Chris Paul + Blake Griffin = alley-oop heaven

It finally happened: Chris Paul is traded away from the Hornets.

The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed in principle to a deal with the New Orleans Hornets. Here’s the breakdown:

Los Angeles Clippers get: CP3, two future second-round picks

New Orleans Hornets get: Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota’s unprotected 2012 first-round draft pick

Here’s a quick list of fantasy implications:

• This is good news for Paul. Sure, he was a surefire top four pick before the trade, but CP3 is going from playing point guard for a hollow Hornets squad that lost David West to passing and lobbing it to Blake Griffin, who isn’t a bad finisher at the rim. I’d still take CP3 at No. 3 or 4 overall, but this trade is good for him, mentally and for — wait for it — basketball reasons. Griffin should benefit a bit from having Paul feed him the rock, but it’s not a significant bump to his fantasy value.
• This is bad news for Chauncey Billups, who is now relegated to CP3′s backup or maybe his team’s starting SG. Either way, Billups’ fantasy appeal has kind of flaked apart in the past week or so.
• Mo Williams‘ future is really uncertain now. He doesn’t seem to fit in this rotation. If Billups plays SG, Williams could be a backup PG. But with $17 million owed him this season and next season (player option), Williams could be an amnesty candidate. Keep an eye on his situation.
• Randy Foye should be blipping on your sleeper radar. Remember that in 16 starts last season, he averaged 16.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.5 blocks, 2.3 turnovers and 1.9 threes per game, while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line. His value is tied to what happens with Billups and Williams, but without Gordon around, he looks more appealing. This logjam at the PG/SG spot will have to be sorted out eventually, so monitor that situation.
• DeAndre Jordan is free! It’s time for him to play starter’s minutes. He should get close to averaging a double-double along with around a pair of blocks a night — a sort of statistical doppelganger to JaVale McGee in many ways. Jordan should be drafted near the early portion of the second half of drafts for head-to-head leagues.
• Gordon looks more appealing now, if only because he lands on a squad in desperate need of a leader on offense. He’s no longer a second fiddle and should have no problem asserting himself as the Hornets’ top dog. I’ll go out on a limb and say Gordon is a top 20 fantasy player now — let’s just hope he stays healthy. Marco Belinelli‘s fantasy appeal falls off a cliff with this deal.
• Jarrett Jack may have lost his good buddy CP3, but he gains what should be a stranglehold on the starting PG job for the Hornets. In 15 starts last season, Jack averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.7 turnovers and 0.3 threes, along with 40.0 percent from the field and 87.9 percent from the charity stripe in just 28:53 a game. Assuming the Hornets don’t make any moves to add a capable point guard to their roster, Jack is the big winner of this deal. He’s a sleeper, for sure.
• Kaman‘s situation is a bit curious. Does he back up Emeka Okafor? Or does he start at center and push Okafor to PF, or vice versa? If Carl Landry is re-signed, a timeshare with Okafor at the center spot is likely. If Landry signs elsewhere, I can envision a Kaman/Okafor/Ariza frontcourt. Let’s see if the Hornets do something to plug that hole at PF. Okafor looks a bit less appealing now.
• Aminu will play backup to Trevor Ariza. A timeshare could be in the works. Even if Ariza plays the lion’s share of minutes at SF for the Hornets, he’ll be in Gordon’s shadow.

In light of the NBA lockout, here's a photo of some salmon. (Flickr/Andrea Pokrzywinski)

Though that horrible “L” word has finally slammed the NBA’s doors shut, fantasy basketball fans can rest assured that this young (and abruptly suspended) offseason has already offered morsels of activity to chew on. Old faces have landed in new places, which means there’s some fantasy analysis to be had.

Here’s a look at how these early-summer trades will impact fantasy basketball once this real-life mess gets sorted out.

- Sacramento Kings get John Salmons, draft rights to pick No. 10 (Jimmer Fredette); Milwaukee Bucks get Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, Beno Udrih and draft rights to pick No. 19 (Tobias Harris); Charlotte Bobcats get Corey Maggette and draft rights to pick No. 7 (Bismack Biyombo)

↓ John Salmons

↓ Stephen Jackson

↑ Carlos Delfino

↔ Shaun Livingston

↓ Beno Udrih

↑ Corey Maggette

↓ Gerald Henderson

- Minnesota Timberwolves get Brad Miller, draft rights to pick No. 23 (Nikola Mirotic), pick No. 38 (Chandler Parsons) and a future first-round pick; Houston Rockets get Jonny Flynn and draft rights to pick No. 20 (Donatas Motiejunas)

