Now that the Portland Trail Blazers have missed out on signing Hedo Turkoglu (Turkoglu decided to sign with the Toronto Raptors after verbally agreeing to join the Blazers), the Blazers will be forced to move on in free agency. On target that has reportedly shot to the top of the list is David Lee.

Lee, who has spent his first four season in the NBA with the New York Knicks, would give the Blazers some toughness down in the low blocks. When the Blazers lost to the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, a lack of toughness was one of the main reasons. Lee would be able to address that weakness.

However, looking at it with fantasy basketball in mind, Lee to the Blazers doesn’t help his fantasy value. With LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla already on the roster, where doe Lee fit in? Would he be happy coming off the bench? Would the Blazers think about going big and moving Aldridge to small forward?

If Lee signs with the Blazers, go ahead and lower his fantasy value until we get some answers. Last season, Lee averaged 16 points and 11.7 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. With Portland, Lee’s numbers would are sure to go down.

The Dallas Mavericks have needed more size and strength in recent years. On Thursday, they addressed that need by getting a commitment from Marcin Gortat. The native of Poland spent the first two years of his NBA career backup up Dwight Howard on the Orlando Magic.

The contract the Mavs will reportedly give Gortat is the entire mid-level exception. Over five years, Gortat is expected to make more than $30 million. Due to Gortat being a restricted free agent, the Magic will have a chance to match the contract offer.

Last year, Gortat averaged 3.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 12.6 minutes.

In fantasy basketball, Gortat will be a boom or bust type player. His per-minute numbers suggest he’s a very good rebounder and shot blocker. However, it’s risky depending on per-minute numbers.

If Gortat is the starting center for the Magic, he very well could be worth a look in the mid rounds of a fantasy basketball draft next year simply based on his potential.

On the first day of free agency, the Detroit Pistons had already reportedly agreed to terms with Ben Gordon. Later in the day, the Pistons landed their second players — Charlie Villanueva. According to various reports, Villanueva will receive a contract worth about $7 million per year over five years.

For fantasy basketball purposes, Villanueva’s value goes up following this move. It appears as if he’s finally found a team willing to invest in him and give him the opportunity he needs to succeed. In a per-minute basis, Villanueva has always put good numbers on the board.

Last year, Villanueva averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in only 26.9 minutes per game. Stretch that to 40 minutes and Villanueva would be putting up 24.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

With the Pistons, expect Villanueva to play power forward. At 6-foot-11, he has the size to play the position. His all-around offensive game should allow him to flourish. Heading into the 2009-10 fantasy basketball season, he’s definitely a sleeper to explode onto the scene.

If you watch the 2009 NBA Draft, there’s sure to be a lot of hype. Every player who is selected near the top of the draft will be talked up as if they’ll come into the NBA ready to be an All-Star. However, the truth is that many of the rookies won’t be ready to help during the 2009-10 fantasy basketball season.

Here is a list of five rookies who won’t be ready to live up to their potential:

Ricky Rubio
Yes, Rubio has a massive amount of potential. But he’s only 18 right now and will need a year or two to adjust. As a rookie, he’ll probably average around eight points and six assists.

Jrue Holiday
Last year, Russell Westbrook came out of UCLA and was a good fantasy basketball player. Don’t expect the same out of Holiday. Like Rubio, he’ll need a year or two.

DeMar DeRozan
Perhaps the rawest top prospect in the draft, DeRozan is definitely a project. He has the size and athleticism to be a star but he still has a lot of learning to do.

B.J. Mullens
Mullins has very good size and is one of the better center prospects in the draft. That said, he’s a player you can safely ignore in fantasy basketball for the 2009-10 season.

Brandon Jennings
This past season in Europe, Jennings showed a lot of promise. But he also proved he wasn’t ready for the spotlight. Don’t expect that to change next year right out of the gates.

For the 2009-2010 fantasy basketball season, there appears to be a few rookies that should be considered for fantasy purposes. While the the 2009 NBA Draft isn’t deep with talent, it has a few players that should be able to help out right away.

1. Blake Griffin
Not only is Blake Griffin going to be the first pick in the draft, he’s going to be the first rookie chosen in 2009-2010 fantasy basketball drafts. There’s a good chance that he could be productive right from the beginning.

2. James Harden
The player most ready to come into the NBA and put points on the board appears to be James Harden. With that in mind, he’ll be valuable in the fantasy basketball world.

3. Stephen Curry
Like Harden, Stephen Curry can score the ball. If he lands on a team like the New York Knicks or the Golden State Warriors, Curry could easily stuff the stat sheet.

4. Hasheem Thabeet
Although Hasheem Thabeet is undoubtedly raw, his shot blocking and rebounding should make him valuable as a rookie. His value really depends on how much playing time he gets. For fantasy purposes, he’ll need to be a starter to have consistent value.

5. Ty Lawson
While Ty Lawson could easily fall out of the lottery, he’s probably the point guard most likely to be ready from Day 1. That could make him valuable in 2010 fantasy basketball.

Although he isn’t getting a huge amount of publicity, James Harden is going to be one of the first names called during the 2009 NBA Draft. The guard out of Arizona State will likely go as high as second and as low as fifth.

James Harden Scouting Report (Image: Zuma Press)

The aspect of Harden’s game that the scouts love the most is his ability to put the ball in the hole. Last year, as a sophomore at Arizona State, Harden averaged 20.1 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 steals. He shot 48.9% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the three-point arc.

