Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 6/8/2026
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Luke Adams
3:01
Welcome to this Monday's chat! Thanks to everyone who has submitted early questions. Let's jump in...
Maple
3:01
Am I the only one who thinks the Raptors' cap situation isn't as bad as people are making it out to be? Poeltl aside, I don't see any of the other deals on their books being ones they would have to attach assets to to move if they so choose.
Luke Adams
3:04
Poeltl is the worst one, but they have 2-3 others that are probably worth just a few million more per year than what you'd expect. The Ingram and Barrett ones aren't too bad because they're short-term now. I think the Quickley one would still be tough to move on the trade market for positive or even neutral value.
Dstars
3:04
Any updates on the Mavericks head coaching search? Or favorites?
Luke Adams
3:05
Sounds like they're pretty early in the process still. This update from last week is really the only concrete one we've gotten so far. I'd expect Micah Nori to be firmly in the mix if he doesn't end up with Chicago or Portland first. Beyond that, still hard to tell who might emerge as a finalist.
Slerry Joan
3:06
How did Detroit not beat this Cleveland team?
Luke Adams
3:07
Lack of play-making beyond Cade and not enough shooting. Duren's inconsistent play didn't help, but they were missing a piece or two that they'd need to make a really deep run.
Kim
3:07
Good afternoon. Lakers question. In my opinion. Austin Reeves is not a #2 but the 3rd best player (on any team). And I believe he should be paid as such. If the Lakers cave in and pay him the max they can forget about trying to create a championship level team. Truthfully even with a #2 alongside Luka, can they really compete with OKC or the Spurs? I think they should not pay him the max and plan for his exit. They are looking a 3 year rebuild to be competitive again. Because I also think he and Luka are redundant and this year is going to difficult to build a championship contender due to lack of free agents, lack of good draft capital and salary cap restraints. What do you think?? Thanks!
Luke Adams
3:10
I'd be pretty shocked if Reaves gets the max unless another team with cap room really loves him. His fit with Luka isn't ideal, but I think if you're the Lakers, you can afford to pay him $35-40MM per year at this point and figure it out in the coming years. At least if he's on a contract, you can trade him down the road if you need to -- moving on from him at this point would make it pretty hard to recoup fair value in return.
Hartenstein
3:11
Any chance the Thunder use Hartenstein and their 2 picks to move up in the draft? Would make total sense for Atlanta or Charlotte (they have multiple picks) so they wouldn't have to vie for him in unrestricted FA
Luke Adams
3:13
Neither of those teams have the cap room necessary to acquire Hartenstein outright (especially if we're assuming the Thunder pick up his team option as part of this move, which they'd probably have to). So the Thunder would likely need to take back players/salaries, which wouldn't be ideal for them.

Maybe they could figure out in some sort of three-team scenario, but there are probably less complicated ways for OKC to move up if they really want to (I also think they'd prefer to just keep IHart themselves on a new deal).
Unclemike1526
3:13
Hey Luke I asked the same question in Art's chat so I'll ask you. It's Draft Day and the first 3 picks are Dybsanta, Boozer and Wilson. Do the Bulls trade down and get more picks, Take Wagler because I'm sorry Peterson just doesn't do it for me and trade Giddey or let Wagler and Giddey play together for a year to see what happens? Then decide what to do with Giddey? I see a lot of ways to go. What could they get for 4 at that point? Thanks
Luke Adams
3:14
I'd be pretty shocked if any team trades out of the top four and I think the Bulls would be thrilled to be able to take Peterson if he falls to No. 4.
Jmass
3:14
If. You were Sam Prest, wouldn’t you trade how many draft picks that are Thunder draft picks to Milwaukee plus Chad Holmgren and sat Ajay Mitchell to get Giannis?  It seems like a no brainer.  It’s great to have a home grown team but Giannis tips the scale.
Luke Adams
3:18
I think it's less about wanting a "homegrown" team and more about extending their championship window for as long as they can. Trading young players and draft picks for Giannis might make them better in 2026/27, but it would definitely shorten their championship window.

I don't really see Presti going all-in for anyone, but if OKC does make a godfather offer for a player this offseason, I feel as if it's more likely to be someone like Cameron Boozer rather than a veteran like Giannis. They want to build a roster that's capable of contending for championships for 10 years, not just to increase their odds of winning another title in the next year or two.
AnthonyEdwardsHypeMachine
3:18
Ant man fired the first shot regarding a roster upgrade. Is Austin Reaves a legit target? Fits the ball handling need and can get a bucket when needed. Also, proven ability to play with a superstar. What's MIN gotta do to make that happen assuming Reaves is willing to leave LA?
Luke Adams
3:21
Unless the Wolves dump half their roster to create enough cap room to sign Reaves, they'd have to do a sign-and-trade, and it's hard for me to imagine the Lakers being on board to accommodate that unless the Wolves really make it worth their while. They definitely wouldn't be settling for Randle. They'd probably push for McDaniels or maybe a Dosunmu/Reid combo. Don't think that'd be worth it for Minnesota.
Dominic
3:21
Do the kings have any chance of offloading some of their horrendous contracts?
Luke Adams
3:23
Dunno if you're including Sabonis in that group but I think he's the most movable of their higher-paid players. They'd have no problem moving Hunter or Murray, but I doubt they're interested in that.

LaVine would be very challenging unless they'd taking back a big longer-term contract as part of the deal. DeRozan or Monk could realistically be moved, I think, but probably not for positive value -- if you expect to get any draft picks for them, you'd have to be prepared to take back a worse contract.
Velociraptor
3:24
Thoughts on the extensions handed out to Toronto's front office this morning? Do you see a Rajaković extension being announced next?
Luke Adams
3:26
It's become increasingly common for coaches and executives to either be fired or extended when they're entering the final year of their contracts. No one was getting fired in Toronto after they exceeded expectations this season, so it's extensions instead (I'd count on one for Rajakovic too).

