1 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,039 What is Krack Black and fellow Thirmini here at first, I mm bella can 2 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,640 get the quick names throw before we get a little podcast at Salmon Ali on 3 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,679 Reputation Moves. Follow him on Twitter at Salomon Ali mba at s A L 4 00:00:28,239 --> 00:00:32,960 M A n A l I n b A. We got together to record 5 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,880 the Houston Rockets look Ahead in advance and you can also let the SERVI as 6 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,439 a note that I will be traveling in the following week, but I'm gonna 7 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,880 have like three or four podcasts up for you, maybe even a total of 8 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,079 five because I don't come back until like early the following week, so I'm 9 00:00:45,079 --> 00:00:48,359 trying to get content schedules through your guys. We ended up going a full 10 00:00:48,399 --> 00:00:51,280 podcast worth though on the latest James Harden stuff, so we're gonna talk James 11 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:53,960 Harden now. Be sure to come back in like a week and a half 12 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,560 though, I'll have the full Rockets look Ahead up. We did another hour 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,920 plus on that. Please remember subscribe if you haven't already. YouTube, Spotify, 14 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,400 Apple ratings and reviews. Help Aton on Apple and Spotify. Help those 15 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,319 numbers go up. Five star rating on Apple, write reviews those help us 16 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,879 out A ton two join our discord to continue the conversation. Links in the 17 00:01:10,879 --> 00:01:14,319 podcast and YouTube description. Follow us on the socials those are in the podcasts 18 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:18,760 and YouTube descriptions as well, and support us by buying our merch our store 19 00:01:18,799 --> 00:01:22,439 link is in the podcast and YouTube descriptions too. Appreciate every single one of 20 00:01:22,439 --> 00:01:25,680 you. Hope you enjoy this discussion. Let's get to talking some James Harden 21 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:30,120 with Salmon Ali of Red Nation Hoops. Salman caught some shit on Twitter dot 22 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,480 com because of stuff you said about hard and so it was just that whole 23 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,319 stuff. I published a little segment on it. This will be if people 24 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,400 are listening watching. This is a teaser to our full episode look Ahead that'll 25 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:45,280 go live in like a week or two. Your thoughts on just this Hardened 26 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:48,840 situation now, because it was a pretty far departure from you've been in the 27 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,640 pro Hardened camp basically this entire time. Ye clearly dating back to his time 28 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:57,079 in Houston. But as the rumors and rubblings came out that he might consider 29 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,760 Houston and that the Rockets might like him, pre Emaudoka, you were pretty 30 00:02:00,879 --> 00:02:02,200 yeah, go do it, and you sort of flip flop now, and 31 00:02:02,239 --> 00:02:06,000 so I'm just curious as to just where you're at with this whole thing at 32 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,240 the moment. Yeah, and to demonstrate like how freaking how recent the flip 33 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:14,680 flop was. Like the last podcast we were on, I was talking about 34 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,919 how I would have preferred Harden over Fred van Vleet, right, Like that 35 00:02:17,039 --> 00:02:21,159 was less than two weeks ago. We probably recorded that, I think, 36 00:02:21,719 --> 00:02:25,840 and like I would literally when those hardened comments came out, it's like I 37 00:02:27,159 --> 00:02:31,000 get I just can't. I don't think it's not it's not so much that 38 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:37,000 I believe this guy's like a bad locker room guy. I just think this 39 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:44,479 guy is like an impulsive decision maker that's ultimately making selfish decisions. Right, 40 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,800 Like, so let's go ahead and let's talk about what happened. So he 41 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,599 goes to this thing in China, right, this Adida's event, Right, 42 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:53,879 and I did a moped, by the way, which apparently is not allowed 43 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:58,159 in the CBA without specific clearance. Right, that happened, if I'm not 44 00:02:58,199 --> 00:03:00,800 mistaken, Yeah, yeah, he's he probably wasn't allowed to do that. 45 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:05,759 We haven't gotten like the full disclosure on like whether or not he was actually 46 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,680 you know, cleared to do it or not. But I'm guessing he I 47 00:03:08,719 --> 00:03:12,240 wasn't allowed, and I'm gonna do this on like the most random thing, 48 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:14,960 Like I didn't know that about the CBA, Like, let me just do 49 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:19,680 this most random thing on purpose. Yeah, I mean, so he goes 50 00:03:19,719 --> 00:03:23,120 to this China event, which he does pretty much every summer. Harden's beloved 51 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:27,039 in China because he played in Houston for like ten years and Houston isn't beloved 52 00:03:27,039 --> 00:03:30,479 in China. And so he goes and he, you know, obviously does 53 00:03:30,479 --> 00:03:35,879 this fan event for Adidas, does all the marketing, does all the interviews, 54 00:03:35,879 --> 00:03:38,159 does all the stuff that's popular over there, the radio shows, the 55 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:42,680 podcasts, the little web shows that they do, right, Like, he 56 00:03:42,719 --> 00:03:46,080 does all the local stuff that you're supposed to do while you're in China. 57 00:03:46,159 --> 00:03:49,960 And then he goes to this camp with these kids, and I'm guessing, 58 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,080 you know what, I'm gonna assume he wasn't prompted because it didn't seem like 59 00:03:55,120 --> 00:04:00,960 there was. So there was cameras there, but I don't think someone asked 60 00:04:00,039 --> 00:04:04,800 him at that moment to make a comment. I think people were asking him 61 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:11,000 throughout his time there to comment on this whole situation, and he just chose 62 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,759 to make a statement. He had in his head what he was gonna say, 63 00:04:14,159 --> 00:04:17,720 probably for like weeks, and was likely advised against it. I'm not 64 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,439 going to assume he was or not. I'm just I'm just I just know 65 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:26,480 that an agent like agents that I talked to would not have advised Harden to 66 00:04:26,519 --> 00:04:29,319 say this would And sorry to interject, do you think it could have been 67 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:30,920 more of a spur? I agree with you that no one asked him about 68 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:33,240 it, because we would have heard about that by now, like with forty 69 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:36,240 eight hours removed, seventy two whatever it is at this point. Do you 70 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,519 think it could have been a spur of the moment or more spur of the 71 00:04:39,519 --> 00:04:44,399 moment reaction to the news coming out that the Sixers had ended James Harden trade 72 00:04:44,399 --> 00:04:46,759 talks like could have been Maybe this wasn't in his head to do this here, 73 00:04:46,959 --> 00:04:49,920 and then this news comes out and he decides to do it there. 