By Vidur Malik

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Of the many recent trades in the NBA recently, the one between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Charlotte Bobcats isn’t getting much publicity nationwide, but it is one that seems to have worked out for both teams, especially the Blazers.

Portland traded center Joel Pryzbilla, forward Sean Marks, power forward Dante Cunningham and two first-round picks for forward Gerald Wallce. The Trail Blazers gave up a lot for one guy, but Wallace brings a lot to his new team and can help in several ways.

With the Bobcats, Wallace averaged 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and in three games with the Blazers, he’s averaged 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. His numbers have dropped, but as he gets more comfortable with his new team, they should go back up. His steals per game have gone up from 1.2 to 2.0 since being traded, and he’s a great athlete who regularly gets play-of-the-night worthy blocks and dunks. Portland didn’t really have that kind of athlete on its roster, so Wallace brings a new element to the team.

Meanwhile, the new Bobcats have not done much since being traded. Pryzbilla and Marks have not scored a point as Bobcats so far, and Cunningham hasn’t played more than 12 minutes in a game. The first-round draft picks are for this year’s draft and for the 2013 draft, and they should help a young Bobcats team that has the pieces for success. Pryzbilla, Cunningham, and Marks could be key role players in Charlotte for a while, but as of now, the Blazers are getting a more immediate impact since the trade.

If you’ve got Wallace on your team, expect more of the same stats he’s been putting up this year. He’s a great player to have coming off the bench to give Portland a boost. It looks like he’s getting close to the same amount of minutes he was getting in Charlotte, so he can still play the same role in Portland. His statline in the Blazers’ 103-87 loss to the Houston Rockets on Mar. 1 is indicative of the many ways in which he can help your team. In that game Wallace had 14 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and went 3-4 from 3-point range. He can be Portland’s third or fourth-leading scorer and has a chance to be the team’s most complete player.

Look for Wallace to become a crucial part of the Blazers this season and beyond, and expect him to contribute significantly to your fantasy team.