Ottoneu Fantasy Basketball - Ball Don't Lie 2

Trades must be accepted by February 15, 2025

Team	Record	Cats Won
It's All One Big Division!
Team Steam	4-0	26.5
Coach Lamont Carr	4-0	22
Mo Money Mo Bamba	3-1	22
Herro Ball	3-1	21
zach e.d.	2-1-1	21.5
Moron Mountain	2-1-1	19.5
Tom Brinklow	2-2	16.5
Deniz Kilicli, The Istanbull	1-2-1	17
Sir, This is a Wemby's!	1-3	18
Rick Flag	0-3-1	13
Mental Health Fast Break	0-4	11
Retired basketball addict	0-4	8

Player	End Time	Min. Bid
Andrej Stojakovic CAL G	Nov 23, 2024 2:27 PM	$1

Player	Salary	Cut Date
No players on waivers

Date	Team	Player	Transaction
Nov 21, 2024 4:17 PM	Sir, This is a Wemby's!	Zach Collins SAS F/C $1	add
Nov 21, 2024 3:33 PM	Tom Brinklow	Jonathan Mogbo TOR F $1	cut
Nov 21, 2024 2:44 PM	Tom Brinklow	Malik Beasley DET G $1	add
Nov 18, 2024 9:32 AM	Team Steam	Kelly Oubre Jr. PHI G/F $1	add
Nov 17, 2024 9:31 AM	Tom Brinklow	Kelly Oubre Jr. PHI G/F $1	cut
Nov 17, 2024 9:15 AM	Tom Brinklow	Jaylen Wells MEM F $2	add
Nov 15, 2024 5:21 PM	Tom Brinklow	Josh Green CHA G $1	cut
Nov 15, 2024 5:18 PM	Tom Brinklow	Kyshawn George WAS G $1	add
Nov 15, 2024 12:43 PM	Moron Mountain	Xavier Tillman Sr. BOS F/C $1	cut
Nov 15, 2024 10:45 AM	Moron Mountain	Ty Jerome CLE G/F $1	add
All Transactions

Grade the Trade

TEAM STEAM trades Kristaps Porzingis ($37), Amen Thompson ($19), and additional Cap Space of $15 to RICK FLAG for Joel Embiid ($95)

This is the real blockbuster of the trade flurry. Joel Embiid, when he plays, is a true difference maker. If he’s healthy come the playoffs, you have a good chance of winning the whole damn thing. Brendan made the mistake of trying to ride Embiid to the playoffs. The man doesn’t suit up. Apparently, Brendan doesn’t think he’s gonna make waves this year, so it makes sense to trade his brittle superstar.

But you know who else doesn’t play? Kristaps Porzingis. I mean, sure, I’d certainly rather pay $37 to Kristaps to not play than I would triple that to Embiid to not play, but you’re still getting mostly DNPs. If I was Brendan, I’d be a lot more handsome, but I’d also try to turn Embiid into someone a little more durable.

I guess that makes Amen Thompson the prize of this deal. His salary is way more than Naz Reid’s and Franz Wagner’s (in fact, he gets paid as much as them put together), but his contributions are still mostly theoretical. Right now, he’s putting you in a whole in every statistical category aside from FG%. He’s a freak athlete, sure, but how many freak athletes do we see flame out of the NBA before ever developing real basketball skills? Does the name Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ring a bell? I actually think the kid’s going to have a long career in the league, but it could easily be as a Derrick Jones fifth starter glue guy type with limited fantasy relevance.

I don't make much of the $15 in cap space Rick Flag gets either. The free agency pool is usually pretty bleak.

I guess my overall feeling is that Brendan didn’t walk away with a sure thing, and that’s a shame given Embiid’s talent level. Would he have traded me Embiid for Franz? Should I even have done that? Kristaps has a diesel enough statistical profile to make it worth it for Brendan – in fact, I think he has league-winning upside – but I’m confident he could have gotten a lot more by waiting until Embiid was healthy.

Remember the part I said about Brendan making the mistake of trying to ride Embiid to the playoffs? You know who doesn’t have to do that? Spencer. He’s 2-0 right now and has Jayson Tatum and LeBron James, two top ten guys, already, and Lebron is on the record saying he wants to play all 82 this year. There’s a chance Team Steam is rolling out Tatum, LBJ, and Joel Embiid come playoff time, and no one would feel confident facing that. He didn’t even give up that much – an overpaid prospect and a poor-man’s Embiid with an even shakier health record. If you like Spencer, you like this trade. And yes, I was talking about Lyndon B. Johnson when I said LBJ.

GRADE FOR TEAM STEAM – A+
GRADE FOR RICK FLAG – C-
zach e.d. at Nov 9, 2024 10:12 PM
Grade the Trade

COACH LAMONT CARR trades Bradley Beal ($24) and Naz Reid ($1) to DENIS KILICLI, THE INSTANBULL for Mo Wagner ($4), Lauri Markkanen ($23), and additional Cap Space of $4.

My gut reaction to this trade was that Dave violated Jim. At only $23, Lauri is an unreal asset, a better player than Franz for only a few dollars more. That isn’t someone you trade unless you’re getting one of those triple-double machines like Luka or SGA. For that reason, I could never grade this trade anything better than a B-, but I have an open mind, so I spoke to Jim about it, and he made a lot of sense. Naz Reid, somehow, is only $7, and his stats are really solid. Insane shooting percentages out of a big-man slot while putting up a respectable number of points. He’s also a backup to a big man in his mid-30s, so he's always got a reasonable shot at stepping into a mammoth role on an electric offense. If you’re going to give up a prize, you better get one in return.