74 00:04:49,959 --> 00:04:54,160 And I kind of thought, like, did the Sixers leak this initial news 75 00:04:54,199 --> 00:04:56,759 because they knew Harden wasn't China at the time. It's just like this whole 76 00:04:56,759 --> 00:05:00,720 galaxy brain trickled down effect. No. I think this, Uh, he 77 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:09,000 he'd felt this for months, and I would I would think that yes, 78 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:14,959 the news that they were closing off trade talks probably prompted him to finally say 79 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,040 it, But he was advised against saying something like this for a long time 80 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:26,959 because doing saying something like this actively works against what you are trying to achieve, 81 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,240 which is trying to get out of Philadelphia. And doing something like this 82 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:38,120 makes you the curmudgeon star that everybody knows doesn't want to be there, even 83 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,879 though that was already the case. But just putting a fine point on it 84 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,920 like this doesn't make you look first of all, attractive as an asset, 85 00:05:46,879 --> 00:05:51,759 or like it doesn't put the Sixers in the optimal leverage position to make an 86 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:56,240 actual trade. Right, so now the Sixers are absolutely not going to make 87 00:05:56,240 --> 00:06:00,879 a trade anytime soon. Like, here's the thing I think James probably had 88 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:04,959 in his head that this was gonna put pressure on Daryl Morey in front in 89 00:06:04,959 --> 00:06:10,800 the Rockets front office. James should know better than anybody. Darrel does not 90 00:06:10,959 --> 00:06:16,759 give a fuck. He does not care, like he pardon was tangentially involved 91 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,079 the Ben Simmons stuff, like he was part of that, like Washington Brooklyn, 92 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:25,920 how that unfolded. He does not care right like like he doesn't care 93 00:06:25,959 --> 00:06:31,399 how he's perceived. He doesn't care about like bad press. Like the Rockets 94 00:06:31,399 --> 00:06:34,839 still have that DNA in them. They don't care about bad press. I 95 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:40,240 think partially because Daryl didn't care. He brought that culture here and and they 96 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,839 still don't care. And I think that's probably the case over there in Philly. 97 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,600 Like he does not care. He just wants to make the best possible 98 00:06:46,639 --> 00:06:50,000 trade and like like that's his job. I like, I get it. 99 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,279 And part of you know, let's talk about what he said, because he 100 00:06:54,319 --> 00:06:57,319 called he called Darryl liar, right, which may very well be true. 101 00:06:57,639 --> 00:07:00,879 Nobody's been able to actually confirm it. Here's and that's just what I'm want 102 00:07:00,879 --> 00:07:05,720 to sorry interject there is it's very unclear what he's calling Daryl Morey a liar 103 00:07:05,759 --> 00:07:12,000 about. And there's been two schools of thought where it's either Daryl Mourray promised 104 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,759 to honor his trade demand and didn't, or the Sixers. And we've seen 105 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:17,360 some more reporting on this. I think I don't know who came out with 106 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:21,600 it recently, that the Sixers had promised him like some sort of a max 107 00:07:21,639 --> 00:07:26,399 money deal and then the Sixers only actually offered him a one plus one deal. 108 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:30,160 What I will say, and I'm not completely siding with the Sixers here 109 00:07:30,199 --> 00:07:33,639 necessarily here, Like let's just say that right right off the top, Like 110 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:38,600 there's nobody like that, Like we're as we're both as pro player as you 111 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,879 can get. And I don't think there's a faction here that is completely in 112 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:47,120 the right. Like I think all of these guys look really, really bad, 113 00:07:47,639 --> 00:07:54,040 and and so whenever you criticize someone, you get you get labeled as 114 00:07:54,079 --> 00:08:00,000 this, oh you're caping for X party. And the reality is I don't 115 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:03,720 particularly have any fondness for either of these parties right now, because I think 116 00:08:05,319 --> 00:08:09,279 if it is indeed true that he was off, that he was promised a 117 00:08:09,319 --> 00:08:13,319 wink wink deal for taking the pay cut, that you know he would get 118 00:08:13,319 --> 00:08:16,920 reimbursed for that this summer. Like if that's indeed true and the Sixers renegged 119 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,360 or they you know, they ultimately didn't go through with it, like yeah, 120 00:08:20,439 --> 00:08:26,079 that that's a pretty crappy thing to do, And that's a like Harden 121 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:30,360 should be pissed. I have no problem with Hardened feeling pissed. I don't 122 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,360 even have a problem with Harden demanding a trade. Why had a problem with 123 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:37,720 him making it messy like this again, like I'm not going to help hid 124 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:43,039 him making it messy. If they did have the wink wink understanding, we're 125 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:46,080 going to give you this, the new CBA comes out and they're like, 126 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,120 oh, hell no, we're not gonna give you this. I'm just wondering, 127 00:08:48,519 --> 00:08:52,600 which is what I was getting at before, if they had promised him 128 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:58,720 anything, what would have then been the point of using Houston as leverage prior 129 00:08:58,799 --> 00:09:01,360 to email Udoka, Because if you have a win quick deal in place, 130 00:09:01,399 --> 00:09:05,279 you don't need that leverage. And so that leads me to believe that there 131 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,600 was some fundamental either misunderstanding or Harden's kind of going the I'm sure you remember 132 00:09:09,639 --> 00:09:13,120 the Goren Dragets route in Phoenix where he said they couldn't be trusted. He 133 00:09:13,159 --> 00:09:16,799 finally gets traded and said no, I just like said that because I really 134 00:09:16,799 --> 00:09:18,919 wanted out of there. Because my whole thing is just like, if they 135 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:24,879 did promise you X, there was no need to have the rockets rumblings come 136 00:09:24,919 --> 00:09:28,039 out around Christmas, Like, you wouldn't need that leverage if you had this 137 00:09:28,159 --> 00:09:33,000 understanding with the Sixers, And so that's just why I'm struggling to believe that 138 00:09:33,039 --> 00:09:37,639 the Sixers actually promised I don't care about the investigation what that yielded last year. 139 00:09:37,639 --> 00:09:39,360 You could get around that, like if you had a conversation with Daryl 140 00:09:39,399 --> 00:09:43,759 about it, that's not going to be like on record, you could get 141 00:09:43,759 --> 00:09:46,480 around it. But if you did have that conversation, you wouldn't have needed 142 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,360 you wouldn't have needed the rockets and as leverage. And that's why I don't 143 00:09:50,399 --> 00:09:54,480 think that the six that my personality is, I don't think that the Sixers 144 00:09:54,519 --> 00:10:00,840 promised him anything last summer personally. And here here's my stance. I don't 145 00:10:00,919 --> 00:10:05,159 know. So I'm not gonna speculate right like like like like until it's report, 146 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,200 I just know what Harden did, right, I just know what Harden's 147 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:11,519 actions are. I just know what the Sixers actions are. So I'm just 148 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:16,960 reacting to that any any speculation, Like I think it's fair to speculating. 149 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,559 It's completely fair game. But like this is the part of me that's like 150 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:26,240 like the only time that the Capitol Jay journalist ever comes out from my title, 151 00:10:26,519 --> 00:10:30,759 like until it's like on the record somewhere, I don't like until some 152 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:35,480 major party reports it or like it's proven to be true, I just am 153 00:10:35,519 --> 00:10:39,080 not going to run with it as true, right, It's just an assumption 154 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,600 until proven otherwise. So yeah, maybe maybe it happened, maybe it didn't, 155 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,799 regardless, let's just assume that it did happen. Right now, Is 156 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:50,840 this is this? How you would react to that? Like? Is this 157 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,639 is this the right? Right? Like, yes, be be mad, 158 00:10:54,919 --> 00:10:56,279 ask for the trade, get the hell out of there if you want to. 159 00:10:58,039 --> 00:11:01,440 But do you think this he helps you? Like was Harden at all 160 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:05,600 helped by saying that? And like this is my my thing? With James 161 00:11:05,879 --> 00:11:11,840 When he leaves teams, he tries to make it as ugly as possible because 162 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:16,039 he has no patience, right, Like, he has no patience that the 163 00:11:16,159 --> 00:11:20,360 right thing will eventually happen right in Houston, He misses training camp ghost, 164 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,879 he goes to Atlanta, goes to Vegas and parties it, puts it all 165 00:11:24,879 --> 00:11:30,519 over Instagram, doesn't hide what he's doing, comes back, does interviews with 166 00:11:30,759 --> 00:11:33,879 press and tries to say he was out there with his trainers, Like what 167 00:11:33,919 --> 00:11:37,679 are you talking about? Like what trainers, James, that you have access 168 00:11:37,759 --> 00:11:41,399 to in Atlanta that you don't have access to in Houston, Right, Like 169 00:11:41,759 --> 00:11:46,559 why are you putting your head coach out there to talk with guys like me 170 00:11:46,039 --> 00:11:52,000 in the media for multiple days on end