What is crack lacing fellows thermonuclear efforts. I am Danpa Valley coming at you
with the hashtag return of the Certified Fantabulous Thermonuclear AF co host mister Grant Hughes
is back from a vacation and then a major sickness, had a lot going
on. Not only you're getting a weekend pod, but you're getting the return
of Grant and it's our mega Western Conference Trade deadline preview. Go check out
the Eastern Conference. Some of it's expired a little bit because I think it
was pre Siakam trade. But we're gonna go through every team and we claim
to spend about five or six minutes per team. We'll see if we actually
adhere to it this time. Before we get started, though, Grant,
how the heck are you doing? Are you feeling okay? I'm doing well
since since we last talked. Actually, yeah, I guess I was on
with with Keith but went to Disneyland. Yeah, Like, I haven't talked
to you in forever, and you were just on a podcast this week,
so you actually weren't. But if you were heading time in podcasts produced,
it's been forever because you just your ability to crank out like two more in
the interim is impressive. Uh No, went to Disneyland, came back,
got sick, probably Disneyland's fault, so could couldn't record this last night.
But here we are ready to go. The sources want to know how many
charros did you have while you were there? Oh? I probably oversold it,
but I mean for me, it was the most churos I'd had in
any condensed period of time probably ever, which is to say I think I
had, Like is going to be like, what's wrong with this person?
I think I probably had like five over three days. That seems like a
lot of churros for me. They don't sell them and like they I mean
it's a lot because they only sell them singly, right, So it's not
like you got did you get to at a time? And then you'll how
did this work? Occasians actively choose to go buy a churro because then that's
respect what you made me recall that i'd forgotten and I should update my churro
count to reflect it. Is there these special like I didn't know they existed,
you know, very dressed up like dessert, not that, of course,
churros are dessert. Anyway, but like there's like, this is the
strawberry cheesecake churo. Would you like one? Yes? I would. It's
too bad because they come in twos. And so you get this like little
you know, like one of those paper rectangular cup thingies, and there's two
churros in there, side by side, just drizzled in like every sweet thing
you could imagine. They're already like injected with cream, cheese and all this
delicious stuff. But they have credible They have four different kinds of these,
So you got to try the Oreo cookie one and the I don't know what
else there was like lemon meringue, and then some chocolate something so had.
Those were two apiece, and so I went through a few of those.
So I would say over three days, I need to update my I'm sharing
these with the family. By the way, i'd say total ture count like
maybe eight. I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, sir,
nice That means a lot. Okay, let's begin this trade primer. Uh,
we'll begin with the Dallas Mavericks. We're going in alphabetically, so this
is dangerous. I think we might have done it by division for the East,
but we'll go alphabetically for this time. Cross your fingers that this doesn't
get too dated before it comes out, because there's been more transactions during this
window than normal. Uh. Dallas Mavericks though, grant, where do you
want to start with them? Uh? Just general thoughts, like they're they're
pretty clearly buyers. I know we actually talked some talked about some of this
with Keith, and it's just kind of the the general I don't know,
main question for them is like do we do we go for it now?
Because I think you're the first one to point this out. You can get
up to three first if you wait till this summer to transact, you can
trade one essentially now because you've got the Knicks obligation and that and that Brooklyn
obligation. So your buyers you should be looking for. I think, you
know, a two way wing er. You know, I've always thought kind
of maybe might need a third shot creator just you know, that's been kind
of a preseason storyline. Not as urgent as you know, Guys that will
frighten a playoff defense more than Derrek Jones Junior, more than Dante Exam,
more than any of the other guys they could throw out there. So to
show you how how long we've put this podcast off looking at some of their
needs. I because I put these lists together. However long ago that was
you know, like a except we weren't sure about Derek Lively yet somehow it's
like they might need a three weeks ago. You should have been sure about
Derek. I'm looking right here, I said, might need a closing,
a closing big, assuming that's not Lively. And I said, to my
credit, I said, Cleeve is not that guy anymore and he was still
injured. Was not that guy? Right? So yeah, that's you know,
I don't know. Uh, Dorian Phinney Smith is someone I just like
makes sense bring him back, even though he's not what he was when he
was there, just someone someone in that ILK. We can get some more
targets U the second here, But what do you have different thoughts? Is
there is there another like over overarching point that we should be thinking about.
I'm kind of if you want sort of a different backup five option for them,
because you don't trust Grant Williams and we have some like bigger issues here,
uh, like a backup big I should say, because these guys are
these guys are all over the place. I think they're mostly fine though,
between Kliba and Grant Williams and Derek Lively and so all those guys are healthy.
I'm skewing more towards I want a three four because you kind of already
mentioned it. It's we've seen Derek Jones' junior shooting cool off. Dante Exam
is still shooting the three ball well on the year, But you want someone
who also kind of has some size and where you would rather have Dante ExHAM
perhaps at the point. Although Dante ExHAM like was on that gerson Yabuseli diet,
he's really he got thicker, So that's that's good. But I think
it needs to be a three to four. And you said we get into
more targets, but I want to ask you this, so there would have
to be they can make it work like they're swaps. There's money. They
have Josh Green, even though it's very easy if you're a team under the
tax to take him poison pills. Now with the way the matching is,
if it's a matter of if you gave up your what can they trade the
twenty twenty seven pick right now, I believe right because they have twenty twenty
nine to Brooklyn and then there's twenty and twenty four. Yeah, twenty seven.
If you could trade that now in some package and get Jeremy Grant,
would you do it? Or would you opt to wait for the summer where
we can trade three first round picks and see what's out there. So it
comes down to do you think you could get a player better than Jeremy Grant
over the offseason? Yeah, that's hard to know. I think Jeremy Grant
the contract we don't love, but he is the type of player they need.
If you get him for your one first now, I wouldn't be so
sure that anything better was going to be available in the summer, So you
might that might just be the right decision to just do you know, like
who? Like I'm trying to think of the name that isn't certainly isn't available
now and that might be in the summer that Dallas could also win a trade
bidding war for with three big one is yes, okay, there are three
picks a swap? Is Josh Green in there? Olivia Macent's prosper whatever?
What if McHale bridges or lowry marketing becomes available, they will not have the
best offer. No, they won't. And that's the case for a lot
of the Lakers are in this bunch too, Like they can get to three
if they wait till this summer and will say they're the team. More likely
though, where a player might be, well I want to go to the
Lakers and they have the threat of pre age. Sure, yeah, well
that I mean, yeah, you steer your way there via trade demand or
whatever. But yeah, I think increasingly I think the move is now if
you could do that and make Jeremy Grant, you know that you're big.
You're kind of your last swing really for this core in terms of like what
you can go get for your assets, because that's that's a third big salary
there. But that is the player type you'd want. That's you know,
we're talking about Finney Smith and Royce O'Neill and you know, I don't know
who else you might want to toss out there, but like he's better than
those guys. So I think if you're if you're willing to say these are
our big three salaries, Luca, Kyrie and Jeremy Grant, and we think
we have enough support around them, then I think you do that. I
don't. I just I don't know. It's almost disheartening to kind of start
thinking about the summer in those terms and say, like, God, I
don't know if there's any there's it might be this slow then too right,
Well, I think there's something always just around the corner. That's how I
always have to fad that. I would just do it for Jeremy Grant.
I would not do it for Kyle Kuzma if that's the one, I would
rather wait. If I at the option on the table now, though,
is there better bet? Like, is there a way for them to kind
of keep their first round equity and actually address some needs and I'll throw I
think I have three names here where it's like Jayshawn Tate, Bruce Brown,
and Jonathan Isaac. If you can get those guys with I don't know if
Bruce Brown would cost you what they would actually call it, but if you
can get those guys without giving up your future first round pick so that you
are then able to get better while also maintaining that summertime top shelf offer,
Yeah, maybe that's the way to go. But if Jeremy Grant I do
it, I just don't know. What the Blazers would accept for him otherwise
though I couldn't think of anyone else where. It's well, like, no,
you just do it. I'm probably for them trying to straddle the fence
here. Yeah, So to that end, Like I just was looking back
over this today and thinking, like, like Tim Hardaway Junior, I think
is having a great season. It's scoring a ton, like is the type
of player the Lakers need. Just who's gonna get him up and like scare
defenses from deep. Do you think you could get RUI from the Lakers for
a package with with Tim Hardaway in it and not have to give up that
first. I don't know if I would want to do that. If I'm
the Mavericks, I just want a bigger there's your bigger forward though that like
you know, proved he could play well in a playoff run last year,
and I feel like Hardaway is just not He's you know, he's having a
great year, but like I don't think he's giving them a ton of what
they really like can't get from other guys. Maybe it would be the way
the most bankable shooter once you trade, Yeah, I mean you'd have to
hope for your well just having Luca and Kyrie means you could get like decent
you can get decent like production out of guys getting wide open looks all the
time. So like, I take your You're right, though, like Hardaway
is clearly the best shooter there. I wonder if, like I don't know,
do we trust Josh Green? Josh Green can make a three likely endorsement
from you. I mean, he's actuly shooting a higher percentage than THHJ,
but it's about a third volume. So that's not I guess we don't believe
in Dante xem It's something I believe in him. Is Defense is aren't going
to guard him in the play like he's played well enough for long enough.
Now hours, Okay, you have to buy it. Like Derek Lively.
We're sure that Derek Lavely is a hell of a basketball player already, But
Howard Defense is going to treat Dante ExHAM on the when they're like yeah in
the playoffs, excuse me? Yeah. It's it's so interesting, like when
you try to think about that scenario where it's like Dante Exam could he could
win him a playoff game and hit like eight threes? Right, go like
eight of thirteen because they don't guard him, and then like the next time
out, they're still not going to guard him. They're gonna say because not
only is it unlikely he'll win him that game, there's no way he is
doing it four times. So that's just like, how good of a it's
so hard to change your reputation as a shooter. We should get to Denver.
That's too big of a topic. What you're most likely player to be
traded for this team? Hmm, that's a good question, is it,
Josh Green? I'm trying to like, can you can't get off Rashawn Holmes
without paying right, Josh Green? Seems like the kind of Alwa's poison pilled.
That's a stupid answer. I don't know who's yours. Let me keep
looking while you think, will you give me yours? H I had Rashawn
Holmes anyway to where it's just like hard to move him. You probably have
to compensate at this point, But it's can you look at it and say,
is it Grant Williams at this point? Like that would be really awkward
because you look at it and maybe for salary matching purposes it should be Tim
Hardaway junior. I just think he's too important for you and so you're not
dealing with any monster. I was trying to look at expirings that that like
you're not dealing with it, Like Dwight Powell is going to be a maverick
for life. So it's just, you know, I feel like maybe it
is Rayshawn Holmes when they try and do it's sort of a let's say,
if they got a Royce O'Neill or a Dorian Phinney Smith and you're compensating to
get Dorian Phinney Smith and get off of for Shawn Holmes, Like it feels
like it would be that situation just because Kleiba conceptually still has a ton of
value to them. Yeah, he's just been so bad offensively. But yeah,
no, I think I think, I don't. I don't know.
There's not really a great answer here. Maybe Jaden Hardy because he gets used
as like a sweetener or something for it, the type of tea because then
you can involve like bad teams and try to pluck you know, sent him
a prospect that might actually be a lead ball handler type. I don't know.
Do you think they end up finally on the Mavericks is the banner pace
for us. Do they still own their twenty twenty seven first round pick up
the trade deadline? I will go. I'll say yes, because I don't
think Portland's gonna move if they move Jeremy Grant. It feels like there might
even be an offer that the Mavericks get out bid for. Yeah, you'd
think someone out there would do two firsts. I guess I have to.
I say yes, and I hope. I hope it's yes, because if
if they do give it up, it might be for like a Kyle Kuzma
level, which we both have said, like, don't do that. If
you can get them without like if Josh Green and Omax like you can finagle
it that way, then I considered an upgrade. Defensively, do you want
to take us to or maybe I'll just start us off on the whatever.
Denver Nuggets they're they're a quick team. They if they trust that Peyton Watson,
Reggie Jackson and Christian Brown are trustworthy in the playoffs, it's just a
backup big for them. And even that is just Aaron Gordon's gonna play the
five in the postseason and yo kids are gonna play forty minutes a game,
and so there's your forty eight minutes of center play right there. It's a
regular season innings thing. Now it's just backup bigs. There's value in that
getting an upgrade from DeAndre Jordan and the ghost of Zeke Naji. The issue
with them is they have fifteen guaranteed contracts on the books, and when you're
looking at players they can get rid of, They're not just gonna get rid
of any of the youngsters they gave guaranteed money to for anyone that includes Hunter
Tyson or Julian Strother and then Locko Chanchar is injured, but he's also or
Yokic is homie and so you're probably not gonna trade him. Is basically we
have Justin Holliday to cut or move his matching salary. And it's you know,
because I think DeAndre Jordan's not someone yeah, push comes to shove maybe,
but you value him for his locker room presence and he did post her
eye he posts the other night, and so maybe he's making the comeback there.
I think it's Justin Holliday is the most likely player to be moved or
to get that out of the way. Just because it feels like there's no
other real option now when you're looking at backup bigs who make very little money,
so that it becomes easy to make the money work. I liked Exavier
Tillman for this team and I still do. I just think he's less likely
to be moved now that or it'll take more to get him now that Steven
Adams is gone for Memphis, they still telegraphed that they want to keep Smart,
so they still have those luxury tax concerns entering next year as Desmond Bains
deal ticks in. So I like Exavier Tillman. I would love Here's one
though, Dario Sharitch here with the Warriors kind of treading water in the middle
of nowhere. They don't have his bird rights. He's on a minimum.
That's someone who could play with Yok if you really wanted to, or like
him and Aaron like he could play at five, he could play with Aaron
Gordon in the smaller units. I don't know how much playoff burn he would
get it as a regular season innings either. I think he might be my
favorite backup big option for this team. Yeah, he's the top of my
list too. I totally agree, I think in the interest of it,
Like I don't want to short change the Denver fans, but they know they
know what's what's going on here, Like they've been neglected. We'll have to
do a deeper dive into them at some point. But like the Nuggets are
just such a no it's wake me up in men. Definitely true because they're
my title pick. It's been unfair because they're just like sort of we we
don't they're really good. Like nothing that happens in the regular season short of
catastrophic injury is gonna make me think they're any less of a of a title
contender that you know, you can't there's nothing you could. I know people
try and feign concern about like some of their losses or like their slot.
I after watching the last six weeks of them or whatever last year and then
them just turning on the Jets in the postseason, I'm just like, eh,
no, they're fine. There is so I was gonna say, was
what is the percentage chance that this team does absolutely nothing at the trade deadline?
Because I think it's like ninety five they're not. I'll take I'll take
the over. Yeah, all right, Therefore we should move on. There's
like if you're looking at other backup bigs, it's again it's like you go
go Bitadze is not playing in Orlando anymore, Orlando Robinson. If Miami's just
like kind of doing weird things. I like Mamu for them from San Antonio
because he can kind of do he probably he won't give you any defense,
but he's really crafty. But it's you have to ask yourself, are any
of those guys worth giving up second round equity for? And I think with
Dariosars, I'd absolutely do it just to fortify my title chances of my death
for the regular season. Yeah, although you have to remember too Denvers and
let you'd have to trade somebody else's second rounders because Denver second rounders are gonna
suck for the foreseeable future. Those are like guys that never make the league
in the you know, well they fifty. They actually have Toronto's twenty twenty
five second Oh no, that's Dallas. I'm sorry, I'm looking at the
wrong team. So they have they have Charlotte or min It's so they have
Minnesota's second round pick. Is like the inbound apps, Like, yeah,
I don't know all right, Let's go to the Warriors, which this is
your show man, No, I mean, well, this is another team.
They're a little more interesting, but I think the chances of them not
doing something are are also pretty high. Not Denver high, but high.
