Speaker 1: What is up? Felsiko's I Am Daanpa Valley once again
joined by Mort Jensen of the NBA Podcast, fame of
Yahoo Sports, Fame, of Forbes fame, and of OnlyFans celebrity
be on the lookout for his blend of naughty slash
NBA crossover content. We are here to talk about the
Miami Heat, beginning another offseason of what the hell do
we do? Now? Where do we go? They are? I
find every team fascinating. I say it's about every team
when we do look ahead and I'm like, oh, this
team is so fascinating. Mort, Well, before he gets started,
how are you doing since we last talked like five
seconds ago?
Speaker 2: Doing well? Feeling slightly worse that we're talking about the
Miami Heat.
Speaker 1: Yes, so Miami. They're about nine point three million below
the luxury tax. That's not including a potential new deal
for Davion Mitchell, who was a restricted free agent and
turned out to be pretty important to that and pretty
good for them to be fair.
Speaker 2: By the way, Maya Colpa on that, because you and
I spoke about Davion Mitchell, I want to say a
month ago where I was very dismissive of him. I
was like, yeah, sure, he's doing well in like March,
Like who cares. I was very dismissive. I'm I'm owning
up to it. God was I wrong. He's doing this
in a playoff setting in important games. I thought this
was just like one of those I've just gotten to
a new team sort of reinnovation for a small period
of time. This actually looks sustainable. So good on you,
Davion Mitchell for proving my ass wrong.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I don't think I would have even
predicted this last thing, or him having even close to
the type of impact he had for the Like he's
been able to do stuff offensively, whereas you look at
Chris Dunn for the Clippers and you worry about him
not being able to do some of the stuff that
Daveian Mitchell has been able to do for Miami. That
just makes it harder to figure out what does the
next contract look like. I assume just because this is
sort of a recent breakout, it's not gonna exceed like
far above the mid level would be my guess.
Speaker 2: I mean, he's currently shooting above or well not above,
just under seventy percent in the playoffs and averaging seventeen
points per game. I whatever is gonna happen his eighteen,
that's gonna squeeze that for all it's worth. So you know,
we'll see.
Speaker 1: I think that the cap landscape would be in favor
of the Heat keeping him no matter what. But they
have to ask themselves, are we willing to go in
to attacks for a core of bam Tyler Hero, khalil
Ware and Davion Mitchell's Like, I'm just being tongue in
cheeked there. Bam Adebayo after his extension, he's gonna be
under contract for another four years and two hundred and
two point four million dollars. Tyler Hero has two years
and sixty four million left on his deal. If you're
looking at this team getting better, they can trade I believe,
up to two first round picks outright, because they owe
their twenty twenty seven first to Charlotte with top two protection,
and so they can conditionally trade a twenty nine and
a twenty thirty one pick and that's it. Their twenty
twenty five pick is headed to Okasee this year. They
do have, though, what could be some sizeable expiring contracts.
Terry Rozier, the weirdest partial guarantee. I've ever seen he's guaranteed,
like ninety five percent. He's being guaranteed, so they'll have him.
Duncan Robinson has an ETO, so maybe he could be
a free agent. I don't. I don't think he'll opt
out or to like exercise that. And then Andrew Wiggins
has a twenty six to twenty seven player option. In theory,
then he could be an expiring contract. So they do
have money that they could use to, you know, Matt's
salaries in a larger trade. I just I think the playoffs,
and this was true before the Jimmy trade, it's kind
of just reinforced, right. This team needs a I think
Tyler Hero has improved a bunch. Want to make that clear.
They need a best offensive player though, Like that is
what they need, and I don't know where they go
out and get that player, Like maybe you could identify
some names that would be interesting, But do they have
the assets to get them.
Speaker 2: I don't think they do. And that's why I am
taking a pretty harsh approach to this team. You know,
they made it to the playoffs, which means they're not
gonna relinquish the twenty twenty six unprotected to Okay, see
that's a win. They got to look they they got
to restart this whole thing. I'm not saying take a sledgehammer,
but I'm also saying let's not take it. Not take
a sledgehammer, Like you can get a ton in return
for bam Adebayo even with the extension kicking in, but
you probably have to do it now while he's like
slapped that middle in his prime, like that's right now,
those are the years right now, Tyler hero is gonna
have two year stuff down his deal come summertime. You
want to get him out the door before that goes
down to one year, because then we're always looking at
that situation where it seems like, ah, but we're only
getting in for one playoff here, that's not a whole lot.
That value diminishes. I think you got to press that
big red button and see what comes up. What's unfortunate,
of course, they don't necessarily have their own picks. They're
in a situation where they don't control their own outcome.
So it's like there are more and more teams like
this out there. I feel like where they've shipped out
so many of their draft picks, meaning they don't really
control their own future, and now they have to play
catch up because there's just stuck the heat or one
of them. So if they can't control their own picks,
they have to control outside picks. That's the only thing
I come up with because running this back, my question
is to what end like even if you go out
and get a guy via the draft picks that you mentioned,
is that a guy who's good enough to be the
number one guy on it on that team, Is that
someone who can come in and be like a perennial
All star for them? No? They what's the alternative?
