NBA Chat With Bill Ingram 11/28/2011

Catch up on the latest news, rumors and predictions with HOOPSWORLD’s Bill Ingram every Monday at 11:00 AM Eastern.

Bill covers the entire NBA and is based in Dallas, Texas, home of the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. He has been an NBA analyst since 1998, when he and Steve Kyler founded HOOPSWORLD. He can be heard on radio stations across the country and his work has also appeared in USA Today.

You can follow Bill on Twitter by linking here: @TheRocketGuy.

  1. Isiah

    Do you think come Monday we will have a new CBA?

    • Bill Ingram

      Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the chat! All NBA fans have something to be truly thankful for, and in response to your question . . .yes . . .we have a framework of a new CBA. Some details are still being worked out, but we are going to have basketball on Christmas. Looks like free agency will start around December 9th!

  2. dyrese

    now tht the lockout is over finally,The knick have work to do in the free aganecy mmarket who should they be looking to sign?

    • Bill Ingram

      Funny you should ask! Tommy Beer covers the Knicks for us and posted this article on Sunday: Like so many teams, the Knicks need a center, and while they can’t afford Chandler, Gasol or Nene, they might get help from Spencer Hawes (restricted), Jeff Foster, Kwame Brown, Joel Przybilla, Erick Dampier, Nazr Mohammed, Kurt Thomas, Aaron Gray, Ryan Hollins or Jason Collins.

  3. dyrese

    iman shumpert seems to have been getting the most attention this summer more than kyrie irving i think hes gonna be the second best rookie guard overall your thoughts

    • Bill Ingram

      Honestly, since we didn’t get summer league or preseason I’m going to reserve judgment. By now I have usually seen the rookie class play a number of times, but this year we’re all having to wait for whatever limited preseason we’ll have in a couple of weeks. Ask me again after the first rounders have had a couple of chances to show what they can do at the NBA level. I will say this – we’ve seen Shumpert in private workouts and he looks like the real deal.

  4. dyrese

    if amnesty is in the new cba i really think the knicks should sign chris anderson and dahntay jones they are both defensive minded and can do some things on offense.I expect td to get traded so fields can have more offensive oppertunities and birdman can play c/pf whis much needed,your thoughts

    • Bill Ingram

      Chris Andersen is still under contract with the Nuggets for three more seasons, so that’s not really an option (see my earlier comments about the Knicks’ center position). I agree about Dahntay, though. He has a player option for next season with the Pacers, but it’s only for $2.9 million. He might get a bit more than that if he were to opt out, and he could certainly help the Knicks. Not much chance either of those guys get amnestied.

  5. Mutang

    Bill, unreal, they actually pulled their heads out….ANYWAY!! My team the Jazz have a glut of big men. Houston I believe needs a big man. Any chance they do business? OR, what is Utah going to do? Houston?

    • Bill Ingram

      I could see Houston cutting a deal for Al Jefferson as a last resort, but not before. He’s not even in their top five targets for the center position. He’s one of those players who puts up good numbers but doesn’t seem to help a team win. Beyond that, Houston has too many power forwards as it is, so the chances they take Millsap or Favors is slim. Okur might be an attractive option if they miss out on every other option, as he’s an expiring deal, but he’s a short-term solution at best. I don’t really see a clear path to a deal between Utah and Houston. As you said, though, the good news is we can stop speculating and watch what they actually choose to do soon!

  6. Ruca

    Can the Amnesty clause be used on previously waived players that are still counting towards the cap, like Patrick Beverley and James Jones in the HEAT, for instance?

    • Bill Ingram

      I believe it can be used on any player who is currently under contract . . .

  7. Isaac

    Will we be surprised by any of the amnesty player cuts?? When will those cuts begin???

    • Bill Ingram

      We’re hearing that free agency will start around December 9th, and amnesty cuts could begin with the start or free agency. There are still some details to be worked out . . .so that’s not set in stone. And I’m sure there will be some surprises, though by definition if I knew who those surprises were they wouldn’t be surprises. I’m not sold Baron Davis gets amnestied, so that might be a reverse surprise. I will be surprised if there are more than 3-4 players amnestied.

  8. Lior

    Any obvious amnesty candidate on the rockets roster? Thabeet?

    • Bill Ingram

      Not Thabeet . . .not after they gave up Shane Battier and a playoff run to get him. The Rockets are not going to pay someone to go away. It’s just not how they do business.

  9. Rodney

    With D12 hanging in the balance in Orlando,do you see Otis looking to try and bring back Lewis once he is cut and adding a few pieces(and i do mean few) with the mid level while amnestying Arenas and resigning Richardson or looking more along the terms of seeing what value they can get for Howard?

