Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest episode of Hardwood Knox. This is
Adam Promill here with my fantastic co host Dan for Valley. We are coming
to you with a new episode of trade discussions. As seemingly every NBA player
under the sun, and even prospective NBA players enter the COVID protocols and we
have no idea who's playing for what team. We're still going to talk about
trades because we did the Eastern Conference episode think about a week ago now,
and we're going to be doing the exact same thing for all fifteen Western Conference
teams, Proceeding alphabetically. As Dan throws out some potential trade targets more in
just a general sense rather than fully formed deals, bounces those ideas off me,
and we figure out what these teams need, which is basically healthy bodies
at this point. But I think we're just going to proceed under the assumption
that team rosters will eventually get back to normal, so trade season will be
like a normal trade season. I don't know, it doesn't make any sense.
Nothing makes sense right now, Dan, how's it going. I am
outside of health and safety protocols, so it's going well for me. I
actually took an at home COVID test the night before we're recording this, and
it came back negative. I was feeling fine, but someone at my wife's
job tested positive for COVID, so we both figured we'd take one. So,
yeah, I have zero complaints. How are you doing? I'm doing
well. I feel like that was one of my stranger introductions. I wasn't
really sure where I was going to go with it. Yeah, and I
was gonna say, I'm not gonna make this a classic for Valley rant ranting
and raven because there's someone coherent. But like the way that the reactions to
what's happening with the NBA are so when anyone ever presents them is like definitive.
Oh, the league needs to shut down. What is the shutdown gonna
do? Because if unless you're forcing players to quarantine in a bubble, you're
probably gonna get even more COVID problems because they're gonna be out and about with
family and friends doing whatever. So are he was shutting down the league with
the intention of setting up a bubble? Are you shutting down the league with
the intention of setting up even stricter protocols like they did at some point last
year where you couldn't even basically leave your hotel room on the road for some
players. I also don't you know. The other thing that I'm not a
fan of is just saying like, oh, we need to go about this
as usual because covid is and all the eighty different variants that are teaming up
to maybe a former superteam. That was the rumor hadding one of the articles
is it's not endemic yet, and so we can't treat this like it's like
in just go on without it. And so I'm not providing any solutions.
I want to make that clear. There I only have complaints or I'm confused.
There's something very cringey about the NBA trying to go on with business as
usual. I'm not a fan of the It's basically a let's throw bodies at
the approach because you look at and this is something that's probably not talked about
enough, is when when Kyrie was clear to come back for a minute before
he went out tafety protocols, there were some people that talked about the competitive
edge that it gives them. That's to have. You know, the NBA
sow against load management, but now Kyrie only has to play like basically every
third game because he's not on the road or whatever, and that gives them
an unfair edge. The other thing I'm looking at now is you're using these
very low cost temporary players to prop up your profit, your AD revenue,
your gate revenue by just throwing them into these games they're not getting They're putting
themselves. And I know NBA players are putting themselves at risk by playing these
other players replace them. What are we even calling them? They're putting themselves
at the same risk for a lot less money, for a lot less job
security, And there's something cringeworthy about that. I don't know what the answer
is. I do think though, that it's fair. I know some of
the people are like making fun of anyone who wants there to be a shutdown,
or is you know, panning the NBA for what they're doing. I
do think it's fair to want to or try to hold the NBA to a
higher standard because it wants and has tried to present itself as this liberal bastion
of sports, as just self aware and it's clearly it is a business first
and foremost, and people can't forget that. But I also think that it's
okay to be like, what are we even doing at this point? And
they're talking. I know they're talking to infectious disease experts. They are more
informed behind the scenes than you or I, than anyone who's not super in
the now or an actual epidemiologist, and so I know that they're making decisions
based off what they're hearing from them. But right now it's more reactive and
adaptive rather than let's be proactive and get out in front of this. And
that's probably my main qualm. I don't know what they need to do.
And so that's the end of it turned into a rant. I didn't mean
it to, but we can't present I'm just tired of people on every single
side of the equation as presenting their opinions as these actual solutions when shutting down
the league. It's not just shutting down the league's yeah, it's just not
that simple, and it's the NBA is definitely not handling it the right way.
But there's just there's no possible simple solution here. Like the people who
argue just blanket policies shut down the league, like, okay, think about
what you're doing to all the essential workers who are within the league's purview,
you know, the arena staff, the team staff, and everything, especially
during holiday season. Even beyond that, Like, just from a logistical standpoint,
and this is not meant to carry water for the NBA because there are
more important things and making sure that basketball games can be played. But again
from a logistical standpoint. When the league shut down the first time, everything
shut down, and that's not the case now because life is still proceeding in
whatever this new normal we have is amidst the pandemic. So if you shut
down your arena bookings right now, there are still concerts and events scheduled in
perpetuity right now, those are not being canceled. So you're just not going
to be able to resume. And if you do, it's going to be
with this scattered schedule or at non standard locations, which creates all sorts of
logistical nightmares. It's just it's not simple in any way right now. And
the people who are pretending it is either by saying continue as normal, like
we don't need to make any changes, or shut everything down without considering what
those repercussions are, Like you have to think about it more than that.
Yeah, I'm just one percent with you, and it sucks that there's no
answers. But I think one of the biggest problems is there's been no uniformity
from the beginning about how the COVID pandemic is is handled, and so to
not have alignment anywhere is disastrous. And if it's happening, if it's happening
in the NBA, they're just they're microcosm of just what's happening around the rest
of the country today as the cases just go through the roof. So I
wish there were solutions and but there just aren't. And it's I just want
to say, it's not as simple as shutting the league down. And it's
also not as simple as just go just forget about it now. If they're
asymptomatic, they should play. It's also not that simple. Yep, So
subscribe to my substack. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to derail us like
that, but it is. I mean, I'm glad you did because it
would have felt weird, just like jumping into trade conversations without addressing the eight
thousand ton elephant in the room. Yeah, I mean, look, there's
another game about to be canceled as they're recording this. I don't think New
Orleans and Philadelphia is gonna be played so and we're just sending guys to different
teams or as trade targets. But it's it is trade it is trade season.
I'll put that in quotes, because nothing ever happened shortly after December fifteens.
Do you want to go in alphabetic order for the Western Conference or do
you want to go and reverse alphabetic order? I think we should still go
in alphabetical order. I would just get too confused, and I genuinely don't
know if you could handle reverse alphabetical order. You've had enough trouble with the
standard one in the past, fair enough. That means we start with the
Dallas Mavericks, and I'm just assuming that you're gonna like be suggesting head coach
trades. Yeah, I mean that should be among them. But when you
look at the Mavericks there, this has become the cliche, but it's still
what they need most. They need like the second shot creator slash playmaker.
It's Jalen Brunton is good, but he's just not the answer they are.
Chris Stops is never going to be that type of player, even though he
has the freedom to pull up from mid range. Goran Dragic is the obvious
target. He's not even with the Raptors right now. For them, we
don't know what he has left. Eric Gordon I think would be fantastic for
this team. The MAVs do not put any sort of pressure on the rim.
They're dead last in rim frequency. So he's the name that stood out
to me. Christian would would be interesting for them because he's super du He's
more dynamic offensively than Chris Stops. I'm not sure if people know that Chris
Stops is the better rim protector and it feels strength overall defender, and if
they were going to go lower end because the MAVs don't have trade assets.
Really there's you know, you're getting yourself into either distant first round picks or
Maxi Kleiba Dorian Phinise. But there's not unless someone's really in love with Kris
Stops porzingis. They don't have a ton of assets. Anthony Simons, who's
about to end a restrictive free agency. Is Portland willing to part with him
at all? And the other name that's been floating around, which Kyrie Irving.
I don't have the patience him anymore, But there is some merit to
like, why don't those two teams just swap Porzing isn't Kyrie irving? The
Nets defense has been better than expected, but their front quotation is wild,
and the MAVs are already dealing with an unvaccinated player in Trey Burke, So
being outside New York maybe that makes that a little easier. I don't.
I'm so far just I don't even want to talk about Kyrie at this point,
But to me, there is some merit to that type of swap.
Of those names, I think Eric Gordon is the one that intrigues me most.
And the reason for that is not just as you mentioned, the ability
to attack the basket, which is something that Dallas is sorely lacking. And
I'm also not that inclined to give up Chris Stops right now, because I
think he's kind of sneakily having a pretty good season. Maybe not shooting the
ball particularly well from three, but just in terms of the rim protection,
the defensive versatility, the offensive attention that he draws, he has been pretty
valuable for the Maverick. But Jason Kidd wants to do everything in his power
to take the ball out of Luca Dontech's hands. That's for whatever reason,
the offensive structure does not seem built to maximize the potential high usage nature of
his game, and I don't want to give him another player like someone like
Jaylen Brunson, who is going to compound that issue. So to me,
Anthony Simon's as good as he's been for the Blazers. I don't really want
to see him on the Mavericks because I worry about that further cutting into Lucas
production. Whereas Gordon can be that off ball, slashing presence who also can
handle and get to the basket. It's just it seems like he is the
guy who both aligns with what the Mavericks are already doing and wouldn't push them
in a non beneficial direction. I totally get that a name that I thought
about another Blazer. No one's talking about him in trade rumors because he's been
good this year. Norman Powell, he's been really good this year. If
the Blazers are like sort of looking at change, like if they do rebuild,
which I don't expect them to, Chris stops for Norman Powell. I
think you probably need to attach something to Chris stops in that, but Norman
Powell would be he's sort of like a I don't know, their games just
really aren't that similar. But I think he would fit the same mold as
Eric Gordon, where he's not going to come in and exacerbate the issues that
you're talking about. Do you think we should just like do live news on
this podcast, just as we get the shams and tweets, Like while we
were talking, Kendrick Nunn has been cleared from the protocols, Jared Allen has
entered. We already saw Trey Young entered the protocols this morning. Yeah,
we're you know what, We're just kidding because it would be an eight hour
podcast. It's funny that Kendrick Nunn, like the he goes in the leagu's
health and safety protocols, he's cleared, he's not even playing, he's still
injured. At some point, do we need the constant news? I'm about
to turn off my WOAG and shams shams notifications because it's like, I do
I want all these guys to be all right, But at the same time,
it's like, why don't you just tell me who's not the dat product.
It's just depressing at this point, right, it's also for your mental
health. You should probably turn off woas and shops notifications when we bought in
the Denver Nuggets because we're just gonna fucking talk about trade. Still, I
don't This feels like the most pointless episode, and I really hope people are
enjoying it. I told Kaitlyn Cooper, if you haven't checked out our Pacers
podcast that we put up on Friday afternoon, because that's how important that podcast
was. You know, I hate publishing podcasts in the middle of the day
on Friday, don't even like putting them up on Friday morning. But I
broke up my cardinal rule because it was an important podcast. I told her.
