Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 6/18/2026
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Luke Adams
3:02
Hey guys, thanks for all the early questions! Just wrapping up a story here, then will get underway in a minute or two.
3:03
OK, let's dive in...
Dstars
3:03
is there any chatter on what Dallas plans on doing at 9? Possible trade out?
Luke Adams
3:05
It sounds like if you're a team looking to trade into the top 10, the Mavs might be your best bet -- I get the sense that they'd be open to moving down if the offer is good enough.

Assuming they stay put, I still view Burries as the most likely selection there, but if Kingston Flemings slips to No. 9, he'd be a very intriguing long-term replacement for Kyrie Irving.
Swammi
3:05
Could Darryn Petersen realistically slide to the Bulls at #4?
Luke Adams
3:05
I'd be pretty shocked. I still think the Jazz probably take him at No. 2. The Grizzlies should jump on him if he slips to No. 3.
ZR value
3:05
If the Hawks included Risacher in a trade, how many spots do you think they could move up in a trade? Could he + 23 get them up to 10-15 range?
Luke Adams
3:08
Maybe they could talk to the Bulls at No. 15 or the Grizzlies at No. 16, but I'd view that as a long shot. Risacher still has potential, but the fact that he was the top pick a couple years ago is outweighed at this point by the fact that he had his minutes cut back in the second half and then wasn't in the playoff rotation.
GrizzMan
3:08
What is holding up the draft pick trade market rn?
Luke Adams
3:10
Most trades involving draft picks aren't made until teams see who's on the board when they're on the clock. It's rare to get more than one or two draft-pick trades finalized ahead of the start of round one (this doesn't apply to deals where draft picks are just one part of a bigger package, like a potential Giannis trade).
freddie patek
3:10
Any chance the Lakers could get J Duren for 2 first round picks and what ever contracts it takes moneywise, and then sign him to an extension?
Luke Adams
3:11
Even after his somewhat disappointing playoff run, I don't see why the Pistons would let Duren get away. They're a 60-win team -- trading their All-NBA center for draft picks doesn't really make any sense for them.
Colt
3:12
Thoughts on the remarks made by Dolan basically right after the Knicks won the finals?
Luke Adams
3:14
I assume you're referring to his comments about not going into the second apron.

I'll go into more detail on that when I publish my Knicks offseason preview in the coming days, but it doesn't really make much sense to me for New York to make avoiding the second apron a top priority. Yes, it would come with roster-building restrictions, but I'd rather bring back my valuable role players who just helped me win a title and deal with those restrictions than lose them and still not be in a great position to pursue replacements.
Patrick
3:15
Do you think the Red Sox will buy or sell during the trade deadline? I know they suck this year but considering we won’t be in for a long rebuild some guys like contrares and Chapman might still be valuable  next year in a year we might contend.
Luke Adams
3:15
Don't think I'm qualified to answer this one, but MLB Trade Rumors is down the hall.
Shamrick
3:16
How do the Celtics benefit if they simply turn Jaylen Brown into Giannis?  Does that fix their issues and really bring them closer to a championship?  I don't see it.
Luke Adams
3:18
It feels like a lot of people have forgotten how good Giannis really is. Jaylen Brown is coming off the best year of his career and it still paled in comparison to an average Giannis season.

Their ability to win a title will depend in large part on how they fill out their roster beyond the stars, but going from Brown to Giannis would absolutely be a meaningful upgrade that would improve their chances.
BBall br
3:18
Can the Knicks trade their 31st pick of this draft to a contending team to get a late first in a future draft? The 31st is practically a late 1st and this is a deep draft. Do you think a top team with likely the 28th-30th pick would have interest in trading their first for it? Has a super early 2nd ever been traded for a future late first? Do the Knicks have interest in that?
Luke Adams
3:20
I'm sure the Knicks would love to do that but I can't think of a precedent there and it's hard to imagine any team would be interested, largely because it's impossible to forecast one or more years ahead of time that you'll have a pick in the 28-30 range. A major injury or two could turn that pick into No. 21, or - even worse - put it into the lottery, where it would have a chance under the new system to become No. 1. No team is going to want to take that risk.

Trading No. 31 + something else for a future first-rounder could be more viable though.
Desmond
3:20
Heat fans and local media are quite sensitive to everyone else being objectively lukewarm on their Giannis package? It’s not the worst package in the world but it’s clearly a C plus package filled with C plus assets ( no sure core piece within the players or picks ) that bucks lkkely will feel inclined to take in the end ?
Luke Adams
3:24
The Heat package reminds me a little of the one the Pelicans got from the Lakers for Anthony Davis in 2019 -- Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, the No. 4 pick, and a couple first-rounders.

Those guys all ended up being very good role players, and you could argue that Ingram has been more than that (though, like Herro, while it's technically accurate to refer to him as an All-Star, I don't really think he's valued that way). The No. 4 pick (which New Orleans flipped to Atlanta) turned into De'Andre Hunter, another guy who has been a very solid role player. The Pelicans got a few very good players in that trade, but no great ones.

I think the Bucks would be in a similar position if they took the Heat offer. I don't blame them for doing their best to find a more favorable offer that gives them a better chance of finding someone great.
Jordan vs Lebron
3:24
Dallas and Portland is the only teams without a head coach, any idea who either of those teams are looking at?
Luke Adams
3:26
Micah Nori has been connected to both openings. Sounds like Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook and Knicks assistant Chris Jent are also in the mix for Portland, with Dallas looking at Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, and a few others.

