Three Players to Sell Now
Kyrie Irving, G, Brooklyn Nets
31.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.0 BPG, 5.5 3P/G
If there was ever a time I wish I turn out to be wrong it’s right now. As a Brooklyn Nets fan, Irving has brought joy to me unparalleled to anything in the basketball realm. However, it’s no secret how injury-prone he is. A rule in not only fantasy sports, but finance in general, is to sell something when it’s at his highest point even though the price will eventually drop. Take the PlayStation 5 for example, right now it’s reselling for $768 on StockX, but in a few months that price will deflate dramatically. Now apply this idea to basketball. Irving is playing phenomenalright now, arguably even better than teammate Kevin Durant using statistics and the eye test. People overreact to the present and will buy Irving for a ridiculous price even though this current rate likely isn’t sustainable. Plus, it would be a miracle if Irving remains healthy the whole season. Even if he does, selling him now will land you a minimum of two great players that can produce; can never be mad about that.
Jonas Valančiūnas, C, Memphis Grizzlies
14.0 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 1.0 3P/G
Right now, Valančiūnas is playing like the perfect traditional big, aside from his one three-point make per game. He’s had the second most rebounds thus far with 25, and comes with a 10+ points per game guarantee. In addition to this, he’s a solid defender as he’s netted one steal and block per contest. However, these numbers will decrease once the young Jaren Jackson Jr. returns from injury. The unicorn is a spectacle, as he had averages of 17.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.6 BPG, and 2.5 3P/G last season. These numbers are eye-popping aside from the rebounding number, however, according to teammate Dillon Brooks, Jackson Jr. showed up to camp “maybe 2-3 inches taller.” This should greatly help his rebounding numbers. While Valančiūnas is a great player, Jackson Jr. is a part of Memphis’ long-term plan and he should get lots of run in order to build chemistry with rising superstar Ja Morant.
Kemba Walker, G, Boston Celtics
N/A (Injury)
While holding out on an injured player, like the aforementioned Porziņģis, can be a great strategy depending on the situation, Kemba’s situation is not one of those ideal scenarios. Porziņģis has already returned to 5-on-0 drill work in practice while Walker received a stem cell injection in his left knee this offseason and has been working to increase the strength in his knee. Last year prior to the Orlando bubble, Walker dealt with knee soreness throughout the season, and when they got into the bubble he still needed to manage his playing time even though he got four months off. Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said that Kemba is “…still a long way away (from returning).” In the aging star’s absence, the young duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have flourished. They’ve averaged 30 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 1.5 3P/G and 25.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.0 BPG, and 4.0 3P/G respectively. Kemba can still net you a solid return despite this, as people will try to play the long haul. However, suffering through two months (maybe more) to get a player that’ll need load management forced back into a lineup that has built chemistry without him is not worth it.
