Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 6/1/2026
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Luke Adams
3:01
Thanks for all the early questions, guys! We'll get underway in just a minute.
Just Curious
3:02
When can we expect a resolution on the Aspiration investigation? Do you think Silver will make an announcement once the Finals is done?
Luke Adams
3:05
Definitely don't think the NBA wants to draw attention away from the Finals by announcing it before or during the Knicks/Spurs series. Because whether the NBA comes down hard on the Clippers or lets them off the hook without any real punishment, it'll be a big story that won't reflect particularly well on the league.

Between the Finals and free agency might be the sweet spot. But assuming Kawhi's contract isn't being voided (which I think is a real long shot), it wouldn't shock me if this drags into late July or August. Making the announcement during the NBA's "dead" period would allow the league to avoid it overshadowing the Finals, the draft, free agency, or the Summer League.
Trog
3:05
Does the Mavs #9 and #30 for OKC #12 and #17 make sense for both sides?
Luke Adams
3:06
Purely from an expected value perspective, I like it a bit more for the Mavs than the Thunder, since there are quite a few prospects I'm high on in the middle of the first round.

But it would really only make sense for both teams if OKC is targeting a guy that will be there at 9 and not 12 and Dallas isn't in love with a specific player at 9.
Josh
3:07
Are the Jazz done tanking now? I think their roster is good enough to make the play-in especially with adding peterson or AJ.
Luke Adams
3:07
They don't control their own 2027 first-round pick, so yeah, I expect we've seen the last of their tanking. Not expecting a Spurs-esque meteoric rise from them next year, but there's no reason they can't contend for the playoffs with their current group (+ the No. 2 pick and whatever else they add this summer).
Paul
3:08
How hot is Ime Udoka's seat if the Rockets don't make it out of the first round again next year?
Luke Adams
3:08
With the caveat that it would depend on the exact circumstances of their elimination, I wouldn't expect him to return for 2027/28 if the Rockets don't win a playoff series next year.
AnthonyEdwardsHypeMachine
3:09
What FA PG fits the Wolves? For me it's FVV or Coby White. Not much else out there as a direct FA signing. Thanks
Luke Adams
3:11
Doubt VanVleet will make it to free agency. I bet he'll either pick up his player option or work out another new deal with Houston.

Coby White would make some sense. Collin Gillespie would also be interesting to me. He's a good shooter and doesn't need the ball in his hands all the time, which would make him a nice fit next to Ant. Sounds like he'll be a priority for the Suns though, so it will be tricky for a cap-strapped Wolves team to make him a competitive offer.
Velociraptor
3:11
Do you think the Raptors should extend RJ Barrett this offseason, and if so, what would be a reasonable dollar figure?
Luke Adams
3:14
I'd be hesitant to commit to Barrett unless/until they move some of their other big salary off the books (at least one of Ingram, Quickley, or Poeltl). They're paying too much to role players right now and can't keep doubling down on that. Plus, Barrett being on an expiring deal makes him a much more movable trade chip in the event Toronto wants to make a major deal.

If he were to be extended, I think it'd look similar to his current price. Something in the range of $25-30MM per year.
Shane
3:14
2 part question- Will Chicago go into the draft without a head coach?  Who is Chicago looking for its head coaching opening?
Luke Adams
3:16
I'd expect them to hire someone before the draft. That's still three-plus weeks away and it sounds like they're well into the interview process already.

They're casting a wide net, considering first-timers and candidates with experience. We have a full list at our head coaching search tracker.
Larry OB
3:16
Who's your pick to win the Finals and why?
Luke Adams
3:18
Hard to get a read on the Knicks going into this series. They've been absolutely incredible over the past few weeks and it's hard to ignore that, but I also don't think the teams they played during that run were anywhere near as good as the Spurs are (the Mitchell Robinson injury is a wild-card factor that could matter in a series against Wemby too).

I'll take Spurs in 6, but I'm very curious to see how Game 1 plays out -- think it will give us a much better sense of how this Knicks team matches up with San Antonio.
Kim
3:19
Good afternoon. Hawks fan here. I just don’t think the Hawks can draft a ready to play now player at pick #8. Do you? And if so should they draft a center, point guard or best available? Also who can the Hawks realistically trade for or sign in free agency for the center position? I think that should be the priority. You?  Thanks!
Luke Adams
3:23
I think there will be some NBA-ready guys at No. 8. Will depend in some part on how the 5-7 picks play out, but I expect that group of guards (Wagler, Flemings, Acuff, Brown) to contribute as rookies. Burries and Mara too. You may not want to throw them in your starting five right away, but they should be rotation players at least.

In terms of free agent centers, rim protection and rebounding should be priorities. A guy like Mitchell Robinson would make sense. Robert Williams maybe.
Unclemike1526
3:24
Hey Luke what is the value of 2nd round picks now with the new lottery set up? Are they more valuable or less after the Bulls former brain trust acquired a bunch of them. Plus what is your opinion of the BYU Coach the Bulls just interviewed?Is he NBA worthy yet or not? Sorry about the other question, Wrong button. LOL
Luke Adams
3:28
Second-round picks between 2027-29 will be a little more difficult to project as a result of the new lottery rules (the first 16 picks of the second round will be in reverse order of the first 16 in the first round).

