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Fantasy Fallout: Even with the move to Indiana, don't reach too high for Young

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the fantasy implications following the Brooklyn Nets trading PF Thaddeus Young to the Indiana Pacers for the No. 20 pick in Thursday's draft plus a future second-rounder:

Young was largely seen as a borderline mid-round pick heading into drafts in 2015. With his dual eligibility between power forward and small forward, he represented flexible value. He averaged 15.1 points per game, the third best mark in his seven-year career and easily dwarfed expectations with nine rebounds per game. His previous career high was 7.5.

Beyond that, Young is fairly limited. But with the Pacers rebuilding on the fly, pairing him with superstar Paul George will be an interesting storyline. George will be the center of the offense, as he should be, and newly acquired Jeff Teague will be in charge of getting the ball to both of them. Anticipate a slight dip in Young's scoring with more of the focus going to George.

In a perfect situation, Young keeps his added rebounding from 2015-16, but it's difficult to put too much weight on a one-season sample that deviated so much from his career trajectory. If it works, all three could see respective value increase in certain categories. The depth could also negatively impact George's production as he defers to his supporting cast more often.

Young will likely see his ADP rise based on recent performance, though he probably shouldn't be drafted before the seventh round in standard formats. There are too many variables at play, but he should be a nice complementary selection as a swing man.

Other Notes

  • This leaves the Nets with youth and inexperience. Sophomore SG Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will hope to play a full season, but probably won't be taken until later rounds.
  • Assuming he's still with the Nets at the start of the season, C Brook Lopez is far and away the best fantasy option in Brooklyn. The big man had arguably his most balanced statistical season in 2015-16 and should be a top-10 center.
  • Keep an eye on the 20th pick. With Hollis-Jefferson and PF Chris McCullough leftovers from late in the first round of last year's draft, this could be a team of young guns with some sleeper upside.

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