Weekly Mailbag

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:

Now that Dwyane Wade chose not to come to Denver, do you think the Nuggets will make any moves before the regular season? They have a lot of growth potential. — Brett Duran

The Nuggets are an intriguing team because they still have about $16.5MM in cap space remaining, so there’s great leeway to take on salary in any deal. Denver has a lot of young talent that other teams would be interested in acquiring, along with the Grizzlies’ first-rounder [top five protected] for next season. If Blake Griffin or DeMarcus Cousins becomes available, the Nuggets are in good shape to be competitive bidders. Also, there are still whispers that Kenneth Faried is on the trading block, with the Thunder and Pelicans both interested.

Do the Pacers get a deal done for Rudy Gay? If so, what do they have to give up? — Russell Loyd

The Kings reportedly had trade talks with Indiana last month, but weren’t interested in taking Monta Ellis in return. Gay will make $13MM+ next season, and the only Pacers in that price range besides Ellis are Paul George, who’s not going anywhere, and the recently acquired Thaddeus Young, Al Jefferson and Jeff Teague. A combination of Rodney Stuckey and either C.J. Miles or Lavoy Allen would get close to Gay’s salary, but Sacramento probably wants more in return. However, it’s pretty clear that Gay would like to move on, and if the Kings can’t find a deal before camps open next month, they might change their minds about Ellis.

The Mavericks waste their time going after big-name players every summer. It’s embarrassing to me as a fan. They continue to do this the past few offseasons with poor results. Why don’t they just trade for players who are still talented and they can just absorb their contracts with the cap space that they have? When they won the title in 2011, the team had players they had acquired via trade and they were two deep at every position. This is what Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson need to explore again as well as build up through the draft. — Jeff Powell

As long as Dirk Nowitzki is on the roster, the Mavericks will try to amass as much talent as possible each offseason in hopes of getting him another ring. Dallas has had its recent share of near misses in free agency, but it can’t seem to land the superstar that Cuban desires. Your owner loves the spotlight and the thrill of chasing the best players on the market, so it will be interesting to see if he is able to change his philosophy once Nowitzki retires.

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:

Jalen Rose said that Russell Westbrook going to the Spurs should become a possibility so that they can form a super team against the Warriors. Could it become a possibility at the trade deadline or in free agency?  — Michael Thompson
There is probably nothing that Westbrook would enjoy more than forming his own super team to battle Kevin Durant and the Warriors. The Spurs certainly have the potential for that with Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge under long-term contracts, but getting Westbrook to San Antonio might be tricky. The Spurs don’t have the young talent or high draft picks that Oklahoma City would be seeking in return. The Celtics, for instance, could easily outbid their best offer. San Antonio’s hope is that Westbrook plays the entire season with the Thunder and becomes a free agent. The Spurs will have a little more than $93MM committed in salary against a projected cap of $102MM next summer. If newly signed Pau Gasol turns down his nearly $16.2MM player option for 2016/17, San Antonio will have just enough to become a serious bidder for Westbrook.

So all this talk about Greg Monroe‘s availability, what do you think will ultimately happen? Do you think the Bucks will make any more moves [besides anything Monroe related]? Could they be asking OKC about availability of Russell Westbrook? I think he would make a great fit, although I know it is HIGHLY unlikely he would want to stay. What is OKC looking in return if they decide to part ways with him?– Jake Bullis
The Bucks could put together a great package of young talent to offer the Thunder, but it’s far too risky without an assurance from Westbrook that he would re-sign. Something could happen on the Monroe front before the season starts. ESPN’s Zach Lowe said this week that the Bucks and Pelicans had been close to a deal involving Monroe around draft time. Monroe hails from New Orleans and reportedly would like to play there. He still has two seasons and $35MM left on his contract, so Milwaukee’s return might be minimal, but the Bucks could benefit just from getting past what looks like a failed experiment.

