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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 11/12/24
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ARTHUR HILL
11:02
Welcome to this week's chat. Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors are heating up, so we'll start with a question on that topic.
Greg D
11:02
I see Houston as the best candidate if Giannis becomes available. Do you agree and what do you consider a strong offer?
ARTHUR HILL
11:08
If the Bucks ever get serious about trading Giannis -- and it's not likely to happen until at least the offseason -- the Rockets will be among a handful of teams with enough assets to make a compelling offer. It will probably take two to three members of the young core, plus a lot of future draft assets to get Milwaukee's interest. Let's say either Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, plus either Amen Thompson or Tari Eason, and maybe Reed Sheppard thrown in. Houston owns first-round picks from Phoenix in 2027 and 2029, plus the Nets' first-rounder in 2027. All of those would have to be included in the deal, plus all of their own first-rounders that the Rockets are able to trade.
11:13
And even that might not be enough. The Nets have a wealth of incoming picks to offer, along with what's likely to be a lottery pick in a loaded 2025 draft. The Thunder have a long list of incoming picks, along with a load of young talent already on hand and one of the league's best rosters already. Those are probably the top three candidates for a Giannis deal, unless there's a team out there that's willing to make a superstar-for-superstar offer.
barron_hudson
11:13
What is the trade value of Jaden Ivey or Isiah Stewart? Would someone be willing to give up a first-round pick for either player?
ARTHUR HILL
11:15
The Pistons probably aren't going to trade Ivey for draft picks. He has a larger role in the offense this season and he seems much more comfortable under J.B. Bickerstaff after the coaching turmoil of his first two years. He could be looking at a breakout season.
11:18
Stewart may be worth exchanging for a draft pick if the Pistons aren't committed to him in the long term. They have Jalen Duren and Paul Reed to handle the center minutes, and they've got other options at the stretch four. Stewart has a reasonable contract at $15MM per year and he could be in demand by teams that need front-line help. I think the Pistons could easily get a first-round pick for him.
Pelicans
11:18
Is Willie Green's job in danger? I know the Pelicans have had a ton of injuries but they should still have enough not to get beat at home by Brooklyn
ARTHUR HILL
11:23
There's no shame in losing to the Nets. They're off to a 5-6 start and they've been competitive in almost every game. I don't see Green as being in any immediate danger. It's hard to judge him fairly considering the wave of injuries that has hit the team. He's currently without Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado, who's the latest addition to the injury list with a hamstring issue. However, there will be pressure on Green to turn things around once those players start to return. It the team isn't much better in the second half of the season, New Orleans will consider a coaching change this summer.
Jay cain
11:24
What moves do the Pistons need to make to speed up their rebuild and compete in the Eastern Conference?
ARTHUR HILL
11:31
Patience is probably the best option for the Pistons at this point. They've brought in a lot of new players since January, along with a new coaching staff. J.B. Bickerstaff and the front office need some time to see how all the pieces fit together and who should be part of the long-term foundation along with Cade Cunningham. I understand that Detroit fans are hungry for a playoff appearance, but chasing that this season may not be their best strategy. They might be able to get draft assets in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr., Malik Beasley or Isaiah Stewart by the deadline to push the rebuilding process forward. The Pistons are headed in the right direction, and they should be much better for the rest of this decade and beyond.
Guest
11:31
Does OKC need to make a move to add a center until Hartenstein gets back? Sign Biyombo? Make a trade? Or are they just gonna use small lineups?
ARTHUR HILL
11:36
They have the talent to make small lineups work, but they're not going to be effective against everyone. Signing Biyombo is my favorite option for them. He'll handle a lot of minutes in the middle and he's familiar with their system after playing there last season. Hartenstein will be reevaluated in a couple of weeks, so there's no need to shake up the roster with a trade.
barron_hudson
11:36
What moves do the Pistons need to make to advance in their rebuilding process? They have already attempted to tank but ended up moving down to the 5th pick twice. Additionally, they are not considered a free-agent destination, as many players do not want to join the team. Should they focus on trading for disgruntled players, or should they hope that next year's draft is their chance to secure a top pick?
ARTHUR HILL
11:42
The Pistons are a reminder that it takes some lottery luck to make the tanking option successful. They got very lucky in 2021 when they landed the top pick, but the lottery hasn't been kind to them since. Even though there are some nice prizes in next year's draft, I don't think they want to go through that process again. They have a decent base of young talent already in place. Cade Cunningham is in his fourth season, so they need to start trying to build a winner around him to keep him happy. Once that starts happening, they'll be able to attract free agents.
J
11:43
Are there any trades the Bucks can realistically make to upgrade their roster around giannis and dame, with so few draft picks and so many apron restrictions?
ARTHUR HILL
11:51
There was a report over the weekend that the front office has started pursuing trade options, but the CBA restrictions make it hard to pull off a major deal, especially during the season. The Bucks are operating under the second apron, which means they can't aggregate salaries in any trade or take back more money than they send out. The Lakers reportedly have interest in Brook Lopez, but the Bucks aren't going to get better by parting with their best center. They have an older roster with glaring defensive limitations, and they probably aren't going to be able to fix that until the offseason.
barron_hudson
11:51
Do you think the Pistons will be active in acquiring draft capital or making trades to advance their rebuild?
ARTHUR HILL
11:56
Maybe some smaller deals before the deadline. As I said earlier in the chat, they have veterans on the roster who should have some trade value. Tim Hardway Jr. has an expiring contract and should draw interest from contenders that need another shooter. Malik Beasley is also expiring and only has a $6MM contract. The 2025 draft is expected to be strong, so it's a good year to have extra picks, especially if they can get something in the teens or the late lottery.
NBA Cup
11:56
I still don't really care about the in season tournament but I like the idea of an underdog winning it. Do you have a dark horse pick? I"m gonna go with the Nets, given that they've been pretty good so far and their group looks better than it did a few weeks ago (Knicks still figuring things out, Magic/Sixers/Hornets all dealing with injuries)
ARTHUR HILL
12:03
We almost had an underdog winner last year when the Pacers got all the way to the Finals. The tournament is still new and teams are still figuring out how to approach it, so there are going to be a few surprises. I don't know if the Warriors can be counted as a dark horse team considering their 8-2 start, but they're playing exceptionally well, they have a very deep roster and they don't have injury concerns like many of the NBA's other top teams. I like their chances to be one of the last teams standing.
Thanks for the great questions. We'll do it again next week.
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