Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 8/20/26
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ARTHUR HILL
11:01
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll start with a couple of questions about the Peyton Watson trade.
CavsFan
11:01
Does the Cavs' acquisition of Peyton Watson elevate their standing in the East? Are they now a top-4 team?
ARTHUR HILL
11:10
Cleveland was in the mix for the top four before acquiring Watson, even though the summer hadn't gone well up to this point. They were the No. 4 seed last season, and the core of Mitchell, Harden, Mobley and Allen is strong enough to stay at that level regardless of who's around them. The Cavs' main concern is going to be roster depth, as the bench isn't impressive after their free agency losses. The Knicks and Sixers should be top-four teams for sure, while Cleveland will be in a group with Detroit, Boston, Toronto and maybe Atlanta and Miami that will be fighting for home court advantage in the first round. The Watson addition should make the Cavs one of the best four teams in the East, but an injury to one of their stars or concerns about Harden's age could drag them down quickly.
Peyton Watson
11:10
Will I be the long term answer at the 3 in Cleveland that Isaac Okoro, DeAndre Hunter, Max Strus, Dean Wade, and a bunch of others weren't?
ARTHUR HILL
11:20
Watson appears to be the perfect type of player to become the Cavs' fifth starter. They needed a strong defender to guard the opponent's best perimeter scorer, which is a role that Harden and Mitchell aren't equipped for. Watson did that in Denver last season, and it will be his main value to his new team. Watson won't need the ball much on offense, but to be worth his new contract, he'll have to consistently hit open three-pointers better than those other players that you mentioned. He showed signs of that last season, connecting at 41.1% from beyond the arc, but it was the first time in his career he has approached that number and he'll have to prove it wasn't a fluke. The other players the Cavs tried as their starting 3 either didn't offer enough defense or enough outside shooting to be successful. They'll need high levels of both from Watson to make the trade pay off.
Cale
11:20
There has barely been any speculation about a Nikola Jokic trade request but is that on the table? He's apparently not signing an extension this summer,he can be a free agent next year and Denver has gotten worse after being eliminated in the 1st round
ARTHUR HILL
11:30
Jokic has been very loyal to the Nuggets in all his public statements and has expressed a desire to play his entire career in Denver, but he has to be wondering about the organization's commitment to winning another title after an awful offseason. Letting an asset like Peyton Watson go for a couple of future draft picks is a terrible way to keep your star player happy. The Nuggets have mostly mishandled their roster decisions since the 2023 championship and are asking Jokic to do more and more every year. Last year's Christian Braun decision was particularly egregious, as they could have re-signed him at a much lower price as an RFA. It's hard to tell what Jokic is really thinking about his future, but he has a $62.8MM player option for next summer and is in position to force a trade if he doesn't believe the Kroenkes are serious about winning. If Denver gets off to a slow start with a diminished roster, it could become the biggest story in the league.
Jonathan Kuminga
11:30
Where am I signing now that Cleveland is probably off the board?
ARTHUR HILL
11:41
Kuminga was one of the biggest losers in the Watson trade, as his options for next season are dwindling. The Cavs probably could have worked out a similar deal for Kuminga, but they viewed Watson as a better investment. The Lakers have been interested in Kuminga since free agency began, but the Hawks don't want to take on Jarred Vanderbilt's salary, and L.A. hasn't been able to find a third team to make a deal work. The Wolves seem like the best fit for Kuminga, but they can't offer a contract anywhere close to what he wants, and there's probably not room for him on Atlanta's roster after their summer additions. Kuminga to the Lakers still feels like the most likely outcome, but it will probably be a short-term deal that has him back in free agency in another year or two.
Guest
11:41
Does it make sense for the Heat to keep waiting on Klay Thompson or should they use their MLE money to go after a guy like Derozan or Kuminga while they still can?
ARTHUR HILL
11:49
The Heat need shooters to team with Giannis and Bam, so it's easy to understand why they're targeting Klay. However, it's starting to feel more like a pipe dream as we get closer to training camp. Dallas hasn't been interested in any of Miami's trade offers, and the Mavs are already dealing with a roster crunch with 16 players holding standard contracts. The Heat's best hope has been a buyout, but Dallas doesn't have an urgency to save money and is hoping to get something of value in return for Thompson. Miami has been saving about $8MM in MLE money to give Thompson if he becomes available, but the free agent market is starting to dry up. It may be time to face reality about Thompson and move on to other targets.
theBigLip
11:49
Is Heurter/Robinson/FRPs going to be the package to bring a second scorer to the Pistons? Herro? Murphy? Anyone else? And will this have to wait until Dec 15 or do you expect it to go all the way to the trade deadline?
ARTHUR HILL
12:00
It doesn't feel like it's going to get resolved quickly. Rival teams recognize the Pistons' need for more scoring and will try to squeeze as many assets out of them as possible. The trade market typically heats up in mid-December, but there's going to be a lot of competition for players of that type, especially Murphy, so it may be around the deadline before a deal gets done. I don't think Herro is worth giving up more than one first-round pick. His game is limited outside of scoring and he'll be looking for a pricey extension on his expiring contract. Murphy is signed to a reasonable deal for the next three years and is a better long-term investment. I don't think Huerter and Robinson will interest the Pelicans, but two future first-rounders and Ron Holland might be the best offer they get.
JD
12:00
Are the Blazers going to trade a guard before the season? If so, which is the most likely to go?
ARTHUR HILL
12:07
It may not happen before the season starts, but Portland is eventually going to have to address its overcrowded backcourt. Trading for Ja Morant was a curious move when the team already has Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. At least one of them is going to unhappy with his playing time. It may be a sign that the Blazers don't believe Henderson will ever become the player they expected when they drafted him at No. 3 in 2023. Injuries have admittedly affected his career, but he hasn't overcome his shooting issues or become a reliable lead guard. Henderson is entering the last year of his rookie contract, and his future may be elsewhere as the Blazers focus on becoming a regular playoff contender.
Thanks for all the great questions. We'll talk again next week.
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