Weekly Mailbag

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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

Should the Celtics bite the bullet and trade for Kevin Love in a deal that sends Nerlens Noel to the Cavs, Love to Boston and Jaylen Brown to 76ers, then target Gordon Hayward in free agency should he opt out, which seems to be the consensus around the NBA. Or should they wait until Blake Griffin hits the market and see what the Nets pick brings during the lottery process, where they’ll likely target Harry Giles? — Chris Hawkins

That’s a lot of moving parts. Let’s address them one at a time. Boston probably would have been the best destination for Love if the Cavaliers had lost in the Finals and were looking to shake up the team. But right now, Cleveland has no intention of breaking up the core of its world champions. Also, Love is too similar to Al Horford and that combination would leave the Celtics with no rim protector. Boston will have about $26MM to spend next summer, so it can afford to target Hayward, who has become one of the league’s best small forwards. Griffin seems like a long shot, and Boston shouldn’t be making plans around the possibility that he will decide to leave L.A. And whether it’s Giles or someone else, the Celtics seemed poised to hit the jackpot with the Nets’ picks in the next two drafts. That’s another reason to hold onto Brown and set up a mega-offer for someone like DeMarcus Cousins.

Which free agents are most likely to be off the market at the start of the season? — Ryan Smith

J.R. Smith, for sure. With no other offers to give him leverage, he should sign fairly soon at a number close to what the Cavs offered. Likewise, Donatas Motiejunas got no offers as a restricted free agent and appears to be a lock to remain in Houston. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole have both been linked to the Cavaliers, who need an experienced point guard to back up Kyrie Irving. Carl Landry was waived by the Sixers last week, and someone will probably pick him up before training camp opens.

What are your thoughts on every NBA team getting to choose its own rep for an All Star dunk, skills or 3-point competition? Seems like this would increase fan interest, as everyone would have a hometown guy to root for. Also, how close are we to having an NBA and D-League relationship that more closely mirrors what MLB has with its upper minor leagues? (Example: Each NBA team has an expanded 20-man roster and 12-man active roster, while the other eight would be in the D-League or disabled list.) Seems this would give more guys a path to the NBA, solve some of the fatigue and injury complaints from the players, increase talent in the D-League, while also keeping more talent stateside instead of going to Europe. — Beauen Bogner

Your first suggestion is intriguing, but I don’t know if it’s workable to have 30 contestants in any of those contests. They often stretch out too long as it is. The D-League has added five teams for the upcoming season, bringing its total to 22, and all have a direct association with an NBA team. There are so many advantages to having a D-League affiliate that it seems eventually all 30 teams will go that route. But even if the D-League evolves into a baseball-style minor league, it will never be able to compete with the salaries that overseas teams pay, so that’s going to remain the first choice for players who don’t make an NBA roster.

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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

Do you think there’s a chance that Stephen Curry will join the Lakers after his contact expires next season, since one of his former coaches, Luke Walton, is the Lakers’ coach now? — Greg Dizon

It may be fun for Lakers fans to dream about the possibility of Golden State players following their former coach to L.A., but we can’t envision any scenario where Curry leaves the Warriors. He’s criminally underpaid at about $12.1MM for the upcoming season, but that’s a result of signing his current deal four years ago when there were still concerns about his ankles. The Warriors aren’t in a position to renegotiate right now, especially after signing Kevin Durant, but they will take care of Curry next summer. The Lakers will have to look elsewhere for stars.

If J.R. Smith doesn’t re-sign with the Cavs, what is the most logical destination for him? Boston, Brooklyn, Denver, Miami, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Utah all seem to have cap space to sign him.–Matt Trapp

While it’s true that all those teams have the cap room to add Smith, it’s also true that none of them has made an offer since he became a free agent more than two months ago. At age 30 and with a somewhat checkered NBA past, it’s understandable why teams didn’t line up to throw money at him. Plus, there have been reports that J.R. and the Cavs aren’t that far apart on money, with the team offering $10MM to $12MM a year and Smith wanting $15MM. Our best guess is that this gets wrapped up before the season starts and at terms closer to the Cavaliers’ offer, much like the Tristan Thompson standoff did last year. But back to your question, if Smith does go somewhere else, Minnesota is intriguing. With all the young talent on their roster, the Wolves might want a veteran shooting guard with championship experience.

What is the likelihood that:

• Greg Monroe is traded before the season?
• Monroe finds a productive/effective role with the Bucks this year?
• Monroe is traded before the deadline?
• Monroe does not opt out next summer because no one will pay him more than what his third year is worth? — Nick Sawyer

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported this week that Milwaukee doesn’t want to make a major deal before camp opens, so the likelihood of the first question appears very low. Monroe was an awkward fit last season and there haven’t been enough roster changes to see how that improves, so the second question also seems like a long shot. Questions three and four are related, as any team that considers a midseason trade for Monroe is going to want an assurance that he won’t opt out of a $17.9MM salary next summer. His decision may come down to how soon he wants to leave Milwaukee.

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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

What exactly is going on with the Magic? Do they have a plan? — Yancy Yeater

Orlando’s plan for the summer seemed to involve acquiring as much talent as possible, then worrying later about how it all fits together. They got two of the best shot blockers in the league by signing Bismack Biyombo and trading for Serge Ibaka. How they’ll mesh with holdover center Nikola Vucevic remains to be seen, and Vucevic may not be easy to move with three seasons and $36.75MM left on his contract. New coach Frank Vogel faces a big challenge in putting all the pieces together, but Orlando probably raised its talent level enough to challenge for a playoff spot.

