What is crack a lacking hardwood knocks listeners. I am damn for the valley coming at you with loads and loads of important NBA talk, rumors, updates, whatever. Before we get started, just a couple of housekeeping notes. First of all, I was implored not to do a video of this, just to do the podcast, or to upload it in low definition. So if this comes out in seven twenty P instead of ten ADP, you know why. Because my eyebrow and ear are swollen beyond reason. I got new piercings. I'm not dying. If you can see that close, my eyebrow does look a little wonky. I'm seeing the camera now, but if you can see that close, I'm fine. It's not really that gruesome. But that is why I'm doing the video podcast anyway. I'm just that committed, not really commitment. I'm just doing the podcast anyway because we got to put out content. Please, if this is your first time at this shadow, consider permanently subscribing to us on YouTube like comment on all the videos to help us duce the algorithm. If you've already subscribed, recommendations help us a ton. Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcast as well if you just want to listen to the audio version, leave ratings and reviews too. On Spotify, Apple, I don't care if you use them or not. Leave the ratings and reviews. Those all help a ton. So thank you everyone who has already subscribed. Trying to build up the YouTube and just the podcast channels grow the community. So if this is your first time, just consider throwing us that permanent subscription. It means a lot, and also very quickly. We've gotten a lot of kind words on YouTube and discord dms on Instagram and Twitter this past week, and I just want to say thank you again. I try and make it clear that I appreciate all our listeners, even the commenters. I try and engage when it seems like they're being rude or didn't actually watch the video or listen to the podcast. I really do appreciate everyone, and all the kind words mean a ton. I don't know that they're deserved. I don't accept compliments very well, but from the bottom of my black, soulless pit of a heart, thank you. It means a ton. But let's cannon ball into this. We've got Nick's sons, Kevin Durant, Indiana Pacers, DeAndre Ayton talked to get to let's begin with Aton because that sort of is going to segue into everything else that we do. And if it looks like my eyes are being weird, it's because I'm gonna start time stamping knees. I provide time to stay as for you guys on YouTube and the podcast because it makes my life easier rather than going back, and I'm gonna do is gonna try and remember to do it live. With that being said DeAndre Ayton, it came out that he agreed to in offer sheet one thirty two point nine million with the Indiana Pacers. The initial reporting was, oh, did he sign it? Did he not sign it? And then all of a sudden, he signs it, and then the Son's immediately match. So he's headed back to the Suns on a four year max, no options or anything. The Pacers had to clear a little bit of room to get it done. They end up waving and watching a handful of players, including Dwayne Washington. That's it's an interesting move in the sense that, well, I'm going to get to the Pacers, So let's start with Adan. He's headed back to the Suns. This is an awkward outcome. It's pretty clear that the Suns did not view Deandreton as a MAX player in extension talks this past fall. Just the way that the season ended, season ended, their playoffs ended, Reporters asked why Eton wasn't really on the floor during the well. I guess they weren't really pivotal moments, but barely plays in part of those their semifinals lost to the Mavericks. Head coach Monty Williams says, it's internal. It's external now, given that Pacers offer sheet that the Suns end up matching. They made the right call and it wasn't a decision by the way, like you match that one hundred times out of one hundred hundred and one times out of one hundred. It would be franchise mail practice to make someone who is a top ten center. I know people have called them top five. I don't think he's a no brainer top five center, but he's a pretty comfortably a top ten center at this point. You don't just let that player walk for nothing. Restricted free agency might be unfair to the players, but it's set up to benefit the teams, and if you don't take advantage of it in this situation, it would have been fucking stupid. Now, Robert Sarver, the governor of the Suns, who remains under investigation for creating a hostile, misogynistic, racist, whatever workplace. I don't mean whatever in dismissive sense. I just mean that Robert Sarver is a fucking disaster of a human being. He was the wild card. Would he go into the tax? Phoenix is now comfortably in the tax to resign DeAndre Ayton. It's a little bit different when you're perhaps trading for Kevin Durant, and we will get to the Kevin Durant element of this, but that there, it was a legitimate question would the Sun's match. I think it was pretty clear to me that they were going to match, just from the jump. And I think that was even like there were sort of murmurings out there at the start of free agency, even if though they didn't want to pay Atan, that the Suns were going to match anyway if an offer sheet came down the pipeline. So that didn't shock me. But there's the element it's twofold, where do you go from here? And the first and foremost it's with Ayton. Today, it feels like they resigned him, even though everyone er they're gonna match, not to necessarily run it back with this core, but to eventually use him as a trade asset. Ayton cannot be traded until January fifteenth, and he will have veto power over any deal for a full year, so we could take up to that long to move him. I imagine that based off how this is played out, he would welcome a trade anywhere mid season once he's eligible. I don't know what the trade market looks like at that point, who is still available. A lot of a lot of stuff still in these unfold there. But it does feel like that's why Phoenix resigned him. This doesn't feel like a marriage that's going to be together in the long term, no matter what the Suns through the rest of the off season. How do you smooth over that relationship, specifically with Chris Paul and Monty Williams. I think Aton it's pretty clear that he wants a larger role, and I don't know that he can actually have one. There is more self creation ingrained into his game right now that I think people credit him for. He subsists on play finishing and the help of Chris Paul and Devin Booker the table setting of Phoenix's primary ball handlers, but like he's also has a nice touch around the basket, nice little hook shot game. We've seen some promise, not some promise a ton of promise just with his footwork when he's going north south or even east west. I understand why a team like the Pacers wanted to explore that. I'm not necessarily the biggest believer in it, but there is more to plumb there. He's also super valuable on defense, and among the many things he does is he's borderline matchup proof as well, which is really tough to get out of someone who's built more like a traditional big. When you're looking at someone who's truly matchup proof, you're either downsizing or they're someone like a Draymond Green type deal, which in a sense you would still be be downsizing there. But to have someone like Aton who has the size it's not even like he's bigger than Cavan Looney like to have that and to be just to be able to bring him out or to trust him to be like a helper around the basket, to be the primary back line defender, even like if you watch like he will call out coverages too, And I'm just I'm not a defensive X's nos vamp like. You can see that at stages. So that's the Suns are gonna be really good as long as everything is copasetic. I'm just curious for someone who's been very inconsistent throughout his career when you look at the thrust, the acceleration, the engagement with which he plays a lot of the times on offense. By the way, it's normally when we talk about players in this scenario, you would bank on it being at the other end of the floor, but it's been a lot of the times on offense. What what is he going to do? He played fantastic basketball this past year, and I think if I was Phoenix, I would have extended him and max him out at the time, even if it wasn't for five years last fall. But can the relationships be prepared? We know him, Michael Bridges are good. There was the video of them dancing together. So that's I'm just that's really literally when I'm basing this off of I don't know what his relationship is like with Devin Booker, but there's some tension between eight and the organization now it's just it's clear. It's it's not sourced. You can