1 00:00:12,759 --> 00:00:17,480 What is krack lapin Hardwaro listeners, I am Damn Valley about to come at 2 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,559 you with my fantabulous post Adam Bramo, but wanted to drop a quick tree 3 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:27,480 recording so we could address the Nuggets losing Tim Connolly to the Minnesota Timberwolves on 4 00:00:27,519 --> 00:00:32,520 a massive deal. That news came out after we recorded this podcast on our 5 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:38,079 biggest question for every Western Conference lottery team entering the off season, Tim Connolly 6 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,119 going to become the president of basketball operations for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He signed 7 00:00:42,119 --> 00:00:46,000 a five year deal worth forty million dollars, which, per the Athletic, 8 00:00:46,079 --> 00:00:50,640 more than doubles his salary with the Nuggets. And he is also going to 9 00:00:50,679 --> 00:00:55,439 get an ownership stake some equity in the team, which makes him one of 10 00:00:55,479 --> 00:01:00,320 the per the Athletic once again, you know, just more lucratively compensated executives 11 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,480 in the league. Based on that package, the Nuggets did make a last 12 00:01:03,519 --> 00:01:10,120 ditch attempts apparently to keep him. Woage classified their final offer as making him 13 00:01:10,159 --> 00:01:15,959 one of the better paid execs in the league, which is hilariously on brand 14 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,959 for the Nuggets to do that. I do think this is this is a 15 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,280 big loss for Denver, just because Tim Connelly has become known as one of 16 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:29,200 the better talent evaluators in the NBA, and just looking at the roster he's 17 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:30,239 put together. I know a lot of people have tried to point out, 18 00:01:30,239 --> 00:01:34,959 will look how expensive the Denver Nuggets are. I mean, every move that 19 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,680 they've made, if you take out injuries, it's it's pretty much a success. 20 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,599 You can maybe equipable about their decision to max out Michael Porter Jr. 21 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:48,400 Amid his checkered health bill, but having Jamal Murray, Nicole Yokich, Aaron 22 00:01:48,439 --> 00:01:52,040 Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. That's a core that should be contending and in 23 00:01:52,079 --> 00:01:56,439 the West next season if it's able to stay even relatively healthy. And I 24 00:01:56,439 --> 00:02:00,159 don't think you can argue that any of those moves haven't necessarily worked out just 25 00:02:00,239 --> 00:02:02,120 yet. Again, MPJ, you have to wait and see. But the 26 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,319 Ared Gordon trade, that's an unequivocal success for the Nuggets. In my opinion. 27 00:02:06,319 --> 00:02:07,439 He's done a lot of what he was brought in to do. It's 28 00:02:07,439 --> 00:02:12,439 just that at times he's been shoehorned into this outsized offensive role and even defensive 29 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,159 role. When you look at how much time he spent guarding the point of 30 00:02:15,159 --> 00:02:19,759 attack, and you really, the Nuggets just this front office under Tim Connolly, 31 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,840 I'm doing a great job of mining talent later in the draft. This 32 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:27,360 isn't just in a cool Yogi situation. But you know, having even just 33 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,400 most recently getting Bones Highland, that's a big win for them, and either 34 00:02:30,759 --> 00:02:36,639 a trade chip that's going to you know, really glitz up Denver's packages moving 35 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,280 forward, or someone who might be able just to grow with the team and 36 00:02:38,319 --> 00:02:45,120 give you another building block. This is troubling in the sense that short term, 37 00:02:45,159 --> 00:02:46,919 I don't think there's anything wrong with Denver, and I'll wrap up the 38 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,919 Nuggets really quick. This is more so about the Timberwolves, really, but 39 00:02:51,039 --> 00:02:54,159 long term this does bring questions. The Nuggets have for the most part, 40 00:02:54,199 --> 00:02:59,360 always paid their talent, and they've on the court and they've shown that with 41 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,560 this core. You look at Yokich, who will probably get the Supermax this 42 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:06,800 summer, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Junior, even extending Eric Gordon, but 43 00:03:06,879 --> 00:03:10,879 they haven't you know, necessarily invested in their top executives. Massi U Jerry 44 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:17,879 leaving for Toronto, and then even our touris Karasovas leaving for the Chicago Bulls. 45 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,719 At least Karnasovas. I think that that qualified his promotion for him, 46 00:03:22,719 --> 00:03:27,000 so there's more cover there. But to see Connelly and Massi leave for what 47 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:34,919 are essentially lateral roles with different franchises, and it's really just money separating them. 48 00:03:35,039 --> 00:03:38,599 It's not the best look. There's no salary cap on coaches front office 49 00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:45,240 members. To lose them someone who's proven that he's great at his job and 50 00:03:45,319 --> 00:03:49,879 done really well for you, it's you know, it's penny pinching in the 51 00:03:49,919 --> 00:03:54,159 most pointless form, because I do think over the longer course, Dever probably 52 00:03:54,199 --> 00:03:59,319 feels this absence. Maybe it's on the margins that being said, Calvin Booth 53 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:04,120 will take over the basketball the head basketball operations role up for now. I 54 00:04:04,159 --> 00:04:06,719 know a lot of people around the league like him and think that he's done 55 00:04:06,879 --> 00:04:11,719 a great job right under Tim Connelly, and so maybe this is just another 56 00:04:11,759 --> 00:04:15,439 situation where they have the next guy step up like it was with Tim Connolly. 57 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,160 Now Kevin was going to come in and he turns into a fantastic executive 58 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,680 and then he'll just go and leave for another team when he's able to make 59 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,439 more more money. But I do again, I think this is more of 60 00:04:26,439 --> 00:04:29,879 a loss than some people are sort of crediting. It might not be reflected 61 00:04:29,879 --> 00:04:31,879 immediately in the record, but there's a chance down the line we're sort of 62 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,720 looking at this as a weird not just a pivot point, but just a 63 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:43,120 missed opportunity or sort of some self inflicted harm that the Nuggets did to themselves. 64 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,480 For the Timberwolves, I love it. I just like that they were 65 00:04:46,519 --> 00:04:49,120 so aggressive to the extent that they offered this much money to one of the 66 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:55,560 bigger executive names in the league. The ownership stake that that equity, that 67 00:04:55,680 --> 00:05:00,120 is no small commitment, and so to go that route it does show that 68 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,439 they were devoted to making this huge splash. And you bring in Tim Connolly, 69 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,279 I think people are probably wondering, how does this work. They just 70 00:05:08,639 --> 00:05:12,040 signed, you know, sort of signed Chris Finch. He has a working 71 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,360 relationship with Chris Finch in the past, so that should help. And I 72 00:05:15,399 --> 00:05:19,160 think all the reporting, and this happens all the time when a team hires 73 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:24,639 an executive when a coach is already in place. But the reporting is that 74 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,040 Tim Connolly's perfectly happy to have Chris Finch there. But I do think it 75 00:05:28,079 --> 00:05:31,160 helps that they just have a more They have a closer working relationship than I 76 00:05:31,199 --> 00:05:35,800 feel like most It's not tangents like these two were with the same organization, 77 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:40,199 sort of with the same error when you're looking at the work that Chris Finch 78 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,519 did with the Demo Nuggets. So I do think that's a plus there. 79 00:05:44,319 --> 00:05:46,959 You also just look at what Minnesota is trying to do, and they're they're 80 00:05:46,959 --> 00:05:51,439 attempting to figure out a way to go from the middle or sub middle of 81 00:05:51,439 --> 00:05:55,600 the Western Conference to that next level. You need to get creative to do 82 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,720 that. You're not going to have cap space this summer. You need someone 83 00:05:59,759 --> 00:06:02,959 who might be open to or might be able to be more aggressive on the 84 00:06:02,959 --> 00:06:05,920 trade market, or is going to be I don't want to stay smarter, 85 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,920 but has proven that he'll be able to go into the draft in the in 86 00:06:10,959 --> 00:06:13,240 the ensuing years, and even if you don't have a high pick, you 87 00:06:13,319 --> 00:06:16,800 might be able to mind talent out of whatever spot that you're in. And 88 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:21,560 that could start this year for the Timberwolves, of course, and then just 89 00:06:21,759 --> 00:06:26,560 looking at the free agency stuff, there could come a time where they are 90 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,399 a little bit more flexible. They have the Hazel Russell coming off the books 91 00:06:30,720 --> 00:06:34,319 after this year. But I also think that and most recently Chris Finch, 92 00:06:34,399 --> 00:06:39,560 excuse me, Tim's Connelly has shown in Denver that if he believes that the 93 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,600 missing piece, the missing player, is out there, he will go get 94 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:46,560 him and I'll gets mortgaged. I honestly, I want to say quite a 95 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,839 bit of their future. But they give up real appreciable value for a Gordon. 96 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,319 Yeah. I don't think that's a trade that you regret. But he 97 00:06:53,519 --> 00:06:59,800 made the call mid season, and so he does feel like he has experienced 98 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,800 haking a team to that next up through these all different forms, and you 99 00:07:02,879 --> 00:07:06,920 might probably just like what he and his front office in Denver have done from 100 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:11,639 a draft perspective and minding some of those talents on the margins. Minnesota could 101 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,720 use that. And I think more than anything though, just because we can't 102 00:07:15,759 --> 00:07:18,160 guarantee how free agency ever plays out, how they structure their books, you 103 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,439 can't even guarantee what's going to be available on the trade market. The timber 104 00:07:21,439 --> 00:07:25,240 Wolves go out now and trade for Jeremy Grhant because they have Tim Connelly, 105 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,560 you know that's not really going to be the difference for them. I think 106 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:31,759 the message that it sends though just to the league, to the fans, 107 00:07:31,839 --> 00:07:36,439 and what it says about how the Timberwolves look like they're going to conduct themselves 108 00:07:38,399 --> 00:07:42,560 in the final days years of Glenn Taylor being in control and having Mark Lare 109 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:47,319 and Alex Toronriguez as sort of the governors of the franchise. It does show 110 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:53,279 that this is a team that's going to continue to sort of double down and 111 00:07:53,399 --> 00:07:58,240 chase the bigger splash year hires acquisitions when it comes to free agency trades. 112 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,959 So yeah, overall, I think it's tough to even come up with an 113 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:05,360 argument to dislike this move for the Timmerwolves. Don't pick it all of a 114 00:08:05,399 --> 00:08:07,920 sudden puts them on a map in a way that they didn't. I just 115 00:08:07,959 --> 00:08:13,279 think it really proves a level of creativity and aggression that they're going to eat 116 00:08:13,319 --> 00:08:15,920 if they want to sort of make this jump around Karl, Anthony Towns and 117 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:20,319 Anthony Edwards to the upper echelon of the Western Conference, and they'll be fascinating 118 00:08:20,319 --> 00:08:22,720 to watch Immediately. You know, they have the number nineteen pick, they 119 00:08:22,759 --> 00:08:26,600 have some interesting trade pieces on their team, and they have the incentive to 120 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:30,680 really go after it. And I don't think that Tim Connley's necessarily tasked with 121 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:35,240 coming in and blowing anything up or going out and getting that third star immediately. 