NBA Chat With Alex Kennedy 6/1/12

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. Radolo

    So, you’re the Pacers GM and the Hornets say the asking price for Eric Gordon in a sign & trade is Paul George, do you say no? Why/why not? What about Gordon/Vasquez/Aminu or X.Henry for George/Collison? I like the idea of a Hill/Gordon/Granger/West/Hibbert starting 5.

    • Alex Kennedy

      What’s up everyone? Thanks for stopping by and submitting your questions. The Conference Finals have been great, the pre-draft process has begun and there are plenty of offseason rumors floating around, which means we have plenty of talk about. Let’s get started.

      I expect the Indiana Pacers to pursue Eric Gordon this summer, but I think the New Orleans Hornets will match any offer he receives, especially now that they have the top overall pick. They’ll want to put talented, up-and-coming players around Anthony Davis and re-signing Gordon makes sense for them. I don’t think they’ll sign-and-trade Gordon.

  2. D

    Where do the Magic go at 19? backup PG or Small Forward? because Duhon and Turkoglu were flat out awful

    • Alex Kennedy

      The Orlando Magic held their first draft workout in recent days, bringing in Moe Harkless, Andrew Nicholson and Jeff Taylor. Terrence Ross was also scheduled to attend, but he couldn’t make it. It definitely seems like they’re looking at forwards.

  3. Kevin

    Hi Alex,

    What is going on in the coaching world?? VDN, Woodson, and now Wittman are all staying with their respective teams?? Woodson is semi justifiable I guess, but with a decent number of more proven coaches, are teams not doing their research?? Shouldn’t they at least interview McMillan/SVG/D’Antoni etc and not just “consider” them?? Or am I not getting the right information??

    • Alex Kennedy

      I wouldn’t put Mike Woodson into that category. The Knicks went 18-6 after he took over for Mike D’Antoni. Over the final 24 games, the Knicks posted the second-best record in the NBA and the team’s defense ranked fifth in the NBA in points allowed (91.8) and eighth in opponents’ field goal percentage (.440). He became the first head coach in franchise history to win his first five games and he posted the second-best winning percentage ever by an NBA coach who took over a team midseason. While the Knicks struggled in the postseason, Woodson deserves some credit for New York’s late season success.

      As far as the other coaches go, keep in mind that money is also a factor. Coaches like Stan Van Gundy and Phil Jackson are expensive, whereas somebody like Vinny Del Negro is relatively cheap.

  4. David

    Let’s say the Celtics do completely blow it up after this season (assuming they don’t win it all) and were willing to trade Rondo, would a deal of the Blazers 6 and 11 pick along with Wes Matthews be enough for the Celtics to bite?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Whenever Boston has considered blowing up their roster in the past, they’ve tried to acquire young talent and first-round picks so it’s very possible. Two lottery picks and an up-and-coming starting shooting guard is a good offer. The big question: Are the Celtics willing to trade Rajon Rondo? After the way he’s played during this postseason, I just can’t see them trading him, no matter how high maintenance he can be.

  5. Dave

    Who do you think the Blazers should target with the 6 and 11 pick?

    I also heard that they could trade those picks for the #2 pick. Who would you for with that pick?

    • Alex Kennedy

      If I’m the Blazers, I’m crossing my fingers for Andre Drummond and Damian Lillard. That fills both of their needs and gives them an excellent young core of Lillard, Matthews, Batum, Aldridge and Drummond.

      I’m not sure what Portland would do if they acquired the second pick. They don’t need a forward, which means they wouldn’t target Thomas Robinson or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The only way I can see them trading for #2 is if they fall in love with Drummond and are worried that he won’t be there at #6.

  6. griffin

    assuming the draft goes davis, MKG, Beal – who should the cavs take at 4 to pair with kyrie? Should they go safe with Barnes or roll the dice with andre drummond?

    • Alex Kennedy

      The Cleveland Cavaliers need to cross their fingers that the Charlotte Bobcats draft Thomas Robinson second overall. Then, they could draft whoever Washington doesn’t take, either Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Bradley Beal. If MKG and Beal are both off the board, I think Cleveland should go with Andre Drummond.

  7. John

    Any gut feeling on who the Magic hire at GM and coach?

    • Alex Kennedy

      If I had to guess right now, I’d say they hire Dennis Lindsey and Brian Shaw, but we’ll see. They’re still weighing their options and interviewing people. A lot can change between now and when they make the hire.

  8. paul pinto

    if u had to put money on will Brandon Roy be back in the nba next season? and if so Where?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I believe Brandon Roy will be back in the NBA next season. I’ve talked to people who are close to Brandon and they believe he’ll play. He has been training for the past several months and I think he’s determined to make a comeback. I have no idea where he’ll be playing, but I think he’ll be back in the league.

