What is crack lack in pillow therma nuclear a effort. I am Damn Falley
coming at you with my certified fantabulous co host, mister Grant Hughes. We
have more awesomes and grades the Pacific Division Part five or six. Very quickly
subscribe if you haven't already. Across YouTube, Apple, Spotify, comment on
all our videos on YouTube. Help the algorithm of us back ratings and reviews
on Apple. Written reviews along with the ratings Go a Long Way ratings on
Spotify help. Please follow us on all the socials at Hardwood Knox, on
TikTok and Twitter, at Hardwoo, Underscore Knox on Instagram. Support the show
by purchasing our merch The link to the stores in the podcast and YouTube descriptions.
Join our discord the link to that is in the podcast and YouTube description.
And if you've done all or most of those things and you're subscribed,
consider recommending us share the episode, share the shorts and the TikTok's that we're
throwing out there any way to help us continue growing while we're in this like
Twitter death spiral where it's hard to really get our podcasts seen by new people
outside of TikTok and YouTube. Grant, that was a sub one minute intro.
How the hell are you doing? I'm doing great. We just had
a terrific Jim Shorts conversation offline, which we're not doing any of the brands
because we're not sponsored by them. And if, if, if the good
people at companies X, Y and Z want to sponsor us. Yeah,
because we get some of your A sponsorships. Maybe a gym shark ghost would
be great if my energy drinks could be paid for. It turned into we
went from Jim Shorts to some pretty existential shit conversation about death as you do
as you do. As a brief reminder, the criteria for anyone who gets
mad a C is average is an average offseason. I'm not saying people are
gonna get mad, but please just take that into consideration. Grant, are
you able to take us through our first team of the Pacific Division? Yes,
this is the Golden State Warriors. Price in my home bias now because
that's how it's going to go. The big move traded Jordan Pool, Patrick
Baldwin junior, Ryan Rawlins a top twenty protected, twenty thirty first rounder.
Hilarious, great, pick to trade and a twenty twenty seven second to the
Wizards for Chris Paul Draymond Green is back on a four year, one hundred
million dollar contract. Dario Starch and Corey Joseph are on board at the minimum.
The Warriors drafted Brandon Pajemski at number nineteen and Trace Jackson Davis at number
fifty seven. Jackson Davis is represented by Mike Dunleavy, the Golden State Warriors
new top executives brother. So that's interesting. Don Leavy replaces Bob Myers,
who I don't know how much credit you give executives for team success, but
he I think fairly deserves a lot of ESPN's Bob Myers. Bob Myers newly
employed or newly reemployed at ESPN. So dun Levy and Bob Meyer's out.
It still seems like it's going to be kind of a collective decision making body.
Dante Divincenzo's gone signed with the Knicks, Ty Jerome Gone signed with the
Cavs. Jamichael Green, Andrea Goodala Anthony Lamb. As far as I know,
all three remain unsigned. I think that's still the case. Iguodala may
retire. I don't know if that's been officially stated yet, but I think
that's the way things are pointing. Uh, quite a quite a bit of
activity online and some you know, a little bit of everything with the interesting
draft picks, big trade, significant resigning that seemed a little bit uncertain as
far as Green goes. All told, I think this team is significantly better.
This is a B plus for me. I am concerned about the Myers
void and the Chris Paul fit. We can talk about any of that stuff,
but B plus for me. Where where are you on this? Uh,
this Warrior's offseason? I'm pretty high on it too. When you're a
bad Warriors fan, I think if you support like the Chris Paul acquisition,
and that's just like they gave up if if that first round or conveys,
I know you're saying, hey, you just signed pool to this extension,
you turn around and then have to give up a first roun pick to get
him, It's like it's a fake for if you couldn't vey it like something
has gone incredibly right for you down the line, And I think that's a
big deal. I'm just everything kind of. I think they played the Draymond
Green extension right clearly from by not giving him one to end up at four
years, one hundred million. It is perfectly fine. There's a trade kicker,
it escalates. That's like some stuff too consider But I think that that
deal is I don't think it's a home I think it's just mark. I
think it's what Draymond Green could be worth over the next four years, which
is absolutely perfect. It's just a question of how do you view the Paul
deal. If you believed in Jordan Pool, then you're not gonna like the
Paul deal. I did not believe in Jordan Pool, and I think getting
out of that contract without having to give up a top nineteen first rounder is
a big deal because Chris Paul can still play, and just my question.
And I think it does impact how you view the off season, unless you're
like, oh, why haven't they signed Clay to an extension yet, which
I'm just not. You know, if they signed to an extension, it's
probably because he's taking like massive pay cuts. I think they're gonna play it
like they did Green anyway, I like it. I really think Golden State,
even dating back to the Kevin Durant error, I had put this in
one of my articles, they have sucked on offense whatever Steph Curry is off
the floor. There were certain lineups that had Kevin Durant without Curry that worked.
I want to make that clear. Chris Paul is a million years old,
but if you're willing to run pick and roll, slow things down in
the half court a little bit more, he can steer you to a league
average offense without Steph Curry on the floor. So my two questions are just
are they gonna let him play pick and roll with? Okay, who is
it Draymond? Is it Jonathan Cominga? It's probably not Dario Scharitch, So
that's a question. And then what does it look like during the Steph and
Chris Paul minutes? Is that gonna be what you potentially close with or no,
you're gonna go with the duel Big and Cavan Luny and and Draymond Green
without having any answers. I still think it was a very fair and measured
by the way gamble to make and so I went with an A minus here.
