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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 12/8/2025
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Luke Adams
2:00
Welcome to today's chat, all! Thanks for the early questions. Let's jump in...
ManWithaDream
2:01
What realistic trade scenarios could send the Knicks Giannis without gutting the team?
Luke Adams
2:05
"Realistic" depends on what sort of return the Bucks would be seeking in a Giannis trade. If they don't mind the idea of prioritizing win-now pieces (sort of like the approach the Spurs took to the Kawhi trade back in 2018), Towns + a player like OG or Bridges for Giannis/Kuzma could be the general structure, with the Knicks also giving up the swaps and draft picks that are still tradable.

If the Bucks want to rebuild, a third team would probably need to be involved to take on the Knicks' veterans and send out draft assets.

Either way, I'm not sure the Knicks could build the sort of package that would truly appeal to Milwaukee.
Jay
2:05
How do you see the Clippers situation working itself out? At some point they'll stabilize and are only 3 losses back from the play-in.
Luke Adams
2:10
I know the Clippers have lost some depth, and a few of the guys that are still healthy haven't been as good as they hoped, but I'm still kind of shocked that a team that has had Harden/Zubac available for most of the season and Kawhi healthy for the past few weeks has been as bad as the Clippers have.

Yes, my guess would be they start turning things around at some point, and a play-in spot in the West definitely isn't out of reach -- the competition for those spots hasn't been as stiff as we would've predicted before the season.

But this situation is starting to remind me a bit of last year's Suns. Even if it seems like the talent should be enough to overcome a slow start, the longer the losses keep coming, the less likely that bounce-back is.

The schedule doesn't really ease up for the Clippers before Christmas -- they've got Houston, Memphis, OKC, the Lakers, and Houston again in the next couple weeks.
Guest
2:10
How does the G-League waiver pool work? How do they determine it the first few weeks, is it by teams worst records from previous season? Is there a certain time when it switches to this season's worst records?
Luke Adams
2:12
I'd need to double-check to see if they changed it as part of the new CBA, but the G League's waiver system is quite different from the NBA's.

The initial order is determined by a random drawing rather than by last season's record. And the order changes when a team makes a claim (they get moved to the back of the order, like they would in a fantasy league) or when a team loses a player to an NBA call-up (they get moved to the top of the order).
Tarunafish
2:12
Does Jonathan Kuminga have any trade value? Can the Warriors get a first round pick for him?
Luke Adams
2:17
I think he'd have some value, but not the sort the Warriors would hope. He's a classic change-of-scenery guy, and I do think he'd play better in a situation where a team makes him more of a priority within its offense and where he's not burdened by 4+ years of history. He's also still just 23 years old -- younger than some of this year's rookies!

Still, teams will only pay so much to roll the dice on a guy who's in his fifth year and is having his worst shooting season yet. Could the Warriors get a first-rounder? Maybe, if it's protected and if they're not getting much else of use in the deal.

But they'd probably be looking at sort of a poor-man's version of the Giddey/Caruso deal from the 2024 offseason (ie. trading a young player who doesn't fit with them going forward for a veteran who could contribute right away). I don't think Kuminga would return a player as valuable as Caruso.
Somewhere down in texas
2:17
What can the mavs do to get more room under the hard cap? Move AD? Klay? Would they get anything of value for either?
Luke Adams
2:20
I mean, it's possible an AD or Klay deal would reduce the Mavs' salary, but getting more space below the hard cap would be a secondary goal in any trade involving a player of that caliber.

If just creating a little cap flexibility is the goal, it would make more sense to maybe find a taker for Brandon Williams (or even waive him -- his salary's not fully guaranteed yet!). Trading Exum would also be an option, but I doubt any team's taking him without a second-round pick attached.

As for whether AD or Klay would have value... Davis definitely would, but not nearly comparable to what they gave up for him (obviously). Klay, I would guess, would be neutral-to-negative at this point, since he still has another year left after this one.
Mike Dickinson
2:21
This is best case scenario for the Celtics, right? Playing like a playoff team, Walsh and the other young guys coming into their own, all without Tatum. When JT comes back, this team is going to be deep!
Luke Adams
2:25
Yeah, this is exactly what you hope happens when your superstar player is out with an injury -- other guys step into larger roles, thrive with more responsibilities, and learn how to win without him. I had thought entering the season that this could happen with the Celtics and Pacers, but Boston has definitely handled that star absence better than Indiana has (to be fair, the Pacers had a whole bunch of other injuries to deal with too).