  9. cfan38

    Could you see the Celtics trading Paul Pierce and there two picks to a team like Golden state for an early first in order to jump head first into there rebuild?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paul Pierce traded for a lottery pick, especially if Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett indicate that they’re going to leave as free agents. At the trade deadline, the Celtics almost dealt Pierce to the Nets in exchange for their first-round pick (top-three protected). The Nets decided to trade for Gerald Wallace instead, but the fact that Boston was ready to pull the trigger shows what they’re looking to do. If the Celtics are ready to rebuild, it definitely seems like they’ll try to get their hands on a lottery pick or two.

  10. Badgerlander

    What are the chances Brandon Jennings gets traded on draft night? To who, etc

    • Alex Kennedy

      I don’t think he’ll be traded. I think the Milwaukee Bucks already made their big move, trading for Monta Ellis at the deadline. Jennings and Ellis only played 21 games together this season, and it was extremely difficult for teams get new players acclimated during the condensed season. I think the Bucks will give them more time together before giving up on the experiment.

  11. bobo

    Hey alex! Love your chats. Here is the question. Let’s say hypothetically, that houston would be willing to part with scola and lowry for gasol (and maybe blake). Wouldn’t this be the best package for howard that orlando could get:
    Lakers get: howard, scola
    Houston gets: gasol, blake
    Orlando gets: bynum, lowry

    Mayhe throw in some draft picks to make it work. What do you think?

    • Alex Kennedy

      That deal makes a lot of sense for each team, but I don’t think Dwight Howard wants to play for the Lakers. I’ve been told that he won’t commit to signing a long-term deal if he gets traded to L.A. Would the Lakers trade Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol without a commitment for Howard? No way.

  12. Chris

    Alex,

    Who would be realistic targets for the Heat this summer?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Who are some realistic targets for the Heat this summer? Anyone who is willing to sign for the mid-level exception. Miami doesn’t have any flexibility so, like last summer, they’ll need to hope that a veteran takes the MLE for the chance to compete for a championship. If they can sign a title-hungry Steve Nash, it’s over.

  13. Brandon

    Ok the magic missed out on Phil, do you see any other scenario that could persuade Dwight into staying with the magic?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I give the Orlando Magic credit for pursuing Phil Jackson. He would have been perfect. As I wrote three weeks ago:

      If Stan Van Gundy is fired, the Orlando Magic is also an intriguing potential landing spot for Jackson. The Magic are desperate to keep Dwight Howard and hiring Jackson would show that they’re serious about contending. Jackson brings instant credibility to the Magic and Howard would have a much harder time explaining his decision to leave if the organization was able to deliver Jackson after his repeated cries for help.

      Now, with Jackson out of reach, Orlando should turn their attention to Brian Shaw and Michael Malone. They are two of the best up-and-coming coaches in the game, and they’re on Howard’s short list.

  14. Will

    Kyler said Washington is a team willing to rent D12,what about this deal?

    Lewis,Nene,#3 pick for D12,Turk

    • Alex Kennedy

      I can’t see Washington giving up the third overall pick to rent Dwight Howard. Washington is like every other team that says they’re willing to rent a superstar. They say they are open to the idea, but then they aren’t willing to give up significant pieces or top picks. I don’t blame them either. I think it would be foolish to give away a top prospect for someone who is a virtual lock to leave in one year. The Wizards are much better off keeping the third overall pick and trying to find a star to put alongside John Wall.

  15. Potus

    Hey Alex, what small forward can the Warrior’s realistically trade the 7th pick for?

    • Alex Kennedy

      I think Andre Iguodala and Rudy Gay will be shopped this summer. Keep an eye on those guys, they could be traded if the right offer comes along.

  16. tapsilog sa pinas

    Who will be drafted by the lakers? Number 60 right?

    • Alex Kennedy

      Man, that’s tough to predict this far in advance. They worked out a lot of guards who are expected to go in the second round including Tu Holloway, Marcus Denmon and Charlie Westbrook. I think they’ll go with a guard, but I’m not sure who.

  17. Carl

    It would seem that with the Nets not landing one of the top three picks they are all but out of the D12 sweepstakes given their lack of quality assets to offer outside of a resigned Lopez and Brooks. Your thoughts? Something tells me that package wont entice the Magic…

    • Alex Kennedy

      You may be right. Dwight Howard would love to play in Brooklyn. If it were up to him, he would be traded to the Nets right this second. However, the Nets may be in trouble given their lack of assets. Brooklyn has to regret trading for Gerald Wallace at the deadline. Only protecting the pick in the top three was terrible, especially when you’re bringing in a veteran like Wallace who makes the team more competitive right away. The Nets panicked at the deadline and made an awful move.

      Thanks for submitting your questions! If I missed you, ask me your question on Twitter or send me an email. Have a great week!