1
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,519
Speaker 1: What is up, Fellasikos. I am Dampa Valley coming at

2
00:00:09,519 --> 00:00:13,359
you with the one, the only, my certified fantabulous co host,

3
00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:17,000
mister Grant Hughes. We are here with an unpoint. We've

4
00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,039
been trying to get to Awards this week. We're here

5
00:00:19,039 --> 00:00:21,879
with an unplanned episode to talk about, not even Giannis.

6
00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,320
Even though that news came out. That's kind of just like,

7
00:00:24,399 --> 00:00:26,399
all right, we knew that this was coming. We walked

8
00:00:26,399 --> 00:00:30,359
about the NBA's biggest disappointment, the Los Angeles Clippers, because

9
00:00:30,359 --> 00:00:33,439
what we do around here is just ask questions. We're

10
00:00:33,439 --> 00:00:35,119
just gonna ask. We can't be hell responsible for where

11
00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:36,479
it leads us. There's gonna be a lot of fake

12
00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:40,240
trades thrown around this episode, but we want to know

13
00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,920
is it just time for the Los Angeles Clippers to

14
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,840
blow it up? And we're gonna get into a lot

15
00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,079
of elements that go into that, But first and foremost, Grant,

16
00:00:49,079 --> 00:00:49,880
how the heck are you doing?

17
00:00:51,359 --> 00:00:53,079
Speaker 2: I just kind of want to answer that question and

18
00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,439
it would be like we're just under a minute, Uh,

19
00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,000
yes it is time.

20
00:00:58,079 --> 00:01:02,079
Speaker 1: Dan does that They beat the Hawks after they had

21
00:01:02,479 --> 00:01:03,280
three home a.

22
00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,760
Speaker 2: Bunch of teams that like the Bucks, when Giannis goes

23
00:01:05,799 --> 00:01:08,439
down just beat the Pistons, Like, what's happened? What's going

24
00:01:08,439 --> 00:01:10,319
on here? There's there's a few of these things going

25
00:01:10,359 --> 00:01:11,920
around where it's like, well, this team is gonna be

26
00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:12,439
dead in the water.

27
00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:14,719
Speaker 1: So is there such a thing as like mid game

28
00:01:14,799 --> 00:01:17,359
ewing theory to where these other teams spend so much

29
00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,000
time planning around Gianni's being there and then he leaves

30
00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:21,560
and it's oh, what do we do then?

31
00:01:21,599 --> 00:01:23,280
Speaker 2: And the Bucks are like, oh, thank god, we got

32
00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,280
this anchor out of the way. We can play now.

33
00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:29,040
No I the Clippers like. So the news trigger here

34
00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,040
obviously is Chris Paul. I don't know how much you

35
00:01:32,079 --> 00:01:34,040
want to talk about that, Like maybe maybe this is

36
00:01:34,079 --> 00:01:36,599
too quick of a dive in, but like what was

37
00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,760
your reaction when you read the report of like sent home?

38
00:01:39,879 --> 00:01:41,799
I mean, I guess he reported it kind of right,

39
00:01:42,599 --> 00:01:43,439
interested about it.

40
00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:48,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, Look, no one comes across looking good here. The

41
00:01:48,079 --> 00:01:50,400
stuff that's being leaked about with CP three was is

42
00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,400
they kept the fact that they were citing how disparaging

43
00:01:53,439 --> 00:01:55,439
he was and that it was grading on you know,

44
00:01:55,519 --> 00:01:58,239
Lawrence Frank and Tyron lou who wouldn't meet with him

45
00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:01,319
and Kawhi and James Harden and all that. What was

46
00:02:01,359 --> 00:02:04,319
he saying, like, you guys are all adults, What was

47
00:02:04,359 --> 00:02:06,519
he doing that? And if he was really saying these

48
00:02:06,519 --> 00:02:09,080
things that are outlandish, do you actually think, as someone

49
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,639
who wasn't really playing, even given your credentials, that you

50
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,960
were supposed to be doing that? But I ultimately came down,

51
00:02:16,479 --> 00:02:20,719
not necessarily on the side of CP three, But this

52
00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:25,560
is CP three. His leadership style is notoriously grating. And

53
00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,599
you had him in your organization for so long to

54
00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,919
begin with, did you not think that, like, what were

55
00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:36,159
you expecting to do to barely play they and to

56
00:02:36,199 --> 00:02:38,400
shut up the whole The Athletic had the report that

57
00:02:38,439 --> 00:02:41,599
they tried to keep his expectations in check, and I

58
00:02:41,599 --> 00:02:44,639
don't know if he was frustrated by the amount of

59
00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,039
time that he was actually spending on the court. I

60
00:02:47,199 --> 00:02:50,280
just from the Clippers end, and I did, to my credit,

61
00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,840
I did say this when they signed him. Any did

62
00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,400
they actually think it was okay just to reunite CP

63
00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,360
three in James Harden? Because there's just some stuff floating

64
00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,960
around the ether that hasn't been publicly report yet that

65
00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,680
that stuff was really bad too, and so This is

66
00:03:03,719 --> 00:03:07,039
completely to me at the best of the Clippers front

67
00:03:07,039 --> 00:03:10,199
office just really fucked up here because now you look,

68
00:03:10,599 --> 00:03:12,919
now you look, I don't know, I don't know what

69
00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,719
the word is, but you've dismissed a franchise legend in

70
00:03:16,759 --> 00:03:18,520
the middle of the night on a road trip. I

71
00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:20,439
know that there were some travel issues with the way

72
00:03:20,439 --> 00:03:22,560
that they did it, and you could say, well, you

73
00:03:22,599 --> 00:03:24,439
would have been criticizing them had they not done it

74
00:03:24,439 --> 00:03:27,960
in person. That's all true. You made it one quarter

75
00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:29,840
of the way through the season and made the decision

76
00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,199
before that, before like just deciding that this player you

77
00:03:33,599 --> 00:03:36,240
signed to a minimum contract and is a franchise icon,

78
00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:39,840
the best player in franchise history. Quite frankly, you're just

79
00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,599
jettis in it and it was just a bad fit,

80
00:03:42,759 --> 00:03:45,319
as if we don't have a track record of what

81
00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,479
Chris Paul actually does behind the scenes.

82
00:03:47,759 --> 00:03:51,039
Speaker 2: Yeah, interesting, I think I do agree that there. If

83
00:03:51,039 --> 00:03:54,599
we're gonna do the blame uh you know, slice up

84
00:03:54,599 --> 00:03:57,199
the blame pie, everybody's got a pretty good share of

85
00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,080
it here. But I was interesting your first reaction because

86
00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:04,599
mine was kind of like, well, what we know about

87
00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,599
Chris Paul at like is that he's he's sort of

88
00:04:08,639 --> 00:04:12,800
like just known as a as a well intentioned asshole,

89
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,639
Like he just like guys that play with him. I

90
00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,120
don't know that he's like disliked so much as like

91
00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,759
it's just sort of roundly acknowledged that like his sort

92
00:04:22,759 --> 00:04:27,480
of relentless edge seeking like for everything from like oh,

93
00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,639
that guy's jersey's not touched in and like chirping at

94
00:04:29,639 --> 00:04:32,800
the official to like knowing every nuanced rule to like

95
00:04:32,879 --> 00:04:35,240
inventing the three for two at the end of a quarter.

96
00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,199
Like all this stuff is like, you know, it's part

97
00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,399
of a personality that you can imagine in a locker room,

98
00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,839
is just like a lot all the time, right, But

99
00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,720
he's also been historically great, so guys put up with it,

100
00:04:48,759 --> 00:04:50,279
and it does come from a place of like he

101
00:04:50,519 --> 00:04:52,920
just wants to win, you know. So I think like

102
00:04:53,399 --> 00:04:57,199
in the language of competitive NBA players, like that's something

103
00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,639
they speak like to vary degrees across the board, so

104
00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,519
like they all get it. So but my thought was, like, yes, this,

105
00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,680
I absolutely believe Chris Paul became like too much, especially

106
00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,000
in a losing environment, especially when he's not playing, and

107
00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,680
guys are like, you know, we weren't on the Lob

108
00:05:13,759 --> 00:05:15,800
City Clippers. What gives you the right and you're not

109
00:05:15,879 --> 00:05:19,759
playing like why and especially so that's part of it,

110
00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:24,519
but it's also just like what was something different must

111
00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,920
have happened, Like this cannot have been the same Chris

112
00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:29,319
Paul that was in San Antonio and played every game

113
00:05:29,399 --> 00:05:32,800
last year, right, Like you didn't hear anything about this

114
00:05:32,959 --> 00:05:34,959
type of behavior there. And it's not like the Spurs

115
00:05:34,959 --> 00:05:38,199
were a great team last year. They weren't this you know,

116
00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,959
bad or this like sort of hopeless. But I wonder

117
00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,040
what was different? And to me, it kind of comes

118
00:05:44,079 --> 00:05:47,040
back to, like what I fixated on a lot was

119
00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,439
the relationship with TYLERU and maybe maybe this was a

120
00:05:50,439 --> 00:05:54,759
situation where like because like they're practically peers, you know,

121
00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:59,240
Paul given his experience and Tyler like maybe it got

122
00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,000
to a point where it was just like Chris Paul

123
00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,600
sort of thought he was actually the coach here or

124
00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,839
was like acting in a way that was like costing agency,

125
00:06:08,439 --> 00:06:10,000
you know, from the people that needed it.

126
00:06:10,199 --> 00:06:13,639
Speaker 1: But when Kyrie made that quip, when Steve Nash was

127
00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,439
all the coach, we're a collective, We're.

128
00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,519
Speaker 2: A collective, Yeah, it made me wonder like or just

129
00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,560
sort of like I trained my my sort of like

130
00:06:23,639 --> 00:06:27,839
curiosity more towards that aspect of it, like because this

131
00:06:27,959 --> 00:06:29,959
is you can deal with Chris Paul being how Chris

132
00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,639
Paul is, but maybe just the fact of him not

133
00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,360
being on speaking terms with his head coach and him

134
00:06:36,759 --> 00:06:38,319
someone I think one of the reports that he was

135
00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,560
doing a lot of locker room lawyering, maybe there was

136
00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:42,360
like it's not a power struggle per se, but it

137
00:06:42,439 --> 00:06:45,600
was like our leadership dynamic is kind of wrecked because

138
00:06:45,639 --> 00:06:48,560
of how things are going between him and the head coach.

139
00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:51,600
Like maybe that's what triggered it, because you're you're a

140
00:06:51,639 --> 00:06:56,240
hundred percent right, like to say, as the Clippers, you

141
00:06:56,319 --> 00:07:00,879
didn't know what getting into the Chris Paul business entailed,

142
00:07:00,959 --> 00:07:03,240
like this is he just has been this week's been.

143
00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:05,160
Speaker 1: In the league for twenty years, right, A good chun

144
00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:06,399
spent with you.

145
00:07:07,079 --> 00:07:11,279
Speaker 2: Right, right, So yeah, I don't know. I I I

146
00:07:11,519 --> 00:07:14,040
was unsurprised by a lot of it. But then just

147
00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:18,319
it's intriguing that like what happened, what's different? What about

148
00:07:18,319 --> 00:07:19,800
this situation is so different?

149
00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,000
Speaker 1: And I don't think I don't want to spend too

150
00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:23,519
much time on more Chris Paul, but I did find

151
00:07:23,519 --> 00:07:25,600
it fascinating. Was there something too that there weren't enough

152
00:07:25,639 --> 00:07:28,399
guys for him to mentor here? Because when you look

153
00:07:28,399 --> 00:07:30,240
at the Spurs, they had young guys last year, and

154
00:07:30,279 --> 00:07:33,560
it's on the Clippers, it's you know, knieder Hauser. What

155
00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:35,120
is Chris Paul going to do for him? Is it?

156
00:07:35,199 --> 00:07:38,160
You know, Kobe, Kobe Sanders, Kobe Brown, Like these are

157
00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:40,720
the guys that they're going So I wonder how much

158
00:07:40,759 --> 00:07:42,800
that had to do with it. Is there any teams

159
00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:44,920
that would make sense for Chris Paul really quickly? It

160
00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,480
almost has to happen via trade, unless there's some complicated

161
00:07:47,519 --> 00:07:49,600
stuff where you wave him and then just convert Kobe.

162
00:07:49,639 --> 00:07:53,040
Speaker 2: But I would say the teams because I think you're

163
00:07:53,199 --> 00:07:56,319
very right about like the way that he is might

164
00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,160
resonate with early twenties guys, but like if you're talking

165
00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:01,360
to James Harden and Brook Lopez and a bunch of

166
00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,160
guys that have been in the league for fifteen years,

167
00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,680
they're like, yeah, man, we get it, Like we don't

168
00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,600
need we don't need to be parented right now. I

169
00:08:08,639 --> 00:08:10,360
would say that the types of teams that make sense

170
00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:11,720
for him are ones with a bunch of young guys

171
00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,360
that need mentoring. But then why would he have any

172
00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:16,360
interest in playing for those types of teams.

173
00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,519
Speaker 1: On because you get to play, maybe there's maybe.

174
00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,879
Speaker 2: Actually yeah, playing is the key word. But like if

175
00:08:20,879 --> 00:08:22,839
this is your farewell tour, like you really want to

176
00:08:22,879 --> 00:08:25,959
go just lose. I guess that's what's happening with the Clippers,

177
00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:27,519
But you know what I mean, Like the types of

178
00:08:27,519 --> 00:08:29,040
teams that should want them are the types of teams

179
00:08:29,079 --> 00:08:30,319
that like, if I'm him, I don't want to go

180
00:08:30,319 --> 00:08:30,720
play for.

181
00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:32,480
Speaker 1: To me, there's an obvious team. It should just be

182
00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,559
New Orleans. Go back to New Orleans. Jeremiah fears getting

183
00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:37,399
the mentor from Chris Paul. He'll probably I mean know

184
00:08:37,399 --> 00:08:39,879
they have de Jontay Murray and other guard but they'll

185
00:08:39,879 --> 00:08:42,639
probably play. But that would be just to salvage the

186
00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,360
situation of the works because I don't Minnesota has been floated.

187
00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,240
But is he doing even if he's doing more for

188
00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:49,440
them than Mike Conley? Is he doing more? Is one?

189
00:08:49,639 --> 00:08:50,399
Is he? And then he?

190
00:08:50,879 --> 00:08:50,960
Speaker 2: Ye?

191
00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,440
Speaker 1: Is he doing more than Rob? Like you don't want

192
00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,320
to see Rob Dillingham's minutes get slashed even further or

193
00:08:56,399 --> 00:08:59,759
Jayleen Clark, I was eating into that just to really

194
00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,600
just a bummer of a situation because we didn't necessarily

195
00:09:02,639 --> 00:09:04,759
know this was his farewell tour, and then we did

196
00:09:04,799 --> 00:09:07,720
what for two weeks? And this is like within.

197
00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:09,279
Speaker 2: Ten weeks, and then the Clippers said goodbye.

198
00:09:09,759 --> 00:09:12,360
Speaker 1: So when we talk about the Clippers blowing it up,

199
00:09:12,519 --> 00:09:15,120
what everyone's gonna say, what the comments will probably say,

200
00:09:15,519 --> 00:09:19,039
is oh, they don't have their own picks moving forward,

201
00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,360
And I think that's important. I would argue that if

202
00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,200
you think this team is not good, you should just

203
00:09:23,279 --> 00:09:25,759
racoup what ask that you can for them and move on. Anyway,

204
00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,200
but we have to ask Grant, is there a chance

205
00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,639
that they could get their own picks back from Oklahoma City? Specifically,

206
00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:34,679
we actually have some other trades that might get the

207
00:09:34,759 --> 00:09:37,360
other picks back. But okay, see we recorded a whole

208
00:09:37,399 --> 00:09:41,120
podcast about this and it's impact on league parody. But

209
00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,440
Okase owns the Clippers pick in twenty twenty six outright

210
00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,200
and then can swap in twenty twenty seven. Is there

211
00:09:48,279 --> 00:09:52,360
anything they could do to get one or both of

212
00:09:52,399 --> 00:09:54,840
those picks back? And the framework that you and I

213
00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,759
both have sort of kicked around is you trade a

214
00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:03,080
Vita Zubats to Oklahoma City, and then you bring back

215
00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,600
Usman Jang And what's the other mid end salary that

216
00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:08,519
we would throw in there?

217
00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,720
Speaker 2: Kenrich Williams is the one kenrich Williams suggested.

218
00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:14,840
Speaker 1: So that puts Okase in attacks, which could be problematic.

219
00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,080
They can figure out a way to get it if

220
00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:17,840
they're willing to give up, maybe in Isaiah Joe or

221
00:10:17,879 --> 00:10:20,799
Aaron Wiggins in a subsequent trade. But what you're doing

222
00:10:20,879 --> 00:10:24,279
is the Clippers, now this would be the question. It's twofold,

223
00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:25,879
So why do they want Zubots when they have jed

224
00:10:25,919 --> 00:10:29,559
Holmgrin and Hartenstein. Zubots is going to be significantly cheaper.

225
00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,679
He's under team control for more years than Hartenstein, who

226
00:10:32,759 --> 00:10:35,720
has this expensive team option that most people for next year,

227
00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,240
most people think Oklahoma City is going to decline because

228
00:10:39,279 --> 00:10:42,440
they're going to be navigating Apron concerns after the season.

229
00:10:42,759 --> 00:10:46,360
So the theory would be you get someone who's as good,

230
00:10:46,639 --> 00:10:50,279
maybe better depending on how you feel, in Zubots on

231
00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,679
a more reasonable salary, and it makes it easier to

232
00:10:52,759 --> 00:10:55,399
kind of fill in the pieces around them. I think

233
00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,840
what get and so what you're doing is planning for that.

234
00:10:57,960 --> 00:10:59,480
I don't know what type of signal. This sends to

235
00:10:59,519 --> 00:11:01,360
Hartenstein and if Zubots is all of a sudden just

236
00:11:01,399 --> 00:11:02,960
on the roster, how do you feel about bringing him

237
00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,399
off the bench for this season? Given chet Holmgren's injury history,

238
00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,440
may maybe there's just something to that. The other element

239
00:11:09,519 --> 00:11:12,240
of this, that's the obvious one for okay see, is

240
00:11:12,639 --> 00:11:15,320
would it make sense to do that knowing that the

241
00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,799
Clippers would? Then I would assume and you can this

242
00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,639
is where maybe we might differentiate. Would also attach more

243
00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,399
distant first round picks to Zubots because in my head,

244
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,720
it's what would it take to get the twenty twenty

245
00:11:28,759 --> 00:11:31,519
six pick back and twenty twenty seven. If I'm the Clippers,

246
00:11:31,519 --> 00:11:35,039
would I consider doing twenty thirty and then a twenty

247
00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:37,759
thirty one swap attached to Zubots to get both of

248
00:11:37,799 --> 00:11:40,759
those picks back. I'm going to go on the record

249
00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,159
right now and say I am absolutely doing that. If

250
00:11:43,159 --> 00:11:45,120
I'm the Clippers. You're kind of kicking the can down

251
00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,480
on your commitments. But those two picks, and specifically this season,

252
00:11:49,519 --> 00:11:52,360
because you're already pretty bad, are more valuable to the

253
00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,679
Clippers than any other team in the NBA.

254
00:11:55,039 --> 00:11:57,519
Speaker 2: It's very much like what was it Brooklyn in Houston,

255
00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,000
like with the whole like the Phoenix Houston Brooklyn pick

256
00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,440
interplay where essentially, yeah, Brooklyn did it right. They needed

257
00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,960
they Brooklyn needed its picks back because boy, we're gonna

258
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,960
be bad. This needs to pay off somehow, And basically

259
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,519
what was the price was like not quite two for

260
00:12:13,639 --> 00:12:15,600
one picks, but it was close to that, right, Like

261
00:12:15,639 --> 00:12:19,519
so it was Hi, Yeah, yeah, So I don't think

262
00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:21,799
you're off base in saying that if the Clippers are

263
00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,840
gonna get back twenty six or twenty seven, let alone both,

264
00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:29,519
they got to put real value on the table draft

265
00:12:29,519 --> 00:12:33,720
asset wise to even start that conversation. And that's with

266
00:12:33,879 --> 00:12:38,840
the Clippers also giving up probably their best like tradeable player,

267
00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:40,799
you know, like just in terms of like like what

268
00:12:40,919 --> 00:12:43,799
Zubots makes, it's like nineteen next year and twenty after that.

269
00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:46,519
So like, as a I don't know where we rank

270
00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,480
him in starting centers now, but it's it's it's probably

271
00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,120
closer to top five than top ten. It's easily top

272
00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,960
ten that kind of money for that player. So like

273
00:12:56,399 --> 00:12:59,000
I'm just trying to draw the parallel between what Brooklyn

274
00:12:59,039 --> 00:13:02,399
had to give up, Like is this enough? It is

275
00:13:02,519 --> 00:13:05,879
Zubots and a twenty thirty and a twenty thirty one

276
00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,679
swap right, or actually, do you want to talk specifically

277
00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:11,720
about this package, this first one that you have there,

278
00:13:11,759 --> 00:13:14,720
because you've got three first round which is what's going out.