I don't know if it was on arrows like on air or not.
I said, I feel really just a moral doing this, But the NBA
is soldiering on, and like, what else are we supposed to do at
this point? The Nuggets, anyway, they're in this weird spot because they
need stuff, But I'm not giving them this all in type of target.
They are limited in what they can give up. Michael Porter, Junior Murray,
not anywhere you extend Darren Gordon, you can move him, but he's
not going anywhere. Kid's not going anywhere. But you also wouldn't make a
big move this season with Michael Porter Junior and Jamal Murray both potentially out for
the rest of the year. So I just in my head, I was
like, they need wings or versatile guys who can preferably hit threes. I
know a lot of people are gonna be like, well, they need another
guy who can sort of create on offense. This is just not the season
to go after that type of player because I do believe you would be a
little bit more expensive. So the three names I have for them ken Rich
Williams, because I'm going to mention him with every team. He's just because
we both love him so valid justin holiday, someone who can defend a bunch
of different wing spots, especially if you're going to play him in second units
hit threes. He's been sneaky valuable to the Pacers over the past few years.
Just recently return to their rotation, I believe after being out for a
minute and then the other one. This is a deep cut Utah wants an
Abbe might be the most positionless player in the NBA right now. If you've
watched any of the Raptors, and he can kind of do a little bit
of every thing. Maybe nothing great enough to where you're like, we want
to put the ball in his hands and see what kind of pick and roll
mystique that he has on offense. But he can, he can stretch the
floor, He can play a bunch of different positions. I probably wouldn't put
him at the small ball five, but he can defend basically anyone. He
plays simultaneously smaller and bigger than he is. And I think he's like six
and nine or something around around there, because every player on Torontos between six
seven and six nine. And these players are cheap. I don't know what
they cost when you look at their money. They're cheap, is what I
mean. I don't know what they cost in terms of assets. I can't
even begin to build packages. But Denver does have, you know, for
a justin holiday like Jamichael Green's matching salary, and there he makes more than
just a holly Like that's a good starting point. It's what are you attached
to? Stuff like that? Ken Rick Williams and wants An are so cheap
though, that it almost becomes problematic for the Nuggets because you're looking at bull
Ball and then it's okay, how do we sweeten this for that team?
You have to sweeten it that much though, Yeah, bullboll is not an
NBA player. We need to he he couldn't crack the Nuggets rotation where there
was no one in it a valid point, I do. I do want
to provide the counter argument to you too, Watanabe, being the most positionless
player in the NBA, I would I would argue that with Kyrie Irving kind
of sort of back that goes to Ben Simmons. Oh man. I mean
this is Denver is an impossible one because it needs everything and it doesn't have
anything to give up. It could use a backup big two, which is
why ken Ridge Williams. I don't know if he's the best options of backup
five, but he can play some five, so yeah, it's fine.
I mean, I just I tend to think with this Denver roster, it's
just going to be in a wait and see approach mode, which sucks because
this is a season that you want to be doing everything you can to maximize
your chances of winning a championship around the best player in the world, and
you just don't have the ability to do that right now because you don't know
when Murray is coming back, Michael Porter Jr. Is likely out for the
entire season. Everyone else is either hurt or in the protocols right now,
and you have no guarantees there, So it just it feels like Denver needs
everything and has very little incentive to do anything right now. And also part
of my agenda was I don't want to put anyone on the Nuggets that could
theoretically usurp Bones Island in the rotation, which is totally valid. And I
think your other agenda point is making sure you mentioned justin holiday for every single
team, So kudos for continuing that trend. It Kendridge Williams is the is
the that's I guess him and Joson Holliday. But Kenricksony is going to come
up a lot, I believe anyway, we'll see now. I feel bad
that we don't have like more in depth analysis for Denver, but at the
same time, like they're pretty frequently covered in every one of our mailbags.
So sorry, Nuggets fans, just not going to get that much this time
around because the situation doesn't call for it. I don't think this was shallow
analysis. Reminder, just spent more time on them than we did the Mavericks.
I just I don't think this is the season for them to go after
the splash of year names. It's just if you told me Jamal Murray or
Michael Porter Jr. Was going to be back at some point this season,
maybe you start looking into getting more aggressive. But they have to they can
tweet, and I do definitely think they need to acquire a waing. PJ.
Dozer's absence is monstrous for them. The Golden State Warriors, who they
were immediately linked to the Pacers when there was a report that the Pacers might
be open to rebuilding, and we're both skeptical that the Pacers will actually rebuild.
I couldn't vision a scenario where they trade one of their bigs. I
think Miles Turner or Sabonis is a fit for them. They're not one of
my top targets personally for Golden State. We can get into that in a
minute. I was curious about what you thought about either of their two fits.
Who you prefer. I will say my one. I prefer Turner for
them because I think he would be more helpful in a closing lineup situation than
a Sabonis would. I also prefer Turner there. I really like both fits.
And I'll throw Jonas Jonas Valentinas's name into the mix as well, because
we've mentioned that before, or if New Orleans does decide to totally blow it
up, which seems like it could be getting more and more likely with Zion
Williamson just basically never returning to the lineup. I really like that fit still,
I do. I do like it, But when I've been approaching the
Golden State, they're also in a situation where it's like can they make it?
They can't really make a small move because definitely not, because you're either
giving up two of your kiddos in Kaminga Moody and Wiseman. Wiggins is so
important to you that it's not just a matter of using his contract the salary
ballast, and so you just don't have a lot of these. You don't
have really any mid end deals. There's a bunch of minimums in Kavan Looney.
So is Wiggins on a bad contract anymore? Are we ready to move
him out of that that area? He is? Clearly he's relative to what
he's being paid. I think he's overpaid because there's a difference between being overpaid
and being like bad contract. It's not a move, it's not even clo
still worst contract in the league, but it's not even close to the best,
and it's just His value to Golden State, though, is interesting because
of what he does for them is sort of someone who's picked up his defense
over the past season and a half and then being able to I still don't
think he or even necessarily Jordan Pool or the answer to the non staff minutes,
but like just being able to shoot a good enough clip from three or
get off certain jumpers is super important for them. So the fact that he's
become so mission critical makes it tough because I still think his contract to me
still comes close to being I wouldn't think twice about moving it as a salary
matching tool rather than this player is valuable. But because he's been so useful
to the Warriors, it's fair to look at him that way. Yeah,
that's that's valid. I do think. I think the big question for Golden
State on the trade market is centered around Wiseman, because they have, at
least publicly facing given no indication that they're willing to move him. Personally,
I think that's ridiculous. I really liked Wiseman coming into league. I thought
that he had all sorts of potential and he still does. But he was
a disaster during his rookie season, which granted, probably should have been expected
given that he played like three games above the high school level, hadn't played
too much competitive basketball in like two years, all of that, but just
did not look even remotely like he should be on the court at the NBA
level during that rookie season. You have a core built around Steph, Draymond
Green, and Clay Thompson, who are all getting up there in the years,
and I know that there's appeal to having Weissman as this bridge player who
can theoretically contribute this season when he is eventually healthy, and then potentially be
like the building block of the post Steph Warriors, which I don't even want
to think about. But I would move him to maximize both the value that
he has, because we see it time and time again where when players actually
play at the NBA level, they're he goes down them because when there's still
these untapped mystery boxes filled with unrealized potential, they have more value on the
trade market. So if you move him now before he looks bad again as
a sophomore, if he does look bad, you're getting You're getting a better
return for a window that you don't know how long it is going to stay
open. So I would do whatever I can to parlay him into someone like
Miles Turner, Jonas Valentiunist, Demonte Sabonis, you name that, that star
level player who can help them win a championship right now while they already look
like the best team in the league without wise been available, without Klay Thompson
playing a single minute, Like I get that you're trying to maximize your long
term potential and treat him as that bridge player, but you don't get too
many opportunities to win championships in the NBA. It's it's almost like a little
bit arrogant that Golden States front office thinks it can pull this off without doing
something like that. Is it arrogant because there's a chance that they can do
nothing and still win a title. It'd be different if they were like the
Grizzlies right now and the ability to potentially win a title this season because they
have looked like the best team in the league to this point in the regular
season, which is a key caveat is impressive, and it does give them
the bandwidth to justify not moving him, But it's gonna look really bad if
they don't win a title, and there's no guarantee right now, not that
there would be even with another star on board, but you do what you
can to maximize the chances that you know you have. So I'm with you
on Wiseman, especially because after the season, like they haven't really they've been
more hush hush about him than they have about Klay Thompson. And even when
he's healthy, I would probably argue that they're not going to play him much.
They'll take the kaminga Moses Moody approach here because one he's and this isn't
a shot at him, and people got mad in our YouTube comments. He
was not a helpful player for them last year, and maybe it gets better
with in the second unit this year. You know he can run more pick
and roll if he's healthy, but they their turn was without him once he
was injured. Is when Draymond and Steph and the team took off. And
now you're in a position where because you're so close to winning a championship,
you essentially functionally have to punt on the second year of his career. And
so this isn't a moody comingo situation where now there's there only one year into
their careers. Two is a lot and two Wiseman's credit, he retains a
lot of the mystery box of people because he's played in fewer than twenty games
since his senior year of high school. That's also part of the problem obviously,
So I'm with you on it. I went into this exercise, I
texted two of our close friends slash Warriors fans about who would be the worst
player that they would trade two of their youngsters for. And the name,
the only name that really came back and he was on my list of again
with was Pascal Siakam. And I do think that he's the type of player
they need because just someone who can also attack with the ball in his hands,
which is something that Miles Turner, and also defend, is my point.
Like, so Bonus has gotten better on defense, but it's still is
not that player Turner. I know he wants a larger role and he can
kind of attack in space a little bit he has the one dribble three now,
but that's not really his mode of operation. Siakam is actually someone who
could facilitate lineups to me without Steff and have them be a net positive on
offense because the non Steff minutes are once again an issue through On State.
I'm curious to you, though, after what you just said, would you
give up two of the youngsters, And maybe there's other picks involved, but
two of Golden State's youngsters for a turner or some bonus, and would you
do it for Siakam obviously too, But I think that's a no brainer.
Yeah, I think I would in all cases. It makes sense to maximize
the window right now. And I'm as good as Kaminga looked a few nights
ago. At this point, I'm still not entirely sold on his game,
translating to start him at the NBA level, I would be more hesitant to
give up Moody, I think than cominga yeah, which I recognize as a
hot take. Yeah, if you're getting Sabonus or Turner back, I would.
