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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 2/23/2023
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Luke Adams
10:00
Thanks for all the early questions, guys. Sorting through them now and will get underway in just a minute...
Tom
10:01
Given the limited information that we have on his departure from Boston, How likely do you think it is that Ime Udoka is a head coach in the NBA at the start of the 23-24 season?
Luke Adams
10:03
As you say, the lack of information we have makes it tricky to handicap. Did the Nets back off last fall because they learned the details of the situation in Boston and were put off by them, or was it just a PR decision based on the details that are already known? I'd put the odds a little below 50/50 that he's coaching a team to start next season. There likely won't be that many coaching openings this spring, and I could see all the teams that are making changes talking themselves into a safer pick than Udoka.
KJ
10:04
Is the whole situation with Brandon Miller going to affect his draft stock? I've seen him as high as three on some mock drafts and  although criminally he didn't do anything wrong but I would be kind of hesitant to draft someone that high with that cloud around him
Luke Adams
10:06
It's a very good question and one I haven't really been able to get a handle on yet. As we saw in last night's game, the talent is clearly there, and when that's the case, teams can usually talk themselves into a best-case interpretation of off-court stuff like this. It's definitely a troubling story though and I can't imagine any team with a top-five pick is going to be as enthusiastic about drafting him as they would have been before this story broke.
Guest
10:07
Will Miles Bridges seriously play next month? Any other teams other than the Hornets interested in him?
Luke Adams
10:09
The comments from Bridges this week were a little odd. It's extremely hard for me to imagine him playing at all this season -- even if he and the Hornets work out a deal, I expect he'll have to serve a suspension before he actually suits up (though if the Hornets do want to bring him back, it sort of makes sense to sign him sooner rather than later so he can begin serving that suspension now, while the team is in tank mode).
10:10
Unless he remains unsigned until the summer, I wouldn't expect any other team to get involved. The Spurs are the only ones with cap room and I doubt they want anything to do with him, especially after dealing with the Primo situation earlier in the season. Bridges also can't sign an offer sheet between March 2-June 30, so if he signs during that time, it'd have to be with Charlotte.
EonADS
10:10
Ben Simmons needs to play as a Center at this point. His FT% and inability to hit jumpers limits him too much. What team makes the best use of him and why? My money's on Charlotte.
Luke Adams
10:12
Simmons makes sense at center on offense, but he's not really a good enough rebounder or rim protector to play there on defense, which has been an issue for the Nets this season. It's funny, if you were playing him at center, you'd probably want to pair him with a PF who's a good shooter, a solid rebounder, and can protect the rim a little. That sort of sounds like Kevin Durant, but clearly that didn't work.
10:13
I'm not giving up on Simmons yet, but I don't see any team that would be an obviously great fit for him until he becomes a bit more willing to shoot.
Chris Chiozza
10:13
Will the Nets sign me to a rest-of-season deal? If they decide to fill the 15th spot, I don't think they're going to pick up anyone off the buyout market.  I figure they may want me to keep pushing for the G-League title but may want to keep me eligible in case they need injury depth at PG during the playoffs.
Luke Adams
10:15
You're as good a candidate as any. The Nets don't need more veteran depth and probably don't want to increase their tax bill, so maybe you get converted during the final days of the season as an insurance policy for the play-in/playoffs.
Guest
10:15
Will Russell Westbrook help or hurt the Clippers?
Luke Adams
10:17
I don't think he'll hurt them (he's not making $47MM like he was with the Lakers, so if it's not working, you can always bench him or waive him). Still, I'm a little skeptical about how he'll fit alongside Kawhi and PG13, given that they all need the ball in their hands to be most effective. Very curious to see what it'll look like.
Stan
10:18
Who do you think the rockets will sign to fill their two last roster spots?
Luke Adams
10:20
They've talked a lot about wanting veteran leaders to help guide their young players, so it would make some sense to bring in someone who could help in that respect (sort of their version of the Spurs and Gorgui Dieng). With the other spot (or with both spots, if they can't find a vet they like), I'd expect them to rotate through 10-day contracts for some young guys and see who pops. Cassius Stanley has been playing pretty well for their G League team.
Chicago Mediocres
10:20
Who is more valuable in a trade Demar or Zach? The pairing is abysmal defensively, I really do not enjoy Zach’s aloof and nonchalant attitude when considering his performance in 4th quarters
Luke Adams
10:22
I think the appeal of those two guys would vary from team to team. Some clubs who are high on LaVine would probably be happy to have him under contract for so many years, while others would be scared off by that long-term deal and would prefer DeRozan. I don't think you're getting a huge haul for either player this summer.
