We are here — NBA trade deadline week. Before things potentially get wild, we examined what’s transpired with some individual players of late and whether their play is a sign of good or bad things to come.
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📈 STOCK UP
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### Ty Jerome — SG, Grizzlies
Remember **Ty Jerome**? 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year candidate, Ty Jerome? Well, he just played his first couple of games of the season for Memphis, and immediately, he gets the “stock up” classification. Jerome being immediately thrown into the Grizzlies’ starting lineup in his first game back from injury is quite indicative of what the organization thinks of him and how they plan on showcasing him, if you ask me. And, of course, going for 20 points and six assists in his season debut, and then following with a 19/6/8 line two days later, is important. The sample size needs to grow, and the productivity probably needs to sustain longer for any real take to generate from me. However, it seems as though two successful performances are enough to at least warrant some optimism about the heights Jerome could reach the rest of the season.
### Saddiq Bey — SF/PF, Pelicans
Of everything that’s formulated over in New Orleans this season, **Saddiq Bey** being one of the Pelicans’ most reliable players isn’t something I necessarily had on my Bingo card. Yet, here we are, as the 26-year-old wing out of Vilanova is averaging a career-high in points and just recently finished January with averages of 21.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.4 three-pointers per game on 48.5/44.4/89.2 shooting splits. And while Monday’s eight-point performance on poor shooting in a loss to the Hornets isn’t the way he would have liked to start February, it shouldn’t be an indicator of things to come. Bey has been good throughout the season and has turned himself into a consistent scorer. More good things could be on the way.
### Dillon Brooks — SF/PF, Suns
Here’s an appreciation post to **Dillon Brooks**, whose game continues to ascend in his first season as a Phoenix Sun. While shouldering a heavier offensive load in **Devin Booker**’s absence (ankle injury), Brooks has notched five 20-point games in all five of Booker’s recent missed games, with a 40-piece sprinkled in there during the Suns’ win over the Pistons toward the end of January. The veteran forward also has at least two three-pointers in these games, while averaging 1.0 steals over that time. There’s no need to speculate whether Brooks will keep this aggressive approach while Phoenix is undermanned; in reality, fantasy managers shouldn’t expect him to dial things back once Booker, and to a lesser extent, **Jalen Green**, are back in the lineup.
📉 STOCK DOWN
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### Herbert Jones — SG/SF/PF, Pelicans
It seems like I add a different Pelicans player to this part of the column every other week, which is totally unintentional. Nonetheless, it’s been almost two weeks now since Jones’ return from injury and, despite logging heavy minutes, he hasn’t seemed to find his fit or rhythm with this group in his six appearances over that time. Fortunately, the defensive stats have protected him from sinking even farther in fantasy leagues. Yet, the offensive numbers since January 23rd haven’t been great. Whether there’s roster movement at the deadline for New Orleans or not, it’s not easy to see a path for Jones to find fantasy basketball relevance. But, hey, maybe that changes as he gets more games under his belt.
### Deni Avdija — SG/SF/PF, Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers are in a slump — a five-game losing streak, to be precise — and their best player either hasn’t been available or his production during that time has paled in comparison to what he showed consistently for most of the season en route to becoming a first-time NBA All-Star. Avdija, over his last three appearances (two during the losing streak), has averaged 12.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor. To be fair, there’s a recent back injury he’s continuing to work through, and once healthy, he’ll likely return to form and become a near-30-point triple-double threat again on a nightly basis. But for the sake of this exercise, Stock Down.
### Karl-Anthony Towns — PF/C, Knicks
Stock…down? If rebounding is a priority, then Anthony-Towns has been a productive piece for those specific fantasy managers in need — he’s collected double-digit rebounds four times during the New York’s current six-game winning streak, twice reaching at least 20 boards. Yet, his offensive output, part of what has made him an impactful and high-upside center in fantasy leagues, has been mostly absent. The veteran center is 12.3 points on 10.1 shot attempts per game, and has totaled just 17 assists and seven three-pointers during the win streak. To his credit, Towns’ approach and apparent sacrifice on that end of the floor seems to be working out fine for the surging Knicks. But from a fantasy basketball perspective, there is certainly a lot of meat left on the bone.