NBA Free Agency Dominoes

One trade rumor turns into a full-blown NBA earthquake, and by the time the dust settles you’re staring at a league that looks nothing like it did two weeks ago. I’m back on the mic solo today, catching up after the July 4th stretch, and I go chronological through the loudest NBA free agency and trade news since June 25th because the movement has been nonstop.

We start with the headline swing: LaMelo Ball landing in Minnesota and what that means for Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves’ playoff ceiling, and the risk that comes with LaMelo’s on-court brilliance and questionable decisions. From there, I hit the other key dominoes and why the new salary cap world (first apron, second apron) is pushing teams into tougher, faster decisions. The Jalen Brown to Philadelphia trade gets a full breakdown from both sides, including why Boston’s return feels thin and why the 76ers might have just flipped a contract problem into a prime-age star.

Then we get into the Lakers post-LeBron plan and what building around Luka Doncic really looks like in practice: paying up for Walker Kessler, reshaping the rotation, and accepting the reality that “better fit” doesn’t always mean “better team.” We also talk Kawhi Leonard going back to Toronto, plus the larger drama hanging over the league as LeBron James weighs his next move and tries to control the narrative around “basketball happiness.”

We close with something that hits harder than transactions: CJ2K’s ALS diagnosis and the reminder that football’s entertainment comes with real, lifelong consequences for the people who play it. If you enjoy NBA free agency talk with honest reactions and a little bit of real-life perspective, subscribe, share the pod, and leave a five-star review. Where do you think LeBron ends up?

