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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 11/14/2024
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Luke Adams
2:00
Hey guys, thanks for all your early questions! Will get underway in just a minute.
Jorge
2:01
Too early to say the Hawks win the Dejounte Murray trade?  Dyson Daniels looks like an NBA all defense candidate AND they got two of the Pels' future picks.  Which team would you rather be a fan of right now, ATL or NO?
Luke Adams
2:04
I love Daniels' game, but I do think it's a bit too early to rule in Atlanta's favor. Murray hasn't typically been an injury-prone player, so it was just bad luck that he went down in his first game as a Pelican with a broken hand -- it's something that could've just as easily happened to Daniels instead, in which case we might be talking about how good the trade looks for the Pelicans.

Having said that, the Hawks at least have to be feeling pretty good about their return. They'll be rooting hard against the Lakers this season in the hopes that the 2025 pick they got back for Murray is somewhere in the same range as the one they gave up for him.
EonADS
2:04
Odds for the Cavs to go 15-0? Chicago's been up and down but they're not a pushover, and Charlotte can surprise with their offense. Still think the Cavs don't have much to worry about until they play Boston on the 19th.
Luke Adams
2:05
I'm definitely not picking against the Cavs at home vs. either the Bulls or Hornets, though we've certainly seen a whole lot of different kinds of upsets so far this season. Hopefully they know well enough not to fall victim to the "trap game" by looking ahead to that Boston matchup. Would be awesome to see them take a 15-0 record into Boston next Tuesday.
Pacers
2:06
We desperately need a backup big man who can rebound.  Who can we get?
Luke Adams
2:08
If you're content with taking a shot at the free agent market, Bismack Biyombo or JaVale McGee are probably your best bets. But a trade might make more sense, since Wiseman and Jackson almost certainly won't be back this season. I might see if the Nets are willing to part with Day'Ron Sharpe once he's back from his hamstring injury.
2:09
They could look at slightly more expensive options, but the idea of just moving Jackson and a draft pick appeals to me. If you're targeting a higher-priced center, you're probably looking at trading a rotation player.
One tired Joker
2:10
How can the Nuggets get me some rest?  I'm averaging 38 minutes a game!
Luke Adams
2:11
Yeah, it's not sustainable. Unfortunately, Saric and Nnaji haven't shown much and DeAndre Jordan seems to be shifting to the Udonis Haslem role of "locker room leader who hardly ever plays." Aaron Gordon can play some small-ball five, so maybe the Nuggets use that lineup a bit more once he's back, but until then, I feel like we're gonna see lots of Jokic.
Trust The Process
2:12
Do you think Nick Nurse will pair Jared McCain with Tyrese Maxey in the starting lineup once Maxey returns from injury.
Luke Adams
2:13
The lineup the Sixers planned to use during the preseason before all the injuries was Maxey, Oubre, Martin, George, and Embiid. I suspect once everyone's healthy that's the first lineup we'll see Nurse use, but McCain has certainly earned a significant role off the bench and he'd probably be the next man up if the Sixers decide to shift Oubre or Martin to the bench.
Rockets
2:13
Are amen Thompson and Tari Eason the best bench duo in the league ?
Luke Adams
2:15
I'd probably take 'em over any other two reserves from a defensive standpoint. There are better offensive duos (Kuminga and Hield is the first that comes to mind) but in terms of all-around impact and age/upside, you could certainly make a strong case for the Rockets twosome.
EonADS
2:16
Vucevic to the Lakers for JHS, Max Christie, Jarred Vanderbilt, and a first. Workable? Who says no if not?
Luke Adams
2:20
By the time Christie becomes trade-eligible (Jan. 15), that would be legal for the Lakers (trades right now are tricky for them because even if they aggregate enough salary to take back more than they send out, they also have to maintain enough room below the second apron to add players to get back to 14 players).

In terms of its merit, I think the value is in the right ballpark, though I could see both teams having apprehensions. For Chicago, it's a matter of whether the Vanderbilt and Christie contracts are negatives and whether the current front office (which prioritized Giddey over draft picks when trading Caruso) would be fine with, say, a 2029 first-round pick. For the Lakers, it's a matter of whether they could do better than Vucevic if they give up a first-round pick. I bet they believe they can.
Absurd but why not??
2:20
Thoughts on the sixers shutting down Embiid for the year and tanking for Flagg?
Luke Adams
2:21
We could have that conversation if they're still scuffling after 30 or 40 games, but the East is so weak that it doesn't make any sense this early. They're only three games out of 4th place!
Guest
2:21
Is there any world where the Grizzlies would entertain a trade of Ja if he came back healthy.
Luke Adams
2:24
I can't see it. They've stuck with him this long. He's finally healthy (relatively, at least -- the hip shouldn't keep him out for that long) and has stayed out of trouble off the court for the last year-plus. I have to think they'll continue sticking with him. I'm not sure he's in the level of stars that would only be traded if they asked for it, but IMO he's much closer to that level than someone like, say, Zion Williamson is.
