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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 3/23/2026
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Luke Adams
3:02
Happy Monday, all! I'll have to duck out a little early today, but I'll get to as many questions as I can over the next 45 minutes or so.
Chicago Bulls
3:02
I know it is hard to predict but where would you expect the Bulls to be drafting?
Luke Adams
3:03
No. 8 would probably be a good outcome for them. Would mean the Pelicans would have to pass them in the standings, which is within play since New Orleans has no reason to tank and has been playing the best of any bottom-10 team lately.
GrizzMan
3:04
So much is being made about the top 4 guys in this years draft. But I don’t see Memphis having any lottery luck this year, and they’ll be picking after those guys are off the board. How do you feel about the projected 5-10 picks?
Luke Adams
3:06
This year's top four is exceptionally strong, but it's not as if it's a bad class after that. There's plenty to like in the rest of the lottery, and that 5-10 section is pretty heavy on guards, which bodes well for a Grizzlies team that seems headed toward a divorce with Ja Morant. Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, and Mikel Brown are some prospects in that range that would be pretty interesting fits in Memphis.
Buckethead Penguin
3:06
Any chance the league ditches the in-season tournament anytime soon? I think what it does to the schedule is not worth whatever it brings in.
Luke Adams
3:07
Don't see that happening. In fact, I think if they move forward with expansion, it could become even more of a tentpole event, since a 32-team league with eight four-team divisions would lend itself better to group play.
Dill
3:07
which east teams eventually make it out of the play in and can they upset Detroit or Boston?
Luke Adams
3:12
Before figuring out which teams make it out of the play-in, we need to figure out which teams will actually be part of the play-in, which is much more up in the air in the East than it is in the West (as an aside, as good as the Thunder and Spurs are at the top, it's quite something that the East feels like the deeper and stronger overall conference this season).

Let's assume Toronto and Atlanta finish fifth and sixth, which seems realistic enough (the Hawks have been on fire and the Raptors have the easiest remaining schedule of those teams). That would leave Philadelphia, Orlando, Miami, and Charlotte in the play-in.

I don't have a ton of faith in Philadelphia unless they're closer to full strength. But if they are, I like their chances against inconsistent Magic and Heat teams and a Hornets team that isn't postseason-tested yet. As much as I'd like to see Charlotte make the playoffs, I feel like they need to at least get up to the No. 9 seed to have a chance. Winning two road games would be a tall order.
3:13
As for whether any of those teams would beat Detroit or Boston? Probably not, but they'd present tougher matchups than a normal 1/8 or 2/7 series, and if Cunningham isn't back for the Pistons, that series could get awfully interesting.
Kim
3:13
Good afternoon. What is going on with Milwaukee Bucks? I’m confused about their direction. Giannis is clearly hurt but wants to come back to play. There is only 3 weeks left in the regular season and the Bucks are even making the play-in tournament. Why would he want to play and possibly hurt his trade value this summer? He seems to be doing one thing and saying another.  What’s your opinion of this situation? Thanks!
Luke Adams
3:17
It seems to me that Giannis is doing his best to be a "model citizen" of sorts. That means not requesting a trade and it means not simply allowing himself to be shut down if he feels like he's healthy enough to play.

It's admirable in some ways, and I'm sure it's appreciated by Bucks fans, but many of those same fans would probably be happy if he simply accepts the shutdown at this point -- Milwaukee has no chance to make the play-in, and whether he stays or goes this offseason, it's in everyone's best interest for him to be as healthy as possible when the summer begins. Certainly no need to put that at risk in April when the Bucks are eliminated from play-in contention.
Golden State Worrier
3:17
Can the Warriors get Porzingis and Melton back without making sacrifices elsewhere on the roster? Should Melton be the priority if it’s one or the other?
Luke Adams
3:21
It'll be a lot easier for the Warriors to bring back Porzingis than Melton, since they'll hold KP's Bird rights and will only have Non-Bird rights on Melton. That means they'd have to either clear cap room (not likely) or use their mid-level exception to make Melton a competitive offer. They should be willing to do so -- he's a valuable role player.

As for Porzingis, we'll see how he finishes the season, but I'd be wary of paying him more than, say, half of his current $30.7MM salary next season. Injuries have always been an issue for him and the illnesses he's dealt with over the past two seasons have only exacerbated the availability concerns. It's hard to envision his availability improving as he enters his 30s.
Black Ace57
3:21
With all the expansion talk, what do you think the chances are that one of the teams could have early success? The Golden Knights being successful early helped establish them as a franchise and I wonder what the league could do to help new teams
Luke Adams
3:25
I'm not all that familiar with how the NHL expansion rules worked, but generally speaking, star power feels less important in the NHL, where having multiple productive lines and solid defensive pairings is more important than having one or two impact players.

