1 00:00:14,759 --> 00:00:19,320 What is krack alacket hardwoodknocks Listeners, I am Dampa Valley coming at you once 2 00:00:19,359 --> 00:00:24,160 more with creature reports. Grant, you used to continue tackling our free agency 3 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:28,359 slash off season look aheads. They're not previews, they're fucking look aheads. 4 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,399 Put some respect on the creativity we try to put into this process. We 5 00:00:33,439 --> 00:00:39,039 are onto the Northwest Division today, Grant, we're recording. I don't know 6 00:00:39,079 --> 00:00:41,560 if this is a home at home it's back to back podcast because before we 7 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,840 recorded this, we did the Pacific Division preview, so not much has changed 8 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:48,200 in the thirty seconds since we last spoke. But for our listeners, since 9 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,000 this is coming out on a different day, how the heck are you doing? 10 00:00:51,399 --> 00:00:55,000 I'm doing great. I will say I was preparing for a forecast, 11 00:00:55,159 --> 00:00:57,960 so I don't know if a look at I feel like the look ahead is 12 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:00,280 going to be too confusing, So you know, whatever you want to call 13 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,640 it, I'm just gonna do my best. You just want to talk about 14 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,439 the Knicks signing Joe and Bruns into a max contract, then instead we'll just 15 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:12,640 add if you wanted to just include what we talked about before you started recording, 16 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:18,680 we would probably have to do like a parental advisory preamble, just to 17 00:01:18,719 --> 00:01:23,879 cover the profanity and all the curses and you know all all the rough talk 18 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,560 we just did about that, so maybe maybe when we get to them. 19 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,120 Fair warning for the Atlantic Division. Look ahead, not a forecast or a 20 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,719 preview or primer, not even a primer to look ahead. Here we are 21 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,040 fancy bougie as hell, quick reminder before we get started. We're trying to 22 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,000 do ten minutes or less on each team. This isn't going to be surface 23 00:01:41,079 --> 00:01:42,799 level analysis, but we just want to get into the meat and potatoes of 24 00:01:42,799 --> 00:01:47,120 what they could spend, what maybe they need, or names that they could 25 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,799 target. And I just want to reiterate this free agency class is abysmal because 26 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,840 I do think the way that teams are building through free agency is changing. 27 00:01:53,879 --> 00:01:57,079 Sign and trades are probably more in vogue, and I think just signing players 28 00:01:57,079 --> 00:02:00,760 to extensions is more in vogue than moving them later. But that's why we're 29 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,719 not spending fifty minutes on your team. That will happen when we eventually do 30 00:02:02,879 --> 00:02:07,840 our preseason look aheads, not forecast or primers or previews, but look aheads. 31 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:12,479 The first team up in the Northwest Division because Grant and I want to 32 00:02:12,479 --> 00:02:15,960 live on the edge and we're gonna go alphabetically. We made it five for 33 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,439 five in the Pacific division without any issues. We'll see if this continues. 34 00:02:20,719 --> 00:02:24,159 So first up in the Northwest is the Portland I'm just kidding the Denver Nuggets. 35 00:02:24,199 --> 00:02:29,800 They're vitals. I'm starting the clock now. Their key free agents are 36 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,879 DeMarcus Cousins non bird. They have full bird rights on britt Forbes and they 37 00:02:32,879 --> 00:02:38,240 have early bird rights on Austin Rivers. Their biggest spending tools going to be 38 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,520 the MINIMLI, assuming of course that they use it, which the Jamachael Green 39 00:02:42,599 --> 00:02:46,039 trade that they made suggest that they maybe won't, And they are within seven 40 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,439 million dollars of the luxury tax at this recording, so there might be other 41 00:02:50,479 --> 00:02:54,039 salary dumps involved. That being said, if we're getting into their biggest needs 42 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:59,560 priorities, they still need point of attack defense. You could always like Nicole 43 00:02:59,599 --> 00:03:02,520 Yoke and make it work without shooting, but like you need more knockdown shooters 44 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,039 on this team. I want to know if they're going to duct the tax 45 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:07,039 because of how close they are to it, and then are they going to 46 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:13,400 punt on the mini Emily as a result, grant any thematic elements that you're 47 00:03:13,439 --> 00:03:16,759 harpened on leading into Denver's free agency slash off season. Can I say first 48 00:03:16,759 --> 00:03:21,280 that when you pretended to start with Portland, I had a genuine thought of, 49 00:03:21,319 --> 00:03:23,360 like, oh shit, do I not know which teams are in this 50 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:29,759 division? Because you know, if the alphabet stuff you got me now overarching 51 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,280 Denver thoughts, are you hit the big ones? Like to me, like 52 00:03:32,479 --> 00:03:38,240 in a nutshell, this is a legit contender and taxpayer quote unquote maybe at 53 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,080 the moment, probably won't be that, just I think there are a couple 54 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:46,039 of defenders away from having a good enough operation on that end to compliment what 55 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:50,319 I think, assuming everybody's healthy, will be you know, top five, 56 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,199 top three offense in the league, So you know they should be a team 57 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:58,400 that is willing to spend and look for, you know, every possible road 58 00:03:58,439 --> 00:04:00,960 to improve. I think, as you alluded to, that's probably not going 59 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:06,080 to be the case, but their focus needs to be on defense at every 60 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:11,479 position. Aaron Gordon can't guard everybody. He's a little overrated in my mind 61 00:04:11,479 --> 00:04:15,879 as a defender, but he's clearly the defender on the team. I feel 62 00:04:15,879 --> 00:04:21,160 like he's underrated because they've abused the scope of his defensive versatility. He should 63 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:25,639 not be like basically a primary point of attack guy. Well that's that. 64 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,720 Maybe that's the issue. Maybe maybe we're both right, and it's because he's 65 00:04:28,759 --> 00:04:32,839 being asked to do things that like is just beyond beyond what's reasonable for anybody, 66 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,160 and he's he just can't do them. So but look, I think 67 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:42,000 we agree they got to find they've got, especially if you're talking about you 68 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,199 know, Jamal Murray coming off in a cl We just saw Clay Thompson, 69 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,160 you know, apples and oranges to some extent, but where you seem to 70 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,439 lose it is your lateral quickness. I think, at least in the first 71 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:55,879 year back. So Jamal Murray I think is gonna have some some backsliding. 72 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:59,600 Defensively, Mike Quarter Junior was not a good defender to begin with. After 73 00:04:59,639 --> 00:05:01,680 a year off ish, I think that's going to be another problem. So 74 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:06,439 defense defense, defense shooting would be nice, but I just I think freely, 75 00:05:06,519 --> 00:05:10,079 I say they need knockdown shooting. Like Michael Porter Jr. Might not 76 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:14,439 be one of the best shooters in the NBA, and he is, I 77 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:16,800 will say I think he might be well. I don't know anymore, but 78 00:05:16,879 --> 00:05:21,759 he was really good when I was watching him towards the tal end of his 79 00:05:24,199 --> 00:05:26,800 the previous twenty twenty one what the hell is time? At this point, 80 00:05:27,079 --> 00:05:29,720 his health defense got a lot better and he felt like someone who could make 81 00:05:29,759 --> 00:05:33,319 a bunch of plays. As you mentioned though coming back from this back injury, 82 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:39,199 is even still able to make those types of plays. Yeah, so, 83 00:05:39,759 --> 00:05:42,279 uh, I don't know if you want to start like I think, 84 00:05:42,319 --> 00:05:45,040 well, we should talk to We talked a little bit about it in the 85 00:05:45,079 --> 00:05:49,480 Pacific Division. Monte Morris is someone that profiles potentially as a trade candidate, 86 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,720 both because he's going to be in demand and as a tax ducking mechanism. 87 00:05:53,879 --> 00:05:57,800 I think Will Barton is another person they might think about if you're if you 88 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:00,240 need to tax them, That is the guy that you're figuring out way to 89 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:02,720 get a cheaper player for if you taxed up Monte Morris. I know. 90 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,839 I love Monte Morris. I named Bones Highland as one of the top trade 91 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,439 assets in the NBA this summer. If the Nuggets wanted to make an all 92 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,879 in play, which they clearly do not. You do not, I understand, 93 00:06:15,879 --> 00:06:18,439 and I think Bones Thiland's gonna end up being actually a really good floor 94 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,959 general. I did not the passing in his command of like the ball. 95 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:26,120 That's not something I knew about him when he was coming out of college. 96 00:06:26,639 --> 00:06:29,720 If they dumped Monte Morris, you want to talk about a rant, I 97 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:34,600 will go on one. Do you think they what do you think it's I 98 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,839 know we're supposed to be doing free agency. Let's talk about free agency first 99 00:06:39,439 --> 00:06:41,920 and then what they should who they should be targeting before we get to like, 100 00:06:41,959 --> 00:06:43,879 well, well I have the I have the name for you, and 101 00:06:43,879 --> 00:06:46,920 I bet I bet you we both have this name on our list. Okay, 102 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,600 you go ahead, Bruce Brown, Yeah, he's on my list for 103 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,279 sure. Probably out of their price range if they won't use them in the 104 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,439 mL E though, Right, well, I think and like, because you 105 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,680 have to associate the two because they're sort of similar. Gary Payton is obviously 106 00:06:59,759 --> 00:07:02,079 the other guy. I think they should be just like, take all our 107 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:06,600 money if the limited supply that there is. But actually I thought this is 108 00:07:06,639 --> 00:07:12,439 just me I because I've just I don't know why. I like the full 109 00:07:12,439 --> 00:07:15,240 circle nature of it. But you know, Gary Harris, right, like 110 00:07:15,519 --> 00:07:18,399 just bring him back, you know, he's he's not your shutdown guy necessarily. 111 00:07:18,439 --> 00:07:21,319 But through his career he's been in capable, he's been a good defender, 112 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:26,800 and he's he's had seasons with his best seasons were in or in Denver 113 00:07:26,839 --> 00:07:30,160 where he made shots. I think, you know, especially if Barton goes 114 00:07:30,199 --> 00:07:33,560 an goes any place and you can bring Harris back for you know, depending 115 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,319 on where they get, maybe they can use the MLI or at least the 116 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:42,839 Mini. I think, you know, it's just Barton doesn't really provide a 117 00:07:42,839 --> 00:07:45,560 lot of what they need at this point, assuming all their offensive big guns 118 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,439 are back, and so Harris just being a more balanced role playing type. 119 00:07:47,439 --> 00:07:50,000 I think I think I like him. I thought that was gonna be the 120 00:07:50,079 --> 00:07:53,279 name you're gonna use. I'm glad you didn't so I could do it. 121 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,439 Wait, what was that? I don't I don't think I heard that last 122 00:07:56,519 --> 00:07:59,199 name. Gary Harris is what you thought I was gonna use? Yeah, 123 00:07:59,399 --> 00:08:03,439 it's Do you think so Gary Harris shot almost fifty percent on drives this year, 124 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,040 shot well from three, defended really well in Orlando. Is he you 125 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,480 don't think he would get non taxpayer mid level I don't know. I think 126 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:18,120 I think the fact that Orlando couldn't trade him for anything suggests that like, 127 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:22,240 well, I mean he was making twenty millions, so that's he was expiring. 