Speaker 1: So I don't I'm actually if they, I think you
could argue that it's actually more appealing for them to
blow it up than even your giving them credit for,
just because it's really they're losing this year's pick, which
is outside the lottery. That's not nothing, but it's okay,
it's the twenty twenty seven pick. And so you could,
in theory say to whatever team wants BAM, you go out,
you find out what it takes to get that pick
from Charlotte, and you included in the package for BAM.
Maybe Charlotte, even the team that wants to go out
and trade for Bam who like who knows right here?
I can't. I probably would explore that like you would.
I can't picture maybe if we know that pat Riley
no longer has to say and I know Andy Ellisberg
does a lot of the heavy lifting there, but this
team has kind of operated under the mantra of we
don't rebuild right, So exactly, I don't think they're gonna
look at that. But I think you're asking the right question.
It's if you can get better, to what end are
you getting better? And I don't know, Like I'll throw
a couple of names out to you that could theory
be on their radar. I just don't. I think you
have to ask two questions, and the first one is
is that player good enough to say, all right, we're
playing for something in the East? Home court advantage in
the East. And then two, does Miami have the assets
to get that player without try trading Bam at a bio?
Speaker 2: Okay, Oh, okay, that's a good one.
Speaker 1: Yep. The first name that comes up, and it has
to come up, would be Trey Young.
Speaker 2: So the deal is probably tyle a hero.
Speaker 1: Picks other salary.
Speaker 2: It's interesting. I'm gonna give you that. It's interesting. But
at the end of the day, if you give up
Tiler Hero as well, you're still like you're forcing Bam
to be more of an offensive, you know, influencer in
some capacity. Can he do that? Is Tyler Hero? Oh? Sorry?
Is Trey Young Bam at a bio? I guess? Andrew
Wickins and kill A Ware.
Speaker 1: Look, maybe Landa wants wigs instead a hero who knows.
Speaker 2: Oh, that changes the calculus for me a little bit. Though,
if you can get that, if you can get off
or not get off Wickins, because I don't think that's
that sounded negative. I actually think good. But if you
can get Tray for the Wigans contract and I get
what Kyla Anderson like, let us actually find the deal, right,
it's gotta be Wigins Andreson I guess, and high Smith
or I mean.
Speaker 1: You could have there's Rosiers expiring money, there's Robinson's expiring money.
Speaker 2: Yeah, then you can expand the trade, all right, and
then the two picks.
Speaker 1: You I think the two picks, especially if you're not
including Hero, would have to be in there.
Speaker 2: Right right, yeah, if you're if you're not including Hero,
I agree, So that leaves you with a trio, a
leading trio of Trey, Tyler Hero and Bam. That's intriguing.
I still I'm left with the same question Dan, to
what end Like, does that a team that I trust
over Cleveland? Is that a team I trust over Boston?
Is that a team I put pretty much at the
same level I do New York.
Speaker 1: I do think that if they for some reasonfig got
a way to have an above average offense while playing
Trey Young and Tyler Hero together, which they figured out
how to have an above average offense, excuse me, defense
is what I meant while having liabilities on the floor
in the past. That gets interesting, But I think that's
what's fun about. I'm not even endorsing it, but it's okay.
Can you get Trey Young short? Is it for what
you would have to give up to get him? Doesn't
make sense to get him? And that's where it gets debatable,
which comes back to your question. I probably don't think
like because the opportunity cost kind of feels not that great.
But then it's also like, well, Trey Young needs a
new deal, so we're gonna get mega expensive. I don't
think I'm looking at that, so I'll continue to throw
names here. Okay, Zach Lavine with the precursor of Scott
Perry's now in charge in Sacramento. He did not trade
for him. There's actually people have brought back up the
video of Scott Perry saying that Zack Lavine is overpaid
and doesn't provide enough value for what he is paid.
He has since said that him and Zack Levine have
talked about it and hashed it out. The Kings can
go a bunch of different directions, but zach Lavine is
that guy where he's really good and you're not including
after matching money. I'm assuming you're not including everything to
get him.
Speaker 2: He's basically a better Tilo Hero.
Speaker 1: Tyler here is probably better passor than him at this point.
I'm not gonna be.
Speaker 2: A better passor. But Levine's efficiency is no one's talking
about it because he's He played for Chicago and Sacramento
this year so rightfully, so efficiency was ridiculous. I think
he ended up in like the mid sixties, true shooting percentage,
high volume as well. There is they definitely get better
offensively there because of the efficiency. Like Sack has this
weird reputation both in the league and the media. I
feel like where he's like a chucker who's like inefficient,
where he's like the exact opposite, the offensive injection, there
would be fun and alongside Bam. But at the end
of the day, you're not racing you, you're sealing a
whole ton. Like Okay, you're replacing Tilo Hero with sac
Lavine because you'd they sure as heck can't play together.
Is that upgrade enough to even warrant such a such trade,
I'm not sure. Like then, I'd probably just rather gamble
on Hero, who's well five years younger.
Speaker 1: I guess if more so is what I'm saying. What
if Sacramento just wanted like Wiggins and another expiring salary
and you're not getting giving up picks to get zaq
Lavine was more so my point?
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, well, I mean there's still bees. Then
we still had need a follow up move because the
positional overlap between Hero and Levine is yucky.