122 00:08:35,279 --> 00:08:39,879 I think this is just an organization that clearly wants to put its stamp 123 00:08:41,399 --> 00:08:43,399 on the Western Conference, and it feels like by hiring Tim Connelly, they've 124 00:08:43,399 --> 00:08:50,159 set themselves up to have more ways of doing that, just based off the 125 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:54,039 track record that he's shown in Denver. Let's dive into the full podcast, 126 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:58,960 though, before we get started, the final quick reminder to please rate, 127 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,759 review, and subscribe to this podcast. You've not done so already, this 128 00:09:01,799 --> 00:09:05,399 is your first time around these parts, consider throwing us that full that permanent 129 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,960 subscription. We do not think you'll regret it if you've done. If you've 130 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,399 rated, reviewed, and subscribe to us, please consider telling other people about 131 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:15,080 us, friends, family members, acquaintances, random people on the internet who 132 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,360 you know like basketball. Help us by retreating some of the promos, anything 133 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:22,320 that you can do to help us grow the wonderful community that we have built 134 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,039 at hardwooknox and are trying to keep growing. Also follow us on all the 135 00:09:26,399 --> 00:09:30,679 social media channels TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. The links and handles are in 136 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:35,279 our podcast subscription. Also check out our YouTube channel YouTube dot com star chartwnash 137 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,799 you will come up and finally join our discord, come have some conversations with 138 00:09:37,879 --> 00:09:41,360 us. The link to that is in the podcast description as well. With 139 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:46,000 all that out of the way, let's talk with Adam about our biggest questions 140 00:09:46,039 --> 00:09:50,759 for every Western Conference lottery team. Hello, everyone, and welcome to the 141 00:09:50,879 --> 00:09:54,279 latest episode of Hardwood Knocks. This is Adam from Will here with my always 142 00:09:54,320 --> 00:10:00,000 fantastic co host Dan Favalley. We've got four teams left in the NBA Playoff, 143 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,799 and naturally everyone is talking about those four teams, so naturally we're not 144 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,360 going to Instead, we're going to give some attention to the Western Conference lottery 145 00:10:07,399 --> 00:10:11,240 teams. We're running through the seven squads that did not have a chance to 146 00:10:11,279 --> 00:10:16,120 play any postseason basketball and trying to come up with the single biggest offseason question. 147 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,840 It can be anything at all. With these exercises, we do typically 148 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:24,039 try to stay away from the classic who should they draft with pick X questions 149 00:10:24,039 --> 00:10:28,639 because those are just a little bit too much low hanging fruit. I also 150 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,320 did not run that by Dan, so I'm hoping that he actually stayed away 151 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,159 from those. As we usually do. But well, we'll find out live 152 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:37,200 before we get to any of those questions. So I have the single most 153 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:41,279 important one of the episode, and that's how's it going, Dan? I 154 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:45,240 am doing well. Thanks for asking. I did, in fact ignore sort 155 00:10:45,279 --> 00:10:48,039 of who are they going to draft? At x spot? Also only fair 156 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:52,279 because we recorded the Eastern Conference part of this before the draft lottery, and 157 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,600 since we just couldn't record the one until the West until after the lottery, 158 00:10:56,639 --> 00:11:00,320 it's it's only right that we continue by that, So we're not ignored worrying 159 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,240 this super obvious, but the whole oh who is okay, so you're going 160 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,679 to draft at number two is not going to be at play here. How 161 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:11,200 are you doing? I am good. Always a ton of stuff going on, 162 00:11:11,399 --> 00:11:15,120 but enjoying watching playoff basketball, and it's it's just a fun time of 163 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,919 year to be a sports fan in general, just with so many big events 164 00:11:18,919 --> 00:11:24,639 happening in so many different sports. Yeah, and the NBA playoffs have certainly 165 00:11:24,799 --> 00:11:30,039 been a trip of content, especially if you're a Patrick Beverley fan, which 166 00:11:30,159 --> 00:11:35,120 I am not. Yeah, that was something. I don't know what that 167 00:11:35,279 --> 00:11:37,600 something is, but something we don't need to focus on, I would think, 168 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:43,559 so it's kind of ball into this this lottery team exercise that is fair. 169 00:11:43,639 --> 00:11:46,639 Yeah, we're gonna go alphabetically, so we'll start with the Houston Rockets. 170 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,919 I feel like you can ask a ton of questions about this team just 171 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,080 because it's a roster that's in so much flux. I want to I wanted 172 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,919 to focus on whether they're willing to extend Kevin Porter Junior and or Jay Shawn 173 00:12:00,039 --> 00:12:01,639 Tate. Porter is able to receive up to one hundred and eighty four million 174 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,799 dollars in an extension. Tate would be around sixty million. Obviously, those 175 00:12:05,799 --> 00:12:11,440 are big numbers, and you know they're not going to get the full scope 176 00:12:11,519 --> 00:12:16,080 of those extensions. But if they do come to terms, how much would 177 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:18,639 it be for And are they even going to come to terms because beyond Jalen 178 00:12:18,759 --> 00:12:24,799 Green, I don't know who Houston views as a true building block for whatever 179 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:30,200 the next competitive iteration is, Which is why I'm focusing on these two guys 180 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,360 because they're candidates. Even if Porter is coming off a pretty disappointing season, 181 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,080 and even if Tate is ultimately limited to more of like a higher end role 182 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:43,120 player ceiling, do they view these guys as long term pieces for the organization. 183 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:48,799 Yeah, that's a that's a fantastic question. And the extension specifically are 184 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,639 are tough, because what do you want to give Kevin Porter Jr. Knowing 185 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,960 that he's not we've seen it like but him at point guard is not the 186 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,320 answer. He's probably best office, sort of a microwave player off the bench. 187 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,759 I think Jason Tate has a ton of value for his defense. And 188 00:13:03,799 --> 00:13:07,720 we know that these wing types, even if they're not the best shooters or 189 00:13:07,720 --> 00:13:11,519 the best offensive players, they're going to get some money in free agency. 190 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:15,840 And so I could see numbers where or the justification behind drawing a line in 191 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,639 the sand and saying if they're willing to sign for X, will keep them. 192 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:22,480 But you're also so early into your rebuild that you don't want to lock 193 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:26,000 yourself into any deals that are that are too steep. And I would be 194 00:13:26,039 --> 00:13:31,080 curious as to who they value more moving forward between those two. And I 195 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,080 agree with what you said about Jalen Green kind of being the only tent pole 196 00:13:35,159 --> 00:13:39,759 prospect Alpern. Shane Gun probably comes closest. But does that change with you 197 00:13:39,759 --> 00:13:41,240 know, we said we weren't going to reference the draft, but they're in 198 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:45,960 a spot to take one of the three bigs that are viewed as the consensus 199 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:50,000 top prospects in these draft how does that change? Alpern Shane Gun's value to 200 00:13:50,039 --> 00:13:54,840 this team is future trajectory with this team still those two players and you have 201 00:13:54,840 --> 00:14:01,879 the unknown inducement Gruba. Yeah, there there's there's long term foundation pieces here. 202 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:05,960 But I don't think that Tate or Porter Junior is necessarily one of them. 203 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,440 I think this is more so a matter of, Oh, if you 204 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:11,840 can get them cheap enough and they can help us, or these are deals 205 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:15,759 that they can be moved later and they're actually more helpful at a more expensive 206 00:14:15,799 --> 00:14:18,559 number than these sub two million dollars salaries they're working on right now, or 207 00:14:18,600 --> 00:14:22,919 sub four million in KPJ's case, that could be a value play for them. 208 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:28,000 I have to admit that I totally misfired on KPJ. I thought that 209 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:31,519 going into this season, I thought he was just going to explode. Actually 210 00:14:31,559 --> 00:14:35,399 be the answer to that point guard question. Couldn't have been more wrong. 211 00:14:37,200 --> 00:14:41,159 It didn't work. And then I mean, it's and that's not supposed to 212 00:14:41,159 --> 00:14:45,559 be his game either, and I think it's you know, he might be 213 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,480 more useful to them, knowing what we saw from Jalen Green over the second 214 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:52,120 half of the season. I don't think Jalen Green's a primary initiator type, 215 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:54,639 but maybe he can be your one B. And so now you just have 216 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:56,480 to focus on finding more of a floor general to go with him, and 217 00:14:56,519 --> 00:15:01,679 you can still have room for someone like k PJ. I just I don't 218 00:15:01,679 --> 00:15:03,639 know what the number is that you'd feel like if he wants, you know, 219 00:15:03,799 --> 00:15:07,120 mid level money in his extension, are you're given it to him eleven 220 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:13,039 twelve million dollars a year? Yeah, I think you would. I probably 221 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,559 would Jay shown Tate. Who do you view is more valuable to them? 222 00:15:16,559 --> 00:15:20,759 Though? Between those two, I think KPJ ultimately is because of the ceiling 223 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:26,320 where I just I think that's a few levels higher. Take. While a 224 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:30,039 good role player who can fill a bunch of different roles provides energy, provides 225 00:15:30,279 --> 00:15:33,480 enthusiasm and intensity, like, that's the easier role to go out and find 226 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:39,879 on the cheap, it's harder. It's harder to find a cheap version of 227 00:15:39,879 --> 00:15:43,799 what Porter does in theory. In theory, but I think you're still at 228 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:48,600 a stage of this rebuilding process where you can feasibly chase that upside, knowing 229 00:15:48,639 --> 00:15:52,799 that it could backfire. I just wonder if not having a building block wing 230 00:15:54,159 --> 00:15:58,120 on the team, maybe aside from Tate group is not awaying Garrison Matthews isn't 231 00:15:58,159 --> 00:16:02,720 really a wing. I just don't like you have Jalen Green. I'm just 232 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:04,559 wondering if that factors into it at all, and knowing even if you have 233 00:16:04,679 --> 00:16:07,960 KPJ, you're gonna have to go out and find someone else who can be 234 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,000 a primary ball handler. Anyway, if that sort of diminishes his long term 235 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:18,000 utility to this squad, it definitely could. And really either of those either 236 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:22,840 either of these players could go either way. It's it's a good question. 237 00:16:22,879 --> 00:16:29,720 I think I don't have an answer because Houston could very feasibly go in any 238 00:16:29,759 --> 00:16:32,679 direction with these players. If I had guess, I would say Tay, 239 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:34,080 it's more likely to get an extension than KPJ. I don't think either, 240 00:16:34,159 --> 00:16:37,960 just because of the numbers right right, And I don't think that. I 241 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:41,799 don't think that either of them get extensions personally, But I mean, who 242 00:16:41,799 --> 00:16:45,000 am I to say anything? My question for them is are they going to 243 00:16:45,039 --> 00:16:48,320 move Gordon and or would this offseason? And then you can throw, or 244 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,799 you could fold john Wall into that. I still think forty seven point three 245 00:16:52,799 --> 00:16:56,960 million dollars salary that's gonna end in a buyout unless the Lakers decide they want 246 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:00,960 to give up a pick with Russ for john Wall, which makes zero sense 247 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,680 for them. In my opinion, I think I'd be curiously who has more 248 00:17:03,759 --> 00:17:07,799 value around the league. It's probably would just because he's younger and he's more 249 00:17:07,799 --> 00:17:12,000 of an anomaly at his position offensively. But Eric Gordon was really good this 250 00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:15,319 year man, and just the rim pressure he puts on the shooting someone who 251 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,799 can hold up defensively. Yes, he's getting older, Yes he has had 252 00:17:19,839 --> 00:17:23,400 his injury issues, Yes he has that No unguaranteed twenty point nine million dollars 253 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,400 salary for twenty three twenty four. You happily pay that salary if he makes 254 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,680 an All Star team or you win a championship, So I get it. 255 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,559 Why would though would be more appealing, especially where they are though in the 256 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:37,440 draft