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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 4/6/2023
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Luke Adams
10:00
Thanks for all the early questions, guys! Let's jump in...
Jacob L
10:01
Hi Luke.
For the Celtics, who would you want them facing in the 1st round. Heat or Hawks.
Luke Adams
10:01
I think Boston would beat either team, but I'd rather face the Hawks -- the Heat are more likely to beat you up and grind you down over the course of a seven-game series.
Jorge Simon
10:01
Do you see the Mavericks potentially flipping Hardaway in the wake of his father’s comments?
Luke Adams
10:03
If they trade him, that won't be the reason -- he's already gone out of his way to distance himself from those comments, and players generally aren't penalized for things their parents say. Having said that, there's no guarantee he'll remain in Dallas, since his contract makes him a pretty clear trade chip.
Candace Evergreen
10:03
Another lost season for the Washington Wizards. What paths can they realistically take to sustain any momentum?
Luke Adams
10:06
This feels like a familiar position for the Wizards. A year ago, when I was getting questions about what's next for the team, I was saying things like "I guess they have to re-sign Bradley Beal, but I hate the idea of giving him $250MM+ and would almost prefer a teardown." Now I have the same feeling about the idea of re-signing Porzingis and Kuzma to lucrative new contracts. Even if all three of those guys are healthy and effective next season, that's not a championship-caliber core. I hope I'll be proven wrong, since I like to see loyalty rewarded, but I think it'll be a few years before we see the next really good Wizards team and I don't think Beal will be on it.
Jacob L
10:06
Do you think that Derrick White could potentially make all defensive team for NBA this Season.
Luke Adams
10:08
I haven't taken a close look yet at who the candidates will be, but I believe the guard spot should be a little less competitive than the forward spot, where a lot of worthy contenders are gonna be left out. Having said that, I expect voters to favor Marcus Smart and I'm not sure we see two Celtics guards make it, even though White has a legitimate case.
Iguodala
10:08
Are the Warriors going to Waive Andre Iguodala, so that they can Add another Player to their Roster ?  Sounds like he is not returning by the end of the Playoffs.  Meanwhile,Ty Jerome is still on a 2-Way Contract.  Other options are replacing Iggy with either Kent Bazemore or Josh Jackson as wing defenders.
Luke Adams
10:10
I'd be shocked if they do. This is already an unfortunate way for Iguodala to end his career, but I feel like waiving him so you can add a guy you may or may not use in the playoffs would just add insult to injury. If he's the one pushing the idea, maybe, but the Warriors don't typically treat players that way.
EonADS
10:10
What direction does Brooklyn take in the offseason? They're too good to tank and have none of their own picks, but Bridges' offense has come at the expense of his defense, and the rest of the roster is more "okay" than "great". Plus the Ben Simmons albatross is weighing them down.
Speaking of Simmons, is he just broken now? Does he have the yips when it comes to offense? Because he looks flat-out incapable on that end.
Luke Adams
10:14
Not only are the Nets too good to tank, but they have no incentive to do so, since Houston controls Brooklyn's next few drafts. I'm still very curious to see which direction the Nets take though. After what happened with KD and Kyrie, you've gotta think they'd be a little gun-shy about giving up a bunch of rotation players and future draft picks to immediately go out and acquire another star. They have a lot of money coming off the books in 2024, so I wouldn't be surprised if they just make some minor-to-medium tweaks this summer and put off any really major moves for one more year.
10:15
As for Simmons... against all logic, I still have some belief that he can at least get back to the player he was in Philadelphia -- the elite defender and passer who won't give you much on offense but who can at least be a beast in transition and isn't a total liability in the dunker's spot. If this year's struggles were really tied to his back and other injury issues, I think that's realistic enough. But you really have to have the right personnel around him for it to work on offense, and I don't know that the Nets have it.
Sydney Sweeney
10:16
Who do you see emerging coming out of the play in tournament?
Luke Adams
10:18
We need to get the matchups set first, but if they look like they do right now, I'd take the Lakers and Heat for the No. 7 seeds, then the Pelicans and Raptors for No. 8. I think we may have buried the Mavs too early though -- I could absolutely see them claiming that last play-in spot in the West and winning a game or two in the tournament. It's not like the Wolves have been a bastion of stability either, and New Orleans without Zion is beatable.
10:19
(I could also absolutely see the Hawks claiming one of the last two playoff spots in the East, but didn't want to just go chalk. I bet a game for No. 8 between them and the Raptors would be a good one.)
Sean
10:19
I'm sure no one really cares lol but what moves do you see the Hornets making this offseason? It sucks being stuck in the middle to bottom of the east. Thanks for answering!
Luke Adams
10:21
This summer seems like the time to get resolution one way or the other on Miles Bridges, who will be an RFA again as long as the Hornets don't pull their QO. Are they comfortable moving forward with him or are they going to cut ties? (Personally, I think if they haven't cut ties by now, they still intend to bring him back). Their spot in the lottery will go a long way toward determining what the summer looks like too. Drafting Victor Wembanyama would entirely change the direction of the team -- getting someone like Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller would be a huge boon too. But if they end up at No. 5 or No. 6, it'll be a slower climb back to relevance.
