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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/1/2022
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Luke Adams
12:33
I'd be pretty surprised if the Sixers or any other team claimed Jordan. We heard him being mentioned in trade rumors months ago -- you'd think that if there were teams interested enough to claim him off waivers, the Lakers could've found a taker when they were basically trying to give him away.
jamoche1
12:34
Assuming their guards heal, and Garland especially can return and play at his usual high level, where do you see the Cavs finishing?
Luke Adams
12:35
Gonna tentatively say 6th in the conference, but that depends on how quickly the guards come back. They have a little cushion on the play-in teams for the time being, but it could disappear quickly if the Raptors or Nets get hot.
Brian
12:36
I don't think the Trail Blazers will trade Dame this offseason, mostly because I don't think he has that many logical suitors who can afford to trade for him. One that sticks out is Denver, though maybe keeping Jamal Murray makes more sense for them. Who else could feasibly trade for Dame? Same question could apply to Beal for me.
Luke Adams
12:37
There are teams that could do it, especially if the Blazers are willing to accept a pick-heavy package like the one the Rockets got for Harden. But I don't see it happening this summer -- there's no indication at this point that Dame wants to go that route, and the Blazers won't trade him unless it's his idea.
Illegitimate Question, here...
12:38
Do the Nuggets have Boogie Cousins' Bird rights or did he join too late in the season?
Luke Adams
12:38
They'll have his Non-Bird rights, so they won't be able to offer him much of a raise this summer -- just 20% over the minimum.
steve jeltz
12:39
As a Sixers' fan, the thought of Jordan backing up Embiid is not at all exciting;  are you hearing of any other centers on the buyout market today who would bring more to the Sixers' bench than Jordan?
Luke Adams
12:41
There just aren't that many good options out there. Robin Lopez would be ideal, but there have been no indications he's going anywhere. Cauley-Stein and Jordan are near the top of an underwhelming group of free agents (https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2019/08/2021-nba-free-agents.html)
Black Ace57
12:41
Do you think the increased frequency of star players demanding trades earlier and earlier in their careers will lead to owners demanding changes in the next CBA?
Luke Adams
12:42
I imagine it'll be a point of emphasis from the NBA's side, though it's hard to come up with a viable solution that would actually address the problem and that the players would agree to.
Jerry Hopkins
12:42
If you're starting a franchise, do you pick Morant or Luka?
Luke Adams
12:44
Great question, especially given the box-office draw Morant has become. Let's see if I can figure out the poll feature here to open it up to you guys...
Ja or Luka to start your franchise?
Ja Morant (45.8% | 11 votes)
 
Luka Doncic (54.2% | 13 votes)
 
Total Votes: 24
MplsSixersFan
12:44
I keep hearing rumors about the Sixers dumping Tobias on the Thunder in the off season for a pick or two and using the cap space to find another stretch four. Is this even possible? Different trade machines have different answers
Luke Adams
12:47
I'd have to take a closer look at the Sixers' cap projections, but looking at the rough numbers, my sense is that even shedding Harris' contract wouldn't open up significant cap room for them unless Harden re-signed at a seriously discounted rate. The Harris salary dump seemed like a more realistic option if they hadn't acquired Harden at the deadline and wanted to make a run at him in free agency.
Trade Machine
12:47
Lots of people are now saying trade LeBron, but I haven't seen any mock packages of what that would look like. Who would you trade him for?
Luke Adams
12:48
It's hard to even fathom what that would look like. On one hand, you'd think that for an all-time great player like LeBron, the return would have to be even higher than the packages we've seen for Harden, AD, etc. over the years. But he's also 37 years old and will be on an expiring deal next season.
12:49
I think it'll be a moot point. If LeBron wants to leave L.A. (which I don't think he does), he'll likely wait until the end of his current contract and do it as a free agent, as he has done throughout his career. He knows that a trade would decimate his new team's roster.
David Stockton
12:50
Are oubre and Harrell keepers for Charlotte?
Luke Adams
12:52
I haven't watched the Hornets play much since they acquired Harrell, but it seems like he's fitting in well enough there. I still suspect the Hornets would want a more well-rounded center who can do a little more on both ends of the court (ie. a Myles Turner type with an outside shot and the ability to protect the rim), but having Harrell's Bird rights will give them a good fallback option if they can't find a higher-upside player.
12:53
As for Oubre, he hasn't really stuck in one place for too long since leaving Washington, so it wouldn't shock me if he ends up on the trade block in the summer or next season, but I don't see the Hornets waiving him to avoid guaranteeing his full salary for 2022/23.
Trog
12:53
Do you feel the Mavs are a better team post-Porzingis? Dinwiddie has looked awesome so far.
Luke Adams
12:55
It's funny, the Mavs' return in that trade looked horrible based on how badly Dinwiddie and Bertans had played this year, but seemed a lot more reasonable if you assumed they'd regain their old form -- and so far, they have! I still think the Mavs' ceiling was highest if Porzingis was fully healthy and they figured out how to properly use them, but that hadn't happened during his time in Dallas, so yeah, this version of the team might be little more intriguing.
Chance99
12:55
Are you surprised at all that Moses Brown hasn't been signed by anyone yet,
Luke Adams
12:57
A little, though I was also surprised that none of his previous teams seemed all that invested in keeping him around. I'd give him a shot if I were a lottery team with an open roster spot, at least on a 10-day deal. Maybe his flashes of upside won't amount to anything, but he's still just 22 -- maybe, like Christian Wood, it'll just take him some time to put it all together.
12:58
Thanks to all those that voted in the Ja/Luka poll -- Luka ended up narrowly taking it, but I think it's pretty safe to say you can't go wrong with either player. Will be fun watching them go head-to-head in that division for years to come.
Eli Sada
12:58
If Murray and Porter are truly ready to come back, can the Nuggets give the West a true fright?
Luke Adams
12:59
I hope so. They were my dark-horse pick after the trade deadline last year, before Murray went down. I love their upside if they're fully healthy. I'm just not sure we'll see Murray back to 100% this spring -- it usually takes longer than that for guys coming off ACL injuries.
1:00
But even if Murray and MPJ are just 75-80% of their formal selves, the Nuggets will be really intriguing. The Suns (Chris Paul) and Warriors (Draymond Green) aren't fully healthy right now either, so the West could be more wide open than the standings suggest.
1:01
Thanks for all your questions today, guys! Dana will be back on Thursday with his weekly chat, so if I didn't get to your question today, be sure to try again then!
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