just tell like you can just tell. And the way that this unfolded is proof. Do you have to worry about that if you're the Sun's I honestly don't know. But that is just going to be something to watch is eight in future there in the intern though. The worst case scenario now for the Suns is that they've just run it back essentially minus Javelle McGee. But they have you know, they have Damian Lee, Josha Kogi, they have some different looks on the wings. They can still be a really good team. With that said, the West is going to be even more of a blood bath. You have the Golden State Warriors are not going anywhere. The Mavericks are Probably they're worse without Jail and Brunson, but they'll still be hanging around. More to the point, at least one of Denver and the Clippers, if not both of them are going to be healthier and therefore much better. You have the Timberwolves get a lot better with Rigobert. You have the Pelicans with a healthy Zion and the strates that they made before the end of the regular season. And then pushing the Suns to the brink in the playoffs. The West is just going to be really, really tough. And look at the Lakers could be better as well. I think, you know, Sacramento, I don't want to dismiss them like they could be hanging around. That's not a team throwing it there. Memphis really shouldn't go anywhere. It does feel like there could be more variants kicked into their performance, especially with Jaren Jackson Junior slated to miss the start of the regular season. But like, it's not going to be easy for Phoenix to have the type of regular season it just did, especially if they even consider maybe conserving the amount of time Chris Paul spends on the floor. I couldn't vision him saying like a big fuck you to Phoenix if they try to monitor his minutes. He's that type of player. Still, if you're Phoenix now postatan, you got to think about the rest of your off season and how you're going to improve this roster. And it gets harder because you're hung up in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Let's start there with Kevin Durant. A lot of people were under and I made jokes about this on Twitter. They run to the guys that this DeAndre Ayton contract office at the time ruined wrecked, imploded the Sun's chances of acquiring Kevin Durant. While I made jokes about it, I did write about it, and I thought a little bit more about it. I really don't think it does. I think you can make a really compelling case that they're still the favorites to land Kevin Durant if he gets traded. And there are a few things that stand out there. One and this absolutely matters. Even though Kevin Durant is four years left on his deal. The Suns are not only one of two teams that have been named along with Miami as Kevin Durant's preferred destinations, but they're his favorite spot. I believe it was WOJ who had mentioned that that matters, like that is a big deal here, because teams just aren't going to give up the boat for Kevin Durant if he doesn't want to play for them, like that's they're just not going to North Should they do that? I think in most cases you can talk yourself into it. Maybe in certain situations, but it's pride and on the nets sort of accepting a package that they're probably not going to be smitten with. The Other thing here is, though Deandreden was never mission critical to the return necessarily that Brooklyn was getting. They already resigned Nicholas Claxton. They really like Dayron Sharp there. They also have Ben Simmons if he's healthy, they plan on being competitive, maybe rebuilding around him or at least maximizing him. You're not doing that with another big who doesn't space the floor. And I'm not saying you can't have bigs like that on the roster. Nicholas Claxton and Dayron Sharp do not space the floor. That being said, you're not going to max out someone who has such overlap with Ben Simmons. That's the worst. Like you thought, Embiid and Simmons were strained a time on offense and Beat at least stretched the defense beyond the three point line capably, consistently continuously. Deandreton does not do that, and so it never seemed like the Nets are really interested in Eton. Where Aton was valuable and Kevin Rantrey talks was can you suss out third, fourth teams, fifth teams, six teams and set up this huge deal where You're sending Eton to a squad that is in turn sending out assets to Brooklyn. In addition to the asset other assets that Phoenix is giving Brooklyn, you also, while base your compensation would have complicated the matter. The fact that DeAndre Etan counted as an outgoing salary at all, it made a couple of things more feasible. One, you could take back other money. If Brooklyn really wanted to get off of Joe Harris. There were just easier pathways to do it. Not for eighten straight up. I'm just saying building those packages were easier. More importantly, there were scenarios in which you didn't completely decimate your non booker non CP three corps to get Kevin Grant would eighton depending on what a team gave up for him and send it to Brooklyn. Could eighton and then Jay Crowder and Cam Johnson plus your entire draft future. Could that have gotten the deal done? With the nets? Like could you have spared mcale Bridges. The prevailing sentiment is probably no, that's fair. You might have been able to spare Cam Johnson then that matters, or maybe it's just more or Jay Crowder, who I think still really matters to Phoenix, even though his season ended on kind of a low note. It might have even just been as simple of, oh, the Nets are then more willing to take a Landry Shammitt or Dario Sarich as the matching salary or Cameron Payne is part of the matching salary rather than targeting a Jay Crowder or Cam Johnson who have more, way, more utility to the Suns. That's we're losing eight and hurts. But Phoenix's best offer, this is their best I'm not saying this is what Kevin Durant will go for. I'm not saying Phoenix should actually offer all of this. I would argue it takes most of this to get Kevin Durant. But you have Mchaal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jay Crowder that gets you to the money you need to send out. I think it's like thirty five point two plus million. It's a little bit over thirty five point two million you need to send out. That gets you there, and then your entire draft that is a twenty twenty three pick, a twenty twenty five pick, a twenty twenty seven pick, and a twenty twenty nine pick, and then you swap, give Brooklyn swap rights in twenty twenty four, twenty six, two twenty eight, I have to look at we would need to look at Brooklyn's own pick commitments because they don't own all these. They don't control most of their draft moving forward. So like, okay, swap rights and then you owe your twenty four pick to Houston, how much does it actually matter? You could stagger it then, well, maybe the Suns are sending you a pick in these years twenty four, twenty six when you know you don't have draft picks, and so maybe you're preferring the twenty four, twenty six, and twenty eight picks from Phoenix and then getting swaps in two twenty five, two twenty seven, and two twenty nine and two twenty three. It's less pick equity, but in lines up with years then where you actually have all your your first round picks, so they could structure it that way. That is absolutely a monster offer if you're Phoenix, and I do think there are teams that can make better offers if they wanted to. I don't know which teams are going to be emboldened to do that. The Heat are the only other squad that we know that's been named as a preferred destination for Kevin Durant. Their best offer of it's of a similar vane is they have Tyler Hero and then you have to give up Kyle Lowry. Is matching salary here. No one's talking about that, Duncan Robinson and Tyler Hero and then all these other like lower un zalies. That doesn't get you there. So unless you're sussing out other teams or Brooklyn is willing to do this where Eudonna's Huslim is getting signed and traded as this salary, you need to give him Kyle Lowry and then Kevin Durant deal. Is Brooklyn higher on Kyle Lowry? Is there a team that would want to take Kyle Lowry? How annoyed is he gonna be that he just went to Miami. You could do permutations where the Nets are trading Ben Simmons end Kevin Durant and then they can get Bam out of Baio. I don't know if Miami's gonna want to do that. That really shrinks their their title window. That is just like not as impressive even when you're going to include their draft and they can trade functionally twenty three, twenty seven, and twenty nine picks. If they can broker with Oklahoma City amend the protection so that their obligation of them in twenty twenty five is