Fantasy basketball: Which players could rise or fall at NBA trade deadline? - ESPN

It was hardly so long ago that PG/SG Dejounte Murray was a fantasy superstar, averaging 21.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 9.2 APG and 2 SPG for the 2021-22 Spurs. Fantasy managers loved him, for obvious reasons. It took a few seasons, but Murray, then 25, was suddenly one of the top statistical options in the sport. Then came the ill-advised trade to the Hawks.

Murray remains a solid fantasy option with Atlanta, averaging 21.4 PPG, 5 RPG and 5 APG, but his numbers and impact are not the same. His pairing with star PG Trae Young for a season and a half has been an awkward one, and Murray can produce only so much playing next to one of the highest-usage ball handlers around. Still, Murray is a top-30 fantasy option.

Imagine what may happen if Murray, as expected, is dealt to another club before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.

Fantasy managers would love the 2021-22 version of Murray, an All-Star who many believed would continue to ascend statistically. Perhaps that ascension continues if the Young-Murray pairing breaks up. It seems unlikely that Young, the clear face of the franchise and financially rewarded as such, will be the one on the move. Including Wednesday's blowout loss at Golden State, the Hawks are sputtering with far more losses than wins and perhaps Murray, a proven lead guard, can recoup the Hawks with draft picks and/or young, frontcourt options.

Fantasy managers should always pay attention to potential real-life trades and how they can affect statistics. Without knowing whom the Hawks may receive in a Murray trade, it is tough to evaluate ultimate impact on their end. Young's numbers may improve a bit, as he averaged 28.4 PPG the season prior to Murray arriving. Perhaps SG/SF Bogdan Bogdanovic remains a starter. Perhaps