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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 1/2/2025
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Luke Adams
2:00
Thanks for the early questions, all. Let's dive in...
Beav
2:01
What do the Pistons do to make up for the loss of Jaden Ivey? Do you think Sexton from the Jazz could be a possible trade target for them?
Luke Adams
2:04
They're in a tough spot. In my opinion, they're not really good enough or far enough along in their rebuild to be giving up any assets for a win-now piece, but given how well the guys have performed this year, it would be nice to give them a shot to at least make the play-in.

My guess is they'll see what the offense looks like in the non-Cunningham minutes over the next 2-4 weeks and make a decision from there -- if it looks like they badly need another guard who can initiate the offense for 10-15 minutes per night, maybe they can try to find a placeholder who would come relatively cheap (Clarkson would make some on-court sense, though I wouldn't love the fact that his contract is guaranteed for next season too).
Daniel
2:04
It seems that the Mavericks are interested in adding to their frontcourt depth even with the injury to Luka.  There's been reports on the Mavs interested in Herb Jones.  Is it even possible for Dallas to acquire him?
Luke Adams
2:05
I don't see that happening. He might be the player the Pelicans are least inclined to trade right now -- great defender, great contract, and last year's numbers show he has some potential as a three-point shooter. Think the Mavs will probably have to look elsewhere for frontcourt help.
Guest
2:05
With Tristan Newton getting waived, could the Mad Ants bring him back as an affiliate player since they’re at 3? And then could a different G-League team trade Mad Ants for his rights? Or does he need to sign a G-League contract and for the top waiver team to pick him up?
Luke Adams
2:08
Here's the criteria for an in-season affiliate player:

An In-Season Affiliate Player is a player who: (i) did not sign a (G League) Player Contract prior to 5:00 P.M. (ET) on October 20, 2022; (ii) was signed to a UPC (Uniform Player Contract) with such team’s NBA parent team; (iii) participated in such NBA team’s training camp preceding the season; (iv) was on such NBA team’s roster on the first day of the NBA regular season; (v) was subsequently waived and cleared NBA waivers; (vi) has not signed another contract to play professional basketball since clearing NBA waivers; and (vii) signs a (G League) Player Contract.

It looks like Newton meets all those criteria, as long as being on an NBA team's "roster" doesn't just mean the 15-man standard squad (I'd have to dig deeper to confirm for sure).

Still, based on reporting in the wake of Newton's release, it sounds like maybe he asked to be waived because he believe has a more favorable opportunity elsewhere -- signing a G League contract probably doesn't qu
David
2:09
Is simply getting D'Angelo Russell off the roster an addition by subtraction for the Lakers? Wildly inconsistent play and questionable attitude.
Luke Adams
2:12
Russell's the sort of player whose overall value never seemed to match his box-score stats, and it certainly seems to be a case of addition by subtraction defensively at least.

I think it's TBD on the offensive end -- the Lakers' point guard depth looks pretty thin now, so I'm curious to see what the offense (which has already struggled for a good chunk of the season) looks like with one of the team's better shooters, play-makers, and ball-handlers gone.
Trades
2:12
With all the cap concerns teams have (staying below the 2nd apron) and how contracts have to be structured (can't trade 2 for 1 in some instances), it feels like this is going to be a bummer of a deadline. The NBA trade deadline is one of the most exciting times of the year for fans... why would teams/players want that to change? Think they'll ever change it back?
Luke Adams
2:16
It's definitely harder to make trades than it used to be, but I don't think we should necessary assume there won't be as much deadline action. Front offices are creative and if there are deals they want to get done, they can usually find a way to do it. We've already had three deals since Dec. 15. I bet we'll get plenty at the deadline.

Obviously, the second-apron teams are the one exception -- it'll be very hard for them to do much of anything. But there are only four of them. For teams operating below both aprons, the trade rules are actually less restrictive than they used to be in terms of salary-matching. Hopefully there will be plenty of teams in that position in the years to come as the cap resumes increasing by 10% annually.