Okay, I think those are those are the questions to ask, and
it really you could even distill it further to say, what role is Chris
Paul willing to play, I think, because I do think I don't really
have any doubt that Steve Kerr will run pick and roll with Chris Paul,
like, well, if you have Chris Paul, like, what else are
you doing? Right? You put the ball in his hands, and well,
right, except this this time there's the guy who's making the decisions.
Can can handle it? I think basically, if the theory is that Chris
Paul is willing to come off the bench and is willing to go like god
knows how long between getting to close, because I don't think he makes a
lot of sense and against many teams as a closer, If he's willing to
just embrace that role, this should work because Paul is going to I mean,
the Warriors would have killed to be break even in the non Steff minutes,
you know, for years and years and years, And I think it's
it's not a big ask to have Chris Paul and some some combination of reserves
and starters play break even basketball for like, you know, the beginning of
the second quarter, the beginning of the fourth, which you know is when
Steph typically rests. That has changed some over the years, but that's the
idea and the theory of this team. Just it makes much more sense without
Pool because now all of your biggest problems, turnovers being a huge one,
late game decision making being another, if you've got Paul to sort of mitigate
that. As long as he's willing to play the role that I think makes
the most sense for the team, you know, maybe this should be an
a minus for me. I just the Myers thing. I don't know how
to do that. It's like, I don't need there enough money to offer
him, and they didn't. It doesn't sound like it. It seems like
he was just kind of burnt, which if you've been with this team over
the years, like there have been some like thorny situations, like it's been
hard to deal with. So I don't begrudge him that at all. I
just wonder you never know, You never know how much a lead executive matters,
especially in a front office that's like getting input from the prides itself on
collaborative decision making. It you don't know what one guy really means. And
the fact that they got the green deal done without Myers really being super involved,
it seemed like that's that's a positive. I think, Yeah, so
yeah, I think I think if any if I were moving this grade,
i'd move it up. It feels like B plus is probably maybe a bit
of an under cell, but there are there are uncertainties, I guess is
where i'd leave it. I think, yeah, the B plus is fine.
And also I also waited like it's clear that Chris Paul is a more
infery attractive human trade exception than Jordan Poole. So if the Warriors really wanted
to make a bigger swing and look at moving Moody and Commander or some of
the picks, that they can still move later in the season when they have
a better idea of who they are or who's available. I think that Chris
Paul's salary and his contract, the way it's set up, makes it easier
to do that, which absolutely matters. Did you have any thoughts on the
brandan the Pods pick. Well, he couldn't shoot it at all in summer
League. I don't know how much weight you put into that, because he
did shoot it fine in college. I just as a as a departure from
let's take some shots on really good athletes, you know, Wiseman kaminga.
Moody's not quite the same, or you know, really highly regarded high school
prospects like Patrick Baldwin Jr. Was a ridiculously highly rated high school prospect,
got hurt, flamed out. I think he still may be a decent NBA
player because he can shoot it. Pajimski is like the complete opposite, where
he's kind of someone that just figures out how to win, makes the right
passes, like that kind of thing. If he can't score, you know,
either in the lane with his floaters or make open shots, then I
don't know how much he helps. But he is like I can understand,
and I can understand how the Warriors would justify a player like him who has
like high i Q and understands how you know, all the intangible stuff,
right. I wouldn't count on him to help, you know, almost at
all as a rookie, just because one, he's a rookie. In two
I think athletically he might have some trouble just kind of adjusting. But yeah,
I like the I mean he went to Santa Clara. I feel like
that should we should have started with that disclaimer, so listeners don't know that
is Grant's album matter. So I favor him. I support him. I
mean he went to I can't think of anyone other than Jalen Williams that went
there, so, you know, other than like one of my five favorite
players ever. So yeah, I think I wouldn't count on him, but
I like the pick in theory. I guess i'd put it that way.
I don't know enough about him to care or not. I just don't think
there was no one drafted after him. I'm like, oh, like fuck,
Like the Warrior shouldn't went that direct. I mean, can Whitmore went
right after him. That's that would be That would be a very team.
He was just traded Jordan Pool and now we're gonna like do the can Whitmore
experience here? So and we're not sure about Jonathan COMINGI yet. I mean
it's he's still ridiculous potential, but now we're getting a little deep into the
career and it hasn't happened yet. So yeah, I get it. Are
you want to do the Clippers? Yeah, let's move on to the Clippers,
who did a ship ton of nothing. So they waved Eric Gordon and
it saved them nine figures in their attacks bill. They resigned Russell Westbrook to
a two year deal using non bird rights with a player off for twenty four
twenty five, They resigned Mason Plumley to a one year, five million dollars
deal. They drafted Kobe Brown at number thirty. They drafted Jordan Miller at
number forty eight and signed him to a two way contract, and they signed
Musa Diabete to a two way contract as well. The things that are kind
of hanging over this team that I think, unless I've missed anything already,
is the James Harden trade rumors. He only wants to go there. The
Clippers apparently don't want to include Terrence Man, and then both Kawai and Paul
George are extension eligible. I don't know where you ended up as a grade.