So just zoomed out. The Warriors are like, they're in a position where
they can be a buyer if they want to, and I think there's a
lot of support for that to happen, just because of the we owe it
to Steph Curry angle. The You know, this is a very expensive team.
What are you doing if you're not trying to be more than like a
well outside the playing team. It costs us much like we gotta we gotta
keep going. Maybe good money after bad good money after bad situation. They
could sell, they could, you know, which would mean I'm not sure,
Like you move, you try to move off Wiggins for cap flexibility,
You try to, you know, just sort of get a little leaner and
meaner going into the off season and make the real run next year. Or
you do nothing and hope the guys that have underperformed just get better, or
in Clay Thompson's case, come back next year for half the salary's currently making
stuff like that. Well, please, it's less than a half for their
sake. Yeah, well, I don't know. Twenty million a years seems
okay, But yeah, I think I think they're gonna have to give him
at least twenty because otherwise I think you might actually risk him just being too
prideful and somebody will give him more than that. Maybe I don't know.
Shout out Toroit. Yeah, Detroit's out there, just like who who's whose
statue ceremony five years from now? Can we ruin? Right? Yeah?
They So they could do either either thing. We can get into it in
depth if you want. But like my position is, I don't think I
don't think it makes sense to do anything other than see what you can turn
Chris Paul's contract into and maybe you move Moses Moody or maybe you I don't
know, take calls on Wiggins. But like, other than that, you're
not trading Draymond. They're not gonna trade stuff. They're not gonna trade Clay,
So you just it's a kind of peck on the margins, and that's
unsatisfying because it means they're unless they really turn it around somehow. Over the
last thirty games, they're gonna be a playing team and that's about it,
right, They should if that, if that's the route they're gonna go is
kind of stasis. They should even get a good second for Dario Shartz.
They should abstuely do that. Yeah, I could also see the Wiggins thing
becomes more interesting because if I know Wiggins has played a little better, Like
if this is Jonathan kaminga now and you trust him, do you just look
to move Wiggins for an expiring contract because you because you talk about moving Chris
Paul. Where the thought process would be, let's roll that salary slot into
someone who's more useful for us. That's gonna require additional equity on your part,
And so are you willing to give up Moody picks to get someone and
I think for the right player who can be a part of their program in
the years to come, a Dejonte Murray. And I'm not saying I would
give up everything for these players, but a Wendo Carter junior who that's not
really a Chris Paul trade unless you're also taken back Gary Harris or John and
Isaac or whoever. Like, if you can get players like that, even
I've done about Alex Caruso a little more for this team just to like get
that kay for a long time. So that's someone who could guard one through
four. Yeah, that cost you Moses Moody in a first round pick.
Let's say, but his salary is conducive to your expensive next year expenses next
year because he's just not making that much and he helps you. So like
those are moves that I think they should be monitoring just because yeah, there's
they're not a team where you look at their assets right now, they're not
gonna get that much better over the offseason. It's, oh, we opened
up a twenty thirty one swap because they already or because like the twenty thirty
pick they could still trade, they would they top twenty protect it so they
could be like, hey, we'll give it to you if it falls within
one through nineteen or one through twenty. It's like that card's already there.
So since their asset chess doesn't actually improve that much over the summer, you
could argue, if they're not going to bring back Chris Paul, their war
chest is even emptier or it's getting shallower because they don't have that matching salary
to offer, so I would look at doing something like that. And my
favorite, I think my two favorites for them. I mean, I would
love Wendell Carter Junior there I just feel like the Magic aren't going to move
him. Would be Dejonta Murray and Alex Caruso. I talk to you about
Denny Avdya and an Yaka Kunglu. They're poison pilled, so there'll be some
extra leg work involved, and those aren't guys I want to throw the farm
at. But like, if you can get a Caruso or a Murray,
I it's not about just this season. They would help you, you get
into the play in and then you're better. But if you can get them
for if it's Moody plus a first round pick and salary and that gets those
deals done, I'm absolutely jumping at those opportunities. Yeah, you know it's
so interesting that like, and this is another team, well they deserve a
little more time than Denver just because there's more going on. But like I
kind of think internally, and this is just my sense of it, because
it might also be what I kind of think, like they think, if
well, we don't need Alex Caruso because once Gary Payton's healthy, like that
same guy, you know, like he does the same things, And why
would we trade Moses Moody because we still believe in him, And like,
I think in some sense, like and I don't know that that's irrational.
Any of those things are irrational to think, but I think deep down they
probably believe we need to just kind of bring this group back next year and
pay clay Less and turn Chris Paul into something else and we're going to be
right back in it. And it's like I kind of almost understand how you
could believe that, but it also seems insane because they're under five hundred and
you know, STEP's been healthy most of the year, Like it's crazy to
believe that. But I think there just doesn't. It's I feel like what
I'm trying to say is it's got to be pretty easy for them to look
at a move for someone like Caruso or of someone of that level and just
be like, eh, I don't know, why are we giving up anything
that doesn't that doesn't change anything. I do think the bigger deal would be
though, So you mentioned Chris Paul. Do you think they would be willing
to then guarantee his salary or part of his sat like question could just bring
him back at a smaller number, like would they be willing to do that
to where it's still expensive and so they can use him because otherwise the move
needs to be this season. Then yeah, right, it's interesting. It's
like that contract is still valuable, but it's sort of treating like it's hard
to figure out how they're going to get the most value out of it because
the kind of if you've watched their offen, their often kind of needs him,
which is scary. Yeah, I mean it's just that, like how
much can you realistically count on a guy his age to just not have this
happen all the time from now on? Just you know, he's just I
don't know that this was kind of another freak injury, so it's got a
little unfair. But like, you know, he's he's the closer to forty
than you like for someone who's super important to your offense. So maybe the
move is like he does come back for a renegotiated cheaper deal. I don't
know. I think there's still probably teams out there that would pay him more
than the Warriors would if you were negotiating freely. And not being traded.
But uh yeah, I don't know. I just it's a little bleak,
but it's it's just kind of like I don't think there's there's not a trade
that makes them a contender. What makes them a contender somehow is the guys
that they already have, including Clay, just become the twenty one to twenty
two versions of themselves. And you keep this version of Kaminga and like you
know, he continues to just climb the ladder of important players in the franchise.
So you know, I'm fine with that path as long as you make
if you're willing to guarantee or pay Chris Paul next season so that you roll
that salary slot. Yeah, yeah, I think I'm a big believer in
needing that salary slot for them. The Houston Rockets, who've already made a
trade, they traded three first round picks, really only two of them are
like kind of consequential for Steven Adams, who is not going to play this
season. It cost them three second round picks. Excuse me, and Victor
Oladipo. I don't think that telegraphs. I think some people viewed it as
older. They still not believe in Alperin Shangoon, and it's like Alpern Shangoon
plays thirty two minutes of game, Steven Adams will be thirty one next year.
He can play the other fi fifteen sixteen minutes and he's making backup center
money at this point. And then you also have you've now traded, You've
turned the Victor Oladipo salary slot which was expiring into a twelve point six million
or whatever Steven Adams is making. That's what it felt. This player,
we could technically use him to upgrade the backup big rotation, but he also
becomes this trade ship next year. This season specifically, I could still see
them doing stuff though, because their pick is owed to Oklahoma City with top
four protection and they're kind of on the periphery of the play in and so
what can they do to improve their odds there? I think it needs to
happen on the offensive end. They're a team that I don't even remember.
I sent you a list of trade targets for everybody. I didn't include him
on there. But I would absolutely consider taking a look at de Jante Murray
depending on the cost, because him and Van Vliet and having Brooks and then
Tari Easan. Imagine that those four defensively and then just put Shanggoon out there.
But I think they need they need shooting in just like a higher level
offensive player. Yeah, I think that's right. I think it's interesting that
like the need you know, Jalen Green has had some of his best games
of the year recently, and I think the Adams move is interesting to compare
to the ones we're talking about hypothetically, because like, if you go get
a shooting guard, are you maybe like kind of coming over the top of
Jalen Green? And if you go get like a wing that's a little bigger,
are you kind of different positionally? But like you can come over the
top of Dylan Brooks and reduce his role, maybe, but like you don't
want to mess with Jabari Smith's minutes and roll maybe. But Adams is perfect
because like he's not a threat to play ahead of Shangoon. He'll just be
the muscle that comes in and bangs around matchup specific Like that's that's the perfect
kind of trade for a young team that's good and wants to like get what
it needs down the road. I just like, yeah, like I love
I love the idea of just giving all the draft equity back for McHale Bridges,
like, let's just let's just do that. And they tried that per
Michael Scoto of who Tight, and a lot of people said the net should
do it. There has to be a level of just like embarrassment where it's
this team gives you an aggressive offer and it's just all your own stuff back.
But still I thought you where I thought you were going with that was
there has to be a point where the nets just say, we can't keep
turning down these incredible offers for mckel Bridges, like we got to say yes
if that's if this is really true, where like you know, four or
five picks are out there multiple times, or five was like a hypothetical,
but four, like whatever the Nets or whatever the Rockets might get back,
you might just need to say yes at some point. So is Jalen Green
in two of their first round picks too much for mckel Bridges. Is the
framework? I don't think it is. I'm not sure that's really analyzing.
I think if I'll tell you how stupid I am, if Jalen Green hadn't
had like a couple of really nice games recently, I would have been like,
do it immediately, but now I'm thinking, like, oh, what
if Jalen Green does turn out to be really good? I don't think that's
likely. I think he's a zach Lavine type, you know where there's a
Jack Lavine was never really good? Wow, Well, and nobody wants them
Baron Landscape, the desolate uh deserted one is whatever we said, I think
my saying. So. The other thing they could do was because Teve Adams
isn't playing this year, like they could look to upgrade the backup big Spot
with another expiring contract perhaps would be good. I think my favorite trade target
for them, though, I mean it's Michale Bridges, because there'd be high
comedy there if the nets are getting their own picks. And he's also a
good fit, but someone who won't He can come over the top of a
bunch of different people based off their defensive personnel. I haven't seen him mentioned.
I love boyon Bogdanovich for this team. Is I am I missing the
mark there? I don't yet know. I think that I don't understand why
you know his name has been around, but I feel like the most recent
conversations I heard about him, were like, ah, he's a little you
can't defend, and he's It's like, how do we go from everybody wants
this guy to maybe we're talking him down. I think he'd be a great
fit there. I think he'd be a great fit lots of places. I
still think Detroit's gonna get something good for him if assuming they trade him,
I would give up. I would protect it and like make it lottery protected,
and then if you have like maybe two cracks at it to get it,
but like I would have I mean, he's yeah, okay, he's
gonna turn what does he turn? Thirty five in April? He's sixty true
shooting on a team that doesn't really put him in the best situations twenty two
points for thirty six minutes forty one point four percent from three fifty one point
seven percent on twos. He has him self creation to him. He's actually
shooting a career low at the foul line at seventy seven percent. So it's
like, this is just and then you have that. Okay, we can
either pay him two million dollars to go away, or we just have this
nineteen point six million dollars spiring contract on the books for next year and with
Houston specifically, some teams might run into defensive problems, but it's if you
want to play him as your day Facto four or your three or even your
two like to like you have Dylan Brooks and Fred van Fleet and Tarry Easton
and Aman Thompson and Jabari Smith Junior and even Shane Goun's been better to him,
like you could just move him in all these different combinations. And he's
also the type of player we're seeing Detroit now and Parkers didn't want to get
rid of him. He doesn't infringe upon anybody's development. No, all right,
most likely player to be traded depot. That's what we definitely would have
said if we'd record. That's got to be it, right, because he's
he's got the weird non guarantees on what three of the four for the Warriors?
Who's there? Most likely? Is it Paul or Moody? I think
you're maybe it's Charge. Is it just Charge? No? I bet it's
I feel like it's probably Moody. I feel like it's Moody. I don't
know, I don't know why I feel that way. Mooney, is that
what you said? No, Moody. I could like, if you're another
team and you look at how badly Looney has moved this year, and you
also know that like he's like he's so limited and only kind of works with
certain players around him. What his trade value is so low relative to his
value to the team he's on. Yeah, it's got to be Landale.
Jeff Green's up there. Maybe if you're talking about Jeff Green, it's time
for the Clippers. I mean, we've talked about far more obscure players than
Jeff Green. Well, I think they want him for the locker room president.
That's true, that's true. All right, let's now we're onto the
Clippers. I agree with you, uh obviously, buyers. I think looking
this is this is one where putting this list together, like a few weeks
ago, like this was before we were all one hundred percent sure, like,
oh my god, this team is what's got at all? Like,
what what do we need to do here? I still think like PJ.
Tucker feels like someone they could move to, you know, if he's not
going to be the change of Tucker. Yeah, right, this is other
situations, right, you got to find can you trade him for PJ?
Tucker? Five years ago, because the other guys you might think about with
with you know, moving their salaries, like Norm Powell too valuable, Terrence
Man too valuable, like they just that's not the way to go get the
tiny role you want filled by the PJ. Tucker type. So could do
nothing. I mean, I would argue they like I am what we asked
Keith about this, and maybe it's very it doesn't matter in the grand scheme
of things. But after this season, if they're gonna stay in that second
apron and they are, they extended Kawhi, a lot of people expect him
that they're going to resign Harden and Paul George if he opts out or doesn't
extend, I would assume you can't aggregate salaries. You can't take back any
more money than you're sending out. So it's like now is that you can
aggregate, you could take back a little bit more money, and you have
your twenty thirty pick to deal. I'm not saying you have to deal it.
Maybe it's a matter of getting someone with seconds and we can go through
targets. But like if you my favorite target for them is PJ. Washington
because I'm with you, I think they need kind of the small ball five
option, but can they also play next to one of the big so that
you're ensuring they can play the max amount a minute as possible. PJ.
Washington tended an even year. I still think he'd be really good for this
team, and he's someone who in theory, yeah, his role might be
smaller, but you can then it's the Desjonte Murray equation where well, we
could actually use him as value in another trade to where his money by itself
at one hundred percent matching is still gonna get us sixteen seventeen million dollars and
he has real value. So he's my favorite target. But you have to
be willing. I don't think Charlotte, especially if you're including PJ. Tucker,
like, you're not gonna get him for second, So you'd have to
be willing to would you do Tucker salary and that first I'd protected I think
for PJ Washington, I think I would do it. I think it's so
distant though, that twenty because I mean, they they're not probably gonna be
any good then that might yeah, you just maybe you have to. I
feel like I'm a little I'm a little PJ. Washington's like right below,
like Jeremy Grant was above the line for us to do it now, first
first round pick trade. I feel like Washington might be a little below it,
but you're more like there's not a player out there for them that would
be worth that given the role they're gonna assume. I'm trying to think of,
like who would even all the targets you've got her, you know,
right on that like Santel Damas another one like a Linux Washington's first round.
I think players are which are great then yeah, I mean your guy Chris
Bouchet just come in and come in and shoot some threes, not making them
at the moment or the past. It is such an important lens though,
to keep in mind for teams like the Clippers, where they'll like, you
gotta maybe do some things now, even if it doesn't feel like a great
idea, just because you're gonna be so restrained going forward that this is your
last shot. So like maybe maybe the answer is like, yeah, PJ.
Washington is the right call because this first like kind of might disappear like
or you know, like we we kind of lose a bunch of options if
we don't do it now, So I don't know. Here's here's a hypothetical,
and I think we went through all the names that we have for that.