    • Bill Ingram

      I don’t think Rashard would be willing to give the Magic a deal after the way he was scapegoated last season. There are some very hard feelings there. He would be much more likely to head to Houston, where the Rockets are looking for a small forward as well as a center. Honestly, though, I would be surprised if the Wizards cut Lewis. He has been great for their chemistry, is still a very good player, and there is no material benefit to cutting him. You still have to pay him. Rashard has also gotten tight with John Wall and has been playing with a number of the Wizards over the extended offseason. Don’t count him out of Washington just yet.

  10. Rodney

    If trading Howard is inevitable and the Clippers was a destination he wanted to go how do you feel this trade would pan out
    Orl gets Deandre Jordan,Eric Gordon,Kaman,Aminu and the first round pic from the Timberwolves
    Clippers get Howard and Turk and perhaps this years first round pic depending if it was requested

    • Bill Ingram

      Dwight has no interest in the Clippers. . . if he winds up in LA it will be with the Lakers . . .but NJ seems a much more likely option, given their cap space and Deron Williams, whom Dwight very much wants to play with.

  11. Scott

    We all know come December 9th there will be a ton of action on the free agency and trade markets, but do you think we’ll have anything crazy go down or just the same names we were hearing before the lockout?

    • Bill Ingram

      GMs are notoriously bad at keeping secrets, aren’t they? :) I think we have a pretty good feel for who’s being shopped . . .

  12. Matt (UK)

    As a Nuggets fan will I be smiling come Christmas Day? Do you think they will be able to use their cap space to sign Nene and attract some serious talent or will the front office consider holding firm until 2012 free agency and writing off the up coming (short) season?

    • Bill Ingram

      The Nuggets do have some big questions to answer, and I’ve been told they have interest in David West or Carl Landry as replacements for Kevin Martin. They will almost certainly have Nene back in the mix. They have cap space, a players’ coach, and a good young team to build around. They will get a couple of key free agents and have you grinning from ear to ear on Christmas Day. ;)

  13. Earl

    After crawling deep into the owners pockets at the start of the lockout, beside those warm fuzzy feelings, how do you for see this paying off for you in the future?

    • Bill Ingram

      Not sure what you mean by crawling deep into the pockets of the owners. We didn’t get any financial benefit whatsoever from either side in the lockout. We’re an independent news organization. My only payoff is that now I have games to cover and can stop talking endlessly about BRI split and revenue sharing. That’s good enough for me.

  14. knicks fan

    sheldon willimas,mason,carter,jeffries
    will remain free agents derrick brown will get cut balkman will get amnestied for his 9million contract i assume.the only player to get resigned will be shawne williams.shumpert,jorts,jordan all rookie deals.WITH all that said will the knicks be able to go after a key piece this year instead of 2012?

    • Bill Ingram

      I don’t think they have a “blow-you-away” move coming in free agency this year. There’s an awful lot of competition from teams with more cap space (Sacramento, Houston, Indiana, Denver, to name a few). The Knicks will add some pieces, but they will of the complementary kind, not the star kind. That will be enough to get them to the second round, assuming Amar’e is healthy.

  15. Efren23

    Is there anyway to file a complain with nBA fOr season ticket holders? 66 games and scheduling sucks us laker clipper season ticket holder spent see good games that’s y I have season tickets to see heat celtics Knicks magic etc
    Why wouldn’t they do 29 *2 games 58 games and an additional 8 games in your division so 4 games in your division and two against everyone else that equals 66 games

    • Bill Ingram

      I’m not exactly sure what you’re saying. You can certainly call the Lakers and complain, sure. You weren’t going to see those Eastern teams more than once anyway, and we haven’t seen what the schedule will actually look like just yet. You might wait to complain until you’ve actually seen the final schedule. It might be better than you think. I feel confident in saying the Lakers will play the HEAT, Magic, Celtics and Knicks come to town. The league will want to have those national TV games that showcase contenders and former Finals matchups.

  16. da wink

    What do you think will be Morey’s first move once free agency and trades starts?

    • Bill Ingram

      Marc Gasol . . .as Steve Kyler said in the AM Report today . . .I think Morey will be camped out on Gasol’s front porch.

  17. Peter

    Hi Bill! Christmas can’t come sooner for NBA fans! From what I know, we’ll have a 66-game season and every team will have to play at least one back-to-back-to-back (3 in a row) game at one point. Do you think that will fatigue the players, leading to a decrease in the quality of play and perhaps an increase of injuries?

    • Bill Ingram

      I think it adds an element of strategy for the more veteran teams who need to avoid killing their vets before the playoffs start. The first thing is that players will be more rested due to missing two months of games, even though they are making up some of those games in close proximity. If anything, the quality of play will be more effected early, as a number of players have not stayed in game shape.

  18. Peter

    I heard rumours that the Rockets are making a strong push for Nene and if they don’t land him, the Rox will opt to blow up the team and start over. Is there any truth to that?