Speaker 1: Yeah, not neither of those. I Well, I don't know.
Tyler here has had some really good moments against the Calves,
but still, uh the other name, well, I have a
couple other names. Okay, okay, LaMelo Ball your favorite.
Speaker 2: And you're asking me of old people. Uh no, no,
I think pat Riley would go absolutely bananas after the
first couple of practices.
Speaker 1: I just for what the heat can give up if
you can get LaMelo ball, I'm not gonna lie to
be tempted because they just can't give up a ton.
Speaker 2: Perhaps that's the place for LaMelo to iron out his
poor habit. I'll get Oh, Miami's well, not the city,
I meant the organization. But you raise a fair point.
Speaker 1: What about we'll go to the other end of this
because we just talked about those two players. Not an
instinctive fit, but again, probably doesn't cost you everything. Zion Williamson.
Speaker 2: Okay, now we're talking. That's fun. Now, now we're now
we're into this might actually be fun territory.
Speaker 1: Hold on, if you don't think LaMelo ball is the
answer for a team or you have, that's fine. You
can't tell me LaMelo ball man Attebayo wouldn't make for
fun basketball. I refuse, I don't.
Speaker 2: We've been through this several times, you and I. I
do not find LaMelo ball entertaining in the slightest I
am finding infuriatingly frustrating.
Speaker 1: We got we got aggregated on Twitter the other day
from that conversation. I don't know if you saw it,
and it was I saw. The response is they clearly
had no idea the tenor of the conversation because they
were saying we were both wrong and we were arguing
like there was one of two answers and we were
arguing in opposite side to them and so were wrong.
Speaker 2: It was no. I left of that a great deal.
I actually forgot to share it with you because I
did see it. But no, yeah, people are are weird. Look,
oh I getting aggregated thin. No, No, no me, neither
Sion when healthy, at least when I'm saying fun, I
do mean like in terms of the production, right, Like
when he's healthy, he's he's right up there, like he's
up there among the best, Like he is so highly influential,
He's gotten better as a rebounder, he's gotten better defender.
It's all about the lack of availability. And you can
say the same about LaMelo too, Like both those guys
are like tremendously unavailable. But I do think Sion provides
the higher ceiling the Lamello and significantly so just off
the impact there that would be fun because he would
actually have that type of center. Like remember I've said
this a couple of times where I thought the Pelicans
should have gone out in the way to find a
way to get killer Ware because I think that's the
player you need to put alongside Scion. Well, Kililware is
in Miami, and you know who's also is bam Adebayo Bamada.
Bio's also begins to stretch the floor. He's also a
lot of threat. He's also a defender, rebounder. Now you
have two guys who are like Taylor made to be
alongside Zion.
Speaker 1: My guess is, and maybe the Pelicans feel differently with
Eves Mesi being there. But if you're not trading Tyler Hero,
I think khalil Ware is certainly in the Zion Williams.
Speaker 2: That's fair, Okay, Yeah, I can I can buy that.
I can accept that. But they as long as they
still have Bam, I'll live with it. I still love
the idea of Kittill where alongside Zion, though, but like, yeah,
it's Bam is better. I get that. If you run
that well, like let's run that back by the way.
If they offer one of the picks instead of killerware.
Speaker 1: So you're like, you're thinking New Orleans is just gonna
dump Zion for a first round pick and Deandrew Wiggins
and Kyle Anderson.
Speaker 2: Maybe two picks they can off for two, right.
Speaker 1: I mean, if if it's just the picks and then money,
sign me.
Speaker 2: Up, right. I mean, I don't know. I don't I
don't think anybody really knows what Scion's value is right now,
especially now that Joe Dumars is leading the whole thing there.
We we have no idea, like the Pelicans have just
turned everything inside out. Now they're making evaluations, their own
evaluations of where they stand with certain players. Like we
sort of had an idea of how David Griffin thought
of Sion for a long time, like he wasn't keen
on trading him, he was buying into the upside. It's
Joe dumar is doing that same thing. We have no idea,
like there might be an organizational shift where they are thinking, now,
you know what, like science is not available, we don't
think highly of him. Let's just get out of that
whole situation where you know, you could look at two
picks from Miami where David Griffin would probably you know,
tell them tell Miami to shove it. Joe Dumars might
be telling them tell me more.
Speaker 1: Well, that was the membery in reporting, wasn't that since
moved back. I want to make it clear that part
of Joe the stipulation was Jojiemorries needed to move on
for Zion Williamson, which is just I think that's a
dumb stipulation because his contract just giving the number of
outs is not toxic. And by the way, you think
the Heat would be in there trying to renegotiate the
weight limit protection where I think now he needs to
be less than two ninety five here and be like
you need to be less than two seventy five or something.
They would definitely try and do that.
Speaker 2: So it's whinny. Yeah, oh my god, look it's it's
it's the Heat, right Heat Culture. No, but that would
be fun. Like that's probably the one name where I
can talk myself into all right, let's let's try to
keep this going in some capacity.
Speaker 1: The good this is I'm not endorsing any of these.
I'm just trying to make us think. I have a
couple other names. Okay, Kevin Durant.
