NBA Rumors Chat With Steve Kyler 11/01/12

1. LA in LA

   3 unrelated questions:
   1) I was always curios, was that rumor from a few a years ago regarding Stoudemire for J.J. Hickson and filler the Cavs reportedly turned down true?
   2) Are you surprised Harden got traded to the Rockets in particular rather than another team?
   3) I think the best places for Delonte West would be:
   Lakers (Fits a need, knows the coach, but we already have 4 PGs and a HIGH payroll)
   76ers (Royal Ivey should be the 3rd string PG, not 2nd)
   Memphis (They need more people who can shoot the 3pt shot. He and Bayless would make a nice but small backup guard unit).
   Thoughts?

   • Steve Kyler

     Welcome in everyone… fun opening week of the NBA. Lots of questions to get to, so I will jump right in

     1) I was always curios, was that rumor from a few a years ago regarding Stoudemire for J.J. Hickson and filler the Cavs reportedly turned down true?

     — The way rumors get reported is not generally how they are discussed… Did conversations about Amar’e going to the Cavs take place… yes. Was there ever a deal close enough to be turned down… No. I have talked to all sides of that one and there was some interest in a deal, but nothing ever got close enough to happen and that’s really more common in the NBA than you’d think. I do know that there was some concern about fit with Amar’e in a number of situations and I think when you see the challenges in NY you can understand why. The other thing to know is that Phoenix waffled on Amar’e all the way to the end.

     2) Are you surprised Harden got traded to the Rockets in particular rather than another team?

     — Not really. Houston had the right assets, specifically the draft picks and Kevin Martin. Kevin is not James Harden, but they really like him. Scott Brooks has a history with Kevin and a trust with him most coaches wouldn’t given his injury history. So far the word from OKC has been stellar. They love that Kevin does not need the ball to create action. That was a big knock on James Harden, it made it hard for him and Russell Westbrook to be on the floor together, because they both need the ball to create.
     The Houston deal solved a ton of problems in one move… The Thunder cleared out some contracts. They get some draft picks. They don;t down grade too significantly in the talent scoring department and they don’t have to make financial decisions next summer because of what James expected in his next deal.

     3) I think the best places for Delonte West would be…

     – Not sure anyone takes him. Delonte has mental problems, pretty sever ones and most teams are not open to taking on a problem unless they have to. I think if injury strikes someone might take a stab at him, but teams that are trying to win something are not going to go after him. Not saying he’s done. Just saying not sure he’s at the top of anyone’s wish list.

2. Alex in Burbank

   Steve, now that Eric Pincus is no longer doing Laker chats, you guys have to chose a replacement. HW is not HW without a good LONG weekly Laker chat! Just saying….

   • Steve Kyler

     We’re working on some things.

     I am not bringing in a rookie type person to handle the Lakers… so that’s a process of finding the right person that fits our team. We have talked internally about this. We have had a ton of interested parties reach out too.

     Its a complex issue.

     1st — because of how big the Lakers universe is, its tough to get anything exclusive out of LA… so we tend to get our best exclusive stuff when they are on the road. So having someone in LA at the home games is just having a body in the building.

     2nd — EP is super credible and that why we like him, that’s why the LA Times wanted him. Thats not easy to replace. So finding that caliber of person is whats important, so we’re not rushing into that.

     Lastly — EP is still part of our team. We still talk internally and just because he’s not answering chat questions does not mean HOOPSWORLD doesn’t have its finger on the pulse of that team and the 29 others in the league.

     We’ll get the Lakers situation resolved soon, but from my chair its like any roster move… if you lose a starter, you can’t replace him with a D-Leaguer and think the fans won’t notice — so there is a process to that.

3. mojart

   who do you prefer as your starting shooting guard a healthy eric gordon or james harden (both will play the 82 games schedule) and why?thanks

   • Steve Kyler

     I think Eric Gordon has a larger body of work as a starter… so I think we know more about EG as a starter. That said you can ignore the injury history. Thats real. Very real in EG’s case.

     It will be interesting to see how Harden does in Atlanta on Friday. If he turns into a double double type guard then its not much of a discussion because harden has been super durable.

4. Wil

   Hi Steve, as a tangent to the Harden deal, does this mean ORL fans should be outraged at how ownership/management handled Dwight? I realize the GM is new (and was in a tough spot), but when OKC gets a much better haul (in terms of current and future talent) for a sixth man who melted down in the finals, then I would be boycotting the team for the next decade, as that is how long this next re-build project will take given the incompetence level! Thoughts?

   • Steve Kyler

     No… and here is why.

     Houston wanted James Harden and Harden wanted to extend in Houston. They were willing to give up more to create the marriage.

     In Orlando’s case they got EXACTLY what they wanted… its not like they settled. They decided if we have to trade Howard, lets rebuild using a better model and they got all the pieces and assets to do that.

     Now the biggest difference between the two situations is what Harden was owed… it wasn’t a huge number that made a deal super complex… and he wanted to go there.

