Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire Pickups: Top adds ahead of NBA trade deadline
We head into Week 15 with the trade deadline less than seven days away, followed closely by the All-Star break. This means waiver wire strategies depend on specific situations such as where a manager is positioned in the standings or an individual manager's approach to "stashing." The reason for this is that the deadline can bring a number of value shifts, while the break provides teams with added incentive to "rest" players in the preceding games.
Whether it's targeting an offensive threat capable of delivering points and 3s or a defensive-minded player who can help boost your blocks and steals, narrowing your focus can prove vital as you battle for seedings. Let's dive into six players who are currently rostered in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues.
Having won six of their past seven games, Portland's direction has raised some questions of late. Seemingly headed for the cellar earlier in the season, they have now moved to within 2.5 games of the play-in. A competitive streak has resulted in Sharpe playing inconsistent minutes, impacting his fantasy appeal. However, he has played at least 30 minutes in each of the past two games, averaging 20.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 3-pointers. Common sense would tell us that Portland will eventually lean into their youth, at which point Sharpe could step into a consistent 30+ minute role. If he has been dropped over the past couple of weeks and you are in need of a points boost, look no further than Sharpe.
After a mini-slump, Hunter appears to have figured things out once again, having now scored at least 25 points in two of the past three games. A season-ending injury to Jalen Johnson is likely to present Hunter with even more responsibility, especially on the offensive end. The Hawks have lost seven straight games, and if they have hopes of playing in the postseason, they are going to need players like Hunter to step up. Although Hunter's overall skill set is somewhat limited, he is averaging a career-high 19.3 points and 2.6 3-pointers, shooting an impressive 86.5% from the stripe. If for some reason he is available in your league and you have a desire for points and 3s, Hunter is your man.
Not unlike Hunter, an unexpected opportunity has been given to Jović, only this time as a result of Jimmy Butler's suspension. If we're being honest, we may have actually seen the last of Butler in a Miami uniform, potentially giving Jović viable rest-of-season appeal. Although he continues to come off the bench, he has been arguably the most consistent player in Miami not named Tyler Herro. Over the past month, Jović has averaged 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.1 3-pointers in 29.7 minutes per game. Based on what we have seen during that time, there is no reason to think Jović can't remain a viable, yet low-volume fantasy producer moving forward.
Having recently supplanted Patrick Williams in the starting lineup, Dosunmu appears to have earned himself a meaningful roster spot once again. In his two games since moving into the starting lineup, Dosunmu has averaged 14.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.0 3-pointers in 33 minutes per game. The Bulls remain on the bubble when it comes to the postseason, something that is all too familiar for Chicago fans. Their eventual direction could determine whether Dosunmu is able to hold his value. However, his floor remains relatively safe, and he should be on a roster in just about every fantasy league.
Okogie is a great example of what might be. Since arriving in Charlotte, his role has increased substantially. While his scoring has been unsurprisingly wonky, his defensive contributions have managed to keep him on the floor. Over the past two weeks, he has managed to put up averages of 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.5 3-pointers in 22.4 minutes per game. While this is fantastic on the surface, the questions regarding his immediate playing future continue to swirl.
Initial thoughts were that he would be moved in another trade, making him a risky play in fantasy. However, should the Hornets opt to keep him around, at least for the remainder of the season, there is no reason to think he can't maintain backend 12-team value, especially for anyone seeking defensive numbers in a category league or in deeper points leagues.
Hayes moved into the starting lineup against the Wizards on Thursday, providing a low-end double-double with three blocks. Anthony Davis is set to miss at least a week with an abdominal strain, an absence that should result in 25+ minutes per game for Hayes. His overall appeal remains limited, a fact that has contributed to his modest career to this point. However, he has also blocked multiple shots in three consecutive games, a stat alone that should have some category league fantasy managers interested.
If you are simply looking for a short-term big man who can give you some rebounds and blocks, as well as efficient scoring, Hayes makes for a suitable option.
Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks (78% rostered)
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (72% rostered)
Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies (67% rostered)
Terry Rozier, Miami Heat (61% rostered)
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Indianapolis Star
41 minutes ago
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Charles Barkley on NBA Finals Game 4: 'The Pacers blew this game... this is going to hurt'
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New York Times
44 minutes ago
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If Club World Cup attendances are an issue, FIFA will bear much of the responsibility
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The sight of empty seats for the Club World Cup will lead to plenty of scorn, and probably plenty of memes. There are worries among some figures involved with host-city planning for next year's World Cup in the U.S. that empty seats at the Club World Cup will undermine the story they seek to tell of soccer being on the brink of exploding across the country. Some worry that it may impact their pitches to potential sponsors of fan festivals around the World Cup. In short, there is a danger the Club World Cup will be seen as the latest referendum on America's appetite for the sport, but such conclusions should come with caution, and there are plenty of reasons why American fans may be sceptical of spending big on these games. Any post-mortem should focus more heavily on the supply (FIFA) rather than the demand (soccer fans in the U.S.). Many factors combined to create a tournament that has been struggling for positive publicity outside of the quotes largely published as press releases by either competing clubs or FIFA. Firstly, FIFA set expectations and prices for the competition at a level that were wildly out of kilter for the product. FIFA's tournament slogan of 'the best against the best' is immediately undermined by the fact the current champions of England, Spain and Italy are not involved, owing to the qualification format FIFA laid out. Advertisement FIFA's chances of maximizing success were also hindered by arriving late into the planning and organization of the tournament. This is not something the U.S. bid for — they were simply told Infantino was bringing the competition to their country. This is why FIFA was left with so little leverage when securing venues for the tournament, paying high rental fees that nearly guarantee stadiums will receive healthy profits regardless of ticket sales. 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Speaking this week, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey said his 'guess' was that MetLife Stadium would have between 40,000 and 50,000 for their first game this weekend between Portuguese side Porto and Brazilian team Palmeiras. While this would leave at least 30,000 empty seats, it would also, in most settings, be a pretty impressive attendance for a game between two teams who are not hugely familiar to an American audience in an unproven tournament. It is hard to imagine, for example, the attendance being any higher if the same game were played in England. Advertisement In FIFA HQ, there have been strategic mistakes. FIFA presumed a home market would turn out for Inter Miami, but locals did not want to stump up significantly more than they usually do to watch Messi regularly in MLS. It would have been smarter to take Messi on tour, hitting different markets where he appears less regularly. The late inclusion of MLS side LAFC — owing to the expulsion of Mexican team Leon — meant games involving LAFC could not be played in Los Angeles, where the team is well-supported in their local market, as the calendar was already set. FIFA is also operating in a market that is saturated. Other soccer is available this summer in the U.S., notably the Gold Cup, which will include the U.S. men's national team and a full-strength Mexico. FIFA also managed to irritate Concacaf, which hoped to have the southern portion of the west coast largely to themselves for the Gold Cup, only for FIFA to then strike a deal to play games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. The Premier League will also bring Manchester United to New Jersey, Atlanta and Chicago this summer as part of its Summer Series, while many fans may be saving up for FIFA's own World Cup next summer, particularly since The Athletic recently revealed the tournament will also be dynamically priced. Some humility, therefore, may have been in order this summer for FIFA, which had an opportunity to develop goodwill and excitement ahead of the World Cup. FIFA, which projects $13bn of revenue during the cycle leading through next year's tournament, might have used this as a chance to recognize the sport is still emerging and offer a wider selection of truly affordable tickets from the outset. Those same supporters who benefited this summer may then have been inspired to either save up for next summer or spend money around fan festivals at the World Cup. Instead, the tickets only became affordable when the organization's president was at risk of being embarrassed by attendances. FIFA's attempts to capture the imagination of the U.S. market have been increasingly frantic. Infantino has been touring the U.S., but some clubs wonder whether the divisive FIFA president is the best salesman for the tournament. As part of his recent attempts to charm a younger audience, he visited the influencer iShowSpeed in late May, when he claimed Cristiano Ronaldo was talking to participating clubs about a transfer that would enable him to compete in the tournament. No move materialized, and Ronaldo's representatives were irritated by Infantino's comments. A spokesperson representing the influencer told The Athletic no payment was offered or received in either direction for Infantino to appear on Speed's stream. FIFA has engaged numerous American influencers to promote the tournament, an apparent attempt at connecting with the most casual of soccer fans. They have hired Shayne Boyle, who appears to be most famous for catching items in his mouth on an Instagram account called insaneshayne1 followed by 2.9 million people, as well as food content creator meals_by_cug, the innovation creator unnecessaryinventions and the baseball video creator Kait Maniscalco (askkait). 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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Ranking Kevin Durant trade destinations among 5 ‘most interested' teams
The post Ranking Kevin Durant trade destinations among 5 'most interested' teams appeared first on ClutchPoints. It seems like just a matter of time until Kevin Durant is traded from the Phoenix Suns. A deal has been inevitable ever since the Suns shopped the all-time great small forward ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, and a move will likely occur quickly into the offseason now that the Suns are working with Rich Kleiman – Durant's business partner – to discuss trade scenarios. Advertisement Some wild-card teams have reached out about Durant, but five teams are viewed as the most likely landing spots for the future Hall of Famer. According to Shams Charania, those teams are the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New York Knicks. So, which of those teams would be the best fit for Durant? 