128 00:08:22,279 --> 00:08:26,000 But you think they could have got something for him. You're gonna bring 129 00:08:26,079 --> 00:08:28,079 him back? What's up? Maybe they're gonna bring him back. This is 130 00:08:28,279 --> 00:08:31,799 this is the Pablo ban Caro er Orlando Mattics we're talking about. They might 131 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:37,360 have aspirations to win the twenty twenty three title. I would, I would. 132 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:41,639 Can I bet that they won't win the title. I don't know what 133 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,399 the return on that would be, but I'm sure you could have. I 134 00:08:43,399 --> 00:08:48,080 brought it so I have another target for them. I don't know if we're 135 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,120 recording when I mentioned this guy for other teams, but Michael Carter Williams is 136 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:56,840 someone I think is gettable for the minimum or even like non guaranteed level based 137 00:08:56,879 --> 00:09:01,279 on his injury history and use. Basically, if you go through you know 138 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,720 it's just the quick and dirty thing, but like pull up is cleaning the 139 00:09:03,759 --> 00:09:07,240 glass page and other than like his points per shot, attend rankings in general 140 00:09:07,279 --> 00:09:11,919 shooting stuff like go to the defense page and he's just like eightieth and ninetieth 141 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:18,159 percentile in blockade steel rate, defensive rebounding, offensive rebounding, just like all 142 00:09:18,159 --> 00:09:20,799 the other stuff, which on this team, all the other stuff is really 143 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:26,559 what is like lacking. So I think I think there's a real value play. 144 00:09:26,639 --> 00:09:28,759 This will extend to I'm gonna use Michael Carter Williams several times just because 145 00:09:30,039 --> 00:09:33,200 I feel like I expect him to be your favorite free agent of the summer. 146 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,080 But if anyone's listened to the previous other look aheads, Michael carterly has 147 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:39,919 come up quite a bit. Except I'm not willing to say anyone should pay 148 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,759 him more than the minimum, so I'm not sure how much favorite I'm really 149 00:09:43,759 --> 00:09:46,759 showing him. Derek Jones Junior another guy. I think, just just get 150 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:48,759 someone out there that's athletic and can move around and defend a little bit. 151 00:09:50,279 --> 00:09:52,240 Those are kind of who I'm looking at for them. Do you have anyone 152 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,320 that I missed? No? And I think my issue with them is I 153 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,279 very much feel like they're not going to use their minimli and the bummer. 154 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:03,720 That makes me like rule out, Bruce Brown gone, even if you're getting 155 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,120 Gary Harris for less than the mini Emiliam Collin shenanigans on that that too, 156 00:10:07,159 --> 00:10:09,320 because he's worth at least than minni MLA after the year he just had, 157 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,559 so and if you're not gonna use that, just like, what are the 158 00:10:13,639 --> 00:10:16,120 names? You already mentioned them, like it's Michael Carter Williams, it's And 159 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,080 I think the issue here is too is you know, I don't even think 160 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,320 if they insofar I told you I was gonna bring him up, But like 161 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:28,879 insofar as Dallas lets him hit free agency, I believe his salary is not 162 00:10:28,039 --> 00:10:31,679 guaranteed for next year. Frankie Lakina is probably gonna go for more than the 163 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:35,879 minimum this year. I think he flashed enough in Dallas to do that. 164 00:10:35,919 --> 00:10:39,200 I would assume they'll guarantee's two million dollars salary. What about Derrick Jones Junior. 165 00:10:39,879 --> 00:10:43,519 They already traded Green. They still have Jeff Green there as well. 166 00:10:43,879 --> 00:10:46,279 But like there, what is Zeke Naji? I think dave you him. 167 00:10:46,279 --> 00:10:50,840 It feels like as a four and maybe a Zeke Nagy. Derrick Jones junior 168 00:10:50,879 --> 00:10:54,000 front court actually makes a bunch of sense because Derrick Jones Junior played well in 169 00:10:54,080 --> 00:11:00,720 some small ball five duty last year with Chicago, so he could be a 170 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,200 minimum guy. I don't know if he would like, maybe I'm underrating Derrick 171 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:05,840 Jones Junior, but he is such a unless you put him in transition or 172 00:11:05,919 --> 00:11:11,360 figure out ways to get him going downhill, he's just not an offensive asset, 173 00:11:11,399 --> 00:11:13,919 and so I could see his market sort of deflating. Well, I 174 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:18,000 think I don't know what he's worth. I think I think the full mid 175 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:22,960 level is not that that's an issue here, probably is too much minimid level, 176 00:11:24,039 --> 00:11:26,039 Like I'd feel okay about it, but I do think the fit is 177 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,720 pretty good. I mean, I don't know how much he would play with 178 00:11:28,799 --> 00:11:33,440 Yokich and but the with the spacing that team figures to have and with Yoki's 179 00:11:33,519 --> 00:11:37,960 just like making everyone better. A guy that is just a pure athlete that 180 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,320 can cut, that can run, Like it's hard to think of a spot 181 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:46,399 that would really feature the things Jones Junior does well more effectively than Denver offensively, 182 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:52,639 defensively. I kind of feel like I think I think he would help 183 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:54,679 for sure, but I kind of feel like in my mind at least I 184 00:11:54,759 --> 00:11:58,440 keep thinking of the Derrick Jones Junior at the top of the Miami Zone like 185 00:11:58,519 --> 00:12:01,919 three years ago, and that was just again that was like a perfect position 186 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:07,159 for success for him, and that hasn't really you know, no surprise, 187 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:11,519 that hasn't been replicated since then. I like the fit of him. The 188 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:16,240 cost is gonna be tough. I don't know, it's hard. It's hard 189 00:12:16,279 --> 00:12:20,240 to project what his market's gonna be. Yeah, and again it's kind of 190 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,200 tough to project what the Nuggets are going to spend. Do you see a 191 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,759 team, because I do think this is part of their free agency. Do 192 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,919 you see a team that you think could be willing to take like a Will 193 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:35,600 Barton who's making I think he's around fifteen million, and he's a really good 194 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:39,000 player when he's healthy, and last year felt like Nuggets fans were infinitely frustrated 195 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:41,840 with me he's actually making sixteen That is a really tough number to work out, 196 00:12:41,879 --> 00:12:46,399 but he's like he can give you some real scoring juice and just like 197 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:50,360 second like tertiary ball handling there. But that number is is, which is 198 00:12:50,399 --> 00:12:54,360 why they could end up salary dumbing Monte Morris because there aren't infinite number of 199 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:58,320 teams I think would would take him and standing out like you know, India's 200 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,120 Caps basically willing to punt on some of it for Will Barton. Does Detroit 201 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,360 use all their tap space, and he's a player that can help you without 202 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:09,440 sort of ruining a stealth tank if you're trying to go that route. But 203 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:15,320 I also don't know, like are their worst contracts out there that like you 204 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:18,039 could flip them forward, but you don't want worst contracts, you want cheaper 205 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:20,960 contracts. And so it's just the mechanisms of a Will Barton trade are very 206 00:13:22,039 --> 00:13:24,960 complicated unless the Nuggets or the aggressors and trying to acquire someone and it just 207 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,320 feels like they're going to go the opposite route and just try and cut their 208 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,240 tax bill. Yeah, now you really got me in the weeds trying to 209 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:37,919 think of where Will Barton would be like hugely helpful. Yeah, I don't 210 00:13:37,919 --> 00:13:41,799 know. That's tough. It's because because you got to give back significant salary 211 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:46,639 and who won't like what what at that number is to a certain team, 212 00:13:46,639 --> 00:13:50,879 like in greater supply or demand greater demand than like a guy who's just kind 213 00:13:50,919 --> 00:13:54,039 of a backcourt scorer like that. You know that that isn't really big enough 214 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:58,559 to guard multiple positions, Like that's what would be you know what would be 215 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:03,559 interesting and it only cuts about it's less than four million, and I think 216 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,840 you need to include something. Will Barton for Josh Richardson swap would make a 217 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,120 lot of sense, just because the Spurs can do really whatever, and Barton's 218 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:16,480 the more creative offensive player, and then he's they're both contract only the year. 219 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:18,240 And then Richardson, really that will help your defense and he I thought 220 00:14:18,279 --> 00:14:22,200 he quietly had a good season last year, and so I have thought a 221 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,799 lot about that. I just don't know what you need to attach, because 222 00:14:24,799 --> 00:14:28,000 no, I don't want to give up Zeke Naji for Josh Richardson probably and 223 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,399 you're certainly not going to give up bones th Island in that deal. But 224 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,399 can you And I think that they've traded like Denver's second round pick, cachet 225 00:14:35,559 --> 00:14:39,600 is not the word I'm looking for here is enviable at the moment. The 226 00:14:39,639 --> 00:14:41,919 first second round pick they could trade is actually in twenty twenty four, I 227 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,159 believe. So, oh, they have more seconds than I thought. I 228 00:14:46,159 --> 00:14:48,240 don't know why I thought they have less, but like his seconds enough to 229 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,559 attach to that to make it work. I'd be curious. But that's the 230 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:56,240 that is this scenario I had zeroed it on personally, Yeah, that could 231 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,960 work. I think I think I forget who you mentioned as a possible trade 232 00:15:00,159 --> 00:15:03,159 option for Jordan Clarkson was at Phoenix or somewhere that needs like another point of 233 00:15:03,159 --> 00:15:11,639 attack, like scoring guard anywhere. Yeah, the Clippers, So maybe Barton. 234 00:15:11,759 --> 00:15:15,039 I mean, Barton's not your conventional playmaker, but anywhere you're thinking about 235 00:15:15,039 --> 00:15:16,879 someone like Jordan Clarkson, I think Barton might make some sense. I think 236 00:15:16,879 --> 00:15:22,799 Clarkson's probably better, but or at least it is better at this the specialty 237 00:15:22,879 --> 00:15:24,279 that he has. This is all to say. I think, as we 238 00:15:24,519 --> 00:15:28,799 already went over on the Nuggets before we move on, is they're probably gonna 239 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,559 vote our guests, our guest collective guests. Is like, they're gonna focus 240 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:33,399 on minimum s, ninnings, and I would expect them. Maybe it won't 241 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:37,519 be over the off season, but by the end of next year they will 242 00:15:37,519 --> 00:15:41,279 have duct attacks. Oh yeah, yeah, bank on that one way or 243 00:15:41,279 --> 00:15:45,120 the other. I think they're getting under because we care about getting the alphabet 244 00:15:45,159 --> 00:15:48,759 accurate. Here, we're gonna go to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Their key free 245 00:15:48,759 --> 00:15:52,080 agents. I was tempted to say nobody, but I think Torrian Prince is 246 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,159 actually a key free agent for them. There's Jake Layman with filberd rights and 247 00:15:54,159 --> 00:15:58,600 then Josh Kogi. I wonder if they even tender him a qualifying offer. 