Now playing more consistently alongside a healthy Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram could see different opportunities and be a valuable trade acquisition in fantasy basketball leagues.(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
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This is a pivotal juncture in the season to get ahead on moving players from squads that are losing playoff momentum. It’s a case-by-case basis, hence why below you’ll see the motivation to sell Jaren Jackson Jr. but eagerness to buy Jonathan Kuminga. However, at the end of the day, having guys who will contribute during the fantasy basketball playoffs is paramount, so that is a factor in mind throughout this article.
Trade away: Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
With Desmond Bane set to be sidelined for the next six-plus weeks due to a serious ankle sprain, it’s the gutters for Memphis. I could see a whole youth movement coming on down the stretch, not that Jackson won’t play, but that his workload will be monitored.
Jackson has been good and consistent in a lost season for Memphis. A seemingly underwhelming 44.7/33.3/83.7 percentage shooting slash is justifiable given his leap in volume. Jackson is averaging 15.9 shots per game, which is simply a lot for him. Defensive impact remains his calling card, which is an exhausting duty throughout the course of a game, and he doesn’t have the deepest bag offensively — factors that make him unlikely to be super-efficient at high volume.
Therefore, his 21.2 points per game on 56.8% true-shooting rate — including a career-best 6.1 free-throw attempts per game — is respectable. That level of production is an attractive sell candidate. He is averaging 22.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks across his last six games.
Notably, three of those games came in Ja Morant’s (shoulder) final contests of the season. Team morale and overall offensive performance will likely drop from here, as will the mathematical nature of playoff relevance. While the youth movement could bring on morale, that simply isn’t conducive to Jackson being a weapon for the fantasy playoffs, which is critical. He can be traded for…
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