279
00:13:15,159 --> 00:13:18,679
Speaker 1: I'm yeah, because I think like that's how valuable getting

280
00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:20,360
those picks back. No, I don't.

281
00:13:20,159 --> 00:13:22,559
Speaker 2: Disagree, I just think we want we should lay it

282
00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,000
out so it's clear what we're talking, like how costly

283
00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,279
it is and probably should be, and how hard of

284
00:13:29,279 --> 00:13:31,799
a bargain the Thunder should drive because they know how

285
00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,480
desperate the Clippers are to get those those more immediate

286
00:13:34,519 --> 00:13:36,440
picks back. Right, So what do you want to go

287
00:13:36,519 --> 00:13:38,279
through the specifics of that deal?

288
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:42,159
Speaker 1: Yeah, So the first one would be that the Clippers

289
00:13:42,159 --> 00:13:45,440
are getting Kendrick Williams, Ushman Jang. They're getting out of

290
00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:46,840
the tax by the way, I believe it's part of this,

291
00:13:46,919 --> 00:13:49,120
or at least close to it, their own twenty twenty

292
00:13:49,159 --> 00:13:51,840
six pick back, and then you're reversing those swap rights

293
00:13:51,879 --> 00:13:53,720
on the twenty twenty seven first round pick, so they

294
00:13:53,759 --> 00:13:56,559
get their next two picks back. They are giving Oklahoma

295
00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,279
City a Vita Zubots. The Clippers is twenty thirty first

296
00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,279
round pick a twenty thirty one first round swap, and

297
00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,360
then I had put this in there as just a

298
00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,360
I don't as this would okay, see like needs do

299
00:14:08,399 --> 00:14:11,759
you also consider including the twenty thirty two first round pick.

300
00:14:11,799 --> 00:14:13,639
You could protect it, you could do whatever you want

301
00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,120
to it. And on the surface that seems insane. It's

302
00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:20,279
zubots and control of three first round picks for your

303
00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:24,279
next two first round picks back. But the ideas the

304
00:14:24,279 --> 00:14:27,000
Clippers would be, we're still gonna be flexible moving into

305
00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,919
twenty twenty seven and beyond, and we're gonna get these now.

306
00:14:30,919 --> 00:14:33,320
We can rebuild or be bad for these two years,

307
00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,159
get high draft picks in, and we will be better

308
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:39,039
suited to give away picks in twenty thirty, thirty one,

309
00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,240
and thirty two than we would right now. Certainly into that,

310
00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,480
I mean, grant, there's the teams that have started they

311
00:14:45,519 --> 00:14:48,399
started five and fifteen or was it five and sixteen

312
00:14:48,519 --> 00:14:51,000
they started? Yeah, there are of all the teams in

313
00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:53,720
NBA history that have started five and sixteen or worse,

314
00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,840
seven of them have gone on to make the playoffs.

315
00:14:57,159 --> 00:15:00,879
And that's less than four percent. That's so it's just like.

316
00:15:00,799 --> 00:15:04,399
Speaker 2: It's not happening. It's just I guarantee none of them

317
00:15:04,519 --> 00:15:06,679
were none of them were this old either, right, and

318
00:15:06,679 --> 00:15:08,440
it already broke breaking down.

319
00:15:09,039 --> 00:15:12,000
Speaker 1: Right, And so that's why this is so fascinating to me.

320
00:15:12,039 --> 00:15:14,799
So I'm curious when you saw that, what were kind

321
00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,279
of your your thoughts on, Oh, is this too much?

322
00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:23,120
Speaker 2: So if I'm the Clippers, I'm certainly not putting the

323
00:15:23,159 --> 00:15:26,639
twenty thirty two on the table at the outset. But

324
00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:28,919
if I'm the Thunder, I'm insisting on it because, as

325
00:15:28,919 --> 00:15:31,840
I said, I know, look like this is the only

326
00:15:31,879 --> 00:15:33,960
way out right for the Clippers, Like this is the

327
00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,159
only way to make the next five years like bearable. Right,

328
00:15:38,279 --> 00:15:41,080
is because you draft high in this one in twenty six,

329
00:15:41,159 --> 00:15:43,480
and you draft high in twenty seven. Probably probably that's

330
00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:45,720
the plan, because you're gonna, I assume, as part of

331
00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:47,960
this whole deal, sell everything else you better you can.

332
00:15:48,399 --> 00:15:48,559
Speaker 1: Right.

333
00:15:49,559 --> 00:15:53,559
Speaker 2: If you don't do that, there's no payoff for being

334
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,519
just miserable this year and next, and those twenty thirty

335
00:15:58,679 --> 00:16:01,840
through thirty two assets, those are valuable, but that's a

336
00:16:01,879 --> 00:16:03,960
long way off. Like you're you're so you're waiting to

337
00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,559
start your rebuild in the twenty thirties, Like, that's that

338
00:16:06,559 --> 00:16:10,200
can't be the plan. So ultimately, I don't think that

339
00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,799
this is too much to give up for a shot

340
00:16:13,919 --> 00:16:16,759
at a real rebuild that starts in a matter of

341
00:16:16,799 --> 00:16:20,200
months as opposed to half a decade, right, Like, that's

342
00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:22,159
what we're talking about here. This is the only way

343
00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:26,279
the Clippers can achieve that. So this is giving up basically,

344
00:16:27,159 --> 00:16:30,159
is it their fore most valuable trade assets? Like all

345
00:16:30,159 --> 00:16:34,519
in one deal? I think that's probably. I would be

346
00:16:34,559 --> 00:16:37,639
curious what the pushback is because my gut is like, yeah,

347
00:16:37,679 --> 00:16:39,720
you kind of got to do that if you're the Clippers, Like,

348
00:16:39,759 --> 00:16:43,519
what is the what is the argument against giving up

349
00:16:43,519 --> 00:16:46,279
all this for your twenties for control of twenty six

350
00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,879
and twenty seven back? Because I'd love to hear it.

351
00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,519
Speaker 1: I'm also curious, is what do you think the Thunder

352
00:16:52,639 --> 00:16:56,000
would they do this without the twenty thirty two pick involved?

353
00:16:56,039 --> 00:16:58,240
And because you could say the Thunder you know right now,

354
00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:00,679
Okase knows at least the two thousand than twenty six

355
00:17:00,759 --> 00:17:03,360
picks should be great. But the thing about the Thunder

356
00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,240
right now is they're already so good that the idea

357
00:17:07,279 --> 00:17:09,880
of integrating, whether it's if I don't think. Maybe it's

358
00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:12,200
not aj Dibnso or cam Boozer, but if it's a

359
00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,799
top five, top seven guy, whatever, it's almost harder now

360
00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:19,319
because of how deep you are and where everyone's at,

361
00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:21,720
and you're you're not getting older, you haven't if you

362
00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:24,599
this core has not priced itself out of OKAC just yet,

363
00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:26,599
and so the idea of having those picks out in

364
00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,839
the distance in years whereas of right now is going

365
00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:32,759
to shock people. The Thunder do not have extra first

366
00:17:32,839 --> 00:17:35,680
round picks in twenty thirty and beyond, aside from their own,

367
00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:37,920
I feel like you could look at that as okay,

368
00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:41,079
see and even with twenty thirty two gone, I probably

369
00:17:41,079 --> 00:17:43,319
would like if I'm Sam Presty, yeah, I'm absolutely trying

370
00:17:43,319 --> 00:17:45,799
to drive that bargain. But because if you look at

371
00:17:45,839 --> 00:17:48,440
it this way, it would be from the Thunder's perspective

372
00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,440
as to why you argue it's included there is you

373
00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:54,039
would bait like the Clippers are giving you zubots on time,

374
00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:56,359
like you're keeping the pick equity the same because you're

375
00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,240
subbing out twenty six for twenty thirty and then twenty

376
00:17:59,279 --> 00:18:01,240
seven for twenty three. Aready one of your getting zoobots,

377
00:18:01,279 --> 00:18:03,279
and so the argument for OKAYC would be, well, we

378
00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:05,559
know these picks are gonna be valuable right now, these

379
00:18:05,599 --> 00:18:08,119
imminent ones. That's why you have to include twenty thirty two.

380
00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:10,680
But I found it interesting from the Thunder's perspective to

381
00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:15,039
where does it help them navigate, Like it really doesn't

382
00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:18,279
change to me how they're navigating the next couple of years.

383
00:18:18,319 --> 00:18:20,599
If anything, to me, I think that it would just

384
00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,519
open up their ability to keep this thing going for longer.

385
00:18:24,079 --> 00:18:26,720
Speaker 2: I think that's right. I guess like part of it too,

386
00:18:26,839 --> 00:18:29,759
is is I don't know the last two higher end

387
00:18:29,839 --> 00:18:33,680
first rounders the Thunder of Chosen haven't still haven't played.

388
00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,160
So it's like, so we're gonna have Topitch and we're

389
00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:40,440
gonna have Sober integrate into this thing eventually, plus guys

390
00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:42,400
that we're gonna get in twenty six and twenty seven,

391
00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,640
Like at some point there's just not room for those

392
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,599
players now, Like if you do believe that you're gonna

393
00:18:47,640 --> 00:18:49,759
get that this pick is gonna, say, twenty six is

394
00:18:49,759 --> 00:18:53,720
gonna turn into one of these like theoretically generational guys,

395
00:18:53,759 --> 00:18:56,640
like you do give that some real thought. But but

396
00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:59,680
there is isn't there some element of like, as the Thunder,

397
00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:02,720
we can't even use these guys yet, like why and

398
00:19:02,759 --> 00:19:06,000
we're gonna continue to be struggling with how do we

399
00:19:06,079 --> 00:19:09,119
keep this core together and manage costs? And like, I

400
00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,519
don't know there's some value then, isn't there in like

401
00:19:12,559 --> 00:19:14,400
you said, kicking the can down the road to where

402
00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,400
all right, we're not gonna onboard a rookie next to

403
00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,240
start next season that's making like whatever the second or

404
00:19:21,279 --> 00:19:23,440
third or fourth pick like fifteen million dollars and is

405
00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,400
gonna be like making mid level plus money and maybe

406
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:29,480
not being able to play. And we're just waiting on

407
00:19:29,519 --> 00:19:31,599
this guy, like maybe there's some sense and just like

408
00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,079
we'll just worry about that in twenty thirty when theoretically

409
00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:37,200
we've got other guys that are getting expensive, like the

410
00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:42,079
flexibility pushing the flexibility out further I think makes a

411
00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,240
little bit of sense right from the Thunders perspective, cause like, yeah,

412
00:19:46,079 --> 00:19:48,839
how great does this incoming set of rookies in twenty

413
00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:51,079
six and twenty seven need to be to matter like

414
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:53,240
at all for this team? Like you could, well they

415
00:19:53,279 --> 00:19:55,359
almost can't. Could you usually make this team better?

416
00:19:55,799 --> 00:19:57,599
Speaker 1: Could you have said the same thing though a couple

417
00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,359
of years ago, last year about aj Mitchell, or even

418
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:01,160
this year about it.

419
00:20:01,039 --> 00:20:03,279
Speaker 2: You're making them back that guy's available in the second

420
00:20:03,359 --> 00:20:05,400
round apparently, so you don't need you don't need to

421
00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,720
commit the resources to picking the guy in the lottery

422
00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,039
if you can find AJ Mitchell's all over the place,

423
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:11,400
So you would.

424
00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,200
Speaker 1: You have something in our notes that do you think

425
00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:15,519
it would take less? Or is it just going after

426
00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:18,279
the twenty twenties, Like, if you're just going after one

427
00:20:18,319 --> 00:20:20,839
of those picks, is there even a right? I think

428
00:20:20,839 --> 00:20:24,440
for the Clippers too, it's you know you're bad now.

429
00:20:24,799 --> 00:20:26,759
So the twenty twenty six pick I would assume would

430
00:20:26,759 --> 00:20:28,799
be the priority. But if you can get twenty twenty

431
00:20:28,839 --> 00:20:31,640
seven back to where that is, there's this one year

432
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:35,039
reset basically before you owe the two picks to Philly.

433
00:20:35,039 --> 00:20:37,079
You could consider something like that. But what were your

434
00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:38,960
thoughts on just getting one of those picks?

435
00:20:39,039 --> 00:20:42,759
Speaker 2: Well, it's it's less about getting just one, I know,

436
00:20:42,839 --> 00:20:44,839
I know. My note basically the note is just is

437
00:20:44,839 --> 00:20:47,359
there anything to Hartenstein in the twenty six first for

438
00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,160
Zubots like or for Zubots in the twenty six first?

439
00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:52,559
I guess that should say you know what I mean,

440
00:20:53,759 --> 00:20:56,240
It's really more about Okay, So if you're bringing in

441
00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:01,079
Zubots in this trade, like Hartenstein has a non guarantee

442
00:21:01,079 --> 00:21:03,680
for twenty eight and a half million next year, you

443
00:21:03,799 --> 00:21:06,200
need him and Chet, You need all three of these

444
00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:08,640
guys for this season? Like is there something to just

445
00:21:08,759 --> 00:21:12,319
building it around him? Who for the Clippers? He could

446
00:21:12,319 --> 00:21:14,359
just come off the books. You could wave him, or

447
00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:16,720
you could flip him, or you could just renegotiate, you know,

448
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:21,400
decline or don't pick the guarantee up, don't guarantee the salary, renegotiate.

449
00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,799
It is that bigger salary and one that probably definitely

450
00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:28,519
does save the thunder more money, right if we're concerned

451
00:21:28,559 --> 00:21:30,680
about getting them under the tax or under not the

452
00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:34,680
tax the second apron next year, does just building this

453
00:21:34,759 --> 00:21:37,039
around Heart and Seign make more sense? What I just

454
00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:39,599
was curious on like why aren't we starting there?

455
00:21:40,519 --> 00:21:43,759
Speaker 1: The For me, it was just because why mess with

456
00:21:43,839 --> 00:21:46,200
a good thing to that degree? And it's funny because

457
00:21:46,279 --> 00:21:49,000
Kevin Pelton just wrote something at ESPN about how long

458
00:21:49,039 --> 00:21:51,759
it can take new arrivals to be integrated even when

459
00:21:51,799 --> 00:21:54,000
they have an off season, and he like went through

460
00:21:54,079 --> 00:21:57,000
Desmond Bane and Cam Johnson were two of the primary examples.

461
00:21:57,519 --> 00:22:00,000
So I just be nervous about why are we shaking?

462
00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,119
They might just win seventy four plus games this year,

463
00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,279
and so why are you shaking any part of the

464
00:22:05,319 --> 00:22:08,200
actual core up And it seems like their locker room

465
00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:10,759
would be built to traverse the dynamics of wh we

466
00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:14,759
have Jay will Chet, Isaiah Hart and Steinman Zubo. They'll

467
00:22:14,799 --> 00:22:16,279
just figure it out. They're like, Shay doesn't have to

468
00:22:16,279 --> 00:22:18,160
play fourth quarters right now. They could throw out three

469
00:22:18,160 --> 00:22:19,640
centers at some point if they want. They could do

470
00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,319
whatever they want. So you could do something like that,

471
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,480
or you could look at it as why not just

472
00:22:24,519 --> 00:22:27,680
get zubots and then trade him for more first round picks?

473
00:22:28,559 --> 00:22:28,960
Speaker 2: Right?

474
00:22:29,319 --> 00:22:31,319
Speaker 1: And you could then figure out the Hertenstein thing down

475
00:22:31,319 --> 00:22:32,359
the road.

476
00:22:32,519 --> 00:22:36,319
Speaker 2: Can we I really at the core of this whole discussion,

477
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,079
And this won't just be about the Thunder, but we

478
00:22:38,119 --> 00:22:39,759
sort of had to start here because they have the

479
00:22:39,759 --> 00:22:40,720
clippers picks.

480
00:22:40,599 --> 00:22:43,160
Speaker 1: Oh fas just Glora Cumming folks, they're.

481
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,640
Speaker 2: On a flex. Where as the Thunder. You're like, you

482
00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,480
could be offered this incredible, like this is a great deal, right,

483
00:22:50,559 --> 00:22:53,160
you just to say it's zubots for like a couple

484
00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:55,759
of rotation guys, and you're gonna get I don't know

485
00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,279
more first than you're sending out. And you can say that,

486
00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:01,000
you can look around and be like, we don't need

487
00:23:01,039 --> 00:23:05,519
to do that, or really even more like firmly say

488
00:23:05,519 --> 00:23:08,799
like why would we do that? It's almost impossible for

489
00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,039
us to be better? Why would we make any trades?

490
00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,240
Like anything we do almost by definition makes us worse,

491
00:23:14,279 --> 00:23:17,039
because like you can't be better than we are if

492
00:23:17,079 --> 00:23:19,240
you're if you want to judge it by like point differential,

493
00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:22,640
historically it's impossible, like no one has ever been better,

494
00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:25,039
like how ambitious are we? So it's just like what

495
00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,119
it's just again, this should have been on the Thunder

496
00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:29,599
podcast we did last week or whatever it was. But

497
00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,160
it's just like they don't have to do this, and

498
00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:37,640
that posture is why they They can just say give

499
00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:40,000
us everything and we'll maybe think about it.

500
00:23:40,039 --> 00:23:43,279
Speaker 1: Clippers, well, and so man, that leads us to that

501
00:23:43,319 --> 00:23:48,480
we're just asking questions everybody who says no zubots, The

502
00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,759
Clippers twenty thirty first round pick, twenty thirty one first

503
00:23:51,839 --> 00:23:54,599
round swap, and twenty thirty two first round pick to

504
00:23:54,599 --> 00:23:57,960
the thunder for Usman Jang Kendrick Williams and control of

505
00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,119
the Clippers's next two picks back the team that I'm saying.

506
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,039
Speaker 2: No, if anyone's saying no, it's the thunder, because the

507
00:24:03,039 --> 00:24:05,759
Clippers should do that in a heartbeat, right they should.

508
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:06,559
Speaker 1: They have to should.

509
00:24:06,559 --> 00:24:08,680
Speaker 2: It's the only way. Like, like we said.

510
00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,440
Speaker 1: Do you think that's a viable offer to get okay?

511
00:24:12,559 --> 00:24:15,519
See thinking or no? They're not even having a discussion

512
00:24:15,559 --> 00:24:15,920
about it.

513
00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:17,880
Speaker 2: I think, oh no, I think you do think about that.

514
00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,160
You're getting the best player in the deal by a ton,

515
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,000
and you're getting three picks for two, So why of

516
00:24:24,039 --> 00:24:25,119
course you think about it.

517
00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:26,799
Speaker 1: Do you know what ends up happening is that they

518
00:24:26,839 --> 00:24:29,279
also end up getting the Clippers seconds in twenty thirty

519
00:24:29,279 --> 00:24:31,519
one and twenty thirty That's what that's the end result

520
00:24:31,559 --> 00:24:31,920
of all that.

521
00:24:32,079 --> 00:24:35,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, but the Clippers do that, should do that

522
00:24:35,319 --> 00:24:39,240
ten times out of ten, just like why the only

523
00:24:39,319 --> 00:24:41,279
thing you can do to salvage this is to get

524
00:24:41,279 --> 00:24:42,279
control of your picks back.

525
00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:47,240
Speaker 1: So yeah, you go in the chat. H then Kutamada

526
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:51,119
MAJORI seven six seven nine proposed Derek Jones Junior and

527
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,640
Chris Dunn and Kobe Brown for Kelly Olynok and maybe

528
00:24:53,759 --> 00:24:57,000
Carter Bryant. As we get into we're going to be

529
00:24:57,039 --> 00:24:59,799
getting into some bigger name trades here, I would imagine

530
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,200
Spurs shut that down pretty quickly, would be my guess.

531
00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:08,279
Speaker 2: Maybe if if Derek Jones were healthy, because you could

532
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,279
make Yeah, I mean, Derek Jones is the healthy version

533
00:25:11,319 --> 00:25:14,599
of him is just something the Spurs could really use,

534
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:17,640
just a nightmare wing defender who can make threes, like

535
00:25:17,759 --> 00:25:19,960
they don't. They sort of don't have that guy, but

536
00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:21,839
I mean they're another team.

537
00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:24,960
Speaker 1: They're probably hoping Carter Bryant turns into that, but he doesn't.

538
00:25:25,079 --> 00:25:28,319
Speaker 2: Shooting shooting speculative with him. But he might be a

539
00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:31,079
better defender than Derek Jones R. Right now. That's that's

540
00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:32,759
that's ridiculous, But you know what I mean.

541
00:25:33,319 --> 00:25:37,319
Speaker 1: The other trade they propose is maybe John Collinson seconds

542
00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:41,000
for ke On Ellis and Monk Uh. The Kings might

543
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:43,160
just be kingsy enough to do that. I don't know

544
00:25:43,279 --> 00:25:45,519
the value of that for I think that helps the

545
00:25:45,559 --> 00:25:49,079
Clippers now for sure. I just don't know, Like from

546
00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:52,839
the Clippers perspective, that doesn't ke Allis is great, sure, right,

547
00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:55,160
I just don't know what that does for there. So

548
00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:57,799
now you have Monk and Harden and ke On Ellis.

549
00:25:57,920 --> 00:26:00,880
It just seems a little I would you do that

550
00:26:01,039 --> 00:26:02,599
as the Clipper? I guess I probably What would you

551
00:26:02,599 --> 00:26:03,119
do as the King?

