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Weekly Mailbag: 3/4/19 – 3/10/19

March 10th 2019 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

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 Kyrie Irving will move to the Knicks with Kevin Durant next season or try to entice Durant to join the Celtics, as they’re both good buddies? — Greg Dizon

The interplay between Irving and Durant was one of the most interesting subplots of All-Star Weekend. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst compared them to a “middle school couple” on his “Hoop Collective Podcast” because they spent so much time together. Their conversations that weekend surely included the topic of becoming teammates next year, but we’ll have to see how the postseason plays out before setting any odds on that possibility. If it does happen, it will probably be in New York. Boston won’t have the cap space to sign Durant unless Al Horford opts out of a $30.1MM salary or the Celtics can find a taker for Gordon Hayward.

If the Knicks get the second or third pick, is there a possibility of selecting Ja Morant, and do you think he is better than Dennis Smith Jr.? — Howie

The Knicks keep investing in point guards and changing their minds, so who knows for sure? Considering their personnel, a wing like R.J. Barrett or Cam Reddish makes more sense. However, anything less than the No. 1 pick will instantly become trade bait. Morant put on a sensational performance in this week’s Ohio Valley Conference tournament, getting rave reviews from many observers, including Tony Jones of The Athletic, who considers Morant far more skilled than Smith (Twitter link).

Who do you think the Lakers will sign in the free agency? Is there any chance Brook Lopez returns? Where will Kawhi Leonard land? — Raphael Brandao
The Lakers will target stars in hopes of landing another elite player to team with LeBron James. If an Anthony Davis deal takes away their ability to offer a max contract, they’ll gladly pay that price. If that doesn’t happen, L.A. will turn to Leonard, Durant, Irving, Klay Thompson and anyone else they consider to be at that level. The rumor for months has been that Leonard’s first choice is the Clippers if he decides to leave Toronto. Durant and Irving seem to be looking elsewhere, while Thompson will stay with the Warriors if he gets a max offer, so the Lakers may have to be aggressive in their pursuit of a player such as Kemba Walker or Jimmy Butler. They may target Lopez if they have money left over, but he’s such a good fit in Milwaukee that the Bucks will fight to keep him.
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