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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/16/2021
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Luke Adams
12:02
Hey guys, getting underway in just a minute here.
Lots of questions in the queue, but keep 'em coming! I'll try to get through as many as I can for the next hour.
TheGOAT
12:03
Besides the March 25 NBA "trade deadline" is there also a "buyout deadline" of 2 weeks after that?
Luke Adams
12:04
Essentially, yes. April 9 is the last day that a player can be waived and retain his playoff eligibility for another team (this date is usually March 1 but was pushed back along with everything else this year). A player COULD still be bought out after that, but he'd have little incentive to do so, since he wouldn't be able to play in the postseason for a new team.
woodhouse
12:05
Who do you think the next "big star" to demand a trade is?  KAT?  Fox?  Lavine?
Luke Adams
12:07
While I don't think Beal is going anywhere this month, I'm still unconvinced that he's in D.C. for good. But if he's serious about sticking with the Wizards, Towns definitely feels like the next one to watch. LaVine is a candidate too, but only if he gets the sense that the Bulls won't pay up for his next contract.
Dealin' Danny
12:08
When will deals start flowing? Do most GMs prefer to wait until the deadline?
Luke Adams
12:09
The Monday of trade deadline week is usually when things start heating up. Some of the bigger deals in the past few years have been agreed to 2-3 days before the deadline. I think the Porzingis one a couple years ago happened about a week before. It shouldn't be long now!
jayl
12:09
The hawks are such a disappointment this year, what do you think they do?  Besides Young (and untradeable contracts) who else is a future piece?
Luke Adams
12:10
Hunter looks like a keeper along with Young. And they'll have to give Okongwu a year or two to see what he looks like. I don't think anyone else on the roster is untouchable, though some of the recently-signed vets (Rondo, Gallinari) would be tough to move since they haven't been great so far.
Jerome
12:11
Will Al Horford actually be traded? What are his likely landing spots?
Luke Adams
12:12
I'd be surprised if Horford is moved this year. As solid as he's been, he's still not really a positive asset due to his contract, so there's no point in OKC moving him -- that could change next season.
RNDM DGAF
12:12
Can Aaron Gordon be absorbed into the Celtics Trade Exception? I know it's unlikely. Also, would LaMarcus Aldridge really be worth signing, or should the C's go for Andre Drummond if he gets bought out?
Luke Adams
12:13
Gordon would fit comfortably, sure. If the Magic make him available though, I imagine other teams would outbid Boston. I like Aldridge a little more than Drummond for the C's. Drummond is the kind of guy who could get played off the floor in certain playoff matchups. (That might be the case for Aldridge too because of his age, but he's a little more versatile).
Jiben
12:14
Do you think Nets will trade Dinwiddie? Would you trade him?
Luke Adams
12:15
I think it makes a lot of sense to trade him if other teams value him (and it seems like they do). The odds of him helping you win a title this year are slim, and with Kyrie/Harden in the mix, it's not like he's an essential part of the future lineup either. The Nets are a legit enough title contender that it'd be warranted to move him for someone who could help them right now.
Guest
12:16
Why hasn't Dipo been traded yet?
Luke Adams
12:17
Based on the way the Harden trade was structured, the Rockets essentially gave up LeVert and a second-round pick for Oladipo. So they'll want to get "more" than that when they flip him -- I'm sort of skeptical they'll be able to, but we'll see.
Joe
12:17
Who on OKC is actually a starter on a championship team besides SGA? How long is their rebuild going to last if they don't start unearthing talent?
Luke Adams
12:19
Dort could be a fifth starter if he's surrounded by the right guys. I'm not sure anyone else meets that criteria yet, but Pokusevski is really intriguing -- he had some impressive moments in the G League bubble. They have so many draft picks in the next few years that if they hit on even just one or two of them, they're in position to trade a bunch of others for another impact player or two. They're still in great shape.
Ryan
12:20
Do you think the Bucks make a trade at the deadline?  They seem pretty asset strapped.
