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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/16/2023
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Luke Adams
10:01
Thanks for the early questions, guys! Will get underway in just a couple minutes.
Trog
10:04
I realize this wouldn't happen, but just for a hypothetical, if the Mavs wanted to go full rebuild and trade Luka, what would a return package look like?
Luke Adams
10:06
It's almost hard to imagine how much a team would have to give up. Start with the KD package (four unprotected picks, a pick swap, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder) and go from there. You could theoretically strengthen that package by offering a couple extra pick swaps, more picks (either second-rounders or extra firsts if you control more than your own) or better players.
David
10:06
Does the loss against Houston mean no more load management for AD? Did the Lakers think that should’ve been an easy win without him?
Luke Adams
10:09
Definitely not. But if their doctors are still recommending not having AD play back-to-backs, it made more sense to have him play vs. the Pelicans than the Rockets. Without any real medical knowledge of my own, I can't really argue that he should be playing back-to-backs -- look what happened to Luka last week when he played his first b2b since November.
Big Ole Shoes
10:09
The conversation re: tanking usually centers around "how do we stop the Spurs, or Houston, or <<insert team with a bad record here>> from totally giving up on the season?" I feel like we'd be better served starting with these purgatory organizations like Portland or Indiana or Toronto who don't have enough to make the playoffs or compete for a lottery pick. How do we make these teams attractive to casual fans?
Luke Adams
10:12
I don't view that as a major problem and I don't feel as if teams like Indiana and Toronto are stuck in purgatory -- the Pacers are rebuilding, and if you throw out the Tampa season, the Raptors had won 48+ games for eight straight years entering this season. The teams that can get stuck in purgatory are the ones desperately trying to build around stars (Portland with Lillard, Washington with Beal), but that's more about questionable management decisions than anything structurally wrong with the league.
Connor🏀
10:12
When is the next time you see the hornets getting into the playoffs?🏀
Luke Adams
10:13
Assuming they don't get Wembanyama in the draft, 2025 is probably a best-case scenario, with 2026 or later more realistic.
ZoBaby!!!!
10:14
I don't expect a lot from the Heat in the playoffs...Any ideas on what their offseason looks like...FA options/trades?
Luke Adams
10:17
I expect we'll hear plenty of trade rumors involving Lowry and Robinson again. Lowry should be more movable in his contract year -- his expiring deal and a first-round pick could potentially get you a couple quality rotation players. As for free agency, without cap room, I wouldn't expect a major splash there. They're more likely to focus on bringing back their own FAs (Strus, Vincent).
Josh
10:17
Will Moses brown have impactful minutes for the Nets, Or will he just be stashed to the bench? Its also interest that he got waved by the Knicks. Why was that?
Luke Adams
10:18
I expect he'll get a look in that backup center role to see if he can give them any more than Noel did. Wouldn't expect him to play a major role, but if he fits in well, 10-15 minutes per night seems reasonable.
10:19
Not 100% sure on the Knicks' thinking. It may have been G League related.
aol TED
10:19
Wizards won't go into the tax to pay Kuz and KP, right? If you had to pick which one do you let go
Luke Adams
10:20
There are scenarios where they can bring back both and avoid the tax, but if they do end up deciding to choose between one or the other, I'd probably favor Kuzma. Porzingis is theoretically the higher-upside player, but his price tag and his injury history are still pretty big concerns for me.
GF
10:20
Do you think the sixers play enough defense to get to the finals and is it important to wrestle the 2 seed away from Boston down the stretch?
Luke Adams
10:23
I think the Sixers have the potential to play enough defense to make the NBA Finals in a best-case scenario, but I'd still view them as major underdogs in a series vs. Milwaukee. Re: the No. 2 seed, it would be helpful but I don't feel like it's imperative. Both of those teams have been really good on the road this season and can win playoff games away from home.
Matt
10:23
Best guess at how say 5-10 of the West shake out and which 2 teams are most likely to survive the play-in? Thoughts on how the return of LeBron, the Dallas duo, potentially KAT and Zion impact the race? Is Wiggins anticipated to return prior to playoffs or at all this year?