552
00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:06,440
Speaker 2: I think I would just I think I would because

553
00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,400
it seems like Collins is just turned back into a pumpkin.

554
00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:12,480
And then I don't know, Ellis is someone you could

555
00:26:12,519 --> 00:26:16,079
resign and I mean, yeah, I don't know, it's not

556
00:26:16,279 --> 00:26:18,000
I don't know that that moves the needle much one

557
00:26:18,039 --> 00:26:19,920
way or the other. The King, the King's going after

558
00:26:20,039 --> 00:26:22,799
John Collins for it would be hilarious.

559
00:26:23,559 --> 00:26:25,319
Speaker 1: So let's start. I think the two names that you

560
00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:27,400
need to talk about is like, what would the markets

561
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:30,720
be like for James Harden and Kawhi. Let's begin with

562
00:26:31,559 --> 00:26:33,000
which player do you want to begin with? And then

563
00:26:33,039 --> 00:26:34,519
we could go through some of the trades that we

564
00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:35,240
have for them.

565
00:26:35,319 --> 00:26:37,680
Speaker 2: I think we may as well start with Harden. He's

566
00:26:37,839 --> 00:26:40,839
been playing great and has been again just like I

567
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,119
just never saw this season coming after after last season

568
00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:46,799
felt like an outlier. So I think, I mean, I

569
00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:48,240
still do know we're going to get into it. I

570
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:50,279
don't know what his value is because he's see such

571
00:26:50,519 --> 00:26:55,759
a singular guy that changes how you operate. That it's

572
00:26:56,119 --> 00:26:58,000
you know, I don't know it. I'm glad you came

573
00:26:58,079 --> 00:27:00,400
up with this one because I don't know what trade.

574
00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:01,039
So what trade?

575
00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:03,039
Speaker 1: Let's let's go back forward, which trade you want to

576
00:27:03,079 --> 00:27:04,279
Which team do you want to start with?

577
00:27:04,759 --> 00:27:06,880
Speaker 2: Uh, let's let's go with the Wolves one, just because

578
00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:09,559
that's that's next. That's first in line here. So here

579
00:27:09,599 --> 00:27:14,200
are the particulars. The Los Angeles Clippers receive Jalen Green

580
00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:19,000
and Bones Island. The Minnesota Timberwolves get Harden and Haywood

581
00:27:19,039 --> 00:27:23,119
high Smith. The Brooklyn Nets get Mike Conley Leonard Miller

582
00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,759
a twenty six second that's like the second most favorable

583
00:27:26,839 --> 00:27:29,960
of fifty different teams. Memphis is twenty six second that's

584
00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:32,880
got protections from forty three to sixty so not a

585
00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:36,160
bad one. And Cleveland's twenty seven second that is via Minnesota,

586
00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:39,039
the Sons get Julius Randall. A lot of moving parts here,

587
00:27:39,079 --> 00:27:41,119
but I guess the main things are the Clippers wind

588
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,240
up with Jalen Green as the headliner, Hardened to Minnesota

589
00:27:44,319 --> 00:27:47,400
and Randall to Phoenix, with the Nets kind of playing

590
00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:49,079
facilitator basically.

591
00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,160
Speaker 1: I don't. So do you think the Nets are getting

592
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,680
enough to take on Mike Conley up three seconds to

593
00:27:54,759 --> 00:27:55,000
do that?

594
00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,799
Speaker 2: I mean, I guess, I guess. If you're gonna nitpick,

595
00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:02,920
that's the part where you might say, like, why why

596
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:04,920
are they jumping in to help out? If this is

597
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,000
all they're getting? You could find other seconds somewhere if

598
00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,160
you needed to. But like Mike Conley's salary is not

599
00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:12,680
just like this crippling thing. I don't I'm not. I

600
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:13,880
don't feel like that's a hang up.

601
00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:15,200
Speaker 1: So this isn't.

602
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,640
Speaker 2: That's not gonna scuttle the deal, And just for transparency's sake,

603
00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:20,799
you kind of just need another team involved here that

604
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,039
can help out a little bit. And the Nets are

605
00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,599
the Nets are are the lucky one here.

606
00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,039
Speaker 1: Oddly enough, I like this deal the most for Phoenix

607
00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:31,920
because I feel like Julius Randall actually upgrades a position

608
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:34,480
of need. They're so reliant on Dylan Brooks shot creation

609
00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,559
right now. For the For the Clippers, it's just you're

610
00:28:37,559 --> 00:28:39,519
not getting any picks. You're just saying, hey, we're getting

611
00:28:39,559 --> 00:28:41,599
younger with Jayalen Green and taking a flyer on that,

612
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:45,599
and we're pivoting away when Jalen Green is healthy. Minnesota

613
00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:48,000
was the hang up for me because I think Julius

614
00:28:48,079 --> 00:28:51,519
Randall has had by and large a really good offensive season,

615
00:28:52,079 --> 00:28:55,960
and like this is just the ultimate Even Julius Randall's there,

616
00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:57,039
so you could say the same thing. It's like the

617
00:28:57,119 --> 00:28:59,680
ultimate form of trust and Rudy Gobert still being just

618
00:28:59,759 --> 00:29:02,480
a defensive superhero, which apparently he still is when you

619
00:29:02,519 --> 00:29:05,279
look at that has been, Yeah, he has been. And

620
00:29:05,319 --> 00:29:07,319
then the Hayward Highsmith element of it, to me is

621
00:29:07,440 --> 00:29:10,039
very interesting just because that's when he comes back, assuming

622
00:29:10,079 --> 00:29:12,160
he comes back from his right knee surgery, that's a

623
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,799
really helpful player, just a three and D wing who

624
00:29:14,799 --> 00:29:19,119
can guard across those two three four spots. I I

625
00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:21,680
don't know who says no to this. It's like, if

626
00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:23,279
you're the Clippers, do you look at this and say,

627
00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,920
we're giving away the player who on paper is probably

628
00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:29,039
having the best individual season. So getting Jayalen Green and

629
00:29:29,359 --> 00:29:31,279
let's say getting out of the tax is the endgame.

630
00:29:31,359 --> 00:29:32,319
That's not enough for us.

631
00:29:33,359 --> 00:29:37,720
Speaker 2: I mean maybe especially because Harden what's I'd never forget.

632
00:29:37,799 --> 00:29:40,160
So he's got the player option for next year, so

633
00:29:40,279 --> 00:29:42,960
it's not like but that's a partial guarantee, right, so

634
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:46,240
thirteen million guaranteed. So the counter might be from the Clippers, like,

635
00:29:46,759 --> 00:29:48,920
I don't know, we'd rather just pay him thirteen million

636
00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:51,240
to not be here next year. They have Jalen Green,

637
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:54,400
But I think Jalen Green's worth more than just letting

638
00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:59,240
Harden go paying Harden to go away. The thing, I

639
00:29:59,319 --> 00:30:02,319
guess the what I focus on most is the Minnesota

640
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:05,200
side of this, because one, it's the best team we're

641
00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:07,720
talking about in this in this exchange, and too it's

642
00:30:07,799 --> 00:30:11,680
like Harden is such a he's been so good this

643
00:30:11,839 --> 00:30:16,400
season and would seem to address the issue in Minnesota,

644
00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,119
which is just can we get a guy to create

645
00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:21,839
shots that aren't Anthony Edwards self created step back threes

646
00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:24,079
and crunch time? You know, saying all that the Wolves

647
00:30:24,079 --> 00:30:26,839
are fifth in offense, so like, but it is an.

648
00:30:26,839 --> 00:30:29,960
Speaker 1: Over correction because it's James Harden rather than just like

649
00:30:30,079 --> 00:30:32,039
someone who's more inclined to work off the ball.

650
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:36,400
Speaker 2: Maybe the threshold question is do you do personally? I

651
00:30:36,559 --> 00:30:39,359
think the Wolves offense still kind of is the problem.

652
00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,079
Like they've given away a bunch of games late with

653
00:30:41,279 --> 00:30:42,319
just bad execution.

654
00:30:42,359 --> 00:30:44,720
Speaker 1: You're not insane. You look at where they rank an offense,

655
00:30:44,799 --> 00:30:46,559
and it's even just insane. You look at where they

656
00:30:46,599 --> 00:30:48,720
rank in offense and defense and you just still don't

657
00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:52,440
feel great about their season. That's not to me, it is,

658
00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:54,839
but it's like if you, I do think having watched

659
00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:56,599
them a fair amount and seen some of these given

660
00:30:56,720 --> 00:30:59,039
maybe maybe if I'd watched every Wolves game and not

661
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,160
happen to have seen like all the late game catastrophes

662
00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,079
in addition to a few like non catastrophes, I feel differently.

663
00:31:05,519 --> 00:31:09,160
I still just think like the esthetics and just the

664
00:31:09,279 --> 00:31:13,039
style of the offense I don't trust in a if

665
00:31:13,079 --> 00:31:14,720
you're trying to get where they're trying to get, which

666
00:31:14,759 --> 00:31:15,960
is like I don't know, they're trying to make the

667
00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,640
conference finals at least, right that's the bar for them.

668
00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:23,039
So do you think that's a big enough problem to

669
00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,640
justify the risk of adding Harden? And like all of

670
00:31:25,759 --> 00:31:29,400
the trickle down that would occur with like what's Edwards

671
00:31:29,519 --> 00:31:31,640
do now? And like is it a good thing to

672
00:31:31,759 --> 00:31:33,640
reduce his usage? And what is this?

673
00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,279
Speaker 2: Like you can make the case that Harden would be

674
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,559
exactly what they need, but you could also just as

675
00:31:38,599 --> 00:31:41,119
easily say, like this is way too disruptive to a

676
00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:42,799
team that's fifth in offense.

677
00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,759
Speaker 1: And so you trust the late game dynamic with Harden

678
00:31:45,839 --> 00:31:47,920
more than you would with Randall. And it's also just

679
00:31:48,119 --> 00:31:50,599
randal as we have nas as the Wolves, you have

680
00:31:50,759 --> 00:31:53,599
nas Reads sitting there. You can move j Mack into

681
00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,599
more four minutes without him on the roster. This is

682
00:31:56,759 --> 00:31:59,880
just perpetually either undervaluing or not knowing how to value

683
00:32:00,079 --> 00:32:01,039
Julius Randall makes this.

684
00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:03,839
Speaker 2: Let's think too about the argument we're making here is

685
00:32:04,359 --> 00:32:08,480
we're worried about the wolves playoff performance on offense, right,

686
00:32:08,519 --> 00:32:11,240
and the solve is James Harden like the worst playoff

687
00:32:11,279 --> 00:32:13,319
performer among superstars of all.

688
00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:16,279
Speaker 1: It's like it's like the Tyler saying that they need

689
00:32:16,359 --> 00:32:18,279
Bradley be able to return to all defense level, Like

690
00:32:18,359 --> 00:32:21,000
we need James Harden to recapture his playoff, his playoff

691
00:32:21,079 --> 00:32:23,559
for him, I don't we have. In the comments, someone's

692
00:32:23,559 --> 00:32:25,279
saying like it'd probably be better for the Clippers if

693
00:32:25,279 --> 00:32:27,519
they get Rob Dillingham, and I'd agree, but like I

694
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:30,559
can't if I'm Minnesota giving how good Julius Randall's been

695
00:32:31,920 --> 00:32:34,160
unless you're really high on high Smith or they could

696
00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:37,319
appreciate the flexibility of James Harden's contract being one year

697
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,000
shorter if you even stay like stays that one than

698
00:32:40,079 --> 00:32:43,799
Julius Randalls. But I I don't know giving up Rob

699
00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:47,319
Dillingham and Julius Randall to get James Harden. If I'm

700
00:32:47,319 --> 00:32:50,440
the Wolves, I'm absolutely saying no to that. Maybe I'm

701
00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:52,559
at this point, I'm still just holding out hope that

702
00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:56,799
Rob Rob Dillingham pops at some point, But that one's tough.

703
00:32:57,359 --> 00:32:59,759
I can't go even this one for me as the Wolves.

704
00:32:59,839 --> 00:33:02,039
This is the team honestly that I struggled with it

705
00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:02,559
the most.

706
00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,799
Speaker 2: I think the I think that's fair because if you

707
00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,079
step all the way back now, if you step all

708
00:33:09,079 --> 00:33:11,160
the way back, you're you're saying, like I just said

709
00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:15,279
a minute ago, we're worried about our playoff ceiling. Let's

710
00:33:15,319 --> 00:33:17,720
turn to James Harden like that. That might be just

711
00:33:17,799 --> 00:33:20,519
the end of the discussion, because it's like his track

712
00:33:20,599 --> 00:33:23,079
record is such that like he's going to fail in

713
00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,119
the playoffs, and you're you sort of can't he can't

714
00:33:26,119 --> 00:33:28,240
sort of be an ancillary player just because of how

715
00:33:28,279 --> 00:33:30,880
he plays, So you're really tying your fate to him.

716
00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:32,960
Maybe being next to Edwards changes that.

717
00:33:33,079 --> 00:33:33,640
Speaker 1: I don't know.

718
00:33:35,079 --> 00:33:38,720
Speaker 2: The case for it from Minnesota side is just Dillingham.

719
00:33:39,039 --> 00:33:41,920
Just say Dillingham's and like he okay, I don't if

720
00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,480
he ever is going to be any good, He's probably

721
00:33:43,519 --> 00:33:46,039
not gonna do it on our timeline right now. By

722
00:33:46,079 --> 00:33:49,200
the time dilling Ham's really good, go Bear will have

723
00:33:49,319 --> 00:33:52,559
fallen off or or will be gone. Uh, Like, I

724
00:33:52,599 --> 00:33:55,680
don't know, Randal Randall is at the apex of his value.

725
00:33:55,839 --> 00:33:58,400
That's another reason to do this if you're Minnesota, like

726
00:33:58,559 --> 00:34:01,240
or at least recently, like Randall's been so good that

727
00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,160
like you just you can't bank on getting more for

728
00:34:04,279 --> 00:34:06,599
him going forward. I don't think. But yeah, this is

729
00:34:06,799 --> 00:34:09,280
it's a tough ask for Minnesota to to like upend

730
00:34:09,360 --> 00:34:10,360
things to this degree.

731
00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:14,199
Speaker 1: Let's go to another James Harden tree. We should probably

732
00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:15,719
save the Bucks stuff for the n so we could

733
00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,199
talk about Yannis a little bit more. I kind of

734
00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:19,880
I'm gonna throw this one up on screen just to

735
00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:23,400
cause some chaos. James Harden the Warriors grant. I don't

736
00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:25,880
have this in our dock because the framework is basically

737
00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,880
like it's kaminga and then it would have to be

738
00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:31,159
basically four for one or three for one and Kaminga's

739
00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:33,119
the salary anchor that goes out, are you willing as

740
00:34:33,159 --> 00:34:35,800
the Warriors? Are you so confused about where they are?

741
00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:38,920
Or is Dany Meltain coming back soon? And you're saying, no,

742
00:34:39,039 --> 00:34:41,559
everything's gonna be. He's gonna be. But the idea of

743
00:34:41,679 --> 00:34:45,239
having James Harden, Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green

744
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,079
on the same team, it's not a fever dream so

745
00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:49,320
much as an acid trip.

746
00:34:49,519 --> 00:34:51,679
Speaker 2: And I would kind of like to see it. I

747
00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:54,920
would like to see it just for just just to

748
00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:57,000
see it, just like, what does that even look like?

749
00:34:57,119 --> 00:34:59,800
I think if I'm talking about how Harden would up

750
00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:02,719
end things for the Wolves, isn't isn't it just it?

751
00:35:02,840 --> 00:35:04,840
That's why it's so hard to imagine. He's like, he's

752
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:08,199
like the most antithetical player stylistically to the to how

753
00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:10,760
Golden State has played offense forever that Like, I just

754
00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:15,679
don't even know what what that looks like. Having said that,

755
00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,440
I like it could work, like so now Curry's running

756
00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:20,480
around off the ball and Harden's running pick and rolls,

757
00:35:20,519 --> 00:35:23,559
like I don't know, stranger things have been successful.

758
00:35:24,079 --> 00:35:26,599
Speaker 1: Let's say you don't give up a first round pick.

759
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:30,000
But you're like you're talking, you're probably giving up too

760
00:35:30,199 --> 00:35:32,239
of Comingo's one, and then you're I think to make

761
00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:33,920
the money work, you're gonna have to give up either

762
00:35:34,519 --> 00:35:36,480
Pods or Moses Moody.

763
00:35:37,519 --> 00:35:41,599
Speaker 2: I mean, I think, first of all, Coming is gone anyway,

764
00:35:42,199 --> 00:35:45,239
so so like he almost like yeah, he doesn't even

765
00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,960
like rate to me as like giving him up, like

766
00:35:48,039 --> 00:35:49,239
he's basically not there.

767
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:52,000
Speaker 1: So I thought the idea would be, maybe we get

768
00:35:52,079 --> 00:35:54,360
someone who's not closer to forty than.

769
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:57,199
Speaker 2: Thirty, right, Well, you gotta you've come this far, like

770
00:35:57,639 --> 00:35:59,800
let's actually let's just double let's double.

771
00:35:59,559 --> 00:36:01,440
Speaker 1: Down on Yeah, so that may should trade DeRose for

772
00:36:01,559 --> 00:36:02,760
DeRos and immediately for sure.

773
00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,039
Speaker 2: No, it's not the outgoing package. It would take so

774
00:36:06,159 --> 00:36:08,800
much because I I'm kind of lower on Pajemski at

775
00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:11,320
this point than i've been really ever, are you.

776
00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:14,360
Speaker 1: Okay twice if you're being hell captives everything right over there.

777
00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:17,039
Speaker 2: I've always had questions about him, haven't I. I guess

778
00:36:17,079 --> 00:36:19,000
I did pick him for All Rookie when he made it,

779
00:36:19,079 --> 00:36:22,440
so I wasn't wrong. It's just the fit is just

780
00:36:22,519 --> 00:36:24,199
so hard to imagine that I don't know what to

781
00:36:24,639 --> 00:36:26,280
what to do with it, Like, I don't know. I

782
00:36:26,599 --> 00:36:29,800
have no concept of how that team looks. So that's

783
00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:31,480
my hang up, as opposed to like, oh, you can't

784
00:36:31,519 --> 00:36:33,599
give up all these assets, like yeah, all right, give

785
00:36:33,639 --> 00:36:35,360
him up. I guess, I don't know. It's a fair trade.

786
00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:36,960
I just just don't know how to process it.

787
00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,000
Speaker 1: Would you give up a first round pick to do it?

788
00:36:40,039 --> 00:36:44,480
Speaker 2: M I don't know, Probably not, just because this we're

789
00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:46,840
seeing that this team is pretty close to the end

790
00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:48,440
of the run and you can't be in the business

791
00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:49,920
of giving up the way.

792
00:36:50,039 --> 00:36:53,079
Speaker 1: Honestly, if I'm getting Kaminga and then at least one

793
00:36:53,199 --> 00:36:56,719
of Moody or Pods and I'm the Clippers, I probably

794
00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:59,280
just do it, yeah, because like that's just okay. Those

795
00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:02,079
are like some youngish guys. They look I tell you, like,

796
00:37:02,159 --> 00:37:03,519
let's try and see where this leads us.

797
00:37:03,639 --> 00:37:06,639
Speaker 2: Anyway, Yeah, and then you could give Kaminga the ball

798
00:37:08,079 --> 00:37:09,880
all the high usage role that he wants and see

799
00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,000
what happens. And Cole I's got to be gone too,

800
00:37:13,000 --> 00:37:14,480
I guess, but that's sort of a given in any

801
00:37:14,559 --> 00:37:15,400
hardened conversation.

802
00:37:16,599 --> 00:37:18,480
Speaker 1: You want to take us through another James Harden trade.

803
00:37:19,519 --> 00:37:21,920
Speaker 2: Let's see, so we're saving the bucks. Okay, here's one.

804
00:37:22,800 --> 00:37:25,719
The Atlanta Hawks are on the line and they're offering

805
00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:29,360
Trey Young to the Clippers, and in return, the Hawks

806
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,559
are getting James Harden Brook Lopez, a twenty thirty first

807
00:37:32,639 --> 00:37:36,400
rounder and a twenty thirty one first round swap. The

808
00:37:36,559 --> 00:37:38,280
question here, I think you're right to point it out,

809
00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:42,119
So I'll ask you Atlanta does deserve to get picks

810
00:37:42,199 --> 00:37:44,880
here because people are going to bump on that given

811
00:37:45,159 --> 00:37:48,440
Harden's age relative to the key piece going the only

812
00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:49,920
piece going back in Trey Young?

813
00:37:50,199 --> 00:37:50,360
Speaker 1: Is that?

814
00:37:50,559 --> 00:37:54,039
Speaker 2: Like, because I I did bump on the picks a

815
00:37:54,119 --> 00:37:55,880
little bit, so explain it.