As for why teams/players would want this system, the idea is that it's good for competitive balance. The fact that second-apron teams can't freely make all kinds of moves to continue upgrade their rosters should be a good thing.
Most Improved
2:16
As of right now, would Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels be #1 and #2 in the voting for Most Improved Player?
Luke Adams
2:18
I'm not sure how much MIP love Daniels will get -- he'll definitely get DPOY and All-Defensive votes, but top MIP candidates usually do more offensively, so I won't be shocked if he finishes outside the top three there.

Besides Johnson, Cade Cunningham is another good candidate to watch. Voters love those players who go from "above average" to "All-Star."

Also, he doesn't really fit the traditional MIP mold, but Norm Powell has an interesting case. He had a down year last season and his numbers this year are ridiculous (though they may take a hit when Kawhi is back).
EonADS
2:19
Where does Evan Mobley rank for you among PFs? He's taken steps forward in every aspect of the game and looks set to keep going. #1 in MIP voting in my book.
Luke Adams
2:21
Another good MIP candidate who's going from "above-average" to "star" this year -- the fact that he's on the best team in the NBA will work in Mobley's favor too.

As for where he is among PFs league-wide, that would require more time than I have in this chat in order to really dig into the rankings. But I will say this: When the Cavs signed him to that max-salary extension in the summer, they needed him to take another step forward to warrant that investment. That contract looks just fine now, since he's absolutely done that (so have Cade and Franz Wagner, for that matter).
Justin
2:22
Any chance Chris Paul is moved in Feb or tre Jones?
Luke Adams
2:23
I'd be pretty surprised if Paul is moved. His presence is great for Wemby's development. Jones certainly feels more expendable, though his value is way down based on his limited role/production this year.
Beav
2:23
Luke: Sexton is only 26... He could not only help the Pistons this season, but he could be with them for multiple years as they work their way into contention.
Luke Adams
2:24
Apologies, when I read your question earlier, for some reason I was thinking about Jordan Clarkson instead of Collin Sexton, the player you asked about. I have similar concerns about both guys, given their defensive shortcomings. I don't think I'd have much interest in either if I were Trajan Langdon.
Uwe Blab
2:24
How serious do you think the Kings are in acquiring Cam Johnson from the Nets? What would the Kings have to give up to get Cam? I'd imagine they'd want injured rookie PG Devin Carter included in the package
Luke Adams
2:29
Multiple reports lately have hinted that he's the Kings' top target -- this year's version of Johnson is sort of the player they were expecting Murray to turn into, so the fit makes sense.

As for the package, Huerter/Lyles is a good salary match, but the Nets would want a couple sweeteners. Either a couple first-round picks or maybe Carter and a pick.

One potential issue to watch there is that both Sacramento and Brooklyn are pretty close to the tax line, so neither team would be able to take back much more salary than it sends out. I believe something like Huerter/Lyles/Carter for Johnson/Z. Williams would work for both sides, but it's close.
Cap Friendly
2:30
With new apron limits (including for buyout guys) & contenders mostly lacking medium-large expendable contracts, are there certain productive players on low contracts that you think will become really coveted over the next few weeks? & of those, are many likely to actually move?
Luke Adams
2:33
Nick Richards' name keeps coming up for every team that needs center help because he's making just $5MM. Guys on minimum-salary contracts like Daniel Theis fall into that group too. Duop Reath ($2.05MM) is another interesting one.

For some reason I'm mostly focusing on centers, but Walker Kessler's low salary ($2.97MM) is one reason why he's so appealing to cap-strapped teams. He's less likely to be moved than the others though.
Hornets Fan
2:34
Should we trade Lamelo? Love him as a player but is injury prone. Should we keep him or move on?
Luke Adams
2:37
Injuries have definitely been an issue for Ball. I also have concerns about his playing style -- he's averaging 30 points this season, but he's taking so many shots, committing so many turnovers, and playing such bad defense, that his value can only be so high despite those 30 PPG.