That's bad news if you acquired a 2027 second-rounder from a team you expected to be a bottom-feeder -- instead of being No. 31 or No. 32, it's entirely possible that pick could be in the 40s. Whereas if you control a play-in team's pick, there's a chance it could end up moving into the early 30s, depending on the lottery results.

Re: Kevin Young, I'd be surprised if he's the Bulls' choice. That felt more like due diligence, but I could be wrong.
Dubs
3:28
Does Jimmy Butler's expiring contract have any trade value?  Looking at the Warriors' roster they only have nine players under contract and Moody and Butler are not going to give them anything for most of the season.
Luke Adams
3:32
It's a useful salary-matching piece if the Warriors are trading for a big contract but it doesn't really have any value beyond that at this point. Especially until we know exactly what his recovery timeline looks like. If he expects to be back in February or March, maybe that contract regains some trade value by the trade deadline.

But with no guarantee yet that he'll play in 2026/27 (he'll turn 37 in September and ACL tears usually require at least year-long absences even for younger guys), it's definitely not a positive trade asset right now.
Trog
3:33
If one of the top PGs drops to the Mavs at 9 (Acuff, Flemings, Brown), should they treat it as an opportunity to pull a Spurs (Fox, Harper) or an opportunity to sell off Kyrie and trade him for mid-late 1st round draft pick capital?
Luke Adams
3:35
I wouldn't necessarily be prepared to hand any of those guards the keys to the offense from day one, so I'd keep Kyrie around until at least the trade deadline and then reassess.

He has shown in the past with Luka that he can play with another ball-handling guard, and if he shows during the first half of the season that he's fully recovered from the ACL tear and looks something like his old self, it should give his trade value a bump -- right now, teams wouldn't really know what they're getting.
NBA Draft
3:36
Prediction to the first picks in order.
Luke Adams
3:39
It sounds like the consensus is that the most likely order for the top four is Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson, but I wouldn't necessarily etch that in stone yet. Teams are cagey about the players they like leading up to the draft.

I recall in 2022, for example, Jabari Smith looked like the player everyone expected to go No. 1 overall before word broke in the hours leading up to the draft that Orlando was gonna go with Banchero instead. Not saying something like that will necessarily happen this year, and that order listed above would still be my pick for the top four right now. But there could absolutely a scenario in which the Wizards fall in love with Peterson or Boozer and shake things up.
Hornets
3:39
Can we find a starting PF with the two picks we have or should we go free agency? Or is a trade in our future?
Luke Adams
3:40
It's possible you'll find a starting PF of the future at 14 or 18, but if you want an above-average starter at the position for 2026/27, a trade will probably be necessary.
AnthonyEdwardsHypeMachine
3:41
Thoughts on the Chet takes? Looked weak and overmatched vs Wemby but so does everyone. Trade him and get out of the max contract or coach him up? Gotta figure OKC sees the Spurs the next couple years at least. Thx.
Josh
3:41
How do you feel about the chet trade rumors? Any motion there or will the thunder stand pat.
Pam Sresti
3:41
What do you think Chet Holmgren's value is on the trade market.  Is his contract overvalued, undervalued, or just right?
Keith
3:41
Will Holmgren now be the center piece of a Giannis trade?
Luke Adams
3:45
Lots of questions today, obviously, about the Thunder and Holmgren. His Game 7 performance was disappointing, but I don't expect Presti and the front office to overreact to it. They won a title with Holmgren a year ago. They came close to winning this series despite missing Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams for the last few games.

I'd be pretty shocked if Holmgren is traded this summer, and if he is, I wouldn't expect it to be for Giannis. All of Presti's moves over the last few years have been about patiently building this roster for long-term contention. Acquiring a star like Antetokounmpo, who is earning 35% of the cap and entering his late prime, would shorten the window.
Seamhead
3:45
Been thinking that a better trade for the Celtics than shooting for Giannis might be Aaron Gordon. Straight up for Derrick White (who's from Colorado too, to make it extra nice). Thoughts?
Luke Adams
3:47
I like the idea of White in Denver and don't mind the idea of Gordon in Boston, but I don't think either team would be eager to give up their current guy. Both of those players are among the best role players in the NBA.

If I had to guess, Boston says no first. Gordon will be more expensive than White for the next few seasons and has the more concerning injury history, and I think moving White would leave the Celtics a little thinner than they'd like in the backcourt.
Josh
3:48
What teams do you think will entertain trading up in the draft?
Luke Adams
3:51
It's always easy to point to the teams with extra picks (OKC at 12 + 17, Charlotte at 14 + 18, etc.) as the most obvious candidates here. But usually the teams that move up are the ones who fall in love with a specific player and are using future picks to pay the cost to get him.

Last year, for instance, the Grizzlies (16 to 11), Pelicans (23 to 13), and Jazz (21 to 18) all gave up future picks to trade up, rather than packaging multiple 2025 first-rounders. That's harder to predict.
Maple
3:52
What sort of prospect do you think the Raptors should target at #19: a rebounding big or a shooting/playmaking guard? Both are areas of need, and there are several of each type of player projected to be taken in that range of the draft.
Luke Adams
3:54
I'd prefer the shooting/play-making guard and there are a few I like in that range, but it'll depend exactly how the picks before them play out. I think Toronto is in a pretty good spot that and should be able to do well whichever direction they go.
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