We don't know the details on those deals for Webster and the others, but I wouldn't think the extensions would preclude the Raptors from making a change in a year or two if things don't keep trending in the right direction.
Coby White
3:26
Where am I playing next season?
Luke Adams
3:28
I think if you want to return to the Hornets, they'll be happy to have you, so Charlotte would be my guess. But if you're open to a change of scenery, there are some interesting fits around the league. Detroit and Orlando are two spots that would be very intriguing for you (the Pistons would have a much simpler path to making it happen than the Magic would).
Keith
3:28
Do you see the Spurs coming back, and making this into a competitive series?
Luke Adams
3:31
Ahead of the Finals last week, I wrote up an item comparing Wemby and the Spurs to the 1995 Magic during Shaq's third season. That Magic team made the Finals and was favored, but they got swept by a more experienced Houston team. When I was writing up that item, I didn't think we'd be headed for a similar outcome in this series, but now....

I dunno, I still think the Spurs can steal at least on game in New York and force a Game 5. I hope so, at least. It's too fun a matchup for it to end as a sweep.
All star game
3:31
Instead of US vs. the World in the All-Star game, why doesn't the NBA throw all the names selected in a hat, draw at random, and then have a 3on3 tournament to see which is the best? The winning team's players would get 1 or 2 games knocked off their required number of games played to be considered for postseason awards. Would be so exciting!
Luke Adams
3:34
I imagine the NBA is open to any idea that features shorter games -- it's a lot easier to get players to compete harder for most of a 10- or 12-minute game than a 48-minute game.

Still, I'm not sold on the idea that the league needs to find a way to make players go all-out in the All-Star game. I don't want to see a team's season derailed because its star tears an ACL during an exhibition game.
Bulls
3:35
What kind of approach do they Bulls take in theor long overdue rebuild? Do they take it slow the next few of seasons or do they try to compete within a year or 2?
Luke Adams
3:37
It's harder to answer this question now that the lottery rules have changed. Under the old format, it would make sense for the Bulls to be as bad as possible for a year or two in order to try to pick a couple more times in the top half of the lottery. Under the new format, they could easily finish a game out of a play-in spot and still get the No. 1 pick.

I imagine it'll depend on what opportunities arise in free agency and on the trade market, but I see no reason for the Bulls to drag things out for too long if they have a chance to add some talent sooner rather than later.
3 team trade
3:38
  • ATL gets Jaylen Brown and #10
  • BOS get Giannis
  • MIL gets Risacher, Kuminga, Kispert, #8 (ATL), #23 (ATL), #27 (BOS), 1 future top 8 protected pick from ATL, 1 future top 8 protected pick from BOS

Thoughts? Seems like a better package than Miami's to me b/c you aren't stuck under Herro, get 4 firsts, and 2 young guys (ZR and JK)
Luke Adams
3:40
I'd prefer the young guys you'd be getting in the Miami package (probably at least 2-3 of Ware, Larsson, Jaquez, and Jakucionis). The Heat offer also wouldn't involve the Bucks giving up this year's No. 10 pick -- and the two future picks would (presumably) be unprotected. I also don't think Herro's some albatross. He was an All-Star two years ago and will be on an expiring deal if you don't want him for the long term!

There's an interesting framework here, but this version isn't nearly enough for the Bucks, in my opinion.
Kevin in H-Town
3:41
Do the Rockets make a big move this summer or do they just fiddle around the edges? Signing an extension for Tari Eason is fiddling around the edges...
Luke Adams
3:45
Fiddling seems more likely to me. I think the front office believes it built a pretty strong roster that it never got to see due to the VanVleet pre-camp injury (plus Adams' mid-season injury and the Finney-Smith health issues that ended up making him borderline unplayable). They probably want to take another shot at trying to see a healthy version of that group before doing anything too drastic.

The one wild card here is if the KD Twitter burner story was a bigger issue behind the scenes than they made it out to be publicly. There has been no chatter so far to suggest Durant will be traded this summer, but I feel like it's a possibility we can't quite entirely rule out.
wag
3:45
Would Anyone take Zacharie Risacher to move up a few spots in the NBA draft? For instance could the Hawks offer Risacher and pick 23 to move up to pick 16 or 17 (or something like that)?
Luke Adams
3:48
Maaaybe, if you found the right team that's still high on him. His trade value certainly wouldn't reflect the fact that he was drafted first overall two years ago, but he's still a 21-year-old who has shown some interesting flashes. He definitely should have positive value.
KJ
3:48
I know its wayyyy early but what are the odds NY repeats as East champs?   Right now I only see the Pacers back at full strength giving a challenge.
Luke Adams
3:51
Hmm, it'll depend in part on what happens with Robinson and Shamet in free agency. Losing them would be a blow to the Knicks' depth.

The Giannis situation is a major wild card too. Putting him on a roster like Boston's or Orlando's would change things at the top of the East (I'm less convinced that Miami would immediately become a contender by adding Giannis, but if they hit on a few of their other offseason moves, maybe).

The Knicks definitely should be in good position to come out of the East again, but it's been quite a while since any team made it to the Finals two years in a row, so I'd be reluctant to bet on them at this point.
Nick Nurse
3:51
Pretty much anything less than a ECF, is my job is history next year?
Luke Adams
3:52
Depends on how exactly the season plays out, but with the front office changes in Philadelphia, I feel like the bar has been raised for you. You'll probably have to consistently exceed expectations going forward to keep your job.
Keith
3:53
Could you see Morant traded to Toronto for some of their bad contracts, and maybe a pick?
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