Weekly Mailbag News & Rumors

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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:

Doesn’t it seem perfect that Al Horford became available in trade talks right about the same time Festus Ezeli had surgery? That seems like a good fit. Golden State could trade picks that they don’t seem to need. — Isaac

HR: Perfect, sure, if the Warriors were simply able to plug him into their rotation. I don’t see that dream becoming a reality, though. It was reported earlier today that the Hawks are not actively shopping Al Horford despite his looming free agency. While Horford has not offered much regarding his plans for after this season, he has on multiple occasions expressed how much he enjoys playing in Atlanta so I wouldn’t bet on him signing anywhere else. I know that is the politically correct answer from athletes, but there is a lot to like about the Hawks’ situation, especially with the season they are experiencing. While the Celtics have reportedly reached out about Horford, the Warriors have not expressed interest in him, at least not publicly. I don’t see Golden State making a move, anyway. What’s more, Ezeli, a soon-to-be restricted free agent, is expected back in five weeks and has said he wants to stay with the Warriors for the rest of his career.

Who are possible suitors for Greg Monroe? — John

HR: The Bucks shouldn’t be shopping Monroe, but they’ve reportedly let teams know that they are. It’s unlikely the center is moved because Monroe was the Bucks’ prized free agent signing last July. He can opt out after next season. The Knicks, Lakers and Blazers made max offers to Monroe, so they all could presumably still be interested. I wouldn’t bet on Monroe getting traded because coach Jason Kidd, who apparently calls the shots on player personnel, said the Bucks won’t be making any deals at the deadline.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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 Nuggets GM Tim Connelly’s extension make sense based on his performance to date? — Keith

HR: I really think so. I am a fan of what Connelly has done, but I’m also not a Nuggets fan so my perspective may differ from yours, Keith. I know the Nuggets are 10 games under .500 and I have not been impressed with first-year coach Michael Malone, but Denver is positioned well for the future and a lot of that has to do with Connelly, who took over for Masai Ujiri in 2013. Connelly has acquired three potential lottery-protected first-round picks over the next two drafts after drafting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay in the lottery last summer. It’s hard to argue with that. I strongly believe that when Connelly’s contract is up, this will no longer be a question.

What do you think of a trade that would send Arron Afflalo, Jose Calderon, Cleanthony Early and a pair of second round picks to the Kings for Darren Collison, Marco Belinelli, and Caron Butler? — Keith

HR: The Knicks have two second-round picks they can trade, one in 2018 and one in 2022. From a financial standpoint, the deal works fine. I don’t mind the deal from the Knicks’ perspective much because they need backcourt help and Collison has the potential to provide that for a couple of years. I don’t like the Knicks moving Afflalo, though, because he has proven to be the rare player who is able to produce while playing second fiddle to Carmelo Anthony. Of course, to receive, you have to give. I’m not convinced Belinelli has anything left, but I can say the same about Calderon. The question is, which player would each team want, Collison or Afflalo? I like this deal.

Should the Celtics consider a deal for Ryan Anderson? Could a Jonas Jerebko/Evan Turner/non-Brooklyn first round pick package interest New Orleans, or would Marcus Smart or a Brooklyn first round pick be needed? — Craig

HR: The Celtics really shouldn’t deal Smart at all, especially not for a player they will likely have for only a couple of months. It does make sense for the Celtics to consider a deal for Anderson, though, because although the team has a slew of power forwards, none of them can open the floor quite like Anderson can. I would suggest a swap of Anderson for Jerebko and Jared Sullinger with some picks exchanged as well.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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:

With Blake Griffin out, will the Clippers make some bold moves? — Richard

HR: There is no debating Griffin’s talent, but losing Chris Paul would be a bigger blow to the Clippers. Heck, considering the way Griffin tends to dominate the ball, losing DeAndre Jordan would probably be worse than not having Griffin, too. As far as “bold moves,” I don’t see any on the horizon for the Clippers. They’ve won four straight and their bench has looked vastly improved lately. It’s easy to point to Lance Stephenson and say he should be traded, but who would take him? What would the Clippers get in return? Coach/executive Doc Rivers seems to imply that Stephenson will remain on the team through the deadline. If the Clippers don’t make it to the finals this season, I would expect significant moves, perhaps one involving Griffin, especially if the Clippers continue to show they can consistently win without him.

