Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (knee) is targeting next Wednesday to return from his knee injury and debut for his new team. Durant has missed the past month and a half with an MCL sprain, but is very close to returning to the court. Durant will have some new threads when he returns after being traded to the Suns over the trade deadline, but should have no impact on his starting role. Durant will likely be listed as questionable for next Wednesday as the Suns continue to update on his status.

The NBA trade deadline has officially come and gone and we had one of the most active deadlines in recent memory with some big stars being dealt. Kyrie, KD, and Westbrook are all heading to new teams and we have been covering those trades and their fantasy impacts here at RotoBaller.But there were plenty of other lesser-known players who were dealt in the last few days and I wanted to go through and make sure we don't overlook some of these trades as some of those deals may even have more fantasy impact than the big moves.So here are some other trades that went down and my two cents on the increase or decrease in value that we should expect from the players involved for the remainder of the 2022-2023 fantasy basketball season. 

Moves That Matter

These are very much in order of how much they matter. Let's start with the Spurs sending their starting center back up North where he started his career.Jakob Poeltl to the RaptorsI am a huge Poeltl fan and was close to acquiring him on multiple teams before the deadline. It was a curious move by Toronto to be buyers instead of sellers at the deadline, but Poeltl gives them the presence at the five they have been lacking all season and allows Siakam to shift over and play PF where he belongs.Poeltl is no longer a shutdown candidate and has legit top-50 upside with his multi-category abilities. His departure also makes ... [More]

As hectic as this year's NBA trade deadline has been, with 28 out of the 30 teams making at least one trade, early Thursday morning at 1:00 am, a blockbuster trade went down that not many expected. However, if you had read my previous article, you could have gotten a glimpse of the future thanks to my magic ball, as the first "potential trade" I wrote about was sending Kevin Durant to none other than the Pheonix Suns.Kevin Durant is undeniably a top-three player and arguably even the best in the NBA right now. It's not surprising to hear how stunned the NBA world was after seeing this trade, as the Suns sold a huge chunk of their future for the Nets superstar but were somehow saved from involving Deandre Ayton in the trade!Any average NBA fan knows how much of an impact future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant has on any team, but to emphasize just how much, check this out: The Suns went from odds of +1800 of winning the finals to +450 on Thursday morning after the huge trade, now only behind the Boston Celtics, who lead the race with their odds being +350. 

Kevin Durant's Season Recap

Durant (knee) has been sidelined for over a month after getting hurt on January 8 against the Miami Heat and remains without a timetable to return to make his debut with the Suns. Before getting hurt, the 13-time All-Star was averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 36 minutes in 39 appearances this season.

FULL TRADE DETAILS:

Suns- Kevin Durant- TJ WarrenNets- ... [More]

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kevin Durant has been traded to the Phoenix Suns in the small hours of the morning on Wednesday. After seeing James Harden go last season and Kyrie Irving get shipped to Dallas, Durant was the last one of the big three to fall in Brooklyn. As of right now, the 34-year-old is still sidelined through the All-Star break, so his debut for Phoenix could still be a little ways away. He'll remain an elite fantasy asset as he's averaged 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks so far this season.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (knee) is expected to sit through the All-Star break and does not have a timetable to return. Durant is still recovering from an MCL sprain and has not been cleared for contact yet. With the break only a week away, the added rest should put Durant on schedule to return shortly after the break. The Nets are likely to be busy at the trade deadline, but for now, Cam Thomas should be the main focus on offense until newly acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith are up to speed.

Without a doubt, Kyrie Irving is arguably one of the most naturally gifted players in the National Basketball Association. He's a fantastic ball-handler and can get to the rim with ease. However, the former Duke Blue Devil's career has been surrounded by controversy, ultimately impacting his ability to win an MVP.The NBA trade deadline kicked off with a bang when Irving, who had demanded a trade out of Brooklyn, was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. NBA fans and fantasy managers are left wondering how things will play out.To keep close tabs on all of the news across the NBA, make sure to favorite or bookmark the RotoBaller Fantasy Basketball Newspage, or download the free RotoBaller fantasy basketball mobile app with push notification alerts on all the latest news. 

Kyrie Irving's Season Recap

Irving got suspended for an antisemitic social media post, keeping him out of the lineup for eight games. But since then, the 30-year-old stayed out of the limelight, so most had assumed he finally turned things around. He's played well all season, averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 40 appearances.https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1622324668047794177?s=20&t=NTffJ2tRvNpjAA7bddjYHQHe was also selected to the All-Star team for the eighth time in his career. However, things were apparently going too well, as Irving dropped a bombshell by requesting a trade. His wish was granted, as he was sent to Dallas in exchange for ... [More]