I'm actually giving them a higher one that I would have if they extended
these guys because I respect just not defaulting too. They just haven't played enough
together. Like there there's a discussion to be had about the way we talk
about load management and injuries with the Clippers, because whenever we talk about it
with other players, it does feel like, look, the teams are making
this decision, but when it's Kawai and PG, it's always framed almost as
if they're the ones that are actively deciding not to play, which feels a
little egregious. But then I'm like, is this a smoke fire situation?
So I think it's good they didn't side them to an extension yet unless they
were completely favorable team terms, because they just don't know that these guys are
going to be available together when it matters most. I mean, I mean
I would push back. I think we do know whether they're going to be
they are, they will not because they just haven't been. So yeah,
no, we've been doing this too long together. I think I've been.
We're you know, guilty of groupthink. My grade, my grade is a
C plus, which is not like through the roof or anything. But it
would be lower if they had Max extended either of those guys just because you
can't in good conscience commit whatever it would be you know, four more years
or even you know, three plus one or whatever at ridiculous rates for guys
that just like they just don't play. You just keep you can't do it.
So and honestly, I was gonna ask you, is your grade higher
or lower if Harden is a part of this team. I mean, it
depends on the package, but you know, because of what they could give
up, is they're really a bad Like if they're trading Paul George, we
can get into it. But is there a bad James Harden package that they
that they could wind up giving. I mean probably not. It would be
more based on the idea that just over the last several years James Harden has
just kind of left places worse than he found them. So you know,
we're not and we've talked about this with Kyrie a lot too. It's just
like, do you want to be in the James Harden business for any reason?
And now that's like a real question I think. I mean, James
Harden's really good last year. I mean offensively, he had a very good
season. I just he's to that point now where for me, it's almost
like the circumstances have to be really specific and well tailored for me to even
entertain the idea of him being on my team because of what that means.
Like maybe it's different because you have Kawai and you have Paul George, but
you know you had Joel and Harden wants to play a certain way. You
know you're going to get certain things from him, you know, You're definitely
not going to get certain things from him, and it's not like he can
transition gracefully into a smaller He's like the least scalable guy in some senses.
He's I think he might be the least scalable player in the league, not
to say he doesn't. The Sixers were great with him, the Nets were
great with him, the Rockets were great with him. But like, we've
yet to see him. Joel Embiad's probably the closest he's come to taking a
step back, and that was still more your turn, my turn stuff.
Then. Yes, I know he upped his catch and shoot percentage a little
bit, but this is not someone who's proven that they can play off the
ball. It's unders necessarily willing to do that. I just they need to
playmaking. I'm concerned with how slow they would play, but they have Russ
for that, and look Karen's mann and Jack's pace. They don't use him
enough as it is. And so like, I mean, if you have
to give up, I'm just doing it. I will say, is it
you don't? You still make the trade. But I guess like Russ and
James Harden are still cool. Well yeah, I mean the fact that like
that's like fourth or fifth down the list of questions you have, you know,
and that's a significant one. Says a lot about kind of the ship
that you're in for if you put this player on this team, I think
I think I do it too, just because what is it ultimately going to.
It's like Terrence Man is the deal breaker. We both like him a
lot, but really, like you could you know, again, I was
talking about the specific circumstances with respect to Harden. This is these are kind
of the circumstances where the idea would be you lighten the load on Kauai and
Paul George and having two other, you know, really established playmaking wings just
that can both defend like that. Maybe this is pretty close to like how
you would want your situation to be to accommodate James. Harden doesn't answer any
of the playoff questions, and it doesn't answer any of the durability questions,
which he also has not to the degree of the other two. Between the
three of them, it's like, oh, we'll get it. He's a
rock of them will be available in the playoffs, right. There's also something
uniquely terrifying about all three of those guys just getting free agency in the same
offseason. Probably well that too. I was thinking from the coaches perspective,
having to deal with like the just alpha's all over the place. You didn't
give a grade. I was a C plus. Where are you on?
I wanted to see just because I don't know what they did that's above average,
I guess if you want to say the russ deal. But I also
kind of assume, like, well, there's this is the early bird right
situated. We were just gonna have to pay him later. I think bringing
him back was good. I'm Mason plumbly, I'm indifferent too, Like,
I don't know, you could you've gotten a better big for that price point.
I mean, I like Bismac biondo better and he's still floating around unsigned,
but you can't ding him for it. It's just everything they acted and
the Eric Gordon stuff. Yeah, she would keep Eric Gordon. But when
it's gonna cost you two hundred million dollars to have Eric Gordon, I get
it. Yeah, I get it. So it's just like, yes,
I it's not my money, so they should have kept him because he was
really important. But I'm not gonna like give them an extra demerit because they
didn't want to pay one hundred and fifty million dollars like they wanted to say
they shouldn't say Eric Gordon didn't drive up the price day they could have looked
for yo, That's something you could get into. Could they have been more
aggressive in finding a new home for like Marcus Morris and then been able to
keep Eric Gordon? Like was there some sort of compensation He's on an expiring
contract, Like you couldn't have done something with OKC or Detroit or the Spurs
or something. So just to see nothing they did this offseason impressed me.