248 00:15:58,679 --> 00:16:03,399 He's stricted. Jallen Noel and Naz Reid both have team options those will be 249 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:07,519 exercised. Karl Anthony Towns, to me, is their most notable extension candidate, 250 00:16:07,559 --> 00:16:11,960 and I think you absolutely offer offer it to him and don't give regard 251 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,840 for yes. If it turns into like the Megamax, so be it. 252 00:16:15,919 --> 00:16:18,360 Karl Anthony Towns is good enough. Best spending tool is going to be the 253 00:16:18,399 --> 00:16:22,360 non tax player mL LEA, which actually gives them a lot more you know, 254 00:16:23,039 --> 00:16:26,360 money to spend on the free agent market than a lot of other teams 255 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,639 and just biggest needs priorities for you. I'm actually, you know, I 256 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,840 doom find myself wondering whether this team is going to be ultra aggressive on the 257 00:16:34,879 --> 00:16:38,840 trade market because Tim Connolly wants to leave his mark on what they're doing, 258 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,000 and we already we saw him get creative on Draft night. But I kind 259 00:16:42,039 --> 00:16:45,559 of wonder. My actual question, it's not for insulaid, is do you 260 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,480 think they have a bigger move left in them? And what do you actually 261 00:16:48,559 --> 00:16:53,480 view their biggest needs as? Because I think the default has been to diversify 262 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:57,279 like the front court packages next to towns. And it's weird to say because 263 00:16:57,279 --> 00:17:02,399 I think Jared Vanderbilt was fantastic defensively for them next last year, but it 264 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:07,880 feels like they need a substantially better player at that spot than him, or 265 00:17:07,559 --> 00:17:12,119 you need like a better three if we're considering Anthony Edwards at two. Yeah, 266 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,559 I think I think, well, I mean the big the biggest decision 267 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,400 is the extension, which I for Towns, which I agree they got to 268 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:22,079 do. I think the other thing they're going to look at it, and 269 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:23,960 I don't think it'll just be Connolly wanting to make a mark, but just 270 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:27,720 operating kind of practically, is you know, are you going to extend Dangel 271 00:17:27,839 --> 00:17:30,839 Russell? And if if you are, what's what's that look like? And 272 00:17:32,039 --> 00:17:33,839 if you're not, which I think you probably shouldn't, based on what his 273 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:38,119 market may be in terms of salary, what do you trade him for? 274 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,880 And I think maybe that's the again, this is a free agency thing, 275 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:48,200 but you know, I think I think that's your best path towards sort of, 276 00:17:48,279 --> 00:17:51,240 like you said, diversifying your options next to towns, or at least 277 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:56,920 just kind of filling in between Kat and Anthony Edwards as you're as you're like 278 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:02,000 kind of your bookends, I think and listen. Like connected to the Russell 279 00:18:02,039 --> 00:18:06,279 issue is do we think Anthony Edwards is a primary ball handler? Like can 280 00:18:06,279 --> 00:18:11,519 that can he sort of step into the herd and you know Booker sometimes role 281 00:18:11,559 --> 00:18:15,839 where it's like he's the initiator. I don't know. I'm kind of optimistic 282 00:18:15,839 --> 00:18:18,880 about everything with this guy, and I wouldn't put it past him. But 283 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:25,160 I think that's a consideration with moving Russell, because like you could really take 284 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,119 a step backwards in terms of your offense, even with as much talent as 285 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,839 they have, if you just don't have someone to sort of hand out seven 286 00:18:30,839 --> 00:18:34,079 assists and not turn it over, which is basically what Russell could do. 287 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,599 And he was good last year. Yeah he was. Yeah. I mean 288 00:18:37,799 --> 00:18:41,279 he's not my favorite guy, just you know, just because I think he's 289 00:18:41,319 --> 00:18:44,240 not quite efficient enough generally speaking, But like he was, he was. 290 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,160 He was a good player last year. So he's also tight maybe, I 291 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,680 think, which matters with Karl Anthony Towns, which I feel like I'm definitely 292 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:53,319 guilty of. I don't wait relationships enough. When I'm talking about what teams 293 00:18:53,319 --> 00:19:00,400 should do. Right, Yeah, I'm not paying him thirty one million dollars, 294 00:19:00,519 --> 00:19:03,319 you know over the next three or four years. I like Washington as 295 00:19:03,319 --> 00:19:07,480 a trade partner. I know they drafted Johnny Davis. I think Russell makes 296 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,480 sense there the Nicks for another team that when you're making up a fake trades, 297 00:19:10,519 --> 00:19:11,960 that's another spot you send them just because they need a point guard. 298 00:19:14,079 --> 00:19:18,240 But like to Washington, if you're gonna get back something like some combination of 299 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:22,200 like kcp and and Kyle Kuzma or I'm not the biggest Hotchi Mura fan, 300 00:19:22,279 --> 00:19:27,359 but like adding a little bit of volume and like quality starters into the middle 301 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,799 of that so that if you want to put more shooting out there than Vanderbilt 302 00:19:30,799 --> 00:19:33,400 and McDaniels can give you, you can. I think Kuzma can play the 303 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:37,319 four like just you know, just spitballing. But I think that's the type 304 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:41,920 of move I'm looking at with with Russell. So I mean, we're I 305 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:47,079 don't want to like oversaturate with jumping around. But like then free agency wise, 306 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:49,559 if you're not gonna you're you know, cover your bases with a Russell 307 00:19:49,599 --> 00:19:53,359 trade, I just think you need someone that's better than Nazrid to play some 308 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:59,440 center minutes. So like maybe that's Kevon Looney. I think Hardenstein. You 309 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:00,720 know, if you got the full mid level and you're willing to use it, 310 00:20:00,839 --> 00:20:04,400 that's someone you could definitely look at on the cheaper end with you're you 311 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,960 know, like Cody Zeller, Goregy Jing, bring him back? You know 312 00:20:08,079 --> 00:20:11,079 what about Howard trot him out there? See what happens? Like I say, 313 00:20:11,079 --> 00:20:15,079 what about? And by the way, there's like this sentiment that they 314 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,599 can't sign another big type because that's not how you choose. Carl Anthony Towns 315 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,680 Karthi Death played like eight trillion minutes alongside TODs Gibson at one point, and 316 00:20:22,759 --> 00:20:26,759 he was he was still fire the name, I thought, And this isn't 317 00:20:26,799 --> 00:20:30,319 gonna surprise you. You know it's coming, right, Chris Bouchet get two 318 00:20:30,319 --> 00:20:33,920 shooters out there? Why not? That's just like I don't I guess you 319 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,640 probably don't trust him like defensively enough to cover for Karl Anthonytowns. He's more 320 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,079 of a playmaker than an actual anchor on that end of the four. I 321 00:20:41,079 --> 00:20:45,039 would I would love it, though. I fave that signing. Yeah, 322 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:48,240 I think, well, just like if you're gonna have suspect defenders, they 323 00:20:48,319 --> 00:20:51,039 might as well be long, right, Like, so at least you're going 324 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:53,039 to cover for some of that by just taking up space. And you know, 325 00:20:53,319 --> 00:20:56,559 if you've got two guys that can maybe get just some help side blocks, 326 00:20:56,599 --> 00:21:00,759 great, you know your pick and roll defense is gonna but you can 327 00:21:00,839 --> 00:21:03,359 you can work around that. I know, I totally agree you need another 328 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,039 big guy, Like, yeah, you want both, right, you want 329 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:10,119 someone that you can can stretch the floor, and you know you want someone 330 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:11,799 that can defend. You want someone with size that can play back up five 331 00:21:11,799 --> 00:21:15,559 minutes. I mean, Towns has generally been a really durable player, but 332 00:21:15,559 --> 00:21:22,759 I think I think it's it behooves them to add like an actual center and 333 00:21:22,759 --> 00:21:26,279 and like it's scary in the way that money gets spent in the modern NBA, 334 00:21:26,359 --> 00:21:29,680 but you might have to, like you might have to do more than 335 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,960 the minimum to get someone that's actually going to make a difference. And if 336 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,720 you're not, then you know, just I guess you're going to rely on 337 00:21:34,799 --> 00:21:40,400 naz Reid for another year. This is along those same lines. But and 338 00:21:40,559 --> 00:21:44,640 look, free agency targets for them was a little tough because it's actually easier 339 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,480 to come up with like bigs for them than if you wanted to get like 340 00:21:47,519 --> 00:21:49,400 a combo wing or straight forward. They could be a team that looks at 341 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,720 auto porter or if they really wanted to. I gave Kyle Anderson some cursory 342 00:21:52,759 --> 00:21:56,559 thought here not along the big man route, but this is like a really 343 00:21:56,599 --> 00:22:00,799 smart wing. What if you could this is I wanted to. I wanted 344 00:22:00,799 --> 00:22:03,359 to catch you off guard with this. Let's say you can sign Delaan Wright 345 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,839 or Thias Jones. Let's say you can sign either one of them. Would 346 00:22:07,839 --> 00:22:14,880 you do DeAngelo Russell for Marcus Morris and Norman Powell? And I'm getting either 347 00:22:15,039 --> 00:22:19,680 Jones or deln Right, My thing is you're you're signing another point guard. 348 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,160 I just don't know. Like those are the two point cards that I think 349 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:26,519 are worth the actual mid level money. Like those are the two Let's be 350 00:22:26,559 --> 00:22:30,160 honest, if we assume Jalen Brunson is gonna get paid way too much money 351 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:33,559 by the Knicks or if he stays with the Mavericks, I mean Kyrie Irving. 352 00:22:34,079 --> 00:22:37,480 If you're the Clippers and you think you're gonna be in the running for 353 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,119 that, like take those two guys out of the equations Tyas Jones the best 354 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:45,720 point guard on the market. I mean, I think he's at the top 355 00:22:45,759 --> 00:22:48,160 of my list, which, yeah, no, I think that. I 356 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:52,759 think he is right. I'm not being facetious. I think that is the 357 00:22:52,759 --> 00:22:56,480 actual case. Yeah, no, I would do that. I think I 358 00:22:56,559 --> 00:22:59,319 do that. I like the volume play there. I like you're getting you 359 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:03,440 know, multi although I wonder are you starting Powell and Edwards as your backcourt? 