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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 11/9/2023
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Luke Adams
1:00
Thanks for the early questions, guys. Let's dive in...
KJ
1:01
I know it's early, but what team has surprised you the most? And what team
Is the most business as usual
Luke Adams
1:03
The Rockets have been a surprise. After they got blown out on opening night by Orlando, I figured it would be more of the same for them this year. But they played the Warriors tough and have now blown out the Lakers and Kings (twice). Neither of those teams was at full strength, but the Rockets are showing they're not going to be pushovers this season -- and the front office has no motive to push them in that direction in the second half, since they don't control their own first-round pick.
1:04
As for business as usual, it's gotta be the Nuggets, right? An overhauled bench and no Murray for the last few games and they still have the NBA's best record. They're a legitimate threat to become the first team to win back-to-back titles in a while.
Guest
1:05
Is it time to give the 76ers a second look as a serious contender.. The starting 5 looks good, the  Harden trade beefed up the bench, a load of assets from the trade available to add to the roster, and they have plenty of $ to spend after the season.
Luke Adams
1:07
I have to admit they've looked a lot more formidable than I expected so far. Thought the Harden situation would hurt more than it has. Maxey taking a leap and Harris taking advantage of his increased opportunities have been big factors, and yeah, the haul from the Harden trade has given them some genuine depth. It still feels like they may be one impact player from true title contention but the Harden return gave them the assets to seek out that piece before the trade deadline.
Chris D
1:08
In the land of the woebegone Wizards the team is clearly focused on showcasing Gallinari, Delon Wright, Landry Shamet, and Muscala for trades. Do you think the performances of Gallo, Wright, and Shamet last night in Charlotte brought any trades closer?
Luke Adams
1:10
Unless there's a situation creating a black cloud over the team - like Harden's trade request and off-and-on presence was in Philadelphia - it's pretty rare to see many deals this early in the season. The Wizards will probably have to be patient and wait at least another month or two for more trade opportunities to arise. I just don't think potential suitors for those guys are going to make their best offers this early.
Basketball fan
1:10
Is Darvin ham on the hot seat after losing to the Houston Rockets? If the Lakers part ways with ham who would replace him?
Luke Adams
1:11
Think it's a little early to think about that. Ham started off 2-10 last season and righted the ship. This year's team has been hit hard by injuries. I think the Lakers will be OK. If they're still out of the playoff picture in the spring, we could revisit this conversation.
Connor💪🏼
1:11
Could Brandon Miller win ROY?🏀
Luke Adams
1:12
Never say never, but he has an uphill battle as long as Wembanyama stays healthy. All-Rookie first team certainly seems doable though.
HoopLA
1:13
Both the Clips and Lakers can't seem to get their act together. In the long run, who has the best chance of turning things around?
Luke Adams
1:15
If the Clippers can figure things out, they probably have the higher ceiling, but I have a little more confidence in the Lakers. I'm not sold on the Clippers' mix of personalities and playing styles, and even with Harden on board, a Kawhi or George injury would still put a major damper on their ability to make a deep playoff run.
Bulls
1:16
What is the realistic trade return for Lavine? Demar? Caruso? Pat Williams(rotational player, horrendous 4th pick when haliburton and a need for PG were present)? Vuc is untradeable, and I think they would keep Coby, Ayo and Dalen are replacement or worse players with no ceiling
Luke Adams
1:19
I've said since last season that I'm not overly bullish (no pun intended) on Chicago's ability to extract big-time returns for LaVine or DeRozan. DeRozan is 34, on an expiring contract, and has never been a particularly good defender. LaVine has never made an All-NBA team, is one of the league's highest-paid players, and is arguably even worse on defense. A couple first-round picks and matching salaries, maybe, but I'm just not sure trading those two guys could give them the assets to kick-start a rebuild like some other recent superstar trades have.
1:21
Caruso should be worth a first-round pick. He'd be a valuable role player. Don't think they'll get much for Williams while his stock is down and RFA is around the corner. Hard to beat them up too much for missing on Haliburton in 2020, since a lot of teams behind them in the draft made that mistake too, but I do recall wondering at the time how he fell so far. The buzz in the weeks leading up to the draft suggested that he'd be a top-8 guy.
yuh
1:21
did the Beal trade set the market for Lavine?
Luke Adams
1:22
No, Beal's no-trade clause was unique and depressed the market to an extent that was out of the ordinary. But the return for LaVine will probably be closer to Beal than Gobert.
Styles
1:22
Word just came out the Clippers are interested in Daniel Theis with Plumlee out multiple months how would that work trade wise? Could Theis just ask for his release instead?
