas League. The problem, for is fantasy prospects, was that he was going to a team already featuring three dominant scorers in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Well, these days, Harden is in Philadelphia, Durant is still injured and Irving can only play in road games. This has left a door open for Thomas to show what he can do, and he's currently on a six-game double digit scoring streak in which he's averaged 21.7 PPG (50.5 FG%, 82.1 FT%, 34.4 3P%), 3.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.8 3PG and 1.0 SPG in 30.8 MPG. It is unclear when the Nets will be able to consistently field their full lineup, and even when they do, there is more room for Thomas to be able to put points on the board moving forward.