7 in 106 (Eastern Conference Mailbag 12.8.25)

Hawks — 3:36

Should the Hawks trade Trae Young plus two juicy Bucks/Pels picks for Giannis, and how would that look from both teams’ perspectives?

If the Hawks keep Trae, re-sign him reasonably, and just add this incoming Pelicans pick, can that path ever realistically lead to a championship?

Do you buy Onyeka Okongwu’s three-point shooting, and if you do, is he a top-15 center in the league?

Celtics — 13:20

If you’re the Celtics, how should you play out the rest of the season—go all out because there’s no super-team in the East, or pull back at some point to protect health?

How useful will their increased turnover forcing and more egalitarian offense be once Jayson Tatum returns, and which rotation guys could actually be part of a high-level playoff rotation?

Is Jaylen Brown genuinely improved compared to prior years, or is it mostly that the mid-range is falling more; and if it’s shot luck, how long would he have to sustain this for it to be “real”?

Nets — 22:36

Is Michael Porter more valuable to the Nets as an on-court player to get them back into the playoff mix, or as a trade asset?

Can you do as deep a dive as possible on Noah Clowney’s game and development?

Were pundits too quick to call the Nets’ draft a disaster given how much their rookies are now playing?

Hornets — 31:06

What has happened to LaMelo Ball—he was an All-Star before, so is this decline just injuries and lack of progression?

What are some potential trades for Miles Bridges, Ball, and Sexton?

Do you sense a shift in the Hornets’ organizational philosophy under the new regime?

Bulls — 39:10

John Hollinger has said the Suns turned down the Pelicans/Hawks pick deal; do you know if that exact deal (or better) was offered to other teams like the Bulls or Blazers, or is that just logical inference?

Should the Bulls go all-in and trade for Anthony Davis, and what could they realistically get for Coby White if Artūras Karnišovas canvassed the league?

The Bulls are trying to make up for their talent deficit by running on everything—does that strategy backfire (more injuries, better teams separating with more possessions), or is it actually their best path?

Cavs — 50:20

How concerned are you about the Cavs’ bad start, and in particular about Darius Garland’s play and health?

What are your thoughts on Jaylon Tyson’s development so far?

Should Cleveland start trying to get out of the second apron, and what would it take to do that?

Pistons — 58:06

Good or bad, what has been the most surprising thing about the Eastern Conference so far this season?

Besides Giannis and Lauri Markkanen, what other players would be a good fit for the Pistons and actually gettable?

Would Sam Hauser be a good target for the Pistons given his price point and role, and how does he fit relative to what they already have (e.g. Duncan Robinson–type shooters)?

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