Speaker 1: Let's talk. Miles Bridges traded to the Phoenix Suns in
quite the deal. So trade details per the Phoenix, the
Charlotte Hornets are getting Royce O'Neil who was two years
and twenty two point five million left on his deal,
Grayson Allen two years and thirty seven point five million
dollars left on his deal, and an unprotectives Phoenix twenty
thirty three first round pick. The Suns are getting Miles
Bridges on an expiring contract, a twenty twenty nine first
round pick it's the least favorable of Charlotte, Cleveland, Minnesota,
and Utah, and then a twenty twenty seven second round pick,
which is the least favorable of Boston, New Orleans, Orlando
and Portland. They also created a ten point eight million
dollar traded player exception. And just for some financial details
here the Hornets are now, They're still close to fifty
million dollars under the luxury tax, and the Suns are
about eleven million below the second apron, which would put
them if they wanted to duck the tax, which I'm
not mattach Bia has proven he will pay. They have
like another ten to eleven million to go if they're
looking to shed enough salary to duck the tax. They
do not necessarily have the tools to shave said salary
after giving away their I would argue their single best
trade asset in this trade grant, which team do you
want to start with here?
Speaker 2: I'd say we better start with Well, I think the
Charlotte's side is easier, so we can start there. You
turn Miles Bridges into two players who I guess you're not.
I mean, nas Reed being there means that Bridges is
more expendable. If you think Reed is just gonna play
a bunch of four, I would I think everyone other
than the Suns would rather just have O'Neill and Allen,
even if Allen might be a little overpaid. But like
I don't know, shooting comes at a premium, and that
dude's one of the best shooters of the last decade,
so that that matters. O'Neil is still a playable combo forward,
and they got the better of the draft capital exchanging hands,
so Charlotte wins here. Like I just don't see to
say nothing of just like you don't have Miles Bridges
around anymore. I feel like this is an unequivocal success
for Charlotte. I just don't you would have to talk
me into this making just any part of this being
a mistake on Charlotte's side of it, don't. I don't
see how this is anything but to win.
Speaker 1: No, this is a huge victory for them and they're
taking on. We'll see if they expand the deal. There's
been talk of maybe Minnesota could come in and get
Royce O'Neal instead of Josh Green because they need a four.
But and if you honestly, if you're Charlotte, you might
prefer that just because Josh Green is an expiring contract, right,
He's a little bit more expensive. But yeah, this is
a home run for Charlotte and they now have three
first round picks in twenty thirty three in their own,
Minnesota's and Phoenixes. And I think in the new lottery era,
just having more draft picks spread out from different teams
where you don't necessarily want to corner the market. Look
at Portland with Milwaukee as an example. Those Bucks picks
are still valuable, but cornering the market on future Bucks
picks I don't think is nearly as valuable, especially if
it's in the same draft as having multiple picks from
different teams, because it just increases the range. I mean,
because you're no longer as a team if you're trying
to whether they want to trade these picks or they
end up using them themselves. You're not trying to sit
there and think, well, which team will be worse like
the worst in five years. It's which team will kind
of be in the middle outside the relegation zone, have
the eight eight and a half percent chance of leaping
into to wherever. And Charlotte I think picked two great
teams like the Wolves. I like the LaMelo trade for them,
but that's high ceiling, low floor, I think you could
argue for sure. And then the Suns. This pick conveys
like the booker is going to be collecting Social Security
by the time this pick conveys. So yeah, I don't
know what the argument against this trade would be for Charlotte.
And by the way, I said this, so to put
it on record, it makes me understand the LaMelo ball
trade a little bit more as someone who is not
overly in favor of it. This is just a trade
you do regardless whether you still have the Melo ball
and the roster or not. But clearly This wasn't just
Charlotte looking at LaMelo Ball and saying, well, he's just
not it. We need to get LaMelo Ball out of here.
I think this is more of a wholesale organizational decision
at this point to say we don't want to come
along too quickly or have to reinvest in a roster
that we don't believe is going to scale to title
contention as currently constructed anytime soon. So I understand the
Melo Ball trade more now. Doesn't have to like it
because I don't.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I just don't think. I mean, they picked the
right team to transact with too, not just because of
the potential value of that twenty thirty three pick. I think.
I don't think Bridge is getting you a superior first
round asset and two like on their faces, just better
contracts from anybody else. I think the Michigan State thing
is playing a real role here. I think name recognition,
which is a Phoenix favorite, or at least was every
year up until this past one, we could just pivot
to the Phoenix side of this. I think, if you're
ready like I, this is one of those moves where
it's like, okay, we had to give the Sun's credit
last year for what they did and and I mean
to some extent, their transactions before this trade were like
the Gillespie deal is good, the good Win deal is good.