That's absolutely a hot take. If it's Siakam, maybe you view them
as a little bit redundant moving forward, But I don't know if I would
give up two of the youngsters for it would and I wouldn't give up here.
So where Matt is, you're either getting cominga alone and then stuff that's
not Wiseman or Moody for Sabonus or Turner, or I would maybe consider doing
Moody and Wiseman. It would be I guess I'm not as high on the
Sibonus fit as everyone else. So Bonus is the better player than turn I
want to make that clear as fantastic, He's the one that gives me pause
because there still would kind of be like a functional change and what they might
want to do on offense. But what's more of a story for the Warriors
is they really only seem built to make a home run swing. I do
have one cheap, cheaper player for them in terms of salary. What don't
we take to get Grant Williams out of Boston having such a hell of a
season. He's been so good, shooting the ball so well, been pretty
good on defense. I just don't know, you know, are you if
you're are you thinking at this from from the perspective of Boston where it's Hey,
this clearly isn't our year. He's going to be extension eligible this summer.
We're not sure if we want to pay him. We paid Robert Williams,
We have the two Jays. We also have Horford maybe on the books
for another year, or are we going to waive him. I'd just be
curious because Boston to me is a paper tiger at best in the East,
and I don't think they'll strip it down and rebuild. I don't think Jalen
Brown is getting traded, but guys like Grant Williams or even I don't think
Marcus March should be untouchable for them at this point. But Grant Williams would
just be what's the thing to get him? Because he would be he's not
carrying the non staph line. I'm just want to make that clear. But
he would be a fantastic fit on the wood. I just I feel like
he's in that weird range where Golden State just doesn't have the asset equity to
get him because the pieces are all or all either too young with enough upside
that you want more, or you have to make the bigger move, as
we established at the beginning of this section. So I just I think it's
tough to get there. I am. I am curious though, which Warriors
friends you consulted for this, because if it was a friend of the podcast
Jacob Born being asked who the worst player he'd move Wispan for, it would
be something like, probably like Nicola Yokich because we really need help, because
you know, as good as this team has been, it could all fall
apart and they could finish with the worst record in the league. It was
he was one of them, and then frequent guests and colleague of hours at
Polish Report, Grant Hughes was the other one. I asked, Grant is
way too high on the Warriors. I'm just sorry, Grant, if you're
listening to this. He I asked him if he would give up two of
the youngsters for Jalen Brown, and he was like, I don't know how
Jalen Brown really moves the deedle for Golden State when they have Wiggins. And
I was like, oh my god, I love you, Grant, but
but yeah, I asked him in jest because he's been saying no to all
my ideas and I just assumed that would be automatic. Yes, what do
you think about Ben Simmons for this team. Let's wrap up here really quickly.
I actually seeing and maybe I was too far removed from watching the Peak
Warriors, but seeing Kavan Looney healthy and Draymond Green worked together, I'm like,
you know, what do it? If you can get him and it's
there would have to be a third or fourth team because we know Philly doesn't
want youngster's picks. Whatever I was coming into the season, I was hell
no. Right now, I'm like, hell yes, can you imagine the
defensive lineup with like him, Gary Payton and Draymond Green sharing the court?
Oh my god, and Andrew Williams all defense Andrew Williams according to But yeah,
that would be you know, assuming you're not giving up Gary Payton and
that deal for Ben Simmons, which perhaps you might have to do. But
would you be on board with the team I could get down. That'd be
fun. Let's we are at a better pace for this podcast. Let's try
and to speed this up. This team is kind of easy because the Rockets
they did get rid of Daniel House, who was listed as a target for
a few of these teams. I just he has not been good, but
is a wing who can defend a few positions and theoretically hit threes even though
he hasn't been. But they got rid of him. They saw in Garrison
Matthews, who needs a new fucking agent. My god. He never should
have been on a two way to begin with, and now he's on one
of those freaking four year, partially guaranteed deals that's gonna pay him less than
ten million if he hits. He's been great for them that Lisa's agent convinced
him to stay in the NBA because there were those reports that he was thinking
about just not playing basketball anymore when he could only get a two way,
oh, not playing at all. I was like, if he's gonna go
overseas might have made more money than this. I think the way it was
framed, and I did not read the whole thing, I'll be honest,
was that he was like thinking about hanging up. Well, that's sad because
he's really good. So I just have three youngster names here, and I
think you're probably getting them. Is either did we trade Christian Wood? Did
we trade Eric Gordon? That's probably I don't think they should trade j Shan
Tape, but that might be a name to throw in there. This is
not a oh we traded Daniel Tice situation. But I have Peyton Pritchard,
who's played as big of a role for Boston orban as good as I think
they were expecting. And look, this team needs like just more point guard
options aside from DJ Augustine and I hope that Kevin Porter Jr. I know
they went on that seven game winning streak or whatever it was a couple of
weeks back. But I have Peyton Pritchard, Kobe White as Flyers, and
then I have talent Horton Tucker because the Lakers are willing to build trade packages
around talent Horton Tucker and maybe yet Eric Gordon that's on the yard consider because
he kind of fits their identity, of their identity without Jalen Green, I
should say, where they've had some just like interesting defensive lineups, but imagine
having talent Horton Tucker is not good at defense yet, but just like the
positional malleability with him and Jay Shawn Tate there. I'm just worry about the
shooting limitations with him. That's that's my immediate negative reaction, just at the
point with Houston where I'm like, fuck it, just let's see but I
would understand why I would prefer to have Peyton Pritchard or Kobe White on this
team. Would Kobe White, I don't know, I might have talent Horton
Tucker over Kobe White. I'm not gonna lie just because Kobe White and Jalen
Green And if Kevin Porter Junior is still there, that's that's a lot of
microwave chuckers. That could be fun though. No. I mean, I
honestly don't think Houston should worry about fit right now, because what are you
maximizing your fit for. It's it's about getting talent, it's about getting upside.
I think the way I'm looking at this roster is just who would I
not move? And you know the answers are pretty obvious at the top with
Sean Gun and Green. I don't think you want to move Kevin Porter Junior.
Don't don't think you want to move Jay shown Tap. But beyond that,
like if you can get a second round pick for someone, if you
can get a young player with some upside, just do it and worry about
the fit later because you need NBA caliber players. I will say I'm happy
they're starting to play Josh Christopher Moore. I really just want Usman Gruba to
see the floor. Those are also not that they're untouchable, but like,
I'm so high on Gruba that i'd rather see him get more playing. That's
not someone I'm moving because I don't think I know enough about him. If
I'm the Rockets to give up on and you're not, you shouldn't be,
to me at least going after a star at the moment. So no,
you definitely should not. But yeah, I mean I would. I would
see what I could get for Christian Wood at this point just because of the
timeline, and you know you're going to be able to get something for Eric
Gordon, So I would be pretty shocked. Caculate somewhat active he has.
He absolutely has. They would purpose They would, without question get a first
round pick for him and more if he just didn't have such a murky injury
history. I don't even care about next year's salary or the or the non
guaranteed third year. It's just he's been hurt everywhere. The Los Angeles Clippers
have two of the most frequent names that we're going to drop on this podcast,
ken Rick Williams, just because they're a team that's you know, Sergebacca
after being injured is now in health and safety protocols. If you have Zubos
who is great, but like they they have Isaiah Hartenstein, so like that's
good, but they still kind of like to play small for sure, or
have to play small for certain stretches. Kenrick Williams can help you there,
along with Marcus Moore senior, he's not I do think they need someone who
could elevate the offense. So these names that I have are actually more important.
Eric Gordon for them. His name is gonna come up a bunch and
he'll put more pressure on the rim for them. They can use someone who's
been a long standing weakness for this team, just the inability to get to
the free throw line consistently to put pressure on the basket. It doesn't matter
when you have Kawai and Paul George, but when you only have one of
them, right, it does become a problem. Or when you have zero
of them, as has been the case a little bit too frequently this season.
Right, I have Jeremy Lamb. We'll put pressure on the basket.
But I also like the Clippers who don't have a ton of they can't move
like imminent first round picks. I don't even don't think I'll move a first
round pick. If they do, I think it's in like two twenty eight
or two and twenty nine. So yeah, they have a twenty twenty six
first h to O k Se, so you would have first allowable would be
twenty and twenty eight. That's not going to interest a ton of teams.
Is Jeremy Lamb someone you can get for salary because the Pacers don't seem to
want him. He's hit his threes. He'll get to a spot in the
mid range, just to have a look. Their offense has not been good
this year, so to have a different type of score. And the last
two names, I'll go through really quickly and you can respond to all of
them. I'm just curious as to what KEMBA Walker would would cost to get
out of New York. He was out of the rotation. Health and safety
protocols put him back in in Boston. He had a good game. I
fall somewhere. People will accuse me of not watching the Knicks by saying this.
I think Fournier should have been benched over KEM Walker. I also don't
think either decision was the solution to what's ailing this team. There they are.
I was going report cards and I had to. I gave them a
D minus. I think that's a spoiler, but this will be out when
the report had rout, so I gave him a D minus. I considered
giving them an F. So I've kem a walker on the lower end.
Brin Forbes would probably go a long way for this team. And now that
I'm thinking through it, so go with me and I don't. I don't
think the Knicks would do it, but I'm at the point Julius Randall might
have been a flash in the pan. I'm I'm there. It's you look
at the percentages. He's coming off a couple okay games. I get that
the percentages needs to drop. The defense is gone. Maybe he was burnt
out from last season. I'm they extended him, and I said this,
I believe this isn't a victory lab because we both ultimately claimed, yeah,
you give him that extension because of how he play. I clearly was too
optimistic about his regression. We both knew he was going to regress. I
clearly just thought he was still gonna be really good. Would you if you
could get Bledsoe who was basically an expire Like, would you trade him for
expiring salary at this point? No, I think you're being a little too
harsh on him. You know, there are a lot of things ailing the
Knicks right now. It is not a roster built to maximize as his talents.
At the moment, he's still putting up twenty ten and five on a
nightly basis. Granted, because he has such a high volume role. The
three pointers haven't been following. There have been some more turnover issues. His
defense hasn't been great, he hasn't looked like an all NBA player like.
He's still been good in a situation that is not designed to maximize his effectiveness
and is designed to put too much of a burden on him. So I
think, like, I think we're airing a little too far in the overreaction
area there. I'm gonna take that as an insult. But he would be
a good ship of the player was right, and they could get to the
salary matching pretty easy. I don't know how you would not deal for New
York. So this is not I'm not trying to crap all over Julius Randall.
I just don't think he's been good enough. And now I'm looking at
the rest of that extension. If I'm the Knicks and I'm like, we
always did not ideal. For sure, we didn't have the best. If
this is me speaking as the Knicks, I'm not using me as a fan.
