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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 9/13/2022
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Luke Adams
12:15
Thanks for the early questions today, guys. Let's dive in...
Sean
12:15
Do you see any NBA teams signing some of the 3 or 4 outstanding European players or American playing overseas that were starting in this years EuroBasket 2022 like Mike Tobey, Dzanan Musa, Maodo Lo, Shane Larkin just to name a few for the upcoming season.  Some of these players are better than the Fringe players the NBA teams are signing for Training Camp this year.
Luke Adams
12:17
I'd have to confirm it in a couple instances, but I believe all those players are already under contract with non-NBA teams for at least the 2022/23 season, if not longer. It could improve their chances of getting (back) to the NBA down the road, but we shouldn't count on seeing a bunch of EuroBasket standouts in NBA training camps this fall.
Shool Yee
12:18
Why aren't the Heat considering D.Howard as a backup C and slide Bamm over to the 4, and if they are not interested, is there any word on him returning back to LAL?
Luke Adams
12:20
The Heat currently have no interest in filling their 15th roster spot, since it would put them over the tax line. The tax bill itself would be minimal, but it would mean missing out on the payment that non-taxpayers receive, so one minimum-salary signing would likely cost the Heat at least $10-15MM at season's end. I don't get the sense that they view Howard or any other current free agent as worth that price tag.
Blake
12:20
Over/under 50 wins for mavs?
Luke Adams
12:21
I'm leaning toward the over. The roster lacks real star power beyond Luka, but it complements him well. As long as he stays healthy, another 50-win season looks like a pretty good bet.
Thanks Again Luke
12:22
How do you think San Antonio goes about playing their 3 draft picks & Primo with Murray gone? I'd goes as far as starting all three together or start two of the rookies with Primo as the 3rd guy. However, we know how Pop is with young players. Also Devin Vassell has a good chance to start. Thoughts?
Luke Adams
12:25
Popovich isn't entirely averse to playing rookies, but they have to prove they can be consistent and reliable, and are capable of avoiding rookie-esque mistakes. It might take a little time for Sochan, Branham, and Wesley (who are all just 19!) to prove that. I'd expect a more veteran-heavy starting lineup, though Vassell could be part of it.
NBA fan
12:25
So Robert Sarver uses the N word and sexually harasses women at work, why can't the NBA fire him as Suns owner?
Luke Adams
12:28
They could try. But I doubt Sarver would go quietly, and the case here isn't as strong as it was against Donald Sterling (the recordings really helped turn the public against Sterling). It seems like the investigation into Sarver concluded that his behavior stemmed more from ignorance than maliciousness.
Die Hard White Sox Fan
12:28
Who would be your surprise pick for MVP this season?
Luke Adams
12:29
Haven't thought about this at all, but I'm pulling up the MVP odds now. It looks like Luka, Giannis, Embiid, Durant, and Jokic are the top five favorites, so let's throw them out...
12:32
A guy like Steph Curry would hardly qualify as a "surprise" pick, but his eighth-best odds are a pretty good value. Kawhi Leonard is a fun dark-horse choice, since I could see the Clippers being REALLY good if they stay healthy, but I doubt Kawhi will play enough to win it.
Outside those top five, Tatum and Morant might be the best of the longer shots.
Keith
12:33
Trade question for Boston/Atlanta. Atlanta trades John Collins to Boston for Horford, Pritchard, and Hauser. Boston gets a younger post player in Collins, who will help the offense lost with the Gallinari injury. Collins youth is more inline with Brown and Tatum. Atlanta brings back Horford, one of the better players in their history, to also help be a veteran mentor. Pritchard would be their 3rd guard, and Hauser can help their depth. Win/Win for both teams.
Luke Adams
12:35
I'm not sure either team comes out of that trade fully satisfied. It's more favorable from the Celtics' perspective, but Horford is a big part of what they do defensively. From Atlanta's perspective, I can't see them giving up Collins without getting at least one starter-caliber young player or valuable first-round pick. Pritchard and Horford probably aren't strong enough centerpieces.
Philly Special
12:35
Sixers rolling with this roster or do you see another move coming? I don't think we have a strong enough second unit.
Luke Adams
12:37
I'd thought one more move could be coming, but the Harrell signing might be it -- that balances out the roster and makes it look "finished" in a way that it wasn't before. Morey is always looking for ways to keep upgrading, but trades will be tricky with team salary so close to the hard cap and multiple first-round picks already traded away.
