NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 12/02/2011

Join HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy for his weekly NBA chat this Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Submit your questions early because this chat fills up fast!

  1. Nick

    Love your work Alex, but at this point pretty much everyone is interested in everyone. Could there be verbal agreements before the 9th?

    • Alex Kennedy

      What’s up everyone? Thanks for submitting your questions. I’m excited to finally talk free agency after all of those chats about BRI and system restrictions. There are a lot of questions in the system so let’s jump right in.

      You’re right, teams are contacting agents left and right. At this point, every general manager is working the phones and not only expressing interest in players but also picking the agents’ brains to see what’s going on around the league. Some teams have been more active than others. For example, it seems like the Lakers have been calling everyone. Talks won’t really get serious until December 9 gets closer, but I do think there will be verbal agreements prior to that date. Teams have had the duration of the lockout to plan for free agency so I would actually be surprised if there weren’t any deals completed early. They obviously won’t get announced until December 9, but we should have a good idea where some players are heading by the middle of next week.

  2. Z

    Where do you think Chris Paul will end up?Which team has the most to offer for him?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Chris Paul has leverage so he can scare away teams by refusing to sign an extension. The only two scenarios that really make sense are New York or Orlando. Chris obviously wants to play for the Knicks and he’d love an extend-and-trade to New York. The Knicks don’t have many trade chips though, which is where Orlando comes in. They’re the only team that should be willing to trade for Paul without the guarantee of extending him. If they acquire him, they could cross their fingers that Dwight Howard and Paul re-sign. But even if they don’t, they’re able to start the rebuilding process because they clear a ton of money by trading away players like Jameer Nelson, Brandon Bass, J.J. Redick, Daniel Orton, etc. This is going to be a crazy situation and new rumors will continue to surface everyday. At this point, I think New York or Orlando makes the most sense.

  3. Russell

    Why would the Magic trade Dwight before the season? I know they would like to avoid the Melodrama, but isn’t their goal to get the best deal possible? Also, which cheap backup big do you think Orlando could add?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I don’t see any reason for the Magic to trade Dwight Howard before the season. They’re still exploring options to surround him with talent, which tells me they’re trying to compete this season. The only way I move Howard before the season is if he demands a trade. They can always move him in March when the trade deadline is approaching. I agree with you, there’s no rush and they should try to find the best deal possible or someway to keep him in town.

      The Magic have a couple of options when it comes to reserve centers. Tony Battie, Jeff Foster, Erick Dampier, Aaron Gray, Francisco Elson, Kurt Thomas, Dan Gadzuric, Kwame Brown and Jason Collins are all available and relatively inexpensive.

  4. Jason magder

    What’s going on with VC? I know he’s being waived by the Suns and isn’t technically a free agent yet.

    • Alex Kennedy

      He’ll likely be waived by the Suns in the coming weeks and then he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. All of the teams searching for a shooting guard will likely reach out to him. If a team like the Chicago Bulls strike out in free agency, he could be an option.

  5. ray

    Could the Magic trade for CP3 or Deron Williams and then Amnesty Gilbert Arenas in the summer and then have enough money to sign cp3 or d-wil to a contract as well as exxtending howard?

    • Alex Kennedy

      If the Magic were to trade Jameer Nelson, Brandon Bass, J.J. Redick, Daniel Orton, etc. to the Hornets for Chris Paul and then used the amnesty clause on Gilbert Arenas, they would have enough money to re-sign Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Without looking at the exact numbers, I believe they’d have some money to sign a role player or two as well.

  6. Ruben

    Alex do you see a realistic way for the Rockets to land Marc Gasol?What would it take,is he really looking to leave Memphis?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Marc Gasol is a restricted free agent so the Memphis Grizzlies will ultimately decide his fate. The Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets have expressed a lot of interest in Gasol and will likely extend offer sheets, but I think the Grizzlies will match just about every offer. It’s no secret that Indiana and Houston are looking for a center though.

  7. devonte

    kyrie will have a big year, jimmer will have a big year, iman will do better than landry fields, kemba will be solid and idk who else, am i right?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think you’re right. Those are some of the rookies I’m most excited to watch. Kyrie Irving, Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker will have every opportunity to succeed because their teams will give them playing time and make them one of the faces of the franchise. Iman Shumpert isn’t a household name yet, but I like him a lot. He’s going to surprise a lot of people and he’s only going to get better as he learns behind Chauncey Billups. Looking over that list – Kyrie, Jimmer, Kemba, Iman – it seems that the secret to getting drafted in the NBA is having a unique name. I’m naming my son Kembimmerman.

