By Braden Simmonds

So you've been offered a trade and you don't know what to do, huh? Well, just read the following easy steps and your team can be going from last to first in no time.

1) Analyze the Number of Players Involved
Check how many players are offered. Make sure you take into account which of you is offering more players.

For example: If you are offered more players than you are giving up, chances are that you possess the higher profile player in the trade. If this is the case, you are trading star power for depth.
While depth may not always be the most important thing, hoops.sports.ws is based on a FPPM (Fantasy Points Per Minute) system, meaning that you need enough players to fill all of 96 Guard, 96 Forward and 48 Center minutes.

2) Do Some Research
Have you been getting the short end of the stick in the past? Make sure you are never uninformed and this will most likely not happen.

You should quickly learn how good your players are, as well as their status. However, make sure you know just what you're getting in return. Check the injury status of the players that are being offered to you. Also, Hoops offers a "Tools" page that lets you check how well the players that you have been offered have played in a variety of areas. Doing this should give you a step up on the trade.

3) Do Some Calculations
Here’s a good way to check if you are receiving a bad offer in the deal. It is a good idea to weigh both FP/Night and FPPM before accepting a trade.

For example: If you trade Tracy McGrady for Ray Allen and Bobby Jackson, you are sacrificing a top player and gaining depth on your team. Here is a simple way that you can see whether the trade is favorable or unfavorable for you.

Say you average 180 FP per night before the trade, and McGrady accounted for 30 FP of that 180. You need to look at who you're getting and who you are recieving. If you recieve Allen to fill McGrady's spot, and Allen averages 25 FP/night, you will now be averaging 175.

However, because you received Jackson as well, he can make your team better. If you put him in, instead of a lesser guard, he could add another 10 FP/night to your totals if you took out a "lesser guard", bringing your average per night to 185 as opposed to 180. In this case, you would be in for a favorable trade.


Trades can make or break your team in hoops. Very rarely do you see a team taking the hoops title without making many transactions. If you follow these simple 3 steps when you receive a trade, it should help you to receive the best trades possible and never be "duped" again.

Good Luck.