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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/2/2023
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Luke Adams
9:58
Hey guys, will be delayed by about five minutes. Keep those questions coming though!
10:04
Thanks for your patience, all. Let's dive in...
EonADS
10:04
What's the ceiling for the Knicks in the playoffs? Any chance they could go on a run like the Hawks a couple years ago, or are they a first-round out?
Luke Adams
10:06
It will be a challenge for any team to have a Hawks-like ECF run this season as long as the Celtics and Bucks (in some order) continue to hold the top two seeds. Those teams just won't be easy to upset. If the season ended today though, the Knicks would be up against the Cavs in round one and I think you could make a strong case for them winning that series.
Bucks
10:06
Dose Gordon Dragic make sense for the bucks as a 3rd PG
Luke Adams
10:08
I'm not sure Goran (aka Gordon?) has much left in the tank at this point. He'd be fine for depth purposes, I suppose, but if you find yourself needing to play him regularly in the playoffs, that's probably not a good sign.
Thibsfan
10:08
Do you think Josh Hart will replace Quentin Grimes in the Knicks starting lineup?
Luke Adams
10:10
Sure, though it seems like Thibs is much more concerned about his closing lineup than his starting lineup. Grimes also provided a reminder of his value last night, so I doubt any change is imminent.
EonADS
10:10
Are there any limits to how much teams can jerk around two-way guys? Wallace and Moon have to be sick of what the Clippers are doing.
Luke Adams
10:13
We'd need more details to know for sure, but I actually think what the Clippers are doing is pretty player-friendly. Players on G League contracts are only making about $40K this year. A player who gets a two-way deal, even at this point in the season, will exceed that amount even if he's waived a few days later. As long as the Clippers made it clear to Nate Darling and Keaton Wallace what the plan was, I'll bet they appreciate the bonus money.
Guest
10:13
If a player on a two way contract is waived this month, could he still be eligible for the playoffs for a new team?
Luke Adams
10:14
No, the same rules apply to two-way players as to players on standard contracts. So guys waived on March 1 or earlier retain their playoff eligibility, but anyone waived starting today won't be playoff-eligible, whether they're on a standard deal or a two-way.
Keith
10:14
what are your thoughts on KD's debut last night with the Suns?
Luke Adams
10:16
It was a pretty soft landing for KD and the Suns, facing a Hornets team playing without LaMelo. I'll be curious to see how it looks in tougher matchups, including at Dallas this Sunday, but there certainly weren't any red flags on Wednesday. Durant can play with pretty much anyone, and the knee seemed fine.
Trog
10:16
Has Jason Kidd lost the Allas (no D) Mavericks? Even with Finney-Smith, the team was a shell of themselves defensively last season. What's going on here???
Luke Adams
10:18
It's a good question. I never got the sense that Jalen Brunson was the one holding that defense together, so you can't use his exit to explain things. Maxi Kleber's injury hasn't helped, but it's not like he's a DPOY candidate anchoring the D. I'd have to take a deeper dive into the numbers to try to come up with a good explanation, but it's a troublesome trend and will kill their chances of making any sort of playoff run if it continues.
The Beard
10:19
Am I really going back to Houston?
Luke Adams
10:22
Those reports screamed "leverage play" to me, but maybe I shouldn't be underestimating your desire to return to the Houston nightlife and to have a franchise catering to your every need. It just seems like a really weird on-court fit based on where the Rockets are in their rebuild and where you are in your career (34 in August, which seems way too early to be doing a "I'm gonna sign one last contract with my old team" sort of thing).
KJ
10:22
So of the remaining buyout candidates who made the biggest mistake? I would have to say John Wall because I haven't heard any team with any type of Interest
Luke Adams
10:23
John Wall didn't give up any money when he was cut, so it's hard to say he made a "mistake" -- he had no real say in being traded and then waived. Houston was never going to keep him after the way things ended last time.
It's still too early to draw any final conclusions. All of the guys who actually gave up money in buyout agreements are either on new teams or are still on waivers -- I'd be surprised if any of them don't find new homes by the end of the season.
Lathon
10:24
Where does Nerlens Noel end up?
Luke Adams
10:26
I like Philadelphia as a fit for him, though that would've been a more obvious match before the Sixers signed Dedmon. Brooklyn would make some sense if the Nets still have any postseason aspirations. Dallas, though there's no room on that roster right now.