Despite not being an explosive athlete, Harden can score thanks to his very good jumper and his smarts around the basket. Even in the NBA, he should be able to score right out of the box.

The question marks in his game mostly surround his height. At 6-foot-5, Harden isn’t the optimal height you’d want from a shooting guard. He also isn’t enough of a playmaker to be a point guard. Add in his average athleticism and he might get overwhelmed by the bigger players in the NBA.

That said, he has very long arms and his overall basketball IQ should allow him to compensate for any shortcomings. When it comes to flat out scoring, Harden has to be considered to be near the head of the 2009 NBA Draft class.

Hasheem Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 center out of the University of Connecticut, will undoubtedly be a top three pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The native of Tanzania has a huge frame and great potential as a defensive player.

When it comes to his NBA potential, the first thing scouts marvel at is his shot-blocking ability. In his three years at Connecticut, he averaged 3.8, 4.5 and 4.2 blocks per game, respectively. In his junior season, his 10.8 rebounds per game average was also very impressive.

Expect whichever team that drafts him to use him as a defensive center in the mold of Dikembe Mutombo. Thabeet is a relatively safe pick because he’s sure to at the very least be a quality option when it comes to protecting the basket.

Offensively, he’s definitely raw. He averaged 13.6 points per game on 64% shooting from the field last year but most of that success was due to his height alone. In the NBA, he’ll have to learn how to finish near the basket around strong players who he won’t be able to overwhelm.

All in all, Thabeet should become a solid center in the NBA. He doesn’t have huge potential and could get off to a slow start due to being a raw player, but his defensive ability could prove to be invaluable.

Although the Orlando Magic weren’t able to beat the Los Angeles Lakers to win the 2009 NBA championship, there’s no doubt that their team gained value experience during their run. One of their most impressive players along the way was Hedo Turkoglu.

The native of Turkey averaged 15.8 points, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in the 24 postseason contests. Late in games, Turkoglu proved to be a clutch option who was never afraid to take the big shots.

Now, however, Turkoglu and the Magic’s futures aren’t necessarily linked because the 6-foot-10 small forward will become a free agent this summer. He’s expected to opt out of his contract and hit the open market.

At 30 years of age, many teams will likely target Turkoglu as a player who could be a key part to a championship team. Depending on where he ends up, he could range from a very good fantasy basketball option to a great fantasy basketball option.

When watching where he ends up, keep in mind how many touches he’s likely to get. The more touches, the better Turkoglu plays and the more stats he can put on the board. If any team woos him with the promise of playing more point guard, that is great news for his fantasy basketball future.

Jameer Nelson has watch the Orlando Magic make it all the way to the 2009 NBA Finals without him. Now there are rumors circulating that Nelson can return from his shoulder surgery in time to play in the Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jameer Nelson - Could he return against the Lakers (Image: Zuma Press)

If you are hooping it up in playoff fantasy basketball, Jameer Nelson’s injury update could have a lot of impact. Named to the All-Star team, Nelson was having an amazing season prior to his shoulder injury. He was averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting 50.3% from the floor and 45.3% from beyond the three-point arc.

However, even if he is able to return, it’s all but certain that he’d come off the bench. Rafer Alston hasn’t been amazing but he’s been good enough to retain the job for the rest of the way.

Nelson’s return would most likely result in replacing Anthony Johnson in the rotation. He would also cut into Alston’s minutes if he plays well.

For fantasy purposes, take a wait and see approach with Nelson. If he returns and then looks decent on the court, that’s when you start considering him for your fantasy basketball team. Prior to that point, he’s more of a tease than a sure thing.

With a Game 6 victory over the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers have advanced to the 2009 NBA Finals. If you are still playing playoff fantasy basketball, here’s a preview of what you can expect from the fantasy players on these 2009 Lakers.

Who’s hot and who’s not?

HOT

Kobe Bryant
In Game 6 against the Nuggets, Bryant had arguably his best game of the 2009 NBA playoffs. He shot the ball well, passed the ball well, rebounded with authority and avoided turnovers. Next to LeBron James, Bryant is the best thing going in the fantasy basketball world.

Pau Gasol
Next to Bryant, Gasol is the best player on the Lakers. He’s extremely talented and he can rack up fantasy stats in a hurry. While he’s not quite Kobe, he could very well be the best fantasy power forward still alive in the postseason.

Lamar Odom
About a week ago, Odom appeared as if he were stuck in a funk. Now, Odom is playing very well. He just completed his second straight positive outing and should be primed for a big finals.

Trevor Ariza
These playoffs have introduced Ariza to the world. The starting small forward for the Lakers is a good shooter who can stuff the stat sheet in multiple categories.

Shannon Brown
If you want to located a sleeper on these Lakers, look no further than Brown. In his spot minutes, he’s played well more often than not. His energy is helping Los Angeles in their march to a championship.

NOT

Andrew Bynum
He’ll have a good game here and there but Bynum just isn’t a very dependable option in these playoffs. He’s definitely oozing with talent and has a bright future — but that future doesn’t appear to be now.

Derek Fisher
The ol’ gunslinger for the Lakers appears to be running about of bullets. He’s not shooting accurately at all and isn’t doing much else to impact the stats.

Sasha Vujacic
Last year, Vujacic was a decent fantasy basketball option in the playoffs. This year? Not so much. He’s basically a shooter that can’t find his range at this point.

Luke Walton
Bill’s son is having a tough time in these playoffs. He’s dealt with injuries and inconsistent minutes. Can he turn it up in the 2009 NBA Finals? Don’t hold your breath.