Join HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy for his weekly NBA chat this Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Submit your questions early because this chat fills up fast!

Deven

You tweeted a few days ago about how the Suns will offer Steve Nash a two-year contract. Please tell me that won’t happen.

Alex Kennedy

What’s up everyone? Thanks for submitting your questions. I’ll be here for the next hour and I’ll try to get to as many as possible. Let’s get started.

The Phoenix Suns love Steve Nash and, as I tweeted, I’m told that they’ll offer him a two-year deal worth $20 million. They love the impact that he has on and off the court. With that said, I think Nash is going to leave money on the table to sign with a contender. He has made it clear that he wants to contend and I don’t think that’s going to happen in Phoenix anytime soon.

Deven

Will Boston consider breaking up the Big Three, or Four to put it that way, this summer, regardless of what happens to them in the playoffs further down the road?

Alex Kennedy

Boston may not have a choice. The Big Three may decide to go their separate ways this offseason. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are free agents. Paul Pierce has hinted on several occasions that he’ll consider retirement this summer. This postseason could be the final time we see Pierce, Allen and Garnett on the floor together.

Maurice

Will you be talking to Larry Sanders again this offseason

Alex Kennedy

I’ll catch up with Larry Sanders at some point during the offseason. I’ll either do an article on him or I’ll do a video similar to the one we filmed last year. Larry is a good dude. He struggled this season, but I’m confident that he’ll work hard this summer and bounce back next year.

Cliff

Just got My tickets to games 3,4 and 6 here in Indiana. Do you think that the Pacers take the Heat to 6 or 7 games?

Alex Kennedy

I’ve seen the Pacers a lot this season and I think they’re going to surprise some people in the second round. Nobody expects them to put up a fight against Miami, but I think they’ll make things interesting. I predicted Heat in five games, but I think each game will be close and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pacers make it a six or seven game series. Indiana has played well all season long and they haven’t gotten the credit they deserve. Danny Granger, David West, Roy Hibbert, George Hill and others have stepped up and I like this team a lot. In a few years, they’re going to be a very scary team.

jayjay

I’m a big Cavs fans and keep searching rosters to see who might trade their first if the Cavs take on a big salary (and/or possibly throw in a late first or early second).

Childress with the Suns seems to be among the worst contracts out there. Can you think of any other players where the team might give up their first too unload the contract?

Alex Kennedy

Orlando has a couple of contracts like that. They may decide to package the #19 pick with Chris Duhon or Jason Richardson. They need cap space more than they need a rookie, especially if they’re trying to persuade Dwight Howard to stay and win now.

Deven

If the Lakers lose tomorrow, what’s next for them? Do they fire Mike Brown, trade Pau or Bynum? Thoughts?

Alex Kennedy

I can’t see Kobe Bryant reacting well to a first-round exit. I think they’ll have to consider firing Mike Brown. Trading Pau Gasol wouldn’t make much sense at this point. His trade value is at an all-time low. The Lakers will have a tough time finding a team that’s willing to give up quality pieces in exchange for an underachieving Gasol, who is turning 32 years old this summer and owed $38,285,850 over the next two years. I can’t see the team moving Andrew Bynum. If the Lakers lose, they’ll have to make some changes, but I’m not sure where they would start.

Mark ryan

For some reason I keep looking at Austin River’s tapes and the kid seems to have star written all over him. He reminds me a bit of Steph Curry but more athletic (with a worse shot).. Would a backcourt of him and Rubio work? I tend to think it’d be amazing.

Alex Kennedy

When I see Austin Rivers, I see a player that’s similar to Jason Terry or Jamal Crawford. I think he can be a very good scorer in this league, someone who provides instant offense when he checks into the game. I’m not concerned about his size like some people, but his turnovers and defensive struggles worry me. I think he has star potential and there are lot of executives who love his game.

Minnesota would be perfect for him. I’ve had multiple sources tell me that the Timberwolves desperately want to add a scorer this offseason. Rivers may be the answer, unless they’re looking for a veteran.

john

Will Damian Lillard be a better scorer in the NBA than Kyrie Irving. Wat is Lillard better than Irving at coming out?

How good Will Lillard end up being?

Alex Kennedy

Kyrie Irving is a more traditional point guard than Damian Lillard. It’s hard to compare their games because Lillard was in a situation that required him to carry to scoring load and didn’t showcase his abilities as a facilitator. I think Lillard is the best point guard in this draft class though. He’s an exceptional shooter and an underrated passer. I think he’ll end up being a top ten pick and a very good player in this league.

Brad

Are Brook Lopez and Eric Gordon Max Players if not than Close? What kind of offers will they get this summer and What teams are interested?

If both stay with there teams i See them both making the All Star team next year.

