NBA with Michael Wallace

NBA with Michael Wallace
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Welcome to SportsNation! On Tuesday, NBA writer and blogger Michael Wallace stops by to chat about the latest news from around the league.

In addition to writing about the NBA as a whole, Wallace also contributes to the "Heat Index," ESPN.com's home for everything Miami Heat and a part of the TrueHoop blog network.

Send your questions now and join the chat Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET!

Michael Wallace
Thanks for joining us for another edition of the NBA weekly chat. There's plenty to get to, so let's get started.
Wiseman (Nova Scotia)
What lineup do you think will be finishing games next year for the Heat and why?
Michael Wallace
Assuming health - and that's always difficult to assume, it seems, with the Heat outside of LeBron James - I'd venture to guess that you'll see a lot of LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Battier and Allen at the close of games. If the Heat need more size, you can expect to see Haslem subbing in and out for either Allen or Battier.
NBA INSIDER (AMERICA)
DO YOU THINK THE MAGIC/LAKER/CAVALIER RUMORED DEAL WILL HAPPEN??
Michael Wallace
That seems to have been four rumors ago. But I really don't know what to expect from this Dwight fiasco that's been haunting legit basketball fans for the better part of a year now. I'd like the see Orlando call Dwight's bluff and force him to report for the start of the season. If the Magic aren't happy with the deals they're being offered now, I'm not sure if they'll get significantly better near the trade deadline. But I certainly don't fault that front office for holding out as long as they can for a solid return for the best center in the game the better part of a decade.
Zack (LA)
Grant Hill to the Lakers or the Clippers?
Michael Wallace
Latest speculation says the Clippers. The Lakers would be a better fit for his skill set and where he is in his career in terms of trying to pursue a title.
Michael Wallace
The Knicks will get much older and slower with the additions of Kidd and Camby. And when you factor in the expected loss of Lin and the recovery process for Shumpert, there doesn't seem to be a lot of guys who can score when things slow down. I'm not sure what exactly the Knicks are as a team right now. There's no continuity there from year to year.
Brian (New York)
Hey Michael,Can I get your thoughts on age/experience/speed of play with this now rapidly aging Knicks team? Didn't we learn in the playoffs last year that legs (Miami, OKC) dominate (LA, Boston)?
Michael Wallace
See previous answer to this question. Sorry for slip up.
Beza F. (CA)
What do you think of the Celtics offseason? and Do you think they made their team better than last year's?
Michael Wallace
Yes. The Celtics needed to get two things: Younger and deeper. They accomplished both and still managed to bring back Garnett. The key to this team will be the development of Jeff Green after missing a year with a heart problem. If Green and Jason Terry play to their capabilities, this team will be right back in the hunt to challenge Miami again for the Eastern conference crown.
Zack (LA)
It doesn't seem like the new CBA is working if teams have been overpaying for mediocre players. Brooke "I'm allergic to rebounds" Lopez is worth a max deal? that's just blasphemy.
Michael Wallace
I felt the same way after seeing Roy Hibbert, Eric Gordon, Omer Asik and others get deals that don't match up with the level of production we've seen from those guys. But when you consider the other side of the equation, that the non glamorous markets would struggle to get those kind of players on the open market, then the system gives them a chance to lock in high potential prospects to long-term deals through restricted free agency. That's really their final trump card for big-time players before they're available to the glamor teams.
Michael Wallace
The Rockets are another team, like the Knicks, that just keep changing the roster for the sake of changing. Sure, they were dealt a bad hand when T-Mac couldn't stay healthy and Yao was forced to retire much sooner than expected. But I haven't been impressed with what they're trying to accomplish. At the end of the day, they could end up way overpaying for Jeremy Lin and missing out on Dwight. How exactly does that make them better than where they were, say, the past few seasons?
Andrew (Houston)
What can we expect the rockets to come out of this week with? Will they have an almost entirely new roster featuring dwight and j-lin? Or will they be stuck with a roster that oddly resembles their summer league team?
Michael Wallace
See previous post.
Brad (Gadsden,Alabama)
Michael, What are thoughts on how good of a job Danny Ferry has done so far for the hawks?
Michael Wallace
Is it possible to win Executive of the Year before your team even plays a game? If so, the award belongs to Ferry. Like my man Sekou Smith tweeted a week or so ago, in Ferry's first week on the job, he cleaned up the biggest mistakes made by the previous two GMs who held his job.
Jerel C. (Merrillville, IN)
If Dwight gets traded to the Rockets or stays in Orlando, what are the chances he goes to the Hawks and CP3 follows him?
Michael Wallace
There's always a chance when you position yourself as a team to have enough money to offer two max contracts. But how many times have we already seen teams with the most space come up well short of their intended targets. It's happened each of the past three years. Just think about New Jersey and Dallas the past few offseasons.
Jerel C. (Merrillville, IN)
Why haven't the Bulls made any moves where as the other contenders and the East have?
Michael Wallace
They have made moves. They're unloading parts as fast as they can. But it won't really equate to much until they bite the bullet and amnesty Carlos Boozer. It looks like Chicago's front office is trying to undo all the things they did two years ago to build that team around Derrick Rose. With Rose expected to miss a chunk of next season as well, the Bulls seem to be trying to clear the deck and restart again with a new supporting cast.
Farhan (Chicago)
With all the trade talk for Dwight and Bynum. If the lakers do not land Dwight, will Bynum still sign an extension? It seems tough as he has mood swings all last year and this should trigger him more. DO the lakers trade him before the trade deadline if the does not sign extension?
Michael Wallace
That's the question that doesn't get asked as much as it probably should. Obviously, Dwight's saga has overshadowed what Bynum is facing in the coming months. But I'm not sure if the Lakers want to begin their rebuilding process with Bynum as the anchor with an extension that will carry them into the post-Kobe era of the franchise. Bynum could very well want to test the waters as an unrestricted free agent when it's all said and done.
Andrew (Toronto)
Where are my Raps heading? I feel like we've made some smart moves, but unless Val turns into the second coming of Sabonis, but having his golden years in the NBA.... Do we have a future as a contender? Ross could be great. Davis is looking good. Bargs is.... Bargs. What's happening?
Michael Wallace
What's happening? Maybe enough to get that team into the fight for one of the final playoff spots in the East. But nowhere near enough is going on to jump to a top-four spot in the conference. At the end of the day, Toronto is doing all it can to keep salaries reasonable while also building a team that can be appreciated internationally as well as keep fans in Toronto interested in coming to the games. In some ways, with how their team looks, they remind me of the Philly teams from the past few seasons.
Thomas (Ohio)
As I am watching the Olympic tune-up games I can't help but to think Kobe is starting to fall off a bit. I mean he is going into his 17th season so you can't blame him. Given that, who are your top 5 players in the NBA today?
Michael Wallace
Always a tough question when you factor in age and injuries. But the group has to include LeBron, Dwight, Durant, Wade and CP3/Rose.
Brandon J (Utah)
Would a player like Jason Richardson be someone who could fit on a team like Utah? Orlando seems to want out of his contract, and the Jazz could use another good shooter. If so, who would the Jazz likely have to trade for him?
Michael Wallace
If I'm Utah, I'd look elsewhere to fill that void. Jason Richardson is still a productive player, but the Jazz could fill that void in a much cheaper and younger way. And besides, the Magic could be unloading that contract as part of any Dwight deal.

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