asking having to answer questions about you, 171 00:11:52,399 --> 00:11:54,480 like why are you doing that to you? Not just you, the 172 00:11:54,519 --> 00:11:58,759 rest of your teammates have to answer questions about it, And it's like a 173 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:03,240 really crappy thing to do, Like that was just really really crappy. And 174 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,720 I was like, Okay, James, maybe at that point in time something 175 00:12:07,879 --> 00:12:09,799 something like that wouldn't have hurt your trade value because you were still at that 176 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,360 point in time a top six player in the league. Right, you were 177 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:18,000 still one of the absolute best players, and your trade value wasn't going to 178 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:22,919 go down from pretty much doing anything right there was there was always going to 179 00:12:22,919 --> 00:12:26,399 be a team that was going to offer Houston a huge hall, right, 180 00:12:26,759 --> 00:12:31,879 But then you get to Brooklyn and then and then you I don't even remember 181 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:35,720 he just like stopped trying midway through because of the Kyrie thing. It's okay, 182 00:12:35,759 --> 00:12:41,039 listen, I again, his frustrations aren't what I have questions about, 183 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:45,559 Like, yeah, Kyrie not getting vaccinated and you wanted to get the hell 184 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,919 out of Brooklyn, Like, yeah, I don't have a problem with you 185 00:12:48,519 --> 00:12:54,200 demanding, you know, asking out. It's making it ugly. It's like 186 00:12:54,080 --> 00:13:00,480 putting your teammates in crappy positions to putting the organization in a really unc comfortable 187 00:13:00,519 --> 00:13:07,440 spot. The Sixers right now are everybody in that organization is screwed. It's 188 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,919 they're they're completely screwed. Like any hopes they had of a title this year 189 00:13:11,279 --> 00:13:13,159 is gone. Like, I don't think they're going to get a return this 190 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:20,039 year that gets them, you know, to the point of title contention by 191 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,279 May. I just don't. I just don't think they're gonna get they're gonna 192 00:13:22,279 --> 00:13:30,720 get to that point. So Hardened pretty much sabotaged them and didn't help himself 193 00:13:30,759 --> 00:13:35,279 at all in the process. He made himself look bad, he made he 194 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,320 put the organization in a tough position. And if he just played good soldier, 195 00:13:39,879 --> 00:13:43,639 there's a chance that a trade might have been worked out behind closed doors 196 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,159 right before the season starts. Just because they announced that they're shutting off trades 197 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:52,720 doesn't mean they weren't having conversations like yeah, it's like that was the funny 198 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,720 things, Like they didn't Actually it's not like people are calling and they're like, 199 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,120 oh no, we're not gonna talk about James Harden at all right now, 200 00:13:58,279 --> 00:14:01,399 it still would have been on going. I think what I also struggle 201 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:07,360 with through all this is he also had the ability to just leave. And 202 00:14:07,399 --> 00:14:11,240 so like it or not, yes, he opted in, opt opped it 203 00:14:11,279 --> 00:14:13,480 in, which just feels like, really, it's it's one of two things. 204 00:14:13,919 --> 00:14:18,320 It's it feels like bad judgment on his representation either way, because it's 205 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:22,519 maybe they correctly read the market and said, look, the money you want, 206 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,879 no team, including Houston is gonna give you. But then it's also 207 00:14:26,919 --> 00:14:28,399 like, did you actually think that opted Like did you say, oh, 208 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,759 well, if you opt in, the Sixers will clearly move you right now. 209 00:14:31,159 --> 00:14:35,519 So someone failed somewhere. But my whole thing is also, you have 210 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,840 to play the game. And so even if even if Daryl Morey lied to 211 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,080 you, if the Sixers lied to you, if you want them, you 212 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,679 need their help, whether you like it or not. Now you need their 213 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,480 help because you opped it in, and you might have needed their help even 214 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:50,799 if you were a free agent Vias sign and trade, except you would have 215 00:14:50,799 --> 00:14:52,919 had more leverage because you could have just said, well, i'll play for 216 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:58,039 two years and I'll get my early bird rights somewhere or whatever, So you 217 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:01,159 opted in and you need their help. And then now you're going and dumping 218 00:15:01,519 --> 00:15:05,960 all over them. That's not gonna make like, it's not gonna make the 219 00:15:05,039 --> 00:15:09,480 Sixers one like move you any quicker, Like they're gonna be like, oh, 220 00:15:09,519 --> 00:15:11,639 you called Daln Marial liar, so we're just gonna give you up for 221 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:16,360 whatever. And because of the team that you requested a trade too, you 222 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,559 need their help even more because the Clippers we've seen reporting that they won't give 223 00:15:20,639 --> 00:15:26,039 up Terrence Man, which is just I find that I love Terrence Man, 224 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:28,639 but the fact that they don't even use him that much or as much as 225 00:15:28,679 --> 00:15:31,639 they should. And then just your limited trade assets. Their best offer is 226 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:37,240 includes one first round pick, Terrence Man, expiring contracts if you need the 227 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,279 Sixers to warm up to that offer or to find third team, so like 228 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,879 juice up that offer a little bit. You've requested a trade to one team. 229 00:15:43,879 --> 00:15:46,399 It's not like you've requested a trade and said I'll go wherever, or 230 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:50,480 here's a list of five, seven, eight, nine teams. You've given 231 00:15:50,519 --> 00:15:54,679 them one and so now you need their help even more. And it's just 232 00:15:54,759 --> 00:15:58,159 if you wanted to leave to go to one team become a free agent. 233 00:15:58,679 --> 00:16:02,519 You had you were, you were on tractive becoming free agent, you chose 234 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:04,559 not to. I'm not saying this. If the Sixers were nigged on anything 235 00:16:06,039 --> 00:16:07,200 you said, it's fucked up. I just want to make that clear. 236 00:16:07,399 --> 00:16:11,000 Yeah, and yeah, go ahead, yeah, sorry, But it's just 237 00:16:11,039 --> 00:16:15,399 like that, that's something that you deal with then after the fact, because 238 00:16:15,399 --> 00:16:18,000 now you have to play the game of Okay, well I did this, 239 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,799 I misread or I shouldn't have trusted Darryl Moray. And my guess is just 240 00:16:21,919 --> 00:16:23,600 like, if we're gonna be honest, and I know you don't want to 241 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,559 speculate, the answer probably just lies somewhere in between, like there was a 242 00:16:26,559 --> 00:16:30,399 misunderstanding somewhere, or the Sixers might have used weird verbiage, or maybe James 243 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,600 Harden completely misread the situation. Maybe the Sixers are being complete assholes about this 244 00:16:34,759 --> 00:16:37,679 and said, you know what, we're gonna delay it one year because we 245 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,200 want cap room next summer or whatever. So but regardless, you need their 246 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,720 help now. And so I'm not saying you need to bow with the author 247 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,919 of Dalon Morey and the Sixers, but you certainly can't torch that bridge when 248 00:16:48,919 --> 00:16:52,000 you're still standing on it, like it just doesn't make any sense. Yeah, 249 00:16:52,039 --> 00:16:56,559 and this whole thing is just like like I could talk for hours on 250 00:16:56,679 --> 00:17:00,279 end about this, this whole thing. At the end of the day, 251 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:04,079 it's just sad because if you showed me this in twenty seventeen, I would 252 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,880 have thought, like, man, deep fakes are getting really out of hand, 253 00:17:07,079 --> 00:17:10,759 Like, there's no way in hell I would have believed this is a 254 00:17:10,799 --> 00:17:15,279 real video. I didn't believe it was a real video when I saw it 255 00:17:15,079 --> 00:17:17,519 that it was the real shams that tweeted, I was like, there's no 256 00:17:17,559 --> 00:17:22,000 way, there's no way. It was crazy. It was crazy. Even 257 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:26,680 