What is kracoakin Hardwarknox listeners, I am Damn Valley coming at you as you
already know it out in My co host Adam Drommel, going to make this
a quick introw because I promise that our introb will be quicker. We are
leading. You're continuing with our NBA trade deadline week. We're doing by seller
Hold for every Western conference scheme. In this pod, I have tapped good
friend and colleague from Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes, to help me with this
at GT Underscore. Hughes felt exactly as it sounds. Follow him on Twitter.
Also follow us on Twitter at Hardwoodknox. Follow us on Instagram at Hardwood
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way, though, let's get to talking some NBA trade deadline buy seller hold
for every single team in the Western Conference with Bleach your reports, Grant Hughes,
Grant, welcome back to the Hardwoo Knox podcast. As you point it
out to me, it has been a minute by the standards of how often
I normally ask you to come back on, So thank you for rejoining the
show. How are you doing. I'm doing very well to be back.
Glad to talk about some some trade stuff. But that's kind of like really
since last week, I think that's the only thing you're allowed to talk about
right now, unless unless you've managed to talk about anything else but the trade
deadline recently, because I don't feel like I have thee This is a trade
deadline team the week our Monday episode was a trade deadline one, and you
and I are doing this series where do you land on the are you anti
transaction now? Which seems to be a prevailing sentiment among people who cover the
NBA and like to stand on soap boxes, oh, like as an overall
policy, like like can we talk about the games like that kind of stance?
I'm getting pretty old, So like I do, I do feel like
I that way just about life in general, Like can we can we just
knock off all this dumb bullshit all the time? But no, I'm pretty
interested. I think I think where I have a hard time is the way
that that our industry and like every all the content now is about like here
are these trades that could be done, and I just kind of like,
well, one, I'm not very good at that, So I think that's
part of the reason I resist it. But you got to talk about the
deadline when you're close to the deadline, because that informs like everything about the
rest of the season, so that I'm good with. I wouldn't say I'm
patently anti trade, like across the board, but yeah, there are parts
of it I could do without. I'm mostly with you there. I'm very
much in the camp of unless it's somehow morally corrupt, enjoy the NBA,
enjoy sports how you want to enjoy sports. If that's trades, if it's
a salary cap, if it's a super deepex as and knows, if it's
sort of the off court ridiculously listeness, the encourt ridiculousness, if you're looking
at it through historical prisms. However, you want to enjoy it. And
I'm fine with people who don't want to talk about trades. I don't like
when people who think, just because they don't want to talk about trades,
there's somehow above it, and everyone who does want to talk about it is
below it, and that seems to be like a more popular stance. And
I don't know why everything has to be so absolute. So now I'm now
I'm mad because I just talked about how I'm getting older and you just had
the more mature take, because that is the right take, because it's a
stupid game and you can enjoy it however you want, Like at the end
of the day, that's that's that's the right take. That's the other thing.
I used to have a problem coping with how inessential I am because of
someone who ties too much of their self worth to their occupation. But over
the past like year or so, I've done a good job of leaning in
to my irrelevance and the inessentiality of what you and I do. We cover
a fucking game, and they're you know, I don't not take my job
seriously, but I'm able to step back and be like, this is supposed
to be fun, and I will work very hard, but I'm also going
to enjoy every aspect of the league that I enjoy to the extent that I
want to enjoy it. And yeah, that's just that's where I've landed over
the pack because I used to struggle with how like we don't matter there,
especially in the grand scheme of NBA media. I certainly don't matter, but
just no, every want in the NBA media, unless you're WOJE, is
irreplaceable. And even now I think we're finding that there are more avenues for
agencies and teams to find mouthpieces than the big time reporters, So you have
to lean into it and enjoy it. And this stuff is supposed to be
fun, so bring I love trades, I think more than the average fans
slash media member, but I understand like, no, I don't want to
be talking about trades on February fifteen for the summer. That's not something that
I want to be doing. So when you timestamp this section, will it
be Dan gets existential and discusses self worth visa NBA trade deadline? It will
be Now I'm gonna I'm gonna have to I'm glad that this is that we're
recordings. I could drot that down. We are here, though, to
do buy seller hole for every NBA team at the deadline. We will go
a little bit deeper into that, but I think it's a good primer for
just what to expect or what these teams should do, not even we could
talk about what we think they might do. But I approached it, and
it sounds like you did the same way of if I were in charge of
this team, this is what they would be doing leading into February ten.
Yeah, that's how I took it to and all sites some numbers as we
go through, just as a to get out in front of this. These
are only going to be current through what's today, Tuesday, the twenty fifth.
So the Mavericks are the first team we're going to hit alphabetically, and
they may very well be adding a win over the Warriors tonight or not,
but I'm going to pretend like none of those have happened. So Divinity stats
are out of date. That's that's the reason. Yes, we're recording this
while the shorthanded Warriors are playing the Mavericks and we're on the Western Conference,
if you didn't catch that from the title or my long witted intro or Grant
just saying that now, So let's go to the Dallas Mavericks. Grant buy
seller hold. They feel like a buyer to me for a handful of reasons.
One, they're pretty good, and a lot of that has to do
lately with their defense to me still sort of inexplicably being very good. I
need to read more breakdowns and watch more film on why their defense is good.
But they're twenty seven and twenty plus three point two net rating kind of
in the mixed mess around for a top four playoff seed in the West.
There's a lot of season left, it wouldn't be the craziest thing. So
that to me makes you a buyer kind of by definition, if your alternatives
or seller hold they're over the cap. They're fifteen ish million from the tax
line. They don't have a lot of great avenues. They have a ten
point nine million dollar player except traded player exception, which I believe came from
the Josh Richardson deal. Correct me if I'm wrong or don't they have one
of those. And so the reason I think they need to be buyers is
just because they're pretty good. They have some salaries that they could package together.
They can trade their twenty five and twenty seven first if they remove the
protection on that twenty three. First they owe the Knicks, which they have
first allowable turns of yeah, first allowable, So they have packages they can
put together. And the other main thing is with Luca's extension starting next year,
the idea of them, you know, going out and signing a third
star or a second star if we can ding porzingis for like the millionth time,
is maybe not that realistic. So it kind of sucks that there doesn't
seem to be a huge, huge name available that they could realistically get.
But I think they need to be buyers just for all those reasons. They've
got the assets, and like if you have Luca and your defense is suddenly
good and you're not a buyer, Like, what what's happening? Yeah,
they've done They've gotten a little bit lucky on opponent three point shooting, I
think, but they've just done the job of minimizing their mistakes in transition.
That's helped them out a ton. Making sure you get your rebounds, you're
not going to turn the ball over, and especially high clips or just the
Zach Low calls at the low hanging fruit is what they seem really good at.
And they do have some good defenders, and I think Chris Stops is
having a much better year on defense than he did last season. I floated
the idea that they should be sellers on the last podcast that I recorded,
and I don't. I don't believe that they would, and I actually will
tilt towards buyers. What you laid out though, when you were right on
their Josh Richardson trade exception, By the way, I have trouble envisioning as
you alluded to what is the best player they can realistically acquire. I do
think there's an element of it almost defeats the purpose if you're moving Kris Stops
porzingis in that deal. If it's a real megastar, sure, but it's
not going to be because that player isn't available. Otherwise Bensimon's probably would have
been traded for him already. And so what is the best player that they
can realistically acquire at the deadline? I don't know if they have enough to
get Jeremy Grant, Harrison Barnes, do they have enough to get Eric Gordon?
And so I've viewed it through the prison of I think they should buy,
but given who's available, I think they need to look at it of
who's the best player we can get without dealing Chris Stops or a first round
pick, because when you start giving away the distant first round picks, there's
the uncertainty kicked in and then also just makes it harder to strike other deals.
And so I'm with you. You have Luca, Your defense is good.
I don't know if your offense lover be good as as long as Jason
kid is your head coach. But you have if you can make an upgrade,
and I think Eric Gordon is like a name that's always spreading to mind
for this team, that would be feels realistic, not too expensive, his
salary might be whatever. He would just help them a ton. I think
they should be buyers, and that's just you know that that's been born out
pretty clearly with the way that they've played. Yeah, I think so,
And I think just one of the as I was going through this, we
don't need to spend too much time on this. But the Jalen Brunson situation
for them is really interesting because you know, there's a very good chance that
they lose him in free agency because I believe that they are limited to offering
him. I think I saw it was four years for fifty five point six
million. That's the best they can do, and he's trying to get eighty
and he might get that somewhere else. There's not a ton of cap space
out there. But you can't trade him because you need this, you need
the second playmaker. And really, honestly, I wouldn't be against them looking
at go get somebody from a team that's just trying to duct the tax.
Like you know, Portland needs to get under. What can you do for
Robert Covington, even though he's had a down year, Maybe he helps the
Dennis Shrewder from the Celtics who are just a little bit over the tax that
they they're probably gonna want to get under, get another playmaker, just like
small things like that, because I agree with you, and we're gonna mention
Jeremy Grant and Harrison Barnes like ten thousand times and Harry Gordon you know nearly
that that often. But I don't know that they've got the AMMO and I
don't know that, Like you said, I don't know if I want to
be putting you know, first out, you know, way down the line,
because who knows, uh, for for a guy that like what's Harrison
Barnes on his second tour with the mass he's your he's your third option,
and like it's just solid. I don't I don't know if that's if that's
gonna do it So that yeah, buyers, but like this will come up
a lot for the buyers. I don't know what's out there, you know,
for sale that you really want to invest in with Jalen Rosen's interesting.
I think that was his that was the max extension they could offer him.
Okay, maybe that was it. They'll have full board rights on him.
I think you have to keep him because one, oh yeah, he's just
too important to what you're doing now. But two, if you're going to
move him, he's so cheap, what is he getting you? There will
be a team you know they'll probably value because so few teams have cap space.
Even if you do have cap space, his hold this summer is nothing.
So you can have Jalen Brunson, use all your cap space and then
resign Jalen Brunson. But I still think to them, if they're not going
to resign him, he would still be more valuable in a sign and trade,
even though that hard caps you next year. So I do like Jeremy
Grant on this team given what the report that yeah, he fits anyway,
but he still wants to have like a semi prominent role. Dallas feels like
it has the offensive pecking order to do so I just I don't think maybe
if you dangled two first, you can get into the race, but I'm
not doing that for a player like Jeremy Grant, who you don't have to
turn around and probably give like a either a max extension or it's probably like
four years and ninety million it at minimum. And if I was actually Dallas,
this is where the seller idea came from, is you do have Dorian
Phinney Smith and free agency. What type of value does MAXI Kleeba have?
Can either one of those guys help you get off of Dwight Powell's deal?
He is another you left on his contract? Can I help you get off
of Reggie Block? Right now? I was really high on that signing that
hasn't worked out. I'd be looking at those moves as well to maybe just
sort of clean up your books a little bit in advance of the summer,
or is there anything you could do to just like turn Tim Hardaway Junior into
a cheaper player or And that's where it feels like there needs to be an
organizational cleanse a little bit below KP and Luca and you know, Brunson in
looking at the pecking order, but I recognize that like the situation they're in,
you buy, I think they just need to be super selective and opportunistic
about it. And before you respond to that, the other thing I love
at you, I would have the player most likely to get traded on this
team as Dwight Powell just because of his medium salary, and if they're going
to do anything, I could imagine being on the smaller scale, or he's
part of it as a bigger deal, especially if they're including a first round
pick, because you probably want to get off of his money next year.
But I'd be curious where you land on those two points. Well. As
for the most likely player, I think it probably has to be Powell.
I mean, Finney Smith, you run into he's unrestricted, you might lose
him for nothing, so there's always maybe motivation to move someone in that situation.
But he's like four million dollars I think, or some it's he's do
you know what his salary is? I don't have any exactly on the four
million, So what's that going to get you? And that's at the point,
like the guy you're getting back for four million dollars ish is not going
to be as good as him or as useful in this specific team. And
I think Cleveland is just more valuable than Powell, and he's your other kind
of mid mid level ish salary. So if you've got to pick between,
for sure, I think I think Powell's the guy to go. What was
what was part one of your questions? I focused on my second one.
I guess wasn't even a question, was just a point that that they they
should be looking to see what it would either cost to offload some of these
deals that just don't look great or is it part of a different like how
many of those deals can you sandwich into a buy now play because even getting
like just looking at Dwight Powell, Reggie Bullock, and Tim Hardaway Junior right
now, specifically those are you know, Reggie Bullock non guaranteed in his third
year, so only one more year left on that, only one more year
left on Dwight Powell, So there's lights at the end of the tunnel.