I mean, MAXI Kleiba, if he's really done, you might as
well take a flyer on the PJ. Tucker in seconds. O don't And
why the masks that? So you do that? You're the Hawks and the
Clippers come calling and they say, we're gonna give you this twenty thirty pick,
completely unprotected, and it's Jalen Johnson for a mere coffee. M that's
well, I don't think I don't think the Hawks would do that. I'm
not sure they should, but I mean Jalen Johnson, Well, how about
this, if we're starting to talk about trade officer Jalen Johnson, the Hawks
immediately call the rest of the league and say, can you beat one first
for Jalen Johnson? And the rest of the league says, yeah, unprotected
though is like I know that, Yeah, I know that. Like Landry
Field is probably gonna be running the show at that point, so that's definitely.
I mean, the Pelicans would beat that, but just there might not
be teams that are willing up because he's about to be paid. There might
be teams that are scared of that, which is why Lanta would move him
in the first he's gonna get If I told you twenty seven million dollars a
year, I think I'm taking the over. If you rather, if you
told me twenty seven million dollars a year, I'm taking the over. I
haven't thought enough about I mean, like in the twenties, for sure,
that is one of the least hot takes you've ever had. I'm just I'm
trying to see where I'm comfortable and then like nudge up or like twenty five.
I don't know, maybe twenty six. Uh yeah, No, I
don't think. I think the Clippers. If I'm the Clippers, I do
that ten times out of ten. Oh you wouldn't, Okay. If I'm
the Hawks, I'm like, I don't know, I could do better than
that. For Jalen Johnson, the Lakers, do we do most likely to
be traded? Oh it's gotta be Tucker right, Yeah, I agree,
even though he's also probably the toughest player to move for them theoretically, right
if he did if he was expiring, and be totally different, But that
one more that player option that that's tough for twenty four to twenty five.
So the Lakers have the same dilemma as the Mavericks. Whereas, based off
the names that are out there, are you waiting to when you could trade
your three first round picks plus three swaps plus Austin Reeves like that's your godfather
offer? Or are you going out and making the move now? And the
answer is that this you don't have Luca and even Kyrie who's younger, you
make the move now if it's you know, I understand drawing a line because
of his injuries and his contract with Zach Lvine, where it's we will give
you our twenty twenty nine first or Austin Reeves like, you don't get I
understand drawing that line. But if you can get to Jontay Murray for you're
able to offer, go get to Janta Murray in part because he's younger and
he'll be valuable as a trade chip if you need to move him later.
I just I'm not and I want to know where you land on this.
This team needs offense and heeds shooting. It could use another creator, even
with D'Angelo Russell having just one of those. I don't give a fuck scorching
hot stretches, like I'm like again, I'm being restrained in Zach Colvine talks.
I'm involved in them though if I'm the Lakers, because you need that
type of player, and I don't know that I see I listed boy and
Madonavitch for this team would make a lot of sense. I don't like,
do they even have enough to do that in between stuff like if you could
get away with a swap and Jalalenhood Chafino and Max Christie and salary for a
boy. I don't think the Pistons do that. So they're almost only built
to do something a little bit nuclear. Yeah, And and I think like
the Lavine Levine to me, like really does and like we it's well documented.
Not the biggest Levine fan think he's over over compensated, a little overrated,
like great shooter, great scorer, Like I don't like him on a
lot of teams, but specifically on the Lakers. It may sense to me
like he's just like the knocks on him are one not a good defender,
inattentive, and two he's like a functional passer, but he's almost he doesn't
make the types of passes that like dramatically improve an offense and like add flow
to it. He's not making like next level reads. I think, you
know, he gets the assist because he's got the ball a lot, and
he draws attention and he can make like the basic passes, but he's not
like he's just not like a let's start the churn type of passer. So
that's fine because the Lakers have a good defense and they have the type of
veteran personnel Lebron specifically that like in the biggest moments, he'll make the decisions
like and he can set Levine up for easier shots than he would otherwise get,
so like he makes sense. There can you get him for a first
and not include Austin Reeves? I don't know. I mean, the longer
this goes on and the more hurt Levine seems to be, maybe you can,
uh, but but after that, you know, like Murray's obviously the
much cheaper alternative. I like Terry Rozier there before he ended up moving.
Yeah, it's all just shooting and scores, and I think you it's a
little like the warrior situation and that like there may not be a trade that
makes them a contender because They're just not that close to that level as it
is, but the Lebron thing makes it so that you're just a little more
I don't know, risk tolerant for that kind of thing. So you just
probably go for it. So I have a trade proposal for a target that
has not been talked about with them. I'm just curious as to what you
think. All right, let's hear it. You go, deanzel Russell.
It already Deanz Russell was killing it at the I'm out you know. You
know that, And there will be a different permutation of this deal if you
say no to it. Okay, So yes, Max Christie, that nine
first round pick and let's say unprotected or at most top one protection, and
then all the swaps that you can give, which is I think twenty twenty
six and two thousand and thirty. Okay, so two swaps for Cam Johnson.
Wow, I to talk about someone I have not thought of as a
as a Lakers target. So Brooklyn is giving up Johnson, getting Delo and
two young guys a first and two swaps. Yes, I think Brooklyn probably
should do that. And then should the Lakers do that? Is that a
big enough would you rather include Austin Reeves than Delo if you're the Lakers in
that scenario, or do you just trust that like we have Reeves and Gabe
Vinson, we'll get healthy or we'll get Chris Paul or Kyle Lowry on the
buy out market. There is no scenario where I would put Reeves in that
deal over Russell. No, I would the Nets prefer like Russell's. They
could actually with absolutely prefer Reeves. They would have to write like there's just
am I crazy that? Like, I just I don't know if you're trying
to No. No, I think I think you're right, But it's just
if they're looking for an actual creator that's not necessarily. If I'm the Nets
and you include Reeves in that first round pick and the swaps and then we're
just getting to salary, I think I don't know if I would do it.
Still. I'm just I'm curious to what like Cam Johnson is. He's
better defensively than people think, although he's not a very good rebounder. But
you have Lebron and a dal like you're all of a sudden really big again
on the front line in a way that Darvinham refuse to play big and like
you kept I think it, then it gets you have diluted your creation,
You've improved your shooting and your optionality. And so it's, well, will
Gabe Vincent be healthy this season or do we trust that we're gonna get Like
if you trade d Lo without getting another point of attack creator like Kyle Lowry
is just gonna end up on the Lakers at that point. I mean that's
fine, all right, Yeah, I'm good with that. No, I
just you know, yeah, you're what you're saying about. If you don't
replace what de Lo provides, you do lose a lot. But it's like
Lakers kind of you know, cut him out of the rotation in the playoffs
last year several times the granted you had, you had more support, you
had Shrewder, right, I think playing a much larger role had Lonnie Walker
coming in and winning a playoff game, and Reeves was handling too. So
I just like, yeah, the ither thing you can do is like that
deal can be expanded to where if you think that's too much compensation, well
if you're also getting because you have RUI and the Nets could use a bigger
photo for getting rid of Cam Johnson and you full Dorian Phinney Smith or Royce
O'Neal in to this deal. Yeah, So like because I don't know where
you landed, it seemed like you were a little bit more reticent to do
it if you were the Lakers. I was just trying to go and think
of like could that package get something better? And because I was still still
thinking, like, the types of players I kept thinking about for targets were
like more like two threes than three four. So I had like the Gary
trentz On there and the Bugdon bogged On Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson and you know,
Bruce Brant, guys that like could run around and score and do a
bunch of other stuff. But nobody of Johnson's size that You're right, that
hasn't been like a positional type that people have kind of talked about for the
Lakers. I guess I'll frame it to you this way. If you're I
might do it. I think I do it if I'm the Lakers just for
Johnson or would you need like dfs? Oh, I'd love it to expand
to get DFS in there. If you want to want to throw you're saying
you do it without I guess i'd probably try and push to get Royce O'Neill
in there. At least. I don't think you'd run it like I shouldn't
be a deal breaker for Brooklyn if you're if you're asking for so, what
would your preference be if it costs you Reeves and you're first to get to
Jante Murray or this package for Cam Johnson. Hm, that's interesting. I
think I might still like Reeves more than most, so I think i'd probably
rather do the Cam Johnson one. I think I'm with you because it's so
I believe it's so easy to fold Royce O'Neill into it. And maybe that's
like me just being too confident. Maybe so yeah, but no, I
mean that's that trade addresses more. I'm glad it was at least a thinker
for you. I thought you were gonna I was. I was like,
is he gonna laugh or just dismiss it? But I'm glad you had to
think about it. Do we do most likely to be traded? Who is
most likely to be traded on this team? I mean Russell signed a find
the contract specifically designed to be traded. Basically, it seemed to me right,
that's that's could you see us an area in which they're like, well,
he's playing really well, we don't need to move him for de Jontay
Murray or zactly mean, we're just gonna ride with this and make it so.
I mean maybe, but I don't know who I pick as the next
most likely to be traded. Ade Vincent's injured, I still take a shot
of him. If I was a certain team, then Rui's deal. I
just don't like, you can't trade Vanderbilt right, No, not this season,
So yeah, I don't know. I'll just stick with Di Loo.
I don't like any of other options that much. Let's see Memphis, Yeah,
weird situation. They've clearly they're not they don't care, they can't care.
They're just so banged up. John ran stump for the year. Everyone
on this team is injured right now, but they do. They did put
themselves in a weird situation where, Okay, Xavier Tillman's entering free agency this
summer, We've gotten rid of Steven Adams. Brandon Clark might return at some
point this season from miss Achilles injury, and if he doesn't, we're not
gonna know what he looks like. It's like, what is our front court
roation. I think they should still be before all these injuries happened. I
was very much of the mind that even if you think this season is cooked,
you should be on the lookout for players you can think can be a
part of your long term program. If it's a Jeremy Grant, for instance,
just give up the value now so that he's there, I'm probably not
there anymore, just given the scope of what they're dealing with. See where
your lottery pick ends up. See who becomes available, Like there, where's
the Mavericks. If you have the best offer for Jeremy Grant now, there's
no guarantee that it exists in the summer. If you have the best offer
for Jeremy Grant now as the Grizzlies, you can still get to the best
offer for Jeremy Grant over the summer. So I just think they kind of
need to be like in flyer mode, or again, do we just get
a cheap big because maybe we want their bird rights in the case of Andre
Drummond having his early bird rights, or just a different big or frontline partner
who can pair with Jared Jackson Junior next year. Since we don't know will
Tillman leave, what does he cost? And what does Brandon Clark look like?
Have we talked about moving Smart? Do we talk about that? They
have not. They have not talked about it because they don't want to do
it. And I think that the Adams deal kind of telegraphs that they're not
going to because one, you're gonna take a little bit of a bath since
Smart is injured right now, didn't play well this season, And two you
don't worry about They're in a position now to where if they decline Lukennard's team
option, they can just duck the tax and tylery while keeping Marcus Smart and
having Banes pay grade increase. Yeah, how about Canard to the magic for
John Isaac? And so you could chip in whatever you need on either side
to make that happen, because I think Orlando should Canard is a player type
that makes sense. They're not necessarily as a starter certainly, but like and
then Isaac is a flyer, although like is he a flyer anymore? It's
just you know, he's gonna be really awesome on defensive. He's healthy,
that's that's Yeah, Like fourteen minutes a game and like how many games a
year? You don't know him and Jaron Jackson Junior in the front court talking
about just on the court people not endorsing Jonathan Isaac's political views. For anyone
who is worried about that, I would want to see it. But with
so much shooting, so to give up shooting and like that now to what,
like I said, oh, John Conjar time next year. Maybe they're
banking on getting better with shooting. I mean they have desmon Bane, they
have Triple J, they have jaw smart will shoot it. It might not
go in, but he will shoot it. I think if you have a
player like Jackson that you know can win Defensive Player of the Year as a
big and shoot threes, it's like carte blanche to like get nuts everywhere else,
which means like John Isaac's a weird fit on a lot of teams.
He's a hard player to offensively. There's no fit issue on defense because you
can do anything, but on offense. You should have him on a team
that has a guy like Jaron Jackson, or like Miles Turner, or like
Brook Lopez or just like that's such a luxury where a guy can defend at
the center spot and shoot threes that you almost are obligated to be like,
what, what can we get away with that? Other teams can't at the
other big spot and Isaac is like that type. Yeah, I would love
to. I mean, can you imagine him next season? Isaac Smart?
And look, Isaac could be an expiring con. He's not guaranteed for next
year, so you could view it as but I would love to see him
in Triple J defensively, then with Smart healthy caked in, which we could
technically see this season, that'd be huge. Just two other names I'm munching
on very quickly since they're in flyer mode. Let's just say the Nuggets need
a roster spot and you're still in this situation as Memphis where you need like
these wings or combo forwards. They can they move any of these seconds and
say yeah, we'll take Hunter Tyson like that's someone that will come in and
see what they could do. Or I really like, I don't know why
the thunder would trade him. It would be because they acquired another big and
maybe they need a roster spot, or you know, maybe they like Lukenard
and they want another shooter on their team. So you've folded into a bigger
deal. Jay will here next to Jaron Jackson Junior can make a lot of
sense too. Ooh, that's interesting. Yeah. Julian Champagny was another one
that I had. I don't know how many seconds it takes to get him
out of San Antonio. He's under He's making three million dollars a year under
team control for the next four seasons. I think. Yeah, that was
like the modern Hinky Special. I guess who do you think is most likely
to be traded? No, I would not have said Steven Adams, by
the way. I think it's is who I would have said to begin with.
Who would you have said? I think it's either him or Desire Williams,
probably Lukenard, just because I think Williams still got that someone of these
days I could have talked to myself and Xavier Tillman too, just because they
were gonna have to pay him something. But the Adams trade kind of like
threw me for a loop with it, are you well? I'm sure I
don't hate to make your rehash this, but like I was kind of surprised
that Memphis. I think, like because old Depot is not ever going to
play for them. I thought maybe Adams would just be healthy. They must
know in Memphis like this guy's not gonna be They have his medicals and the
other thing is just like that. That's how I viewed it. But I
also think that they are very cost conscious at this point. Side, well,
now we don't have to grease the wheels of a dump where we might
have to do that with Brandon Clarke at this point, But it does feel
like they are very concerned about what their payroll is going to That's how I
read it. Yeah, I think that's probably the right way to look at
it. Or I would say their plan as of right now, which maybe
is why you wouldn't move Lukenard, is that are they just going to decline
his team option and so that they have more wiggle room underneath the tags?
I don't know. Yeah, still I still know what. I totally think
about the Adams thing. But mostly I was just surprised the Rockets more than
I did the Grizzlies. That's where I landed. Oh, I totally agree
totally and maybe wrong if if Adams is just like that, he's just not
going to be healthy, But who knows. I have a lot to say
if you don't mind on the Minnesota timber one, I would love to hear
it. We talked about this with Keith. Any of the nuclear moves will
come, maybe not even over the off season, but could be in the
middle of next year or leading into the twenty twenty five draft, because that's
how long you have to get out of these tax aprons. However, I
want to reiterate this, because we talk about this with Keith, is that
they need backup shooting. They need a backup point guard because Mike Comley is
way too important to this team. Even look when Mike Comley plays without Anthony
Edwards, like, the numbers still aren't good on the offense. So they
just need help. You are the best team in the Western Conference right now.
There is no tomorrow for you. You do whatever it takes. I
don't care how much money's on a play. Like first of all the Davon
Carter stuff. If you're worried about his six and a half million dollars next
year, like then you should not have purchased this NBA team. And it's
clear that things are a little bit tighter because they needed to rout like loop
in that third governor owner whatever phrase you're using these days. So I'm an
advocate for they don't have a first round pick to trade, but there are
two names that they could get to if they're willing to put certain second round
equity on the table, if you're willing to move on from Kyle Anderson for
salary matching, and he looks expendable quite frankly at this point, Tyas Jones
would be great for this team. An he jibes with the idea of,
well, his contract's coming off the books, you kind of figure out what
happens with him and Mike Comedy and free agency. You know the name.
