Fantasy Basketball Trade Tips: Buy, Hold, or Sell Players Like Mobley & Embiid

With the NBA rumor mill heating up, fantasy basketball managers have a prime opportunity to gain an edge in the trade market. Monday's report that the Hawks are working with Trae Young on a potential deal is just the latest reminder that roster values can shift quickly this time of year. Savvy managers know that anticipating change is often just as important as reacting to it. Whether you're looking to capitalize on a hot streak, buy low on a slow starter or avoid getting stuck holding a declining asset, these fantasy basketball trade tips will help you navigate the market and stay one step ahead of your league.

Fantasy Basketball Buys

Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

Mobley has been quiet since returning from his calf injury. Over the last seven games, he has averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 blocks. Part of the reason for his muted production is that he averaged only 29 minutes a game during that span. For the season, he has played 33 minutes a night.

As Mobley becomes further removed from his injury, his playing time should continue to increase. He came off the bench in his first two games back, but has now started five straight. Over the last three games, he has averaged 34 minutes. This might be a rare buy-low opportunity for one of the more versatile fantasy options in the league. For the season, Mobley still has excellent averages of 17.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 three-pointers.

Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks

After a breakout campaign last season, Daniels has been a bit of a disappointment through 37 games. His scoring is down from 14.1 points per game last season to 11.7 per game this season. His steals have also dropped from 3.0 per game to 1.9 per game. However, he does have some positives to make note of. His current averages of 6.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists are on pace to be the highest marks of his career.

If the Hawks trade Young, it could provide a boost for Daniels. With Young out the last five games, Daniels averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks. Young is a dynamic scorer and playmaker, but he struggles on defense. That's the area in which Daniels thrives. For those who can live with his somewhat muted scoring production, Daniels makes for an excellent trade target in fantasy.

Fantasy Basketball Sells

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid has played in six of the last seven games for the 76ers. As if that wasn't impressive enough, he averaged 35 minutes during that span. In his last game, he logged 40 minutes against the Nuggets. With him playing more, he has averaged 28.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 blocks over his last six games.

There's no questioning Embiid's talent. The concern with him is always his health. He has never appeared in more than 68 games in a season. The last two seasons, he combined to play 58 games. If there was ever a sell-high window for the often-injured big man, this is it.

Jusuf Nurkic, Utah Jazz

Nurkic has averaged 16.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.3 three-pointers over his last eight games. During that stretch, he shot 65.8% from the field. He is nearly averaging a double-double for the season, as well as 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals. Not drafted in most fantasy leagues, Nurkic has proven to be a valuable waiver wire addition after Walker Kessler (shoulder) was lost for the season.

The concern with Nurkic is the Jazz are starting to rest players already. Nurkic has sat out four of their last 11 games. More rest days could be on the horizon as the Jazz look to improve their lottery odds. We saw their tanking ways last season when they turned to Kyle Filipowski to lead them at center down the stretch. There is also the chance that Nurkic could be traded to a contending team at some point, which would likely leave him in a lesser role. We might be seeing Nurkic's value peak right now, and the drop could be steep in the future.

Hold These Fantasy Basketball Players

Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

After beginning the season on the sidelines with a wrist injury, Williams has returned to appear in 18 straight games for the Thunder. However, his playing time is down from 32 minutes a game last season to 29 minutes a game this season. His efficiency is also down, with him shooting a modest 46.3% from the field. His biggest decline has been from behind the arc, where he is shooting 31.3%. Last season, he shot 36.5% from deep.

Even with his issues out of the gate, Williams hasn't exactly been hurting his fantasy managers with his averages of 17.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals. The Thunder are involved in a lot of lopsided scores, so there should be many nights moving forward in which they don't have to push Williams to play a ton. Still, even with his decline in scoring this season, he's not someone to consider trading at this point. That would be selling low on his services.

Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks

Bridges is in a funk right now. Over his last eight games, he has averaged 12.5 points and shot 43.3% from the field. For the season, he averages 16.0 points and shoots 50.9%. A big reason for his recent struggles is that he shot 31.9% from three during that span. That's compared to his season mark of 40.5%.

Even with Bridges' drop in three-point shooting, he has averaged 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals over those eight games. He has shot at least 35.4% from behind the arc in every season since his rookie campaign, so he should get back on track in short order. Don't let his recent struggles cloud your judgment. Bridges is still a valuable fantasy option who will produce many juicy stat lines over the second half of the season.