Hoops Rumors Chats

4:04pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: Kobe Bryant confirmed Sunday what long seem to be the most likely outcome, revealing his decision that this season will be his last. He’s set to exit as a legendary, if complicated, figure in NBA history, and quite possibly the most beloved Laker ever. An odd coda to his career is likely coming in July, when the Lakers will probably renounce his rights so they can remove his maximum-salary cap hold and pave the way for the acquisition of a player they surely hope is the next great Laker. In the meantime, teams across the league are preparing for December 15th, the date when most offseason signees become eligible to be traded. We can talk about all this and more in today’s chat.

4:00pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: We’re barely four weeks into the NBA season, and only seven teams are more than five games above or below .500. Still, the Hornets and Rockets seem to have already drawn some significant conclusions. Charlotte, at 8-6, agreed to an extension with Steve Clifford a week after the Rockets, then 4-7, fired Kevin McHale. The Mavs also signed their coach to an extension at the beginning of the month, though that was no surprise, as Rick Carlisle had built a reputation as one of the league’s elite coaches in his time with Dallas, and before that with the Pistons and Pacers. Clifford has a sub-.500 record with the Hornets, and McHale was fresh off a Western Conference Finals appearance with the Rockets, so it would appear this season’s results played much more heavily into those moves. It’s fodder for discussion in today’s chat.

4:04pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: All five Southwest Division teams made the playoffs last season, but three of them have strugged so far this year. The Grizzlies, at 6-6, have already pulled off a trade and the Rockets have fired coach Kevin McHale less than a month into the season. Yet the 1-10 Pelicans, who have the league’s worst record aside from the winless Sixers, haven’t given into panic, with a hardship signing of Jimmer Fredette the team’s only November transaction. The question is just how long they can keep losing without making a bold move.

4:30pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:30pm: Rumors are swirling around the Kings again, the Grizzlies and Heat pulled off a trade amid concerns about Dave Joerger’s future in Memphis, and Jimmer Fredette is back in the NBA. It’s only the second full week of the regular season, but the pressure to make moves is already mounting.

That gives us lots to talk about in this week’s chat.

4:04pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: The season is barely a week old, but already a fairly significant trade rumor has landed, with the Grizzlies reportedly having talked about acquiring Mario Chalmers from the Heat. It came after Memphis suffered a 50-point loss to the Warriors, who haven’t broken stride even as they failed to reach an extension with either Harrison Barnes or Festus Ezeli. Nearly two-thirds of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions didn’t end up with one, but the Raptors and Hornets doubled up, adding extensions for Terrence Ross and Jeremy Lamb, respectively, after having extended Jonas Valanciunas and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over the summer.

4:03pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript!

3:00pm: The regular season is underway, but a few offseason matters remain. Monday is the deadline for rookie scale extensions, and while major names like Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond have stopped extension talks, several players are still eligible. No deadline looms over the Mavericks and Rick Carlisle as they reportedly move close to an extension of their own. We can talk about extensions, signings, rosters and more in this week’s chat.

4:05pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: Preseason cuts are starting to come at a fast rate, and teams are casting some prominent names aside. None has caused as much of a ripple as San Antonio’s decision to release Jimmer Fredette today, but Ben Gordon and intriguing prospect Robert Upshaw have also hit waivers within the past week. More are surely to follow, with Saturday looming as the final day for teams to waive summer contracts without them counting against the cap, and Monday the deadline for teams to set opening night rosters. We can talk about that and more during this week’s chat.

4:02pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript!

3:00pm: The preseason is at roughly the midway point, and much remains unresolved as teams evaluate end-of-the-bench options. The Pelicans, with Anthony Davis ensconced at power forward, are scrambling to find a center, but it doesn’t seem they’re in the market for Larry Sanders, in whom the Mavs reportedly maintain a level of interest. The Pistons are less than two weeks away from having to waive at least a pair of players with fully guaranteed salaries unless they can find a trade taker. Plus, conflicting reports exist about whether the Knicks were in talks with Lamar Odom about a potential comeback before Odom’s health took a turn for the worse.

We can talk about all that and more in today’s chat, so click here to join!

4:03pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript!

3:00pm: The season hasn’t begun yet, but the Hornets are already likely without Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, whom they just signed to an extension, for all of 2015/16, and both of last season’s Finals participants are without key figures. Warriors coach Steve Kerr is on a leave of absence to nurse his ailing back, Cavs swingman Iman Shumpert is out for three months and teammate Tristan Thompson is holding out. That leaves others with unexpected opportunities and plenty of question marks about what happens next.

We can discuss that and more in today’s chat, so click here to join!

4:03pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: Training camps are underway, and but offseason matters linger, with Tristan Thompson facing a key deadline Thursday and the Nuggets poised to land Mike Miller. The trade demand that Markieff Morris made this summer is apparently no longer in effect, but, as with the saga of DeMarcus Cousins, George Karl and the Kings, questions remain over how long the detente will last.

We can talk about all that and more in today’s chat, so click here to join!