As we get closer to the NBA Trade Deadline, eighth and ninth men in a rotation could see a few more minutes on the court. When you see a player in the rumor mill, look at that player’s team’s depth chart and focus on not just the immediate fill-in option, but look at the other players around him that play a similar position. Nikola Mirotic’s name has been in trade rumors for months, and owners should begin eyeing the Bulls Forwards and even Shooting Guards playing time because those options will see a bump in minutes if Miortic is traded. Get ahead of the game and find these players who are quietly being given more minutes. The team needs to see the talent they have on the court especially when going into a trade negotiation. Watch for those playing time trends among players in the back end of the rotation.
OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGES: Yahoo! Sports
Yogi Ferrell G DAL-20% Ownership: Ferrell has had an up and down season and has been in a major timeshare for minutes. J.J. Barea beingbanged up lately has allowed Ferrell to play more and he’s shined in his last four games. Ferrell can drive effectively and shoot. He’s a change of pace player and has been productive with the Mavericks second unit. Ferrell has scored 10.2 points per game this season. He’s scored over his average in his last four games. Ferrell also helps on the glass, which of course is always a positive and shows defensive focus when on the court. Ferrell has grabbed at least four boards in three of his last four games. Ferrell can play both guard spots effectively and helps push in the paint. He’s dished four or more assists in three of his last four games. Ferrell has also recorded a steal in his last three games. Owners can expect him to hit a three-pointer more often than not. He’s been helpful in multiple categories and with the guard position hurting right now in Dallas, Ferrell will continue to see playing time in the 30’s and 40’s.
Dewayne Dedmon C ATL-39% Ownership: Dedmon is back in action and he can always be relied on for helping on the glass. He doesn’t even need a ton of minutes to be productive. He’s the Hawks most threatening low block option who has grabbed double-digit rebounds in his last two games. He grabbed nine boards in the two games before that. Dedmon gives the Hawks a good amount of second chance scoring opportunities off of missed shots and he’ll score a good amount of his points from put-backs. Dedmon has also blocked shots in three of his last five games. He’s grabbed steals in his last two games and again, doesn’t need a ton of playing time to be productive. Dedmon even has a small outside game and hit three-pointers in two of his last three games. He looks healthy and hasn’t suffered setbacks since returning and as he continues to progress, he should see playing time in the mid to late 20’s moving forward. The Hawks have been hurt up front all season and he’ll be securely in the rotation.
Danny Green SG/SF SAS-25% Ownership: With Kawhi Leonard out of action for a while, the returning Danny Green is walking into more rotation security. Rudy Gay is still hurt as well and that’ll help Green’s cause indirectly. It keeps Kyle Anderson in check and Green’s defense will keep him in the game. Since returning, he’s scored in double figures in two of his first three games back. Green’s played over 25 minutes in 2 of the games and he’s helpful in every category. He’s recorded steals and blocks in all three of his games since returning. Green’s grabbed 3.5 boards per game per game this season and he’s very good at rotating through screens on the perimeter. He’ll have plays in which he brings up the ball. Expect Green to be even more involved in the Spurs offense moving forward and he’ll play at multiple positions on the court. As long as his Groin doesn’t act up, expect his stats to improve over his next few games.
Jeff Green F CLE 10% Ownership: Jae Crowder looks lost on the court and while the Cavs to continue to work through their struggles, they’ll look for players to bring them back into games by running and speeding up the offense. Green can play at both Forward spots and he can run the floor with LeBron James. He’ll keep up and is a ferocious driver to the basket. Green’s scored in double figures in seven of his last nine games including two 20-plus scoring games. Green’s been playing consistently in the mid-20’s. He’s also been a small help on the glass. He’s grabbed four or more boards in his last two games. Even when he has a bad shooting/scoring game, Green still gets a consistent amount of minutes and generally bounces back nicely from poor outings. Green’s provided steals in his last two games and he’ll also block shots inconsistently. He has a bit of range in his shooting, but always looks to drive first. He’s still productive despite the Cavs going on a recent slide and his playing time should be safe and secure moving forward. They’ll need his speed to take advantage of the second unit of the opposition.
CJ Miles SG/SF TOR-10% Ownership: SHORT-TERM PICK UP ALERT! If you’re looking for a quick scoring boost, Miles has been scoring and playing more. Despite Kyle Lowry returning, Miles continues to be productive shooting from the field. Miles normally camps out a lot at the arc, but being that he’s a major bailout option when on the court, he’ll see open jumpers from outside and right inside the arc. Miles has even grabbed a couple of long rebounds consistently. He’s also been attacking the paint a bit more and has been going to the free-throw line. He’s also good at drawing the foul off of his pump fake. Miles will mainly run with the Raptors second unit, but he can play at multiple positions. Miles will get just enough playing to hit that threshold needed to be securely part of the Raptors rotation. He won’t hurt your percentages by taking ridiculous shots. Expect mainly scoring from him.