If I'm the Knicks, I'm thinking we knew we didn't have best player
on a championship team material, But now it's sort of like, oh,
this guy needs to be the three or the four. This isn't number two
material either. That's just what I've taken away from the season, and I
feel like it looks a lot different though. If quickly grows, If RJ.
Barrett had taken the strides that we expected him to make going into this
season, if Mitchell Robinson has been able to have a more scalable role,
well it's just like everything has gone wrong. Fuck Michael Robinson. Oh my
god. I would say that all he's doing is cardio out there, but
that's an insult of people who actually do cardio. He's he's been nightmarishly bad.
But how much has that opinion changed since we were heading into the into
this season, Because I think you were on the same camp as me where
we were excited about seeing what he could do with a bigger role. Yeah,
I'm just and I think he can still do more. I just don't
know what's going on with him this year. I just I think that that
Randall is more a symptom than the cause here. I don't think he's the
cause. I just think the Knicks there's a misread on their social from all
from all of us. And look, there's a misread heading into last season.
We thought they were gonna suck. If I'm the Knicks, I'm stripping
it down and playing the youth. And maybe that means that I should have
listed Alec Burks for a bunch of teams, but he's been so good him
either here or Rose would be good for La the Clippers. I just don't
think they have the assets to get them. Julius Randall was interesting because I'm
at the point where, because of the extension, are you getting it?
I get it for sure. But I do like Kemba as a target here.
I think that's the one I would pursue, just given the knicks lack
of desire to work him into their rotation and only doing so out of necessity.
I can't imagine the price tag. Is that hot? Yeah? I
mean he makes like the medium salary. Now he's sub nine million, so
it's easier to get there, and he has the player option, so maybe
they want that off their books. I'd just be curious as to what the
cost would be. I'm sure the Clippers, if we're just going to name
Nicks, they might be able to get Evan Fournier. I'm not sure,
but I think the Knicks would be okay with Evan Fournier. The idea of
Evan Fournier would help not only the Clippers but also the Knicks. Actual Evan
Fournier not so much. The Lakers. I just have two names for them.
I don't well, I probably have. So I have Eric Gordon,
who would be a huge get for them, just monstrous for them, And
then I have Buddy Healed. I think he's played bad enough to where it's
like, oh, that's a painful inclusion though for Lakers fans. But if
you can now get him using Kellen Horton, Tucker and Kendrick Nonn and then
I don't know is that even enough? So here's my follow up question though,
is should they I think they can, but like, does this team
have the championship upside to actually give up one of the few young players on
the roster for a potential short term fix. I don't know. I really
don't think so. Lebron has been phenomenal this season when he's been available,
and that availability is becoming more of a question mark. Anthony Davis has been
I'll avoid going on a rant here, but he's been really good despite being
disappointing. And then Russell Westbrook, you know, has been up and down,
but the fit still even with everyone available as rarely as that happens,
it doesn't seem like this team is going to be able to compete with the
front runners in the Western Conference. And I don't know that it makes sense,
given the overwhelmingly high age status of this roster to give up one of
the very few young players. Isaiah Thomas, you know, just signed and
I think he's pushing forty at this point and brought down the average age.
Oh man, that was the way you phrase that, the higher age status
whatever was great. I get this skepticism to me, And look, Davis
is injury now. He's going out four to six weeks and will probably be
close to eight knowing Davis that I'm not even dumping on him. It's just
it's gonna be eight weeks. You have to Maybe you're thinking about the mortality
of this season, the limitations, but you also can't think like that because
you have Lebron James, you made the consolidation trade for Westbrook, and I
will also maintain that the lineups with Davis at the five, with Lebron and
Russ, they have killed opponents. They're like plus fifteen per one hundred possessions
or something. So if you have a healthy Davis, a healthy Lebron,
I still think you're a threat in the West, and you need to treat
yourself as such. On the trade market. I think they're bigger limitation rather
than their ceiling, which is lower than I think they expected. This is
not a surprise. When I was going through their report cards, I was
like, people are gonna wonder why they didn't get an F or a D.
And they've been playing better lately. But I'm like expectations outside of Los
Angeles were pretty tapered after that they were not going to compete for home court
advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Like that was unrealistic
from the start. I am curious where they gonna look at, Like,
do they need to look at maybe a small ball they could use Kendrick Williams
now that A is out, because the solution here is to play Dwight once
he's out of health and safety protocols. Fine, you have Lebron at the
five few units order you go back to the DeAndre Jordan's experiment, which is
you know, no, I would argue again, it's just it's one it's
tough to spot sellers and the Lakers are just so limited in what they could
give. Maxi Kleba would be great for them. Does Dallas want to deal
with someone they'll perceive to be as a direct rival? Who knows? And
are you giving up talent Horton Tucker for Maxi Kleba? The Lakers and their
fans probably are not. But I'm curious to see if they go that.
Can they find like a cheap big that helps them because Davis looks like he's
going to be out for for quite some time here, But you could,
you know, if you're looking for I just you know, Alec Burks would
be great for this team. But I don't know what are the Knicks want
for him. They're just I just I don't want to give up like THHT
in this theoretical Well, that's the problem is that So I think that the
Lakers are smart to view THHT is like sort of their last a golden asset.
But I also don't think he's been good enough for other teams to view
a missus. It's yeah, it's it's just not a good situation. You
know. We say all this, like the five thirty eight yellow based predictions
right now they have the Lakers going thirty nine and forty three with a thirty
seven percent chance of making the playoffs. This is I just I don't know
that this is a team that needs to be mortgaging its future even further,
Like at some point you've made the consolidation trades you have Lebron like, you
just have to trust the incumbent talent and if it figures it out, it
figures it out. And if it doesn't, like, let's not dig the
hole even deeper? Would you do? So? And this is I think
there needs to be another body, and they're definitely their partly needs to be
the other. That's the other problem is that none and Tucker make like fifteen
point five or no, they make the fourteen point five million between them,
So like you can take back a nineteen million dollar player. But let's say,
would you do Tucker none? Your first allowable first round pick, which,
because New Orleans has the right to defer, are the one that they
are owed in two thousand and twenty five, could be twenty twenty twenty seven.
But let's just say first allowable. Oh it's yeah, first alliable first
round pick. So would you do none Tucker first allowable first round pick?
And there has to be other salaries in all? Would you give that up
for Harrison Barnes if you're this team? Probably not? Oh I will,
I would one hundred percent? Would I just I'm gonna double down? Am
I? Not wanting to move off the very few long term assets that they
have right now? I think that's a tougher sell for the Kings than the
Lakers, to be honest with you, just because you can look at it
as go ahead and short the Lakers and long term future when you look at
what they've done. But I think we've learned at this point. They got
Lebron, They they got it like they're always like players are always gonna want
to come to them, maybe if you strip them, but enough of the
trade assets. But like you just said, the first available first round pick
might be like twenty twenty seven. That's if lebron Off isn't going to be
a Laker in twenty twenty seven. At some point you have to think about
that. I don't think you do if you're the Lakers. I think if
you're other teams, the front office definitely a sacramentalsn't have the job stability to
think that way. But that was that is their godfather offer, though,
is the nun Tucker first of allable first round pick? Who does that?
Get? Are you giving it up for Eric Gordon? You're not doing that
either? Are you? Probably not? And I'm sure I'm trying to think
of like like realistic players. I get why you would think about Eric Gordon's
a little older. I would absolutely do it for Harrison Morns if that's the
framework. There's like no one that even really springs to mind now when you're
really getting into it. So they're a tough spot. But they could use
like a cheaper wing to They need a lot of stuff, is essentially my
point here. They have their biggest issue to me is they just have too
many one way players. When you start to look at their supporting cast is
you can't play someone without sacrificing floor balance on offense or torpedo in your defense.
Maybe Trevor Reason winds up helping them there, but he's eighty years old,
so youthful by the Lakers standards. Is the what's the best case scenario
for the Lakers this year? Realistically they can win a champion You think you
think they can win a championship with this roster. I don't think they're one
of the five most serious contenders, But I don't think if you tell me
that Davis, Russ and Lebron are healthy. But even with a healthy even
with a healthy Davis, we're seeing more and more that the shooting that carried
them in part to that championship was a fluke. It was an anomaly.
We have seen nothing before or after to make it seem like that was in
any way sustainable and not a hot streak. They've played a lot better on
defense, and so I have a point here, if you can ugly it
up, I don't know that shooting is as important. We saw the Bucks
follow that modelotte they were not shooting well throughout the playoffs last year. I
wouldn't pick them in a series against any of the I'm not picking them against
the Signs, the Warriors, the Bucks, the Nets. Probably not picking
them against the Jazz. But like they have Lebron and Lebron has still been
really good when healthy. And again the numbers when Davis is at center with
Russ and Lebron, they've been brutalizing opponents if you're if you get into the
postseason intact and avoid the play in. Let's say, if they're in the
play and they're done, they're not making it out of the West with the
way that Brackett would set up. No, I'm not saying you have to
pick them against any of the teams that are in front of them, but
it would not floor me if this roster won a championship. I wouldn't.
I think it would because there's just still so much weight on Lebron's shoulders.
You know that I already started to have some of the concerns about him showing
some of the signs of the elevated age last postseason, and I think that
he's only played eighteen games as we're recording this and I think that's part of
why he has looked so good when he's played. And I just I don't
know that I want to count on Lebron, as good as he is and
as dumb as it is to bet against him elevating his game to the point
it would need to be for them to be championship contenders for not just one,
but two and three and four playoff series. What other teams are you
putting in front of them aside from the five? Are you saying Memphis is
more like Littlewood title this year than the Lakers? No, No, I
think that the Lakers do have the upside there, but like the Mavericks,
maybe I would I would count on Luca doing more carrying the count on a
team coach Jason Kidd over one that has Lebron and Anthony Davis. That's interesting.
Yeah, it's close, they're in the same ballpark. But I think,
like for me, the teams that you mentioned are the ones where it's
just like, I don't see how they can break past that category. It's
not a matter of having so many teams in front of them, it's more
just how far ahead of them those teams are. I'm I think your skepticism
is fair because I don't think they've earned the bed of the doubt. But
I think their ceiling is still championship. It's not I don't it's not eminently
reachable, but I think it's you know, this isn't I think you look
at the Calves this year without making a huge move, their ceiling is not
title contender. Same for Memphis. The Lakers are clearly they're not. They've
not been better. I want to make that clear. Both those teams have
been better. They still have the championship ceiling. To me, however far
away it seems. I'm still looking at that five thirty eight page, and
they do have chances of winning the finals. They're giving the Lakers a point
three percent chance, which puts them just behind the Raptors at point four,
the Pacers at point five, the Bulls at point six, the Mavericks at
point six, the Calves at point eight, the Grizzlies at one. I
think some of those numbers are are ridiculous, but they're all so small,
but the differences are so marginal. Nonetheless, I just I don't see them
rising to the level of the teams that have a five plus percent chance.