to this day, we still view those guys as interconnected, guy like pieces, 258 00:17:26,799 --> 00:17:30,039 right, Like their careers, for better or worse, are going to 259 00:17:30,079 --> 00:17:33,880 be tied together. Right, That's just the way it is. Like the 260 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:41,279 Hardened trade confundamentally changed both of their lives. Right. Daryl admits that all 261 00:17:41,279 --> 00:17:45,319 the time, Harden is less likely to say it, but it's true. 262 00:17:45,519 --> 00:17:48,480 If he doesn't get out of Oklahoma City, he doesn't have the breakout in 263 00:17:48,559 --> 00:17:55,440 Houston, right, And and so I say that to say this in twenty 264 00:17:55,519 --> 00:18:00,200 seventeen, Darryl Hardened D'Antoni, Tad Brown. These guys were tied at the 265 00:18:00,279 --> 00:18:06,920 hip and had beautiful synergy in the Rockets organization and to see what they've become 266 00:18:07,519 --> 00:18:12,559 is so depressing and I hate that it's become this side story in you know, 267 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:15,920 this how is Harden going to get out? Story? Right? Like, 268 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,960 because that's ultimately what everybody's focused on, Loy, So what's next? 269 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,480 How is hard and going to get get on to point B? Whatever point 270 00:18:22,519 --> 00:18:26,319 B happens to be. And I just want to take a break and sit 271 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:30,279 back and like like just talk about what the hell happened here? Like how 272 00:18:30,279 --> 00:18:37,359 did these guys just become so discontent with each other? Disconnected too? Like 273 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,480 there's like what like I want to know what actually happened because it's just like 274 00:18:41,519 --> 00:18:47,200 these two were so you said it, they're inextricably tied together now by choice. 275 00:18:47,759 --> 00:18:49,480 Daryl Morey, like view back in Uston, viewed James Harden is that 276 00:18:49,519 --> 00:18:52,160 guy, not just in the initial trade, but from every move he made 277 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:56,720 thereafter with the players he put around him and then he did it all over 278 00:18:56,759 --> 00:18:59,200 again, but not you know, to the same extent, but he viewed 279 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,680 him as that guy in Philly, like they punted on a chance allegedly to 280 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:07,039 acquire Tyrese Halibert. And there's no doubt in my mind that unless it was 281 00:19:07,079 --> 00:19:10,799 a player that was better than like a like a Luca Doncher, Like they 282 00:19:10,839 --> 00:19:14,359 were on Harden for the entire time that he was like and that was the 283 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:18,279 guy that they wanted. And then all of a sudden, and you're tight 284 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:22,759 enough to the point that James Harden took a like ten or excuse me, 285 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:29,920 like eight figure pay cut like last year to facilitate the arrivals of other players, 286 00:19:30,319 --> 00:19:33,119 So like you're you're on the same page to that extent, where did 287 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,839 this turn? Like where did this turn? And what was just the genesis 288 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:40,559 of it? And the other thing I wanted to ask you really quickly is 289 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,000 well, I think the two things are one. Like Harden has to show 290 00:19:45,079 --> 00:19:51,519 up to training camp because of that new tidbit in the CBA where apparently it's 291 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:56,640 it's apparently just hasn't been enforced right because like like apparently it's always been there, 292 00:19:56,680 --> 00:20:00,359 but it's like kind of Archaics and orally talks about Zach Low randomly brought 293 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,920 it up one day and now everybody's aware of it, like like Yeah, 294 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:08,359 apparently it's always just been there, like just as you've always been able to 295 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:14,119 find players and like not pay them and hold back money until Darryl Moorey actually 296 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:15,839 did it, Like no one knew about it. No one knew you could 297 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:18,960 just hold back funds from a player if they chose to sat out. Yeah, 298 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:22,480 but no player has ever sat out, so the option has never been 299 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:27,279 on the table. So now now we're in another unprecedented situation where if this 300 00:20:27,319 --> 00:20:33,000 guy doesn't show up a training camp, we're gonna reach uncharted territory again with 301 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:37,599 the same organization. Oh god, might not be able to what someone is 302 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,359 referencing. By the way, is just like I forgot that it wasn't new 303 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,319 that the Sixers can essentially prevent James Harden from becoming a free agent if he 304 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,960 doesn't report to them. And I'm wondering if there's gonna be will there be 305 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:51,839 a battle he shows up and sucks and doesn't try, because like you could 306 00:20:51,839 --> 00:20:53,519 just slept throughout this entire year. It's gonna be a gap year in Philly 307 00:20:53,519 --> 00:20:56,839 anyway at this point, regardless of what happens. So there's that hanging over 308 00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,079 all this. I would be shocked if he doesn't show up the train in 309 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:02,640 camp, that would be like, I know you want to be out of 310 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:04,519 Philly sooner, but that might actually be a way to just like kind of 311 00:21:04,559 --> 00:21:10,400 screw yourself over even longer. And then the other thing here is forget what 312 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,599 the Sixers want or what they would be willing to accept for him. If 313 00:21:12,599 --> 00:21:17,640 you're a team that is not the Clippers, does this do these comments? 314 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:22,000 Do these actions make it less likely that again, even if the price is 315 00:21:22,079 --> 00:21:26,599 right, that you would roll the dice on James Harden, then just like 316 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:30,000 based off how he's handling this, I think so. I mean, like 317 00:21:30,039 --> 00:21:34,440 again, I changed my entire Rockets free agency grade based off these comments, 318 00:21:34,559 --> 00:21:38,920 Like like I was like, okay, the door not taken, Harden would 319 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:42,039 have been my preference. Now I'm like, no, I wouldn't have preferred 320 00:21:42,079 --> 00:21:47,039 Hard, Like I wouldn't have preferred Hard because he doesn't get it. He 321 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:51,960 doesn't get it, like like the twenty seventeen to twenty Like the twenty seventeen 322 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,799 eighteen season was the only season where Harden was so downed in from June to 323 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:02,519 May, like he was as good as you wanted a player to be on 324 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:08,359 all facets off court behavior, training camp, focused during the season, sacrifice 325 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,680 for the team. You know, Chris Paul comes in, He's willing to 326 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:15,920 take a little bit less in the usage column. Right, defense, he 327 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:21,559 was playing really really good defense right that season. He was unbelievable offensively that 328 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:26,519 year, efficiency wise, probably the best season of his career. Like big 329 00:22:26,559 --> 00:22:32,599 games, he showed up, you've extremely clutched that year during the playoffs, 330 00:22:32,599 --> 00:22:37,519 he gave it all right. He went out swinging, like even if like 331 00:22:37,759 --> 00:22:41,880 he had a high turnover game or he had a bad shooting game, he 332 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:47,279 went out how you wanted your star player to go out right with a fight. 