I'm wondering they can get there with the money because you have to here's the
catch, Malcolm Brogden for this team. The money is huge. He's making
twenty two and a half this year and next year. If your plan is
to move forward with Karl Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert, are you willing to
give up nas Reed Kylie Anderson for Michael Malcolm Brogden. Maybe it takes another
second in there, because I know Portland wanted first round out, but nos
Reed's really, really, really good, I especially on offense, Like I
just think I don't know whether I would have to think about it as Minnesota.
I want to make that. Yeah, but you're trying to win enough
with the payroll stuff, like well, Nasried is cheap and if we want
to move Towns or we want to move Gobert, like, no, you
have a chance to win the title this season, and I would argue Malcolm
Brogden gives you a better chance to do that this season than Nasried does.
Is that fair or unfair? I think that's totally fair. And I think,
well, the main reason that the Wolves signed Reed to that contract is
that he's a good player and he like works and there he works with either
of their other bigs, and that's just what he's worth. But it was
also like an asset preservation play to make a move like this from a position
where you have a glut of biggs to a position where you just like,
like you said, Mike Conley's way too important and Brogden could play with Conley
or Edwards, you know, could spell it could start at either guard position.
I think he would just matter more than I think You're right. I
think he would He should matter more in a playoff run than Reed would because
hopefully all of your four or five minutes are split between between Gobert Towns and
even Jade McDaniels. If you move him up a spot and if you still
have Kyle Anderson, then fine. But like Reid, I think is a
luxury and they have a necessity situation in the backcourt, so I think maybe
that's I don't think that's unfair at all to say that Brogden would be more
helpful. I think most people's rebuke would be the money he's making next year,
which I just can't bring myself to care about. Would also just be
well why do you give up that for somebody's not part of your closing lineup.
But it's like, well, mos Reed's not going to be in fury
unless you have to play like toggle between Towns and go Bear against certain matchups.
He's not going to be part of your closing lineup either, and if
he is, something it's probably gone wrong. Well what's gonna happen eventually is
they have to move one of those big contracts. It's probably you know,
probably Towns, maybe go Bear. I don't know, But like the difference
between nos Reed and Malcolm Brogden financially is like who cares. It's like a
drop in the bucket when you're dealing with all these other max and supermax level
contracts, you can mess around with those marginal deals. He's also insurance against
if Mike Conley leaves and free. That's the only part of it. There's
not there's a world where your guard rotation next year is like Brogden Edwards and
Nikil Alexander Walker and you're just go for it like that's it. Yeah,
yeah, Commley's not guaranteed to be back. That might be the other cost
of savings. The cap tax saving move they make is just like, yeah,
we love you, but you know, we got to cut corner somewhere.
Other names though, that would not cost you. Not read Alec Burks
makes a lot of sense for this team if it's just seconds in salary.
Especially I think Shake Milton and Troy Brown Junior get you to Alec Burks while
staying under the tax and then they're a good Luke Anard team. He costs
a little bit more, but you could definitely figure out the way if if
you've Kyle Anderson as expendable to get him and then a final target for them
Javon carter I know he doesn't give you as much ball handling and Creativit's like,
but he's a good shooter and we'll defend his ass off. Yeah,
different type of guard. I keep throwing davy On Mitchell around just as like
a second draft guy, and like he doesn't if you he only works in
Minnesota, Minnesota, if Anthony Edwards really is just doing all the ball handling,
because Mitchell would just be out there to guard, I think you need
your acquisition either be a shooter and or a good ball handler like to and
like Davion Mitchell is an Etherphy neither, right, what about Markel Foltz.
There have to be a third team involved because I don't know what Minnesota has
that Orlando would want. But like if Orlando does something else and brings in
another guard, then and it doesn't involve folks going out, I think he
would be a pretty solid upgrade as a just a not as a starter obviously,
but like he can play twenty two minutes off the bench and just run
second units. That would be interesting. But he just makes so much money
right now that that that's not an Odreen situation, though you could get there.
What do they have enough? This is not in the point guard vme.
But would they I guess if Leonard Miller's on the table, Like,
do they have enough to get Quentin Grimes? Oh? Interesting? They have
the Memphis or Washington second round pick this year, plus a second round pick
from Utah and a twenty six second round pick from Indiana, Miami or San
Antonio, the least favorable of those. So I don't know what, But
do we think Monte Morris is gonna play this year? Isn't he back?
Is he back? This shows that I haven't paid attention to the Pistons for
a couple of weeks. What would it take to get him? Just come
in and be doesn't he? I mean they are intent on winning. Yeah,
he's back. He's played on the most. I thought. I watched
him play against the Clippers on Friday night. With how many games has he
played? I just want to know five? Yeah, I don't feel too
bad. I was on vacation, so I mean that's seconds and salary.
Yeah, I just don't know. Detroit might view it as well. This
is someone like in the vein of Bion Bogdanovich. I think they're more likely
to trade Burks than Bowie ho or Montemore, so who's also from Michigan,
and so it's like factor that into it out you will, But he'd be
great for that team. All right, let's see would most likely to be
traded, So Kyle Anderson momentum, it feels like I think it's shake Milton
just because the numbers like five and Jordan McLoughlin's usurped him in the rotation.
I'll go with him, that's true. I haven't seen. Yeah, McLaughlin's
playing quite a bit lately. Okay, that's fair. Uh, Pelicans are
next. It's just what are we? What are we doing with this team?
I feel like I never have on them. The thing is just like
they're not going to make any moves on the margins, because does that do
They're kind of only built for like a mega trade anyway, because if you
start to name any of their salary matching options, it's well, they're not
just gonna trade Dice and Daniels just because so and what and then what they
need is so specific because okay, this person needs to be I would say,
no worse than the sixth best player on their team given the assets that
they would end up just because look at all their bet like you get like
Larry As junior, Herb Jones, you Wonna salent che Is, brandon Ingram,
Zion Williams, Cig McCollum. You need the player you acquire, and
Trey Murphy and even mentioned you need the player you're acquiring to be better than
at least one or two of those guys. And I think what they need
the most, and these guys, of course, grow on Trees is a
frontline partner for Zion Williams, who either provides vertical spacing or actual beyond the
arc spacing while being an upgrade as a rim protector. And it's just like
who are the names there and whoever's doing it to be better then Yonas Valentutis
or Larry Nance at minimum. Yeah, that's been the need for how long?
Right? Like that's we're just I guarantee you we've talked about this a
half dozen times. Just they need the type of player that there just aren't
any of, and it's really hard to get them. And Miles Turner's not
coming. Chris Bouche could be had, probably, but then like how much
better is he than is he? Better? Look at the money there's and
also you have to get to his twelve million dollars or whatever. Who are
you? There's no one who's like all of the players who are making ten
million dollars or more, Larry Nance, Herbert Herb Jones, yonasnoo Is Brandon
and Ion cj. Like, they're not throwaways for the Pelicans. And it's
even like step laddering your way there, Oh, Dyson Daniels, Jordan Hawkins,
trader for the third those are the highest paid guys after Larry Nance.
I don't like my whole thing is like you might as well if I'm them.
What I'm trying to do is create my own trade market is basically where
I'm at. And so these are the names I'll throw at you. Maybe
already looking at them. They're a Jalen Johnson, that's like, we'll give
you we have low salaries and picks. That's the guy who is the shooting
to be a little shaky, but he's done enough of it. This year
gives you some like like optionality out of short roles. A good secondary rim
protector. Maybe they want someone who's actually bigger. What about Nick Claxton,
The vertical spacing and the switch ability, the rim protection from him going to
be a free agent, though I don't know how much they care about that.
You love this name. I cribbed it from you. Wendell Carter Junior
would be good here. I think the window to get him might be closing
though, because you know there are Pelicans. No no, I'm talking about
from Orlando's perspective, like there was a minute there where it felt like he
wasn't that important, like oh, I mean go go sure, I'm more
so many it's like the window, like the can't the Pelicans just create their
own window, Like they have an offer that could make the Magic think,
Oh yeah, I think that I think the time to strike, like for
the cheapest the best value of man pass. But yeah, but yeah,
for sure they could think. Of course, yeah they could. They and
several teams. But the Pelicans have the need can put something out there where
Orlando's like, we don't want to trade this guy, but we sort of
have to. If you're gonna give me two firsts and you know, a
good player and maybe a swap or something like That's that gets it done easy?
What about on Yakka konglu poison pill? But you could make it work.
Yeah, I think he's like diaper Daniels. I guess you would have
to move Jonas or Larry Nance in that scenario. But like, do you
know how much I love Dyson Daniels on the Hawks? There might be that'd
be hillacious defensively. I mean, that's the guy to put next to Trey.
It would be nice if he could shoot it, But like it's nice
that he also just doesn't have the expectation of getting shots. He's just out
there to defend and past the ball, and he's happy doing that. It's
pretty solid. Uh yeah, no, I New Orleans or do you need
someone who's you know, he has some float or touch and he'll give you
the vertical element. Is he good enough defensively for you? Is it a
coong Wu? Yeah? I don't know. It's a little concerning that he
has and really just stolen Clinkapella's job and kept it forever. Isn't it like
maybe like a Hawks thing more than a Kongo movie thing. I don't know,
it's been gone on. Maybe Capella his trade value Plummet's even more than
it already has. The list feels like an optical thing. I mean,
yeah, I don't think a kong Wu passes necessarily passes your test of like,
he's got to be your sixth best player. I mean he might be.
I have a name if you haven't looked at the list yet. No,
I'm trying not to. Did you say PJ. Washington yet? That's
another one. I thought that'd be interesting. Do you think he's good enough
defensively for them? Non? Probably? That's another he may not pass the
gotta be the top six. That's a good test to have. We should
keep that around. Yeah, that's why I was like, Okay, you
could go get Kelly Olynok, but what is the matching salary for that?
You're not giving him Diced the Jazz. The Jazz would be happy. So
here's one. I'm gonna frame it as this. You're getting him because it
seems like he's going to cost less than it was to obtain him on the
team he's currently on. His contract is so good he becomes integral in future
trades if you want to build one, or because you do have to worry
about brandon Ingram pricing himself off this core, I'm Dejontay Murray for this team.
You have the picks you can get to, the matching salary and a
bunch of like you don't even need to move c J. McCollum for him.
Now the fits wonky because it's oh so you have CJ. Brandon,
ingram Zion, Williamson and de Jontay Murray all who want to have the ball.
But I'm like, it feels like he would sort itself out over time
and just as a pure asset play, Like if it's a pick and Dyson
Daniels and then you need Larry Nancis, maybe it's not in Larry Nance's salary,
maybe it's someone else. I think I would just do it to have
the asset roll over for me. Yeah, I like the idea of Murray.
They're a lot better in a post McCollum iteration of the team because I
don't like those two together and necessarily trade you said McCollum to Atlanta with Picks
and Dyson Daniels to get Okunglou and Murray. We need to turn this into
a five teamer. But but I do like the Murray, Jones, ingram
Zion and a sent her. Look, that's that's pretty interesting. I don't
I don't like it with McCollum there, that's it man of all the teams
we've talked about for Murray, that's not one I've come across. I've been
because you were so focused on let's get a five in there. That makes
sense, but maybe that's like an impossible task and we should should move on.
Who's most likely to be traded here? Naji Marshall feels like just because
he makes so little and will they pay him in free agency when they got
to worry about, you know, paying these other guys in the years to
come, brandon Ingram Trey Murphy, Herb Jones already gotten paid even though it's
a really good contract, and like he'd be more, he'd just be higher
on the depth chart like on almost any other team than he is. I
feel like in New Orleans just because of the depth, you know, and
the forwards and big guards they have all over the roster, which is a
rare situation to be in as an NBA team. Are you ready just bit
fire on Oklahoma City? Oh boy, yeah, this is a big one.
They basically dan can do anything they want. Are you aware of that?
They have more draft assets than God and are really really good and so
they should be in the market for well yeah, like more, seriously,
like you know, we could enumerate all of the first round picks. I
forget how much it is, like either they have eleven they can trade in
twenty one seconds, or Utah has eleven and they have fourteen. Whatever it
is, the Thunder have the ability to make a godfather offer that like maybe
only a couple other teams could match for literally anyone they want. We like,
I know, both the idea of a like a bulky, like bruising,
physical four or five guy that you play with Chet to sort of mitigate
the types of players that bother him, that just kind of overpower him so
he can be shielded a little bit. And again this is another like Jaron
Jackson thing where Chet's shooting means you could do a lot of different stuff at
that other front court spot. You can use that position to fill, you
know, to checkboxes that you wouldn't otherwise be able to check with that position,
playmaking, physical defense, like all that stuff. I agree with what
you said there, I'm also wondering, and this doesn't seem to check the
box because there's such a good three point shooting team and such a good offense
overall, how do you feel about the need for them to have another ball
handler shooter type who could potentially help them more in the playoffs. And the
genesis of that idea for me is even when Josh Giddy is having his highs,
teams are gonna throw their opposing bigs on him and have them roam.
And we've even seen games where it's like, oh, Lou Dort and Josh
Giddy are both off the floor and crunch time, and so do you become
a little bit more indiscriminate and say we'll get whoever on the perimeter as long
as they can close over one, because right now it feels like, yes,
ideally you have your top five, or if you're looking at Isaiah Joe
Kendrick, Will was like, between those seven, you have whatever closing unit
you actually want. But if it's a question for both Dort and Gideon certain
matchups, like now it's time to be like, hey, we need to
open up the I understand there. We both would love Larry market in here.
We'd love to see them just be like, hey, yeah, we'll
make the nets trade mchal bridges. They're not gonna do that, and so
we have to be more realistic here. But I also think that they're good
enough to where you can't just let this marinate. Like I'm not saying go
out and get a star, but go get somebody. And if it's rolling
over the Damas Berton salary slot and this is I guess it's a complaint,
but it's not. I don't ever want to be aggregated because I don't handle
I'm very criticism makes me sad, and I'll just automatically assume I'm wrong when
people get mad up, like we got aggregated because Keith Smith mentioned John Collins
as a TradeCard for them. Do you know how many times you and I
have talked about John Collins as a trade parkeet for the Thunder before that,
I know more than one for sure. Yeah, And so it's just like,
but it got asked. I'm just I'm tied between. I don't really
want to get aggregated to that. I don't know how Keith deals with having
one hundred thousand followers, just like I didn't know we got aggregated. So
we do get aggregated with jazz content. Something like an aggregation now is people
quoting it on Twitter. Jazz the jazz fandom is like pretty big about quoting
us about our opinions on the Jazz, so shout out to them, but
uh, they also did aggregate stuff that Keith said, by the way,
So uh, my point is, if you're gonna just roll the Damas Bretons
salary slot into a player who's on the books for next season and more useful,
make sure that's someone that who's actually gonna play. And John Collins would
be That makes sense to me. But I have some other names here that
I would like to throw at you. Okay, again, they're not star
names. I'm gonna go in reverse order. This one's not about this season,
and it would be the most Sam Presty move possible. Robert Williams the
third, Yeah, I saw that. I kind of love that. I
kind of love that I did have him for next season. You don't need
him to play a ton of minutes. I'm I want them to do something
better. But like if it's gonna cost a first and a young one of
your like Aaron Wiggins is or like even Usman Jangs at the Aaron Wiggins is
playing great form, that's like they have so much talent. That's something I
could see Sam Presti thinking about. I'm just curious what you thought that's a
long term play. No, I kind of love that, But I want
to go back to to what you said about you know, they can't we
fixated on this four or five thing, but like it is the Giddy spot
that you can just sort of try to upgrade in a number of different ways.
