as passed the NBAs protocols. The Nets also waived point guard Greivis Vasquez, who struggled to recover from ankle problems, and recalled Yogi Fer

The fantasy basketball campaign is 170 days long. Throughout this long hoops marathon, we must navigate a series of pivotal roster decisions, and for some of them well want to seek outside counsel. If you have a crucial trade to consider or a meaningful waiver transaction in the works, feel free to use the hashtag #FBAMailbag on Twitter or email me at jmccormickespn@gmail.com to potentially find a solution in this weekly mailbag series.#FBAMailbag Down big in Roto league, first year for keepers. Considering selling my non-keeper stars for keepers,what can I expect for KAT?- HoopsHead_1987 (@HoopsHead_1987) December 8, 2016Towns was drafted fourth overall on average in ESPN drafts this fall, so wed want to net a sizable haul for such a high-end investment. Even though Towns is only 17th on the Player Rater at this stage after finishing seventh overall last season, his scoring, minutes, 3-point and assist production are all up from last season. Some regression, in shooting efficiency and defensive metrics, has lowered his ceiling a bit, but with a higher usage rate and a higher PER (player efficiency rating) already this season, you should demand a real ransom for this standout sophomore.Since you are behind big in a rotisserie league -- which can prove daunting to mount a comeback -- it does make sense to market your top commodity for stellar keeper resources. If your league allows for multiple keepers, you can pursue a bevy of young assets in return. Names like Bostons Avery Bradley -- in the thick of his prime, ranked in the top 40 of the Player Rater and due heavy minutes in an efficient up-tempo scheme -- are ideal targets.Youll want more than just Bradley, so maybe seek out teams that have multiple core keepers; names like Clint Capela of Houston, Dennis Schroder of Atlanta and, of course, Joel Embiid come to name. I do advocate being first to market your star assets in a league like this, as recognizing the reality of a last-place roto roster can serve to bolster your future, and you can have a number of your leagues contenders bidding for Towns.@_JimmyMcCormick #FBAMailbag is it worth keeping Noel for when he returns from injured list for philly- Jason Gulden (@Jason84CubsNum1) December 8, 2016Word is Noel has rejoined the team in New Orleans on Thursday and could make his debut as early as this weekend. On the mend from preseason knee surgery, Noel is an intriguing fantasy asset to consider, given hes still floating in some shallower/short-bench formats. The fade angles for Noel are somewhat clear; the team has a glut of frontcourt assets with Jahlil Okafor and Embiid claiming high-usage roles from the pivot, while Ersan Ilyasova and Dario Saric share minutes and touches from stretch-four roles. Noel is also a compromised offensive commodity, with just 10.5 points per game on a sluggish .491 effective field goal percentage over his two seasons.Then again, the promotion points for Noel are even more impressive, as hes one of only three players in league history to average at least 10 points, eight rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in each of his first two NBA seasons. The other two are these guys named Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. The steals are entirely unique, as we find below.610+ players to average 1.7+ steals in multiple seasons: Hakeem Olajuwon (10x), Tom Gugliotta (3x), Nerlens Noel (2x), David Robinson (2x)- Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) June 3, 2016Trade talks are also swirling around Noel, as he hasnt hidden his discontent with the teams talent traffic in the frontcourt. A trade wouldnt likely compromise Noels fantasy stock, as any team that invests in him would likely value his rare defensive prowess, which is where his impressive fantasy ceiling comes from. This is likely the nadir of Noels fantasy stock -- so yes, Jason, Id advise hoarding shares wherever possible. Whether its in Philly or an eventual new club, Noel is among the rarest defensive contributors to enter the league in a generation.@ESPNFantasy someone offered me Chris Paul and Marc Gasol for Rajon Rondo and Demarcus Cousins. Should I accept? #FBAMailBag- Paul S. John (@Paul_S_John) December 8, 2016A big blockbuster is always fun to consider. Even with the grand scale of the commodities involved, Id say yes to this deal. Rondo enjoyed a volume-driven season in Sacramento last year in George Karls fantasy-friendly scheme, but has experienced a 41 percent dip in assist production and a 35 percent deflation in steals, as he shares the rock with ball-dominant peers in the Chicago backcourt.Boogie is a fantasy monster, but he could also lose some upside with a potential trade. Its mostly about what your netting, though, as Paul is fifth on the Player Rater and Gasol is 18th. As ESPNs Zach Lowe shares below, Gasol is in the midst of a dime-driven pinnacle performance, which proves sustainable with Mike Conley ailing. You take a downgrade from Cousins to Gasol, but the overall profit margin with Paul is significant.Marc Gasol on pace for one of the highest assist rates ever for players 6-11 or taller: https://t.co/TgeNglNIfb- Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) December 7, 2016@_JimmyMcCormick Do you think Kyle OQuinn is going to eventually start for the Knicks? Time to drop Noah and add OQuinn? #FBAMailbag- Uncle Reed (@The_Reed_) December 8, 2016Some fantasy hoops queries coming from Montana! This might read as pessimistic, but OQuinn might not require a coaching decision to earn an uptick in exposure and usage, as Noah played only 42 percent of his games over the past two seasons. Noah has been an unequivocal disappointment in New York, but the fact hes playing just 21.7 minutes per game for the Knicks suggests his starting designation is merely semantics. We cant trust OQuinn just yet, as the only valuable big on New York at this stage is Kristaps Porzingis. If Noah is ever injured for an enduring stretch -- a real possibility, given recent trends -- we can then discuss streaming OQuinn in standard fantasy formats.