333 00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:52,559 And ever since then he has never been able to check all of these 334 00:22:52,599 --> 00:22:57,599 boxes that you want from a cornerstone talent. Just never And he it's it's 335 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:03,000 fundamentally because he doesn't get it. He doesn't get what's required of him to 336 00:23:03,039 --> 00:23:08,200 actually go get that next contract. Like we're not afraid to go give Kawhi 337 00:23:08,279 --> 00:23:12,839 Leonard that deal because Kawhi gets it right. We're like, we're not We're 338 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:19,400 not afraid to give Damian Lillard that contract because Dame gets it right. Harden 339 00:23:19,599 --> 00:23:26,880 doesn't get it. And this is this is why, like this isn't a 340 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:32,200 perfect example of why he doesn't get it. And I don't know if if 341 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:37,079 I'm a team like the Rockets, like in free agency, for example, 342 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:42,200 why I would go especially since these guys actually have better interactions, better more 343 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:47,559 information, are more familiar with Harden, know how he operates, Like, 344 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,720 I don't know why I would do it if he if you already know he 345 00:23:51,839 --> 00:23:53,799 doesn't, like, it's never gonna be there. It's never gonna be there, 346 00:23:53,799 --> 00:23:57,799 So he's never gonna be what you want, right if you already know 347 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:03,079 that, and if your team trading for him, Like again, I'm just 348 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:07,039 reacting to these comments like I don't know what why, Like why why would 349 00:24:07,039 --> 00:24:10,519 you Why would you want that headache? Why would you want to deal with 350 00:24:10,559 --> 00:24:14,400 that? Why? Why would you trust James to be committed when you give 351 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:17,680 him the next deal? Right? Like if the Clippers go out and trade 352 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:22,039 for James, right, which I still think it's kind of a no brainer 353 00:24:22,039 --> 00:24:25,359 because the Clippers are in like a no win situation, right, Like I 354 00:24:25,559 --> 00:24:27,400 don't think they're gonna win a championship. I don't. I haven't thought they 355 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,519 were gonna win a championship. I worry about sort of like what he does. 356 00:24:30,759 --> 00:24:33,480 They're already just such a slow team. And if you give up Man, 357 00:24:33,519 --> 00:24:37,160 who's one of the guys who can add pace, then you're pairing Russ 358 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:38,680 who can add pace, but with James Harden. Again, it gets weird. 359 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,279 But I think when you look at what they would in theory have to 360 00:24:41,319 --> 00:24:45,119 give up to get him, you just you do it. To me, 361 00:24:45,279 --> 00:24:48,680 like you just do it, like, yeah, they're the only team, 362 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,759 And I wouldn't haggle over Terrence Man or whatever, like it's I just think 363 00:24:52,799 --> 00:24:56,079 it's worth it's worth doing. But any other team that may have had interest, 364 00:24:56,400 --> 00:25:03,359 Right, let's just say the Bucks like smelling around, right, No, 365 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,680 I'd rather keep Chris Middleton. No, I'd rather I mean, well, 366 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,000 I guess you can trade. You can't trade Middleton because you just signed 367 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,079 Drew and like at that point, I'd rather have Yeah, I'd rather have 368 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,079 True. I'd rather have True. Why would I do that? Right? 369 00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:21,079 Like, like this guy is not worth the headache, He's not Like, 370 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:22,599 yeah, there's just like I tried to think about teams. I thought, 371 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,519 I think, if let's just say Damian Lillard ends up elsewhere, it wouldn't 372 00:25:26,519 --> 00:25:32,480 shock me if Miami was that team. I could see that happening, and 373 00:25:32,519 --> 00:25:34,240 I think that there they would roll the dice and that he would be more 374 00:25:34,279 --> 00:25:41,039 likely to sort of get it there, to like use your phrases, that 375 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:42,839 feels like a team with Jimmy Butler that maybe where he would get it. 376 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:48,039 But just like I even thought, like I've tried to think about other teams 377 00:25:48,039 --> 00:25:51,759 where it's like I don't need to mention I think Kyl lou is like a 378 00:25:51,799 --> 00:25:53,839 coach I think might be able to get through to James. Same thing with 379 00:25:53,920 --> 00:25:59,079 Spo, right, like, if you have that infrastructure from the coaching staff 380 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:03,319 to actually get through to James, like on that kind of a level, 381 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,440 I think it's worth doing. And especially if you're not a team that's gonna 382 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:11,079 win the championship, if you know already you're not, Like the Miami Heat 383 00:26:11,079 --> 00:26:12,599 are not gonna win the NBA Championship next year. I can tell you that 384 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:15,319 right now. The Clippers not gonna win the NBA Championship next year. I 385 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:18,359 can tell you that right now. If you're if you're if you're one of 386 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,599 those teams that's like on the border of like actually being a contender, Yeah, 387 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,759 then it's worth it. That's the only situation. Every other team that's 388 00:26:26,839 --> 00:26:30,279 actually a contender right now, maybe they just want to take it up one 389 00:26:30,319 --> 00:26:33,599 more notch. No, don't which stay stay the hell away, Stay the 390 00:26:33,599 --> 00:26:37,039 hell away from this. Do you know what team I think could do it? 391 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:40,240 Because they're just at such a passing deficit. They already were and they're 392 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:41,839 even more so. And the salary matchin gets a little messy, but it's 393 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:47,000 still feasible Boston. It's still just like, no, no, you're going 394 00:26:47,079 --> 00:26:49,319 two variables in because of the Kristops thing. But like he's dealing with Planter 395 00:26:49,519 --> 00:26:53,240 versitis right now, so you're kind of already seeing that. I still think 396 00:26:53,279 --> 00:26:56,480 Boston would be a good team for him, but I'm I know him in 397 00:26:56,519 --> 00:27:00,279 the minority. I don't think Look, it's hard coming up. I was 398 00:27:00,279 --> 00:27:02,519 just saying the Knicks are a terrible fit. I don't some people thought about 399 00:27:02,559 --> 00:27:04,759 I just think Jalen Brunson is there. No, And this also leads into 400 00:27:06,319 --> 00:27:11,559 a larger discussion where it's like these aging stars that are I know James Harden 401 00:27:11,559 --> 00:27:15,279 took some more catch and shoot threes in Philly, but when they're not scalable, 402 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:19,359 when what they do is so heliocentric, I don't think we're going to 403 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:25,279 see teams pay them as much into their late careers as we used to because 404 00:27:25,319 --> 00:27:29,160 of this new CBA and like how hard it gets and prohibitive it gets to 405 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,839 build around them. So I think we've already seen the middle class get squeezed. 406 00:27:32,839 --> 00:27:34,400 When you just look at Okay, Bruce Brown got paid, Dylan Brooks 407 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,920 got paid. They're mostly the exception, like guys like Eric Gordon having to 408 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,720 accept the minimum or Kelly Ubery Junior just still being out there. How Maa 409 00:27:41,799 --> 00:27:45,640 Dudilla is still being out there. They're just guys that could have been mini 410 00:27:45,759 --> 00:27:48,200 mL E, guys that teams either lost their minimally or they're not gonna use 411 00:27:48,319 --> 00:27:52,279 their mL E. And I think it's gonna trickle up towards one Jalen Brown, 412 00:27:52,599 --> 00:27:56,680 where he's like the twenty fifth or thirtiest best player. Yeah, we're 413 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,880 still going to see those guys qualify for supermaxes. They're not getting them anymore. 414 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,920 Like that thing is eventually going to become extinct because you can't afford to 415 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,319 pay the twenty fifth best player in the NBA that money. And two, 416 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,079 I think we're kind of seeing this with harden a little bit, but I'm 417 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:14,319 sure his whole handling of the situation, playoff performance factors into it. These 418 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,559 guys age thirty three, age thirty four, you're not going to see them 419 00:28:17,599 --> 00:28:21,759 get longer term, expensive deals because of how hard it's going to get to 420 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:26,599 build teams around them while they're in decline. And that feels like another offshoot 421 00:28:26,599 --> 00:28:29,559 of all this where even if there was a team that was willing to roll 422 00:28:29,599 --> 00:28:30,759 the dice on Hard and the fact that he is going to be a free 423 00:28:30,799 --> 00:28:37,240 agent and clearly expects X, whether it's a max deal or a certain number 424 00:28:37,279 --> 00:28:41,240 of years, that makes it even more difficult to take a chance on him 425 00:28:41,319 --> 00:28:42,799 if he doesn't actively say, hey, I want to play for you, 426 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:51,440 and I'm willing to like actually commit, right like, not be as impulsive 427 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:55,319 as he's been these past five years, right like. And I disagree. 