Do you think there will be an NBA lockout next year and will it shorten the 2017/18 season? — Greg Dizon
Either side can opt out of the current deal in December, so this question will be hanging over the league until it is resolved. A Washington Post story earlier this month brought a huge dose of pessimism to the situation. Revenues are increasing sharply, but both the owners and players want to increase their share. Many teams would like to institute a franchise tag similar to the NFL’s to keep teams like the Thunder from losing their best players. Also, the union would like to see limits on maximum salaries eliminated. Expect the Collective Bargaining Agreement to be reopened and a lot of tense moments before the standoff ends.

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:

With Kevin Durant signing a one-year deal essentially, since he’s a lock to opt out, and Stephen Curry‘s very team-friendly deal up in a year, too, what are the chances the Warriors keep both? I know the cap is on the rise again, but that’s two $200MM-plus deals. And that’s not including Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. — Matt Elliott

Admittedly, that’s a lot of money for two players, but these aren’t just any two players. Durant and Curry own the league’s last three MVP trophies, and their plan is to be teammates for a long time. The Warriors can use Bird rights to keep Curry, and revenue won’t be a problem for a team that figures to sell out every game — probably at home and on the road. If there is a casualty of the Warriors’ salary situation next summer, it could be Andre Iguodala. He’s also in the last year of his contract, and if Golden State sees any need to cut costs, he could be the one to go. But the chances of the Warriors keeping Durant and Curry are right around 100%.

With Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo signed, which player or two do you see the Bulls picking up to fill out their roster? Any chance of a Kevin Martin or Jordan Hill signing for depth? — Michael Stuckmyer?

The Bulls have less than $3MM in remaining cap space after spending big to acquire Wade and Rondo. Before landing Wade, Chicago was one of the teams that talked to Sacramento about Rudy Gay, so the Bulls may not be done with major moves. Depth will eventually be an issue for the front office to address, and the problem got worse tonight with the news that Aaron Brooks is probably headed to the Pacers. Bulls management is reportedly happy with the team’s frontcourt rotation but wants to add a shooter and backup point guard. Martin is a possibility, but it really depends who they can get cheaply as the free agent market begins to play out.

Will the Jazz pick up the non-guaranteed contracts of Shelvin Mack, Chris Johnson and Jeff Withey? DN has reported that the Jazz will be picking up Mack’s contract, but have not heard about the other two. — Paul Searcy

Mack, as you said, is a done deal. His $2,433,334 contract for next season became fully guaranteed when the Jazz kept him on the roster past Thursday. For the other two, it probably depends what other options Utah might have. Both are 26. Their salaries for next season are $1,050,961 for Johnson and $1,015,69 for Withey. That’s a pair of veterans for not much more than the league minimum. Unless the Jazz need the cap room, the safest move is to keep both players.

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:

Is Dwyane Wade to the Cavs to reunite with LeBron James a possibility now that cap is announced? — Michael Rodriguez

As much as they may want to team up again, the Cavaliers don’t have the cap room to make such a move even thinkable. Cleveland is paying $54MM in luxury taxes and has more than $74MM committed in payroll for next season, without factoring in James, J.R. Smith or Richard Jefferson. James and Wade joining forces again may be fun to think about, but it’s no more realistic than LeBron’s “superteam” fantasy of someday teaming up with Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul.

With the moves the Lakers are making, does this mean that the pick the Sixers have from the Lakers next year [top 3 protected] is worthless? Are the Lakers now not a lottery team? — Anthony

The pick may be worth a little less, but it’s a long way from being worthless. Remember, this is a Lakers team that won just 17 games this season, lost Kobe Bryant and underwent a coaching change. Adding Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng is certainly an upgrade, as is the drafting of Brandon Ingram, but the Lakers have a long way to go to be considered a playoff team. They have a talented young core with a few veterans mixed in, but the Sixers will almost certainly be holding their lottery pick next June.

What in the world does the Magic depth chart look like now? — Pastor Mike Chandler

It looks really good from here, pastor. Orlando added two elite shot blockers with the trade for Serge Ibaka and the signing of Bismack Biyombo. They also kept Evan Fournier, signed a versatile forward in Jeff Green and a veteran point guard in D.J. Augustin and sent a 2019 second-round pick to the Pistons for Jodie Meeks. That’s a lot of talent and experience added to what was already a promising young roster. The Magic should be one of the league’s most improved teams in 2016/17.