360 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,160 Are you starting I would take Jones probably over over right? Are you 361 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:11,000 gonna star? I think you start Jones, you could bring and look, 362 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:15,200 you still kind of need to fill the like I guess they consider Jaden McDaniels 363 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:18,720 at three. So but you could mix and match with it if you have 364 00:23:18,759 --> 00:23:21,759 Norman Powell and Marcus Morris coming off the bench, or maybe Vanderbilt gets moved 365 00:23:21,759 --> 00:23:22,880 to the bench. You're starting Morris at the four, and then you have 366 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,160 Powell and Beverly coming off the bench. But I think you start Edwards, 367 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,039 tie Us and Towns for sure, and then you can kind of, you 368 00:23:30,079 --> 00:23:33,599 know, Finagle from there, kind of like that team kind I mean, 369 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,920 what do you think about it for the Clippers though, well, they do, 370 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,799 I mean it it addresses a need for them, and they're dealing from 371 00:23:41,799 --> 00:23:44,640 a position of strength because they're like the only team that has more wings than 372 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:48,920 they can actually play, or wings and combo forwards. I don't know. 373 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,359 I think Powell and Morris, I think I'd probably do that if I'm the 374 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:57,279 Clippers, because because Russell addresses their main need, which is just someone to 375 00:23:57,279 --> 00:24:03,119 to run the offense that's not basically a power forward. I felt my gut 376 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:06,319 was the Clippers would say no, because I think Norman Powell is like he's 377 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,599 under contract for longer at a formal number, but at the same time that 378 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:14,079 contract clearly wasn't valued around the league based off what the Blazers ended up moving 379 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,480 him for. But I would love him in Minnesota. You imagine Norman Powell 380 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:21,680 and Anthony Edwards like the same downhill pressure that they're providing in the same unit. 381 00:24:21,759 --> 00:24:23,880 I I'm glad that you didn't hate it. I assume that you are 382 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:27,039 going to laugh at me, but I wanted to catch guard. That's fun 383 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,599 and and well, just as you're listing off a bunch of you know, 384 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,440 your Vanderbilts and McDaniels and pet Bev, like there are the wolves going to 385 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,039 be really good, Like I view them as an up and coming team, 386 00:24:37,079 --> 00:24:41,319 but like, if Edwards really pops, which I think is honestly more likely 387 00:24:41,319 --> 00:24:45,759 than not, he is like the thing that would make me comfortable on moving 388 00:24:45,799 --> 00:24:51,480 Dangel Russell while only replacing him with a Tias Jones type, or even if 389 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:56,279 he went worse than Thias Jones anthy Edwards is going to be an incredible offensive 390 00:24:56,319 --> 00:25:00,319 engine at some point, not just for himself, but the read he could 391 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:03,240 make and the way that he keeps defenders on tilt and the way that I 392 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:08,599 think I had some issues with the Wolves late clock offense or crunch time offense. 393 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:14,240 But he also doesn't seem uncomfortable toggling between oh I'm off the ball or 394 00:25:14,279 --> 00:25:15,920 I needed to defer here, or no, this is this is me, 395 00:25:17,079 --> 00:25:19,400 Like I'm gonna go for this, and I appreciate I don't know if you 396 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:22,960 can call it feel yet, because he and the rest of the Wolves need 397 00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:26,640 to distinguish between what's right. But this was year two, yeah, and 398 00:25:26,759 --> 00:25:29,839 I just he's someone who all of a sudden I wasn't super confident in him 399 00:25:29,839 --> 00:25:32,640 coming out of college. I just looked at him like that might be a 400 00:25:32,640 --> 00:25:36,440 future Top five player in this league. No, so I just I did 401 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,680 recently the top ten guy who's gonna be you know, for looking back five 402 00:25:38,759 --> 00:25:42,200 years from now, who's gonna be the top ten players over that five year 403 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,400 span, like basically from now till twenty seven? Where did you have Kay 404 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:49,720 Cunningham? Yeah? Oh, can I use this platform to say sorry? 405 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,599 I forgot Kate Cunningham among the forty guys I considered for honorable mention, he 406 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:57,160 probably belonged. He definitely belongs in there, but I put Edwards tenth, 407 00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,680 and I look as I look back at it, I feel like that might 408 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,359 be too low. Like he's I think it's a question of when, because 409 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:10,000 he's not. He's athletically unlimited. He improved a lot last year. I 410 00:26:10,039 --> 00:26:14,119 think it's just a question of like how much craft is he going to develop? 411 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,759 And that's tied directly to can he be our primary ball handler? Like 412 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,200 now, so that trading Russell is just like, well, Russell was just 413 00:26:22,279 --> 00:26:23,839 in the way at this point, so we might as well go get our 414 00:26:25,079 --> 00:26:26,920 you know, our Norm Powell and our Marcus Morris. So yeah, this 415 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,880 is we've had to have gone over now just gushing for we're actually right within 416 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:34,759 the limits, but they're I think that there are a bunch of different routes 417 00:26:34,759 --> 00:26:37,720 that they could go in free agency because I think they have a look, 418 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:41,240 you could move a week Beasley and try something different through through that, right, 419 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:42,200 I think there are teams that would still look at his salary and be 420 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:45,960 like, all right, around fifteen million bucks for this player didn't have the 421 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:48,640 best season last year, but yeah, we could we could pay that. 422 00:26:48,759 --> 00:26:52,400 So I think their focus could be whatever it wants. But I'd be looking 423 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:55,759 at can we get a three or maybe even just more of a four who's 424 00:26:55,759 --> 00:26:59,240 an upgrade from Vanderbilt so that we don't have to even consider playing McDaniels at 425 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,599 the three because they clearly don't want to do that. Yeah. The next 426 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:06,720 team, alphabetically the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have no key free agents. 427 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,480 They have a bunch of notable non guarantees. Lu Dor at one point nine 428 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:15,720 million team option, Tayo maladone one point nine million guarantee, Veet Kracie a 429 00:27:15,799 --> 00:27:18,200 one point six million dollar non guarantee, Mike muskala Is at three point five 430 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,400 million dollar team option, Aaron Wiggins one point six million non guarantee, Kenrick 431 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:26,680 Williams has a two million dollar non guarantee. I would argue the vast majority 432 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,519 of those that I listed off, whether it's a team option or non guarantees, 433 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:33,599 should be picked up. And that's where ship gets weird. For the 434 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:37,039 Thunder, their best betting tools, the non taxpayers midlevel Exception. I don't 435 00:27:37,039 --> 00:27:40,079 know if they're going to use it because I don't know if they have the 436 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:42,759 room on their roster to use it. If they picked up all their non 437 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:48,640 guarantees and team options. They're at I think nineteen players based off who they 438 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:52,000 added in the draft. They have three rookies that they drafted top twelve this 439 00:27:52,079 --> 00:27:56,400 year, so shout out to the Knicks for helping them get a third top 440 00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,880 top twelve pick. So I don't know what to expect from them in free 441 00:28:00,920 --> 00:28:03,119 agency. I love the chet Home Grimm pick, and they're now sort of 442 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:07,759 built to play super big. I think the need this team team has at 443 00:28:07,799 --> 00:28:11,880 every position is just shooting, and I wouldn't mind seeing them get a different 444 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,960 type of veteran center in here from Derek Favors, just because that could go 445 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,279 a long way. But that's where I'm at with them, And then my 446 00:28:19,839 --> 00:28:23,880 final thing before They're only a view is like there's gonna be some They're not 447 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:26,519 just waving or getting rid of all these guys. They feels like there's gonna 448 00:28:26,519 --> 00:28:32,240 be some consolidation moves here for Oksey, not to trade for a star, 449 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:37,279 but just like they have too many players who are worth continuous looks. Right, 450 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:41,720 Yeah, no, they're I mean, the thunder are difficult to evaluate 451 00:28:41,759 --> 00:28:45,440 just because they sort of for the last two years have operated unlike really any 452 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,400 other team in the league. So it's hard to know what they prioritize. 453 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:52,279 I do think we should mention that they still are. I mean for the 454 00:28:52,359 --> 00:28:56,240 remaining like what six days of this league year, they have like thirty one 455 00:28:56,279 --> 00:29:00,559 million dollars in cap space, so if they wanted, they still have the 456 00:29:00,599 --> 00:29:04,680 option of being a facilitator for a bad salary trade. How much interest they 457 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,200 have in that is hard to say. They've been interested in that the last 458 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,160 two off seasons, so that's something to think about. I mean, the 459 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,640 guys that could fit into that are there aren't a lot, and it's one 460 00:29:15,599 --> 00:29:19,279 of the underneed more draft picks, I guess always, but so that's one 461 00:29:19,279 --> 00:29:22,920 thing to think about. And then low Dort's kind of wonky. You know 462 00:29:23,079 --> 00:29:26,319 they can. I'll probably get it wrong, but they can decline a team 463 00:29:26,319 --> 00:29:30,640 option on him, make him restricted, or they can pick it up and 464 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:33,400 he'll be unrestricted next summer. Would you do that? Would you pay him 465 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,599 now? And as a restricted is reagent? Well, so my understanding is 466 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:42,440 if they go the restricted route, they can pay him more because then he 467 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:47,720 can sign for twenty five percent of the cap after getting a qualifying offer. 468 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:52,200 If they do it now, then they can go four for I think it's 469 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,079 fifty eight or sixty the Josh Richardson special, the Josh Richardson special. So 470 00:29:56,440 --> 00:30:00,680 like, if I am in a conversation with it him and he wants that 471 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,640 money now, I would I think I would do the I'd go for for 472 00:30:03,759 --> 00:30:07,400 I'd do the Josh Richardson special for him for sure, because I think he 473 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,119 would have trade value at that number if he's not part of your big picture. 474 00:30:10,839 --> 00:30:14,960 And then it gets a little scary if you let him, you know 475 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:18,559 if you will start going higher than that through the restricted free agency route. 476 00:30:18,599 --> 00:30:22,799 So I want Dort. I mean Dort is someone that like every fake trade 477 00:30:22,799 --> 00:30:26,119 you make up for the Blazers with before the draft, for that seventh pick 478 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,079 or for the sixers or whatever. I think he should be in super high 479 00:30:30,119 --> 00:30:33,160 demand, so I think you lock him down at whatever a reasonable number is 480 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:37,400 as soon as you can, and then I think potentially, like his trade 481 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:41,039 value goes up because you're going to have him at a decent number. I 482 00:30:41,119 --> 00:30:42,839 was curious if they were going to trade him and just for like a future 483 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:45,920 first, but you're right, like having a larger salary be more helpful there. 484 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,599 I honestly, I don't have a feel for what they're gonna do with 485 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:52,880 Dort and that's just based on how they've operated with non star free agents of 486 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:57,519 their own in the past. Yeah, but I like, without having clarification 487 00:30:57,519 --> 00:31:00,640 on the rest of this roster, like I don't even want to free agency 488 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,480 tourists. I'm like, they like, yeah, it'd be fun to see 489 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,319 this team go out and try and get Chris Bouche, but they just don't 490 00:31:06,319 --> 00:31:08,200 have the room for him, and you know, they maybe they don't want 491 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,319 to impede the growth of chat Homegrown specifically, but some of the other bodies 492 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:15,319 that are on this roster right now, I would expect it to be pretty 493 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:19,200 uneventful. When looking at free agency signings, which is by design. I 494 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,599 mean, if they wanted to try and like take a you know, if 495 00:31:22,599 --> 00:31:26,000 there's like a distressed asset. Uh. I don't like that they want to 496 00:31:26,000 --> 00:31:30,519 try and you know, go after I honestly, I don't know. But 497 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,200 do you expect this team to add like any sort of veteran on the free 498 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:37,039 agency market? No? I mean the only the only route that I would 499 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:41,839 see as like semi plausible as they kind of target some second draft guys like 500 00:31:42,079 --> 00:31:47,000 you know, like a like a Lonnie Walker who's restricted. Uh, someone 501 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,279 that you just think, like, you know, I trust the pedigree of 502 00:31:49,359 --> 00:31:52,480 three years ago versus what he's done with the team that drafted him. Like 503 00:31:52,559 --> 00:31:56,440 Jalen Smith. I think this is my second Jalen Smith mentioned won't be the 504 00:31:56,519 --> 00:32:00,799 last, you know, just guys that are young enough to kind of fit 505 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:06,400 with this team. That's just like all upside basically except for Gil just Alexander, 506 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:12,200 but yeah, there. I just if they don't do something crazy with 507 00:32:12,279 --> 00:32:15,960 the with the cap space they have that's gonna be gone in a week or 508 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:20,519 less than that probably by the time this goes up, then I think it's 509 00:32:20,559 --> 00:32:23,200 just they'll consolidate, you know, towards the end of the roster, because 510 00:32:23,279 --> 00:32:27,440 you're right, I did kind they have nineteen guys counting their draft picks. 