  8. matt

    Pacers should just trade for a PF, for example, Bargnani for Posey and George. Raps save $ and get a great young SF (George’s natural position). Pacers don’t have to spend big on a PF and can shore up their roster, plus Bargs takes scoring pressure off Granger.

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think we’ll see a lot of teams try to do that. If there’s not a particular free agent that a team likes, they may try to trade for a player and use their cap room to absorb a contract or two. I’m not sure if the Pacers fall into that category because they have expressed interest in free agents like Marc Gasol, David West and Jamal Crawford, but I could see other teams taking that route.

  9. alec

    Hey Alex, with the back to back to back, will we see alot more rookies start? Yahoo,ESPN, and others state the C’z won’t play KG,Allen,Pierce three games straight. Will I be finally seeing Doc start a rook and let him play 40+ minutes? He rarely does that

    • Alex Kennedy

      It makes a lot of sense. I don’t know if we’ll see rookies inserted into the starting lineup, but I won’t be surprised to see them play significant minutes. Back-to-backs were tough enough for veterans, they’ll definitely need a rest if there are games on three consecutive nights. It’s much easier for a young guy than a veteran who has tons of NBA miles on his body. I think this schedule definitely favors younger teams.

  10. matt

    Is every CHI fan hoping JRICH is in a bulls jersey on Christmas?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Jason Richardson would be a good fit, but there are other options as well. Chicago loves Arron Afflalo, but he’s a restricted free agent so the Bulls would have to work out a sign-and-trade with the Denver Nuggets. They have also reached out to Caron Butler and Josh Howard. As I mentioned before, Vince Carter and Michael Redd could also be options.

  11. Chris

    Hi Alex. Why all the chatter about Paul to NYC and D-Howard to the Lakers? NYC, short of trading Amare, doesn’t have the assets for a deal. Plus, how stupid do people think the Orlando GM is? He would be crucified for gift wrapping another run of championships to the Lakers.

    • Alex Kennedy

      At the end of the day, it all comes down to leverage. Because the new collective bargaining agreement includes extend-and-trades, Paul and Howard can demand to go to a certain team by refusing to sign extensions anywhere else. Remember, last year teams like the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors were interested in Carmelo Anthony, but it didn’t matter because he wouldn’t sign an extension. This is the same situation. Paul and Howard can use their leverage to land in a certain city, which is why the same couple of teams continue to be discussed even though they may not be able to put together the best package. The Hornets love Stephen Curry and the Warriors love Chris Paul. But would Golden State ever trade Curry if Paul wasn’t willing to sign an extension? No. Teams like New Orleans and Orlando are stuck in tough positions because the players have the control and their trade options are extremely limited.

  12. Mutang

    Utah is one of the few teams that are stacked with legitmate big men. My opinion is Millsap should be traded due to being sought by other teams, and can return a nice SF hopefully. What do you think Utah does? Millsap go? Other? Who we get back????

    • Alex Kennedy

      They’re shopping Paul Millsap. He’s expendable with Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Jeremy Evans on the roster. There has always been a lot of interest in Millsap when he’s become available, but I’m sure what Utah can get in exchange for him. We’ll have to see what teams are willing to offer over the next few weeks.

  13. Chris

    Hi Alex. What do you think of this deal? Clippers get D-Howard, Bulls get E-Gordon, and Orlando gets Asik, Gibson, Kamen, and Charlotte’s 1st rounder.

    • Alex Kennedy

      It’s great for the Clippers and Bulls, but I don’t think Orlando would agree to it. I think they’d much rather land Brook Lopez or Andrew Bynum.

      Also, from what I’ve heard, Dwight Howard isn’t interested in signing an extension with the Los Angeles Clippers.

  14. Chris

    Why is there so much love for Andrew Bynum? He seems to be injury prone and never has rounded out his game.

    • Alex Kennedy

      He’s only 24 years old and teams still believe he has potential. When healthy, he’s shown that he can average a double-double and block a few shots. There aren’t many great big men in the league so productive, young centers will always be highly coveted.

  15. Chris

    Any good rumors on player free agency today? Players interested in specific teams and vice versa