I just you've put in a position where I need to defend the Lakers.
I don't like it, they've been bad, but I think it's to say
that a team with Lebron and Anthony Davis don't have a five per chance of
winning the title in this year of all years, and that's that is probably
the most salient argument this year of all years, because yeah, there's a
scenario in which they get lucky and have no one in COVID protocols and everyone
is healthful. Right, that is true. But I guess if you want
to say they have less than a five percent chance of winning the title,
you need to allocate ninety six percent to one of those other five teams because
I just don't know. Maybe Miami, you could talk to yourself and you
having better chances. The list is starting to peter out for me. What
about the numphis hey, I mean the Clippers because Kawai might come back,
so there are there are scenarios. But I just if you're gonna put the
Nuggets or the Clippers into the say that they have a championship ceiling, you
need to absolutely say that the Lakers have a championship ceiling. You're staring dead.
Yeah, we've reached the impast Memphis. What's interesting about Memphis is their
fourth of the West right now. They have been they've been. We need
to trade John Morant is what you're saying. Yeah, he's one of the
least valuable players in the NBA. But seriously, they've been great without him.
It's made me wonder. So I'll rattle off the names. None of
these are not. All of these are. They should make up blockbuster trade
names. I have Jeremy Grant. I'm wondering what the cost is for him
with his injury. I have Thaddius Young too. I think got Thaddius Young
and Jared Jackson Junior front colwork could be super interesting. I also thought this
team was a sneaky Miles Turner destination. I know that Jackson's done a better
job playing five, but Turner and Jackson work, and they could work really
well. I think you get into the conversation of, well, what's the
opportunity cost when we already have Jared Jackson Junior, Like, how much are
we giving up for another big I have brandon Ingram I don't think New Orleans
moves in. But if you like Memphis has that's a really fun fit.
They have all their own picks. Even when you say, oh, we're
not moving Desmond Bande, We're not moving Jared Jackson junior Morant. They have
stuff. They have all their own picks. They have the jazz Is pick
this year, they have Golden States in twenty twenty four. Rascal Siakam would
be interesting for them. Like these are my all in names. I also
have listed for Memphis. I already said Jeremy Grant and that is young,
so like sort of on the middle end there. Curious what you think about
any of the scenarios that I've thrown out there. I like some of these
bigger plays. I like the idea of the turner Jaren Jackson junior front court.
I really like having that go to scorer and Brandon Ingram. I think
both of those make a lot of sense, especially because the Steven Adams experiment
just isn't working out as well as it could have. So I think that
if you make moves to lessen the reliance on his minutes, that it's a
positive, which makes me lean more towards the turner route than anything else.
Wow, that's funny that he would be your top target for them. I
probably prefer like a Pascal Siaka, but he's Turner is gettable more gettable than
it's and it's the gettability that changes the equation there. I mean, yeah,
like in a vacuum. Sure, I'd rather have siakam on this team,
but given what it's to take to get him versus to get Turner,
I think that that calculus makes it a little more sense in the latter direction.
So the other I think people are gonna wonder why there's not a wing
on there. I think that Desmond may have given them the wing who can
put the ball in his hands. You have Dylan Brooks already too, but
if you wanted to go that route and he's not a wing, but ken
Ridge Williams is the answer here. Just if you were going to go on
a lower and play, he could feel so many I wouldn't even call them
holes, but so many different spots for them. And Harrison Barnes, that's
another name that I think would make a lot of sense for Memphis. Imagine
him sort of playing the four next to Jared Jackson junior. You have Bayne
and Brooks and John Morant on the court. That's a super fun lineup right
there. With you. I think Baine's progression definitely helps a lot of things.
I'm just Memphis isn't a weird spot where I want to see how good
this team is with Morant back on the floor as pieces have coalesced in his
absence, because they could be further ahead of schedule than we expect did,
which changes a lot of things. Entering trade season, my prevailing assumption was
that they needed to just get someone who will help their defense. But they've
been so good defensively without John Morant, you can ask yourself, well,
will any of that sustain when he comes back, because I think he's part
of the problem. But he's not like you know, darn Fox level bad
on defense right now, He's he's trying. He's like John Morant will try
on defense, as Mosch. That was a shot at Taron Fox if I've
ever heard one. They were just talking about this. I can't remember which
podcasts. It might have been Kevin O'Connors or maybe maybe Zach Lows, but
they were talking about his his upright stance on defense. And it's just when
you've watched the Kings over the past two years, like the darn Fox defensive
whatever it is performance is is alarming. I agree, it was just the
way you said it was. It was just more brutal than I expected it
to be. The Next team on our list is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They
are Ben Simmons destination are good. Ben Simmons destination feasibility tough there. If
the Sixers don't love D'Angelo Russell, who's been just so valuable as connective tissue
on offense for Minnesota this year, I will say that other names I have
listed for them, Pascal Siakam, I don't think Siakam's available, but the
Raptors are. I think they're risk to do anything because of how aggressive they
are, and if they're not like in the mix for a prime spot in
the East, I could see them doing something nuclear. Harrison Barnes would be
great for Minnesota, and then Myles Turner has been mentioned a ton for them.
I think he Towns and Turner would not be my favorite fit, and
I don't know that Turner is going to help you a ton in some of
the rebounding situations that you want to help with. But I would be on
board with going that route for them, and look, you know it would
also be good for this team, Kenridge Williams, maybe justin Holiday too.
I really like the idea of Harrison Barnes here, mostly because it seemed like
a lot of Minnesota's paths to success. We're going to hinge on Jared Vanderbilt
being useful or McDaniels being useful, and neither of those players has popped to
the point that you can't upgrade at that spot. So if you plug in
Harrison Barnes, who can be another scoring option, who is a good connective
tissue piece because he can contribute across the board, whether as a rebounder,
as a secondary passer, as a defender who can guard multiple positions. He
does what you need from that power forward spot in between Anthony Edwards and Karl
Anthony Towns. I think that you're probably not fully maximizing his value because you
just don't need him to be the score that he's been with Sacramento. But
because he can do so many different things, he is the ideal fit as
this team looks to send to that next level. I have another name for
them that I'm curious is what you think about Hyry Andrew Jr. I don't
think I'm as excited about him because there are more offensive limitations, but the
defensive presence that he would bring would be highly beneficial in a way that is
different than the Miles Turner defensive impacts because he's going to work better with towns.
I don't love the Turner fit because I'm not sure what you're doing when
you have both of the bigs on the floor, and I can get to
a better place with NaN's and towns. I think the Turner towns would probably
have a higher ceiling though, because Turner does can cover well. I guess
NaN's been playing so well. I was gonna say, you're also giving up
more for Turner, though that's a fair point. So Nance would be like
a nice little mid end get for them, I think so, and it
feels feasible for him to be gettable. Yeah, Portland decides to just I
don't think that they're going to trade Dame. I would be shocked if they
did. But there needs to be like different sort of change ups there,
and NaN's, I think, is one that they won't move just because they
prefer to move a Covington or a Nerd Kitch. I don't know what their
value would be. They're just in the final year of their contracts, and
Nance is such a team friendly contract and has played so well for them this
year. But again, if they continue trend in this direction and they decided
to shake things up, yeah, I thought he would be good for Minnesota
New Orleans. There was a report from Bleach Reports Jake Fisher that they consider
themselves buyers head of the deadline. I found that interesting. I'm not saying
they need to hold the fire sale, but when you don't know if Zion
Williamson is returning, I don't know that I would fancy myself a buyer.
I mean, if I'm pretty sure you know that he isn't at this point,
i'd be Do you think Zion Williamson plays this season? I'm kind of
leaning towards no at this point. And a lot of the reporting has been
interesting because I struggle to figure out, like what the motivation for leaking some
of that stuff is, Like that he's falling asleep in film sessions and not
paying attention and not going through the rehab steps and all that. Like what
narrative are we trying to create when we already know that he's potentially frustrated with
the organization and a flight risk. So I just based on all of that,
it's tough for me to believe that he is going to be pushing himself
to suit up for New Orleans this season. I don't know that I have
an answer. I would say, given all the negative developments surrounding is a
right foot injury. I believe it's his right foot. And the way they
phrased this last one was just like to promote bone healing was just red flag
for me. So I'll just say no and hope hope that I'm wrong.
Now I'm wrong a lot. I definitely hope that I'm wrong. Yeah,
I'm wrong a lot, So maybe that will sort of help the cause.
So the names I have for them is they really need and this isn't just
because of the Kyra Lewis injury. They need an upgrade at point guard.
Devonda Graham has hit some big shots for them, but he just can't score
inside the arc. It's a real problem. They would be a sneaky chema
walker destination depending on the asking price, just as some one who can actually
come in and provide some like I guess Kemba hasn't been a steady presence and
he's not getting to the rim either anymore. But he's certainly a more consistent
option than Nikkil, Alexander Walker or a healthy Kyra Lewis. He might even
be more consistent than Devonte Graham, even though again DeVonta Grams hit some really
big shots for them, even going on the cheaper end. I just have
Brent Forbes, someone who could come in and you know, there are gonna
be a lot of things that make you want to pull your hair out about
him, but at least he's gonna be hitting shots while he does that.
There's no guarantee that Nikkil Alexander Walker does that for you. So I approached
them as buyers. But unless I'm not going to the super blockbuster route for
them, unless someone who perfectly aligns with Zion Williamson's and brand Ingram's timeline becomes
available, and you know, if Jayalen Brown actually was available, maybe if
your New Orleans you could talk into trying to go after that. Is there
brandon Ingram Jalon Brown spot there? And then that is that really a buy
so much as just like an alternative shake up. I don't even know what
you would call it. I don't buy them as Ben Simmons suitors, I
know that was a rumor going around just because that defeats the purpose of not
defeats. But that's so much overlap on offense with Zion Williamson. It is,
and I think like a name I keep coming back to here, even
though he's not really part of the rumor mill these days, is Bradley Beale
if he does somehow become available, Like that's the kind of move that I
might be willing to make if I'm New Orleans, because he would be a
good fit with Ingram and a healthy Zion. But beyond that kind of talent,
I don't know that I see the purpose in being a buyer this season
unless you're just trying to do everything you can to convince Zion that you're willing
to put the right pieces around him. But then like you're still mortgaging a
future for an uncertain at best presence present not presence. I struggle to see
the motivation I would have listed Bradley Beale for me. This it's just this
is this is a situation where i'd be with it for New Orleans too.