Transcript

Welcome Back And The Game Plan

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Welcome back to the JB Sports Podcast. Day is Tuesday, July 7th, and we are back for another pod. So I know I didn't say last week that I wasn't gonna record. I don't think in my brain I thought that last week was gonna be a week I wasn't going to record, but it was the week of July 4th. I was doing a bunch of different things. We're getting ready for this trip coming up here in the next couple days or so. Um and then we talked about this on pod before, so me and Jace and our our brother, and uh and um yeah, and we're we're all going to Houston. I know I've mentioned we've mentioned that before, so that where that's happening here in the next couple days. So a lot of things we've been we've been doing last week. I got a little busy. Honestly, I did intend to pod, but as an NBA news kept coming out and everything, and I was like, oh, let's just wait, and then it got to a point where it was later on in the week. Then it's like full on getting like July 4th and working and all the other stuff. So I just kind of like it kicked the kid down the road a little bit. My apologies. I know I've been saying I'm trying to be a little better about making sure I record every week because I know I was on a roll there for a bit, and then I kind of got off the off the tracks a bit when it came to making sure I got a pod out every week. But I'm back now. Um today's mostly gonna be a mostly gonna be an MBA type of recap type of thing, because I think the last thing I blast pod that I put out was on June 24th, and there has been a whole lot of movement in the NBA to recap since then. So I kind of want to go, at least for today, like what my main goal is, I kind of want to just kind of go chronological order a little bit, which is kind of easy because on ESPN of the way they have it, like you could have all the free agency moves, they'd have it by date. So I can pretty much go from chronological order, be able to look at all the moves since then, and then be able to do M to uh react and do all that to them. So that's what I want to do today. Talk about all the different free agency moves that have happened throughout the NBA, and then in the NFL, I don't think I have too much to talk about, honestly. Um I think I want to like the um what is the thing I was saying? Uh the Chris Johnson thing, CJ2K, learning about his ALS side diagnosis. I want to talk, give that a few minutes of thought because that was like one of the more shocking things that I think I've experienced as a fan or as a person to kind of see that when he made that announcement of his of his recent of his diagnosis, not recent, um, diagnosis he's had for about a year now. And that's about it. If anything else pops up in my brain, I'll talk about it. But the the NBA stuff was like the main thing I wanted to kind of jump into because I think a lot of the movement and stuff is pretty much past and like gonna happen. You do have LeBron kind of sitting out there, kind of just controlling the narrative from his side of things, that I'll get to a little bit later. So I think he's like the last big domino yet to fall. But outside of that, I think a lot of the m big movement and stuff has happened throughout the NBA for the most part. So I just kind of want to go through and give my reaction to everything because again, June 24th, June 24th to now, there's been a lot of crazy movement in the NBA. And I and here's what I'll say before I get to the specifics of all that stuff happening is that like when you have an off-season like this, a lot of movement like this in the NBA, that is what the NFL and the MLB dream of when it comes to being able to control literal like the the narrative of just sports, right? Because it's like with so much happening, it almost like takes over all of sports fandom when you have all this all these players moving and all the narrative stuff behind it and the player-to-player stuff, and then the the organization to player. Like so many things have happened. This is like the pH resistance if you have a off-season like the NBA has had um when it comes to all the big pieces, kind of big dominoes kind of moving around and changing teams, and like keeping keeping the talk around the NBA strong is exactly what has happened throughout these last few weeks ever since the finals has been up because there's just been so much happening. So I just think that this is something that the NBA has just based off of I know the like the free agent signings and stuff like that aren't gonna be as strong as they once were because of the second aprons and all the differ all the different stuff when it can't comes to the cap stuff that NBA teams have to deal with now. So they're gonna have to do it do it a different way, but the movement is still so strong between all these teams and the players moving and all of that, that I just think that they are on a they're on a level right now when it comes to that specifically, that the NFL is getting better at. There's move more movement happening in NFL every single year between players moving and players getting traded and all of that. But it's just the NBA is just so fluid to a certain extent. I think teams are so, and especially with all the cap stuff now, teams are a lot more open to moving off players like most most um fans would be like, Why are you getting rid of that player? That should be a guy that should be here forever. But because of the hard decisions that have to be made, because of all of the different cap constraints with the first and second apron and all of that, it just it accentuates it even more, to be totally honest with you. So that's with it with my soloquy on how the NBA free agency is awesome and it's so jam-packed and all and honestly great television to watch for the most part, um, with great drama to a certain degree. And without further ado, let's kind of go ahead and get into things here. So, oh, and again, if you haven't realized it, if you've been listening for a while, Jace, my usual co-host, is not here. He's dealing with his own stuff, he's working. Um, again, he just like I am is getting ready for this trip. So I am not to mention he's not a big basketball guy. Like he he'll watch it, but when it comes to like all the off-season stuff and like free agency movement and all of that, that's not really what he's into whatsoever. He doesn't get the same high off it as I do. So I just figured he don't ru I don't really need to add him to this whole this whole thing to make it to where he's just kind of sitting here looking at me like I'm insane as I'm talking about the NBA moves with such with such glee. So um I'm sparing him that and unfortunately, you're gonna just have to listen to me talk to a wall here as I'm sitting here on talking on the pod. But if you're able to, I totally appreciate it. If not, I'm totally okay if you wait for us kind of get get back to more regularly scheduled programming, a lot more NFL talk, which we're gonna have to do because the NFL stuff, we're gonna have to do our rankings with NFL players and um actually do our rankings with NFL preseason rankings with NFL teams and like have our uh preseason favorites and all that. So we're gonna have to do all that here in the next two months or so before the NFL slash college football season is back. So um we're already getting more back to that as we go, but the NBA stuff is just way too juicy. I have to kind of jump into it. So that'll be the plan for today. Let's get to it. Um and this is from because because I the like I said before, the last pot I did was on the 24th of June. Um that was the last time I recorded. I recorded that day. So I all the moves I want to talk about is gonna be from the 25th up until today, the uh July 7th. So if I if you if you came to listen to me talk about things that happened before the 25th of June, then you go to the last pod that I uh posted. That is that's where I kind of talked about a lot of that stuff that happened pre-June 25th.

