You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 8/14/2025
powered byJotCast
Luke Adams
1:02
Thanks for the early questions, guys. Let's jump in...
Jay
1:02
If they are unable to find a trade before the season, would the Celtics consider waiving and stretching Anfernee Simons to get under the tax? Or would they be better off keeping him until the trade deadline?
Luke Adams
1:04
That would have be done in the next couple weeks, since a current-season salary can't be stretched after August.

I'd be pretty surprised. Getting under the tax seems like it's a priority for the Celtics, but they want to compete too, and that's the sort of move that would hurt them in a lot of ways (Simons is still a good player and could be a useful in-season trade chip). They have until the trade deadline to try to get under the tax line, so no need to do anything too rash before the season starts.
Arcman
1:04
Of teh 4 RFA which is most likely to get traded before their QO is signed?
Luke Adams
1:06
I would've said Kuminga a couple weeks ago, but the Warriors seem prepared to hang onto him at this point. It's still probably either him or Cam Thomas, but I wouldn't be surprised if all four stick with their current teams.
TheBigLip
1:07
Pistons seem like they could have done more. Why didn’t they use their trade exception to get a backup 4? And if Beasley is cleared, do you think he will come back to Detroit?
Luke Adams
1:11
I don't think the Pistons roster right now will be the same one we see by the end of the season. They're way below the tax line and still have a roster spot + that trade exception to work with. Maybe it doesn't happen until during the season, but they still have another move to make.

As for Beasley, yeah, if he's cleared, Detroit probably makes the most sense. He seemed comfortable there and they still have his Non-Bird rights, which didn't look like enough for them to re-sign him heading into the offseason but would probably be enough now (they could offer up to $7.2MM for 2025/26). No guarantee we ever see him again in the NBA though.
Pelicans
1:11
Even if we’re healthy, are we even in the play-in picture in the West? Murray coming off an Achilles, Murphy and Jones off shoulder surgeries, Zion’s always hurt. Poole in for McCollum doesn’t seem like it’ll make much difference. And our two lottery picks are going to need time to develop. Will anyone be off limits if we have another poor season?
Luke Adams
1:15
Yeah, Dumars' aggressive approach to this offseason surprised me due to the fact that so many key guys are coming off major injuries. I like the Pelicans' roster when it's healthy, but even with everyone available from day one, a realistic goal would be fighting for a top-six seed in a very competitive West. Given the health questions, a play-in spot might be a best-case scenario, but I hope - for the sake of fans in New Orleans - that I'm wrong.

No one should be off limits if the Pelicans are in the lottery again, but it would be hard to launch a rebuild next summer without a first-round pick.
Wannes
1:15
What are the most logical trades for Anfernee Simons once no more players have trade or aggregation restrictions? (So in the month before the trade deadline)
Luke Adams
1:18
I'm not sure there are a lot of trade restrictions getting in the way of a Simons deal right now. It's more about the fact that he's a tricky piece to trade (below average defender with a high cap hit who would need to be extended).

But Charlotte is one team worth watching when Collin Sexton's aggregation restriction lifts. He's a similar player to Simons and Sexton + a min-salary player (or low-salary guy like Nick Smith Jr. or DaQuan Jeffries) would be legal.
Edwill
1:18
I remember I said in last week chat that I would love to see thunder vs rockets on opening night. I got my wish. Your thoughts on that match up to kick off next season.
Luke Adams
1:19
I thought back to that question when Shams reported the opening night matchups the other day. Definitely feels like the right choice, even if it might not be the most pleasant way for Kevin Durant to open his season.
Hawk
1:19
It seems like with absolutely zero starting caliber PFs or Cs on their roster the Celtics are hoping for a lottery pick this year right? So developing players should be the priority, should they sign Bassey maybe?
Luke Adams
1:20
I don't get the sense the Celtics see it that way. Certainly, Queta/Tillman/Garza/Boucher is a below average group of bigs relative to the rest of the league, but after the way they developed Kornet into a reliable option in the middle, I suspect the Celtics think they can get enough production out of those guys to be competitive.
Rookie scale extension centers
1:21
Do you think Jalen Duren and/or Walker Kessler will sign extensions before the season starts? If so, what might their deals look like?
Luke Adams
1:25
I'm very curious to see if the extended RFA standoffs this summer will have any impact on how many rookie scale extensions get done this fall. Will agents be more inclined to accept slightly more team-friendly deals to avoid ending up in a situation like Giddey's or Kuminga's, or will they view this summer as a bit of a fluke due to the lack of cap-room teams?

Either way, it's tricky to pin down the value of Duren and Kessler. They don't have the track record that Sengun did when he signed for $185MM over five years in 2024, but they've earned more than the four years and $60-62MM that Isaiah Stewart and Onyeka Okongwu got in 2023.

I'd say at least a Nic Claxton-type deal (roughly $100MM over four years) should be the goal for those guys, though they'll probably both be seeking quite a bit more.
I'd view Duren as slightly more likely than Kessler to get something done this year.
Harold
1:26
Is there any update on who the Knicks may be leaning toward for their last vet roster spot? Obviously, Ben Simmons’ name has been thrown around, and it seems to be between him and Landry Shamet. Has there been any consideration given to Cam Payne?
Luke Adams
1:29
I would've thought Payne would be in the running for that spot, since he had a pretty decent season in 2024/25, but there hasn't been any real chatter connecting him to the Knicks.

