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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 11/2/2023
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Luke Adams
11:00
Thanks for the early questions, guys! Let's dive in...
Bob G
11:00
Did Austin Reaves get shorted on his contract due to the Lakers making it well known they would match any offer? Seems like ownership collusion to me...thanks
Luke Adams
11:02
It's more about the flaws with the restricted free agency process and the Arenas provision than it is with any sort of collusion. If a cap-room team like the Rockets or Spurs had submitted an offer sheet for Reaves, it would've tied up their flexibility for the first few days of free agency, limiting their ability to make other moves.
11:03
You could argue (and I would) that it might've been worthwhile for the Spurs to give Reaves an offer sheet anyway, since it's not like they would've missed out on anything major by having their cap room tied up for a few days (the Rockets, conversely, needed it to sign VanVleet, Brooks, etc.). But I guess they figured it wasn't worth it just to make the Lakers pay a few million more dollars per year.
Guest
11:04
Do you think the Rockets can make a legitimate push for the play in?
Luke Adams
11:05
I could see them being in the play-in mix sort of like the Pacers and Wizards were last season -- not too many games back, but never really looking like a serious contender. There are just too many teams in the West I like more than Houston and it's hard for me to imagine the Rockets finishing ahead of more than one of them.
Clippers
11:06
What happened to 1 first and Mann for harden? Seems like the clippers gave up way more just to acquire pj Tucker
Luke Adams
11:07
As far as I can tell, the Clippers were always willing to offer one first-rounder, one swap, and a couple second-rounders along with expiring contracts. They increased their offer to include a second first-round swap (to OKC) and Kenyon Martin Jr. while taking back Tucker and Petrusev and keeping Mann out of it. Those are concessions, but they aren't huge ones.
Troel
11:08
Do the Grizzlies wait for Ja to return before contemplating moving pieces and looking to next season?  Starting 0-5.  They have their own 24 pick and swap rights, which aren't really much of anything.
Luke Adams
11:10
Still a little early for anything drastic. The Lakers started, what, 2-10 last season and ended up in the Western Finals. Having said that, the hole in the frontcourt is a bigger problem than Ja's 25-game absence. We'll see if the Biyombo addition has any sort of impact. If not, maybe they'll decide by the trade deadline that a one-year tank makes some sense.
Peters
11:10
Most and least impressive rookie so far? Brandon Miller is looking better than I thought and scoot Henderson worse
Luke Adams
11:11
Dereck Lively's been the one that's impressed me most (relative to expectations). I didn't expect him to be ready to contribute this much this soon.
11:12
Feel like I can't really single guys out as "least impressive" when we're not even 10 days into the season, but you're right that Scoot's adjustment to the NBA may take more time than we thought -- the shooting is an issue he'll need to improve.
CLT Fan
11:13
Hornets defense and lack of three point shooting is an issue as well as being young. What should they be aiming for, top pick or play in/playoff experience?
Luke Adams
11:15
No reason not to wait a few weeks or even months to see what the current roster is capable of, especially if/when Miles Bridges returns. As we saw last season with teams like the Blazers, with so many clubs competing for playoff and play-in spots, it only takes a couple months of tanking at the end of the season to end up with one of the league's worst records and a potential top pick.
11:16
If the Hornets are well below .500 halfway through the season despite trying to win, that's probably the time to start prioritizing next year's draft.
Troel
11:16
Which teams slow start is more shocking... Miami, Milwaukee, or Phoenix?
Luke Adams
11:17
Feel like I'm becoming a broken record with "it's early"-type responses, but I can't say I'm shocked by ANY results 4-5 games into the season. I guess Miami's slow start is most surprising to me since they had the most continuity and aren't trying to incorporate a huge new piece. That sometimes takes time, so I'm not worried about the Bucks or Suns (especially since Beal hasn't played yet and Booker has been out since opening night).
EonADS
11:18
How big of a hole does Memphis dig for themselves, and can they climb back out with the West as stacked as it is?