Mark
10:22
Unlike most things that occur in the NBA, aren’t the smaller market teams disadvantaged when it comes time for veterans’s contracts to be bought out and resignings to occur?  It seems like another opportunity for the rich to get richer.
Luke Adams
10:24
Market size isn't as important as a team's spot in the standings. Denver and Cleveland ended up with two of the top guys on the buyout market this year, and the Celtics, Lakers, Nets, and Knicks haven't signed any.
Baylen
10:24
Think Mac McClung's stock as an NBA player is affected by all star weekend?
Luke Adams
10:25
Maybe a little, but I don't expect we'll see the Sixers rushing to find room for him on their 15-man roster or anything. It's not like teams hadn't heard of him before this month.
KJ
10:25
The buyout Market has been both predictable and unpredictable and and we still have until March 1st. Give me one buyout that was predictable one that wasn't predictable and one candidate that could still be bought out in the next few days. My answers would be John Wall Kevin Love and Derrick Rose
Luke Adams
10:26
Terrence Ross was an easy one to see coming, given that he's been talking about wanting a changing of scenery for a while. Love surprised me a little too -- not that he'd want out, but that the Cavs would be willing to do it and let him sign with a conference rival.
10:27
As for one that could still be coming... I'd be somewhat surprised if Nerlens Noel is still a Piston after March 1. Seems like it'd be in both sides' best interests to move on.
Don
10:27
What are the chances that my Hawks bring in a permanent to finish out the season and get a little idea of how he wants to transform the roster. We have a lot of good young players, we just need to figure out who stays and who goes.
Luke Adams
10:28
If it's Quin Snyder, it could happen relatively quickly, since he doesn't have another job that would hold him back. If the Hawks want to go in another direction, I could see them waiting until the spring, when it's easier to go after candidates on other teams' staffs.
EonADS
10:29
As someone who works in the court system, Brandon Miller could easily still be charged as an Accessory to the murder that Miles and Davis committed. The prosecution has so far declined to do so, but I wouldn't be surprised if he does face some repercussions from the incident.
Luke Adams
10:29
I've gotten the sense that if they wanted to charge him for his involvement, it probably would've happened by now, but I'm certainly far from a legal expert.
Zion
10:30
What type of trade value will Zion have in the offseason when his max extension kicks in? He’s awesome to watch, but always hurt.
Luke Adams
10:32
His trade value would still be massive. There would be plenty of teams in the "we can fix him" camp, willing to roll the dice on him being the next Embiid (who only played 31 games in his first three seasons due to injuries). I believe his contract also includes some language protecting the team if he continues to have serious injury issues.
I don't expect the Pelicans to consider trading him though. Not this year anyway.
Seen
10:33
Does the KD trade look more bad for Brooklyn if Cam Johnson leaves in the offseason or do you think he is a lock to stay because he is restricted?
Luke Adams
10:34
"Lock" may be overstating it, but I definitely don't expect the Nets to lose Johnson for nothing. They'll either bring him back on a new contract or get some value in a sign-and-trade by threatening to match an offer sheet.
^76
10:35
Will there be voter fatigue in this years MVP voting?
Luke Adams
10:36
The latest MVP straw poll from Tim Bontemps, which involves a lot of writers who actually vote for these awards, suggest voter fatigue won't be an issue. There will probably be a few who will be reluctant to pick Jokic for a third straight year, but I have a good amount of confidence in the voters on the whole -- if Jokic is the clear choice, he'll win it.
Blazers
10:37
Let’s say you’re the Blazers’ GM and you want to build a team with a real chance of competing with Dame still in his prime (he’s been incredible this year). What moves would you make?
Luke Adams
10:39
If you're serious about maximizing Dame's window, you have to listen on Shaedon Sharpe and be willing to move him in a package for the right impact player. I'm also not sure Simons and Nurkic are the best fits around Dame and Grant, but Nurkic's trade value is probably neutral at best, and you'd need to find the right fit for Simons (preferably a team that already has a really talented defensive guard in place). Honestly, I'm not sure it's a job I'd want -- it'll be very challenging to turn the Blazers into a legitimate contender in the next year or two.
D. Brooks
10:39
What happens with Dillon Brooks in free agency? Haven’t even heard so much as a whisper about an extension. Pretty polarizing player even if he isn’t a big name.
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