order. Now, I'm not a big fan of drafting for fit this 257 00:17:37,599 --> 00:17:41,640 early in the process, or building your team necessarily for fit. But when 258 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,160 you have Shangoon and it's really time to own Corkaruba and you're about to get 259 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:48,960 one of those three bigs, and you know that Christian Wood is going to 260 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,839 commit. He's extension knowledgeable too. He's gonna command a ton of money, 261 00:17:52,079 --> 00:17:53,640 or at least more money than he's making right now, probably if he gets 262 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:57,240 the free agency, and that you really shouldn't be bankrolling that next deal. 263 00:17:57,599 --> 00:18:02,160 He feels like the guy that should absolutely be moved because it's less egregious if 264 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:03,799 you just look if you house Eric Gordon for the rest of the season and 265 00:18:03,839 --> 00:18:07,680 kind of just let him come off your books. I think he might technically 266 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:11,839 be the more useful player in a lot of circumstances. But it feels like 267 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,839 you can get more compensation for Christian Wood, and so you might as well 268 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:19,279 just go out and get that compensation. Whilst you can totally agree, but 269 00:18:19,279 --> 00:18:22,839 I feel like we're going to see both players moved. And I say that 270 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:27,119 knowing full well well that I was downright shocked that Eric Gordon wasn't moved this 271 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:33,160 past trade deadline. He seemed like maybe the most obvious player to be on 272 00:18:33,279 --> 00:18:36,000 the move, just because of what he brings to the table as a guy 273 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:38,079 who can put pressure on the rim, a guy who can know feasibly launch 274 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,359 away from a foot or two beyond the three point arc. A guy who 275 00:18:41,599 --> 00:18:47,799 played pretty pesky on ball defense, and he was ready to go to work 276 00:18:47,839 --> 00:18:51,000 for a contender, it seemed, and for him to stay in Houston was 277 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:57,759 pretty shocking for the same reasons. I don't expect him to remain. Plus, 278 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:02,200 Jalen green Set can have breakout. You know, the ball is going 279 00:19:02,279 --> 00:19:06,880 to be in his hands even more if they do keep KPJ, they're gonna 280 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:11,680 want the ball in his hands too. So it feels like there's an even 281 00:19:11,759 --> 00:19:17,119 smaller role in store for Gordon if he stays. So I would think they're 282 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,000 going to get something for him knowing that, you know, if he's on 283 00:19:21,039 --> 00:19:23,079 the roster, like, sure, he might speed along the development of some 284 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:26,480 of these younger guys, but he's not going to be contributing to a playoff 285 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:30,720 team. Yeah, I mean that's a great point as well. I don't 286 00:19:30,759 --> 00:19:34,359 know how much, like do you want a strong veteran presence in the locker 287 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:37,680 room Again, a team like Eric Gordon wanted to suit up for a contender 288 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,559 too, and so he actually just might be the more likely to get moved 289 00:19:41,559 --> 00:19:45,759 by virtue of his age and how counter to the the quote unquote timeline how 290 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:48,960 much he runs counter to that for Houston. And also, look, they 291 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,319 have Josh Christopher Gallams a nice minutes too, and who knows what they can 292 00:19:52,599 --> 00:19:56,599 look if they bring Dennis Shooter back, or if they wind up with you 293 00:19:56,599 --> 00:19:59,039 know, getting someone else out of the draft or ann you know, an 294 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:02,240 undrafted free agent that they signed, or they want to give more reps to, 295 00:20:02,319 --> 00:20:06,599 they might just decide to go the all in youth route or organically just 296 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,119 having another options. So you kind of talk me into Eric Gordon being more 297 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,640 likely to get moved. I think both of them should be, because Christian 298 00:20:12,799 --> 00:20:17,559 was not someone you look to is like the steadying veteran leadership presence anyway, 299 00:20:17,599 --> 00:20:19,119 so I think you should be fine to get rid of him, especially when 300 00:20:19,599 --> 00:20:22,880 I don't know, I think Biggs of his caliber might be a little bit 301 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:26,759 more in demand than we think because of the way we've seen playoff teams play 302 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:32,000 where it's not necessarily downsizing. But you have Biggs who can play a small's 303 00:20:32,079 --> 00:20:34,839 game on offense and defense. Christian would cannot do the ladder, but he 304 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,880 can certainly do the former, and so a team like Charlotte would they be 305 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:42,079 willing to give up real value to again him, even though he doesn't stabilize 306 00:20:42,079 --> 00:20:47,400 their defense. Maybe the fact that I can't like just rattle off a bunch 307 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:51,519 of different suitors for him off the top of my head speaks to that his 308 00:20:51,599 --> 00:20:56,039 value might be lower than we actually think. But given how just given how 309 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,720 anomalous to use the word again, his offensive skill set is at his position, 310 00:21:00,759 --> 00:21:03,079 if you're going to use him at the five, it just feels like 311 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,440 there will be a team where you're going to get more than just a first 312 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:11,160 round pick for him. Yeah, if you had to bet which of them 313 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,599 or both or none gets traded, I'm just gonna say both. There's gonna 314 00:21:15,599 --> 00:21:18,359 be enough top end talent in Houston now too. When you look at this 315 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,640 year's pick, Jalen Green to say, okay, like we can just turn 316 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,319 the keys over sort of what Okasey did, and like our veteran presences are 317 00:21:26,319 --> 00:21:29,920 going to be a Derrick Favors or a Mike Muscala, like a much cheaper 318 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,839 person than than an Eric Gordon or a Christian would especially because it's gonna be 319 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,400 a veteran who doesn't have the leverage to one out. I think Eric Gordon 320 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,640 is good enough to one out in true hardman knocks fashion, though we have 321 00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:42,599 already gone two minutes over our time limit on this team, So do you 322 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:45,000 want to take us to the next one? Next up, we have the 323 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,599 Los Angeles Clippers. My question for them is kind of simple. Can you 324 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,920 run back a team that went forty two and forty but couldn't make it through 325 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,359 the planned tournament? You know, the obvious confounding variable there is health, 326 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,000 because had Paul George been fully healthy all year, had Kawi Leonard been available 327 00:22:00,039 --> 00:22:06,079 at all, They're probably not finding themselves in that situation. Those health concerns 328 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:11,240 aren't going away. This is ultimately an older roster that is only going to 329 00:22:11,319 --> 00:22:15,279 keep getting older and doesn't really have that potential breakout young guy, nor does 330 00:22:15,319 --> 00:22:19,000 it have any cap space to go out and get anyone of significance. If 331 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,400 you're looking to run it back, you're probably going to have to give Nick 332 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:26,680 Batoum a new contract. He has a three point three million dollar player option 333 00:22:26,759 --> 00:22:30,559 that he's likely going to turn down. You're gonna have to pay Isaiah Hardenstein. 334 00:22:30,559 --> 00:22:33,680 You're gonna have to pick up Vika Zoobox's contract. As a team option, 335 00:22:34,039 --> 00:22:40,400 So there you can bring back the entirety of this core and see what 336 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:45,519 happens. But is it worth it? Yeah? I mean this feels like 337 00:22:45,559 --> 00:22:48,319 a no brainer. Yes, Like who is the core piece that you're moving 338 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,640 from this team? And when you move Morris, maybe I don't consider him. 339 00:22:52,839 --> 00:22:56,279 See that's where I guess we sort of diverge would be, I don't 340 00:22:56,319 --> 00:23:00,920 consider I'm looking at Peg Kauai, Norman Howell, and that's like, you 341 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:06,160 know, probably I vits zoobox needs to be there as well. And I 342 00:23:06,279 --> 00:23:10,200 just everything points towards them running it back in some form because they already extended 343 00:23:10,279 --> 00:23:12,720 Robert Covington. And that's part of the reason I went this route is because 344 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:18,359 they're off season's basically already done. Like they're going to make small moves here 345 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:22,079 and there, but like what is the big question if not whether it's worth 346 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:27,799 running it back because their hands are essentially tied here. Yeah, I mean 347 00:23:27,839 --> 00:23:33,240 they're gonna have the Mini mid level to use, and I would anticipate them 348 00:23:33,319 --> 00:23:37,039 using that just based off how Steve Bomber is spent. And this dovetails with 349 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:41,359 my actual question for them, But what sort of happens with some of their 350 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,640 own free agents, and Robert Comington's obviously removed from that. But Nicholas Patuma 351 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,880 as a player option, it feels like there's some quid pro quo there because 352 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,200 he resigned at you know, they were able to resign him using non bird 353 00:23:51,279 --> 00:23:53,880 rights last year or something I didn't anticipate being possible, and if he declines 354 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,440 the player option, they now his early bird rights so they can pay him 355 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,000 above the league average salary, which is quite substantial. At the same time, 356 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,160 now that you have Robert Comington, now that you have Norman Powell, 357 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:07,279 you have Terrence Man, even a mere coffee who's restored to free Asian and 358 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,000 was just quietly really good for teams that are operating with sort of a beggar's 359 00:24:11,039 --> 00:24:15,400 dime. He would be someone to go after you have him. Does that 360 00:24:15,519 --> 00:24:21,119 at all sort of change the calculus of how you're fleshing out your ring wing 361 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,680 rotation. Also, Isaiah Hartenstein great pickup by them. I still can't believe 362 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:27,839 that he wasn't on a roster to start the year. Really good passer, 363 00:24:29,279 --> 00:24:32,599 solid rim protector. I don't want to say he has stretched to his game, 364 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:34,680 but he can pop. And then he's also just you don't look at 365 00:24:34,759 --> 00:24:38,119 him as this explosive finisher, but he can catch and finish above the rim. 366 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:41,480 It's not these highlight real dunks, but he can do all of those 367 00:24:41,519 --> 00:24:45,559 things. And so I'm very curious to see how they prioritize some of them. 368 00:24:45,559 --> 00:24:48,160 Maybe they bring all their own free agents back, but they're gonna need 369 00:24:48,200 --> 00:24:52,079 their mini mid level at least. I would think to keep Hartenstein at this 370 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:56,559 point, and then are you going to pay Nick Batoum. That would probably 371 00:24:56,559 --> 00:24:59,519 mean that coffee's out the door, So one of those guys is probably gone. 372 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:00,680 If all of them are back, I mean, good for the Clippers, 373 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,400 but I'm also kind of wondering. I think there's an it's overstated how 374 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:08,359 much this team needs a floor general, but they could definitely use a connective 375 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:12,000 passer or someone who could get them into their slower sets, just because right 376 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:17,240 now you are so reliant on Reggie Jackson, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, 377 00:25:17,279 --> 00:25:19,319 and then you do have some secondary guys like a Luca Nard off the 378 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:22,319 dribble, even Terrence Mann. We saw Norman Powell is going to give you 379 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,160 rim pressure. But I'm talking about if you really need to slow it down, 380 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:27,960 and go through the motions. They don't really have anyone who's gonna do 381 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,400 that outside of Paul George and Kauai, and I think you could argue that 382 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:34,880 neither of those two is Again, those are very good. You know, 383 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,880 they could be one A playmakers, but they're not. There's just a difference 384 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,720 between a floor general and I'm not saying they need a Ricky Rubio so with 385 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,559 that type of command over the game, but are they gonna go out and 386 00:25:45,599 --> 00:25:48,680 try and find a player like that? And maybe Ricky Rubio can be picked 387 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:51,759 up on a bargain because he's coming back from that ACL injury. Just someone 388 00:25:51,759 --> 00:25:55,359 who could give you spot minutes in those situations or fill in the gaps when 389 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:59,359 you have players missing games and when it's Paul George and Kawhi Leonard the ladder 390 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:03,400 specifically, there's going to be missed games there. And so I've thought, 391 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:07,359 just based off the salaries that they have, could they be a team that 392 00:26:07,640 --> 00:26:11,079 sort of enters the running for a Mike Conley on the trademarker. I know 393 00:26:11,079 --> 00:26:12,400 a lot of people think he's cooked. He was really good this past season. 