You need to know that he's going to resign with you though he's still contract
year, and that's just I wouldn't expect him. Memphis, to me,
would have a better chance of keeping Bradley be all the New Orleans. Despite
New Orleans, there's the Zion health and then Memphis is already good, and
so I would think they would have a much better chance of keeping Bradley be
a long term. Yeah. I'm just more using it as an example of
the caliber of player I would need to see to make that kind of move,
because otherwise I think you're just wasting assets. What do you think about
Dennis Shrewder for this team, because I don't like the idea of that,
like high volume, explosive point guard. You mentioned Kemba Walker too, and
I don't know how much explosiveness he really has, but guys of that ill
look, I do think makes sense here if you're looking to buy, which
again I don't really think you should be doing. I would rather just keep
giving minutes to the youngsters and not giving off future assets when you don't know
that you have enough core pieces in town. I would just say does Kemba
and even Dennis Shrewder because you're not going to have his bird rights And so
that's why Boston would get rid of him, because they're not going to be
able to keep him for one hundred and twenty percent of the big yacht at
five million attacks payers level whatever it was. Oh, maybe the cost just
isn't that high. And if Kemba really is out of a full strength and
next rotation, that's I can That's the moves that I suggested. Nothing to
me that I thought would cost them of shouldn't if you can, if you
can match salaries and give up a second round pick for someone like that,
sure, because we've seen time and again that having a competent point guard who
can elevate the performances of players around him increases the chances of a successful rebuild
because it's really hard for players to develop on the offensive end if you don't
have someone who can initiate offense within the half court set. So if you
don't think that DeVante Graham is that guy, which it doesn't appear that he
is, then yeah, going out and getting like a capable point guard makes
sense to promote the growth of other players. I just don't want to give
up too much asset equity to get there. Oklahoma City, I just have
a bunch of distressed youngsters and Oklahoma City has all the money in the world
at this point, I don't even need to give anything up to get these
guys. I was looking at players who either aren't playing, their stocks have
dropped murky ife with their current teams. Even one of them is basically on
the outskirts of the NBA at this point. Kevin Knox, Arnie Smith,
Isaiah Todd, and Jared Colver. I just want, I want to want
to believe in Jared Colver, and so it's like, okay, see just
take him on and give him minutes right there with you. I can't give
up on him for whatever reason. So I'm curious when you think about those
names. I really do think I didn't really I think they could still use
a wing. So the Jared Colver Kevin Knox suggestions are not you know nothing,
but they really like the center position seems really unsettled for them long term.
It does. It's I think you can make a reasonable argument that they
have long term pieces at every other position. And as you said, like
it's just stressed assets season here, and I think I viewed this team much
like some of the other rebuilders. Where As we said with Houston, I'm
not really concerned about the fits not really concerned about the positions. It's more
about just getting like competitive players and okay see as a bunch of intriguing pieces.
I don't know how many centerpieces there are. I don't know how many
foundational building blocks there are, and you just need to increase your chances of
having those. Of the names you mentioned, I like Jarret Colver the best
because I think that he has the highest ceiling of those guys, even if
he's been objectively awful to this point in his NBA career. The other name
I think that they should this is not I don't Phoenix needs to move.
Jalon Smith is part of any trade they make, basically a salary filler,
because that's what's become. If I'm okay, see I want to get into
and on the third team, He's like, hey, I'll take that salary
because I'm assuming the team that they trade him to probably won't launch Jalen Smith,
and that's someone who could play for Ncortmate's throw casey. Right now,
I will say, to talk about their current roster, I'm happy they made
a starting lineup switch on Saturday night. Their preferred starting five right now is
very discriminatory against shooting and they need it badly. But I also I might
be out on Poku. I don't want to break your heart. I know
you're not because I'm in the same boat, and I'm also out on Bailey,
and you know, I think that's no, no, no, no,
you can't be out on base really so much defensively this year, that's
not allowed. He's just so bad on offense. We prefer I think,
consistent around these parts. Yeah, he's like very inconsistently between being horrid and
gruesomely bad. I mean, wow, gruesomely bad just feels mean. He
doesn't have a special what he does to rims feels mean too. That's that's
the issue. And like I had high expectations for him going into this season.
I thought it would be a more featured part of the offense. And
that's the issue I'm having with Okay see is like, as these young guys
are getting more minutes with exceptions, we're we're seeing their stocks decline. I
would just be curious to use, basically as an example, is what would
happen Because you look at how Shane kilos I was, anderw has to create
basically all of his own looks, all of them. Where would men some
would be easily be better on a team that has a more established ecosystem,
or at least better spacing like floor balance there for him, because just look
at the load that Shade Giljest Alexander is carrying, and it's impacted him this
year more so than last year. And like Josh Giddy has the floater passing
in spectacular. Still not really, he's not shooting well from three. I
think he's sub twenty percent last night, look, or maybe he was sub
twenty percent over the last month or whatever it was. I feel like if
Oksey had more shooters or just another player not on Shade Gilgess Alexander's level,
but just a better than a better than a Tail Malato or better than an
Aaron Wiggins, if like those were the guys that and better than Josh Giddy
because he's so new something better as a creator in the backcourt. Sorry,
I heard you mentioned Basley and spacing in the same sentence, and I've just
kind of shut down, like he's part of the problem. But he is,
But I mean, he's how much of the problem is he? He's
shooting thirty seven point three percent for the field twenty eight point three percent from
three sixty two point seven percent from the line while getting there one point eight
times per game as a primary slasher more turnovers than assists. I just I
don't know what positives do you can say that would make you believe that he
would be more successful even with better spacing around him, because he can't make
shots from anywhere on the court. He's not drawing contact when he does attack
the basket. He makes bad decisions with the basketball. Like I'm just out
on him. I'm just saying it's a pseudo big where if there was actual
space for him to be more of a play finisher at the rim where he
doesn't, you know where. I think it's interesting that they've tried to explore
him on ball, more so in previous years than this one, But maybe
that's not a responsibility he could have. It's tough to use him in that
way when you have Shay and then it's like, Josh Giddy's not a great
shooter. Defenses are reacting to him. You're playing with Jeremiah Robinson Earl,
who he I found him very interesting, but he's not a good shooter yet.
One of the few whose stock has risen this season in Okay. See,
I think, who's this Robinson Earl? I mean his stock at zero
entering the year as a rookie. So I am in on Jr e though,
and I liked that they've tried him at the five they I think this
team would benefit from having like a Gary Trent Junior or Doug McDermott on its
roster. I think guys who provide this form of offensive alleviation that would make
life so much easier on developing their other youngsters. And I think it's one
of the flaws of their roster that they don't have that type of guy on
the perimeter. Right now, I'm with you, I just wouldn't give up
too much to acquire it, because I'd prefer to prioritize the younger guys who
might be more building block status. Right I'm not giving the well I would
consider giving up assessor guys Trent Junior if i'm if I'm with them, But
like a Doug McDermot doesn't figure timeline. That's why this Spurs even want to
get rid of him. They're sort of using him in the same capacity.
The next team is the Phoenix Suns. So I went on the Timeline podcast
one of my favorite NBA podcasts and they predominantly cover the Phoenix Suns. We
did a whole trade episode basically half an episode for them, so check that
out. With little of me on it. I'll go through just I had
the same names listed we were. I was actually on the same page as
them. But I have a trade and run by you that I they proposed
to me that I was so I couldn't figure out what I would do with.
But so some of the names I have for them, Kendrick Williams,
I know that's good. Hey, the Thunders should trade for Kendricks Williams.
They have him, but I just feel like they should trade for him.
Agree right there with you, Kendrick Williams. Justin Holiday is actually on this
list because I think that they do need like another wing and he would be
great. They could also. Tory Craig is on the list. They never
should have let him leave. In my opinion, he was great for them.
People have floated I didn't have him on my list. They floated the
idea of Karis Lavert here. He's too much of a question mark if you
need to displace him from the ball for me to say that they because they
would have to give up real assets to get him. Eric Gordon would be
wildly intriguing for this team because they could use someone on the perimeter who puts
more pressure on the rim. The name that I have Larry Dance Junior for
them if he becomes available. I've been trying to get Larry your Phoenix like
three or four years now. I'm not as crazy about it, given how
well Javal McGee has played, and even Frank Kimiski when he's healthy, because
I think you do need to give lands Lands, you need to give Nance
some time at the five, and those minutes just don't seem as available when
McGee specifically is playing so well. They suggested Harrison Barnes, and I think
he's a great fit for them. The trade that they came up with the
framework was sarch Smith, Cam Johnson and a first for Harrison Barnes. And
then you needed just a player from a chief player from Sacramento to so the
roster spot math isn't as ridiculous. I ultimately said no for the Suns.
If I was the Kings, I would jump. I would jump at the
first allowable pick, which would be twenty twenty four for Phoenix. As of
right now, I'll double check that, but I haven't marked down to two
and twenty four. I would jump at that. If I'm Sacramento for Phoenix.
As a pure asset play, I get it. However, in my
mind, I think there's a move out there that would give you forty to
sixty percent of the idea of Harrison Barnes to where you don't have to give
up that type of asset equity. That's where I ultimately landed. My initial
reaction is that I would do it if and only if I can heavily protect
that first round pick, because I don't know what the post Chris Paul era
is going to look like, and we're probably entering that by the twenty twenty
four draft. So if you tell me that I can put like a top
twenty two protection and if it doesn't convert, if it doesn't convey, it
converts to two second round picks, then I'm in. But there's a little
too much uncertainty that far out in the future for me to want to make
a move, because, as you mentioned, you can replicate what Barnes brings
at a smaller scale for a cheaper price. So if if you're letting me
put those protections in, sure, I'm upgrading from Cam Johnson and Harrison Barnes
because that's how that's ultimately how I'm viewing this. The other two other names
that I have for them, this is and if you're willing to give up
Cam Johnson was my thought here, and maybe the actual package is not as
stark for either of these guys, is right now for this is probably we're
about the name. It definitely shouldn't be Derek White if you view him as
a defensive wing, wouldn't treat me for this team. I'm not giving up
Cam Johnson in a first for him, though his contract, I still think
he's an iffy. And then Gary Trent Junior was the other one I had.