816
00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:58,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I guess if you're so low on

817
00:37:59,039 --> 00:38:01,360
Trey Young and you're saying we're not gonna re sign

818
00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:03,639
him even if he picks up his player option, we're

819
00:38:03,679 --> 00:38:05,199
just gonna either trade him or let him come off

820
00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:08,079
the books and leave, you'll take it like because this

821
00:38:08,199 --> 00:38:12,159
would be a weird challenge trade otherwise, Well, maybe it's

822
00:38:12,199 --> 00:38:14,440
not because does it short it shortens your timeline? But

823
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:16,239
if you don't view Trey Young as a keeper, does

824
00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:17,599
it actually shorten your timeline?

825
00:38:17,599 --> 00:38:19,679
Speaker 2: Doesn't affect it at all like it. It's just kind

826
00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:21,960
of a this year thing really from Atlanta's perspective. If

827
00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:22,719
you think about it and.

828
00:38:22,719 --> 00:38:26,679
Speaker 1: Look, James Harden is not easy to plan around defensively,

829
00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,239
but he's just bigger, so he's going to be slightly

830
00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:31,920
easier to hide in some defensive matchups, which might be

831
00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:35,159
worth considering. Where do you land on? Then, I just

832
00:38:35,199 --> 00:38:38,000
feel like Trey is so much younger and I he's

833
00:38:38,039 --> 00:38:40,559
a transcendent pastor, and I just refuse to believe that,

834
00:38:40,639 --> 00:38:42,800
even if you don't think he is an All NBA

835
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:47,559
caliber player, you're getting someone who's nearly a decade younger

836
00:38:47,639 --> 00:38:49,400
than James Harden. I think you have to give up

837
00:38:50,199 --> 00:38:53,039
a pick man at least a swap to make it happen.

838
00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:57,800
Speaker 2: I think there's I think that's probably right. I guess

839
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,119
like there's we can't know this, but if I'm the Clippers,

840
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:04,400
I think you're getting one of these picks out of me.

841
00:39:05,559 --> 00:39:08,280
But if it's going to be both, I kind of

842
00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:10,360
want to know that I'm going to be able to

843
00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:14,079
re sign Trey Young for significantly less than the MAX, because,

844
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:17,599
like I do, I do. This type of trade is

845
00:39:17,679 --> 00:39:22,400
one that sees the Clippers saying we're not rebuilding or

846
00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:24,920
bottoming out, like if you it's like Trey Young isn't

847
00:39:25,280 --> 00:39:27,079
much younger than Harden, but he's not so young that

848
00:39:27,159 --> 00:39:30,159
it's like, all right, seven year window, you know. It's

849
00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:32,239
more just like we're going to try to stay pretty

850
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:34,840
good and build around a player that, in a lot

851
00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,039
of respects, is kind of similar to Harden. I guess,

852
00:39:38,519 --> 00:39:42,239
so the two picks is a lot unless I'm getting

853
00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:45,679
an absolute heist of a deal on Young's extension, or.

854
00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,599
Speaker 1: Let's say he's doing let's say he's signing the James

855
00:39:48,679 --> 00:39:52,840
Harden deal basically, or like three for one hundred.

856
00:39:54,519 --> 00:39:57,840
Speaker 2: I think I'm more And again I would have to,

857
00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:02,400
as the Clippers be saying we are not tearing down

858
00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:03,000
or rebuilding.

859
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:05,800
Speaker 1: That that's why is staying in this Loots is staying.

860
00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:08,440
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think then it makes a little bit more sense.

861
00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,960
I would. I could see myself justifying that as the Clippers.

862
00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:15,440
But if you're you're four for two twenty nine or

863
00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:17,280
whatever the max is that Young can sign for, and

864
00:40:17,360 --> 00:40:20,400
I'm giving up two first, like, I just I don't

865
00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:21,920
think that's a successful recipe.

866
00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:24,280
Speaker 1: It does say a lot, though, because I've been in

867
00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:26,440
the camp of I don't think the Hawks need to

868
00:40:26,480 --> 00:40:28,800
trade Trey Young. But when I put this package together,

869
00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:31,079
my first though was if on the Hawks, I might

870
00:40:31,199 --> 00:40:33,639
just pounce. Yeah on this right, it's kind of just

871
00:40:34,039 --> 00:40:36,119
yolo ing it for this season. Then you figured out

872
00:40:36,119 --> 00:40:37,760
at the end of summer you have these distant Clipper

873
00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,880
picks in the offing. I guess you could argue, could

874
00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:42,760
the Clippers turn things around by them just because they

875
00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:44,960
are in the LA market, but they're gonna be out

876
00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,480
of picks for roughly forever. If they make this trade, of.

877
00:40:47,480 --> 00:40:51,079
Speaker 2: Course, then you can. You can uh as Atlanta roll

878
00:40:51,239 --> 00:40:53,800
James Harden and these picks. You just got into a

879
00:40:54,159 --> 00:40:57,119
Yannis offer, and then then it's then it's not quite

880
00:40:57,159 --> 00:40:59,440
a yolo for for this season. You can you can

881
00:40:59,480 --> 00:40:59,800
get real.

882
00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:03,239
Speaker 1: No, now here's the real question. Do you trust James

883
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:06,559
Harden playing for a team that is so local to

884
00:41:06,679 --> 00:41:07,280
Magic City?

885
00:41:07,960 --> 00:41:11,800
Speaker 2: Uh? No, But I want to see it. I'd like

886
00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:13,440
to see what happens. That's that.

887
00:41:13,559 --> 00:41:17,440
Speaker 1: Can I just as a curiosity, can I take us

888
00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:19,679
through This is another unplanned one, But it's straight up

889
00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:23,320
so you don't have to think about it, Jail. It's

890
00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:25,880
again Jalen Green for James Harden, but James Harden is

891
00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:29,000
winding up on the Phoenix Suns, so it's similar compensation

892
00:41:29,079 --> 00:41:31,159
with the Clippers already. See, but is it for the

893
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:34,800
Suns worthwhile to try something because they could maybe use

894
00:41:34,840 --> 00:41:37,599
the shock creation but you have Dylan Brooks and Grayson Allen,

895
00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:40,599
Devin Booker. Of course, what do you say to this

896
00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:41,320
as the Suns?

897
00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:43,280
Speaker 2: Well, the first thing I want to look up is

898
00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:47,119
I can't remember what Jalen Green's uh okay, So there's

899
00:41:47,159 --> 00:41:49,360
no there's no out. So Jalen Green is gonna make

900
00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,679
thirty six million next year and has done zero due

901
00:41:52,679 --> 00:41:56,880
to injury for the Suns this season. I wonder if

902
00:41:57,159 --> 00:41:59,480
if is it valuable to the Suns to just be

903
00:41:59,559 --> 00:42:02,239
able to pay Harden thirteen million to not play next year,

904
00:42:02,280 --> 00:42:06,039
and so they're effectively gonna save twenty three million dollars

905
00:42:06,599 --> 00:42:10,159
over what they would have paid Jalen Green. Maybe there's that.

906
00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:13,639
There's that plus thirty another thirty six in a player

907
00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:17,239
option the following year. There is.

908
00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:18,800
Speaker 1: I don't know if he's the best fit for the

909
00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,199
way that they're playing right now, but there is.

910
00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:23,119
Speaker 2: My exact question to you is how do how do

911
00:42:23,119 --> 00:42:25,159
you feel about James Harden joining a team that has

912
00:42:25,239 --> 00:42:28,320
defined itself by like maximum defensive effort, full court.

913
00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:30,880
Speaker 1: Pressure, offensive rebounding, ball movement.

914
00:42:31,079 --> 00:42:31,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, all this stuff.

915
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:34,440
Speaker 1: Here's my thing is just the way that Devin Booker

916
00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:36,159
has struggled to score this year. I think he's been

917
00:42:36,239 --> 00:42:39,400
fantastic as a passer for the most part. I don't

918
00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:42,039
hate it because you're getting zero from Jalen Green right now,

919
00:42:42,079 --> 00:42:44,440
and even if you think he comes back, James Harden

920
00:42:44,519 --> 00:42:47,519
is a certainly a more credible playmaker and obviously a

921
00:42:47,599 --> 00:42:50,519
more credible score. It's just the timeline is shrinking. But

922
00:42:50,559 --> 00:42:53,000
as you said, you save money quicker they would even

923
00:42:53,000 --> 00:42:54,719
they would probably end up having to make another trade

924
00:42:54,719 --> 00:42:56,559
after this because they'd be deeper into the tax and

925
00:42:56,559 --> 00:42:59,840
I'm assuming they want to duck it. But if I'm Phoenix,

926
00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:03,000
I might I think I'm thinking about it. How's that

927
00:43:03,119 --> 00:43:03,280
for you?

928
00:43:04,199 --> 00:43:06,320
Speaker 2: No, I think on some level, you don't get to

929
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:09,800
complain speaking about me and I guess us collectively. You

930
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:14,039
don't get a complain about Phoenix's total failure to get

931
00:43:14,079 --> 00:43:17,119
a point guard and then turn down like a James

932
00:43:17,159 --> 00:43:18,000
Harden acquisition.

933
00:43:18,400 --> 00:43:20,079
Speaker 1: Right, But then It's like, what does this do to

934
00:43:20,159 --> 00:43:22,320
cong Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin or have it like you

935
00:43:22,480 --> 00:43:25,639
just have to I'm being semi serious though, you just

936
00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:28,440
continue playing ultras Mallvin. I think he was at the

937
00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:29,679
four in that lineup. That's fine.

938
00:43:30,800 --> 00:43:33,199
Speaker 2: Harden would address what we thought was a huge need

939
00:43:33,280 --> 00:43:36,159
that was gonna sink the team, except the Sons have

940
00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:40,159
found a lot of workarounds, and it feels like he doesn't.

941
00:43:40,400 --> 00:43:43,079
He absolutely does not fit with the way that they've

942
00:43:43,119 --> 00:43:45,360
been playing this season, and the way they've been playing

943
00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:47,119
this season is the reason they're like one of the

944
00:43:47,159 --> 00:43:48,800
most positive surprises in the league.

945
00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:51,840
Speaker 1: So I don't know. We have, Oh, we have two

946
00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,599
more hardened suitors that are right, this is non your

947
00:43:54,639 --> 00:43:56,679
honest related. So which one you want to go to?

948
00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:59,280
Speaker 2: Uh, let's do the what do we got here? Let's

949
00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:01,840
do the Pistons one. I can read that off here.

950
00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:05,920
So the Clippers would get Tobias Harris Jay and Ivy

951
00:44:06,159 --> 00:44:09,400
Marcus Sasser, a twenty six first rounder with top ten

952
00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:13,440
protections becomes a two seconds if it's not conveyed. The

953
00:44:13,519 --> 00:44:18,079
Pistons get James Harden and Brook Lopez Worth, noting that

954
00:44:18,239 --> 00:44:20,760
in this hypothetical the Clippers do get out of the tax,

955
00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:24,000
and then you might bump on, well, let's get what

956
00:44:24,079 --> 00:44:25,639
do you think about the Ivy piece of it, because

957
00:44:25,679 --> 00:44:28,639
I think that might that might really entice the Clippers.

958
00:44:29,119 --> 00:44:32,719
But you could imagine Detroit not being so keen on that, right.

959
00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:35,039
Speaker 1: And it's so it seems like a lot, but it's

960
00:44:35,039 --> 00:44:37,320
also this for year's first round pick isn't going to

961
00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:39,000
be good, and I don't know if you could do it,

962
00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:43,159
So I guess this would be considered bold. I'm jumping

963
00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:45,639
on this as the Pistons. If that first round pick

964
00:44:45,679 --> 00:44:47,920
is not included, Jade and Ivy still has the mystique

965
00:44:48,159 --> 00:44:51,039
enough for the Clippers to say, hey, yeah, we'll give

966
00:44:51,119 --> 00:44:54,679
up James Harden for this. But he's the centerpieer here,

967
00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:58,880
he's this centerpiece and he's going into restricted free agency.

968
00:44:59,320 --> 00:45:03,559
I guess you don't OURFA is just inherently repressive for

969
00:45:03,679 --> 00:45:06,000
players to begin with, and Jade and Ivy hasn't done

970
00:45:06,079 --> 00:45:08,159
anything that would make you suggest he's gonna get this

971
00:45:08,599 --> 00:45:11,440
mega salary anyway. So if you're the Clippers and you've

972
00:45:11,519 --> 00:45:13,440
viewed as a potential long term piece, I guess the

973
00:45:13,559 --> 00:45:16,760
issue would be it's not paying him, but if you decide, hey,

974
00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:19,760
he's not worth it. We've now traded James Harden for

975
00:45:19,840 --> 00:45:23,159
Marcus Sasser essentially, And so that's where I struggled with

976
00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:25,239
the because I know we haven't been floating a ton

977
00:45:25,239 --> 00:45:28,119
of first round picks here, but I think the Clippers won.

978
00:45:28,559 --> 00:45:30,400
Some of these teams we proposed don't have first round

979
00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:33,239
picks available, and the Pistons are just so good that

980
00:45:33,679 --> 00:45:37,840
giving up a protected twenty twenty six first round pick

981
00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:39,400
like that thing is gonna be especially if you have

982
00:45:39,519 --> 00:45:41,800
James Harden. My guests would be in the bottom ten.

983
00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:44,400
How did you feel about did you expect the Pistons

984
00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:45,239
to be on this list?

985
00:45:46,199 --> 00:45:48,960
Speaker 2: I did not, But again, this is a little bit

986
00:45:49,039 --> 00:45:50,440
like the Suns, where it's like, I don't know if

987
00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:54,440
you're diagnosing the Pistons problems. Certainly before the season you

988
00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:57,320
would have said secondary creation. Seems like they've been again

989
00:45:57,519 --> 00:46:01,039
figuring out figured out enough workarounds with their defense and

990
00:46:01,079 --> 00:46:03,280
their paint protection and Jalen Duran leaps and all this

991
00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:05,280
other stuff to where that doesn't feel like as huge

992
00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:07,440
a deal, but it still is like they still need

993
00:46:07,559 --> 00:46:11,760
somebody better than Jade and ivy or more reliable or

994
00:46:12,039 --> 00:46:17,559
something to be the secondary creator next to Caid. So

995
00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:21,400
Harden addresses that. Maybe the core question then is like,

996
00:46:22,559 --> 00:46:25,400
I mean, shouldn't Kid still be the primary initiator here?

997
00:46:25,440 --> 00:46:27,400
And what does James Harden look like as your second?

998
00:46:27,519 --> 00:46:27,559
Speaker 1: Like?

999
00:46:27,719 --> 00:46:30,800
Speaker 2: Is that is that something he's willing to do? Is

1000
00:46:30,840 --> 00:46:35,239
that something he's actually valuable? As you know, like how

1001
00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:39,920
much he Again, he's just such a If you have

1002
00:46:40,119 --> 00:46:43,880
James Harden, you play a certain way, and like he's

1003
00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:46,320
been successful to some extent next to Kawhi, But like

1004
00:46:46,920 --> 00:46:49,480
even that's different than playing with Kid because Caid is

1005
00:46:49,679 --> 00:46:50,840
just a point guard, right.

1006
00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:52,920
Speaker 1: Like that that's it would be what he what he

1007
00:46:53,079 --> 00:46:56,119
is because you could look at it and say, well,

1008
00:46:56,199 --> 00:46:58,440
the way that Caid was able to thrive when Dennis

1009
00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:00,559
Schreuder came in the fold last year, it's just different

1010
00:47:00,599 --> 00:47:04,079
with Harden because you're probably asking Kid to adjust even

1011
00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:07,719
like even more notches to his game. And why would

1012
00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:09,760
you want to do that when he might be first

1013
00:47:09,800 --> 00:47:13,599
team while NBA at the moment. So I don't There's

1014
00:47:13,639 --> 00:47:16,320
also just the cost is long enough to where I

1015
00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:18,679
could put hit the yolo button and I know I

1016
00:47:18,719 --> 00:47:20,360
said I'd probably do it if the first round pick

1017
00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:23,119
is involved, isn't involved, and I probably still would, but

1018
00:47:23,199 --> 00:47:25,519
this is also the type of trade that theoretically could

1019
00:47:26,199 --> 00:47:28,760
submarine your season a little bit, regardless of what the

1020
00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:32,400
cost is. And then also you're giving up Tobias Harris,

1021
00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:34,960
and so what is this doing to your your forward depth?

1022
00:47:35,039 --> 00:47:36,599
You still we want them to address that as it

1023
00:47:36,679 --> 00:47:38,679
is an upgrade. And so it's a lot of Okay,

1024
00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:42,000
you trust in Asar Thompson Ron Holland, but you're not

1025
00:47:42,320 --> 00:47:44,199
you know that might be you play dual bigs during

1026
00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:46,159
in Stewart, but you're not doing that spot in the

1027
00:47:46,239 --> 00:47:47,840
rotation any any favors.

1028
00:47:48,119 --> 00:47:51,239
Speaker 2: No, that that's a great point, Like Harris is like

1029
00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:54,480
we should make a list sometime of like the worst

1030
00:47:54,679 --> 00:47:58,880
player that is most critical on like a good team

1031
00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:02,400
because like other than Harris, the Pistons like don't have

1032
00:48:02,760 --> 00:48:05,519
a decently sized forward that can shoot, you know, like

1033
00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:07,920
they just don't have a guy that does what he does,

1034
00:48:08,519 --> 00:48:10,519
which is a problem like you, but you know, he's

1035
00:48:10,639 --> 00:48:12,719
he's valuable to that locker room. Everybody likes him. He

1036
00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:16,239
does make shots. Like it still is like you trade

1037
00:48:16,280 --> 00:48:18,840
to Bias Harris, Like what I guess you're just all

1038
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:22,559
in on the Stewart Dura shared minutes cause you can't

1039
00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:25,840
like Duncan Robinson is to me pretty is a weak

1040
00:48:25,920 --> 00:48:27,320
spot as it is, like if he's going to be

1041
00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:29,920
a four, if you play more Holland and Thompson, you're

1042
00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,760
you're spacing Hurt. Like it's hard to lose Harris in

1043
00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:35,960
a deal, even if Harden does address another pretty big need.

1044
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:39,679
Speaker 1: I don't know. Next up, we have the Memphis Grizzlies,

1045
00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:43,639
and so the trade here would be James Harden to

1046
00:48:44,159 --> 00:48:47,440
James Harden to Memphis along with the Brook Lopez, the

1047
00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:50,800
Clippers twenty thirty first round pick, twenty thirty run first

1048
00:48:50,840 --> 00:48:53,199
round swap, and the twenty thirty two first round pick,

1049
00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:56,800
and then the Clippers get Jamran. So they ducked attacks

1050
00:48:57,159 --> 00:49:00,920
here and they have traded like these three of their

1051
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:03,199
foremost valuable assets because Zubos is on the team and

1052
00:49:03,239 --> 00:49:06,159
they've decided we think John Morant is going to be

1053
00:49:06,239 --> 00:49:08,840
healthy and is still the type of player that can

1054
00:49:08,920 --> 00:49:12,559
spearhead an entire organization on the basketball court. I don't

1055
00:49:12,639 --> 00:49:15,880
know why the Grizzlies are getting more for John Morant

1056
00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:18,960
and uh Atlanta gets for Trey Young is the one

1057
00:49:19,039 --> 00:49:21,920
thing that I can't figure like is is? And again

1058
00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:23,519
I was the one who came up with this trade.

1059
00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:26,039
Doesn't when you say John Morant's name or the theory

1060
00:49:26,079 --> 00:49:28,960
of John Morant, like, doesn't it for some reason entice

1061
00:49:29,039 --> 00:49:30,880
you more than Trey Young?

1062
00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:36,840
Speaker 2: I mean younger under contract for longer, right, Like that

1063
00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:41,559
that's a factor. Uh, it's easier in a weird way,

1064
00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:46,199
like the because he's played so little, it's almost easier

1065
00:49:46,320 --> 00:49:48,559
to talk yourself into the idea that, like, well, change

1066
00:49:48,599 --> 00:49:51,000
the scenery, he'll be fine. That it is for Trey

1067
00:49:51,039 --> 00:49:53,079
who's just like we we understand what Trey Young is

1068
00:49:53,119 --> 00:49:55,679
at this point. So there's that like sort of unknown

1069
00:49:55,920 --> 00:50:00,480
aspect and upside aspect. Having said that, the the Grizzlies

1070
00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:04,599
are just they're doing the thing that Atlanta had to

1071
00:50:04,679 --> 00:50:06,559
do where they were calling New Orleans like for for

1072
00:50:06,679 --> 00:50:09,159
real though, like are you sure this pick is unprotected?

1073
00:50:09,400 --> 00:50:12,000
For you just want number thirteen? That bad? Like the

1074
00:50:12,039 --> 00:50:13,880
Grizzlies are the ones that are having to verify this

1075
00:50:14,039 --> 00:50:17,199
is actually the real offer because so you're bouncing on it.

1076
00:50:17,239 --> 00:50:21,039
If you're the Grizzlies, why would you hesitate? You're moving

1077
00:50:21,079 --> 00:50:23,880
off Morant. You're getting financial flexibility, You're getting a player

1078
00:50:23,960 --> 00:50:26,000
that today, right now is better than Jahn Morant and

1079
00:50:26,119 --> 00:50:28,679
might be next year if you want to keep Hardened around.

1080
00:50:28,960 --> 00:50:31,679
You're getting three first round assets, and you're shorting the

1081
00:50:31,679 --> 00:50:34,840
Clippers future where you're sending Jahn Morant, who might just

1082
00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:37,840
be as big a problem there as anywhere else like that.

