The 2026 NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and what a deadline it was. Future Hall-of-Famers were moved, teams reshuffled entire position groups, Giannis Antetokounmpo was, perhaps surprisingly, not traded and, of course, major changes were made to fantasy rosters everywhere.
How these moves impact the production of the traded players will remain unknown for weeks. This edition of our weekly fantasy basketball trade advice column will focus on impacted players, helping you find an advantage in the uncertainty.
Let’s jump in.
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Fantasy Basketball Trade Advice (Week 16)
Trade For
Derrick White (PG, SG – BOS)
Derrick White was a trade-for candidate earlier in the season after opening the campaign in a shooting slump. Flash forward three months, and White hasn’t really broken out of it.
Even still, the departure of Anfernee Simons opens up 24.5 minutes, 14.2 points and 11.6 attempts per game. Newest Celtic Nikola Vucevic is sure to take up a lot of the available production, but he’ll clash with Luka Garza and Neemias Queta more so than White and the other members of Boston’s backcourt.
Funny enough, White is actually setting a career-best mark in points per game (17.3) despite shooting 39% from the field and 32.3% from deep. At the same time, he’s setting or tying career-highs in average minutes, attempts, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals this year.
Maybe — just maybe — White’s efficiency will catch up.
Players Ranked Higher to Trade For Him:
Trade Away
Ivica Zubac (C – IND)
The Pacers’ move for Ivica Zubac has become one of the most intriguing trades involving draft picks since *checks notes* the Pelicans traded their own unprotected first to Atlanta for Derik Queen seven months ago.
In case you missed it, Indiana traded Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick to the Clippers for Zubac and Kobe Brown. One of those first-round picks belongs to Indiana in the upcoming draft. The Pacers have the third-worst record in the NBA at the time of writing.
The caveat, though, is that if the pick falls from 5-9 during the lottery, the Clippers come into possession of the selection. Indiana will retain the pick if it falls in either range of 1-4 or 10-30.
So, what do the Pacers do? Do they tank and keep Zubac and others out of the lineup to boost their odds of keeping their pick? Do they opt to win as many games as possible to try to get into the 10-30 range?
Keep tabs on Indiana’s strategy if you roster Zubac, Andrew Nembhard or Pascal Siakam as you decide a course of action.
Players Ranked Lower to Trade Him For:
Trade For
John Collins (PF, C – LAC)
On the flip side of the Ivica Zubac deal are the Clippers, who also traded James Harden at the deadline. What was becoming an all-time in-season turnaround quickly devolved into a nearly full teardown.
In turn, L.A. is left with John Collins, Kawhi Leonard, Brook Lopez and the newly acquired Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin, who are both currently injured, as the lead characters in the always eventful Clippers soap opera.
Leonard will become a popular trade target, but Collins may be the best value add here. The former Utah Jazz player has had an efficient, but mostly unproductive, first season in Los Angeles. With Harden and Zubac out of the picture, though, expect a considerable jump in opportunity for Collins, who is currently averaging 24.45 fantasy points per game.
Players Ranked Higher to Trade For Him:
Trade Away
Draymond Green (PF, C – GSW)
Certain reports indicated that Draymond Green could have been traded before Thursday’s deadline. Green was not moved and instead now has Kristaps Porzingis as a frontcourt mate after the Warriors acquired him for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
Regardless of your confidence level in Porzingis’ ability to stay healthy, Golden State didn’t provide any indication that they’re ready to really compete. In fact, they’ve suggested the opposite all season.
Couple that with the injuries to Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry, and the fantasy outlook for Green doesn’t look so hot. Thanks in large part to a decrease in minutes, steals and blocks, Green is averaging 16.9% fewer fantasy points than last season.
Players like Jerami Grant, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jabari Smith Jr. all average more fantasy points than Green despite being rostered in dramatically fewer leagues.
Players Ranked Lower to Trade Him For:
