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 is the best, most realistic free agent pairing with D’Angelo Russell? — Chase
HR: I don’t know if it’s necessarily a pairing, but I like Nic Batum for the Lakers this summer. Batum will be an unrestricted free agent with plenty of options, but the Lakers will have a significant hole to fill with Kobe Bryant retiring. My hunch is that the Hornets will make a spirited attempt at re-signing Batum, but I think he winds up elsewhere. He’s a solid player and has proven to fit in a variety of offenses.
Assuming Chandler Parsons becomes a free agent, who do you prefer: Parsons, Harrison Barnes or Batum? — Jonathan
HR: Great question. They all are great players. They all have concerns, though, too. Batum started the season on fire, but then he struggled for a lengthy period and it is unclear why. I like Parsons a lot because he’s a good scorer and seems to be a high-character guy. The thing with Parsons is that I think every year we keep waiting for him to evolve into this superstar player that he likely will never be. Barnes is maddening to watch sometimes, but that’s only because his potential is obvious. I might go as far to say that Barnes is the riskiest option based on their respective careers. That said, I’d go with the youngest of the three because it’s so close: Barnes.
Where is “the great polar bear” Greg Stiemsma? — David
HR: Ha. Well, he’s a free agent and has yet to sign, so obviously he’s not on an NBA roster and I’m not sure he’ll latch on with one before the end of the season. Last we heard his name here at Hoops Rumors was late October when the Magic waived him.