just conveyed, they can make it unprotected. Maybe okay, se is perfectly fine with that and doesn't really need anything or at least minimal compensation to facilitate the deal. That's just not that, and swaps is just it's not impressive, and it gets a little bit more difficult because we just went through it. If you're the nets, like the swaps in twenty four and twenty six and twenty eight, twenty eight is fine, but twenty four and twenty six aren't going to meet as much to you because you don't actually control your own first round pick. So unless you're going to get another first round pick from a different team for that year, then yeah, okay, Like maybe you could start looking at that. They do have, which I think really helps this. They have Phillies pick in h didn't they the fir Phillies pick this year to two thousand and twenty four twenty seven, say Phillies two and twenty seven first round pick. That does make things a little bit more palatal with that structure. The point is is that I just feel like, even with Nikola Yovich, Tyler Hero and Kyle Lowry plus your entire draft, I'm not I'm higher on Phoenix's offer, so of best offer. So of the two teams that are most involved in this, you the Suns clearly have the best offer to me, the best top dollar offer. It doesn't mean that you know it's the best offer all around, but versus Miami, no matter how you're going to structure it, Phoenix beats them out. And so now we get into I think the Raptors are probably the third most prominent team in this, just because Massi U. Jerry's always lurking, and reporting has suggested that they're sort of on the fringes of this. If Kevin Durant's willing to go there, do you include Scottie Barnes. My guess is probably not, just because the Raptors would be worried that Kevin Durant even changes his mind. He already changes his mind about Brooklyn and changes his mindbout Gold State. From there, your best package becomes. And I'm just gonna phrase this as your entire draft, and when I mean that, it's teams are trading four first and three swaps, four swaps and three first whatever they structure it in the years that Brooklyn would want it, But you're trading first round equity through twenty twenty nine. It becomes Pascal Siakam and then draft picks. I think that's a better package than what the Suns would be offering with Mchael Bridges, their entire draft, Jay Crowder and Cam Johnson. If the Nets actually want to compete right away, you know Pasco Siakim is twenty eight. That matters, but he's an entrenched All NBA player who you can hold on too long term. You're getting all non stars from Phoenix. If you're getting comparable draft equity from Toronto in addition to Siakam, I think that offer beats it out. However, the appeal for Toronto is probably pairing Durant with Siakam and then Barnes. You could make deals then with Fred van Fleet. I don't know that Brooklyn's gonna have a ton of interest in him, especially until the Kyrie Irving stuff, But like is resolved, he is still on the team. By the way. Now of a sudden, you're looking at Gary Trench Junior, O Gianna Noby. Maybe Toronto's want to throw in pressures a Chua and then their entire draft. I've gone back and forth and I had a discussion with someone about this on Twitter. I don't know which package I would prefer in that instance. I'd probably trust shorting. I like the players coming out of Toronto more in the aggregate. I think Michael Bridges would be the best player of anyone being moved, But O ganna Obi and Gary Trent Junior in the aggregate to me, are better than Jay Crowder, Cam Johnson and Michael Bridges in the aggregate. Even though Michael Bridges is the best of those five players, That's just where I'm at. I'd prefer to short Phoenix's draft future, though, just because Kevin Durant entering his age thirty fourth season Chris Paul's entering his age thirty seven season, I think it is so those two are going to age out at some point. You still have Devin Booker and now Deandret and who are super young, but there's a little bit more combustibility there. The Raptors have also shown the ability to be resourceful in the draft and the way that they acquire players. I think the Sun's front office for a lot of points has been underrated. But as long as Robert Sarvers and control of that organization, I also think they're more of a wild card than so. If I'm the Nets, I'd probably prefer Phoenix's offer in that case. This is where things get weird though. Beyond that, what is the market for Kevin Durant. I'm even assuming that the Toronto, without knowing Durant wants to be there, will give up its entire draft plus og and Gary Trent Jr. I don't you know. I don't actually know that they would. I think their offer, along with other teams are going to be reflective of whether Kevin Durant wants to go there. And I'm wondering if this move with the Suns, but it really does, because it weakens there. Kevin durant offer, ever so slightly, doesn't sort of force him, convince him to open up his list of destinations. Can you talk yourself into a title window alongside Zion in New Orleans through the Cleveland Cavaliers? Are they attractive at all? And do they have enough draft assets to cobble together a viable offer without including Darius Garland or Evan Mobley, And so you're just looking at all the picks Isaac Ocro. You know the lowry marketing, it becomes pivotal matching salary there. Jared Allen should be on the table if the Nets want him back, or maybe you're sussing out a third team Bashi of course who they just drafted the fourteenth overall pick. You're including just everything? Is it Colin Sexton sign and trade a part of that? Who knows Brooklyn is? Really it's tough with the hardcap, another reason why they were probably never gonna another reason that they were probably never gonna wind up trading for eighton by just because the hardcap is so difficult to work. Does that and does that situation, assuming it worse, even appeal to Kevin Rant? Are the Nets so committed to winning now that the Buck said, hey, we will give you Drew holiday In Chris Middleton and I think they can trade a twenty and twenty nine first and a twenty twenty eight swap. I will I will double check that these teams were trading out picks so far in the future it gets hard to keep track off. Yeah, they could give you a twenty eight swap, a twenty nine first round pick, and Drew Holiday and Chris Middleton, who I know is injured. Are you so committed to winning now that you would do that deal if you're Brooklyn? I doubt it? And does does Kevernmant want to play with Jannis where he won't be the best player, the clear best player on the team. I would also doubt it. Can Washington build something around Denny Avia, Johnny Davis Filler or Kristaps Porzingis, however you want to frame it, and then every first round pick and first round swap that they can, and then Duran teams up with Bradley bo goes to Washington. We know that that appealed to him in the past. I don't know. The Golden State Warriors are apparently a real threat according to ESPN Brian Windhorse. How much draft equity do they have to attach to Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Pool, Johnathan Cominga, Moses Moody, and James Wiseman versus how much draft equity are they willing to attach to some combination of those players. I think he might be able to keep Jordan Pool just because would Brooklyn want to pay him long term. At the same time, I think you would need to be more invested in keeping cominga that's not happening, or perhaps more likely Moses Moody, just because you need more wings in that scenario, again, how much draft equity are you willing to trade out? And they're also, by the way, does absolutely matter how much all of those younger players intrigue Brooklyn because the Warriors have already traded their their first round pick to Memphis's top four protected and so they'd be looking at they go do a twenty three swap, a twenty five swap, a twenty six first, and then at twenty eight first, so they could really they can only trade two physical first round picks conditional first round picks. That's like, are they willing to do that? Are they willing to go twenty six and twenty eight first round picks to Brooklyn? How many swaps need to be included that they would be a team that I think can talk themselves into it just because they won the championship. Grant's been there, done that. Is he willing to come back though and again be sort of STEP's sidekick or have to deal with that discourse again where people are wondering whether he is step sidekick. I have no idea. Could Memphis get involved? Are they willing to include Jarreon Jackson Jr? If not, does Desmond Bain's I hear Williams and a ship ton of draft equity