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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 8/16/2022
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Luke Adams
12:16
Thanks for the early questions, guys! Let's get going...
Average Joe
12:16
Why is everyone sleeping on Sexton? Before his injury he was one of the best young offensive players in the league, on a team with very weak D. On a good team he can easily be a 20+ scorer to help a top guy(I point to Dal, or any other guard light team). Just seems to me he’s not getting any respect from anywhere in the league, where as the older, less productive Bruson got the big money from NY I just don’t get it. Injury aside is there something else here?
Luke Adams
12:17
I think there are two major factors working against Sexton:
  1. The injury.
  2. He's the type of undersized, subpar defender who could potentially get exposed and repeatedly attacked in the playoffs.
12:18
He's such a talented scorer that he'll still do alright for himself financially, but if he wants a really big payday, he'll probably have to prove this season that the injury is completely behind him and that he can at least hold his own on defense.
Houston Hoarders
12:18
So how many Players are on the Rockets now?  Seems like more than 20.
Luke Adams
12:19
They have 20 under contract, with Willie Cauley-Stein representing No. 21 (his deal isn't official yet). They'll have to trade or release someone to sign him.
Our roster counts page is good for tracking this sort of thing.
Xmas day games
12:19
Knicks and Lakers on Xmas day?  Oh wait, they play in New York and Los Angeles, who cares if they made the Playoffs last year or not .........
Luke Adams
12:20
Yep, pretty much. It's not really fair to more talented teams who are more deserving of the honor, but at least they get to enjoy having the holiday off. And for what it's worth, I do think the Lakers and Knicks will both be better in 2022/23 than they were in '21/22.
Mr KLC
12:21
Any new news on any trades involving Kenyon Martin Jr. or Eric Gordon?
Luke Adams
12:22
Nothing new. It seems like most trade talks around the NBA aren't going anywhere right now. I'd expect them to start picking up near the end of August and start of September, once training camp is only about a month away. Teams will want to do their best to get their rosters mostly set by camp.
Velociraptor
12:22
With Jalen Harris being reinstated by the NBA, do you think he will factor into the Raptors' training camp battle for their last few roster spots?
Luke Adams
12:24
The Harris situation is an unusual one -- we rarely see players on active contracts dismissed and disqualified from the NBA for drug violations the way Harris was (guys like O.J. Mayo and Tyreke Evans have faced similar penalties while they were unrestricted free agents). The rules governing Harris' return are pretty complicated, but it looks like the Raptors will have first dibs on him if they want him back. I wouldn't count on Toronto giving him any guaranteed money, but I could see him getting a non-guaranteed camp invite or a spot on their G League team. I'd be pretty surprised if he actually won a regular season roster spot.
Queen of Kings
12:24
Do Kings make the playoffs?
Luke Adams
12:26
I'm (maybe foolishly?) bullish on the Kings this season, but I still don't see them as a top-six team in the West. I like them to make the play-in tournament and maybe to be the last team eliminated before the first round tips off.
Number man
12:26
If the Lakers get off to a real rough start to the season what are the chances of LeBron demanding a trade to a playoff team?  I say 50/50 chance he ask for a trade.
Luke Adams
12:28
Even in this "golden era" of player movement and player empowerment, LeBron is one star who has never requested a trade -- he prefers to use his leverage to convince management to make certain roster moves, rather than asking out. Given that he can be a free agent in 2023, I expect he'll take the same route this season. If things go horribly in L.A. again, he'll have the option to simply leave next summer.
ElMajesty
12:28
Hi Luke! wich teams do you think will underperform this year compared to last season? from each conference i can see the Heat being worst because of age, losing PJ tucker and not getting any upgrade. And from the west i feel like Memphis, while they are young and will get better individually, JJ being hurt and doesn't getting any upgrade, plus LAC-DEN being healthier will hurt MEM seeding at the end of the season.
Luke Adams
12:30
Those choices make sense. The Jazz are an obvious pick, and the Nets will be too if they end up trading Durant (though if they get a win-now package back, I could see them matching last year's 44 wins). I'd bet on the Suns to fall short of 64 wins too. They're going to be good again, but it's hard to win that many games in consecutive years -- they'll probably be in the 50-55 range instead.
