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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 2/29/2024
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Luke Adams
2:01
Thanks for the early questions, guys! It'll be a shorter than usual chat today, but we're bringing back our weekly Tuesday chats beginning next week.
Let's dive in...
Suns fan
2:01
Who are you hearing from the Suns that they will fill that final roster spot. I believe they need a veteran point guard to clean things up in tight situations and the 4th quarter. I heard patty mills got waived. Would that be a good fit for the Suns?
Luke Adams
2:04
I don't get the sense that the Suns really have their eye on anyone on the buyout market right now. Maybe that changes depending on who else gets waived in the next 30+ hours, but it wouldn't surprise me if Phoenix just uses that spot to eventually promote Saben Lee from his two-way contract to a standard deal.
Connor
2:04
Who’s win MVP in your opinion this year? & as of today who is your winner 🏀
Luke Adams
2:06
Barring injuries or some other unexpected development in the next few weeks, Nikola Jokic would be my pick. I'm very curious to see how the voting plays out if the Thunder finish ahead of Denver in the standings though. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate candidate and if there's any residual voter fatigue from Jokic's previous two wins, that would work in SGA's favor.
2:07
I do think there's also a scenario in which Dallas finishes the season strong and the narrative swings in Luka Doncic's favor. Jokic is still my candidate of choice for now.
Anthony Edwards Hype Machine
2:08
Tim Connelly supposedly has a minor ownership stake in the team. If thats true, and the Wolves go into the tax or second apron and have a bill does Connelly have to pay his portion? And if so, does that make a KAT trade more likely if the Wolves don't advance deep into the playoffs thos year? The offense seems to flow better with Naz out there at the 4 and plus it opens up Jadens offensive game too. Name of the game is production vis a vis cost. KAT at $50M isn't ideal. Especially if the POBO has to cut a check. Thoughts?
Luke Adams
2:09
If I recall correctly, the initial reports about Connelly having an "ownership stake" in the team weren't quite accurate -- or at least didn't quite accurately represent what the arrangement was. Let me see if I can quickly find a reference story here...
2:10
Yeah, here's what we have from June 2022:

Sources confirmed to The Athletic that Connelly doesn’t technically have a stake in the team’s ownership. His deal calls for him to “benefit financially” if the value of the franchise increases over the life of his contract, per Krawczynski.

“Basically he’s on a bonus program, just like a lot of people are,” majority owner Glen Taylor said when asked about the equity aspect of Connelly’s contract. “If the team does well, he does better.”
2:12
So Connelly won't have to worry about being on the hook for part of a tax bill himself. Still, the Wolves' financial situation is really interesting since there are so many factors in play, including how well they do in the postseason this year and how willing the new ownership group will be to pay a big tax bill (assuming that change in majority control proceeds as planned). Towns certainly looks like the player to watch if they get cold feet about the cost of the roster.
Wolves Guy
2:12
Piggy backing off of that, any word on Marcus Morris?  Wolves are rumored to be the landing spot, but the deadline is fast approaching for him to be playoff eligible…
Luke Adams
2:15
I'd still expect him and the Spurs to get something done by the end of the day tomorrow -- there's been no indication that they actually want to keep and use him down the stretch.

I would've thought that he and the Spurs would've already gotten something done by now if he had a deal waiting for him in Minnesota, but the Wolves aren't far below the tax line, so maybe they wanted to be careful about not committing to Morris (or anyone else) too early.
Knicks
2:15
What is the timeline for the return of the starters for the Knicks. They were playing so well before all of the injuries, besides for Mitchell should everyone be back before the playoffs?
Luke Adams
2:18
I think a best-case scenario would have Anunoby back by mid-March and Randle back by late March or early April. I'd feel a little more confident about Anunoby making a full recovery for the playoffs. A lot of the reporting on Randle's situation - as well as the comments from Thibodeau - has made his recovery seem more tenuous. Like if there's any sort of setback or if there's a real risk of making his injury worse, we may not see him again this season.
Franklin the Dog
2:18
is there any hope in Philly Sixers Land?
Luke Adams
2:19
They're another team where in a best-case scenario, their injured star (Embiid, in this case) is back a week or two before the postseason and is ready to go for the playoffs. If that happens, they have intriguing upside, with Lowry and Hield in the mix. But I wouldn't feel too comfortable betting on them at this point.
2:20
On the plus side, they're pretty well positioned to get creative in building around Embiid and Maxey this summer.
Avi Jacob
2:20
The last several years of the Celtics ECF/Finals performances have left me very hesitant to fully buy into them as a Championship team. What can be different for us this year? I still see issues as the pressure brings out Jaylen Brown turnovers and the first guard off the bench (Pritchard) becomes unplayable . I'd tighten up the rotation to be able to always have Jrue or Derrick White in at all times, and then slide Jaylen down to SG when one of that duo is on the bench,
Luke Adams
2:22
They're not a perfect team, but I'd feel better about them than any other Eastern Conference team right now. The Holiday and Porzingis additions have made this the highest-upside version of the Celtics we've seen in the past few years. And given how short teams' rotations get in the playoffs, as long as they stay healthy, they shouldn't have to rely too much on guys outside of their top six.
Joey Jojo Jr. Shabadoo
2:23
If the Rockets keep their Top 4 protected pick plus add another potential Top 4 pick from Brooklyn, who do you think they'll package these hypothetical picks for? They already have a very young squad as is...
Luke Adams
2:26
Well, for what it's worth, the odds of them retaining their own pick are still pretty long, even with slump over the past couple months. They have the ninth-worst record in the league right now, which would work out to about 20% odds for a top-four pick.