Connor🏀
10:26
When will the hornets be relevant again?🏀.
Luke Adams
10:27
In about four months, if they get lucky in the draft lottery and land Victor Wembanyama. If not, it might be another year or two. There's some talent on the roster, but the Miles Bridges situation really set them back and they probably need to get the Hayward contract off the books to start building the next version of the team that can contend.
Arcman
10:28
If the Lakers want Kyrie to be on their team would a sign and trade with Mavs where D'Lo, Walker,and Vanderbilt go to Mavs for a sign and trade with Kyrie?
Luke Adams
10:30
It will be pretty tricky for the Lakers and Mavs to construct a deal with players being sign-and-traded both ways, since teams can't acquire a player via sign-and-trade and then pass the tax apron that same season. If Kyrie decides he wants to go to the Lakers, the easiest path would be for L.A. to open up cap room for him (as long as he's willing to accept slightly less than the max).
Lebron James
10:30
I looked at our remaining schedule and the last seven or eight are pretty winnable realistically how many games can I miss before we have no chance at the play in
Luke Adams
10:33
Yeah, the Lakers' remaining schedule is actually quite favorable -- it's the third-easiest, per Tankathon, and that includes three games against the Thunder and Jazz, who might be transitioning into tank mode down the stretch. Given their competition, I actually think it's entirely plausible that the Lakers could get a play-in spot without having LeBron back at all, as long as Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and the rest of the team's most important players are healthy and available for most of the remaining games.
KJ
10:33
I think the consensus is Victor is going number one and is going number two in the draft who is going to go number 3? I had Brandon Miller but I think his whole situation is going to cost him a spot or two
Luke Adams
10:36
I assume you left out his name by accident and have Scoot Henderson locked into No. 2. If that's the case, I agree with you that Miller looked like the leader for that No. 3 spot before his involvement in that January killing came to light. I haven't seen much yet about how NBA teams are responding to that incident -- is it being viewed as a young kid who made a dumb mistake, or as a major red flag for potential character issues? That will determine where he ends up in the draft, since based on talent alone, he's worthy of that No. 3 pick.
If teams are scared off at all by the Miller stuff, Amen Thompson looks like the next-best bet for No. 3.
EonADS
10:37
Cavs truly look off-balance. Yeah, their games against Denver and Boston were close, but they never really locked in. Is it the lack of Kevin Love? Or are their flaws (weak bench, bad rebounding) just showing?
Luke Adams
10:39
I think it's more the latter, though I guess you could argue that the lack of Love is a factor in those deficiencies. It feels to me like the Cavs are one step removed from being a legitimate contender. Maybe that step is acquiring a high-quality three-and-D wing, maybe it's having Mobley make the leap to stardom. Having a stronger bench would help, but I'm not sure that turns them into a title contender.
Keith
10:39
Do you see the Timberwolves looking at trading KAT this offseason, after all this season's troubles. Rebuild some of the lost draft picks from their other disastrous trades.
Luke Adams
10:41
I'll have a better answer for this once we see how this rest of this season goes (Will KAT be back? If so, how will he and Rudy look together with Conley now at PG in place of D-Lo? How will they do in the playoffs?). But right now, I don't get the sense that's something the Wolves will seriously consider unless Towns asks for it.
Guest
10:41
Did the Bulls cut Dragic as a favor to him, to save money, or to sign another player?  If so, are there any rumors of them interested in signing anyone in particular?  Any confirmation on the Lonzo Ball nerve damage rumor?
Luke Adams
10:43
Don't think he gave up any salary, so it wasn't to save money (unless they think he'll be claimed on waivers, which I doubt). It sounds like he just wasn't in their plans after they signed Beverley, so they did right by him and gave him the opportunity to catch on with a new team and still be playoff-eligible. The Bulls will sign someone to fill his spot, but it might not be right away and I don't know that they had anyone specific in mind.
10:44
As for Ball, not sure exactly the rumor you're referring to, but LaVar Ball has said a couple times since the fall that the last surgery Lonzo underwent was related to a nerve issue.
KJ
10:44
Please settle a bet for us my friend says the Nets will not qualify for anything this year I say even if they go let's let's say 8 and 12 the rest of the year that should be enough to get them at least in one of the play in spot
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