↔ Brad Miller

↔ Jonny Flynn

- Denver Nuggets get Andre Miller, draft rights to pick No. 26 (Jordan Hamilton) and a future second-round pick; Portland Trail Blazers get Raymond Felton and draft rights to pick No. 57 (Tanguy Ngombo); Dallas Mavericks get Rudy Fernandez and draft rights to pick No. 30 (Petteri Koponento)

↓ Andre Miller

↑ Ty Lawson

↑ Raymond Felton

↑ Rudy Fernandez

- Cleveland Cavaliers get Omri Casspi and a future first-round pick; Sacramento Kings get J.J. Hickson

↑ Omri Casspi

↓ Antawn Jamison

↓ J.J. Hickson

↑ Tristan Thompson

↔ DeMarcus Cousins

Read the full post at DimeMag.com

One Gerald leaves, another Gerald rises. Get familiar with Mr. Henderson. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

NBA GMs appears to have caught some kind of trading fever this season. There was a frenzy of activity near the 3 p.m. EST trade deadline Thursday, which leaves us with a mess of transactions to sift through and discuss. Below is a quick overview of the fantasy implications of the last trades of the 2010-11 NBA season. A full discussion of these trades will be posted on DimeMag.com soon.

1) Houston Rockets get Hasheem Thabeet; Memphis Grizzlies get Shane Battier

↔ Shane Battier

↔ Hasheem Thabeet

↑ Chase Budinger (solid pickup)

↔ Terrence Williams

↔ Chuck Hayes

2) Houston Rockets get Goran Dragic; Phoenix Suns get Aaron Brooks

↔ Aaron Brooks

↔ Goran Dragic

↑ Kyle Lowry

3) Boston Celtics get Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic; Oklahoma City Thunder get Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson

↓ Jeff Green

↔ Nenad Krstic

↑ Kendrick Perkins

↔ Nate Robinson

↑ Glen Davis

↔ Delonte West and Von Wafer

↑ James Harden (good pickup)

↑ Serge Ibaka

4) Portland Trail Blazers get Gerald Wallace; Charlotte Bobcats get Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham and Sean Marks

↓ Gerald Wallace

↔ Joel Przybilla, Dante Cunningham and Sean Marks

↑ Boris Diaw

↑ Gerald Henderson (great pickup)

↓ Nicolas Batum

5) Oklahoma City Thunder get Nazr Mohammed; Charlotte Bobcats get D.J. White and Morris Peterson

↔ Nazr Mohammed

↔ D.J. White and Morris Peterson

6) Cleveland Cavaliers get Semih Erden and Luke Harangody; Boston Celtics get a 2013 second-round draft pick

↔ Semih Erden

↔ Luke Harangody

7) Sacramento Kings get Marquis Daniels; Boston Celtics get cash considerations

↔ Marquis Daniels

Playing alongside Blake Griffin will do plenty to help Mo get back up. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

With a few more hours to go before this season’s NBA trade deadline expires at 3 p.m. EST today, we have some more deals to discuss. Baron Davis, Mo Williams and Kirk Hinrich were all part of deals that happened after the trades involving Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams. Below is a quick look at the fantasy basketball implications of these recent deals. If you want more than colors and arrows, head on over to DimeMag.com to read my fuller perspectives.

1) Atlanta Hawks get Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong; Washington Wizards get Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans and Jordan Crawford

Fantasy impact:
↑ Kirk Hinrich

↔ Hilton Armstrong

↓ Mike Bibby

↔ Maurice Evans

↔ Jordan Crawford

2) Sacramento Kings get Marcus Thornton; New Orleans Hornets get Carl Landry

Fantasy impact:
↑ Marcus Thornton

↔ Carl Landry

↑ Samuel Dalembert

↔ DeMarcus Cousins

↑ Jason Thompson

3) Los Angeles Clippers get Mo Williams and Jamario Moon; Cleveland Cavaliers get Baron Davis

Fantasy impact:
↑ Mo Williams

↓ Baron Davis

↔ Ramon Sessions

↔ Daniel Gibson

↓ Jamario Moon

↔ Christian Eyenga

↔ Anthony Parker

↔ Manny Harris

Humphries is a big winner thanks to this deal. (Flickr/Chamber of Fear)

Just when you thought it was safe… A surprising trade emerged today sending Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets. The Nets also made a deal with the Golden State Warriors involving the great Troy Murphy. So raise your White Russians to Mikhail Prokhorov and settle in to peruse the quick fantasy implications below. For my wordier take on the deals, head on over to DimeMag.com.