And but there's also the level of incomplete because of the James Harden trade rumors.
Yeah, I think I went to C plus just because they didn't immediately
extend Kawai and Paul George and that matters that kept that kind of kept them
above water for me though, because like what else did they do? I
guess you really have to like the Rust deal. I just I can't bring
myself. It was an average. They couldn't do a lot, but they
didn't do anything that you look at and go oh wow, like nice job.
And if the best thing they did was not signed their two best players
two extensions. It's like, all right, like what is the bar here?
Yeah, all right, let's hit the other LA team. I think
I have them, So I'm glad I have your sheet here too, because
I did not have the Anthony Davis extension on here. Three years, one
hundred and seventy seven point one million goes through his age thirty four season,
and he's got a player option on twenty seven twenty eight. In addition to
that, got Austin Reaves back for four years fifty three point eight million with
a player option on last. You're there just I mean, one of my
favorite deals of the off season. I think you're there with me. Rud
Hatchmura for three years and fifty one don't love it as much. Not Terrible
signed De'angelo Russell for two years and thirty six million with the player option.
I think critically he doesn't have veto rights on a trade, so giving that
up was a big deal. That's a big win. I think Gabe Vincent
on board from Miami for three years and thirty three Torre and Prince Late of
the Timberwolves for a year and four point five million. Jackson Hayes and camera
ads for the minimum outgoing Dennis Shrewder, Troy Brown, Junior, Malik Beasley,
Lonnie Walker the fourth and Mo Bamba drafted Jalen hood Shafino at seventeen and
Maxwell Lewis at forty. Trying to see if I missed anything else. I
think that's other than some later draft selling and buying picks, I think that's
pretty much it. They porely like Maxwell Lewis, who was at number forty.
I look, this was a very good off season for the Lakers.
I'm mad at other NBA teams. I mentioned probably on multiple podcast that they
didn't make them pay more for Austin Reeves. I'm fine with the Daniel Russell
deal that's built to be moved. I know there's the player option on it,
but he can't veto a trade. It's just such a low number in
the cur like it's it's maybe twelve percent of the salary cap next summer.
So and look, he's still like he's had. He had an efficient scoring
season kind of before he came to LA, and so there might be teams
that just value that. I gave them an a minus kind of spoiling the
lead here. I don't know what move there wasn't like other than I would
not have taken Jail Andhood Shaffino, Like you need someone. I know we're
talking about rookies on a team that maybe wouldn't play them, and I know
he gives you like maybe that capslock wing defender, but this team needs spacing.
And I thought the Torreon Prince deal was great. Austin Reeves is going
to give you some of that, but you're still just not chock full of
Oh, we have good shooters, and if you're gonna try at all to
play Anthony Davis with another big Gabe Vinson's considered three indeed, but we've seen
his three point percentage slump a little bit. Ruey Hotchmore is not that guy.
I also considered a B plus because I don't love the Ruey Hotchremore a
deal. Very good offseason for the Lakers, but I just thought that was
like who was giving him that type of money? And you're banking a lot
on what you saw kind of in the later season and during the playoffs,
and even that is just like there's a clear ceiling on that. Dude.
Is he a part of your most important lineups? And the answer is just
gonna be no, most likely, but the value they got for like Gabe
Vincinette Austin Reeves a plus plus deal, the Torrian Prince absolute home run.
So just the jail and hood Shaffino stuff just makes it a little. I
take an issue with that more than the Ruey deal, because at least we've
seen, like, okay, Ruey kind of works as a as a play
finisher, and I just I would have liked to see the Lakers been like,
well, let's either move up or out of this spot entirely, not
that they needed to acquire a veteran or because they've just rolled the dice on.
They were never gonna be a cam wit More team, that's fair,
But like Haimi Hawkes feels like he would have made more sense Pods even went
to the Warriors we just talked about. I actually even would have looked at
Noah Clowney here just a sort of like a rim protecting stretch. Big is
he able to fit with a d Why was Chris Murray not on their radar?
And I think even Olivier Max Deen's prosper is just someone who or even
Marcus Aster, I don't really particularly like him, but like they were just
better shooters on the board, and in oh Max's case, not a much
better shooter. I trust his jump shot long term, but like someone who
still would have brought you that defensive value as well. I think I think
generally speaking, the Hood Shapino pick was pretty widely panned by you know,
especially draft evaluators that are more analytically based. So I mean, I guess
I'm an A minus two. I knocked it down. I think more for
the Hotsimura deal that I didn't really love. I would just add, though
I agree with everything you said, I would add that you know, if
you're gonna sign guys for the minimum and you're not sure you're gonna play him,
but if you do, you might only ask him to do one or
two things. I love Jackson Hayes and Cameraddish as just like let's see,
you know, maybe Jackson Hayes is like a fourth big or he might be
higher than that in the rotation. Like there's still obvious like physical talent with
both of those guys, and they mostly haven't been on good teams. And
I think for someone like Reddish, like there have been enough stops now to
where it's like it's it's definitely not them, it's you, Like you're you're
not delivering. But in terms of just guys with physical tools for the minimum
on a team that you know doesn't have to play them, I think I
think those are the kind of flyers I like. So that didn't really meaningfully
affect the grade. But but that's just another reason that this was a solid,
too very solid offseason for the Lakers. I did see some skepticism about
the Anthony Davis extension, and I didn't understand it, just like, yeah,
you want to potentially pay him sixty three point four million, thirty four
percent of a cap at age thirty four. Maybe not, but like you
like you can't get rid of him, like you need a poll star for
if and when Lebron leaves or actually kind of falls off, which is just
like, yeah, he's not the same player he was, but like age
thirty eight, Lebron, age thirty nine, Lebron is still really good.
