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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 7/19/2022
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Luke Adams
12:01
Thanks for all the early questions, guys! Got a ton of them -- I guess the end of Summer League hasn't diminished enthusiasm for the NBA offseason.
Let's dive in...
Trog
12:01
What will Indiana and San Antonio do with their cap space? Save it for trade(s) to absorb unwanted salaries in exchange for draft capital?
Luke Adams
12:03
That's the most likely outcome at this point. With Ayton off the board, I don't see either of them making an aggressive play for a free agent. Miles Bridges would've been a logical target before the domestic violence charges, but they'll stay away now. Collin Sexton is the only one I could really see either the Spurs or Pacers devoting a huge chunk of their cap space too, but I haven't gotten the sense either team will make a run at him
ampet1112
12:04
Based on Fischers latest report both Coby White and Matisse Thybulle are stalled on extension talks, does it make sense to swap them?
Luke Adams
12:04
From the Bulls' perspective, sure. I doubt the Sixers will be too enthusiastic about that deal.
Thom
12:04
Where do the Pacers go from here. Is Turner feeling hurt and you have to trade him? Do you try and sign him to an extension?
Luke Adams
12:06
My sense is that Turner was already very unlikely to sign an extension prior to free agency, which is probably one reason why the Pacers were already looking for a long-term replacement. I don't think there's urgency to move him yet (you could wait until the trade deadline or even next offseason), but I'd be surprised if he's still on Indiana's roster at the start of the 2023/24 season.
Matteo
12:07
Where does Carmelo Anthony sign? I think the Warriors would be a fit.
Luke Adams
12:09
The Warriors definitely make sense for a handful of reasons: Title contender, open roster spots, big market. From a basketball perspective, I'd kinda like to see him on the Wolves, but it's hard to imagine him signing in Minnesota. Phoenix would be another interesting fit, though it's unclear if the Suns plan to fill their 15th roster spot now that they're well into tax territory.
Keith Closs
12:10
Are the clippers too deep? Should they look to make another move, maybe move twin to Knicks for Julius Randle?
Luke Adams
12:11
I really like their roster as is. If everyone stays healthy, there may be some talented vets who aren't happy with their playing time, but the odds of everyone staying healthy all season long are incredibly slim -- that depth will come in handy over the course of the season.
David
12:12
When are trades going to happen again? Do we have to wait for the Mitchell/Durant/Irving situations to be resolved?
Luke Adams
12:13
The fact that Summer League ended without any additional deals doesn't bode well. There aren't really any big events on the NBA calendar now until training camp in late September. That doesn't necessarily mean we'll have to wait until then for any trades to happen (maybe one goes down later this week, who knows!). But it means some front offices may be inclined to go on vacation for a couple weeks at this point, then resume trade talks in August, knowing they still have plenty of time before the fall.
Draft Rights
12:14
Do draft rights ever expire?
Luke Adams
12:15
I don't believe so. I believe the general rule is that once a player retires, his rights can't be used as a key piece in a trade, but there are certainly retired international players whose rights are still held by teams.
Free Agency
12:15
Has slowed to a trickle.  What’s going on?  KD and Kyrie can’t be holding up everything.
Luke Adams
12:18
The majority of the most noteworthy free agents on the board (Bridges, Sexton, Harrell, Nwora, etc.) are either RFAs or are facing legal charges (or both), so it won't be a surprise if their free agencies drag on a few more weeks. Outside of those guys, there aren't a ton of guys on the board who should obviously have signed by now. And there aren't a lot of open 15-man roster spots around the league. We'll certainly get more signings between now and training camp, but I don't think there's a huge wave of moves being held up by the KD/Kyrie/Mitchell sweepstakes.
AKME
12:19
Does our not using the MLE mean Bulls ownership is absolutely not paying tax or could they become, if they are a playoff contender, the most attractive destination at the trade deadline because they could use the MLE?
Luke Adams
12:21
Well, they did use PART of their MLE ($3.2MM on Drummond). But I hear where you're coming from. The importance of having those exceptions available at the trade deadline is probably overrated. It's rarely a difference-maker. If I remember correctly, the Bulls giving Thompson a portion of their bi-annual exception after he was bought out this past season was the only buyout-market signing for more than the minimum.