Alex Kennedy

I don’t think Brook Lopez or Eric Gordon are max players. They’ve played well at times, but they’ve been limited by injuries and still have some developing to do. As of right now, I think they’ll stay with their current teams.

john

There was some talk last year in the playoffs after Memphis made there run about Rudy Gay possibly getting traded, so if they loose Sunday will Memphis look to trade him and who would be interested?

Alex Kennedy

That’s definitely possible. Rudy Gay isn’t untouchable and Memphis may decide to make a big move this offseason. We’ll see what happens.

eric

Will Kevin Durrant lead the League in Scoring for at least the next 3 season? i just dont see anybody out there who will stop him.

Who are some young up and coming players who could challenge him?

Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay, Marshon Brooks, Paul George, Monta Ellis, Marcus Thornton, Harrison Barnes, Austin Rivers

Alex Kennedy

It’ll either be Kevin Durant or LeBron James for the next couple of years. After those guys start to decline, that’s when you’ll see some of the players you mentioned enter the conversation. I’d throw Bradley Beal on that list as well.

Arthur

Alex, true or false: Dwight Howard will be in a black and white brooklyn nets uniform by the start of next season. Also, do you see a deal as soon as draft night, if the answer is true? thank you.

Alex Kennedy

True. I’ve said all along that Dwight Howard will end up in Brooklyn, it’s just a matter of how and when. It didn’t happen at the trade deadline like everyone predicted, but I still think it’s going to happen at some point. I said it last week and I’ll say it again: When the 2012-13 NBA season starts, I think Howard will be in Brooklyn catching lobs from Deron Williams.

Sweet Dee

Indiana coach Frank Vogel came out and said the Miami HEAT are one of the biggest flopping teams ever. He talked about how Lebron and Wade snap their heads back like they got shot, every time they are touched on a drive to the hoop. I think this was done by Vogel to draw attention to the refs of how bad Miami flops in hopes the refs don’t cave to the HEAT’s star power. Did you think this was a tactic (similar to Phil Jackson)? And do you think it will work?

Alex Kennedy

There’s no doubt that this was a calculated move by Frank Vogel, and a smart one at that. Vogel needs all the help he can get for his balanced attack to take down the star-studded Heat. He definitely wanted to plant a seed and I think he accomplished that. It’s definitely a Phil Jacksonesque move and it was worth a shot. By the way, Vogel clearly hasn’t watched the Los Angeles Clippers if he thinks Miami is the worst team when it comes to flopping.

Mac

Alex Kennedy, you were the only writer on HoopsWorld to predict Los Angeles over Memphis in the first round of the playoffs (despite being at 2.7 underdog). What were the reasons that contributed to this prediction as everyone seemed to favor the Grizz after dismantling the Spurs last year?

Alex Kennedy

Chris Paul. As much as I love the Grizzlies, I felt that the Clippers would win the series because Paul is an absolute stud in the postseason. He always elevates his game in the playoffs and I thought he was going to cause a lot of problems for Memphis. He was honestly the reason I picked L.A. With that said, I don’t think I could pick the Clippers in the next round against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs have just been too good.

Will

What about Orlando going after Joe Johnson he should be easy to get,Turk,Jrich,Duhon for Johnson?

Alex Kennedy

I can’t see Atlanta giving away Joe Johnson for Orlando’s scraps.

bigguy

yo yo yo yo A to the K….
Dallas needs a new team and it looks like there going for free agency other then Deron Williams, who can they snag to get back on championship road? Also where do you think Tyreke Evans would go hes on the trading block right?

Alex Kennedy

Dallas has put themselves in position to be very active in free agency. While Deron Williams is the name that always comes up, they could also throw money at Steve Nash, Eric Gordon, Nic Batum, Roy Hibbert, Brook Lopez, O.J. Mayo and others. It’ll be an interesting summer for the Mavericks.

As far as Tyreke Evans goes, I don’t think he’ll be traded. There are executives who would deal for him, but I don’t think Sacramento is ready to part ways with him just yet.

john

How good is Anthony Davis really? I see the potential defensively, and hints of potential offensively. Is he a Franchise player (legitimate superstar) a la LeBron James, Kevin Durant etc? Or is he simply a perennial allstar?

Alex Kennedy

I think he’s a franchise player. I’ve talked to scouts and trainers who can rave about his game for hours. He’s capable of dominating on both ends of the court, which is why he has drawn comparisons to Kevin Garnett. If he lives up to his potential, I think he’s a franchise-changing player. Whichever team lands him will be very lucky and it’s going to be a lot of fun watching him develop over the years.

Thanks for all of the questions! If I missed you, hit me up on Twitter and I’ll do my best to answer. Have a great week!

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