1083
00:50:38,079 --> 00:50:39,760
There's a lot of angles where you win this big

1084
00:50:39,840 --> 00:50:41,000
time as the Grizzlies right.

1085
00:50:42,039 --> 00:50:43,960
Speaker 1: There is and so always it the Clippers are probably

1086
00:50:44,000 --> 00:50:47,280
because what's tough about the Trey Young and John Morant

1087
00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:51,079
scenarios is that the Clippers are saying, we're not going

1088
00:50:51,159 --> 00:50:53,000
to This is not part of any sort of tear down.

1089
00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:54,880
They're not making the trade to get their picks back

1090
00:50:54,920 --> 00:50:57,039
from okay see to be outlined at the top of

1091
00:50:57,079 --> 00:51:00,800
the podcast. And it's inherently shaky to believe that Trey

1092
00:51:00,880 --> 00:51:04,519
Young or John Morant could spearhead your entire future. I

1093
00:51:04,599 --> 00:51:07,239
think if I'm the Clippers, I probably like, is there

1094
00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:10,559
a level of pick equity that, as the Clippers, you

1095
00:51:10,559 --> 00:51:12,639
would feel, Okay, this might be if you take out

1096
00:51:12,679 --> 00:51:14,480
the twenty thirty two pick, so it's a pick and

1097
00:51:14,559 --> 00:51:16,920
a swap and James Harden and your ducking attacks is

1098
00:51:16,960 --> 00:51:18,960
that you know, getting you to think about it or no,

1099
00:51:19,039 --> 00:51:21,199
you're just you'd be out on that direction. I don't

1100
00:51:21,239 --> 00:51:21,719
know that I'd be.

1101
00:51:21,800 --> 00:51:23,639
Speaker 2: Out on it all together. I would try to peel

1102
00:51:23,679 --> 00:51:25,599
off one or two of those picks. But just looking

1103
00:51:25,679 --> 00:51:28,400
at the offers we've discussed so far, I mean, Trey

1104
00:51:28,480 --> 00:51:32,199
Young we've talked about. But like if you squint as

1105
00:51:32,239 --> 00:51:35,039
the Clippers, like Moran might be the guy that gives

1106
00:51:35,079 --> 00:51:37,440
you the highest upside, right, He's like more more so

1107
00:51:37,559 --> 00:51:39,840
than Jalen Green, more so than I don't know what

1108
00:51:39,960 --> 00:51:42,480
else did we do more so than that.

1109
00:51:42,559 --> 00:51:46,079
Speaker 1: That's I mean, yeah, No, Moran is like Julius Randall

1110
00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:51,440
Ran Oh Phoenix, that's morin Is. I don't know that I.

1111
00:51:51,599 --> 00:51:54,039
Speaker 2: Believe that there's like a bunch of upside there. But

1112
00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:57,519
it's a plausible argument, right that, like you get him

1113
00:51:57,519 --> 00:52:01,079
in a new city on a new team, maybe he's

1114
00:52:01,159 --> 00:52:02,280
back to all NBA.

1115
00:52:02,920 --> 00:52:06,880
Speaker 1: Mike, you get him live. We did the mute thing

1116
00:52:06,960 --> 00:52:08,079
there you go. Thank you for letting me know that

1117
00:52:08,239 --> 00:52:10,599
so quickly. You also, I don't know how much would

1118
00:52:10,639 --> 00:52:12,320
be a consideration. I think it would be more so

1119
00:52:12,519 --> 00:52:16,119
for job and Trey. You're in LA you're definitely putting

1120
00:52:16,199 --> 00:52:19,480
butts in seats if John Morant is the tempole of

1121
00:52:19,519 --> 00:52:22,800
your organization, assuming he's playing, right, So the idea of

1122
00:52:22,880 --> 00:52:27,199
John Moran, think about how massive of a figure he

1123
00:52:27,320 --> 00:52:32,960
became in Memphis and then now translate that to Los Angeles.

1124
00:52:32,840 --> 00:52:35,119
Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, No, I mean that's not nothing because like

1125
00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:37,840
right now, I would say, like the Clippers sort of

1126
00:52:38,599 --> 00:52:41,519
public perception is not so hot. There's like not a

1127
00:52:41,559 --> 00:52:44,320
lot of likable guys on the roster. I mean they

1128
00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:50,079
sent one home, alright, They're alienating franchise legends. They've got

1129
00:52:50,119 --> 00:52:53,440
the aspiration stuff like I mean, maybe Morant just as

1130
00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:55,000
a discription would be welcome.

1131
00:52:55,440 --> 00:52:58,159
Speaker 1: Can we talk about the Clippers' treatment of their stars,

1132
00:52:58,280 --> 00:53:01,199
what they did to Blake Griffin dirty when they made

1133
00:53:01,239 --> 00:53:03,920
the lifelong Clipper pitch and then traded him. They basically

1134
00:53:04,000 --> 00:53:07,599
held DeAndre Jordan captive that one year free agency. And

1135
00:53:07,679 --> 00:53:09,639
now they're telling Chris Paul to go home? What's going?

1136
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:12,159
What's that Lob City error? Man? Different?

1137
00:53:12,280 --> 00:53:15,039
Speaker 2: And yet they've really set things up nicely for Kawhi,

1138
00:53:15,239 --> 00:53:18,519
which again gets you and Uncle Dennis, because that's the

1139
00:53:18,679 --> 00:53:21,000
only guy that can make sure the Clippers treat you right.

1140
00:53:22,599 --> 00:53:25,119
Speaker 1: We do so. Now I think is a good time

1141
00:53:25,199 --> 00:53:27,920
to talk about Yanna specifically, because it's gonna bleed into

1142
00:53:27,960 --> 00:53:29,960
some of the Kauhi trades and Grant and I are

1143
00:53:29,960 --> 00:53:31,960
gonna have something else that drops that is gonna dig

1144
00:53:32,039 --> 00:53:34,639
more into this. But I wanted the two things I

1145
00:53:34,679 --> 00:53:38,360
wanted to get into with you is so Giannis. Meanwhile,

1146
00:53:38,360 --> 00:53:40,280
I was dealing with a calf stream throughout all. This

1147
00:53:40,400 --> 00:53:42,039
is gonna be out for another two to four weeks,

1148
00:53:42,280 --> 00:53:46,039
and we get the report from Chams that he and

1149
00:53:46,199 --> 00:53:49,760
his agent are once again talking with the Bucks and

1150
00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:51,440
trying to figure out a future. That is just sort

1151
00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:53,320
of we heard about this over the offseason. Now we're

1152
00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:56,320
hearing it again one quarter of the way through the season.

1153
00:53:57,159 --> 00:54:00,440
What is going on here, Grant? Because in Shams's one

1154
00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:02,559
of the things it mentioned is I had thought Yannis

1155
00:54:02,599 --> 00:54:05,079
believed in the Bucks as if I'm healthy, we can

1156
00:54:05,159 --> 00:54:07,760
be competitive and we'll be able to recalibrate in the

1157
00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:10,119
summer of twenty twenty six. But it says that he

1158
00:54:10,239 --> 00:54:13,960
bought into the ideas the Bucks's contenders this season, which

1159
00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:17,559
I just never saw. And my whole thing, you know,

1160
00:54:17,719 --> 00:54:19,840
the cashtrain is gonna be another thing. Go my question

1161
00:54:19,920 --> 00:54:23,800
about this? Why now? Well, if you if this is

1162
00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:25,599
how it was gonna because doesn't it seem at this

1163
00:54:25,719 --> 00:54:27,960
point we know how this is gonna end. Is he

1164
00:54:28,119 --> 00:54:30,400
wants out and it feels like he doesn't want to

1165
00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:33,840
flat out say it. This This feels very what the

1166
00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:36,840
Blazers were doing to Damian Lillard where they wanted him

1167
00:54:36,920 --> 00:54:39,559
to ask out rather than just trading him and did

1168
00:54:39,599 --> 00:54:42,000
everything in their power to force him to ask out.

1169
00:54:42,079 --> 00:54:44,119
Or maybe it's the same as Damian Lillard in Portland

1170
00:54:44,159 --> 00:54:46,320
where he kind of wanted out but refused to flat

1171
00:54:46,360 --> 00:54:49,360
out ask for it. Just make the damn trade request

1172
00:54:49,719 --> 00:54:51,480
already him put us all out of I don't want

1173
00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:54,960
to say misery because people love trades, but I just don't.

1174
00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:58,199
I don't understand. I get wanting to finish your career

1175
00:54:58,239 --> 00:55:01,559
in Milwaukee, but I don't under stand only giving it.

1176
00:55:01,760 --> 00:55:03,440
What was the agreement where we're gonna give it like

1177
00:55:03,519 --> 00:55:05,480
twenty games or so this season? See where we're at

1178
00:55:05,559 --> 00:55:06,440
and then I'll decide.

1179
00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,199
Speaker 2: I mean, how much do you want to talk about

1180
00:55:09,239 --> 00:55:11,920
this now? Because like we could go I have thoughts

1181
00:55:12,159 --> 00:55:14,320
like we can really dive deep into the arm.

1182
00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:17,599
Speaker 1: I don't want to get too much. I just I

1183
00:55:17,719 --> 00:55:19,599
want to dive deep into the honest thing. We're gonna

1184
00:55:19,639 --> 00:55:21,920
do that. I'm just like the whole time, like, don't

1185
00:55:21,960 --> 00:55:25,320
you find this whole like this season specifically, And now,

1186
00:55:25,760 --> 00:55:27,960
how does the calf injury then impact? Do you think

1187
00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:30,599
it makes it more likely? Because if the Bucks start losing, now,

1188
00:55:30,639 --> 00:55:33,119
are they gonna be more open to moving him? And

1189
00:55:33,199 --> 00:55:35,239
I guess this is the framing for actually what we're

1190
00:55:35,280 --> 00:55:38,599
talking about here. If you're the Bucks and they're still

1191
00:55:39,039 --> 00:55:42,800
Giannis is still conveying like, I'm not totally opposed to staying.

1192
00:55:42,880 --> 00:55:45,400
We're just trying. I need to see some evidence. Are

1193
00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:48,400
you now working the phones and trying to see like

1194
00:55:49,000 --> 00:55:51,760
or does this? Does this make it less likely? If

1195
00:55:51,760 --> 00:55:53,760
you thought they weren't gonna move a future first round

1196
00:55:53,800 --> 00:55:55,599
pick before, and they can move a pick and a

1197
00:55:55,639 --> 00:55:58,480
swap right now, it's even less likely that they do

1198
00:55:58,639 --> 00:56:01,320
so after this latest wrinkle coming out.

1199
00:56:01,519 --> 00:56:05,280
Speaker 2: I think let's im for purposes of discussion, let's embrace

1200
00:56:05,360 --> 00:56:11,000
the fiction that the calf injury means that, well, it's

1201
00:56:11,039 --> 00:56:13,800
even harder than it was already gonna be to trade

1202
00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:18,960
honest for acceptable value in season. So our move now

1203
00:56:19,199 --> 00:56:21,199
is let's wait the two to four weeks it's gonna

1204
00:56:21,199 --> 00:56:25,000
take him to recover. God knows if that's anywhere remotely

1205
00:56:25,079 --> 00:56:27,880
close to what the recovery timeline will actually be, and

1206
00:56:28,000 --> 00:56:30,719
let's try to win this season. And because like we

1207
00:56:30,800 --> 00:56:32,519
can go to the Honest and say, again, I'm just

1208
00:56:33,400 --> 00:56:34,199
trying to lay out here.

1209
00:56:34,199 --> 00:56:35,280
Speaker 1: You're just asking questions.

1210
00:56:36,119 --> 00:56:38,519
Speaker 2: I'm just trying to I guess this is like Devil's advocacy.

1211
00:56:38,519 --> 00:56:39,920
I don't know what I would call what I'm doing

1212
00:56:40,000 --> 00:56:42,840
right now. But the Bucks go to the Honest and say, like,

1213
00:56:43,199 --> 00:56:45,880
here's the landscape. Nicks, aren't it. Nix can't make us

1214
00:56:45,880 --> 00:56:48,199
an offer we're willing to accept. Sorry, I know you

1215
00:56:48,280 --> 00:56:50,599
want to go there. It just doesn't make sense right now.

1216
00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:52,800
Nobody else is coming forward with an offer for a

1217
00:56:52,840 --> 00:56:54,960
guy that like might tear his achilles when he comes

1218
00:56:55,039 --> 00:56:57,440
back like or just like it can't happen, is what

1219
00:56:57,519 --> 00:56:59,760
the Bucks are saying to you, Honest, So what would

1220
00:56:59,760 --> 00:57:01,320
you like us to do? And he says, okay, well

1221
00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:03,400
maybe I'm going to be back after the All Star

1222
00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:06,000
break and let's get somebody that can help us. So

1223
00:57:06,119 --> 00:57:09,000
what does that look like right's that's the world we're

1224
00:57:09,039 --> 00:57:12,400
living in right now, which gets us to a possible

1225
00:57:12,440 --> 00:57:14,880
because I want to talk all about the other Yanna stuff,

1226
00:57:14,880 --> 00:57:17,400
and we will. There's just too much subscribed.

1227
00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:19,360
Speaker 1: I would come back, subscribe, you come back for the

1228
00:57:19,400 --> 00:57:20,239
episode that's dropped.

1229
00:57:20,360 --> 00:57:23,119
Speaker 2: We have to discuss that at some level of depth.

1230
00:57:23,679 --> 00:57:25,679
So the Bucks are we're living in this world I've

1231
00:57:25,760 --> 00:57:28,960
just created where Giannis is staying. The Bucks can't make

1232
00:57:29,000 --> 00:57:32,320
a trade to move him, so they're going to do

1233
00:57:32,400 --> 00:57:34,400
what they've always done, which is go try to find

1234
00:57:34,480 --> 00:57:37,719
somebody risky as he needs to be to make this

1235
00:57:37,920 --> 00:57:43,440
year's Bucks as close to a contender as possible. James

1236
00:57:43,480 --> 00:57:49,119
hart entered James Harden. The Clippers receive Kyle Kuzma, Gary Harris,

1237
00:57:49,239 --> 00:57:52,480
Kevin Porter Junior, a twenty thirty first round swap, which

1238
00:57:52,519 --> 00:57:55,039
is the less favorable of Milwaukee and Portland. Any twenty

1239
00:57:55,119 --> 00:57:57,079
thirty one first round pick. You can make that twenty

1240
00:57:57,159 --> 00:57:59,320
thirty two if you want. The Bucks can only trade

1241
00:57:59,360 --> 00:58:04,559
one of those two Milwaukee gets James Harden. I mean

1242
00:58:05,360 --> 00:58:09,320
Hardin would address a few things, uh, namely someone to

1243
00:58:09,400 --> 00:58:12,320
create other than Yiannis. That's less of a concern now

1244
00:58:12,360 --> 00:58:15,800
that Ryan Rollins is really good. He would stilt their

1245
00:58:15,840 --> 00:58:18,360
point of attack defense. But he is, like he was

1246
00:58:18,480 --> 00:58:23,320
probably the best gettable big name that could make an

1247
00:58:23,360 --> 00:58:26,880
impact and just inject a certain level of like wild

1248
00:58:27,079 --> 00:58:31,440
cardiness into the Bucks makeup. So that's why Milwaukee would

1249
00:58:31,440 --> 00:58:34,679
consider this. Is he the guy you fire at if

1250
00:58:34,840 --> 00:58:37,079
if you're in this this hypothetical of we got to

1251
00:58:37,079 --> 00:58:39,199
get somebody else in here to help you, honest, when

1252
00:58:39,239 --> 00:58:42,719
he's healthy, what if it's?

1253
00:58:42,960 --> 00:58:47,239
Speaker 1: What if it? Janna says, yeah, I'm staying if that's honestly.

1254
00:58:47,159 --> 00:58:50,039
Speaker 2: Until he wants to explore his future, whether that's with

1255
00:58:50,159 --> 00:58:53,000
the bus from somewhere else in like two more months, yeah, right,

1256
00:58:53,679 --> 00:58:55,480
or no, We're gonna say you have to have that

1257
00:58:55,599 --> 00:58:58,280
assurance that, like I'm hey, I'm gonna stop having my

1258
00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:01,880
agent leak to Sham's the same report that was leaked

1259
00:59:01,920 --> 00:59:04,639
over the summer. Well, we'll knock all that off if

1260
00:59:04,719 --> 00:59:06,000
you go trade for James Harden.

1261
00:59:06,760 --> 00:59:10,199
Speaker 1: It's maybe that's what when I watched the Bucks, I

1262
00:59:10,360 --> 00:59:13,519
feel like I'm more concerned about the defense, which is

1263
00:59:13,559 --> 00:59:15,800
funny because I think I said in preseason that they're

1264
00:59:15,840 --> 00:59:18,599
gonna be a better defensive team than offensive team. I

1265
00:59:18,639 --> 00:59:21,239
didn't see Ryan Rollins coming, to be fair, did anybody

1266
00:59:21,440 --> 00:59:25,639
and you did. But they're in the tenth percentile of

1267
00:59:25,719 --> 00:59:28,440
offensive efficiency when Giannis doesn't play, and that's with the

1268
00:59:28,519 --> 00:59:31,039
Pistons game the other end there, so they certainly need

1269
00:59:31,079 --> 00:59:34,239
what James Harden brings. Let's venture back to what we

1270
00:59:34,280 --> 00:59:36,719
said when we were talking about the Timberwolves, though we

1271
00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:39,480
know what might happen in the playoffs with Harden, so

1272
00:59:39,519 --> 00:59:42,639
I don't think this is the guy that you fire

1273
00:59:43,039 --> 00:59:45,360
all what's left of your assets at. I think it's

1274
00:59:45,440 --> 00:59:49,119
somewhat intriguing because sub forty million dollars does make the

1275
00:59:49,199 --> 00:59:51,039
money easy to match. You don't have to give up

1276
00:59:51,079 --> 00:59:53,840
Bobby Portis to make this deal work, like you can

1277
00:59:53,880 --> 00:59:55,519
game it around what was the would the end the

1278
00:59:55,599 --> 00:59:59,159
package final final packaged up being was Kuzma, Kuzma, Harris

1279
00:59:59,199 --> 01:00:02,440
and Porter so you were able to keep like, Okay,

1280
01:00:02,480 --> 01:00:04,400
we still have Portis and Turner and Giannis. Our front

1281
01:00:04,440 --> 01:00:07,480
court is set. I'd be intrigued. But if the Clippers

1282
01:00:07,519 --> 01:00:11,199
gonna accept less pick equity for that, because as the Bucks,

1283
01:00:11,239 --> 01:00:13,599
you could just say any first round pick we give you,

1284
01:00:14,239 --> 01:00:17,119
whether it's a swap or not, is gold and so

1285
01:00:17,199 --> 01:00:19,760
if it's something like that and I'm the Bucks and

1286
01:00:19,840 --> 01:00:21,639
you're honest saying yeah, I'm gonna stay through the rest

1287
01:00:21,679 --> 01:00:23,559
of the season, they know he doesn't have a torn achilles,

1288
01:00:23,639 --> 01:00:27,480
of course I might consider it, but it's just what

1289
01:00:27,920 --> 01:00:30,880
does this do for you? This is just about this

1290
01:00:31,119 --> 01:00:33,199
season then, and so what does it do for you

1291
01:00:33,320 --> 01:00:35,639
be like maybe next season as well, if James Harden

1292
01:00:35,920 --> 01:00:37,880
picks up his player option and wants to stay there.

1293
01:00:38,800 --> 01:00:41,760
But it also does give you flexibility. Let's say you

1294
01:00:41,880 --> 01:00:44,320
have James Harden, this season plays out, you do whatever

1295
01:00:44,519 --> 01:00:46,559
honesty ask for out, you move him anyway. Now you

1296
01:00:46,679 --> 01:00:48,960
can save still a bunch of money because James Harden's

1297
01:00:48,960 --> 01:00:51,480
guaranteed what was it ten or thirteen million dollars, So

1298
01:00:51,559 --> 01:00:53,599
there is you're kind of playing both sides of the fence.

1299
01:00:54,199 --> 01:00:56,920
I'm probably not doing this if I'm Milwaukee, in part

1300
01:00:56,960 --> 01:00:58,519
because we have another trade that we're about to talk

1301
01:00:58,519 --> 01:01:00,440
about it in a second where that might make a

1302
01:01:00,480 --> 01:01:03,239
little bit more sense. But it's riskier in its own right.

1303
01:01:03,639 --> 01:01:04,559
Where are you at with it?

1304
01:01:04,960 --> 01:01:07,239
Speaker 2: I mean, the thing that's jumping out to me is

1305
01:01:07,840 --> 01:01:13,360
I can't decide if it's stupider or like more justifiable

1306
01:01:13,599 --> 01:01:17,400
to target Harden when clearly you targeted Damian Lillard, And

1307
01:01:17,440 --> 01:01:19,639
how different are those two really in terms of what

1308
01:01:19,760 --> 01:01:23,320
your vision for a Yannis counterpart are, or.

1309
01:01:23,519 --> 01:01:25,400
Speaker 1: If anything, you're saying you want Gianni's off the ball

1310
01:01:25,519 --> 01:01:26,159
even more.

