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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/13/2025
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Luke Adams
2:01
Hey all! Thanks as always for your early questions. Keep 'em coming.
CurryMeAway
2:01
I know Curry hasn't been in the conversation for MVP this year, but he's been playing really well in the last twelve games. Any chance he gets some votes at the end of the year if he continues his hot streak?
Luke Adams
2:03
Some votes? Sure. Generally about a dozen players get at least one MVP vote, and while I think SGA, Jokic, Giannis, and Tatum will show up on a ton of ballots, there are five spots on ballots and room to make arguments for a bunch of different players beyond those four. Curry is one of them, especially if he finishes the season strong.
Pacers
2:03
Are we heading back to ECF this yr?
Luke Adams
2:05
Getting to the second round would be a solid outcome for Indiana. Unless either team is affected by injuries, I'd be pretty surprised if the ECF isn't Cleveland vs. Boston.
Chicago
2:05
What do we do? Do we try and tank the rest of the year or do we make the play in tournament to then lose in the 1st round?
Luke Adams
2:09
It's important to remember that play-in tournament vs. lottery isn't an either/or scenario. A team can do both if they lose in the play-in. In fact, Chicago has done it in each of the past two seasons.

If the season ended today, the Bulls would be 10th in the East, but they'd also be 8th in the lottery standings, assuming they don't win two play-in games on the road (not impossible given their competition, but unlikely). Teams have won the lottery or at least moved into the top four from worse spots than that (Atlanta moved up from No. 10 last year).

This is a roundabout way of saying that I don't think going into full tank mode is necessary. They aren't really a great team and finishes 10th in the East shouldn't hurt their lottery chances much, as long as they don't win two play-in games.
New York Old Habits
2:09
Is the disconnect between Bridges and Thibs on this quote fiasco a simple miscommunication, or indicative of a larger rift in the organization, potentially influenced by ownership? Should Knicks fans be worried about impacts on the playoffs? Or is it business as usual?
Luke Adams
2:12
It's slightly concerning, but I wouldn't view it as a major issue. Bridges is the first player to sort of publicly step outside the company line on Thibs' minutes distribution, and it didn't seem like Thibs loved that. But it's not like Bridges' comments weren't that incendiary at all, and the two of them don't necessarily have to be in complete alignment on the issue for the team to have success.
2:14
I'll admit I'm curious to see what happens with Bridges' contract situation this summer. His maximum extension is about $156MM over four years. It's possible that'll be enough to extend him, especially since this hasn't been his best year.

But I can also imagine a scenario where he decides to wait until free agency, when he'll be able to earn more, which could result in a ton of (likely unfounded) speculation about his relationship with Thibs or his unhappiness with his minutes.
Brian
2:14
Does Morey survive this off season?  He had made many awful decisions and the Sixers look like a free falling team
Luke Adams
2:18
I'd be a little surprised if he's let go. He still has a pretty solid reputation and by all accounts the Sixers still believe in their core if Embiid and George can get healthy. I expect they'll give it another year before doing anything too drastic.
Cam
2:18
Houston is looking at a likely lottery pick with the Suns’ selection. However, they really don’t need anymore young players to continue that logjam. What do you think is the best way to go about that selection and their near future picks, too?
Luke Adams
2:20
Despite their reluctance to get involved in any of the stars on the market this season, I still think the Rockets are a clear candidate for a consolidation trade for a star. They have more young prospects and draft picks than they can realistically use.

My assumption is that once they get a look at their current group in the playoffs, they'll have a clearer sense of which guys are keepers and which might be more expendable and will become more open to making that sort of trade, but of course it also depends on who's actually available. If they can't find a deal that makes sense involving that lottery pick before they're on the clock, they should just take the best player available.
Mike Dunleavy Jr’s assistant
2:21
Hello again, Mr. Adams. All of us here in the Bay Area are indeed excited about Jonathan Kuminga’s highly-anticipated return tonight. But I have a confession; hopefully we can keep this between us….and maybe some of the hardcore readers on this site. I’m definitely not feeling good about this admission. So uh….Kuminga’s been ready to play for WEEKS, Mr. Adams. The higher-ups here purposely kept him inactive for as long as they did to, as you can probably guess, drive his price down this offseason - with Kuminga approaching restricted free agency, of course. The “rationale” behind this executive decision is that there’s now little to no chance JK and his agent will request above $30M per.  I’m not so sure that’ll be the case though. In your opinion, from what you’ve seen from his 3.5 seasons in the league, what’s the highest you’d go per season with Kuminga’s next contract?
Luke Adams
2:25
Love a good conspiracy theory, but holding out a healthy Kuminga for a few extra weeks probably isn't necessary to keep his price in check -- he'll likely be in a reserve role for the rest of the season, so his ceiling is only so high. If he plays well, great, it'll improve the Warriors' title chances.

As for his RFA price... Anything above $30MM per year would make me nervous. I'm very curious to see if the Nets or any other team puts real pressure on Golden State with the threat of an offer sheet. If not, the Warriors should find themselves in a pretty good negotiating position.
Big 5
2:25
What is ideal and realistic option on center position for Lakers next season?
Luke Adams
2:29
I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that they circle back on Mark Williams -- they may be more willing to take on some medical risk if the trade cost is a little lower. They'll likely try again on Walker Kessler too. Could see them asking Dallas about Daniel Gafford, since we know Luka is comfortable with him. Maybe guys like Wendell Carter or Onyeka Okongwu too. And Day'Ron Sharpe, though he's probably more of a backup.
Captain Cav-Man
2:29
How concerned should the Cavs be about Garland's recent struggles?  Are they Injury Related or is he just in a slump?
Luke Adams
2:30
Probably nothing to worry about. There are ups and downs over the course of the season. Might ultimately be good that he gets a cold spell out of the way before the games that really count.
HeatBaby
2:31
Besides injuries as a reason for struggling, do you think there will be a decent amount of turnover this offseason as the team hasn't really gelled since the Butler trade.
Luke Adams
2:33
Yeah, something's gotta give in Miami this summer. Riley's not going to be content to just run it back with this group and hope for better chemistry once the newcomers have had more time to acclimate.