Ultimately, Uh, because that and that, like and because it would
involve trading Josh Giddy probably like you definitely could get away from this deadline making
meaningful improvements without giving up a bunch of first because there are teams I think
they would view Giddy as like, oh shit, like that's a real asset,
and Antonio would be run our team like this is a point guard that's
six's eight, Like that's awesome. We can figure out the shooting. And
I do wonder if the off court stuff with the alleged relationship with a minor
would But we're seeing the pretty heavy interest from Detroit and Phoenix, maybe the
Lakers and Miles Bridges and he doesn't even have bird rights yea, though the
interest is still there. I just I feel like we have to just mention
it. I'm not we're talking basketball fit purely, but I didn't want to
not mention it. No, it's probably still a factor for teams that are
interested. No, I'm not even saying trade him, by the way,
I'm just saying, and you, this is an excellent point by you.
Is it's not well we need another guard like, no, you can use
like if you think John Collins is going to stretch the floor, provide you
more rebounding and crunch time and just help you more than Giddy or Dort in
certain matchups, that's a way to upgrade that spot. What do you think
of that? I don't think you got into it, Keith. John Collins
is on my list for that reason. He's not. I think I had
him third. I won't spoil the other names yet I had him third of
five ranking them. I don't know. I don't love John Collins as much
as Robert Williams is like really intriguing, But Robert Williams isn't gonna help.
Like if part of what we're talking about with the thunder is like which we
have you know, yeah, I get it, you're young. You don't
want to skip steps. But it's also like the windows open when it's open,
and you don't know how long it's gonna stay that way. So is
Robert william Yeah, Robert Williams. Robert Williams is the most sam Presty thing
ever, because it's just another like let's let's get this as you know,
kick the king down the road, let's get this asset for later. So
you like that idea though better then let's get Collins now? Is it because
he has two years left in his deal? Well, I don't know.
I mean it seems like just such the smart val you play like, that's
a flyer that's so worth taking for them, partly because they just have like
they're playing with so much house money. But Colins would help him now that's
and also that probably doesn't cost you, at least not a real like it
would be maybe your weakest first or just a player who's already on the roster
that's not mission critical to your I don't know that Utah's not going to get
unless they're taking on really bad money. And Davias Breton's could basically come off
the books after next year with this partial guarantee, So I think the appeal
would be from the Thunder's perspectives, Well, we just get to roll over
all our assets as well while upgrading in rotations but yeah, I mean there's
a ton of guys that make sense. I like Bruce Brown makes sense there.
I think just as the Giddy Spot upgrade basically, or even Dort.
If you're not comfortable closing with dirt, you can throw Bruce Brown out there.
You lose a little defense, but you get the shooting and playmaking.
There's, you know, and again you can almost not throw out a guy
that you'd say like, oh, I'll never get him. Like if you
want Bruce Brown, you can go get Bruce Brown. If you're the thunder,
that's not hard. So Collins was three for me. Rob Williams was
five, just because if he was playing right now, he would be higher
up for sure. Number four for me was Isaiah Stewart poison Pill. But
he's we've seen he's just a tryhard icon and so like he's not rebounding.
He's injured right now as an ankle issue. He's not rebounding as much in
Detroit. But that's kind of what happens when you're playing alongside other traditional bigs
with Chet there, they don't really overlap with each other where they want to
be, and he can Isaiah Stewart can still give you some five out setups
or you're just gonna be playing him more at center and okase I would imagine,
And so I like that as Oh that's another asset. He's not making
a ton of money and he fits the ethos of go Go Go. And
then I have two more who I like better than my top two. Coming
in at number two is Denni Afdia, another poison pill for this team.
Different How different is he from Giddy? A lot a million times better defender,
but like and I guess a better shooter. He is pretty different,
but like is he? I don't know why I'm talking down Afdia. It
just struck me as they they might have some similar like hiccups as as fifth
guys in a better He's a better scorer, yeah, from basically every level
than Giddy right now. It's just the volume with him. Giddy's more willing
to take shots right now, and so there's the value with that. This
is my single most favorite target for them. Did you see it already?
I did? I did, But it's really good, Kayla Martin. Yeah,
he's gonna be a free agent because he has a player options, so
maybe the Heat are worried about his price point. They're also within the realm
of ducking the tax. The Thunder can't do it for them. They can
compensate another team though, to take on money that would help the Heat in
addition to getting off Kayla Martin whoever, that would get them under the tax.
I love Kayla Martin for this team. Yeah. The more I think
about it, like just gap filling everywhere he's You want him to upgrade the
dort spot, you want him to upgrade the Gidda spot, you want him
to not close. Does everything and he can put it forward. He'll get
you some rebounding as well. Yeah. I like that a lot. And
and just like the toughness and the and the I don't know. I think
the versatility and the toughness and the experience and the I don't know. We
talk about his experien it's like he's been in a million playoff runs, but
I don't know, he's just built for it, you know, the finals,
so's he's seen. He's seen it at least a little bit. And
now they're a fascinating team. I hope they do something. Who's there most
likely to be traded? Is it like is he Domas Breton's Is it we
really just believe they're going to roll his salary slot. Can we agree?
Can we agree it probably should be Giddy because I think I've already sort of
decided like he I don't think he's a core piece going forward, and I
think they should kind of feel that way too. I mean, well,
it's I don't think Giddy is the most likely, but I think there's such
a logical case for him being the guy that they there's a case. I
think there's a risk reward basis of well removing him now, like maybe it
makes more sense over the summer when other teams are recalibrating their directions. But
if you go through a playoff run and he's bad, right back to to
torpedo his value. However, if he's good, which we've seen him be
really good, then his values through the roof. For maybe, Yeah,
that's the problem you would prefer to have, Oh my god, he actually
is really great, Like we'll work, we can work from there, as
opposed to, oh, he tanked and now we can't trade him for anything.
That's a worst problem, I would argue on Briton's I think the thunder
will make a medium sized splash. It won't be huge, but I think
they roll over his salary slot. Yeah, I think that makes sense for
them. I'll go with you on that one. This brings us to the
Phoenix Suns, who really have nothing to trade. They don't want to trade
Grayson Allen, and I get it. I think I've seen so many people
and shout out to the Timeline podcast. They've been all over this. They
don't need. I know the turnover rate's an issue, but like they have
some other stuff that I think is just going to normalize. Their turnover rate
is fine when the big three are on the court. They've had some fourth
quarter meltdowns, but I was looking grant through the first three quarters of the
game. They have an effective field goal percentage on wide open jumpers of about
sixty three sixty four. That plummets to forty six in in the fourth quarter,
and it's the second lowest behind only the Lakers. By the way,
shout out to the Lakers. There's just weird shit going on. I know
defenses are more inclined to put pressure on their best players, but I still
just don't buy that they need another ball handler. I'm focusing more on can
they upgrade some of the wing spots or get an athletic big in here for
what they can offer, which is very very very little. Yeah, that
I would like to I didn't know that stat about the third court the first
three quarters versus the fourth quarter for them. You could spin that data another
way though, and say, like that is evidence that they struggle to create
good shots. You know, I guess you're just talking about wide open they're
getting wide open jumpers or they're not hitting them. Well, okay, so
then maybe it's because the playmaking load's too heavy on their best players and they
get tired, and that's what I don't know. Yeah, that's it is
interesting. You could say that's just they need depth. So you're not playing
Kevin Durant thirty seven minutes in book or thirty six or something, and they're
missing shots they normally make. They're tired. It's like the Luca thing,
whereas splits were always terrible. You know, second half is worse than the
first, fourth quarters, worse than all the others, just because he's gassed.
Yeah, No, you're right, like they can sort of. They
don't need to be confined to the point guard spot, especially when you consider
like when they get to the games they really care about, Like how many
minutes are you giving this hypothetical backup point guard anyway, Like you're gonna sink
or swim by giving all your best guys forty minutes. So I don't know
if that needs to be your focus, Like you know, Alex Caruso would
be awesome. I think right, it's more realistic, But they just won't
have the tools to get Even Delon Wright might be someone that like, we
can't do it. We just we don't have it. I don't I don't
know how they do anything significant? Could they get I mean Naji Marshall would
be good for them. You get into the gamesmanship of what the Pelicans do
something to help someone they consider a rival, Like that's I need to know,
like because if you gave up, I don't know if if nos Little
is like you're matching salary? Do you have? Like what seconds can they
even move? I don't have the list open in front. I think the
most intriguing seconds they have are Memphis is in twenty eight and twenty nine.
Are the most intriguing seconds that they have twenty yeah, because otherwise you're talking
about Denver's twenty four, San Antonio's twenty four, but it has protection.
Yeah, I just I don't think it's specified yet, you know what,
I kind of contemplate a little bit for them, as if he were really
looking at duck a tax. I want to see if Kayla Martin could fit
into the campaign trade exception. He can't. It's so close, So I
think he were really gung ho about ducking the tax. I mean, you
could send out salary, but now you need to compensate other teams to get
to it. So that would be like super duper, way too ambitious.
I have Royce O'Neill, they could get to his money, and because they
have seconds, like if you got both those Memphis seconds of Brooklyn, you
just do it. How are you getting to is? What do you need
to give up? Salary wise to get to O'Neill. He's at nine and
a half, so they need to get within one hundred and ten percent of
that. And what is Naji? Do you know what? Not Naji?
Though he's not a little six point three million, so like that's already almost
so like six point three plus like one of their minimums. I believe that's
where something like you should be you should be able. It might need to
be a three for one where you rally in a third team perhaps, but
like, is that is that not enough for Royce O'Neill. If you're I
don't know, it might be enough. And I think O'Neil definitely would would
play. I would say I would think he would. I mean, like,
it gets a little bit weird with just because he's so he's more trustworthy
on the offensive end and he can guard up, so I would think.
But so if you're Phoenix, then let's let's frame it this way. If
it's not little and you mentioned Damian Lee's money, I think that should get
them there. Let me double check, Yeah, that gets to Royce O'Neill.
If it's two seconds, that money, Like I told you what seconds
would be Memphis in twenty eight and twenty nine? Would you do it and
O'Neil's expiring, right, Yeah, I think I probably do that for a
couple teams would do that. Yeah, Well, I think I think Phoenix
probably is the easier one, although like, yeah, and I think he
probably would. That's another question though, like what what could you get in
the off season for notslittle in those seconds? Is there something better? Like
I mean, like I just I just don't know. I don't know how
to gauge that. I think when you're when you're this team, and like
a team like the Lakers, like Dallas might be able to talk itself into
patients the same with Okay, see in New Orleans, the Phoenix doesn't have
the luxury of like, well let's see what happened. No, you came
up everything to go with the title. Right now, how do we feel
about the center spot? I know I've been sort of too like not supportive
of use of Nurkic as a good center generally speaking, but he's like been
a lot better than I made him out to be this year, and you
like and U Banks as a backup is fine? Like is there he's actually
the past few games he's been fined by and large, he's not been disappointed.
I thought he was one of the best minimum signings and hasn't been that
good. But yeah, he's been better. So like, is that a
spot? I mean, do we go back to the well, how do
we find a for that fits in a closing lineup on a playoff team?
Is do we go back to the on that again clothing lineup? But a
take? Could we get someone to eat minutes Nick Richards five million dollars,
they could get to that, like that might matter. We're just gonna close
with Nurkic, Like, that's that's what I think. Richards would give you
another option to close with in addition to well, maybe we'll just run Kevin
Duran at the five in the playoffs. That's yeah, I guess that's the
Katie at the five against a lot of teams. Is probably you get away
with that. I don't really have another name. I thought about, how
about the other Martin brother. His stock is in the toilet, but he's
like, kind of I think he's a better How different could he be?
He's under contract for a while though, but you could get to his number
with nos Little and another deal. Yeah, are you? I'm a little
disappointed in nos Little didn't just like seize more minutes for this team. I
thought there was a decent chance that might happen. We should have We both
very much. Actually you were more critical, not critical, but skeptical of
they're just gonna be relying on guys who are available for these minimums for a
reason, or they were able to get nos Little for a reason. And
I was just like, no, they did a great job, and it's
like, whenever that happens again, I'm gonna be more cogniteant of saying it.
Even if they are good by the minimum, it still creates a culture
of ambiguity because you're gonna have to fuz and fiddle and change things up because
there's the reason these guys available at the minimum is they're not night to night
guys. Nos Little, they didn't sign. I understand that, but he
fits into that motif. I mean, don't be too hard on yourself.
I'm for sure have said several times that they nailed all these minimums and like
we're just phenomenal across the board. No, I remember you were more skeptical
than I was. That's that tends to be the case. Do we do
most player most likely be traded. It's gotta be nos Little, right.
Yeah, it's like if you're gonna do anything more than if you're gonna do
anything that sort of matters, you just need his number, right or are
they gonna be because matt ishbo are gonna get pocketshi and be like we gave
all these guys player options. We just need to dump some of these minimums
so we don't get taxed on the player option. Well, don't those guys
I should know this, But don't those guys get like implied no trade clauses
when you do that. No, not if they are not like if they
had their bird rights, it would be like the setup that we saw where
D'Angelo Russell had to give up like he had a wavers no trade clause.
Those guys were just signed off the street. Another red flag. Perhaps they're
so good though Portland, they're just in straight. They're not listening to offers.
Reportingly on Jeremy Grant. I don't believe that, but it's sort of
Here's how I would frame what they should do with the trade deadline is be
open to anything, but it should basically be okay, well, who are
the best players we could get for Malcolm Brogden and I will I'll read you
my list. That's just the only way to frame Portland. I've been happy,
like Scoots seems happy with his role when he's come off the bench at
points. He hasn't closed certain games. That's been a little weird. But
so my two high end options for them, Like, if you're Orlando,
do you think about giving up Anthony Black? If it gets you Malcolm Brogden,
if that's just salary and Anthony Black is the compensation or no, too
rich. I think it's a little early for Orlando to do that with that
high of a pick. Yeah. I have nas reed on here because of
the Brogden stuff I mentioned before. Yeah, I mean he's not the He's
not the same kind of asset I want Portland to be targeting. I think
I think you need why why he's twenty three? Well? Is he?
I lied, he's twenty four? Is he for sure? Yeah? I
don't know. I mean he's He's probably better than DeAndre Ay just in a
in a vacuum. DeAndre has nothing to prove because he's a max player and
he plays like he has. Maybe maybe it feels weird to me because Reid
isn't like a speculative like oh, superstar upside but might be broken forever type
that. I feel like that even if you're trading Jeremy Grant, you're not
gonna get the Yeah, Like, even if I agree with you that's the
magic, probably say no if it's if it's Malcolm Brogden and you're sweetening it
a little bit on your end, Like maybe you get there, but in
a vacuum, like, who's the best young player you could get for Jeremy
Grant? You like, would here's here's one, assuming they could get into
money, but it would cost buddy heals. I think that's a no go.
But like, if you're the Pacers, would you even give up Jaris
Walker for Jeremy Grant after saying we're not gonna give him up for basketball?
Siakam, Well, I mean I would. I think you're like you are
the living embodiment of the fu Fu them kids meme. Well, yeah,
I just I mean, Jeremy Grant's not like thirty five, so I mean
he's gonna be he's gonna be adder near and you know, ending his prime,
probably at the over the life of this fairly long contract. Like you
know, Jaris Walker might turn into something, but like he makes way more
sense on Portland than he does on Indiana at this point, just because Indiana
is good already and he's not ready to help yet. Yeah, I don't
know. Jeremy Grant, Siakam in the same front court suddenly are good on
defense. Now, It's like that is that what happens is that too much
of having Jeremy Grant at the three or you okay with that because Turner is
there too, I don't mind it. I think if you've got three front
court guys that can all move like pretty well. Here's Here's the other thing
I didn't frame and when I wrote because I wrote about this is I actually
says if you traded Anthony Simons to Orlando and can get Anthony Black, so
you're not getting any first, but you get Anthony Black and salaries that that's
more of a conversation, right, Yeah, that's more of a conversation for
Orlando. Yeah, definitely. I mean I kind of love Simons on Orlando.
