You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Hoops Rumors Live Chat: 9/30/25
powered byJotCast
ARTHUR HILL
11:01
Welcome to this week's chat. We'll get started with a LeBron James question.
LeBron James
11:01
Will this be my last season in the NBA?
ARTHUR HILL
11:12
LeBron never gives a clear answer when he's asked about the topic of retirement, so a lot gets left to speculation. At Monday's media day, he said it's coming "sooner rather than later," which can mean a lot of things, and it's possible that even LeBron doesn't have a clear picture of how much longer he intends to play. My guess is that he'll be motivated to stay active as long as he remains among the league's elite players. He was a second-team all-NBA selection last season, so there's not much incentive to walk away, even as he's about to turn 41. Next summer's free agency clouds his future somewhat, but I think he loves being an NBA star and isn't ready to leave that life behind. I don't expect this to be his farewell season.
JD
11:12
Will we get answers on Kuminga and Grimes by tomorrow? How do you see those situations ending?
ARTHUR HILL
11:24
Grimes isn't getting anything close to the type of offer he wants from the Sixers, so there's no reason for him to commit to a long-term, low-salary deal. Unless something changes at the last minute, his best option is to accept the $8.7MM qualifying offer and test his luck again next summer as an unrestricted free agent. Kuminga has better offers on the table from the Warriors, so I think he's less likely to take the QO route. He can have two years at $45MM or three years at $75.2MM if he's willing to accept a team option on the final season. I expect him to eventually decide between one of those offers, accompanied by an understanding with the Warriors that they'll try to trade him to a better situation as soon as possible.
Guest
11:24
Not that I expected an in-depth answer for Kawhi, but his media comments about Aspiration felt unsatisfactory. Will that situation be a distraction for the Clippers this fall?
ARTHUR HILL
11:36
Kawhi had a chance to ease the Aspiration controversy at least a little by providing his side of the story at media day, but his answers were evasive at best. It's clearly a subject he doesn't want to discuss, but the questions are going to keep coming until the situation is resolved. Adam Silver has said the law firm looking into the accusations is going to conduct a thorough investigation, which means it won't be wrapped up quickly. Leonard and coach Ty Lue are likely going to be asked about it in every city they visit, no matter what their answers are. With the potential of an extreme penalty hitting the organization at some point this season, I'd say it's definitely going to be a distraction.
Scott S.
11:36
How many players do you expect to sign rookie extensions befoer the season starts? Only 4 so far
ARTHUR HILL
11:48
Considering the depressed market for restricted free agents this summer, I think players are going to be motivated to avoid that route and try to reach extension agreements before the deadline. The top three picks from the 2022 draft all have extensions in place, along with OKC's Jalen Williams, but a lot of good players still have their situations unresolved. Dyson Daniels, Tari Eason, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren all seem likely to get extensions, and a few others should follow. We saw a late flurry of extensions at last year's deadline, and I wouldn't be surprised if close to 10 more deals get worked out before the season begins.
Victor Wembanyama
11:48
Now that I've been fully cleared, am I ready to legitimately enter the MVP conversation this season?
ARTHUR HILL
12:00
Wembanyama was probably headed for all-NBA honors last season if not for the deep vein thrombosis that forced him to be shut down in February. He was averaging 24.3 points and 11 rebounds in 46 games while leading the league in blocks at 3.8 per night. His presence enabled the Spurs to compete for a play-in spot in the West, and there was a sharp dropoff once he was sidelined. San Antonio may not be good enough yet for Wemby to get serious MVP consideration, but he's going to put up incredible numbers if he stays healthy. Jokic, Giannis, Luka and SGA will likely dominate the MVP race, but Wembanyama will be in that group soon.
Thanks for the great questions this week. We'll talk again next Tuesday.
Connecting…