stack up with what Phoenix is offering that we just went over, or even Miami Into's best offers. Right now, the scope of Kadi's market isn't nearly large enough to deem these sweepstakes wide open, And assuming Sarver doesn't whine about paying k D eight and CP three and Booker at the same time, which would be the end result of this eight in contract, the Suns might actually still have the best available package to the Nets. But their viability in this equation has always been largely predicated on Duran wanting them and basically no one else. And so if that eighten contract does anything, it increases the likelihood that Phoenix can't cobble together the best trade proposal for Kevin Durant, even if ever so slightly, and that KD by extension will be convinced, perhaps forced, to broaden the currently narrow market he has created for himself. At this moment, though I would still say the Suns, if Kevin Durant is going to be traded, they should be the favorites to land Kevin Durant. Still, I don't think that DeAndre in contract changes that. This is all to say the Nets could still be comfortable keeping Kevin Durant, and at that case, the offseason don't stop. Phoenix has to get better. It's still they can't just run it back without Kevin Durant. But you also want to head your bets against well if this leads him the season, we don't want to completely torpedo a trade package for him. You could, theoretically maybe that's would all a sudden be interested in Eton, or you could move him on January fifteenth to another team that sends assets to Brooklyn, so you can afford to give up something here. But you need to figure out some upgrades, and it would be nice to have another type of ball handler. You're not gonna get anyone as good as Kevin Durant. I think what would be a little bit more realistic right now, and it's not happening via free agency. They have their mini mid level exception to spend. I just don't know who on the market is worth spending it on you're not gonna I doubt you talk to yourself into Dennis Shrewder. You have campaigns is on the roster, so I don't know that you go down that tunnel. I don't think you're definitely not paying Eric Bletsoe. It's probably easier to just default to upgrading the four unless you think that filler in the form of you know Sarich and do you view Landry Shaman as filler at this point can get you Eric Gordon. That would be someone who would really help your bench play there. Or maybe you're viewing instead of you know, Victory Craig Koby used as filler. Maybe even Cameron Payne is part of that deal. If you know you're getting Eric Gordon, he's not really a point card though. That would be something to consider. But it does feel like just the faull thing to the four and then how much do you have to give up to make that upgrade. You can trade some expendable salary filler, even Cam Johnson I think without torpedoing a future offer for Kevin Durant mid season if you think that's where that's where this ends. Some names that spring to mind for me I thought about I briefly thought about Marcus Morris, but then realize that would never happen. I thought about Boyon Bardonovitch and Utah because the Suns can lean. Can they can afford to lean. If you're keeping Michael Bridges and you have eight in there, and even CP three and Devin Booker's gotten a lot better, you can afford to play Boyan Bardonovitch at the four, where's probably best suited at this point. Anyway, his salary is steeper. I also think he's an expiring contract, so that makes it more valuable to the Suns because they don't have to worry about this money leaking in to the following season. And also the fact that his price point is a little bit high. It's at nineteen point six million. Utah is probably not expecting like crazy equity for him. And so if you can go with you know, Sharich and like Tory Craig and then a draft pick, I think you might actually need another salary in there. I can't remember what charge is making this season, nine point two million. Throw Tory Craig in there. You're at fourteen point three million. That is not going to get you because you're a tax team too, so to have to include another smaller contract in there, or you could just straight go Landry Shammitt attached to Dariel Sharich. That's not a trade. My point is maybe it costs you like next year's first round pick, which I don't think it's gonna be super valuable Kevin Durant trade anywe What it does do is it keeping it allows you to like, it's more flexibility with how you can trade future picks. I don't know what you attached to this, but are you willing to do Schars and Craig in another salary or Scharts and Shammitt for Boyan Bodonovitch And maybe there's a small asset caked in there. I don't know, like is a second round pick couldn't be enough to get it done or a couple of seconds. I honestly don't know if it costs a twenty twenty three first round pick. I'm probably insisting that Landry Shammitt's in the deal at the same time, like he could be low key valuable to them as a knockdown shooter. But Boyamdonovitch is a name that's bring to mind. I would love this name, but I think what it does is you really have to get after it with an offer. And I'm not saying it would take you out of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, but it would make it a lot harder because you're gonna give up first round equity. Probably an addition to Cam Johnson, and like maybe it's Cam Johnson at a first Kelton Johnson would be incredibly interesting on the Suns if they were just looking for someone who could put raw pressure on the rim. He shot well on catching shoot through last year and he's not the best defender, but he can be moved around a lot. He's stown his rookie scale deal. You never see those types of contracts really moved. Then again, the Spurs are going full rebuild, and if they don't think he's you know, he if he hits the restricted free agent market next year instead of signing an extension, he probably gets twenty plus around, like twenty plus million a year. Maybe I'm wrong, but there's like fifteen teams almost that could have really major cap space next season and he's just coming off of what was a really well balanced year. Can you get what is Cam Johnson in this year's first, like, does that even get you in the conversation or does it take a lot more? If it does, then maybe you move on. Are you willing to include more picks to keep Cam Johnson in that scenario? I don't know why you do that, just because then you have Kelvin Johnson, Cam Johnson and Jake Crowder. That is a name though if you it would be tough to tow the Kevin durantline. But if you are going to move DeAndre in mid season anyway to get more assets and maybe just a cheaper big, then yeah, that's that's something and some one that I think you could definitely consider. There are just like not a lot of great cheap options here. I know fans have sort of latched onto og Ana Nobi. I just don't see Toronto moving him outside of them getting a star backs. Where are you helping? Like, is this a trade where Kevin Durant is going to Toronto but the Nets don't want og and so Phoenix is actually helping Toronto get Kevin Durant and they're taking on Og to send a bunch of stuff towards Brooklyn. I that just feels incredibly unrealistic. I thought about Kyle Kuzman a little bit. Would the Wizards be open and moving him knowing he has a player option for next year and we'll likely hit free agency. I do not know. There's always the possibleity of reunion with Kellier Brady Jr. He does add a different dynamic to your offense, but I don't necessarily He's not more valuable to me than a Jay Crowder or Cam Johnson on offense. It's not even close for Cam Johnson. Frankly, on certain nights maybe Jay Crowder, but consistently that's not something that I would at all be prepared to bet on, and so the cheaper options like get pretty slim. After that. I thought briefly about like just Parry, Miles Turner and Deandretan, but that's just not what the Suns need or what you're looking for. Is there like a different deal that the Clippers would do because they have so many of these wings? But if you're not gonna trade for Marcus Morris, I'm assuming there's a lot of you know, just ill will between him and the Suns organization. Ptoman Patom can't be traded right now after resigning. Ditto firm your coffee that's just something you're you're sitting on. Norman Powell would be really fun on the Suns to bring that downhill element, but you probably want someone bigger. You're not playing him at the four, having Mchaale at the four while while playing him so like, that gets weird. Theyre's just really like Jared Vanderbilt is a name in Utah. They're gonna move him. That's gonna be more defense