John Wall
10:21
What team should i go for next season?
Luke Adams
10:23
I'm, uh... not sure you'll have your pick of the litter. You have a better chance of continuing your career than other veteran guards like Kemba Walker (who we barely saw this season) or Rajon Rondo (who we didn't see at all), but I don't think you can afford to be too picky. You're probably looking at a backup role and a vet minimum deal after how quickly your time with the Clippers ended.
The Heat have been linked to Wall for years, for what it's worth. If the cost is the minimum and it's in a backup role, I bet they'd roll the dice.
WOLVESFAN
10:24
In the event of a quick exit from the postseason what changes do you see being made?
Luke Adams
10:26
I'm skeptical that the Wolves would give up on the KAT/Gobert experiment after one year, having given up so much for Rudy. Especially since they didn't really get a full season together. But it's hard to see what else they could realistically do. Edwards isn't going anywhere, obviously, and they probably won't be able to find a better PG option than Conley. The roster's getting more expensive if they want to re-sign Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels will be due for an extension. My guess is that they stand relatively pat and try to make bench upgrades this summer, then seriously consider the idea of a Towns trade if things still aren't working next season.
EonADS
10:27
If the Cavs flop in the first round, who do they bring in to play SF? Isaac Okoro is... capable, but he's not the guy you want handling that position every day on a contender.
Luke Adams
10:30
What the Cavs really need at that spot is an OG Anunoby or Jerami Grant type, but I'm not sure how they realistically acquire that sort of player, given that they're capped out and used most of their draft assets to land Mitchell. I'd have to think a little more about whether there are second- or third-tier trade targets who would be attainable and would be a clear upgrade on Okoro, who is still getting better. Maybe one of the Nets' guys? (Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O'Neale, maaaybe Cam Johnson, etc.)
Right Field Rob
10:31
What do you anticipate Naz Reid’s next contract looking like?
Luke Adams
10:34
I'm having a hard time getting a good feel for his market. I think he's more valuable than someone like Nick Richards, who just signed for $5MM per year. Is he in the Larry Nance Jr. (almost $11MM per year) or Brandon Clarke ($12.5MM) range? You could certainly make that case if you're representing him. I could see teams with the full mid-level exception available looking at using a significant chunk of it on Reid.
Right Field Rob
10:35
Does Draymond opt out? Extend with the Dubs?
Luke Adams
10:36
Despite everything that's happened there (the Poole punch, etc.), it's still hard for me to imagine Draymond playing for any other team. My bet at this point is that Draymond opts out and signs a longer-term deal that's worth a little less than his 2023/24 option. But if there's any reluctance on the Warriors' side, he could certainly just opt in.
Question
10:37
Daniel Gafford contract kicks in next season at 13 million, Is DG worth 13m next season?
Luke Adams
10:40
Gafford signed that contract in October 2021, two full seasons before it would go into effect. I remember thinking at the time that it was a potential high-upside move that came with a good amount of risk, given that it was so far out and he'd only played about 20 games with Washington at that point. He hasn't flamed out or anything since then, but he also hasn't really taken a big step forward -- if he were hitting free agency this summer, I don't think he'd be getting $13MM per season on a three-year deal.
Trog
10:40
(1) Thoughts on Cuban's presser yesterday? He essentially called Jalen Brunson a liar regarding the contract negotiations.
Luke Adams
10:42
Yeah, that was odd. Also not a great look, in my opinion, to blame Rick Brunson, as if Jalen wasn't capable of making his own decision. Cuban isn't inspiring a whole lot of confidence right now with either his roster decisions or his public statements.
ampet1112
10:42
Does Embiid have MVP wrapped up, even if he sits the last 3 games?
Luke Adams
10:44
He's the strong frontrunner at this point. I'm not calling the race over just yet (if Jokic finishes the season with a couple 40-point triple doubles, who knows), but I believe all of the Sixers, Nuggets, and Bucks are locked into their playoff seeds now, so I'm not really expecting them to go all out the rest of the way. If you have an MVP bet on Embiid, you should feel pretty good about it.
Pistons
10:44
What do we do in the offseason? Fire Casey? Trade Bagley? What are some FA/trade targets?
Luke Adams
10:47
It would be odd timing to fire Casey, given that expectations for this season plummeted after Cade went down, and he's been handed a challenging roster (I don't have a ton of confidence in the plan to make Wiseman, Duren, Bagley, and Stewart all work in the frontcourt). I'd guess we'll see him back for another season, though I could be wrong.
10:48
There has been a little chatter linking Jerami Grant back to the Pistons, but I'd be somewhat surprised if a reunion happened. It feels like their FA/trade targets will depend a lot on where they end up in the draft. If they land Wembanyama or Scoot, it'd create a logjam in either the frontcourt or backcourt.
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