It was hardly so long ago that PG/SG Dejounte Murray was a fantasy superstar, averaging 21.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 9.2 APG and 2 SPG for the 2021-22 Spurs. Fantasy managers loved him, for obvious reasons. It took a few seasons, but Murray, then 25, was suddenly one of the top statistical options in the sport. Then came the ill-advised trade to the Hawks.
Murray remains a solid fantasy option with Atlanta, averaging 21.4 PPG, 5 RPG and 5 APG, but his numbers and impact are not the same. His pairing with star PG Trae Young for a season and a half has been an awkward one, and Murray can produce only so much playing next to one of the highest-usage ball handlers around. Still, Murray is a top-30 fantasy option.
Imagine what may happen if Murray, as expected, is dealt to another club before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.
Fantasy managers would love the 2021-22 version of Murray, an All-Star who many believed would continue to ascend statistically. Perhaps that ascension continues if the Young-Murray pairing breaks up. It seems unlikely that Young, the clear face of the franchise and financially rewarded as such, will be the one on the move. Including Wednesday's blowout loss at Golden State, the Hawks are sputtering with far more losses than wins and perhaps Murray, a proven lead guard, can recoup the Hawks with draft picks and/or young, frontcourt options.
Fantasy managers should always pay attention to potential real-life trades and how they can affect statistics. Without knowing whom the Hawks may receive in a Murray trade, it is tough to evaluate ultimate impact on their end. Young's numbers may improve a bit, as he averaged 28.4 PPG the season prior to Murray arriving. Perhaps SG/SF Bogdan Bogdanovic remains a starter. Perhaps Bogdanovic heads to another team. Perhaps emerging SF/PF Jalen Johnson starts scoring 20 PPG, or rookie PG Kobe Bufkin starts playing. There is a lot of "perhaps" here.
Murray's situation is clearly one to watch, because we have already seen him perform as a legitimate fantasy superstar, and depending on what happens, he could return to this level. He could also land on a championship-level team that utilizes him differently, and his numbers could slip. Trading for Murray in fantasy this week does invite some risk, but there is massive upside as well.
Terry Rozier, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby are among the high-profile players already dealt in the previous weeks, and fantasy value changed in each case, for each side. Good for new Heat PG Rozier, as he will get to participate in the playoffs, but not so good for his fantasy investors, as he cannot maintain his gaudy numbers from Charlotte. Nobody wants Kyle Lowry. Murray is a bigger name. Pay attention, fantasy managers.
In the meantime, here are five other situations to watch for fantasy purposes.
Chicago Bulls: This squad is barely ahead of the Hawks in the Eastern Conference, and also seems unlikely to suddenly contend. SF/SG DeMar DeRozan and SG/SF Zach LaVine are the obvious trade candidates. DeRozan would likely see his usage and overall statistics slip with any other team, especially sharing the ball with Lakers LeBron James/Anthony Davis, making him a wise fantasy trade candidate before the Bulls act. LaVine has struggled to stay healthy so perhaps other teams are no longer as interesting in trading for him.
Meanwhile, PG/SG Alex Caruso appears to be more in demand, but he is not an impactful fantasy option unless it is a roto league, and someone really needs steals. C Andre Drummond could lead the league in rebounding if he doubled his minutes due to a trade or starting C Nikola Vucevic moving on or getting injured again, but that is also a big "if".
PG/SG Coby White is having a tremendous breakout season, certainly in part to LaVine missing so much time. White is rostered in 82.4% of ESPN standard leagues. That number deserves to be higher, especially if DeRozan is moved for draft picks or LaVine simply sits out another month or more. PF/SF Patrick Williams also could use more shots, more attention, so the Bulls can evaluate his role. He should be providing 15 PPG and 7 RPG nightly.
Detroit Pistons: PF/SF Bojan Bogdanovic is still on this team. He scored 34 points Wednesday, as the team won for the fifth time. The Pistons claim Bogdanovic (not related to Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanovic) is a key veteran leader for a slew of young players, but the Pistons should listen to anything. They may break the league mark for losses in a season. Bogdanovic, 34, has played roughly a full season of games for the Pistons and averaged 21 PPG on fantastic shooting. Any contender would love to add him, but alas, it is tough to imagine any contender giving him 33 MPG, too.
Pistons SG Alec Burks, 32, is in a similar situation, as his scoring ability would aid any contender, but like many of his teammates, defense is often an afterthought. The Pistons are losing with these 30-somethings. Providing serious minutes to SF/SG Ausar Thompson, PG Marcus Sasser and C James Wiseman would seem to make more sense.
Washington Wizards: The bottom of the Eastern Conference is bad. The Wizards may be stuck with underachieving SG/PG Jordan Poole for a few more seasons, but there are other attractive veterans here in PF/SF Kyle Kuzma, PG Tyus Jones and C/PF Daniel Gafford. Kuzma averages more than 35 ESPN fantasy points per game. As with Murray and DeRozan, there is risk that he ends up with a contender simply looking to fit him in with other high-usage options, and Kuzma's stats slip. Then again, perhaps there is a scenario similar to what happened with Jazz PF/SF Lauri Markkanen, and his heading to another club ignites a bigger scorer and fantasy provider.
Jones and Gafford lack statistical upside, but they are solid performers averaging more than 32 fantasy points per game, and roto investors love the assists for the former, and the blocked shots for the latter. The Wizards chose French teenager Bilal Coulibaly with the seventh pick in the 2023 draft, but they provide him with inconsistent minutes and shots. OK, so he is young, perhaps not ready yet, but it is easy to see a Jalen Johnson-like emergence soon. Deep leaguers in redraft formats may want to invest today in case the Wizards present opportunity.
Portland Trail Blazers: Speaking of intriguing teenage hoopsters, now seems like a wise time to trade for PG Scoot Henderson in a dynasty/keeper league, for the current numbers do not shine, but the future remains bright. A future star lurks, and this is not Pistons PG Killian Hayes. Henderson is shooting 36% from the field and committing 3.2 turnovers per game, but the No. 3 pick in the draft is 19. The Blazers took on PG/SG Malcolm Brogdon in the Jrue Holiday trade, but he is not a part of their future. Leading scorer Anfernee Simons may be in the way as well. Henderson is the future. It is realistic to expect Henderson to figure things out running the offense in the second half of this season.
Golden State Warriors: And finally, we end with this underachieving team which could do just about anything, or nothing. Sure, we could discuss Bruce Brown, Kevin Huerter and myriad others, but how much fun is that? Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins! Chris Paul! Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody! It seems unlikely the Warriors do something too drastic, like breaking up the core of their title teams, but perhaps SG Brandin Podziemski and PG Trayce Jackson-Davis are future stars. Kuminga hit all 11 of his field goals in Wednesday's win over indifferent Atlanta, and give him 30 MPG somewhere and we may have a fantasy star.