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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 12/31/24
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ARTHUR HILL
11:02
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll get started with a question on Michael Porter Jr.
Dennis L
11:02
Nuggets need to do something to move back to the upper tier of contenders. What would an ideal trade scenario or return for Michael Porter Jr. look like?
ARTHUR HILL
11:10
Michael Malone dismissed the Porter trade rumors as "noise" this week, but the Nuggets still seem to be exploring their options with him. Any trade to acquire significant assets and make Denver a legitimate title contender again will likely have to include Porter's $36MM salary. The current focus is on Bulls guard Zach LaVine to provide a consistent scorer alongside Nikola Jokic, but I wouldn't call that an ideal scenario considering the risk that comes with LaVine's injury history.
11:16
Marc Stein mentioned a few other names that the Nuggets have looked into, including Jordan Poole, Jordan Clarkson, De'Andre Hunter, Cameron Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas. They all bring limitations or risks of their own, but none is quite at the same level as rolling the dice on LaVine. Brandon Ingram might be a better option as a reliable scorer. He's available and may not cost much, but he's had injury problems of his own this season. Considering the options on the market right now, the Nuggets may want to let this season play out and see if they can get a better return for Porter this summer.
Guest
11:16
how many trades do u think we see this year? with the new cap constraints are teams able to trade him players for just cash like they have been able to before?
ARTHUR HILL
11:21
It looks like a depressed in-season trade market might be one of the side effects of the new CBA. There are heavy restrictions on title contenders who are either above or near one of the salary aprons, and there are fewer sellers than ever because of the play-in tournament. With the Nets already sending out Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith, there may not be many more trades before a late flurry on February 6. You can still expect a lot of rumors, but it's much harder than it used to be to get those deals done.
Guest
11:22
What's the Lakers' next move after acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith? Is it realistic to think they could get back on the phone with the Nets and try to get Cam Johnson or are they more likely to pursue a PG/C now?
ARTHUR HILL
11:30
I don't think they need Johnson now that they have Finney-Smith, and he would almost certainly cost them at least one of their future first-round picks. Center depth is a more pressing issue, although the front line should improve once Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood return from their injuries. The Lakers only have one second-round pick left to trade after the Finney-Smith deal, but there should be a number of low-cost big men on the market. It won't be a glamorous move, but anything that allows Anthony Davis to spend less time at center will help.
De'Aaron Fox
11:30
Will I still be a King on Feb. 7? If not, which team will I be on? And if yes, will I still be a King by Oct. 2025?
ARTHUR HILL
11:35
There are no signs that Sacramento is ready to throw in the towel on this season, which is what a Fox trade would essentially mean. The message communicated to players after Mike Brown was fired is that the team needs to start winning and find a way to reach the playoffs, and that's only going to happen if Fox is still around. Also, management has a decision to make on Doug Christie's future, and they'll want to see if he can get more out of the current roster than Brown did. Sacramento may listen to offers and start to gauge Fox's trade value, but I don't expect a deal to happen before the deadline.
11:40
The issues are that Fox has already turned down a three-year, $165MM extension and he's said that he wants to play for a contending team. It may be hard to convince him that the Kings can ever reach that level considering their struggles this season and their history over the past two decades. There's already a huge amount of interest from rival teams, with the Spurs and Rockets reportedly the most prominent. Fox is a Texas native, and teaming up with Victor Wembanyama or the young core in Houston would be ideal for him. There's a very strong chance that he'll be moved sometime this summer.
James
11:41
Nurkic, Denver's 2026 2nd-round pick, and Phoenix's 2031 2nd-round pick for Valanciunas and Johnny Davis' expiring contract. Who says no?
ARTHUR HILL
11:48
Valanciunas would be an upgrade in Phoenix, and he would give the Suns a better shot at making a playoff run. He's got two more seasons left on his contract at around $10MM each year and could be a good low-cost center for a team that spends big on other positions. Two future second-rounders is a reasonable price to pay. Washington won't be trying to win for a while, so taking on one more year of Nurkic at about $19MM isn't a huge expense. I could see both teams saying yes, although the Wizards might get better offers from other teams seeking center help.
Danny ainge
11:49
How worried should I be that most of my 1st round picks from the last 2 years haven't shown much at all yet?
ARTHUR HILL
11:59
For a team hoping to rebuild through the draft, the early returns haven't been encouraging. It's hard to judge Taylor Hendricks because he only got to play three games before suffering a season-ending leg injury, but he was also hurt last year so that could be a long-term concern. This year's rookies, Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski, have been brought along slowly, although their playing time should increase if the Jazz sell off their veterans by the trade deadline as expected. Keyonte George has been the bright spot of the last two draft classes, and it looks like he'll be a long-term piece in Utah. The Jazz haven't gotten lottery luck like some other teams as they try to rebuild, which is a reminder of what a risky strategy it can be.
Western Conf.
11:59
Outside of OKC, which Western Conference team do you think is the biggest title threat this season? I'm having a hard time getting enthusiastic about any of them. Memphis and Houston still feel one move away. Denver and Minnesota have been shaky. Lakers, Warriors, and Suns feel old. I guess that leaves Dallas and LAC, but the injury history of their stars is concerning (and I'm not sure I believe in the Clippers anyway)
ARTHUR HILL
12:05
No obvious challenger to the Thunder has stepped up so far. There are more great players than great teams in the West, as Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards and the LeBron James-Anthony Davis combination make their respective clubs dangerous, but none of them have an impressive roster around them. I like Dallas the most, assuming Doncic is fully healthy when he returns from his calf strain, but even the Mavericks aren't as impressive as they were last season. OKC is a clear favorite for the Western Conference title, and we haven't seen Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein together yet.
12:06
Thanks for the great questions this week. We'll talk again next Tuesday.
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