But you also three years left on Tim Hardaway Junior, and so long as
he's considered your third or fourth most important scorer on this team, you probably
have a little bit of issues. And I do think this team's biggest need
is still just like a true multi level shock creator where Jalen Brunson is kind
of closed, but does that translate to the playoffs and he's not really like
this high end off the dribble jump shooter and either is KP. So I'll
be interesting if they do anything. It just it feels really tough because they
do have a lot of deals that can be moved. I think when you're
looking at the money matching capabilities, but the assets that need to be attached
to that, they're they're pretty barren with. Yeah, I think too the
fact that they're just playing better at this time. I don't know that that
should always be a motivating factor, but I think it's a lot easier as
a front office to kind of say, you know, we're okay with this
how it is. You know, Josh Green might be on the way up,
like we have ways to improve internally potentially. But yeah, I think
there is to put a bow on it, like there is justification for encouraging
them to sell, because that that that other star like might now have to
come via Tim Hardaway and whatever else blump together and some picks. You know,
however far you're willing to go out like that might just be the way
that it has to happen. Now, the Denver Nuggets by seller hold,
they kind of already answered this question for us. Yeah, well, I
mean the Brent Forbes thing that I feel like that's their move. They're just
a hold to me because their season is let's wait until if if Murray and
Porter Junior are back and can help us, you know, put to other
a late run, and we have the guy who's playing better than anyone else
in the league right now, like maybe who knows, who knows what happens
in the postseason. I think. I mean the other thing is they're about
a million bucks under the tax right now, and yeah, so it's it's
like in the hundreds of thousands, and they have an open roster spot.
So like I think they're done, and I think that's probably that's probably the
right call there, don't I don't have a whole lot to say about them,
because it doesn't seem like anything else is gonna happen. I would buy
still, and I mean I would not be done because you could probably bank.
Maybe Gary Harris gets bored out in Orlando. He's, by the way,
quietly played better on offense over the past like a month month and a
half, So I don't know if he's a BUI academic. Just because the
salary is so huge, Orlando probably can't move them. Maybe they get a
few shekels back in those negotiations, but you could bank on something like that.
There's also the chance that you don't land that player. I know they
have an inside track with Gary Harris. I would be looking at, just
is there a move You know you're not giving up a first, mostly because
you can't trade on until twenty seven. But you have NICOLEA. Yokich,
who, by the way, and I was just writing about MVPs, I
don't catch all metrics or not the end all be all of a case,
but he has the league's best net rating swing. He is first in look,
he is first an estimated plus minus from dunks and three's, first in
lebron from b Ball Index, first in luck adjusted r APM from MBA shot
charts, and first in every overarching category of raptor from five to thirty eight,
and first in total points added from MBA math. He is having one
of the best seasons in history, a legitimate follow up campaign two last year's
MVP campaign. I think you're obligated to go for it, and so I'm
not saying you need to look at Okay, can we attach a distant first
to Jamichael Green who hasn't does much, or do we look at moving on
Monte Morris will Barton, even though they're so important to what we do at
full strength or even without Michael Porter Junior Jamal Murray. But something like the
thing I proposed and Denver fans seemed like they were pretty against it was Zeke
Naji for Kuno Composo and a second and so like you're the asset you're getting
there or is just getting off of a Kuno composo. Now you're so many
tiny guards for Kenrich Williams from ok and that would be a deal. Something
along those lines is what I would look at, because I don't think they're
They're not a finished product, even at full strength. But I also think
they need to hedge against the fact that at least one of Murray or Michael
Porter Junior, if not both of them, won't be available when the stakes
get super high. Yeah, it's tough. It's a little bit. It's
a little bit like the discussion you have to have with the Sixers and mb
is, like are we really gonna just blow a season of MBID being in
his I mean to an even greater degree with Yo because yoga just playing better
right now than like anyone EBID included ever has but do you want to just
let this season go by without a serious shot at a title. I guess
maybe what I'm saying is, I'm I mean, I wouldn't I wouldn't say
no to the like a ken Rich Williams edition or something, you know,
smallish along those lines. I guess, I just I guess I think the
upside for Denver is still like really high, which maybe should be a reason
to I. I don't know if I'm arguing against myself, but they have
to think it's your assets because you can't trade Michael Porter, you're side an
extension, You're not trading Willy's injured anyway, You're not trading Jamal Murray,
you're not trading Aaron Gordon, you're not trading Nicole Yoki, and so then
your assets get What can you even justify moving Will Barton when you don't know
what's happening with Jamal Murray or Michael Porter. J Yeah, I mean,
if you knew you had the inside track on a Gary Harris buyout, I
would feel a lot better about trying to move Barton for I don't know what
I mean. He makes fifteen million and he's unrestricted in twenty three so I
mean he would have some appeal. I think a lot of feel like a
lot of teams would view him more as like a sixth man, honestly.
But yeah, that's that's it because otherwise, yeah, you're looking at just
a bunch of guys not making a whole lot. And I do think the
tax is a concern too, Like I don't think I don't think Denver is
gonna want to get over that line because you know, they're gonna be a
super expensive team like indefinitely once everybody once, specifically Porter's extension kicks in.
So yeah, the thing they could do with Oklahoma City I just realized looking
at their sheet is they owe their twenty twenty three first to them. It's
a lotto protected they could loosen the protections maybe, Okay, so he doesn't
want to do that because they'd rather it be like they know what's going to
convey anyway, So maybe you should just take a shot in the dark and
if the protections are loosened and Denver has an off year next season. But
that's probably granular stuff. Kenrick Williams of Denver though, that's that's among the
dreams or one of the fits that I like the best. I don't hate
it. After Dallas, though, we get to Well, we'll skip the
Warriors and go right to the Hut. We were up to the Golden State
Warriors, who, as I informed you via text message before we hopped on
here, they are twenty seven in point scored per possession over basically the past
two months. That is bad, just for anyone who who's curious, because
they're only thirty teams in the league, what should they be doing? Hold
I will admit though, that still they might be the team best position to
to go get, you know, almost whatever they want because they've got all
the matching salary, which is just Wiggins basically, but they've got guys that
are cheap and young and you know Pool Comingo Wiseman, Moses Moody. I
don't know if the league at large really cares about Moody yet or is aware
that he scores like thirty five points a night in the G League and looks
incredible and then can't do anything in the NBA. But they have all this,
AMMO. I just don't I just don't see it. You could talk
me into like you could twist my arm on a Wiseman for Turner like that
being the skeleton of a deal. But otherwise, But the thing is they're
not going to do They're not going to do anything like. That's just they
have been firm from the start across the board. Nothing is going to happen.
And I sort of get it. I mean, they're bajillion dollars in
attacks and they're never coming out of it. But all these cheap guys they've
got that might have value in a trade if you were trying to like cut
salary or whatever, Like you know, Gary Payton the second and Porter Junior,
and you know, even Looney is someone that I think would have value
around the league. Only makes five million bucks. Like, but all those
guys matter, and all those guys are more valuable to the Warriors than they
are another team. So it's a hold, and it's like a hole.
Just they've just decided to hold. So so I don't I don't know.
I would love to hear if you think there's a likelihood that they go one
way or the other. I mean, they're not gonna sell, so imagine
what they're like, we don't have it this year, let's have another gap
year. Yeah, they're hold by process of elimination to me, because I
think they probably should be more aggressive than they're willing to be. That also
presumes there's that opportunity out there. And while I'm not as choosy as you
when it comes to who they would move those assets for, Pascal Siakam is
not available. Uh, you know, Miles Turner might be available, but
he's injured and there are people who believe that he wouldn't be a part of
Golden States closing lineups. I would reject that notion just because he can easily
play with Draymond Green, and it's not someone who's super slow footed, so
that would never work. I would think people have mentioned a bonus for them.
He'd be interesting offensively, but he would be the guy who's less likely
to be in a closing lineup. That's not the player I'm going in on.
I would be open to those scenarios more than the Warriors are. However,
their issue is they're only built for a seismic trade. So Stephen Curry,
Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, they're just not going anywhere. You have
Andrew Wiggins, but he's making thirty one point six million dollars. Then all
of a sudden. Your fifth highest paid player is James Wiseman, who's not
only like his sophomore year is gone, his first time year or awash,
so his trade value is super low and you do have top two pick equity
invested in him, so you're not moving him in just some afterthought deal.
Kamina is your sixth highest paid player who you just drafted, who you probably
have the highest hopes for moving forward. At least that's where I'm at.
I know some people are probably a little bit higher on Jordan Pool maybe or
even Wiseman. After that, Okay Looney at five point two million, people
have mentioned how the Warriors need a big. You're not moving big for big
unless it's Wiseman because was not playing. Loony's played in every game this season,
I believe, so he's been healthier than normal. And then after that,
it's just like, Okay, Moody, he's your eighth highest paid player
at three point six million, what are you He could be as sweetener as
part of a blockbuster, but you're not just going to trade him for someone.
And then after that, no one else makes more than Jordan Pool,
who's at two point two million. And when you look at Pool, and
Otto Porter Junior, Gary Payton the second. Those are guys who are providing
far more bang for their buck than their salary. We know they're not just
going to trade andre Adala. He's not a minimum deal. Why would you
do that? I think if I had to choose someone who's most likely to
get traded, I'd probably just say be Elita, because maybe they want the
roster spot. But I would be floored if they do anything splashy at the
deadline, mostly because it represents sort of a in about face in philosophy,
but also because then there would be someone who's available for them to think that
way, and I just don't. I haven't seen that player. It was
also, you know, we had had a conversation about Jalon Brown. Neither
of us thought he was available. He's not, but I said he'd be
interesting for the Warriors, and you're like, no, you can't trade for
him. And so then I brought up Lebron and you were like, no,
I can't trade for no. And then you said Michael Jordan aged twenty
eight, and I was like, no, no, forget it. We
have high hopes for Moses Moody around these parts. So but like Pascal Siakam
is the guy that I called like the ideal acquisition for that meeting in to
or around the meat and potatoes of the off season. It's clear the Raptors
are going to buy now or at least not going to sell. So I
think they they're justified and hold they serve, even though I would be more
open to like, oh, does it really only cost Wiseman and then okay,
yeah, you have to send up more salary, but Wiseman and then
like nothing really, like we're getting to keep Kaminga and we're still getting Turner,
Like that's something I would still consider. Yeah, No, I agree.
I think one of them. I was just thinking about this today and
it's very half baked, but it's it's sort of a it's a it's a
push to go more towards where you're leaning of they should really be more aggressive
than their being, which is to say that like I don't think Jordan Pool
is going to sign his next contract with the Warriors because it's he's going to
be too expensive. I don't think you're very you're very likely to have another
year or another off season where you hit on so many minimums, which is
what they're going to have to do to sort of continue to populate this roster,
and the fact that they have pool at such a low salary, the
fact that they're getting a very good Wiggins, like Wiggins I think is playing
like at least a twenty two twenty four million dollar guy right now he's not
and he's been very good. I think. So you're getting good Wiggins.
You're you've got you. You hit on Porter, you sort of hit on
Beelitza, but he's been kind of checked out for a while. Uh,
you've you've you've got you know your you've got your young guys. You've got
so I just like you would never think this way as an organization or as
a general manager, but you almost have to just for a second, say,
like what are the odds we get it this again next year? Like
probably not great. So if you're gonna push, then maybe now is the
time. And maybe another reason is like seeing more of Wiseman for suitors around
the league might not be a good thing, Like the mystery might still be
like an asset. So because if he comes back and he still can't catch
the ball and now he's two years, it's just like it could get worse,
like there's always that in terms of his value. So I'm fully I
fully acknowledge the wisdom in like at least looking at being a buyer. But
but again, like you said, what's out there? Like, we're going
to keep coming back to this, like what is out there to justify them
swinging big? And even like a jail Let's say Jalen Brown is available,
Jalen Brown doesn't really help you anchor the non staff minutes or improve your shot
creation. Yeah, it's the same. It's definitely the same with Miles Turner.
Seaham again is a name that would So that's also where the limited is.
Their defense has been so good this year and they need a very specific,
sought after, high end asset. On the other end, that it
makes it difficult. I would ask, though, how concerned are you about
them just giving me offensive struggles step slump? And then now you have Clay
with the knee problem flaring up, and Draymond Green is dealing with the backing
CAF issue, which they seem optimistic on, but like they, I haven't
seen a timetable for his return either. I'm I'm the Draymond thing is by
far the most concerning to me. Because this team is just like it's not
the same as not having Steff, but it's the next worst thing. I
mean, it's certainly like you're what you're seeing a lot of is how valuable
he is offensively, and like the defense is a given, but they just
their whole their whole offense just functions on understanding reads and guys that have played
together for a long time and know what to do and where to be and
like the ones that fall a little short on that, Draymond like coaxes them
into the places they're supposed to be and hit and he moves the ball the
way that Steve Kerr wants it moved when and like he's just he's super valuable
offensively, which is nuts for a guy that just doesn't get guarded basically,
so it's high on twos in the paint, but outside the restricted area.
So he's he's you know, even more valuable. Then, Yeah, that's
the only source of concern because I still think like just they're they're deep.