12:22
(I talked around this, but I'd be shocked if the Bulls pay the tax this season. It'll be too easy to avoid it.)
springfielscelt
12:22
Can Kabengele get rotation minutes for the Celtics? Who is the better option for the Celtics, Kabengele or Kornet ?
Luke Adams
12:23
I doubt we'll see Kabengele in the rotation for the Celtics unless there are some frontcourt injuries, but maybe he'll surprise me in camp. For now, Kornet is ahead of him on the depth chart.
Sports fan
12:23
Who gets traded first? KD or Juan Soto?
Luke Adams
12:24
I haven't followed MLB close enough lately to even know for sure when the trade deadline is (is it still July 31 or did it get pushed back a little this year?). But if Soto gets moved before the trade deadline, I expect it to happen before a KD deal.
Guest
12:25
Why aren’t the Nuggets pushing for Mitchell, he and Murray would be a very strong back court and MPJ would be a good centrepiece for a good package.
Luke Adams
12:26
Mitchell/Murray would be an amazing offensive backcourt, but the Nuggets have made defense a priority this offseason -- that's a backcourt duo that would get picked on defensively. I also think Porter's trade value is very low right now. That contract isn't one the Jazz would want to take on.
George
12:27
Are the Celtics done for the off-season?
Luke Adams
12:28
They still only have 12 guys on standard contracts by my count, so they have at least a couple roster spots to fill (they could maybe bring in 4-5 guys to compete for those spots). But I'd expect those to just be minimum-salary signings, maybe not even guaranteed. Their big moves are probably done.
Bob
12:28
I thought it possible for the Nuggets to create a Wil Barton-sized TPE ($14.1M) in KCP trade. JGreen trade w OKC created 8.2MTPE AND got DEN under tax line, so DEN could use MMorris (9.1M) + 5 M (instead of 9.1x125%) to take on KCP (14M) and JGreen TPE to take on I.Smith. Therefore, TPE for Barton's full salary. Is this incorrect? Or did the DEN just not structure it that way?
Luke Adams
12:30
I actually looked specifically at this at the time of the trade, and the Nuggets were over the tax line by a very small amount ($1MMish, maybe?) due to Vlatko Cancar's cap hold. So they had to use the 125% salary-matching rule. I'd thought they might renounce Cancar to get the bigger TPE, but they re-signed him to a surprisingly lucrative deal instead!
RJ Barrett
12:30
Will I get a new extension before the season starts?
Luke Adams
12:32
I'm curious about this myself! I suspect if he drives a hard bargain (max or bust), they'll just wait, especially if the Mitchell situation isn't resolved by the start of the season. I wouldn't necessarily expect Barrett to be part of a package for Mitchell, but if he's extended, it makes him a lot harder to trade this season due to the poison pill provision, so the Knicks may want to leave that option open just in case.
Danny Ainge
12:33
Am I really going to move Mitchell and can I really get a package better than what I got for Gobert?
Luke Adams
12:34
I'm not entirely convinced that you'll move Mitchell in part because it will take a Gobert-sized haul to get you to pull the trigger, and I have a hard time seeing a team matching or topping that offer for Mitchell.
12:35
Danny Ainge is generally pretty happy to stand pat if he isn't getting what he perceives as full value for a trade chip, so if he moves Mitchell for a package that's less than the Gobert one, it'll tell you something about what he thinks of those two guys...
Josh
12:35
What do you think is holding up the harden deal?
Luke Adams
12:38
Here's what Harden said earlier this week about his contract: "I told Daryl to improve the roster, sign who we needed to sign and give me whatever is left over." Based on that comment, I suspect Morey is still scouring the free agent and trade markets for other possible moves before locking in Harden's contract -- once they officially sign him, they won't have much flexibility for the rest of the season below the hard cap. So maybe if they find a trade where they add $2-3MM to team salary, they'll pull the trigger on that deal and convince Harden to accept another $2-3MM less in 2022/23.
Guest
12:38
Will the Pistons be making another move...they have to many bigs and not enough wings
Luke Adams
12:40
They're certainly not done making roster moves -- the Kemba buyout isn't official, nor is the Knox signing. And they could still have something like $14MM in cap room if Kemba gives back his minimum salary in a buyout and they decide to use the room exception on Knox. I'm not sure that means we'll see them do anything drastic, but they definitely have the flexibility to make another trade or even to make a play for an RFA wing like Jordan Nwora if they want to.
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