I'm very curious to see what this means for Tatum's timeline. I expressed at the start of the season that he probably only comes back in 2025/26 if the Celtics are competitive without him. This has been a best-case scenario, so it wouldn't surprise me if within the next few weeks we start getting some new reports about Tatum pushing to make it back for the second half.
Julis Randle's Younger Brother's Mom
2:25
Do the T Pups have any legit shot at Ja, Lamelo, or Trae? Darkhorse for Giannis?
Luke Adams
2:27
I don't see them as a serious player for Giannis for the same reasons that it'll be tough for the Knicks (lack of tradable draft picks).

The point guards are more attainable without those picks, since various concerns (injuries, defense, off-court stuff, etc.) will limit their value. Having said that, the Wolves can't make a deal for a max-salary player without including at least one pretty valuable player. The package would likely start with Randle and DiVincenzo. Are the Wolves a better team with a player like LaMelo Ball in place of that duo? I'm not so sure.
RonD.
2:28
Two questions about the Hawks, if I may.  1) If they want to trade Trae Young (which I recommend strongly, as he is one-dimensional at best) who could they get as a point guard? 2) How long are they going to tolerate the Kristaps Porzingis situatio? (one game on...xxx games off)  Thank You!
Luke Adams
2:33
It's possible two of those point guards we just discussed could end up in the same deal together, so Morant and LaMelo are a couple options, but I don't think Atlanta would necessarily target either of those players. Quickley is another high-salary PG who could be had in a trade but who probably wouldn't be a top Hawks target.

I wonder if they might wait until the draft lottery before they make any major decisions. If they end up lucking out with that most favorable Bucks/Pelicans pick, who knows, maybe Darryn Peterson is their lead guard of the future.

As for Porzingis, the Hawks knew what they were getting into when they traded for him, so I expect them to be patient with his health. He's not under contract beyond this season, so if his health is a major issue the rest of the way, maybe they just let him walk and open up some cap flexibility for other moves.
Seamhead
2:33
Denver a possible CP3 destination?
Luke Adams
2:35
They could probably use another point guard for depth purposes, but I kinda think Paul would be a better fit on a younger roster, where there aren't a bunch of veterans that would chafe at his leadership style.
2:36
Didn't seem like there were any complaints about him in San Antonio last season, for instance.
Unclemike1526
2:36
Now that the Bulls have proven their FO is incompetent and the roster is undersized and non competitive it's time to start dealing right? What can they reasonably expect to acquire with all these trade pieces they have? Not that they would know what to do with them if they had them( Essengue over Queen for example). They need to assemble as many picks as necessary right? They are going to regret not starting at last years draft. Thanks Luke
Luke Adams
2:40
The thing about stockpiling picks is that unless you get lucky, it's hard to guarantee you're trading for picks that will be in the top half of the first round. Consider the 2025 Nets, for instance, who had five first-rounders, but didn't have one higher than No. 8 and didn't have a second one before No. 19. There's value in that, yes, but it's not necessarily the best way to build a contending team.

If I were the Bulls, I might be trying to replicate the success they had in the Giddey/Caruso trade, which has turned out better than most experts at the time thought it would. Maybe there are other players out there like Giddey, who have shown promise but are stuck in the wrong situation (Kuminga immediately comes to mind, and the Bulls have been linked to him in the past).
Philly Phanatic
2:40
Embiid for Zion... what would a deal look like structured around these two?
Luke Adams
2:43
Speaking just purely from a cap/money perspective, there are a lot of obstacles there. The Sixers can't take back more money than they send out, but the Pelicans are less than $2MM away from the tax line and definitely aren't gonna pay the tax for this roster. So you'd have to match the money almost dollar for dollar, which isn't easy to do with the pieces on their respective rosters.

