Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 8/27/26
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ARTHUR HILL
11:01
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll start with a couple of questions about the Jazz.
JazzNotes
11:01
Two questions about the Jazz. Do you see the team signing Keyonte George to an extension before the deadline? Second question. Do see the Jazz making the play-in tourney?
ARTHUR HILL
11:07
Coming off a career-best season, George is in a great position to be negotiating his next contract. He averaged 23.6 PPG and showed that he's capable of being the team's primary scoring threat. His role may diminish a little with more talent on the court this year, but he's still an important part of the future in Utah. Players are seeing the dangers of being stuck in restricted free agency, so they have more incentive to agree to extensions after their third season. I expect a new deal to get done before the October deadline.
11:11
The Jazz are a popular pick to rise up the standings this season, but I liked their chances a lot better before the Walker Kessler trade. Jusuf Nurkic and Jaxson Hayes don't inspire much confidence at center, and an upgrade may be necessary before Utah can become truly competitive. Even so, the bottom of the West looks weaker, and the Jazz have amassed a nice collection of young talent. If they stay relatively healthy, I think they're a good bet for a play-in spot.
Mark
11:11
Is Jonathan Kuminga in line for a break-out year in Minny or will be the same player he's always been?
ARTHUR HILL
11:17
Kuminga didn't get the contract he wanted in free agency, but it looks like he'll get the starting opportunity he's been asking for. He slots nicely into a Minnesota lineup with a glaring need for a power forward and with the ability to hide his weaknesses. If Kuminga displays the talent that made him a lottery pick, the Wolves could easily be the third-best team in the West. But he has received opportunities throughout his career, and he hasn't exactly excelled. He'll be playing for his next contract again this season, and it's easy to picture him disrupting team chemistry. He needs to understand that fitting into his role is more important to his future with the Wolves than putting up flashy stats.
Unclemike1526
11:17
I'm just wondering how long NBA teams are going to let their star players play in these off season tournaments without contract penalties if they get injured? Clauses that protect teams from having to pay them if they get injured. Baseball and other sports have rules about what can happen if you get hurt doing things on your own. What do you think? Thanks
ARTHUR HILL
11:25
The NBA reached an agreement with FIBA in 1990 to let their players participate in international tournaments. That deal helped spark the worldwide growth of basketball and gave the league access to a valuable new source of talent. I don't think the NBA wants to back away from that arrangement, and any new restrictions would likely have to be collectively bargained rather than imposed unilaterally. Representing their home nations is extremely important to a lot of players, and the league is willing to live with the injury risks that come with that.
Cale
11:25
Do the Lakers have a plan B after missing out on Kuminga?
ARTHUR HILL
11:31
The Lakers probably pursued Kuminga harder than anyone, but Atlanta wasn't interested in adding more salary in a sign-and-trade, and L.A. couldn't find anyone to facilitate the deal. Kuminga got tired of waiting on Wednesday and took the best offer he could get from Minnesota. That decision leaves the Lakers in a tough spot as they try to upgrade a lackluster group of forwards. There's not much talent left in free agency, and they don't have many trade assets remaining. Coach J.J. Redick may be using a lot of three-guard lineups this season.
Esteban
11:32
Did the Clippers make a mistake by letting Benn Mathurin leave without receiving any compensation?
ARTHUR HILL
11:40
It does feel like a mistake considering they could have easily matched the two-year, $16MM offer he got from New Orleans. Mathurin was a significant part of the return they received from Indiana for Ivica Zubac. He was an effective scorer during his time with the Clippers, and even though there are concerns about his shooting, he's only 24 and would have been a good fit with the team's youth movement. L.A. will have 16 players under contract, assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade gets completed, along with a partially guaranteed deal for Cam Christie. It appears they decided that keeping Mathurin was too expensive at any price, but it's a decision they may wind up regretting.
Guest
11:40
How do you see Bennedict Mathurin fitting into the Pelicans' rotation?
ARTHUR HILL
11:47
They must have plans for Mathurin to target him this late in free agency, and it will be interesting to see how new head coach Jamahl Mosley fits him into the rotation. The Pelicans have a lot of wing options to sort through as they decide who's going to be part of their future. Jordan Poole has an expiring contract, and Dejounte Murray has a player option next summer, so my guess is at least one of them will be phased out of the rotation in favor of Mathurin and will likely be traded by February.
Klay Thompson
11:47
I'll turn 37 during the season and have had a torn ACL and achilles in the past. Will I be able to handle a starter workload for Miami?
ARTHUR HILL
11:54
Considering his age and injury history, the Heat are asking a lot of Klay Thompson to take over a starting spot and be their primary three-point threat. He excelled in a bench role with Dallas last season and played the fewest minutes per game of his career, but it's not clear if that was an age-related decision or a way to create more playing time for the Mavericks' younger players. Thompson was a full-time starter two years ago and was able to play 72 games. Miami might manage his workload a little bit, but I'm confident that he'll be fine.
Elvis26
11:55
Will the lakers sign b brown?
I think the lakers should sign pj Washington what is your opinion?
ARTHUR HILL
12:02
PJ Washington is under contract with Dallas, but he could become a trade option later in the season. He's only 28 and has a pretty affordable contract for the next four years, so he'd be a nice pickup for the Lakers if the Mavs decide to make him available. Brown could be a better source of immediate help. He's a good fallback option at this point as he's versatile enough to help on both ends of the court and he has experience playing alongside stars. He's also durable, appearing in all 82 games for the Nuggets last season. He's probably high on the Lakers' list of available free agents, and he's someone they should contact quickly now that Jonathan Kuminga is off the board.
Kangz!
12:02
Arthur, do we Kings fans have anything to hope for or should we expect Sacramento to be bad for a while?
ARTHUR HILL
12:10
It's shaping up to be another rough season for the Kings, who are expected to be the worst team in the West once again. Darius Acuff should provide some excitement, but even if he turns out to be a future star, that won't translate into many wins this year. Poor management continues to be a problem in Sacramento, where they continue to take on unwanted contracts from other teams and don't have much to show for years of high draft picks. The good news is that they have enough expiring contracts to create cap room next summer, but they'll need to be smart in how they use it. Finding a taker for Domantas Sabonis' pricey deal and committing to a complete rebuild is probably their best option. It's a sad state of affairs for a franchise that seemed so promising three years ago.
Amin
12:10
Are the Nets gonna do anything else or roll with this roster? Seems like one of the Flatbush 5 could get cut for more depth at center. Maybe one of them doesn’t get the 3rd year option picked up. If so which one could it be?
ARTHUR HILL
12:19
It felt like the Nets were going to be more aggressive about trying to improve after they traded for Julius Randle so early in the offseason. But they've been quiet since then, and it seems like they're headed to another season at the bottom of the East. Last year's five first-rounders haven't done much to silence the critics who say that Brooklyn mishandled the draft. I think the Nets plan to be patient with all of them, but if I had to pick one who won't be around for his third season, I'd take Ben Saraf. He shot poorly during his time in the NBA, and it's hard to see how he fits into the future now that Mikel Brown Jr. is the franchise point guard.
Thanks for all the great questions. We'll talk again next week.
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