As the dust from the NBA trade deadline settles and basketball fans around the world focus their attention on the all star weekend festivities, which opened with a dominant victory by the USA team in the Rising Stars Challenge. It’s that time of year where people debate the best dunk contests of all time and complain about how neither team is really trying in the all star game. But if you’re a fantasy hooper, this time of year also signals something very important. Trade deadline season.

Other than drafting your team, trades are probably the most enjoyable aspect of playing fantasy sports. Most fantasy managers think they can run their local NBA team so swinging trades in fantasy leagues is the closest most of us will get to feeling like an NBA general manager.

But beyond being really fun trades are also pretty important when building a successful team that can compete for a championship in your fantasy leagues. Nothing feels better than selling a guy off at the perfect time in exchange for someone who was being undervalued with another team that ends up playing a crucial role on your team down the stretch.

The unfortunate fact of the matter with trades however, is they can be pretty tough to pull off. A lot of the times it depends on how well you know the other fantasy managers in your league and how easily you can reach out and communicate with them. There are a few techniques and strategies you can use to increase the chances of pulling of a move.

With most fantasy leagues set to have their trade deadlines pass in the coming weeks, let’s go over sone basic tips that will help you complete more trades in your fantasy leagues:

1. First things first, put some thought into which teams you approach as a trade partner. Look at the season standings/point totals/category totals for the teams in your league and see who excels in the areas you’re looking to improve in. Additionally, find teams that could use an improvement in areas where you have a surplus in. Are you loaded with centers but have a team in your league who needs big men? Maybe they have a surplus in an area you need some help? These are the types of questions that will lead you to finding a more logical trade partner.
2. Reach out to the fantasy manager of the team you want to trade with directly. Whether it’s via a text messaging app or through the chat interface within the fantasy site you’re playing on, reaching out to start a conversation instead of just randomly putting an offer through to their team will automatically put you in a better position to successfully negotiate a trade.
3. Ask them questions about what they’re looking for and show you’ve put some thought into how a potential trade can help them. Don’t just message someone in your league saying, “I want Lebron james from you.” Instead, mention something along the lines of, “I noticed you could use help in rebounds. I have plenty to go around and would be interested in one of your three-point shooters in return.”
4. Never open the talks with your best offer. This can be a fine line to toe sometimes because you run the risk of not offering enough to grab their attention, but typically whoever you’re trying to trade with will attempt to negotiate more than your initial offer. If you start with your best offer there’s no way to make it seem like you’re “sweetening the pot” or caving to some of their demands as you negotiate.
5. Don’t ever tell someone that a player on your team is “untouchable.” If they ask for the best player on your team, name the price it would take to make it happen. The worst that can happen is they say no and you move on. But every now and then you come across a team who won’t be afraid to swing a blockbuster and you end up with a whole new set of superstars which can be fun and at the end of the day fantasy hoops is about having fun.
6. Try not to come off as if you’re campaigning for the value of your players to the team you’re negotiating with. The second you start rattling off a bunch of reasons why the player you’re offering is so good, they’re going to start to wonder why you even want to give him up and you will seem disingenuous. Instead, weave reasons why you value certain players a certain way into your conversation without aggressively trying to convince them.
7. Make sure you actually listen when your trade partner tells you what they’re looking to add to their team so you can offer players that help them achieve that goal. Put yourself in the other persons shoes – you’re only making a trade if you feel it improves your team. If you’re goal is to get a trade done, you have to consider what the other party finds intriguing.
8. Know your league settings. Are you a dynasty league or a redraft league? Can you trade draft picks? Is there a salary cap? This information is crucial when trying to identify what makes sense for each team to acquire in a trade and whether or not you’ll be able to offer it in negotiations.

These are just a few basic ideas that can help you approach your trade deadline with an entrepreneurial spirit to get as many deals done as possible. Enjoy the all star break and happy trading!