oriented though, and I would like to see probably Phoenix go a little bit more if it's not offensive oriented. Just someone who's like, has more functional diversification in their overall game than Jared Vanderbilt again, who can be fantastic on defense. So Boyan Madonovich and Keldon Johnson are the two names right now that I have circled. You could still go with the Larry Nanns Junior if you want to play with him and eating together. I don't know why the Pelicans, given the trajectory that they're on, why they would want to give up Larry Nance Junior At the moment, I feel like they're more likely to extend him. I feel the same way, by the way about Harrison Barnes. Everyone always sort of mentions him that this trade target, but from the moment they acquire Domasmonis, I just think he's too critical to making the offense work, even with Keegan Murray there. So I've said as many times it feels like they're just more likely to extend Harrison Barnes than that actually trade him. So that's kind of where I land on that, and I yeah, you know it's it's slim Pickens thereafter. I mean, other than a Keldon Johnson, like the Spurs don't have, do you want Doug McDermott if you're Phoenix, I don't think that accomplishes what you're looking for. You know, Daddy as young as technically still trade eligible, you could go that route if you want to skew all defense. Not an upgrade to meet over Jay Crowder or Cam Johnson in the aggregate probably the best defender of the bunch, certainly more so than Cam, but even I would rather put Jake Crowder on on some of those certain wings. So those are some additional trade targets that the Suns can look at, if you know, while trying to plan for this Kevin Durant thing dragging out or in the event that he goes elsewhere they pull out the sweepstakes they can't afford to stamp pat. We really do need to talk about the Indiana end of this. I thought this was fascinating because this had to be so far gone for the Pacers to go with the offer sheet. They're a team that with Kevin team president Kevin Pritchard, Kevin Pritchard, excuse me, and then team Governor Herb Simon have liked to operate. I don't want to call it in good faith, but they prefer they will go out of their way to make deals worthwhile for their you know, peers slash competitors. We saw it most recently. They turned them Malcolm Brogden transaction when they acquired him a few years back into assign in trade. I doubt I excuse me, I have no doubt that they wanted the same to happen with Hayton, in large part because they were probably worried the Sons would match the hoops that they jumped through by waving players and then going the offer sheet route at all. Yes, some of that was contingent. They needed to wait for the Malcolm Brogden deal to go through so they had a pathway to enough cap space, so he could be maxed out. But normally, when you give the offer sheet, you at least think there's a semi realistic chance the team won't match. I don't know if that was the case in this instance, and maybe it was. Maybe they were trying to call Phoenix's bluff because Phoenix didn't want to do sign in trades, or they were just trying to delay the process as long as possible until hashing out to Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Maybe I pissed off Indiana and they decided to throw the offer sheet. That's that's fine. I'm not of the mind that you need to help other teams out. And so even though it cost you some players and you're gonna have some money, low end money on the books for the next three years because of those waving stretches, it's not the end of the world. And if anything, you inflated Phoenix's payroll and you hurt again, ever so slightly, their chance of getting Kevin Durant. And this also could have been I believe, if I'm not mistaken, Miles Turner DeAndre Atan share the same agent, so this could have been a solid for the agent who can maybe smooth things over with Miles Turner, who is just forever in trade rumors. I don't know if he's somehow destined to retire a pacer, and even at his Jersey retirement ceremony or whatever, if he would get one, he would still be on the trade block. I'm curious to see what happens with him now you can play him with Jalen Smith, who has been guaranteed a starting spot. That is interesting. I just I can't believe that someone like Jalen Smith has been guaranteed a starting spot so publicly. I know he played well towards the end of last year, but that probably speaks more so to Indiana wanting floor spacing and then just not having these true wings on the roster, Like there's Benn Nick Mathin and like, who's your other wing? Is it o'she Brisette kind of skew more swing man. Buddy Heeled is just more of a guard. Our naysmiths more of a guard. Same thing with Chris Duarte. So they could use more wings. Is Miles Turner the method by which you acquire those wings? I do think that we'll hear a lot more Miles Turner rumors now even though I think the Pacers could absolutely use him. I know real issue and I had this. We talked about this on a previous podcast. If you need to go back, I think it's just a couple episodes ago. I don't know that I would have wanted to actually have deandret and on this team with Max money. But I think that the books in Indiana are flexible enough. Tyrese Halibert is already good enough, and I'm all the way sold on Benn Nick math In. His on ball skills are just I didn't expect them to be so well polished already. I'm almost excited that the Pacers don't have eighten because I could see Carlisle trying to slow things down and get eight and involved with self creation touches more. And now with the current structure of the roster, it's set up to make sure that Benne Nick Mathurin, in so far as Carlisle can stomach it, will get maximum flexibility, maximum agency over the office. I also sort of like the idea of I don't really know what to think of Go Go Pataz. It has like some bright moments, but I like the idea of maybe giving more run to Isaiah Jackson, who's like, oh, there might be some shifty floor spacing there, and can he be a defensive disruptor? So I'd like to see more of that. I do think it'd be they do need to acquire some wings, And I'm just curious if you don't plan on paying Myers Miles Turner after the season. He's not the type of player where if you let him walk it'd be franchise mal practice. You can always explore sign and trades next year as well, but you should really look to move him at this point, Like you have over thirty plus million in cap space, so you can make it a lopside in trade. I think Laker Sans are probably slobbering and think if they offer Russell Westbrook plus first, they get Buddy Healed and Miles Turner. I don't think Buddy Heals on the best deal two years forty million essentially a little bit over forty million. But if you're gonna slightly overpay for someone, it might as well be an elite shooter. So even having Russell Westbrook for one year is more taxing financially and even functionally than having Buddy Healed for two. So if you were to get Look, and I know this is going to anger Pacers fans. I'm not saying they should do this. If the Lakers are gonna legitimately give you a twenty six and twenty eight swap plus twenty seven and twenty nine first for Buddy Healed and Miles Turner, and all you have to do is stomach Westbrook salary and you could buy him out. And yes, you have dead money on the books. I would not stretch him. I want to make that clear, but you're in rebuilding mode anyway, I would consider it. I just don't think the Pacers want to go the bottom out route again, which is why Aton was so appealing. He's someone who firmly fits their timeline but also helps you win now. Turner, I think he can help you win now. Probably he's underrated on the defensive vent still when you look at his body of work when he's healthy, but also what he did with Sabonus on the court, he makes you a lot better. But Aton was a more dynamic offensive I say was wow, is a more dynamic offensive player. So I don't know where you necessarily go from here, but they are set up to do whatever they want. This is not the end of the world. They can take on bad money attached to picks. Maybe that money they hold on to most of it, and it's more valuable around the trade deadline, where rosters aren't as flexible and there aren't teams like there aren't teams with capspace right now. But that's even more of an anomaly at the trade deadline. Right it's the Spurs and the Pacers at this point, and that's it. So you're set up to get more assets if you want to go that way, and you still have Miles Turner a very capable fringe star center in this league. There's a chance that this team is just more competitive than we think because of how good Tyrese