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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 4/13/2023
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Luke Adams
10:00
Thanks for the early questions, guys. Keep 'em coming!
EonADS
10:00
Are the Raptors more likely to try and blow things up now after wasting Siakam's All-NBA season? They could try and add depth with a retool, but how successful would they be?
Luke Adams
10:03
I don't expect them to "blow it up" to the extent that they'd be going into full-fledged rebuilding mode -- they traded away their 2024 first-round pick with pretty minimal protection. They want to be good next season. I do think this year's disappointing finish probably increases the odds that they're willing to revamp that roster with contention in mind. There's no guarantee that will be successful, but if - for instance - they could trade OG Anunoby for a couple rotation players who were good fits around the rest of the roster (ie. a shooter and a play-maker), it might make sense to do so.
LakersFan
10:03
How far do you think the Lakers can go?
Luke Adams
10:05
I think I'll pick the Grizzlies in that first-round series, but wouldn't be shocked if the Lakers win it. I would be surprised if they win two or three playoff series though. The Suns, Nuggets, and Warriors feel more dangerous to me as long as everyone's healthy.
Zion
10:06
Sorry, but Zion should have attempted to Play last night.  I recall DeMarcus Cousins trying to play on 1 Leg in the 2019 NBA Finals after he tore his Quadriceps muscle in the Playoff series before.  I mean, even Zion at 50% could have given them 10-15 Minutes of spark.
Luke Adams
10:07
I'm not gonna tell anyone what they should or should do when dealing with an injury. Especially in a 9/10 play-in game. I don't want Zion risking his long-term health for the right to get waxed by Denver in the first round.
Connor🏀
10:07
do u think the hornets re sign bridges?🏀
Luke Adams
10:08
Yeah, I think if they planned to cut ties with him, it would've happened by now. I wonder if the Hornets will try to sort of bury the news during the July free agency flurry, since it probably won't be well received from a PR perspective (though I expect they'll also be prepared with a handful of quotes about how Bridges deeply regrets his mistakes and vows to be better).
Ja
10:09
Who is the team no one is talking about that could make a run?
Luke Adams
10:11
I'm not sure that no one's talking about them, but the Kings will enter their series against Golden State as underdogs and there's a general consensus that Sacramento's not gonna win that series. I wouldn't be so quick to write them off. That 2/3/6/7 section of the Western bracket is fascinating. All four of those teams have a legitimate case to come out of that group.
GM Cronin
10:11
Speaking of Raptors...OG for Ant Simons.  Everybody wins, right?
Luke Adams
10:13
My guess is that the Raptors would try to get Sharpe and would consider OG a far more valuable piece than Simons (whose defensive limitations are problematic). But I have to think those two teams will talk early and often this offseason. There's also a possible path to a three-team deal using the Blazers' and Raptors' lottery picks to fortify both rosters.
EonADS
10:13
Spencer Dinwiddie (and several others) have said that Ben Simmons still didn't look healthy even when he played. Is it likely that it's true, and that's (part of) why he sucked eggs this year?
Luke Adams
10:16
Yeah, Simmons himself said pretty early in the season that his back still wasn't at 100% and stressed that it takes a while for surgeries like the one he had to fully heal. I don't think we can attribute his underwhelming performance entirely to his health, since the mental/confidence side certainly seemed to be a factor too. But maybe if he's healthier next season, his confidence will grow and we'll see something closer to the All-Star we saw in Philly. That player certainly has limitations, but he was also one of the best defenders and passers in the NBA.
Kaden
10:16
whats your thoughts on the jaylen brown situation? will the celtics give him the max if he qualifys?
Luke Adams
10:18
I wrote about this issue this morning in my weekly newsletter for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. It'd definitely put the Celtics in a better position to extend Brown if he makes All-NBA, but I'm not convinced they want to give him the super-max, with Tatum on track to get a super-max deal of his own next summer.
I wonder if we could see the Celtics pursue something similar to what the Jazz did with Rudy Gobert when he qualified for the super-max -- he got a deal worth more than his standard max, but less than the full super-max.
10:20
For what it's worth, I don't think Brown is a great bet to make All-NBA this year, since there are so many worthy candidates. But it'll depend on how voters treat the guys who missed 20-25+ games -- and how the knowledge that Brown has a lot of money on the line might influence voters' thinking.
cresstheory2016
10:20
What does Simmons' back have to do with him still refusing to shoot?
Luke Adams
10:21
Nothing. And as I said, he'll always have limitations as a player. But when he's fully healthy and effective in other areas, he still brings a lot more value than he showed this season.
Omar
10:21
At what point do you think the Bulls blow this up? Sign and trade Vucevic, trade Derozan in the off-season, get a point guard. Feel like the team conceptually was a good idea, but it just didn’t come together.
