Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 6/26/26
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ARTHUR HILL
11:00
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll get started with a Pistons question.
thebiglip
11:00
BeefStew traded for only 3 2nd rounders. Can you explain what the Pistons are going to do next?
ARTHUR HILL
11:08
After the trade was announced, Brian Windhorst said the Pistons are going "big game hunting," and that's what you can expect over the next several days. This morning's hot rumor is that they're targeting Jaylen Brown, and they'll likely explore Kawhi Leonard and a few other star-level options as they try to upgrade the offense. They'll probably re-sign Jalen Duren, which limits their ability to take on another large contract, and moving Stewart for draft picks removes a potentially valuable trade piece. The Pistons will continue to search for a star, but I think the mostly likely scenario is that they'll wind up trading for Tyler Herro or signing Norman Powell in free agency.
Sweet Lou Hudson
11:08
if we move on Budd Hield, will we have enough room to keep Kuminga and sign either Robert Williams or Mitchell Robinson. That grown man inside defensive presence was what showed up again good teams last year.
ARTHUR HILL
11:18
Hield's salary for next season is $9.66MM and he's got a $3MM guarantee, so the Hawks will still be above the cap even if they waive him. They may want to try to work out a longer-term deal with Kuminga that would reduce his salary from $24.3MM, but there's guarantee he'll be willing after waiting so long to be an unrestricted free agent. Since Atlanta took a point guard in the draft, it makes sense to target a big man with the MLE. A lot of teams will be chasing Robinson, so he's probably unrealistic, but Williams could be gettable if the Hawks are confident that he can give them a healthy season.
a
11:18
Now that it's all said and done, and if the trade happened on draft night, is Zubac to the Pacers for the #5 pick better than ____ (insert drafted point guard here)?
ARTHUR HILL
11:23
The Pacers would have been in the same position as the Clippers, deciding among a group of talented lead guards when they already have that position filled. They likely would have made the same decision to count on Keaton Wagler as an off guard, or they would have tried harder than L.A. did to work out a trade. Indiana badly needed to find a center to be a contender again next season, and Pacers fans will be happy to have Ivica Zubac once the season begins. He's a better rebounder and defender than Myles Turner, and will give the team a stronger physical presence. It hurts to lose a lottery pick after the season that Indiana suffered through, but they'll be fine.
Wack100NBA
11:23
Do you see Andrew Wiggins taking a pay cut, which would allow the Heat to sign Norman Powell to an extension? If that doesn’t’t happen and Powell leaves, how will the Heat replace him?
ARTHUR HILL
11:30
Miami is hard capped at the first apron after trading for Giannis and currently can only offer Powell between $12MM and $13MM as the starting point in a new contract. Wiggins has a $30.2MM player option, so he would have to give up a lot in exchange for a long-term deal to allow the Heat to make a viable offer for Powell. At age 31, Wiggins may consider it in exchange for the security, but he may also view this as his best chance to get one more big contract in free agency. Powell could wind up with a surprisingly large contract with so many teams needing shooters, so realistically he may already be beyond Miami's reach.
Unclemike1526
11:31
Art--OK. So the Bulls made some nice moves. Claxton, Wilson, Swain. But they're rebuilding. So why tank the second round? There were some people early in that round that could have helped that were there to be had that they only had to move up a few spots to get. Brazile, Evans and a couple more. So there must be a better plan for Free Agency right? At least I hope so. Not panicking yet but going Hmmm. What do you think?
ARTHUR HILL
11:38
The Bulls need to be operating as a rebuilding team, and they should have been searching for as much second-round talent as possible. There's no value in selling off the 38th and 56th picks, and the Reinsdorfs surely don't need the money. There were some potential gems in the early part of the second round, and the Rockets were able to move up from No. 39 to the top pick while only giving up one future selection. The Bulls had a really good first night of the draft, but on Wednesday they whiffed on a chance to add cheap young talent. At least the front office has a good base to build around now, and hopefully they'll be more aggressive in free agency.
Timberwolves Fan
11:39
Any rumblings out there that the Randle, Ball, Reid 3 team swap will turn into a 4 team with a contract or two going somewhere for a big that can either start or handle decent minutes at the 4 for the Timberwolves.
ARTHUR HILL
11:49
Whether that specific trade gets expanded or not, Minnesota is obviously going to be looking for frontcourt talent. A big part of the Wolves' identity has been having so much size and physicality to throw at opposing big men, and they'll need to find at least one power forward, and maybe two, before the roster overhaul is complete. There hasn't been much information about what the Wolves are planning for their next move, but there's an urgency to keep Anthony Edwards happy as his potential 2029 free agency nears. The chance to team up with him and LaMelo Ball could help Minnesota land a bargain power forward in free agency.
Jaylen Brown
11:49
Will I still be a Celtic when training camp starts? What would be a good return for me now that Giannis is off the table?
ARTHUR HILL
11:57
It feels like the Celtics are looking to move on from Brown and are just searching for the best return. It may be too much of a distraction to have him in camp while the media are asking questions about the failed trade with Milwaukee. Boston is understandably putting a high price on Brown, so it may take a while for a deal to get worked out. The Pelicans could be a team to watch. They need an alpha scorer like Brown, and the Celtics are known to covet Trey Murphy III. A deal involving Murphy, young center Yves Missi and possibly Dejounte Murray could get Boston's interest.
Mardy
11:57
How do you feel about Kawhi Leonard returning to his former teams ala Toronto or San Antonio via a trade?
ARTHUR HILL
12:03
I think Toronto is more realistic, especially after Leonard left San Antonio on bad terms after a long medical dispute. The Spurs should keep their young roster together, and I don't see a particularly tempting offer they could make to L.A. The Raptors can work out a deal involving RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram that could be a good fallback option for the Clippers if they can't reach an extension with Leonard or if they need to move him due to the Aspiration ruling. He would be hailed as a returning hero in Toronto, and if he's serious about signing an extension there, he could team up with Scottie Barnes to make the Raptors a real contender.
Ludwig’s Hightops
12:04
Hawks look better but still not good enough for a decent playoff run. Who would you go after via trade and who could you part with from current roster?
ARTHUR HILL
12:11
I would definitely hold onto Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker because that gives the team its defensive, athletic identity, and Onyeka Okongwu is a good option at center as long as he remains inexpensive. I don't believe Kuminga or Risacher are in their long-term plans, and they would be the first players I would offer to try to get more offensive firepower. It's also curious that CJ McCollum only re-signed for one season when he was in a position to demand a longer deal. Maybe the Hawks aren't as committed to him as they appear to be.
Sven
12:12
What would be the impact on the Wizards long-term salary structure if Anthony Davis gets a full extension? What makes the most sense for the Wiz to do?
ARTHUR HILL
12:21
Giving Davis a max deal on top of the Trae Young deal extension would be disastrous financially, but Davis won't remain happy unless he gets a pricey new contract. It's great that the Wizards were able to add a pair of veterans without giving up many assets, but the downside is that they'll want to be paid. Davis is already expensive at $58.5MM and he's only been available for 29 total games since the Luka Doncic trade. He holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28, and hopefully for the Wizards' sake he'll be willing to decline that in favor of a longer deal with a lower average salary. Washington can handle expensive deals for Young and Davis right now, but that won't be true when its young players start becoming extension eligible.
12:22
Thanks for all the great questions. We'll talk again next week after the start of free agency.
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