1311
01:01:26,159 --> 01:01:29,360
Speaker 2: If you're saying, hey, we think Damian Lillard was the

1312
01:01:29,679 --> 01:01:31,840
is the right guy for us, and I don't know,

1313
01:01:32,079 --> 01:01:34,880
maybe it looked okay. I guess it wasn't perfect certainly,

1314
01:01:35,320 --> 01:01:39,400
But if that's still your theory, then Harden. The way

1315
01:01:39,480 --> 01:01:43,159
Harden is playing right now, is he is is better

1316
01:01:43,599 --> 01:01:46,039
probably than the version of Damian Lillard you traded for,

1317
01:01:46,239 --> 01:01:48,559
or at least close enough to it, and it's costing

1318
01:01:48,639 --> 01:01:53,320
you less, I guess now. Like so therefore it's like,

1319
01:01:53,400 --> 01:01:56,119
well that was our plan before. We think it's a

1320
01:01:56,159 --> 01:01:58,639
good plan, it's justifiable or is it stupid or because

1321
01:01:58,679 --> 01:02:00,719
of how the Damian Lillard thing were doubt the injury

1322
01:02:00,760 --> 01:02:04,559
complicates that. But it's just kind of like it is

1323
01:02:04,760 --> 01:02:07,320
very much like the definition of insanity thing where it's

1324
01:02:07,320 --> 01:02:09,159
like let's do it, toga, Yeah, let's let's see, you know,

1325
01:02:09,280 --> 01:02:11,199
maybe maybe it'll work for us. It's all the all

1326
01:02:11,280 --> 01:02:15,280
the memes. Uh, I think I don't know. If I'm

1327
01:02:15,320 --> 01:02:17,199
the Bucks, I think I'm trying to expand this to

1328
01:02:17,320 --> 01:02:19,360
be like, if I'm calling the Clippers, I just go

1329
01:02:19,480 --> 01:02:21,920
for Kawhi instead. Maybe well, I don't know.

1330
01:02:22,239 --> 01:02:25,159
Speaker 1: Let's say, Okay, what a segue to that. We have

1331
01:02:25,320 --> 01:02:27,440
a Kauhi to the Clippers trade and Kawhi. You thought

1332
01:02:28,199 --> 01:02:31,400
James Harden's trade value was difficult, I find Kuha's incredi

1333
01:02:31,559 --> 01:02:34,199
qui is incredibly difficult because not only do you have

1334
01:02:34,280 --> 01:02:36,920
the specter of his injuries, there's also the possibility that

1335
01:02:37,360 --> 01:02:40,400
he just simply retires if he's traded out of California. Right,

1336
01:02:40,679 --> 01:02:43,599
we have to cake that into anything, But I mean, yeah,

1337
01:02:44,320 --> 01:02:47,559
the trade would basically be closer to the same. It's

1338
01:02:47,719 --> 01:02:51,000
the Bucks receive Kawhi Leonard, they trade the Clippers Kyle Kuzma,

1339
01:02:51,119 --> 01:02:54,719
Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter and the twenty thirty two first

1340
01:02:54,800 --> 01:02:57,599
round pick. Now, you could argue there needs to be

1341
01:02:57,639 --> 01:02:59,440
more pick equity in there. If you're getting a twenty

1342
01:02:59,519 --> 01:03:01,920
thirty two pick at this point and Kawhi and Giannis

1343
01:03:02,039 --> 01:03:05,400
is the team like is their team. You're feeling pretty

1344
01:03:05,400 --> 01:03:07,039
good as the Clippers, and so if you're doing you're

1345
01:03:07,079 --> 01:03:09,360
doing you're training Kawhi is part of a s or

1346
01:03:09,400 --> 01:03:11,800
maybe they view this as opportunistic. No, we just want

1347
01:03:11,840 --> 01:03:13,840
to get this Bucks pick and we're gonna move. Maybe

1348
01:03:14,039 --> 01:03:15,760
maybe they're trading that Bucks pick to the Thunder to

1349
01:03:15,800 --> 01:03:17,360
get their own pick back this year and one of

1350
01:03:17,400 --> 01:03:20,599
those trades. Who knows what are you? Are you who

1351
01:03:20,679 --> 01:03:21,559
says no to this one?

1352
01:03:23,039 --> 01:03:29,280
Speaker 2: Uh? Who says no to this? I'm having a hard time.

1353
01:03:29,320 --> 01:03:32,280
Does that mean this is the best trade we've discussed?

1354
01:03:32,639 --> 01:03:36,679
So here's the thing I think you're I think Kawhi

1355
01:03:37,000 --> 01:03:39,360
is harder to trade just because they're than hardened, because

1356
01:03:39,360 --> 01:03:42,239
there's that fifty million dollars sitting there next year that

1357
01:03:42,320 --> 01:03:45,880
you're gonna have to pay him unless the league negates

1358
01:03:45,960 --> 01:03:48,519
his contract, I guess, which is like not totally imbosish.

1359
01:03:48,679 --> 01:03:51,599
Speaker 1: Do you think it's weird that Terry Rozier can't be

1360
01:03:51,719 --> 01:03:55,719
traded while he's being investigated, but Kawhi seems like he

1361
01:03:55,840 --> 01:03:57,320
can be We've hed, I mean, he's still playing, So

1362
01:03:57,519 --> 01:03:59,119
is it is it? Just? Is it too different?

1363
01:03:59,639 --> 01:04:02,039
Speaker 2: I think, well, clearly it's different that the league is

1364
01:04:02,079 --> 01:04:04,800
treating it differently. Uh, I don't know that that's fair.

1365
01:04:05,519 --> 01:04:10,760
I will see that's so this the offer here does imply, though,

1366
01:04:11,320 --> 01:04:13,679
at least in your opinion, that Kawhi is a less

1367
01:04:13,840 --> 01:04:16,760
valuable trade asset than James Harden.

1368
01:04:17,400 --> 01:04:21,880
Speaker 1: He's to me, he's less valuable from an availability perspective,

1369
01:04:22,119 --> 01:04:25,400
and the Bucks need availability because it's not like they

1370
01:04:25,800 --> 01:04:27,440
like they have a bunch of guys on the roster.

1371
01:04:27,559 --> 01:04:30,599
But the whole point is we can't figure out how

1372
01:04:30,719 --> 01:04:34,880
to exist without Yannis and Kawhi. Leonard is someone who

1373
01:04:34,920 --> 01:04:37,000
you acquire knowing you need to figure out how to

1374
01:04:37,119 --> 01:04:39,480
exist without him because he's going to miss time.

1375
01:04:40,000 --> 01:04:43,119
Speaker 2: Well but sure, but I think if I'm the Clippers,

1376
01:04:43,119 --> 01:04:44,960
I'm more The reason I said I'm more interested in

1377
01:04:45,039 --> 01:04:48,159
Kauhi is just like as the as the as the Bucks,

1378
01:04:49,039 --> 01:04:51,280
You're already sort of like if this is gonna work,

1379
01:04:51,320 --> 01:04:53,440
it's gonna be a lightning in a bottle scenario where

1380
01:04:53,440 --> 01:04:56,119
we're the seventh seed and we just go on a

1381
01:04:56,239 --> 01:04:58,519
run and both our best guys are healthy, and like

1382
01:04:59,119 --> 01:05:02,159
healthy Kawhi healthy the Yannest I get it, Like saying

1383
01:05:02,199 --> 01:05:04,199
healthy Kauhi is just like what are you talking about?

1384
01:05:04,760 --> 01:05:06,599
But those two guys on the same team in a

1385
01:05:06,639 --> 01:05:09,400
playoff series, like that's if you're looking for the lightning

1386
01:05:09,480 --> 01:05:11,599
in a bottle route to like a conference finals, that's

1387
01:05:11,639 --> 01:05:14,559
it is having those two guys much more so than Harden,

1388
01:05:14,880 --> 01:05:17,800
just because we know what will happen with Harden, what

1389
01:05:17,960 --> 01:05:22,760
has happened every time. So I just I'm more interested

1390
01:05:22,800 --> 01:05:29,440
in Kawhi as the Bucks. Even pricing in the major

1391
01:05:29,519 --> 01:05:33,559
financial commitment of next season, whereas Harden thirteen million guaranteed, Kawhi,

1392
01:05:33,599 --> 01:05:35,960
you're paying them fifty, like that's it, and you might

1393
01:05:36,039 --> 01:05:37,880
get half a season, you might get less, you might

1394
01:05:37,920 --> 01:05:41,639
get nothing. I think from the perspective of we've decided

1395
01:05:41,760 --> 01:05:44,119
we're gonna do the same thing and appeasy, honist and

1396
01:05:44,199 --> 01:05:48,480
try to build the most the build the team that

1397
01:05:48,559 --> 01:05:51,000
has the best shot at like just I'm not getting lucky,

1398
01:05:51,079 --> 01:05:53,199
but like peaking at the right time for a couple

1399
01:05:53,320 --> 01:05:56,280
months and who knows what happens, it's Kawhi and so

1400
01:05:56,440 --> 01:06:01,280
I I do this as the Bucks. I think, however,

1401
01:06:02,159 --> 01:06:04,840
that only is true in the world we've created here.

1402
01:06:04,960 --> 01:06:07,360
That is a fiction where where it's like Giannice is staying,

1403
01:06:07,360 --> 01:06:09,599
we're not gonna trade, because you trade honest if you're

1404
01:06:09,639 --> 01:06:10,800
acting rationally.

1405
01:06:10,880 --> 01:06:13,840
Speaker 1: Right, And it's difficult because the theory of Kawhi Leonard

1406
01:06:14,159 --> 01:06:16,079
is so much better and makes so much more sense

1407
01:06:16,119 --> 01:06:18,840
for the Bucks than the theory of James Harden. But

1408
01:06:18,960 --> 01:06:23,480
I would probably lean towards the reality of James Harden

1409
01:06:23,559 --> 01:06:25,480
would do more for the Bucks than the reality of

1410
01:06:25,559 --> 01:06:26,519
what you're gonna get from.

1411
01:06:26,800 --> 01:06:28,800
Speaker 2: Do you think if you go to Giannis and say

1412
01:06:28,840 --> 01:06:31,280
you can have one or the other, you tell you

1413
01:06:31,440 --> 01:06:33,159
tell us you honest because you're in charge. Do you

1414
01:06:33,199 --> 01:06:36,280
think he says James Harden. No, I don't either.

1415
01:06:36,400 --> 01:06:38,800
Speaker 1: I think it was James Harden had that quote remember

1416
01:06:38,880 --> 01:06:41,039
way back when, of if I wish I was seven

1417
01:06:41,119 --> 01:06:44,639
feet and could just run around like didn't he demigrated he.

1418
01:06:47,280 --> 01:06:49,880
Speaker 2: Has no bag, you're digging it up. Wow, I forgot

1419
01:06:49,920 --> 01:06:50,239
about that.

1420
01:06:50,480 --> 01:06:50,639
Speaker 1: Yeah.

1421
01:06:50,800 --> 01:06:52,920
Speaker 2: They they're Bordal enemies. They can never play together.

1422
01:06:53,559 --> 01:06:55,840
Speaker 1: We do need to come up with some other Kawhi

1423
01:06:55,920 --> 01:06:59,719
Leonard trades, though he I found his more difficult than others.

1424
01:06:59,760 --> 01:07:01,920
There's nuclear one that I really want to talk about.

1425
01:07:01,960 --> 01:07:05,000
But let's go back. Let's revisit the Minnesota Timberwolves grant.

1426
01:07:05,480 --> 01:07:07,800
So the deal kind of similar to what they'd be

1427
01:07:07,840 --> 01:07:10,800
giving up for James Harden. But the Minnesota Timberwolves receive

1428
01:07:10,880 --> 01:07:14,440
Kawhi Leonard. The Los Angeles Clippers get Julius Randall, Mike Conley,

1429
01:07:14,960 --> 01:07:17,760
Rob Dillingham. The Brooklyn Nets received Leonard Miller. I'm assuming

1430
01:07:17,800 --> 01:07:19,719
they would just take a flyer on Leonard Miller because

1431
01:07:19,760 --> 01:07:21,679
he's he's young, and he might be a three, he

1432
01:07:21,760 --> 01:07:23,079
might be a five. Who knows. I used to be

1433
01:07:23,159 --> 01:07:26,639
Leonard Miller pilled. But is this if you're the you know,

1434
01:07:26,719 --> 01:07:28,960
we talked about this with the Bucks. If you're the Timberwolves,

1435
01:07:29,280 --> 01:07:32,760
do you prefer Kawhi or James Harden if you're going

1436
01:07:32,840 --> 01:07:36,159
after a trade asset or I'm sorry, going after a player.

1437
01:07:36,679 --> 01:07:38,800
Speaker 2: I think I'm gonna be a broken record and say

1438
01:07:38,800 --> 01:07:40,480
I'm always gonna prefer Kawhi.

1439
01:07:40,800 --> 01:07:42,840
Speaker 1: Now, but even given the cost. So when it was

1440
01:07:42,960 --> 01:07:46,679
James Harden, you were giving up Julius Randall and stuff.

1441
01:07:46,840 --> 01:07:49,320
Now you're giving up Julius Randall and Rob Dilly. I

1442
01:07:49,400 --> 01:07:51,960
called Mike Conley and stuff. I apologize, No, it is

1443
01:07:52,039 --> 01:07:52,519
and stuff.

1444
01:07:52,559 --> 01:07:56,400
Speaker 2: I mean, I think, like, I don't know, I don't

1445
01:07:56,440 --> 01:07:58,039
know that Dillingham is going to be a factor at

1446
01:07:58,039 --> 01:08:00,960
all this year. Conley, I think you can't. There's no

1447
01:08:01,079 --> 01:08:06,079
upward trajectory there so I again, like if you're the Timberwolves,

1448
01:08:06,159 --> 01:08:11,079
I do think it's defensible to say we just got

1449
01:08:11,199 --> 01:08:13,280
to get better this year because we're at the stage

1450
01:08:13,320 --> 01:08:15,800
of our evolution where it's like we're trying to win

1451
01:08:16,000 --> 01:08:19,119
right now because next year who knows, right, So you

1452
01:08:19,279 --> 01:08:21,720
are really taking on risk where you might just be

1453
01:08:21,760 --> 01:08:24,279
paying Kawhi fifty million dollars to do nothing next year.

1454
01:08:24,960 --> 01:08:29,560
But like Edward's Kawhi go bat like, I think just

1455
01:08:29,760 --> 01:08:33,359
having Kawhi makes Minnesota more dangerous as a playoff team

1456
01:08:33,560 --> 01:08:36,600
than having the three guys they're losing here, don't don't do?

1457
01:08:36,800 --> 01:08:37,520
Do you disagree with it?

1458
01:08:37,640 --> 01:08:40,199
Speaker 1: I don't disagree, And I honestly think the Equippers probably

1459
01:08:40,199 --> 01:08:42,960
want more, whether it's a swap or tern Shannon Junior

1460
01:08:43,640 --> 01:08:45,960
in there. And that's where I think if I'm Minnesota,

1461
01:08:46,000 --> 01:08:48,399
I have to think longer about it because you're going

1462
01:08:48,439 --> 01:08:50,199
to lightning in a bottle route. But I think that's

1463
01:08:50,279 --> 01:08:53,520
okay when it's just Rob Dillingham because you've kind of decided,

1464
01:08:53,920 --> 01:08:57,520
like you said before, he's probably if he actualizes into

1465
01:08:57,560 --> 01:08:58,800
what they thought he was going to be, it's not

1466
01:08:58,880 --> 01:09:02,159
going to be on the timeline they're currently operating within.

1467
01:09:03,159 --> 01:09:05,119
It's where it would get iffy for me is if

1468
01:09:05,159 --> 01:09:07,520
the Clippers said, well, we you know, because the Timberls

1469
01:09:07,560 --> 01:09:09,279
can trade swaps or if you want to give up

1470
01:09:09,319 --> 01:09:12,039
Arren Shannon Junr, which sounds kind of stupid, but it's

1471
01:09:12,039 --> 01:09:15,199
also you have to cake in Kawhi Leonard missing games,

1472
01:09:15,279 --> 01:09:17,279
and so that's the perspective I'm coming at it from.

1473
01:09:17,800 --> 01:09:19,800
Speaker 2: You do and you don't though, because like, if he's

1474
01:09:19,840 --> 01:09:22,039
missing games in the playoffs, then okay, this was a mistake,

1475
01:09:22,479 --> 01:09:25,119
but we just we were playing the upside and who

1476
01:09:25,880 --> 01:09:27,439
you know, do you.

1477
01:09:27,560 --> 01:09:29,039
Speaker 1: Do you think there's anything that I mentioned to This

1478
01:09:29,159 --> 01:09:31,159
was hard and so Kawhi has this year and then

1479
01:09:31,239 --> 01:09:33,279
next year left on his deal, right and then he's done.

1480
01:09:33,720 --> 01:09:35,479
Do you think that the there might be something to

1481
01:09:35,520 --> 01:09:37,920
the Timberwolves also saying okay, he's basically the same cost

1482
01:09:38,359 --> 01:09:41,800
as Julius Randall over this time in total, but Julius

1483
01:09:41,800 --> 01:09:43,600
Rendad has that player option on the third year, so

1484
01:09:43,680 --> 01:09:46,960
we're kind of shortening. If this doesn't really work out, Okay,

1485
01:09:47,199 --> 01:09:49,680
it's over sooner, because if it doesn't work out by

1486
01:09:50,199 --> 01:09:52,800
next season and Julius Randall's still there, it's you have

1487
01:09:52,920 --> 01:09:55,000
less control over what you're gonna do at that point.

1488
01:09:55,359 --> 01:09:57,439
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think there's some element there. I guess looking

1489
01:09:57,479 --> 01:10:00,479
at it too from the Clippers side, Like think you said,

1490
01:10:00,560 --> 01:10:04,359
like the dealing, you have to be pretty pro dilling

1491
01:10:04,439 --> 01:10:07,079
him from the Clippers perspective to to go for this,

1492
01:10:07,199 --> 01:10:10,640
because like Randall, this flip, it's the reverse argument is

1493
01:10:10,680 --> 01:10:13,239
like Randall roughly the same money as Kawhi, but you

1494
01:10:13,439 --> 01:10:15,159
it's extended over a third year?

1495
01:10:16,319 --> 01:10:17,000
Speaker 1: Is he? Like?

1496
01:10:17,199 --> 01:10:19,159
Speaker 2: Is he a center? Like? What what are you doing

1497
01:10:19,319 --> 01:10:19,960
as the Clippers?

1498
01:10:20,039 --> 01:10:20,079
Speaker 1: Like?

1499
01:10:20,159 --> 01:10:21,920
Speaker 2: This isn't a rebuild move. This is kind of a

1500
01:10:22,119 --> 01:10:23,840
try to have it both ways where you get like

1501
01:10:23,920 --> 01:10:27,319
a borderline All star guy in him. I don't know

1502
01:10:27,359 --> 01:10:30,520
what Commly, what purpose Commlely really serves there, And.

1503
01:10:30,560 --> 01:10:35,800
Speaker 1: That's why they make room the only only like the

1504
01:10:35,880 --> 01:10:38,880
only point guard that like uh is close in age

1505
01:10:38,960 --> 01:10:40,199
to him and then Dylan.

1506
01:10:40,319 --> 01:10:42,479
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. The Clippers side is tough here.

1507
01:10:43,119 --> 01:10:46,000
Maybe I'm over this might be just what you can get.

1508
01:10:46,479 --> 01:10:48,079
Speaker 1: Well that's what's tough. I mean, if this is probably

1509
01:10:48,119 --> 01:10:50,239
what you could get as the Clippers, I might unless

1510
01:10:50,279 --> 01:10:52,800
you have another destination lined up for Julius Randall in

1511
01:10:52,840 --> 01:10:55,720
which you're getting stuff but I mean, like the thing

1512
01:10:55,800 --> 01:10:58,319
that Minnesota could do that's not gonna help that well,

1513
01:10:58,319 --> 01:11:01,600
I guess no, because they're is gone in twenty twenty eight.

1514
01:11:01,800 --> 01:11:05,920
So I mean Minnesota can offer swaps into like a

1515
01:11:06,000 --> 01:11:08,159
twenty thirty two swap, doesn't do anything more of the

1516
01:11:08,199 --> 01:11:09,359
Clippers haven't pick then.

1517
01:11:10,039 --> 01:11:13,520
Speaker 2: Not a lot, I'll be honest. Uh, let's let's see.

1518
01:11:13,720 --> 01:11:15,680
Let's let's do another. Do you have anything else on

1519
01:11:15,760 --> 01:11:17,640
the Minnesota trade? No?

1520
01:11:17,840 --> 01:11:21,159
Speaker 1: What other Quhi trade? Okay, By the way, I love

1521
01:11:21,319 --> 01:11:23,119
I like the idea of Kawhi Minnesota. I like the

1522
01:11:23,159 --> 01:11:24,960
idea of Kui a lot of plays. But Minnesota, if

1523
01:11:24,960 --> 01:11:27,560
you if I had to put every pick, if I

1524
01:11:27,600 --> 01:11:29,479
had to put dilling Ham and any picks walk on

1525
01:11:29,520 --> 01:11:31,159
the table that I need to and Julius Randall to

1526
01:11:31,199 --> 01:11:34,000
go get Kawhi Leonard, I'm doing it. I think.