They have upside if Kaminga continues to improve, Wiseman, I don't expect anything
from I think Thompson assuming this knee soreness that he's having is not a big
issue. Is going to get better and stop shooting, you know, forty
seven times every fifteen minutes. He plays like they're they. I think there's
upside. I think it's the steps thing. I'm not going to worry about
a Steph Curry shooting slump until it lasts like two full years. At this
point, he's like he's got the benefit of the doubt from me. I
think Anthony Slater reported that, like he's got issues with both hands like that,
Like it's it seems like an injury thing that he's just playing through his
Draymond's not there, So my concern level is very low. But it would
be like a ten if you said Draymond might be out for you know,
two months or something. Are any other guys on minimum contracts or close to
them going to be back next year? I'm looking and I'm gonna say maybe,
Igadalla. That's the thing. Like, you know, if you're someone
like Porter, I think part of the reason you came here is to rehab
your value. And like he's mission a mission accomplished, right, Like maybe
you can use the MINIMLI on him, but that presumes enough. Yeah,
that is that enough. It's also a fair point. Yeah, I think
Looney will be back just because he seems like a lifer and he's not on
a minimum, but he's going to be a free agent. I mean,
Siscano Anderson maybe I think he's restricted. I don't see Steve Kartos don't seem
to like him very much though. I think he's a guy that Kerr knows
he can leave stranded on the bench for a long time and it's not going
to cause a problem. And that's not true of maybe some of the other
guys that are candidates for that. But like Damien Lee is another one.
He's gonna be a free agent. I mean, I can see someone giving
Gary Payton the second Oh my god. Yeah, that guy he's gonna get.
Well, that's the thing. He's such a niche guy that like Porter
will probably get more than him. But they're both gonna make way more than
the minimum, right Like there's yeah, and the Warriors sort of every minimum's
any Every dollar above the minimum for them is like ten million dollars in tax,
So it's gonna be that's the That's the thing they're gonna have to hit
again in free agency, assuming all these guys are gone. Because they've played
themselves into bigger contracts that the Warriors can't give them, and we're in agreement
that be Elitz is the most likely to be moved. I guess you could
maybe say Jta, but it'll be I think be Elitz has has fallen out
of favor a little bit, and deservedly so. He's just not been the
same guy he was. He looked like incredible the first month of the season,
and it's just it's not been there. He's not he's he's not been
the same guy. The Houston Rockets, by seller hold, I mean,
I think they got a good thing going. So you know that negative eight
point three net rate, it's pretty solid. Fourteen and thirty. No,
I mean they're they should sell everything, right, Like what's what's what's the
I mean, I guess if you're cool with Jalen Green obviously is keeper and
people seem to like Porter. I don't know about that one, but you
keep him around and see what he turns into. But like everybody else,
like Gordon, Obviously, if you can get a first for Gordon, that's
a question. Do you think Gordon's going to get bring them a first?
Like of any consequence? My guess is, yes, I know he's going
to be thirty four next year and he's making nineteen point six million dollars next
year, but he's shooting a career high from three, and among players and
we're talking about more than a hundred players here who've attempted at least seventy five
shots off of drives, he is second behind only Jannis in field goal percentage
on those lins. So he's like three point shooting and rib pressure and he
can even defend some wings. So I look at him and I'm like,
yeah, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Grant, you definitely prefer those guys if you're
a team. But if you're a team that doesn't have the assets to get
any of the other two and they're it's different ends of the positional spectrum.
I get it. He feels like one of what should be one of the
top deadline prizes this season. And I know there was a report from Kelly
Iko the Athletic that they're content to keep him, but he's just the If
I'm them, yes, I would move Christian would I would look at basically,
I would move anyone except probably Jalen Green and Al perujan Gun At this
point, Usman grew bomb in love with and like you wouldn't like you just
got Josh Christopher. So I get you're not actively shopping guys, but I
feel like Gordon's for them has to be moved. He might be a positive
presence in the locker room, but there's actually a chance his trade value could
crater after this season just because of age, injury history, and salary.
I mean, now is the time, Like, first of all, he's
playing like someone that should absolutely get a first back. He's playing like he's
playing like someone that is as valuable as we seem to think. Barnes and
Grant are different player Like you said, but the other thing with him is
that we've sort of seen him be a really really important part of teams that
have made deep playoff runs on both ends. Like he was a very good
defender on some very good Rockets teams and can be that. And so the
shooting and scoring efficiency, which is better than it's ever been, is much
more than a bonus. But like, it's not nothing to have a guy
that you can trust on both ends and who can guard up a position if
you need him to. That's just a different, and there's not like you
know, there's there's the big forwards are kind of out there. There's a
few of them, But who's like you're tough two slash three that can play
both ends. That's also I mean, like Terrence Ross is not that type
of player. I'm trying to Carris Lavert is not that type of player.
So Gordon is almost like I mean, Taylon Horton Tucker wishes he was that
kind of player. But the guys that are available, like Gordon's kind of
I mean, we'll come across some, I'm sure at some point as we
continue to discuss these teams, but like he's got a little bit of an
edge because if you need a player like Gordon, basically you just need Gordon
and there's nobody else that's going to fill that hole. Yeah, and so
he would be most likely to be traded just because they seem undecided about what
they want to do with christian Wood. They should have moved christian Wood over
the summer, in my opinion, because the right to just pay him a
bunch of money in his next deal doesn't do anything for you. You have
Shane Goon, you gave Daniel Place money, over the off season for some
reason, I really hope Usman Gruber gets to play with the parent club more
next season. So what is someone I would be shopping. I was actually
shocked that I saw the Heat have been the most aggressive trying to get him.
That was Perer report. I think it was the athletic if I would
not mistaken. I don't know what were they offered. They had to be
offering ninety million dollars Garrison Matthews plus whatever, like a first in twenty twenty
five. I guess, so that's not enough. I would think you could
definitely get a first for Wood and maybe like a prospect. I guess the
issue with him is I can name you. I'll rattle off like ten teams
right now that she trades for Eric Gordon. I can't do the same with
Wood. He's kind of mortiv An anomaly, especially at his position. He's
so dynamic on the offensive end, but the center position is just so oversaturated
that unless you are willing to settle, I understand. I guess why you
wouldn't move him specifically, though, Eric Gordon feels like he's the most likely
player to be traded just because he should be traded I'm not a big time
I'll mention timelines and stuff, but he clearly doesn't and that doesn't necessarily matter,
but he clearly doesn't align with your timeline. And you have other guys
in the backcourt that you could evaluate, and maybe this opened some playing time
for John Wall somehow if you get rid of Eric Gordon, even though it
doesn't seem like John Wall wants to come off the bench. But Eric Gordon's
a starter for this team, and I just I don't know. So he's
still a name I'm sticking with there, I'm and I would if i'm them.
I'm trying to move David Nawaba. You know what can we get for
DJ Augustine? Does anyone want him? He's technically an expiring contract. He's
a three hundred and thirty three thousand dollars guarantee next year. And that's the
other thing they should be looking to do. And maybe that's how you increase
the like asoud you get a first for Eric Gordon is take back money beyond
this season, maybe money teams don't want and so like if it's Dallas,
for instance, this is a team that should just be like, yeah,
we'll take Dwight Powell back as part of the salary filler. He's cheaper than
Eric Gordon and on a deal for next year. We don't need him,
but that's something that you could do to ensure you maybe get a first round
pick. Dallas probably isn't the team to get that first round pick from,
but that's what I'm doing. I'm if I'm Houston. Yeah, I think
just one other point on what I think, Miles Turner being hurt is the
best thing that could happened to the Christian Woods value. Just I mean,
it's not the same player. You get. You get more dynamic offense,
but you get the stretch that you might want at the five. You don't
get the rim protection at all. You get the lead opposite of that.
But if you're in the market for like a center that you could integrate into,
like Charlotte keeps coming to mind. Obviously, I'm sure you've seen Charlotte
mentioned as a Christian Wood destination just because they you know, Turner made a
ton of sense there. And really, if you were in on Turner and
it wasn't just because of the shoplock, I think you should probably be semi
interested in would so I think to really buy into they've been better on defensive
late, and you know, you really have to buy into Okay, we're
already playing small for a bunch of minutes and surviving. You have to buy
into wood being able to at least not worsen that situation, which is dicey
so to say the least. Yeah, for sure, that would bring us
to the Los Angeles Clippers, the sad sack Los Angeles Clippers. As we
record this, Nicholas Batum is not happy, but buy seller holes for the
Clippers. I think they're a seller. And that's just The two main reasons
are one their tax situation. They got to trim that. And that's related
to the biggest thing, which is it seems like it's possible Paul George and
Kawai Leonard may not play this year. This may be a gap year all
of a sudden, so without the first round pick at the end of the
tunnel, without without actually a payoff. But but but it seems like that's
a very legitimate possibility. They've got, they've got some guys that The thing
is, I don't know what they're what their goal would be other than trimming
tax. And so I'll just jump to it, like Sergebaka is the guy
I think is the most likely player to be traded, just because if you
cut his nine point four or seven, I've seen it at nine point four
nine point seven different places. I think that what I've seen is that that
cuts like forty one million dollars off your tax bill. If you can just
get that off, if you can send him to the thunder with like a
whatever, a second or a couple of seconds or something, find someone to
take it, you can save a ton of money. I don't feel bad
that Steve Balmer and the Clippers ownership has to spend a lot of money,
but like we're, you know, trying to proceed logically. So yeah,
I feel like they're sellers just because of the tax and they're two best players
might not play, but they do have some other contracts I think would be
interesting, Like you know, Bledsoe's gotta what is it, eighteen ish million
this year and then he's just it's like a pretty small guarantee for next year.
Yeah, yeah, three point nine, So that seems like type of
contract you would want to move. I just like, what are you sweetening
that with or what do you what do they want back, you know,
do they want because if the idea is to trim your trim your tax bill,
do you want a longer deal coming back for that, because that's usually
what you'd sort of be after in that situation, trying to provide salary really
for somebody else. So yeah, I don't know they're sellers to me,
but it's kind of hazy just because they're They weren't set up to be sellers.
They were built to be the opposite of this. Yeah, I agree
with I think you said too. It has to be a Vaca Marcus Morris.
He was like the second most likely guy, just because I think they
seem to really like Brandon Boston Junior. And when you do have Paul George
and Kawhi Leonard, he is not let's say, mission criticals is the way
you're gonna play. And especially I would say teams should be interested in Nick
Latum, but he definitely took less money to come back this year. You
can't move them, you just you can't, unless unless he says he's leaving
in the summer, then it's then it's okay. So but if you're keeping
Batum and you like Brandon Boston Junior, long term and you have Kawai Paul
George for next season. I think there are teams where Marcus Morris could be
sort of that surprise impact player that's moved to the deadline where yes there when
he deviates and is freelancing on offense, it's it's beyond iffy. But when
he plays like within his role, and he can also give you some small
ball five minutes if you want to try it. He is someone I very
much view who could augment a contender. And I know he hasn't been as
good as he was for stretch as last year, but you know you've seen
those stretches though you've seen him do it. That's the thing. Two years
and thirty, it's thirty three point five million dollars about that he's owed.
That might sort of ruin some of his market, But I still think there
would be teams that could rolladizing in. But and you could maybe also look
at moving Luke Kennard. I don't think his deal it's age I would say
better than it looked when he first signed it, but that's not even a
net neutral contract. Do you look at the question would be do you look
at moving Reggie Jackson I'd probably say no because your point guard situation is so
bomb like bunk so and when they were healthy. By the way, I
had to talk with someone who covers the rockets about whether they had the assets
to get using Bledsoe like the Sweeten did and get Eric Gordon, and they
do have some Detroit seconds, I believe, and so like they were.
He said that would be the floor on an Eric Gordon returned, but that
if he were Houston he would ultimately do it. But like they've sort of
changed the way you look at it, and you mentioned this with Eric Bletzo
salary specifically, and maybe even Reggie Jackson's a little bit too, Like you're
not trying to get out from under that deal. He only has one guaranteed
season left, and so it's really just cutting this year's tax bill, which
would be abaka or I think Marcus Morris gives you some of that immediate relief
depending on what you're taking back, and then really some long term stuff.
And I think, look, there are a bunch of teams. I don't
know what the costs would be to get him, but he makes sense on
you know, basically every team. Yeah, No, I think I mean
if Morris were clearly available. I don't think he's in the Barns Grant tier,
but he's there, I mean, and really like unlike those two,
he really I guess Jeremy Grant has played like a little bit of five maybe
at some point for the Thunderback. I don't know, But but Morris has
played small ball five, like in the playoffs for the Clippers when they beat
the Jet like that. They's definitely succeeded in that role. I worry about
his health and his age and all that stuff, but if he were available,
he I mean, he might be worth a first like you know,
protected or like later in the I don't know. I mean I think I
think they could get something for him, But then yeah, we're just I'm
just regurgitating the idea of like, what do they what are they trying to
accomplish other than clearly trimming the tax bill? I don't, I don't,
I don't know. And the other thing is like, I don't know if
they could get back someone who makes as much sense when everything's put together as
he does for the roster, because he clearly is a hugely valuable piece on
this specific team for how they want to play especially in the postseason. He
also mighted to be cognizant of where you're sending him because you plan on being
back in the Western Conference fold next year. So do you still want to
You know what if the Lakers came calling with the special in their next town
Horton Tucker, Kendrick Nunn at the first, that only trims your tax bill
a little bit. And that's the other thing to get into is the teams
that if you're looking for flexibility, a lot of them that can provide it
are not going to be in the Marcus Moore spy sweepstakes to begin with,
because so many of them. He makes so much that they're going to need
to send out X amount of salary. Maybe there's something you could do with
Dallas, but then you're invariably going to be stuck with Dwight Powell's deal on
your books next season, which is fine, he makes over six million less
than Marcus Morris, but is that enough luxury tax savings for you to be
like, Yeah, let's sort of punt on this guy, who I still
think it his peak is very helpful. Yeah, I agree. The Los
Angeles Lakers buy cell hold implode. I mean they gotta be a buyer.