Haliburton is. Maybe Benn nic Matherin just looks so good right away if you're good at trade, Miles Turner getting into prospective destinations gets a little a little wonky. I don't I don't like know what is the ideal landing spot for him anymore? Okaycy having ched holme Grin, that probably rules them out. Charlotte, Mark Williams, and Kai Jones addition to Mason Pummey still being there, does that rule them out? Dallas got Christian Wood sign JaVale McGee has Dwight Powell, Max and Kleiba. They're not gonna they don't have a ton of assets anyway. The Clippers, like you could get to a point where the Clippers are giving you one of their distance first for Miles Turner, like Marcus Morris plus a twenty eight first for Miles Turner. You could do that with that interest the Pacers. Marcus Moore is a player that actually helps you, and then maybe you go out on the cheap and find another big I think that would be something the Clippers are more likely to consider in the middle of the season, depending on how Zoobots works out. And they got him on what I think it was a three year, thirty three million dollars extension, so that kicks in next year. They might not have interest in having to then pay Turner as well. The Lakers, we certainly know, But what does that look like. Memphis has Jared Jackson Junior and Steven Adams. I'd be very curious to see a triple j and Miles Turner front court, and Memphis maybe doesn't have to give up too much equity or even prospects to get Turner since he's expiring, I'm not sure how more deivated they'll be to do that deal with Steven Adams throwing the books and nor while Triple J is injured. I would just argue, if you think he's gonna miss substantial time, I think it's timeline four to six months, so you don't think he'll miss most of the season. It would be kind of intriguing to go after Turner just to have that really impactful defensive player who Steven Adams was great for them last year. Turners is going to be more mobile as just a rim protector, and even when you pull him beyond the paint. I could see Miami getting a little frisky in the Turner sweepstakes and trying to pair him with Bam, saying, you know, our half court offense is always going to be strained. Is there a pathway to them getting Turner without giving up Tyler Hero And I think there might be, just because they have a bunch of future first that they can offer. So let's say they give you two first in a swap and then Duncan Robinson from Miles Turner. Are you saying no, that's probably not the best use of their draft equity because they have bam, just somebody throw on the table. I don't think the Bucks have the juice to get into this. Minnesota doesn't need a big I still like the idea of Turner on the Pelicans more so than Joanna's Valanciunis. They might think they can get the best of both worlds because Larry Nance Junior is there as well, and so why give up salary filler and picks in prospects to get Turner if you can just keep Valantunists And if the Pacers maybe they would want Valancunis. He seems like a big that Carl I would appreciate it, appreciate, But maybe they don't want him just because he doesn't necessarily fit their timeline. Contract is short though, and he's not you know you, Yanna Soundtunis. Isn't that old? I think he's the only twenty eight I will I'll look that up now. But there's like a chance where you're still left with I guess three of Turner, Nance, Jackson, Hayes, and Janna Valentunis not to mention Zion. That gets a little bit awkward here. And valt Junis is thirty, so he is older than I thought. I take that back. The Pelicans though, like if it was the cost was cheap enough, I would love Turner there. Make no mistake. The Nicks no longer like they sign harden Stein, they have Mitch Robinson under contract, they have Jericho Sims, they just signed Orlando. No, they have enough talent upfront. Phoenix having eight and don't think they're gonna want Turner unless they think. You know there's a trade to be made there. But then you're you're that's costing you some of your Kevin Rant equity. Maybe you still believe you're gonna trade eight in mid season, and so having Turner there, both of them play them together, some stacker them. Some Sacramento has tomassa bonus that would hysterical Portland as use of Mark Catch Philly as Joel Embiid the Spurs, that's not their style anymore. Utah would be just a no. They're they're about to be rebuilding Washington. I'd probably prefer Turner there over anything they have defensively, including Christops Porzingis, but they have Gifford and kp the other the team that I would circle here, I guess there's two. There's there's Chicago. I just don't know that they have the motivation to go from Vooch to Turner. And you probably have to give up Vooch in this deal if it's happening in the offseason, because you're not giving up Patrick Williams, but you could do something like Kobe White and Vouch and Hicks, or maybe are you giving up Bio to suon mooing this deal. I don't think you're giving up Patrick Williams. Would you be willing to give up Lonzo Ball if the Pacers really wanted him? Or and look, the injury news on him has not been great. Are you going to give up Alex Caruso on that deal? I would look at the I would look at the Bulls. If Indy should be willing to take on Voos. There's just one year left on his deal. Maybe you can get value for him with the deadline. The other team though that could actually send back wings would be Toronto. And I'm just curious as to whether you know they seem to want a big I know they have Fat and Chris Bouche and Siakam. They have add a Nobi who can defend fives and Barnes. I would argue they don't need to do this. But if they're really dead set on getting a big is there a Turner for Gary Trent Junior framework there? I don't think you're getting out of Noby for Turner. He has more time left on his deal and he's the more valuable player. You would have to include other stuff. Is there even a three way deal to be made where it's Colin Sexton gets signed and traded to Indiana? Do they now have interest in him with Turner out? I think he's is fit with Tyrese Haliburton is perfectly fine. You've Sexton go to Indie, maybe Gary Trent Junior go to Cleveland, and then Myles Turner going in Toronto. Gary Trent Junior is probably a little bit more valuable then Turner, but he's going to be a free agent next season. Toronto likes sort of these you know Turners at an actual seven footer, so he doesn't fit there, your typical mold. Cleveland absolutely needs Gary Trent Junior. I would give up more than just Colin Sexton for him, by the way, too, So maybe that's a way for Toronto to get just more like, are they getting stuff and Miles Turner for Gary Trent Junior that would be interesting consider. And garyt Tran Junior be fine in Indiana, but I think that they need more of a like a a wing type player or a playmaking guard. Like maybe they just prefer Gary Trent Junior to Collin Sexton. So if you're gonna get if he's gonna be available on a Miles Turner talk, but that's just something to consider. Maybe they try and go to Colin Sexton sign and trade route or just sign them out right because they have a cap space anyway, because they don't need to send anybody out to take on his salary. And then that still leaves you with the Turner conundrum. So I think India is still set up to be really flexible and I respect that, and I think they made the right call of what they did last season where they they didn't tear everything down, but by moving some bonus who was the nerve, the nerve system, the nerve center of your offense and kind of the way that you were building out your team, by moving him, you agreed to go in a completely different direction. If not outright rebuild, you're set up to do that, you can remain flexible you can try and be aggressive and at immediate talent, and you can still capitalize on Turner's value. You're probably a team that's gonna be you and San Antonio are gonna be circled on everyone's list. If there's a John Collins trade, if there's a Kevin Durant trade, if there's a Donovan Mitchell trade. I thought momentarily, should Indie go after Donovan Mitchell? You you have Christa Arte and Benedic Mathin and then picks like I would love Donovan Mitchell Haliburton backcourt, you try and keep Turner. In that scenario. It is rumored that the Jazz want draft picks over talent, So maybe there's a way to structure it that you don't give up Mathron, But I really don't think there would be that would not be Indie style, and they're not going to mortgage their entire draft, And so you're looking at using Duarte, Isaiah Jackson, and Benedick mathro in some combination, if not all three as the primary outgoing appeal prospects, attached