The turning of the calendar has ushered in plenty of NBA trade rumors. With the trade deadline set for February 5th, we’re entering arguably the most exciting stretch of the season.
Some of the names churning in the rumor mill include Anthony Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, Michael Porter Jr., Trae Young and the biggest prize of them all, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Being prepared for the unexpected with your own fantasy roster is important — especially after last year’s deadline. It could very well be that multiple players on your squad are involved in trade talks over the next month.
We’ll be here to help you navigate it all. It’s Week 11 of fantasy basketball trade advice. Let’s jump in.
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Fantasy Basketball Trade Advice (Week 11)
Trade For
Paolo Banchero (C, PF, SF – ORL)
Most of the conversations surrounding Paolo Banchero lately have been negative. He currently grades out as the worst high-volume shooter in the league and his overall numbers are down from the last two seasons.
With that said, Franz Wagner is without a projected return date from a high-ankle sprain, per Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley. It has also been reported that Wagner has yet to even begin running. Wagner suffered the injury on December 7th.
Having finished in the top 30 in fantasy points per game in his last two seasons, Banchero is undoubtedly an excellent fantasy player. While he’s had plenty of solid games this season, the fourth-year forward is simply struggling to find consistency.
Try to buy low on a star player who could very well bounce back in the second half of the season.
Players Ranked Higher to Trade For Him:
Trade Away
Bennedict Mathurin (SG, SF – IND)
Bennedict Mathurin isn’t exactly having a bad season, but he hasn’t met raised expectations with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined and Myles Turner in Milwaukee.
Despite taking more shots and receiving more minutes per game than in any season prior, Mathurin is scoring just 8.1% more fantasy points per game than in 2024. Mathurin hasn’t meaningfully improved in any counting metric, either.
Mathurin heavily relies on scoring to produce fantasy points, and without an increase there, you can easily make the argument that Mathurin was over-drafted.
Players Ranked Lower to Trade Him For:
- Russell Westbrook (PG, SG – SAC)
- Kevin Porter Jr. (PG, SG – MIL)
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (PG, SF, SG – ATL)
Trade For
Christian Braun (SG, SF – DEN)
Denver has battled injuries to key players all season. Thanks to Nikola Jokic, they’ve been fine in spite of it. However, things have quickly changed after Jokic suffered an injury of his own last week. The MVP favorite will be sidelined for at least the next month.
Of Denver’s opening night starters, Jamal Murray was the only one to appear in their most recent game, in which the Nuggets ran an eight-man rotation.
Now for some better news: Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have a chance to make their respective returns during Denver’s current seven-game road trip. The versatile pair could see huge boosts in production very soon.
Players Ranked Higher to Trade For Him:
Trade Away
Ausar Thompson (PF, SF, SG – DET)
Ausar Thompson‘s fantasy stock is the victim of J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation that almost always goes 10 players deep.
While Thompson is one of the most efficient players in the league at his position, he’s not as involved in Detroit’s offense as one would like. He’s one of nine Pistons to record at least eight points per game and ranks fourth on the team in attempts.
Thompson’s defensive numbers provide him with a solid floor, but his lack of offensive involvement greatly lowers his ceiling.
Players Ranked Lower to Trade Him For:
