The trade deadline is the biggest in-season wave to hit the NBA every year, but it isn't necessarily the last time teams change their look. As teams in playoff contention continue to jockey for position and those on the outside looking in start to steer into the curve, rotations around the league tend to be in flux in the weeks after the deadline as well.
Whether it is because further buyouts are changing rotations or teams are still dealing with the ramifications of their deadline moves, about a third of the league has major questions that could decide the way your Fantasy season goes.
Let's see if we can answer them.
Nets
Who will fill Joe Johnson's minutes?
With Joe Johnson getting waived Thursday, the bare bones Nets' roster is about to be stripped even more bare. Johnson hasn't been great this season, but after an uncharacteristic shooting slump early in the season, he is shooting 43.5 percent from the field and a blistering 41.5 percent from 3-point range since Dec. 1. He is averaging 12.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, and can clearly still be a helpful Fantasy option. However, if he really does leave Brooklyn, it's hard to see him getting 30-plus minutes per game on some contender's roster, which means he will likely be little more than a 3-point specialist elsewhere.
So, who do I add?
The problem with Johnson being waived, at least from a Fantasy perspective is, there's really nobody in Brooklyn who seems likely to step in and fill his spot. The most likely beneficiary of Johnson being bought out would probably be Wayne Ellington (5 percent owned), a sweet shooter who is averaging just 7.4 points per game so far this season. If he gets 30 minutes per game, Ellington might be able to give you a dozen or so points per game, with a couple of 3-pointers per game -- and not much else of note, as he averages just 1.6 assists per-36 minutes this season.
The one high-upside possibility on this roster is Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who holds the unique distinction of being a first-round pick for the Nets. Unfortunately, Hollis-Jefferson is recovering from ankle surgery and it at least another 10 days away from being cleared, if not likely longer. He averaged just 8.5 points per-36 in 19 games earlier in the season, but added 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 assists per-36 as well, and it's not hard to see him having an Al-Farouq Aminu-like impact for Fantasy players down the stretch.
Suns
Who is going to play for the Suns?
Like, at every position. This Suns' season has been an outright disaster, with arguably their three best players entering the season either hurt (Eric Bledsoe, out for the year; Brandon Knight, out without a timetable) or traded (Markieff Morris; we'll get to him later), there are plenty of opportunities available here. However, they hardly have a reliable rotation at this point, with a mixture of mediocre veterans and promising but flawed young guys, along with a rookie head coach in Earl Watson who is very much learning on the fly after taking over midseason for Jeff Hornacek.
So, who do I add?
Alex Len would be the most obvious answer, as the former top-five pick has averaged 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds since Morris' trade. Unfortunately, Len's ongoing ankle issues crept up again Wednesday, forcing him out of the lineup and casting a grey cloud over the remainder of his season. There is no sign that this is an especially serious issue, but given his history of ankle issues -- including surgery -- you have to proceed with caution. Len is worth adding, but it wouldn't be a total shock to see this latest injury linger.
Beyond Len, there are a ton of options to go grab, led by young guys like Archie Goodwin (65 percent) and Devin Booker (83 percent). This backcourt duo has a ton of upside, thanks to their draft pedigree and shooting abilities. However, minutes have been a bit inconsistent for both as they struggle through slumps, making them less safe than they otherwise would be. Ronnie Price has been averaging 23.5 minutes per game since the break, and recent signee Phil Pressey has logged more than 55 minutes in his first two games as well; this is probably due to Booker and Goodwin struggling massively with their shots. Price and Pressey might be playing more than them now, but I wouldn't bother with them in Fantasy. Phil Pressey and Ronnie Price definitely aren't winning you a Fantasy championship; Booker and Goodwin have the upside to do just that if everything hits at the right time.
The safest add is veteran shooter Mirza Teletovic (45 percent), who is averaging 17.3 points per game since the break and 14.9 overall in Watson's eight games as the head coach. You won't get much from Teletovic beyond shooting and scoring, but he is a steady presence on a roster with many of them, so his minutes should be consistent. Jon Leuer also merits mentioning, though his role has been disappointingly small since Morris' trade.
Heat
How do they deal with injuries?
For the second season in a row, the Heat find themselves scratching and clawing for a playoff spot without their best player in Chris Bosh. The injuries the Heat have suffered beyond Bosh are lengthy, with backup guards Tyler Johnson and Beno Udrih out for the season and starting forward Luol Deng playing through multiple dislocations in his finger. If the Heat are going to make the playoffs, it is going to be with a MASH unit.
So, who do I add?
Deng, for sure, if he is available. Despite this injury, Deng is averaging 21.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game over the last four, with four double-doubles in a row. He can't possibly keep this pace up, but with Bosh out, Deng's role is clearly bigger than any other point this season.
Of course, Deng is owned nearly across the board, so telling you to add him isn't totally helpful. One player who could be helpful is rookie Justise Winslow, who is starting to translate some of his obvious upside into production. Winslow has played at least 33 minutes in three of the first four games since the break, averaging 12.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.8 combined blocks and steals per game. His offensive game remains a work in progress, but Winslow is starting to find ways to impact the game in a tangible way, and he seems like a lock for 30 MPG down the stretch, making him an appealing Rotisserie option if nothing else.
Bulls
Who steps up on the wings?
The Bulls opted to stand pat at the trade deadline, but that doesn't mean they don't have very real concerns about their rotation. Specifically, this team still has to figure out how to replace an All-NBA talent like Jimmy Butler for at least a few more weeks.
So, who do I add?
Another player who won't help you much beyond scoring or shooting, Doug McDermott can nonetheless help out quite a bit in those categories. Over the last five games, the second-year shooter has come into his own averaged 16.0 points with 2.0 3-pointers per game, and might be able to keep that up, especially if Derrick Rose's hamstring costs him more than just Wednesday's game.
Wizards
Can they integrate Markieff Morris?
The Wizards' addition of Morris seemed to be a perfect fit of talent and fit, but it hasn't worked out so far. Morris has shot just 26.7 percent from the field in his first four games for the Wizards, and only topped 22 minutes once in that span. Still, I think his talent will win out, and Morris' talents fit what the Wizards want to do well enough that I'm not ready to drop him.
So, who do I add?
I guess I'm not running out to add Morris in the leagues where he is still available, but I'm not dropping him either.
Magic
Who is going to play point guard?
It's too early to give up on Elfrid Payton, whose prodigious gifts are hard to ignore when he is playing at his highest level. Of course, he also hasn't done enough so far to make it so the Magic definitely shouldn't look for alternatives, and that is just what they did in adding Brandon Jennings at the trade deadline.
So, who do I add?
Well, I don't think it would be C.J. Watson, who inexplicably logged more minutes than Jennings and nearly as many as Payton in the last game. Scott Skiles is an ornery, reactionary type of coach, but he can't really think Watson is a better choice than either of his two more talented alternatives.
Jennings is already owned in three-fourths of CBSSports.com leagues, so there isn't that much room for his ownership to grow. He is a talented player with the ability to shoot off the dribble and create at a high level, two skills that certainly could earn him the lion's share of the minutes in Orlando. However, he has struggled with his shot all season as he works his way back from Achilles surgery, and may not get back to full strength this season. Given the nature of his injury, there is certainly no guarantee he does.
Grizzlies
Who steps up in the frontcourt?
The trajectory of the Grizzlies' entire franchise may have been altered by the foot injury Marc Gasol suffered before the All-Star break, and it certainly changed the outlook for this season. The Grizzlies responded to Gasol's injury by moving Courtney Lee and Jeff Green for P.J. Hairston (2 percent) and Lance Stephenson (27 percent), leaving them with big questions marks in the rotation even beyond Gasol's absence.
So, who do I add?
Probably not Hairston or Stephenson. While both players have theoretical upside and opportunity to prove themselves, nothing we've seen from Stephenson specifically hasn't shown any reason to be optimistic since leaving Indiana. Hairston has never really received extended run, but he has also yet to give any indication that he deserves that opportunity. He could be a useful specialist if his 3-point shot ever improves, but he's not there at this point.
Your primary target should be Matt Barnes (45 percent owned), who remains inconsistent but should at least get 30-plus minutes per game moving forward. He has topped 31 in each of the first three games since the break, and is averaging 12.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.3 combined blocks and assists per game, putting him squarely in Rotisserie league relevance. Vince Carter is also playing well in an expanded role, but that seems unlikely to last, given his age and struggles this season.
