Christmas is definitely the time for giving and for some instances; it calls for a time of trading. The NBA has recently begun their trading period where teams are now allowed to make deals with one another. There have already been some big trades that were completed. Rajon Rondo has been shipped to the Dallas Mavericks for Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder and two future second round draft picks. Though you could say that the Mavericks really got an elite point guard for a low price, the Celtics got what they sort have wanted with young talent and draft picks.

It is still unknown whether the Celtics will make another trade especially with Jeff Green and Jameer Nelson, perhaps even one of their bigs. They have a crowded front court comprising of Brandon Bass, Tyler Zeller, Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger. The Celtics have a lot of disposable players at their whim and could possibly pull a couple more trades before the deadline. Rondo has been moved to a more talented team, but his fantasy prowess should remain intact. He should provide you with rebounds, assists and steals as per usual, but also might become more efficient considering the team’s abundance of ball handlers and will playmakers. They have a system that is great for Rondo and he could see a boost in his fantasy value.

There are other players on the Celtics team that will be difficult to hold or trade for considering that quite a few of them have had topsy-turvy seasons this year. Most analysts believe that Marcus Smart should get the most out of the trade, but Brad Stevens is still tinkering with the lineup. More recently, Jameer Nelson is proven to be a more capable point guard to lead this team. Until Smart gives coach Stevens any implications that he is able to lead this team, Jameer could be seeing the lionshare of the minutes in the meantime. Sullinger, Olynyk and Green are all struggling right now with the departure of Rajon Rondo. Having lost a teammate who controlled much of the offense can really affect a player’s output. However, once these players figure it out or get traded, their value should increase.

The Detroit Pistons have also decided to make a drastic change in their roster. They have waived Josh Smith and his 30 million remaining contract in order to give playing time to their young talent so that they can develop them much quicker. The Pistons were struggling horrifically to win games, but now have the chance to see how life without Smith will look like. Drummond and Monroe will be winners in this exchange, but also players in Jerebko and Singler should get increased minutes. Stan Van Gundy wants to develop his young players right now and this change should be for the better. Although, they probably should have tried to trade for some assets, but I guess not many GMs were willing to give any decent packages for Smith.

Josh Smith is likely to sign with a title contender; the Mavericks and Rockets being top destinations. Smith has close relationships with both Rondo and Howard so it will be a tough decision for him. The Rockets are a little bit ahead in terms of signing Smith because they can offer him more money and starting spot. However, the Mavericks would be a better team to be on for Smith. Rondo and Smith have always talked about playing together in the NBA and this would be the perfect time to do so. He would likely come off the bench, but would have a great chance to be on a championship caliber team. It is unknown what this will do for his fantasy value. His defensive stats should remain the same, but he could also become more efficient now that he will be surrounded with better talent. Smith is a good buy-low candidate right now considering his struggles in Detroit.