     There were only a small handful of situations Howard would agree to, so that limited the field. Had Harden taken the same stance with Houston, there may not have been a deal.

     On the surface Orlando fans saw an All-Star leave and did not get one in return… but they didn’t want one. They got exactly what they wanted and they waited along time to get a deal done for that very reason.

     Howard wouldn’t go to Houston and Harden would – that is why those assets are OKC’s and Orlando got what they got.

5. dennis

   I don’t really understand why utah haven’t traded jefferson yet. I appreciate this guy, but favors and kanter are set for a breakout season if they get the minutes and milsap is very productive on any given night. Any thoughts?

   I think that jefferson has a good trade value. They could get some talent and some draft picks in return. What do you think? Which teams really need a guy like jefferson and have the pieces to get him? Thanks!

   • Steve Kyler

     It takes two to tango… you can not force a team to trade with you. Equally, you want to get value out of the guys you have. Could Utah give away Jefferson tomorrow — sure, but why?

     I think Utah has to explore Al’s trade value at the deadline, but what you are ignoring is that having two elite level bigs is never a bad thing. Utah wants to be in the playoffs and having depth and talent is what it will take in the West. What happens if they liquidate Al Jeff and someone struggles? Favs and Kanter are not nearly proven enough to carry a team yet.

     That may change towards the deadline, when teams really start to make offers and thats when Utah might look at trades.

6. willie

   hi any chance rob signs tryeke evans and monta ellis this summer evans and monta in the backcourt would give the heat nightmares

   • Steve Kyler

     The Magic are building a culture… like OKC and San Antonio… everything has to fit into that culture.

     The Magic want players who want to be part of a team… want to be in Orlando… want to be coached and want to play their role on the team. They are not looking for “me-first” ego guys.

     Not sure Tyreke and Monta line up with that. I think Tyreke fits better in the terms of what they need going forward… I think if Monta is an unrestricted free agent he’ll go to the highest bidder that has a chance to be in the playoffs – not sure thats Orlando next year.

7. LA in LA

   Thoughts on Lakers debut?

   • Steve Kyler

     About what I expected… You can’t throw guys together and expect it to just work… It takes time for the parts to gel, especially when your talking about guys that are in a new system and that are used to being the #1 option.

     How the Lakers look today is not how they’ll look at Christmas.

8. Steve

   Are you rather surprised that demar derozan got his contract extension for that much amount of money?

   • Steve Kyler

     Yes, because I heard for weeks that the raptors were not offering much and that DeMar was heading to restricted free agency.

     I tweeted this last night… funny how deadlines change things. I also think when you look at how aggressive Portland was with Roy Hibbert and how the Rockets constructed their deals to get Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik — restricted free agency isn’t the handcuff it once was because teams will go after guys. The new CBA and how teams have managed the cap means every year there will be two or three teams that can do a silly offer.

     Toronto always wanted to keep DeMar, I think they saw the market getting deals done and you don’t want your restricted guy to the best best guy out there and it was lining up that way.

     I also think that’s why Jrue Holiday got his deal after some lowball offers and why Chicago ultimately got it done with Taj Gibson.

     I think you can start thinking about it this way… the top two or three restricted free agents are going to get offer sheets slightly above their worth – as a team, do you want it to be your guy?

     I think Golden State decided they didn’t want to risk it with Steph Curry and I think Toronto did the same with DeRozan.

9. Luke

   Is there a way the bulls could pick up delonte and release someone mid nov i think he would run the offence alot better that kirk?

   • Steve Kyler

     I don’t think Delonte is anyone they’d consider.

10. Jim in Cyber Space

    The Annual NBA GM’s survey is intriguing. Some of the best business/BB minds around.

    So why don’t they ask the most interesting question..”Who is the best GM in the NBA”…can’t vote yourself.

    Do you think they would “sandbag”…vote for someone that can’t win ’cause I can’t vote for myself?

    • Steve Kyler

      You know that’s something I have never asked… I would think Mitch Kupchak would get some love… I also think RC Buford would to… there is such admiration around the league for how the Spurs do things from top to bottom. I think Sam Presti would likely get some love.

      So here is classy story… Sam Presti gets on the Thunder’s private plane and flies to Houston to pickup Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb… he did it personally.

      There are just some guys that do things in such an amazing way. Mitch is hard to talk with, but you can’t argue his results. RC is somewhat invisible, by choice, and you can argue with the results. Most executives see that and respect that.

11. willie

    hi is rob looking just to go with what he has or is he looking for trades and ways of improveing roster now i would hate to waste a year then not get the first pick in draft he should go after rudy tyreke and monta

    • Steve Kyler

      I think you have to let things play out a bit… Jacque has to find his groove… you have to get a sense of what really fits in your culture and then most importantly whats the value of your assets.

      I don;t get a sense that’s there is any urgency to upset things, in fact I get the sense that they want to get some stability and structure in place.