Nate
2:24
Think Jabari smith winds up being an odd man out for the rockets eventually? Seems like tari Eason and amen Thompson are starting to force the issue as building blocks…can’t help but think he’s about to be leap frogged in the scheme of things
Luke Adams
2:27
I'm inclined to agree with you, though I suppose recency bias is a factor (he's off to a pretty underwhelming start this season). I do think defense-first style that Eason and Thompson play fits with Ime Udoka's philosophy. And if the Rockets plan to make a consolidation trade at some point, you have to think that at least one or two of those young guys on rookie contracts would be included. Smith looks like an obvious candidate to be in that package right now.
Big PFCs
2:27
Hello and thank you. Please rank this group for fantasy purposes going forward & feel free to riff on any of them: Isiah Stewart, Patrick Williams, J-Rob-Earl, Mo Wagner
Luke Adams
2:30
With the caveat that I'm not a very good fantasy basketball player (the more closely I follow a sport, the worse I am at separating real-life value from fantasy value), I'd probably rank them as follows:
  1. Stewart (he's not shooting threes anymore, but the blocks are nice)
  2. Wagner (if you don't mind the lack of blocks, he'll probably be the best scorer of the bunch)
  3. Williams (do think there's upside here as a steals/blocks guy)
  4. Robinson-Earl (ride him for now, but I don't expect he'll play very much once the Pelicans gets healthier)
Starting Line up
2:30
Best starting 5 at present ?
Luke Adams
2:32
Even without Porzingis, I might still take the Celtics' group (their net rating in 115 minutes is +18.3!). Cavs are close. Nuggets and Thunder would be in the conversation when healthy.
GN
2:33
After matching salaries, which centers will require a 1st round pick?  Claxton, Vucevic, JV, Williams III, Richards, Lopez?
Luke Adams
2:35
Claxton for sure. I'm not sure I'd give up a first-rounder for any of the others unless I could move off an unwanted contract or two in the process.
2:37
Would be somewhat surprised if Vucevic, Valanciunas, or Williams net a first-rounder this season unless it has pretty solid protection or if there are more parts to the deal that change the overall valuation in some way. Lopez is interesting but he's an aging player on an expiring deal and I don't think the Bucks would be looking to dump him for a draft pick anyway. Richards is most intriguing to me, given his team-friendly deal. Just not sure if his game is dynamic enough to warrant a first-rounder.
EonADS
2:37
The Timberwolves have only really had two good games this year, the narrow wins over the Kings and Nuggets; their other four wins have come against Portland, Chicago, depleted Toronto, and depleted Charlotte. I already have a good sense of what's wrong with them, this is just me officially calling them out as frauds to this point, kept afloat by hot shooting from 3.
Anthony Edwards Hype Machine
2:37
Wolves underperforming of late. Trend or mirage? Also, Dante DeVincenzo's minutes are down year over year but he passed the eye test. Conley's shooting woes with the bad wrist look legit. More time for NAW and DDV as creators and more effective defenders the right coaching move for Finchy?
Luke Adams
2:40
I'm not giving up on the Wolves yet. As was the case two years ago after the Gobert trade, I think they'll get better as they get more time together. But I'm still not sure swapping out Towns for Randle and DDV will ever be an upgrade, and Conley's age/health is a concern, especially considering the lack of reliable point guard depth. Kyle Anderson, who was a de facto point guard last season, was an underrated loss.
Guest
2:40
Was curious if you know now if players on exhibit 10 contracts with their G-League team can be traded during their 60 days or if that’s not allowed?
Luke Adams
2:42
I did contact the G League to ask about this but have yet to hear back. I noticed when Adonis Arms (who signed an Exhibit 10 with the Pelicans during the preseason) was waived by the Birmingham Squadron, it was listed in the league's transaction log as a "buyout," which suggests they were on the hook for some or all of his E10 bonus. I'll follow up with the league tomorrow to see if I can get an answer on E10 players being traded/waived, since it's something I'd like to know too.
Bulls Fan
2:43
Are the Bulls too good to retain their 25 draft pick?
Luke Adams
2:45
Not if they don't want to be. As we've seen in Utah and Portland in recent years, there are always levers that teams can and will pull in the second half in order to ensure they're losing enough games. Would imagine if the Bulls are hovering around 11th or 12th in the draft at the midpoint of the season, we'll see the front office start pulling some of those levers (via trades, injury absences, etc.) to make sure they keep that top-10 protected pick.
And to be clear, I don't really believe they're good enough to be significantly better than a play-in team, so I'd expect them to be in that range.
A.P.
2:46
The first ⅛ of the season has passed and the Lakers are 7-4.  They're not in a bad position with Christian Wood and Jared Vanderbilt hopefully returning.  Will Rob Pelinka still make a move between December and the trade deadline to upgrade the starting unit or maybe the bench?
Luke Adams
2:48
He'll definitely try. It won't be easy, given the Lakers' apron situation and their relative lack of quality assets that they're open to moving. But I think if they're willing to give up a lightly protected first-round pick, they could probably find a deal that upgrades their rotation in a couple spots, similar to the one they made at the 2023 deadline (when they gave up a top-four protected 2027 first-rounder for D-Lo, Beasley, and Vanderbilt).
Scoop Jackson
2:48
Which team is likely to get back to where preseason polls had them - Philadelphia or Milwaukee. And which one seems headed for a truly doomed season? Or does the outlook for book look dismal? I know it's still early in the season, but your thoughts?
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