Seems safe to assume Bam and Herro aren't going anywhere, and I figure they'll be reluctant to move their young guys, especially Ware. But no one else's roster spot will be safe.
Kim
2:34
Hi there. Out of Caris Levert, Terrance Mann, Larry Nance and George Niang, who will the Hawks want to keep next season? And do you think the will keep Clint Capella on a more team friendly deal as the back up center? Thanks!
Luke Adams
2:37
I expect we'll see Mann stick around. There were easier ways for the Hawks to get below the tax at the trade deadline than to trade Bogdanovic and a bunch of second-rounders for him, so it seems like he was a guy Atlanta specifically targeted.

The others I'm less certain about. LeVert and Nance will be free agents, and Niang could be a good trade candidate based on the way he's boosting his stock in recent weeks.

If Nance returns, I expect Capela won't, unless both guys are taking significant pay cuts, since Nance wasn't playing much when Capela and Okongwu were both healthy.

I could see LeVert re-signing on a short-term deal (maybe one guaranteed year with a second option) if the price is right, but it may depend on part on how the Hawks used their draft picks.
We the North
2:37
Kevin Knox.. what's  next for him
Luke Adams
2:40
I suspect he may end up as the Warriors' 14th or 15th man by the time the regular season wraps up. They still have some hard-cap issues that will impact the timing of their roster moves, but they seem to like him and he wasn't bad during his two 10-day deals.

In the longer term... Knox has become a borderline NBA player, so unless he gets a guaranteed min-salary contract offer in the offseason, it wouldn't shock me if he entertains the idea of playing overseas.
Hornets
2:40
When do you think big FA’s ever come to Charlotte? Is there ever going to be that time?
Luke Adams
2:42
It's hard to imagine the very best free agents ever choosing Charlotte, given that it's not exactly a glamor market. But the Hornets should realistically be able to get to where a team like the Thunder is now, with the ability to recruit second- or third-tier FAs like OKC did with Isaiah Hartenstein last summer.

It may take a while though. Obviously the current version of the Hornets is pretty far from where the Thunder were when they signed Hartenstein.
KJ
2:42
Even though they're in the East they still have a shot to get the play in so would it make more sense for Philly to get into the playin and get blasted by Boston or Cleveland in the first round or would it make more sense for them to tank and keep the lottery pick.  Reality is next year put in Embiid, Maxey and George with any of the big three flag Harper or Bailey and Philadelphia is going to be freaking scary next year
Luke Adams
2:45
Even with a healthy Embiid and George, the Sixers likely wouldn't have a chance to beat the Cavs or Celtics this season. Embiid is shut down for the season and it seems like George may soon follow, so tanking is the clear move in Philadelphia.

I'm not sure they'll be able to do any "better" than 5th in the lottery standings, since the Wizards, Hornets, Jazz, and Pelicans had such a head-start on tanking (though New Orleans has been getting some wins lately). But even finishing in that 5th spot would give them a way better shot at hanging onto their top-six protected pick than they'd have at 6th or 7th. That should be a priority.
Pacers
2:45
Well… everyone expected knicks & celtics last yr… indy cant beat boston 4 times out of 7. But they can take down the cavs. Season series 1-1 so far
Luke Adams
2:48
This is re: the question about the Pacers getting back to the ECF this year.

I'm hardly the first one to express this opinion, but I think a fully healthy version of last year's Knicks would've beaten the Pacers in the second round. If the Pacers get some good injury luck again this year, another run is certainly possible. But I really can't envision them taking down the Cavs if both teams are healthy. Beating a healthy Bucks team in round one would be an impressive enough feat for Indiana.
Clips 4ever
2:49
Can clips avoid the play in?
Luke Adams
2:50
I'm skeptical. The two teams directly ahead of them in the standings - Golden State and Minnesota - are playing as well as they have all season, and the gap between the other teams (5+ games) is probably too much to overcome this late in the season.

I do think the Clippers are clearly a top-eight team in the West and should earn a playoff spot in the play-in, but I expect them to end up as the 7 or 8 seed in the West.
GN
2:51
Haven't we seen that seeding is overblown the last few years?  It's all about health and match ups right?  Then seeding after that?
Luke Adams
2:52
Yeah, home-court advantage still means something, but if I had to rank those three factors in terms of importance, especially in the first round, I'd go:
  1. Health
  2. Matchup
  3. Seed
KD
2:53
Where am I playing at the beginning of next season
Luke Adams
2:57
There are a lot of potential destinations I can talk myself into, but each one is also hard to imagine for various reasons. Even just among Western terms, the Thunder, Grizzlies, Rockets, Warriors, and Timberwolves all make sense to some extent, but there are just as many (or more) reasons to believe it won't happen.

This is a bit of a cop-out answer, but I do think the landscape for Durant will become a lot clearer once we see which teams flame out early in the playoffs and feel most compelled to make major roster changes. No reason for the Thunder to pursue a reunion with Durant if they win a title this season, but if they get knocked out in the second round, maybe it makes more sense.
2:58
Thanks for all the great questions today, guys. We'll talk again next Thursday. Have a great week!
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