TRADED!
Some people unloaded Jason Richardson after he underwent exploratory arthroscopic surgery last month. Those same people were probably worried about his health. Richardson proved that he is well and returned to action as a slightly improved fantasy asset.
Now with Jason Richardson plus some fillers (a second round pick and Jared Dudley), being traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for – uh a bunch of fillers – Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and Sean Singeltary; those same people who unloaded him wish they had him back.
Fantasy Breakdown:
Who wins?
Phoenix Suns – They get to boost Amare Stoudemire’s waning morale and keep him just that little bit happier, motivated and hopefully more productive. Sadly I disagree that adding Jason Richardson is the key to the Suns’ road to redemption. REMOVING Steve Kerr from management is still the solution. But this trade does soften the ill-timed “Shaq-Marion trade FUBAR”. We’ll see if he can make some more improvements.
Jason Richardson – It’s not as if he wasn’t a big enough scorer over at Charlotte. Now with Steve Nash handing him the ball on a silver platter, expect him to light up the scoreboard from pretty much everywhere on the basketball court. Expect scoring to go up slightly but more importantly expect his FG% to be better and more stable. Of course treys, those wonderful treys; MORE, MORE and MORE of them over at Phoenix. He should be able to get back to or even exceed last year’s averages in that category.
DJ Augustin, Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor – After J-Rich’s departure, these guys will have to really make it a team effort to compensate for the scoring void left behind.
Boris Diaw – I wouldn’t be surprised to see him inserted into the starting lineup right away alonside Raja Bell. He will be able to provide flexibility and some much needed court savvy. That’s what I would prefer. Somehow it’s more likely to see him and DJ Augustin come off the bench as offensive sparks. Who knows? I didn’t expect the Bobcats to trade J-Rich away.
Jared Dudley – He will see some time on the court. He will get that fantasy Nash-factor bump. Impact to his value may be minimal, but still keep your eye on him in deep leagues.
Who loses?
Charlotte Bobcats – Well good luck on your rebuilding plans. Let’s leave it at that.
Leandro Barbosa – He will now rarely see the light of day. Well not exactly. He will still get to relieve Steve Nash every now and again. But expect his scoring and treys to dip.
Phoenix Suns – They still have Shaq. Well to be fair, he’s really just there for his contract to expire, but a snidely remark about him and his occasional presence in the Phoenix lineup couldn’t be helped.
Raja Bell – He was not known for his scoring before. But now he will be feeling the biggest pinch of missing an elite passing PG finding him open on the wings for the trey.
Sean Singletary – Who? My point exactly. Don’t ask. Never you mind. Move along now.
Points in the Paint 