428 00:28:55,359 --> 00:28:59,279 If I'm if I'm the Celtics, I'm staying the hell away, Like Dad, 429 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,240 this is me, this is me. I would have never said this 430 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:04,119 a week ago. I would have never Yeah, you're like, you went 431 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:07,720 from the Rockets, this team that's so far away from a title. Hey, 432 00:29:07,759 --> 00:29:11,160 go sign James Harden too. No, no one should, No one 433 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,240 shouldn't touch him. Yeah, like like I just like it's not worth it. 434 00:29:15,319 --> 00:29:17,759 Like to me, it's a it's like a it's like a twist, 435 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,240 a less serious version of the Kyrie thing, right, which is like Kyrie 436 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:26,400 like under normal circumstances, Kyrie is a talent that is just he's he's he's 437 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,160 talented enough to where it's always worth it for me. But because he is 438 00:29:30,279 --> 00:29:33,680 who he is. I during the Rockets off season, I was like, 439 00:29:33,799 --> 00:29:37,160 he is a do not touch. He is a do not touch because of 440 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:41,839 everything he brings off the court, right, And with James, it's it's 441 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:45,799 like it's a it's less serious, right because you're not talking about having to 442 00:29:45,839 --> 00:29:52,839 answer conspiracy theories or you know, having to talk about like like the Holocaust, 443 00:29:53,039 --> 00:29:55,880 right, Like you're not you you know you're not You're not having to 444 00:29:55,920 --> 00:30:02,960 answer these really strange questions throughout the season and have these clouds over your your 445 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:06,039 season, like having Adam Silver come in to talk to you, right, 446 00:30:06,119 --> 00:30:11,200 Like like it's not like that, but it's still something. There's always something 447 00:30:11,279 --> 00:30:15,599 with him, right, Like during the season he wanted to take a higher 448 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:19,799 usage role with the seventy six ers, and it's like James, you're playing 449 00:30:19,799 --> 00:30:26,200 with the MVP, right, You're playing with a budding All star in Tyrese 450 00:30:26,279 --> 00:30:30,279 MAXI. Right, Like, you're not gonna You're not gonna get those touches. 451 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:33,279 You're gonna have a legitimate chance to win a title if you just sit 452 00:30:33,359 --> 00:30:37,880 tight and you just resign, Like, I don't know why he wouldn't just 453 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:41,640 buy into this. This is an awesome situation if he just bought it. 454 00:30:41,759 --> 00:30:47,359 Now it's a crap situation because he did what he did. But I don't 455 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,440 know, Like especially like, yeah, listen, James, Like you may 456 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,880 not trust Daryl Morey, but this guy's consistently put contenders around you throughout the 457 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,680 majority of your career. Right, You've consistently played on a team that's always 458 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:03,960 had a chance. So even if you don't trust the guy, you should 459 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:07,000 at least trust that he's gonna put a winner around you, right, Like, 460 00:31:07,599 --> 00:31:11,359 And by the way, as a as another rough side where we're going 461 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,839 on another a bunch of a side. We haven't started talking about the rockets 462 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:19,759 yet. I don't care. So, Like, if you're someone who's like, 463 00:31:21,279 --> 00:31:25,440 why would you ever trust Daryl Morey? I agree, But I also 464 00:31:25,599 --> 00:31:29,039 I'm also of the mind, like, you should never trust any of these 465 00:31:29,079 --> 00:31:32,759 guys. You should never take a pay cut these guys. To get to 466 00:31:32,839 --> 00:31:37,279 get to the top of this industry, you have to lie. It's I'm 467 00:31:37,319 --> 00:31:41,839 not justifying it. I'm just telling you everyone lies like this, and on 468 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,839 the front office level, it's actually not as bad as it is on the 469 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:49,240 agent level, right, which is like there are rare exceptions. We're just 470 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,319 like Bob Meyers, who you know, funny funny enough, he was actually 471 00:31:52,319 --> 00:31:56,039 an agent too, and like a general manager, and he's just like by 472 00:31:56,039 --> 00:31:59,519 all accounts, like a great guy, which is probably why he's not doing 473 00:31:59,559 --> 00:32:06,119 the job more. Another guy like this, right, like RC Bufer's also 474 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:09,319 not doing the job anymore. Right, Like like you to make you wonder 475 00:32:09,319 --> 00:32:14,960 if Sam Presti, Sam Presti must be maniacal, like he doesn't, but 476 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:19,839 he must be. They all are man like they're these guys are all assholes 477 00:32:19,839 --> 00:32:22,640 to some extent, And it's it's just the nature of the beast. Like 478 00:32:22,920 --> 00:32:28,200 I'm not I'm not saying it's a good thing. It just is what it 479 00:32:28,279 --> 00:32:31,400 is. I understand the nature of it. Right. They get paid millions 480 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:37,039 of dollars to make decisions about people putting balls into hoops, right, Like, 481 00:32:37,599 --> 00:32:40,440 it's a it's a it's an odd job. It's crazy competitive. There's 482 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:45,200 only thirty of them, and like I just think, like if you're James, 483 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:49,640 Like, I don't know how you don't understand the league by now you're 484 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:52,319 thirty three years old. Yeah, this might have been the only general manager 485 00:32:52,319 --> 00:32:57,519 you've ever had, right, pretty much? I mean like like I get 486 00:32:57,559 --> 00:33:01,799 it, but like you also should understand that you're talking to other players and 487 00:33:01,799 --> 00:33:06,400 they're all saying the same thing. They they've they've all been lied to too, 488 00:33:06,759 --> 00:33:09,279 Like I don't get why this is such a surprise to him, right, 489 00:33:09,359 --> 00:33:14,200 Like, like, if you're taking the pay cut, you should not 490 00:33:14,279 --> 00:33:16,480 expect anything on the back end. You should be taking the pay cut because 491 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,519 you want to take the pay cut. That's the All Stars the NBA. 492 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:25,400 My advice is never take pay cuts, right, There's never a situation where 493 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:30,480 it's ever worth it unless you're listening. You're playing for the San Antonio Spurs 494 00:33:30,799 --> 00:33:34,079 and like they're just weird, right, they've just managed to pull it off. 495 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,039 I marveled at that every day we saw it with like Dirk and Dallas 496 00:33:37,079 --> 00:33:39,079 too. I think they eventually paid him on the back end. But like 497 00:33:39,119 --> 00:33:42,759 for the most part, when you do take a pay cut, and that's 498 00:33:42,799 --> 00:33:45,680 that's different because we're talking about franchise lifers, which James Harden is the antithesis 499 00:33:45,759 --> 00:33:49,599 of at this point, could have been, could have been, but but 500 00:33:49,599 --> 00:33:52,720 but yeah, you didn't get it. The thing that's weird too when we're 501 00:33:52,759 --> 00:33:55,960 kind of seeing with Russell Westbrook and we'll see what happens next summer, but 502 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,160 like, once you take that pay cut, were kind of viewed in that 503 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:02,480 bucket where it's, oh, are you a max player anymore? No, 504 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:06,039 it's just like, ja, what is Russell Westbrook gonna get? Like, 505 00:34:06,359 --> 00:34:07,360 I know he just wanted to play with the Clippers, but are they gonna 506 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:09,519 take care of him with early bird rights? He's not gonna be viewed no 507 00:34:09,559 --> 00:34:13,960 matter how well is he plays as like the super elite, Let's pay him 508 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:15,880 a lucrative deal type of player. Probably, And so I'm with you, 509 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:20,159 don't take the pay cut. I thought it was admirable in the moment of 510 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:22,079 just like, hey, okay, you gave the Sixers this flexibility. They 511 00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:25,639 were better off for it. But I don't think he should have. I 512 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:29,639 would never advocate for a player to do it. I'm with you there, 513 00:34:29,679 --> 00:34:34,800 And it's just there's a reason Christian Wood and PJ. Washington are free agents 514 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,679 right now. Like there's a reason agents say this all the time. Once 515 00:34:37,719 --> 