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.
What kind of return could the Knicks get for Trey Burke? With a glut of younger point guards who need developing (Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay), the ability to draft another one (Trae Young? Collin Sexton?), the likelihood that they’ll go after Kyrie Irving in 2019, and Burke’s age (25 turning 26), Burke seems like he won’t be in their future plans despite his success with the team this year. — Alek Miletic
Sorting out the point guard situation will be among the Knicks’ many priorities this offseason. Burke has a nonguaranteed minimum deal for next season that could make him an attractive piece in any trade. However, counting on signing Irving a year from now is a risky strategy, so New York needs to determine which of its current guards has the brightest future or if they need to address the position in the draft. With Burke having a small contract, Ntilikina on a rookie deal and Mudiay (nearly $4.3MM next season) unlikely to be in demand, expect all three of them to be back for another season of sorting things out.
Whom do you think will the Cavaliers will take in the draft using Brooklyn’s pick? — Greg Dizon
The Nets have moved into a tie for seventh in our latest Reverse Standings, which might cost Cleveland a shot at one of the sure-fire big men at the top of the draft. There are too many variables to pick out one player for the Cavs because the direction of the franchise is going to depend on what LeBron James decides to do in July. Point guard could be a position of need with George Hill only one season away from his option year, but Cleveland will probably disregard position concerns and take the highest player on their board, just in case he’s the first step in rebuilding.
Kyrie isn’t leaving Boston to go play for the garbage Knicks. Also nice dodging of question 2, they were looking for speculation not a sure thing
Cavs will take Michael Porter Jr. LeBron signs for 1 year (sees what Love does next summer). Gives Porter 1 year to rehab and learn from LeBron.
Kyrie will not leave Boston!
I do not include teams that sell off at the trade deadline after falling out of the race as tankers. They were just not good enough or were injured and are trying to make the best of a bad situation. The Grizzlies are probably in that situation right now.
What I consider tanking is a team selling off most of their assets before the season even starts. Everyone has a chance when the records are 0-0. When teams give up or don’t even try to win, it damages the integrity of the sport. It was that way with the Sixers. It was that way with the Astros in baseball. It doesn’t matter the end result.
Doctors got rid of all medical knowledge gained from the experiments of Dr. Josef Mengele because they knew he got there in a very wrong way. Of course that is an extreme analogy and the consequences of this is not nearly that bad, but it is the same basic idea. Getting there in the wrong way is just not worth it for the profession.