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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 8/3/2023
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Luke Adams
10:30
Thanks for the early questions, guys! Let's dive in.
Golden State Geriatrics
10:31
Warriors can't be serious about bringing Andre Iguodala back, can they?   He only played in 8 games last year and 31 games the year before.  When you extrapolate his Minimum Salary x the Luxury Tax, that's $10M just to have essentially a cheerleader on the bench.
Luke Adams
10:32
That was an odd story to me, since I thought it was a given that Iguodala was retiring. I wouldn't expect him back and it doesn't sound like the Warriors do either.
Jeff
10:32
Hi, my question is about the Mavericks hesitation to include Josh Green or Jaden Hardy in a trade with the Hawks for Clint Capela.? The Hawks are not going to just accept Hardaway and company , if you want to get something sometimes you need to give something up. Capela is a clear upgrade at the center spot over anything Dallas has, and Green is about to be eligible for his next contract. Make the trade now for Capela, so with Luka and Kyrie, they make some noise in the west next season. Thanks!
Luke Adams
10:35
I'd have to go back and double-check the reporting at the time, but I believe the Mavs' offer was Bertans + the No. 10 pick for Capela and No. 15. Which... yeah, I understand why the Hawks wanted more. Unless there's a player you love who will be there at No. 10 and not at No. 15, moving up five spots in the draft isn't enough to warrant the downgrade from Capela to Bertans.
10:36
I wonder if the Mavs would've been more inclined to include Green or Hardy if they'd known they would've been able to acquire a second first-rounder on draft night.
Kim
10:36
What do my Atlanta Hawks plan to do to be a championship contender? What about trading Hunter and Capella for Rudy Gobert? The coach’s previous center????
Luke Adams
10:38
I don't imagine Rudy Gobert will be available via trade this season. For the Wolves to move him, they'd have to essentially admit that they messed up and take way less than what they gave up for him. Maybe Gobert could be a trade target for Atlanta down the road but if you want to make a change for 2023/24, you'll probably have to look elsewhere.
Cronin
10:38
What if I don't honor Dame's trade request? What happens then? I know teams want to work with their players and look good to agents, but what if I just deny his trade request?
Luke Adams
10:41
It's one option, I suppose. Maybe a better offer would emerge by the trade deadline, like with the Nets and Durant last year. But it's not really a viable long-term solution to be trying to develop your young core for the future while your longtime franchise star is still around, having made it clear he doesn't want to be there. The vibes, the effect of the culture... would not be good.
Pacers
10:41
Are we a playoff team? If not, what can we do to become one this season?
Luke Adams
10:44
It's not out of the question. I bet at least one of you or the Magic will make a serious run at a playoff spot, or maybe get eliminated in the play-in. But it also may be a year or two too early. Let Haliburton, Mathurin, Walker, etc. get another season under their belts and this could organically grow into a pretty strong team without needing any major changes.
10:45
I do think that, say, trading for Pascal Siakam would probably turn the Pacers into a playoff team in 2024 but I just don't know that there needs to be that sort of urgency. Indiana shouldn't be in full-on win-now mode quite yet.
QB1
10:45
Could multiple teams leave multiple roster spots open to become the season?
Luke Adams
10:46
It looks like some of the tax-paying teams (Bucks, Suns, etc.) are going to carry the full 15 into the season, which surprises me a little. But there will be plenty that don't. I'd guess the Warriors, Lakers, Cavs, and a few others will start with 14. No one will have less than that to open the season though -- the teams with 12 or 13 guys on standard contracts right now will eventually add.
Capital Tankers
10:46
Who are the Odd men out on the Wizards roster?
Luke Adams
10:49
If Vukcevic doesn't sign an NBA contract right away and they don't make any other additions, they only need to make one trade/cut. Gallinari and Muscala, the aging vets on expiring contracts, are the most obvious candidates on paper, but it won't surprise me if it's Anthony Gill or Xavier Cooks instead. I'm also not convinced that the Wizards are especially high on Patrick Baldwin or Ryan Rollins, who were essentially just salary throw-ins in the CP3/Poole deal.
