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Hoops Rumors Chat With Luke Adams: 6/8/2017
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Luke Adams
3:25
Hey all, submit your questions on free agency, the draft, the salary cap, the CBA, the Finals, or anything else NBA-related, and I'll get to as many as I can today. Getting underway in just a few minutes.
Sam
3:31
What moved do the Cavs need to make? And can they actually make any?
Luke Adams
3:32
A reliable, two-way, three-and-D player would help them out a lot. Guys like J.R., Korver, and Shumpert are really only reliable on one end of the floor. I'm not sure adding that sort of player would be the difference against the Warriors though, and it's hard to see how they can afford to add anyone decent this summer. They don't have any cap room and are lacking real trade assets.
Corey
3:33
Who outside of the lottery has the best chance to move up in the draft?
Luke Adams
3:34
Harry Giles is a guy who has been moving back up the board in several mock drafts. Injury history is a concern, but he has real upside and could make sense for a team looking to roll the dice (maybe Sacramento with their second pick).
Josh
3:35
Your bold prediction, do Sixers draft at 3 or trade the pick. Who do you like for them
Luke Adams
3:35
As it stands right now, I think they come away with Malik Monk. If they can find a deal that lets them move back 2-3 spots to nab him, even better, but it wouldn't surprise me if they're willing to take him as high as No. 3. He's a great fit for their roster.
Jimmy
3:36
Which team would be the most likely to make a move for Dallas' Wesley Matthews?
Luke Adams
3:37
I could see him becoming next year's Greg Monroe -- a useful player whose contract makes him a tough sell and whose player option makes it difficult to move him (would a team trading him WANT him to pick up that $18MM option to control him for another year, or to turn it down to gain cap room?).
Danny
3:38
Do the Knicks actually have a chance to trade melo and get something good inreturn
Luke Adams
3:39
If they trade Carmelo, I think they could probably get a couple decent rotation players out of it. Or maybe a decent rotation player and an okay pick (late first or early second). Anything more than that might be expecting a lot though -- his salary and trade kicker hurts his value, as does Phil Jackson's public desire to get rid of him.
Chad
3:39
Hi Luke, Mavs fan here and I was just wondering do you think we have a legit chance of signing Jrue Holiday if we miss out on Frank or Dennis Smith?
Luke Adams
3:41
I think the Pelicans are still the favorites to bring him back, but if he takes meetings, the Mavs should be very much in the mix. If I'm Dallas though, I'd worry about committing another max or near-max salary to a player who isn't a star. I don't think they should be splashing around in the free agent market for second- or third-tier guys. That just seems like it'll lead back to a 5-8 seed and an early playoff exit again.
Nigel
3:42
Which team in the western conference is good enough to beat the warriors next season and what moves do they need to make in order to compete against them.
Luke Adams
3:44
The Rockets got pretty badly exposed against San Antonio, but a team like that might have the best chance to knock off the Warriors, since they're hard to beat when they're making a ton of threes. From a talent perspective, the Spurs and Clippers are probably the closest, but they each have key guys eligible for free agency, so who knows what they'll look like a couple months from now. The Jazz could be a dark horse here, though they also need to find a way to retain their own free agents and keep adding talent, which will be tricky. To be honest though, I don't think any of those teams are just one move away.
Karen
3:45
are the Pelicans going to hang on to Cousins and AD?
Luke Adams
3:46
That's the plan. But I'll be curious to see how they look playing together in the first half. If the Pelicans aren't in a playoff position in January or February, I'd have to think the Boogie trade rumors start up again.
Tom Thibodeau
3:46
Who do I draft? Is Zack Collins a good idea?
Luke Adams
3:47
No. 7 seems a little high for Collins. I think Jonathan Isaac makes a lot of sense if he's available.
Brad
3:47
With d-league designated players coming up, how does that change teams' draft? Should we see more rounds in the near future?
Luke Adams
3:49
I don't think it will change teams' draft strategies too significantly. Teams will probably try to talk more second-rounders into taking those two-way contracts, but I imagine most of the guys who sign those deals will be undrafted free agents.
As for the idea of adding more rounds to the draft, I think that's a good one. We're probably just a few years away from every team having its own D-League (sorry, G-League) affiliate. When that happens, it makes sense to have them act more as minor league squads, which could mean adding another round to the draft.
Dorothy
3:50
Who else is Lonzo Ball going to work out for? Any chance that a team would trade up in the lottery to draft him?
Luke Adams
3:51
There has been talk of him going in for a workout with the Sixers, but nothing has been set up yet. I'm sure the Suns will bring him in as well if they're given the chance. I'm skeptical that any team will trade up for him (there just haven't been that many trades involving top-five picks in the last few years), but if the Lakers decide they prefer De'Aaron Fox, they could definitely look into moving down a spot or two.
Harrison
3:52
Odds that De'Aaron Fox slips past the top 5?
Luke Adams
3:52
Extremely slim. If there are no trades and he's still there at No. 5, I think the Kings would be thrilled to grab him.
Jim
3:52
How well do you think the Celtics will do after owning the East's best record and getting the 1st pick?
Luke Adams
3:54
That will depend heavily on whether they're able to add another impact player in a trade or via free agency this offseason. As much as I like Markelle Fultz, he just turned 19 years old, so I wouldn't count on him being the extra piece Boston needs to beat the Cavs in 2018. But if the Celtics are able to add Fultz AND Gordon Hayward, or a talented frontcourt player, I'd expect to see them back in the Eastern Finals with a better shot at the Cavs.
Jackson
3:58
Can Fred Hoiberg please go to Ohio?
Luke Adams
3:58
Based on the comments I've seen in response to the Hoiberg reports yesterday, I'm guessing you're a Bulls fan and not an Ohio State fan.
Trust the Process
3:58
What do the Suns do with #4?
Luke Adams
3:59
I think they're actually in a pretty good spot. Jayson Tatum or Josh Jackson would both be nice fits, and at least one of them should be available. If De'Aaron Fox is available at No. 4, they could try to dangle their pick to a team that wants him, or draft him and shop Eric Bledsoe.
Bradley
4:00
Any chance the Lakers can move Deng or Mozgov?
Luke Adams
4:01
At this point, I think you'd probably have to attach a future first-round pick to move either contract. Not what a rebuilding team wants to be doing, so it probably makes sense to just keep them around for now. They could always dump one or the other next summer if they need the cap room to sign a Paul George type.
Steve
4:01
How much money would it cost to buy a second round pick in this draft? Would two future 2nd round picks be enough?
Luke Adams
4:02
Depends on whether you're talking about the No. 32 pick or the No. 58. But I imagine it wouldn't even cost that much if it's a pick in the 40-60 range. We generally see a handful of those selections traded for cash alone.
Brevin
4:03
Kevin Love has been playing well in this Finals. Is he raising his trade value? Or do you anticipate him staying in Cleveland for another year?
Luke Adams
4:04
As well as he's played, it's hard to imagine what the Cavs could get in return for him that would make them a better team than they are right now. If Cleveland gets blown out tomorrow, maybe the sweep causes an existential crisis of sorts and they really blow up the roster. But I'd expect him to still be a Cav next season.
Kevin
4:04
What are the Pistons going to get back if they choose to trade away their #12 pick, as rumored?
Luke Adams
4:07
That rumor is an interesting one. Stan Van Gundy doesn't seem like he'd do anything rash or short-sighted as the president of basketball operations simply to make life easier on himself in the short term as a coach. But I don't think the Pistons will be able to acquire a difference-maker with that pick. The thing that makes the most sense is pairing that pick with someone like Leuer or Boban to acquire an upgrade without taking on any extra salary.
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