NBA Chat With Mark Nugent 7/5/12

KMG7

hi mark,
can you see lin and and shumpert starting together in the knicks backcourt? Also, with terrence ross coming in and jose and davis possibly leaving via trade, who can you see the raptors most likely starting on opening night (including FA signings and possible trade acquisitions) ? thanks

Mark Nugent

I can definitely see that. Shumpert is an excellent defender so he will likely guard the opposing teams 2-guard.

It looks the Raps are going to acquire Kyle Lowry via sign and trade, so my best guess is Lowry, Ross, DeRozan, Amir Johnson, Bargs. they are pushing hard for Nic Batum.

Chris

Hi Mark. Would you walk me through the rationale of why Boston just paid a 36 year old PF, entering his 18th season, and who put put up good stats against teams with little to no inside game, $11 per season for 3 years? In this luxury climate, that’s just plain stupid.

Mark Nugent

After the year he had, I knew KG would get a big deal. I think that’s too much for a guy who is as old as I am, but the Celtics aren’t ready to give up and why should they be. They made it to the conference finals and they are getting some young talent to add to their bench and Avery Bradley should be healthy. Also, look at what happened to the Mavs this offseason after not signing Tyson Chandler last offseason. The Celtics had to look at that and think, it’s better to overpay and be competitive than have to start all over.

that’s my thought.

Deven

Does Danny Ainge want to get older or younger? And will they ever break it up? I mean, what if KG suffers an injury and they lose in the first round of the playoffs next year. As I’m typing this, you can probably tell I’m a Celtics hater.

Mark Nugent

Ainge wants to rebuild on the fly, which rarely works. He wants the young guys to take over for the old guys eventually. This is what I believe. It’s a good strategy just very difficult to pull off.

Kobe Bryant

I’m all for having pau shipped out of here, bring me josh smith. I dont need no diva in my team. Drew over d12

Mark Nugent

Not sure what is going to happen with Pau now that it appears the Lakers have acquired Steve Nash. the most recent talk i saw was that the Lakers would either go into the season with the guys they have, or they might consider a Howard for Bynum swap. the Pau rumors have cooled considerably.

I’ve always thought a Pau for Smith and someone made a lot of sense.

Gustavo A.Thomas

Source said KB recruit nash to LA, Dw recruited lebron and bosh to Miami ,Cp3,Carmelo recruit everybody who want to get NBA ring recruit players but DRose (i’m no recruit players)is this real personality or selfish actitud?I believe the las one is the answer.he no want to share ch spotlight with other Nba superstar.what you think.

Mark Nugent

I don’t think it has anything to do with him being selfish. I think he doesn’t want to offend his teammates and he just doesn’t have the personality to do that, at least not yet. But every time I’ve talked to him he’s been a selfless person that rarely speaks about himself.

Hassan

Do you believe the Bulls will sign Brandon Roy and how likely is it, that they go after Greg Oden? No one is really talking about him. He would be perfect if healthy to play with the Bulls.

Mark Nugent

I don’t think they will sign Roy or Oden. Roy will likely receive more money elsewhere and the Bulls already have their bigs, they are unlikely to tie up more money in someone with Oden’s injury history.

Mutang

Hey Mark, I know Dwight and Nash are going to dominate the chats, but how about my Utah Jazz? IMO, KOC has done a masterful job already of getting an all-star caliber PG in Mo that is the perfect fit for this team needing a tough guy leader, 3pt shooting and PG skills. What are your thoughts on that, on getting Marvin for basically nothing too, and what Utahs next move will/should be?? Thanks!

Mark Nugent

Williams is not an all-star caliber PG any more. He’s more a sixth man, but I still loved the trade. He’s an upgrade over Harris and he’s only got one year left on his deal.

As for Marvin, I’m not a fan, he’s way over paid and doesn’t produce much. That was more about getting rid of Harris.

SLCJAZZ

Mark thanks for your time,do you think with adding MO and Marvin Williams and maturation of our young players that our 3 Pt% should significantly increase? also does this improve us on the defensive end as well?

Mark Nugent

I think the Jazz should definitely be better, but they are still looking at the bottom rung of the playoffs.

bugsy

Will raymond felton land with the knicks???

Mark Nugent

It seems like the Knicks are the most likely destination right now.

Mutang

Am I the only one laughing at Nash going to LA??? I mean, I’m an admitted Lakers hater, Kobe can’t-stander, but now Nash goes there and everybody acts like Kobe is going to let Nash run that team. Its not like there is a huge amount of movement on offense in that team for Nash to find cutters and openings. Kobe will dominate the ball, and instead of just Pau and Bynum frustrated, now Nash will be too. What, Kobe will now become Rip Hamilton??? hah, no way! They wont use Nash correctly, and Kobe wont change….. Am I the only one???

