This was expected to be a pretty busy free agency period, but I don't think anyone thought the first day would be as crazy as it was. Thirty players signed deals worth more than a billion dollars in the first 24 hours teams were able to negotiate, and several more impact players came to terms on deals Thursday as well.
As expected, many of the biggest names stayed put. Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Brandon Knight, Tristan Thompson… all went right back to their most recent homes; that's what happens when so many good restricted free agents hit the market at once. Still, even with names like LaMarcus Aldridge and Dwyane Wade lingering unsigned, we've already seen the Fantasy landscape shift plenty.
Here are all of the moves made in the first two days of free agency (as of 5 p.m. EST time, at least) that Fantasy owners need to know about:
Who moved? Greg Monroe
Where to? Milwaukee
Who does it impact? Andre Drummond, Ersan Ilyasova, Zaza Pachulia, John Henson, Jabari Parker
We've seen Greg Monroe be a very good Fantasy option in the past; he averaged 16.0 points, 9.6 rebounds 3.5 assists and 2.0 combined steals and blocks in 2012-13, as the centerpiece of the Pistons' offense. Unfortunately, the emergence of Andre Drummond has caused his career to largely stagnate, so a departure from Detroit was the best-case scenario for him this summer. Milwaukee isn't a perfect landing spot -- their likely starting lineup now features exactly one who has hit even 60 3-pointers in a season -- but he should get to be the focal point once again. He'll lead the team in shots, and it wouldn't surprise me if he averaged something like 18-10-3 with decent steal numbers. I would like him even more if the Bucks got a point guard who can shoot and won't pound the ball quite so much, but Monroe is a skilled enough offensive player that he should thrive yet again as a first option. His lack of shot-blocking limits his upside a bit for category-based leagues, but he could still be a No. 1 center option.
Who moved? Monta Ellis
Where to? Indiana
Who does it impact? Rodney Stuckey, George Hill, Paul George
George Hill was awesome last season, but he is the kind of point guard who is probably best served by having another ball handler around to help out. Paul George can do some of that, but the talk of him playing more power forward this season means having one other option can only help. Ellis should be a better version of what Lance Stephenson did for them two years ago, and he fits in with the organization's stated desire to get smaller and faster. However, this probably cuts into Hill's Fantasy value a good amount, which is too bad; he was Kyrie Irving-esque on a per-minute basis last season.
Who moved? DeMarre Carroll
Where to? Toronto
Who does it impact? Terrence Ross, Patrick Patterson, Amir Johnson, Kyle Korver, Tim Hardaway, Kent Bazemore
This is a position of huge need, as the Raptors were basically forced to ask Ross to do exactly what Carroll is already more well equipped to handle. Ross got 13.0 field-goal attempts per-36 minutes last season, which would actually be a major increase for Carroll. I have concerns about Carroll being overexposed outside of Atlanta's movement and passing-heavy offense, especially because the Raptors rely on a lot of isolation, but the increase in volume should make up for whatever loss of efficiency he suffers. There has also been talk of Carroll playing power forward for the Raptors more, which could be a huge boon for his Fantasy value; his lackluster off-dribble game could get a shot in the arm if he is being chased around by power forwards rather than wings.
Who moved? Tyson Chandler
Where to? Phoenix
Who does it impact? Alex Len, LaMarcus Aldridge?
This is a perfect fit, whether the Suns actually end up nabbing Aldridge or not. Chandler has played right around 30 minutes per game in each of the last two seasons, and should get right around there yet again this season. Alex Len's presence means they can spell him more if they want, but they also have reasons to want to limit Len's exposure, so Chandler will still play big minutes. Expect his usual dose of double-doubles and excellent percentages, making him a solid No. 2 Fantasy center in categories leagues, whether it is Aldridge or Markieff Morris next to him.
