Kurt Thomas to Spurs – Fantasy Perspective
February 21, 2008 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under NFL Player Analysis, nba trades
Sometimes trades in the NBA could be considered big trades but don’t make a ripple in the fantasy world. The Kurt Thomas to the San Antonio Spurs trade is one of those trades. While Thomas has been a consistent fantasy option this year, there likely aren’t many fantasy teams that he’s starring on.
And now that he’s going to the Spurs, his fantasy value will drop even further. He was starting and playing relatively big minutes for the Seattle Supersonics. With the Spurs, he likely won’t start right away. In fact, Fabricio Oberto may remain the starter for the rest of the season.
In the short-term, expect Thomas’ numbers to plummet to about half of what he did in Seattle. Eventually, as he earns more and more playing time, his peak production will likely be approximately 75% of what he did while with the Sonics. The end result will be a fantasy player who isn’t rosterable in most leagues.
In Seattle, neither Brent Barry nor Francisco Elson will make too much noise. Elson will likely be a backup center who gets limited minutes. Barry likely won’t even suit up for the Sonics and will instead be bought out. Expect Barry to either re-sign with the Spurs or sign with a contender such as the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers or the Dallas Mavericks.