Mark Nugent

Assuming good health, this whole season will be up to Kobe. Will he share the ball? Will he let Nash get out and run? Will they run pick and rolls? And lastly, will Kobe go into jacker mode like he did all last season? If Kobe let’s Nash actually run the point, then look out. If he dominates the ball like he did last year then the Lakers won’t be looking at a Finals birth.

For the record, my opinion is this makes the Lakers better, but I don’t think they are the team to beat. I still think the Thunder are better.

Henry

Way too many sf in detroit.Who do you see be traded?Is there any intrest in prince?

Mark Nugent

I think Detroit is looking to make moves, but they don’t have a lot of assets other teams want. Brandon Knight, Greg Monroe, and Andre Drummond aren’t going anywhere. I think everyone else could be had for a draft pick or some other decent asset.

WIZARD

How good are wizards?Are they playoff team?

Mark Nugent

The Wizards should compete for one of the bottom seeds in the East. Anything short of an 8 seed and I believe it will have been a disappointing season.

Maurice

Is there anyway the Brooklyn can get Ersan Ilyasova without trading Marshon Brooks and Brook Lopez? I also read somewhere that the Bucks don’t want Humphries

Mark Nugent

With all the moves the Nets have made they are capped out. Any chance of getting Ilyasova would most likely have to be through a trade, because it’s doubtful he’d take a minimum contract.

Brad

Do you think there’s any chance that the Hornets will sign and trade Gordon to the Suns? Maybe Gordon for Marshall + a Lakers pick, since the Suns now have Dragic to play PG and I’m not totally convinced Rivers can play PG in the NBA.

Mark Nugent

I don’t think the Suns have anything the Hornets want, that they would be willing to trade. Marshall I believe isn’t going anywhere. I believe the Hornets match and that’s the end of it. If Gordon signs with a different team when he’s allowed to then it’s possible, but I don’t think the Suns have what the Hornets are looking for.

Paulo

I think I need a new team. Raptors are the laughingstock of the league

Mark Nugent

They just got Lowry, that’s a good move for them. Are they a playoff team, I doubt it, but they are trying.

If you want a new team the Bulls always have plenty of room on the bus.

The JOkeShow

Who wins this trade between the Lakers and Magic?

LA gets: Dwight, Hedo, J Rich, Duhon, Q Rich

Magic gets: Bynum, Pau, Metta, McRoberts

Mark Nugent

Any team that gets Howard wins the trade. But that would be a great haul for the Magic.

The JOkeShow

Which team would benefit more on this trade?

LA sends Pau to Jazz and Jazz send Al and Bell to LA.

Mark Nugent

I’d probably pick the Jazz because I believe Pau is the better player. But this is pretty fair.

Jay

Whats good Mark!!Seems like this free agency is falling apart for the Indiana Pacers..they are on the verge of loosing Roy Hibbert if they don’t match..they lose on the Eric Gordon,Jamaal Crawford and seems like they lose on Brandon Roy sweepstakes too..so to keep the team intact and be competitive,,they must match Hibbert’s offer from Portland and over pay on O.J Mayo just for them to have a strong chance of landing him..i don’t think hes gonna sign in Indiana for MLE or a lil better than the MLE..i just don’t see anyone left in there who’s going to help them and make the team better if they miss out on this 2 guys..maybe sign Chris Kaman for dept too..what u think??thanks!!

Mark Nugent

I think every thing you said is accurate. I believe they match Hibbert, and go after Kaman for depth. And Mayo is looking for a rumored 8 million or so per year which in my opinion is definitely overpaying.

It seems like all free agents want to go to LA, NYC, or Miami. other wise a team has to overpay to land them.

charlie lakers

Hi Mark – Since Atlanta has cap space and needs a Big, should they acquire Pau from the Lakers for draft picks and expiring contracts? Lakers benefit by shedding Pau’s big contract and building the bench.

Mark Nugent

Lakers won’t do that. They want to win now.

Christian Frank

What were the Heat thinking during the draft? Perry Jones, who even with his issues is far more talented then any player they have on their bench and would’ve had the perfect guys around him to teach him how to be a pro, fell into their laps and they passed on him. Then they drafted and traded Arnette Moultrie, a big man who is athletic and a good rebounder, for a guy who probably isn’t going to make the roster. With limited ability to improve the roster going forward, I don’t understand why they didn’t draft Jones or keep Moultrie. Financially, it would’ve only cost the Heat just over 1 million a year on a contract that would’ve been guaranteed for 2 years with team options for years 3 and 4. Why did the Heat pass on both Jones and Moultrie?

Mark Nugent

My guess is, they traded the pick before the draft or early in the draft before it became clear that some very good players were falling. Plus, they don’t want rookies, they want veterans who can produce in the playoffs right now.

bill

the sixers are in the howard talks…cap space(18 mil elton brand)thad young evan turner and other fast young players and draft picks ..the magic need to start over

Mark Nugent

Howard has given no indication that he would sign with the Sixers and doubt very much they would rent him and give up the young players.

