Cavs, Bulls and Sonics Trade – Fantasy Perspective

In the biggest trade at the NBA trading deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and Seattle Supersonics swapped players in a three-team deal. The Cavs acquired Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith, the Bulls got Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown, and the Sonics landed Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall and Adrian Griffin.

In the fantasy basketball world, this trade will make a big splash. All four of the players the Cavs received should see at least a short-term raise in their value. Wallace should start at power forward. Szczerbiak has a good chance at starting at a guard position. West has a chance to start at point guard. Smith likely won’t start but he’ll play a lot.

The biggest winner of those four players is likely Szczerbiak who seems to be the perfect piece next to LeBron James. He’ll get tons of open shots in that system. West could also be a big winner if he becomes the full-time starting point guard. Wallace could possibly start producing more now that he’s on a winner. Smith’s production should close to his previous levels.

Of the new Bulls, Larry Hughes is the player to watch. He could never play well next to LeBron, however he was a fantasy stud back before he went to Cleveland. Now that he’s on a new team, there’s a chance he could flourish. Gooden’s production should be about the same, while Simmons and Brown likely won’t make a dent.

In Seattle, none of those three players will be fantasy relevant. Marshall might intrigue some with his three-point shooting, but he’d need to play big minutes to become worthwhile in the fantasy world.