Keeper Decisions: Dwyane Wade, Otto Porter, Avery Bradley
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In part three of our Keeper Decisions series, we look at one of the league's best scorers of all time, and two dynamic players that have put together career years.
SG Dwyane Wade, Chicago Bulls
Wade's first season in Chicago was, despite the drama, surprisingly solid. At 35 years old, Wade has averaged 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 57 games. He's also notched the third-best 3-point shooting year of his career in terms of volume, knocking down 0.8 threes a game.
The health concerns and age, however, are major issues. Keeper leagues obviously place more emphasis on youth, and Wade is not going to help your team for much more than another year or two. Unless you project to contend next year, cutting Wade seems like the clear choice.
It's hard to slight one of the best scorers in league history, but keeper leagues are predicated on the future, and Wade simply isn't going to be a part of it much longer. As a scorer with limited contributions in almost every other category, Wade's services can be replaced. He's no longer going to average 20 PPG.
Verdict: CUT
SF Otto Porter, Washington Wizards
Washington's backcourt of PG John Wall and SG Bradley Beal deservedly get a lot of credit for the Wizards' success this season. But Porter's quietly put together a fantastic season of his own, notching career-highs in points, rebounds, 3-point shooting, free-throw percentage, and field-goal percentage. His legitimate contributions in all these categories have him ranked as a top-40 fantasy player on the season.
Soon to finish the season in that elite grouping of players, Porter has quickly vaulted, if not cemented, his keeper appeal. The main argument against Porter would simply be that he likely doesn't have much more room to grow in Washington. Beal and Wall will continue to lead, while Porter plays third fiddle.
Assuming another mid-range usage rate of 15 percent again next year, Porter isn't likely to drastically improve his 15-point, five-rebound per game appeal. Considering the top-40 upside and efficiency he's displayed this season though, Porter should be considered safe. After all, the former third-overall pick has improved his production in each of his three campaigns since his 2013-14 rookie season.
Verdict: KEEP
SG Avery Bradley, Boston Celtics
Bradley's managed to more than double his career average in rebounding this year for the Celtics, moving from a career mark of three boards per game to 6.2 this season. That can be attributed to Boston's poor rebounding frontcourt leaving a handful of boards for versatile players like Bradley to scoop up. That rebounding, however, has been a boon for Bradley's fantasy value this year.
If Boston trades Bradley ahead of his impending 2018 free agency (and dramatic pay raise), his ability to sustain this season's output would be in serious jeopardy. There's little chance that Bradley lands in a similar situation that raises his rebounding potential so dramatically. If he was acquired by a playoff contender, he'd likely be relegated to high-end role-player duties.
A reversion back to a 15-point, three-assist player with few defensive stats and mediocre shooting percentages would be disappointing. Anything less would be a catastrophic mismanagement of your keepers. There's little reason to think that Bradley has even more untapped potential. The 2016-17 season was probably his career year.
Verdict: CUT
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)