Fantasy Daily: The Marcus Camby Deal

Another day…another trade. Today the inevitable transpired. Marcus Camby was traded. With an expiring contract along with Blake Griffin’s impending start as the starting power forward, it was only a matter of time until Camby got dealt. Likewise, Portland had seen season ending injuries to Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. They had been starting Juwan “The Fossil” Howard at center and desperately needed an upgrade to fulfill post-season aspirations. In the end, Portland sent the expiring contracts of Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw along with three million dollars cash for the former defensive player of the year. On paper, the deal is a steal for Portland. The team gets to fill the void in the middle with a tremendous defensive presence. In doing so, they are only giving up Outlaw who is out for the year and Blake whose place on the depth chart has been usurped following Andre Miller and his recent production. For the Clippers the reasoning is clear: money. Furthermore, according to the twitter account of Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo sports, the three million dollar figure was why LA chose Portland’s offer over others that were on the table.

Camby is a bit of an enigma. Because of this, the impact on fantasy should be quite interesting. Despite a limited offensive game, Camby is consistently one of the most undervalued and surprisingly valuable players in the game. This season, his line of 7.7, 12.1 and 3 are helped out by 1.4 steals, 1.9 blocks, and only 1.3 turnovers. His low free throw percentage is neutralized by the fact that he takes a mere 1.8 attempts per game. He doesn’t require the ball to be productive, he just needs playing time. In Portland they are so desperate for an interior presence that Camby could in fact see more time on the floor. With a 7’ LaMarcus Aldridge offering the intimidation factor of a small child covered in hello kitty paraphernalia, Camby’s defensive prowess makes for a very welcome addition. While Camby may be disappointed about leaving his home in Los Angeles, any fantasy owner should be happy about the move, or at the very worst, feel quite neutral. While most players of his value lose stock when traded to a contender, Camby will persevere.

For LA, the players coming in are of little consequence. I think Travis Outlaw could be a terrific player with his defense and versatility. If they re-sign him he could be an absolute coup, but for now…he’s a non-factor. Following foot surgery in November, he was told it would be 3-5 months until his return. While he may make a homecoming for the end of the season, it’s tough to imagine him being healthy enough or receiving enough minutes to be a fantasy factor (although I would certainly keep an eye on the situation). As for Blake, he goes from a part-time starter logging 27 minutes a game to being the backup of Baron Davis. With boom-diddy playing 34 minutes per game, Blake’s opportunity will shrink even more. Those 7.6 points and 4 assists could have been valuable in a deep league, but following the trade 6 and 3 seem more likely.

Even if Blake got run at the two-guard, he would be competing with a tremendous young player in Eric Gordon (who is also averaging over 34 minutes per game). I would say the winner in the deal is either Craig Smith or DeAndre Jordan. While neither are household names, they both bring something to the table and should log big minutes with the starting power forward spot now vacant. Smith is an alum of my Alma Matter Boston College so I have quite a soft spot for the big fella. At 6’7, he is undersized for a power forward but his strength and remarkable tough around the basket have allowed him to average per 36 numbers of 17.6, 8 and 2.4.  If he lands the starting gig, he would be a great add in deeper leagues and a player to watch in others. DeAndre Jordan is kind of the anti-Craig Smith. While Smith makes the most of his limited size and athleticism, Jordan is all potential and no production. A second round pick last year, Jordan was a projected top 5 pick out of High School. With the size and athleticism that one can only compare to Dwight Howard (albeit less freakish), Jordan could be a terrific sleeper. At 6’11 265, the Clippers could continue their trend of starting two centers. While LA may see the potential of DJ9, he is only logging 12 minutes per game averaging 3.7 and 3.6. His ceiling may be higher than Smith, but it’s going to take a long time (if ever) to see the surface of his potential being scratched. Again, this is a player to watch…not necessarily a player to add.

As these trades keep coming, I’ll keep reporting. Trade deadline gets me more excited than a kid in…a…uhhhh….well some kind of a store. This particular trade didn’t have the most impactful fantasy ramifications, but did produce an open starting spot. If only Smith were 6’9 he’d be an all-star (and if only William Shatner could act he would have an Oscar). So while I hope my fellow Eagle flies high, I can hardly guarantee he changes your season outlook.