That yeah, yeah, even Mark Williams deal was awful, but
I could I didn't need that.
Speaker 1: But they looked at him and said he wasn't he
didn't help us in the playoffs. We need to pay
this guy after we get it's not that was.
Speaker 2: The worst of the three by a mile, but it
wasn't like a critical failure because like it's under forty
million dollars total, Like that's not that's not awful.
Speaker 1: We are starting to rack up the Hornets are starting
to rack up some trade victories against the Sons now
though if you date back to the Mark Williams trade
and now that they're getting progressively worse from.
Speaker 2: But this is one of those moves from the Suns
where it's kind of where it made me sit back
and say, oh, yeah, the whole like Bradley Beal, Kevin
Durant like total nonsense era is not completely like cleansed
from the way that they are thinking. Not that Bridges
is anything like that, but it's one of this is
just a dumb, bad deal. I think of looking at
it today, but it just feels like this wasn't something
a not emotionally connected. It just the Michigan state of it.
It feels just way too prominent because I don't understand
why this was. This can't have been bridges market maybe
is what I'm trying to drive at, Like this feels
like they want this guy and they're overpaying to get him,
and that's the end of it.
Speaker 1: Do you think part of it it had to be
part of the calculus was we want to get off
the final seasons of the Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neill.
They save money as part of this trade too, like immediately.
Speaker 2: Yeah, But I just look at it like, Okay, you
don't want the back end of those You don't think
you can move Grayson Allen if he's shooting like normal,
Grayson Allen on the as an expiring deal next year
for like decent for some value, Like you can't you
can't get two seconds for Grayson Allen on that deal
at the deadline in twenty twenty eight. I don't know, man,
I think you could.
Speaker 1: I'm I'm with you. I'm just trying to understand it no.
Speaker 2: Dante from Phoenix's side. Yeah.
Speaker 1: By the way, here's the other thing, indefensibly here too.
They gave up a twenty thirty three first round pick.
So do you know what's gonna happen next? And I
think Suns fans understand this. The Miles Bridges extension is
coming down soon as well. And that's so is that
someone you want to pay long term? Forget about? But
don't forget about it, but cast aside the morality of
it all. This is a terrible basketball decision by the
Phoenix Suns. He does. When you've looked at Miles Bridges' career,
even in his best seasons, his most efficient seasons, his
most useful seasons on the basketball court, I think you
could make the case that he is one of the
biggest empty calorie guys in the entire NBA.
Speaker 2: He was the fourth best player, maybe fifth after Kobe
White got there on a team that couldn't get out
of the plane. And you're your exchange. You're giving up
a better first round asset to get him as and
he's an athleticism bass player who's continuing to age. Like
I don't, I don't, I don't see the I mean,
by the way, there are a number they could extend him,
they could sign him to that would change anything, or
where the morality comes in, it's like we just don't
you just don't want this guy on your team.
Speaker 1: Right, which I think it's a fair opinion to hold.
I don't think anyone can expect people to say, well,
we only need to look at this through a basketball lens,
because one, this is one of those instances where okay,
let's do that. Trade sucks. The morality issue makes it
even worse than And by the way, also notable the Hornets,
who are top five in offense and defense for most
of last season. I've seen a lot of framing post
January first, since Thanksgiving or from Thanksgiving onward. Last year
top five in offense and defense, the Hornets were worse
at both ends of the floor. With Miles Bridges on
the court. This is this is I don't actually understand
the thinking behind this. For Phoenix, are there more moves
coming where they're going to access the full non tax
mle I got nothing to hear because who are you
getting with that? And by the way, yeah you needed
more of a scoring four. I don't know, like, yeah, okay,
I guess he'll score, but does this even feel like
the need that you want from that position? What is up, fellasickos.
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Speaker 1: And now back to the show.
Speaker 2: What's the outcome that I think we both we both
are very clearly saying we would not have done this
deal and a lot of that has to do with
just you don't want to be in from Phoenix's side,
We just don't want Miles Bridges on the roster. What
is the outcome encompassing like how O'Neil plays, how Alan plays,
how Bridges plays, that you would have we would have
to look back at it and say, well, I wouldn't
have done it, but I get it. So does O'Neil
have to be cooked right? And then Alan has to
be plagued by injury not shooting it well enough. You
can't trade either of those guys for anything, and Bridges
is a quality starter. Does Is that enough? Because to
me the pink exchange still favors Charlotte.
Speaker 1: Yes, I think there's no, but there is no justification
that you can spin where you understand the draft compensation
going either way. And one of the spins that I
have seen is now the Suns open up the ability
to trade two first round picks. Do you know how
many first round picks they had the ability to trade
before this deal? Grant?
Speaker 2: Let me get my calculator. Okay, go ahead, how many?
