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USATSI

January is nearing its final week and the NBA's Feb. 9 trade deadline is right around the corner. Trading has begun. Reports are revealing what players are most likely to attract suitors and what teams are looking to buy and sell ahead of All-Star weekend. So how should the Fantasy managers of highly sought after targets react? We've identified a group of players worth keeping an eye on to project whether a new team will help or hurt their Fantasy upside.

So who should managers try to move or hold onto in Week 15? Here are five options to consider:

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  • Rui Hachimura: The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be very active ahead of the trade deadline and have already made a significant move by sending Kendrick Nunn and three future draft picks to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Hachimura. While Hachimura has only come off the bench this season, he's averaged 13.0 points on 24.3 minutes per night. He's bound to take on a bigger role with the Lakers, who have been starved for forwards with size and natural scoring ability all season. Hachimura's averaged 15.9 points and 6.3 rebounds on 49.8 percent shooting in the 63 NBA games in which he's logged at least 30 minutes. The Lakers will get everything they can out of the 2019 lottery pick in his prove-it campaign. 
  • OG Anunoby: Every team wants a young 3-and-D wing, and few players that fit the archetype are more enticing than Anunoby. He's now the Toronto Raptors' fourth-leading scorer behind Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. The Indiana Pacers are among the rumored teams willing to give up as many as three future first-round picks for the 25-year-old wing. He could easily step in as a key piece and replace Andrew Nembhard in the starting lineup alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield. That kind of playmaking and elite shooting could help increase Anunoby's value quite a bit.
  • Jakob Poeltl: It's no secret that the San Antonio Spurs are rebuilding, and they have one of the league's most sought after veteran bigs in Poeltl. The big man is averaging just 26.0 minutes per contest this season, but he was a top 10 Fantasy center just last season. His ability to score efficiently, rebound and block shots will make him a premier target for several contenders, especially because he's not too expensive and is on an expiring contract. Poeltl is averaging almost exactly as many Fantasy points per game as Jarrett Allen despite playing alongside significantly inferior talent. 

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  • Bojan Bogdanovic: Bogdanovic is having his most productive NBA season by far this year with the struggling Detroit Pistons. The sharpshooter is averaging a career-high 21.5 points with elite efficiency from the field and deep. The Lakers are among the teams rumored to be interested in acquiring the Croatian, but he'd quickly become the third option at best in Los Angeles. Fantasy managers should expect a sizable drop in Bogdanovic's shot volume if he's moved to a team with title contention dreams this year. If trade talks intensify his managers should look to get as much as they can ahead of his decline.