But you just mentioned ten seconds ago, like every asset they have, which
is you know, Horton Tucker none and that twenty seven first, which,
by the way, that's twenty seven. Here's my thing, Okay, you
gotta think is I know people point out that the Lakers always seem to get
free agents. We did, just like we're only a little bit removed from
a period in which they sucked something off for ten years, for like ten
years, and they were terrible. This is my issue though, which front
office exact I don't even know what to call them anymore. I've been calling
them emperor of basketball operations. Which emperor of basketball operations has the job security
to sell to his bosses their bosses that, oh, this pick that's basically
a half decade away or more if it conveys in twenty twenty eight as a
primary asset to where it doesn't damage your job security. And then let's just
assume there is that executive out there, which by the way, there is
not. I would argue and press thee are the only two executives that have
the and maybe maybe is rc BU first to the top basketball executive San Antonio,
their front office structure is so weird. But just say San Antonio,
Toronto and okay, see, I think would be the only destinations that or
teams whether they would be job security for them that regime to view this as
an asset, and that's sort of where And then let's just say there is
someone who've used it as an asset. Who's the best player realistically that you're
getting for talent Horton Tucker, who, by the way, you're shooting fairly
well outside the restricted area lately. But talent Horton Tucker, Kendrick nun who
hasn't played next season this season and has a player option for next season that
he is going to pick up, plus that twenty twenty seven first Like,
who's the best player you could get? And if that best player is Eric
Gordon, if you're the Lakers, are you doing it? Because then all
of a sudden you've spent your last best hand on Eric Gordon. I mean,
first of all, Eric Gordon was the player I was thinking of.
It would help, but it's just like, at the end of the day,
you're giving up a twenty twenty seven first round big for someone who will
probably be at least two years retired by that point, if not three or
four. You know what, though, I still do it. I still
would do it because like Horton, I don't, I'm none hasn't played who
you know, Horton Tucker is just like if Horton Tucker were on some other
random team, we would talk about him ten percent as often as we talk
about him. Becausy on the Lakers, and he's like, they're the only
game in town. As far as like a young, promising, promising I'm
making air quotes player, I think Gordon is a possible. It might be
just absolutely as good as it could get. And I would do it just
because now, like, well, now we got a nineteen inch million dollar
player that we could spin into a bigger trade for an even more expensive guy
somehow, some way, I don't like, yeah, somehow, even though
we don't have any first anymore to trade Yeah, I don't know. I
mean, the Lakers just don't. You can't trade Westbrook, It's not doesn't
seem possible. You should definitely just trade DeAndre Jordan and camp Bay's Moore if
you can find like anyone to fill roster spots and just try to make that
happen. But yeah, they needed to do a lot, and they don't
have the tools to do almost anything. That's so. I mean they're buyers,
but like they're like the buyers that walk into a like a high end
car dealership and just didn't bring the checkbook. Like there's just there's you know,
they can look all they want, but I just don't see a way
to make anything significant happen. And they did this to themselves, by the
way, because there was yea there. If you're ever going to make a
consolidation trade like you did, and it's not for a player who's a no
brainer fit, there at least has to be a clear vision to his working
out within the context of the rest of your team, and that never existed
with Westbrook. The biggest argument in favor of him was just imagine what he
can do in the non Lebron minutes or when Lebron doesn't play. That doesn't
help you in the finals if that's where you want to get, because Lebron's
gonna be playing, so to give up that much for him too is a
disaster. Now. Mason Ginsburg, a co host of the In the No
podcast, which covers the New Orleans Pelicans, brought up the idea that the
Lakers could if there was a way in theory. I don't know what New
Orleans would need, but let's say the Lakers give them something so that they
agree to take the twenty twenty four pick they no longer have the option to
defer to twenty twenty five. The Lakers can then trade two first round picks
and a swap twenty twenty six and twenty twenty eight first plus a twenty twenty
seven swap. If you're the Lakers and there's a pathway to doing that,
would you do that? And two? How much more appealing is that offer
as a team, because I would argue twenty twenty six is still far away,
but now it's like, oh, we have two of those twist round
picks. It's way easier to sell. But then then the question it's still
what are you getting for that of the of the players that are available,
what like, what what are you know Jaylen Brown not not gonna happen?
Well, I would say, like, and you would need to step you
out ladder your way to this still. But I think Harrison Barnes would be
like the peak, like just below a Jeremy Grant. I don't think Detroit
would do. So if it's Jeremy Grant or Harrison Barnes, are you doing
it? I mean you might as well because you're like your franchisees is kind
of done once lebron Is is, you know, is gone right? Like
it's so I think it's the being pot committed is kind of like a not
a great way to operate, but like, yeah, man, why not,
like just it's just the other thing is, if I'm New Orleans,
like you're gonna have to pay up a little bit, Like I don't know
what I need from you to agree to this. But if I'm New Orleans,
like I'm not just I'm not just gonna go along with this because I
know how bad you you know, I know what the urgency level is,
right, I don't even know what they could feasibly give up because you can't
give up, you know, giving like giving up another first to do that
does not help them in the slightest. And they have like they don't even
have any good second round picks. They have Washington's twenty twenty eight second,
the eight. They have a twenty twenty three second from Chicago. Okay,
so that's in the in the fifties. Probably they have a twenty twenty four
second round pick less favorable of Washington or Memphis. You could give them three
seconds to do it. I don't know why no one needs to do that,
but let's just say they did. I'd probably do if I'm the Lakers
too, because your your urgency is very much now. They're saving Grace,
so we're not just shitting all over them the numbers. When Anthony Davis is
at the five, with Russell and Lebron on the court, the Lakers are
straight annihilating opponents. And so if those if Anthony Davis and Lebron are healthy,
I'd probably give them a chance to do like something semi special. But
yeah, they're clearly nowhere where they need to be. A team that is
not only exactly where it needs to be, but ahead of schedule. How's
that for a segue. It's good podcasting the Memphis Grizzlies, buy seller hold
as I was looking at this team, like, you know, we don't
need to talk about how over the moon everyone rightfully is about the Grizzlies.
But man, they're set up to just do whatever they want, like they
there's they can they can play this I said, buyer, they should be
a fire, and it's just mainly because they can be and they can flex
so hard. Like they've got all these salaries, right, so if you
want to and they've got they're at a point sort of like even probably to
a greater degree than Atlanta because all of Atlanta's like you know, supposed glut
of good players is like they're actually haven't been that great. But so you've
got Steven Adams like seventeen ish million, Dylan Brooks twelve ish, Kyle Anderson
expiring just under ten, Melton, Jones and Culver are all between six and
nine. Clark if you want to throw them in there is just under three
million. You've got all that stuff, right basically like good players, like
players that would play someplace. I would argue inessential with you know, like
Brooks matters, Adams actually matters, but the rest of those guys, you
know, you could you could move. They have all their own firsts and
they got three coming in. Granted they're from the Warriors and Jazz, but
also the Lakers between twenty two and twenty or depending on how those get conveyed.
So if you want, like if Siakam's on the board, which maybe
he's not. Like the Grizzlies could just could throw a zillion picks together and
matching salary with players that are actually good that Toronto would want and go make
the Godfather offer for Sam or you know, if you want to downgrade and
go for just the best players that are actually available, you don't have to
offer that much. But Memphis, I think has to explore being a buyer
because they're really good, and they do feel kind of right for consolidation,
and they're just super asset rich. So I think there's a chance that you
know, they could they could go into the playoffs like as dangerous as absolutely
anybody if they wanted to. I don't know if they want to, but
but just looking at what they've got, they have the chance to do almost
anything. I echo everything you said, and I think they I think Harrison
Barnes or Jeremy Grant surprise surprise, can mention the same and he's over and
over. Those are moves they could make without giving up Desmond Bane, Jaren
Jackson, Junior, John Morant, or I would say even Zayer Williams,
who has parked up a bit lately. The other thing, now, I
don't want to say it was first on this. I was early on this,
and it's gained some traction basically everywhere outside of Memphis, which when fans
were talking to me about it, they didn't seem to like this. They
felt and he's hurt now. So but let's just say they know they get
the medicals. He's fine, he'll be back in time for the playoffs,
be really good. I thought they were a sneaky good Miles Turner destination,
and he's probably someone just due to the sheer volume or first round picks that
you have that you could just build shit around expiring contracts and maybe you know,
was Indiana interested in Brandon Clark or Xavier Tillman or something. You could
make that deal and he can play with Jarreens James Hell. You could keep
Steven Adams in that deal, bring him off the bench. Like so,
there are so many different permutations of what they could do, and they can
do it without bankrupting their best tangible assets that I think they're almost would get
it, because let's just say, if Miles Turner is going to cost you,
let's say you have to give up someone just that Indiana would be interesting
actually playing let's say it's Brandon Clark, who's having a bounce back year after
here's essentially out of the rotation last year. Yeah, if it cause you're
Brandon Clark in two first round picks, they'll be protected. Brandon Clark in
two first round picks and obviously the salary filler to go with it. What
is that cost to you? Really? Yeah, that's what I mean.
They they they they're holding all the cards. They The other thing is,
I mean, the the Devil's Advocate case is that it's a small market team.
They got here by just you know, drafting well basically and being smart
and being careful, and like, what's what's so bad about going forward with
all these affordable contracts and a bunch of first round picks other than the fact
that your team is so good now that your own first rounders aren't that great,
Like that's there's They could just kind of hang tight and just wait for
the Jazz and the Warriors to age out and the Suns and then suddenly it's
their conference. Like that's not an unrealistic scenario. But I would argue,
like, if you're already this good, you are and you have that much
upside, like let's go. Let's let's do the Miles Turner thing. Let's
like, let's throw everything for Boston for Jalen Brown, let's get let's make
the Raptors trade Siakam, I don't know you name it like they Yeah,
they've got limitless options. In edit to this podcast because we were recording it
and see with the Clippers are no longer sad sack because they erased the thirty
five point lead to beat the Wizards. So the Wizards are the sad sacks.
A lot of sad sacks out there. Yeah, I'm with you on
Memphis though, and I do think they are justified in holding because this is
still found money. I think while Steven Adams has been good for them,
and he might lead the league in like shooting percentages on a little tips,
those volleyball tips around the basket, but the way they made the Valan Shooters
trade that was very clearly something aimed at planning for the future because it moved
them up in the draft. And this is this season has almost found money
because yes, the internal expectations were probably higher. This is year three of
me being woefully, irretrievably wrong about the Memphis Grizzlies, but you probably weren't
expecting to be this good. So yeah, you could stand pat, but
I'm with you because the opportunity cost and just the you know, the risk
analysis of this is so low you might as well. You know, we're
not talking about going all in for a jail and Brown and Bradley or Bradley
Beale and having to worry if they're going to stick around. You would.
Miles Turner would definitely extend there, and Harrison Barnes is another two years on
his deal. Jeremy Grant would extend there. Maybe don't want to play him.
I get that, Like you can make moves that will cost you money
to keep these players, but they're not gonna, just like I said before,
bankrupt you of your assets. So I don't want to say they're obligated
to buy. But if I was the Grizzlies, I'd be pretty reckless leading
into the trade. Just like it doesn't even have to be crazy because you
can just go get Buddy healed, just just like added lights out shooter that
you can bring off that like, why not just just do do something?
I don't know, I guess, uh, yeah, we just keep saying
the same thing about the Grizzlies. But like I was just blown up that
I was blown away by it, by the by the position they're in.
What franchise is in a better position like near and long term. I mean,
it's ridiculous. Look at you bringing up an original name even though it's
kind of a cliche name and trade circles with Buddy, But like that's something
you do. But look, Eric Golord even kind of works for this team.
He does the things on offense that Dylan Brooks thinks that he can do.
Let's go. Confidence is a skill this team is. I can't.
I had Sharon Brown ought to do the Memphis Grizzlies preview each of the past
two years, and one of the years she comed, she said, Dylan
Brooks is Dollar Tree Kobe's that's good. This team was hard for me.
Yeah, something introducing you said, Minnesota Timberwolves buy seller hold, So I
I call I got a lot of buys again, they're they're less than a
million, exactly right. There's a lot of buyers and not a lot to
be bought there. So the big thing with them is like Ben Simmons,
to me, still makes as much sense there as almost anywhere else. Oh
really, I like him there because here's my kind of give you my Ben
Simmons explanation, even because it doesn't matter, because it's never gonna happen.