And, to hear Jim tell it, he’s not losing that much this year with Beal’s production. In theory, he’s getting a better long-term asset today without giving up on his season. This is where I disagree with Jim. I’m not sure Beal is anything anymore. He’s putting up like 15 a game with mid counting stats. He’s on a clear downward trajectory. He’s like significantly worse than, say, Norm Powell. He’s what, a Top 20 Shooting Guard? That’s pretty cool.

Naz Reid makes it all worth it, I’m not just confident he’s getting what he thinks out of Beal. His team is definitely worse now.

Mo Wagner has good stats right now but he’s really probably nothing. A poor man’s Bobby Portis who likely won’t have a role this big for much longer.

I don’t really have much to say about Dave’s side. He did a great job acquiring an elite contract while somehow making his team better in the process. That doesn't happen too often.

The only thing I have to say is this: Lauri is on the trade block in the real NBA. You know Danny Ainge is just itching to trade that gargantuan Fin, and what are the chances he lands in a similar role? At 27 years old, I’d imagine only teams with playoff aspirations would be interested, and how many of those teams would look to Lauri to run their offense? None? So if he ever gets traded to a situation where he’s the third banana, we could see his value plummet. Of course, that might not happen for years, or at all, but it’s something to ponder. Christian Ponder.

GRADE FOR COACH LAMONT CARR – A
GRADE FOR DENIS KILICLI, THE INSTANBULL – C-
zach e.d. at Nov 9, 2024 9:53 PM
Grading a trade and giving yourself the losing grade is hilarious impartiality.
Deniz Kilicli, The Istanbull at Nov 9, 2024 9:52 PM
Grade the Trade

RICK FLAG trades Karl-Anthony Towns ($54) and De’Anthony Melton ($1) to ZACH E.D. for Franz Wagner ($12) and Boogie Fland ($1)

These three trades are all very difficult to grade. Firstly, they are trades in which bad teams give up good players on reasonable contracts for worse players on great contracts. It’s hard to understand what Brendan and Jim are doing in any of these cases at first glance, but it starts to make sense once you think about it.

The second confusing element is assessing the market value on these great contract guys. What’s a fair return for Franz Wagner? He’s good and on a cheap deal. Could I have gotten more? Maybe? But was that trade ACTUALLY out there?

It's here I begin. Franz Wagner is a very solid asset. At only $12, you’re rounding out your forward rotation with 20 points per game, a handful of counting stats, and decent shooting splits. He’s not getting arbitrated up. That’s a position you won’t have to worry about for the next 4 seasons, and his tiny salary allows you to overpay on a stud rental in the draft. For that reason, I’d say he’s worth giving up a stud on a reasonable, if a touch pricey contract.

Enter Karl-Anthony. Is he good enough to trade Franz for? God, that tiny salary gives you so much flexibility.

My logic is this: the Knickerbockers were a one-man show last year. Mikal Bridges isn’t the dynamic scorer everyone thinks he is, so someone’s gonna need to step up and score in bunches next to Brunson. KAT can be that guy, and now he doesn’t have Rudy clogging the paint. He’s a mental midget, but I hope the relentless New York Sports Media machine can shame him into playing more than he normally does. I think he can maintain averages of 23 points and 11 rebounds on great percentages, with a couple counting stats thrown in. That’s a top 20 or so player, and I can use another star since Paolo Banchero went down…

But could I have gotten more? KAT, in all likelihood, is a rental, so I’m mortgaging my chances next year for a slight edge this year. KAT is far from guaranteeing me a gold trophy. And did I need to give up a first round pick in Boogie Fland? Could I have gotten some cap space? All in all, I don’t think this was a great return for such a useful, cheap player, especially given what Brendan ultimately got for Joel Embiid.

De’Anthony Melton was thrown in to make the salaries work. He’s nothing.

Brendan starts his rebuild off right, while I overpay to keep my first-round bye hopes alive during Banchero’s extended absence. Great for him, okay for me.

GRADE FOR RICK FLAG – B+
GRADE FOR ZACH E.D. – C-
zach e.d. at Nov 9, 2024 9:32 PM
I got some realllllly good news boys. The season starts today. Set your lineups and check those boxscores! Leegggooooooo
zach e.d. at Oct 22, 2024 10:16 AM
Fellas,

The draft is tonight at 8:30 pm. I have trouble getting into the draft room with Google Chrome, so try a different browser if that isn't working for you.

Scott
zach e.d. at Oct 8, 2024 2:13 PM
In the interest of transparency, I am changing the trade review period from 48 hours to 24 hours. People have complained about this in the past. If anyone super-duper objects to this, let me know.
zach e.d. at Sep 25, 2024 3:47 PM
We've gotten two very good excuses as to why they can't do the week of the 15th. Both individuals asked to push it back to the preceding week. Benevolent dictator that I am, I obliged them. The draft will now be on Tuesday, October 8, at 8:30PM. Please let me know if you have any real objections to this.
zach e.d. at Sep 25, 2024 12:38 PM
What's up everybody!

That fantasy basketball season is just around the corner! That means we need to have our auction draft. I've set it for October 15 at 8:00 PM EDT. Let me know if this absolutely does not work for you. Otherwise, I'll see you all there for what should be a rollicking good time.
zach e.d. at Sep 23, 2024 11:11 AM
The reason you're seeing some of the more seasoned Ottoneu players dropping guys right now is because the keeper deadline is this Sunday, September 15, at 11:59 PM EDT. This is the last chance for you to drop players without a cap hit, and your last chance to trade players before the draft. You also need to be below the cap by this point - looks like everyone except Kyle and EJ have legal rosters however, so good on y'all. Let me know if you have any questions or would like to trade me a really good player on a cheap contract.
zach e.d. at Sep 12, 2024 10:18 AM

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