some salary to them draft picks, and you get Donovan Mitchell. I wouldn't hate it. But then you run into the issue of he's three years away from free agency, doesn't want to be here, But they would be just like if we're talking about sneaky teams. I went over Donovan Mitchell trade destinations and I think our last podcast, if not two podcasts ago, that would be that would be wild. You want to talk about a sleeper. I don't really have much to add for the paces O. Then I think they're still gonna be a fascinating team to watch for the rest of this offseason, and I don't we could talk about order of operations that went into this eight and stuff. I think they took their swing. That's fine there, They're not any much worse off. If you were banking, if you thought you were ninety percent sure that Eton wasn't going to be matched by Phoenix, then yeah, this is a blow. You went into this though, in all likelihood, knowing that you probably weren't going to get him, and so you were prepared for this. They're going to be a team that I believe can still can. It will be very active before the start of next season and just super flexible to do a number of different things, travel a number of different directions. So Indie Pacers fans, Pacers players, You're fine. Tyrs. Haliburton is the business and I am so excited to watch better Nick the matherin play. Our final topic here the New York Knicks. They're still embroiled in the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes. Ian Bagley recently reported in a video that Utah asked about a package. This was before he signed his contract, obviously that included Mitchell, Robinson, other players at least three picks. I don't know. We don't know what those picks were. We don't know what of the other who the other players were. I'd be shocked if if they were the wording of at least three picks, I'd be shocked to it was only three picks and then other players on top of Mitch. And if it was that, they were probably asking for every young player in IQ RJ, Quentin Grimes and Topping. I don't know where I land on this. I had very spirited debate with people on Twitter. I'm firmly in the camp that you make this type of superstar trade when you already have another star in your employee, and the two way two best ways to get that star used to be the draft or free agency it's no longer free agency. Players are signing figuring out a ways to get out later the lucrative extent, the way the extensions are set up. If they're not being moved, they're just signing the extensions. So your best chance of getting that player is through the draft. The Nicks seemed like they're trying to skip that initial step. And look, I love RJ. Barrett. There's no one on the roster, including him, that profiles as Donovan Mitchell's equal. Right now, maybe RJ. Barrett turns into him, but I'm a big believer of you need to have that player first. And just because you signed Jalen Brunson and we're not going to be bad enough to be in typical cornerstone territory, I don't think that excuses, oh, we're going to give up the farm for Mitchell. And I don't even know what that looked like. There was a rumor floating around. I don't know if it was I sort of aggregated by Tony Jones from the Athletic or from an aggregator site citing him. I think it was like reputable, but that the Jazz wanted six first round picks in addition, to Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride was in there, and I think topic quickly were there are two that's too astronomical price to pay. At the same time, if you're the Jazz, you look at all those players I just named, there's not a single cornerstone prospect in the bunch. I'd argue Quentin Grimes comes closest. So if you're not getting RJ. Barrett, you have to play stock in the draft equity and then the volume of players that are coming back. With that said, are you really interested in RJ? Barrett? If you're Utah, do you want to start off your rebuild by having to commit near max or maxim money to someone who is not a no brainer future star in Barrett. As much as he's improved, he's never shot from the field overall entirely with Lee gaverage efficiency. The Nicks have inconsistently let him explore his offensive game. The talent of last year is when we saw the most from him, and while his rim attacks were fantastic, he showed a lot as a passer as well. The spot up three point shooting is going to be fine. Do I think he'll ever be this quick, quick twitch off the dribble, three, three point or jump shooter. Probably not. I think he can be a better finisher at the rim, but you're still waiting on a lot of these things. I don't like. That's not how you're gonna want to start your rebuild. And I think that's why he hasn't been mentioned in a lot of packages. It's not necessarily that New York wants to keep him, which they do. And I get it because if you're getting Donovan Mitchell and you have Jalen Brunson defensive talent and so wings specifically, and you're throwing Quentin Drimes and they're already, it's gonna be iffy, and you need RJ. Barrett. He's also your most appealing mystery box where I'm talking about the Nicks skipping at step, He's the pathway to them sort of. If he hits, if he goes boom, he gives you. Maybe he gives you the equal to Donovan Mitchell. I'm not saying that every star you acquire has to be able to be the best player on a championship winner. I don't think it need that's ten guys in the league or whatever it is. I don't think you need one of those ten guys to win a title. I think you need two capslock stars top thirty thirty five players that are equals or one is clearly superior than the other. I think that's what you need, and the Knicks do not have that. I think the path to getting that if you acquire Donovan Mitchell, the second guy. It's a lot harder, depending on how much pick equity you've given up. So I need to see what Donovan Mitchell ends up costing the Knicks, because his arrival there feels fad to complete. The Knicks can beat any offer from Miami. I don't think Toronto gets involved with this, Like I don't see Indie really jumping into this again, that would be wild. Though. There are other teams that will sniff around maybe though, so we can keep an eye there. But the Knicks, it feels like this is a done deal. I need to see what the price is and what the Knicks are left with. But I've I've asked myself a question a little bit more as I've thought more about this. If you're the Knicks, would it make sense to trade RJ. Barrett to the Jazz if it saved you draft equity? I'm not trying to over romanticize draft picks, but I'm genuinely asking you can comment on YouTube, let me know in our discord. That's in the podcast description the YouTube description. What's more valuable if the Knicks are planning on getting Mitchell and then luring the other star, which as of right now, that other star is not coming via free agency, because that's not how this works. So you would want to have enough trade assets left over to acquire a star via that trade, which is what the Nets essentially did. They got Kyrie and KD without decimating their death their asset pool, and we're able to trade James Harden. The Nicks have enough picks to where, depending on what they give up, they could still have the AMMO to then go out and get the next guy, hopefully like like a really good wing that wants out, or that a team who's shifting directions decides to trade. I don't know who that player is. I don't want to get into try and spotting who that player is, but that's just the type of player they could be on the lookout for. It would it make more sense? What if what if I said, what if I told you it's RJ Barrett whatever, And I'm not going to mention the main set, like if they have to, if the Jets to take on Rose Fourner, whatever that permutation is. I'm I'm genuinely asking here, RJ. Barrett, and you're keeping Quentin Grimes and you're giving up Obi Toppin and then you're giving four first there's no swaps, There's there's nothing. There's no swaps. It's just four first round picks. I don't know what those first round picks are. You have Milwaukee's, Washington's Detroits at the moment, those future conditional ones you have all your own. Moving forward, you have the Mavericks twenty twenty three pick versus giving up swaps and first round picks that amount to six or seven just comparable to Rudy Gobert got. And then on top of that, Iq top In Grimes, maybe McBride is in there. I'm genuinely asking the other way to frame this is what is more valuable having let's say two to three extra first rounders and Quentin Grimes in future trade talks or RJ Barrett on his next deal. There's a case for r J. Barrett just because he will be the more expensive salary. In