Sam Dekker

Dekker has been apart of two talented rosters since joining the league in 2015. Most recently, he found himself buried in the Clippers' frontcourt, where he averaged just 4.2 points and 2.4 rebounds across 12.1 minutes. Dekker's energy and willingness to do the dirty work continue to earn him roster spots and he's also still only 24 years old, so there's potential for improvement. As a result, the Cavaliers traded for him this offseason and he should immediately provide depth at the two forward spots that do have extra minutes available following LeBron James' departure. Look for Dekker to serve, at best, as the No. 3 option at small forward or power forward, which should keep him off the Fantasy radar. Either way, joining a much less talented roster could get Dekker on the court more overall.

After playing in just three games his rookie year due to a back injury, Dekker made 77 appearances with the Rockets last season and saw 18.4 minutes per game. Coming out of college, scouts pegged him mostly as an NBA small forward with small-ball power forward potential. While that still may be true, Dekker spent a whopping 87% of his minutes at the four last year – though Mike D’Antoni is a notorious small-ball, run-and-gun coach. Dekker may have an opportunity to play both forward spots more often under coach Doc Rivers next season behind the likes of starters Danilo Gallinari and Blake Griffin. Though he averaged just 6.5 points (47.3 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from deep), 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game, Dekker flashed potential at points throughout the season, including dropping 30 points against the Grizzlies in a start. Dekker should have legitimate sixth man potential in Los Angeles next season, but likely won’t become a high-end Fantasy option until he can bump up his production in the minutes he gets.

Back surgery in November and a setback almost immediately after he returned to full health in March all but washed out Dekker’s rookie season, limiting him to just three NBA games. He spent most of the regular season rehabbing the initial procedure, but returned late in the year to play in seven games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League before getting shut down with recurring soreness. It’s difficult to take much away from a such a small sample size, but expectations remain high for the former Wisconsin star as he enters Year 2. With a full offseason to prepare rather than recover, Dekker is expected to develop into a bench option for new coach Mike D’Antoni. Dekker fared well at the Las Vegas Summer League in July, averaging 14.4 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range. Dekker’s ability to shoot the three ball is what could keep him on the floor this season, though his role will likely be small with the likes of Trevor Ariza, Michael Beasley and Corey Brewer ahead of him in the pecking order at forward.

After averaging 13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 31 minutes per game through 40 contests with Wisconsin and reaching the National Championship game, Dekker saw his draft stock soar and was selected 18th overall by the Rockets. He's an interesting prospect as a small forward and a small-ball power forward. Unfortunately for the athletic swingman, a lower back injury kept him out of the summer league, so it will be a little tougher for Dekker to his coaches this season. Training camps aren't long, and most coaches are so focused on getting their veterans ready to play that a questionable defender like Dekker will likely struggle to find time as a rookie. The Rockets have at least Trevor Ariza and Cory Brewer ahead of Dekker on the depth chart at small forward, and with Ty Lawson now on the roster, it would be surprising to see James Harden get some minutes at small forward this season to facilitate a three-guard lineup against some teams. Dekker's best initial comp in the NBA is probably Jeff Green. Both players are generally competent, but they're also streaky shooters and lack creativity off the dribble, often limited to moving in a straight line like a slot car on a straight never-ending track.