Kyle

Why didn’t Houston consider taking back Calderon from Toronto in the Lowery trade? He’s on an expiring deal. They need a PG and they could of dumped another bad contract themselves.

Mark Nugent

Maybe they did. Not sure what else was offered. it’s also possible the Raptors wanted to keep Calderon. As it stands there is a good chance the Rockets turned Lowry into an eventual lottery pick. Considering the Rockets were ready to move on from Lowry, that’s not a bad deal.

i am Houston

We offer to overpay an unworthy player O.Asik and pass on another unworthy player R.Hibbert but he is an allstar and clearly a starter far better player than Asik then we dont resign our on sure to be allstar pg Dragic trade a should have been allstar pg Lowry only to bid for a over hiped J.Lin whose gonna stay in NY.Whats your thoughts or beliefs in what D.Moron’s doing?He’s a joke please tell me we dont have to deal with him after the next seasons over and he spends us into the lottery for sure 2013???#1 pick this time…

Mark Nugent

I think Asik is worth the contract that he was offered and I think the Bulls will match it. I don’t think they wanted to max out Hibbert, which I agree with. They are clearly rebuilding and I think it’s the right thing to do. I actually thought they should have done this two years ago. He’s going young and starting over, I believe.

As for if he gets fired, I have no idea, but I doubt it. I think he will get a few years to try and rebuild.

Joe Shafer

So is it now Nerlens Noel, Shabazz Muhammad or bust for the rockets now?!?! We are going to be awful!

Mark Nugent

I definitely think the Rockets are lottery bound.

Cain

Will George Hill step up now that he has his own team to run/start for? How will Hill and George back-court go?

Mark Nugent

Hill looked pretty good last season once the Pacers handed him the reigns to the team. I think he will be very good.

and the Hill/George backcourt is solid, but I think George is playing out of position and won’t reach his potential unless he can play small forward full time.

Cain

Will Pacers re-sign Hibbert? Will they go after someone soon? They are leaving it late and it makes me nervous.

Mark Nugent

the Blazers apparently offered Hibbert a four year max deal that he intends to sign. So the question is will the Pacers match it? I think they will. They are looking at other options, but I think they end up matching. They will wait till the last moment regardless.

Mark

Do you see the bobcats getting any good free agents ? Also with all the point guards moving do you think some one will pick up DJ augustin .

Mark Nugent

No, the Bobcats plan to build through the draft and use their cap space in order to accumulate more assets, mostly draft picks. don’t expect the Bobcats to try and do anything major this offseason.

Augustin will definitely be on someones team by the time training camp opens. He’s a solid backup PG.

Lakerfan24

Excited about the Nash deal. Does Rashard Lewis make any sense for the Lakers, he’s another big who can strech the floor or possibly Antawn Jamison?

Mark Nugent

Lewis or Jamison would be perfect fits for the Lakers. I’m sure the Lakers will try and sign one or both of them, but they are certainly cap strapped, so Lewis or Jamison would have to take a small contract to play for the Lakers.

Giftedone

Do you think Melo & Stat will eventually mesh or would both the team and Stat benefit from him playing with the second unit? Because I don’t think he should be traded, but clearly something needs to be done.

Mark Nugent

I don’t think STAT and Melo will ever be great together. Amar’e needs someone to help him get good looks and Anthony just wants to shoot. And I can’t see them bringing Amar’e off the bench. He’s making way too much money.

zach

ive heard a few people think the clippers are a darkhorse in the dwight howard sweepstakes.as an orlando fan i would push for a blake for dwight swap maybe they throw in deandre jordan?this keeps the magic competitive in their new arena.what do you think?

Mark Nugent

If the Clippers every offered Griffin the Magic should jump on that deal. Griffin is a star and would help put fans in the stadium.

Gmack

What are the rockets doing?

Mark Nugent

I believe they are finally rebuilding. I believe they’ve tried everything they can to land a star and now they are in full rebuilding mode. Gathering assets and trying to acquire lottery picks.

Rodney t

I think the lakers would be better off having Ramon as a back up pg than Blake. Blake is a bust that can’t score or play defense. Do you think they get Dwight

Mark Nugent

I like Sessions better than Blake as well. I think if they offer Bynum for Howard they get him. If not, then no.

Giftedone

What do you think about the Knicks losing Fields and who could be a good replacement? Also, do you think they will lose Lin?

Mark Nugent

In my opinion, Fields is way overpaid and I would let him walk if he really does get that big offer from the Raptors. As for Lin, I would bet just about anything that he returns to the Knicks one way or another.