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 should be the plan for the Washington Wizards for the long term? — Thomas Warrick II

We haven’t reached July, and two major offseason questions for the Wizards have already been resolved. They weren’t one of the seven teams to get a meeting with Kevin Durant, and they seem ready to gamble on giving Bradley Beal a maximum contract despite lingering injury concerns. The immediate objective for Washington should be to fortify the front court, as Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris are the only big men under contract for next season. The long-term plan should be to focus on younger players with their cap space this summer, regardless of position. The Wizards had an aging roster this season, and they have a chance for a significant makeover starting Friday.

With Dwight Howard opting out and the Rockets having $44MM in cap space, where do you see them going in free agency? Also, do you see any other rotation players from last year on the way out? — Scott Barzilla

The Rockets were hugely disappointed that Durant didn’t consider them, despite his friendship with James Harden. They are moving onto their next target, Atlanta’s Al Horford, who would put up big numbers in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Houston hasn’t given up on Donatas Motiejunas, despite lingering concerns about his back, and will probably match any reasonable offer he gets in free agency. The Rockets would like to find a taker for Corey Brewer and the two seasons and $15.2MM left on his contract, and don’t be surprised if they shop around Trevor Ariza and Patrick Beverley if the need arises for more cap space.

If the Lakers strike out on Hassan Whiteside, do you think they’d explore a trade for Brook Lopez? And would Larry Nance Jr. and Nick Young get it done? — Miles Reaves

Lopez is only 28 and seems fully recovered from the foot injury that cost him virtually all of the 2011/12 and 2013/14 seasons. He would be a great fallback plan for the Lakers as a veteran center who can put the ball in the basket. Whether Brooklyn would be willing to trade him is anybody’s guess. New GM Sean Marks emphatically said he planned to rebuild around Lopez and Thaddeus Young, then traded Young to Indiana this week for a draft pick. The Nets have to swap picks with Boston next year and then send their 2018 pick to the Celtics, so there’s no incentive for them to tank. However, Marks seems headed toward a full rebuild and might be tempted to add a young player like Nance.

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:

Where do you see the Raptors going with the No. 9 pick? If they trade it, it will likely be for a stretch four with a couple years under contract. I like Thaddeus Young and Brooklyn has no picks. Who else do you think is in play? — Enio Pippo

Young would be a nice fit in Toronto, but new Nets GM Sean Marks has let it be known that he considers Young and Brook Lopez the foundation of the team and he doesn’t plan to trade either one. Brooklyn would like to move into the first round, but probably not badly enough to give up Young and set off a Sixers-style rebuilding project. This year’s draft is well stocked with power forwards, and the ideal scenario would be if either Jaylen Brown, Marquese Chriss or Dragan Bender slides to the ninth spot. If not and the Raptors can’t find the power forward they want via trade, they will be choosing from Domantas Sabonis, Skal Labissiere and Henry Ellenson.

You are Danny Ainge, trying to make a move, but just like last year, you get stonewalled and are unable to make a trade during the draft. What do you do to build a team? Who do you try to sign? — Tyler Norton

The obvious answer is to see how the Kevin Love situation plays out in Cleveland. If the Cavs decide Love isn’t the right fit and they want to unload his contract for luxury tax relief, Boston should be first in line as a trading partner. The Celtics could give up a package centering on Jae Crowder and a couple of young athletes who fit Tyronn Lue’s up-tempo style in Cleveland. If that doesn’t work out, Boston has nearly $42MM in cap space this summer. Ainge can afford to pursue every big name free agent on the market, starting with Kevin Durant. If he stays in Oklahoma City, Al Horford would be a good alternative.

Could the pick Boston has at the top of the second round be a valuable commodity to use in  trades? — Richard Barnett

Many teams find second-round picks enticing because they don’t come with guaranteed contracts. GMs are willing to take more chances because they aren’t bound to the players they draft if they wind up being washouts. The Celtics have three picks in the first round and five in the second round, so they’ll surely be in a trading mood. It won’t be hard to find a taker for the 31st pick or the 35th or 45th. Most likely, Ainge will try to package a few of those selections and maybe some players in a bid to get an established star.