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Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 9/11/2025
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Luke Adams
2:09
Apologies for the delay, guys. We'll get underway in about five minutes.
2:15
Thanks for your patience, all. Let's jump in here!
Guest
2:15
Saw that Alex Schumacher is getting 20K for his exhibit 10 bonus, why do some guys not get the full 85K? Does the G-League have a salary cap?
Luke Adams
2:18
There's no cap on how many Exhibit 10 bonuses a team can hand out. A team could give its entire projected G League roster bonuses of $85,300 each.

But that full amount isn't always necessarily to get a player to sign. A guy like Schumacher is more of a part-time role player in the NBAGL rather than a standout, so he's the kind of player who's more likely to settle for a smaller bonus -- from his perspective, it's still better than just playing in the G League for the standard base salary.
Edwill
2:18
Do you think with sober missing his rookie season with a acl injury that the thunder could make a move to fill his roster spot.
Luke Adams
2:20
No, Sorber will have to continue taking up a 15-man roster spot like Topic did last season.

The only potential benefit would be that the Thunder could get a disabled player exception that would give them a bit more cap flexibility. But it would only be worth about $2.3MM (50% of Sorber's salary) and likely won't be useful anyway, given that OKC still has its MLE and BAE on hand.
A.P.
2:20
Philadelphia has made Kelly Oubre and Andre Drummond available.  Should Lakers trade for Oubre since they lost Dorian Finney-Smith to free agency or possibly trade for both and have Drummond back up Ayton?
Luke Adams
2:22
It sounds to me like the Sixers would be interested in trading Oubre and/or Drummond without taking any salary back, which wouldn't be an option for the Lakers, who are about $1MM from their hard cap.

If you could make some sort of three-team deal where you send out Gabe Vincent's expiring $11MM contract to a third team, take on Oubre's expiring $8.38MM deal, and make room for a 15th man, that could be worthwhile, but the team taking on Vincent would want multiple second-round picks at the very least.
Qbert
2:22
Luke, it seems like you and other journalists have to do a lot of unnecessary digging to figure out the contract terms of the players. Why doesn't the NBA simply publicize this like other sports do? There is nothing inherently private, because the salaries are all part of slicing the league revenue up, which is publicly reported. Help me understand.
Luke Adams
2:25
I'm not really familiar with how it works in other sports leagues, so I'm not sure if announcing player salary details is something teams could do unilaterally or if it's the sort of thing that would have to be collectively bargained.

If it's the latter, teams likely don't consider it worth it. If it's the former, there may just be a "this is how we've always done it" element to it.
Hornets Fleece
2:25
What’s your best guess as to how the Collin Sexton trade went down? How did Charlotte move Nurkic for Sexton AND get a pick?
Luke Adams
2:28
Obviously that wasn't one of the summer's big trades and it sort of flew under the radar at the time, but you're right that it was a very confusing move from the Jazz's perspective. I can only come up with a couple potential explanations:

  1. They viewed giving up a second-round pick as worthwhile to ensure there's more playing time for their young guards (and to ensure that they'll be bad enough to keep their top-8 pick).
  2. They think Nurkic might be interested in going the Sasha Vezenkov route and agreeing to a buyout to return to Europe at some point, so there's a clearer path to saving some money on his contract.
TrustTheProcess
2:28
The Sixers posted a short video of Joel Embiid working out. Do you think the Sixers can be one of the top 6 teams in the East if Embiid plays more than 60 games this season?
Luke Adams
2:28
If Embiid plays 60+ games, absolutely. It's a talented roster! I just think that's an incredibly big if. Even in his healthiest seasons, he wasn't playing much more than 60 games.
GrizzMan
2:29
Have u heard anything about Coward’s recovery and health?
Luke Adams
2:30
Nothing concrete, but it sounded like he wasn't that far off from being ready a couple months ago, so hopefully he'll be able to participate fully in training camp. I imagine we'll have to wait for the Grizzlies' media day to get any sort of legitimate update.
Leon Rose
2:31
What should I be looking for with my last roster spot? I've heard shamet, but if brogdon is available and willing would be be the best option?
Luke Adams
2:32
Brogdon has more upside, but availability might be a more important consideration than upside, in which case Shamet probably makes a little more sense.
Byron Parker
2:32
will the NBA have a expansion team by 2030 in your opinion
Luke Adams
2:35
My first instinct is definitely yes, though now that I'm thinking about it more, 2030 is closer than it feels. I imagine even when the NBA eventually decides to expand, it'll still be a couple years before the team(s) begin playing, and it certainly doesn't feel like the NBA is on the verge of making any announcements.

I'll still say yes, but I also wouldn't be shocked if it happens in the early 2030s.
2:36
Speaking of Shamet and the Knicks, I swear I didn't see this before replying to that question about their roster spot: https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1966223380472017205
Thomas
2:37
Two guys who I think are really good players but probably not good enough to be the 1st or 2nd best scorer on contending playoff teams, Trey Murphy and Coby White. Do you see either of them getting moved? Would love to see one of them in GS, SA, maybe even Detroit.
Luke Adams
2:39
I'd be pretty surprised if the Pelicans moved Murphy. When a new front office starts running the show, you never know how attached they are to the players the previous regime added, but Murphy is one of the league's best shooters and is on a pretty favorable long-term contract. Even if the Pelicans reset, he should be part of their future plans.