Ren Jävier

Do you agree it’s time to move Andrew Bynum? If Houston is out of the DH12 race, they might be interested in a trade that gets them the second best center in the league. The Lakers could move Gasol back to the five, and bring in some depth for the bench, maybe land one or two of the rookies (White + either of the others). Thoughts?

Mark Nugent

Rockets don’t have the assets to acquire Bynum, in my opinion. Scola and Martin isn’t enough for the Lakers. The Lakers are in win now mode and the only way I see them trading Bynum is if it lands them Howard.

Ty

The raptors still have a lot of assets even after acquiring Lowry. Is Iggy available? What kind of pieces would be needed to net him?

Mark Nugent

The rumors for Iguodala have calmed lately, so I’m not sure if he is still available or not. I believe if he is available it will be more about a salary dump for the Sixers, so he could be had for a draft picks/a young player. If he is available the Raptors could offer DeRozan plus a pick or two and that might be enough, assuming it’s more a salary dump than anything.

20

with the lakers signing steve nash, what does that spell for the longevity of both he and bryants careers? does that give either of them an extra year or two at the end of their careers, especially if they win a ring in the first year or two? and am i the only one seeing Gasol for a more defensive minded power forward whether we keep Bynum or make a move for Howard? Whether u get Howrard or keep Bynum, ur guaranteed 60-70 points between the pg, sg, and c positions collectively, right? defense should be highly emphasized in any immediate transactions wouldnt ya think?

Mark Nugent

Both Bryant and Nash take very good care of their bodies, so I don’t think it makes any difference. They are both in incredible shape for the age.

I think the Lakers are starting to see the value of having Gasol, regardless of who else is on the team. He’s unselfish, an excellent help defender, and he can score when needed. I’ll be very surprised if he’s traded.

Len(Oakland,Ca)

What other moves can my Warriors make we have to many small forwards we need to address the back up point and power forward position. Dorell Wright needs to go. On paper if Healthy i think we will sneak up on some teams out West. Thoughts?

Mark Nugent

I’m not sure they will make too many moves until they get near the trade deadline. They will go into camp with a team very similar to what they have right now.

Benjamin

any chances heat can get ray on MMLE and camby on vet min.?

Mark Nugent

Yes. Both players would have to take a lot less money then they can get elsewhere. Allen is rumored to have a deal with the Celtics for basically twice as much as what the HEAT can offer. And Camby can make more than the vet min if he wants to somewhere else.

Benjamin

any chance rudy gay gets moved before next season?

Mark Nugent

Sure, there is always a chance. There’s a chance the Bulls trade Derrick Rose, but it’s doubtful.

The Grizzlies have said repeatedly that they like Gay and think he is a big part of their core. I don’t see them trading him this offseason. Maybe near the deadline if the Grizz get off to a poor start.

Cebu212

What grade would you give Houston on the Lowry trade to Toronto?

Mark Nugent

‘A’ They were ready to move on, and they landed a likely lotto pick. that’s pretty good.

BRETT

SIGN AND TRADE, SESSIONS FOR RYAN ANDERSON HELPS BOTH TEAMS, YOUR THOUGHTS…

Mark Nugent

No. Orlando wants Anderson back.

Chris

Any news with R.Allen and the HEAT?
will Lin go back to NY?
And what are ur thoughts of NASH going to LA? does him and kobe co-exist? Thanks!

Mark Nugent

Allen: NOt that I know of. He’s definitely meeting with them.
Lin: I definitely think he ends with the Knicks.
Nash: I think he can co-exist with Kobe, but it’s up to Kobe. He really goes into Jacker mode a lot and he needs to not do that. I think there will be some issues in LA though, it won’t be all roses all year long.

jack

I actually think the situation in Houston is not that bad. Either the glut of power forwards is a prelude to a DH trade, or a way for the Rockets to tank next season so’s to get 2 high draft choices (Houston’s and Toronto’s).

Mark Nugent

The Rockets aren’t done dealing yet, i believe. I think Scola and Martin are likely gone by the time the trade deadline rolls around.

Giftedone

I just heard that Jason Kidd is coming to NY, is that true?

Mark Nugent

That’s the latest, yes. It looks like Kidd agreed to a three year deal with the Knicks.

Kuda

Do you think the Raptors org if they get Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields have improved at all or need to acquire more assets to be a competitive team in the East??

Mark Nugent

They’ve definitely improved, sadly I doubt they’re a playoff team, which means their pick will go to the Rockets.

fabulous9132

What do you see the BULLS doing? I am hearing rumors about evey team but them. What about signing Courtney Lee, Gerald Green, and Hinrich and getting a chep backup big?

Mark Nugent

I don’t think they do anything, which is too bad. I think they are looking for minimum guys, so they are going to miss out on everyone, in my opinion. I definitely think they match Asik and bring him back. Lee is looking at a big deal and Hinrich can get more than the Bulls can offer. The Bulls need to get creative to bring in new talent, sign and trades would be the way to go.