A 1-in-5 chance isn't nothing though, so there's a scenario in which they have a couple top-10 picks. If that happens and there's no obvious fit on the trade market by the draft, I suspect they might use one of those picks, then try to trade the other for multiple future first-rounders that could be used at a later date to package for a star.
R. Alan
2:26
As far as I can see Detroit is further ahead in their development than Washington. I don't see any bright spots in D.C. How long before either team will be competitive - your best guess
Luke Adams
2:27
Hard to imagine either the Pistons o Wizards being further along next season than where a team like Utah or Houston is now. If Cade makes another leap and gets some help, maybe the Pistons are back in the postseason mix by 2026. That feels a little early for the Wizards.
DC
2:28
Realistically can LAD even get past the play in?  What should they do in off season
Luke Adams
2:30
Assuming we're talking Lakers here rather than Dodgers? I do feel like there's a scenario in which the Lakers could win a series or two -- they'd have to luck out with the matchups a little like they did last year with the reeling Grizzlies and a not-firing-on-all-cylinders version of the Warriors. But if they end up facing a team like the Nuggets in the first round, their playoff run will likely be a short one.

As for their offseason, they've made no secret of the fact that they intend to go star shopping with the three first-round picks they'll have available to trade. The Hawks guards are worth watching.
Just My opinion
2:31
6th man of the year award goes to……?
Luke Adams
2:32
Haven't taken a deep dive into this category yet so I can't name one player with confidence. Off the top of my head, I know Malik Monk and Bogdan Bogdanovic are a couple who will be in the mix. Maybe Norm Powell? Even Tim Hardaway Jr.? I'd need to take a closer look.
My opinion
2:33
Can anyone seriously beat those Celtics in a 7 game series- they have so many options who all play good defense?
Luke Adams
2:34
The only problem with having such a top-heavy roster is that they're vulnerable to injuries -- if they're missing one or two of their top six guys, they'll have to start leaning more than they'd like to on guys who would ideally be out of the playoff rotation.
I do like the Celtics to come out of the East though.
Anthony Edwards Hype Machine
2:34
Everyone loves a three way. KAT to the Hawks. Trae to the Spurs. Draft capital and a couple pieces to the Wolves. Good framework if the Wolves don't make a deep run?
Luke Adams
2:36
I don't hate it in theory. It's just a tough spot for the Wolves -- if they're knocked out early in the playoffs, they'll be looking for a move to get them over the top, not to take a step back. Maaaybe there's a way to do it by trading one of your All-Stars, but it's a tight needle to thread.
Crabby Wolf
2:37
As the first seed in the West why is every other top contender getting "If they finish X, then I could see Y getting MVP" EXCEPT the Wolves? I'd say ANT is as Valuable as Shai. In fact I'd say there hasn't been a more valuable player inn the league than Mike Conley. We one from 42 wins TOTAL last year to 42 wins before March. I'm not crazy with thinking Conley is up there but it IS crazy that ANT isn't in the top 3-4 choices. Oh and Naz for 6th man!
Luke Adams
2:39
Ant is awesome, but Shai has been better than him in just about every category, and I wouldn't say that the supporting cast in OKC is better than the one in Minnesota. A couple games in the standings won't be enough to make up for that.
Jade W
2:39
trailblazers / hornets  ? Which team has a bigger upside and could be playoff ready in a year or 2 ?
Luke Adams
2:40
The vibes in Charlotte seem pretty positive lately, and I like what they did on the trade market this season more than what Portland did. I think I'd take the Hornets.
Trog
2:41
If you're the Mavs, do you fill that 15th standard spot with a veteran PG, veteran defender or promote someone from a two way contract? (AJ Lawson has looked good in limited opportunities.)
Luke Adams
2:42
I'd keep it open for now. They're healthier now than they have been for most of the season, so there's no urgent need for a 15th man. Might make sense to wait until closer to the playoffs to give them more time to assess the area of greatest need (which could change if more injuries occur between now and then).
2:43
Thanks for the questions today, guys! As mentioned at the top, I have to duck out a little early today, but we'll be resuming our Tuesday chats starting next week. Hope to see you then! Have a great weekend.
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