Wire to Wire aims to be your waiver wire resource for all of your fantasy basketball needs. It will dive into playing time trends, injury replacements, and even an occasional category specialist—all of which can be found on a typical waiver wire within your fantasy league at any given time.

In what will likely be the biggest move of this NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have made a deal to bolster their frontcourt.  Not only does this help the team, as Andrew Bynum is still on the shelf, it opens up a ton of room for someone to step up on the Grizzlies.  Could we possibly see some nice numbers from a former second-overall selection?  This week’s edition of Wire to Wire seems to think so. 

Shallow Leagues (Less than 12 teams)

Darko Milicic, PF/C, Memphis Grizzlies
In what could end up being the heist of the century, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies.  Without getting much frontcourt help in return, the Grizzlies will have to turn to Darko Milicic fulltime to provide a base down low.  The Serbian big man has responded with back-to-back games of solid production with averages of 13 points, 14 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.  He’ll do some damage to your free throw shooting and will get into the occasional foul trouble, but this move may be just what Darko needed to show what he can do.  Given his center-eligibility, Milicic needs to be added in all leagues.

TJ Ford, PG, Toronto Raptors
He’s back!  Though he’ll be started off slowly, TJ Ford has returned to play for the Toronto Raptors after a 24-game absence that followed a severe neck injury.  In his first game back, Ford produced four points and four assists in 17 minutes – obviously nothing to gush over.  There’s a chance that he’ll cause more damage to Jose Calderon than help to himself, but even in limited minutes Ford should be a solid source of points and assists.  If you’re still holding on to someone like Beno Udrih, the swap makes sense.

Ronnie Brewer, SG/SF, Utah Jazz
Brewer’s thunderous start to the season has forced owners to give a ho-hum attitude towards the swingman’s play over the last month or so.  Couple this with the addition of Kyle Korver and CJ Miles into the rotation, and Brewers value has obviously taken a hit.  However, give his recent numbers one look and you’ll see four straight double-figure scoring nights with solid percentages to go with his typical flurry of steals.  In fact, Brewer has recorded nine steals in the past two games, rewarding those that have stuck with him.  He’ll struggle to get more than 30 minutes in a given night, but owners should at least ride him while he’s hot.

David Lee, SF/PF, New York Knicks
It’s a shame that it takes an injury or an illness to get this guy time these days, but it looks like something owners will just have to deal with.  Fortunately, Eddy Curry has appeared to come down with this bout of the flu that has infiltrated the NBA, allowing Lee to garner more playing time.  He posted four straight double-doubles, before putting up an eight point, seven rebound contest against the Clippers.  Undoubtedly, Curry will return and regain his starting spot, but you can’t ignore this potential – assuming the rest of your league is.

Standard Leagues (12-14 teams)

Al Thornton, SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers
As if losing Elton Brand and Shaun Livingston wasn’t enough, the banged-up Clippers have had a bit of a savior in their rookie forward.  With Chris Kaman and Corey Maggette missing a chunk of time, Thornton has stepped up nicely on the points and rebounds, including a 23-point outing off of the bench this past weekend.  Temper your expectations on the long-term prospects of Thornton, but he should at least be a decent source of points until the aforementioned return. 

James Posey, SG/SF, Boston Celtics
Though experiencing an injury of his own, it appears that Posey is back and feeling quite well.  The swingman has averaged 13 points over the past three games, three long-balls per game over the same span.  With Kevin Garnett likely missing time with an abdominal injury, the Celtics will have to look for more sources of offense – and let’s just say it won’t be coming from Brian Scalabrine.  He will be up and down, depending on the injuries to others, but Posey looks to be primed for a short-term boost in production.

Joe Smith, PF, Chicago Bulls
After succumbing to a wonky knee, Joe Smith has returned to the starting lineup and wasted no time in producing for the Bulls as well as fantasy owners – assuming that the owners were patient enough.  Smith put up 25 points and 10 rebounds against Seattle and will continue to do so as long as he’s healthy.  Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas are younger and have a ton of upside, but the Bulls like starting Smith.  Given his 30 minutes of playing time, standard league owners should jump all over him if he’s on the wire.

Josh Powell, SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Kaman appears to be ready to return to the Clippers’ lineup, but with four of the past five games in double-figures, Powell deserves to be on the radar of most fantasy owners.  He is not center-eligible in most leagues, but Powell has recently been suiting up down low.  With that said, his value will increase upon an increase in flexibility.  Coupled with his ability to hit the boards and block the occasional shot in limited minutes, and Powell appears to be a solid back-up plan for Kaman owners. 

Deep Leagues (14+ teams)

Hakim Warrick, SF/PF, Memphis Grizzlies
Another player that should be positively impacted by the abovementioned Pau Gasol trade is the former Orangeman Hakim Warrick.  Though he is still coming off of the bench (with Juan Carlos Navarro starting), Warrick posted 14 points and five rebounds off of the bench in his most recent game.  Assuming Jason Collins doesn’t hurt Warrick too much, the forward deserves consideration in most (if not all) deep leagues.  Keep an eye on this guy.

Damon Stoudamire, PG, San Antonio Spurs
From a current Grizzly (is that what a sole member of the Grizzlies would be considered?) to a former one, Mighty Mouse has found home in San Antonio and will step in to a role with Tony Parker injured.  We have seen Manu Ginobili running the point for now, but it should only be a matter of time before Stoudamire gets the nod.  While his value will be short-term, Stoudamire should be a decent source of assists and threes until Parker returns.

Thaddeus Young, SF/PF, Philadelphia 76ers
Young is becoming a frequent member in this area, and for good reason.  The Philadelphia 76ers have decided to start Young at the power forward slot, with Reggie Evans coming off of the bench.  The rookie has responded with three straight games of double figures, with production on the boards as well as the occasional steal.  With only one missed free throw since January 23, Young seems poised to have a solid career in Philadelphia and should be added in most deep leagues.  Keeper-league owners shouldn’t think twice.

Sasha Vujacic, PG/SG, Los Angeles Lakers
Three-point field goals galore.  Vujacic has put up double-digits in three of the past four games and has done most of his damage from beyond the arc by hitting 12 treys in said span.  Of course, you have the risk of a 1-for-5 night like Vujacic had a few nights ago, but if you’re hurting for some threes, you will struggle to find a better option on the wire to get you that extra boost.