Speaker 2: He's oh again, that's he'd be in that trade.
Speaker 1: It's the picks and it's uh, it's salary, Like you're
keeping Hero and Bam and where.
Speaker 2: Look when you're trading draft picks for a guy who's
like that old, it's like you have like you have
to put yourself in a situation where you can win
a championship. I don't think you do that with DuRane necessarily,
as much as I love him.
Speaker 1: That's that's probably the most of all the names we
mentioned though, that would be the most instinctual trio, right
with Tyler, HEROKD and Bam.
Speaker 2: Right, yeah, yeah, because look, I still subscribe to the
idea that if you want to run with like the
three stars setup, it is ultimately the best to have
like a main guard, a main wing, and a main big.
So yes, absolutely that would work.
Speaker 1: What about Ja Morant?
Speaker 2: No, no, thank you.
Speaker 1: I figured that was gonna be a quick note. Now
this is kind of on the smaller side, but again
it enables you to keep a lot of your roster intact.
Speaker 2: Kobe White, Yeah, yeah, absolutely immediately, because again you the
salary alone is so easy to overcome from one year
and for one that's the thing. And because it's one year.
The Bulls can't even make like first and foremost they're
shitty negotiators, but they can't even make the argument that
they're going to have him, you know, for longer than
that one year. The Bulls should have traded them at
the trade deadline. They did not. So now you're left
in that situation where you're going to the summer, if
you're fielding offers from White, everyone's going to say, well,
he's not locked up for a long time, and we
have to go into the same situation as you where
we can't offer him an extension because the one and
extension limit exists, all right. That lowers the price tag.
I'm sorry, but it just does. That's a name where
Miami can actually whether they rebuild or retool or not
or stay stay the course, they can still go get
his ass, would you you?
Speaker 1: Let's just say no picks are involved. It's just a
matter of matching the money because they want to get
out of this contract. Do you see where I'm going
with this?
Speaker 2: Not sure yet, No.
Speaker 1: Paul George, I'm just I don't even know. Maybe the
sixers say no, but as an exercise, you're just giving up.
You're sending out contracts to make the money work, roping
in whatever other teams you need. No, I would do it.
You're out of your mind. Why no picks?
Speaker 2: Well, like, okay, so no picks, and I still get
to overpay him for the next four years. Lucky me
for three years. Three Sorry I corrected myself, sir.
Speaker 1: Hold on, hold on, and two of those are important
to be semi competitive. But I guess you if you
want to do a one year tank, sure, but at
least twenty twenty seven, you need to be as good
as possible right now because your pick is headed out
so like and Paul George, he needn't ruin the Sixers
tank this year. He always misses some games. If you
want to do the one year tank and run it
back with you know, age forty five, Paul George in
twenty twenty six and that top end draft pick, if you.
Speaker 2: Don't realize that Paul George is turning thirty five in
like three days, right.
Speaker 1: Right, here's my thing. If the if Philly just decided
they don't want that contract and they're willing to take
Terry rose year plus whatever money, like, maybe it's Terry
roseier Andrew Wiggins, I might consider it.
Speaker 2: Of course. I mean, look, yeah, if you're if you're Miami,
I wouldn't consider it if look, of course you as
the Sixers. If that's what it takes to get off that.
Speaker 1: Horrible from Miami's perspective.
Speaker 2: I know, but like that's that's such a win for Philly.
It's insane.
Speaker 1: Andrew Wiggins could dectically have an extra year left on
this deal. So you're saying you'd rather just be out
of the Paul George business. You're so out on Paul George?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Absolutely?
Speaker 2: Did you have you seen this guy this year and
you expect him to get better? He's the injury history.
Speaker 1: There's a higher baseline. It's not that I expect Paul
George to go to Miami and have a career year.
There's a much higher baseline than what he's working off
of from this season.
Speaker 2: Are we sure there still is?
Speaker 1: Yes? I think Paul George is one of the most
plug and play stars in the league.
Speaker 2: Great that worked out so well for Philly in the
forty one games he played this year.
Speaker 1: How many games? First of all, how many games would
he have played in if Philly actually had anything to
play for?
Speaker 2: That is a fair quar still the production, the production
that will drop like a rock.
Speaker 1: I think if you're gonna focus on why Miami shouldn't
do that, I think the plot is being missed if
you don't say, well, we want a primary advantage creator.
He comes in and we still favor Tyler Hero in
that instance, and you're trying to get around that.
Speaker 2: For the most part, I understand. No, I understand your argument.
Just fine. It's the contract that scares the Bejesus out
of me.
Speaker 1: I think, if it's costing me because Terry Rozier doesn't
even look like he should be an NBA player, and
maybe he comes back and is great, but if it's
costing me that and then Andrew Wiggins took as two
years left on his deal, and just you can't unless
unless he's gonna turn the clock back to twenty twenty two,
which is the anomaly on his career resume. You're kind
of can look at it and talking to yourself in
all right, well, it's really like two years of Paul
George like being extra on the wait.
Speaker 2: I think Andrew Wiggins right now is the better basketball player.
Speaker 1: Oh sorry, I can't.
Speaker 2: And oh oh we have snop dance show up.
Speaker 1: There.
Speaker 2: Okay, fair enough to me.