1527
01:11:34,039 --> 01:11:37,520
Speaker 2: I mean, like if Edwards, Kawhi, McDaniels go beart like.

1528
01:11:37,600 --> 01:11:40,680
Speaker 1: That Nasrid insane, Dona DiVincenzo is still there.

1529
01:11:41,600 --> 01:11:43,520
Speaker 2: And if you can't hold on to Shannon, I mean

1530
01:11:43,600 --> 01:11:46,159
there's that that's not a fun team to deal with.

1531
01:11:46,399 --> 01:11:50,359
If if you get playoff Edwards defense. All right, let's

1532
01:11:50,359 --> 01:11:51,199
talk about the Kings.

1533
01:11:51,760 --> 01:11:54,199
Speaker 1: Uh, this would be such a king's move to do

1534
01:11:54,319 --> 01:11:56,880
would be, Hey, he's gonna report we're in California, this

1535
01:11:56,960 --> 01:11:57,920
will this will work out.

1536
01:11:58,199 --> 01:12:01,119
Speaker 2: They would just okay. So the deal is the Kings

1537
01:12:01,159 --> 01:12:05,000
get Kawhi, the Clippers get Demarta Rozen Malik monk first

1538
01:12:05,079 --> 01:12:08,760
round pick or zach Lavine in a first round pick,

1539
01:12:09,159 --> 01:12:12,720
you choose, you choose Clippers, which would you prefer?

1540
01:12:13,520 --> 01:12:15,399
Speaker 1: So I think the first Zack Lavine in a first

1541
01:12:15,479 --> 01:12:19,000
round pick, by the way, is what would you Yeah, what.

1542
01:12:19,119 --> 01:12:21,840
Speaker 2: DeRozan's got like a partial guarantee next year though, right.

1543
01:12:22,520 --> 01:12:24,600
Speaker 1: Just that's a he's guaranteed I think ten or twelve

1544
01:12:24,600 --> 01:12:25,760
million whatever it ends up being.

1545
01:12:26,960 --> 01:12:30,319
Speaker 2: Uh, he's on the books for twenty five point seven.

1546
01:12:31,439 --> 01:12:34,079
The arrow hovering over his salary is not telling I

1547
01:12:34,079 --> 01:12:36,600
think you're right. It's like ten all right. So in

1548
01:12:36,680 --> 01:12:39,399
that first scenario with the DeRozan monk in first rounder,

1549
01:12:39,760 --> 01:12:41,840
the Kings would be in the tax. So they'll definitely

1550
01:12:41,920 --> 01:12:46,239
do that one. After the first scenario, in scenario two,

1551
01:12:47,039 --> 01:12:49,600
the question is would Kean Ellis need to be attached

1552
01:12:49,600 --> 01:12:51,399
in a Levine deal? So it's sort of like, is

1553
01:12:52,439 --> 01:12:55,319
is Levine a negative enough asset? We're in addition to

1554
01:12:55,479 --> 01:12:57,680
a first round or you have to throw in well

1555
01:12:57,800 --> 01:12:59,920
dirt cheap like starting caliber win.

1556
01:13:00,600 --> 01:13:03,600
Speaker 1: I think if if the compensation for Kuhi is a

1557
01:13:03,760 --> 01:13:07,479
King's pick, you have my attention regardless of what else

1558
01:13:07,600 --> 01:13:09,840
is in the package. At this point, I'm not gonna lie.

1559
01:13:10,880 --> 01:13:14,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, I think that's right. Uh, Well, I guess

1560
01:13:15,119 --> 01:13:17,279
what's what's the core question here is? I guess as

1561
01:13:17,319 --> 01:13:21,159
the Clippers, would you rather have, You'd rather have Levine

1562
01:13:21,439 --> 01:13:21,880
and the pick?

1563
01:13:22,039 --> 01:13:25,039
Speaker 1: Then I still run on Levine pilled, But I still

1564
01:13:25,119 --> 01:13:28,000
think especially I think Levine is and he could replace

1565
01:13:28,119 --> 01:13:30,039
kind of a lot of what Norman Powell was doing

1566
01:13:30,119 --> 01:13:33,640
for them last year. But to your point, But so

1567
01:13:33,760 --> 01:13:35,680
the other thing is, though you mentioned Jamaar Rosan has

1568
01:13:35,720 --> 01:13:38,920
that partial guarantee with Zach Levine, there has been some

1569
01:13:39,039 --> 01:13:41,560
speculation that he'd be willing to opt out and then

1570
01:13:41,720 --> 01:13:45,000
sign a deal that's worth less over a longer term,

1571
01:13:45,079 --> 01:13:47,520
and he if he's making thirty three million a year,

1572
01:13:47,520 --> 01:13:49,760
he might all of a sudden become an asset. Again, Yeah,

1573
01:13:50,279 --> 01:13:50,800
that's true.

1574
01:13:50,840 --> 01:13:53,279
Speaker 2: A lot changes if he's if he's not making close

1575
01:13:53,319 --> 01:13:53,960
to fifty and.

1576
01:13:53,960 --> 01:13:55,960
Speaker 1: If you're gonna throw keon Ellis in there for sure

1577
01:13:56,000 --> 01:13:58,960
that I'm absolutely doing it. The other thing, I just

1578
01:13:59,039 --> 01:14:01,760
don't because this And if you're Sacramento, you're justifying this

1579
01:14:01,840 --> 01:14:03,720
by saying, we all right, if the bonus gets healthy,

1580
01:14:04,039 --> 01:14:06,399
we'll have enough guard somewhere like to do something. Russell

1581
01:14:06,439 --> 01:14:09,680
Westbrook is here and with Kawhi Keikan Murray, if you're

1582
01:14:09,720 --> 01:14:12,079
able to keep Ellis, imagine what we could do this season.

1583
01:14:12,640 --> 01:14:18,159
Let's get it like the beam straight up into the

1584
01:14:18,319 --> 01:14:22,560
eyeballs of our fans. I mean, is it is it?

1585
01:14:23,279 --> 01:14:25,119
Speaker 2: Is it wrong to say I'll do whichever of these

1586
01:14:25,199 --> 01:14:28,600
deals includes Keon Ellish? But I think I think either one.

1587
01:14:30,119 --> 01:14:36,119
I just as I'm gonna be the Kings for a second. Guys,

1588
01:14:36,359 --> 01:14:39,159
Kawhi Leonard, if we get him, that's a huge name,

1589
01:14:39,880 --> 01:14:41,920
so we should do it. And then I'm if I

1590
01:14:42,479 --> 01:14:45,479
if the King's had good advisors or people making decisions,

1591
01:14:46,119 --> 01:14:48,920
someone would pipe up and say, like, he's never gonna

1592
01:14:48,960 --> 01:14:51,800
play for us, Like he's just he might be, he

1593
01:14:51,920 --> 01:14:55,720
might stay on the roster, He's just never gonna play, right, Like,

1594
01:14:55,880 --> 01:14:58,359
isn't that the outcome here? If the Kings go get Kawhi,

1595
01:14:59,000 --> 01:15:02,600
he's like he's just not gonna if he does play,

1596
01:15:02,680 --> 01:15:05,039
it'll be even more sporadic than it's been. Like he

1597
01:15:05,439 --> 01:15:08,199
what possible interest would he have? It is in California.

1598
01:15:08,399 --> 01:15:10,479
You're right, the Kings would probably make that argument to

1599
01:15:10,479 --> 01:15:13,640
themselves and justify doing this. He's totally the best player

1600
01:15:13,680 --> 01:15:16,960
in the deal, right, but he's not what why would

1601
01:15:17,000 --> 01:15:17,920
Kawai want to be here?

1602
01:15:18,239 --> 01:15:20,920
Speaker 1: Well, okay, hold on, he's not getting those seven million

1603
01:15:20,960 --> 01:15:23,960
dollar payouts anymore from Aspiration, So you're gonna want to

1604
01:15:23,960 --> 01:15:26,319
collect your full salary. So if you want to get

1605
01:15:26,359 --> 01:15:29,880
paid your fifty million dollar salary, you subject yourself to

1606
01:15:29,960 --> 01:15:32,319
whatever's going on in Sacramentary. This is just you know what,

1607
01:15:32,840 --> 01:15:33,720
this go ahead.

1608
01:15:34,079 --> 01:15:37,680
Speaker 2: Sacramento is the city of trees, and Kawhi has vast

1609
01:15:37,800 --> 01:15:45,600
experience with with tree planting. He's an arborist. I hear.

1610
01:15:45,840 --> 01:15:49,439
And also I don't know, maybe there's a car. It's

1611
01:15:49,560 --> 01:15:52,960
just it fits right, like he Kawi knows, he knows

1612
01:15:53,119 --> 01:15:57,319
his trees, he knows how to whatever. What did Aspiration

1613
01:15:57,479 --> 01:15:59,960
do supposedly something with trees? I don't know.

1614
01:16:01,279 --> 01:16:04,399
Speaker 1: Yeah, they were gonna plant to treat as a carbon offset.

1615
01:16:04,520 --> 01:16:07,319
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, Well, Sacramento loves trees.

1616
01:16:08,279 --> 01:16:11,319
Speaker 1: Honestly, this would wouldn't this be something that the Kings

1617
01:16:11,359 --> 01:16:14,479
would just do? This is right up their alley. I'my tilling.

1618
01:16:14,520 --> 01:16:17,039
Speaker 2: You asked that question. The answers, yes, yeah, fair enough.

1619
01:16:17,359 --> 01:16:20,039
Speaker 1: So we have a final one and it's kind of nuclear.

1620
01:16:20,119 --> 01:16:22,119
This is our last one, right very I want to

1621
01:16:22,119 --> 01:16:23,239
know what people. I want to know what you think

1622
01:16:23,279 --> 01:16:25,359
about this, and I hope Brian Taporik is listening to

1623
01:16:25,479 --> 01:16:27,079
because I'd love to know what he thinks about this.

1624
01:16:27,560 --> 01:16:31,359
Are you ready? Grant Kawhi Leonard of Philadelphia seventy six

1625
01:16:31,479 --> 01:16:36,359
Ers reunites with Paul George. The Clippers receive Joel Embiid

1626
01:16:36,960 --> 01:16:39,760
and their own twenty twenty eight first round pick back.

1627
01:16:40,279 --> 01:16:44,680
The Sixers receive Kawhi, Kobe Sanders, Chris Dunn, and two

1628
01:16:44,760 --> 01:16:48,000
second round picks in twenty thirty one and twenty thirty two. Now,

1629
01:16:48,479 --> 01:16:52,479
the core question is are the Clippers willing to eat

1630
01:16:53,119 --> 01:16:55,039
what's left on Joell Ebid's deal, which is a very

1631
01:16:55,079 --> 01:16:57,279
long time. There's a case to be made that Joel

1632
01:16:57,319 --> 01:17:00,600
Embiid is on the worst contract in the NBA. Oh

1633
01:17:00,760 --> 01:17:03,359
is it worth it just to get control over a pickback?

1634
01:17:03,399 --> 01:17:06,039
I think the Sixers also have swap rights on the

1635
01:17:06,079 --> 01:17:08,800
Clippers in twenty twenty nine. So is this a situation

1636
01:17:08,840 --> 01:17:11,119
where you need to get both of those back? And

1637
01:17:11,239 --> 01:17:13,680
so who is who is saying no? With all of

1638
01:17:13,760 --> 01:17:16,760
those moving parts, I thought this was interesting. It's not

1639
01:17:16,880 --> 01:17:20,039
being thrown out there, I think because from the Clippers' perspective,

1640
01:17:20,119 --> 01:17:24,039
it's that's two drafts away, as as soonest we were getting.

1641
01:17:24,159 --> 01:17:26,960
But I also found it somewhat interesting because what if

1642
01:17:27,000 --> 01:17:29,520
John Beid is just lightning in him and Zoo playing together,

1643
01:17:30,439 --> 01:17:33,680
or you're getting Look, here's the thing is you could

1644
01:17:33,760 --> 01:17:36,840
make this trade after making the trade with OKC that

1645
01:17:36,960 --> 01:17:39,680
we outlined in pool. Yes, all of a sudden, you've

1646
01:17:39,720 --> 01:17:41,880
got all your picks back in twenty six, twenty seven,

1647
01:17:41,920 --> 01:17:43,359
twenty eight, and maybe twenty nine.

1648
01:17:43,880 --> 01:17:46,159
Speaker 2: I love this as a hypothetical. Would you take on

1649
01:17:46,319 --> 01:17:49,680
the worst contract in the NBA. Let's just assume it's

1650
01:17:49,880 --> 01:17:54,039
that's what this is for three years of draft control back. Like,

1651
01:17:54,199 --> 01:17:56,600
is that a better situation than the Clippers are about

1652
01:17:56,680 --> 01:17:57,039
to be in?

1653
01:17:57,520 --> 01:17:57,720
Speaker 1: Yes?

1654
01:17:58,199 --> 01:18:00,439
Speaker 2: In reality I think it is too. I think you

1655
01:18:00,560 --> 01:18:03,479
might do this, like you just look just even if

1656
01:18:03,520 --> 01:18:06,720
you just said and beat his dead money, Let's just

1657
01:18:06,800 --> 01:18:09,680
say you know this is this is a sixty million

1658
01:18:09,720 --> 01:18:13,319
dollar plus cap hit. It's like we amnesteed somebody or

1659
01:18:13,359 --> 01:18:15,720
something like this. Just it's just on our books, right,

1660
01:18:16,199 --> 01:18:19,239
worst case scenario that let's view it that way. I

1661
01:18:19,319 --> 01:18:22,720
think you you pay sixty million dollars, You fire sixty

1662
01:18:22,760 --> 01:18:25,640
million dollars a year into the sun for three more

1663
01:18:25,720 --> 01:18:28,520
years to get control of your draft back. I think

1664
01:18:28,560 --> 01:18:30,560
you do that as the Clippers, and I don't think

1665
01:18:30,560 --> 01:18:33,279
it's that hard of a decision, as crazy as that sounds.

1666
01:18:33,680 --> 01:18:35,640
Speaker 1: No, you do it. I think it's do you do

1667
01:18:35,760 --> 01:18:38,840
it if you don't? If the okay trade is not happening.

1668
01:18:38,600 --> 01:18:41,000
Speaker 2: Right, if we just say it's just this, so you're

1669
01:18:41,039 --> 01:18:42,600
getting one year of your draft.

1670
01:18:42,680 --> 01:18:44,720
Speaker 1: Let's say, do you think it's both? Is this doesn't

1671
01:18:44,760 --> 01:18:47,119
need well, let's let's game it out as the from

1672
01:18:47,159 --> 01:18:52,800
the Sixers perspective, Are you considering this at all? One

1673
01:18:52,920 --> 01:18:54,479
pick pick whatever? Yeah you are?

1674
01:18:54,960 --> 01:18:56,800
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't. Don't you just to get off the

1675
01:18:57,199 --> 01:18:59,760
their side of it's a little different, like just to

1676
01:18:59,840 --> 01:19:03,279
get this cap char this dead cap money, this cap

1677
01:19:03,399 --> 01:19:05,319
charge off the books? Right, what's it worth? What are

1678
01:19:05,319 --> 01:19:09,479
you willing to pay? I mean, it's definitely one first rounder.

1679
01:19:09,640 --> 01:19:14,199
I think, look, I'm not gonna lie. If I'm the Clippers,

1680
01:19:14,680 --> 01:19:16,920
I might do it. If it's just the twenty twenty,

1681
01:19:17,199 --> 01:19:20,279
just for the one, well, so let's game that out.

1682
01:19:20,279 --> 01:19:23,199
Because you, as the Clippers, you're then you're taking on

1683
01:19:23,279 --> 01:19:28,399
the Embid experience, which like maybe he this I don't

1684
01:19:28,439 --> 01:19:30,720
believe this, but maybe as the Clippers, you can say,

1685
01:19:31,159 --> 01:19:33,319
he might give us a season in there where he's

1686
01:19:33,319 --> 01:19:36,000
an All NBA player. I don't know that's marketable, and

1687
01:19:36,079 --> 01:19:38,279
we're just we're just running the clock out here. We

1688
01:19:38,399 --> 01:19:41,039
did this for the pick, and the the byproduct is

1689
01:19:41,600 --> 01:19:44,640
maybe we're relevant for one of these years because embiid

1690
01:19:44,720 --> 01:19:48,439
finally holds together. You could you could talk a room

1691
01:19:48,479 --> 01:19:53,119
of decision makers into that possibility, right, like, maybe if

1692
01:19:53,359 --> 01:19:55,840
just for the one, you get this one pick that's

1693
01:19:55,840 --> 01:19:56,680
a couple of years out.

1694
01:19:56,760 --> 01:19:58,920
Speaker 1: That's so so it has to be both you're getting

1695
01:19:58,960 --> 01:20:01,720
your your two then and because you are also giving

1696
01:20:01,840 --> 01:20:04,279
up Kobe Sanders in two second round picks, So the

1697
01:20:04,359 --> 01:20:06,800
thought process there would be you're regaining control of those

1698
01:20:06,880 --> 01:20:10,159
two first, I'm doing that deal if I'm if you've

1699
01:20:10,199 --> 01:20:13,000
made the if you've made the ok Se deal, Let's

1700
01:20:13,000 --> 01:20:15,720
say you make the okayc deal already, Philly could probably

1701
01:20:15,880 --> 01:20:19,399
ransom the hell out of you for just the one. Yeah,

1702
01:20:19,600 --> 01:20:21,680
let's say the okay see deals not let's just say

1703
01:20:21,760 --> 01:20:24,640
that NBA executives they all don't listen to this podcast,

1704
01:20:24,680 --> 01:20:26,399
which would be weird. And we know that's not true.

1705
01:20:27,279 --> 01:20:31,079
The thunder deal isn't happening. If I'm the Clippers for

1706
01:20:31,279 --> 01:20:34,159
both of the picks back, I'm still doing this. I

1707
01:20:34,279 --> 01:20:37,640
know it's kind of that weird intervening timeline then, but

1708
01:20:38,000 --> 01:20:40,399
what you just laid out would be a reason to

1709
01:20:40,520 --> 01:20:42,720
not have Joel Embiid on the roster if you get

1710
01:20:42,760 --> 01:20:44,720
your own picks back in twenty six and twenty seven,

1711
01:20:44,760 --> 01:20:47,439
because what if he is good, then you're not maximizing

1712
01:20:47,479 --> 01:20:48,800
the value of those selections.

1713
01:20:49,279 --> 01:20:51,960
Speaker 2: Have the Clippers traded Harden in this hypothetical, because now

1714
01:20:51,960 --> 01:20:54,279
we're reuniting Harden and Embiid and that's fine.

1715
01:20:54,319 --> 01:20:55,720
Speaker 1: Well hardened emb Beid weren't the problem.

1716
01:20:55,800 --> 01:20:58,960
Speaker 2: More Yan, I know we're sending Kawhi back to Paul George,

1717
01:20:58,960 --> 01:21:01,640
we're sending Harden and to get it's like we're just

1718
01:21:01,680 --> 01:21:04,520
shuffling deck chairs here. Which that's not to say that

1719
01:21:04,640 --> 01:21:06,760
this isn't interesting. It's just kind of wild that that's

1720
01:21:06,800 --> 01:21:09,439
how that's where we are as both of these teams.

1721
01:21:09,560 --> 01:21:12,439
Is you're willing to just kind of swap problems on.

1722
01:21:12,640 --> 01:21:15,880
Speaker 1: Mass I honestly think so what you're effectively doing so

1723
01:21:16,000 --> 01:21:19,439
Joelle Beads extension hasn't started yet. Looking at after this season,

1724
01:21:19,520 --> 01:21:22,119
Qui has one year and fifty million dollars left, Jowelbean

1725
01:21:22,159 --> 01:21:24,560
has three years and one hundred and eighty eight plus.

1726
01:21:25,720 --> 01:21:30,520
I actually think, though, knowing all that the Sixers would

1727
01:21:30,520 --> 01:21:32,680
be the team that is more likely to say no

1728
01:21:32,880 --> 01:21:36,560
to this, especially if the twenty nine swap is But

1729
01:21:36,680 --> 01:21:38,800
I keep talking. I pretend like I know all these picks,

1730
01:21:38,840 --> 01:21:41,359
like right off Coff, like who owes what? I'm assuming

1731
01:21:42,079 --> 01:21:46,359
that they don't have. Yes, Philly, the Clippers have the

1732
01:21:46,439 --> 01:21:49,199
right to swap with Philly. So you're only getting the

1733
01:21:49,800 --> 01:21:51,520
Philly has the right to swap. It's two thousand and

1734
01:21:51,680 --> 01:21:53,319
oh no Philly could swap with Excuse me?

1735
01:21:53,479 --> 01:21:54,560
Speaker 2: Can I think you had to raise?

1736
01:21:54,840 --> 01:21:57,399
Speaker 1: Yeah? I apologize. I apologize for being right.

1737
01:21:58,760 --> 01:22:01,000
Speaker 2: So if we just break this down to a who

1738
01:22:01,079 --> 01:22:05,720
says no, you're saying it's the Sixers that say no

1739
01:22:05,920 --> 01:22:08,000
here that should be.

