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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 2/9/2026
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Luke Adams
3:00
Happy Monday, everyone! Already got a growing queue of questions, so let's dive right in...
Trog
3:00
Does it benefit the Mavs to have a true point guard in Tyus Jones and scorer with Middleton for the remainder of the season (Flagg development) or hurt them related to draft position for the upcoming off-season?
Luke Adams
3:02
Based on how they were playing in Orlando and Washington, respectively, I'm not sure Jones and Middleton will be turning losses into wins in Dallas. If they start looking more like their old selves and making a real impact, the Mavs might decide that they need to take a few more "rest" nights.
thunderwriter
3:02
Can you explain to me the rationale of the draft and stash? Why do teams waste a draft pick on a guy that they know, he knows and everyone else knows is NEVER coming over? That makes NO sense to me. Trade the pick for a pick next year or somewhere down the line.
Luke Adams
3:06
Generally when a team drafts an international player in the second round and doesn't bring him over right away, it's not because they know he'll never play in the NBA. Borderline second-round picks who are in their early 20s can easily go either way.

There are plenty of late second-round picks who spend a year or two in the NBA on two-way contracts, then spend the rest of their careers overseas or in the G League when it becomes clear they're not NBA-level players. Many of those draft-and-stash players are at that same level and prove after a year or two that they won't warrant an NBA contract. But there are usually a few that keep improving and play well enough to earn a look in the NBA.
Keith
3:07
Were you surprised that Giannis was not traded? What was your most surprising trade that did happen?
Luke Adams
3:08
None of the proposed packages for Giannis seemed to be at the level that a two-time MVP should warrant, so I wasn't shocked by the lack of a move on that front. I'll be curious to see if the offers get any better this summer.

As for the most surprising trade, it was probably Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah. Didn't expect him to be moved until at least the summer. Definitely didn't expect the Jazz to be the team trading for him.
Alex E
3:09
Was there any correlation for the Cavs acquiring Schroeder/Ellis and Harden? Would they have key Hunter if they knew Harden was going to be available?
Luke Adams
3:11
I don't think so. Harden is replacing Garland. Schröder and Ellis are essentially replacing the production they lost when Jerome left (which Ball couldn't replicate). With Tyson emerging, Wade and Merrill playing pretty well, and Strus hopefully back at some point before the playoffs, they should be OK for wing depth.
Edwill
3:12
I see the jazz are getting alot criticism for tanking. Do you think the league might do something about it too stop it or it is what it is and teams are going to keep doing it if it means getting the highest pick possible to get a really good player
Luke Adams
3:14
The tanking situation has the potential to get pretty ugly down the stretch this season, with a bunch of teams looking motivated to lose as much as possible. We heard back in December that the NBA was considering more rules to try to curb tanking, and I imagine those efforts will only be accelerated if there are a few teams making the league look bad in March and April.

Wouldn't shock me if there are new rules in place within the next year related to pick protections or how often a team can get a top-four pick.
R.B.
3:15
Sportswriters (and analysts) seem to be all over the place on the Wizards trade deadline deals for Tre and AD. I'm curious what your take is. Is it an A or a C-. That's the range I've seen on sports sites,
Luke Adams
3:18
In theory, I like the idea of a team leveraging its cap flexibility and minor draft assets to roll the dice on talented players like that.

In reality, I've never been a huge Trae Young fan due to defense/efficiency issues and it's hard to ignore Anthony Davis' inconsistent availability. I still think it was a worthwhile roll of the dice for the Wizards, since they barely gave up any assets of real value, but I'm withholding judgment to some extent until we see what they do with both guys' contracts -- signing them to lucrative new long-term deals this summer would be a mistake. Washington's front office seems smart enough to recognize the risk there and not get out over its skis.
Bball fan
3:18
what franchise needs the 1st pick the most?
Luke Adams
3:20
Maybe the Kings or Nets. Though I trust Brooklyn's front office more to do a good job with its rebuild even if it doesn't luck into No. 1.