They're they're so willing to play non shooters as it is, So it's twofold
one. If you're willing to play McDaniels and Vanderbilt like a fair amount,
which they are, Vanderbilt being better and very good actually, and they can't
shoot. If you're willing to play those guys that much, what's your what's
your objection to playing Ben Simmons a lot? And you're gonna say, well,
DeAngelo Russell's on the ball problem. DeAngelo Russell shouldn't be on the ball,
like he's having a much better year. He's playing defense now like or
you know, Ben Taylor did a great video about how he's communicating and all
this other stuff. I don't want Danel Russell as my primary ball handler for
thirty million dollars a year, especially with Edwards ascending in towns constantly deserving more
shots. So I'm cool with the fit with Simmons there because they're already playing
nonshooters, and I think Russell is is overpaid for his role. But they
just they can't do it because there are a million bucks from the tax They
don't have the salaries to make any sense without a third team. That's been
the case for with respect to Simmons forever. So I'd like them to be
a buyer. They can throw you know, reference Jay Klayman, Josha Kogi
together and get up in the neighborhood of twenty million dollars they've got. I
think they've got all their own picks now because that yeah, they've got their
picks because one conveyed to the Warriors, So they have salary ballast and they
have first they can offer, but they don't want to get over the tax
i suspect, and like we're just back talking about Jeremy Grant again and they
don't I think have enough to do that us. They go like three firsts
or you know, something ridiculous. So they're a buyer. But again,
like I just don't. I hope you have some suggestions because I don't really
know what they what does suggest for them other than the bold move of like
what's out there for Russell right now? I do think they would be one
of the best Harrison Barnes destinations. Actually, their offense has been their seventh
since December first, and their defense is decline. I think that's the argument
for Ben Simmons right there, is that you didn't trust your overall defensive performance.
You've been better, Lord, you haven't. You've been better, but
you're still bad at grabbing defensive rebounds, and so Ben Simmons can help you
from the point of attack, but also just does so much. You want
someone to push the ball up the court after after getting boards, and his
fate with Karl Anthony Towns is basically seamless. So I totally get it.
I have them as a hold just because I don't think they're good. I
understand there's urgency and they've been running in place for so long. See where
you're at in the off season, after where your draft pick conveys. Demzel
Russell will be on expiring contract at that point, Lee Beasley's deal will have
one year check off of it too, and he hasn't been great this season.
You don't lose any assets for them by waiting zero. You still have
Jay McDaniels, still have Jared Vanderbilt, and like you said, the Ben
Simmons scenario is so overwhelmingly unlikely without a third or fourth team and just the
amount of picks and assets it would take to get him, and just the
other thing, you're probably giving up Daniel Russell in that trade. No like
are you're getting away with just including Malik Beasley salary direct and then all the
picks and swaps possible and whether they end up with the Sixers or other teams
whatever. That just doesn't And I do think not that you wouldn't trade Daniel
Russell for Ben Simmons, but that does trade the context of your team and
all these basketball you mentioned the Ben Taylor video. I talked to a college
coach who mentioned Daniel Russell's the defensive communication This year, tim Erwolves fans and
media have been singing his praise as a bunch, it'd be an adjustment to
make mid season, and I just don't know that there's the player out there,
including Ben Simmons, insofar as he's even getable, the actually does anything
to noticeably increase your ceiling this season. I think You're next deal needs to
be a bigger swing, and maybe that's more accessible over the offseason. Also,
maybe I'm just trying to make a more make a podcast with more variety
by saying hold, since we've been in so many buys. Really though,
I just think this is a team that still sort of needs to go through
another stretch of self discovery to understand what they actually have. And then let's
reevaluate the trade market because look realisticing, who's the best player you're even getting
at this year's trade deadline for the Timberwolves. If it's Harrison Barnes, he
does a lot more for the Memphis Grizzlies then he does for the Minnesota Timberwolves
in terms of elevating their immediate feeling. Yeah, I agree. I think
I think the hold makes total sense, and which like that's probably what they'll
do just because of the tax concerns. I think New Orleans is next if
you're ready to jump to them, and I want you to go first because
I'm very curious about what you're gonna say. So I don't count the players
that they should move as they would actually be selling. So I also have
them as a whold if there's an opportunity to buy, because you're able to
use Thomas Satoranski's ten million dollars expiring salary to get someone back New Orleans also
has that seventeen point one million dollars Steven Adams trade exception. If you can
be opportunistic along those lines, and I've seen reports that they want to be
buyers in the deadline. There's a subsection of Pelicans Twitter that seems like they'd
be very interested in ce J McCullum. I'm not making any big time decisions
without seeing Zion Williamson play again for this team. And I'm not hinting at
the fact that maybe he'll try and force his way out over the summer.
I'm honestly not getting into that. He needs to actually play, as in
be healthy, and I just don't, you know, And I don't see
the value in buying because of that. But I also don't see the value
in selling. Why would you give up on brandon Ingram right now? I
don't think his deal is bad. You can move him at thirty one point
seven million next year if you have to. Jonas Valcunis has been good for
you in that deal at fourteen point seven I mean, he's basically two years
and thirty million. I don't know if i'd call it a steal, but
it's going to be fine On that extension. Josh Hart has turned one of
the best contracts in the summer. I still don't know. Is it he's
signed by Clutch, right he should fire Clutch? How did he only get
one guaranteed season on the market. That's just another instance of Clutch like maybe
compromising their other guys. Look, if I'm tailed Horton Tucker, Like,
yeah, maybe he got paid, but did you really just have me resigned
with the Lakers to help Lebron's team have some better trade fodder? That might
be a question you need to have so and look I thought about like maybe
they need to sell off Jackson Hayes or is now the time to give up
on Nikki Alexander Walker? But I still believe in Nikil Alexander Walker. It's
too early to give up on the Trey Murphy. Maybe you think that Naji
Marshall is done, Like you can look at stuff like that. You're definitely
not giving up herb Jones in terms of meaningful moves though, Like that would
be the I'd look at, Okay, what can we get for Jackson Hayes
or Mikky Alexander Walker And is it a first round pick? And if it's
not by, So I have them as hold just because I need to understand
what this team is more with Zion, and I think they've stumbled into some
pieces that will work really well with him and including Jonas Valanciunas. Looking at
the season Josh Hart is having, I mean Herbert Jones. Just think about
lineups where if you really want to downsize and a Zion and Herbert Jones is
your front court. That dude, his position list, he has one of
the b Ball Index does matchup difficulty metrics. He has like one of the
five most difficult defensive workloads in the league this season, and he's just holding
up. Not only would he be I think he'd be my first team All
Rookie this season. I'm going to mention his name if and when I do
all defense picks. So I'm in very I'm actually pretty firm about them holding.
Anyone in the league can be an opportunistic buyer. Let me make that
clear. Like I'm not going out there saying yeah, we need to go
out and get like CJ. McCollum or Harrison Barnes, Like, no,
you need to understand what's going on with Zion, what the team looks like,
should he play, or you just wait until the off season, where
if he doesn't play, then you at least know what you're dealing with looking
at that Zion trajectory. So we agree about almost everything. The only thing
that's why I wanted you to go first because I was curious what you'd say
with regard to where Zion fits in. So my thought is you just I
think New Orleans almost has to act as if he's going to be fine,
which, like I've said several times, is super unlikely to me, Like,
I just don't see a great ending for this, but I think this
is an opportunity for them to just build the roster as if he's gonna be
back tomorrow, and like what would that need to look like? And it's
really just shooting basically, and you feel, you know, it'd be nice
if Jones, I think, is someone you absolutely hold on to for all
the reasons you mentioned, Like he might just be p percent on threes over
his last ten games. He's just like a total I mean windfall to get
a guy like that at that spot. So but so I you mentioned McCollum,
I think I'm putting in a call for ninety million dollars Garrison, Matthews,
the real deal. I'm I want to see if I can get Duncan
Robinson, hopefully for cheap, since he's had such a down year by his
standards. I'm calling on Buddy Healed, which like bring him back whatever you
spend half the season there. What about Norman Powell? Sure Like, I
just I want shooting. I want shooting, and I'm willing to use my
trade exception. I'm willing to use all those picks. And plus they basically
own the Lakers and Bucks drafts through like twenty twenty seven, so they got
that too. I just think there's there's opportunities to get one off. One
of the things that's actually potentially available is shooting right now, like, which
that's crazy, and the Pelicans are going to need more of it than anyone.
If if the whole point Zion just you know, running into the lane
and drawing all five defenders. Thing is going to be how you play in
the best iteration of this team, the ideal iteration. I think it's super
risky. It could backfire, but if Zion is not healthy or demands to
leave or whatever, it backfires anyway. So like you're you're kind of I
view it as are screwed if he if he isn't what you need him to
be, so you might as well just hope he's going to be what you
want and you build the team accordingly. And I think they have the assets
to do it, so I would call I would call them a buyer,
but specifically just of shooting and you cross your fingers. They should. I
know that their trade exception expires basically when the moratorium ends and free agency,
so they have time to use it or the off season that they want,
but they should try to be using that in some form, even if it
would count as selling. Because if you take on money and they're they're twenty
one million dollars more than twenty one million dollars away from the tax right now,
so you could get like if someone's wanting to give you a first round
pick to dump somebody, or I guess I didn't give enough consideration too.
I don't know. I don't think Miami would do this. But if you're
just sending them like a pick and they're sending you Duncan Robinson to just like
give them so much big over munt of the tax, you could definitely look
at something along those lines. I do like the idea of a Norman Powell
there. Who are the other name Duncan Robinson. I would like if he's
getable. I just don't know, like what assets you have to give up
to get those players? As my point, like, that's where it gets.
I don't want to give up those types of assets, which is why
I'm going to put the onus on you. Who's the player most likely to
be traded in your mind? I think it's just Saturansky. He's been so
bad for most of this year and he's expiring, and that ten million dollars
figure is kind of nice, so and like he's just not integral to whether
you want to approach their outlook like I do or like you do. I
don't think Saturansky figures prominently into it, like no matter what. So just
his expendability I think makes it makes him. I'm trying to think if there's
anyone else I would consider. If you're planning on Zion coming back this year,
why not Jackson Hayes. I know he's been better. This is not
like the beginning of the season when everyone was completely out on him. But
you have Willie Hernon Gomez essentially still. I mean, well, Hearna Gomez,
we know what's going on hearing Gomez obviously, but like, are you
so in on Jackson Hayes that he's extension ledgible this summer? Isn't it time
to sort of see like, no, you're not. I guess maybe because
you know you're not going to get a first round pick for his services,
that you don't move him. I land on tamas Uturansky too, just because
he's the most logical choice, is it you could take back a contract that's
longer maybe a team doesn't want, or just a more expensive player to help
a team duct the tax. But if you believe that, and like your
big man availability has been so all over the place of late, so I
get it. But like, I think that would be the name that if
you were actually shopping it as a name to move, Jackson Hayes would be
the one that I'm most aggressively throwing out there. Yeah, that's a good
one too, because you're right, like he's your third center at best.
You know, really, if you're you know, when you once, you're
once your whole And that's not even considering like Zion's going to play there some
and you could use you could use herb Jones potentially in some weird small ball
looks at five two. So yeah, Jackson Hayes is not. It is
also expendable for sure. That brings us to the Oklahoma City Thunder buy seller
hold. Like I don't even know what to call it, because I get
I guess they're sellers, but like it's because they're just buying more picks or
whatever. I mean, so just a couple of things. I mean,
they've got by my account, thirty five million dollars in cap room, not
the tax. They're thirty five million under the cap. They're not at the
salary floor. So they as always are. Just like if you want,
if you got anything, you want to just dump it here with the first
attached, well we can do that. They also, I think, I
guess the reason I call them sellers is because you know, like Derrick Favors
you've already mentioned, Kenrick Williams, Mike Muscala, I think would draw some
interest. I don't think any of them are going to get you a first.
Lou Dort maybe, but I feel like he's worth keeping around just because.
But if you're like if the sixers are trying to dump Tobias Harris,
like as part of this grand plan they have and it doesn't include Ben Simmons
somehow, like you got. I guess that makes the Thunder a buyer because
they're buying Harris. But I don't know. I call them sellers. But
it's just the thing is the same for them. They're just they've got cap
space, They've got a lot of picks, they can get more. They
have a handful of guys they could trade for a draft whatever, or take
back bad money. It's it's all just kind of it's kind of all the
same for them, unless do you see something different for them? No,
I just I don't think that they have like stuff to sell. Is where
this sort of Derrick Favors is not a hot commodity. No, And so
it would be Kendrick Williams. That's only one name, and he's so cheap
next season. I don't know why you need to actively sell him. You
have so many picks, even if you get a low end first, what
is that doing for you? I do think, like you said, the
Pelicans could need shooting. They definitely need shooting. I don't know if it's
to the extent that they could take on a shooter who's making too much money.
