The Magic made all the headlines this past weekend, completing two separate trades to land Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hidayet Turkoglu. Richardson and Turkoglu were immediately slotted into the starting lineup while Arenas came off the bench in Monday's loss to the Hawks. Turkoglu is the main beneficiary from the change of scenery. While his stat line (eight points, six rebounds, three assists, one try, one steal) in Monday's loss wasn't all that impressive, it should be noted that he eclipsed 35 minutes of playing time for just the third time this season. The boost in playing time should be huge for Turkoglu. I'm optimistic that Hedo can rediscover some of the solid all-around production he showed during his previous stint in Orlando.
Of the players Orlando traded away, Marcin Gortat is the only one I would upgrade. He'll begin his Phoenix career as Robin Lopez's backup, but I expect Gortat to eventually earn a sizable role with his new team, possibly even starting before too long. His per-36 minute averages sit at 10.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, so there's plenty of fantasy value to be had with Gortat once he starts seeing the minutes.
I wasn't fast enough to scoop up Gortat in most of my leagues, but there could be another trade coming soon with plenty of fallout for fantasy purposes. The Nets and Nuggets are reportedly advancing on a deal that would land Carmelo Anthony in New Jersey. The likely multi-team trade would see numerous players swapping places, so fantasy owners would be smart to keep tabs on the situation and see where all the pieces land. A couple gems are sure to be found if/when the deal happens.
If you're looking for an underrated comedy, check out Party Down. Watched Season 1 this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised. The Starz show only lasted two seasons due to a lack of ratings (seriously, who has Starz), but it's well worth a rental.
Mike Miller returned to action Monday night, finishing 0-for-4 from the floor with four rebounds in four minutes of action. While Miller had a quiet debut with the Heat, potential owners shouldn't be scared off. All four of his shots came from beyond the arc, so Miller looks plenty comfortable bombing away for his new squad. He's worth a look in nearly every format.
Brandon Jennings is expected to miss four to six weeks while he recovers from a broken foot. Keyon Dooling will take over as the Bucks' starting point guard. Dooling won't put up eye-popping numbers, but he can contribute enough in points, assists, steals and threes to warrant consideration in mid to deep sized leagues. The Bucks were already the lowest scoring team in the NBA prior to Jennings' injury, so expect a new level of offensive ineptitude to be reached over the next month or so.
Richard Hamilton's days as a Piston appear to be nearing a tumultuous end. The former All-Star is reportedly upset over his diminished role on the team. The Pistons would love to trade Hamilton and the $25+ million owed to him over the next two seasons, but the front office hasn't been able to pursue many offers due to the impending sale of the franchise. Fantasy owners should start to look for other options, as Detroit seems content relying on Ben Gordon until Rip is shipped out of town.
Rajon Rondo is the engine that stirs the Celtics drink. If you don't understand this reference, you don't watch enough TNT on Thursday nights.