@_JimmyMcCormick @ESPNFantasy #FBAmailbag I was offered Nicola Vucevic and a player of my choice, (Curry, Wall, Jordan, AD) for Jimmy Butler- Joe Cook (@joecook37) December 8, 2016The player of your choice element is entirely intriguing, as you can net a double-double machine in Vucevic -- as hes 15th in the league with 16.7 rebounding chances per game -- and a complementary superstar. I would execute a deal, personally, as you can get a high-floor forward like Vucevic and your choice of three superstars (not including Jordan in this tier).It comes down to your team needs. I personally would assume the risks of Anthony Davis cathedral ceiling; as you immediately gain elite blocks, points and boards and, with the Magics glass-cleaner, make a substantial shift in rebounding. If you need 3-point volume and steals, Curry is obviously there for you. Im not a huge fan of taking on Wall here, especially with this pattern of sitting out the second leg of back-to-back sets. He does offer differentiation in assists, but I feel like you can get that elsewhere. A move of Butler for Davis and Vucevic bears some risk, but also some truly intriguing profit potential.Wholesale Baseball Jerseys . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Fake Nike MLB Jerseys .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. https://www.mlbjerseyschina.us/ . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Discount MLB Jerseys .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem.NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony wasnt making enough shots and the Brooklyn Nets werent missing many.Once that changed, the Knicks had an easy time in the first matchup this season between the New York rivals.Anthony scored 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter and Kristaps Porzingis added 21 in the Knicks 110-96 victory Wednesday night.Rookie center Willy Hernangomez had a season-best 14 points, Derrick Rose also scored 14 and New York climbed out of a 14-point hole by holding the Nets to 27.5 percent shooting in the second half.Our bench guys were great, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. They came in there, brought the energy, Melo got hot there in that third quarter and was rolling, so great second half for our guys to see what putting pressure and getting after it defensively can do for your team.Brook Lopez and Justin Hamilton each scored 21 points for the Nets, who wilted on the second night of back-to-back games after a strong first half. Normally a good fourth-quarter team, they were outscored 38-25 while struggling to run their offense without an experienced NBA point guard.New York, which came in allowing 109.8 points per game to rank 26th in the league, had more problems on that end in the first half but dominated the second.And the Knicks got strong performances off their bench, with Brandon Jennings posting 11 assists and Hernangomez shooting 6 for 7.The Nets, who set season highs for points and shooting percentage (55.3 percent) in their 119-110 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday, shot 55 percent in the first half and led 55-50.Then Anthony, just 3 for 11 at halftime, had a baseline drive with the Knicks down nine and then turned to his jumper. He made five of them and then a pair of free throws, putting up 14 points in the final 5 minutes to give the Knicks a 72-71 lead.But even after that stretch it was a one-point game, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. Then I felt like the real difference was again their bench coming in and just took us out of our stufff.ddddddddddddHernangomez provided a spark before Porzingis made a pair of 3-pointers and threw down a dunk while getting fouled as the lead grew to 92-78.Melo got it going. He probably had like 10 or 12 straight at one point, so that kind of just enlightened the whole team, Jennings said. And then we were just taking care of the defensive end and then just finding KP coming down for transition 3s and then he got an and-1 dunk, so we were just clicking tonight.TIP-INSNets: Brooklyn opened a five-game trip by falling to 0-3 on the road. ... Sean Kilpatrick made his first career start in his 43rd game. He came in averaging 16.6 points, tops among reserves.Knicks: New York improved to 93-91 against the Nets. Brooklyn had won six of eight meetings over the previous two seasons.POINT GUARD PROBLEMSBrooklyn rookie Isaiah Whitehead, who had been starting at point guard with Jeremy Lin sidelined by a strained left hamstring, was placed in the concussion protocol, a night after hitting his head on the court. He finished that game but had a headache and experienced symptoms Wednesday. He will be out until he is symptom free and has passed the NBAs protocols. The Nets also waived point guard Greivis Vasquez, who struggled to recover from ankle problems, and recalled Yogi Ferrell from their NBA Development League team to make his NBA debut.HIT THE ROADThe Nets only had to go about 5 miles to start this road trip, and they have an even shorter segment during it. They play a back-to-back in the same building, facing the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday and the Lakers the next night in Staples Center.UP NEXTNets: Visit Phoenix on Saturday to start the Western Conference portion of their trip.Knicks: Visit Boston on Friday to start a tough road back-to-back against the top teams in their division. They visit reigning Atlantic champion Toronto on Saturday. ' ' '