Who moved? Marcus Morris, Danny Granger, Reggie Bullock
Where to? Detroit
Who does it impact? Ersan Ilyasova, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jodie Meeks, Markieff Morris, P.J. Tucker
This deal would be a lot more interesting if the Pistons hadn't already picked up Ilyasova earlier in the offseason. Unlike last season, the Pistons should be able to put a stretch-four next to Andre Drummond every minute he is on the floor, and that is a very good thing.
| On Court | Usage | FG% | Pts/36 | TRB/36 |
| Drummond, no Monroe | 24.8 | 50.6 | 17.28 | 16.06 |
| Drummond, w/ Monroe | 22.2 | 52.5 | 14.88 | 15.73 |
| Drummond, w/ Tolliver | 25.8 | 55.5 | 18.90 | 16.52 |
This deal also indicates that the Suns are a serious contender for Aldridge, which would obviously impact Markieff Morris. In order to have room for Aldridge under the cap, the Suns would have to move either Morris or Tucker, and both could be useful options in the right place. Just have to see where all the dominos fall.
Who moved? Ed Davis, Al-Farouq Aminu
Where to? Portland
Who does it impact? LaMarcus Aldridge, Mason Plumlee, Noah Vonleh
As of 4:30 EST Thursday, Aldridge has not made his intentions known, but all signs point to a return to Portland being exceedingly unlikely. The Trail Blazers have been preparing for that possibility, with all of their moves since the draft focused on the frontcourt. As things stand, a starting frontcourt on opening night of Plumlee-Davis-Aminu looks possible. Yikes.
Davis is a per-minute stud and Basketball Twitter darling, but it is worth wondering why, despite playing for five different coaches in his career, he hasn't been able to find consistent playing time. Maybe it's just the worst possible combination of coaches; maybe Davis just isn't as good as some of us think. He is a bit redundant with Plumlee around, and I'm not actually sure you can play them together for too long, so expect more "Why can't Ed Davis get playing time??" tweets on the timeline this season. Still, he could be worth a look in the later rounds, though I am targeting Plumlee ahead of him without question.
Aminu is kind of like Davis, in that his per-minute production really stands out. He seemed to take a step forward last season, as the Mavericks used him more as a small-ball power forward. He averaged 10.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks, and could be a categories league darling if he gets close to 30 minutes. However, he's another frontcourt player who can't shoot, on a roster that could have a glut. Don't touch him in a points league.
Who moved? Arron Afflalo
Where to? New York
Who does it impact? Alexey Shved? Langston Galloway?
Afflalo was pretty disastrous last season, failing to impress in both his return to Denver and thin in his time as Wesley Matthews' replacement in Portland. However, he is only one year removed from averaging 18.2 points and 3.4 assists per game for the Magic. The Knicks are so devoid of talent that fringe NBA players like Galloway and Shved has their uses last season, and Afflalo is definitely an upgrade on both. He is a nice bounce back candidate, working on what is essentially a one-year deal.
Who moved? Nik Stauskas, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson
Where to? Milwaukee
Who does it impact? Ben McLemore, Jerami Grant, JaKarr Sampson , Nerlens Noel
Stauskas averaged just 4.4 points and 0.7 3-pointers per game in his rookie season in Sacramento, so there isn't much to be optimistic about here. However, the 76ers have found ways to turn less talented players into Fantasy relevant options, so Stauskas' pedigree as a recent lottery pick should make your ears perk up. He didn't show much of it in an admittedly rough situation in Sacramento, but Stauskas' scouting report coming out of college makes him an intriguing talent; he has a sweet stroke and can handle the ball, two talents that the 76ers desperately need. If he wound up leading the Sixers in scoring next season, it wouldn't be surprising at all, frankly, and he'll be worth a flier in the second half of your draft.
Landry's health issues seem to have sapped him of much of what made him effective in Golden State. Neither he nor Thompson shows enough to be more than deep-league fliers unless they get big minutes at this point, and the 76ers already have Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor likely to play big minutes. The situation got a bit cloudier than it once was, but there isn't much of a change in anyone's value in the frontcourt.
Who moved? Paul Pierce
Where to? Los Angeles Clippers
Who does it impact? Lance Stephenson
In the immediate aftermath of the trade that sent Stephenson to the Clippers, I noted that his best Fantasy outcome would be if the Clippers used him as a sixth man and primary ball-handler off the bench. With the signing of Pierce, that seems like exactly what will happen, which should push him back onto your radar for the later rounds. He has 12-5-5 upside if he gets his head on right -- no sure thing. Pierce himself doesn't have much Fantasy appeal at this point, especially as a fourth or fifth option on offense.