Luke Adams
1:24
Yeah, I don't see how the Clippers (or most contenders, for that matter) would trade for Theis without giving up a more valuable player. He strikes me as a more logical buyout candidate than trade candidate at this point, unless the team trading for him is moving off an unwanted multiyear deal. Nothing about the way the Clippers have treated their acquisition of P.J. Tucker so far suggests they view his contact as that sort of deal.
Bulls
1:24
Caruso the most valuable trade asset? I don’t think Demar is valuable to a contender for real unless he accepted a 6th man role because his defense is so bad
Luke Adams
1:26
If the Bulls were to separately trade DeRozan, LaVine, and Caruso, I don't think they'd get the strongest return for Caruso. But given how those three players are generally viewed by fans (not to mention the fact that DeRozan and LaVine are multi-time All-Stars), the return for Caruso is most likely to look impressive relative to expectations.
EonADS
1:26
The Cavs bench, again, let them down. Pretty much everyone but LeVert is just a body, save Okoro's defense. Can they make any moves to make the unit suck less?
Luke Adams
1:29
Niang is better than he's shown so far. And Rubio would help stabilize that second unit if he returns, though that still seems like a big if. The Cavs don't necessarily need to do anything drastic -- they have a strong starting five and teams can win in the playoffs with just seven or eight reliable players. But if Niang and Wade continue not to give them much and Rubio doesn't return, they've probably got to head back to the trade market.
Chill
1:29
How real does Minnesota feel 7 games in? W on Denver and Boston, #1 defense, ANT going off, Rudy playing 4 years younger, depth, etc. Had chronic habit of dropping games to bottom 5 teams last year so taking care of undermanned Pels last night even feels significant. 2 straight v Golden State on the road coming up feels like the real solidifier if they can get one of both
Anthony Edwards Hype Machine
1:29
Been a long time since the Wolves were fun to watch. If you've seen some of the games it's obvious KAT isn't a fit and doesn't fit with the new core(,ANT/McDaniels/Reid). When do the Wolves move him and if they do and you're Connelly what are you seeking in return? Thanks.
Luke Adams
1:31
I was enthusiastic about the Wolves coming into the season -- think I picked them as a top-five team in the West a couple chats ago. So I think they're for real (though it's worth noting that they're undefeated at home so far and winless on the road).
1:32
The Towns question is a tricky one. The Wolves are clearly all-in on making the KAT/Gobert duo work, and as long as they're winning games, they're unlikely to blow it up, even if the fit isn't perfect. It's hard for me to imagine Towns being moved at the deadline or even next offseason unless this season ends up playing out more like last year did.
KJ
1:33
If you're Ty Lue, once Mann Is healthy how are you staggering the lineup? Crazy as it may sound I would consider bringing harden off The bench, so this way he'll get all the shots he wants and still get his minutes
Luke Adams
1:34
It makes sense from a tactical standpoint. But coaching is about managing egos as much as it's about tactics. Would Harden, who hasn't been a reserve in over a decade, go for it? If not, would Westbrook? He accepted a sixth man role last season for the Lakers but given how badly his time there went, maybe he'd be reluctant to do it again (even if the sixth man role wasn't the reason for his struggles).
Grizzlies
1:36
would you consider trading Ja Morant and Zaire Williams and Brandon Clarke to Toronto for OG and Paskal?
Luke Adams
1:37
I don't view Morant as tradable right now. If the Grizzlies are confident his off-court issues are behind him, he's too valuable to move. If they're willing to discuss him, it suggests they're still not feeling confident about his off-court behavior, which would seriously diminish his value.
Hornets Fan
1:37
Seems the Hornets have been hit with a short bench from injuries. What players are available to fill in our short bench? How about Robinson Earl from Houston who just got released from Houston to replace Kai Jones?
Luke Adams
1:38
Robinson-Earl signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans, so he's off the market. Here's a list of some of the available players they could look at: https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/11/2023-nba-free-agents.html -- Isaiah Roby might make some sense if you're looking for a frontcourt player in the JRE mold.
1:39
For what it's worth, the Hornets have had the ability to sign a 16th man since Miles Bridges served the 5th game of his suspension and haven't done so, so they don't seem overly concerned about their depth.
Clippers
1:40
Would pacers say no to zubac and mann for myles turner ? Zubac is not the answer at center
Luke Adams
1:41
It's not a bad trade idea from a value perspective. But the Pacers already have a very deep roster. Adding two good players in exchange for one even better one might not be the right move for them -- they'd probably prefer to be on the other end of a deal like that.
KJ
1:43
When do the Bulls start taking trade phone calls?  Unless they make a miraculous turn around in the next. A few games I'm thinking.
Mid january the phone's gonna be on speed dial
Luke Adams
1:44
It seems like everyone watching the Bulls is going to be ready to throw in the towel on the current roster before the front office is. They won't hang up on anyone now, but I suspect they won't get serious about major trades until they see where they're at by the new year.
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