Ja morant
11:18
the grizzlies aren’t making the playoffs, huh? Or is this a classic overreaction to the first week?
Luke Adams
11:19
I already sort of addressed the Grizzlies, but I will say this: We entered the season with 11 clear contending teams in the West (everyone except the Rockets, Spurs, Blazers, and Jazz) and knowing that one of those teams wasn't going to make the play-in. As early it is, I think the odds of the Grizzlies becoming that 11th team have increased significantly in the last couple weeks.
Dylan
11:20
At what point do the Thunder combine assets for a star to pair with SGA? Embiid a possibility?
Luke Adams
11:22
I think they're happy to wait to see if guys like Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Josh Giddey can turn into stars in their own right before doing anything drastic. I don't see an all-in type move coming while those guys are still so young. (Though for what it's worth, I suppose the Thunder could give up a bunch of draft assets for an impact player without being "all-in," given how many excess picks they control.)
Guest
11:22
shamet for oladipo and a 2R?
Luke Adams
11:23
I don't hate it for either side, though I suspect the Rockets will aim higher using Oladipo's expiring deal. A deal like that may be a Plan C or D.
Arcman
11:23
Most surprising team so far this early season?
Luke Adams
11:25
It hasn't exactly been the most daunting schedule so far, but I have to admit I didn't expect the Mavs to still be undefeated by this point, especially with Luka bothered by injuries in the preseason. Grant Williams has been a perfect fit so far, and as I mentioned earlier, Lively is more NBA-ready than I anticipated.
11:26
They have some tougher tests (Denver, Clippers, Pelicans x2) coming up in the next couple weeks, so I'm curious to see how they hold up.
Sean
11:26
Why haven’t the Hornets cut Miles Bridges are they really going to stick by him and let him play after his last incident. Is basketball more important than doing the right thing?
Luke Adams
11:28
The legal process still needs to play out, but if the latest allegations are true, it's certainly not a great look for the Hornets. I'm curious to see if he'll just be activated right away once his suspension is up or if he'll be put on administrative leave at some point to wait things out.
Guest
11:29
if the Rockets were to aim higher than Shamet, assuming they can take back 15-16MM, any thoughts or suggestions as to who?  Thanks
Luke Adams
11:31
I'd imagine they'd rather target two-way guys along the lines of OG Anunoby or De'Andre Hunter (their salaries are too high for Oladipo alone, but they could easily package Oladipo with a second player and draft picks).
Rangers Fan
11:31
Congrats to The Texas Rangers first off on winning the World Series. Is there any realistic addition to the Mavs that you could imagine giving them a legitimate shot?
Luke Adams
11:34
It would probably have to be a frontcourt player who can play really strong defense and help on offense. A center doesn't look like quite as urgent a priority anymore, though it's hard to imagine they're winning a championship with a rookie like Lively starting. Maybe one of the Raptors forwards, Siakam or Anunoby.
11:35
Debatable how "realistic" those targets are though. If the Raptors made them available, other teams could probably outbid Dallas.
Mk
11:35
Does D'Anthony Melton post-trade thrive or get lost in the mix?
Luke Adams
11:36
Melton's a good player, and the Sixers still aren't particularly deep in the backcourt (all four guys they got from the Clippers are wings or forwards). They'll need to keep leaning on him for regular minutes unless he gives them a reason not to.
Nate McNorgren
11:37
Thoughts on Rick Carlisle asking for a multi year contact extension and receiving it after two seasons with a combined record of 60-104.
Luke Adams
11:38
It does sorta seem like you'd want to see what he did with this year's roster (the most "win-now" one he's had since returning to Indiana) before making that commitment. But I think they like the work he's done with the young guys like Haliburton, Mathurin, Nembhard, etc. and wanted to reward him for that.
I also haven't seen any specific details on the new contract, so for all we know the "multiyear" deal is actually just for one more guaranteed year and a second-year team option.
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