those scenarios, it becomes easier to match money. You don't have to ask other teams to give to take on Julius Randall or Nevin Fournier, depending on whoever you're left with, or Jalen Brunson that'd be I mean, that'd be a fucking trip. I'm I'm almost undecided, and I don't want to say I lean r J. And I also don't think it's going to become an issue because I don't think the Jazz value RJ like that because of his contract situation. That's and knowing the direction in which the Jazz are headed. But it's an interesting thought exercise for the Knicks if if they were willing, if the Jazz were willing to cut down the draft equity, that's coming back to them. I'm not opposed to moving RJ Barrett for Donovan Mitchell. Now, if I'm the Knicks, I'm not trading for Donovan Mitchell. Want to make that clear. Says it Knicks for Clicks. I'm not trying to troll them here. That's reasonable. Minds can disagree, and that's that's fine. If you think they already signed Brunson. They've started skipping their steps. You might as well optimize this window. Donovan Mitchell is a bona fide top thirty player in certain seasons. He's a borderline all NBA players. I'm not saying he tops out as a top thirty player, but maybe he improves on defense. I'm not I'm not a big fan defensively. If the Brunson Mitchell backcourt, you can still make it work. Robinson behind you, Barrett, do you have another wing in there like during the non Julius Randall minutes. So again, I'm not even I'm not necessarily advocating for anything, but if you're the Knicks, this is what I'm advocating for. This isn't the This isn't the move this is this isn't a move that I would personally make under the current circumstances. I would have actually retooled, rebuild, really plumb the depth of RJ. Barrett's game, increase the stock of my draft pick this year, continue to try and get those bites at the Apple rather than trading for a star first. I get that the organization doesn't think like that under Leon Rose and never has with really James Dolan in control at all, I don't think that excuses them not considering it. With that said, we have to deal with the reality of the situation. They have gone this direction. You have to view to me, this Donovan Mitchell trade that feels like it's faded complete. Like I said, you have to view it as not the move, or at least not the last move. You need to have another accessible pathway to getting an equal or someone who's even superior to Donovan Mitchell if you want to realistically wedge open your title window. The two methods after getting Mitchell by which you can do that, or most realistic ones would be RJ. Barrett turns into that guy, or you trade for that guy. Could RJ. Barrett turn into that guy? I honestly don't know. And I'm much higher on r. J. Barrett than I was after his first season. I want to make that clear. I still think his defense is underrated and not talked about enough, and that's why if you're the Nicks trying to make the most of now, you want to keep him. With that said, it feels more likely that you would acquire Donovan Mitchell's equal or superior via trade. And in that case, I think while fan bases believe that national pundance over romanticize or their masturbatory about future first round picks. I do think the mystique, the anonymity, the mystery box element of those first round picks hold more value than knowing that RJ. Barrett is on your roster and you're a limited draft. Well, so if you think that this is just a precursor to another trade, another a star that wants to come to New York and you have to trade him, I would more heavily explore trying to move RJ. Barrett to Utah to save equity or is there a third and fourth team involved that's willing to send the Jazz assets that would save you your own draft equity. That is where I sort of landed. I don't think it's the route that the Knicks go, in large part because they don't want to, in larger part because I don't really think the Jazz of interest in RJ. And I don't want to advocate for it. But if you're really trying to be more methodical and deliberate about how you're step laddering your way to contention from this, Donovan Mitchell doesn't get you there by himself right now, and so it's important from the Knicks perspective that you set yourselves up to go and make that move when that player becomes available. Could the cap spike change the way free agency plays out? And so maybe it's just a matter of a star and free agency wants to come to the Knicks. Sure that cap spike is not the substantial one, the most substantial one. I don't think it's gonna hit until twenty five, twenty six. There's a lot of time between now and then. And the other thing that I believe you have to factor him with RJ. There's a chance his value is never higher than it is now. We don't know what he's gonna look like in a more complicated pecking order that includes Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, and then Julius Randall. I imagine it's still going to be there after this trade. If they get off Julius Randall is part of this trade, there's gonna be I don't know if I'll walk back on any of my taste because I've operated under the assumption that he wouldn't be involved. That changes the complexion of this too. But assuming he's not, there's a chance he gets a little bit lost in the shuffle again, and we saw that this past season when there was Kemba and there was Foreigner and Julius Randall. Of course, the fact that the Knicks wouldn't be so Julius Randall centric. You trust Brunson and even Mitchell to streamline RJ. Barretts roll and maximize it. And he's going to be a very good off ball player. I want to see him more on the ball. There's a chance though, because of the way he finished the year, because of still again the mystique, the mystery box element attached to his ceiling, that he's never more valuable than he is now, so that he might not be the glitziest blue chip prospect or asset. And I hate looking at players as strictly assets. I think RJ. Barrett right now is the single most important player in the NIXT organization, even with Jalon Brunson there, because he is without Donovan Mitchell, he is the Knicks's best chance of actually getting a player as good or better than Donovan Mitchell long term. Thinking bigger picture, though, there's a chance that this tray value is peaking at this very moment, because I don't know that I trust a pecking order with Randall Mitchell Brunson to maximize RJ. Barrett effectively enough on offense to wear him on his next deal becomes a very integral part of you getting the next star. Maybe I'm wrong again. Him on a higher salary actually has a lot of values since it makes money matching easier. And from the Knicks perspective, they're trying to straddle the two lines of it's not just about getting Donovan Mitchell and then maybe we're still sort of rebuilding. It's about getting Donovan Mitchell. We have Brunson, and we want to be really good. We know we're not going to get to him now, but we want to be really good. RJ. Barrett helps you straddle that line. I just don't know if he helps you straddle the other one, which is better than keeping a lot of your draft equity and maybe even more of some of these younger players like Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride. It all depends on what the final offer is, but I would let me know your thoughts again. Discord my Twitter handles at Dan Valley, Fava Lage get at us with all the social media handles at Hardwood Knocks. Please remember to subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. It helps us out a ton and I would love to do more stuff with this. I've been putting out a ton of episodes on YouTube and then cutting those up in individual clips for people to watch. Subscribe to us on YouTube, tell people about us for YouTube. The more success we have there, the more inclined I'm going to be to continue pumping out different types of content, trying different things, and spending even more time on this. Thank you to all our listeners, YouTube, podcasts, wherever you're speaking with us, and like I said, I amlessly appreciate all the kind words. And it's the listeners, the new ones, the long standing ones of course the discord ogs that really helped me enjoy enable me to keep going with this. It's it's not a money thing. It's just more of something that I enjoy doing. But it can be hard work, and every single one of you makes it worth it. So I just want to close with thanks once again, because I sometimes think that content creators don't think the people who are consuming their content nearly enough. Until next time, I'll leave it a shout out to the one, the only, and you're in for a treat if you've never been here before, Frank Nila keep