The NBA delivered another blockbuster multi-team trade, with the Miami Heat sending Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. The Heat also received Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, PJ Tucker and a protected first-round pick. The Utah Jazz also got involved, receiving Dennis Schröder, while the Detroit Pistons landed Lindy Waters III and Josh Richardson.
This trade sparks sweeping changes for the Dubs and Heat and notably ends a very public soap opera with Pat Riley and Jimmy Butler. For fantasy basketball managers, it sets the stage for critical adjustments. Below, we’ll break down the winners, losers, and key takeaways for fantasy basketball.
Jimmy Butler’s fit with the Golden State Warriors
By bringing in Butler, Golden State adds a defensive edge and scoring threat to a team on the edge of playoff contention. The Warriors’ 3-point-centric offense is predicated on ball movement, and while Butler isn’t a volume 3-point shooter, his unselfishness and three-level scoring make him a more reliable offensive threat than Wiggins.
He can guard multiple positions defensively and is an unselfish, high-IQ two-way player who raises Golden State’s floor. He’s also been handsomely compensated, signing a two-year, $121M extension. I’d expect a motivated and committed version of Butler with the Dubs.
Fantasy outlook: Butler has been averaging 17/5/5 this season, and I’m projecting that he’ll see a bump to over 20 points per game as the second option on offense. He was providing sixth-round value despite being disgruntled and checked out, so I’d anticipate an increase by at least two rounds by the end of the season.
While I don’t expect much to change for Stephen Curry, Draymond Green could see a decline in assists, with Butler potentially becoming another facilitator for the Warriors. Still, the dropoff won’t be significant enough to ditch Green in 10-12 team leagues.
Andrew Wiggins fit with the Miami Heat
The Heat’s post-Butler era begins with Wiggins and a renewed commitment to youth. Tyler Herro’s All-Star campaign continues with him as the focal point on offense, and Wiggins will backfill Butler’s role. But how will Wiggins mesh with a team that’s already moved on from Butler?
Fantasy Outlook: I don’t like the landing spot for Wiggins, as he’ll go from a secondary scoring option to at least third in the pecking order. The Heat have been giving more minutes to Nikola Jović, Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez Jr., so that will be a situation to monitor once Wiggins gets acclimated. Wiggins can play either forward spots (58% SF, 39% PF this season) or SG, enabling the Heat to experiment with different lineups to maximize his skillset. Still, it’s not great for his fantasy value, but I see Riley’s vision of getting another flexible wing to add to a burgeoning frontcourt. Keep Jović and Ware rostered, while Kyle Anderson and PJ Tucker are irrelevant to fantasy.
Dennis Schröder to the… Jazz?!
There goes Danny Ainge again, getting involved just because he can’t resist the urge to be involved in every deal. Schröder’s coming to the Utah Jazz is weird but makes sense, given that his contract expires at a modest $13M at the end of this season. This has future buyout written all over it.
Fantasy Outlook: Fantasy managers rostering Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George shouldn’t be too concerned about Schröder’s arrival. I doubt he’ll stay long enough to disrupt their minutes in the rotation. Schröder managers will have to wait and see what happens next, but the latest transaction makes him a potential drop candidate until we know what happens next.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