1740
01:22:08,399 --> 01:22:11,560
Speaker 1: If Aside says no and it's the Clippers, I have

1741
01:22:11,680 --> 01:22:12,760
some questions.

1742
01:22:13,079 --> 01:22:15,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, right, And I guess it's it's harder to take

1743
01:22:15,800 --> 01:22:20,279
Philly's perspective and say, like, what's Kawhi Leonard getting us

1744
01:22:20,319 --> 01:22:22,439
this year and next year that that gives us a

1745
01:22:22,560 --> 01:22:25,560
higher ceiling than the possibility.

1746
01:22:26,159 --> 01:22:29,079
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know, you have vj Edgecombe and

1747
01:22:29,479 --> 01:22:31,760
Tyrese Maxie having another bigger wing in there when you

1748
01:22:31,800 --> 01:22:34,239
have so many guards that need Jared McKay needing minutes.

1749
01:22:35,479 --> 01:22:35,880
I think the.

1750
01:22:35,960 --> 01:22:40,439
Speaker 2: Easier, the cleanest piece of this analysis is just that

1751
01:22:40,560 --> 01:22:43,680
the Clippers should probably be willing to take Conjoel Embiid's

1752
01:22:43,680 --> 01:22:45,920
contract to get control of their draft back, which is

1753
01:22:46,560 --> 01:22:48,520
the thing we've just circled back to a million times,

1754
01:22:48,560 --> 01:22:51,239
whether it's talking about OKAC or any other team, it's

1755
01:22:51,279 --> 01:22:53,680
like that has to be priority one. I think is

1756
01:22:53,720 --> 01:22:55,560
maybe the way to kind of start wrapping.

1757
01:22:55,319 --> 01:22:58,640
Speaker 1: This up right. And that's I think that comes back

1758
01:22:58,680 --> 01:23:01,239
to just the core, the core question of all of

1759
01:23:01,319 --> 01:23:05,319
this is do you actually think that the Clippers should

1760
01:23:05,319 --> 01:23:07,239
blow it up? Knowing all the movie because the stuff

1761
01:23:07,239 --> 01:23:09,920
we outline, yes, in a perfect world, what you could

1762
01:23:10,000 --> 01:23:13,039
say is yeah, the Clipper they do the zoobots thing,

1763
01:23:13,119 --> 01:23:15,880
and then they do the embiid thing. You're not gonna

1764
01:23:15,920 --> 01:23:17,680
do all those things. You're not gonna basically, you're probably

1765
01:23:17,680 --> 01:23:19,079
not even gonna do any of these things, even if

1766
01:23:19,119 --> 01:23:21,920
you're moving harder a kuhi. These are all just different permutations.

1767
01:23:22,479 --> 01:23:24,560
Are the Clippers at a point, and you just operate

1768
01:23:24,640 --> 01:23:27,239
under the assumption they're not getting this year's pickback, they're

1769
01:23:27,279 --> 01:23:29,800
not getting twenty twenty seven back. As the as our

1770
01:23:29,920 --> 01:23:33,680
core just baseline is, do you blow it up anyway

1771
01:23:34,159 --> 01:23:37,079
just to kind of deviate from whatever the heck is

1772
01:23:37,119 --> 01:23:39,039
going on right now, or because of the way your

1773
01:23:39,119 --> 01:23:42,760
draft obligations are set up. Are you just saying we're

1774
01:23:42,800 --> 01:23:45,520
just gonna see this through and reevaluate year over year,

1775
01:23:45,600 --> 01:23:48,039
maybe we'll get lucky in free agency in twenty twenty

1776
01:23:48,079 --> 01:23:49,600
six or twenty twenty seven.

1777
01:23:50,760 --> 01:23:55,239
Speaker 2: I think if if we stipulate that they're not getting

1778
01:23:55,279 --> 01:23:58,399
twenty six and twenty seven back, I think it makes

1779
01:23:58,439 --> 01:24:01,560
it justifiable to not blow it up up. If you

1780
01:24:01,600 --> 01:24:04,000
can get those back, then like ten times out of ten,

1781
01:24:04,479 --> 01:24:07,640
you're you're eleven times out of ten. Just it's every

1782
01:24:07,840 --> 01:24:10,640
single time out of every single time you're blowing it

1783
01:24:10,760 --> 01:24:13,840
up if you can't get those back from the thunder.

1784
01:24:15,399 --> 01:24:17,960
I think the reason you still might consider it is

1785
01:24:18,359 --> 01:24:22,039
like doesn't have so much to do with our draft

1786
01:24:22,119 --> 01:24:24,760
assets and our flexibility and our timeline. It's more just

1787
01:24:24,880 --> 01:24:28,399
like this is an untenable situation, like from a personality standpoint,

1788
01:24:28,520 --> 01:24:31,560
and we don't think we can go forward with tylu

1789
01:24:31,600 --> 01:24:33,720
as the coach, or we don't think, you know, it

1790
01:24:33,760 --> 01:24:36,520
would have to be more like stuff that we're not

1791
01:24:36,680 --> 01:24:39,239
really talking about when we're talking about these trades. It's

1792
01:24:39,319 --> 01:24:43,000
more just like this situation is bad, and like we

1793
01:24:43,199 --> 01:24:46,880
won't get anything good out of it because there's off

1794
01:24:46,960 --> 01:24:49,439
court stuff where there's there's just the vibes are too

1795
01:24:49,920 --> 01:24:52,279
too far gone right, like that you could justify it

1796
01:24:52,399 --> 01:24:54,800
on those grounds where you're starting to look at hardener

1797
01:24:54,880 --> 01:24:57,319
Kawhi trades that aren't gonna just like give you this

1798
01:24:57,439 --> 01:25:00,520
hard reset with with your with your picks coming back.

1799
01:25:01,239 --> 01:25:04,479
Speaker 1: I think what I struggle with the most is that

1800
01:25:05,439 --> 01:25:07,159
I'm with you where it's if you're not getting your

1801
01:25:07,199 --> 01:25:11,039
own picks back, it's absolutely justifiable to do absolutely nothing

1802
01:25:11,079 --> 01:25:14,079
and hope this thing turns around. What is the evidence

1803
01:25:14,960 --> 01:25:17,319
that it's going to turn around, because I look at

1804
01:25:17,359 --> 01:25:20,039
it and they've been outscored by five and a half

1805
01:25:20,079 --> 01:25:22,520
points per one hundred possessions with James Harden and Kawhi

1806
01:25:23,159 --> 01:25:26,880
on the floor, and their offense has been barely above average. Like,

1807
01:25:26,960 --> 01:25:29,960
what are you banking on getting better? It's not like

1808
01:25:30,199 --> 01:25:33,239
Kawhi has been terrible. It's not like James Harden has

1809
01:25:33,279 --> 01:25:36,239
been terrible. Chris Paul was terrible and not really playing.

1810
01:25:36,720 --> 01:25:40,199
What is just the what is the harbinger? What is

1811
01:25:40,279 --> 01:25:42,439
the signal that you actually can the fact that you

1812
01:25:42,600 --> 01:25:44,880
know you're not going to try to integrate Bradley Beal

1813
01:25:45,159 --> 01:25:47,000
because I just a lot of it, and you know,

1814
01:25:47,119 --> 01:25:49,800
I love boiling stuff down to vibes, but so much

1815
01:25:49,840 --> 01:25:52,319
with the Clippers continues to come back to like the

1816
01:25:52,439 --> 01:25:54,800
vibes are off, the personnel has changed too much, it's

1817
01:25:54,840 --> 01:25:58,520
getting too old. What is the what is the evidence

1818
01:25:58,560 --> 01:26:01,279
that this is just going into I haven't seen anything

1819
01:26:01,359 --> 01:26:03,680
this season, like, yeah, there's been some plucky lineups, especially

1820
01:26:03,720 --> 01:26:05,520
with Harden and Zoo A lot of times Kawhi might

1821
01:26:05,560 --> 01:26:07,439
not be on the floor for it where it's all right,

1822
01:26:07,720 --> 01:26:10,199
like you might say, but they seem like they've kind

1823
01:26:10,239 --> 01:26:13,319
of turned over so much of the identity of last

1824
01:26:13,399 --> 01:26:16,079
year's team to where it's just they were out and

1825
01:26:16,159 --> 01:26:18,640
transition more. Even though we saw that to decline year year,

1826
01:26:18,680 --> 01:26:21,560
the defensive identity was there. And that's just okay, I

1827
01:26:21,600 --> 01:26:23,520
guess if Derek Jones Junior gets healthy or are you

1828
01:26:23,560 --> 01:26:26,439
planning on bringing I like, I don't, I don't know

1829
01:26:26,560 --> 01:26:29,079
what the and maybe that's the problem is I can't

1830
01:26:29,199 --> 01:26:32,119
boil it down to a singular problem and that's what

1831
01:26:32,239 --> 01:26:34,359
makes this team so confusing. And so I mean towards

1832
01:26:35,239 --> 01:26:37,079
just rip the band aid off. This is just like,

1833
01:26:37,159 --> 01:26:39,520
because what are you fighting for that if you can

1834
01:26:39,600 --> 01:26:42,439
get even first round picks from other teams and protected

1835
01:26:42,600 --> 01:26:45,880
or prospect flyers from other teams for no, don't trade

1836
01:26:45,960 --> 01:26:49,239
Zoo Like. He's someone who's he's young, he's in his prime,

1837
01:26:49,319 --> 01:26:51,640
so he's not hardener KWHI but entering the you know,

1838
01:26:52,399 --> 01:26:55,680
the exiting his heyday. Excuse me, don't trade him just

1839
01:26:55,760 --> 01:26:58,159
for anything, but get what you can for these guys

1840
01:26:58,199 --> 01:27:01,239
who are basically placeholders. Anyway, when you're looking at your

1841
01:27:01,279 --> 01:27:04,079
cap space plans for maybe this summer, but certainly in

1842
01:27:04,079 --> 01:27:06,159
twenty twenty seven, I.

1843
01:27:06,199 --> 01:27:09,079
Speaker 2: Think if you're looking for this for a signal or

1844
01:27:09,159 --> 01:27:13,439
for evidence, like there's not any that there's nothing that's

1845
01:27:13,920 --> 01:27:17,439
readily apparent. I do think from the Clippers side of it,

1846
01:27:18,159 --> 01:27:21,800
the justification for not blowing it up is just that,

1847
01:27:22,000 --> 01:27:24,239
like we're sticking to our priors. We put this team

1848
01:27:24,279 --> 01:27:26,159
together and like we bought it for by the way,

1849
01:27:26,359 --> 01:27:29,560
like we thought that ye fair, this fair, this, this

1850
01:27:29,760 --> 01:27:32,439
outcome is what we or at least I I can't

1851
01:27:32,479 --> 01:27:34,039
remember what you thought. I think we were pretty close

1852
01:27:34,079 --> 01:27:37,079
in this thought was gonna happen last year to the Clippers. Yep,

1853
01:27:37,119 --> 01:27:39,960
they're too old. They can't rely on their two core guys.

1854
01:27:40,159 --> 01:27:42,319
This is a mess. They're gonna win thirty two games

1855
01:27:42,439 --> 01:27:45,600
or whatever something like that. Thirty two feels high at

1856
01:27:45,640 --> 01:27:48,720
the moment, but the team they put together this year

1857
01:27:49,359 --> 01:27:51,760
now beals out. I didn't really factor Beal in all

1858
01:27:51,800 --> 01:27:54,039
that much to begin with, Like when thinking the Clippers

1859
01:27:54,079 --> 01:27:55,039
would win mid to high.

1860
01:27:54,920 --> 01:27:58,560
Speaker 1: Forties, and neither of us were completely sold on the

1861
01:27:58,680 --> 01:28:00,960
Beal and John Collins from Warm and Powell swap.

1862
01:28:01,760 --> 01:28:04,720
Speaker 2: No, but I definitely made the case that like, well,

1863
01:28:05,279 --> 01:28:07,560
Powell can't possibly play this well again, And I was

1864
01:28:07,640 --> 01:28:08,920
right because he's playing better.

1865
01:28:09,800 --> 01:28:12,039
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, just but just to make sure I'm not

1866
01:28:12,199 --> 01:28:15,279
trying to deflect blame, I predicted that the Clippers would

1867
01:28:15,279 --> 01:28:18,279
finish in top seven of offensive defense this season. So no,

1868
01:28:18,600 --> 01:28:19,479
I did. We were both.

1869
01:28:19,720 --> 01:28:21,760
Speaker 2: I mean, like, I think maybe partly as a reaction

1870
01:28:21,880 --> 01:28:24,520
to how badly we missed the on the twenty year

1871
01:28:24,600 --> 01:28:27,960
we overre twenty five Clippers. We over corrected. But the

1872
01:28:28,079 --> 01:28:30,760
theory of the team was sound like, yeah, they're old,

1873
01:28:31,880 --> 01:28:34,479
that's true. But we thought the bench would be good.

1874
01:28:34,800 --> 01:28:36,720
We thought Collins would be better than this. We thought

1875
01:28:36,760 --> 01:28:39,359
Bogdanovitch would help. We thought Lopez wouldn't be totally washed,

1876
01:28:39,760 --> 01:28:42,960
thought Chris Paul would be on the team, like some

1877
01:28:43,079 --> 01:28:45,000
of that, like the Beal and Paul stuff. All right,

1878
01:28:45,079 --> 01:28:47,119
well that's definitely not going to play out how we thought.

1879
01:28:48,199 --> 01:28:51,000
Is there something to be said for just saying this

1880
01:28:51,199 --> 01:28:53,680
is the first quarter of the season. It went as

1881
01:28:53,760 --> 01:28:56,319
badly as you could have possibly imagine, short of just

1882
01:28:56,439 --> 01:28:59,600
like Leonard and Leonard and Harden not playing at all.

1883
01:29:00,600 --> 01:29:03,079
We still think the theory we put this team together

1884
01:29:03,359 --> 01:29:07,439
under has something to it, right, like and and and

1885
01:29:07,560 --> 01:29:11,000
maybe that paired with as we just illustrated the difficulty

1886
01:29:11,039 --> 01:29:14,279
of getting good stuff for your tradable assets not named

1887
01:29:14,359 --> 01:29:18,399
zubots is pretty high. I don't know, Like maybe maybe

1888
01:29:18,479 --> 01:29:21,439
you trust that this this can't get worse and some

1889
01:29:21,600 --> 01:29:23,399
of what we thought in the off season putting this

1890
01:29:23,439 --> 01:29:26,479
team together was right now, I still think you should

1891
01:29:26,640 --> 01:29:28,720
they should blow it up. I think that's the right move.

1892
01:29:28,800 --> 01:29:31,720
I could just see them if they don't do it.

1893
01:29:32,079 --> 01:29:36,319
That's probably the argument, right, is that just like I

1894
01:29:36,359 --> 01:29:36,760
don't know, we.

1895
01:29:36,840 --> 01:29:40,840
Speaker 1: Still to some extent in this vision, right, it'd be that,

1896
01:29:41,199 --> 01:29:44,479
and what are we getting by blowing yeah, because that's

1897
01:29:44,479 --> 01:29:46,680
what's none of the deals? But was there any of

1898
01:29:46,720 --> 01:29:48,479
the deals we laid out, whether it was for Kawhi

1899
01:29:48,840 --> 01:29:51,840
or Harden that as the because we even got them

1900
01:29:51,880 --> 01:29:53,680
John Moran and Trey Young and one of them and

1901
01:29:53,800 --> 01:29:55,560
that was, well, what is that? Does that really make

1902
01:29:55,640 --> 01:29:58,600
sense for mortgage more of your future? Were there any

1903
01:29:58,680 --> 01:30:01,560
deals or like that you have just absolutely pounced on

1904
01:30:01,680 --> 01:30:04,439
as the Clippers And the answer to me was the

1905
01:30:04,800 --> 01:30:07,640
anything Bucks related. I'm you know, if I can get

1906
01:30:07,680 --> 01:30:10,720
some of those Bucks picks right, pieces of those absolutely

1907
01:30:11,239 --> 01:30:14,279
beyond that though, if that's what you're going to get,

1908
01:30:15,640 --> 01:30:17,399
then you could just say, well then why won't we

1909
01:30:17,520 --> 01:30:19,199
just will see this through. We're not getting any of

1910
01:30:19,279 --> 01:30:22,479
these real high end fly Like is Jalen Green a

1911
01:30:22,560 --> 01:30:25,239
high end flyer? Is Rob Dillingham a high end flyer?

1912
01:30:25,399 --> 01:30:26,920
I don't I don't know, probably not.

1913
01:30:27,439 --> 01:30:30,000
Speaker 2: I think every piece of the analysis changes. If you

1914
01:30:30,159 --> 01:30:32,239
can get the Thunder to trade you back your picks.

1915
01:30:32,640 --> 01:30:36,199
But why like why would the Thunder like why would

1916
01:30:36,199 --> 01:30:36,840
they want to do that?

1917
01:30:37,439 --> 01:30:39,159
Speaker 1: Sorry, if I'm the Thunder, I'm doing the offer we

1918
01:30:39,319 --> 01:30:41,560
laid out I think was a real one, the three Oh.

1919
01:30:41,520 --> 01:30:45,399
Speaker 2: No, right, But I can but like just zooming out,

1920
01:30:45,520 --> 01:30:48,319
like I can't think of a team well one because

1921
01:30:48,319 --> 01:30:50,680
there have almost never been any teams like this that

1922
01:30:50,760 --> 01:30:53,439
were as good as the Thunder, that were like, yeah,

1923
01:30:53,640 --> 01:30:56,039
let's let's swing a trade like this in the middle

1924
01:30:56,079 --> 01:30:57,520
of the seat, Like don't you want to just like

1925
01:30:57,600 --> 01:31:00,279
take your hands off the controls as the Thunder little bit?

1926
01:31:00,399 --> 01:31:03,039
Speaker 1: Well, could the you know we mentioned this or I

1927
01:31:03,159 --> 01:31:05,439
mentioned this at the end of the actual discussion with that,

1928
01:31:06,079 --> 01:31:08,840
what if the Thunder was We're not bringing in zubots

1929
01:31:08,880 --> 01:31:11,039
like this ends up being just kind of a picks trade.

1930
01:31:11,039 --> 01:31:14,000
I mean, Kenrick Williams is in icon in Oklahoma City,

1931
01:31:14,039 --> 01:31:16,239
so I get that's a but Usman Jang's not gonna

1932
01:31:16,239 --> 01:31:18,600
be around much longer, so you're moving those two guys.

1933
01:31:18,920 --> 01:31:22,560
Maybe Zubots goes to Boston is a team that is

1934
01:31:22,600 --> 01:31:24,399
he's been floated for that. You can probably get what

1935
01:31:24,960 --> 01:31:28,159
two first round picks if you're taking some money from Boston.

1936
01:31:28,199 --> 01:31:30,920
And so what you're basically doing is you're not really

1937
01:31:31,000 --> 01:31:33,479
messing with your locker room dynamics at all, because you're

1938
01:31:33,560 --> 01:31:36,199
not bringing in someone who, oh there's this weird minutes

1939
01:31:36,319 --> 01:31:40,079
pushing pull Home, Grin Hartenstein, Zubots, and you're gonna end

1940
01:31:40,199 --> 01:31:42,920
up with Okay, you lose the next two Clippers picks,

1941
01:31:43,199 --> 01:31:46,720
you gain control out years over there, three picks in

1942
01:31:46,760 --> 01:31:49,279
twenty thirty, twenty thirty one, twenty thirty two, and then

1943
01:31:49,319 --> 01:31:52,520
you're getting another control over another two first round picks,

1944
01:31:52,560 --> 01:31:56,359
a pick and a swap. It's not I mean, I

1945
01:31:56,439 --> 01:31:57,399
mean it would be.

1946
01:31:57,680 --> 01:31:59,840
Speaker 2: That would be the most exciting outcome is if the

1947
01:32:00,000 --> 01:32:02,720
thunder really did engage. I hope it happens. And but

1948
01:32:02,920 --> 01:32:05,439
for both sides, because this is this saves the Clippers

1949
01:32:05,479 --> 01:32:07,399
and it makes the thunder even more interesting. It's kind

1950
01:32:07,399 --> 01:32:07,880
of a win win.

1951
01:32:08,880 --> 01:32:10,359
Speaker 1: Uh, do you have anything else Are you ready to

1952
01:32:10,680 --> 01:32:11,399
take us out of here?

1953
01:32:11,560 --> 01:32:14,920
Speaker 2: No great talk. Thanks everybody for listening, for watching. Remember

1954
01:32:15,000 --> 01:32:17,279
please rate, review, subscribe, leave us some comments on this,

1955
01:32:17,439 --> 01:32:19,600
let us know what stones we did not turn over

1956
01:32:19,800 --> 01:32:23,760
on the Kawhi and Harden and Everything Trade Zubots, Thunder

1957
01:32:23,920 --> 01:32:27,600
trade Fronts, join our discord woks for that YouTube podcast

1958
01:32:27,640 --> 01:32:30,840
description Telor Friends Teller Enemies shouts Franklin Cana apology for

1959
01:32:30,920 --> 01:32:31,199
the joke.

