Steven

Adams

This transaction has nothing to do with on-court impact and everything to do with the salary cap. Adams underwent season-ending knee surgery in October, while Oladipo doesn’t have a timeline for return after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon. Memphis gets some draft capital with the move, receiving three second-round picks.

Adams was cleared for training camp in early October after dealing with this injury at the end of last season and throughout the offseason, but he will get surgery because the “non-operative rehabilitation did not resolve ongoing knee instability.” With Brandon Clarke (Achilles) out and without a timeline for return, suddenly Xavier Tillman gets a huge boost in fantasy value. Santi Aldama and Kenny Lofton should also be called on more off the bench.

Adams’ 2022-23 season ended in late January, as he suffered a sprained PCL in his right knee. During Grizzlies media day on Monday, the veteran center said that he was “in a good place” physically, and he’s been given full clearance to return to the court. While Adams’ fantasy value wasn’t particularly high last season, his presence helps Jaren Jackson Jr. as he takes on the more physical defensive matchup. Adams’ rebounding prowess makes him worthy of late-round consideration, but fantasy managers will take a hit in the free-throw percentage category.

After starting 14 of the 112 games he appeared in during his first two seasons in Memphis, injuries made Tillman a more important member of the team’s rotation in 2022-23. Starting 29 of 61 games, he averaged 7.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 19.1 minutes. Tillman’s biggest boost in playing time occurred when Steven Adams was sidelined by a knee injury. With Adams expected to be ready for the start of the season, Tillman’s fantasy value will take a hit. However, he will be worth streaming in instances when either Adams or Jaren Jackson Jr. are sidelined due to injury.

Adams has been sidelined since January due to a sprained PCL in his right knee. He underwent a stem cell injection in early March to aid in the recovery process, but it appears likely that the veteran center will not be available during the postseason. Xavier Tillman will remain the starting center, with Santi Aldama also of added importance to the Grizzlies’ frontcourt rotation.

This certainly isn’t a good development, as the hope was that Adams would be able to return at some point in March. The updated timeline takes the remainder of the regular season off the table, so there’s no need to continue stashing him in an IL+ spot. Xavier Tillman has been filling the void in the starting lineup. That will continue to be the case, so fantasy managers should not hesitate to add him wherever he’s available.

With Brandon Clarke done for the season, expect Xavier Tillman to remain in the starting lineup and log significant minutes. Over his last six appearances, Tillman has averaged 11.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks across 30.0 minutes per tilt. He’s a strong streamer for as long as Adams is out.

Adams’ continued absence means Xavier Tillman will get another start. Providing 11th-round value over the last three weeks, Tillman is rostered in 24% of Yahoo leagues. He’s a good streaming option if available in your league.

Adams will remain sidelined, which means Xavier Tillman will get another start. Tillman has been a top-75 player over the last week and should be streamed in standard leagues due to the absences of Adams and Brandon Clarke (Achilles).

While Adams was initially given an early March timeline for a return, he still isn’t ready for game action. Xavier Tillman will remain in the starting lineup until “Aquamane” is cleared to play, and he is worth a look in extremely deep leagues.