Portland

Trail Blazers

Having begun his college career at North Carolina, Love played his final two seasons at Arizona. In his first and only season in the Big 12, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.6 three-pointers per game. Shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the foul line, Love never shied away from the big moment, but the shot selection and efficiency left something to be desired at times. That said, his turnover average decreased in each of his five seasons. Love will likely spend more time with the Rip City Remix, but he is a fun scoring option that is worth taking a chance on for Portland.

Yang is on his way to the Trail Blazers in a trade along with a 2028 first-round pick and two second-round picks in exchange for the No. 11 pick that the Grizzlies used on Cedric Coward. Yang is one of China’s brightest emerging stars, and along with Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, the 7’1, 249-pound center is one of the draft’s biggest prospects. He spent the last two seasons with the Qingdao Eagles, where his skill as a passer was evident. He’s got a deep bag for a center and excellent court vision to get teammates involved. Passing big men are cheat codes in fantasy hoops, and Yang could be a name to watch depending on how he develops in the NBA. He was one of the surprises of the first round, as most draft experts expected him to come off the board in the second round.

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Coward will be traded to the Grizzlies for the No. 16 pick, a 2028 first-round pick via Orlando and two future second-round picks. The move makes sense for Memphis after they traded Desmond Bane to Orlando. Coward started out his collegiate career with D3 Willamette before spending two years at Eastern Washington and his final season at Washington State. The 6’5, 213 pound wing averaged 17.7 points, seven boards, 3.7 assists, 2.5 “stocks,” and two triples per game while shooting eye-popping 60/40/84 splits. Coward can rebound and facilitate at a high level, but his biggest strengths are three-point shooting and defense, making him a solid three-and-D prospect at the next level. He’ll be a great fit alongside Ja Morant in Memphis’ backcourt.

Thybulle is in the final year of a three-year, $33 million deal he signed with Portland in 2023, and he’ll be back for at least one more season. The French forward is a three-and-D specialist who holds much more value on the basketball court than he does in fantasy lineups. He can be left on the waiver wire in 2025-26 fantasy drafts.

Drafted by the Trail Blazers in 2018, Simons spent seven years in Portland and averaged between 17.3 and 22.6 points per game over the last four years. He’s entering a situation with the Celtics where he could be asked to carry a high-usage role in the absence of Jayson Tatum. With Simons on an expiring contract, the Celtics made a low-risk move getting away from the $72 million owed to Holiday. The Celtics could remain active in the trade market, only adding to Simons’ opportunity next year. Simons was ranked 110th in per game value on Basketball Monster last year. After playing a career-high 70 games last year, Simons could be set up for a career year with the Celtics.

One year after winning a championship and signing a contract extension, Holiday is on his way out of Boston. The 35-year-old point guard was traded back to the Trail Blazers in a move that saves Boston enough cap space to potentially get under the second apron. Holiday averaged 11.1 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game last year. He was ranked 107th in per game value by Basketball Monster. The Trail Blazers were aggressive in re-acquiring Holiday, who should have a major role with the team next year.

Banton played well as the starting point guard for Portland over their final seven games of the season. During this stretch as a starter, he has scored at least 20 points four times. He was also able to match his season-high of 23 points, which he has done a surprising four times this season without ever scoring more. Banton has benefitted from the absences of Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson, and he is set to be a free agent this summer. He could find a new team where he can be the backup point guard, but it will be difficult for him to find a situation where he can start.

Clingan closed out his rookie season on a high note by posting the eighth double-double of his young career. He has proven that he can be an effective player in a starting role, but it’s unclear what the rotation will look like in Portland next season. Deandre Ayton figures to be the starting center as long as he is with the Trail Blazers, and there hasn’t been any indication that they intend to move on. Clingan likely won’t be worth drafting next season if Ayton is on the roster.

Avdija was initially doubtful for Sunday’s game, while Sharpe was questionable. Deni was one of the revelations of the fantasy basketball season, especially after moving into the starting lineup just after Christmas. From December 28 onward, he was a top-60 player in eight-cat formats. As for Sharpe, he remains a superior option for points league formats than category leagues, but his value increased after a knee injury sidelined Jerami Grant in early March. Kris Murray and Rayan Rupert should play significant minutes for Sunday’s season finale.