Throw in the fact that I have no idea how either of those players would be valued (especially relative to one another), and uh... well, let's just say I'd be surprised if we see a Zion/Embiid trade.
Rip Van Gundy
2:44
Is it just me or does this season seem kind of boring? There are lots of key players with injuries. The east is weak and even more toothless with people like Paolo and Giannis missing time. Am I missing something or has it just been a slow start?
Luke Adams
2:48
Your mileage may vary, but I've been pretty engaged with plenty of storylines around the league. The Spurs' emergence (with and without Wemby on the court); the Pistons taking another step forward; seemingly middle-of-the-pack teams like the Raptors, Celtics, Heat, and Suns outperforming expectations; the Rockets and Nuggets benefiting from offseason additions and cementing themselves as contenders; lots of intriguing potential candidates (Giannis, Sabonis, Morant, Ball, etc.)

The injuries have been tough. And it might help if there were a team emerging that looked like a clear threat to topple the Thunder, but even their incredible start and possible push for 74 wins could end up being a very entertaining subplot if they can keep up this pace.
avijacob
2:48
Seems pretty clear the Celtics have some great guards and wings. Who can we target for a PF or C with our future 1sts and some mix of Hauser/Simons/filler contracts?
Luke Adams
2:51
I've seen some speculation about Zubac. Someone like he or Claxton would obviously make sense as a target if the Celtics want to try to find a long-term defensive anchor. If they're looking for a short-term solution who could fit in with their strategy of bombing away from beyond the arc, Nikola Vucevic or John Collins could be fits who wouldn't cost as much.
Tmac
2:51
Thinking of the nuggets future -
Before the trade deadline do you think they could find a team that loves Julian Strawther enough to trade for him and take Zeke Nnaji with him ?? ( I think strather is overrated ) the Nugget should not pay him and getting off of Nnaji contract - would help with  Peyton Watson's contract and possibly bringing Hardaway and Brown back next season .
Luke Adams
2:55
Strawther had a promising season in 2024/25, but between his slow start this fall and his back issue now, I doubt he has much value at all. Certainly not enough to move him along with Nnaji without having to attach another asset.

I wouldn't be shocked if the Nuggets end up just waiving and stretching Nnaji next offseason. The cost would only be about $3MM in annual dead money for five years, and it would generate about $4.5MM in extra cap flexibility for 2026/27 and '27/28. Obviously, they'll exhaust trade possibilities and do all they can to take that route instead, but given their limited draft assets, they won't want to part with more picks just to move off of him.
Patrick Riley
2:56
We played pretty well without Herro and our offense has slowed a but since he came back. Any chance I'd consider a trade now? T Wolves who need a PG...
Luke Adams
2:57
Definitely don't think Herro is untouchable, but I also doubt they'd put him in a deal that just balances the roster or provides a marginal upgrade. He'd be one of the more valuable trade chips they could put in an offer for a star. I expect they'll keep him unless that sort of opportunity emerges.
BLinn
2:58
The Bulls and Heat (each seemingly trying to cover up a lack of talent with faster play) have run out of steam after hot starts. I have a hard time believing the Clippers, Cavs, and Hawks are as bad as their records (relative to expectations), or that the Raptors, Suns, and Lakers are as good. Which team(s) do you think likely most exceeds or falls short of its early results?
Luke Adams
3:00
The Lakers' "big three" of Luka, LeBron, and Reaves is a lot of fun, but they're the team that immediately stands out to me as one that has been overachieving. The schedule's been pretty light, and their net rating (+2.2, 14th in the NBA) lags well behind their 17-6 record. I have questions about their depth and their defense and would be pretty shocked if they end up ahead of both Denver and Houston in the standings like they are now.

Of the underachievers, I like Indiana and the Clippers to turn things around to some extent. Even without Haliburton, the Pacers aren't this bad.
Edwill
3:01
If the possible lottery pick that the clippers owe the thunder end up being no 1 who do you think okc may take with that pick.
Luke Adams
3:02
Haha, I don't think fans of 29 other teams want to start thinking about this yet. The crazy thing is that even if the Thunder were to totally botch that pick, it would probably barely slow them down.
Thanks for all the questions today, guys! We'll do this again next Monday. Have a great week.
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