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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 10/30/25
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ARTHUR HILL
11:02
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll start with a question on the unbeaten Bulls.
Unclemike1526
11:02
Hey Arthur as nice as this Bulls run is looking I'm thinking it can be even better with a couple of tweaks. The other team doesn't even guard Okoro anymore and Williams is playing nicely off the bench so I don't want to ruin that, So I'm thinking Julian Phillips has never really gotten a decent run at some playing time and might be better than Okoro right? I know when White comes back they have to play him to at least prove he's healthy and that's going to cut into Ayo's time and now that he's healthy and his shot is back that's a step back IMO. What do you think? Thanks
ARTHUR HILL
11:11
The Bulls gave up Lonzo Ball to get Okoro, so they're going to keep playing him even with his offensive limitations, particularly if they keep winning. Okoro is an accomplished wing defender that Chicago really didn't have last year, and he was a much better shooter in Cleveland than he has been through the first week of the season. I'd say be patient and wait to see if his shot starts falling. I've always liked Dosunmu, and I think keeping him might be a better long-term financial option than giving a huge contract to Coby White. For sure, White will be back in the starting lineup when he's healthy, but the Bulls are showing they can be successful without him.
Scott S.
11:12
Any chance the Heat get back the pick they gave up for Rozier? Hard to believe the Hornets didn't know about the investigation at the time
ARTHUR HILL
11:19
Unfortunately, the NBA's policy of not notifying its teams when a player is under investigation creates a "buyer beware" environment. It's easy for the Hornets to deny they knew about the accusations against Rozier before the trade took place, and it's very hard for the Heat to prove they did. The trade has been a disaster for Miami, and the front office would certainly have looked at other options if it knew Rozier was under federal investigation. The best-case scenario for the Heat is for Rozier's contract to get voided during the season and for the league office to return the future first-rounder, but I don't expect either of those things to happen.
Jayson Tatum
11:19
Will the Celtics be good enough this season to make it worthwhile to me to try to come back early from my achilles injury?
ARTHUR HILL
11:28
The Celtics got off to a rough start before posting convincing victories over the Pelicans and Cavaliers this week, and it's easy to see a path where they hang around .500 while Joe Mazzulla experiments with his rotation. There aren't many good teams in the East, so they should be able to stay in play-in contention. The question is whether that will be good enough to activate Tatum sometime after the All-Star break. He's too important to the franchise to risk another serious injury that could sideline him for next season or beyond. It will be tempting to have him back on the court, but I don't believe the Celtics should do it unless they exceed expectations and feel they have a real chance to make a playoff run.
Guest
11:28
Austin Reaves seems to be increasing the amount of his next contract with every game. How much will the Lakers have ot pay him and how will it impact their cap situation?
ARTHUR HILL
11:39
There was a lot of talk about the Lakers preserving their cap space and targeting a huge move in the summer of 2027. Reaves' performance is going to change that, as he has to be part of the future no matter the cost. He's proven that he can be the team's primary scorer and playmaker with Luka Doncic and LeBron James both hurt, and there will be plenty of teams willing to throw a max offer at him next summer if the Lakers are hesitant. Reaves' last contract was viewed as a major discount, and he's not going to do that again. Having two max deals in Doncic and Reaves will limit what L.A. can do when a potentially historic free agent class hits the market in 2027, but that can't be the primary concern. Reaves has to be re-signed.
Unclemike1526
11:39
Hey Arthur I was was wondering if you can explain to me what the options are for the Bulls going forward. I know there is a limit on what they can offer him extension wise. But can White make more money via a sign and trade and still get the Bulls some draft picks after this year? I also think there is some kind of cap on how much he can get in FA right? I mean it's obvious already that they made a mistake keeping him this off season and they need Collins way more than White at this point. The way Porzingis just dominated them they really could have used Collins. What can the Bulls do now? Deadline deal? Thanks as always.
ARTHUR HILL
11:53
Assuming there's no extension and White becomes a free agent next summer, the Bulls will have the advantage of being able to offer him more money and a longer contract than any of their competitors. That's true whether they keep him or send him out in a sign-and-trade deal. As good as he's been the last two seasons, I agree that it's in Chicago's best interest to explore trade offers rather than keeping him for the long term. It's going to be really hard to build a successful team with White and Josh Giddey as the two highest-paid players. There are advantages to keeping Collins, but he might be overpriced on his next contract if the Bulls expect him to become their starting center. I though Nikola Vucevic was going to be traded last season, but he fits Billy Donovan's up-tempo offense and maybe they'll re-sign him to a short-term contract if they keep winning.
Cale
11:53
The Jazz don't seem to be tanking. Is it crazy to think they could be in the play-in picture?
ARTHUR HILL
12:02
The Jazz were expected to tank for another season in hopes of landing a star in what looks like an elite 2026 draft class. It hasn't played out that way, as Utah has already beaten the Clippers and Suns and has close losses to the Kings and Trail Blazers. Lauri Markkanen looks like an All-Star again, and Keyonte George, Walker Kessler and Brice Sensabaugh all appear to have taken a step forward. Will Hardy is considered to be an excellent coach, but he's never had a chance to really pursue a playoff spot. If the Jazz keep their current philosophy and rookies Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. develop into rotation players, it's easy to see them staying in the play-in race all season.
12:03
Thanks for the great questions. We'll talk again next week.
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