Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 5/11/2026
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Luke Adams
3:17
Welcome to our weekly Monday live chat! Pretty eventful few days in the NBA, from Sunday's lottery to Steve Kerr's extension to more Giannis rumors to the Knicks' and Thunder's dominance.
bulls fan
3:17
With the 4th pick in the draft, which idea player do you think Chicago should go after that realistically has a chance to be there?  Same with the 15th pick?
Luke Adams
3:21
With No. 4, I'd be pretty content to take whichever player is left out of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, and Cameron Boozer.

It seems like the next tier of players is made up of point guards -- I'm not sure Josh Giddey is the long-term answer there for the next playoff-caliber Bulls team, but he's one of the best young players on their current roster, so deviating from consensus to take another one would be risky.

No. 15 will depend a lot on how the back half of the lottery plays out. They should be in best player available mode there, with a preference for ceiling over floor.
Trog
3:21
If we are Monday Morning quarterbacking lottery results, can we infer that the lottery number combinations that one seed got over another would have been transferrable? In other words, Mavs end up at nine, but if they hadn't won a couple meaningless games, would they have had Memphis's lottery combo and ended in the top three?
Luke Adams
3:23
Yes, my understanding is that lottery combinations are essentially predetermined based on a team's place in the standings (for instance, as the league's worst team, Washington's combos all have the 1 ball in them, whereas the Hornets' all have the 14 ball in them). So if the Mavs had ended up in the Grizzlies' spot in the standings, they would've had the exact combinations that Memphis did.

(The only exception here is when two teams finish tied -- in that case, Team B gets some combinations that typically would've belonged to Team A.)
Seamhead
3:24
What do you think of the Ja for Jamal rumor (with Memphis adding a pick or a player)? Murray's the more valuable player at the moment, but Ja's younger and has a higher ceiling, and his athleticism fits the Nuggets better, I think.
Luke Adams
3:25
Fun idea, but awfully risky for Denver, given Morant's various question marks. And I'm not sure Memphis would be eager about taking on a maximum-salary contract that runs even longer than Morant's does. If Murray has an injury-plagued season in 2026/27, they could be back in this exact same spot a year from now, with two years still left on his deal. Hard for me to picture it.
shane
3:26
What does next years draft look like compared to this years?  Stronger, weaker, same?
Luke Adams
3:27
Scouting high schoolers isn't really my forte, so I'm trusting draft experts here, but it sounds like teams are less enthusiastic about the 2027 and 2028 classes than they are about 2026.

Doesn't mean you won't be able to find quality role players throughout the first round next year, but it sounds like the general consensus is that '27 and '28 will both be thinner at the top, whereas there are a bunch of guys in this year's class who look like potential All-Stars.
Keith
3:28
Can Giannis and others be traded prior to the end of the playoffs?
Luke Adams
3:30
I need to double-check the exact rule, but if I recall correctly, any team can make a trade between the regular season and the end of the NBA Finals if it doesn't involve a player on their current roster (this is how the Pacers were able to make a draft-pick trade during last year's Finals).

But in order to make a trade involving players, your season has to be over. So yes, the Bucks could trade Giannis to the Warriors today, but they couldn't trade him to the Knicks, for example, until New York's season is over.
Rick Schlitz
3:30
How will the Pacers pivot after losing their lottery pick? Improve the bench in free agency? Trade for roster upgrades? Trade back into the draft? Stand put?
Luke Adams
3:33
Doubt they'll be trading back into the draft -- the fact that they were willing to put this year's pick on the table to begin with in a deal for a win-now player shows they want to take advantage of their current window. They probably don't need a rookie.

Their payroll is quite high already but without an eight-figure cap hit for a top-four pick, they have a little more flexibility than they otherwise would have, especially if ownership is willing to go a little into the tax.

The roster is pretty deep already (Haliburton, Siakam, Zubac, Nembhard, Nesmith, Toppin, Sheppard, Walker, Huff, and Furphy are all under contract), but I'd like to see them add one more wing to replace the depth they lost by trading Mathurin. Could see Walker being shopped in trade talks. They should also have some of their MLE available to spend on a free agent.
KJ
3:34
Based on the results of the lottery and anticipated picks, do you see any team(s) immediately challenging for a 7 or 8 spot.   I think Utah gotta be  there.  Potential starters JJJ, Lauri, Bailey, George, and Peterson.
Luke Adams
3:36
Yeah, I don't think the Jazz are ready to make a Spurs-like leap or anything, but they've been better than their record in recent years and have no reason to tank anymore. No reason why they can't at least hover around .500/play-in territory, assuming they have decent health luck.

I wouldn't expect the Grizzlies or Bulls to take a big step forward since they're in the earliest stages of their rebuilds, but Washington is another obvious candidate for a step forward if Trae and AD are healthy. A handful of their young guys (Sarr, George, Dybantsa?) are ready to contribute.
LBJ
3:37
Do I book my flight for Cancun now or do I find a way tonight?
Luke Adams
3:38
I, uh... I feel like it's probably safe to book it for tomorrow. I hope you'll have to reschedule it, but this Thunder team doesn't seem like they're going to take their foot off the gas, and none of these games have been all that close so far.
Dunleavy
3:38
With Kerr inked for 2 more years, what's the most plausible scenario to pair Curry with a championship caliber player for one last run at this thing?  Giannis? Brown? Leonard? some combination of the above?
Luke Adams
3:41
The Warriors can't really offer much more for Giannis now than they could at the trade deadline, and the Bucks didn't seem all that moved by their offer at the time. That doesn't feel all that likely to me unless Milwaukee is really underwhelmed by the other offers it gets this spring.

