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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 12/14/2023
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Luke Adams
9:00
Thanks for the early questions, guys! I'm running a few minutes late, but we'll get underway very shortly.
9:04
OK! Let's dive in...
Olynyk’sHeadband
9:04
You’re Danny Ainge. Who do you target in trades for THT and/or Olynyk expirings, Jordan Clarkson? Is there market for John Collins?
Luke Adams
9:06
I'm not sure THT will have any value on the trade market beyond his expiring deal but Olynyk should. Given that the Jazz aren't exactly on the verge of contention, I imagine they'll be targeting primarily draft assets and will be willing to take on some 2024/25 money to increase the value of those assets. Off the top of my head, a contract like Davis' Bertans (OKC) or Richaun Holmes (Dallas) might make sense as a match for Olynyk. The Mavs don't have many draft assets to spare though and probably wouldn't be inclined to give up much for a non-star like Olynyk. The Thunder have so many picks that they probably wouldn't even notice if they give up a couple second-rounders.
9:07
As for Collins, I don't see him having any value -- he was traded for almost nothing in the summer and his production hasn't been affected much by the move from Atlanta to Utah.
Dan Gilbert's Alt Account
9:07
I realize The Cavs had a lot of close losses, but eventually that stops being good enough. We're over a quarter of the way through, and despite preseason expectations of a top 3 seed, we're barely holding on to any chance of the playoffs. We need a trade, and not a small one. Do we go for an actual PF and move Mobley to Center? Trade Mitchell and reorganize around Garland? Something else entirely?
Luke Adams
9:10
This probably isn't what you want to hear, but it's too early to consider anything so drastic. Like you said, the Cavs have lost a bunch of close games -- if a couple of those games had gone the other way, they'd be a top-five team in the East. If the outlook doesn't look any better in a month or six weeks, then maybe you consider doing something big at the trade deadline. But even then, I imagine they'd try to cobble together a package of LeVert and some smaller pieces for an upgrade before they'd consider moving someone like Allen or Mitchell.
Guest
9:10
With all the smoke around Kyrie to the Lakers towards the end of LY and spilling into the off season. Firstly, do you see him forcing a move to rejoin Lebron & do you think Lakers have the pieces to make it happen? Secondly, what would that mean for Dallas? If Luka loses another star running mate for what I only expect to be role players, I expect him to request a trade pretty fast.
Luke Adams
9:12
A lot of "if"s here, and I'm skeptical of the first one -- the Kyrie-to-the-Lakers noise has been out there for multiple years now and I'm not convinced it'll ever come to fruition. If the Lakers do make a deadline move, I have to think they'll be looking to upgrade on D-Lo's spot with a two-way guard whose defense won't be an issue in the playoffs. Guys like Kyrie and LaVine, as good as they are offensively, don't fit that bill, so it's hard for me to imagine the Lakers giving up a significant package for someone like that.
9:13
Certainly, yes, if the Kyrie experience in Dallas goes south, that's an issue for the franchise as it pertains to Luka. But like I said, that's a big "if" right now. The Mavs are third in the West! They're ahead of the Lakers!
Joe
9:14
Zion for Mitchell.... who hangs up first?
Luke Adams
9:16
Hah, I'm not sure either team pulls the trigger on that deal. New Orleans would have the same problem Cleveland does with Mitchell (will he want to re-sign?), whereas the Cavs would have a frontcout logjam with Williamson (hard to imagine Zion playing the three alongside Mobley and Allen). Who hangs up first is a good question. I think it's probably the Pelicans due to the upside of what sort of player a healthy, in-shape Zion could be.
Guest
9:16
Do you see Detroit as sellers this off season(possibly sooner)? And I’m not talking about their “vets”. This team is in year 5 as a basement team. with 5 top picks and none are looking like they can lead a team, they need a big change. Is it out of the question to try and move the likes of Cade/Ivey/Duren to try and get a cornerstone prospect or 1st option that can change their fortunes?
Luke Adams
9:18
I can't really see it. Cade turned 22 this fall and Duren turned 20. Giving them time to figure things out is the more logical play than shopping them (as soon as the Pistons make them available, their value would dip, since it would signal lost faith in their potential).
9:19
Ivey may not be in the same category, given the way he's been used this season. But it would still shock me if he's not a Piston by the end of the season.
Free Chuma
9:19
In terms of value and future development, how would you rank Trey Murphy, Devin Vassell, Moses Moody, Aaron Nesmith and Brandon Miller?
Luke Adams
9:20
It depends if we're taking into account their contracts. I like Vassell as a player quite a bit, but he'll get extremely expensive starting next season, whereas someone like Miller won't start his second contract until 2027. If we're just talking about who I'd want on my roster for the next 10 years, independent of their contracts...
9:21
I think I'd probably go Miller, Murphy, Vassell, Moody, Nesmith.
Guest
9:22
Keep seeing the hype around Wemby being this “excellent 3pt shooter”. “He has a 10ft shot release” etc. but let’s be real, he’s shooting 27% from outside(the 3rd worst in the whole league). Let alone the fact he is beyond terrible defending the perimeter. He leaves the floor far too often giving players an easy run to the hoop. A couple blocks vs far too many jumps giving the player an easy run to the hoop. When will Pop and Vic accept what we all know, he is a one of a kind future HOF C and not a PF. His inside D and his inside scoring could be historic. Just play him where he should be and he’ll develop much faster. Too much trying to be KD not enough trying to be himself.