394 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,480 He's had some issues the past two postseasons. You slot him into the 395 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,160 Clippers team. It's just it's a whole different world compared to worries in Utah 396 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:22,480 or can they get someone This entails using your mini mid level, and I 397 00:26:22,519 --> 00:26:26,680 don't know what that means for Hartenstein. Can you get a Delon right? 398 00:26:26,799 --> 00:26:29,279 That feels a little too cheap for Delan Wright. It was really good for 399 00:26:29,319 --> 00:26:32,279 Atlanta this year. But that's the type of things I'm thinking about. It 400 00:26:32,279 --> 00:26:36,079 feels like this team, I don't want to say needs like a triple or 401 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,440 a home run, but maybe a double. It can't be a single, 402 00:26:37,839 --> 00:26:41,319 and it can't be fully It could be fully running it back and they might 403 00:26:41,319 --> 00:26:45,240 be the favorites, but you are still in a precarious situation should that happen. 404 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,319 But what I'm laying out invariably probably comes at the expense of some of 405 00:26:48,319 --> 00:26:52,160 your own free agents, most notably Coffee and Hartenstein. If you let Hartenstein 406 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:56,079 walk, I know Biggs can be replaced on the cheap the value he brought. 407 00:26:56,319 --> 00:27:00,440 It's just not something you're probably gonna look into a second time a minimum 408 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:03,319 contract. And to your point about his stretchiness, I also think that gets 409 00:27:03,319 --> 00:27:07,559 a little bit overlooked. He went nineteen of thirty four on shots from ten 410 00:27:07,599 --> 00:27:11,440 to sixteen feet, didn't take a single long too beyond sixteen feet. But 411 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:15,359 when fourteen of thirty on three pointers, so small sample sizes, but fifty 412 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,720 five point nine percent on that longer mid range on that shorter mid range zone 413 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:22,519 and then forty six point seven percent from beyond the arc, is it sustainable 414 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:27,200 and scalable? Probably not, but there's something there. And the thing with 415 00:27:27,279 --> 00:27:30,920 him too, and I'm not this is not just like me being with the 416 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,559 benefit of hindsight here, I thought, and I think we had this conversation 417 00:27:34,799 --> 00:27:38,599 between the two of us already. I thought that he did enough when he 418 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:44,079 was with Cleveland in the preceding season to warrant an NBA contract, and then 419 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,279 he did a lot of the same things, just in more volume with the 420 00:27:47,279 --> 00:27:51,599 Clippers. And look, he's not the most mobile rim protector, but opponent 421 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:55,119 shot forty seven point five percent against him at the rim. That was the 422 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:59,240 stingiest mark this year among one hundred and sixty three players to challenge at least 423 00:27:59,319 --> 00:28:02,480 one hundred fty of those shots at the rim. And his also his assist 424 00:28:02,559 --> 00:28:07,119 rate among all centers who average at least fifteen minutes or more per game nineteen 425 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:12,519 point three assist rate that rings sixth at the position. That is, he's 426 00:28:12,559 --> 00:28:17,079 surrounded by good players, but you want your centers to be able to make 427 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:19,920 those those passes, and he's just I think the point that you really ended 428 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:22,799 up making, whether you meant or not, is he's just one of the 429 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,559 more versatile role playing bigs they're gonna be able to find, and so losing 430 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,839 him isn't nothing, especially with Zoobots is in the final year of his contract 431 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:33,480 now all of a sudden, and so it's like, what are you doing. 432 00:28:33,559 --> 00:28:36,039 I know you want to downsize a lot, but I think you still 433 00:28:36,079 --> 00:28:38,240 need one more big on this team. Where if it's Zoobots and Hartenstein, 434 00:28:38,359 --> 00:28:41,279 okay, you're set done. You're fine because you could downsize when you want, 435 00:28:41,519 --> 00:28:45,359 play big when you want. But if you lose Heartensign or even if 436 00:28:45,519 --> 00:28:48,680 maybe some people think they should trade Zoobots and keep Harten signed, it's not 437 00:28:48,799 --> 00:28:51,799 really that's not really an option unless Harten sign can come back for your mini 438 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:56,640 midlevel or less. But like they will still need a big if one of 439 00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:00,480 those two is gone, So they do still have, I guess, relatively 440 00:29:00,519 --> 00:29:03,440 boring off season, but it could be fascinating to me at least on the 441 00:29:03,519 --> 00:29:07,960 margins. Yeah, on the margins for sure, but just fewer like big, 442 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,960 big decisions to make then we see from a lot of teams heading off. 443 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,880 I'm not going to give Steve Bomber a pat on the back for paying 444 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,759 the tacks this past season. They did cut their bill with the Surge Baca 445 00:29:18,839 --> 00:29:22,039 trade, but they I like the fact that they took on money while planning 446 00:29:22,079 --> 00:29:25,000 ahead for this season with the Norman Palet Tray and Robert Covington. And by 447 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:26,839 the way, I've said this like eighty times in the podcast, Portland not 448 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:33,759 getting a first round pick this year while giving up Nance McCullum, Covington, 449 00:29:33,319 --> 00:29:38,440 and Norman Powell at the same end, that's great. No, it's not 450 00:29:38,559 --> 00:29:41,640 great. They're not next up though? Who is next up? Next up 451 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:45,799 is the other Los Angeles team? That would be the Lakers, who, 452 00:29:45,079 --> 00:29:49,359 yes, we're a lottery team this season. Can we just agree that we 453 00:29:49,519 --> 00:29:53,240 probably have the same question. I have a second one in my back pocket, 454 00:29:53,359 --> 00:29:57,039 is the question, what do you have to give up to move Russell 455 00:29:57,079 --> 00:30:00,920 Westbrook? Right? Or what is the Russell Westbrook trade? That's out right, 456 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:03,680 it's not even even the way the way I actually phrased it was, 457 00:30:03,839 --> 00:30:10,160 are they actually willing to move Russell Westbrook? Are they at Well, look, 458 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:14,200 they seems like they've been laying the breadcrumbs that maybe they're not going to 459 00:30:14,279 --> 00:30:17,240 do that. I'm sure you saw the report from that. It feels like 460 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:19,400 they're just trying to save face, right like, because it's gonna be hard 461 00:30:19,559 --> 00:30:23,839 to move him without attaching a sweetener. Forty seven point one million dollars for 462 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:27,880 a player who looks like pretty washed. And it's just even if he's not, 463 00:30:29,079 --> 00:30:33,079 he's still very hard to fit into a larger ecosystem. We've just we've 464 00:30:33,119 --> 00:30:36,519 seen it three times now and maybe even four if you count some of those 465 00:30:36,599 --> 00:30:38,920 latter seasons in Okay. See, so I don't know what the move is 466 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,400 is out there, and I think I think they give up like a three 467 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,720 thousand and seventy four first round pick that's their next available, right yeah, 468 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:49,240 roughly. And look, I get that people say there is value in the 469 00:30:49,559 --> 00:30:52,440 picks that they can give up, which if we're gonna include swaps, which 470 00:30:52,599 --> 00:30:56,160 I would because they have so little, twenty six and twenty eight, they 471 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:00,160 can swap twenty seven and twenty nine they can actually trade. I get the 472 00:31:00,279 --> 00:31:03,799 idea that you're looking at this team now and thinking, oh, four or 473 00:31:03,839 --> 00:31:07,200 five years down the line, imagine controlling their first round picks. I'm not 474 00:31:07,359 --> 00:31:10,559 saying that everything is always going to work out for the Lakers. They fell 475 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:14,880 asked backwards into Lebron James by just ensuring they had cap space. That's and 476 00:31:15,039 --> 00:31:17,680 you need to give them credit for drafting the players they did, putting them 477 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:21,440 in the position to you know, Anthony Davis wanted to go there. But 478 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:23,440 there, which players are we giving them credit for here? I mean little 479 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:27,079 brandon Ingram, those are good players at Bonzo Ball. That they have done 480 00:31:27,119 --> 00:31:30,799 a phenomenal job of drafting players who are only good when they leave the Lakers. 481 00:31:32,279 --> 00:31:34,079 Well, but even I actually think that they've done a better job than 482 00:31:34,079 --> 00:31:38,319 advertised on them, like Alex Caruso should be more of a I'm mostly being 483 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,720 facetious here, right, and then even Austin Reeves is like there, if 484 00:31:41,759 --> 00:31:45,319 you look at their players who are under contract for next season, like, 485 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,920 forget the picks, it's Austin Reeves the most attractive trade asset. I'm not 486 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:52,279 even I mean, you can say Lebron or a D but if being realistic 487 00:31:52,319 --> 00:31:56,279 of players they would move. It's not none, it's not TWN, Horton, 488 00:31:56,319 --> 00:32:00,400 Tucker, Stanley Johnson as a team option. And then there's there's sucking 489 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,960 Austin Reeves, like, hey, don't overlook Whendon Gabriel. I'm going to 490 00:32:05,119 --> 00:32:08,799 he's very he's hustle incarnate. I really like watching him. Actually he was 491 00:32:08,839 --> 00:32:12,880 closing games for the Lakers by seasons then, So I'm not sure whether that 492 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,160 says more about Windon Gabriel or the state of the Lakers. Let's just let's 493 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,519 agree that it says bulls because let's not dismiss what he does. And he 494 00:32:17,599 --> 00:32:21,960 had some really nice moments in New Orleans last season. That's why I liked 495 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:27,079 watching him so much. But what I was saying though before I derailed us 496 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,759 entirely those picks in the distance. They're attractive in theory, but there's the 497 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:36,759 risk that what happened with Lebron happens again with the Lakers this time around again. 498 00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:40,279 The other thing is also what front office has the job security to say, 499 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,799 we're gonna take on this money, even it's for a year, and 500 00:32:43,839 --> 00:32:47,200 we're also going to give up someone or someones that can help the Lakers. 501 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:51,680 Maybe they're not super good, maybe they're on like less than desirable contracts, 502 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,839 but they're still more valuable than Russell Westbrook on those deals. What front office 503 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,240 has the job scory to say the only return We're not going to see a 504 00:32:59,279 --> 00:33:02,359 return on this this deal until twenty and twenty six, twenty twenty seven at 505 00:33:02,359 --> 00:33:07,319 the earliest. Woodfront office has that job security. Maybe, Okay, see 506 00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:14,960 anyone in San Antonio, Shore fine, Massie, Just like, should we 507 00:33:15,039 --> 00:33:19,400 say Tim Connelly in Minnesota? Or is that too soon? She's doing Okay, 508 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:21,839 so by the time this releases, it might not be too soon. 509 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:27,720 But since we're recording this like a few hours after that news, uh so 510 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:30,880 yeah, I don't I just don't think what the Lakers can do. And 511 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:35,720 the most popular one has been floated. Brogden healed for Westbrook and those Lakers 512 00:33:35,799 --> 00:33:39,720 picks. Okay, sure, but like what are You're not getting anything imminent 513 00:33:40,119 --> 00:33:45,000 if you're Indian Indiana, and I just I don't even understand the incentive to 514 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:49,200 give up anyone of value if you're the other team, Like, why why 515 00:33:49,279 --> 00:33:53,119 would you move Brogden there? What leverage do the Lakers have? Like you're 516 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:58,359 giving us this awful contract and a pick way down the road that might not 517 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,079 actually be this good let us let us give you this good player. I 518 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:05,519 think it's the only reason, and this isn't specific to the Pacers, is 519 00:34:05,559 --> 00:34:08,760 that Brogden's extension Kicks said next season, you don't want to pay the balance 520 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:12,000 of it. Russ is done in one shot. Maybe you save a little 521 00:34:12,039 --> 00:34:15,880 money on top of the buyout this season. It's over cap space does not 522 00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:20,599 mean the same to about twenty five to twenty six teams in the NBA as 523 00:34:20,599 --> 00:34:22,239 it does to the other four or five. And that's why if it's the 524 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:28,840 Knicks and they're looking to get off Randall Fournier, there seems like there's frameworks 525 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:31,199 there. The Knicks just don't think like that because they are just there an 526 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:35,400 archaic franchise. I'm sorry they They've had some hits in the draft. RJ. 527 00:34:35,559 --> 00:34:38,960 Barrett is good, Your IQ takes remain terrible. Quentin Grimes intriguing, 528 00:34:39,559 --> 00:34:44,199 like Deuce McBride intriguing as well, and look alc Berk's nice find. I 529 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:45,800 think people were too hard on him this season, But like the Knicks don't 530 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:47,760 think like that, and so I don't know what the market is him. 531 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:51,639 And I also think because you're the Lakers, you can't view this as just 532 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:55,039 addition by subtraction. Russell Westbrook is not getting you cap space. So if 533 00:34:55,039 --> 00:34:59,679 you're attaching first round picks to Russ and just getting nothing in value of return, 534 00:35:00,119 --> 00:35:02,280 you're now still tasked with fleshing out the rest of your roster on a 535 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:06,639 beggar's dime, which I think is really the only other question here is how 536 00:35:06,679 --> 00:35:09,320 do they properly flesh out the roster here, because as of right now, 537 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:14,000 they're gonna have I'm gonna say the mini mid level, but and that they're 538 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,119 going to be too close to the apron to even use the biannual. So 539 00:35:15,159 --> 00:35:17,880 you have the minimd level six point four million, and then the rest of 540 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:22,719 your roster on minimums. You need to hit on all of those signs, 541 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:24,320 like most of those signings, and you need to hit You need to hit 542 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,679 on your minimid level this year because you whipped on it last year with Kendrick 543 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,360 Nunn and looming over all this by the way, Malik Monk, you don't 544 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:35,800 have his bird rights, and so if he wants to come back for the 545 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:37,920 minimid level, fine, he was valuable, He's probably worth it. Your 546 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:42,800 minimid level is gone gone if he signs for less than the minimid level. 547 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:46,679 I want investigation lodged into what was going on there. That feels like super 548 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:52,079 quick pro crow, even more egregious than the Nick Batum instance, just because 549 00:35:52,079 --> 00:35:53,760 he is so young, passed up a chance to probably make a little bit 550 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:58,519 more elsewhere. Neither here nor there on that. But I'm just curious to 551 00:35:58,559 --> 00:36:01,159 see what they do. Is there still the like, is there an appeal 552 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:07,039 to taking a little bit less with the Lakers or to contend because can you 553 00:36:07,039 --> 00:36:09,360 even guarantee your contending? No? Absolutely not. I don't understand what the 554 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:14,559 motivation is going to be for the Veterans this time around. Like last offseason, 555 00:36:15,199 --> 00:36:16,480 they could at least operate under the guys that this is going to be 556 00:36:16,519 --> 00:36:21,000 a competitive roster. It's not. It's just not like if you want to 557 00:36:21,039 --> 00:36:25,280 play with Lebron and if forty games of Anthony Davis awesome, right, and 558 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:28,639 look the thing that might help them, because I don't want to It is 559 00:36:28,719 --> 00:36:32,239 still LA It is still Lebron and ad because so much of the league is 560 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:37,519 working with less than like even the full mid level, exceptions, flexibility when 561 00:36:37,559 --> 00:36:40,639 the money's equal, I do think compared to most organizations. And I'm to 562 00:36:40,679 --> 00:36:45,800 be honest here, I love Toronto fantastic franchise. If Toronto and LA are 563 00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:47,920 offering the same or comparable money, right, ALA is going to win that 564 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:51,960 battle and so that will help them. But they need to the front office 565 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:55,000 needs to hit on these signings and do you know novel concept and I know 566 00:36:55,079 --> 00:37:00,760 you agree. I think they should probably target shooting and defense in complimentary capacities 567 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:05,559 around lebron and eight. What was that shooting in defense? Complimentary shooting you 568 00:37:05,679 --> 00:37:10,280 said? You said, what in defense? Ball dominant playmaking non shooters who 569 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:14,039 play on one side of the floor. No, okay, that's what I 570 00:37:14,119 --> 00:37:15,159 thought. Because we're still on the Lakers, right, we haven't moved on 571 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:17,679 to the Thunder. We probably should. I think that's the final thought. 572 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,599 It's just like sign a bunch of old guys who need the ball, right, 573 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:24,039 We're going to be an outside roles, play one side of the floor. 574 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:27,679 That's cool. I just want to make sure we're on the same page. 575 00:37:28,039 --> 00:37:30,559 Let's move on to the next team, Oklahoma City Thunder. I feel 576 00:37:30,639 --> 00:37:37,599 like this question could just be copied and pasted into every off season for the 577 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:43,559 foreseeable future, because it's is this the offseason? They move the timetable up. 578 00:37:44,519 --> 00:37:47,800 The Thunder of thirty five total draft picks through twenty twenty eight, and 579 00:37:49,039 --> 00:37:53,119 last I checked, there are not thirty eight roster spots on an NBA team, 580 00:37:53,800 --> 00:38:00,880 So there are consolidation moves coming. They have set themselves up fantastically to 581 00:38:01,079 --> 00:38:06,719 make that big move for whichever star becomes available. Is it going to be 582 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:09,400 Bradley Beal? Is it going to be someone new? Someone we haven't even 583 00:38:10,079 --> 00:38:15,079 even fathomed is going to be available this offseason. But someone, because it 584 00:38:15,159 --> 00:38:20,119 happens every year, is going to become unexpectedly available. What if it's Zion 585 00:38:20,199 --> 00:38:22,360 Williamson. What if it's Julius Randall because he decides he wants to be a 586 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:29,480 star again. Whoever it is, Is this the time that the Thunder decide, 587 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:31,280 Hey, let's actually go win some games. Now we have Shay Gil 588 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:35,119 just Alexander, we have Josh Giddy, we have a bunch of intriguing pieces 589 00:38:35,199 --> 00:38:39,280 around them. Let's cash in some of the chips and still have more chips 590 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:45,400 than anyone else at the table. So I think that's a fair question. 591 00:38:45,079 --> 00:38:49,199 It's I feel like we're too soon on it. And I also feel like 592 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:52,159 they're not going to do it, mostly because Sam Presley came out and said 593 00:38:52,159 --> 00:38:53,079 that that's not how they're going to operate. And I know he could be 594 00:38:53,159 --> 00:38:59,840 lying, but oh, they're gonna get more picks for Like, they're gonna 595 00:38:59,880 --> 00:39:01,880 have forty five draft picks through twenty twenty nine by the end of the off 596 00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:05,320 season. And is it going to be a situation where so they have number 597 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:08,000 twelve an addition to number two in this draft, are they drafting and stashing 598 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:12,679 at number twelve or are they We've seen them do this before, they trading 599 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:15,599 that pick for another pick down the road. We've seen it. Look, 600 00:39:15,599 --> 00:39:17,719 we've seen them do it before. So that's a fantastic question. And look, 601 00:39:19,079 --> 00:39:22,360 even this summer, the body count is up there. I say body 602 00:39:22,480 --> 00:39:24,159 count like people are dying. That's a terrible phrasing. I apologize. The 603 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:29,119 roster count is up there already. Derek Favors already opted in. I know 604 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:31,280 Mike Mscala has a team option, but like he was pretty good for them. 605 00:39:31,639 --> 00:39:34,760 And so you pick up that three point five million dollar option, I 606 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:38,280 would say you're guaranteeing Kenrick Williams's contract, lu Dort's team option is getting picked 607 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:43,320 up. You're guaranteeing Aaron Wiggins' deal, and so like there are maybe one 608 00:39:43,559 --> 00:39:49,960 or two players Tail Maldone or like, I just you're still and you're you 609 00:39:50,079 --> 00:39:52,599 have two picks in the first is it two or three to two picks in 610 00:39:52,639 --> 00:39:59,039 the first round of so like, you're gonna get to fifteen bodies pretty quickly 611 00:39:59,079 --> 00:40:00,280 when you're looking. Yes, you can carry more in training camp, YATA, 612 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,599 two A deals, YadA, YadA, YadA, but you're gonna get 613 00:40:02,800 --> 00:40:07,159 to the roster max pretty quickly. There's gonna have to be some smaller scale 614 00:40:07,599 --> 00:40:10,239 consolidation here. And I thought it was interesting. It doesn't matter anymore because 615 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:14,519 they're gonna wind up with one of those three bigs in the draft. I 616 00:40:14,599 --> 00:40:16,519 thought it was interesting that Wold was linked them to DeAndre Ayton because they don't 617 00:40:16,519 --> 00:40:21,280 even have cap space this summer. Just they have that Shaye Jojas Alexander's extension 618 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:23,320 kicking in and you have Kemba's dead money on the books, So like, 619 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:27,320 are they the team that I don't think they would do this? But are 620 00:40:27,360 --> 00:40:29,800 you just gonna start wave like, are they just gonna wave Derek Favors to 621 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:31,760 create a roster spot and deal with that ten plus million dollars in dead money? 622 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:36,800 Maybe they wave and stretch him like, I don't know, but I'm 623 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:38,480 with you that they need to figure that out. My question for them initially 624 00:40:38,639 --> 00:40:40,800 when I thought we were gonna do this before the lottery, was how are 625 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:45,199 they gonna fill like the big man spot because I think SGA and Josh Giddy 626 00:40:45,280 --> 00:40:49,039 need I don't want to say a true big but like someone other than Mike 627 00:40:49,159 --> 00:40:52,119 Muscala, who you know it doesn't need to pop off screens like a rim 628 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:54,400 roller. And Jeremiah Robinson Eurrow was good this year, but I don't want 629 00:40:54,519 --> 00:40:58,760 him having a monopoly on the center minutes. They're going to get that now. 630 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:01,400 My other question would just be, I think it's just in line with 631 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:07,400 yours, is what moves are they going to make independent of the draft and 632 00:41:07,559 --> 00:41:09,360 is that Are they going to trade for someone? Are they going to facilitate 633 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:13,599 a trade where maybe you know, look we talk about Russell Westbrook. It 634 00:41:13,599 --> 00:41:15,760 wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for them to get in on that 635 00:41:15,840 --> 00:41:17,719 as part of a be the third team. I just don't know what money 636 00:41:17,760 --> 00:41:22,159 you give up, so that's a really bad example. But are you gonna 637 00:41:22,199 --> 00:41:23,320 just they don't have the money matching to go out? But are you going 638 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:29,760 to try and consolidate a different way where it's these smaller scale moves this year? 639 00:41:30,360 --> 00:41:31,519 Do we see them explore? And this is what I'm getting at, 640 00:41:31,559 --> 00:41:37,039 It might be a spicy take. Are you exploring the market for a Darius 641 00:41:37,119 --> 00:41:40,440 Baisley? Are you exploring the market for even a lou Dort at this point 642 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:44,360 because he's headed into the contract year and I know this is a callous way 643 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:47,039 to think about it. Are you paying him long term? I think the 644 00:41:47,159 --> 00:41:52,960 only person I'm prepared to say is a temp pole cornerstone is Shie gillis Alexander, 645 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:55,880 And I don't mean an offense to Josh Giddy for that. His sub 646 00:41:57,079 --> 00:42:00,480 fifty true shooting percentage concerns me. He's a fantastic pass, solid defender at 647 00:42:00,519 --> 00:42:06,960 his position, good size, solid rebounder. I don't see the long term 648 00:42:07,039 --> 00:42:09,639 vision with him and SGA. I really don't, And maybe it just naturally 649 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:15,519 unfolds where if you're surrounding them with complimentary star types or blue chip building blocks 650 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:19,440 like one of these big men that are coming out of the draft, that 651 00:42:19,559 --> 00:42:22,320 there's some organic fit there with some extra staggering. I'm just only prepared. 652 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:27,679 I would be more prepared to say whoever they draft plus SGA or the tempole 653 00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:31,000 prospects is everybody else on the table. I'm just I don't think it's going 654 00:42:31,039 --> 00:42:34,480 to be the consolidation for a star, but I am interested to see what 655 00:42:34,599 --> 00:42:39,039 other transaction or moves they're gonna make here on the margins to free up spots 656 00:42:39,159 --> 00:42:44,679 or even playing time for some of these incoming players that some we don't even 657 00:42:44,719 --> 00:42:45,880 know. I forget the two first round picks that they have, like they're 658 00:42:45,880 --> 00:42:50,039 gonna make other moves on the margins. That's what they do well, if 659 00:42:50,039 --> 00:42:54,320 it only takes pressures to Chiwa and Ogna Nobi to get Zion Williamson. I'm 660 00:42:54,360 --> 00:42:58,760 glad you saw that the YouTube comments for Hardwood Knocks are always an adventure. 661 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:01,880 Go follow us on YouTube, subscribe. But yeah, I think okay, 662 00:43:01,960 --> 00:43:06,320 see and look, if they wanted to go out like in Like you said, 663 00:43:06,559 --> 00:43:08,599 they're an interesting sign and trade destination. I agree with you, though 664 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:15,159 this isn't the off season. It doesn't feel right from a roster timing standpoint, 665 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:20,000 or from a player availability standpoint. All I look, all they need 666 00:43:20,079 --> 00:43:23,360 to do is keep Poku and play him forty minutes a game and they'll be 667 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:27,400 fine. He's the other chip cornerstone. If I were on that, I 668 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,280 actually think that poke Who's going to be absurdly good? Besides the point, 669 00:43:30,559 --> 00:43:34,119 who's our next team? Next up? We have the Portland Trailblazers, or 670 00:43:34,159 --> 00:43:37,559 at least what is left of them. My question here is just is a 671 00:43:37,639 --> 00:43:43,719 quick turnaround feasible because they've made their intentions quite clear that they're trying to do 672 00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:47,199 one of the simultaneous teardowns scale ups. Except they've messed up at like every 673 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:51,840 step of the process, so they have a bunch of flexibility to do what 674 00:43:52,079 --> 00:43:58,239 exactly. This year's free agent class is actively awful. They aren't set up 675 00:43:58,639 --> 00:44:02,119 to add much of anything in the draft, so we're ultimately left looking at 676 00:44:02,199 --> 00:44:07,920 like a five man group of Damian Lillard, Anthony Simon's assuming he's resigned, 677 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:15,039 Yusef Nurkic assuming he's resigned, Josh Hart and Nassir little Yay Like is that 678 00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:19,360 enough to make any noise in the West? I don't It feels like even 679 00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:22,239 their best case outcome of the off season is going to be more of a 680 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:27,920 lateral move if it's still a regression. And look, my question is kind 681 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:30,960 of similar in that what are they doing with the number seven pick? And 682 00:44:31,079 --> 00:44:34,599 it's more so who are they trading it for? And if you're not trading 683 00:44:35,079 --> 00:44:37,320 that pick at all, is Dame actually on board with this rebuild? He 684 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:42,480 looked pretty crestfallen when they when they failed a number seven in the lottery. 685 00:44:43,039 --> 00:44:45,119 And look, I'm gonna be honest right now, I know Pistons fans think 686 00:44:45,159 --> 00:44:50,000 that they're getting the number seven pick for Jeremy Grant. If the Blazers do 687 00:44:50,199 --> 00:44:55,480 that, that is going to be a significantly damaging move to their future. 688 00:44:55,920 --> 00:45:00,639 Jeremy Grant's a very good player, not super old. You're mortgaging a huge 689 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:04,559 if there has I don't even know what the other moving parts of that deal 690 00:45:04,639 --> 00:45:08,719 would be, but it would be a basketball catastrophe if that's what you're turning 691 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:14,920 the seventh pick into. And and I know that these draft picks are more 692 00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:19,400 like ambiguous appeal than anything. It's the it's the allure of who could turn 693 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:21,280 into and then all of a sudden they'll draft someone and it won't be as 694 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:23,480 valuable as it's Shane Sharp as a Kegan Murray. Whoever, at the same 695 00:45:23,559 --> 00:45:29,960 time, like it's at least a viable younger like prospect around whom you can 696 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:36,679 potentially build to punt on that flyer for Jeremy Grant given in a bad draft 697 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:39,239 class, and I look right and I don't even I don't even think this 698 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:42,719 draft class, I'm only like a little bit higher than Shin Deep. I 699 00:45:42,800 --> 00:45:45,800 said this on the previous podcast in the Draft Crep. I'm like kinda not 700 00:45:46,559 --> 00:45:50,159 like I'm in on this draft class, not as much as last year's. 701 00:45:50,360 --> 00:45:52,000 I think we see a lot of role players, which is valuable. I 702 00:45:52,119 --> 00:45:54,719 just don't know that you get like building blocks. Well, here's the thing, 703 00:45:54,800 --> 00:45:59,599 Jeremy Grant is closer to role player than star, and you're gonna give 704 00:45:59,679 --> 00:46:01,199 him the where you're one. I'm on board with you. I'm just I'm 705 00:46:01,320 --> 00:46:05,960 giving the caveat that this is all true even with this being a weak draft 706 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:08,679 class. I was going to throw to you to ask what do you think 707 00:46:08,719 --> 00:46:12,679 of the idea? And this is just operating on the assumption that because look, 708 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:15,840 you have Damian Millard, who is age thirty two. Correct, you're 709 00:46:16,079 --> 00:46:19,559 you have to move this pick if you want, like there's no oh, 710 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,440 Dame's gonna be in this another two or three years and then will be good. 711 00:46:22,719 --> 00:46:23,480 No no, no, no no, that's not how this is gonna 712 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:28,639 work. Would you move other moving parts involved? Oh the other thing I 713 00:46:28,679 --> 00:46:30,280 wanted to say, And you made this great point. They have this flexibility. 714 00:46:30,840 --> 00:46:37,440 It's basically all conditional because their cap space is submax. If they if 715 00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:39,119 they really want to, you know, get rid of everything they need to 716 00:46:39,280 --> 00:46:45,320 to inflate that number as high as possible. They're probably looking at I don't 717 00:46:45,360 --> 00:46:50,400 know, like almost let's say twenty four million in space. You can then 718 00:46:50,559 --> 00:46:52,679 dump salaries to get to like a max for DeAndre Atan. If you want 719 00:46:52,679 --> 00:46:57,280 to go to the sign and trade route and figure that base year conversation out 720 00:46:57,320 --> 00:47:01,960 with Phoenix at the same time, then you're pumping on the Jeremy Grant trade 721 00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:06,480 exception that you have. And so like I call it to Jeremy Grant trade 722 00:47:06,480 --> 00:47:09,599 exception because it's Pericles eyes for Jeremy Grant. But you're not having both here. 723 00:47:09,760 --> 00:47:13,000 You have to operate basically as an over thecap team if you want to 724 00:47:13,079 --> 00:47:16,519 keep that trade exception, so their flexibilities very conditional where it's like you can't 725 00:47:16,559 --> 00:47:21,159 have it all for them. I wanted to throw to you, would you 726 00:47:21,239 --> 00:47:25,480 give up the number seven pick in a deal that got you Rudy Gobert or 727 00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:30,440 a deal that gets you brogged in and Miles Turner. I probably would in 728 00:47:30,519 --> 00:47:35,159 either of those instances, partially just because I am lower on this draft class, 729 00:47:35,199 --> 00:47:40,000 but also because selfishly I want to see Dames stay in a Portland Trailblazers 730 00:47:40,079 --> 00:47:44,559 uniform. He's one of those players that feels so attached to a city and 731 00:47:44,800 --> 00:47:47,360 you know, I you know, player autonomy is great, and fully promote 732 00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:52,000 that, but also like I love the idea of these legitimate superstars staying in 733 00:47:52,079 --> 00:47:58,199 one Jersey forever and if there's a chance for that to happen, because there's 734 00:47:58,199 --> 00:48:01,880 an immediate move of that caliber, we're talking about something way better than Jeremy 735 00:48:01,960 --> 00:48:06,039 Grant with either of those situations. With Rudy Gobert, all of a sudden, 736 00:48:06,360 --> 00:48:08,800 you have a great, rim rolling threat who completely transforms what Portland can 737 00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:14,119 do on defense, and the same is true with the Indiana Pacers move, 738 00:48:14,559 --> 00:48:17,840 just albeit on a lower scale with Turner, who also gives you some pop, 739 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:22,800 and you're picking up Brogden in that deal, who is very much a 740 00:48:22,880 --> 00:48:24,880 jack of all trades, can fit alongside Dame. So in either instance, 741 00:48:25,039 --> 00:48:30,440 I think the reward is worth the risk. I would be curious what the 742 00:48:30,519 --> 00:48:32,199 Rudy Gobert deal needs to look like just for you, because with Utah, 743 00:48:32,280 --> 00:48:35,920 you're giving up Gobert, you're not getting better. But I also don't know 744 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:38,360 that you're trying to rebuild, and I'm just still assuming the Gobert's and Charlotte 745 00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:44,079 already, You're gonna make a lot of people in Atlanta man with that comment, 746 00:48:44,880 --> 00:48:46,400 So I think I'm with you too. I would do both instances. 747 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:49,880 I'm a little bit more if you're on the Pacers one, because I don't 748 00:48:49,920 --> 00:48:52,920 love the Brogden extension anymore. But you compare him with Simons and Dame, 749 00:48:53,280 --> 00:48:57,440 and that's fine. I think if Josh Hart there presumably still with Turner's coming 750 00:48:57,519 --> 00:49:00,519 up on his next contract and then his Nerk all of on, just you're 751 00:49:00,599 --> 00:49:02,599 letting him off for nothing, I guess, in either of those scenarios, 752 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:06,559 or you're keeping Turner and nor because they're a signing trade for Nerk. My 753 00:49:06,639 --> 00:49:10,840 bonus question really quickly was do you think Anthony Simon's is getting max or near 754 00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:15,519 max money in restricted free agency? I don't think so. I think it's 755 00:49:15,559 --> 00:49:20,719 a tier or two short. I'm like, I'm just wondering if the I 756 00:49:20,760 --> 00:49:23,199 guess so. The Pistons fallowing to five hurts this theory. I actually wonder 757 00:49:23,199 --> 00:49:27,079 if they've become a DeAndre Ayton suitor now because they missed out on all those 758 00:49:27,079 --> 00:49:30,159 bigs. I thought they might have been a team just him next to Cunningham 759 00:49:30,239 --> 00:49:32,559 would have been super interesting. I will say, I'm kind of with you 760 00:49:32,599 --> 00:49:36,360 in the sense that there's just not enough money out there, and so unless 761 00:49:36,360 --> 00:49:43,960 it's going to be Detroit, Indiana, Orlando or or San Antonio, I 762 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:45,960 don't know which of those teams. Detroit might, but if they're going to 763 00:49:46,039 --> 00:49:50,840 draft Ja and Ivy, they shouldn't. They don't have the incentive. I 764 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:57,079 really don't think Simons is like the Simons dejud be, like a really intriguing 765 00:49:57,159 --> 00:50:00,480 backcourt, but you have you have they kind of have like this overstock of 766 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:07,760 swing men slash wings already with facell Josh Primo is there, Trey Jones emerged, 767 00:50:07,920 --> 00:50:09,920 so and they just don't. That's not san Antonio's game. Let's go 768 00:50:10,039 --> 00:50:15,119 max out or near max out this other team's free agent unless he's LaMarcus Aldrics. 769 00:50:15,159 --> 00:50:19,920 Apparently so, and Orlando just has so much of everything, such a 770 00:50:20,039 --> 00:50:22,000 lot everywhere, right, and a lot of it is guard So to go 771 00:50:22,039 --> 00:50:25,480 after Simons would be a little bit weird, but it wouldn't surprise me if 772 00:50:25,519 --> 00:50:29,400 he just signs a deal with like, let's set the over on drown his 773 00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:31,639 salary. His max could be thirty point five. I'm gonna say twenty two 774 00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:36,519 million. I was coming in around twenty four, so over, so a 775 00:50:36,559 --> 00:50:38,360 little over, unless he decides to go to the Lakers on the mini midlevel, 776 00:50:40,119 --> 00:50:43,679 the Malik Monk route, but make a little bit more money than Malik 777 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:47,239 Monk in right, exactly exactly. Who's our next team? Next up? 778 00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:51,840 We have the Sacramento Kings, and I'm gonna go the easy route here and 779 00:50:52,079 --> 00:50:57,199 just ask where is Rashaun Holmes going to be traded too? Because he is 780 00:50:57,320 --> 00:51:00,679 on the books for eleven point two million dollars next year's contract runs through twenty 781 00:51:01,199 --> 00:51:06,119 twenty five or the player option for that final year. It's pretty clear that 782 00:51:06,159 --> 00:51:12,199 they're committed to Demonta Sabonis and darn Fox, which worked better than I expected. 