Luke Adams
12:21
They're not really in position to do anything too big, having traded away so many picks. DiVincenzo would be the guy to watch, but I wouldn't be surprised if they stand pat.
Patty Miami
12:21
Bjelica stays put now?
Luke Adams
12:23
Not sure Bagley's injury changes the Kings' deadline outlook too significantly. We don't have a timeline on him yet, but I don't THINK his injury shouldn't be a season-ender. And if Sacramento is more focused on the future than the present, they won't want Bjelica taking away minutes from Bagley in April and May.
Curtis Rowe
12:24
Do you see the Heat making any major moves? There has been a lot of talk of them upgrading at the 4, but as of late Olynyk has been playing very well and as a team, they've been playing as well as any team in the league over the last month or so.  Also. Go Zags
Luke Adams
12:25
Riley is never one to stand pat if there's an opportunity to upgrade, and I think he probably recognizes that it'll be hard to win a title with the roster as is. Changes will come at some point -- it's just a matter of whether they take a big swing at the deadline or wait until the offseason to make their move.
Black Ace57
12:25
If you ever listen to podcasts with NBA journalists a lot of times they try to be careful not to get aggregated. You don’t have to give names, but has any writer ever reached out to Hoops Rumors over an article here?
Luke Adams
12:27
It's happened in the past, but we make a concerted effort not to paraphrase reporters in a way that misrepresents what they're actually reporting, so it's been a while since anyone has gotten upset about any of our stories.
Nova nation
12:27
Who's your favorite college player who had an amazing tourney but flamed out in the NBA (mine's Jimmer)
Luke Adams
12:28
I was a big Ed O'Bannon fan when I was younger. Was disappointed that he didn't last long in the NBA.
Alex Van Es
12:28
Is it possible if both Drummond and Tucker get bought out that the Lakers could sign both at vet minimum?
Luke Adams
12:30
I'd have to double-check their cap/tax situation -- they're close enough to the hard cap that I'm not sure they can sign two players to rest-of-season contracts yet. In theory, they could do it later in the season, but I don't think Tucker gets bought out anyway. His salary is modest enough that there will be plenty of teams willing to trade for him.
Soundwave
12:30
What is more likely, the Magic stand pat or we see a flurry of moves where several players in their rotation are moved on?
Luke Adams
12:32
Based on their recent trade history (or lack thereof), I'd lean toward the standing pat option. I do think they'll do something, even if it's just a Fournier or Birch deal, but I'd be shocked if there's a scenario where they move, say, Vucevic, Gordon, Ross, AND Fournier within the next nine days. I'd welcome it though! Let's get crazy!
Guest
12:32
Do you see the hawks trading for someone like Oladipo?
Luke Adams
12:33
They make a lot of sense to me as an Oladipo destination. He'd be a nice fit next to Young, and they could use Snell's expiring contract + a young player or two to match salaries. Not sure if the Hawks and Rockets will see eye-to-eye on value, but I bet they'll discuss it.
toaster420
12:34
do you think the 76ers could/will trade for george hill/mike musina? what do you think it will take
Luke Adams
12:35
Gonna assume you're talking about Mike Muscala here rather than the old Baltimore Orioles ace. But yeah, I could see that -- I actually think a deal along those lines is probably more likely than a big one for Lowry. The Sixers have enough expendable expiring salaries to make it work, and I don't think the Thunder's ask would be huge. You could maybe even do it without Maxey, Thybulle, or a first-round pick.
AA78
12:36
There are a lot of names being floated, but I think it is going to be quiet trade deadline actually since more teams are in the race with the play in games.  Who are biggest names you think get moved?
Luke Adams
12:37
I'm resigned to not seeing another Harden-caliber trade by March 25, that's for sure. But I think there are some intriguing second- and third-tier guys who could be on the move. If Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Harrison Barnes, and John Collins all get dealt, that'd be a pretty fun deadline. I think at least 2-3 of them should.
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