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.
Um. I think the person asking the question was expecting maybe a little research on the question and some insight based on that a phone call or two… as opposed to simply offering an uninformed opinion that could be put forward by pretty much anyone.
(ie, Stewart’s question about Granger)