The common theme of last week's column was trades. Even with all that wheeling and dealing, potential trades dominated the questions again this week. On top of that, I'll take a deep dive and discuss a point guard who should possibly be on your radar in very deep leagues. If you have a question that you would like answered in next week's column, reach out to me on Twitter @rotomikebarner.
I have heard Jrue Holiday might be rested often down the stretch with how the Pelicans continue to lose games. What do you recommend doing with him? - @esveeone
It's still early, but with a 6-18 record that is second-worst in the Western Conference, the Pelicans seem to be out of the playoff hunt already. They have certainly dealt with their share of injuries and are still shorthanded right now with Zion Williamson (knee) out. Derrick Favors has only played in nine games, as well. Even if Williamson does return, it seems likely that the Pelicans won't play him in back-to-back games.
As far as Holiday goes, his scoring numbers are down slightly, but it's difficult to complain about a guy who is averaging 19.3 points, five rebounds, 6.6 assists, two steals and 1.7 3-pointers a game. However, he has struggled with his percentages, shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 67.2 percent from the charity stripe.
He's appeared in more than 67 games only one time across the last six seasons, so it's fair to worry about how he will hold up moving forward. I wouldn't hesitate to start shopping him to see what you can get in return, but I also wouldn't trade him for 50 cents on the dollar just because he could sit out some games in March and April. There should still be a significant market for him.
Any no name point guard we should keep an eye on? - @KenCrites
I'm going to go way out on a limb for this one because Ken asked for a "no name" option. If you're in a very deep league, Chris Chiozza should be on your radar. He was productive in the G-League last season, averaging 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 3-pointers a game. He's provided similar production this season with averages of 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and 2.3 3-pointers.
He's only averaged 12 minutes across his eight games with the Wizards, but that hasn't stopped him from averaging 2.9 assists and 0.9 steals a night. Over the last four games with Isaiah Thomas (calf) out, he has dished out at least six assists two times while coming off the bench behind Ish Smith. He even hit two 3-pointers Tuesday against the Hornets. If Thomas and/or Smith were to be traded at some point, Chiozza could work himself into playing around 20 minutes a night. Again, he's not someone to consider in most leagues, but if you are in a really deep one, keep him on your radar because he could provide value in terms of assists and steals.
If you're in a more standard-sized league, I'd keep an eye on Ky Bowman. He's not really a "no name" guy since he has averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebound, 4.7 assists, 1.7 steals and two 3-pointers across six starts. He's back to playing sparingly with Draymond Green and D'Angelo Russell healthy, but Green is already on a minutes limit and could be shut down at some point as the reason wears on. The Warriors might also look to trade Russell, which could leave Bowman with an expanded role if that were to happen.
I was offered Robert Covington for Richaun Holmes. I have a ton of centers and am short on small forwards. Should I make the trade? I'm assuming Holmes should come back down to Earth, right? - @jtory79
Given that this team is already deep at center and is lacking at small forward, this is a trade that I would make. Holmes has performed very well since being inserted into the starting five, averaging 13 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks across 19 games. On top of that, he shot 67.5 percent from the field and 81.3 percent from the charity stripe during that stretch. Those are numbers to be excited about. However, things could change dramatically for him with Marvin Bagley III (thumb) set to return Wednesday.
Make no mistake about it, Covington has been disappointing this season. His playing time has dropped to 28 minutes a night and his usage rate is only 17.4 percent. Still, he's averaged 1.3 steals, 0.9 blocks and two 3-pointers a game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 90.2 percent from the free-throw line. You could do far worse than him in order to plug a hole at small forward on your roster.
Would you trade Harrison Barnes and Kelly Oubre Jr. for Clint Capela? - @OKharouba
I couldn't hit the accept button fast enough on this one. Barnes is nothing special in Fantasy since most of his contributions are limited to points and rebounds. With Bagley close to returning, his playing time and/or scoring opportunities could be on the decline, as well. I do like Oubre, but he too could see a decline in usage rate once Deandre Ayton returns from suspension.
In Capela, you are getting a monster of a center who is averaging 14.3 points, 14.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 64.6 percent from the field. Even though his 46.7 percent shooting from the charity stripe is bad, he's not killing you there since he only averages 3.2 attempts a night. Get him on your team and enjoy the ride.