But like I wouldn't be trading assets either. I'm just going with hold
for them because they don't leasing out cap space doesn't even count as selling just
because they're so far under the not not just the tax, just the salary
floor, the captain general. So I'm curious if they're there are teams that
need to duck the tax by like a little bit when you look at Boston
or when you look at Portland, but like they could really help. I'm
trying to think of like what the team would be. They could help a
team substantiously cut their tax bill or get off of a truly bad contract,
Like if the Knicks just decided to, hey, like we need to end
the Evan Fournier experiment or more preferably the Julius Randall experiment. How many first
can you get for something like that? But I just don't think I see
that team out there, and so and like, if I'm with you,
I would keep Blue dort Uh, Like I just don't. Maybe you look
at what you could get for Darius Baisley, but he's defended so well this
year, And I know a lot of people were like lower on him,
So I think I'm a hold for Okay, see just because I don't there's
no reason for them to sell. You have all the picks in the world.
Yeah, it's weird, like they I don't know what they're gonna do
with all this space. I guess it's good news because all that's gonna get
distributed to the players on the roster. They're gonna get pay raises if they
don't hit the floor, so that'll be that'll be good for them. But
I don't know what their plan is. I'm assuming they're going to hit like
normally we see teams just hit the floor anyway. So are they gonna,
like give Gary Harris an actual contract after he gets brought out. I don't.
It's almost like it's almost a shame there's not more really bad contracts left
in the league because like the thunder have helped get rid of some of those.
But they would just be like if the old Blake Griffin contract, or
if like Kevin Love weren't having a resurgent season like they would be and the
Cabs weren't good, Like there are so many other opportunities in a normal trade
deadline situation for them to just be like, yeah, man, we'll take
your your guy with one hundred million left and just give us a couple of
picks, Like if we got the room. You know, that's that's just
not not how it's set up this year. That would make them exminentially interesting
though, so that they have that extra roster spot to use, And if
there's a team willing to dumb money, I just I don't really know what
that team is. And even I mentioned the bad deals on the Knicks,
I don't think they would do that. But they're so far beneath the tax
there's not going to be an urgency to trade anyone who's expensive at the moment.
Ye. Moving on to the Phoenix Suns, this is low hanging for
a five sellar hold. I mean they're a buyer just because they're so good.
You could say hold if you wanted to. I guess, but you
know they're their needs have been the same, like a small ball center would
be great. Like but maybe Dad Young gets bought out. Have we've not
mentioned that Young yet? I feel like that's a he's he's he's usually in
this conversation. More. He may get bought out, but I'd be looking
at him like maybe you package Sarich and Jalen Smith and a pick for I
don't know, some some kind of upgrade. I think Robert Covington's kind of
a sneaky interesting fit there, because I think you could basically flip Sarich for
Covington almost straight up. And I think you save Portland like a little bit,
which they'd be interested in because of the tax implications. It's all small
stuff. They're they're the Sons are the best team in the league right now,
at least record wise, and they don't really need to do anything but
like just the little small ball five stuff or if you can just you can
always get one more you know, three four type guy that would be good
in case Crowder is you know, diminished or not healthy. That's that's That's
about it, though, I mean, there's not a lot to be done
with the Suns. I still think they their backup center position seems like it's
better now just having Bimbo JaVale McGee. There's the Frank Kimmitsky option, and
then Deandret will be healthy at some point. They are. I think my
favorite Eric Gordon destination put the pressure he puts on the basket, and then
I think you can also get away with playing him Chris Paul and Devin Booker
at the same time and you'll you'll be totally fine. Just imagining them having
Eric Gordon in the series against the Bucks last year, Like in my mind,
knowing what they struggled with the most, I feel like he would make
a huge difference. And so they can't trade a first round pick in two
twenty and twenty four and it takes a little bit for them to match salary.
There would be a lot of mechanisms. They probably needed an additional team
involved, but they could do it. And if you're giving up a twenty
twenty four pick, if I'm Houston, I'm probably taking that for for Eric
Gordon and they're decided the buyers. I'm just curious to see how aggressive they
are, and to me, they should be ultra aggressive. Like you said,
they have the best record in the league, and I would I have.
They are my title picks this season, they were my preseason title picks
that I haven't seen anything that would change that for me. But they do
still have you know, even if you like the backup center rotation better,
they do still have like holes they can plug. I even think They're probably
the team that could use where I think Kendrick Williams would make the biggest difference.
And I don't know, did we say, okay, see's most player
most likely to be traded? You said Derek Favors. I might say Kendrick
Williams just because he's so cheap and teams actually want him. That might be
Oh, yeah, I would I would agree with I would agree with Williams.
He makes sense on a lot of teams favors. The list is a
lot a lot shorter. Yeah, so I Phoenix is clearly buyers. I
am curious to see do they try and play the buyout market game instead,
Like if Paul millsapp gets brought out from Brooklyn but you really don't need your
backup five help anymore. Would they be a Gary Harris destination. I think
he probably choose Denver over Phoenix. Just looking at potential playing time, I
think they need to do something to really fortify their title chances. They could
do nothing and still be a contender. I just when you look at some
buyers where I don't know if there is a buyer that' say doesn't really need
to be aggressive at the deadline. I just don't them having the best record
in the league doesn't make me think that they can kind of approach this trade
deadline without like real purpose. I do think that they need to be aggressive.
Yeah, I agree. I just you know, it's it's a combination
of aggression and just like I mean, Eric Gordon would feel like a pretty
aggressive move to me. But but you know, we're is that going to
be is that enough? Is that going to beat the market for I guess
if there's a first, there's no guarantee anyone else's offering a first for Gordon.
So the other thing that but you mentioned the buyout market. That's the
thing about being in this position is you're like, you know, when a
guy gets bought out, and let's just use that it's young as the example.
You know, it's not like the Suns and name you the Thunder are
like equal competitors for services, right Like there's like a handful there's like gonna
be like five teams that will start seeing when Bioseason hits, it'll be well
the Nets and the Suns and the Jazz and whoever has a roster spot that's
really good, like that'll be it. And and so it's harder. I
think sometimes Now Gordon and Young are different players, and you might need to
be aggressive in a trade to get one type versus the other. But like
you got to balance the urgency and the need for aggression against like we might
just get this guy for cash, Like there there are's a possibility we upgrade
in the ways that are necessary without trading anything, without compromising our draft future,
without giving up on Jalen Smith, although they sort of already did that
by not picking up his option, So that's another concern. That's I mean,
they're not a whole team. I'm not saying that, but I wonder
how aggressive they feel like they need to be for that reason. That's a
great point. Portland is up next. Oh, most likely player to be
traded off? I think it has to be Jonn Smith. They obliterated his
trade value by not picking up his option. But at this point, if
you're like, they should probably even wave him if they're not going to move
him, because yeah, he's shown flashes, But is he gonna help here
now that you have Bimbo in the fold? Is he gonna help your back
up big rotation in the playoffs? Yeah? But I think I think it's
Sorr. It's just because that's kind of the best way for you to get
the salary accumulated that you'd need to do anything and he and he will not
help you this year. I guess if you get okay, see involved Vandrey
Shammitt isn't as big of an issue on the poison bill. I didn't even
think about him. That's a good one too. Yeah, but they don't
care if give us all the poison Portland buy sell or hold. That's a
seller to me, and we talked about it. We've mentioned them several times
as a team that's close enough to the tax line and oh there, and
they're they'll they'll be they need to get under the tax because they're gonna yeah,
they're three million, and getting under was gonna will reset the repeater clock.
And if they don't get under, they're going to be in repeater territory.
And that's that's bad news bearers. So that that's one incentive. The
other one obviously, Nurkitch and Covington are expiring. I think Portland's gonna basically
be at the cap next year already without those two guys. So like you're
already and again you're just gonna what are you willing to spend on this team?
Damon Lillard out probably for the possibly I don't know if it's possible or
probable anymore. For the year, there's a good chance, and if they
become sellers, that ratchets up the chances that he will stay out for the
year. So I think, like at this point, you've got Aunt Simons
that you need to figure out what you're gonna do with in terms of,
like what are we going to pay him? Because it seems like he's kind
of ready to be you know, your your next wave guy. You've got
little who I think is a keeper, but like almost everybody else, I
think should be on the table. And like unless you're convinced that Dame and
like your rebuild, your rebuilt support pieces whatever that looks like, which you
have to acquire with all these tax concerns like looming over, you are going
to contend next year the year after, like you know, it's time I
think to just pull the record. So I think they're sellers for like every
reason I can think of. I have them as both because okay, I
think use of markets just played better lately, and the Blazers in general are
perking up without Damian Lillards, so they should just trade him for for cap
relief. But I Covington Nurkic look at moving them, but there seems to
be this understanding that Damian Lillard isn't going anywhere there until he asks, you're
out. And so if the plan is to continue trying to win with Dame,
you need to buy. And I like Miles Turner there, and I
like him even more now that maybe he doesn't play again this season because the
tank is then still on. You keep your pick that's owed to Chicago.
It's a lottery protected and then you reboot next year with Miles Turner as the
centerpiece of your defense. And he's a player more so than Roco or Larry
Nance Jr. And I liked both of those trades at the time that they
were made, and I still Larry Nance Junior's still when he saw he's really
good. Miles Turner can actually sort of shape your defense and the other two
players aren't going to do that. So if you can get Miles Turner,
or if you just get players that are going to help you next year with
Dame, you're still obligated to do that. But you also do have to
sell because Nurkicch and coving Tender entering free agency, and also the Anthony Simon's
deal. You've already paid McCullum Lillard and how many dudes under six six five
are you to pay? Well, that's the thing. I know it's rhetorical,
but I think like it's starting to look like Simons makes sense as like
the other one you know of that group, So you might like McCallum and
I'm doing the thumb over my shoulder. This is also great podcasting. As
they get out of here, the YouTube perfect McCallum and Powell. Oh that
means they can see my my dog picture up above that I'm pointing to.
You know, if this gets a clipped, I think, uh, I
think that you made me think of something with with respect like they owe it
to a Lillard or you didn't praise it that way. But the idea is,
if you think you're going to contend with LILLARDG you need to be a
buyer. I guess I'm increasingly convinced that like that's not going to happen,
So I mean, I'm less optimistic that that's possible, just because I think
I saw the other day that since they made that conference finals in twenty nineteen,
they're basically a five hundred team. I mean, every team has their
issues, their injuries, they're you know whatever. But there's not a lot
of evidence to suggest that Lillard going forward is like a transformational you know,
the guy that you build around, which sucks, but like it happens to
everybody, it just doesn't last forever. And and so with that as like
not a certainty, but as a consideration along with all the other stuff.
That's why I'm a little more convinced that they should be sellers, but for
sure. Like the other thing is that I don't think it's clear yet if
if who who's going to be making decisions? Right, I think Joe Cronin
took over, I don't know if he's lost the interim tag. It's possible
that if it's not him, or if he gets some job security and like
is there for sure as the head decision maker, he might be more willing
to move Lillard, whether he asks out or not, because I think just
as a member of the old regime, it's a lot hard. It's very
difficult to be the guy that says Dame's gotta go. Or if you we're
gonna, we're gonna decide and he's not that that's a tough. Look.
So that's that gives you some some juice as a as a buyer for sure,
if like, if he's going to be in charge, that's tough.
But so, yeah, that's interesting. I'm surprised. I thought we would
agree they were for sure sellers. But but you're making me, you're making
me reconsider a little bit, but not enough to change my mind. Yes,
would be they'll never be genuine contenders with Lillard, and that they missed
their window. And it was with Neil Shay he went with the medium size
swings rather than making the bigger swings. Where how'd you sort of spilled all
the assets that you gave up for Norman Powell, Larry Nanton, Roco into
one You could have rolled the dice on higher end players that have become available.
I also think he probably should have. I don't think there's anything inherently
wrong with this SISI mcclum Damian Lillard back court, but if you really couldn't
acquire that third guy to go with them, then yes, you should have
traded Cjim McCollum already. It's so it's not as you've that not working,
it's it couldn't work, and it context if you getting the players that you
needed. So I would agree with you that I don't think they're ever going
to be that legit title contender. I shouldn't say never, but the pathway
there is exceedingly harder because of what they kind of burned in those medium size
moves that are Now you know Nurkicch might leave, Roco might leave. You
still have lary Nance Junr. Now you're gonna be boxed into paying Simon's industry.
I mean, there's not a ton of cap space, but guys who
are good tend to get paid anyway. So I agree that it's hard,
but if if I don't think they owe it to Lillard. I record a
Blazer's podcast with a friend of the pod Tower, Boone Biggs a couple months
ago where I said I actually would just I would blow it all up.