I think we've probably talked about him as a as as my top target
for them and something that I'm publishing. I have a big board of or
I guess it's a small board because it's five targets for each team, but
believing me, that's a lot of work, a lot of boards. I
have three other names to throw at you here, though this is your flyer.
He doesn't have superstar upside, but I will be forever obsessed with him
because he is just a human slingshot and can defend all over it. He's
like anarchic. It's kind of like in the same vein as Chris Bouchet,
but he's even more unpredictable than peak Chris Bouchet. JT. Thor that that
is not a name I expected to see here. Well, that's just Flyer
City. It's okay, we're not moving any of our core guys to Charlotte.
It's just you know, we have our front court is and I think,
look, I want to make it clear. We've seen some good stretches
from dwap Wreath to Bari Walker, but it's sort of like, okay,
if DeAndre Ayton is going to be this, I'll put a kindly and say
inconsistent. And we've dealt with some injuries in the front court. Like JT.
Thort can give you minutes of the four of the five and he can
defend really every position. I'm just very high on j. T. Thorpe.
So that's my Flyer one. I have two others Jonathan Isaac for this
team. So you are doing some sort of a trade with Brogden or Simon's
in Orlando. He makes sense as like we're talking about Flyers and then that's
that's what I want. That's the type of player I want, Well,
how about this player, Grant Williams interesting and you would like is the so
what are you giving up just hypothetically so that either get him back as part
of the salary match or does Dallas just want to get rid of him?
But at that point, I mean, look Portland's salary matching, it's okay,
does Dallas want Brogden? I don't know why you already have and yeah,
probably not so they don't like Portland doesn't have these I mean, Ayton,
I'm sure they might gladly trade at this point, but Dallas doesn't want
him, I mean, and Dallas isn't gonna want r W three. Dallas
cannot I've seen, unless I'm missing something, I've seen a lot of Latists
bible to Dallas. They can't trade for him for a year, So not
only have the ability to get him unless it's part of a so you're gonna
get Jeremy Grant and or if you're trading Jeremy Grant for Dallas's prospects in first
rounders. I like the idea of Grant Williams is part of the salary match.
Yeah, basically one other flyer, second drafty type guy just Patrick Williams.
I'm sure I've tried to send him to every like kind of bad team.
What do you like? What do you give up for him? I
don't know whatever. I'm not thinking about the bulls side of this. This
is the type of player I think you should be going for. If you're
Portland, You've got this this little grace period happening because everybody's happy with your
young core basically, and you're one year out of the post Dame. You're
in the post Dame. Time take a shot on Patrick Williams. Not I'm
gonpecially the next team too. Is there one need you would like to see
them address? I think it's I would like to see just because Grant is
already there. But it's like, do we have a long term four or
five really on Portland right now? I think Tomani Kamara comes closest. No,
And that's fine. Yeah, Kamara. I like a lot about Kamara,
but he's not I mean, if he's the if he's the be all
end all at that spot for the next half decade, I'll be pretty surprised.
Yeah. I just might need to look into whether matt Ishbia and Slash
James Jones are bad like negotiators to where they can't even win any of the
smaller act, like they gave up everything to the next Riki if they didn't
win anything. They even lost Jake Crowder in that deal. And then they
couldn't even keep Timani Kamara as part of the DeAndre eight and dump. And
it's not like that was unforeseeable because there were a lot of Suns people that
were like, you know, bummed to see Kamara go. I looked,
I had to watch to Monic kamoraw more of his Summer League stuff because the
Timeline guys before the deal told me, like, this is a guy.
So it's just like it wasn't this isn't like, oh, they couldn't have
known, like the fans knew. There was a wide swath of Phoenix related
people that were aware that he was going to be like a really good defensive
player at minimum starting immediately most likely to be traded. I think it's Brogden.
I'm trying to think there's anyone even in the same like level as him,
Like he's a He's such a definite to me. Do you think that
they could consider moving r W three just with the but I guess eighton's been
so bad. I just think Brogden, you know, he's he can play
the one and the two, and he's a veteran and he's on a manageable
deal and it's not that long, like he just he's gonna be so into
it's got to be Brogden. I can't. I can't, like you know,
Galaxy brain that it's got to be brogged in. What do they do?
I'm very I'm not there with the Kings as we know what they need,
and that's just because you look in like their offense has been walkie at
points this year, so I get it, but they really just need like
playoff level defenders on their team, probably be those who don't torpedo. They're
floor balance in a half court. But I just they're a good team,
but they might be somewhere. I'm like, well, maybe you should just
wait until the offseason, because what is your best who is are their names
or needs that it's just okay, well I would make this deal now,
and let's get I just look at the Western Conference landscape right at this moment,
and I'm like, the Kings are really good, but I don't see
the player out there that they can consolidate into who puts them in the Nuggets
slash Clippers slash Thunder slash Timberwolves. Here, Yeah, their situation is not
that different from a lot of other teams. It's just that they're kind of
in a worse spot for that to be the case, which is like there's
not a trade out there that they could get. There's not a player out
there that they could get without giving up say Keegan Murray, which like they
just don't want to. They're not going to trade him. That would put
them like a notch up, I don't think. And it's just painful for
them because they're right at like that probably out of the play in but not
necessarily and you know, above the plane but not for sure and not going
to be a top four team, like unless you just made this insane trade,
this just doesn't exist. But it's like it's wing defense. It's a
combo Ford that can really guard. You know, It's an upgrade on the
Harrison Barnes spot essentially, and I guess like if you go beyond that,
you know, you could use someone that. Like's just that's the thing.
It's like, oh, the Herder, Kevin Herder is not quite good enough,
you know, defensively to really matter in the playoffs. But I mean
he's a great shooter, and he's got good chemistry with some bonus and if
you just you know, make a marginal trade to move on top of him,
move you know, a player above him, or send him out,
it's like, you know you're losing that shooting. You're just like, this
is all just a round about way of saying what you started this out with,
which is like the needs are understood, the options available are what they
are, and unless you're gonna throw Keegan Murray out there, you're not going
to get any kind of You're not going to get a superstar wing defender.
Like that's not it's not possible, right, Some names I have for them,
these would not. These are all You're not giving up Keegan Murray for
them, So I want to make that clear. Alex Caruso, it's on
my list. Dorian Phinney Smith, Oh, not on my list, but
that's a good one. Jase Shawn Taate, Yeah, mine two, uh,
Denny Avdia for them, poison pill but it's workable, m hm.
And my final one is Kyle Kuzma. He's definitely like an upgrade. I
just don't know if he's enough of it. But if it's just sort of
like salary and a protected pick, if that's what it comes down to,
I'd probably roll the dice on it. Is that A is that hurt her
going out? You think could be hurt He could be Barnes, Mm hmm,
Yeah. I think he's better than Barnes, probably, especially if he
just if Kuzma would like, you know, defend like we know he can
defend if he's in a better situation, which is a possibility this Keegan Murray
and darreon Fox, the way that they have defended this year, like that
kind of makes Kuzma's job a lot easier. And so I would think that
he might be even more valuable defensively to the Kings than he might look on
the Wizards right now, and it'd be a lot harder for him to not
bring max effort defensively with if you know, if Fox is doing and Keith
Murray's doing, it's not just like his job on the court is a little
different. It's like you can't half asspect I have more questions about his offensive
fit than his defensive fit. Here is that really, well, just because
he kind of cannibalized some possessions, you think, and it's like he's just
been in Washington, had so much more agency because of the Bradley billen jury
and the makeup of this team. Can he slide into a more complimentary role.
I think it helps that you have even in La where it was Lebron's
one of the best passes alive, but in Dearn Fox, great playmaker,
but because you have some bonus who can facilitate the offense from like all these
different set positions or live dribble positions, and he's someone who players get out
and run for. Maybe it's like Anthony Davis isn't doing that stuff? Do
you know what I mean? Like Sabonis is the type of playmaker that will
either get dudes paid, not on level of Yokich, but he'll get dudes
plaid, or he'll get dudes to play hard or fit into a role.
Yeah, I think that's fair. Do you think they make a trade?
They can't there. I look at them and say they're too good to just
stand pat Like you should be searching for upgrades, which is what is the
what is the upgrade? Even if they could get to Jeremy Grant. Do
you do that? Not without Murray? Probably? Oh you don't think,
I mean, they have first round picks to trade, you still think it
we call like the Kings. I'm not giving up Keyan Murray. If the
Blazers want him for Grant, that's not happening. But I just think from
the Blazer's perspective, it's like, what do we want with Harris? I
mean, how it's gotta be a lot. You're gonna have to overpay me
in picks if Harrison Barnes is the piece, because I don't think necessarily well,
yeah, he probably doesn't have brogged in value if him if they said
two first for Jeremy Grant, and then what is the match Like what is
the Kings don't have bad matching salary unless you're that low on Harrison Barnes long
term. But if like that was, I mean, and you need the
problem is that you need Harrison Barnes ain't Kevin Hurder Probably. Yeah, that's
another reason it's hard to you know, that's Jeremy Grant conundrum. Yeah yeah,
yeah, no. I So, well, then who's most likely to
be traded? If I think it's you got a cup bait with Davion Mitchell,
Right, Yeah, I mean I definitely put him as a target for
a lot of teams for that reason. That's maybe not a good reason to
be a target, which is that like your team has kind of decided he's
played more lately, but there was a chunk of this year where he was
out of the rotation, and like, I mean, his shooting has gotten
worse every year and it was not a strength to begin with. So,
like, I mean, I guess that that that's that augurs in favor of
the Kings are going to trade him because they don't like really need him anymore.
But then what's his value? Like why are you trading for him?
It feels like if you're trading Barnes or Herder, who are more convenient,
they have more value and they're more convenience salary matches, what is just the
big move? So unless you're just all in on them getting Alex Caruso where
the balls, I'm sure would have interesting Kevin Herder in that deal, they'd
have to send someone else out too. Yeah, But like so like unless
you're making that level of dealer getting Kyle Kuzma, who, it feels like
it's going to be a smaller move, and maybe they look at it and
say, well, we shouldn't move Davian Mitchell because he could still defend his
ass off and that just might be something in certain postseason matchups we need,
right, Yeah, give him one more playoffs and let's see what happens.
Maybe I think, I think I want to say Herder, but I do
think Mitchell is so clearly like the most expendable of the guys they could move
is probably probably needs to be him. They're not going to trade like Vizenkov,
for example, because that's another way to get like decent matching salary if
you want to move up a little bit, but also if you're gonna end
up moving Harrison Barnes or Kevin Herder and you wind up getting smaller, like
let's say a Caruso as part of that deal. If Zankov gives you the
size to make up for that, or Herder's leaving, it's the shooting,
so he's kind of he can't. Yeah, he might fill in on either
of those fronts. So you don't want to move, all right, So
we got the Spurs next. We've We've talked about this over and over,
but like just you know, point guard. I think that's that's just what
it is. I don't know what else. And then you know you should
be in the business of definitely taking flyers on young guys. I just like,
yeah, I mean, are we overthinking it if we go beyond the
point guard thing? And are we avoiding it just because we've said it so
many times? If you would like to look at like someone who kind of
fits in the front court with wemb better than what they have right now.
But I think because they have so many of their own flyers, it's just
can we get it's a veteran who doesn't monopolize too many touches, is actively
table setting and making the development easier for these guys rather than cannibalizing their opportunities.
And so Tias Jones has been mentioned a bunch. That's a name that
and look it's they're expiring this first look at bringing them back. Tis Jones
is a name Montay Morris. If the Pistons make him available, what do
you think of the I mentioned Josh Giddy already, I don't know what you
know, You're not unless Okase wants Keldon Johnson or it's like part of a
multi team trade where Giddy I don't know, because John deay Mary and Josh
Giddy I think both fit. Here's my point, But what are you giving
up to get them? Do? Jean dere Mary make so much sense just
because if you can keep even one of those Atlanta Hawks picks as part of
it while making them worse because you're taking a good player, that's just a
plus plus plus eleven of ten gamesmanship there. I'm just trying to think of,
Like all the packages I want the Spurs to try for Murray would just
be like insulting to the Hawks. They would just say no on principle.
What if they gave up so they have the Chicago pick, they have the
fake Charlotte picks, that doesn't really count. Do they have anyone else's first
round or don't they have another one floating around? I should I mean,
I have this all written down, Maybe I should, Maybe I should go
look at it. There's so many, so many picks out there that I
can't remember who else she said, Let's right, they have Charlotte's twenty four.
It's lottery protected the next two years before turning into seconds. So that's
not Oh, they have Torontos. If you just said, like, here's
four picks, it's Toronto's and Chicago's and then like they put one of the
Hawks and then like I mean even three with salary, Like that's not insulting,
is it. Well, you what they should do is just find their
four worst first round picks, like the Charlotte ones in there. Uh yeah,
you say it's four because look you got Charlotte right, like the Raptors
and the Hawks, and say we we it cost us three and two swaps
or whatever it was, and then only we got four backs so we came
out ahead. Uh. The Josh Getty thing is weird because I like his
fit, but it's like, okay, so he doesn't need more picks.
So they would have to like Keldon Johnson or the Galaxy brain we want,
okay see, to be aggressive. It'd be a poison pill situation with Devin
Cell. Like you say, I don't think you give up as I mean,
if the Cell has kind of disappointed relative to our expectations, maybe,
but I don't think. I still don't think he First of all, he
is not he's gonna be fine, But and he is, He's been really
good. I think he's just shown that Hey as a number two point five
rather than a one or two. I still believe in him a little bit
as a number two, like let's see what he looks like when Wemby's a
finished product. But I was more so phrasing okay, c would be Josh
Giddy. You have to make the package work because the poison bill and then
like they're just throwing picks and picks in picture a way, it's not Devin
Vessel for Josh Giddy. So that's the OKAC creating their own trade market type
of stuff. Does some part of you hope that the thunder do make a
trade that brings back like three more first round picks just to be like then
we'd all just have to wonder, like what is this guy doing? Does
Sam Presty know the NBA is gonna end the concept of first round picks in
twenty thirty and like you're gonna the draft and then they're just gonna be bag
holding all these first round picks. What's gonna happen? So I don't know
if you did, I have any other oh, the other one, I
don't know if any would give him up. But Andrew Nemhard for this team
could make some sense he'd be phenomenal for this team. I will and you
get him with like you can't give up, Like, oh, I mean
the Charlotte first you could definitely give up. I would do it if that,
because that's the tiast Jones thing. I don't know if you saw the
report, they're willing to take seconds, and so if I'm the Spurs,
I'm like, so at best, this Charlotte pick is just gonna be number
fifteen. I will offer this. You can say you got a first round
pick, we'll match the money. Like this just seems like, why is
Tias Jones not on the Spurs right where you use Davante Graham or use Doug
McDermott, whatever you gotta do as the salary and then you're done. Yeah,
I think. I mean, if it's like it's one of those things
where we've talked about Tias Jones specifically as the guy here for so long that
if it does happen, I think it's like, what why did it take
this long? Everybody they were waiting out? Maybe they were like Washington doesn't
need to be in a rush, Like if they know that that package is
always there, it's just well, will someone get desperate while they're being injury
that causes That's true. You probably if you're the Wizards, you wait for
a contender to get real skittish, you know, you wait for the to
do something dumb or maybe or maybe you're waiting for a team that decides that
we want to get off bad money, so like we're gonna compensate you more.
For Tyas Jones, I don't know if I have anything. I was
trying to think of, like a big or like like a four because Wenby's
better office up, but it's like it's a four or five. Who doesn't
you know scrub Wemby's usage that he currently has A way I don't really have.