783 00:51:12,920 --> 00:51:15,880 At the tail end of this past season. It looks like there is 784 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:20,400 legitimately something to build around there. As they gain more comfort, Holmes is 785 00:51:20,519 --> 00:51:23,440 only going to be phased out of a primary spot within the rotation. Even 786 00:51:23,480 --> 00:51:29,199 more, Harrison Barnes is still there to absorb a lot of the minutes at 787 00:51:29,239 --> 00:51:32,000 the four. He can play some small ball five when Sabonis isn't on the 788 00:51:32,039 --> 00:51:37,039 floor. So Holmes needs a different home. I think that's that's pretty clear. 789 00:51:38,440 --> 00:51:43,800 We thought that he was going to be commanding a lot more money last 790 00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:49,599 offseason. Charlotte was easily our favorite destination. Are they still in play? 791 00:51:50,199 --> 00:51:52,239 Are other teams going to get in the mix, because Holmes is still a 792 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:59,480 legitimately good, impactful player even if he's not Demonta Sabonis Also really quickly because 793 00:51:59,480 --> 00:52:00,760 we haven't aggres Sin on the podcast, and I feel we are not saying 794 00:52:00,760 --> 00:52:06,039 the off court stuff with his I think it's his girlfriend and his son. 795 00:52:06,519 --> 00:52:08,519 I just feel whatever the truth is there, I feel terrible for his son. 796 00:52:08,519 --> 00:52:10,639 It seems like he's been through a lot, and so please his son's 797 00:52:10,679 --> 00:52:15,280 okay, and everything we're saying about Rashaun Holmes has only everything to do about 798 00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:19,000 what's going on basketball watch. Just wanted to throw that caveat out there. 799 00:52:19,639 --> 00:52:23,199 I think I'm with you in the sense Charlotte Dallas would be a really good 800 00:52:23,239 --> 00:52:27,840 fit for him and Toronto are teams that I could see going after him, 801 00:52:28,000 --> 00:52:30,440 and maybe it doesn't take. You know, the Kings have kind of hurt 802 00:52:30,559 --> 00:52:32,800 his trade value. His contract is still so good, but by having some 803 00:52:32,880 --> 00:52:37,480 bonus, you've made him superfluous and our team's gonna low ball you there. 804 00:52:37,480 --> 00:52:42,599 This falls under the umbrella of my question, what the fuck are the King's 805 00:52:42,639 --> 00:52:45,920 going to do? Is was my actual question, and I have I think 806 00:52:45,960 --> 00:52:52,360 anyone who listens to the Kings, they are in a perpetual state of existential 807 00:52:52,440 --> 00:52:55,280 crisis. That is, that is the Sacramento Kings. We've we do not 808 00:52:55,440 --> 00:52:59,199 typically gobble the low hanging fruit with the Kings on this podcast. I want 809 00:52:59,199 --> 00:53:02,559 to make that clear. Everyone eat binging away at the low hanging fruit. 810 00:53:02,559 --> 00:53:07,840 They deserve it at this point. And I don't know what they do here. 811 00:53:08,000 --> 00:53:13,000 They've tethered themselves to this weird timeline and it's just hysterical that they landed 812 00:53:13,159 --> 00:53:17,440 in the number four spot, which that's a huge asset Ja Nivy with the 813 00:53:17,559 --> 00:53:22,400 Aaron Fox and baby On Mitchell. I'm not a big proponent of drafting for 814 00:53:22,760 --> 00:53:24,599 fit. I would go best player available, so I would take Jay and 815 00:53:24,599 --> 00:53:28,199 Ivy and I wouldn't think to wife about it. But like the Kings have 816 00:53:29,480 --> 00:53:31,159 tied themselves to this more urgent timeline to where well, you have to care 817 00:53:31,199 --> 00:53:35,639 a little bit because what happens there, and that's not the cleanest fit with 818 00:53:35,719 --> 00:53:39,360 Fox and Sabonis and Ivy's going to be a developmental project anyway. And so 819 00:53:39,519 --> 00:53:42,519 I mean in theory you could say, oh, well, then we'll get 820 00:53:42,519 --> 00:53:45,719 to bring them along slowly because Fox and Sabonis are there. That's not how 821 00:53:45,760 --> 00:53:47,519 the Kings are going to operate. It's also what are you grooming him for 822 00:53:47,639 --> 00:53:52,039 to take the end foxes chop. It's like the Aaron Fox is not thirty 823 00:53:52,119 --> 00:53:54,320 five years old. I'm just curious. And I know we say we didn't 824 00:53:54,320 --> 00:53:57,679 want to talk about the draft, but are they going to either is this 825 00:53:57,800 --> 00:54:00,840 a trade down scenario for them or are they this would have been fair game 826 00:54:00,880 --> 00:54:05,159 regardless, did they try to use that pick to materially upgrade I would say 827 00:54:05,199 --> 00:54:10,159 the wing rotation and the issue there. And I've scoured like the potential wing 828 00:54:10,239 --> 00:54:15,199 market. I don't even know what perspective deals are gonna be worth giving up 829 00:54:15,320 --> 00:54:20,000 what would be the number four pick. So it feels like they're they're gonna 830 00:54:20,039 --> 00:54:22,679 be in a situation of, oh, they're probably better off trading down. 831 00:54:22,719 --> 00:54:25,320 I saw some people float, like John Collins for the number four pick. 832 00:54:25,679 --> 00:54:29,360 I don't know if John Collins is worth that in a vacuum. He's not 833 00:54:29,440 --> 00:54:32,880 worth that to the King. You just traded for force a bonus and you're 834 00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:36,840 not you know, Miles Turner, You're not gonna go after him after you 835 00:54:36,960 --> 00:54:44,239 just readed for sibonus. He's also would be though can you imagine it would 836 00:54:44,320 --> 00:54:47,760 potentially be the most King's move ever? Though it would be They've seen people 837 00:54:47,760 --> 00:54:52,400 mentioned could they be a sneaky Rudy Gobert destination? That is, you freeze 838 00:54:52,440 --> 00:54:54,719 a bonus from playing with another big, only to play him beside another big 839 00:54:54,760 --> 00:54:59,880 who's an even worse offensive fit next to him. So no, you don't 840 00:55:00,199 --> 00:55:04,440 that. I just and he clearly doesn't fall under the wing umbrella there, 841 00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:07,920 So I don't know. There are other moves they can make they're not. 842 00:55:07,079 --> 00:55:10,639 There shouldn't be a caps faced team unless unless they dump other salary. What 843 00:55:10,800 --> 00:55:15,039 is their mid level exception? Get them? What are they gonna do with 844 00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:16,800 their draft picks? It does feel like there's going to be a significant trade 845 00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:21,199 here, and that it's gonna be a buy. I don't see them wanting 846 00:55:21,280 --> 00:55:25,679 to move Seawan homes strictly to get spare parts or future assets. That's not 847 00:55:25,760 --> 00:55:30,559 the timeline on which they're operating, and so I asked my question was, 848 00:55:30,559 --> 00:55:31,719 what the fuck are they going to do? Because I honestly just add a 849 00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:36,679 loss for There's all these different options available to them, but none of them 850 00:55:36,719 --> 00:55:43,280 seem to coalace into whatever the hazy bigger picture they've assembled here is. And 851 00:55:44,079 --> 00:55:46,119 I just that number four pick. It feels like the draft is going to 852 00:55:46,199 --> 00:55:50,679 start with them, like they are the first wild card, and I think 853 00:55:50,920 --> 00:55:52,880 it's a three player top tier. So of course the Kings have the number 854 00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:57,519 four pick, but you know, even if they had, I don't even 855 00:55:57,559 --> 00:55:59,760 know if I want to go there. That's just too mean to the Kings. 856 00:56:00,039 --> 00:56:01,039 I think you know where I was going. I think I do, 857 00:56:01,199 --> 00:56:07,000 which is why I'll carry us right along. It's just like I'm again, 858 00:56:07,119 --> 00:56:08,719 I'm at a loss, don't know really what and you I'm even stumbling through 859 00:56:08,760 --> 00:56:12,559 it now because of the lead in that you the thing that you just tease. 860 00:56:13,159 --> 00:56:16,280 I'm just like, do they even have the Like, are they the 861 00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:20,440 team that's just gonna keep the pick and then not draft who the obvious player 862 00:56:20,440 --> 00:56:22,639 at number four feels like he is because they're not gonna get the benefit of 863 00:56:22,679 --> 00:56:24,920 the doubt If they go with Shayton Sharp at number four, that's they're not 864 00:56:24,920 --> 00:56:28,119 gonna be the team that gets the benefit of the doubt there, right, 865 00:56:28,199 --> 00:56:30,679 just put it in the bagley, I mean back so I don't I just 866 00:56:30,800 --> 00:56:34,920 don't even know. It feels like the more prudent move would be to explore 867 00:56:34,960 --> 00:56:37,599 the trade down scenarios just because it doesn't look like the market for what they 868 00:56:37,679 --> 00:56:40,599 need is a name that I floated just because his I don't want to say 869 00:56:40,599 --> 00:56:45,039 it's fit, but his future is a little bit more murky in Toronto is 870 00:56:45,199 --> 00:56:47,639 og Ana Nobi. Just with the emergence of Scotty Barnes, we sort of 871 00:56:47,679 --> 00:56:52,320 saw our og stagnate on offense. I think in part because of the roster 872 00:56:52,480 --> 00:56:55,440 construction. Is there something there ever? Shawn Holmes and number four for og 873 00:56:55,840 --> 00:57:00,159 is that too much? Does Toronto say, WHOA, so we're gonna get 874 00:57:00,280 --> 00:57:04,480 number four? Is supposed to draft someone who stands under six seven? I 875 00:57:04,559 --> 00:57:07,360 don't, So I don't. I don't know, But like I can't come 876 00:57:07,440 --> 00:57:09,559 up with a deal that makes sense for the number four pick. That's that's 877 00:57:09,599 --> 00:57:13,159 for a natural player. There are a bunch of different trade down scenarios that 878 00:57:13,599 --> 00:57:15,119 that you could look at. For sure, Yeah, I would. I 879 00:57:15,159 --> 00:57:19,000 would rather than try to trade down to get more picks, you know, 880 00:57:19,159 --> 00:57:22,440 just let's let's take some more flyers in this class, because even if it's 881 00:57:22,440 --> 00:57:25,400 a weak at the top, there should be a lot of rotation players throughout 882 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:28,679 the back half of the first round, the top half of the second round. 883 00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:31,079 Yeah, I could, Like, would they do something? I feel 884 00:57:31,079 --> 00:57:36,159 like this maybe isn't like the Spurs if the Spurs offered number nine and people 885 00:57:36,159 --> 00:57:38,760 are gonna laugh because he's become a meme, but Josh Richardson and then something 886 00:57:38,840 --> 00:57:43,280 else, because Josh Chrison was really good for them and was having a solid 887 00:57:43,360 --> 00:57:47,400 season before he was traded from Boston. Anyway, but like, maybe that's 888 00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:52,079 a team that could look at doing it. I know that Charlotte has two 889 00:57:52,199 --> 00:57:54,000 first, but who are they giving the Kings. That's where it gets weird. 890 00:57:54,119 --> 00:57:57,159 Is even when you look at the teams that I could see maybe wanting 891 00:57:57,239 --> 00:58:00,920 to trade up to number four, can the Pacers actually do anything for you? 892 00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:04,440 I'm sure they're just pissed that they didn't end up in the top four. 893 00:58:04,519 --> 00:58:07,760 Here brogden' and what Brogden in six? And I think you would need 894 00:58:07,880 --> 00:58:10,880 something else there too. I'm not even gonna lie, so you don't. 895 00:58:10,960 --> 00:58:15,840 I don't think Broden is not like this team needs a wing, and like, 896 00:58:15,039 --> 00:58:19,159 yeah, but I'm not sure that moving down from four to six matters 897 00:58:19,239 --> 00:58:22,760 that much of this class. Well, then fair enough, But then if 898 00:58:22,760 --> 00:58:25,920 you're the King's I guess I don't know. Like I said, I don't 899 00:58:27,000 --> 00:58:30,440 see the options there, even when you get into the trade down stuff with 900 00:58:30,559 --> 00:58:37,920 teams that have interests. So Sacramento's offseason it's always like chaotically fascinating, detrimentally 901 00:58:37,000 --> 00:58:40,559 fascinating, I think on more of a higher level here, a deeper level. 902 00:58:40,599 --> 00:58:44,039 It's just fascinating for so many reasons because of what it's going to say 903 00:58:44,079 --> 00:58:47,760 about their philosophy, their timeline, and then of course the other players that 904 00:58:47,800 --> 00:58:52,599 are currently on this roster what it says about them. Last, but not 905 00:58:52,760 --> 00:58:59,039 least, we have the San Antonio Spurs, and my question here, is 906 00:58:59,119 --> 00:59:04,400 there a building block in San Antonio other than Dejante Murray. Ton of intriguing 907 00:59:04,440 --> 00:59:07,360 players, Kelton Johnson, the energy that he brings crashing to the rim and 908 00:59:07,880 --> 00:59:13,840 serving as like a secondary scorer, really impressive. Yaca peartle good defensive anchor. 909 00:59:14,119 --> 00:59:16,639 I think they should bring back Lonnie Walker. Devin Vassel showed that there 910 00:59:16,719 --> 00:59:20,519 was more juice to his game, especially in the second half of the season. 