LaMelo Ball To Minnesota Breakdown

SPEAKER_01 7:55

So let's go ahead and get to it. Um, the things I wanted to talk about here. So Lamello, that was like the first big thing. Now I was so pissed because I did the pod on the 24th. I was excited about everything that happened, and I kind of jumped into everything. The honest thing was the biggest deal. And then literally the day after, I think the news like it became up a little bit of like the percolating news that the horn the Hornets were trying to trade Lamello Ball. Like that was a percolating news that night when I was recording the pod. And then literally the next day, the news comes out that Charlotte was sending Lamello Ball to Minnesota in exchange. Um Lamello Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in exchange for Nasreed, a 2033 unprotected first round pick, and then three first round pick swaps in 2028, 2029, and 2020. Sorry, 2030, 2029, and 2020. That's crazy. 2030. And then three second round picks um for 2029, 2032, and 2033. So Minnesota gave up a lot to get La Mella Ball and Josh Green. I want to talk about this from uh min uh from let's see, from the Hornet side real quick. So they got rid of their best player on the Mello Ball, and I get it, he's not necessarily the most serious of players, and I can just tell that the Hornets kind of felt like they were not gonna get they weren't gonna be able to grow into the team they wanted it to be, with Lamello Ball being their best player, and with the money, he's gonna end up starting to get paid here soon. So they decided to get off LaMelo Ball now while his his um what is my was what I'm looking for? While his stock is relatively high based off the season that he had last year, and apparently Minnesota was like going after him for for years up to that point. So apparently they got back, it got not necessarily bad, but it got high enough to where they felt like they can get off him and get a good really good return, which is exactly what they did. Three first-round pick swaps, um, and then the three second round picks as well. So like they got a decent haul for him, and they got Nas Reed too, which is gonna be a very good uh guy to fit into the four spot for that team. And now they're gonna their team's gonna be led by Conkiniple and why am I forgetting the other guy's name? Brandon. It's Brandon, nope, not Allen, not Williams. Uh, who's the other player for them? It's Brandon something. I'm forgetting his name, and that's kind of terrible. Brandon Miller. Two very good players, and I think that it's still a very young core that they have. Uh, Brandon Miller is like 23, 24 years old. He's still relatively young. Con Kineple just went through his freshman season, his uh rookie season and played very well and broke the I think the three-point shot record in a season. So like they still have a very young core at a Nas Reed. And again, does it really make them a great team next year? Probably not, but I think that it makes them much cheaper, and I think that it gives them a lot of pick swaps in order to kind of build their team out from there, and hopefully they can become the team that they want to be from a from a from from an organizational view. And I think they just want to be, I just think Lamelo just kind of has the stink on him of being a very unserious player, and I think that while he was going to be the man there in um in Charlotte, I think that the growing that Lamello would have to do to be able to lead that team where they want to go, I don't think he's necessarily shown a propensity to be able to be able to do that on his own. And I think that what I think the I think what the Charlotte kind of gave up on was the idea that he was gonna be able to make that change without like on his own without necessarily being a big catalyst of a moment. And I think that moment is hopefully from the Minnesota side, hoping to where if Lamello just realizes that he's gonna get traded to go play with Anthony Edwards and be the number two, like he's not the big man in town anymore. I think Minnesota, on top of the talent that he already has and what he already can do, is that he will grow up and he will kind of shape up into being the player that we all think he can be just based off of his talent alone, right? So if I'm Charlotte, I totally understand based off what you got for him, it makes total sense. And for you to get a little bit cheaper and to be able to re-kind of retool that roster around the two very young superstar, like um, can't call them superstars yet, but I think Con Kineppel and Brandon Miller are two very great young players that you can kind of uh build your team around. So with all of that being the case, I totally understand why Hornet the Hornets did what they did sending Lamilla Ball away. And um, hopefully they'll be able to build out the team the way they need to. And going to the Minnesota side of this, getting Lamella Ball and getting rid of, I think they already had gotten rid of uh uh why am I forgetting his name? This is a bad time to start forgetting names, guys. I know it sucks. Uh let's see here. They got rid of Julius Randall, and they got rid of some of the Nasreed now, and now they've added a little bit of a wild card in in Lamello. And it's a pro honestly, I don't necessarily disagree with them making the move that they made. So the way I see Minnesota, right? And this is the problem that I had, this is but so before they had made this move, when they had gotten rid of uh Anthony Edwards. Nope. Nope, not Anthony Edwards. No, no, no, no, no. That's not who I was saying.