Speaker 1: If you're saying Andrew Wiggins had the better season, I
don't think that's arguable. I think you're right, right right.
If you're asking me who I would just rather haveing
a vacuum next year if you want to get I guess, Okay,
Andrew Wiggins is making what twenty million dollars less than
Paul George or whatever. That's probably fair. But as players
in a vacuum next season, I would say that I
want Paul George on my team rather than Andrew Wiggins.
Speaker 2: That's fair. I'm I'm I'm Wigins. I don't because again
I'm also baking in availability. That's part of it.
Speaker 1: I gu what is what is the argument so your
so with? Then what is the argument for Andrew Wickins
is the better basketball player? Just that your no?
Speaker 2: No, so okay? So, first and foremost, the production level
I think is is comparable. First and foremost, I think
Wiggins because he's younger. I think he's found his game
at a much higher sense this year than we've seen before.
I think we can throw last year and parts of
the year before out, because there was a lot of
personal things that went on and people were way too
quick to kind of rule him out, like saying, oh,
he can't play anymore, he's peaked. Whatever we were seeing
this year, that was a bunch of bullshit. Okay, I
think there's a very good two way player in there.
I think his three point shot has gotten better. Yes,
is he look Is Paul George a better primary creator? Absolutely,
I'm not going to dispute that. But there is a
time when someone reaches an age and they have that
one year drop off, I think, and that's like the
new norm. I'm not sure we can rule that out
that that was the year for PEG this year. Like
I'm also not saying it was with absolute certainty. There's
a world where in you could absolutely be right. But
if this was the drop off year and that trend
is only going to continue, like he's only getting gonna
get worse, I will not in any way sit here
and argue on behalf of him over Wiggins.
Speaker 1: Sorry, I think I would feel very uneasy about the
Paul George creation aspect, like I said before, because if
he comes in, I think you still look at Tyler
Hero as your best advantage creator. And that's right, somewhat problematic,
but the balance of one, three, five. I guess I'm
looking at it as if you're trying to swing for
the fences as Miami rather than rebuild. I think if
your highest end outcome is glitzier, if you have Paul
George versus if you have Andrew Wiggins, you can talk
about the likelihood of reaching that highest end outcome. Yeah.
Let's say I'll frame of it this way. Let's say
you're seventy percent likely to reach your highest end outcome
with Andrew Wiggins and twenty percent likely to reach your
highest end oucome with Paul George. The highest end outcome
that you have a twenty percent chance at, I just
think is going to be so much higher than that
Andrew Wiggins highest end outcome that I'm just going to
roll you nice, because otherwise you're just kind of spinning
your wheels in. This is exact Miami team with some
fuzzing and fiddling on the margins. How good are they
next year? Can they get to forty fives? Yeah?
Speaker 2: No particularly, but I don't necessarily think they're going to
be a lot better with Paul George. But what I
do understand you're saying is that you want to swing.
You want to swing big and you want to take
some risk. I appreciate the balsiness of that. I do,
but the contract loan is toxic. And I don't think,
like I said, necessarily that I think he's even an
upgrade for Andrew Wiggins, although I do think he plucks
more holes that I will give you. But then there's
the availability or lack thereof like it's just it's the
combined package of question marks.
Speaker 1: Does Andrew Wiggins' podcast too more m This is all
the said.
Speaker 2: God be there, you got to be there that Daniel
we want the argument.
Speaker 1: This is all to say I wouldn't trade for Paul
George if I was in Miami. So we're arguing kind
of over the same thing. I have a couple other names. Again,
I actually don't think I might endorse one of these right,
and I think his trade value would have had to
drop for the Heat to be able to get him.
Larry Marketen, he is not off. You probably have to
go to Utah and say, maybe you could get away
with not giving khalil ware. But there's a chance that
it's probably both those picks swaps or is it khalil
ware a picks While it's it's something like that.
Speaker 2: So it depends on what you think. So this is
actually interesting. Do you subscribe to the idea that Lauri
Marketen can be a good first option?
Speaker 1: It's so would you have could so ask you another question?
Would you have considered him? He was like a primary
option as a play finisher and I think he can
do that.
Speaker 2: That is a good answer because that is exactly what
he is. So you were talking about play creation, right,
how does Lauri Markinen solve that?
Speaker 1: Well?
Speaker 2: Especially his salary.
Speaker 1: I think he makes it the jobs easier on Tyler
Hero and bam Adebayo to where it's the advantage creation
you get from them, which you want higher end of
it because there's a higher threat level on the court
who can give you a little bit of self creation,
but it's just a threat from anywhere. And is this
like he's I can't remember who said this or I
apologize and I don't. This isn't like a perfect comparison,
but they compared Larry market into a seven foot Klay Thompson.
It's just like that's if you put that, I think
by virtue putting that on your roster, it increases the
value of whatever self creation and facilitations already.
