Giannis Antetokounmpo is out, and the waiver wire is officially in chaos. Transaction trends for Friday, Dec. 5, highlight three specific players seeing massive ownership spikes and boosts in the fantasy basketball rankings: Jericho Sims, Bobby Portis, and Maxime Raynaud. However, savvy fantasy basketball managers know that volume doesn't always equal value. We dove into the on/off splits and per-36 minute NBA player stats to separate the league-winners from the fool's gold. Should you trust Sims' recent career night? Let's analyze the top three adds of the day.
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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Portis, Sims & The Kings' New Big Man
Jericho Sims, Milwaukee Bucks 
Jericho Sims is currently the most popular add on the wire, but buyers should beware. This feels like a classic fantasy trap.
The hype is understandable. Sims is coming off the best game of his career two days ago against the Pistons. After Antetokounmpo left the game, Sims dropped 15 points, four rebounds, and an assist in 30 minutes.
That injury opens the door for Sims to see the floor. I am okay adding him for the upcoming Friday and Saturday back-to-back set purely for volume. Beyond this weekend, however, I am far from convinced Sims will remain fantasy-relevant.
The track record just isn't there. In his 31 games played for the Bucks over the past two seasons, Sims has pedestrian per-36 averages of 6.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
The bigger issue is reliability. He has played 30 or more minutes in a game just eight times in his entire career. When he does play, the results haven't been kind to Milwaukee.
His on/off differential is -24.6 per 100 possessions. That is the third-worst mark in the NBA, ranking above only Luka Garza and Terrence Shannon Jr. Sims might get minutes by default, but he isn't a long-term solution.
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Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks 
If you want a piece of the Bucks' frontcourt, Bobby Portis is the player you actually want.
Portis may be past his athletic prime, but we know he can still put up numbers. With Antetokounmpo out, the Bucks are desperate for scoring and rebounding. Portis is one of the few options left on the roster who can provide both.
The data backs this up. With Giannis off the floor, Portis has played the third-most minutes on the team and sees a massive +7.6% usage bump.
That usage spikes his per-36 averages to 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
He might not see a consistent 30 minutes every night, but he is efficient enough to produce in limited windows. Both he and Kyle Kuzma are firmly in "must-roster" territory for the medium term.
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Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings 
The second-round pick is finally playing consistently over veterans Precious Achiuwa and Drew Eubanks while Domantas Sabonis remains on the shelf, likely for at least another two weeks. Over his past three games, Raynaud is averaging 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block in 26 minutes per game.
Raynaud is an athletic 7-foot-1, 250-pound center. He can finish with either hand and loves utilizing an eight-foot floater. Sacramento is feeding him in short-roll actions, and it's paying dividends.
His perimeter game is still a work in progress. He shot 34.7% from deep in college at Stanford last year, but he has a hitch in his form that needs to be smoothed out before he becomes a consistent NBA threat.
Most of his game outside of that floater and some crafty finishing needs polish. However, given the direction the Kings are headed, he should get plenty of chances to play through mistakes.
I hesitate to call him a must-roster player in 12-team leagues, but he makes for an excellent streaming option for a week or two. In 16-team leagues, he is a priority add with the potential for a post-deadline breakout if you can stash him through Sabonis' return.
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