February 23rd is the fantasy basketball deadline to make a trade in most standard leagues and formats. If you are in playoff contention but need that one more piece to put you over the hump and into the playoffs, you should consider trading for the following players.
Remember. Versatility is the key this time of year when looking to make a trade.
1. Victor Oladipo, SG, Pacers: Oladipo is having a career year and would be cheaper to acquire than a Bradley Beal or C.J McCollum. The Pacers are balanced offensively but when they need a big shot, they go to Oladipo. You would probably need a quality big man to go in a package of Oladipo.
2. Nicholas Batum, Hornets, SG/SF: Batum has been hot the past month scoring double digit fantasy points in ten of his last twelve games. Batum’s value is not in the amount of points he scores but rather his cross category value. Batum is a must own multi-position player.
3. DeAngelo Russell, Nets, PG/SG: Russell has struggled since returning from a knee injury but he is playing better of late. The Nets have handled Russell with kid gloves but look for his minutes to go up the remainder of the season as he takes over as the team’s go to scorer.
4. Jaylen Brown, SF/SG/PF: I dropped Brown last week so I am impatient. If you can deal with his inconsistency, you can probably get him cheap. Brown has his occasional scoring outburst and can fill three positions in your line up. That and he won’t be too expensive to acquire.
5. Isaiah Thomas, Lakers PG: Depending on who has Thomas in your league, you might be able to get him cheap. If he is on a team that is deep at the guard position but lacks bigs, use one of your power forwards or centers as trade bait for Thomas.
6. John Collins, PF/C, Hawks: The rookie power forward/center is averaging 15.0 per game in ESPN standard scoring leagues. He offers nice cross category value and would an affordable trade option.
7. Zach Lavine, SG/SF: Lavine got off to a great start after returning from a torn ACL last month. He has since fallen off offensively but now might be the right time to acquire him. If you can convince the current owner that Lavine is stuck and won’t produce at the level he did a month ago, you might be able to land him.
8. Domantas Sabonis, PF/C: I like Sabonis’ cross category value. He can score in the paint and just like his father, he is a terrific rebounder. Like his teammate, Victor Oladipo, Sabonis has been a pleasant surprise. He’s not a big name however so you might be able to get him at an affordable return.
9. Tobias Harris, PF/SF, Clippers: Harris couldn’t have ended up in better situation. He has more freedom offensively than he did in Detroit. Harris is a player worth inquiring about but he may not be as cheap as you think because his point production is on the uptick.
10. Taj Gibson, PF, Timberwolves: Gibson reunite with Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota and he is a productive player again. Gibson would have been affordable to acquire, but with Jimmy Butler hurt, his value went up which acquiring him will cost more.
Remember. Don’t chase stars this time of year. If you are in playoff contention, you are looking to augment your roster, not blow it up.