Brown is hard to imagine. The Warriors' best assets are draft picks and the Celtics aren't in rebuilding mode, so it'd have to be a three-team trade, which would get complicated.

Kawhi seems like the most attainable, despite the Clippers' insistence they don't want to trade him, but it sort of depends on what he's thinking. Playing in L.A. has always seemed like a top priority for him, so maybe he just decides to sign an extension. The way the Aspiration investigation gets resolved will likely be a factor here.

Wouldn't rule out LeBron either, though it would require him taking a pay cut.
draft
3:42
Mock draft time Luke, who do you think in what order will the first 4 picks be?
Luke Adams
3:44
  1. Wizards: Dybantsa
  2. Jazz: Peterson
  3. Grizzlies: Boozer
  4. Bulls: Wilson

This feels like the "safe" prediction at this point, but I'd love to see one of these teams surprise us.

It reminds me a little bit of the 2021 draft, when Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Suggs were considered the consensus top four guys but the Raptors shook things up by taking Barnes over Suggs at No. 4.
Victoria Beckham
3:44
Do you think that the talk about the Wizards and others possibly trading their pick is just speculation? Last year ESPN and other talking heads debated whether San Antonio should trade away #2 to get Wemby another star, or should Philly trade away #3 to get out of PG's contract, or if somebody needed to move up to accelerate the rebuild. But in the end, the FOs took the players with the picks they had, and there were no trades until late in the lottery.
Luke Adams
3:47
Trades involving those top picks have become pretty rare. I can't imagine the Wizards trading down more than a spot or two, so it only really makes sense if they know that the Jazz/Grizzlies really like someone that they're not planning on picking. And even then, would Utah or Memphis actually be willing to trade up if they think they can get their guy by staying where they are? Washington would probably need both of them to be targeting the same player to generate real traction.

I don't think a trade at the very top is especially likely, but never say never.
Nate
3:48
Saw a KD for Murray rumor earlier this week that made me stop and think a little as a Rockets fan. Any thoughts there?
Luke Adams
3:50
I get the thinking but I'm not sure I trust either Murray or Sengun to be my alpha in a playoff series. I actually think the structure of the Rockets' roster this year made a lot of sense if VanVleet had been healthy.
GB
3:50
What do you see the Clippers doing with pick 5 given that it will be a lot of PG's as the best available and they have Garland currently under contract? Do they possibly draft one of Wagler, Brown, Acuff, or Flemings and pair them with Garland or could they trade down to gain another asset?
Luke Adams
3:53
This is a spot where a trade-down makes more sense to me. Like, would the Kings be willing to give up something interesting to move up to No. 5 and take their pick from that second tier of prospects? The Hawks at No. 8 and Mavs at No. 9 could also be looking for their point guard of the future.

Having said that, if they do their due diligence and don't like any of the trade-down scenarios, I don't mind them taking a guy like Wagler there. I think he could absolutely play alongside another point guard.
KJ
3:53
First guess at ROY is.....
Luke Adams
3:55
Assuming the Wizards take Dybantsa, he's probably the safe bet. But if Boozer ends up in Memphis or Chicago, I think he'll be a pretty strong candidate. He's ready to contribute right away and he'll get plenty of playing time on a rebuilding roster.
Dstars
3:55
With 12 and 17 this year and 3 1’sts next year could you OKC trading up this year?
Luke Adams
3:56
Sure. They've done it multiple times before, and it definitely doesn't make sense for them to just stay put and use the 12th and 17th picks -- their roster is too full already. They're in a good position to either try to trade up for someone they like or trade one (or both?) of those two picks for future assets.
Keith
3:57
Could the Indiana GM and President be in trouble after the trade and losing their lottery draft pick #5?
Luke Adams
3:59
I doubt it. They always knew this was a strong possibility. The coin flip didn't land in their favor, but as I mentioned earlier, they're in win-now mode and Zubac will help them do that a lot more than a rookie point guard would've.
Trog
3:59
If Acuff, Wagler, Brown and Flemings are gone by 9, who do you see the Mavs taking as a fit? Seems like they really need a 2 guard who can shoot and defend like a prime Klay Thompson (Burries?)
Luke Adams
4:02
Burries definitely seems like the fit there -- if I recall correctly, most of the new post-lottery mock drafts from ESPN, Bleacher Report, The Athletic, etc. have him as the pick there.

Worth noting though that their new GM (Mike Schmitz) was part of the Trail Blazers' front office that took Yang Hansen last year and Masai Ujiri was never shy about going off-board when he was running the Raptors. Wouldn't shock me if they do something unexpected there.
Keith
4:02
If you were the Celtics, would you trade Brown or Tatum? I would pick to trade Brown, after his career year and comments. Would he be a good fit in Milwaukee in a trade for Giannis? He is younger and healthier, and he could finally have "his team."
Luke Adams
4:04
Are we sure they need to trade either? It was definitely a bad look for the Celtics to blow a 3-1 lead as a heavy favorite, but Tatum missed the last game and a half and this was a revamped roster that sacrificed a ton of depth over the past year. I still think they can win with that duo if they're healthy.
Sean Marks
4:04
5 picks last year and honestly nothing to show, slip down to 6 this year, and no control of next years pick, how am I still employed?
Luke Adams
4:06
Too early to make any sweeping conclusions about last year's rookies, and the bad lottery luck isn't really your fault. You've done a good job with rebuilds in the past, so I think you've earned the benefit of the doubt for the time being. But I could see your seat getting hot within the next year or two if the 2025 class doesn't start making steady strides.
KJ
4:07
I understand that you give yourself a year to try to convince Giannis to stay, but now you are in a scenario where essentially you are taking calls on a person who can opt next year and gives Freak all the leverage.  How would have you handled the whole situation?
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