And if you still want to keep Loward just trying to rebuild a round Lillard,
then and that would be fine with me. I still really like Norman
Powell. I think he I would do. Look, I would do some
pretty dirty things if I'm an opposing team and trying to get Norman Powell like
that is he is really good. But if you believe that Damian Lillard,
if if you're of the money, you're not moving Namian Lillard until Damian a
little asks are out and you don't think that's happening before next season, you
need to act as if you're trying to compete then, and that would opplicate
you to be buyers, not to the point where you're dealing picks in twenty
twenty seven. You're not the Lakers, but you would be obligated to at
least the opportunistic buying. You also do have to sell, though, because
you're not paying all of your soon to be free agents, and so it's
time to look at what you could get for them. Yeah, the Sacramento
Kings, well, my answer to them is just do fucking something. They
are effeckless, purposeless shit stain of an organization at the top where they just
can't commit or even chisel out a direction like they are their whole. Their
entire existence seemed to be framed around we can't rebuild because our fan base is
waited too long to make the playoffs, and you don't even contend for fucking
play in appearance anymore. And that's like news flash, you're not hanging a
banner because you were one of the top ten teams in the West. If
that's how it ends up panning out for you. And so I didn't mean
to steal this segment by going first. But if you're the Kings, you
want to buy, go ahead and fucking buy. And now I'm cursing.
I'm getting all work whenever it's the Kings, actually buy, Like none of
these just middle rung moves. You want Ben Simmons, make the trade for
Ben Simmons, and whether you consider that a rebuild or a win now play
what I don't, I don't, can't just do it if you want to
sell. Yeah, you know what, that probably should have been done,
buddy healed Harrison Barnes. No one on this roster, aside from Kyrie's Halibert,
should actually be untouchable. I say that as a Daron Fox believer,
I would absolutely see whether it's to buy or to start over, what Daron
Fox is getting me on the trade market. I'm probably keeping Rashaun Holmes because
that floater is sexy, but also just his contract is. I still think
it's criminal that he didn't get more money in free agency. So there are
players that you could say are off limits. If you want to keep Fox,
fine, do something sub angel, something that implies you not even understand
what you're doing, but understand the gravity of the situation you're in. And
that's you exist in the land of nothingness, obscurity or well, you're not
even bad enough to be actually bad. You're just bad enough to suck in
the worst, least beneficial way possible. And it's it's time to fix that.
And I don't care again they can. I'm gonna say it's not both
either or or No, they can't. Just don't hold it's buy or sell.
I don't care do something anything like for the first time ever. Sorry,
that's just like the Kings are. So they ordered to the leadership of
the Kings, and it starts with the fact Ron adeve it's so fucking incompetent.
I feel genuinely bad for their fan base. They just deserve so much
better. They deserve a team that cares enough to want to top out as
more than the ten seed in the West. And that's the vibe you get
when you see like, and there are good players on this roster. I
don't you know. Keeping Harrison Barnes was smart. Harrison barn is a good
player. Keeping Rashaun Holmes was smart. But like, you haven't done anything
to you know, there are complaints about the way the arreon Fox started.
Did I say, Daron Fox? Maybe he does STU for him, Daron
Fox out of the season, But like, what have you done to really
improve the environment and talent around him? Oh, because you have like a
league average or slightly better top five of the roster. Congratulations, there's still
like seven other five to seven other slots and a regular season rotation that you
need to fill. Oh, and hey, it's probably important to have actual
wings. So I can't disagree. I would say that to the list,
which is very long of criticisms, you can lay at the feet of ownership,
because that's the constant that that is the constant. The coach has changed,
the executive's change, the players change. It has been ownership. The
other criticism you can lay at in addition to just being capricious, wanting the
wrong things in patience, poor talent, evaluation, x X y Z,
just whatever you want to say, you also have to add the failure to
read the room, because this idea that Kings fans are we just want to
make the playoffs, like we just we super care about the plan, which
is what ownership reportedly prioritizes, Like that is a priority. I have a
lot. This is this is such a bad way to make an argument,
but just anecdotally, the friends of mine that live in in the area with
I'm forty minutes from Golden One, like right now, Kings fans for their
whole life basically are saying what you're saying. Like so when I say what
do you want to do at the deadline, they'll just say something but don't
care. If it's Ben Simmons, great, if it costs us f awesome,
Haliburton would like to keep him, but honestly, don't care, Like
this just has to change. They don't care about the playoffs. They don't
care about they damn sure don't care about the play in because congratulations, if
everything breaks right, you get swept in the first round. So that is
I don't I don't think and maybe we'll have people tell me I'm wrong.
I really don't think that the Kings fans like as a as a collective give
a shit about the playoffs or about like let's be respectable this year. And
if any like if any fan base has patience, it's this one. So
if you're gonna do a real rebuild, they can take it because at least
they'll be a purpose the problem. And like there, you just can't talk
about the Kings without mentioning this, Like you can't gauge how like dear and
Fox. I was going to ask you if the Sixers come to you and
say Simmons for Fox straight up, like whether you do it or not,
it raises the bigger question of like who's better? I don't know, And
the reason I don't know it is because Dearn Fox has played his whole career
in Sacramento for fifty seven coaches, for suboptimal supporting casts. It's just like
you can't gauge talent. It's you don't know who's good in Sacramento because the
environment is so bad. You can't gauge the quality of a coach. You
just you don't know what because there's this culture of losing and ownership changes its
mind every thirty seconds, but nothing's working right, so you have to just
go in eyes open to this trade deadline and be prepared to fully start over.
So I think I'm saying they should be a seller just because you have
to trade Barnes his value. He might be, you know, in the
top three or four most valuable guys available at the deadline, if for no
other reason you trade him now, because that's just when his values high,
you have to trade heal. I think like it's Bagley obviously, if anyone
will give you anything for Marvin Bagley, sure know that's how this all ends,
is either they just offload Bagley or Tristan Thompsons. The thing that I
like at is this idea that like Fox and Haliburton shouldn't be on the table.
Where did that come from? Oh? On the table? I've they
couldn't play together. Oh no, notions are off the walls row. Yeah
no, that's but just to me, like back at the beginning of this
the Simmons stuff, I was just like, I really I was been in
on Fox for a long time less so this year I'm concerned, like he's
regressed in a lot of critical ways. But again he's in Sacramento, so
who knows what the problem is. Yeah, the reason to maybe want to
play defense and then then learn about him. But this idea that like,
oh, no, no, no, we're not trading Fox for Simmons.
Like Simmons has been an All Star multiple times, he's an All Defensive player,
like he's almost been Defensive Player of the Year. Fox hasn't done anything,
like nothing, and he's I don't know if he's even a full year
younger. Granted, like Simmons presents all these fit issues, but I would
argue, so does a point guard who can't shoot. Like there it's this
idea that Fox you know, look, I guess I would say Fox this
ceiling is higher than Simmons, if only because he has shot it well enough
in the past and he has the tools to be like a normal good point
guard. Mid range game this year is still above average, so there are
ways for him to get there. But this idea that like, oh,
we can't trade Fox, especially now that you max them out, Like the
value is gone now now it's can he live up to that? It's like
you're way past the point of we've got this guy with all this upside,
like he's a superstar money now, so he and he's not a superstar,
so his value is down because of that. So it's a it's a cell,
it's a hard sell, it's trade everything you possibly can. I almost
don't care. Uh, like if you get fair value for any of this
stuff, like it just has to it just has to change. Like even
if they just exited the trade deadline with two fewer centers, sure sure they
understand to get down to get down to eleven. Yeah, I will say,
I think what you brought up is I've viewed Harrison Barnes is sort of
the harbinger for what they're willing to do because I think whether they're buying or
whether they're selling, he's the guy that gets moved. That changes if the
Aaron Fox is on the table. But Harrison Barnes is someone you just capitalize
on his value now because he's like he needs to be on a good team
and he's probably helping your team too much if you actually want to thoroughly rebuild,
and his value, I would argue, has never been higher. His
deal declines next season, which will be the final year of it, and
you don't want to just move someone on an expiring contract. But also if
you're trading for Ben Simmons, I know the framework has been mentioned like,
oh, it would be like is it Buddy Healed and Fox for Ben Simmons
and whatever and maybe maybe twas Harris Michael Back. I think Harrison Barnes is
still just like the third He's probably the third best player on this team,
like there this season might be the second best. It's all over the There's
Homes, There's Haliburton, there's Fox, those those three are all in the
mix along with Barnes or like Joscelyn's or position there. But he's my harbinger
because I think they can do whatever with him. Where if it's if you're
moving Haliburton, I think it has to be as part of a buying out
play. It's if you're selling you don't move Tyrese Halibert. That would be
true. And it's like sort of like Buddy Heeled is sort of just he's
not as good or as valuable as Harrison Barnes is. My text messages go
off right here. It's it's Kings fans. Maybe Kings fans are hot right
now with you. But yeah, so I'm up for whatever they want to
do, as long as that actually includes doing something rather than just like remaining
on this treadmill of pointlessness. Strong agree. We'll be giving the Kings a
lot of time. Most likely player to be moved for them, though,
is it? Do you think it's Barnes. It's gotta be Barnes because exactually
giving me Kings too much credit. No, No, it's Barnes. It's
Barnes, like the Mark. I mean, there's nobody on this trade market
bar like it's Jeremy Grant Barnes. We've mentioned both of them fifty seven times,
Like it's Barnes. Doesn't get trades, can't read the room. They're
probably going to think that they need Barnes to contend for right next season.
Yeah, if everybody wants this guy, he must be good. We gotta
keep him. The San Antonio Spurs, who may the midseason trade already that
happens like one's every twenty five years, so unheard of. I don't know
what to do with this team. My gut is so I stopped doing this.
But they're seventeen and thirty. Their net rating is in the negative.
They've got like sixteen ish million under the tax line. They so my thought
is, one, can you get a first for for that young I don't
I'm gonna dance around calling them a buyer or seller, because I just don't
know that young is like there. I'm just saying now, he's the most
likely got to be traded. If he's not, he's gonna get bought out.
They feel like they feel like a consolidation team to me, and I
feel like we only started talking about this because the Hawks, and then we
just mentioned it a little bit with the Grizzlies. But other than Murray,
who's had quietly like a year, so I mean not quietly if you're in
San Antonio, but quietly for probably most people listening to this, I think
you hold onto him no interest in trading him, but almost everybody else,
probably in some order like Devin Vssell. I'd probably hang on to Primos too
young to know what to do with, but like you've got to hand like
Kelton Johnson, Lonnie Walker, Derek white yaka Peardles getting a lot of buzz
as a super underrated good center now, but even him, I feel like
none of those guys has star upside. I know the Spurs don't typically like
try to trade for that, and there's not one available, but you could
talk me into them basically being buyers. I guess normal circumstances if there were
a star player available by packaging some of those guys and some picks, but
I I guess it seemed like a spur to you. He's trying to get
rid of them. But like, yeah, so I don't know whether they're
a calling buyers or sellers. But the thing other than young, I think
they just got a handful of guys that have some value that don't feel like
cornerstones or even anything close to that to me that they could probably get some
interest gend up for Yeah, I call them sellers just because I think young
you have to shop. They've already given up on Forbes, and I would
also be looking at Pertle is interesting because I don't know what he is to
you long term, but he's so cheap next season, and the center market
is always so wonky that if he's going to protect the rim this well for
you, like maybe Zach Collins ends up panning out. I don't think you
are obligated to look at him. I know Doug McDermott does nothing for your
tomline, but I think he's pretty important to your spacing. I'm looking at
actually, I want to actively shop Derek White because you still have sort of
this log jam at like the the one, two, three spots, and
the Derek White Murray fit has never been super clean. They've played together a
bunch this season, and he's Derek White's gotten better from when jan Da Murray's
dad was subtweeting how bad he was at the start of the season. But
like I'm looking at because you've already paid both of those guys real money,
not superstar money, but real money. I would look at moving one of
them just so you're not like getting too expensive too quickly. And I don't
think that they're like the perfect fifth long term. And I think there's probably
a team out there. And if I was in Land, i'd be looking
at this like they'll give you picks plural for Derek White. And I think
that San Antonio is stuck in this weird middle ground. Not you know,
you trust them more than the Kings, but they're not bad enough to really
get the top pick that's gonna yield them a superstar that can be the you
know, the just the direction of the rebuild. But they also don't have
the player on they're already ross on their roster already who could serve as that
player. De Jean Day Murray comes closest, but I don't know if he's
actually that player, and I don't it's too early. Devin was Sala has
more ball skills. He shot pretty well on pull up middies this year,
but it's not him. Josh Primo is way too young to say anything about.
So yeah, we know they found Kawhi Leonard later in the draft.
They traded from YadA, YadA, YadA. But I'm I'm divesting right now
if I'm them, especially because like they're still just between if you I want
to call them swing men instead of like saying that all of them are wings.
But just like between Lonnie Walker hitting restricted free agency, you really shouldn't
pay him. He's all over the place, Lenny team won't take the take
a chance on him. But you have him, you have Premo, you
have Murray, you have White, and then Vassella is in that category.