If the Raptors just decide to say, hey, we're not moving og
or Scottie Barnes, I don't think you can move in Fleet. He would
have been on so many lists if they were open a moving van Fleet,
So that was intriguing to me. I wonder if because Trent has been so
good defensively this year, and I do think he gives you an element of
on ball offense, even though he's mostly just a great floor spacer. He's
shooting I think better than fifty percent on pull up twos this year, and
that kind of fits the Devin Booker Chris Paul Moti. I think I'm leaning
more towards acquiring Eric Gordon than Gary Trent Junior, just because of the price
points that it would take to get them. So were you do first allowable
first to get Eric Gordon, because that's essentially I'm not giving up camp Johnson
Frederick Gordon. Yes, with those protections again in place, what's the protection
like a top twenty kind of thing I think you have to I think would
have to be lottery. Then I'm probably still fine with that because I know
that he's going to bring an immediate assist to this team. Where I'm coming
from because in that scenario, the only asset that team is getting is the
pick because sarg is good, he's probably out for the year, and then
Smith is unless you really think that Phoenix has fucked him up and he's going
to be a low key star for you, That's where I think you run
into the protection problems. But I could I can get on board with that,
and I think that's why you wouldn't do if that if that's available.
I know Harrison Barnes stills a much different role on defense than Eric Gordon,
but if that type of move is available to where you don't have to gi
up Cam Johnson, that's why you don't make the Harrison barnsteal, right.
Yeah, getting to the final stretch here. Our next team is the Portland
Trailblay. I have no idea what they're doing, Joe, no clue whatsoever.
There's also Joe Cronin said that he wants he's going to make changes to
the roster and that this is an enhancement, not a rebuild, not a
retooling, an enhancement. I'm just what does that mean if you're I think
they still To me, it means they're on the wind out track, is
what I think. It means. What I what I don't know is how
much power does he have to make meaningful change to the roster if he still
has the INTERM GM tag. I know he's been with the organization for a
while, but forget about trading, even trading CJ. McCollum, that's a
wholesale decision. Is he gonna have the power to do that? So the
names I have sort of vary Ben Simmons if they can get in on him,
and i've I don't know if I've talked to you about this. I
know that Philly's not interested in CJ. McCollum. If you're Philly, if
the package is Norman Powell, Nance, picks and swaps, are you not
kind of intrigued by that? Because Man's is still under contract next year.
Norman Powell five years ninety million not steep for him with the way he's playing,
and other if you have picks and swaps, because look, the ship
has sailed on anyone who thought McCollum for Ben Simmons was the deal. McCollum
was not good enough this year, and it was. If he even suggests
a straight up swap there, there's going to need to be other stuff from
Portland going to Philly if that's the move. So if you're Philly and you
have Powell, Nance, picks, swaps, those are assets if you needed
to that, I think you can turn around and package together should another star
become available. And that's my I have other names for the Blazers, but
I was just if your Philly is that not? I know, Lorden Powell's
not a star, but how much better are the Sixers after making that deal
significantly better? Ben Simmons is a zero right now, So that's an unfair
question, But it's it's just tough to wrap my head around anything involving those
two teams because I have no clue what Portland's doing, and I have no
clue what Philly's doing, and there's just like such a mystery element when we
put them together in the same transaction. But yeah, I mean, theoretically
it makes sense. I also still think that a package including more than just
McCollum makes sense. I know you said the ship has sailed there, but
like, I'm still not sure that it should have for Philadelphia because the idea
of McCollum at at peak value does make sense with him being the rest of
the roster construction. But is Philly still holding out for, like, for
so much more that a package headlined by Powell and danced like it just isn't
going to do it. I just I don't know. I have no idea,
So yeah, that was just my thought. It's it's not an egregious
suggestion though, right absolutely not. No, it makes sense, but I
don't know that either of these organizations is in the business of making sense right
now. So one of the other names is more interesting than the other two.
What if the Blazers. What if an enhancement means sort of what the
Raptors did last year, but they're not. Maybe they're doing the same thing
this year. The one year tank this year is over. Our draft pick
is protected, so we're gonna keep it. They just decide that they're going
to keep it, and we're gonna trade for someone who's not healthy right now
and won't actually help us win games. I don't know what the cost proposition
is to get him, but Jonathan Isaac from Roland, I don't even know
if he would be available. I just have his name there because they need
not a Roco, not even a Nance not guys who are good team defenders
are just smart defenders. Nance Is. He's way better off a defender than
Roco. But they need a defensive anchor, and it's not Nurkics. When
you want to play this aggressives Isaac healthy Isaac, his value have to be
all over the place. I don't even know what you give up together.
It was just a thought I had, is if they're punting on this year.
The only qualm that I have because I like that idea, is how
you actually do a one year tank if you're Portland, Because Damian Lillard alone,
he's going to make sure four years. You shut him down and you
tell him that surgery on his abdominal injury, That's that's how you won year
to think. And if you tell Damian Lillard to shut it down and that
you don't want him to play basketball when he's already thinking about an exit,
what are you doing to the long term health of your organization? Because that's
where I was going with this, is like, I don't if he's playing,
you're too good to truly tank. If he is not playing of not
of his own volition, you are setting the stage for an actual trade request.
Here's an instring question. Looking at what assets they would have, and
what's interesting, I think if you're orlandos you might be getting the first allowable
Portland draft pick. I think it is twenty twenty four, and depending on
the protection of that, that's mega intriguing because you don't know what's going to
happen with Dame. Looking at what they would give up to match the salary
too, and whatever comminenttness, her little has to be involved in that.
There's who are you giving up in that deal that you think is going to
make the Blazers substantially worse. Know, when you're getting back a player who
won't immediately be playing for you, I'm not sure that you really are unless
it's Norman Powell, color me unconcerned. Yeah, yeah, which just yeah,
And I guess that makes it make more sense because you're not really tanking.
You're just not taking a step forward in the immediate present, right,
And then it puts you in a situation where maybe it's a little bit easier.
Two tanks should Damian Lillard needs some rest or, be open to some
rest or something. If he's open to it, then by all means so
I have. I just have two lower scale names for them. They need
big help, they need better rim projection. I don't know if either.
I think Mitchell Robinson was one. I think he would be better in the
aggressive defensive scheme that they're playing. Mobamba was the other. Is cooled off
from three and I don't know that you want him in an ultra aggressive defensive
scheme. But it's someone who can help you around the rim. He's been
a really good rim protector this year, so I don't really love to fit
with Bamba. You have Nance two, which I think makes this sort of
ring hollow, But I do you think they could use it? I'm I
wouldn't give up what when I get up nrkage from Mitchell Robinson? The salaries
are so disparate. Maybe I wouldn't, but I think Mitchell Robinson will be
more valuable to the Blazers defense. Well, more valuable to the Blazers because
of his defense, even though it's kind of sucked that all over the place
here, But they don't necessarily need to trade for another big. If they
want a big that's going to be a better fit for their defensive scheme.
I'm absolutely looking at like a Mitchell Robinson. What about like Perl? Can
he be in like the super aggressive scheme? Though maybe we haven't really seen
it in San Antonio, but I think that there's enough to plumb that it
would be worth a shot. I wonder if does neurlands no Well make sense
for this team men because of his men end salary and it's like just somewhere
in between. I don't think so, because he's such a negative on offense
that you're just foisting even more responsibility onto the back court, which you've seen
in the past doesn't work. Yeah, they're just they're a tough team to
come up with targets for because it's do we just suggest a bunch of young
guys because this is an enhancement or does it hands? What mean we're going
to make the all in type play? Tell you so, I have a
trade idea. I wanted to wait till we got to this team to throw
it at you. Would you do? It's Warriors Portland's and just before I
don't want to maybe even let's go through the next team, William Alli,
CJ. McCollum and Larry NaNs Jr. For Andrew Wiggins and Cavan Looney and
maybe you have to give up, like, oh no, I'm sorry.
It was Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman that was the trade. It wasn't for
McCollum and who Larry Jr. No. I don't think that that's feasible from
the Warrior's perspective, especially with McCollum in the midst of not the greatest year.
What what Wiggins does on both ends aligns with the direction of this organization
just way more Clay coming back, doesn't I don't think so. If anything,
it makes it more redundant to have McCollum as someone who can create his
own shot, as someone who is because Clay is going to theoretically have a
bigger offensive role by virtue of the spacing that he brings as an off ball
threat. If you're minimizing the ability to even have those kickouts because you're adding
another attack first player, I think mccollin would probably be a better fit.
I get where you're coming. I would be more concerned with his contract.
What does that look like? He has three years left on his deal at
a pretty hefty price tag. But I was wandering Nance on the Warriors would
be perfect. It would be really fun. Would I like a smaller scale
move for just him? If you can pull that off? And I don't
know how that happens, it would have to be looney and salary, like
would you would you even give up wise Man for Larry Nance Junior? I
guess Warriors sans would probably dragged me through the trenches for suggesting that one,
but they probably will. I'm just because the Blazers that they're gonna make any
sort of moves. You do have to start. What is CJ. Mccollin's
value on the trademarket. I hope he recovers from has collapsed along by the
way, and my guess is that he's going to be better moving forward when
he's healthy. Then we've seen he is. Would he not in those non
staff minutes though, be an absolute killer fit? Absolutely? So. It's
definitely the biggest cost evaluation exactly. I thought, was it at least a
trade? You didn't even think about the trade? No? I didn't really,
I didn't really. I guess it wasn't a good one. I thought
it was just like okay Wiseman and Wiggins for McCallum and Nance. I thought
it was one of the at least worth thinking about. Apparently not. I'm
gonna go sorry the Kings, they're great Ben Simmons destination as well. I
as someone who remains optimistic about Daron Fox's future, I wouldn't be a post
to movie at this point for Ben Simmons. I was against it. I'm
not necessarily all about it. I would consider it at this point. Ben
Simmons is listed for him, and look, maybe Philly's the one that has
to include extra assets there. I don't I'm not going Daron Fox and Tyrese
Halibert. I'm not giving the six. There's a bunch of extra stuff.
In addition to Fox, my dogs main appearance on the podcast companies with me
O strong agreement. In fact, the I also have Mo Bamba Rono.
Wow, I'm looking at the Blazers. I have Pascal Siakam. That's someone
that I would back up the the asset truck for. I don't know that
anyone would be off limits if I'm the Kings for Siakam. I suppose if
you are trading for Siakam, we want to keep darn Fox because the ideas
we are trying to win now. But that was the name everyone. I
only had this guy listed because everyone wants, not everyone. I've seen a
lot of people want him like Kings Sabonis. I don't know that I love
the fit with him in Holmes, I don't either. And I realized that
you can't see me shaking my head if you're just listening to this, but
I am reacting vociferously no to that. And then the other two. I
have a Romeo Langford. This team needs wings. Romeo Langford is short,
but it's had a pretty good year and can defend up. And then Delano
Banton from Toronto. I don't know why. I don't know why they necessarily
to move a rookie, but he's cooled off for shooting and they could really
use a defender in Sacramento like Delano Benton. I think the other way I'd
look at this team is just what I could get back for moving Buddy Heals.
