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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 2/22/2024
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Luke Adams
10:00
Hey guys, thanks for the early questions. Let's dive in...
Ready for Offseason
10:00
Who do you think are the max contract free agents this offseason?  Any surprises?
Luke Adams
10:02
It's a safe bet that Tyrese Maxey will get a max deal from the Sixers. If Paul George doesn't extend with the Clippers before July, he could get the max for at least 2-3 years from them or another team. Safe to assume there will be teams willing to give LeBron the max. Siakam and Anunoby are candidates, though I suspect Siakam may end up slightly below if he wants a long-term deal, and I'd expect Anunoby to be more in the $30-35MM range.
10:03
Would be pretty surprised if anyone else got there. Think the max days are over for guys like Harden, DeRozan, Jrue, etc.
RDS
10:03
Hi, do you think that Gallinari has anything left in the tank? I understand that he can still shoot but the bucks probably could’ve used more of a defender in the front court on the wing like JaMychael Green or House,  what do you think?
Luke Adams
10:05
Yeah I was a little surprised by that signing, given that the Bucks' trade-deadline focus seemed to be solely on improving the defense, and they didn't end up doing much (Patrick Beverley is a nice addition but not a game-changer). Gallinari's the sort of player who would get picked on defensively in a playoff series, so I'd be surprised if he plays much in the postseason.
On the other hand, Gallinari has at least been active this season, which I think gives him a leg up on JaMychal Green types -- you just don't know what you're getting with a guy who has been out of the league all season. Danuel House would've been a more interesting name to me, though he hasn't had a great year.
guest
10:06
The ALL-STAR game is a joke. (a) How about the 5 players who had the worst (-) minus record  ineligible for the next All Star game.  Or each team carries 20 players, with only 5 permitted to play in a quarter. (B) The 5  team members who allowed the most points ineligible or (c)any 5 team members who allows 33 points or more ineligible for the next All Star Game
Luke Adams
10:08
I find it hard to get too worked up about the All-Star Game. To me, it would be way worse for a player on a contender to tear his ACL playing hard in an All-Star Game than it would be to get what we got on Sunday. It's an exhibition for fun! It doesn't need to played like a playoff game!
It's certainly not worth fundamentally changing the way that All-Stars are selected, since you start messing with the sport's history and players' legacies that way.
10:09
I'll also add that if the score was closer in the last few minutes on Sunday, I think you would've seen the effort level increase. A competitive final 4-5 minutes is probably the best the league can realistically hope for.
Lennie Pike
10:09
What say they just dump the ASG altogether? Fans don't care. Players don't care. Silver can't control it.
Luke Adams
10:11
Hardcore fans may not care, but I think younger fans still get a kick of seeing the league's best players teaming up. But I'm not sure we need a standard 5-on-5 game for that. I wouldn't be opposed to if the league decided to introduce a couple new events to the Saturday night festivities and then stretched them over two days rather than actually playing the All-Star game on Sunday.
Jeff
10:11
With the addition of Washington and Gafford, can the mavs make a deep run?
Luke Adams
10:13
The West will be really tough this year, and I wouldn't feel confident about taking Dallas over teams like the Nuggets or Clippers, but I think there are scenarios in which the Mavs could win a series or two. It would take some good health luck and maybe a favorable first-round matchup against a team without much playoff experience (OKC? New Orleans?)
Chris D
10:14
What on earth do the Wizards do about Poole, post deadline? He has never shown more than a few spurts here and there that he is engaged on the court. I think he is really hurting their efforts to institute accountability and consistent effort-- particularly defensively.
Luke Adams
10:16
I don't disagree with that. The Wizards expected to lose a lot this season, but if they're not losing "the right way" (playing hard, etc.), it could create shaky ground for the foundation of the rebuild.

Wonder if we'll see some vets like Poole held out with minor injuries in the home stretch of the season, like the Blazers and other teams have done the past couple years.
Guest
10:16
I feel like the Bucks are in that dangerous period where their mistakes are compounding in such a short time that it could end with Giannis requesting a trade...and I would think it all started with his playing GM on all of these moves that haven't panned out.  What do you think?
Luke Adams
10:18
We'll see how this postseason goes, but if the Bucks don't at least make the Eastern Finals, I'd expect the front office (and ownership) to look long and hard at the way the roster is constructed this offseason in an effort to avoid that scenario. Lopez's contract will be an expiring -- maybe they could find a way to use it in a trade that makes the team younger and more athletic.
A.P.