I mean, Jaleen Johnson would be fun for this team, I guess
Isaiah Stuart, you know you had him for another team for that similar kind
of role. If if if he fits with Ched, he fits with Wemby,
Like that's the rule, right. We can think about them the same
way you might be in love with Ruby Hotchimra. Should you just throw his
name out here for no reason in particular? Did I throw nots Reed would
make some sense next to Wemby, for yeah, you would? I mean
I mean, he's not really a big would be fun everywhere. The Birds
have got to figure out a way to not just get nas reed but convinced.
Like give us some more bad money or give us something wolves, We'll
get you out of this this fix you're in, Like, give us Mike
Conley too, and we'll we'll figure out a way. Why would they do
that? Why when I'm just trying to get the Spurs to go get in
Nazria. It seems tricky. Would you just to try it? Or is
this no? There's too much like spatial overlap. Could you imagine the defensive
tandem of Jonathan Isaac and Wemby. I'm doing it right now and I'm gonna
need you to leave the room for a minute. Uh. Nothing else on
the Spurs. I would lie like if they could find I mean Kelly Olynnok,
maybe if they wanted to think like, yeah, yeah, that might
be someone DeVante Graham most likely to be traded, Yeah for sure, just
because he's basically expiring. He costs two million to wave. Yeah. That
brings us to our final team, the Utah Jazz. Oh, I'm ready
to say some inflammatory things about the Jazz. Let's go so they've fallen off
from their scorcher. I want to make that clear, But I'm just I'm
looking at like what they could maybe get from selling and the names, assuming
they're not going to move lowry marketing, which I don't think they should or
and I don't think they will, But like, what are you getting for
Clarkson and Sexton and Simoni Fontacchio and Chris Donne is a name we haven't really
mentioned, but he would He might make sense for a lot of teams or
a linux, Like we're talking about any of those players I named on their
own, John Collins, do any of them net you a first round pick
in a vacuum? I would say maybe Sexton, Maybe, I don't think
you're getting. Yeah. I think this is the point you're making. You're
not getting like a premium first for any of those guys you could get,
you could get the equivalent of that Charlotte first we were talking about with the
Spurs. Maybe or you could get. Yeah, you're getting you're not getting
the blue chip trade a draft pick. I don't think for for any of
those guys, No, not a blue chip. I think Sexton might because
of just like the pressure he can put on set defenses from his standstill drives
and he's shooting like a trillion I think he' shooting like fifty two percent on
drives over his last fifteen games. First, what protections on a first for
Sex and Sexton? Would you say, like, well, here here's an
example. I actually he hasn't been mentioned really, but maybe now that clutch
is made up with the Knicks, like I would give up Quentin Grimes or
like the least favorable of like let's say this year's Nicks pick or the Dallas
pick, like the least favorable of it. I would give that up for
Colin Sexton. I think what about Clarkson, I wouldn't do a little more
because Clarkson gives you the off the dribbled jumper element, but like you have
that like Julius Randall and Jalen Brunson are gonna bail out before they get to
the basket. Anyway, you need someone who might follow through a little bit
more. And Sexton doesn't have the off the dribble jumper. I might trust
him more just to bang in his set threes, which is something And maybe
maybe that's not fair, I will say, because Clarkson has been I think
he's been great this season, but I like and he's improved his passing a
great deal. I want to make that clear, but I like, like
Sexton is shooting over his last names forty five point from three. Clarkson's at
under twenty four percent. So it's just set the way that sex is playing
right now. It's not I just wouldn't give up a first round I like
Clarkson, but I have trouble spot. He's one of those players where it's
like, let's you Julius Rynolds an example, three time All Star, could
be if he didn't get injured, maybe he makes all NBA, and like,
it's so hard to find the right fit for him. And that's how
I feel about Clarkson a little bit. I think that's I'm a poory thing
is go out there and buy. I was gonna ask you, if you're
gonna go buy, what do you like? That's not off the table?
We have to talk about the buy option for them, right And it's so
because you so let's even say you could get a first round pick. You
don't need any more first round picks. They might be nice to have,
but like you have enough you can go out if it costs you two or
three and they're not like primo first round picks de Jontay Murray on this team
as someone who can be a steward for Keante George. They can even play
together a little bit. I love it, can you? This is the
team second draft for Patrick Williams because they have some actual draft equity to give
up Matisse Thibel, like, just go out there and like, let's get
some real wings, many wings, that's for sure. What was Moody like,
let's take a fire him? Do you want? Here's my favorite one?
Are you ready? Did you look? No, he's not available,
but they do have the draft equity to make him available. I just want
you to want you to imagine it. Get your bottle lotion, maybe some
Kleenex. Okay, are you ready? Yeah? Tarry Easton oh man,
Okay, so you're he's gonna play Tarry Easton and Door Taylor Hendrix or Walker
Kesler in your for You know what funk that you can play all four of
them together? Oh my god? Yeah? I mean Eastern will guard anything
that moves so defensively. You'll figure that out. That's really interesting. I
had not thought of him, although, like, I mean, how Kessler,
Kessler and Easton together defensively is really fun for a long time, and
especially if you play Chris Dunn at the same time, you're just just brutal
defense, I mean brutally good defense. At that point, like to get
Houston to bite, it might be need to give them players who actually gonna
play, like is can Chris Dunn is their Tari Easton replacement include Kelly Olynyk,
take back some of their bad money, then give them. I don't
know how many first, it depends on the first that you're getting. Like
Tari Easton has was he have two years left on as Rooky scale. I
think that's right, so rookie last year. Yeah, So like I'm looking
at the Jazz first that they own they just have like just because like Minnesota
and Cleveland should still be really good, and so would you just like,
hey, have both of these twenty twenty five first round picks from them,
We'll give you another one protected to get Tari Easton in here. Maybe Houston
says fuck you, Maybe Utah like Danny Ainge is not, but it would
be like that's what is buy on guys who can stick around long term and
create I want to see these teams that have picks and don't need more of
them. And also in the Thunder and Jazz's case specifically, and even New
Orleans, you're never gonna be bad enough to get like high level first of
your own, create your own trademark, and damn it, I want to
see it. I'm trying to think if I had anybody, uh oh,
I had DeAndre Hunter here and then that they don't have any wings theory as
a target, which again like they have like they probably have the money to
just be like, hey, Hawks, we're not I don't think we're gonna
give you a first him. But if you just want to get out,
yeah money, yeah, Bruce Brown? Who else do they have? Bruce
Brown here would be fun? Who else who's that? What is their expiring
money is expiring? There was thht In Olynic for DeAndre Hunter and then some
capital I wouldn't like, Like it can't be a high level first. I
I like DeAndre Hunter more than most, but I think if you're the Hawks,
then you can flip a linox to someone will Actually, I mean I
don't know why they would do this because they're uh, well yes they're giving
up DeAndre Hunter. But they don't play a j Griffin's. I don't know
why they want Baggie who's had a really bad sophomore year. Yeah. I
think one thing that's nice is that good. That was a really good not
that I don't mean to sound surprised, you know, too late. I
heard the tone. I heard that. Oh my god, that was actually
a good one. I love DeAndre Hunter here, Like that's the perfect Like
you kind of rehab John Collins's value a little bit and not do the same
with someone who feels about this is like the Hawks getaway camp or something.
No. They they definitely need, Like I was what I was gonna say.
They it's nice that we've moved past the like, oh my god,
they need a point guard, which was like part of the discourse on the
jazz needs for a while there, and it's now it's like they got a
lot of really fun options, Like you know, George is the young guy
and done defense like crazy, and Collin sext is not really a point guard,
but he tries, and like there's a bunch of a bunch of good
options. It's just like they got way too many, like in the players
in like the six two to six five range, and they just like that's
why hunter is a thought is like you got to get some six seven six
eight sou and aside from done, like most of those guys shouldn't be guarding
up and so I thought about but this team doesn't need any more picks,
like maybe they would have interest in Kelly Olnic, but like Kelly olinok,
Fontachio and then how many first to Okay, see for lou Dort, they
don't need any more first right, ludoruld be fun here though we did it.
I think we did most likely player most likely to be traded. I
don't know, it doesn't it it's gotta be Horton, Tucker or Link.
I mean, or you could just say, like are they because a lot
of people are saying they need to open up playing time for Taylor Hendrick,
I feel like they could just bench guys like we've seen like they'll they'll do
that. So I'm gonna go with a linic on this. Okay, let's
I'll co sign that one. Clarkson's up there, but it seems like he's
got like one of the I mean, he's got a great relationship with ownership,
so like that's he's probably not getting traded. He and Larry market Diden
want to be there. It seems like Colin Sexton is happy there, like
I'm not. I I want the Jazz to buy Baby. I'm all in
And it's not even like I think they're gonna be like this dangerous playoff team.
I'm just buy baby bye. That's what that's my Yeah, I'm with
it. Okay, So we're doing what are we doing on this version of
STAP And I guess the people really want guess a player, So I feel
like we are doing guests a player. I gotta find my notes though for
that. Okay, here they are. Uh do you want I have one
from be Rich for you? Oh? God? Okay, hold on,
I can't. I can't get into the mind of a psychopath. Well I'm
moving windows around. Are you Are you even healthy enough to get into the
mind of a psycho path It might be easier. Let's let's find out.
Are you ready? I'm ready? Clue number one, a two thousand and
six lottery pick I, was traded less than a month after being drafted.
Darryl Mory was an assistant GM at the time and almost certainly involved. All
right, so Darryl Moury is in Boston. This is a two thousand and
six I think Boston. The two thousand and six lottery pick traded traded within
how how soon after being drafted within a month, and he was traded by
Darryl Mory's team. Darl Mory was an assistant GM at the time and almost
certainly involved. I would love to get this on the first clue. Uh
who did? Who did? I don't think? Okay, I got a
couple of ideas. Go ahead, you don't want to row him out there?
What are you about getting it early or getting it right now? Maybe
the name that I was, I was in the wrong time timeline for one
of these guys. I just all right now, I'd like to hear the
second clue, please. I was first team All rookie, averaging eleven points,
five rebounds, more turnovers than assists, with mediocre shooting, after getting
traded like right away. Oh, I forgot about the third clue because he
sent this all the way back on January twenty second. The third clue is
killing me. January twenty second. All right now, I have to hear
the third clue. In my why you're really building this up? This has
to be funny or no one's going to believe you again. In my third
season, I was teammates with Greg Buckner. God damn it, that guy's
in my podcast forever. Greg Buckner got him out at the end because the
listeners shout him out in the middle. Well, what we've established is I
know nothing about Greg Buckner, So this clue does not help me. First
of all, only like like the bag, like the sicko Sikos, know
something about Greg Butner Buckner at this point, man, all right's let's clue
number four. I feel like I should have been able to get it based
on those are the only three. No, I'm just kidding number four.
In college, I was co Rookie of the Year with Jeff Green in the
Big East as a freshman, then was nominated along with JJ Reddick, Adam
Morrison, and Alan Ray for the Naysmith College Player of the Year. With
a picture with a picture perfect jumper and great size and athleticism, I won
the two thousand and eight NBA Done Contest. Some might say I underachieved my
potential. Regardless, my three most similar player players were Joe Smith, Robert
Rory, and Juwan Howard. So I must have done something right. Yeah,
well we I hate those comparisons. I'm sure he included those because I
hate him so much. Mission accomplished. Now, I'm annoyed. That was
a lot of information in that clue. I won the two thousand and eight
Dunk Contest. Yes, that feels I don't know if I would have gotten
it here. I don't know Clue number four. Clue number five will help
you. But it's actually kind of wild because I don't know what team he's
on at this point, because all I know is the Celtics drafted him in
six and traded him, and I will get it. There are two more
clues, and I'm pretty confident that you will get it on the final one
if you have. Okay, let's just keep going to keep it moving.
In my seventeen year career, I made the playoffs three times. From my
second season until my eleventh season, I started all but three of my total
games played, never an All Star. I was a remarkably consistent scorer,
ranging from seventeen to twenty one points per game during this run of seasons.
I feel like I should get it on that so Dunk Contest winner in eight.
I still don't have it final clue. I was signed in September two
thousand and three by Grant's favorite team, then waved a month later. Oh
god, wait, I thought he was drafted in two thousand and six,
right, he had a seventeen year career. That would three oh twenty three?
I say two thousand and three? Like what on Earth? Sorry?
Sorry? So the Warriors signed him in twenty three, so this September,
and then waved him a month later. Oh so he was like in camp
and then didn't make the team? Is what? What were you telling me?
That's yes, I would cond of Do you want me to tell you
some of the teams he played for throughout his career? Is it? Is
it Joe Johnson? It is not? Was he on the Warriors camp?
Cross? No, I was just trying to think of guys that would have
Like, you're on the right track, though, I feel like I should
definitely know who the Warriors had in camp and then didn't keep I'm drawing a
blank on that. Yeah, you can tell me some of these teams.
I'll give you one unless you ask for more. He played. He's probably
most known for his time played on the Grizzlies, and he went from Boston
to the g Did he go from Boston to the Grizzlies. I can look
that up because I don't really know this early draft revia from the from the
two thousands. The fact that he's mostly on the Grizzlies and was on the
Warriors for a second means he was he was drafted by Houston. So Darryl
must have still been with the Rockets organization. Oh well, I do you
know? What I really hope is that that's not correct and that I get
it. I get out upon a technicality because Darryl Morey was not in Boston.
So he's drafted by Houston and he was traded to Memphis, where he
spent six plus seasons before being traded to Toronto. So he's in Memphis through
like twenty twelve, and then he's in Toronto after that and is a Dunk
Contest winner. Can you tell me what team he won the Dunk Contest with?
I don't feel like I'm gonna get this MEMPHILX He was on Memphis in
two thousand and eight. Yeah, I don't think I so from Toronto he
ended up on the Kings. Oh it's uh, it's Rudy Gay there you
go. I was surprised you didn't get it on the Warriors camp clue.
Yeah, I forgot about that. The Darryl morry thing really threw me off.
I him being involved for a moment. I was impressed that you knew
darn moriy was just with the Celtics off the cuff in that year, and
it turns out you were wrongs. Yeah, that was that. Maybe that's
on me. Well wait, where was it? Where was this? Because
it was Houston? He said he was drafted by Houston. Is that is
that where he traded the Memphis That's where Darryl Morriy comes in. Okay,
all right, I have Rubik Scale has random trivia for you. Oh all
right. In Bead's seventy point game on Wemby Spurs lasted as the top score
this season for all of ninety six hours before being shunted into second place by
Lucas seventy three to ten and seven game seventy Burgers. I've been matched or
surpassed in the same season only twice. The last time a seventy Burger was
matched in a season was a year ago. Donovin Mitchell dropped seventy one on
the Bulls on January second, twenty twenty three, and then Damian Lillard matched
it on February twenty six. When was the last and only time that a
seventy point game has been surpassed in the same season. Oh, man,
if I will give you because this is just so hard, it's open ended.
If you just take a stab in the dark, there's a chance that
you will get it. The last time a seventy point game was like someone
got seventy and then he and then scored more than that in the same season
or matched it. I would just say, Wilt, if that's you'd be
correct. Yeah, okay, so it was nineteen sixty one sixty two when
he did it. Wilt improved upon his seventy eight points against the Lakers in
December nineteen sixty one with one hundred Burger in March nineteen sixty two in New
York one hundred Burger. I have heard of that game a couple of times.
Okay, well that's a that's a win and doubt guess will situation.
I think there was there was a like, wasn't there a game where I
think the scoring title was at stake? And I feel like it involved David
Robinson who had like like a big, huge game on the last day of
the year and like he needed it to beat somebody else. I forget what
that was, I'm sure. So some of the listeners will will be like
are yelling right now, saying how do you not know this? All right?
Do you want to guess a player from me? Or would you like
to have another one? I don't know if I have the doc from Mike
pulled up, So I'll give you another one if I can find the doc
from Mike. So if you want to give me one, yeah, I
have to do this one because I forgot it for a really long time in
the in the d MS on on our discord. So this is from Niko
Chekolev. I forget where the space goes in the Sorry. I think he
might have sent one for you. Oh he did, so we'll do that
one alright. I'm sorry this one this one for you, so and again,
apologies for forgetting to get to this for so long. Clue number one.
