We’ve had just 10 days to underreact and overreact to the 2024-25 NBA campaign. Taking advantage of these early showings may bear some real roster upgrades for your fantasy team before players and teams figure themselves out. There’s no better time to start badgering your league-mates about trades than now.
Week 1 trade advice, let’s go. Here’s to a great season.
Check out the latest fantasy basketball expert consensus rankings
Fantasy Basketball Trade Advice (Week 1)
Trade For
To say Jamal Murray has struggled out of the gates would be an understatement. Through four games, the ninth-year guard is averaging 18.8 points, five rebounds and 4.8 assists on 37.9% shooting from the field, which stands as the worst of his career. His 35% rate from deep is his lowest mark in five years.
The bright side? Murray ranks second in the NBA in minutes per game (Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are first, third, 12th and 18th, respectively) and he’s getting off 16.5 field-goal attempts per game. Denver needs Murray to shoot well and often. It would be unrealistic to expect his poor efficiency to stick.
Players to Trade Him for Who Are Ranked Higher: Fred VanVleet (G – HOU)
Trade Away
Who would you rather have:
- Player A —Averages 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists on 42.4/35.4/92 splits
- Player B — Averages 24.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists on 54.7/55.3/87 splits
Player B certainly sounds like the better option.
Player A represents Damian Lillard‘s performance from last season. Player B represents Dennis Schroder’s otherworldly opening stretch to this season.
A career 43.5% shooter from the field, Schroder has set box scores ablaze to begin the year. It’s impossible to know when this scoring tear will end, but it will… eventually. Maybe?
Players to Trade Him for Who Are Ranked Lower: Klay Thompson (G – DAL)
Trade For
Jonathan Kuminga (PG, SF – GSW)
Jonathan Kuminga’s name was a frequent shout in Most Improved Player predictions during the summer, but the athletic forward has had a slow start to the season. In 23 minutes per game, Kuminga is posting just 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals in five appearances. In his defense, there’s been stiff competition for shots as Golden State’s well-balanced scoring attack has six different Warriors averaging double figures.
With Steph Curry battling a tweaked ankle and Andrew Wiggins having missed the last two contests with a back injury, Kuminga has a real shot at making up for his lackluster start with greater opportunity.
Players to Trade Him for Who Are Ranked Higher: Tobias Harris (F – DET), Miles Bridges (F – CHA)
Trade Away
Mike Budenholzer has been bad news for Jusuf Nurkic’s fantasy stock, who was already an awkward fit in Phoenix’s lineup. The big man’s 21.5 minutes and seven shots per game are the lowest since his second season in Denver.
Nurkic receiving decreased minutes is entirely supported by the numbers. According to the most recent data on NBA.com, the 29 minutes Nurkic, Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant have shared have left Phoenix with an abysmal net rating of -43.6.
Budenholzer has backup center Mason Plumlee averaging just four minutes fewer than Nurkic and frequently opts for small-ball by subbing in Royce O’Neale for Nurkic.
Limited minutes mean far less offensive production for Nurkic, who needs buckets and boards to stay relevant in fantasy.
Players to Trade Him for Who Are Ranked Lower: Draymond Green (F – GSW), Walker Kessler (C – UTA)
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