Speaker 2: There, right, Can I just can I just piggyback off
of that one and give Ricky O'Donnell some love on this,
because even when marketing was in an Arizona, Ricky O'Donnell
back then, this was way back in seven twenty seventeen
basically said he's a seven foot shooting guard. And I
think that is probably the best description of Laurie marketing
we've ever seen, and no one's really picked up on it,
and that is exactly what his career has been. I
love him as a play finisher. What I would worry
about if I'm Miami, presumably I'm staying like I'm keeping
this train moving because I want to make some noise
in the playoffs. I wonder if, even if they do
well in the regular season with him as a play
finisher making life easier on both BAM and Hero, is
that gonna be taken away in the playoffs, because I
would imagine.
Speaker 1: So I'm probably with you just because it would take
most of your assets, and I don't think the payoff
is there, right. Would you rather give up your assets
to get Larry markin or just give up money to
get Paul George like contracts to get Paul George.
Speaker 2: Uh, I'm just gonna instead jump off of the highest
cliff life.
Speaker 1: Fine, yeah, so we have to mention this name. We
mentioned it when we did our bucks. Where are they
going from here? Thing? You would do it, but we
even I don't see the path to the heat keeping
Bam out of bio and getting honest attend to Cupo's no, correct.
Speaker 2: Nope, nope, let's go back to a team.
Speaker 1: Excuse me, maybe wanted to get off a contract again.
I don't see it all right, Joel embiid.
Speaker 2: Oh see that's at least more intriguing the PG. However,
what like em beat himself is like, no, I'm not
going to play in back to backs anymore. Like it's
you know what, I want to get there, but I
can't Dan like I want to get there. I just no,
I can't. It's too again. I'm I'm very risk averse.
You know this of me? I can't. I can't say
that leave. I can't commit. All right, I'll be I'll
be fleeing the altar if I'm standing there. I won't
do it. No, the contractual stuff is too much, the
injury patterns are too much. I can't. Sorry, even if
it was.
Speaker 1: Just money in one first round pick and my money.
I do contracts. For anyone who's thinking that, I'm like,
I'm not Babe ruthing this or like giving up.
Speaker 2: Just cash for right, So it's like weekends Duncan Robinson and.
Speaker 1: Terry Road whatever the money, whatever contract or bam bam
at the four.
Speaker 2: Would be fun next to bead.
Speaker 1: I think that, by the way, I think the Sixers
only consider something like that if they win the lottery
and it's let's re orient around Cooper Flag and exactly
we're done here.
Speaker 2: I might get you could talk me into that, but
like the oh the potential downside again it's catastrophic.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, speaking of catastrophic.
Speaker 2: Oh no, you're coming with now.
Speaker 1: This is another one where it's we don't want to
give up assets to do this, so we're just trying
to get better on the court.
Speaker 2: Bradley Beale, I actually don't hate that as much. Again
I do, so here we can't.
Speaker 1: Hit all over Paul George like Bradley Beal.
Speaker 2: Here's the thing. Here's the thing. I don't hate Bradley
Beal in a vacuum going there, however, because Tyler Hero
is there, and I value him obviously significantly more than
Bradley Beale. I don't buy into it because again we've
seen him now, he couldn't like the position to overlap.
I think it's I think it's real with the shooting
guards specifically, they have such a hard time finding their spots.
Speaker 1: I think if you could get some of because I
viewed Devin Booker as one of the most underrated passers
in the league, but we've seen he has his limitations.
He kind of needs a decision making. Big is what
he's best next to, not necessarily these rim like flat
out rim runners in Miami's case though, and this was
similar with Devin Booker, So I think you would still
probably want like a Florid like would Chris Paul come
in and make whatever money and you're playing a little
smaller Tyler. Hero can be so good off the ball
that it's just like I think it would feel less rid.
Not that Devin Booker can't be, but when you also
have Kevin Durant in the fold and like Bam plays
just a different position and it's used to being a
play finisher big when he's not having the ball, I
think you can make it work. And again, I think
it's all about the cost perspective of if you're just
giving up contracts to make this work like the Sons
are doing it for Terry Rozier and I take your pick.
You want Dougan Robinson or would you prefer to just
give up Andrew Wiggins in that?
Speaker 2: Like, I'm still saying no, because I still like, despite
what you just outlined, I'm not necessarily buying into, you know,
real in a high volume ball handling capability like I
like him. I thought, I think it's interesting at the least.
I think that's that's a situation where you know the
system would at least give him a chance to return
to some level of what he used to be, but
just not specifically alongside Tyler Hero. So I wouldn't do it.
Speaker 1: Okay, I think you're not gonna catch an argument for me, Matt.
I have at least two more names.
Speaker 2: I feel like you keep coming up with two more names.
Speaker 1: It's great, some of them are some of them are
just springing to me. I don't. I'm just saying because
I don't know what's gonna happen here. We already know
this player wants to re evaluate his future right domas
a bonus.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I had a feeling you to go there.
Speaker 1: Now, I think I want to say this. I'm not
necessarily in favor of it, but I think people would
hona actually assume no, that would shrink the floor. And
like Doma's been shooting the three pretty well the past
couple of seasons, we know Bam can give a little stretch.
I don't think defenses would much care, but it'd be
would we have ever seen It's kind of like I
don't think that people are talking about have we ever
seen as much just like transcending playmaking on one team
as you could get and Lebron and Luca? Have we
ever seen two playmaking bigs on the same team like
doms Adam.