That makes White the more likely trade candidate of the two, especially since Chicago probably wouldn't be able to extend him before next offseason. But the Bulls have a ton of future cap flexibility, so if they get indications from White's camp that he wants to re-sign, they're in a good position to keep him and meet his asking price.
Qbert
2:39
Is there a move you see the Kings making since they cleared a roster spot by cutting ties with Terence Davis?
Luke Adams
2:41
Don't think waiving Davis necessarily means that a corresponding move is coming. It never seemed to me like he was part of their plans, so cutting him now gives him a chance to catch on with another team before camp.

We'll see, but if the Kings do something, I think it's far more likely to involve Westbrook than Kuminga.
NBA GM
2:42
What do you make of Ben Simmons? If he thinks he's worth more than the minimum is he done as an NBA player? I know there were rumors of him being done with playing but perhaps the decision is being made for him l.
Luke Adams
2:44
His agent dropping him doesn't bode well. There are a lot of reasons why it would make sense for him to retire relatively young -- he's already made a ton of money, has dealt with some pretty significant back issues, and isn't especially well-liked by a wide swath of fans.

I still think it's probably a little premature to assume he's done. Maybe once the season starts, he'll realize he misses it and try to catch on with a team during the season. Or maybe he'll settle for a minimum deal sometime in the coming days/weeks. I do still think he could be an effective role player in the right situation.
Tao~of~Hoop
2:45
Aloha!  Putting aside any offcourt issues, what do you think about Kevin Porter Jr's game?  He missed a golden opportunity for a breakout playoff performance, but as a Buck during the regular season had flashed an efficient and well-rounded 2-way game.  Any chance of him putting up 20-5-5 and getting All Star consideration, if the Bucks have a good record?
Luke Adams
2:48
Porter has put up that kind of line before, but he did so on a 22-win Rockets team that didn't have many other offensive options and didn't really care if he took a ton of shots or had the ball in his hands a lot.

Even with Lillard gone, I expect his role will be far more modest in Milwaukee, with Ryan Rollins and Cole Anthony sharing playing time and the offense frequently running through Giannis.

That's not to say that Porter won't have a solid season, but I'm definitely not expecting All-Star type numbers from him.
Arcman
2:49
Could Kuminga change his mind and sign with warriors last minute before Oct.1st seeing that the 2 other RFA did not get anything close to a max contract?
Luke Adams
2:50
Sure, still plenty of time to negotiate. Don't think anything's set in stone with that situation yet.

I'd still be a bit surprised if Kuminga took the QO, but I suppose there's a precedent now after Cam Thomas gave up a more lucrative 2025/26 salary to keep his no-trade clause.
thunderwriter
2:50
Do you think other teams do what the Clippers (allegedly) did? Or do you think the Clippers are the only ones who have been "caught?"
Luke Adams
2:53
I'd only be speculating. Who knows, maybe this is one of those things like steroids in MLB in the 1990s, where it seems obvious in retrospect that there was a ton of cheating going on.

If the NBA comes down hard on the Clippers, I expect teams will make a concerted effort to avoid similar arrangements going forward, to the point where they'd be more closely vetting their players' endorsement deals.
Qbert
2:53
If Kuminga signs, the Warriors fill out their roster with ... Horford, Payton and one of Seth Curry/Melton/Alec Burks?
Luke Adams
2:55
Horford feels like a lock. I think Melton might be too. Curry and Payton are in the next tier (seems likely, but not a slam dunk).

Brogdon is a wild card -- not sure if he's a Plan B if they don't get Melton/Curry/Payton or if he'd be ahead of one or two guys on the Warriors' wish list.

If Kuminga and four of those players mentioned above sign, that would take the Warriors' total to 14 players, so there'd probably be room for one more, which could end up being a frontcourt free agent or one of their second-round picks (likely Will Richard).
Panos
2:56
Do you believe that keegan can have a breakout season, now that he is a contract eligible?
Luke Adams
2:57
He should be given every opportunity to. Guys like Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan may be the Kings' present, but Murray is the type of player who could give fans hope for the future. They need him to reach another level pretty soon.
R. Alan
2:57
With all the new and young players they have, who do you see as the Wizards starting 5 and who is the first one off the bench? And, are they going to sign another center or is the lack of rebounding part of the lottery plan?
Luke Adams
3:01
Good question. You'd assume that Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum would be awarded starting spots if they're healthy. I imagine Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr would be in there too. Then Bub Carrington at point guard?

There could be some competition in camp for those spots, but that looks like a logical starting five to me, with guys like Tre Johnson, Corey Kispert, Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore, AJ Johnson, Will Riley, and Justin Champagnie competing to be part of the second unit?

As for the centers, I think you might be right about the lack of rebounding being by design. They'll also likely lean heavily on Sarr. But I suppose we should probably pencil in Bagley for a potential second unit role, since they need some size there.
3:02
Thanks for the questions today, guys. Have a great week and we'll plan on doing this again next Thursday!
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