00:34:42,880 you signed that first room contract, you're never signing anything else. You're always 516 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:45,719 going to sign in him contracts Like it's it's it's you don't want to be 517 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:50,920 locked in, right The only player that's successfully taken a pay cut and in 518 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:53,039 claude his way back. I mean, I don't want to say Claude like 519 00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:58,519 had had the brass to actually get the next contract was Lebron when he went 520 00:34:58,559 --> 00:35:00,800 to Miami, right like, and they all pat was just like, yeah, 521 00:35:00,960 --> 00:35:05,639 in lutismal relative to the scale we're talking about. And even brook Lopez 522 00:35:05,679 --> 00:35:07,440 did it. He played for the Biannual at one point. Now he's making 523 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:10,800 twenty four million a year. That was like a little different because injuries had 524 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:14,519 hampered him and I think the league hadn't caught up to him yet. But 525 00:35:14,559 --> 00:35:17,800 like it's very that is that is not the ex even the Nicholas Patoun track 526 00:35:19,079 --> 00:35:21,880 where if you're on this huge deal you wind up signing two minimums with the 527 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:23,920 Clippers and then you get taken care of with early bird rights, he never 528 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:29,760 became like a fifteen twenty twenty five million dollar player again, And like, 529 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:32,440 it's so rare that that happens. And I know James Harden's a rare player. 530 00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:37,039 I mean, if you go by strictly analytics rather than looking at availability, 531 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:43,119 defensive impact, getting into nitty gritty of that, he was all NBA 532 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:45,800 last year. Like the analytics just say he was one of like the six 533 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:50,599 seven best guards in the league. But like you said it, you know 534 00:35:50,639 --> 00:35:52,840 how this league works, and we should probably put a bow on it with 535 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:58,760 this. I have no idea how this ends, just because we're dealing with 536 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:01,760 like Daryl Moray will let get awkward. But I will say Harden has leveraged 537 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:06,119 in the sense like if he's willing to play and show up there and make 538 00:36:06,159 --> 00:36:09,199 it awkward, you risk losing him for nothing next summer. But at the 539 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:13,199 on the flip side, it's like, do you who's the team he wants 540 00:36:13,199 --> 00:36:16,480 to play for can't pay him and so he's gonna probably need your help and 541 00:36:16,519 --> 00:36:21,320 a sign in trade. I honestly don't know who, and I don't think 542 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:25,039 I would be my guests would be and I'm curious if you agree the Sixers 543 00:36:25,039 --> 00:36:31,400 will fire Daryl Morey and keep James Harden before Darryl Moorey accepts like this, 544 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:36,679 I don't want to say bare minimum, but just like also ran return for 545 00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,000 James Harden. I'm not predicting. I'm just saying it's more likely Morey gets 546 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:45,119 fired than for him to accept like pennies on the dollar what he believes for 547 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:49,840 Harden. And so that's why I honestly have no idea how or when this 548 00:36:50,039 --> 00:36:52,800 ends. And you know what, the biggest loser of all year, aside 549 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,400 from the Sixers fans, is just Philly isn't gonna be in a gap year 550 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,519 and like Joel Embiid, like that's just another year off his window that you're 551 00:36:59,559 --> 00:37:02,159 sort of kicking off, and it's it's a shame, and I think a 552 00:37:02,159 --> 00:37:06,000 bunch of people are to blame. But I just have and I know you're 553 00:37:06,079 --> 00:37:08,880 kind of in this. We don't have like this well of inside information, 554 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:14,239 but I also just have zero feel for like we're we're in. This is 555 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,840 the matchup, like this is an all time or of like dude and Harden, 556 00:37:16,840 --> 00:37:20,880 who's not afraid to make it awkward? Dude, and Maury who has 557 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:23,719 the iron stomach to just navigate it. And I just don't know who's gonna 558 00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:30,280 blink first here. I think he's gonna show up to training camp. He's 559 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:32,320 gonna he's gonna do something weird. He's gonna make it, make it strange, 560 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:36,039 and they're gonna send him home. I like, I think that's what 561 00:37:36,159 --> 00:37:38,440 I think. They're gonna send him home. They're they're gonna be happy with 562 00:37:38,519 --> 00:37:43,639 him staying at home until they find the trader, until he's a free agent. 563 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:49,840 Like honestly, I think like Daryl has been sizing up this cap space 564 00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:53,639 next year for the Sixers, which for a while, like I don't, 565 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:58,639 I'm just who's who are you getting with? I've heard O Gianna Noby. 566 00:37:58,719 --> 00:38:01,760 That's not the dude. He's good, that's not the dude to plan you 567 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:06,960 know that, I'm not risking bad will with Tyrese Maxi so that I can 568 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:09,159 go out and get O Gianna nobis is my point. And just like the 569 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:14,639 Paul George and Kauai's are going to open up their own you know, like 570 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:16,440 their own like can of worms here, and so it's like, are we 571 00:38:16,480 --> 00:38:20,320 gonna end up with a duel sign and trade because Paul George decides he wants 572 00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:22,400 to leave La for Philly, and like it's that or is Kauai I gonna 573 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:25,559 want to play for Philly for some reason? And you're just if any of 574 00:38:25,639 --> 00:38:29,119 these guys sign extensions. By the way, see, I don't even think 575 00:38:29,119 --> 00:38:31,480 the Sixers will be interested in Siakam, which is like Siaka might sign an 576 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:35,559 extension, Paul George or Kawhi Leonard might get an extension. I might bet 577 00:38:35,599 --> 00:38:37,599 against it, but like there's a chance some of these guys in two twenty 578 00:38:37,639 --> 00:38:42,079 four come off the board and just free agencies, not what it's used to 579 00:38:42,119 --> 00:38:44,920 be. So were you I guess you're not surprised, But do you actually 580 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:50,000 put real stock in like this cap space plan that Philly is they can have 581 00:38:50,559 --> 00:38:54,159 upwards of like sixty sixty five million next year based off current projections if they 582 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:59,360 really like cleared the deck? No, Yeah, like I think he's really 583 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:05,639 gonna go for and the name of the game with Daryl in Houston, and 584 00:39:06,199 --> 00:39:12,480 I'm infiliate, seems has always been financial flexibility, right. Financial flexibility has 585 00:39:12,519 --> 00:39:16,199 always been how he's been able to keep honestly, these teams that shouldn't have 586 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:22,679 lasted that long to last long, right like, he's he's always kept like 587 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:27,480 a get out of jail free card for a summer, right like twenty sixteen 588 00:39:27,599 --> 00:39:30,360 seventeen, he kept a massive amount of space open, Like he didn't trade 589 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:36,559 Dwight Howard for a poopoo platter mid season because he wasn't getting expiring contracts back. 590 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:40,519 And because he didn't do that, he got Eric Gordon Ryan Anderson Nanay 591 00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:45,280 and they were able to jump start the team again, right Like. I 592 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:49,880 think that's kind of his plan here with next summer. I think he's trying 593 00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:53,360 to look for He's trying to save that room to sign a bunch of players 594 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:57,880 that will help jump start the team again. And it would really help if 595 00:39:58,199 --> 00:40:01,199 Tyrese Maxie is the guy that I I suspect you and I believe he is, 596 00:40:01,639 --> 00:40:06,679 right like, and I think that will go a long way and actually 597 00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,880 keeping the Sixers tidle window open. It's gonna but you're gonna have to deal 598 