Do you think the Hornets will try to trade for Marco Belinelli? — Nick

HR: Teams have reportedly shown interest recently in acquiring Belinelli from the Kings, but it is unclear if the Hornets are one of those teams. I doubt it. In previous seasons, the Hornets were known for making a deal, but they find themselves in a unique situation this time around. Unlike previous seasons, the Hornets don’t have a major flaw and they are a pretty decent team. Granted, not many expected the Hornets to be as competitive, but since they are, why acquire a guy like Belinelli, who is signed for two more years after this one and is experiencing a down season? I expect the Hornets to let the deadline pass without making a move.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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:

Is Baron Davis close to signing with any team in the D-League and have there been any teams that have been interested in bringing him aboard? — Ryan

HR: Despite many fans wanting to see it happen, I don’t see Baron Davis making a return to the NBA this season as a player. All signs point to it not happening. Davis cleared D-League waivers last week after going unclaimed by the league’s 19 teams. In other words, that means no team thought he was worth burning a waiver for. More recently, and perhaps more perplexing, Davis has declined offers from D-League teams wanting him to practice for them. At this point, Davis would still have to sign with a D-League team, play well enough to warrant interest from the NBA and then have a team with flexibility and a need to sign him. There has been little to suggest any of that will happen.

From Minnesota’s perspective, does a trade of Kevin Martin and Tyus Jones to the Bulls for Pau Gasol and Cameron Bairstow hold any appeal?  — Mark

HR: The trade you proposed would work from a financial standpoint, but I don’t see the Bulls adding a player like Martin by subtracting Gasol. In other words, if the Bulls are going to make a move with the thought of competing this season, which acquiring Martin would signal, I don’t think they give up Gasol, even though they might lose him this summer (if he opts out). Gasol is making only $7.4MM this season, so he still holds significant trade value. I think if anyone on the Bulls is traded, it is going to be Taj Gibson because the Bulls have depth at that position.

What do you think of this Cavs and Rockets trade: Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov for Dwight Howard? Or Ty Lawson, Corey Brewer and Terrence Jones for Love? — Dorian

HR: The Cavs seem like the league’s most dysfunctional yet functional team of all time and you want to add Dwight Howard to the mix? It’s not going to happen. Ditto for Lawson. I love the idea of a blockbuster like this, but I don’t see these two teams blowing up their respective rosters months before each prepare for the playoffs (Yes, I think the Rockets will make the playoffs as they’re currently constructed). Just to answer the question in a more thorough way, the deal involving Love and Mozgov would work from a financial standpoint, but reports have indicated that no potential deals are imminent regarding Mozgov.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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 believe that DeMar DeRozan will return to the Raptors or should the Raptors trade him now? — Illbedat44

HR: I’d be completely shocked if DeRozan was not playing with the Raptors next season. That’s how strongly I feel about the situation. DeRozan has been very transparent about his desire to stay in Toronto for the remainder of his career even though he is poised to turn down his player option worth only slightly more than $10MM and hit free agency this summer. DeRozan is from California and the Lakers would be a sensible fit, but I just don’t see him leaving the Raptors. Often when a player says he wants to stay with a team, he is being politically correct. DeRozan, however, has gone on record every time he is asked with a detailed answer on why playing with the Raptors is so important to him. If I’m the Raptors, I take him at his word, keep him for the remainder of this season and make the best offer possible this summer.

How likely is it that the Bulls make a trade this season? — Daniel

HR: I’d say it’s very likely now that Joakim Noah will be out of action for four to six months after suffering a dislocated left shoulder in Friday’s game. I don’t mean that the Bulls will be acquiring talent, either. I agree with Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com that the loss of Noah diminishes the Bulls as a contender this season. It’s unfortunate, at least from Chicago’s perspective, but this team doesn’t strike many as a championship contender. It’s time to look toward the future. While I don’t feel too strongly about his market, there will likely be several teams willing to at least listen about Pau Gasol, who has a player option for next season and is expected to enter free agency this summer. It is imperative for the Bulls to move Gasol. Still, it’s not clear what the Bulls plan to do at this point. If Chicago still wants to make a run at it, a wing player with some offensive upside is a necessity.