511 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:30,839 That's a lot, you cannot you guys, Yeah, that's too many actually, 512 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:34,519 but it turns out. But yeah, I don't see any big moves. 513 00:32:34,559 --> 00:32:37,279 I guess I think they're just gonna stay the course and just let the 514 00:32:37,319 --> 00:32:40,160 youth develop, because I actually like on paper now they're really interesting with with 515 00:32:40,279 --> 00:32:45,319 Chet and with Jalen Williams, and I'm forgetting who else Jang I think, 516 00:32:45,759 --> 00:32:47,400 yeah, I was bond Jang, So they're they can do a bunch of 517 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:51,680 different things. I just don't even like, what is the aside from yeah, 518 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:52,519 they go out, there's not even like a ton of I was gonna 519 00:32:52,519 --> 00:32:54,720 say they can go out and just add shooting if they're gonna at least clear 520 00:32:54,759 --> 00:32:59,839 the roster spot for it. There's not like a ton of shooting available this 521 00:33:00,079 --> 00:33:02,759 summer, and it's I'd just be curious, especially if you're trying to skew 522 00:33:02,799 --> 00:33:07,200 the younger route. I don't know, like what free agent shooter is gonna 523 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,559 want to choose the thunder right now, knowing how mismashed they're playing, to 524 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:14,000 like forget about their situation, just how mismatch they're playing time would be. 525 00:33:15,039 --> 00:33:19,000 They would be like a just like a fun T. J. Warren like 526 00:33:19,079 --> 00:33:21,279 rehab spot, like we're him to come up, but he's twenty eight, 527 00:33:21,319 --> 00:33:23,400 And it's like where they would they really go that route? I would actually 528 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:29,680 love for them to go after a mere coffee. Feels like that's someone that 529 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:32,960 maybe they could because they're still like, I don't think he's an advantage creator, 530 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,960 but like someone they need, like guys who can shoot and handle the 531 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:42,400 ball. And I'm just that's that's me probably taking shots at Josh Kiddy at 532 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,519 this point? Could they also still go the center route like they were a 533 00:33:45,519 --> 00:33:47,799 team? I was like, oh, could they does the mid level get 534 00:33:47,799 --> 00:33:52,680 you Nick Klaxton or Mitchell Robinson or like I said, Chris Bouche, could 535 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:54,880 you even still go that route? Or just after the draft that you had, 536 00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:58,920 is it more like no? Like why why would they didn't do that 537 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,559 in the first place? They have to my green and dark favors? Why 538 00:34:00,559 --> 00:34:04,880 would they do that now? Yeah? I think I Claxson's on my list 539 00:34:04,920 --> 00:34:07,719 for them to Hartenstein, I think is another guy that just you know, 540 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:10,679 he's young enough that it would make some sense. But it just doesn't seem 541 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:15,760 realistic for them to go for a kind of these they're not veterans per se, 542 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:19,280 but they're you know, they quietly have a bunch of veteran biggs now 543 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:22,960 too, Like if you keep you have favors in green Well that I think, 544 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:27,280 like Malik Monk in theory makes some sense if you're looking for someone that 545 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:30,440 can shoot, but like I don't know, I mean, the reality is 546 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:34,920 like, if you're a good young player who's good because you can shoot, 547 00:34:34,960 --> 00:34:37,119 you tend to not make it to free agency. You know that that that 548 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:40,039 you get your twenty eight thirty year old guys that hit free agency that can 549 00:34:40,039 --> 00:34:43,400 shoot. And if you're young and you can shoot, your team tends to 550 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,880 keep you. The other thing here is like any of the names were spouting 551 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,440 off, I would I would argue a mere coffee is worth it, But 552 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:51,559 like none of the names really speet off. Was Oh, you need a 553 00:34:51,599 --> 00:34:53,679 clear roster spots for and get rid of a bunch of like even Aaron Wiggins, 554 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:57,320 like the rim pressure that dude provides, Like I want to further look 555 00:34:57,320 --> 00:34:59,360 at him if I'm okay. So you need to get in an exeason. 556 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,119 That's the thing whoever you're adding is just going to get in the way of 557 00:35:02,159 --> 00:35:06,079 the six guys at that position you want to see developed, right like, 558 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,639 and you don't. I still think you might argue that the Thunder are going 559 00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:14,360 to try to angle toward winning more games now because maybe SGA is getting annoyed 560 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:19,159 at all this but he wait, he doesn't seem like it. He does. 561 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:21,920 It's his end of season pressor he just came out and said, I'm 562 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:24,079 very excited about the future of this organization, and it helps. I think 563 00:35:24,119 --> 00:35:27,719 we still like it helps that they hate me so informed. I don't know 564 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:30,719 where this SGA needs to get out of an okay se narrative. So I 565 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:32,920 think it's just from Raptors fans who are thirsty to get SGA back in Canada. 566 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:36,199 I really think that's what it is. But so yeah, So if 567 00:35:36,199 --> 00:35:38,079 they're if the point is going to continue to be to play a bunch of 568 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:43,119 twenty and twenty one year olds and you know, plus plus guilders Alexander, 569 00:35:43,199 --> 00:35:45,280 then like, why are you looking at you know, twenty five year old 570 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:51,239 free agents that might not be huge upgrades anyway, I think we can move 571 00:35:51,239 --> 00:35:52,760 on to the next team here. The Thunder They're just gonna be interesting to 572 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:55,880 see how they manage their the talent on this roster. That's why if it 573 00:35:55,960 --> 00:36:00,000 sounds like we're rambling, it's you could talk to yourself into circles, because 574 00:36:00,039 --> 00:36:02,559 there are that many intriguing flyers, like not all of them are these blue 575 00:36:02,639 --> 00:36:07,079 chip cornerstones, but like Jang and home Grin in addition to SGA and Giddy 576 00:36:07,159 --> 00:36:09,920 might be. And that's with me being lower on Giddy than the consensus. 577 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:15,280 So the Oklahoma stay thunder are done, which brings us to the Portland Trailblazers, 578 00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:19,039 who I was ready to be down on their off season, but I'm 579 00:36:19,039 --> 00:36:21,920 ready to be a little bit higher on it now. Key free agents, 580 00:36:22,039 --> 00:36:23,760 this might be outdated because this guarantee is on the twenty fifth by the time 581 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:27,519 you hear this. But Josh Hart, he'll be guaranteed at his thirteen million 582 00:36:27,519 --> 00:36:30,960 dollars. Joe Engles full bird rights coming back from a torn acl use of 583 00:36:30,039 --> 00:36:35,920 nurkis full bird rights. Anthony Simons are restricted free agent. Notable non guarantees 584 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:39,840 Eric Butzo three point nine million guaranteed of nineteen point four. Damian Lillard is 585 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:44,679 extension eligible for like a two year one hundred plus million dollars extension that rumors 586 00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:49,119 had him wanting. They have a notable trade exception. Finally, a team 587 00:36:49,119 --> 00:36:52,440 with a notable trade exception. Again, Robert Covington's TP six point five million 588 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:57,199 and expires Sebuary four, so they have some time to use it after getting 589 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,440 the Jeremy grant. They're best betting tool is not going to be cap space. 590 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:04,719 It's going to be the non tax perramid level. I would argue that 591 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:07,320 was always the best course for them, because I wouldn't have wanted to renounce 592 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:10,039 that CJ. McCom TP in the first place, just to have cap space 593 00:37:10,119 --> 00:37:15,320 in a summer where having cap space doesn't really make any sense. So naturally 594 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:17,400 the New York Knicks have prioritized cap space. I'm sorry to do that, 595 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:22,559 but anyway, what are there Like I could talk in circles about do they 596 00:37:22,599 --> 00:37:24,599 need an upgrade over nurkicch Now they all of a sudden seem like they have 597 00:37:24,599 --> 00:37:29,199 a bunch of intriguing defensive talent. Do they need more shooting around Dame? 598 00:37:30,119 --> 00:37:31,920 Do you think Shayden sharp sticks there? We know Dame liked him, but 599 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:35,960 a lot of people thought if this team's trying to win. Now do you 600 00:37:35,960 --> 00:37:39,440 get a project like him? And then my two actual questions though, would 601 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:44,519 you just guarantee bled those contract to make him sort of a human TP? 602 00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:50,679 And two, will Joe Cronin, unlike nil O'Shea actually signed a backup point 603 00:37:50,679 --> 00:37:57,400 guard. I do guarantee Bleedz just because for that exact reason. If you're 604 00:37:57,880 --> 00:38:00,079 if you get to the trade deadline and you need some matching salary or something 605 00:38:00,119 --> 00:38:02,440 like, that's just that's an asset. That's just you know, I don't 606 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:05,760 think I don't think he's gonna play. I mean, theoretically he is a 607 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,519 backup point guard, and maybe you rehab his value by actually playing him a 608 00:38:09,559 --> 00:38:13,760 little bit before the deadline, but yeah, you got to keep him around, 609 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,159 and so backup point guard, I guess, you know. I always 610 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:23,199 I always kind of like what you need to do to make sure your offense 611 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:29,159 functions is just make sure there's one guy like so Lillard is one, Simmons 612 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:31,480 is too. You can stagger him a little bit. And so really now 613 00:38:31,480 --> 00:38:35,719 you're looking for like a third guard, I think, and that's just easier 614 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:38,320 to find at the minimum. Even though as I think we've said on both 615 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:43,599 both divisions we've done so far that the point guard mark it's not great, 616 00:38:43,599 --> 00:38:46,360 but go find a minimum guy. Holletta what I'm going to keep mentioning him 617 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:50,679 as someone that can just be your third point guard and actually he would bring 618 00:38:50,679 --> 00:38:55,320 defense, which that's to me still even with Grant, I think if you're 619 00:38:55,320 --> 00:39:04,119 committed to playing Simons and Lillard, it's it's just basically reducts of Lillard and 620 00:39:04,199 --> 00:39:07,800 McCollum, where I think both of the three four spots have got to be 621 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:12,199 capable defenders, so or at least you've got to have options in terms of 622 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:17,119 like maybe your