10:18
With 26 games remaining, will the Grizzlies go full tank mode?  A possible top five pick will definitely help.
Luke Adams
10:19
I don't know if they'll need to make a deliberate decision to go that route or if their injury-ravaged roster will sort of force them to take that path. But I suppose they could at least play it verrrry safe with injuries like Bane's and Smart's, holding them out of the lineup longer than they would in a playoff race.
Johnl
10:20
Who would be a good forward fit for Bulls with all their injuries any thoughts.
Luke Adams
10:21
Not many exciting options on the buyout market. Joe Harris? Danuel House? Kevin Knox? Someone like Ish Wainright would provide some energy off the bench, but there's not a lot of upside there. They might be best off just leaning into the big lineups with Vucevic and Drummond until they get healthier.
Guest
10:22
Do you think the Warriors would do a Thompson/Kuminga trade for LeBron?  I don't even know if you can add a Kuminga on a sign and trade?  But if you can would they do it?
Luke Adams
10:25
If they wanted to do it, one path they could theoretically take would be to extend Klay -- as long as he gets no more than two years and no more than a 5% raise on his current salary, he'd remain trade-eligible. But it's a hard scenario for me to envision. I suspect the Warriors would rather use Wiggins and/or Paul for salary-matching. The Kuminga part is tricky too -- is a 21-year-old Kuminga actually more valuable than a 39-year-old LeBron?
Connor
10:25
Why do you think miles Bridges didn’t ask out of Charlotte? I’m a hornets fan & was surprised he didn’t request a trade or wouldn’t approve one?🏀
Luke Adams
10:26
He would've lost his Bird rights if he had approved a trade, and it sounded like the Suns (who don't have the cap room to sign him without his Bird rights) were the leading suitor, so he probably recognized that exercising his veto power was his best chance at getting paid.
robertsedlak
10:26
How about the USA vs the world for the all star game?
Luke Adams
10:29
Could be fun, but I think it would warp the way that All-Stars are selected, since the non-U.S. field is stacked at the top but not as deep. We already get glaring snubs every year -- not sure we want to invite a scenario where, say, Bogdan Bogdanovic ends up sneaking into the game as the World's 12th man while the U.S. team can't find room for someone like Devin Booker or Paul George.
AFton
10:29
Maybe it isn’t Trae Young, but should we expect to see the Spurs make more than one big swing this off-season? Also will Pop still be the guy in charge next time SA is contending?
Luke Adams
10:30
The Spurs will want to be showing signs of moving toward real contention by the time Wembanyama's rookie contract is expiring, but I don't get the sense that they're in a huge rush to take a big swing yet. If the right opportunity for the right price arises, sure, but I doubt they'll overpay to get a star point guard this summer.
10:31
As for Pop's future... I think he'll still be the coach of the Spurs' next postseason team, but not their next legitimate title contender.
Arcman
10:31
Is there any big men worth the Warriors 15th spot out there to back up looney? Could Lopez be in play?
Luke Adams
10:33
Haven't heard anything about them looking at centers, and their track record in recent years suggests that adding a traditional five probably isn't a top priority. If they do look at adding a frontcourt piece, it wouldn't surprise me to see them target more of a F/C like Chimezie Metu. But a wing or guard is probably more likely based on how they've operated.
Guest
10:34
Does Jalen Green have a future with the Rockets. I see him talked on a lot
Luke Adams
10:35
I definitely feel less confident about his future in Houston than I did six months ago. Doesn't mean they're going to trade him this summer, but I also wouldn't count on an extension.
Insert Witty Name Here
10:36
How should the Sixers manage Embiid next year? He clearly can’t stay healthy for a full year.  Should he be on a strict 25-28 min limit per game?
Luke Adams
10:39
The 65-game minimum for award consideration is a real issue for Embiid. He's never played more than 68 in a season, so he's always going to be hovering around that minimum, and he (understandably) wants to qualify for award consideration for the sake of his legacy. But it would've been in his and the team's best interest if he wasn't on the court in the game where he hurt his knee -- he didn't look right even before that injury happened.

I don't know if a 25-28 minute limit is the right move, but if he wants to get to 65+ games and the team wants to keep him as healthy as possible, he probably shouldn't be averaging 34 again.
Go Suns
10:40
Any rumors who the Suns are targetting next after Thad Young?
Luke Adams
10:42
There hasn't really been anything concrete out there. I'd expect them to look at backcourt depth, but if there's no one out there they really like, maybe they just end up promoting Saben Lee to fill the 15th spot. He's been decent when he gets opportunities.
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