In the NBA, it's harder to be competitive without those one or two impact players, and the NBA's expansion rules don't really lend themselves to teams being able to acquire those sorts of players right away. That's not to say it's impossible for an NBA expansion team to make the playoffs by year two or three, but I expect Seattle and Vegas teams would take more of a long-term view toward building their rosters and would probably try to get high draft picks for a couple years to build up their young cores.
Antman
3:25
Two Knicks-related questions. 1. Do you think the Knicks, if they don't make the ECF, will trade Mikal Bridges this offseason? 2. Given his contract, is Bridges worth even 1 first round pick (plus players for salary matching)?
Luke Adams
3:28
I had a similar question in last week's chat and my answer hasn't really changed: I just think it'll be very hard for the Knicks to extract fair value for Bridges at this point unless he has a really strong finish to the season. Teams navigating the aprons won't be eager to give up much to take on a four-year, $150MM contract for a role player coming off a down year. With that in mind, I can't see New York selling so low.

Still, Bridges' skill set remains highly valued around the league and there were several other teams that wanted him before the Knicks gave up all those first-rounders to get him. If the Knicks ARE willing to sell low, I'm sure they could find a trade partner willing to do a single first-rounder and matching salary.
Respectful take
3:29
Did Killian Hayes really do enough to earn that deal? 30% and 26% from field/three.
Luke Adams
3:31
He's a decent ball-handler and defender, and it's not as if the Kings made a huge investment -- he has no guaranteed salary beyond this season. In theory, rolling the dice on a former lottery pick who's still just 24 years old is exactly the sort of thing a last-place team should be doing, though I'm skeptical that the Kings will be able to unlock much untapped potential in Hayes.
Golden State Worrier
3:31
What likelihood do you place on Steve Kerr walking away after this season?
Luke Adams
3:33
Certainly not impossible, but I'd be a little surprised if he went out after a season like this one. It's always seemed like he and Steph might retire at the same time, and I have to think he'd want to take at least one more shot on a healthier roster that has a better chance of making a deep playoff run. I'll say 25%.
Guest
3:33
Who do you think would be the perfect player for the Memphis Grizzlies to target in this draft to help speed up the rebuild?
My first pick would be Cameron Boozer—he’d be a great fit. Then again, he’d be a great fit on just about any NBA team.
Curious to hear your thoughts
Luke Adams
3:36
If speeding up the rebuild is the goal, I agree that Boozer is probably the right pick. He feels like the prospect best positioned to make an impact as a rookie. Honestly though, it'd be hard for them to go wrong with any of the top four prospects in this class. There shouldn't be any major overlap with the young guys already on the roster. Peterson would fit great, especially if Morant is traded. So would Wilson or Dybantsa.
Doc Rivers
3:36
Am I gone, retiring or fired after the season is over?
Luke Adams
3:38
It does sort of feel like your time in Milwaukee has run its course, but you're too well-respected for them to simply fire you. Wouldn't shock me at all if we get an announcement about a "mutual parting of ways" next month.
GrizzMan
3:38
Will Ja Morant play a game for the Grizzlies next season?
Luke Adams
3:39
I'd be surprised if he's still on the roster by opening night but the Grizzlies will probably have to lower their asking price from what they were asking at the deadline, since I don't see why the offers would improve.
Miller
3:39
Of all the free agents that Chicago has, any of them you expect that they might be interested in keeping?
Luke Adams
3:41
Ivey, for sure, assuming his medicals are OK. I doubt they'll make any of the other FAs a top priority, but I could see someone like Simons or Sexton returning if they don't generate much interest elsewhere. The Bulls could make either player a fair offer using his Bird rights and potentially try to extract some value for him at next year's trade deadline.
Dill
3:42
With the hornets exceeding expectations this year, what moves do you see them making in the offseason?
Luke Adams
3:46
They'll only have about $145MM in salary committed to 12 players, plus cap holds for their first-rounder (could be late lottery) and Coby White, who should be re-signed. That gives them lots of flexibility on both the trade and free agent markets.

They should be able to use the full mid-level if they want to, which should net them a solid rotation player. They'd also be positioned to consolidate some of their expiring contracts (Josh Green, Grant Williams, maybe Miles Bridges) with a draft pick or two in a bigger trade for an impact player if they prefer that route.

I'll be very curious to see which direction they take. That front office has been pretty patient so far and probably won't be looking to go all-in just because the team got over .500, but there's room to be creative.
Nate
3:46
What do you think happens with the Rockets from here? Losing FVV and Adams were huge, also understated blows to the teams success this year…but I also get the feeling like this just isn’t working now with the pieces we have
Luke Adams
3:51
VanVleet and Adams were absolutely two of the most important players on the roster. Not having them available not only hurts in the short term but makes it pretty difficult for the front office to determine logical next steps -- I think this roster would make a lot more sense if VanVleet was there to organize the offense and be the primary ball-handler and if Adams was there for two-big lineups and rebounding. But it might be hard to justify bringing back the same group and hoping for better health luck. Especially since a decision is due on Eason in restricted free agency.

Depending on how the season ends in Houston, I'm looking forward to seeing whether we get some Durant trade rumors there this summer.
I have to duck out a few minutes early today, but thanks a lot for all your questions. Have a great week, and we'll do this again next Monday afternoon!
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