Johnson's probably firmly like not. But just like between all those guys, there's
weird like positional overlapped where you can't necessarily play all of them at the same
time unless you're gonna downsize to an incredible degree and yeah, you know what
if someone wants dog with Thermot. Because we talked about teams that might be
in the market for shooting, I'm absolutely listening. So I'm on listen mode
for pretty much everybody with this team, and I think that they should actively
just be looking at, Hey, what does Derek White fetch? It's an
addition to just by virtue of having Daddy as young. I think you called
them sellers. I think too. With White, I didn't really think about
him as a you know, someone who's on the market. But like we
were talking about earlier, like if you're in the market, if you if
you're seeking an Eric Gordon type and they're just there's just Eric Gordon, nobody
else. Like White. White's a different player, but he sort of ticks
that box a little bit, you know, more so than Terrence Rosso I
mentioned already, just like a you know, a one dimensional guy. I
think I don't know what you'd get for White. I surely you'd get a
first for White, right, like of some kind. I would think he's
twenty seven, Like it's not he's old for the Spurs Corps, but he's
not old capital oh, I would think, Yeah, I mean it depends
on. I guess like the pick cachet for each team that would be involved,
But you're getting at least one first round of for him. I don't
know if one first is enough for me to move him. I probably want
a young player and a first or the equivalent of two first maybe is it
like what up Phoenix? Phoenix would be interesting, But so you're getting a
twenty twenty four first and salary filler, and I think you could get Starch.
Starch seems like a spur like he could. I could see them actually
wanting him next year if assuming he gets healthy. I don't know he'd give
him Jalen Smith too. Why not take a flyer? That would be a
man If I'm the Suns, I'm I'm in those tires for sure. But
but there's Derek White's probably not available. So I thought more along the lines
of something like a type package off if Toronto came calling with you have drugages
expiring and contract. But what if it's a first round pick and you get
Malachai Flynn or Delanno abandoned even so you're not getting og or Scotty Barnes,
but like the lower end prospect, a protected pick or even Boston would be
a team. I don't know if they're interested in Derek right, they could
definitely use another ball handler who could create, but I don't think he's floor
general enough. But it would be like, oh, you could have Pritchard,
Nie Smith or Langford and then we'll give you a first in addition to
the salary to get here. Is that type of a package enough for san
Antonio to move White? I don't know, but I think that's the type
of return that realistically, or at minimum, you'd be looking at. You're
not getting the premier anything, but you can get two of something worth further
evaluation. Yeah, but he's not likely to get I mean Young is getting
traded if we're if we're picking one, I mean White would command a lot
more, But I don't know. They still the Spurs still make out like
bandits from the demarter Ros. And I know he's playing well this season,
but he wasn't helping the Spurs get to the level of Chicago is in the
East, so they still made out really well with that. But not capitalize
on Young would be like that would be borderline franchise. No practice here.
It's it blows my mind that you see sometimes that he's expected to get bought
out, and I just like, I don't is that just because of the
Spurs when you're basically behind Jack Landale in the rotation? Though like that,
I mean his per thirty six numbers youngs are close enough to yeah, they
he's not playing, it's not I mean he's the same guy essentially. Unless
Yeah, so I don't. I don't know if he's bought out, what
a shock that would be. He's gotta get traded. The Spurs have to
get something for him. Yeah, he would be the most likely player to
get traded, and he should get traded. The final team do utah jass
buy sell or hold by similar to the Suns a little bit because they're still
good and needs are you know what. The Jazz have more clearer needs than
the Suns do. But they're relatively smaller I guess, no, no,
no, no, I'm sorry, not smaller. They're bigger because the wing
defense thing is a real is a real thing. Sorry, I actually have
before you go into yours, this is I've actually brought up now probably the
third time in this podcast. I was listening to dunked On, who I
believe was citing locked on Jazz podcast, where the notion was brought up that
the Jazz also could just use like sort of a help rotating rim protector so
that Rudy Gobert can trust what's happening behind him when he's actually being pulled further
away from the basket. It's not necessarily about getting you know, Marcus Smart
seems to be I got. I've gotten a few. I would say at
least half a dozen dms from jazz fans looking at mail bad questions would respond
to the podcast we talked about could they trade for Marcus Smart? And that
level of player would be you know, even Josh Richardson for this tea would
be spectacular. But I thought it was interesting that maybe you don't only need
to target a wing. Is it like someone who's you know, like a
four that can also play beside Rudy go but he's closer to a big,
but he's going to give you some help rim protection. And I was just
curious what you thought about the notion of that, or does it just make
more sense given what happens a lot, especially in transition to the Jazz,
that it needs to be like a wing defense or bust situation. I mean
there's I could appreciate the logic that I mean, the thing is like this,
this hypothetical four that is going to provide like weak side rim protection still
needs to be able to guard on the perimeter, right, So like,
who is that like Jeremy Grant? I guess Jeremy Grant, Like or if
you can get Jeremy Grant to combine like his Oklahoma City and Denver selves and
the Detroit self into one player, I don't know, is there? So
you know what I mean? Like? Sure, I agree? How do
they get like the Jeremy Grant of the Harris and barn sweep stakes? How
do you enter that? Because they can't trade a pick until twenty twenty six,
and does Jared Butler in a twenty twenty six pick plus to get to
the salary? Joe Ingles alone isn't floating it. So you're getting into the
realm of Jordan Clarkson or are you're moving boy on mcdonovitch. I don't think
you should move boy on Bodonovitch. I think the Jazz's offense is good enough
to where they could withstand the trading basically anyone who's not Donovan Mitchell and I
would say, or Mike Conley, depending on who they're getting back. But
I wouldn't trade Bardonovitch. And so just because those guys are so expensive and
the distant pick equity you would have to give up to get them, it
feels like they're more in the Josh Richardson Robert Covington type tier, or that
this could all end with them getting David Naba or Tory Craig. Yeah,
I think Craig is. Craig is someone I had on my list. It's
just like for that reason, the guy that you don't have to give up
Engles or Bogdanovich to get. Theoretically, I think of the guys I mean
Clarkson to me, I guess I've just never been in on Clarkson. I
thought Ingles probably was a better six man last year. Ingles has been not
very good this year, but Clarkson seems expendable. I just like you see
in the playoffs, you know what you need and barring the occasional like Lou
Williams won you a game four one time, like the high scoring sixth man
is is like not is less valuable than the guy who can, like you
say, potentially be like your week side shop blocker and guard someone on the
print. You know, the things you need in the playofs are is different.
So but what are you getting for Jordan Clarkson negative right, because two
years and like twenty six twenty seven point six million left on his deal for
what he provides you in the regular season is in terms of shop creation and
making like that's not over the top, whereas Ingles is getting older on expiring
contracts. So yeah, if you want cap relief, that's fine. But
I wouldn't even argue that maybe Jordan Carson is the more valuable trade ass at
than Ingles at this point as possible, but which would be great because I
would trade him before I traded Ingles. I think probably no, But yeah,
I mean, and their needs are I mean the before before getting to
the sort of like let's think harder about it and let's get a week side
shot blocker. They just I think I think it's overthinking it to just to
get past like they got beat by a team that was smaller and that they
couldn't stay in front him in the playoffs on the perimeter last year, Like
that's that's that's what happened. So I think Rudy Gay addressed some of the
downsize five options that you know, I think I was that was like a
big question in the off season, is that the point of this is he
going to be able to do that? He's played like just I think a
little less than twenty percent of his minutes at the five. And I think
that Limps have done well. I don't know, I haven't looked it up,
but they've been on the day. Yeah, but they have in theory,
They've got like they have an option now, they just don't have that
wing stopper. I don't know if Ingles and Jared Butler or whatever you want
to do will get you that, Like you're not getting Grant, You're not
getting I don't know what's who else is even Barnes. Just the Kings aren't
trading you Larren's for Clarkson Ningles, Right, Like, what do you need
to see? Yeah, that's the thing. So I just like I'm just
looking through possible guys they could. They could add I think it's gonna be
a Tory Craig type, you know, some someone someone like that. And
again the Jazz will be buyout players too, although they are I think they're
like close to Yeah, almost fifteen million into the tax but they do have
two open roster spots by my account, so they are kind of a they
are positioned to be a buyout team, but that's gonna hurt tax wise.
What do you think of the Mark is Smart idea for them? I mean,
that'd be phenomenal, Like he's exactly what they need. I just don't.
I don't know if that's realistic that they can make that happen. Yeah,
a lot of the trades that I've seen bandied about Jazz, Twitter and
even were proposed to me. And I'm not insulting anyone who sent them to
me, by the way, but was like Jordan Clark's in and there wasn't
really any sweeteners in there, And I just don't. I don't Mark as
Smart is going to have that extension kick in after this season, and he's
had a terrible season as a shooter and finisher this year. But I still
just what he gives you on defense. Yeah, maybe you're worried about that.
Was it four years and seventy two or whatever it is that he's on
the books for. I still think you have to give up or if you're
Boston, why wouldn't. Why would you give up Marcus Smart without getting back
a first round pick or an equivalent prospect. And the name that I've said
for them many times, and I don't think people realize that he's been solid
this season, or at least not as many people is Josh Richardson. It's
just like, I don't want to give up my twenty twenty six first,
So there would have to be other moves involved that it's happening. But like,
does an Ingalls plus Butler get you Josh Richardson? Does Clarkson alone plus
minimal sweet Nerves get you Josh Richardson? Boston's looking to duct the tax,
so like, how does that impact what's happening? But Richardson felt like the
best realistic name to me for the Jazz because he's definitely a cut above the
Craigs, the Justin Holliday's, way above the David Nuabas. But he's also
like, I think it will take more to get Marcus Smart. I know
people outside of Boston might not like that deal, but Marcus Smart can defend
four positions capably, and he also leads the Celtics and assists this season,
like he is important he's sloppy within the pick and roll, but like he's
also important to them running their offense. So I don't think you're just getting
him. I don't even think if you offered your choice of Ingles or Wow
Jordan Clarkson plus that first, I don't think Boston's even doing that deal.
To be honest, No, do you think Bogdanovich for Smart? Straight up?
Who says who says no? It's a who says no question. I
think it's Boston just because Bogdanovitch is going to be in the last year of
his deal next season. He's older, and he gives you more of what
you need when you're looking at shooting on offense, but you need rim pressure
playmaking like a general floor gen like just an overall floor general. And you're
also kind of hurting your playmaking by turning Smart into Bogdanovich. And so unless
you know you have like an upgrade like a point guard who can not the
attack but also set up your offense and get you into it, that feels
like a So the deal I came up with on the last podcast was Mike
Conley going to Boston basically for either It was a three team deal. Where
the Jazz got back Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker, so like they were getting
another point guard back, or it's they were getting they took Shrewder into the
dear favorite trade exception and then they got Josh Richardson and Smart for Mike Conley.
I've floated something along those lines. That's interesting. Conley. I really
like Conley, But if what's that he's been so his numbers on like off
the dribble jumpers this season or just through the through the roof, Yeah,
I think I I I think certainly that would give the Jazz like more of
what they need. But that's that's tough. Yeah, I don't know who's
so who's most likely to be traded? Do we? Do? We say
that yet? I think I settle on Engles just because he's expiring older and
it feels like there's been more noise about that. If I were to pick
who I'm moving, I would move. I agree with you, I'm with
I'm with Jordan Clarkson that he's the guy I'm moving. Yeah, I think
I agree with that. I guess maybe you the other guys you might think
about are like Butler as a sweetener. But again, I don't. I
don't know. I think the more I think about it, I like the
idea of Bogdanovich Bargonach is really good. I think he's he's a key part
of why that offense hums like it does. I think he's kind of very
often underrated. But so what here the jazz then? And I don't even
know if this guy I don't know because it's not Bardonovich, she's in getting
you Jeremy Grant would Bardonovitch and Butler and a second get you Harrison Barnes from
the Kings. And does that actually help you with what you need? Because
I don't view Barnes as a wing stopper. I kind of like you're reuniting
Butler and Davion Mitchell. So that's that's something that Kings would care about probably
for some reason. Yeah, that's tough. I don't know, it's hard.
I guess Barnes Barnes just gives you a more like more balanced player and
and more too. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know if I
feel that much better about Barnes on like a wing as a small ball four
than I do about Bogdanovitch. Maybe a little definitely a little, but not
to the extent that, oh this makes a ton of sense for us.
Yeah, that's not a wheel. We just put ourselves over the top move.
But it's interesting. I mean, you'd have to think about that at
least, just because he's a different type of player. I guess Robert Covington
feels like the middle ground, right, whereas the Blazers probably I don't know
why they would take Clarkson, but they should, you know, expiring for
expiring and like you said, it could help them get under the tax and
maybe get a little bit of a sweetener. So that feels like the middle
ground move. That would be more realistic. Yeah, I'm with that.
That will do it. Grant, thank you so much for hopping on and
slogging through this exercise with me. It was a blast. As always.
Are you able to tell our listeners where they can find you and your work
if they can find you at all? I like to hide. You can
find me putting out stuff on Bleacher Report. You can follow me on Twitter
at gt Underscore Hughes and you can see me. You can catch me here
and see me here, I guess since your we're YouTube in this one.
Yeah, cutting it into fifteen individual clips. Man, that's how that's how
you get paid so much. Yeah, the big podcasting money. That's why
I have my my Bleacher Report job is just for ships and giggles. It's
the top on the revenue. Thank you so much, Grant. I will
talk to you again, very very very soon.