Can I get back an expiring contract if you're lucky? Maybe? Well,
I mean we we already mentioned like him potentially going to the Lakers.
What does does that bring back? Like Taylon Horton Tucker. If you're the
Kings, you're doing Town Horton Tucker and none for Buddy Heals. Don't even
if that works with the salary. Buddy He'll makes a lot of money.
He doesn't make a lot of money. Buddy he Will is making twenty three
million dollars. So no, the Lakers would have to step ladder. I
mean they could do it, but they'd have to step ladder the hell out
of it. Yeah. I just this is one of those teams where I'm
just not sure that many moves make that much sense because there are intriguing pieces
throughout and they're just not ready to push forward towards that next step. Yet
I get it. The Spurs, I have a blank spot in their spot
because I just have no idea what this team should be looking to do.
I have an idea of what they need, but like, who should you
be targeting? It feels like they need a better point of attack score,
But at the same time, you do have Dejan Day Murray's, Like,
you can't be one of the teams that are just going to be involved with
a darn fox and you're also not going to go after, you know,
a veteran that's going to cost you a ton because you're not necessarily super good
right now. And then Dejan Day Murray's he's a better shooter, but between
him and White, like the spacing limitations there, you're not you know,
I thought about Spencer Dinwoodie. Is there a low play, low cost play
there to be made where he's not starting with those two guys but coming off
the bench and he has not been good in Washington, Now what's your goal
with acquiring him? Anyway? That's again I left the top spot open.
So these are more stop gap names or younger names, shake Milton, what's
it cost to get him out of Philly? Going on drugs? Just expiring
contract. So if you want someone to provide just maybe some shooting, maybe
some steadiness as a playmaker, just another in more of a point guard than
who's behind Murray right now, which is really just like when you look at
their secondary playmakers, not not anyone. And then Anthony Simon's going to be
a restricted free agent, but he's like, what if Lonnie Walker the fourth
was good type deal and he doesn't get to the basket as much. I'm
not I don't mean to be that reductive, but you know what I mean.
I really like the idea of Simon's here. I think that's the name
that makes the most sense to me, especially with the shooting strides we've seen
from him this season in Portland. I've also been waiting to mention this guy
until we got here because I think it's the ideal landing spot now that he's
been waived by the Philadelphia seventy six ers. But I would I would legitimately
like to see Grant Riller get a shot with the Spurs because the shooting that
he theoretically brings. The passing that he theoretically brings if he's healthy, would
be intriguing in this lineup. And I have not mentioned him even though I
just want to see him on an NBA roster for any other team, because
I think this is the ideal landing spot, giving him a place that could
actually use him. I mean, I'm not against it. That's such a
low flyer play at this one. I'd rather see them play actually give minutes
to Josh Primo. But I get I think both of those things the moral
of the story years. I don't have a top target for them, the
one they put themselves in a really weird place. They I think they have
enough where they could get something. Because teams should be interested in Doug McDermott,
they should be interested in Thaddeus Young. You could very reasonably ship off
Yaka Purdle somewhere. Brian Forbes could have interest to a contender as an off
the bench scoring option. They should be able to get something. I just
have no clue what that something should be, because I'm not sure they do
either. Would you do Doug McDermott and Derek White for Christops becorse, they
guess I would yeah, for both sides. For Whites, I don't know
if why he's been good enough for the MAVs to jump at that, but
the the I think, especially if you can also fit Thaddeus Young into that
RAN's action and just make it like a more of a consolidate veteran consolidation for
younger talent, trade for san Antonio and give Dallas just more depth than more
versatility in a way that isn't going to take away from Luca's playmaking. That
makes sense. All I'm gonna say is san Antonio Pop. The other night
played jocklan Landale over Daddy is Young. That's where he played him over Drew
ju Banks too, but still you Banks has been playing for Dad he is
Young basically all year, which has been strange because Young has been really good
when he's gotten opportunities. They I hope they free him or trade him somewhere
because I still think that he could help a team. I don't. I
don't have a top target though that was the That deal was the closest,
but I don't think Kristops should be their top target. They do. He
works with Peartle, but you have Pearle the closest I actually came. I
just didn't think the name was realistic enough with Brandon ingram is like, if
the Spurs were going to be buyers, that would be the guy that I
look at. And it's like, if you don't know, if they give
up to Jean Day Murray, that's incredibly interesting they could. I don't know
how you feel about them as a Ben Simmons team either, either. A
lot of people think that they would be an intriguing destination. I don't see
that. It's more shooting limitations and I don't know what he's going to be
elevating right now. They by the way, if anyone cares, this is
my favorite verse that of the year. They are first in average offensive possession
time, so they are the fastest offensive team in the NBA right now.
Would never have guessed that we can move on to our final team, the
Utah team. They are tough because, oh, by the way, speaking
of the Jazz, I did think about this for Dallas. Jordan Clarson wouldn't
be the worst fit in the world for Dallas. I don't know why Utah
Dallas will necessarily do business at this point. Maybe it's a is Kleiba involved
because I think Kleiba helps out Utah a ton. He's on my list for
them. I was curious this to your thoughts about that. I could see
that, but it does run into that same concern that I have, where
unless you're using him as a buffer for the non Luca minutes, I wonder
about playing them together in Jason Kidd's schemes because I don't want the ball out
of Luca's hands even more than it already is. I'm with it. Parson's
been better in recent weeks too, and I think I think he would be
good for Dallas. But that was a name I had him. He's like
in yellow and I don't know why I made him like an except I don't
know why to name him first. But anyway, so I have Kleiba for
Utah they need. I would probably prefer someone who's I know we've seen Cliba
defend like Kauai and Paul George in the past. I don't know that he
has that same defensive mobility. They could still use someone who can be an
active part of the regular season rotation, but that would also give them that
type of an option in the playoffs, because I think let's use Daniel Howson
as an example that someone you could theoretically use in the playoffs. I just
don't know how he would help you during the regular season, is my point,
except for those games. So I have to Tory Craig. Did you
not hear me start to say Tory Craig. So, Tory Craig. I
have two pacers al right here, Tory Craig and Alshe Brissette. I don't
think the pass were Trey Brissette. He's been amazing, but he's when you
look at his versatility and he can shoot better than Craig at this point and
handle the ball a little bit. He's like the exact type of role player
Utah doesn't have the just like incredibly versatile where they're limited to I would say
either one position or two position role players who maybe only do they have a
lot of dynamic offense on that team. I'll give them credit for that,
but they don't have a ton of dynamic defensive players, is my point,
And so Brissette would fit that mold while also potentially being good on offense.
I just don't know the Jazz. When you talk about first allowable first round
picks, the Jazz cannot trade a first round pick until two thousand and twenty
six is first allowable, right now, that's a long time from now.
I'm not My point is I'm not giving up with six first round play four
Brissette. I'm just I want to see Brissette. He's playing more in Indie,
and I made this list when he wasn't really playing so much in Indiana.
But fun name, as you can tell, I really like the idea
of Tory Craig here that was not planned. He'll go to same at the
same time. I promise I was not copying with you. He's and he'll
give you he might be like the best offensive rebounding wing in the league.
Like he'll just I don't know if the Jazz want him to do that necessarily,
Like he'll come in and he'll grab boards when guys are sleeping and he
can. They've already tried Rudy Gate the fives on Whiteside's glue injury contributed to
them even testing that. I don't think playing anyone at the five who's small
is actually something they're looking to do. Rudy Gobert with Craig at the flour
that's a lineup that you know maybe you're worried about the spacing a little bit,
but Craig hit threes for Phoenix last year, and the Jazz create a
ton of just high quality and I'm not saying wide open threes. I'm talking
ultra wide open threes, and so maybe that helps. The offense is just
a machine, and I think whatever you can do to alleviate the defensive responsibilities
that Donovan Mitchell asked his shoulder makes a lot of sense for making sure that
it doesn't get gummed up in the postseason, because we know that Steve is
a regular season juggernaut. Personally, I still am not out on them as
a playoff contender, even we've been let down by that in each of the
last four hundred years. But if you can do whatever you can to make
sure that Mitchell is not ultra tired in the postseason by getting a capable wing
defender who can slide down and slide up like Craig, you should do it.
The final name that I have for them is Kendrick Williams, and I'm
not even kidding. I have Kendrick Williams listed for them. What about justin
holiday? He would be excuse me, he would be. I think he
would be fine, but like, is he going and we've seen him play
some backup for an indied But is he giving you enough defensively against the guys
that you're worried about? So? But I was most mostly joking because we've
included him for so many other teams. But I think the serious nature of
the response, I mean, he's still good that I really didn't think about
it. I also thought he's just not enough. He's not quick, he's
not gonna do it. But Kyle Anderson, I though about Kyle Anderson with
his sons, he would actually be a good fit for Phoenix. I don't
think he's gonna get He's just not like that guy. He would be fun
to have just next to Joe Ingles in in Utah, but I don't think
he gives you enough. I'd rather have Rudy Gay at the four I think
for the Jazz than Kyle Anderson, is my point. What about Frank Nilikina
Frank neilpen to be a fantastic fit for anybody who needs a fantastic defender.
If he just he can't, he can. I'm not gonna say he can't.
There's nothing Frank Nielokina can't do. But like if you want him to
go up against the starrier wings of the bigger wings, like that's probably not
what he should be doing. James Harden, Kevin Durant. That's why you
trade for Frank Nilikina. But if you need to write about Kauai or Lebron,
that's not really Frank nilikina territory. I don't I don't need to dump
all over from Nilokina, but I'm glad we got that out of your system.
And by the way, the Jazz could do I don't know, I
just want want to trade. They could do something fairly big. You have
Clarkson salary. But if you're willing to move ingles that were blowing on Bogdanovitch,
that's when you could start talking about oh Is Harrison Barnes on the tables
for sweet Nae, the Jordan Clarkson for the Dream for the Jazz would be
Jordan Clarkson for Kleebland and Dorian Finney Smith. I won You have to assume
Dallas is selling in that instance, and I don't know what else you're attaching
to that to make it worth their watch, Like would you give up your
twenty twenty six first in that package. So but yeah, this was a
fun exercise and we did it in only seven minutes, longer than we said
we were going to do it, and that was with a rant at the
beginning. I'll call that a victory. If you've made it this far,
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the shout out to the one the only the segue was right there, and
I think Adam was waiting for me to pounce on it, but I actually
went through a Frank Lackin rant. Frank Nilaky