12. Muz

    Hi Steve,
    Need some advice on Guards as my draft didn’t really go well. I currently have:
    OJ Mayo, Rodney Stuckey, Kemba Walker, Brandon Roy and John Wall…yes, it’s a shameful roster full of guards that i was “hoping” would prevail. However, reality is started to sink in pretty fast and every other prospect is sitting pretty on other’s roster. Any suggestion? should i just bow out gracefully and save face??

    Thanks,

    • Steve Kyler

      tbeer@hoopsworld.com — Tommy is the fantasy basketball editor, he can steer you better than I can. Especially in multiple category leagues.

13. Sebastián (Uruguay)

    So much has been made of the Nuggets, but without Gallo who’s going to score ? They looked awfull, the Jazz on the other hand looks terrific, and to me is the 2nd team in the Northwest and will fight for a spot in the 4 – 6 range for the Playoffs

    • Steve Kyler

      Really too early to write anyone into a specific spot… I think Denver will find their way. That was an emotional game last night. Sixers open their 50th anniversary… Andre wanted to play well and you have Gallo as a last minute scratch.

      The 76ers are a very good team… they are a real contender for the 4th spot in the East. Denver is going to be equally as good… Challenging for the 4th or 5th spot in the West.

      Good teams win home games… Philly is a good team. Denver runs off 6 losses in their 1st 10 games, lets revisit, but I am not worried about the Nuggets scoring. They are among the leagues best at that.

14. Jeff

    Rumor as it, the Raptors like to overpay players, especially ‘below league average’ swingman.

    • Steve Kyler

      You pay a premium for talent in Toronto… they are not a winning organization. They are not perennial playoff contenders. Guys are not walking to Toronto for any reason other than money. Houston is doing the same thing. Cleveland will have to do that too.

      As far as the below average comment… not sure we see the world the same way. DeMar DeRozan was the 4th best shooting guard in scoring last year at 16.7 per game. James Harden was 3rd at 16.8 and he just got $78 million.

      DeMar has gotten better each year… How much better will he be with Kyle Lowry and a serious front court player like Jonas?

15. Jason M.

    Were you as surprised as I was to see Houston run such a short rotation last night? It worked out for them but I thought for sure Motiejunas would get some burn and it seemed Terrence Jones had earned some.

    • Steve Kyler

      They got into a groove and you could tell McHale didn’t want to mess with it.

      I think there was a such a desire to work some things out with the starters, that the bench guys and rookies got left out. That is a buy-product of no camp time together with Harden and so little practice time.

      I think the first few games of the season are going to be that way.

16. Fred

    Is Eric Gordon being unreasonable regarding his not being willing to play with knee pain? If he will not play, and there is no medical documentation of a knee that would be harmed by playing,can the Hornets avoid paying him?

    • Steve Kyler

      They could get there… the team doctors would have to clear him, and then he;d have to basically refuse to play… then they can fine him or suspend him.

      The team says he’s hurt… I openly questioned the virtues of matching a guy that clearly wanted out after you drafted a guy that plays his position. I have to take Dell at his word that Eric is hurt, but I have had too many people tell me Eric doesn’t want to be there for me to ignore that, so we’ll see how it shakes out.

      But yes, if a healthy player refuses to play there is recourse, but I am not sure if the Hornets will go that way and I am not its in Eric’s best interest to force that kind of situation.

17. Brandon

    Im a magic fan and I am ready to see big baby get traded he shoots too much and takes away from the development of Nicholson will big baby be traded this season?

    • Steve Kyler

      I can tell you when the Magic opened camp in October, I had more than a few people tell me Baby was the first guy the team would like to trade.

      Not sure I buy it, but there is no doubt that Glen Davis and Al Harrington don’t fit in the long term in Orlando. I wouldn’t expect much change with the team until January… so this is who you have.

      As I said, I get the sense that they want to build a structure and routine, especially for the young guys, before they start trading guys off.

18. Hallack

    Do you see a feasible trade for the Celtics that would put the team in a position to actually win the East? Would something like Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger Fab Melo and Mickael Pietrus (S&T) for Josh Smith work?

    • Steve Kyler

      #1 — I really don’t think Atlanta is trading Josh Smith. I think they have a sense of where things are with Josh and I know that Josh likes whats happening in Atlanta now. That could change at the deadline, but the Hawks expect Josh to be their focal point and an All-Star this year.

      #2 — I think as constituted the Celtics are good enough to win the East. There cause would be helped if a major injury strikes the HEAT, but if you are asking me who I think the 2nd best team in the East is, its Boston… that makes them a contender today. They need guys like Courtney Lee and Jason Terry to learn the defense. They need Sullinger and ultimately Avery Bradley to get in the groove by mid-season. I think Boston is fine. They have a lot of new pieces that have to learn the Celtic way of doing things and ramp up their intensity.

      The opener was in Miami… good teams win home games, especially when they give you a ring before you start the game.

      Guys… I am out of time. Thanks for all the questions. Make sure you are following me on Twitter (@stevekylerNBA). See you all next week.