Speaker 2: And and also you know what be funny is both
of them are sort of reluctant scores, like they can
do so much more offensively than what they're doing. Like
heat fans would lose their marbles after the first two
months because both those guys are gonna be like looking
at each other. They're gonna be averaging like a modest
seventeen per game and everyone is just looking at it like, oh,
nut's one of you, Like one of you should average
twenty five because both have the capability of doing so.
But like at least BAM represents a much more intriguing
big man pairing option for some bonus then and a
lot of other alternatives around the league, like that might
be the guy to pair up front with the bonus
of anything.
Speaker 1: I don't think. I mean, i'd be interested see how
Spoe uses them together, but I don't think I could
get on board with that. I'm not gonna lie.
Speaker 2: It's gonna be difficult, Like spacing is real, I feel
like that should be.
Speaker 1: So the other one I have. I think it's an
ultra long shot. But let's say this team wants to
get cheaper.
Speaker 2: If the rest of this list hasn't been long shots, yeah,
go ahead.
Speaker 1: I'm just trying. I'm trying to have it. I'm not
advocating for any of these. I'm just trying to have
a discussion. And you're getting you're you're assigning I don't
know whatever to be here, sounding like someone on Fox News.
Speaker 2: I'm just asking questions. I'm just.
Speaker 1: I'm just trying to see your both sides wrong with that?
Look this team want let's say this. I'm gonna lay
the ground here. This team wants to get cheaper, and
what you're looking at probably is like, okay, they're going
to get some smaller contracts in return. There's other teams
that are being roped into offset the cost you're probably commanding.
The two first round picks and Khalil laware in addition
to salary at minimum.
Speaker 2: Jailing Brown, all right, yeah, yeah, you found an exception.
All right, you found a name that's interesting. He's the
primary wing.
Speaker 1: So shocked I found it. I just named half the league.
I was bound to find a few.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well you finally hit right, Okay, because you have
the you have the guard set up in Hero, you
have Bam. Now you have like the primary wing who
can focus lot on scoring and the two way play.
So look, I'm I'm more interested in that. But I
do have a question, and I think it's I think
it's fair to ask. I think a lot of people
are probably glossing it over because you know, it's the Celtics.
Do they really take the regular season all that serious
and whatnot? But like, it feels like Jalen did not
have a great scoring year this year, and I feel
I feel like last year also wasn't at least in
some parts. He turned it on in the playoffs, but like,
I don't know if he's the same guy that he
used to be a couple of years ago, Like can
he regain that high level scoring punch you think I
think he needs to? In my Yami specifically, I I just.
Speaker 1: Wonder because you did mention last year like this year
had to be felt like it was injury related. He
was dealing with knee stuff for months.
Speaker 2: Yeah he was.
Speaker 1: I just what I think I would do it if
I'm Miami, and I probably wouldn't even think twice. I'm
more so thinking is that enough value? If if Boston
was to go look to move Jalen Brown? And I
guess what you're trying to accomplish is we want to
get someone like a young guy or a cheap guy
who's playable, another cheap mid end contract. I'm assuming Andrew
Wiggins is maybe part of that, and then some draft
equity just checks those boxes. But is there a team
that like Khalil where Andrew Wiggins and two picks like
that's But I'm also like, well, would other teams just
give up more for Jalen Brown?
Speaker 2: See that's the thing I don't know. I mean the
contract that's also attached to Brown. I actually have no
idea how that's viewed around.
Speaker 1: The league, especially now to where I think, and I
actually think you mentioned Jaron Jackson Junior, not on this podcast,
but another one we did. He might end up being
like a good case study in will how willing are
teams to give out a supermax to these non top
ten guys when they're eligible, Like even.
Speaker 2: If you already read my Memphis piece, because you know
what I mentioned in there. I mentioned in there that
I think we might reaching that point where we shouldn't
dismiss the one hundred and forty percent extension limit out
of hand with him.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that feels almost extreme, But I guess
based off some of the moments we saw against the
like Thunder Serial was a game one, he had more
turnovers than defensive rebounds.
Speaker 2: Right, so eight that would start, by the way, the
veteran extensional started forty two point seven million.
Speaker 1: Maybe that's the right number, but I meant also, I
meant more so because I'm looking at it at Jalen Brown,
just how his contract would be viewed is just like
if Jaron Jackson is Jafon Jecktion're gonna be the first
test of not a top fifteen player. And it's not
even just about giving him the supermax, but like you
could technically give him less than the supermax. We saw
that happen with Rudy Gobert in Utah, Right, But is
he the like kind of the first inflection point of no, Like,
we're not even doing that for these guys unless they're
just auto top ten maybe like auto top fifteen players,
which Jalen Brown in any given season sure as just
an auto no. And so now wondering as teams are
structuring their books, how do you view that contract? And
it's it's a I think Jaln Brown's fantastic player. He
can make all NBA any given season, and it has
to be fair. But that's why I think, Well, then
maybe Miami if he was available in Boston new ownership,
maybe looking at cut costs make the rest of the
core more sustainable. But then the other part of me
does think that there would be more palatable offers on
the table if I was to guess what right for
Jaalen You mean Jalen Brown? Yet yeah, well look can
I throw out another name? Then? If you're out of
the contract. Jared Jackson Jr.