Prior to the twenty seventeen NBA Draft, I was unable to work out
for any teams due to my torn ACL Prior to the what draft twenty seventeen.
Okay, I wanted you to flex and just get it right here.
I was unable to work out twenty seventeen draft Jabari Parker. No fuck?
Why was I so sure about that? Well? He tore his ACL after
he was drafted. I'm pretty sure. Oh yeah twice? Yeah? Ready
for clue number two? No, I want to guess again two thousand and
seven. Now go ahead, I'm ready. I wouldn't have got it off
that clue for sure. Number two. I ultimately went undrafted, but I
have made a nice career for myself, playing over three hundred games for two
teams and signing contracts totaling over fifty million dollars. No, I got nothing,
all right, number three. That's hard if you've I went from taking
the number two overall pick to the found out this guy was undrafted. My
career best game happened against the Bulls when I where I scored thirty eight points
and grabbed nineteen rebounds happened against the Bulls. I don't even get to know
what team he was on. Not, No, you will. I think
you're gonna get it for sure. You're getting it on five, but you
might get it on this next one. Was he. Uh No, there's
no way he had nineteen rebounds. Don't say Duncan Robinson. It's probably had
a thirty eight point game. It is not Duncan Robinson. Clue number four.
I am a two time champion, but I am not as successful as
my teammate on two different teams, who's a three time champion himself. I
don't even understand that this guy has two rings, but he's played with a
guy. I feel like I give way too much information if I explained this
too well. All right, then go to the next clue. All right,
I am the only Canadian to win a title for a Canadian team.
Oh no, who was on that Raptors roster? Why can't I get this?
That is? That is Canadian Chris Bouche. That is correct, It
is Chris Bouche. That's the who you thought I was going to get it
on. That had to be, because that's the fifth and final clue.
That was a good one that I'm surprised it took us this well, it
wouldn't have taken us this long to get to Chris Bouche. For you,
if I hadn't uh left a d M on read for so long, you
know that was from Nicolcha, right, Yeah, So I'll save his for
another time that week because my gage has a ton of them. Are you
ready for the fun? I'll give you the final one, and then if
you have a couple more for me, sure. Clue number one. I
was drafted forty third by the Knicks straight out of high school. There's no
year attached to this yet. It can only be so many years. Well,
it might be really really long ago, but that Mike doesn't usually do
those ones. All right, go ahead, Clue two. At the time,
I became a youngest player ever to wear a Knicks uniform, nineteen years,
four months and four days old. Hmmm, drafted forty three. We
don't have a year who he played? Right away? Okay, I gotta
find a something to anchor the time. All right, go ahead, what's
the next one? My eighty games and one three hundred and eighty two minutes
were the most played by a Knicks rookie since Greg Anthony in nineteen ninety one.
Okay, you said eighty games and whatever a ton of minutes, one
hundred minutes as an eight rookie, nineteen year old Knicks rookie, I should
get this what is this, h I'm trying to think of like of high
schoolers the Knicks have had that would have played that much. Eddie Curry wasn't
a Knicks pick and he was like number two Tyson Chandler didn't play there until
he was much older than nineteen? Oh man? How can I? How
do I not have this yet? You might get it on this one?
Is it? No? He didn't come out of high school. I was
gonna say, like Jared Jefferies, but he didn't come out. Okay,
go ahead, Clue four. I was a Nick for two and a half
years before I was traded for Penny Hardaway. Who remembers that Penny Hardaway was
a Nick? I do I remember getting excited when they traded for Penny.
I remember getting excited when they traded for t mac Steve Frantis, Steph Marbury
was well, so this must have been Penny coming from the Suns. I
think? So who was he at that point? What young guy would they
have traded to Phoenix? God, I don't think I'm gonna get this either.
This is a bad night for me. He was. If it helps,
you were correct that Penny Hardway was on Phoenix before he was traded the
next Well that that helps my confidence a little bit, because I don't feel
I feel like the forty third pick that played a ton of minutes as a
rookie out of high school? What's that? Out of high school? It
shouldn't be that hard, But I do not have it yet. Clue ive
kicking off a theme. I was traded a year later the Lakers were Brian
Cook, where I appeared in an NBA finals that season and won a ring.
Two years later, God damn it. Phoenix to the Lakers and he
wins a ring with the Lakers. Yes, oh uh? Oh? Who
is what is that guy's name? The entire point of this game? Yeah?
Oh good, I've figured it out. Oh I can't. This is
really frustrating, Dan. All right, do you have? How many more
clues? Do I have? Four? Oh? Great, let's keep it
going. I signed a thirty three million dollar contract with the Rockets in free
agency after winning my ring, but was traded shortly after for Darren Collison in
a very confusing four team deal that included Troy Murphy and James Posey. Wow.
Wow, So wins it with the Lakers ends up on Houston and what
would have been a pretty big contract at the time, correct thirty three million.
Oh who is this again? That's the point of it? Just was
so deeply annoyed. All right, what's the next clue? Clue seven?
I was then traded to the Hornets for Rishard Lewis, before going to the
Wizards, then back to the Rockets, where I played for four years.
Oh god, I don't have it. I need a really obvious clue or
I'm not gonna get it Clue number eight. I then played for the Suns,
the Wizards again, the Kings, the Blazers, the Heat, then
back the Lakers. This guy played for everybody, all the teams that I
just said, all the teams that there are. I can already just feel
the creeping sense of disappointment that I'm not going to get this. Do you
have any clue? Like in your mind? Should I have gotten this by
now? This was actually a little bit trickier based off the clues than I
would have thought I could give you. Well, if you don't get it
on clue nine, I'll have another one for you. Oh okay, I
thought I was out of clues. What's clue nine? I am a meme
on this very podcast there's so many of those though. I'm actually trying to
think I wouldn't have gotten with this one. So Mike's gonna have to pliify
for us in discord what we did to meme him. Uh uh No,
I thought I had it, didn't have it, Okay, until time I
was like, oh, it's j R. Smith, but like one not
drafted by the next like two, wrong year, there's three and d archetype
three and d archetype drafted out of high school. Think of like the very
best version of those Rockets teams, those more Ball Rockets teams. Let's see.
I keep wanting to say Ariza, but and that would be correct,
is that he came out of high school. Yeah, I did not know
that. That's why I was never going to get there. I didn't know
that he came out of high school. So when would you? When did
he first pop in your mind? Was after like Clue two or something,
well, going to the Lakers and winning a title and then like all the
teams, because Marisa has been on a million teams. But I didn't think
the high The high school thing got me. I got see this. I've
done this two times in a row. I'm fixated on one thing and you
just throw out the You never throw out the answers. Are you like concerned
about not getting the wrong answer rather than I was sure that that wasn't right
because like, oh no, Trevor Resa went clearly he was not a high
school draftee, and I was just wrong. That's a good. That's a
good. That was a good guess a player, because I, well,
maybe you know what the meme is that Mike is talking about? Why are
we so bad at that? If you don't know what the meme is,
I sure don't. I don't know what that was. We're so bad at
this? Why does anyone listen to us? All Right? I have a
bunch for you. I gotta decide which one I think is going to be
the most fun. Let's see, let's see, let's see. Okay,
I kind of want I'm not gonna do that one. This is a great
pod me just himming and hawing trying to pick between like five guest of players.
Let's do this one. This is fun. Okay, this is from
Mike. Uh you okay? Number one Clude one. I was drafted out
of Iowa in nineteen ninety eight frent season ahead of Greg Buckner by the Hornets
god ninety eight ahead of Greg Buckner. They didn't so they didn't give a
number. Where was Greg Butler? All the information I have for you include
one who Dosh? Do I know anyone that was drafted in ninety eight?
Glenn Rice? Is that ninety eight? I don't know. That's a good
guess that No, he was in He was in the all right clue Number
two. I participated in the dunk contest that saved the event from extinction in
two thousand, but I had the lowest score in the event. This is
a great clue because I forgot that this was the case. I got nothing.
So he's in the contest with Vincent t mac and well, I don't
know with Steve Francis in that one. I forget, totally forgot he was
in that all right number three. Following the two thousand season, I was
traded in a nine player deal to the Heat, where I only played seven
games due to injuries, and another trade, this time to the Calves.
And I would just say that the Calves are the team I probably associate most
with this player. That's my clue, not not Mike's Ricky Davis. It
is Ricky Davis. Really, that's very impressive. Got it in three clues.
You don't even let me get the let's take a lap on that one.
Unbelievable. All you got was IOWA, the dunk contests and the Calves.
The Calves one was the only thing that I don't remember him in the
dunk contest. I definitely don't know. I'm so bad with college stuff.
It's not now I feel bad for Mike that I gave the clue of I
most associate him with the Calves. Oh that wasn't on the paper? Was
I feel like I should give you another one. I'll give you another one,
But I wonder what I've gotten any of the clues after I think so
so. Number four is it was during this time with the Calves that Jerry
Sloan famously said he'd knocked me on my ass. This was because I intentionally
missed a layup on my own basket one rebound shy of a triple double.
Heard that right? Yeah, okay, I don't feel so bad now trying
to hit it with another one. Then, No, since you ruined Mike's
I know I blew it all right, I'll give you I have to do
another one for Mike then all right. Number one. I was drafted in
the lottery in nineteen ninety eight out of ball state, same draft class,
so this isn't in the clue, but also ahead of Greg Buckner. I
remember the nineteen ninety eight draft class. State. That's a weird college.
Not a lot of players out of ball state. Clue Number two. The
moment I landed in the NBA, I clearly embodied the bad boy image that
my team was looking for. U. JR. Ryder. No, that's
a good guess, though, Zach Randolph. No, okay, you want
number three. I'm just thinking of Blazers at this point. Ruben Pattison,
the Kobe stopper. Yeah, no, that's Roger Bell. Oh it is
what Ruby Patterson once said he could stop. There was a Kobe Ruben Patterson
thing at some point, wasn't there was there? I do all. I
don't remember, so I think it was similar that he thought he could guard
him. Keep going on. All right, you make me think that I
might be close. Basically I am alarmed. I'm a little alarmed. Uh
am. I that transparent that you can tell. I think not Damn Sotomarre.
He was top naming Blazers everybody. I don't know. Should I read
the next clue to see if you should or not? Uh? Clue three.
I got suspended early in my career for screaming at my coach after he
benched me. My teammate Rashid Wallace clearly taught me, well, you're you're
on fire. You are real close. Who am I forgetting from that era?
I'm not gonna get this now because I'm in my head and I'm not
gonna be able to name these dudes. Give me the next clue, all
right? Clue number four. During a playoff game in two thousand and two,
Bill Walton once said on commentary that my brain was clearly not connected to
the rest of my body and that I was quote useless unquote. Commentary used
to be real different twenty years ago. Stumbled across the Bill Walton like broadcast
on the League Pass. Now they're still very different. When he came,
I accidentally did like this week for the first time ever, and I did
not know what I was looking at for, and I couldn't look away for
like the first five minutes because it was like an intro that he did.
And he's in he's in his tepee and this other dude is playing a bongo
drum and Bill Walton is looking into a crystal ball. And this is shot
like home video quality. It's like it's not produced. And he's like saying,
yo, kitch, and who were playing? Who did the Nuggets play
the other night? I forget whatever, just naming naming players and just like
saying them into this crystal ball. And he gets up and walks like through
clearly what is his own backyard, and someone's following. It's like the weirdest
thing ever. And this is like the lead up to him doing the broadcast.
He eventually gets to where he's gonna do the alternate broadcast and like sits
down in his room there, but there's like this huge preamble of him being
like completely untethered. It. It was so bizarre. So yes, I
have seen the Bill on broadcast. I feel like we should that to me,
that just says that we should probably take edibles and record a podcast instead
of time I wanted. I want to feel how Bill Walton feels sometimes like
I just what is going on? All right? So, uh, that
probably didn't help you, would you? Like clue number five? Uh?
Yeah? After a few disappointing playoff exits, the Blazers traded me to Memphis
in a quote oath to the city of Portland to have a team of upstanding
Portlanders unquote, and given that I'd been suspended multiple times and been arrested during
my time there, I didn't hit the bill. I was traded for Wesley
Person if that makes any difference. Oh, this is gonna annoy the shit
out of me. And it's even more annoying that's not Zebo because he ended
up in Memphis. Just keep going. I mean, I'm not gonna get
this. I still think you might because you're gonna get more teams. Uh
Six. I was part of the first ever playoff team in Grizzly's history and
was there for two years before being traded to the Kings for Bobby Jackson.
Oh, oh my god, why can't I get this? You got?
You got three more? I think at least two of them will help.
I'm cooked on this one. I'm not gonna lie you think so. Yeah,
Well, all right, clue number seven. I was awesome for the
Kings, averaging twenty three points a game. Ron Artest offered to forego his
salary the next season for the Kings to keep me. They did not.
I don't know how many years Wasn't on the Blazers, was he? No?
Let me look, I want to see how many games he played that
year? He iver was twenty three. Sorry, sorry, this isn't a
fact check. I trust you, Mike. I just want to see,
like, oh, there's a typo in there. Not twenty three a game,
it's thirteen for the Kings. Oh that is that might be my I
transcribed this from Discord, not on Mike. But does that change? That
might change something for you? All right? Clue eight. After that year
in Sacramento, I wound up in Houston, then New Orleans, then China
and Mexico before retiring after uh not making the twenty eleven Wolves. Brandon wah
mm hmm. I think I think the Sacramento, Memphis, Portland, Memphis,
Sacramento is how I remember him and all the characters stop do you have
it? Oh no, no, no, no, no no. I
I mean the last clue is I'm currently Damn Stottamayer's top assistant at Georgia Tech,
which I didn't know. And if you're not like, yeah, it's
if I get if I said headband. Would that be helpful to you?
No, it's just gonna make me. I think the name is just left
my brain. Yeah, that's that's a possibility. It's not one that kicks
around. I'm trying to think of the I said Isaiah Ryder. Yeah it's
not. It's not Isaiah Riders a little earlier. I think I can't get
I'm trying to think what other possible clues I could give you that wouldn't just
give it away? What is it? What's his initials? B W I
should know this. You just gonna have to tell me. It's Bonzie Wells.
Fuck, it's two fifteen in the morning. Get in my house.
And I just screamed at the time, Well, sometimes you gotta emote.
Yeah, he's gonna kill me. It's gonna come barging in. You're like,
uh, not a good showing for us. I guess a player this
time. I got one after two clues. You well, you know I
shouldn't speak for both of us. Your average guest time was very short.
That was just a straight up collapse that I couldn't get. I don't remember
Bonzie Walls on the Kings, so only there for a year. I remember
it. I don't know why I remember it, but I do remember him
there, Yeah, the Portland. I mean, it's so hard. When
you started just reeling off Blazers, I was like, Oh, he's gonna
get another one on like the second clue, because you were because at no
point was it was just like a it was a bad boy team in the
early two thousands. And I guess it was smart for you to get to
Blazers that quick. But would you imagine there being a team called the jail
Blazers right now? That would just be like I can't believe that was ever
a thing. But and at the time, it was like this is hilarious,
Like right every it was like this, this is a cool thing because
the name is so funny. Now I'd be like, you'd never Yeah,
you can't, can't do that. It's pretty awful. Grant, we've been
here forever. Would you like to take us out? I sure would,
until we meet again in thirty seconds or so, not that the listener will
be aware of that. Thank you everybody for checking out this episode. Thank
you for supporting us. Please continue to do that wherever you get your podcasts,
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again checking in, and we'll close, as always with a shout out to
the one only Frank Milakina and an apology to Jared Allen. Are your