The Bucks are another team that would greatly benefit from the top pick, but they literally can't get higher than No. 2 this year.
GrizzMan
3:20
Will Memphis try to trade up in the draft this year?
Luke Adams
3:22
Obviously depends on where their pick lands and which player(s) they're targeting, but they showed last year that they're willing to pay a significant price to move up a few spots for a guy they really like. And they have even more future first-round picks to spare this time around if they want do it again. They should be a team to watch on draft night for sure.
Noooooo!!!!!!!
3:22
I feel like Queta was kickin' it in Boston and not only does Vooch's arrival in Boston put the kaibosh on that but I feel like it  may have the potential to mess up some team chemistry generally. Your thoughts?
Luke Adams
3:27
I think a Simons/Vucevic trade may have been a framework I specifically mentioned in a previous chat, but I was still a little surprised that the Celtics pulled the trigger on it and then went to such great lengths to get out of the tax.

I get why they did it (the repeater clock is relentless), but that group had exceeded expectations and Simons had settled really nicely into his role, with Queta holding his own in the middle.

I don't think they're going to crash and burn because of those trades or anything, but I think it's fair to have some minor concerns about chemistry, and I'm going to be very interested to see how they manage Queta and Vucevic the rest of the way -- Vucevic is shaky enough defensively that it may be hard to fully rely on him in the playoffs, so hopefully Mazzulla and the Celtics will be willing to limit his role if it's not working (though I wouldn't draw any sweeping conclusions after a game or two).
Keith
3:27
Do you see the Celtics signing Vucevic to a multi year extension? How much do you think he is worth, now that he is older? $20M per year for 3 years? They had been after him for years when he was in Orlando, prior to his trade to the Bulls.
Luke Adams
3:31
That's too much money and too many years for a guy who will be turning 36 years old when next season tips off. Vucevic's last deal was worth $60MM over three years, and he still warranted a pretty minimal return on the trade market this season (an indication that contract wasn't viewed as all that team-friendly).

I'd expect something below the mid-level and would be a little surprised if he gets two or more fully guaranteed years.
GROAT
3:31
Which minor move done at the deadline was your favourite?
Luke Adams
3:34
The Celtics coming away from the Chris Boucher salary dump with John Tonje was a fun under-the-radar add for cap reasons that I detailed in a Front Office story over the weekend.

Also thought the Nets taking a shot on Josh Minott for just $110K in cash was a nice play, as was the Raptors getting Trayce Jackson-Davis for a second-round pick that will probably be around No. 50. He has a favorable contract that features a minimum-salary club option, which works well for cap-strapped team like Toronto.
Arcman
3:34
If warriors do not sign their free agents how much will they have next year to sign free agents? Instead of sign bottom feeders.
Luke Adams
3:36
A lot depends on their player option decisions. If we assume Draymond and Horford opt in and Melton opts out, they'd have over $173MM on the books for seven players. The cap is projected to be $166MM, so they'd be a mid-level/bi-annual team.

That equation would change a little if Green and Horford opt out, but even in that scenario, their flexibility would be pretty limited. Hard to create any real cap room with Curry and Butler combining for nearly $120MM.
MV15
3:37
Do you think the Nuggets would trade CB to keep PWat? CB hasn’t shown he can create for himself without Jokic in the lineup, PWat has
Luke Adams
3:39
When I was asked about Watson here a month or two ago, I said they'd probably have to let him go or sign-and-trade him as a restricted free agent this summer because of their cap situation. But it's becoming increasingly harder to envision them just letting him go, so I can't wait to see what their plans are for their roster.

It'll depend on part on how the postseason goes, but Braun looks to me like the most expendable of their top five highest-paid players -- Jokic and Murray obviously aren't going anywhere; Gordon's health is concerning but he's a perfect two-way fit with Jokic when he's available; and Johnson is probably a better fit that Braun.

