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 happens to LaMarcus Aldridge? — Terrance, via Twitter
Words like “unhappy” and “frustrated” were used this week to describe Aldridge, who signed with San Antonio two years ago in hopes of winning a title, but now appears to be looking for a way out of town. The Spurs made some calls ahead of the draft to see if they could land a top 10 pick in exchange for Aldridge, but came away empty. That’s not surprising, as lottery teams in the midst of rebuilding don’t have much need for a 31-year-old who might be a short-term rental. If San Antonio can get a commitment from Chris Paul, look for Aldridge and his $21.46MM contract to be shipped somewhere, along with a generous sweetener, to clear cap room. More likely, he spends another unhappy season with the Spurs, then opts out next summer.
Who will Gordon Hayward sign with? — Peter Chiu, via Twitter
The Celtics and Heat are the top threats to the Jazz. Boston offers an instant contender, along with a reunion with his college coach, Brad Stevens. Miami has a clear need at small forward, a history of swinging for the fences in free agency and no state income tax, which lessen’s Utah’s financial advantage. It’s going to be interesting to watch how many big-name free agents leave the Western Conference over the next few years if the Warriors continue to dominate. Hayward might lean that way, but he reportedly likes the security of a five-year deal that only the Jazz can offer. The best guess is he stays in Utah.
The Timberwolves were clearly the draft day winners with the acquisition of Jimmy Butler. With Butler in the fold, is Minnesota a legitimate free agent destination? If so, what are some potential free agent targets to complement the trio of Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins? — Matt Trapp
The Wolves plan to pursue point guards, with Kyle Lowry as the top choice, followed by Jrue Holiday, Jeff Teague and George Hill. Lowry will demand a maximum deal for sure, and the others will be at least close. Minnesota needs to shed roughly $10MM in salary to be able to afford that, and the obvious candidate is Ricky Rubio, who will make $14.25MM next season. If they can’t find a taker for Rubio and don’t want to part with Gorgui Dieng, the Wolves will have to find someone willing to deal for Cole Aldrich ($7.3MM) and Jordan Hill (a little more than $4M).
lowry always chokes come playoff times, anyway to structure the deal so he pays you if he chokes again???? Hahahaha
Feel like adridge getting traded is a guarantee at this point. Feel the Spurs could work sign and trade scenarios with clippers or Hawks for Millsap or Paul but him not buying into pop is a death sentence.
Hawks seem to be going in a different direction. Clippers or Raptors could make sense if their FAs leave though.
How come nobody mentions San Antonio for Hayward? Spurs love wings and the mention of trading Danny green and Aldridge it makes more sense for Hayward or George to fill that void. Spurs could trade Aldridge and green clear 32 million. George comes in at 19 they could get a George hill type which would help there much needed depth.
Wouldn’t it make more sense for the Wolves to release Jordan Hill? His salary isn’t guaranteed until June 30th. Between Towns, Dieng, Aldrich, now Patton and the need for a stretch 4, it seems like it’d be better for them to keep that 4m. I could see them waiting a few days just to see if his salary is needed for any trade, but otherwise don’t really get it.
Isn’t Jordan hill a team option ?