Yeah, it's not always going to be the case or he's not always going
to be there. And the other thing, how'd you waited, Like the
fact that he had that eto and way structured you couldn't he couldn't get a
longer deal, and so the fact that it's only three years, like now,
you're not paying him into his age thirty five season, and ad you
waited for him to get into free agency, like he might have had to
pay him into his age thirty six season. So I thought that was just
a no brainer for them, and it keeps them a little bit more flexible
while also ensuring like, well, we do still kind of have this direction
with Austin Reeves, with Anthony Davis post Lebron. Yeah, I think it's
just the going rate for Anthony Davis, who like, I'm gonna bill Simmons
this right now and say, like, when he's at his best, he's
one of the like five to eight, you know, five to eight best
players in the league, and if that happens to be in the playoffs,
which is all the Lakers care about, then that's worth it. And you
know, that's nothing he does anymore. It's just like, yeah, he
can cover a lot of ground on defense, but he's not as explosive as
he once was on offense. Like his game if he's actually on the court,
his availability might not age well, but his game should be fine,
right, Like he's gonna slow down and still be a dominant rim protector like
that. That's just you know, as he fades, he's still gonna have
like an elite skill or two. And it just, yeah, this is
what it costs to keep Anthony Davis. That's either you do this or you
don't keep Anthony Davis. That's just how it works. I just don't see
how even if you don't think the Lakers got a lot better, I don't
know how you dislike their off season. It's just where I'm man agree.
Let's move on to the to the Phoenix Suns. If you want to go,
grab like a caffeine and beverage or something while I go through this for
like eight hours. They dismissed Monty Williams. They hired Frank Vogel. They
traded Chris Paul, Landry shammittt four first round swaps, four second rounders,
and cash for Bravey Beal, Jordan Goodwin, and Isaiah Todd. They didn't
traded Isaiah Todd at least favorable twenty four first round swap and at least favorable
twenty thirty first round swap to Memphis for second round picks. In twenty twenty
eight in two and twenty nine, both of which are Memphis his own picks.
For anyone that might care about that, They traded Cameron Payne New Orleans
is two and twenty five second round pick and cash to San Antonio for a
top fifty four protected second rounder, so fake second they created a six point
five million dollar traded player exception. They signed Eric Gordon, Josha Kogi,
Kata Bates, the op Utah Wanton, Abby Drew Eubanks, and Damian Lee
to two year minimum deals with player options on the second season. They signed
bow Boll and Chamza met To to one year minimums. They signed number fifty
two to Mani Kamara to a four year, seven point six million dollar deal,
only one season is guaranteed. They also signed Udoka az Abouki and Saban
Lee to two way contracts. Just some other housekeeping notes here. Jack Landale
signed with Houston for four years and thirty two million, only one season of
that was guaranteed. Tory Craig signed with Chicago for two years and five million.
Because Mpiama remains unsigned and I believe the Suns still have their early bird
rights on him, that they did not announce him, there's the DeAndre eight
and speculation if you want to consider that. And then also, I don't
know how much this factors in for you. They made Kevin Young one of
the highest paid non head coaches in the MB. Yeah, that's a lot.
Here's I know. I'm curious as to whether you've come around on the
Bradley Beal. That's the biggest thing they did this offseason, unless you think
firing Monty Williams was as big. I know you thought it was riskier than
I did. Have you come around to the idea, like if you have
a problem with that trade, your real problem was with the Kevin Durant trade,
which has no bearing on this offseason, because look at the value they
gave up four seconds, four swaps, an expiring contract, and Landry Shammitt
essentially for someone who has an All NBA ceiling. You are not going to
get better value for what they gave up, and you didn't. By the
way, you didn't obliterate your depth with that trade. You gave up two
rotation players for one better rotation player. Yeah. So, I mean the
fact that they just hit like seven consecutive home runs on their minimums has changed
my valuation a little like a lot actually, because because my knock really was,
you know, and it's basic stuff like I don't think Bradley Bill is
a positive value player at that contract. It's just like he's not good enough
to justify what they're paying him. But then it's like the Suns don't care.
They're already you know, they're trying to win a title and he gives
them a better chance to do that than fucking Landry Shammon and Chris Paul and
like three and a half million dollars and all those picks. Right, So
kudos to the Suns are being very goal oriented. So the other questions I
had were like, do you need a third guy to that's a basically a
primary shot creator if you have Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. And there was
some pushback that I saw that. It's like, well, that kind of
was their problem in the playoffs is it was those two guys and nobody else
could do anything. So fair points, I take that. I think ultimately
I have gotten you know, and hey, I'm giving the Suns an a
so like a flat a. So yeah, obviously I've come around on it.