I'm curious to see where he ends up -- I'll have an article coming out in the next few days about underrated unsigned free agents and he'll be on it. Minnesota would be a good fit for him.

As for the Knicks, I haven't heard any new updates within the last week or two, so I assume Simmons and Shamet are still the two top options there, and it wouldn't surprise me if Simmons is their top choice. I know he's not popular among fans, but if he's healthy, he's a pretty interesting flier on a vet minimum deal.
Guest
1:29
Last week when you were talking about a team is allowed to designate one player as a season affiliate, if a team has two players on two-ways and they both get cut, could they both return to that G-League team as an affiliate if there’s two affiliate spots if they have less than 4? Like say hypothetically last year, Chicago cut both EJ Liddell and Adama Sanago, could both of them return to Windy City if Windy City only had two affiliate player spots so far? Or just one of the two could return?
Luke Adams
1:30
Teams can't designate more than one in-season affiliate player. So just one of the two.
Mark Walter
1:30
My first move as Lakers owner to announce my presence with authority is...?
Luke Adams
1:33
Don't fall into the trap of feeling like you need to sign off on some massive roster move right away to announce your presence! I think Mat Ishbia has shown in Phoenix that's not necessarily the way to go.

Investing in organizational infrastructure (staff, facilities, research, etc.) isn't as splashy, but if you want to throw some money around right away, that sort of spending is more likely to look good in the long run.
Byron Parker
1:33
Good Thursday to you. Do you think the Charlotte hornets should sign a center or make a trade before  training camp
Luke Adams
1:36
The free agency options are pretty thin -- I wouldn't say that adding someone like Thomas Bryant or Precious Achiuwa is a meaningful upgrade over what Charlotte already has on its roster. I also don't view the Hornets as a team in position to give up assets to add a win-now player (and I doubt they think of themselves that way after essentially sending Mark Williams to the highest bidder).

If the Hornets get off to a good start and the center play is an Achilles heel, maybe it makes sense to scour the market, but for now, I think they might roll with what they have.
TrustTheProcess
1:37
If the Hawks aren’t planning to sign Trae Young to an extension, do you see them trading him during the season?
Kim
1:37
Good afternoon. It looks like the Hawks and Trae Young are in a staring contest regarding his extension. As a Hawks fan, I’m super excited about the moves they’ve made over this offseason. However I am concerned that we haven’t made it out the play in. If the Hawks don’t make playoffs this upcoming season what do you predict will happen to Trae Young? Trade? Who will want him if they aren’t doing well? I’m trying to be optimistic
Luke Adams
1:41
The Trae Young situation reminds me a little of the De'Aaron Fox situation in Sacramento last year, except for one important difference -- the Kings seemed to be trying hard to sign Fox to a maximum-salary extension and it was Fox who wasn't thrilled about the idea. In Atlanta, I think Young would accept a max deal if it were on the table, and it's the Hawks who are hesitating.

That's an important distinction, because if Young still wants to be in Atlanta (and maybe is willing to take a little less than the max to make it happen), I think there's room for the two sides to work something out, whether it happens later this year or in 2026. But if Young takes the lack of max extension as a sign of disrespect and starts looking for an exit, a midseason trade is absolutely a possibility.

Could be one of the most interesting subplots to watch this season.
HeatMike
1:42
Will Russell Westbrook sign with the Kings or another team?
Luke Adams
1:45
I don't see another great fit for him at this point. Like Chris Paul, he reportedly wants to play close to home (Los Angeles), but the Lakers and Clippers have no room for him, the Warriors feel like a weird fit, and the Suns are going younger.

I'd probably take the Kings vs. the field, but it does still feel like Sacramento needs to trade a guard first for there to be a clear role for Westbrook. With Schröder, LaVine, Carter, Ellis, and Monk all in the mix, it's a bit of a crowded backcourt right now.
Guest
1:46
How far will the new york Knicks  go in 25 ' 26' nba season
Luke Adams
1:46
Back to the Eastern Finals.
Hornets
1:47
What did you think of our offseason so far?
Luke Adams
1:50
Getting a second-rounder in the Sexton/Nurkic swap isn't going to change the direction of the franchise or anything, but it was one of my favorite under-the-radar trades of the offseason. They did well to get a couple second-rounders in the Connaughton/Micic deal too.

I liked most of their draft picks, though I wonder if they'll end up regretting Knueppel over Bailey at No. 4.

The Tre Mann deal is OK as long as he's healthy. The minimum signings are fine. Still a roster crunch to figure out there, and as we discussed earlier, the center position looks thin, but I think they did pretty good work this summer.
Malcolm Brogdon
1:50
Where am I headed?
Luke Adams
1:52
Still expect Minnesota to add one more veteran point guard at some point. I mentioned Cam Payne earlier -- you'd also be a logical fit. Cleveland could be an interesting match with Garland out for the start of the season. Maybe Denver. Warriors could make sense. Knicks too, though it doesn't really sound like you're one of their top options.
Send
1:53
Doesn't Embiids and George unknown status make it more urgent the sixers get a happy Grimes deal done.
Luke Adams
1:56
I mean, if Embiid and George aren't healthy, I don't think Grimes' presence (or lack thereof) will make much of a difference for the Sixers. But yeah, he's a quality role player for a win-now team, which is why I expect him to end up back in Philadelphia instead of signed-and-traded somewhere else.
Franzgrote
1:56
With Kessler Edwards signing with the Nuggets, do you think Watson and/or Strawther are trade bait?
Load More Messages
Connecting…