Trade questions continue to be a hot topic among the submissions for the mailbag column. Let's not waste any time and get down to hashing out some of these proposals.
Would you trade Josh Giddey and Kyle Kuzma for Anthony Davis? Or is Davis not worth the injury risk and/or potential for missed games? Especially considering how well Kuzma is playing, is this a sell high moment for him? - @FuryFFB
I'll start off by saying that I do think this is a good time to sell high on Kuzma. With injuries and COVID hitting the Wizards, he's averaged 22.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 three-pointers over his last 14 games. As the Wizards start to get healthy, his numbers should come back down to Earth.
With that being said, I'd pass on this deal because I don't want to deal with the uncertainty that comes with rostering Davis. There's no question about his talent. When he plays, he's a first-round fantasy option. However, he's missed more than a month with a knee injury and there are still no positive updates regarding his potential return. He hasn't played in at least 70 games since the 2017-18 season -- a trend that will continue this season.
Would you trade Miles Bridges, Isaiah Stewart and Jordan Poole for Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry? - @kevin_radnor
It's not crazy to view this trade as basically just dealing Bridges for Valanciunas and Lowry. Now that Klay Thompson is back,
Trade questions continue to be a hot topic among the submissions for the mailbag column. Let's not waste any time and get down to hashing out some of these proposals.
Would you trade Josh Giddey and Kyle Kuzma for Anthony Davis? Or is Davis not worth the injury risk and/or potential for missed games? Especially considering how well Kuzma is playing, is this a sell high moment for him? - @FuryFFB
I'll start off by saying that I do think this is a good time to sell high on Kuzma. With injuries and COVID hitting the Wizards, he's averaged 22.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 three-pointers over his last 14 games. As the Wizards start to get healthy, his numbers should come back down to Earth.
With that being said, I'd pass on this deal because I don't want to deal with the uncertainty that comes with rostering Davis. There's no question about his talent. When he plays, he's a first-round fantasy option. However, he's missed more than a month with a knee injury and there are still no positive updates regarding his potential return. He hasn't played in at least 70 games since the 2017-18 season -- a trend that will continue this season.
Would you trade Miles Bridges, Isaiah Stewart and Jordan Poole for Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry? - @kevin_radnor
It's not crazy to view this trade as basically just dealing Bridges for Valanciunas and Lowry. Now that Klay Thompson is back, Poole will return to a limited role off the bench for the Warriors. Across the five games that Thompson has played, Poole has averaged 12.0 points across 25 minutes per game. As Thompson starts to log more minutes, Poole could see an even further reduction in playing time.
Stewart isn't anything special, either. He's still logging limited minutes, which has left him with averages of 7.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. With Kelly Olynyk back, Stewart could be hard-pressed to see his role on the Pistons expand.
As good as Brides has been, I'd make this deal. Valanciunas is a walking double-double and is locked into a big role for the Pelicans. Lowry has seen his scoring numbers decline this season, but he's still a valuable fantasy option with overall averages of 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 2.1 three-pointers per game.
Would you trade Mike Conley Jr. for Jerami Grant, given the trade talks surrounding Grant? This is a 12-team points league. - @charleslewis325
Grant is currently sidelined with a thumb injury, but he appears to be close to returning since he has resumed on-court work. The question is: how much longer will he remain a member of the Pistons? They are still in the very early stages of a rebuilding process, and Grant could be a valuable addition to a contending team. All signs point to him being moved before the trade deadline.
Even if Grant is traded, he will probably still fill a significant role for whatever teams he lands on. Conley, like Davis, is usually someone that I avoid because of his injury history. He's been healthy this season, but he's averaging just 29 minutes per game and could see more rest days as the playoffs approach. I'm ok with moving him in this deal.
In a dynasty league, would you trade Daniel Gafford for Saddiq Bey? - @Huntrell10
The Bulls would probably love to still have Gafford, who has played well since being dealt to the Wizards. He landed is an ideal situation last season with Thomas Bryant being hurt, leaving him to show that he can be productive when given an opportunity.
The issue for Gafford is that not only is Bryant healthy, but Montrezl Harrell and Rui Hachimura are also in the fold in Washington. He's already started to see his role decline, seeing just 12.0 minutes per game over the last four contests. Gafford is a good shot-blocker, but his overall skillset is nothing special, so projecting him long-term, he could be nothing more than one of the top backup centers in the league.
In terms of upside, I give the edge to Bey. He's a much better scoring option and he can be a difference-maker from behind the arc, following up his average of 2.5 three-pointers per game last season with 2.4 per game this season. I'll take his upside over Gafford's in dynasty.
Would you drop Thomas Bryant or Mason Plumlee for Goga Bitadze in a 10-team points league? @MateoRoque3
In a 10-team league, Plumlee and Bryant are not must-roster players. Plumlee is stuck in a timeshare with P.J. Washington, which has left him with modest averages of 6.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Bryant is in the same boat with Gafford and Harrell in Washington.
The future of the Pacers is cloudy right now. Myles Turner, who was rumored to possibly be on the move come the trade deadline, is now out with a foot injury that will keep him sidelined for multiple weeks. To further complicate matters, Domantas Sabonis suffered an ankle injury Wednesday that could force him to the sideline.
The Pacers' combined injuries could leave Bitadze with an expanded role, so he's an intriguing player to add. Between Bryant and Plumlee, I'd drop Bryant. He's coming off of a serious knee injury and competing with two other players for minutes, while Plumlee is fighting with just one