Luke Adams
10:26
They've been so inconsistent that it's hard to count on them, but I still think the Clippers and Warriors are the two best teams in that group and should claim the 5/6 seeds if they play at the level they can. After that, it seems like the Wolves, Mavs, Lakers, and Pelicans should get the play-in spots, in some order (as good as the Thunder and Jazz have been, it still doesn't seem like there's organizational urgency to make the postseason). The play-in results will come down to the seeding (ie. who has to win two games vs. one, who's at home, etc.) and which players are available by then. I'd lean toward the Mavs and Lakers at this point, but wouldn't be shocked if the Wolves and Pelicans end up making it.
10:27
And for what it's worth, if Zion isn't back in the next couple weeks, I could see the Thunder or Jazz snatching that final play-in spot from the Pels, though I don't think either of those teams would win in the play-in.
Cam
10:27
Rockets have been playing relatively well recently. Is it somewhat of a detriment to their current rebuild to win more games and lower their chance for Wemby? Or are we happy to see some improvement by key players?
Luke Adams
10:28
I'd lean toward the latter. Barring a major surprise, they're pretty locked into a bottom-three seed, so their Wembanyama odds shouldn't change (since the bottom three teams all have the same odds). Finishing the season with some quality wins and still ending up with a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick would be a best-case scenario for Houston.
EonADS
10:29
Embiid's overturned call last night: Foul or No? Looked like a foul to me because of the elbow contact.
Luke Adams
10:31
There was definitely contact, though Mobley's sell-job was maybe a little over the top. I wouldn't have had a problem letting it go on the floor in the final minutes of a big game, but I was a little surprised it was overturned once they called it.
My queue of questions is just about empty, so I'm gonna take a five-minute break. Will finish out the hour when I return if there are enough questions for it!
John
10:36
Which of Detroit's bigs are in the rotation next year?
Luke Adams
10:39
Good question. My first instinct is to say Duren and Stewart for sure, with the team eventually having to make a choice between Wiseman and Bagley. I just don't see how they can regularly play all four of them. My hunch for now is that Bagley is eventually the odd man out, but I'll be curious to see how it plays out.
EonADS
10:39
Does Mattise Thybulle's more well-rounded offensive game in Portland stick? He looks promising, but is that just a mirage of playing a bigger role on a worse team?
Luke Adams
10:41
Maybe there's something to be said for gaining his confidence when the stakes are lower and the expectations aren't so high, but I'd need to see it for more than 13 games to have any real confidence it'll stick. I definitely don't think he's a 41.8% three-point shooter from here on out!
(But if he can land at 35%, he'd be a very useful player.)
John
10:43
What is the best case scenario for Ben Simmons career at this point? It always struck me as a passion issue.
Luke Adams
10:45
A few years ago, it looked like the best-case scenario for him would be to develop a semi-reliable jump shot to go along with his star-level defense and passing. I've sort of given up on that now -- at this point, simply getting back to the player he was during his best years in Philadelphia would be a big win. Even if he's a very limited threat in a half-court offense, he was a good enough transition threat and defender to be a really useful piece. I hope we see that again once he's fully healthy.
ZoBaby!!!!
10:45
Any chance Jimmy Butler leaves Miami soon?  If so, who are they replacing him with
Luke Adams
10:46
Would be surprised if it happens anytime soon. He's still got three years (two guaranteed + a player option) left after this one, and he has raved over the years about what a great fit Miami is for him. I think things would have to get way worse than they have been for a breakup to happen.
Guest
10:46
How long do you think Wemby will stay with his draft team after his rookie contract? We're assuming it's one of: the Spurs, the Rockets, or the Pistons. Assuming no injury problems, will he make it to a championship in those first five years?
Luke Adams
10:48
No player coming off his rookie contract has ever turned down a maximum-salary extension offer from his team, so assuming Wembanyama lives up to the hype and gets that offer, I'd be shocked if he spends fewer than six years with his first NBA team. If they build around him properly, it could be much longer than that.
10:49
I still wouldn't pencil him in for a title in his first five seasons though. That's a tall order for even the biggest of stars.
John
10:49
March madness prospects to watch that we may not know about today?
Luke Adams
10:50
I'm not the right man for this question, given that my focus is generally exclusively on the NBA until about this time of year. I'm looking forward to getting know some of this year's top prospects a little better myself in the next couple weeks.
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