911 00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:25,000 You still have Josh Primo, Trey Jones emerged towards the back half of 912 00:59:25,039 --> 00:59:30,760 the schedule. Are any of them like building blocks, because if they're not, 913 00:59:30,800 --> 00:59:37,400 that's an awful lot of good, not great players when there should be 914 00:59:37,480 --> 00:59:40,920 a little bit more urgency around a version of Dejante Murray that hit like full 915 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:46,800 fledged stardom this last season. I am with you there, and it's probably 916 00:59:46,960 --> 00:59:51,199 an oversimplification to say dejan Da Murray camp be the best player in the championship 917 00:59:51,199 --> 00:59:54,159 team. There are like ten players who maybe maybe ten, that fit that 918 00:59:54,199 --> 00:59:57,559 bill. And so with the Spurs, I think are tasked with are kind 919 00:59:57,599 --> 01:00:00,440 of finding dejan Day Murray's equal or one who perhaps makes him the one B. 920 01:00:00,960 --> 01:00:07,480 And so you're asking, is anyone on the roster going to I think 921 01:00:07,320 --> 01:00:10,159 I think the Cell would have the best chance, and you would have to 922 01:00:10,199 --> 01:00:14,760 take sort of the Kawhi Leonard route of his offense really coming. We saw 923 01:00:14,840 --> 01:00:17,119 him get more ball screens after the trade deadline, But I don't know. 924 01:00:17,400 --> 01:00:20,960 And you could even argue, just because he's more mystery box like, is 925 01:00:21,039 --> 01:00:23,079 Josh Primo have a better chance of being that player, all of which might 926 01:00:23,119 --> 01:00:27,679 be to say they don't have that player on the roster right now. And 927 01:00:27,760 --> 01:00:30,039 as much as it's the Spurs, I don't think you bank on them getting 928 01:00:30,079 --> 01:00:36,400 it at number nine. And that's just probably not how do you build out 929 01:00:36,480 --> 01:00:40,960 from here? Because you could argue that they are a consolidation candidate and we 930 01:00:42,039 --> 01:00:44,800 see, look they've been a little bit more willing to make moves the Demard 931 01:00:44,920 --> 01:00:47,639 Rosen sign and trade, they flipped Derek White at the deadline. They would 932 01:00:47,639 --> 01:00:52,239 be a very and I know Jeante Murray tweeted this out a photoshop picture of 933 01:00:52,320 --> 01:00:55,400 Zach Levine spur Jersey and then deleted it. Respect to him for tweeting that 934 01:00:55,440 --> 01:00:59,920 out. Though they are a fun zach Lavine team for me, I think 935 01:01:00,079 --> 01:01:04,159 you could argue they might need defense a little bit more, But they also 936 01:01:04,239 --> 01:01:07,840 don't have the level of shot maker that zach Lavine is. And I'm talking 937 01:01:07,840 --> 01:01:13,159 about someone who's also flying around off the ball as well, because he's become 938 01:01:13,719 --> 01:01:17,320 like the quintessential dual threat, whereas he will hit these tough jumpers and it's 939 01:01:17,320 --> 01:01:21,519 not even a dual. He's in every level score basically, but it scales 940 01:01:21,599 --> 01:01:24,199 to both on the ball and off the ball. And they have a bunch 941 01:01:24,239 --> 01:01:28,280 of players who I think can score fine on the ball, can score fine 942 01:01:28,360 --> 01:01:31,039 off the ball, they don't have someone who can score on ball like zach 943 01:01:31,119 --> 01:01:36,199 Lavine. And completely agree, and I think for the same reason Bradley Beale, 944 01:01:36,760 --> 01:01:38,880 this is a sneaky, fun landing spot for him. I would agree. 945 01:01:38,960 --> 01:01:43,840 But do you think, I guess you wouldn't care about going for quote 946 01:01:43,920 --> 01:01:46,960 unquote age when zach Lavine's not that much younger than Bradley Beale and Jante Murray's 947 01:01:46,960 --> 01:01:52,760 not exactly young anymore either. What you get into the issue of is that 948 01:01:52,679 --> 01:01:55,480 zach Lavine has to want to leave. It feels like it would almost be 949 01:01:55,880 --> 01:01:59,960 easier to get Bradley Beale as much as he's come out and said he wants 950 01:02:00,000 --> 01:02:02,679 been watching them Levine because the Bulls have sort of married themselves to wanting to 951 01:02:02,760 --> 01:02:07,239 win now, and so Zach Lavine has to really want out of Chicago where 952 01:02:07,239 --> 01:02:09,800 I think there's a better chance. Doesn't mean it's likely that Washington could say 953 01:02:10,039 --> 01:02:15,000 it's really time for us to go in a different direction because we have the 954 01:02:15,079 --> 01:02:17,599 number ten pick what are we supposed to do with that? To build around 955 01:02:17,639 --> 01:02:22,559 you? And so that would be a super fun destination. My question, 956 01:02:22,840 --> 01:02:24,679 which I guess could fall under this umbrella as well, how do they use 957 01:02:25,119 --> 01:02:29,400 their cap space? Which can I think they there's a chance that they end 958 01:02:29,519 --> 01:02:32,559 up having the most cap space in the NBA they can get up to if 959 01:02:32,559 --> 01:02:37,360 they really want to maximize it, like almost thirty million at this point, 960 01:02:37,440 --> 01:02:39,480 there's Orlando and Detroit and even India of the potential get more, but they 961 01:02:39,519 --> 01:02:45,119 have to take additional steps to get there. They are the team just based 962 01:02:45,159 --> 01:02:50,719 off like the extra step or that they would need to take to get like 963 01:02:50,840 --> 01:02:53,559 the actual max if they decided to get rid of Zach Collins. Or is 964 01:02:53,599 --> 01:02:59,000 this just can we find a destination for Romeo Langford move his money? Are 965 01:02:59,039 --> 01:03:02,159 they a team would go after one of these RFAs And I'm saying Miles Bridges 966 01:03:02,719 --> 01:03:08,440 or DeAndre Ayton and I'd probably say no, Like, I don't think that 967 01:03:08,440 --> 01:03:14,039 they're gonna like take a huge swing in free agency whether and that would pertain 968 01:03:14,119 --> 01:03:16,239 through Zach Levine and Bradley deal as well, even if signing trade possibilities are 969 01:03:16,280 --> 01:03:22,079 on the table. Yeah, I struggle to see any of those restricted freatings 970 01:03:22,119 --> 01:03:27,000 really working out for this team. And once you move past that level, 971 01:03:27,880 --> 01:03:30,280 Miles Bridges, are you gonna throw a ton of money at him? And 972 01:03:30,360 --> 01:03:35,440 like the think so? And I don't even if they did, I don't 973 01:03:35,480 --> 01:03:38,440 know that it really like elevates you as much as you need. What if 974 01:03:39,679 --> 01:03:45,559 what if Kyrie Irving or James Harden turned down their deals and look for new 975 01:03:45,639 --> 01:03:52,679 contracts? Feasibly? Irving is a is a good fit alongside Murray. I 976 01:03:52,760 --> 01:03:54,199 don't know what to make of Harden at this stage. Do you want to 977 01:03:54,239 --> 01:03:59,880 even deal with the headaches? Probably not. I can't imagine a Ridge, 978 01:04:00,039 --> 01:04:04,760 a disciplined system like san Antonio Well going after Kyrie Irving right now. But 979 01:04:04,960 --> 01:04:09,880 like the options are just so limited. This feels like one of those off 980 01:04:09,920 --> 01:04:14,119 seasons where like, congrats on having your cap space, good luck using it 981 01:04:14,360 --> 01:04:18,199 next year. I do wonder if they could inflate the market on shorter term 982 01:04:18,239 --> 01:04:21,920 deals for some of like the the second or third tier free agents, Like 983 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:26,920 could they be if they want Tis Jones, or if you're looking at guys 984 01:04:27,239 --> 01:04:30,119 like Gary Harris who rebooted his value, or Victor Oladipo rebooted his value, 985 01:04:30,320 --> 01:04:36,239 or guess Colin Sexton, I don't know. I guess I don't mind his 986 01:04:36,360 --> 01:04:40,960 fit here, but they just feel so guard heavy where it's exactly like, 987 01:04:41,039 --> 01:04:45,320 why are your right and so this would lead to the question of if you're 988 01:04:45,400 --> 01:04:48,480 not, and it's fair to say that they're not just because the options to 989 01:04:48,960 --> 01:04:54,440 and who's the we could talk about a consolidation trade, the question who Oh, 990 01:04:55,079 --> 01:05:00,519 it's just I feel I feel like I am normally pretty good spotting, 991 01:05:00,039 --> 01:05:03,480 even if it's not the obvious star or high end player that could want out 992 01:05:03,599 --> 01:05:06,360 next, and I just look up and down the NBA right now, and 993 01:05:06,360 --> 01:05:10,440 I'm like, I just don't see that guy. Maybe I'm too high. 994 01:05:10,519 --> 01:05:14,239 I'm like every team or the situation that they're in. I just don't know 995 01:05:14,400 --> 01:05:15,760 who that surprise, smack you in the face player is going to be. 996 01:05:16,320 --> 01:05:21,000 So what does what does leaning further into this rebuild? Because right now he 997 01:05:21,079 --> 01:05:25,199 call it a build, I wouldn't even call it a rebuild. Another question, 998 01:05:25,440 --> 01:05:28,119 what does leaning further into it if they want to do it look like? 999 01:05:29,239 --> 01:05:32,639 Because like, if you're trading Yaka Peartle and Josh Richardson, I think 1000 01:05:32,760 --> 01:05:35,679 Jacko Peartle makes your substantially worse. But I do get to the question of, 1001 01:05:35,760 --> 01:05:39,639 like, well, why are you moving Yakob Peartle. He's so cheap 1002 01:05:40,199 --> 01:05:43,440 and you don't Maybe he makes a lot in his next contract, but maybe 1003 01:05:43,480 --> 01:05:45,920 he doesn't. He's not a player that I think you cry over. Should 1004 01:05:45,920 --> 01:05:48,360 he leave for a ton more money? And the only way to actually lean 1005 01:05:48,440 --> 01:05:50,480 further into it, and I don't think you do it. I'll make that 1006 01:05:50,559 --> 01:05:54,800 clear, is do you make the Jante Murray available? Is he the player 1007 01:05:55,199 --> 01:05:58,000 that we haven't given enough thought too. I just don't see them doing that 1008 01:05:58,119 --> 01:06:00,840 to Pop or even to him wise and how much they value the homegrown talent. 1009 01:06:01,199 --> 01:06:06,599 They are maybe the toughest team to peg for the offseason just to look 1010 01:06:06,639 --> 01:06:09,159 at well, what are they? I know, we just like, what 1011 01:06:09,280 --> 01:06:11,840 the fuck are the King's going to do? The Spurs are in a similar 1012 01:06:11,920 --> 01:06:15,280 boat, albeit I would say is it even a more enviable boat? I 1013 01:06:15,320 --> 01:06:20,400 would say maybe. I think this is this is the byproduct of trying to 1014 01:06:20,599 --> 01:06:29,360 skirt two eras, like you end up in this this treadmill of slightly above 1015 01:06:29,440 --> 01:06:35,280 mediocrity where you're too good to get the high end prospects, but you're you're 1016 01:06:35,320 --> 01:06:40,400 not good enough to really compete, and it's really tough to escape that. 1017 01:06:42,840 --> 01:06:46,559 And I think the Spurs maybe we're undervaluing some of the developmental projects on their 1018 01:06:46,599 --> 01:06:50,199 roster, or maybe their ability to mind talent at a spot like number nine 1019 01:06:50,239 --> 01:06:54,280 in this draft. But I don't think it's fair to start asking those questions. 1020 01:06:54,360 --> 01:06:58,599 They've they're like in a pleasant mediocrity right now because they finally moved on 1021 01:06:58,800 --> 01:07:01,000 from the post Kauai error where they had to rose and it felt like they 1022 01:07:01,000 --> 01:07:04,320 were even more trapped. So they're not stuck. I might argue that Kings 1023 01:07:04,360 --> 01:07:08,519 are more stuck because of what they're going to have to do with Sabonis his 1024 01:07:08,599 --> 01:07:11,519 next contract. Would they owe Fox? I think I would disagree, just 1025 01:07:11,559 --> 01:07:16,000 because Sabonis and Fox give you higher upside than Murray alone does. I mean, 1026 01:07:16,119 --> 01:07:21,840 that's that's probably fair, but the Spurs just wouldn't you. The Spurs 1027 01:07:21,880 --> 01:07:27,119 are built better to make the consolidation trade if an opportunity rising right now, 1028 01:07:27,280 --> 01:07:30,400 Yes, absolutely, but there's I think there's a scenario in which Sacramento just 1029 01:07:30,599 --> 01:07:36,519 breaks out. If Sabonis and Fox totally click, If Davion Mitchell explodes as 1030 01:07:36,559 --> 01:07:41,800 a sophomore, Harrison Barnes is still there, you have some depth across the 1031 01:07:41,840 --> 01:07:46,039 board. I don't think it's too far fetched that they actually make some postseason 1032 01:07:46,119 --> 01:07:55,639 noise. Wow, unlikely, unlikely, But I mean, if you're looking 1033 01:07:55,719 --> 01:08:00,119 at like the distribution of outcomes, sana Antonio probably has a hire me and 1034 01:08:00,280 --> 01:08:04,760 media and outcome, but it tails off a little quicker. I think Sacramento's, 1035 01:08:04,840 --> 01:08:09,760 like true peak, rises a little bit higher than san Antonio's does right 1036 01:08:09,800 --> 01:08:13,920 now. It's just unlikelier that they get that it gets there. I'm gonna 1037 01:08:14,000 --> 01:08:18,920 throw very couple quick scenarios at you. If these opportunities rise, are the 1038 01:08:18,960 --> 01:08:23,479 Spurs a good destination for these players? What if the what if the jazz 1039 01:08:23,600 --> 01:08:27,880 or he asked for oute? What if Donovan Mitchell becomes available. The idea 1040 01:08:27,920 --> 01:08:30,520 of a Murray Donovan Mitchell backcourt. I don't really love that one, just 1041 01:08:30,640 --> 01:08:36,920 because Mitchell has become such a black hole on defense where just there's nothing there. 1042 01:08:39,079 --> 01:08:43,800 What about Damian Lillard, if you can get him, go do it. 1043 01:08:44,119 --> 01:08:45,439 I'd say that about any team. I want to make it clear. 1044 01:08:45,479 --> 01:08:49,079 I think this is a situation in Portland where you they're going to continue onward 1045 01:08:49,199 --> 01:08:53,880 until Dame says stops. He said stop. But just if he becomes available, 1046 01:08:54,439 --> 01:08:56,880 I wouldn't. I know he's older, but like I wouldn't mind the 1047 01:08:56,880 --> 01:09:00,600 Spurs if you're keeping Murray as part of that. Let's let's see what pop 1048 01:09:00,640 --> 01:09:03,600 can do with with Dame. We both already said yes to Zach Lavine and 1049 01:09:03,840 --> 01:09:06,960 Bradley Beal. I guess that would mean and look, that's like, that's 1050 01:09:08,000 --> 01:09:12,960 like where I'm at with I thought about what ifs? Why do you called 1051 01:09:13,079 --> 01:09:17,000 Jeremy Grant as star right now? I don't know U. The final one 1052 01:09:17,039 --> 01:09:19,840 would be just and I don't think you do it. But like what if 1053 01:09:19,840 --> 01:09:25,079 Phoenix is just like everything's gone to shit and they're like, okay, Chris 1054 01:09:25,159 --> 01:09:27,479 Paul is like we're gonna move on from Chris Paul. He's great on the 1055 01:09:27,520 --> 01:09:30,640 teammates if you can get him without giving up like material value. I would 1056 01:09:30,640 --> 01:09:33,600 love him in San Antonio as well, but you'd prefer Devin Booker. If 1057 01:09:33,720 --> 01:09:36,760 things are gonna go upside down in Phoenix Suns fantom't make it clear. I 1058 01:09:36,800 --> 01:09:41,359 don't think it's getting to that point, nor do I. That will wrap 1059 01:09:41,439 --> 01:09:45,560 us up. We did all seven teams. Thank you everyone for listening. 1060 01:09:45,640 --> 01:09:47,159 Please remember to rate, review and subscribe to us. We haven't done so 1061 01:09:47,239 --> 01:09:51,359 already. First time listeners consider throwing us that permit subscription. We think that 1062 01:09:51,439 --> 01:09:55,560 you'll enjoy the content that we continue to put out. Follow us on the 1063 01:09:55,600 --> 01:10:00,159 socials. The links and handles twitch are in the podcast description. Follow us 1064 01:10:00,199 --> 01:10:02,000 on YouTube, YouTube dot com search Hard Knox will come up. I do 1065 01:10:02,159 --> 01:10:06,920 post. We do post organic content on YouTube, I G and TikTok right 1066 01:10:06,960 --> 01:10:12,119 now, so there are reasons to follow us there and join our discord where 1067 01:10:12,159 --> 01:10:15,079 we have tons of fun to link to. That is in the podcast description 1068 01:10:15,199 --> 01:10:16,880 as well. Until next time, we moved to shout out third one the 1069 01:10:17,119 --> 01:10:21,920 only the best of the best. Conference Finals X factors in frank latinas