The NBA won the summer with a busy offseason that featured plenty of big names on the move. One of the most interesting storylines as the summer winds down is which newcomers will have the most positive impacts on their team this coming season and have an increase in fantasy value. Here is a look at the best newcomers of the 2017 NBA free agency period.
Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
There has been a lot of talk about how Paul and James Harden will fare sharing the rock in Houston this season. Perhaps there should be more talk about how dangerous both players are as off-the-ball options. Paul shot 57-percent from the field on unguarded catch-and-shoot attempts last season, which was better than Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and J.J. Redick among others. Paul will provide a change of pace option for head coach Mike D’Antoni and allow the Rockets to be more deceptive in their offense.
From a fantasy perspective, you have to like the value of Paul now. With the Clippers, he was a key cog in the offense but that team played at a much slower pace, was less efficient and scored less points. The Rockets will run-and-gun, and Paul will have far more opportunities to pile up the stats.
Houston became that much more dangerous with the addition of Paul and his fantasy value is on the rise.
Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder were outscored by 58 points in the 46 minutes that Russell Westbrook was not on the floor in their first round playoff series loss to Houston last season. Now they have another option when they give their biggest star a break.
George is the perfect complement to Westbrook as an outstanding catch-and-shoot option off the ball. He is also fully capable of running the floor and playing defense at a high level.
In terms of fantasy, remember that George had to do it all in Indiana last season. Yes, Westbrook will still suck up most of the fantasy stats, but George is now going to be playing with the best supporting cast he’s ever had. There will be less pressure on him to do it and he’ll face less defensive attention. His fantasy value is on the way up.
Jimmy Butler, Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota really struggled to close out games last season. The addition of Butler should help in that area as well as others. The Timberwolves were outscored by 14.3 points per 100 possessions in clutch time. Butler should help in that area as one of the NBA’s leaders in PER in clutch situations.
In terms of fantasy, you’d have to think that Butler is in a better position to contribute. The situation in Chicago grew toxic last year but now Butler gets a fresh start. He also goes to play for a coach that he loves. On the floor, he’ll be surrounded with far more talent as he’ll get to play with rising superstars Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. That means defenses won’t be able to key in on him as they did in Chicago.
Butler’s defensive ability could also rub off on some of the team’s younger players including most notably Andrew Wiggins. Minnesota has the talent to be a playoff team in 2017-18. The addition of Butler is a big part of that outlook and his fantasy value is on the rise.
Gordon Hayward, Boston Celtics
Hayward averaged a career-high 21.9 points per game with the Utah Jazz last season. Now he will provide the Celtics with the scoring winger they so desperately needed. Hayward can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting and put up big numbers as an outstanding catch-and-shoot option. Hayward ranked 16th in the NBA in scoring on a per-possession basis a year ago and if he can maintain that efficiency he will be incredibly dangerous in Boston.
In terms of fantasy, expect his numbers to see a boost. He played in a defense-first setup in Utah but now he’ll be on a team with a much more free-flowing offense.
The Celtics are banking on Hayward putting them over the top as a championship contender this coming year. He will certainly be a key piece if Boston is going to return to title contention in 2017-18.
The 2017 NBA futures are out. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
