This article is part of our NBA Observations series.
We've reached the final week of the regular season. Many fantasy leagues have concluded, but that doesn't mean managers in keeper/dynasty formats should stop scheming. Depending on your league rules, there could still be pickups or trades to be made between now and next season. If you're a rebuilding squad, it's important to identify some young players that can be acquired. It's difficult to pull off a big trade for a massive young name, so the following players are more realistic targets for almost any manager. Before diving in, here are some qualifications I used to pull names:
Under 23 years old
Top-200 player over the past month (min. 8 games played)
Could be available in shallow-to-standard size leagues (haven't played so well for a rival manager to consider them untradeable)
Jalen Suggs, Magic
The 22-year-old is in the midst of his best campaign. Injuries and woeful shooting resulted in the No. 5 overall pick from 2021 having an underwhelming first two years in the NBA. But he's figured out his long-range shot and has improved defensively to the point where he's in legitimate consideration for the All-Defensive First Team. There are many other teams in the NBA where his subpar playmaking would be a bigger detriment, but Orlando plays an egalitarian style led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. That allows Suggs to focus on making open shots and playing hard defense. He's been a top-100 player this season, providing a strong mix of three-and-D stats (2.1
We've reached the final week of the regular season. Many fantasy leagues have concluded, but that doesn't mean managers in keeper/dynasty formats should stop scheming. Depending on your league rules, there could still be pickups or trades to be made between now and next season. If you're a rebuilding squad, it's important to identify some young players that can be acquired. It's difficult to pull off a big trade for a massive young name, so the following players are more realistic targets for almost any manager. Before diving in, here are some qualifications I used to pull names:
Under 23 years old
Top-200 player over the past month (min. 8 games played)
Could be available in shallow-to-standard size leagues (haven't played so well for a rival manager to consider them untradeable)
Jalen Suggs, Magic
The 22-year-old is in the midst of his best campaign. Injuries and woeful shooting resulted in the No. 5 overall pick from 2021 having an underwhelming first two years in the NBA. But he's figured out his long-range shot and has improved defensively to the point where he's in legitimate consideration for the All-Defensive First Team. There are many other teams in the NBA where his subpar playmaking would be a bigger detriment, but Orlando plays an egalitarian style led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. That allows Suggs to focus on making open shots and playing hard defense. He's been a top-100 player this season, providing a strong mix of three-and-D stats (2.1 threes, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks) in addition to his 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Jeremy Sochan, Spurs
An ankle injury ended Sochan's season early, but he still managed to appear in 74 games. It was a confusing season for San Antonio, largely due to coach Gregg Popovich starting Sochan at point guard for the early portion of the year. Once that stopped after the New Year, Sochan went on to average 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks in 30.1 minutes. His poor three-point shooting is still a concern for his long-term role, but playing alongside Victor Wembanyama – a floor-spacing five – is the best fit possible for the time being. I think the hope for the Spurs is that the Sochan/Wembanyama combo can become a sort of bizarro-world version of what Draymond Green and Stephen Curry have. If I'm rebuilding in a dynasty league, I'm interested enough to take a chance on the 20-year-old.
Amen Thompson, Rockets
With Alperen Sengun suffering a season-ending injury in March, Thompson has started 14 straight games. In his 20 starts overall, he's averaged 13.1 points on 58 FG% and 67.2 FT%, 9.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 29.8 minutes. I still have a lot of questions about the Thompson twins, mainly about their upside without a reliable jump shot. But Amen can do everything else on the court, partially fueled by insane athleticism. People shudder at the idea of a Ben Simmons comparison, but it's about the closest thing we have. At this stage of Thompson's career, he's more like a utility player in baseball. Throw him in at point guard, forward or center and he can make good things happen on both ends of the court. I'm not sure if he'll ever turn into a star, but there are enough tools for a really high floor.
Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers
Optimistically, you could say it's been an up-and-down rookie season for Henderson – this past summer's No. 3 overall pick. He averaged single-digit points in each of his first two months, and April is the only month that he's crossed 40 percent from the field. And his turnovers have been excessive relative to his usage. But with the Blazers packing it in, Henderson is at least getting legitimate starting point guard reps. In his past 12 games (all starts), he's averaging 18.0 points on 41/36/82 shooting, 7.6 assists (5.1 turnovers), 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.8 minutes. I don't think he was set up for success this year, but that doesn't excuse some horrific performances. Ultimately, you might be able to pry him away from a rival manager who is looking for more secure win-now pieces, since it looks like Henderson's development track is longer than anticipated.
Taylor Hendricks, Jazz
Hendricks, the No. 9 pick in the 2023 Draft, didn't become a regular rotation piece until after the All-Star break. But he's started every appearance since, averaging 9.3 points on 46/40/79 shooting, 6.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 steals in 26.1 minutes. He's a low-usage offensive player who has primarily been a corner-three spacer. Since joining the starters, Hendricks has taken 33 percent of his overall shots from the corner, hitting 42 percent. Defensively, he's more versatile, able to guard fours, fives and some bigger threes. It's difficult to project his long-term role given how blatantly the Jazz have tanked the past couple of seasons, but my guess is that he's going to be the John Collins replacement sooner than later. Three-and-D bigs are usually great fantasy assets, so it's worth buying in now while his stock is fairly low.
Cason Wallace, Thunder
It's easy to forget Wallace was the No. 10 overall pick in 2023, as he's seen just 20.7 minutes for the Thunder. However, he turned a significant corner in January with his defense and three-point shot volume. Across his past 48 games, Wallace has averaged 1.1 steals and 1.3 threes on 41.4 percent shooting in 20.0 minutes, equivalent to 2.0 steals and 2.3 threes per 36 minutes. I could see him becoming the fourth-most important piece on the Thunder behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. SGA is a lanky 6-foot-5, so he can be the primary playmaker from the shooting guard or small forward spot, while Wallace can play a Jalen Suggs-esque role, hitting open threes and locking down the opposing team's point guard. Rebuilding managers should buy in now before Wallace's role expands in the coming years.