Some Guy
12:30
I've seen a lot of people who are incredibly down on Andre Drummond and his contract with the Bulls, but I've seen no one trashing on Clint Capela. Yes, Capela plays better defense, but not by that much, and Drummond is the better offensive player and rebounder on a per-minute and per-possession basis at half the price. Why the large discrepancy?
Luke Adams
12:31
I think you're underrating the gap between Drummond's defense and Capela's. Capela is more versatile and is a more technically sound defender and rim protector. Drummond looks better in the box score than he does via the eye test.
Nick the Quick
12:32
Any particular reason Mello has not signed with anyone, odds of Lakes bringin him back?
Luke Adams
12:34
Not sure what the holdup with Carmelo is. The Lakers still have room to bring him back and it won't surprise me if they do so, but I keep wondering if he could end up with the Nets, depending on what happens with KD and Kyrie. They still only have 12 players on guaranteed contracts.
Simmons settlement
12:34
Sets a bad Precedent for other unhappy Players to follow and get Paid while providing no Labor.  Need something in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement to protect Teams from players staging similar tactics in the future.
Luke Adams
12:35
It's hard to draw any sweeping conclusions about the Simmons settlement until/unless we find out the financial terms of that agreement. The fact that Simmons' camp isn't leaking it suggests to me that it might not have been super favorable from their perspective.
Luka D
12:35
Any chance I get any more help this offseason? Or am I going to have to have to wait until the deadline or longer?
Luke Adams
12:36
I suspect you'll have to wait. Maybe something shakes loose during the preseason when other teams are finalizing their rosters, but there should be more options available at the trade deadline -- and the Mavs have no shortage of good-sized contracts they could use for salary-matching in potential deals.
LaMarcus Aldridge
12:36
Any chance for me signing for Warriors?
Luke Adams
12:38
The Warriors have 13 players pretty locked into roster spots right now and are holding the 14th for Iguodala. If Iguodala decides to retire or if the Warriors decide to carry a 15th man despite the exorbitant tax penalty, you'd probably get a look. But if not, I'm not sure there's room there.
Evan
12:38
Other than the obvious KD, Kyrie, and Mitchell, do you see any big names getting traded prior to the season?
Luke Adams
12:39
Westbrook also falls into that "obvious" category, I assume. Besides them, I wouldn't count on any real stars to be on the move, but it wouldn't shock me if a couple starter-caliber players are dealt. Maybe Utah flipping Patrick Beverley to another team, for instance.
Old Skool Bigs
12:40
Any rumors surrounding traditional Centers like Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside, etc. ?
Luke Adams
12:40
It's been very quiet, but I bet we'll see at least two of those guys on rosters by opening night (I'm less confident about Cousins than the other two).
Above Average Joe
12:41
What is best return for Tobias Harris and should Sixers do that deal?
Luke Adams
12:42
Harris on his own isn't going to get you anything of real value. He'd be a useful trade chip if you attached another asset or two to him and used him primary as salary ballast. That's not particularly fair to him, since he's a really solid player, but his cap hits are just too high to appeal to trade partners.
Free Agency
12:43
If an owner is willing to cough up the money, what's to stop them from buying out contracts in full to free up space like the Bertans, Julius Randle, and other "bad" contracts in the League?
Luke Adams
12:43
Even if Mark Cuban were willing to waive Bertans today and pay the rest of his contract, that money would stay on the salary cap. The only way to remove/reduce it would be if Bertans agreed to a buyout, which obviously isn't happening.
Woodhouse
12:44
Is Randle being shopped at all?  If so, is there a market for him and what could Knicks possibly get back?
Luke Adams
12:46
I haven't gotten the sense that Randle is on the trade block at the moment. Which isn't to say the Knicks wouldn't move him, but he's under contract for four years -- it wouldn't be great asset managaement to bail on him already when you'd have to sell so low. It makes more sense for the team to see if he can rebuild his value in 2022/23 playing alongside Brunson.
Blazer’s Trade
12:46
Are Blazers done making moves?
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