Marcus Morris F BOS-36% Ownership: Morris has caught fire and you need to act now before another productive game goes by. The Celtics have saved a spot for Morris because they need more power up front and Morris can produce in the post and slash effectively. Morris has been hurt all season and is finally looking like the Morris we saw in Detroit last season. Morris has scored in double figures in his last three games and he’s even been hitting from downtown. Morris has grabbed at least six boards over his last three games and he’s been playing steadily in the mid-20’s. Morris is good at attacking the rim from different angles. He slashes like Al-Farouq Aminu, but has more post moves. Morris also see’s a decent amount of open mid-range jumpers. He’s hit multiple three-pointers in two of his last three games. He’ll also provide blocks and steals inconsistently. As he continues to put the injuries behind him, expect him to be consistent in his scoring and rebounding and with Al Horford being such a long-range threat, less pressure will be on Morris.
Josh Jackson-SG/SF PHX-25% Ownership: Despite coming off of a poor performance last game, Jackson will continue to get more involved in the Suns offense as the season continues. The Suns are looking to sell players and that will open up more opportunities for Jackson. Jackson is a good driver, and his shot is slowly improving. He’s scored in double figures in four of his last five games. Jackson has also been more helpful on the glass and he’s grabbed at least five boards in three of his last four games. Jackson has a good reach and strong leaping ability and is able to keep up with quicker players in the league on the defensive end. He’s blocked shots in three of his last five games. He’s helped a bit more with assists as well and if he shows he can hit the cutter consistently, he’ll secure even more playing time. Expect him to naturally get more minutes moving forward because the Suns want to see what he and Devin Booker can do on the court together. While Booker is more of a jump shooter, Jackson compliments well by attacking the rim and both have ball-handling skills and will eventually run an even better two-man game. Jackson will continue to look to produce in the paint because the arc demands a ton of attention when it comes to the Suns offense. 
Montrezl Harrell PF/C LAC-10% Ownership: The Clippers have been looking for someone else to step up and produce, especially in the paint and Harrell has broken through. While DeAndre Jordan has been hurt, Harrell has been very productive and should be the first guy off the bench to spare Jordan or Blake Griffin. Harrell’s scored in double figures in his last five games including a 25-point game. Harrell grabbed at least six boards in all five of those games and he blocked shots in his last three. His defensive presence alone has been helpful when it comes to the Clippers frontcourt depth. Harrell compiled two multi-steal games in his last three. He gets to the lane and is aggressive on the glass. Moving forward, Harrell deserves more playing time even when Jordan returns. He gives the Clippers a more skilled option, as Jordan is very limited in the post offensively. Harrell runs well on transition and that will keep the offense at a good pace. Grab him while he’s hot!
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist SF CHA-31% Ownership: MKG has been on a very productive scoring run while Nicolas Batum continues to struggles shooting. He’s scored in double figures in six of his last seven games. He’s coming off of a three-steal game and has had two multi-steal games in his last four. He’ll occasionally help with blocks and he’s grabbed four or more rebounds in four of his last six games. He produces in most categories and has been playing consistently in the mid-20’s. MKG plays solid defense on the perimeter and it’s hard to screen him out. He doesn’t hit three’s but see’s a ton of open mid-range jumpers and despite being lower on the Hornets list of shooting options, he’s been able to create from the elbow and make himself more involved in the Hornets offense. His defense alone keeps him on the court and he’ll remain on the court when the Hornets are in close games because he’s one of their strongest defenders. He’ll also attack the rim and go to the free-throw line. He’ll set up in the high post and try to draw contact while in the air.
WILD CARD PICK UP: Dragan Bender PF PHX-6% Ownership: Did we miss the boat? Is another ship of production coming in? Even in games that Bender has struggled, he’s been logging a good amount of playing time. Bender took advantage of Marquese Chriss being out, but now that he’s back, he’ll be in a major timeshare. Remember, the Suns are sellers at this point and Bender is part of their future plans. He will continue to log a ton of minutes. He’s averaged nine points and six boards over the last two weeks. He’s even swatted a shot per game during that time. Bender has grabbed six or more rebounds in three of his last four games. His drive game is improving slowly but his jump shooting has improved a ton. He’s made multiple three-pointers in three of his last four games. His aggressiveness has also improved under the basket and his rebounding reflects it. He’s played into the 30’s in his last four games even with Chriss back in the lineup. The minutes will be there, especially after the trade deadline and he’ll pick up more shots in the offense down the stretch.