Miles Bridges
12:37
Do I play this year?
Luke Adams
12:40
I'm leaning toward no at this point, since it will take some time for the legal process to play out and even after it's resolved, it could be followed by a suspension. But it's hard to predict how a court case might go.
Josh
12:40
JRich and Doug McBuckets for Russ to happen soon? Or Conley and Bogdanovic
Luke Adams
12:42
I'm surprised the Spurs haven't been linked more to Westbrook. They seem like an obvious trade partner, given their huge chunk of cap room and their disinterest in contending this season. But if Poeltl is off the table, their vets (McDermott, Richardson) aren't quite as intriguing as what Utah or Indiana could offer. I suspect the Lakers would find it hard to justify giving up even one unprotected first-round pick for one or both of those guys.
Suns
12:42
What move do we have left, Crowder seems to want out, him saric and (x) amount of picks depending on the return? With their insistence they don’t care about the draft why aren’t they looser with picks in trades?
Luke Adams
12:45
It's a great question. As much as Crowder and Saric have been speculated as trade candidates, I'm sort of curious to see whether we'll hear Landry Shamet's name pop up in trade rumors this season. He's not a cornerstone-type player and clearing his long-term money from the books would probably allow the team to feel better about extending Cam Johnson.
12:46
I don't know that we'll see the Suns do anything big before the season starts, but they look like a good candidate for an in-season trade that involves giving up a first-round pick.
Melo
12:46
Where will I be?
Luke Adams
12:47
A return to the Lakers still makes the most sense to me -- maybe they're waiting to see what happens with Westbrook to see if they have a roster spot available to offer.
Mike
12:47
do the nets need another big for depth
Luke Adams
12:49
The depth chart does seem awfully thin at center. But if you figure Simmons can be a de facto center in some lineups, Durant can protect the rim in others, and Markieff Morris can bang with bigger bodies in the post, maybe they have enough? There's certainly no shortage of free agent options still out there if they decide they want a more traditional veteran backup.
Matt
12:49
If Bulls are nothing more than say a 6 seed then what is the direction they should take moving forward
Luke Adams
12:51
We'll need to see what happens with Lonzo Ball. He was a big part of what they did on both offense and defense last season -- if he isn't right, it's a major problem, and one that's tricky to work around, given his sizeable cap hit. In terms of potential roster changes, I'd be surprised if Vucevic is a long-term fixture in Chicago. He's someone to keep a close eye on as his 2023 free agency nears.
Lobo
12:52
Luke: Good Afternoon. Should the Hawks look into a John Collins plus a pick for Tyler Herro?
Luke Adams
12:53
I doubt Miami would make Herro available for Collins. The Heat would probably want to try to do something centered around Duncan Robinson (who'd need to be included anyway for salary matching) and a draft pick.
Brooks
12:54
Are people underestimating Kuzma. He had a monster year last year, yet the sportswriters are all saying the Wizards need a third "star" to compete. It would be the first time that Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis all play together. Do you think the Wizards can surprise people this year?
Luke Adams
12:56
Do I think the Wizards COULD surprise people? Yes, absolutely. There are enough intriguing pieces on the roster that they could be a really interesting team if everything goes right. Do I think that WILL happen? ... Not really. Counting on Porzingis to stay healthy has never been a safe bet, and Kuzma is a bit of a mixed bag (better than analytics suggest, but far short of a "star"). They'll need to count on a huge year from Beal and significant steps forward from some of their young guys (Hachimura, Kispert, Avdija, Gafford, etc.)
Offensive Fowl
12:57
Does the NBA award(give) the LV expansion team to Fenway Sports Group, with LeBron playing a season there with his son and then becoming POBO after retirement?
Luke Adams
12:59
That'd be a fun story. I'm having a hard time getting a sense of how serious the NBA is about expansion. I do think Seattle + Vegas will happen at some point, but I wonder if the league wants to get a new CBA and a new TV deal in place before moving forward with expansion. We might still be a few years away, in which case LeBron will have to play well into his 40s for your scenario to have a shot. Not impossible!
1:00
Thanks for all your questions today, everyone. Enjoy your week, and join us on Saturday at noon CT for our next live chat with Dana Gauruder!
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