Thrown into the deal were Marcus Banks going to the Heat to the Raptors and Jamario Moon going from the Raptors to the Heat. Banks could get time at point guard for the Raptors, especially considering that Jose Calderon has been injury prone as of late. Moon, likewise, could find some minutes off the bench for the Heat.

However, Marion and O’Neal are the two big names in this trade. In terms of fantasy basketball, this trade increases the value of both players. Marion will start at small forward for the Raptors and should get plenty of looks at the basket. The Raptors can also use his rebounding help and considering that they play at a fast pace, Marion’s overall statistics should be on the rise.

On the other hand, O’Neal should definitely start at center for the Heat. Playing for a team that is starving for a center will increase O’Neal’s value. As long as he stays healthy, O’Neal will play as many minutes as possible. Due to minutes alone, expect O’Neal to be worth more in fantasy basketball.

The other players this should help are Andrea Bargnani and Michael Beasley. Bargnani now has a spot in the starting lineup next to Bosh and Marion for the rest of the season. Beasley should now take Marion’s starting small forward spot and form a frontline next to O’Neal and Udonis Haslem.

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For the Heat, they desperately need a true center. And although O’Neal has battled injuries and ineffective play the last few seasons, he’s still one of the better available centers in the league. Right now, the Heat are starting Joel Anthony at center. That’s all you need to know about how desperate the Heat are for a legit center.

As for the Raptors, they O’Neal has been pretty much a bust since acquiring him in the offseason. He doesn’t mesh well with Chris Bosh or the fast pace that the Raptors are trying to play. Add in the fact that Andrea Bargnani finally seems to have gotten it together and there just isn’t room in Toronto for O’Neal anymore. Add in the fact that GM Bryan Colangelo is a fan of Marion and the Raptors have a gaping hole at small forward and this trade makes a huge amount of sense for Toronto.

As far as the fantasy basketball implications, this trade would make both teams more valuable. O’Neal would do better in the deliberate attack of the Heat, while Marion would do better with the up and down Raptors.

Post from: Expert Fantasy