I think the beal acquisition in conjunction with all the other stuff they did.
And I to your point, like the Kevin Young thing, I think
that's a little fraud when you really pay an assistant that the players a lot
for the head coach. Yeah, yeah, that's a little fraud. But
like also, I love it when teams are willing to spend, you know,
extravagantly on stuff that isn't affected by the salary cap. So ultimately I
kind of I like that. And you know, it seemed like Monty Williams
had kind of lost the locker room a little bit so and Frank Vogel has
won a title and is a good defensive coach and might be better at reaching
DeAndre Atan than Monty william Yeah. Right, that relationship seemed broken between eight
and Williams. And so if you want to even if all you want to
do is rehab Itan's value, maybe Vogel is just a better person to do
that, so you can trade him. But yeah, this is an a
to me, And it's it's weird that so much of it hinges on guys
like Gordon and KBD and you Banks and Watson Abi. But it's just like
you should not be able to fill out a rotation so effectively with minimum salaries,
and I just can't I can't really remember a team doing a better job
of that. So yeah, it's in a The soun's offseason was a rousing
success. Even if I had haddn't still have some questions about the Bill thing.
The thing I went back and forth on was you kind of just punted
on having any other playmakers on the roster by getting rid of Campaign. And
there are two ways to look at it. Was Campaign going to be in
their closing lineup? Absolutely not no, And you still do have Eric Gordon
kind of like sort of a secondary guy there. The trade the TP might
actually be more valuable to them this season the camera paign. So I didn't
know where to land on that, But I will say to then not use
like really any of your minimums. I'm like kind of a point GUARDI type,
just to have that, knowing that these aren't the three most durable stars
in the world. I went with an A minus just because it's the Kevin
Young stuff. You mentioned it. It made me a little uneasy. I
don't think there's a problem with it. I was. I don't want to
use the word uninspired. I think Frank Vogel was kind of an unspectacular candidate
to send on, but one like Doc Rivers got like really far into that
process or something too. So the fact that he might be able to reach
DeAndre Ayton and when there is defensive uncertainty kind of caked into here, it's
like, okay, like Frank Vogel like gives you a very high defensive floor,
and I think that that's really important. I'm just sort of like,
when we're looking at the highest level of bestball, I don't think you did
anything to hurt your championship chances by it's not even getting rid of campaign,
but by not using the minimum on could this have been like a Corey Joseph
team or could they have been Reggie Jackson's team? Right, So I'm not
I'm not I'm just saying you didn't. You didn't hurt it, but you
did kind of just like there's a little bit more risky or maybe the thought
is, well, we'll just go out and get that player mid season that
in conjunction with and maybe he still comes back. Like I really like Bismac
Biambo for this team. Why was he just not like kind of part of
like do you think Drew Eubanks is better than Bismac Biambo. I guess some
people will I like. I guess it's like a like someone who can like
through the lane, and I might even trust him switching a little bit more,
just as at least as a straight up rim protector. These are very
small equipples, though it was. It was an a off season in some
regard, not an A plus could have been an a minus. It was
just somewhere at that range. There you go, all right, that takes
us to the Sacramento Kings, which I have here so renegotiated and extended Demantas
Sabonis. So his deal essentially is now five years for just under two hundred
and fifteen million dollars. Harrison Barnes is back three years fifty four million.
Trey Lyles also back two years sixteen. Alex lenn Is back as well for
the minimum and as is not as is, but Newland's Noel also signed for
the minimum. Sign Sasha Vezenkov for three years nineteen point nine million, with
the team option on the third year. Signed Themis Kata got Chris Duarte from
the Pacers for just two future seconds. Not sure I would have believed that
was possible. A couple of year ago, trader Rashaun Holmes and number twenty
four to Dallas for ash got thirty four from Boston for thirty eight and a
twenty four second and they took Colby Jones at thirty four outgoing Terrence Davis,
Chimizi, Mattu, PJ. Dojer, and Matthew Delavadova is unsigned. I
will throw it to you before I reveal my grade. It's not a good
one. So I would like to see what you have to say about the
King's off season before I jump in. So here's what's interesting is that when
they made that Rashaun Holmes trade, it created this idea that they were gearing
up for something just mega. It's disappointing when you look at their off season
measured against that. However, that mega move wasn't out there like we campaigned
for them even before they made that move. By the way, we thought
Draymond Green was a good fit for I don't know. He clearly wasn't leaving
Golden State, and so you need to evaluate did you really want them to
go after a PJ. Washington. How gettable was Jeremy Grant when he got
the full five year boat with a trade kicker and a player option from Portland.
The answer is he wasn't gettable. So I have to pull back and
say they had a lay of the market, and I don't think because they
renegotiated an extend it's a bonus. This was not an issue of oh,
they misread what this cap space was gonna do. That actually makes me more
concerned about their off season because you do not give up first round equity to
make it easier to give an incumbent player an immediate rays. It shows him
a solid You could have just given him a five year deal next summer.