I'm reluctant to give up on a young talented guard on a bad team, since they can look a lot better once they get some better players around them. But if I were running the Hornets, I wouldn't be 100% sure about Ball's place in my long-term plans.
Hami
2:38
Are my Bulls going to be able to dump LaVine and Vucevic before the deadline? Could you see the Pistons being a possible option for LaVine with their $14M in cap space and clean cap sheet moving forward?
Luke Adams
2:41
The Pistons are somewhat interesting since they wouldn't have to fully match LaVine's salary (they'd just have to get to at least $29MM or so, which they could do with THJ + Stewart). I'm still not 100% sold on the fit once Ivey is healthy again, but I can see the case.

I do think the Bulls will be able to find a taker for both LaVine and Vucevic this season as long as their standards are realistic (e.g. matching salaries + maybe second-round compensation).
Fargus
2:41
Will the Clippers be able to move Tucker in a trade to upgrade the roster for the stretch run?
Luke Adams
2:43
Tucker has no real value on his own so it would require a draft-pick sweetener, and the Clippers' assets are pretty limited. But if they're willing to put their 2031 first-rounder up for sale, they could certainly find something good. With just a second-rounder or two (they only have 2030 and 2031 available), it'd be trickier.
Beebs
2:43
OKC will outbid everyone for Cam Johnson... He'll be traded to OKC soon after 1/15 when Isiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are eligible to be traded.
Luke Adams
2:45
They definitely have the assets to make the highest bid if they want him badly enough. I'll be curious to see how aggressive Presti is on the trade market this season.

On one hand, OKC is the best team in the West and has a real shot to make the Finals this season -- on the other, the Gordon Hayward trade last year was a disaster and Presti spoke about the risks of trying to incorporate someone new during the season. Johnson obviously isn't Hayward, but I still think Presti would prefer to do his biggest moves during offseasons if possible.
Anthony Edwards Hype Machine
2:46
What low seed/play in team goes the farthest in the playoffs? I'll take the Wolves for obvious reasons(health being the caveat of course).
Luke Adams
2:47
TBD based on what the standings look like by season's end (the Wolves are only two games out of a top-4 spot in the West!), but I do think the best candidate for this will be in the West -- especially if a younger team with little playoff experience like Houston ends up in the top four.
Go Cavs!!!!!
2:47
What do you think about the Cavs trading for Jonas Valanciunis of the Wizards to give them some muscle off the bench and what would they have to give up to get him?
Luke Adams
2:49
Don't really see the Cavs going after a center. They have two good options there with Mobley and Allen. If they make a deadline move, I expect they'll be seeking another wing.

As for Valanciunas' value, he's not really worth more than matching salary and a second-round pick or two, but I wonder if the Wizards will hold out for more, given that they seem like having him there as a veteran.
Cowbell Kingdom
2:49
Fox to the Rockets for Green, Sheppard, and 3 first rd picks. Who says no?
Luke Adams
2:51
Don't think either team would pull the trigger today, but there's absolutely a case to be made it would be good for both teams in the long run.

Only issue is salary-matching -- Green is tricky to move during the season due to his poison pill, so you'd probably have to wait until the summer to make this deal.
Spurs Lifer
2:51
What are the chances that the Spurs can move Z. Collins and some picks for a more viable bench big man or wing shooter to help Wemby? I think Keldon Johnson is too valuable off the bench,  as a physical slasher to move during this season's deadline.
Luke Adams
2:53
Collins would have negative value as a trade chip, so you'd probably have to give up a quality draft asset to get anyone useful. The Spurs have an excess of picks and could do it -- just not sure if they're at the point in their rebuild yet where they're willing to pivot to buying. Collins would be easier to move next season and it'd be one year closer to Wemby's prime at that point.
Dunleavy Jr.’s assistant
2:53
Long time no chat, Mr. Adams. We’ve been taking an extended look at Nikola Vucevic on the trade market. Do you think something like Looney, GP2, Santos and a future 1st is enough to get the deal done, or should we dangle our best trade asset in Kuminga to make us the clear cut front runner for Nikola?
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