5. Kevin Durant to the Miami Heat Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images A vacancy of star power opened up in Miami when the Heat traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Coincidentally, the Warriors are the team that Durant was nearly traded to during the regular season. The Heat could fill the void left by Butler's trade request by adding another disgruntled superstar. Advertisement The Slim Reaper would form a big three with Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Andrew Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, and Jaime Jaquez would be trade candidates that the Heat could use to make the money work. While the former two of those players are on unideal contracts that Miami wouldn't mind getting rid of, the Heat's depth would be far from inspiring after this trade, which makes Miami the worst fit of the teams interested in Durant. Fans already saw how much the Suns struggled with a talented big three that didn't have the depth to support them, and similar problems could emerge for a Durant-led Heat team. Additionally, the Heat were only the eighth seed last year, so it isn't a guarantee that they'd become contenders with Durant on the roster. Durant wants to compete for another championship before he retires, and Miami is the least likely place where he could win a third ring among the teams on this list. 4. Minnesota Timberwolves add the Slim Reaper It is well known that Minnesota Timberwolves' star Anthony Edwards takes things up a notch when matched up against Durant. That fierce competitiveness comes from a place of admiration, though. Edwards grew up watching Durant, and now his team has an interest in trading for the star. Advertisement A Durant-Edwards duo would be perhaps the best in the NBA, even having a case as being more unstoppable than LeBron James and Luka Doncic with the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant is a career 27.2 points-per-game scorer who has led the league in scoring four times. The former MVP is 36 years old, but he hasn't really shown any signs of slowing down as a scorer. In fact, his game is built to last. Durant is pushing 7-feet tall, so he can score over the top of defenders with efficiency from all three levels of the court. Likewise, Edwards is also one of the best bucket-getters in the NBA. Edwards averaged 27.6 points per game this past season. While he is most known for explosive dunks at the rim, he actually led the NBA with 320 made 3-pointers this year. Durant pairing with Edwards would be fun, but the Timberwolves might be the least likely team to trade for the Texas product because they don't have the draft capital at their disposal that the other interested teams have. Additionally, Durant will make over $54 million next season, and he'd be eligible for a two-year extension worth up to $112 million after that. Durant is pricey, and the Timberwolves are already at risk of losing Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in free agency. A Durant deal with the Timberwolves could see Donte DiVincenzo, Rob Dillingham, and Julius Randle traded to Phoenix, the latter of which would need to opt-in to his contract or be used in a sign-and-trade in order for this deal to work. On top of losing all of that talent directly in a Durant trade, retaining the team's free agents wouldn't be easy with his money on the books, either. Minnesota has made the conference finals in back-to-back seasons, and adding a veteran with championship experience like Durant seems like the type of move that could get the team to the next level. However, Minnesota's roster might look a whole lot different if they were to acquire Durant. 3. San Antonio Spurs trade for Kevin Durant The San Antonio Spurs finished as just the 13th seed in the Western Conference, but they will be ready to compete sooner rather than later. They also are in a position to make a big move in the trade market this offseason, which is why they've been linked to Durant. The Spurs have tons of future draft picks and a number of intriguing youngsters who could be traded. Advertisement The Spurs could offer Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham, and draft picks to the Suns. That deal would allow them to retain Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Stephon Castle. Wembanyama is already one of the best players in the NBA, and he has legitimate all-time legend potential. Fans saw very little of his pairing with Fox before both players were shut down for the season, but the expectation is the speedster will thrive with the unicorn. Castle is coming off a Rookie of the Year season, Vassell is a complimentary scorer, and Sochan does the dirty work. The Spurs would be stacked with Durant. It is unclear if the Spurs would trade the number two overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for Durant, but they at least have that option. If they are able to hold onto the pick, then they would add yet another talented player to their core. The only reason the Spurs don't rank higher among Durant fits is because their championship window extends well over a decade from now, so they don't necessarily need to go all in right away. Durant is getting older and doesn't necessarily fit San Antonio's contention window. Even so, if Durant continues to play at a high level and would be willing to re-sign with the team, he'd be a great fit with the Spurs. 2. New York Knicks make a blockbuster move Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images With Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum expected to miss all of next season and Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially being traded to a Western Conference team, the Eastern Conference is wide open. The New York Knicks were right there this season, and a Durant trade could get them over the hump. Advertisement Karl-Anthony Towns has recently been included in trade rumors, but the Knicks would be smart to hold onto him and instead move OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson. Durant is made for the bright lights, so he'd thrive in a big market like New York. Alongside Towns and Jalen Brunson, the Knicks, with Durant on the roster, would have everything they'd need on offense. Even after losing Anunoby and Robinson, they'd still have plenty of defensive weapons. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart are elite defenders. Of course, fans have criticized the Knicks and Tom Thibodeau for a lack of depth in New York, but their starting five might be nasty enough that it wouldn't matter if Durant was brought into the fold. 1. Kevin Durant's best fit is the Houston Rockets Like the Spurs, the Rockets have a surplus of tradable assets. The difference is that they are more ready to go all in right now. Houston earned the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference this year, but they were bounced in the first round. Reasons for their postseason struggles include a lack of experience and not enough shot-making from deep. Durant offers both of those at an elite level. Advertisement The 15-time All-Star could get the Rockets over the top. The team has athletic specimens in Amen Thompson and Jalen Green, as well as defensive pests in Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason. They also have an All-Star center in Alperen Sengun and young up-and-comers in Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets could keep all of those players if they were to ship out Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore, Aaron Holiday, and a number of draft picks. Durant would be the missing piece that can score 25-plus points every night and hit the tough shots when the clock is running down. Nobody is in a better position to go all in than the Rockets are, and they already have a great roster makeup. Because of that, they are both the most likely team to trade for Durant and the team that would provide the best on-court fit for him. Related: NBA rumors: VJ Edgecombe's 2025 draft floor emerges Related: Adam Silver's surprised admission on Michael Jordan joining NBA on NBC