New Jersey Nets get: Deron Williams, Dan Gadzuric and Brandan Wright

Fantasy impact:
↔ Deron Williams (monitor his happiness levels)

↑ Kris Humphries

↓ Jordan Farmar

↓ Sasha Vujacic

↔ Dan Gadzuric

↔ Brandan Wright

Utah Jazz get: Devin Harris and Derrick Favors

Fantasy impact:
↔ Devin Harris

↑ Earl Watson

↓ Derrick Favors

Golden State Warriors get: Troy Murphy

Fantasy impact:
↔ Troy Murphy (buyout likely)

In the slightly tweaked words of Mary J. Blige, no more ‘Melodrama. It should come as a surprise to no one but the blindest Nets fan that Carmelo Anthony has finally landed in Manhattan to play for the New York Knicks. While the deal is awaiting league approval, and though some of these names will probably move again before Thursday’s trade deadline, here’s a quick look at the fantasy impact of this mega deal. To read my full thoughts on the fallout, head on over to DimeMag.com.

New York Knicks get: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Corey Brewer

Fantasy impact:
↔ Carmelo Anthony

↑ Chauncey Billups

↔ Amar’e Stoudemire

↑ Ronny Turiaf

↔ Corey Brewer

↔ Shelden Williams

↔ Renaldo Balkman

↔ Shawne Williams

↔ Toney Douglas

Denver Nuggets get: Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov

Fantasy impact:
↑ Ty Lawson

↓ Raymond Felton

↓ Danilo Gallinari

↓ Wilson Chandler

↑ Arron Afflalo

↑ J.R. Smith

↓ Timofey Mozgov

Minnesota Timberwolves get: Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry

Fantasy impact:
↑ Anthony Randolph

↑ Martell Webster

Though he wasn't a part of the mega-deal over the weekend, Young sure has a lot to smile about now. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

The Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards made some big waves over the weekend. The three teams took part in a trade that sent Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark to the Magic; Rashard Lewis to the Wizards; and Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat (along with a 2011 first-round draft pick and cash) to the Suns.

Head on over to DimeMag.com to read my full take on the deal. Here are my quick takes on how this plays out:

↓ Gilbert Arenas

↓ Jason Richardson

↑ Hedo Turkoglu

↑ Brandon Bass

↔ Earl Clark

↓ Jameer Nelson

↓ Quentin Richardson

↓ J.J. Redick

↑ Marcin Gortat

↔ Vince Carter

↔ Mickael Pietrus

↓ Robin Lopez

↔ Rashard Lewis

↓ Josh Howard

↓ Al Thornton

↑ Nick Young

↔ Kirk Hinrich

T-Will's fantasy value is bumped up a bit, but don't overreact. (MIKE CLARKE/AFP/Getty Images)

Terrence Williams will be picked up in a lot of leagues this morning, but how much optimism should he deserve? Head over to DimeMag.com to read my take on yesterday’s three-team deal that had the New Jersey Nets send Williams to the Houston Rockets and Joe Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Nets will receive Sasha Vujacic from the Lakers along with a 2011 first-round pick, and a Lottery-protected 2012 first-round pick from the Rockets. The Rockets also sent Jermaine Taylor to the Sacramento Kings for a future second-round pick in order to make room for Williams.

If you want a quick and dirty summary, here you go:

↑ Terrence Williams

↔ Sasha Vujacic

↔ Joe Smith

↔ Jermaine Taylor

↑ Travis Outlaw

↑ Stephen Graham

↓ Courtney Lee

↓ Chase Budinger

↔ Kevin Martin

↔ Shane Battier

↔ Shannon Brown

↔ Steve Blake

Successful for whom? This is a deal with charming implications. (ESPN Trade Machine)

ESPN is reporting that the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets have agreed to a five-player deal. The names involved aren’t going to turn the heads of casual NBA fans, but for fantasy owners there’s some real treasure here. Here’s the quick-and-dirty breakdown:

• The Pacers get Darren Collison and James Posey: This is pure gold for Collison, who will take the reins of the long-suffering PG spot in Indiana. With word that the Pacers are working to buy out T.J. Ford, Collison’s jump into fantasy stardom seems all but guaranteed. I don’t think it’s too bold to declare him a top-50 fantasy player now. After all, he averaged 18.8/3.5/9.1 along with 1.4 steals and 1.0 threes in 37 starts last season. Granted, he played 40:17 in those games and turned the ball over 4.1 times per outing, but that does little to dampen the happy possibilities for Collison. (The threat of a maddening timeshare with Lance Stephenson and A.J. Price exists, but it’s slim — or it should be.) Those who were banking on Stephenson being a sleeper can probably let that dream go for now. Posey is immaterial here. Also, Chris Paul‘s value has a little more breathing room, though it does little to change his stud status.
• The Nets get Troy Murphy: Murphy is now playing alongside a capable center in Brook Lopez who, unlike Roy Hibbert (who should get a couple more shots per game along with more caroms bouncing his way), knows how to rebound well. This should knock Murphy out of double-double land. Derrick Favors is the big loser here, as he can kiss his starting gig good-bye. Still, don’t be surprised if the rookie and the new-old dog split time on some nights. For the Pacers, things open up a bit for the likes of Paul George, Josh McRoberts and Mike Dunleavy, especially if Danny Granger moves to the PF spot.
• The Hornets get Trevor Ariza: While this trade shifts talent to a vacuous SF spot in N.O., which shores up its starting unit and makes it look miles stronger than last season’s, the impact on Ariza’s value is probably minimal. Will playing with a great floor general like CP3 boost his field-goal percentage? Maybe. Will he do his best Peja Stojakovic impersonation and knock down threes like there’s no tomorrow? Yep. Essentially, Ariza takes his talented third-wheel act to New Orleans, which doesn’t exactly exude excitement. (In a separate deal, the Hornets sent Julian Wright to Toronto for Marco Belinelli.) For the Rockets, the (ahem) budding Chase Budinger becomes an even more intriguing sleeper, while Shane Battier‘s minutes are more secure.
• The Rockets get Courtney Lee: There’s no way Lee plays anywhere near the 33:30 per game he got last season in New Jersey, as he now becomes a backup to Kevin Martin. The big news here is Anthony Morrow, who is now the unquestioned starting SG (and the only viable one at the moment) for the Nets. Visions of 16/4/2 along with around 2.5 threes per game from Morrow are flashing in my head. He should follow Collison up your draft lists and might be worth a spot in the top 70.

Childress is back in the NBA. Let's hope the hair and badass scar come back with him. (Aitor Arrizabalaga/Flickr)

A ton has happened so far this summer, which could go down as one of the most active and significant ever. For solid overviews of all that’s happened recently, check out Fantasy Basketball Daily and RotoWorld.

Here’s a quick take on some of the major moves that have taken place in the past few days (using our blog’s trademark color system):

• Al Jefferson dealt to the Utah Jazz: he’ll finally get to play with an elite point guard in Deron Williams, and could move Mehmet Okur to the bench while popping much of the juicy potential Paul Millsap had; Kevin Love now has command over the Timberwolves’ frontcourt
• Josh Childress will make his NBA comeback in Phoenix, which is where Hedo Turkoglu was traded to: this certainly puts a damper on Hakim Warrick’s value heading into the season, Turkoglu immediately becomes an appealing fantasy option again and Leandro Barbosa might be set to bounce back in Toronto
  
• Tyson Chandler was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks along with Alexis Ajinca in exchange for Erick Dampier(‘s contract), Eduardo Najera and Matt Carroll: Chandler will split time with Brendan Haywood, and we’ll have to see where Dampier ends up
• Quentin Richardson is with the Orlando Magic now, but he won’t be much better than the erratic bunches of threes he hit in Miami last season; he joins Chris Duhon, who can’t fare much worse than he did in New York…can he?
• Antawn Jamison could come off the bench, according to new Cavs coach Byron Scott
• Kyle Korver is on the Chicago Bulls, where he’ll likely come off the bench to hit the occasional three; of course, he joins Carlos Boozer
• Jordan Farmar, Travis Outlaw and Anthony Morrow signed with the Nets
• Luther Head signed with the Hornets, which doesn’t bode well for Marcus Thornton or Darren Collison
• Udonis Haslem re-signed with the Miami Heat, of course
• Ben Wallace is a Piston again
• Matt Bonner is a Spur again
• Timofey Mozgov is officially a Knick
• Steve Blake is a Laker; he’ll split time with Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown
• Tony Allen is on the Memphis Grizzlies
• Jermaine O’Neal joins the senior living center that is the Boston Celtics, where Paul Pierce and Ray Allen re-signed
• Dorrell Wright is on the Golden State Warriors

A glimpse at the possible future:

• Mike Miller, Juwan Howard and Brad Miller to Miami?
• Al Harrington to Dallas?
• Raja Bell to the Lakers?