And if he didn't want to wait for that, if there's something behind the
scenes, the threat of him leaving. One, no, like he just
had like a great season and the Kings just broke their playoff drout, and
two it's just like, so you're like him kind of agitating for this renegotiate
nix I'm not saying he did this, but him agitating towards renegotiate Nixten made
you want to keep him around longer, Like, how could this blow up
in your face at all? So the fact that I don't believe any of
that factored in. I'm just not in the business of giving up first round
picks to make it easier to pay a player that I can just pay anyway
next summer Who when you're looking at it from a team perspective, where was
the leverage coming from for him? Like, I don't even know if I've
loved this money. I think he'll his the old age just fine. He's
a very good player. I think they did some nice work on the margins.
Christo Warntday is an interesting flyer. I am now smitten with Vezzi,
who I just think is going to shoot the hell out of it. But
it's also sort of like, well, you have all these like forwards who
aren't small forwards now with him, Harrison Barnes, even Kegan Murray. Maybe
Kegan Murray just makes his on ball leap and defensive leap, and he showed
a lot of it in Summer League and can be more of a wing.
I went with a just because I don't want to. I'm like still vacillating
on this grade a little bit because I think that it's some people are interviewed
is unfairly harsh. I'm gonna go with a D plus here. Him because
is that what you went with? Yeah, it is, I give a
D plus I don't. I guess you can say, well, what were
they gonna do with that extra casphase other than pay sa bonus more? And
doesn't it make sense to pay him more now so that you're not paying him
a year later into his career. If you want a Galaxy brain that it's
fine you could we like Reggie Bullock would have helped this team if you wanted
to use cap space to do something like that and you gave up. The
other thing is you gave up I don't care how you fear about O Max.
Maybe you would have won a different direction when you've drafted Keagan Murray's brother,
YadA YadA, YadA, Like you gave up a first round pick and
you are not a net positive because of it. You kept you Basically that
was the cost of let's just say they'll bring Vezzy over and it was you
gave him first round pick to renegotiate an extensive bonus. That's just how I
view this, and I think the other deals were fine. I would say
some people didn't like the Harrison Barnes deal. That might be the most bankable
contract they totally fine. So and the other thing, the final thing I'll
say is you didn't address like your defensive concerns at all this offseason. Not
I think Neurlands the Well was a pretty good pickup. You leaned further into
the offense model. We'll see how that works out for you. But to
not upgrade the defense in any way, shape or form is a choice,
but death certainly a choice, right. I think that. I think you
know your approach to the Sabonis extensions as being related to you know, giving
up a first and all all the asset management stuff. I think that's totally
right, I think. But the idea of the King's not getting better in
a meaningful way or in ways that they really clearly needed to is more the
angle that I come at it from. And so like, I got a
lot of heat before I tuned it out entirely after like a couple hours,
I did a most overrated Players in the league, which is an impossible task
for for BR I don't know three weeks ago, probably because what's overrated mean
by whose standards? Are we like, what's the baseline and what do people
what's the consensus opinion? How far from that is the player. It's so
ridiculous. Anyway, Anyway, Sabonus was on there. I ranked him number
one. It was right after this extension, the idea being this guy just
got played off the floor by Kavan Looney in a in a postseason series.
I will, while granting that Sabonis was integral to everything the Kings did during
the year, a lot of people would say he mattered even more than Fox
did. Even though Fox was phenomenal in the clutch and I think graded out
significantly better by a lot of the catch alls. Sabonis's elbow passing and interior
play just mattered a ton. It mattered a ton to a team that won
forty eight games, which it wasn't that long ago that that's like eighth seed
territory in the West, right, it happened to be much better than that
this past season, and a team that could not defend four shit, especially
in the playoffs against a Warrior's team that actually, it turns out, was
not that great at the time. So they got upset in the first by
a team that I think we should have had real questions about. And Sabonis
was a massive reason that the Kings did not advance and he was making eighteen
five last year, you're two xing that as soon as this extension fully kicks
and he's gonna make thirty, and then you're three xing that towards the end
of this deal on an annual basis, So you've locked in at a max
level rate, essentially, a guy that puts a ceiling on how good you
can be in the playoffs because he doesn't space the floor, because he doesn't
defend in space, because he's severely limited in ways that totally matter if you're
trying to win playoff series, which is what the Kings should be trying to
do now. Right because we've advanced, we've ended the playoff drought, what's
the next step. The next step cannot be committing massive money to a player
who raises your floor but also caps your ceiling. So that's why it's a
D plus for me. I think the Kings were in a position where they
did not have to feel pressure to do this. They did not have to
give Sabonis this money now, and they could have waited, and maybe if
they wait, they have other opportunities. They realize, after a second year
in a row, our defense cannot survive with him at the center of it.
We can't give this guy two hundred million dollars. So Sabonis is a
really good player, he's not the guy that they need in the middle for
that amount of money if they want to take the next step. And I'm
disappointed ultimately that this feels like, let's keep the gang together because we'd like
to win another forty five to fifty games and maybe get out of the first
round if we're lucky. Like that's just that's a disappointing result to me.
While again conceding that Sabonis mattered and there weren't a ton of other options,
but they didn't have to do that. They didn't have to give that big
of a deal. So that's a long winded way. I feel like i
have to defend myself a little bit because I've been hard on Sabonis and that
contract specifically lately, and I think you had mentioned it and Tony One who
might have listened to it, and already too now because of what I said
when I say that they gave up a first who essentially resigned sabonus like you
didn't necessarily need to do that because you were slated for cap space anyway.