Luke Adams
10:23
I do wonder how it might affect the front office's thinking if the Bulls beat Miami on Friday, then play the Bucks tough in the first round. This management group was the one that spearheaded the moves for Vucevic, DeRozan, etc. and won't want to throw in the towel on that core unless it's absolutely necessary. I feel like if they see the team playing well with Beverley acting as sort of a poor man's Lonzo Ball, it'll sort of vindicate their vision and make them reluctant to do anything too drastic this summer (which, to me, seems like a mistake, unless they think Ball will be back or can get a better replacement for him).
Desmond
10:24
In the very likely even the clippers don’t win a title during the Kawhi and pg13 era the Paul George trade has a chance to go down as more disastrous then the nets Paul pierce Kevin Garnett trade right ?  I know clippers had to do it but man the thunder already have gotten sga and Jaylen Williams with much more due to them in the future with the clippers being the oldest roster in all the nba ?
also thunder look to be doing much better in their star trade then pelicans did for ad ( Pelicans just lost the pick swap Chance )
Luke Adams
10:29
I'll push back a little and say it's unfair to compare George in L.A. to Garnett and Pierce in Brooklyn. Those two guys were already on the decline when the Nets traded for them and barely did anything in Brooklyn. George has played at an All-Star/All-NBA level when healthy since he became a Clipper. It's just the injuries that have killed them.
10:30
Given Kawhi's and PG13's existing injury histories at the time of the trade, it's fair to say the Clippers should have seen this coming to some extent and baked that into their trade package, which is certainly a fair criticism. You're right that it's not looking good -- the Thunder won't use their LAC swap this year, but they're still owed unprotected first-rounders in 2024 and 2026, and it's looking increasingly likely, based on their upward trajectory, that they could end up using their swap rights in 2025.
SPDT
10:30
Taking into consideration that many seem to think they would only be the ringleader of the circus, who would you think to be the best coach hire for the Rockets?  Seems as tho the best choices would not be interested.
Luke Adams
10:32
I'm of two minds on that job. On one hand, the Rockets have a pretty promising young core and will add another talented young player to it this June. On the other, I have questions about the ownership group and the culture there. If I were a top coaching candidate, I'd want to do serious due diligence on both. Maybe the culture issues were Silas-related. Maybe Fertitta will turn out to be an OK owner. We'll see.
10:33
I think Nurse and Udoka are the best candidates they've been linked to. Nurse isn't available yet and Udoka has off-the-court questions, but both would be great on-court fits.
EonADS
10:34
What does Rui Hachimura's market look like if the Lakers don't re-sign him this offseason? He's played better as of late and his defense is at a career best (his numbers honestly looks shockingly good).
Luke Adams
10:36
I'm still not entirely sold on him as a shooter or defender, so I envision something like four years and $50MM (Brandon Clarke money, basically). But I could certainly imagine there being at least one team who's more bullish on his potential and going up to $60-65MM.
Some dude
10:36
Looking at current series, which do you think have the highest odd of being an upset?
Luke Adams
10:38
Depends if we're considering an "upset" to be the lower seed winning or if we're using Vegas odds here. Because the Warriors are betting favorites over Sacramento and are the lower seed most likely to come out of the first round. The Knicks and Lakers are the other two clear choices, followed by the Clippers. The Knicks are my favorite upset pick of that group.
10:39
I don't see the 6-8 teams in the East doing much, and I can't see Denver having any issue with the No. 8 seed in the West, though I'd love to see the Thunder make it through and try to take a couple games off the Nuggets.
Jeff
10:39
If the Warriors are healthy and they seem to be its essentially last year's team less Otto Porter but Divenczo is an add plus Kuminga is better player.   Suns have zero depth, Clippers   don't have George.  Nuggets are obviously better than last year but otherwise I think Warriors are a very dangerous 6 seed.
Luke Adams
10:41
I do think this year's Warriors have a few more question marks than last year's team (Wiggins just coming back from a long absence, GPII having missed most of the season with an injury, no Bjelica or Damion Lee, Iguodala injured, etc), but yeah I believe they're widely considered the second betting favorite in the West (behind Phoenix). They'll absolutely be a tough out.
Dylan
10:41
Trae Young for Siakam?
Luke Adams
10:42
I get the logic, but again, based on how the Raptors have built their team, it's hard for me to envision them giving up one of their big, two-way wings for a small guard who can't play defense -- even one as good offensively as Trae is. If they were talking to the Hawks, they'd probably be more interested in Dejounte Murray.
EonADS
10:43
Which would you rather have on your team, Spencer Dinwidde, or Kyle Kuzma?
Luke Adams
10:44
Good question! If we're talking about the next five years, I'd take Kuzma given the age disparity and his recent trajectory. But it'd be more of a toss-up if I'm just choosing for next season.
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