You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 6/3/25
powered byJotCast
ARTHUR HILL
11:01
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll start with a question about Trae Young and the Hawks.
Don
11:01
We have the makings of a decent roster in Atlanta. Do you we trade Trae for what we can get and try to get a stop gap PG and try add a big like Kessler or the like. Just don’t feel like we can compete at a higher level with our limitation on defense.
ARTHUR HILL
11:07
There hasn't been nearly as much trade speculation surrounding Young as there was a year ago. He plays such a vital role in the offense that the team has learned to live with his limitations on defense. And having Dyson Daniels beside him in the backcourt makes it easier to survive with Young as the point guard. I don't expect the Hawks to move him this summer, but they will have to make a decision soon. Young is extension eligible this offseason, and he holds a $49MM player option for 2026/27, so he'll effectively be entering the final year of his current contract. If they don't reach an extension with Young, the Hawks will have to take a hard look at trading him by the February deadline.
Guest
11:07
Can the Thunder follow the Warriors' path and be title contenders for a decade or so? Or will the apron restrictions make that impossible?
ARTHUR HILL
11:16
The Thunder are in a perfect position to put together a Warriors-type run and be the NBA's dominant team for the next 10 years or so. They have the league's best roster already, and outside of Alex Caruso, none of their rotation players are older than 27. GM Sam Presti has also stockpiled a huge collection of draft picks that enables them to make a competitive offer for any trade target that becomes available. Apron rules will eventually prevent them from keeping everyone together, so they'll have to identify a core -- probably SGA, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren -- and continually find low-cost additions to pair with them. There would likely be nothing to stop the Thunder if we were operating under the CBA from 10 years ago, but they'll be the first test case on whether building a dynasty is still possible.
Chris D
11:16
Do you agree?: 1 The Suns really want to move on from KD and Beal. 2 The only reported or likely team that would consider Beal is the Wizards. 3 The Suns have virtually nothing that the Wizards would value in return for taking Beal. 4 Middleton  and Smart (total: $54.8 mil both expiring) for Beal ($53.7 mil + one more year) would seem to work. But the Wizards would need significant extra inducement to take on another year of Beal. 5 So it seems that the Suns would need to get something back in a trade of KD to reroute to the Wizards if they have any hope of dumping Beal and that would seemingly have to be draft pick(s) or young good prospects. 6 Trading KD to Houston is the only play because they're the only team with enough picks and young players that would be enough for the Suns and the Wizards to do the deal. 7 So a trade would look like KD to Houston: Beal + Whitmore (?) + picks to DC; Middleton  + Smart + (Smith/Shepherd/Green etc) to   Suns 8 Are you on board?
ARTHUR HILL
11:26
I agree with the general idea. The Suns need a complete culture change as they try to rebuild around Devin Booker, and unloading Durant and Beal will be offseason priorities. Washington is the best spot for Beal, and the Wizards will require incentives to take on his contract. However, the Rockets have expressed a reluctance to take on Durant because of his age, so they might not part with enough assets to make your proposed deal work. I think giving up Smith, Sheppard, Green, Whitmore and picks is going to be too much to ask. If the Suns can get Houston or any other team to surrender that many assets in exchange for Durant, then they should go through with the rest of the deal, but they might be disappointed in what he'll actually bring on the trade market.
Raptors
11:27
Are the Raptors really in the mix for Giannis? It seems like a lot of teams can top their best offer, unless they're willing to include Barnes
ARTHUR HILL
11:34
It was surprising to see a report this week that there's "mutual interest" between Giannis and Toronto. His supposed incentive to leave Milwaukee is a desire to win another title, and I'm not sure his chances would be much better with the Raptors. Toronto would prefer to keep Barnes after giving him a huge extension, so any deal would likely be built around RJ Barrett and maybe Immanuel Quickley, along with young players and draft picks. Unless Giannis demands to be traded to the Raptors, I don't see the Bucks jumping at that offer. They could get much more value from the Rockets, Spurs, Knicks and several other teams.
DJ
11:34
The Rockets aren't going to part with multiple picks for KD unless they're swaps or their own picks.  But what I don't hear discussed is how KD could potentially fit with Houston.  How do you see him fitting in with Houston's young core if that trade ends up coming to fruition?  Would he mesh with Ime?
ARTHUR HILL
11:42
The upgrade to the halfcourt offense would be significant. Durant would provide reliable shot making that they desperately need, and he would become their number one option at the end of games. They likely would have beaten the Warriors and could have made a long playoff run with Durant this year. His fit defensively is a different matter. Houston plays an aggressive, scrambling style of defense that tries to contest every shot. It works well with a bunch of athletic young players on the court, but it might break down if a 37-year-old Durant is asked to fit in.  To me, his age is too big an issue to do the deal, and his desire for an extension would mess up the Rockets' cap sheet. They're better off finding a younger option to spark the offense.
Myles Turner
11:43
Now that we're in the Finals, don't the Pacers have to re-sign me no matter how much it costs them in luxury tax?
ARTHUR HILL
11:48
Reports indicate that the Pacers are confident about re-signing Turner, but he won't be cheap. The Pistons have already emerged as a potential suitor, and more teams will likely join them before the start of free agency. Turner has spent the past decade with the Pacers, and he's been an important part of their success. He's currently underpaid at about $20.5MM and he'll probably want to add about $10MM per year to that number in his next contract. I think Indiana will re-sign him, but a few other contracts might be traded to limit the impact of the tax bill.
JD
11:48
Do the Knicks need to take another big swing this summer or are they better off keeping the current roster together?
ARTHUR HILL
11:55
If there's a chance to get Giannis or another star of similar magnitude, then it makes sense to go all in. But I wouldn't make changes just because the Knicks lost to Indiana. The trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns were major moves last offseason, and the team needs time to develop continuity. Mitchell Robinson missed most of the season, so the actual core of the team was only all together for a few weeks before the playoffs. The Knicks should build on their current success, rather than making panic moves. That's an approach that has haunted them for decades.
Guest
11:55
Which prospects do you expect to be drafted high than what mock drafts are projecting?
ARTHUR HILL
12:03
Several players will make late moves up draft boards as teams bring them in for workouts and interviews. One name to watch with the draft about three weeks away is Noa Essengue. The 6'9" French power forward is putting up big numbers in Europe and will reportedly work out for the Nets. He could be in play for the No. 8 pick. Also, Cedric Coward is beginning to make an impression on lottery teams. He only played six games at Washington State because of a shoulder injury, but his three-and-D skills make him a potential lottery pick.
Don
12:03
Follow up question. Where do we get some rim protection and front line physicality to help mitigate Trae’s weaknesses.
ARTHUR HILL
12:09
Your suggestion about Kessler is a good one if Utah is willing to part with him. Kessler is a proven rim protector at age 24 and he would get lots of easy baskets playing alongside Young. Mark Williams could be another option if Charlotte still plans to trade him after the failed deal with the Lakers. Also, the Hawks have two first-round picks, so maybe they could trade up to No. 9 or 10 if Khaman Maluach starts to slide.
12:10
Thanks for the great questions this week. We'll talk again next Tuesday.
Connecting…