third guard is a defensive focus guy. So I like the 623 00:39:17,159 --> 00:39:22,239 idea of them prioritizing defense. I think if they bring Nurkics back, I 624 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:29,239 would then be more concerned with surrounding that group with shooters. But I think 625 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:32,679 just making sure you've got someone that can cover for Lillard and Simons move around 626 00:39:32,679 --> 00:39:37,360 a little bits which have some length. I think that's that's kind of my 627 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,239 main free agency focus for them. Yeah, i'd probably be with you. 628 00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:44,920 Do you think it's it's probably not feasible for them Nurkic is back because you 629 00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:47,360 used your flag like you're not going to be involved in the deandret and sweepstakes 630 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:52,159 anymore. Just based off Jeremy Grant, you could probably argue that you need 631 00:39:52,199 --> 00:39:55,159 like a truer three. Heart's going to be a three because you're playing Simons 632 00:39:55,159 --> 00:39:59,440 and Lillard a bunch together. But like Jeremy Grant's really more of a four. 633 00:40:00,079 --> 00:40:02,360 Heart's a little small. I mean, he's he rebounds like a four, 634 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:06,719 but he's but he's small otherwise for defensive purposes. Yeah, And I 635 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:08,880 just don't know what like there. I don't actually don't know if there's a 636 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:15,119 wing who's worth the non tax payer mL E there, because you don't Otto 637 00:40:15,159 --> 00:40:17,000 Porter Junior, you're not really a wing, even if you're willing to go 638 00:40:17,079 --> 00:40:21,199 that route. And I guess you could get away. You could play Jeremy 639 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:24,719 Grant, Otto and Heart together, right if he wanted to. Yeah, 640 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:29,280 yeah, you could do that. I think one guy that. I mean, 641 00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:30,400 it's a high risk thing, but I think if you're trying to win 642 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:34,719 right now for Dame, which clearly I think that's priority, I think T 643 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:37,760 J. Warren is someone that they should look at. I wouldn't feel super 644 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:42,800 comfortable spending the full mid level, although I think probably somebody's going to give 645 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,719 him that because you know, again, health is the big question. But 646 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:51,880 like he had like kind of incremental development over the last three years prior to 647 00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:53,840 getting hurt, where it was like, oh, like he can shoot threes 648 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:57,599 now, and then oh he can defend now, and like, oh he 649 00:40:57,599 --> 00:41:00,199 can do both now in the bubble, and then suddenly he was hurt. 650 00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:06,079 Like I think if he's healthy, Warren would be like that. That looks 651 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:08,679 that starts to get pretty interesting. If Warren can come in there and be, 652 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:13,760 you know, not a stopper, but someone that's gonna hold up defensively 653 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:17,679 against your bigger opposing forwards along with Grant, then maybe you've kind of got 654 00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:22,000 more bases covered defensively and you can get away with playing Simons and Lillard against 655 00:41:22,039 --> 00:41:25,920 you know what they want to be playing against, which are good playoff teams. 656 00:41:27,559 --> 00:41:30,559 I wondered if they could skew smaller still though, and be like, 657 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:35,639 hey, let's look at GP two, or let's look at Even and Gary 658 00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:38,519 Harris, just guys that we know are gonna be capable of defensively, and 659 00:41:38,559 --> 00:41:43,360 we're not gonna play Simons and Dame together all the time. So when theories 660 00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:45,760 said you know, you're playing those guys the two rather than the three, 661 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:49,840 or like you're asking them defend so many threes, and we make the jokes 662 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:52,440 about the backup point guard. I think Afrety Simons is the growthy showed as 663 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:57,639 a playmaker last year. Not super complex plays, but making just like when 664 00:41:57,679 --> 00:42:00,960 defenses are reacting hitting guys. I think he could absolutely be the backup point 665 00:42:00,960 --> 00:42:05,920 guard. But your optimal team is gonna have Simons and Lillard probably playing thirty 666 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:07,920 plus or twenty five plus minutes together every single night. So that's why I 667 00:42:07,920 --> 00:42:12,760 think backup point guard is a priority. And that's what it feels like for 668 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:16,079 this team is aside from unless there is a starting three that's gonna upgrad and 669 00:42:16,079 --> 00:42:20,000 I just don't you're not gonna get someone better than Heart or Grant. It's 670 00:42:20,039 --> 00:42:22,760 all backups because like nurkis, Grant, Heart, Simon's Lillard, like there's 671 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:27,079 something there. It's can you find sort of backups? And I think the 672 00:42:27,119 --> 00:42:30,320 backup big market like that, like that could end up being a primary focus 673 00:42:30,360 --> 00:42:35,639 for them. Is someone who diversifies your lineups when Nurkics is like sitting and 674 00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:37,360 is it or is it someone who and look, the only other center on 675 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:42,079 this roster I think right now is Drew you Banks. If I'm not mistaken, 676 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:44,360 I'll double check that. But I don't know why I have that written. 677 00:42:44,880 --> 00:42:46,880 And he might even be a free agent for all I know. But 678 00:42:47,119 --> 00:42:50,840 do they have do they have Drew Ubanks? Why don't I have dreww Banks 679 00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:54,719 written down as a stumbling here? But they have minutes open at the five? 680 00:42:55,159 --> 00:43:00,840 So like Chris Bouche, could they look at him? He could also 681 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:04,039 play some four So if you wanted to even go with like a smaller front 682 00:43:04,079 --> 00:43:07,599 court, but isn't compromising like the entire essence of what a front court should 683 00:43:07,599 --> 00:43:10,400 be, like Bouchet, Grant is something that could work, because I've wondered, 684 00:43:10,559 --> 00:43:14,440 Jeremy Grant could probably steal some small ball five minutes depending on what the 685 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:16,000 rest of the lineups look like. I already mentioned, like some of those 686 00:43:16,559 --> 00:43:21,039 second what would be second string guards if it's a Gary Harris or if it's 687 00:43:21,039 --> 00:43:23,960 a GP two. I do wonder. I don't think they would look at 688 00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:27,199 this team and say, oh, we need a you know, like a 689 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:30,760 third creator, because you have little But like I thought about olar depot for 690 00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:32,760 a minute, if they wanted to try and get through Linus with him at 691 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:37,119 the three, and if he's only costing the non tax paysman level. I 692 00:43:37,119 --> 00:43:39,599 thought about Kyle Anderson too. We talked a lot about shooting. He's probably 693 00:43:39,639 --> 00:43:44,079 more of a four though, but I still think if it's like Kyle Anderson 694 00:43:44,119 --> 00:43:46,159 in Hart, or if it's Kyle Anderson and Jeremy Grant, like that's also 695 00:43:46,239 --> 00:43:51,480 not unworkable. I'd like that young too. I mean, I think he's 696 00:43:51,519 --> 00:43:52,880 kind of one of those guys that fits everywhere. But if you're kind of 697 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:58,199 trying to thread the needle between, let's get some playmaking and then let's also 698 00:43:58,519 --> 00:44:01,440 have someone who can, as in the past at least played some credible minutes 699 00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:06,440 at center against like certain matchups. Yeah, basically we just need to pilt 700 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,559 for the Raptors free agent bigs more or less. Yeah, I think I 701 00:44:10,599 --> 00:44:14,559 don't know if how much I have to add to that. I think GP 702 00:44:14,639 --> 00:44:17,159 two was another guy that was definitely on my list because like the size, 703 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:22,280 you know, for him, he's like six two, but I mean he 704 00:44:22,400 --> 00:44:28,480 concredibly guard your six eight wings so and he just shut down smaller guards, 705 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:34,280 so wherever you're trying to hide Lillard or Simon's assuming you're not playing both together. 706 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:37,360 Peyton is just gonna like he's going to solve that problem. Do you 707 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:42,119 think, and this is part of it, that they are going to keep 708 00:44:42,159 --> 00:44:45,679 Shaden Sharp. It's sort of a hedge against if they do need to sid 709 00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:49,760 to segue into a different era, or maybe they hope that his upside materializes. 710 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:52,719 And by the way, they had drew U Banks on to finish last 711 00:44:52,719 --> 00:44:55,360 season. That's why I have him in my salary sheet. He's not technically 712 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:59,519 under a guaranteed contract for next year, though, But just to justify what 713 00:44:59,559 --> 00:45:02,000 I was saying before, do you think that Shade and Sharpe's name pops up 714 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:06,039 in the rumor mill throughout the off season or is it this like a we 715 00:45:06,199 --> 00:45:08,679 drafted him to keep him type situation? I think a couple of things. 716 00:45:08,719 --> 00:45:14,320 I think. I'm not a draft expert, but based on what I've watched 717 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:16,320 and just some of the people whose opinions I respect, I think Sharp has 718 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:21,280 the potential to be like three years from now, if it's like abundantly clear 719 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:23,000 that Sharp is the best player from this class, it would not I wouldn't 720 00:45:23,039 --> 00:45:28,960 like be shocked. So that preface what I preface everything with that, But 721 00:45:29,239 --> 00:45:30,480 I think if they were going to move the pick, they would have moved 722 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:35,639 the pick before it became sharp, just because I think it's kind of it's 723 00:45:35,639 --> 00:45:37,280 a used car thing, or that's the buying a car thing. You drive 724 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:39,840 it off the lot, like you make the pick. Suddenly it's slightly less 725 00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:45,079 valuable. Maybe they're surprised that Sharp was there and that changes something, But 726 00:45:45,119 --> 00:45:49,400 I think they hold on to that because it gives you an out, honestly, 727 00:45:49,519 --> 00:45:52,840 Like I think I think if you go forward with like Sharp and Simons 728 00:45:52,880 --> 00:45:54,199 as your core and you have to blow this thing up because it's just not 729 00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:59,159 working and you trade Dame, you're still You're still okay. So I think 730 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:01,199 I don't know how much they can realistically expect him to help this year, 731 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:06,719 but like the theory of him, like there's your there's your big guard that 732 00:46:06,880 --> 00:46:12,039 just can maybe be a super athletic defender and shot creator and shooter. Like 733 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:15,880 if he's ready next year, then I think that's still within the Lillard got 734 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:20,199 to win now Timeline one last name I wanted to mention for them in free 735 00:46:20,199 --> 00:46:23,480 agency. I feel like one of the Martin twins could work for them as 736 00:46:23,519 --> 00:46:29,199 well. And if you have the bigger mL E, that's those are guys 737 00:46:29,199 --> 00:46:30,639 that are going to defend They. Like I said, they both hit enough 738 00:46:30,679 --> 00:46:34,480 of their three point at times. Caleb was at forty one point three percent 739 00:46:34,519 --> 00:46:37,519 on one hundred and fifty five three point one hundred fifty five three point attempts, 740 00:46:37,519 --> 00:46:43,119 and he also shot seventy percent at the rim and fifty five point one 741 00:46:43,199 --> 00:46:47,679 percent on drives. And either of those guys, I guess it's. Looking 742 00:46:47,679 --> 00:46:52,159 at the makeup of this team. I might almost prefer Caleb a little bit. 743 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:54,000 Are you less likely to get him because the Heat are a more aggressive, 744 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:58,920 smarter franchise than the Hornet. Sure, but we're talking about maybe to 745 00:46:58,960 --> 00:47:00,920 get a wing. You're still on the smaller end here, But like that's 746 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:06,320 something that would fit at least the ideology of what they need and even sort 747 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:09,280 of how Joe Cronin seems to be like building this roster in the post Osha 748 00:47:09,639 --> 00:47:14,000 era. Yeah, I like I like that. I like either of those. 