Why didn’t the Knicks pursue Lance Stephenson? He’s only 25 and  brings a strong resume playing in playoff competition. He’s a big guard, can defend well, rebounds great, passes well, shoots 48% from field and 39% from 3. He’s a New York City product and has the state high school all-time scoring record. Why no interest? — Harvey Ludwin

It’s not just the Knicks. A lot of teams that could have used Stephenson’s talent decided to pass on his personality. A series of incidents both large and small have resulted in him playing on three teams in the last two seasons. A rumor that the Nets might have a spot for Stephenson was seemingly debunked today, and Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe recently reported that the sixth-year swingman might have to play overseas for a while and work his way back to the NBA.

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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

Jimmer Fredette seems to be a very good shooter and ballplayer. Why hasn’t he had NBA success so far? I think all he needs is to be given much playing time and not sit on the bench to maximize his talent. What do you think? — Greg Dizon

He certainly had the look of a good player when he came out of BYU in 2011. He was drafted 10th overall by the Kings, who traded up for a chance to get him. But the NBA hasn’t been kind to Jimmer. He never topped the 7.6 points per game scoring average he posted as a rookie, and he bounced around the league and the D-League after being waived by the Kings in 2014. Fredette has signed to play in China next season, and although he may catch on with an NBA team after the Chinese season is over, it’s hard to envision him ever becoming a star.

What is the number of assistants and other bench personnel allowed in the NBA? The Spurs seemed to have the most bench personnel compared to Clippers. — G.H. Torrance

NBA rules allow the head coach, three assistants and the trainer to sit in the front row of seats with the players. It’s the “second row” where things get a little murkier. Depending on the team, you’ll find another assistant coach, a video coordinator, an advance scout, someone from the athletic performance staff, an assistant trainer and security personnel. The Spurs currently have five assistant coaches — James Borrego, Chip Engelland, Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka and Becky Hammon. The Clippers have Sam Cassell, Armond Hill, Brendan O’Connor and Mike Woodson. A fifth, Bob Thate, was hired this week by the Grizzlies.

Which big man do you think the Sixers will trade, Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor or Joel Embiid? — Zach Ford

The best answer is whoever brings back the best return. Philadelphia has probably listened to dozens of offers already, and more will come before any deal is made. Embiid seems the least likely to be traded away. After missing two seasons, teams will be wary of giving up much talent for a player with such a questionable health history. Despite off-court troubles during his rookie season, Okafor seems ready to blossom into an elite talent on offense and could be a great addition to a team that can compensate for his shortcomings on defense. Noel is eligible for a rookie contract extension through October 31st, so that may factor into the Sixers’ thinking. If they can’t sign him long-term, he may be the one to go.

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. Here are this week’s inquiries:

Does a trade where Ricky Rubio gets a fresh start in Sacramento and where Rudy Gay joins the up-and-coming T’Wolves make sense for both teams? — Matt Trapp

Arthur Hill: It makes a lot of sense. Kris Dunn and Tyus Jones are the point guards of the future in Minnesota, and the Wolves don’t need Rubio around to take away their playing time. He is signed for the next three seasons at $13.55MM, $14.25MM and $14.8MM, so he’s too expensive to keep as a backup. Minnesota is looking for one more wing player, while Sacramento needs help at point guard. Rajon Rondo left for the Bulls in free agency and Darren Collison may be looking at a lengthy suspension after his domestic violence case is resolved. Also, the salaries match almost perfectly, with Gay making $13,333,333 next season. It seems like an ideal trade for both teams.

Devin Harris is out of the Mavericks’ rotation now. Send him to Miami to be their backup point guard for a protected second rounder. Mavs save a little money, sign Jason Terry to be third-string/player assistant coach and reunite with buddy Dirk. Thoughts? — Beauen

Arthur Hill: Terry would probably love it, plus the Heat need an experienced backup to Goran Dragic. Harris makes a little more than $4.2MM next season and $4.4MM in 2017/18, so he’s a low-cost solution. Miami can’t consider many deals before the December 15th deadline to trade newly signed players, so Dallas will have to be patient. The Heat have too many experienced players and too few minutes to go around, so if they can unload maybe Wayne Ellington or someone else who falls out of the rotation, they might be interested in Harris.

What’s the role of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver? Does he or the NBA board have any veto power regarding player movement? Here in Manila, in our local PBA league, player movement, signings and trades pass through the commissioner before being finalized. If the Kevin Durant to the Warriors issue happened here, it would have been vetoed for causing team imbalance. — Greg Dizon

Arthur Hill: The commissioner has always had great power when it comes to settling league disputes and in matters of player discipline, but overseeing trades and player movement has never been part of the job description. What Durant did was perfectly legal under the existing rules. He honored his contract with the Thunder and became an unrestricted free agent. The Warriors had enough cap room to sign him, and both parties entered into the deal willingly. It’s up to each individual front office to keep its team competitive, not the commissioner. The one glaring exception when a trade was vetoed came in 2011 when the Hornets agreed to ship Chris Paul to the Lakers. However, the New Orleans franchise was owned by the league at the time, so David Stern had legitimate “basketball reasons” to stop the deal.