Speaker 1: Well, so carry this through?
Speaker 2: Two? Okay?
Speaker 1: Two?
Speaker 2: Just two different ones.
Speaker 1: It's two different ones. And by the way, you gave
up the more valuable of any pick that you were
going to be allowed to trade. Is still the twenty
thirty three Crown Jewel. I don't. I wanted to add.
The other thing I wanted to ask you is, do
you think by taking Grayson Allen and exchanging Grayson Allen
and Royce O'Neil for Miles Bridges, do you think you've
somehow ensured that more minutes will go to Rashier Fleming,
who this team is incredibly That's not a reason to
make the deal. I'm just trying to understand the new
that everyone's in the Phoenix area has talked about how
Fleming is in line for a much bigger role next season.
I guess this in theory makes it easier to play him,
But there's also Miles Bridges is more likely to be
a thirty plus minutes per game guy, especially if you're
gonna pay him then Royce O'Neil and Grayson Allen. So
I don't even know if that part holds weight. It
doesn't help, Does it help with the development of Come
on Mile Watch It all? Absolutely not.
Speaker 2: It doesn't think it makes worse. But what you if
those are your concerns what you do is you trade
O'Neil and or Allen for second rounders.
Speaker 1: Or you or you attached playing rounders to.
Speaker 2: Move them if you really need to, you don't give
up that twenty thirty three and take on a guy
that we both agree is like just not of no
ed starter.
Speaker 1: And you don't get I mean, maybe Jordan not would
make the decision if he's that bad, but you could
have not played Grace and Allen a Royce O'Neill. And
it's talked about all this money on the books, how
they're supposed to move them. You don't get Miles Bridges,
and if it doesn't, you can't not play Miles Bridges.
Now you have to give him thirty to thirty four
minutes per game. And so now you've boxed yourself in
because of the equity you invested him in. This is
we are in a golden age of really shitty NBA
ownership at this point. This is you look at matt Ishpia,
you look at we don't even talk about the Addlestons
in Dallas. Someone pointed at me on Blue Sky, which
is kind of just James Dolan won the championship, but
it is still a fucking moron. It's still running around.
Do look the Kings, as we record this grant, are
in the luxury tax. These Sacramento Kings are gonna have
to wave and stretch tomart Rosen to lower their luxury
tax bill. They'll get out of the tax.
Speaker 2: But you're really I hadn't really thought about that, but
we have got that. This is it's really something right now.
It's it's it's they're out, They're all they're just doing
dumb stuff.
Speaker 1: I don't think there's any such thing as an altruistic billionaire.
If there is, someone can correct me. But like even
by those standards, like by those standards, like the NBA
is kind of pushing the limits here by letting these
subprime mortgage lending shitheads and venture capitalists got like in
the background. It's a disaster. And this is the Suns fans.
I have not seen any reaction in support of this trade,
which is that's impressive. Yeah, that's to make a trade
that no one can support in your family, that's impressive.
Speaker 2: That's it's hard to do. I mean the Suns fans
do have well, I mean that some of them were
on board with all the nonsense A couple of years ago, and.
Speaker 1: But what is your team now? So you're gonna pay
Miles Bridges, You're gonna extend Dylan Brooks, you have Devin Booker,
Cong Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Your center spot is bigs or
Mark Williams, Osagadaro whatever, come on, model watch becomes you
have a sheer fleming. I'm nine y right now? What
is that? What is that nine man? Like? What if
that's your nine man rotation? I'm trying to I'm gonna
look and see if I left anybody out off cough here?
What is that? In the wet? Ryan done? What do
we like? You drafted co Opete? Not someone I was
super high on, but he's definitely a two like he
has his utility. He's like kind of though, I feel
like there's redundancy with OsO for sure, Like what is
that nine or ten man rotation? Heyward high Smith is
still flowing around here? That's fun? Are they?
Speaker 2: If the West they won forty five games last year
over or under under? I think so too under.
Speaker 1: And it's not because I don't think it's because of
this trade. The West is going to get better. And
what you've done is you've expended equity major equity now
without getting better.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, and we got to I'm trying to train
myself to say, to not think in the old lottery
setup where it's like, well, what's the value of forty
whatever wins like that matters more so if they win
forty three and make the play in which would have
been good enough last year or whatever. All right, that's
not as fatal as it used to be when you're
giving up, and not that they have these picks anyway. Right.
That's the other thing is like bottoming out is not
really a great option. So like I it's it's just
if you even if you don't care about previous incentives
relative to the lottery position or the new ones, this
is just a bad transaction, like value wise. So I
think that's I mean, that's as simple as I think
I can make my stance on.
Speaker 1: Until next time. As always, though, weave the shout out
to the one, the only, mister Frankni Lakina and apologies
to Jared Allen