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:15,000 with the pain and you're gonna have to have and be be patient for a 599 00:40:15,159 --> 00:40:19,599 year, which I'm not sure if he's willing to, you know, actually 600 00:40:19,719 --> 00:40:23,400 have this be a gap year, like having a gap year, how old. 601 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:30,280 Is he twenty nine and thirty and it is twenty nine? Yeah, 602 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:34,199 let me see he is. Yeah. Yeah. Having a gap year when 603 00:40:34,199 --> 00:40:37,800 you're twenty nine is not fun, right because you're about to get to the 604 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:43,239 wrong side of thirty and and you're just constantly like, you know, he 605 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:47,039 has not made a conference finals yet, and he's hungry, and he's always 606 00:40:47,679 --> 00:40:52,280 right there at the teams from a team perspective, He's always in the MVP 607 00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:57,559 conversation. He knows he's one of the most impactful players of basketball because he's 608 00:40:57,559 --> 00:41:02,320 been awarded a trophy that tells it that. Right, So he is at 609 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:05,880 that point as careery, he's like, he's done messing around. He's done 610 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:09,639 messing around. He wants to actually get this done right, or at least 611 00:41:09,679 --> 00:41:14,000 get to the next stage where he can get a taste of getting closer to 612 00:41:14,079 --> 00:41:19,400 that promised land. And having him set out for a year is uncomfortable as 613 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:22,000 hell. So I don't know if they have the stomach for it. I 614 00:41:22,039 --> 00:41:28,519 can tell you that Darryl certainly has the stomach for it. The Sixers fans 615 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,960 h may be really really upset with him by the time this thing is all 616 00:41:32,039 --> 00:41:37,840 said and done, But listen, Like, however you think of him as 617 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:40,079 a person, I'm not going to make a human judgment here, right, 618 00:41:40,159 --> 00:41:45,880 Like Daryl Morey, Danny Ainge, all Sam Presty, all these guys. 619 00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:51,360 I'm never here to make a human judgment in terms of how how good he 620 00:41:51,559 --> 00:41:54,320 is at this job. Like there again, there's only a couple I would 621 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:58,920 put in that conversation with him, So I would trust that he has the 622 00:41:59,039 --> 00:42:04,519 best. He has a bunch of contingency plans lined up, and he I 623 00:42:04,559 --> 00:42:07,519 would trust him to ride this out. If you're a Sixers fan, like 624 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:12,679 anxiously awaiting, right, Like That's what always kept me, you know, 625 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:15,800 Like I always tell Rockets fans this when they were nervous about about the Rockets. 626 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:19,000 When when Morey was here, I was like, as long as that 627 00:42:19,159 --> 00:42:22,519 guy has the job, I would not stress about all these questions because he 628 00:42:22,599 --> 00:42:27,440 will figure something out. You're gonna have a title contender come June. You 629 00:42:27,519 --> 00:42:30,400 may not have it in August, but you're gonna have it come June. 630 00:42:30,559 --> 00:42:34,719 Might not might not apply for the Sixers because because of Harden, but every 631 00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:37,440 other year you're gonna be fine. So I think I would just wait this 632 00:42:37,559 --> 00:42:44,119 out, and I think Daryl has you know, the brass to actually, 633 00:42:45,199 --> 00:42:47,679 you know, go to ownership and be like, listen, I've been here 634 00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:52,559 before. I'm we're gonna be fine even if Harden walks away for nothing. 635 00:42:53,199 --> 00:42:57,440 I have X, Y and Z lined up for us with all this cap 636 00:42:57,519 --> 00:43:01,679 space, so I think they're gonna be fine. I don't know what's gonna 637 00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:06,760 it's gonna take for hardened man like. I that's honestly, I know the 638 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:10,320 Sixers are gonna be fine. I don't know what's gonna happen with Harden. 639 00:43:10,679 --> 00:43:15,639 I don't know whatever it takes for him to find career satisfaction, fulfillment. 640 00:43:16,199 --> 00:43:20,480 I just want him to find it and just just just do it, man 641 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:22,920 like. I don't know what it is at this point. I don't know 642 00:43:22,360 --> 00:43:28,599 if it's I want carte blanche like I had a few years ago. You're 643 00:43:28,679 --> 00:43:32,039 just you're not you're close to that player, You're you're not that player anymore 644 00:43:32,079 --> 00:43:37,039 like, and you can't be for a long period of time, and you 645 00:43:37,159 --> 00:43:43,199 need to adapt to those circumstances, and you just you haven't enough as good 646 00:43:43,239 --> 00:43:46,840 as you still are, there's just a functional and I think at this point, 647 00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:53,719 I guess like mental stubbornness there. It seems that's just very rigid and 648 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:59,840 inflexible. Yeah, just I don't know, like as someone who is going 649 00:43:59,920 --> 00:44:02,159 to root for him until the bitter end, I just wish the end wasn't 650 00:44:02,159 --> 00:44:07,400 so bitter, Like I really want this guy to be happy. I really 651 00:44:07,559 --> 00:44:10,760 like he he is in my opinion, because someone like you was kind of 652 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:14,639 already turned like who it's I'm not saying James Harten's looking at you specificly like, 653 00:44:14,679 --> 00:44:16,079 oh, I need to win Solomon's approval back. But is there like 654 00:44:16,119 --> 00:44:20,639 anywhere he just shows up to the sixers and tries to ball out just to 655 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:23,360 kind of like dispel that or No, it's like he's gonna come and he's 656 00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:28,880 gonna make shit weird. He's even if he balls out, he's not gonna 657 00:44:28,960 --> 00:44:31,239 do it for the entirety of the season. He's already made it clear like 658 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:36,480 he is not. There is not a situation in which he's gonna entertain remaining 659 00:44:36,559 --> 00:44:38,480 a seventy six er this season, right, Like, I think I think 660 00:44:38,519 --> 00:44:45,039 it's pretty clear that that that bridge is burned. Uh And and I don't 661 00:44:45,079 --> 00:44:49,599 think Daryl's getting fired, like if that was Harden's intention, Like you or 662 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:52,360 me, like I've used for you, they're going to pick him Like I 663 00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:58,840 just I just think I just think this is gonna be a situation where like 664 00:44:58,920 --> 00:45:00,639 he gets sent home. I don't know when it's gonna happen, whether it's 665 00:45:00,679 --> 00:45:04,159 five games in the season, whether it's ten games to this season. I 666 00:45:04,159 --> 00:45:06,440 just think it's gonna get weird. It's gonna get sent home, and the 667 00:45:06,519 --> 00:45:10,159 Sixers are gonna write it out in the gap year and maybe they're they're able 668 00:45:10,199 --> 00:45:15,880 to find a trade mid season that Daryl is happy with. If not, 669 00:45:15,239 --> 00:45:19,599 I think they're probably gonna wait. Like I honestly think this is gonna the 670 00:45:19,719 --> 00:45:22,679 earliest i'd expect to get resolved. What is it August right now? It's 671 00:45:22,679 --> 00:45:27,519 August eighteenth. The earliest I expect this resolution here is like January. Like 672 00:45:28,239 --> 00:45:30,880 and if Harden hadn't said this, I could have seen a trade happening right 673 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:35,400 before the season, like just in the shadow of the night right, I 674 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:38,960 don't I don't think I can see that happening anymore. I'd probably be with 675 00:45:39,159 --> 00:45:44,559 you if you probably need at this point a team to have a bad start 676 00:45:44,760 --> 00:45:47,119 and get desperate in some vein to maybe not even acquire James Harden, but 677 00:45:47,599 --> 00:45:52,280 to get desperate in like some sort of third fourth team scenario maybe to facilitate 678 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:57,000 everything. Great discussion on James Harden. I'm gonna cut this up separately as 679 00:45:57,039 --> 00:46:00,559 a different podcast. So Salmon, can you tell our listeners where they can 680 00:46:00,639 --> 00:46:05,000 find you in all the great work that you do? Yeah, at sulmona 681 00:46:05,079 --> 00:46:08,760 le nb on Twitter. Red nationhoops dot com is the stub stack Red nationhoops 682 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:14,719 dot com is also the podcast. Yeah, I think I also have Yeah, 683 00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:16,519 I do have a threats. I do have a threat and I'm not 684 00:46:16,599 --> 00:46:20,800 on threads yet. I can't get there. Yeah, I'm also on YouTube. 685 00:46:21,280 --> 00:46:23,440 Yeah, so we're working my way on the other platforms. So yeah, 686 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:28,880 linked everything he does is in the podcast and YouTube description as we also 687 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:29,679 go check it out.