We have more details here.
Jonas
3:26
Kawhi feels like the candidate no one is talking about. Makes sense if teams are waiting for the NBA's punishment - assuming that isn't too serious, he feels like a logical name to be moved (Denver? Miami?)
Luke Adams
3:29
I think there are a lot of reasons Kawhi makes sense as a trade candidate. He's entering an expiring deal. The Clippers seem to be going younger after trading Harden and Zubac for Garland and this year's No. 5 pick. The Aspiration fallout might leave a bad taste in Clippers fans' mouths if the penalty is significant, in which case a fresh start could make even more sense.

But playing in L.A. has always been a priority for Kawhi, and it sounds like Steve Ballmer has no desire to move him. I don't necessarily think they'll entirely shut down inquiries this summer, but it doesn't sound like they want to move him at all. They might need to be blown away like they were with the Zubac offer.
Ludwig’s Clanker
3:29
If you are the Hawks, is there a potentially available player you would consider trading your draft pick(s) for? Feels like they need an established player to meet needs and waiting on even a high caliber rookie to develop doesn’t seem like the only option.
Luke Adams
3:30
I'd absolutely shop the No. 23 pick for any number of players, but it'd take a lot to pry away No. 8. Think you can get a really good player there, and the Hawks' core is young enough that I wouldn't want to pass on that opportunity for a win-now vet.
Celts #1
3:30
What is your gut telling you where Giannis will end up?
Luke Adams
3:33
For as much chatter as there has been about the Heat and Celtics, I'm still sort of expecting a Shams tweet out of nowhere announcing he's going to Portland or Toronto or Orlando or some team that we've barely heard anything about.

My head is telling me Miami is still the most likely outcome, followed by Boston, but I dunno... I've seen too many cases of surprise teams winning these sweepstakes to assume he'll end up with one of these teams that's been constantly involved in the trade rumors.
Curry needs help
3:33
As much fun as getting Klay back or getting a  Lebron James farewell tour neither makes the Warriors much better.   If the goal is to win then I agree with signing Prozingas but Green to me needs to opt into a multi year at a much lower salary otherwise his act is tired and it's time to get value for him.   What can Warriors do to help themselves other than hoping Butler heals fast.
Luke Adams
3:36
I think it would make sense for Green to opt out and re-sign at a lower number if they have a specific move lined up using that extra cap flexibility. If you just want him to take a pay cut because you don't think he's worth $27.7MM, I feel like that's a much tougher sell!

As counterintuitive as it sounds with Steph entering his age-38 season, I don't think it's in their best interest to aggressively pursue win-now moves right now, with Butler and Moody recovering from major injuries. I'd try to re-sign your key free agents, add some youth with the No. 11 pick, maybe take a flier on a free agent using the mid-level, and reassess at the trade deadline, by which point you'll have a better sense of where Butler and Moody are at.
Brian
3:36
How creative do you expect the Wolves to be to reach the next level? Would they trade Rudy Gobert if it meant getting Anthony Davis (and offloading Randle)?
Luke Adams
3:37
Wouldn't put it past Connelly to do something aggressive and unexpected, but we know based on what he gave up for him initially that he loves Gobert. I think Rudy only gets moved if it's for a clear, obvious upgrade. A healthy AD would probably be that, but it'd be very risky to count on that at this point in his career.
Kings fan
3:38
As a kings fan I am kinda concerned with the idea of drafting Kingston Flemings. I don’t think he’s a bad prospect and I think he’s most likely a long time solid nba starter but I’m struggling to see the upside with him. For the kings I would rather take the upside swings in the draft because that’s the only pathway to grab a top 10-20 talent in the NBA and I just can’t see that with Flemings. I think if Wagler and Acuff go at 5/6 I think brown JR has to be the pick. What are your thoughts? Should the kings be playing the safe route because they don’t have really any good quality long term pieces? Or take the bigger swings with more obvious risks that could actually be able to build around instead of build with?
Luke Adams
3:40
I like a bigger swing for the Kings, though I think all four of those guards have pretty solid floors and wouldn't be all that worried about any of them. For what it's worth, I get the sense Sacramento would likely take Acuff or Brown if either is still available at No. 7. If they go fifth and sixth, not sure who'd they prefer between Wagler and Flemings.
JT
3:41
The NBA is often a copycat league.  What will teams try to copy from the Knicks/Spurs Finals - style of play, roster makeup, etc..?
Luke Adams
3:43
I imagine frontcourt size and talent will continue to be a top priority for teams. They'll want to be able to match up with Wemby, and it's clear that reserve bigs like Mitchell Robinson can have a major impact if they're elite at one aspect of the game (offensive rebounding, in Robinson's case).

Maybe some teams' takeaway will be that more stars need to go the Jalen Brunson route and sign for less than their potential maximum, but not sure how many players would buy that one.
GrizzFan
3:43
Do you think a Morant trade will be announced before the Grizzlies select the third pick?
Luke Adams
3:44
The Grizzlies did pull the trigger on the Bane trade pretty early last summer, but I'd be somewhat surprised if a Morant deal gets done that early. He feels like a potential Plan B or C for some teams, and I don't think 2026 draft capital will necessarily need to be involved in that deal.
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