Things have quieted down after a chaotic trade deadline as we head into the NBA All-Star weekend. Perhaps the most shocking post-deadline news has been the cancellation of the Mark Williams deal, on account of his failed physical with the Lakers. Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish will head back to LA and Williams to Charlotte. Now we’re all curious about Williams’ health; was Charlotte hiding something? Presumably, Williams’ health was one of the main reasons why the Hornets were eager to let him go in the first place.
In other news, the Western Conference has some new faces on top. The Grizzlies sit at second seed with the Nuggets closely behind, while the Rockets have dropped to fourth. Three teams are 26-26 between the ninth and eleventh seeds, illustrating the parity of this conference.
The languishing Wizards still sit at the basement of the East with a league-worst 9-43 record. The Hornets are five games ahead at 13-37. One of the more surprising teams is the Pistons, who are the sixth seed with a 27-26 record and have overtaken the once-mighty Orlando Magic.
We’re shooting the Three Lists of Threes today for your weekly dose of fantasy tips: Buy-lows, sell-highs, and streams.
Here are some streams we can consider.
Stream ’em
Jaxson Hayes, C, Los Angeles Lakers
With the Mark Williams deal falling through, we must backtrack a bit and like the Lakers, look for another solution at Center for Los Angeles. That answer, for now, is Jaxson Hayes. Hayes has played 25 MPG in his last five games, averaging 8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 1.8 BPG while shooting 77% from the field. He should continue to get spoon-fed easy buckets for the rest of the season as the Lakers begin their post-Anthony Davis era.
Hayes will benefit greatly from having two elite playmakers on this team. Luka Doncic is Questionable to make his Lakers debut on Monday but the first game with both LeBron James and Doncic active will show us exactly how important Hayes will be to their offense. For now, let’s get ahead of the curve and scoop and see what happens.
Carlton Carrington, PG/SG, Washington Wizards
The Pittsburgh product has played two of his last three games without Kyle Kuzma, and we’re seeing interesting and immediate upside. Carrington is putting up 17.3 PPG, 6.7 APG in these three games and has shown stretches of brilliance already in his rookie season. Washington holds a woeful 9-43 record and are going nowhere this season, so it’s time to let the young boys play. We haven’t seen Marcus Smart play for the Wizards yet, and presumably his presence will mean some reduction in Carrington’s minutes, but I’m not concerned. Carrington could be a huge silly-season player down the stretch, and it’s good to get a jump on things.
Georges Niang, PF, Atlanta Hawks
Niang made his first start for the Hawks after the De’Andre Hunter trade which sent Caris LeVert, Niang, and a handful of picks and swaps to Atlanta. In his debut, Niang dropped four triples on 6/10 shooting alongside six rebound and three steals in 26 minutes. LeVert didn’t receive much playing time, either. I’m curious whether Atlanta uses Niang as their solution at PF for the rest of this season after losing Jalen Johnson. Niang’s ability to stretch the floor will keep him relevant for the Hawks and he’s a fringe must-roster if he can continue cracking the 25 MPG mark.
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