    • Bill Ingram

      The Nene part is true, yes, but they are not ready to blow up the team by any means. In fact, they’ve has preliminary talks with Kevin Martin about a contract extension. Of course, Martin is only a valuable piece if the Rockets have a center for him to play off of, so those talks may die if Houston can’t get the center they need. Still, the team really is not in need of “blowing up.” They already have more young players on the squad than any other playoff hopeful. To blow it up they would only really need to deal Luis Scola.

  19. William Faulkner

    Do you agree with Jeff van Gundy’s statement that Wade and Lebron wouldn’t have mocked a dwight howard, paul pierce, kobe bryant, chris paul (reading between the lines) like they mocked dirk? How prevalent do you think it is in the NBA?

    • Bill Ingram

      No, I don’t agree. I think we saw childish players being childish . . .and they paid for it. Maybe they wouldn’t have mocked Kobe, who has 5 rings, but why would they respect Dirk and less than they respect CP3, Pierce, or Dwight? Frankly, LeBron’s lack of respect for the game is what makes him so hard for me to stomach.

  20. barry

    So the new amnesty bidding system will keep teams like the Lakers from scooping up rashard & BDavis? Can you explain the system to me?

    • Bill Ingram

      Sure . . .basically, it’s like e-bay. If a team amnesties a player all the teams that are under the cap can enter bids. The highest bid wins. So if Washington amnestied Rashard Lewis (in your example), Houston could offer $5 million, and they would be on the hook for $5 mill each season until his contract is over. If another team offered $6 million, that team would get him. But only teams under the cap can bid, so the Lakers are out.

  21. Mike

    Can a team use the amnesty on their player and resign them for the minimum immediately after?

    • Bill Ingram

      No . . .teams have to wait and entire year before they can make an offer to a player they amnesty.

  22. Andrew

    Can Portland afford Crawford and Landry if they use the amnesty clause on Roy? What other names might be out there for Portland?

    • Bill Ingram

      No they can’t. If they amnesty Roy they still have to pay him and he still counts against the cap to some degree – perhaps stretched – but he doesn’t just come off the books. Portland won’t amnesty Roy anyway. He means more to the team than just what he does on the court, and they would hate to see him go join the Lakers and get healthy. But no – teams can’t amnesty someone who makes, say $12 million, and then go sign $12 million worth of players. Much or all of the $12 million still counts against the cap. I don’t expect to see more than three of four guys amnestied for that reason. That said, the Blazers do have a lot of interest in Jamal Crawford . . .and if they amnestied Roy it would open a roster spot for Jamal. If Roy’s healthy, however, they don’t need Jamal.

  23. Kevin

    I realize most of these guys aren’t on the trade block but I was just wondering if you thought this trade made all these teams better.

    Indiana gets – David Lee, Joel Anthony, Mario Chalmers (s&t)

    Mia gets- Stephon Curry, Tyler Hansbrough, Klay Thompson,maybe draft pick(s), cap space to sign a Center

    Golden State gets- Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, George Hill, Eddie House

    • Bill Ingram

      Interesting question . . .honestly, since I know many of those players are not available (Hansbrough and Curry, especially), it makes little sense to spend time on it. But yes, to one degree or another each team would benefit from such a deal.

  24. Scott

    When December 9th rolls around will the Clippers finally be able to land the SF they’ve been searching for? Some team has to need and want Kaman right?

    • Bill Ingram

      Absolutely, though the Clippers better get Jordan squared away before they let Kaman go. There are so many teams that need center, and really only two good ones possibly available – Chandler and Gasol. Nene will re-sign in Denver, and then teams like NY, Miami, Houston and San Antonio will be lining up for centers. LA should be able to get something of value, for sure.

  25. da wink

    what’s the first move for Morey on Dec. 9?

  26. luis

    What story lines are u most looking forward to this season? Mavs defense,heat chase,Lakers Jacksonless,D12,Cp3,Dwill pending free agency?

    • Bill Ingram

      Definitely the Mavs defending their title, followed by Houston’s center situation and then Kobe chasing his 6th ring. Free agency is months away . . .why spend hours speculating baselessly?

  27. Ryan

    Will the Magic amnasty Arenas? I know it doesn’t put them under the cap but they gotta get rid of him.

    • Bill Ingram

      Very unlikely. . .they don’t gain any cap space and can’t afford to sign anyone else . . .they have to hope he plays better this year . . .which is a dim hope at best.

  28. Ruben

    How much spending money do the Rockets have in cap room for this off season, and do you think they are willing to go over the cap in any free agent signing( Marc Gasol)?

    • Bill Ingram

      The Rockets are roughly $9.6 million under the cap (for a complete list, link here!) I believe they will go over the cap to sign Gasol, if need be, but they also have plenty of talent to send back if the Grizzlies want to work a sign-and-trade.