It made it easier to keep Barns. I believe they used the room exception
to sign Vezzi, and so, like you were able to offload what was
it between Rashaun Holmes and then technically the old max pick like sixteen and a
half million in salary, So that took you from in theory like thirty five
thirty six million in cap space. Now you're down to twenty and that would
have included renouncing Barns. If you give Barnes as eighteen million dollars salary,
that's by by cap space. It's just kind of what I meant there.
And so like you, that's why you gave up because you were able to
sign Harrison Barnes and then still have cap space, and you use that cap
space on Sabonis is renegotiate an extent on a decision that you could have waited.
So I don't think I was clear with those motive operations, but I
think I'm also with you and what you said there. I'm probably higher on
Sabonus than you are, But to kind of see how that playoff series,
I'm holding and then decided like, okay, this is the right move.
It does feel a little bit unnecessarily not final, but like concrete and I
feel bad. I feel like just I'm bagging on sabonus a lot. But
it's just like there's also something too, and I think fans will and this
will be a fair critique of both of us, like they just had their
best season in two decades or whatever, and they're good and they can stay
good. But if you were going to do this with Sabonis, you needed
to then improve your ceiling in the Western Conference. I just don't think they
did that. What is their path to being better, more dangerous than they
were last year? It's Keegan Murray pops and maybe he does, but is
he gonna pop on defense? Which was still I know, you kind of
they had some pretty good defensive moments in the playoffs. They did their ball
pressure was great. That was a real key, But that's not It's not
the same as having someone that is going to deter shots at the rim or
be able to switch as a bit like that's just he just doesn't do.
And the other thing I was gonna say, the way that Sabonis came up
short what was essentially the book on him, Like this isn't like, you
know, we knew this in Indiana. All of these issues were present then,
and so then to see it hurt you in the playoffs and then to
pay him, I just again like I think probably you're you. I think
you hit it. This is the Kings had the best season they've had in
like twenty years, a little less than that, but that's only a small
exaggeration, and I think the vast majority of fans would be like, if
we just did that again, if we won in the mid to high forties
again, and our a playoff team, give me that for ten more years.
I'm happy. I don't think the urgency to let's, you know,
be into the let's get into the contender tier, I don't think that's really
happening. But the way I think we tend to think about this type of
thing is like, well, this can't be the end. The goal can't
be to win forty eight games, like that's that's not how you're you should
be operating. And I guess are we short changing the fact that the path
room improvement could come through Sabonus and Fox Fox age twenty six, Sabonis age
twenty seven. Fox, for sure, I think Fox was deservedly an All
NBA player and could absolutely get better, But I just I think we know
roughly what Sabonus. Like, if Sabonus comes out and he's shooting six three
is a game and he's making like thirty five percent of them, then maybe
he's worth that money. Probably not because of the defensive issues he poses,
but I kind of feel like he's got such a specific and unique game that
it doesn't seem like there's a lot left like untapped. I don't know,
maybe you feel differently, No, And then just like the other thing here
that I've that you have to factor in, I think it goes out saying
for those parts, it is like he kind of limited yourself. Now if
you want to go out and make a move, and like there are still
picks you could trade, but this Sabonis on this deal or this roster makes
a lot more sense if there's someone different to put at the three, let's
say so like, but like you just don't probably have the war chest to
get involved at og at a Nobi sweepstakes at this point, for right,
and even then, I think this is one of those situations where we're going
along on the kings here, But there's the last thing I'll say I think
they probably to be the best version or like the next level version of themselves.
I think you kind of need a player who's not necessarily better than Fox,
but who is better than Sabonis, especially in a playoff context. And
now you're theoretically paying a guy that is your third best player in this hypothetical
two hundred million dollars like that that that's not This is like a Tobias Harris
kind of situation where it's like, you can't you can't spend the resources on
this guy if you want to get to, you know, at the highest
level, and I think why it could be potentially unexpiring. I'm not saying
like they should have not like you could have just kept him. I'm not
even saying that they should have gotten rid of him. No, And that's
the problem. It's like it's you want them to continue to get better.
The West is going to be harder this year, so there's a chance that
they're just worse. Like growth isn't linear, so they could have a worse
record, lower seed and not necessarily be worse. They're still a great team.
So I just, yeah, I would say last year was not a
mirage and I mean that as like to compliment, but I just don't know
their path, how realistic it is now, or what that path even is
to getting a lot better. Do you want to take us out here?
Yes? I do. That's a good good note to close on everybody.
Thank you for listening, thank you for watching. Please remember if you have
not already done so too. Wherever you consume this podcast, whether it's Apple,
whether it's Spotify, whether you watch us on YouTube, rate review,
subscribe, leave comments on YouTube, that's always helpful. If you have followed
us every place at Hardwood Knox on Twitter and TikTok at Hardwood Underscore Underscore Knox
on Instagram, you've done all those things. Tell your friends, share this
however you consume it so more people can find out about it. Join our
discord if you want some merch. The link to our t public site is
in the YouTube and podcast description. I think that covers it. Thank you
again, and we will close, as always with a shout out to the
one and only Frank milutina An apologies to share it out