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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 4/29/25
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ARTHUR HILL
11:01
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll start with a question on the Heat after a rough night in Miami.
Heat culture
11:01
The "Heat culture" reputation took a big hit in those two home playoff games vs. Miami - seemed like the Heat just threw in the towel. Do you expect Riley to overhaul the roster this off-season? Will Riley himself even be back?
ARTHUR HILL
11:12
I expect major changes in Miami after they barely put up a fight against the Cavaliers, but I don't think Riley will consider stepping away. He loves the challenge of rebuilding a team, and he'll want to stay in charge to make the Heat great again. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are the only real keepers, but even they might be moved if a superstar like Giannis becomes available. Andrew Wiggins isn't a player to build the future around, and he and Terry Rozier both have burdensome contracts that Miami would probably be better off unloading. Kel'el Ware had a nice rookie season, and Nikola Jovic is a good young talent, but I believe Riley would part with either of them in a win-now move. This is the second straight year that Miami has been quickly eliminated in the first round after reaching the Finals in 2023, and I think Riley knows the team isn't going anywhere with its current roster. He'll be aggressive about chasing every star that comes on the market this summer.
Damian Lillard
11:12
What does my Achilles injury mean for the Bucks? Giannis trade request? Rebuild? Coaching change?
ARTHUR HILL
11:23
It's the absolute worst-case scenario for a Bucks team that was already struggling to stay relevant. Everything depends on whether Giannis will request a trade this summer, but it's hard to see how he won't view that as his best option after three straight first-round exits and no draft capital or cap room to rebuild an aging roster. As great as Giannis is, it will be a one-man show if stays in Milwaukee next season. Lillard will almost certainly need at least a year to recover, and who knows what he'll be able to contribute by the fall of 2026? It might be a noble move for Giannis to go down with the ship, but it would just delay the inevitable. If the Bucks trade Giannis this summer and opt for a full rebuild, I don't expect Doc Rivers to return. It's been a long time since he has coached a young team, and there are plenty of rivals who would be interested if he becomes available. If things happen quickly enough, he could become a candidate in Denver or Memphis.
SuperSonics
11:23
Why does Adam Silver keep setting up roadblocks to expansion when it's something that most fans want? Give Seattle its team back already.
ARTHUR HILL
11:34
First, Silver said a new Collective Bargaining Agreement had to be in place before the league could consider expansion. Then it was the media rights deal. With both of those things done, the latest roadblock is Regional Sports Networks and cable TV, which Silver said last week he wants to replace with streaming services. While that's a legitimate financial concern for the league, it's not a valid excuse to keep delaying expansion. There's plenty of talent available to fill two more teams, and the instant revenue they would create would be significant. It's been 17 years since the SuperSonics left Seattle, which was one of the NBA's best markets for years. It's virtually certain that Seattle and Las Vegas will be the NBA's next cities, even with Silver's bizarre mention of Vancouver, and the Celtics' sale has helped to establish an expansion fee. Sonics fans have waited long enough. It's time to bring them back.
Guest
11:34
Thoughts on the proposed US vs. international All Star format? I could see it being fun for a year or two, but after the novelty wears off, will it be any more interesting than East vs. West?
ARTHUR HILL
11:43
It's pretty likely that will be the format next February. It's the first year of a new broadcasting agreement, and NBC won't want the lethargic version of the All-Star Game we've seen the last few years. With the network televising the Olympics at the same time, a U.S. vs. the world format would be easy to sell. While there are a lot of great international players, there may not be enough to field a competitive All-Star team every year. Luka Doncic missed this year's game with a calf injury, and if you take away one or two top stars, the international roster starts to thin out pretty quickly. Even so, the current system obviously isn't working, so this is the next logical thing to try. If it creates excitement for a couple of years, it's better than what the league has now.
Bob Myers
11:43
Any chance the Phoenix GM job actually appeals to me? If I were returning to a front office, wouldn't I prefer a situation where I have more roster flexibility and a less meddlesome owner?
ARTHUR HILL
11:53
Myers is in an enviable position now, doing analysis on TV and being remembered as the architect of the great Warriors teams. It seems like he could only harm his reputation by getting involved with the toxic situation in Phoenix. There's no money to spend, few draft picks remaining, they change coaches every year and Mat Ishbia seems too involved in every step of running the team. If Myers were to join the Suns, he would immediately be in charge of working out a Kevin Durant trade and trying to convince someone to take Bradley Beal's contract. We don't know if Myers wants to run a team again or if he's happy working in television, but he could easily find a better situation than Phoenix.
Matt
11:53
What would be fair value for Jaren Jackson's next contract? I think he probably makes All NBA and becomes supermax eligible, but the Grizz don't seem likely to offer $345 million for five years
ARTHUR HILL
12:02
In general, teams are going to be more careful about handing out supermax money after seeing how easily it leads to first and second apron restrictions. Jackson might have emerged as the Grizzlies' most valuable player this season, but he's not an elite-level talent who can lead a team to a title. He's part of the foundation of what could be a very good roster, but Memphis needs Ja Morant and Desmond Bane as well, and it will be hard to keep all three if Jackson is making close to $70MM a year. I think he and the team will reach a compromise closer to his actual value that won't make the contract a burden a few years from now.
Thanks for the great questions this week. We'll talk again next Tuesday.
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