The NBA trade deadline always reshapes the fantasy basketball landscape, and this year delivered plenty of ripple effects. While Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed put, multiple high-impact moves have created new opportunities — and new risks — for fantasy managers preparing for the stretch run. Role changes, tanking incentives and shifting rotations can dramatically alter player value over the final 6–8 weeks of the season. Identifying which situations lead to expanded usage versus reduced minutes is critical. Let's break down the top buy and sell candidates based on post-deadline roles, team direction and realistic rest-of-season outlooks.
Buy
Anfernee Simons, Chicago Bulls 
The Bulls entered the trade deadline with several players who were going to be free agents at the end of the season. Given their struggle to do anything other than make an appearance in the Play-In Tournament in recent seasons, they decided to be sellers and move in another direction. Players they traded away included Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter.
Simons was part of the return that the Bulls received from the Celtics for Vucevic. While filling a limited role off the bench for Boston, Simons averaged 14.2 points and 2.7 three-pointers over 25 minutes per game. He has started all three games with the Bulls, averaging 20.0 points and 3.7 three-pointers in 33 minutes per game. Josh Giddey (hamstring) has been out, which has helped Simons. Still, with the Bulls trending towards being a tanking team, Giddey could see rest days down
The NBA trade deadline always reshapes the fantasy basketball landscape, and this year delivered plenty of ripple effects. While Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed put, multiple high-impact moves have created new opportunities — and new risks — for fantasy managers preparing for the stretch run. Role changes, tanking incentives and shifting rotations can dramatically alter player value over the final 6–8 weeks of the season. Identifying which situations lead to expanded usage versus reduced minutes is critical. Let's break down the top buy and sell candidates based on post-deadline roles, team direction and realistic rest-of-season outlooks.
Buy
Anfernee Simons, Chicago Bulls
The Bulls entered the trade deadline with several players who were going to be free agents at the end of the season. Given their struggle to do anything other than make an appearance in the Play-In Tournament in recent seasons, they decided to be sellers and move in another direction. Players they traded away included Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter.
Simons was part of the return that the Bulls received from the Celtics for Vucevic. While filling a limited role off the bench for Boston, Simons averaged 14.2 points and 2.7 three-pointers over 25 minutes per game. He has started all three games with the Bulls, averaging 20.0 points and 3.7 three-pointers in 33 minutes per game. Josh Giddey (hamstring) has been out, which has helped Simons. Still, with the Bulls trending towards being a tanking team, Giddey could see rest days down the stretch, even when he is finally healthy. Simons might not cost much in a trade, but could provide increased scoring production for fantasy managers down the stretch.
Isaiah Hartenstein, Oklahoma City Thunder 
The Thunder acquired Jared McCain from the 76ers, but didn't make any other big moves at the deadline. They needed guard depth with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen) and Ajay Mitchell (abdomen) missing time recently. Injuries have been a problem for the team for much of the season, including seeing Hartenstein limited to only 29 games.
The Thunder have been easing Hartenstein back from injury, playing him 25 minutes or fewer in each of his five games since his return. Still, he averaged 8.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists during that span. For the season, he averages 10.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists. This might be an opportunity to buy low on him before he starts to play more. Last season, he logged 28 minutes a game.
Bennedict Mathurin, Los Angeles Clippers 
The Pacers landed their center of the future by acquiring Ivica Zubac from the Clippers. They had a massive void at the position after Myles Turner signed with the Bucks last offseason. Once Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) returns, the Pacers are on track to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference again.
The Clippers also traded away James Harden, getting Darius Garland (toe) back from the Cavaliers. However, Garland has battled toe injuries since last season and currently has no timetable for a return. The Clippers are sitting 10th in the Western Conference with a 4.5-game lead over the Grizzlies, who are a tanking team now. Of the teams behind the Clippers, only the Mavericks, who are six games back, might actually want to win games down the stretch. The Clippers might make it by default, so they likely won't try to tank. That could leave plenty of shot attempts and minutes for Mathurin, who was in line to rest a lot for the tanking Pacers. He played 29 minutes off the bench against the Rockets on Tuesday, posting nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. His scoring line could have been better, considering he shot just 4-for-13 from the field.
Sell
Jaren Jackson Jr., Utah Jazz 
The Jazz made a big splash at the deadline by acquiring Jackson from the Grizzlies. Adding him to Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and Walker Kessler gives them a core that can compete for a playoff spot in the future. They also have some intriguing depth behind them, including Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski and Brice Sensabaugh.
The problem for Jackson for the remainder of this season is that the Jazz aren't likely to change their tanking plans. They are 8.5 games back of the final play-in spot with 28 games left to play. Since the trade, Jackson hasn't played more than 25 minutes in either of his first two games with the team. Limited minutes and rest days should continue to be the norm for him, so trade him now for anything useful in fantasy.
Nikola Vucevic, Boston Celtics 
Vucevic has been a rock in fantasy for years. In each of the prior seven seasons, he averaged at least 17.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He was providing much of the same during the current campaign for the Bulls, putting up 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists through 48 games. His tenure with the franchise came to a close, though, with him landing on a contender in Boston.
Vucevic came off the bench in both of his first two games with the Celtics. He provided 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists over 28 minutes against the Heat. He followed that up with 11 points, six rebounds and no assists across 23 minutes versus the Knicks on Sunday. Even if he does eventually move into the starting lineup, his playing time should take a hit with a better defender in Neemias Queta in the fold. He's not a panic trade like Jackson, but we've likely already seen Vucevic's value peak this season.
Ivica Zubac, Indiana Pacers 
While he hasn't been able to replicate his production from last season, Zubac has averaged 14.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists over 43 games. He has done so while shooting 61.3% from the field. Still, that didn't stop the Clippers from trading him for Mathurin and draft picks that they hope will inject some youth into their aging roster.
Zubac has been mostly healthy, appearing in 43 games. However, the Pacers are now saying that he has an ankle injury that will keep him out through the All-Star break. The Pacers only convey their 2026 first-round pick to the Clippers if it falls between 5-9. With the potential for them to still land a top four pick, they should continue to sit some of their top players down the stretch. They aren't going to rush Zubac back from his current ailment, and plenty of rest days could be coming even when he is healthy. Much like Jackson, it's time to try and trade Zubac for a more reliable option.
