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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 7/15/25
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ARTHUR HILL
11:01
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll get started with a question on LeBron James.
Corban
11:01
LeBron James will stay a Laker this year.....right? I need some reassuring.
ARTHUR HILL
11:10
LeBron is in an unusual position because for the first time since he was drafted by Cleveland in 2003, he's not the most important player on his team. That changed in February when the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, who is now the focus of the future in L.A. LeBron enjoys sending out cryptic messages to indicate that he might leave, but those don't have the power they used to now that he's 40. I expect him to be with the Lakers all season because his $52.6MM contract is a lot of salary for any team to match in a trade. There's been some speculation about him finishing his career in Cleveland, but the Cavs are focused on winning a title, not sentiment, and as a second apron team they can't aggregate salaries in a deal. LeBron may hint at unhappiness throughout the season, but I don't think he's going anywhere.
Cooper Flagg
11:11
Am I a lock for Rookie of the Year or will I have any serious competition for the award?
ARTHUR HILL
11:18
In his second Summer League game, Flagg provided a glimpse of what he can do with 31 points and a few highlight dunks. He'll enter the season as a heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year, and barring injury, he should win it handily. No. 2 pick Dylan Harper is in a crowded backcourt in San Antonio, as is No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe in Philadelphia, so their stats likely won't stand out. Kon Knueppel, Ace Bailey and Tre Johnson might put up impressive numbers, but they're all playing for lottery teams while Flagg is on a playoff contender. I expect Flagg to live up to all the hype, and he could be a unanimous ROY pick.
RFAs
11:18
Who will be first (and last) to sign a contract out of Grimes, Kuminga, Giddey, and Thomas?
ARTHUR HILL
11:29
Jonathan Kuminga's standoff with the Warriors is contributing to the recent lull in free agent signings. Golden State has other moves it wants to make, but those are on hold until Kuminga's future is resolved. He and his agent were expecting to meet with suitors this week in Las Vegas, so there should be some movement before Summer League wraps up. I think he would prefer to leave the Warriors because they still don't have a defined role for him, but someone else will have to make a competitive offer. The other three RFAs are all in limbo because there's very little money left on the market, so their current teams don't have much incentive to negotiate. They're all likely to re-sign at some point, although Giddey could take the longest if he doesn't back off his $30MM per year demand.
Corban
11:29
Do the Lakers have a reasonable chance at Bradley Beal?
ARTHUR HILL
11:39
I keep hearing that the Clippers are the favorites to sign Beal once his expected buyout with the Suns is complete. The move makes sense in light of the trade that send Norman Powell to Miami, and the Clippers probably wouldn't have parted with Powell unless they had a replacement in mind. Beal would be a little rougher fit with the Lakers because Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves handle so much of the offense. It would be difficult for another wing player to get consistent shots, which will be a factor for Beal in choosing his next team. Beal will get a 25% advance payment today on his salary for next season, so he should hit the open market soon. It sounds like the Clippers, rather than the Lakers, will be his next stop.
Guest
11:39
It's a bad sign that Paul George is already having knee surgery right? Will it be another lost season in Philly?
ARTHUR HILL
11:46
Even though it's being called an "arthroscopic cleanup," it's still a very bad sign for a team that's relying on George to be healthy this season. A major part of the Sixers' collapse was caused by only having George for 41 games. They don't have a similar player to replace him and provide the same impact on both ends of the court. I think there's an understanding that Joel Embiid is going to be limited for the rest of his career and that 50 or so games per season may be all he can provide. The Sixers need George to be their star when Embiid isn't available, but at age 35 he may be breaking down, too.
JD
11:46
Any summer league stars you think could be ready to break out next season?
ARTHUR HILL
11:53
For me, the player to watch is Kyle Filipowski, who has been tearing things up for the Jazz in his first three games in Las Vegas. He's leading all Summer League scorers at 29.3 PPG while shooting 56.1% from the field and 39.1% from three-point range. He's looked comfortable handling the lead role in Utah's offense and is also grabbing 7.7 rebounds per game. The 21-year-old center is coming off a strong rookie year, and his playing time should increase with John Collins being traded. Filipowski looks ready to make a major leap next season.
Scott S
11:53
With new megadeals for SGA, J-Dub, and Chet, how long can OKC afford to keep this roster intact? Who will be the casualties when it starts getting too expensive?
ARTHUR HILL
12:03
The rookie scale extensions for Williams and Holmgren won't take effect until 2026/27, so the Thunder have one more year before they need to start making major financial decisions. Gilgeous-Alexander's new super-max starts in 2027/28, and OKC will definitely have to trim salary by then. Isaiah Hartenstein's contract includes a $28.5MM team option for 2026/27, so he'll probably move on unless they can sign him to a cheaper long-term deal. Lu Dort, who'll have an $18.2MM team option in the same season, is likely to become expensive in his next contract so his time may be limited. The Thunder have a potential dynasty if they can keep their roster together, but the realities of the current CBA mean they'll have to continue finding inexpensive options to team with their Big Three.
Thanks for the great questions this week. We'll talk again next Tuesday.
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