Who will be the biggest name traded before the trade deadline in just about a month? — Illbedat44

HR: We just answered a Bulls question, so Gasol and Taj Gibson jump out to me as well-known names to watch before the deadline. The most accurate answer to your question at this point is likely Markieff Morris. I know, it feels as if we’ve been discussing the Suns power forward as a trade candidate every week for months. That’s because we have. While Morris’ attitude is a question mark, he is also still viewed as a valuable stretch-power forward on the trade market, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News wrote recently. With the Suns struggling, it has to be only a matter of days before we see Morris, who has three years and $24MM left on his contract after this season, in a new uniform.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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 do you make of the Bucks right now? They’re clearly a lottery team, but seemingly with a lot of individual talent. What’s your sense for how they’ll approach the trade deadline? — Daren

HR: The Bucks are one of the most interesting teams in the league. Note: That’s not necessarily a good thing. The team is built to compete now, but Milwaukee is 15-23. Before getting into the trade deadline, it’s worth pointing out that the Bucks have reportedly met twice with free agent Carlos Boozer. The Bucks are without much roster flexibility, since they have 15 fully guaranteed contracts, though they have a $1.664MM sliver of the mid-level exception left over if Boozer, a 13-year veteran, demands more than the minimum salary, which for him would be $1,499,187, as our own Chuck Myron pointed out. With or without Boozer, the Bucks would still have issues. As you pointed out, they have individual talent, but rank as a poor defensive team that needs to score more. Meeting with Boozer signals that the Bucks will likely not be sellers at the deadline. After signing Greg Monroe to a lucrative deal over the summer, I’d look for them to make a minor deal or two with an eye toward next season.

Would the Mavs consider going after Joakim Noah from the Bulls or go get combo guards like Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin from the Wolves. Which is most likely to happen? — Daniel

HR: Actually, I think the position to keep an eye on regarding the Mavs heading into the trade deadline frenzy is small forward. Chandler Parsons is still rounding into form and there is not much, if any, depth behind him at the position. I could see the Mavs landing Noah because Mark Cuban has reeled in veterans as complementary pieces in the past and it usually has worked. Noah would add some defense and depth in the middle. With four point guards on the roster, I’d be surprised if the Mavs didn’t move at least one of them, even if that is Deron Williams.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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:

Are the Cavs looking to make a trade this season to enhance their championship run? — Thea

HR: Barring an injury, I really don’t think acquiring more new players would help the Cavs. In fact, I think that would be counter-productive. For the first time all season, the Cavs are actually healthy. With a roster already dotted with talent, the depth chart will likely soon be in a state of flux with coach David Blatt mixing and matching until he finds something that he thinks works. We haven’t heard or read from anywhere else that the Cavs are intent on making a move. What’s more, now at full strength, there really is not an area of weakness that needs to be addressed. Making a trade at this point would delay what’s most important for the Cavs heading into what projects to be a deep playoff run: time to gel.

Since it seems the Bucks will stay put and they looked to be the most likely to relocate, who are the logical candidates now or is it as simple as the league just stalling until they decide to expand? — Joe

HR: This is just my speculation (based on conversations from reporters and lower-level executives in the league last season), but I think there is a stronger chance of the league expanding than there is of a team relocating, like you hint at. I think you’re right about the Bucks. They seemed to be on thin ice for a while, but it looks like they’ve sorted things out. To digress momentarily, I would not have been surprised to see the Pelicans relocate had it not been for Anthony Davis. To get back to your question: Commissioner Adam Silver said in April that relocation or expansion is unlikely for at least the next two years. Again, this is solely my opinion, but one would have to think that Seattle would be in line as a city that can generate the revenue needed once the league does decide to expand again.

Why won’t the Knicks just add Jimmer Fredette? — Allie

HR: Well, you can’t really blame any team for not jumping to add Fredette based on the minimal success he has experienced so far in the league. Sorry; I know he is a fan favorite for many. For whatever the reason, though, his game has not translated well to the NBA. Fredette is currently playing for the Knicks’ D-League affiliate in Westchester. But if you’re a Knicks fan, shouldn’t you be wanting more? They’ve checked in on Brandon Jennings, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com and are reportedly interested in Tony Wroten. Both would be better options for a team with backcourt issues.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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:

Is Danny Granger giving up on getting back to sufficient health and likely to be announcing his retirement, or, instead, is he biding his time, intending to be a mid-season or late-season spark plug for some contender with an open roster slot? — Stewart

HR: It’s been a while since we’ve heard Granger’s name floated around. The Pistons waived Granger in late October and he hasn’t been relevant since. It sounds obvious, but only Granger knows for sure how healthy he is, and that will likely dictate whether he still has anything left to give. In my opinion, it would be surprising on multiple fronts to see Granger back on the court. One reason is that he was dealing with plantar fasciitis before Detroit cut him. As many of us know, that is a nagging injury that oftentimes does not go away. Granger also has a history of knee problems. At 32, there is really no reason for a team to offer him a spot. Granger has not had a productive season since the 2011/12 campaign, which was the last time he appeared in more than 30 games over the course of a single season.

What are some possible moves or signings for the Mavs? — Rob

HR: Well, for better or worse, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently said he likes the current roster. Cuban also added that the media and public are never really in the know when Dallas is about to make a move, so take that for what it’s worth. Prior to that, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle made comments about making changes to the roster only to backtrack from them afterward. Recent history tells us that the Mavs are not exactly timid when it comes to making deals involving big names. If he can be obtained without giving up much, I’d speculate that the Mavs could trade for Joakim Noah. Dallas will likely give up less, given Zaza Pachulia‘s production. Our own Chuck Myron recently viewed Noah as a trade candidate. Speaking of the Bulls, Taj Gibson looked like a good fit for the Mavs prior to the season. I strongly believe the Mavs will pick up some bench options, but with the team enjoying a solid season so far with a bunch of new parts, I wouldn’t expect significant changes to alter chemistry even more.

Which potential trade candidate do you think is the most underrated? — John

HR: David Lee strikes me as the perfect player as an answer to this question. The Celtics are making Lee available to teams that would like to trade for him, according to TNT’s David Aldridge. As someone who grew up a Knicks fan, I still have fond memories of Lee. At 32, Lee’s best years are behind him, but as his statistics per 36 minutes (16.9 points) indicate, he still more than a serviceable option. Lee, who is on an expiring contract, is an underrated player right now because he is seeing the fewest minutes per game of his career. That has more to do with the success of  Jared Sullinger, Amir Johnson and Kelly Olynyk than any shortcomings Lee might have, in my opinion.

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second 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:

“With the Washington Wizards’ expectations this year and their lack of success do you see them making a trade? Would they ever trade Bradley Beal seeing as how he did not sign an extension and he would be able to fetch a lot on the trade market? Would the Nuggets be a possibility? Denver has young assets and draft picks.” — Domanic

HR: It’s been a disappointing start to the season for the Wizards, but they are near .500 and still very much in striking distance of a playoff spot. With their talent, it is conceivable for them to hold on to their assets and still make a run. As for Beal, he has had an interesting record when it comes to health. J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com recently referred to it as “long and complex.” The Wizards made it clear in the past that they envisioned inking him to a new deal even though they could not come to an agreement on an extension. Despite that now seemingly up in the air because Beal will be out a few games with an injury, I don’t see him getting traded. His injury, however, is something I really think will decrease his value this summer because, as we know, this is not the first occurrence of Beal missing action.

Can you see the Knicks signing Joakim Noah through free agency in the offseason? What are some other realistic possible signings for New York this summer? — Rodney

HR: The short answer: No, I really can’t. I mean, Noah may be had a discount because of the down season he is experiencing coming off the bench for the Bulls, but there is not much to suggest he would be in for a bounce-back campaign. I do not think adding an aging star would help the Knicks. New York will obviously target Kevin Durant this summer, but it would behoove the Knicks to make a run at Brandon Jennings, a point guard coming off injury troubles who might outplay is next contract. Ryan Anderson and Al Horford are two other well-known names that come to mind.

What are the chances the Lakers have now in gaining a star powered free agent, now that Kobe Bryant announced his retirement? — Leroy

HR: Contrary to the popular belief, I don’t think Kobe Bryant mattered much in whether or not the Lakers’ chances were strong next summer for landing a star free agent. They are likely a couple of seasons away from being relevant to the playoff picture, which is not very attractive for many free agents. The lure of L.A. is not what it once was. The Lakers will have the money to offer, but I just don’t see how the team can attract the stars of the upcoming free agent class.