On the other hand, Johnson would probably be a lot easier to trade than Braun if the goal is to make room on the books for Watson.
TL in Detroit
3:40
Why did I trade for Saric and just cut him? The Bulls got 2 seconds for him and o got nothing. Did I show a crack in my willingness to make a deal. Also was the Ivey return week? Should I have held out for a real asset and not a fake pick swap?
Luke Adams
3:45
In that first deal with Sac and Cleveland, the Bulls just took on Saric's salary without any other pieces involved in the deal from their end, so they were rewarded with the draft picks. There were a lot more pieces involved in the Det/Min/Chi trade, so taking on Saric was part of the price the Pistons had to pay to get Huerter and that pick swap.

I can see why the return for Ivey was disappointing, given that he was a fifth overall pick. But he didn't look like the same player this year that he was before the injury, and he's going to be a free agent this summer. He didn't have a ton of value.

I wouldn't discount that pick swap either. It carries some risk if the Timberwolves keep struggling, since it's top-19 protected, but as of today, it would allow Detroit to move up from No. 29 to No. 20. If they wanted to do that on draft night, the cost would be at least a few second-rounders, if not a protected first. (For comparison: the Nuggets paid three second-rounders to move up from No. 28 to No. 22 in 2024).
Sacramento fan
3:45
can you make sense of Scott Perry’s moves as the kings GM? He’s only had 1 offseason and 1 trade deadline but it’s pretty baffling to me. He signed Schroder and Russ, traded Keon Ellis to move schroder and acquire more salary. He drafted well I think with raynaud looking like a good pick in round 2 and Cardwell playing great for an undrafted guy but Clifford has been underwhelming and we traded a 2027 1st to pick him (he also turned 24 today). He had a spotty history everywhere else he’s been so what’s your take on him so far?
Luke Adams
3:48
Yeah, I haven't been all that impressed by Perry's work so far. He didn't get dealt a great hand following the Fox trade, but I wish he'd been more aggressive in trying to retool the roster right away. Signing Schröder to a three-year deal as if the Kings were a playoff-caliber team that just needed to fill a hole at point guard always seemed weird to me.

With DeRozan and LaVine expiring in 2027, we should get a better sense in the next year or two of how Perry intends to rebuild the roster, but the early returns have been pretty underwhelming.
3:50
As for Clifford, that was another odd decision -- adding a 23-year-old, five-year college player is the type of thing you do when you're a veteran team that wants to acquire someone who might be able to help right away. I don't mind Clifford as a player but I was surprised he was the guy the Kings were trying so hard to get in the first round for.
Guest
3:51
which two way players do u think are most likely to get a standard contract next
Luke Adams
3:52
Spencer Jones in Denver for sure. Sidy Cissoko in Portland. Maybe Ryan Nembhard in Dallas. I think Nae'Qwan Tomlin in Cleveland and Jabari Walker in Philadelphia should be promoted sooner or later, but those teams might wait a bit for tax reasons.
Hoosierdaddy7484
3:53
How does paying a player work when they have been traded? Like if a guy is traded 2 or 3 times in a week does he get 1 or 2 days pay from said team?
Luke Adams
3:54
I believe so, yeah. His full cap hit applies to whichever team he ends up on last, but if a player is on your roster for at least a day, you're responsible for paying at least a small portion of his salary.
Wannes
3:54
Where do you see Kawhi ending up next year? Will he stay or will they move on from him as well?
Luke Adams
3:56
I sort of get the sense that staying in Los Angeles is a higher priority for him than competing for a title, so I'm not sure he'd actually push to be moved. And I think the Clippers can still build a competitive roster around him if they want to -- unclear yet if that's the plan or if they're working toward a more complete rebuild.

The Aspiration investigation is a major wild card here too. I assume we'll have a resolution on that by the summer.
GrizzMan
3:57
Will Ja Morant play for Memphis on opening night next year? (Ie will he be traded this offseason)
Luke Adams
3:58
I'd be surprised if Ja is still a Grizzly in October. Feels like that relationship has just about run its course. A Giannis trade would probably help Memphis -- there may be some teams more willing to add an extra asset or two to their offer for Morant if they miss out on Giannis.
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