  29. Carlos A

    Now that the lockout is over have you heard any rumors about the bulls what free agent they pushing for? Or are they talking to any teams to trade? Thank you and good day to you.

    • Bill Ingram

      They’re hoping the Suns will pay off Vince Carter, which is very likely. They have also had discussions about Rip Hamilton.

  30. Chris

    Are the Rockets likely to get a legit center (Nene, Chandler, M. Gasol) in free agency? If not, should they tank?

    • Bill Ingram

      The Rockets have too much pride to tank, but they’ll be a 38-win team without a starting center. Their top targets are Gasol and Nene, but they don’t have a great track record for adding key free agents, unfortunately.

  31. keo

    Wat do u expect to see from the celtics when it cones to free agency …do u think Allen Iverson would be on thier list?

    • Bill Ingram

      Absolutely not . . .do you really introduce a cancer like Iverson for your last title run? He would immediately demand a starting role, and there’s no chance you start him ahead of Allen or Rondo. Iverson can keep dreaming . . .his NBA career is over.

  32. Michael

    Wont this be the most unfair season for small market/low payroll teams – the new CBA basically gives all the tax paying teams all the benefits of the old CBA plus the new benefits, i.e. 150% trade allowance – how do the owners justify this as parity

    • Bill Ingram

      They don’t. One thing you’re overlooking, though, is that the Luxury Tax gets stiffer as it goes along. It eventually turns into a $1.50 per $1.00 over the tax, meaning even the Lakers and Mavs are not going to want to be Lux. Tax payers. It’s not nearly the same as parity, but it does help level the playing field a bit.

  33. Nate

    If in the 2012 NBA draft, the players were drafted in order based on talent, up till what pick do you think there will be a future all star?

    • Bill Ingram

      One would assume the first pick (Barnes?) would be an All-Star, especially since teams have had all this extra time to scout college players . . .

  34. Hugo

    Bill will the lakers be able to keep there trade exception from the Sasha Vujacic trade or does under the new CBA agreement

    • Bill Ingram

      It seems like they would . . . but that’s not something that will be addressed in detail until after the players end their anti-trust lawsuit . . .expected in the coming days.

  35. Tony in the Nap

    I’d heard the Pacers tried to acquire Milsap around the draft. Good idea to revisit that option? Milsap would be very good for Indy.

    • Bill Ingram

      Yes they did, and it would be if they miss out on West and Landry, two options that would not cost them players . . .they are absolutely addressing the four spot in free agency . . .

  36. Tony in the Nap

    Also, shooting guard. I really like Jamal Crawford, but it seems he has his sights set elsewhere. Who would be a good 2 for Indy to target? Or should they just let Paul George stay there?

    • Bill Ingram

      They believe they have enough depth at the two . . .

  37. Dong of Dayton

    Hey Bill,

    I’m trying to schedule my fantasy hoops draft and I had a question: Free agency starts on Dec. 9th, if I held my draft on Dec. 18th would all the available FA be signed or should I hold off til later?

    • Bill Ingram

      I can tell you that we’re planning to launch our Team Previews around the 19th, hoping most of the deals will be done by then . . .so that’s a safe bet. :)

  38. ian

    What moves do you see the Kings making with plenty of cap room?

    • Bill Ingram

      The Kings are in an interesting situation, no question. They have more cap space than anyone except Denver, but they are not an attractive venue for many free agents. They have a young, unproven team, a second-tier head coach and they are in danger of losing their venue. They’re going to have to throw a bunch of money at someone to get them to choose Sacramento, but once the other teams have spent their money the Kings will get some talent.

  39. Billy M

    overall, were you surprised with the way the new cba is put together or how it came to be? I honestly thought that I wouldn’t see basketball until next fall. Your call when the lockout would end was very close btw.

    • Bill Ingram

      I’m not overly surprised . . .it was nice to see both sides give up things they really wanted in the interest of a deal. And yes – my call was that the lockout would end shortly after final checks arrived on Nov. 15th . . .two weeks later we had a deal. :) )

  40. cj

    What do you think the thunder can get for Nate Robinson?
    Is Eric Maynor expendable now that Reggie Jackson was drafted or do you see Eric getting a nice payday when he becomes a free agent in a couple of seasons?

    • Bill Ingram

      I don’t know that you can get much for Nate, barring a key injury to a playoff team’s point guard. Given OKC’s business plan, Maynor stays until his contract is due, then he signs for more money somewhere else, while Jackson has been groomed to take his place at a much smaller number.

  41. Bill Ingram

    Perhaps, though it seems a longshot he will sign for an exception when other teams will offer more. As for Cole, there would have to be a couple of injuries for him to even see the court. D-League, anyone?

  42. Chris

    Would Al Jefferson be a good fit for the kings? I think if you pair him and Cousins in the front court they can have something special