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.
Do you think DeMarcus Cousins will be moved at the trade deadline? — Antonio Sosa
That depends on the Pelicans’ performance between now and the February 8 deadline, which depends heavily on the health of Anthony Davis, who will undergo further examination today for a groin injury. The pairing of Cousins and Davis has been much smoother this season, and the Pelicans have moved into contention for a Western Conference playoff spot with a 12-11 record. Cousins is making a little more than $18MM in the final year of his contract and will be among the top names on the free agent market next summer. He’s putting up typical numbers of 25.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game and seems happy in New Orleans. Unless Davis is out for months and the Pelicans’ season falls apart, there’s little reason to expect them to part with Cousins.
What kind of return should Bulls fans expect for Robin Lopez? — Jesse, via Twitter
At 29, Lopez doesn’t fit in with the youth movement in Chicago, and although he might help a contender, he won’t be easy to trade. Lopez has another year left on his contract at more than $14.35MM. If he goes anywhere, it will have to be to a team with no expectations in free agency next year. Chicago wasn’t planning to rebuild so soon when it traded for Lopez in the summer of 2016, and the Bulls may be stuck with him for another year until his expiring contract makes him a more valuable asset.
Did David Fizdale get a raw deal in Memphis, and is it time for the Grizzlies to start rebuilding? — Shane, via Twitter
Fizdale is well regarded around the league and certainly deserved more than 101 games to prove himself as a head coach. However, he did the worst possible thing a coach can do, which is to feud with his star player. Reports out of Memphis say Fizdale and Marc Gasol hadn’t been on good terms for months, and the situation reached a boiling point last week when Gasol was kept on the bench for the entire fourth quarter of a loss. Management will always side with the player making millions over the easily replaceable coach. As far as rebuilding, the Grizzlies have dropped 11 in a row and have the fifth-worst record in the league. It may seem like time to rebuild, but the bulk of their salary is tied up in three players, Gasol, Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons, none of whom will be easy to trade with their enormous contracts.
Gasol should deliver a nice package in a trade. His contract goes 3 more years to age 35 (apx) and his stats are a bit off of last year’s, but they do not point to a decline… 1.6 blocks against 2.3 fouls /pg (both better than career) suggests his reflexes are in good shape. An interesting trend is to miss about 21 or 2 games in alternate years… (this year would be his short year)
Any big decision however will probably wait until the ownership situation is cleared up at least by February.