This isn't a great response, but I just feel like they have a lot of options right now and probably haven't made a decision yet. They could even end up trading Delon Wright still, though I think that's less likely after moving Morris and CP3.
Loser franchise
10:50
Isn't quality rotation depth more important than a couple of stars? Embiid and Maxey are the stars - we don't need a third. We need depth and veterans. What exactly is Morey holding out for?
Luke Adams
10:52
It feels a little premature to label Maxey a star but I get your point. Still, trading a player like Harden is a rare opportunity to accumulate as many assets as you can, so you don't want to rush into it and take the first offer on the table. If you can squeeze out an extra draft pick or young player, that could be the difference in acquiring another rotation player in a separate deal down the road.
GM
10:52
Where is Harden playing opening night? And is he playing 100%?
Luke Adams
10:53
Leaning toward the Sixers at this point. And if that's the case, I wouldn't necessarily expect him to be in peak shape.
Clippers
10:53
What moves are clippers going to make ? You let go of eric Gordon for nothing was that a smart move,or did  his expring contract have no value.
Luke Adams
10:55
Even though I don't think $20MM+ was a great value for Gordon, I would be curious to know how the Clippers still having him on that deal might have impacted the Harden talks. He's a good fit in Philly who has a history with Morey, and that big expiring number would work for a Sixers team that wants to have 2024 cap flexibility. Something like Gordon, Morris, Mann, and a draft pick for Harden and Tucker would've made a lot of sense for both sides.
P.J. Washington
10:55
Will I accept my qualifying offer like Bridges? Will a team work out a sign-and-trade for me? Or will the Hornets budge and offer me more money to stay on a long-term deal?
Luke Adams
10:57
I'd rank those outcomes in this order for now, in terms of likelihood:
  1. Multiyear deal with Hornets
  2. Accept QO
  3. Sign-and-trade

The fact that we've heard basically zero rumors about a team pursuing you via sign-and-trade suggests to me that's not really on the table at this point. And Charlotte won't want to have both you and Bridges on one-year deals. I think you'll reach some sort of compromise on a multiyear deal -- maybe it's just two or three years or maybe it's not fully guaranteed at the back end or something.
Whimsical Wade
10:58
Jaylen Nowell BACK to the wolves?????
Luke Adams
10:58
Not really sure they have a spot for him after bringing in Shake Milton and Troy Brown. Feels like he lands elsewhere.
Pascal Siakam
10:58
Which non-Raptors team could most benefit from my services?
Luke Adams
11:00
The Hawks and Pacers would make a lot of sense. I thought the Blazers would've worked before Dame made his trade request. There aren't many other obvious fits.
Connor👋🏻
11:00
Expect the hornets to be relevant this year?
Luke Adams
11:00
More than last year, but I'm not especially bullish on the playoff chances.
Jeremys7484
11:01
What options do you feel the bulls have to make some noise in the playoffs?
Luke Adams
11:01
I'm not convinced it happens with this core. I bet their next deep playoff run comes with a much different roster.
Noot Noot
11:01
Between Pascal and OG (barreling into UFA in true Raptors fashion), who do you see being on the team beyond this upcoming season?
Luke Adams
11:03
Of the two, I suspect Pascal is the one who most wants to be a Raptor long-term, but the team would probably prefer to do an extension with OG and trade Pascal, given their two price points.
If they both reach free agency, in other words, Pascal is more likely to stick around, but if one of them is traded before then, it'll probably be him.
Nick
11:03
How many games in before the Hornets regret taking Miller over Scoot?
Luke Adams
11:05
Do Summer League games count?

(I kid, I kid -- I think Miller will be a solid pro. But Scoot certainly has the ability to make that pick look very bad in their respective rookie seasons.)
Neemias Queta
11:05
How can teams get around the Kings QO to their 2-Way Center Neemias Queta ?
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