We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
Do you think the superb performance of Victor Oladipo makes the trade for Paul George seem not so bad and lopsided after all? — Greg Dizon
Not only has Oladipo been a surprise, so has Domantas Sabonis, which has quickly changed the public perception of the deal. It seemed like the Pacers were trying to get anything of value for a departing star when they shipped George to Oklahoma City, but they appear to have landed two promising additions to a young foundation. Oladipo is an early candidate for Most Improved Player, ranking 10th in the scoring race at 24.6 points per game. Sabonis filled in nicely at center while Myles Turner was recovering from a concussion, averaging a double-double with 13.2 points and 10.6 points per night. Give the Pacers’ new management team credit for this one. They were able to make the best of a difficult situation.
The Miami Heat have pieces, all sorts of them. They seem to have the sort of depth that is better suited for a trade than for merely holding onto. What, if any, type of move do you see Pat Riley making? — Rion Golden
Riley has a philosophy of chasing “the big fish,” so there probably won’t be a significant move until one of those becomes available. Eric Bledsoe doesn’t seem like a big enough name, and Jahlil Okafor certainly isn’t, so expect Riley to hold onto his assets until he can pursue someone he really wants, like possibly DeMarcus Cousins if things don’t go well in New Orleans. Miami is far over the cap for next season and doesn’t have any draft picks next summer, so trades are the only way for the Heat to improve quickly. Riley will go after someone, but he will be patient.
I agree he shouldn’t be on the top 20 list [of available free agents for 2018], but will Dante Exum garner much free agency interest? He has lost two years, but is a tall, athletic point guard. — Jimmy Robinson, via Twitter
Because of injuries, we never really found out how good Exum can be. He played a full season for Utah as a rookie in 2014/15, but has only appeared in 66 games since then. He has good size for a point guard at 6’6″, but only averages 2.1 assists per game and is a poor shooter [.385 from the field and .308 from 3-point range]. Plus he’s coming off his second major injury, a separated left shoulder that required season-surgery. Exum should get an opportunity somewhere next season, but he may have to accept a minimum-salary deal and start proving that he can play in the NBA.
If Oladipo and Sabonis continue, I think Kevin Pritchard should get GM of the year! I hope they do!