Luke Adams
9:24
He's still a teenager. He's got plenty of time (and room) to keep improving. But it seems like the Spurs might agree with you about his position -- he's been starting at center for the past week. I think they wanted to use him at PF to reduce the physical wear and tear on him as a rookie, but they probably recognize that his best long-term position is at the five.
Connor💪🏼
9:24
Holy crap!! Giannis for 64?! Wow😮
Luke Adams
9:24
But which ball did he go home with?? That's the mystery that needs solving.
Josh
9:24
Who is a realistic target for the sixers before the deadline?
Luke Adams
9:28
OG Anunoby would be such a good fit there, but it's still TBD how "realistic" that is. I'm not convinced the Raptors will want to move him and even if they do, there are teams with the assets to outbid the Sixers, depending on what sort of pieces Toronto wants back. Someone like Dorian Finney-Smith or Royce O'Neale would be more realistically attainable, though the Nets have been a little better than expected and may not be inclined to trade with a division rival they might face in the playoffs. I might give the Hawks a call about Saddiq Bey if they're worried about their chances of re-signing him this summer. Bojan Bogdanovic would be interesting too.
9:29
My question queue is empty for now, but I do have a little more time, so I'll give it a few more minutes to see if any Q's come in.
Chill
9:31
Is there a logical backup PG target for the Timberwolves that could be available via trade? Shake Milton hasn't been great in the role, like NAW on the team but not running the 1 spot, and personally not a fan of McLaughlin, big defensive liability. I look at someone like Monte Morris who I know is injured but could realistically have had some run prior to trade deadline. Pistons have log jam of young guards (Cade/Ivey/Hayes/etc). Thoughts on if he fits if healthy, trade value, etc?
Luke Adams
9:33
I like the Morris idea. A reunion with Tyus Jones would be great too, though his $14MM cap hit would be a little trickier to match. Brogdon at $22.5MM isn't a realistic target for that reason. T.J. McConnell also worth keeping an eye on -- he's averaging a career low in minutes per game with the Pacers this season.
Ja
9:34
Am I back on the 19th?
Luke Adams
9:35
I'd be pretty surprised if you aren't. We're just a few days out and there are no reports indicating there's been any reason to extend your suspension.
Free Chuma
9:35
Do you see Trey Jemison getting some run with the Pelicans down the road
Luke Adams
9:36
You never know, but if it happens, it'll probably be pretty far down the road. He's a G League player for now.
Sean
9:37
Will the Thunder trade Vasilije Micic to a contender for draft capital the Thunder waited all this time to bring him over and sign him to a 3 year deal to have him sit on the bench does make sense to keep him if your not going to play him. He is better than a lot of PG in the league.
Luke Adams
9:39
If he wants a change of scenery and the Thunder can get something decent back for him, I expect they'd consider it. But I think any trade partner would be reluctant to give up much, given that he hasn't been able to crack OKC's rotation at all and has only be OK in his limited minutes. And if he doesn't have much value on the trade market, he's more useful to the Thunder as a depth piece in the event of injuries.
Gabe
9:39
When it comos to the Memphis Grizzlies, who were playoff contenders just last year and now without Adams (My favorite player btw) Clarke, Smart for a little While, Kennard + others, look like they are gonna be a bottom 5 team? What should the front office + coach do in your eyes?
Luke Adams
9:41
Let's see how they look once Morant is back. They'll have about a month-and-a-half between his return and the trade deadline, so they'll have a much better sense by then of whether they have a shot at a play-in or playoff spot. If it's a long shot, they could always try to trade some non-core players for assets and regroup for 2024/25.
Chill
9:41
Let's ask the Bronny question: How realistic do you think it is for a team to reach for him in the draft to try to attract Lebron's last seasons? Wondering how many picks up most teams' draft board that possibility moves Bronny. No commentary on his actual draft stock from me, just the attachment of Dad. Can GM LeBron find a way to strongarm Bronny onto the Lakers?
Luke Adams
9:43
The health issue and the development time it cost him presumably pushed him down a lot of draft boards. Evaluating college players isn't my forte, but I'll be very interested to see where the draft experts have Bronny in their mocks in the coming months -- when he was considered a lottery-caliber player, you could make the case for reaching for him. If he's considered a borderline second-rounder, the possibility that LeBron MIGHT consider teaming up with him isn't good enough to warrant reaching for him in the early- to mid-first round.
9:44
(For what it's worth, as much as LeBron has talked about wanting to play with Bronny, he's also mentioned simply wanting to be on the court with him, which makes me think he'll settle for playing against him if Bronny ends up in Charlotte or something.)
Dan Gilbert's Alt Account
9:44
Is Micic a realistic target for the Cavs? I know our fans are all-in on Craig Porter Jr., but his lack of a 3pt shot worries me, given what has happened to other low-percentage PGs over the last few years. Rubio doesn't seem like he wants to come back.
Luke Adams
9:46
Sure, it's worth kicking the tires on Micic. He's a guy who could be added to my list of Timberwolves options above too. You'd have to be pretty confident about his ability to be a solid NBA backup though, since those teams have championship aspirations. Giving up an asset or two for a guy on a multiyear contract and then finding out he's not ready to provide quality NBA minutes would be a setback.
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