749 00:47:14,039 --> 00:47:15,679 I think I'd probably throw. We've mentioned Gary Payton, so we have 750 00:47:15,679 --> 00:47:19,760 to mention Bruce Brown too as a as a possible fit. Yeah, if 751 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:22,599 you don't care about downsizing and you believe in his three point shot from last 752 00:47:22,679 --> 00:47:27,000 year because Brown hit the three pretty well. Final team in the Northwest, 753 00:47:27,519 --> 00:47:31,960 the ever implosive Utah Jazz. They're most key free agents are Eric Pasco and 754 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:36,360 then Hassan Whiteside. They don't have bird rights on Hassan Whiteside. Juan Hernan 755 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:39,480 Gomez is a seven point five million non guarantee. I guess they decline that. 756 00:47:39,599 --> 00:47:42,679 But if you're looking for sort of a human trade exception, YadA, 757 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:45,679 YadA, YadA. They have a Joe Angeles trade exception worth nine point eight 758 00:47:45,719 --> 00:47:49,599 million dollars. It expires in February ninth, so they can hold on to 759 00:47:49,719 --> 00:47:52,280 it. They have a ton of I don't know if they have a ton 760 00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:57,199 of defensive priorities. I think they just need athletic defense is what this team 761 00:47:57,199 --> 00:48:00,320 needs specifically at the three and the four. But there are just how many 762 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:05,000 other questions looming over this is are they starting over? Are they trading Gobert? 763 00:48:05,599 --> 00:48:08,920 Is Donovan Mitchell a trade request risk? And those questions are going to 764 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:13,320 inform their free agency targets. And my gut feeling is though, because of 765 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:16,559 their proximities ducking the tacks, they're going to be more so in the minimum 766 00:48:16,599 --> 00:48:21,960 contract range, and so I considered, and if not, their best betting 767 00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:24,320 tool is going to be the miniml E. Someone like want Toscano Anderson makes 768 00:48:24,320 --> 00:48:27,480 a lot of sense for them. I don't know what his market's gonna be, 769 00:48:27,519 --> 00:48:30,320 but Golden State didn't really have him in the rotation and so he could 770 00:48:30,320 --> 00:48:34,400 be available for the minimum even though he's a restricted free agent. But the 771 00:48:34,480 --> 00:48:37,920 question I wanted to start you off with, and maybe that will inform who 772 00:48:37,199 --> 00:48:40,960 targets you have for them. How many of Conley, Clarkson, Royce, 773 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:45,000 O'Neill, and Madonovitch are back in Utah next season? Let me throw Utah, 774 00:48:45,079 --> 00:48:49,119 Let me throw Utah, and let me throw Gobert into that player pool 775 00:48:49,159 --> 00:48:52,480 as well. I'm gonna set the over under at one point five. Okay, 776 00:48:52,480 --> 00:49:00,280 I'll go over, but like not comfortably. I think I kind of 777 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:05,039 think Gobert's they're gonna move Gobert. I'm I'm almost surprised it didn't happen on 778 00:49:05,079 --> 00:49:08,239 the draft night, just because I now, I don't know if that's the 779 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:15,760 right decision, because I think Mitchell I overrated is a shitty thing to say, 780 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:19,840 But like I think I think at least with Gobert, you're like guaranteed 781 00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:22,639 that the theory of building a team is pretty easy. I think Mitchell, 782 00:49:23,320 --> 00:49:27,840 you know, is just he's a notch below now. I think the Booker 783 00:49:27,920 --> 00:49:31,800 Tatum level that like there was a discussion about before. So anyway, I'm 784 00:49:31,920 --> 00:49:37,320 digressing on myself here. I think I think it should look into moving everybody. 785 00:49:37,519 --> 00:49:39,559 But like you said, the like the the at the outset of this, 786 00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:44,000 like this is one of the toughest free agent teams to talk about because 787 00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:49,760 they could look like just wildly different in terms of their personnel and their financial 788 00:49:49,760 --> 00:49:54,320 outlook and like everything else that their timeline could change depending on what they do 789 00:49:54,360 --> 00:50:01,920 with Mitchell and or Gobert. I guess I guess the most likely guys to 790 00:50:01,960 --> 00:50:07,519 be back are probably say Conley, because it's I don't know what the market 791 00:50:07,599 --> 00:50:10,000 is going to be for him. You know, he has that huge guarantee 792 00:50:10,039 --> 00:50:14,320 on the back end of this deal, so you can't even treat him as 793 00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:17,920 an expiring contract. I think he's he's guaranteed fourteen point three million of his 794 00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:22,480 twenty four point four million in twenty two twenty four, and he's making twenty 795 00:50:22,480 --> 00:50:25,800 two points seven next year, which isn't chump change. Yeah, and so 796 00:50:27,039 --> 00:50:30,880 but then like someone like Clarkson I think is movable, O'Neill definitely movable. 797 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:34,079 Like how many times would we have mentioned Royce O'Neill and our like, this 798 00:50:34,079 --> 00:50:37,000 team needs a wing that can be a competent role player and make threason. 799 00:50:37,039 --> 00:50:39,480 Oh, I know we had a down year last year. But if he 800 00:50:39,639 --> 00:50:44,519 they brand him through the gauntlet at these past few years, if he had 801 00:50:44,559 --> 00:50:47,880 just like any sort of help, we're probably back to gushing about how good 802 00:50:47,960 --> 00:50:52,079 Royce O'Neill. Right, Well, like I haven't, I don't have it 803 00:50:52,119 --> 00:50:53,840 in front of me. But if like I'm sure his matchup difficulty is, 804 00:50:54,159 --> 00:50:57,719 you know, got to be the highest on the Jazz by a lot, 805 00:50:57,760 --> 00:51:00,519 and then you know, one of the handful of highest figures in the league, 806 00:51:00,559 --> 00:51:04,679 just because by default he was guarding whether the guy was like a two 807 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:07,159 or three or even a four, like he just guarded the best other players 808 00:51:07,199 --> 00:51:10,679 over taxed, So you know, they have guys that are palatable. I 809 00:51:10,679 --> 00:51:15,039 think Bogdanovitch should be in demand as a trade piece, like on an expiring 810 00:51:15,039 --> 00:51:19,039 deal, if you're a team that just is willing to kind of deal with 811 00:51:19,079 --> 00:51:22,760 the defensive limitations and you want just a dead eye shooter that can make a 812 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:27,320 play. I mean, so yeah, their free agency is just like, 813 00:51:27,360 --> 00:51:30,760 I have no idea right now just because I don't know what this roster is 814 00:51:30,800 --> 00:51:34,559 going to look like. I think again it's probably minimums. I do think 815 00:51:34,599 --> 00:51:37,840 you're right about the tax issue, so you know, you're you're just looking 816 00:51:37,880 --> 00:51:44,679 for athletic wings that can defend and shoot, which is like what everyone's looking 817 00:51:44,679 --> 00:51:47,679 for. But this team needs specifically, especially on the off chance they keep 818 00:51:47,719 --> 00:51:51,840 the core together, right like, because then you know your needs very clearly 819 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,920 because they've been the same for the last what two or three times they've gotten 820 00:51:54,920 --> 00:52:00,159 bounced from the playoffs before they wanted to would you and I like even t 821 00:52:00,320 --> 00:52:02,679 J Warren, he would have to go for the minimum I think for them 822 00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:06,639 to take a look. I'm just like, there are many mL guys that 823 00:52:06,719 --> 00:52:08,800 might make sense for them. Otto Porto would make sense for them. I 824 00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:13,880 don't know why if the money's equal, he's leaving GSW for Utah. But 825 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:16,239 that's all that's on the other situation in Utah's a really good team. They 826 00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:20,599 could be thermonuclear on offense. Gilbert is a top ten defense onto himself. 827 00:52:20,880 --> 00:52:22,599 If the money's equal, which it will be for a lot of these guys. 828 00:52:23,119 --> 00:52:27,840 There's so much unrest in Utah. Why would you go there right now? 829 00:52:28,559 --> 00:52:30,880 Well, and like, if they do, there will be I mean, 830 00:52:30,960 --> 00:52:35,480 the unrest might be alleviated if they split up Mitchell and Gobert, but 831 00:52:35,559 --> 00:52:38,159 if they don't, and we're just looking at these wings, it's also like, 832 00:52:38,159 --> 00:52:40,719 well, where are my minutes gonna be? Because if they don't move, 833 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:45,440 you know, calmly Bogdanovich O'Neil Clarkson, like, you're signing a guy 834 00:52:45,519 --> 00:52:49,840 that's like one, am I the eighth ninth guy on this team. So 835 00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:52,639 you know, then if the money's equal, it gets even sketchier because you're 836 00:52:52,679 --> 00:52:57,599 adding maybe a lack of playing time and you know, the chance to improve 837 00:52:57,639 --> 00:53:00,559 your future earning potential assuming we're talking about minimum as you're adding that to like, 838 00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:04,679 what's this team going to look like at the deadline if things go side 839 00:53:04,679 --> 00:53:07,559 with Like, there's just too many there's a lot of variables. It's in 840 00:53:07,679 --> 00:53:10,760 theory, because of how good the roster is, this should be like a 841 00:53:12,159 --> 00:53:15,159 you know, a pretty palatable destination. Not that Utah has always been great 842 00:53:15,199 --> 00:53:19,599 with free agency. But I think all the all the external factors and all 843 00:53:19,599 --> 00:53:22,159 the uncertainties make it like really tricky. Like if you're if you're Daniel House, 844 00:53:22,199 --> 00:53:25,440 do you like I mean, he would have a role there for sure 845 00:53:25,480 --> 00:53:29,880 because he did last year. Do you want to go back there? Do 846 00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:32,199 you want to sign with you? Name it? For the mini mid level 847 00:53:32,280 --> 00:53:37,639 someplace. I don't know. If they were actually looking to address their real 848 00:53:37,679 --> 00:53:40,159 needs, this would be to say that they would go to the trade market. 849 00:53:40,599 --> 00:53:43,840 Yeah, base of what we're talking about and names. That's right. 850 00:53:43,880 --> 00:53:46,800 I've proposed this what we did the Pacific. Would you do Jordan Clarkson for 851 00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:53,599 Marcus Morris if you're the Jazz I think I probably would, just because suddenly 852 00:53:53,719 --> 00:53:57,639 have a small ball center option, which you know, I don't know if 853 00:53:57,639 --> 00:54:00,000 that was always the issue. I think it got overblown, is the issue. 854 00:54:00,199 --> 00:54:02,079 But at least on the off chance you want to take Gobert off the 855 00:54:02,079 --> 00:54:06,920 floor, I guess that's that's what you could do. And then I you 856 00:54:06,960 --> 00:54:08,559 know, Clarkson is just strictly a scorer, and I think if you have 857 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:13,039 Mitchell and you retain some of the other offensive talent like this, this offense 858 00:54:13,159 --> 00:54:15,840 is great, Like, it doesn't. It doesn't need Jordan Clarkson to come 859 00:54:15,880 --> 00:54:17,800 in and you know, kill backups because you're not playing Clarkson at the end 860 00:54:17,840 --> 00:54:21,920 of important games anyway. No, And look, if you're worried because you're 861 00:54:21,920 --> 00:54:23,719 taking on money in that deal, which I don't, I don't care about, 862 00:54:23,800 --> 00:54:27,719 but you can include Rudy it could be Rudy Gay and Jordan Clarkson for 863 00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:30,519 Marcus Morrison. Look if you're if you're la kind of you're looking at Rudy 864 00:54:30,519 --> 00:54:35,760 Gobert, Rudy Rudy Gay as Oh, we could probably use him not in 865 00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:38,400 the markets more senior role, but if we want like a slower look with 866 00:54:38,480 --> 00:54:40,400 him up front, like you could go that rout as well. So I 867 00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:44,760 actually liked that framework. The other thing, this wasn't on the table until 868 00:54:45,079 --> 00:54:47,320 there was the report that the Knicks are looking to dump him to continue clearing 869 00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:52,039 out cap space for Jalen Bruns in you can fit Cam Reddish into the Joe 870 00:54:52,159 --> 00:54:57,960 Ingles trade exception, and there's like real defensive pep to the way he plays 871 00:54:58,000 --> 00:55:02,519 at points. I don't know, it would be optically fucking stupid of the 872 00:55:02,599 --> 00:55:06,480 Knicks to give up a first round pick for Cam Reddish, only to not 873 00:55:06,599 --> 00:55:07,800 use him, then start to use him, seemed to get injured, and 874 00:55:07,840 --> 00:55:10,960 then salary dump him to go after Jalen Bruns. In that being said, 875 00:55:12,280 --> 00:55:14,800 maybe you're throwing them a second you're not throwing them a first round pick. 876 00:55:14,920 --> 00:55:16,880 But if you're willing to take on the money, he fits into your trade 877 00:55:16,920 --> 00:55:21,039 exception. And I actually think do I think he's closing the end of important 878 00:55:21,039 --> 00:55:23,960 games? No, he gives Royce O'Neil a huge break just looking at he 879 00:55:24,000 --> 