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (knee) will be returning to on-court activities and running this week as he progresses in his recovery from an MCL sprain. The team will re-evaluate him in two weeks according to Adrian Wojnarowski. This means he's on track to be back right around the All-Star break which is what he was aiming for. He likely wouldn't play if he's cleared for only one or two games right before the break, but fantasy managers should stay tuned for more updates as those two weeks progress. In the meantime, look for Yuta Watanabe and Joe Harris to contribute a little more in his absence.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (knee) is expected to miss roughly a month of action. This is bad news for the Nets who were playing extremely well as of late. The All-Star forward is dealing with a right MCL sprain. It sounds like his return date is around February 9th, but the All-Star break is only 10 days away from that. It wouldn't be shocking to see the Nets hold out Durant until after the All-Star Break. His absence is going to leave a massive void in the rotation. The Nets are expected to use a committee approach in Durant's absence. T.J. Warren, Yuta Watanabe, Joe Harris and Seth Curry are all expected to see more playing time. It's tough to know which player is going to do the best out of the bunch. Fantasy managers are likely going to have to take a wait-and-see approach here.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (knee) is set to miss time following an injury during Sunday's game. The All-Star forward tweaked his knee and underwent further imaging on Monday. Those results revealed that Durant has suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee. The Nets plan to shut down Durant and re-evaluate him in two weeks. That is not good news for the surging Nets. They will likely have to use a committee approach to fill the void with Durant out. The minutes will likely be split up between Yuta Watanabe, Joe Harris and Seth Curry. None of them are great fantasy options, but could be streaming choices depending on their increased roles.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant is set to have an MRI on his right knee on Monday after injuring it in Sunday's clash with Miami. Durant got hurt near the end of the third quarter when Jimmy Butler fell on his knee. The four-time scoring champ tried to carry on at first, but the Nets called a timeout 30 seconds after the incident occurred and Durant was done for the night. He finished with 17 points on 5-for-11 shooting and had five rebounds with two assists, one steal and one block. Kyrie Irving eventually led the team to a 102-101 win with 29 points. The team will be relying very heavily on him if Durant is forced to miss time. Meanwhile, T.J. Warren and Yuta Watanabe should share the bulk of the available minutes.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant went bonkers against the Chicago Bulls, but it ultimately wasn't enough as the team's win streak ended on Wednesday. The superstar forward finished the game with 44 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks while shooting an uber-efficient 68.2% from the floor on 22 attempts and 5-for-10 from beyond the arc. Durant has been able to cash in some huge offensive efforts this season as he now has three 40-point games.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant played a huge role in the win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. The superstar registered 26 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks on 47.1% shooting and a perfect nine-for-nine from the free-throw line. While the Nets have been on this 10-game win streak, Durant has averaged 29.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steal per game on an absurd 58.1% overall and 44.7% from deep.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant finished with 24 points on Friday in the win over Milwaukee. It wasn't Durant's best shooting performance, going 9-for-17 from the field and 2-for-6 from deep. However, he made up for it by adding six assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one block. The 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player is in the running for another while also leading Brooklyn to its eighth consecutive win. With a few days off, Durant and company will hit the road for three games away from Barclays, beginning with a meeting in Cleveland on Monday night.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant had himself a night as he helped his team sneak by the Detroit Pistons for a three-point win. The 34-year-old ended with 43 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks while shooting 14-for-22 from the floor and a spicy 60% from three on five attempts. While that was only his second 40-point game of the season, it also marked his 16th game with at least 30 points. For those keeping score back home, that would be over half of his games played so far this season.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant returned from a one-game absence with a 30-point performance in Monday's 112-100 win over Washington. He looked very sharp after getting rested against Indiana on Saturday, shooting 11-for-17 from the field and 3-for-6 from downtown. KD's work in 33 minutes included nine rebounds and six assists with one steal and one block. The veteran superstar continued his outstanding campaign with another fantastic performance, but it shouldn't be a surprise for anyone by now, with Durant being one of the most consistent players in the league. We know won't be seeing another Brooklyn back-to-back until the latter half of January, so fantasy managers can just sit back and relax for a bit and simply enjoy Durant's greatness on a nightly basis.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (knee) won't play on Saturday against Indiana. According to the league's official injury report, the veteran is out for right knee injury management. However, considering the amount of work Durant has logged this year, including 36 minutes in Friday night's win over Atlanta, he's likely just getting a night off to rest. Yuta Watanabe (hamstring), who's missed the previous 10 games, may take Durant's place in the lineup. Watanabe has averaged 8.1 points while sinking 57% of his tries from deep this season. He has an excellent chance to be a top performer versus the Pacers, even more so since Kyrie Irving (adductor), Ben Simmons (knee), T.J. Warren (foot), Joe Harris (ankle), Seth Curry (hamstring), and ... [More]

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant nearly missed out on a triple-double during Wednesday's win over Charlotte, finishing with 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Durant has played well this season. However, he's been getting a ton of work, averaging just under 37 minutes. With the Nets hosting the Hawks on Friday for the first of back-to-back outings before starting a road trip, Durant is due for a game off to rest sometime soon.

Brooklyn Nets small forward Kevin Durant was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday after he dropped an average of 33 points and seven boards over his last four outings, in which his team went 3-1. In a career chock full of impressive shooting campaigns, Durant is on pace for his best yet with a 55.3% field-goal percentage through his first 25 contests. With four scoring titles already under his belt, Durant is again in the chase for 2022-23 at 29.9 PPG, which ranks him sixth in the league. A star the caliber of Durant's is essential matchup-proof from a fantasy perspective, but his having played a full minutes allotment each night thus far -- with zero games missed -- has vaulted him to the highest echelon.

Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant had another big scoring night during a loss as the team fell to the Boston Celtics. He registered 31 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks on 54.2% from the floor and 20% shooting from deep. The stat that stood out outside of the scoring was the eight turnovers. Hopefully, threes and turnovers weren't needed to end the week for a lot of fantasy rosters out there. Durant remains one of the four best fantasy assets in the league though.