Fantasy Basketball Trade Tips: Time to Move Off Jaylen Brown?

The All-Star break ends Thursday, and with only about two more weeks left before the fantasy trade deadline, it's an important point in the season. If you plan on making a push up the standings and are worried scouring the waiver wire won't be enough, now is the time to evaluate your needs and float trades out to fellow managers.

Trade away: Jaylen Brown, Celtics

This is not a panic sell on Brown, but converting him into a different fringe star is desirable.  Across 20 contests since the beginning of January, Brown is hitting just 30.9 percent of 4.8 threes per game. His overall efficiency has been solid, yielding 20.5 points and 15.9 shots per game on 49.8 percent shooting. The lack of threes and 69.7 percent free-throw shooting leaves much to be desired.

His supplemental stats of 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals over the aforementioned span combine to create a strong but unspectacular fantasy profile. His durability is advantageous, but with Boston mounting a 6.0 game lead in the Eastern Conference through their first 55 games, he is a candidate to receive the occasional night of rest moving forward.

Other players I would target in favor of Brown include Brandon Ingram, Devin Vassell and Darius Garland, while a combination of two players from a tier of RJ Barrett, Jonathan Kuminga, and Collin Sexton would be an excellent starting point in negotiations.

Trade away: Klay Thompson, Warriors

Thompson has potentially blossomed into too much of a known commodity to be movable at this point, but if there was ever a time, selling him following a 35-point eruption in Golden State's final contest prior to the All-Star break is the moment to capitalize on.

Moving to the bench does not alter his fantasy outlook much -- he is still going to enter the game and bomb threes. A slightly reduced workload or guarding members of the opponent's second unit will not fuel a defensive awakening either. Thompson is cooked from a defensive playmaking standpoint. 

Prior to his aforementioned eruption, Thompson had averaged 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals across eight contests. That stretch featured multiple games with 20-plus points and multiple games with single-digit points. I expect volatility to continue, but leveling out near those thresholds is still plausible. 

However, I can source that nightly production by streaming somebody off the wire and benefit from having more games played. Flipping Thompson as part of a larger package to get a bonafide upgrade would be a priority for me.

Trade for: Ayo Dosunmu, Bulls

Dosunmu is already being heavily leaned on, averaging 34.7 minutes across his last 10 games. He is averaging 16.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks while canning 52.8 percent of 5.3 triples over that span. Eight of those contests have come in the starting lineup, but the 24-year-old carries plenty of upside even if he's coming off the bench.

Patrick Williams (foot) has not begun running and appears set for a multi-game absence following the All-Star break. Torrey Craig (knee) is officially set for a multi-week absence following the All-Star break. Dosunmu profiles as one of Chicago's better wing defenders, so he'll absorb some of the vacated forward minutes. He is a critical two-way energizer for the Bulls and is a candidate to continue producing at his aforementioned levels.

Dosunmu is shooting over 62.0 percent at the rim for a third consecutive season. He entered the league as a quality finisher, which is extremely impressive. His shooting portfolio is versatile and excellent as well. Dosunmu is knocking down 41.9 percent of his catch-and-shoot looks and 45.0 percent of his off-the-dribble attempts, ranking in the 80th and 87th percentile among all players this season.

Increasing the sample minimum to 150 catch-and-shoot attempts and 50 dribble attempts, Dosunmu ranks 35th and 25th league-wide, respectively. He is a rising star, and his versatility allows him to handle the ball in lineups next to Alex Caruso and play off of DeMar DeRozan.

Trade for: Dennis Schroder, Nets

Schroder is the man for new interim coach Kevin Ollie. Ollie is seeking "energy-generating" behaviors. At his introductory press conference Tuesday, Ollie said "I want hunters. If you hunt, you're gonna play. If you don't hunt, you're not gonna play." Schroder is a hunter.

Schroder has an excellent track record of winning with the German national team as well as  multiple tenures with the Lakers, fueled by his defensive tenacity and savvy point guard skills.  He is a sizable upgrade over Spencer Dinwiddie in Brooklyn's offense. Schroder's ability to create for others while bringing two-way energy could lead to a consistently large role under Ollie.

Ben Simmons is the primary competition, so at times there will be no primary competition. Cam Thomas is also a hunter, so he will maintain some ballhandling duties, but that's the cast of lead guards. Mikal Bridges will likely transition to an off-ball role more frequently. If Simmons (back/hip) misses time, there is plenty of workload available for Schroder. 

Across 34 starts this season, Schroder is averaging 14.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists (just 1.9 TOs) and 1.1 steals while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from deep.  Returning to that level of output down the stretch feels realistic.

Trade for: Day'Ron Sharpe, Nets

Sticking in Brooklyn, Sharpe has sneaky league-winner upside. He should be stashed by any managers with an open roster spot. He possesses the ability to rebound with an Andre Drummond-esque dominance if Brooklyn prioritizes giving him developmental minutes down the stretch of the season (image via Second Spectrum):

Sharpe is surrounded by elite company in his total rebounding percentage, although his sample size thus far has been limited.

Nonetheless, he is the classic archetype conducive to fantasy success. He takes all his shots at the basket, he's extremely efficient, he pounds the glass, and his paint-dwelling nature will lead to some defensive playmaking. Sharpe has only played in two contests since returning from a 15-game absence due to a hyperextended knee, so his stock is incredibly low right now.

The biggest factor precluding him from breaking out (from a fantasy standpoint, at minimum), is Nic Claxton, who is in a contract year. The formation of a platoon could still be enough for Sharpe to post relevant fantasy output. I would trust his per-24-minute production to carve out a role in fantasy lineups. Across 21 contests where Sharpe has exceeded 15 minutes of action, he is averaging 9.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks on 61.8 percent shooting in 19.7 minutes per game.

Brooklyn is at a fascinating juncture by not owning their own draft pick outright for multiple seasons to come, so evaluating everybody on the roster is important. That being said, it's also likely that they will try competing for the Play-In Tournament, so the extent to which Sharpe will be incorporated is unclear.