00:55:28,639 can go defend one through three, and I think he would. There's kind 880 00:55:28,679 --> 00:55:30,960 of like the upside there too, where it's like, oh, he's still 881 00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:32,920 young and he could be anything on offense, even though he probably won't be. 882 00:55:34,679 --> 00:55:37,360 No, I think that makes sense. I mean the Knicks. The 883 00:55:37,440 --> 00:55:42,239 Knicks just did basically that by his salary dumping Kimball Walker and attaching draft assets 884 00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:44,719 as a contract you guys signed, I guess you know. I'm sorry, 885 00:55:44,880 --> 00:55:46,960 So they're open to it. We know that. Yeah, So, like, 886 00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:50,400 those are the names. I don't know if any other trade targets sprung 887 00:55:50,480 --> 00:55:52,760 to mind for you. I tried to figure out a way to get them. 888 00:55:52,840 --> 00:55:57,800 Jonathan Isaac at one point that proved very difficult. The Magic would have 889 00:55:57,800 --> 00:56:00,639 to hate Jonathan Isaac's contract, which I guess is you know, I suppose 890 00:56:00,639 --> 00:56:05,440 it's possible, But yeah, I wonder if they could even get Mark el 891 00:56:05,519 --> 00:56:08,239 Foltz from Orlando, like just play him next to Donovan Mitchell, or even 892 00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:12,880 go super small and play him next to You'd be going super small anyway from 893 00:56:12,960 --> 00:56:15,239 Neil is part of that. Harrison Barnes would be great for them. I 894 00:56:15,320 --> 00:56:21,639 just if you're Sacktown the way that they prioritize John Collins in a Harrison Barnes 895 00:56:21,679 --> 00:56:25,840 trade, do they view Boyon Bogdanovitch in the same vein He is the better 896 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:30,800 offensive player, but like John Collins is younger and just I think better or 897 00:56:30,800 --> 00:56:36,880 at least more intriguing all around the other name this, if you're playing him 898 00:56:36,880 --> 00:56:40,360 at the four, I mean you have issues. But Josh Richardson, is 899 00:56:40,400 --> 00:56:45,280 that someone that you can get here? And what is it costing to get 900 00:56:45,360 --> 00:56:47,920 him? Because you have the different various levels of salary matching. I'm not 901 00:56:47,960 --> 00:56:52,480 giving up Boyon Bogdanovitch for him. I don't think the Spurs want Conley, 902 00:56:52,840 --> 00:56:54,559 would they want Clarkson? I would give up it's not. Look, I 903 00:56:55,079 --> 00:56:59,760 Jordan Carson has been really good for the jazz what he provides, though I 904 00:57:00,119 --> 00:57:02,559 don't think it's super important to them at the moment. I would give him 905 00:57:02,599 --> 00:57:05,760 up for it. Or you could step ladd. I'm not giving up Roys 906 00:57:05,760 --> 00:57:08,440 o'neel for Josh Richardson, but you could step ladder your way there with uh 907 00:57:08,880 --> 00:57:13,880 they have gnaw right now and then Rudy Gay. Let's say like that's that's 908 00:57:13,880 --> 00:57:16,519 a package that you could flesh out from there to get Josh Richardson, do 909 00:57:16,559 --> 00:57:21,159 you I mean, it seems like, I mean, this isn't the subject 910 00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:24,000 of this pod, but like it seems like the way to address a lot 911 00:57:24,039 --> 00:57:28,360 of those issues is just if we're talking trade, Like what do you think 912 00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:30,159 of the I know it seems like it's less likely to happen now based on 913 00:57:30,199 --> 00:57:37,039 recent reporting, but just Gobert to Atlanta for Capella and you pick one like 914 00:57:37,159 --> 00:57:44,039 Collins or Hunter. You could get worse with you know, you use Hurter 915 00:57:44,239 --> 00:57:47,360 and like lesser players, but it seems like you could kind of sort things 916 00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:51,199 out with a Gobert to Atlanta trade. And I know, like both fan 917 00:57:51,280 --> 00:57:53,159 bases kind of hate that or at least the some of the ones that have 918 00:57:53,199 --> 00:57:58,679 been kind of positive as possible. But if you do you do that, 919 00:57:58,719 --> 00:58:00,360 Like if if Atlanta says, hey, we'll take them, We'll give you 920 00:58:00,440 --> 00:58:04,599 Capella, we'll give you Collins, you can. If it's gonna be a 921 00:58:04,599 --> 00:58:06,960 sticking point, you can even have Hurder, Like do you just do it? 922 00:58:07,519 --> 00:58:13,119 No, if unless you're gonna reroute one of Collins or Cappella elsewhere, 923 00:58:14,719 --> 00:58:16,159 I would probably do it if push came to shove if I'm the Hawks, 924 00:58:16,559 --> 00:58:21,440 if I was the Jazz, I'd be more can you do Collins, okong 925 00:58:21,480 --> 00:58:23,920 Wu and Hunter type rainwork? And I might even be more inclined to do 926 00:58:24,159 --> 00:58:29,679 Collins and okung Wu and then maybe Kevin Hurder And if I was the Hawks, 927 00:58:29,679 --> 00:58:31,599 like those are still parameters I'd be thinking about. But Capella still has 928 00:58:31,639 --> 00:58:36,239 to be moved because you're not having Capella and Rudy Gobert. I don't know 929 00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:39,559 that For what the Hawks themselves have, I don't know if they're gonna give 930 00:58:39,559 --> 00:58:45,599 you enough defensive juice in return to prop up your roster, Like, yeah, 931 00:58:45,639 --> 00:58:47,000 I guess it. Your placed Rudy Gobert with Capella. It's like if 932 00:58:47,000 --> 00:58:52,320 it's Cappella and Hunter and Okongwu. I just don't. It doesn't wow me 933 00:58:52,360 --> 00:58:54,880 if I'm Utah, and if you make that move. To me, it's 934 00:58:54,920 --> 00:59:00,079 more about we're looking for flexibility moving forward to have these more digestible contracts we 935 00:59:00,079 --> 00:59:02,480 could deal and we don't think Rudy Gobert with four years and one seventy ish 936 00:59:02,599 --> 00:59:07,400 left, provides us with that. Yeah, I'm not interested in Collins if 937 00:59:07,400 --> 00:59:09,440 I'm Utah. Just to answer my own question, I think I think I 938 00:59:09,480 --> 00:59:13,239 need to get Hunter, and I would really push hard for a kong Wu 939 00:59:13,440 --> 00:59:15,119 and you like Hawks, you figure out what to do with Capella, but 940 00:59:15,159 --> 00:59:19,320 then then you've got a money matching issue. You kind of almost need Capella 941 00:59:19,440 --> 00:59:22,960 or Collins, and then you're kind of rebuilding. Is like, I know 942 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:27,000 you could still be okay, but I think there's this belief that the Jazz 943 00:59:27,000 --> 00:59:32,760 could move Rudy Gobert and not get measurably worse. They're they're gonna get a 944 00:59:32,800 --> 00:59:36,000 lot worse, and so you have to consider, Okay, what is that 945 00:59:36,159 --> 00:59:38,440 we still have Boyamardanovitch and Mike Conley and Royce O'Neil and Jordan Clarkson. In 946 00:59:38,440 --> 00:59:44,639 that scenario maybe they're deeper, maybe their lineup packages are more versatile. Are 947 00:59:44,639 --> 00:59:49,400 they anywhere near as good as they were last season? And the answers no, 948 00:59:49,400 --> 00:59:52,199 no, And I mean, like, look, this same roster basically 949 00:59:52,280 --> 00:59:54,960 two years ago was the best team in the league by a ton, Like 950 00:59:55,000 --> 00:59:59,440 their net rating was like plus I can't even remember now, but it was 951 00:59:59,519 --> 01:00:05,360 well of everybody else's. Like yeah, again, we're probably discounting the personal 952 01:00:05,400 --> 01:00:07,280 side of things again, but like, if you can make this work, 953 01:00:07,320 --> 01:00:10,880 I think you find a couple athletic defenders and you just run it back. 954 01:00:10,920 --> 01:00:15,920 But again, like we've just spent several minutes discussing that's that's hard and that 955 01:00:15,039 --> 01:00:17,119 look, that's what I would do if I was this team is I would 956 01:00:17,199 --> 01:00:20,280 keep the corn together for at least another year and then you can figure it 957 01:00:20,280 --> 01:00:22,480 out next season. Like Condley only gets easier to move at that point. 958 01:00:22,800 --> 01:00:25,559 If you lose Bardanovitch for nothing in three agency, it's not the end of 959 01:00:25,559 --> 01:00:28,679 the world. And maybe you have a better feel for what's going on at 960 01:00:28,679 --> 01:00:30,960 the trade deadline with this group, and it could be something. I think 961 01:00:30,960 --> 01:00:35,480 it needs to be more than bringing back just Daniel House, Like go out 962 01:00:35,480 --> 01:00:37,639 there and make the move that maybe makes you net neutral payroll, and then 963 01:00:38,159 --> 01:00:43,440 you can reevaluate at the tradeline or even ahead of the draft if you need 964 01:00:43,440 --> 01:00:45,360 to. If you need to, which you don't, no team ever needs 965 01:00:45,360 --> 01:00:50,440 to. But if you're staying around, I think right now I have them 966 01:00:50,440 --> 01:00:54,079 in my sheet there within two million dollars of the tax that would go up 967 01:00:54,119 --> 01:00:58,880 if they brought back wanhern and Gomez er signed players or made editions. But 968 01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:00,760 if you're gonna be within ten into the tacks, that's something you can try 969 01:01:00,760 --> 01:01:05,119 and address closer to the trade deadline or at the draft. I just don't 970 01:01:05,119 --> 01:01:07,400 think, yeah, it's the time to short circuit it unless you're gonna be 971 01:01:07,400 --> 01:01:09,199 bowled away by Rudy Gobert offer. And even if you are, I just 972 01:01:09,239 --> 01:01:14,000 think you need to be prepared to rebuild because divesting Rudy Gobert, or even 973 01:01:14,000 --> 01:01:15,719 if you don't think Mitchell's a risk, to request the trade because they could 974 01:01:15,719 --> 01:01:19,119 send them wherever the hell they want. At this point, I think he 975 01:01:19,679 --> 01:01:22,760 and his camp are they're smarter than that they know. I mean, I 976 01:01:22,800 --> 01:01:25,480 found the report that they were shocked by Quinn Snyder being fired or not fired, 977 01:01:25,480 --> 01:01:30,719 but leaving hysterical because we all knew, like people who aren't even plugged 978 01:01:30,719 --> 01:01:34,519 in knew that Quinn Snyder was leaving. So Donovan Mitchell was not shocked by 979 01:01:34,559 --> 01:01:37,920 that. Yeah, I would suggest that his key and his camp knew like 980 01:01:37,960 --> 01:01:39,800 a little more than we did too. I would say maybe maybe not, 981 01:01:39,840 --> 01:01:44,440 though totally possible. So yeah, I would keep it together and try and 982 01:01:44,519 --> 01:01:47,039 improve on the margins I do for what they need. Yes, that's going 983 01:01:47,079 --> 01:01:50,519 to be tough to improve on the margins. This is to say like, 984 01:01:50,519 --> 01:01:53,480 hey, maybe considers spending the full MLI or is there is there even a 985 01:01:53,480 --> 01:01:58,599 way, like can they get Kendrick Williams from Oka? See who helps a 986 01:01:58,639 --> 01:02:00,440 ton and makes so little. I don't know what you're necessarily sending back, 987 01:02:00,719 --> 01:02:05,199 but I even think the name I sprung to that is I think we'll be 988 01:02:05,239 --> 01:02:08,199 within their price rings like a Wan Tscano Anderson at another trade target to monitor. 989 01:02:08,199 --> 01:02:12,199 I don't know Washington's. We know what their plan is when they're keeping 990 01:02:12,280 --> 01:02:15,000 veal. But is KCP or I think more usefully to the Jazz, is 991 01:02:15,079 --> 01:02:19,599 Kuzma available there? Like is it Kuzma for Clarkson? Swap at all? 992 01:02:19,920 --> 01:02:22,400 Makes sense? Do you need to attach how much you need to attach to 993 01:02:22,400 --> 01:02:27,840 clarks into Kuzma plays a more desirable position, but having that shot creation in 994 01:02:27,920 --> 01:02:31,760 Washington from Clarkson himself. I'm just spitballing here, but like that's if I'm 995 01:02:31,760 --> 01:02:36,039 the Jazz, I'm app I'm operating like this course sticking together because I think 996 01:02:36,079 --> 01:02:37,559 that's the right move, at least through next season. Yeah, I think 997 01:02:37,639 --> 01:02:40,960 Kelly Ubre. I mean, it does bog Kelly Ubre, Like, I 998 01:02:40,960 --> 01:02:45,559 mean, Ubre is kind of an undisciplined wild defender, but he's a great 999 01:02:45,559 --> 01:02:47,960 athlete and he just changes, you know, he hits. He hits what 1000 01:02:49,039 --> 01:02:51,840 you need to hit for that for that defense. I think he's just gonna 1001 01:02:51,880 --> 01:02:53,920 get out and you know, be mobile and stuff. Like I think Bokanovich 1002 01:02:54,000 --> 01:02:57,800 is a better player, but in terms of fit, like, I don't 1003 01:02:57,840 --> 01:03:00,039 know, you could talk me into that one. That would be interesting. 1004 01:03:00,039 --> 01:03:04,199 I wonder why Charlotte would want a more expensive player when it was like they're 1005 01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:07,079 trying to cut pay roll. But maybe it's a third team he gets involved 1006 01:03:07,440 --> 01:03:08,760 where you're ending up with Kelly Virginior. But yeah, I'm with you there. 1007 01:03:09,199 --> 01:03:14,360 Jazz are one of the most fascinating teams probably morbidly so though leading into 1008 01:03:14,360 --> 01:03:19,039 the off season, because of all the different permutations of outcomes that seemed to 1009 01:03:19,079 --> 01:03:22,679 be available to them. Yeah, Grant, this was great until we record 1010 01:03:22,679 --> 01:03:24,400 the next one. Are you be able to tell our listeners where they can 1011 01:03:24,440 --> 01:03:28,519 find you and all the fantastic work that you put out find me here on 1012 01:03:28,559 --> 01:03:31,679 the next one probably, And then GT underscore he was on Twitter and you 1013 01:03:31,719 --> 01:03:36,119 can read what I write Bleacher Report. Thank you so much. As always, 1014 01:03:36,119 --> 01:03:37,559 we'll be talking to you soon and until next time, leave you out 1015 01:03:37,559 --> 01:03:40,719 the shout out till one the only, well before we get there. If 1016 01:03:40,719 --> 01:03:43,559 you've made it this far and you can plug this at the beginning, please 1017 01:03:43,559 --> 01:03:45,760 remember to rate, review and subscribe to this podcast, follow us on YouTube, 1018 01:03:45,800 --> 01:03:50,559 subscribe to us, join discord. The links to that and all our 1019 01:03:50,559 --> 01:03:52,280 socials are in the podcast descriptions. And now, until next time, we 1020 01:03:52,519 --> 01:04:00,119 each shout out the one, the Only, the legendary Gregulated m