Speaker 2: Yeah, might be the right team if they're pivoting on
Like if Memphis is pivoting off both him and rand
which I wouldn't be against honestly, might be the right
sat to learn to stop fouling and actually grab a
freaking rebound.
Speaker 1: Oh he's not gonna. I think we've the rebounding and
the just gonna happen. I mean, And also, is he
giving you enough of a scoring punch? He's a lot
better as a scorer, but is it enough because this
is costing you. It's the two first and khalil ware
like that is plus other stuffy right of course.
Speaker 2: But to underline your scoring point, I mean, this dude
averages almost twenty seven per game per thirty six like this,
this is the ball he was.
Speaker 1: He was in the ninetieth percentile of self created shot
making efficiency this year. That's not that's a that's a
big deal for sure.
Speaker 2: Yep. It's it's a good one. It's a good It's
like again, it comes down to where are we with
him and in a playoff context, because as I was
writing that piece, whatever he does in the regular season,
whatever however impressive it is, he sort of drops the
ball in the playoffs. He was very Julius Rantle with
the Knicks playoff experience. And if you're the heat, I
presume you're looking ahead and into a playoff series and
not just how you fare in the regular season, So
like that would concern me. I understand it's just the
twenty seven game sample size for the playoffs with JJJ.
I get that, like perhaps the change of scenery something
else might.
Speaker 1: And also if you're it's different for any team that's
acquiring him, because you have to worry about free agency,
but it's not, Oh, you don't have to worry about, oh,
do we pay him the supermax? Are close to it?
Because that's just immediately off the table then.
Speaker 2: Right, I'm not opposed to it, I will say.
Speaker 1: Per Jalen, even on his current deals.
Speaker 2: Yes, I think the baseline there is higher. And I again,
it's the thing with me when I look at these
guys who struggle in the postseason but dominate more or
less in the regular season, it just like it does
affect how I value them money wise, and like in
terms of what I would be willing to relinquish from
in a trademarket. For example, I'm like, some people might
be ready to just go get Jaron Jackson Junior for
basically whatever. I'm not there.
Speaker 1: Do you have any other names that you'd like? Did
I throw out enough names for you, many of which
were off rip They weren't all in my notes.
Speaker 2: I appreciate the creativity, sir. I really do very glad
you didn't bring up Kyle Kuzma because I would have
just left. No. So I think we're well, let me think,
I think you.
Speaker 1: I didn't expect you to go there right off the bat,
but I do think that if you're the heat, if
we were taking the cold, distant perspective, which that's kind
of our job to do, but we also try and
live in the reality of these teams. Tearing it down
is a pretty palatable course, but just giving their aversion
to rebuilding, and look, you can argue about the not
you specifically, you can argue about that pick headed Charlotte
in twenty seven. That's not enough of a debt, like
an impediment to me to say rebuilding shouldn't be on
the table. And if you think you can for some
reason rebuild around Bam and Tyler Hero sure, but I
think the exercise that we just went through showed you
how difficult that would be.
Speaker 2: Yes, it's fun. There is one name that would just
make me reconsider everything. But he's He's gonna take so
much more to get to get that's book right, like
you would have to It's Hero would have to be involved,
Like it would almost be like a major retooling process.
Speaker 1: You would do you think it would become so if
you went, I don't know why Houston would then do
this if they know that Miami is getting booked, but
it's hey, can we get any of those Phoenix suns
picks and then you include that in a package with
Phoenix might appreciate that. I mean, if you're trading book,
they might even care about getting Hero, So, oh you're
gonna have like maybe maybe Houston wants Hero because he
costs less than getting Booker, don't. Yeah, that's like fun,
He's better. I think people that will be pushed back
from Rockston Tyler. Hero is better than Jayalen Green on
offense right, just the playmaking in general, yep.
Speaker 2: Yeah, offensively speaking yes, and speaking off of this season, yes,
but Devin Booker is the one guy for me. Ironically
also for Houston, who you just outlined there like.
Speaker 1: Well, that's my point is like, well I wouldn't. I'm
not helping another.
Speaker 2: Right, No, no exactly, But it's kind of funny that
I think the book specifically is a guy who can
go in and solve a lot of these teams that
are sort of not stuck. I don't want to say stuck,
but like where you can see there's there's ample reason
to continue this this path that we're on by getting book,
because he can sort of elevate you, sorry to a
different tier. So but the thing, rightfully, so feeding should
be asking for the moon.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and the heat don't have the moon. They don't
even have they don't have the moon, they don't even
have the atmosphere. I don't think to get.
Speaker 2: Into that, correct, And that's where they're in. Life's the issue.
Speaker 1: Can you tell our listeners where they can find you
and all the work that you do, mister more Jensen.
Speaker 2: Yes, sir, you can find my work over at bluse
guy at m s J NBA where I link out
to Danish pods, the NBA pod, Yahoo stuff forbe stuff,
occasionally sports illustrated stuff. And he took I can write
some sometimes and sometimes assume you used to go right
and go back and right there if it's been a while,
so you can find all my work over.
Speaker 1: At this this times until next time, as always to
shout out to the One, the only. He's a member
of the Nine of mister Paul George
Speaker 2: H.