SPEAKER_02 13:59

It was uh no rolls.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

I'm insane. Um when they got rid of Let me see why. Julius Randall, goodness gracious. Sorry, I had a freaking brand aneurysm there. When they got rid of Randall, I was worried that they were kind of getting rid of some of the identity that allowed them to be such a wild card, wildcard team in the playoffs, right? And I was sitting there like that was like a big honestly, with the fact they were a bigger team, that they could play defense in a lot of spots and play some relatively good defense with all the guys they had. And Randall was like one of the big pieces of that, especially with the fact that as big as he is, you're now forcing the other team to have to be to have to stop a guy of his size that can do as many things offensively as he can, right? But I think now that they have traded for Lamello and added that wildcard to that team, I think they have decided when you look at teams like the top teams in the West, as in San Antonio and Oklahoma City. I think I think I heard somebody talk about this and it was like kind of like a perfect analogy, is that the that the Minnesota Timberwolves decided that they kind of needed to go the other way. How do how does San Antonio and Oklahoma City kind of like beat teams, right? They do it with athleticism, and more they do it with size. They're not really the most fast pace of teams. Like they do, they're slow paced, a lot of size, and a lot of great guard play, um, both offensively and defensively. And now Minnesota, based off of what they've been doing the last couple years, what they do have what they have been doing works against a team like the Denver, who they've beat here in the last couple years. But when it comes to facing off against those superstar teams, not superstar, so those amazing teams in the West, as in OKC and San Antonio, they decided to shake up everything and go get LaMelo Ball. And I think with him, I think they'll be able to, it'll allow Anthony Edwards to have more freedom offensively because if you put too much attention on the Anthony Edwards, the shooting and the distributing of LaMelo Ball will be able to be very, like, very strong if you give Anthony Edwards too much, uh too many eyes or too many people guarding him. Because Lamello is such a a lightning rod offensively. Like he can he can do everything, honestly, with the talent that he has. He can shoot, he can distribute, he's a really good passer, um, he can get to the rim. He's still a he's a big really big guard. I think he's like 6'5, 6'6. So like he can do everything on the court. It's just the immaturity that he has shown on and off the basketball court, is what's the biggest question is about him because this is what he's shown, right? And that in the the game where they were gonna get eliminated by the heat in the playing game, in the same like two minutes, he gave up a stupid foul that gave that was for Tyler Hero, where he fouled Tyler Hero when he shouldn't have, that allowed Tyler Hero to shoot two like three free throws to gain a lead, and then literally right after that, Lamello was able to hit the game-winning shot to win the game and eliminate Miami in the play-in. Like, so like the the dumb the headache plays that he makes is what Minnesota is hoping that now he is that he's number two, he's number two behind Anthony Edwards. And I think they know that Anthony Edwards is a very powerful, not only player, but personality. And I think that they're hoping that that Lamello Ball gets the hint, and he's like, now these are gonna be the number two with a player that really wants to win, and Anthony Edwards won't play. He is not a guy that's about BS. He wants to go out there and play winning basketball, and they're hoping that Lamelo Ball can kind of change based off of the new dynamics that he is now being forced into. Not only the fact that he has to deal with the idea that the Hornets, as great of a player as he is, and as much as he's done for them, decided to trade him away to a different team, but now that he has to go to a team that's not his anymore. And I think that some people question whether he'll be able to handle that fact and be able to be a real professional and kind of like accept the his new reality without like hat being a troublemaker. And I'm not gonna sit here and say either way whether I think that is possible for him because I I think anybody can change. And he's still relatively young. So the idea that he can he can make a change and be able to like change his psyche and kind of change the way he does things, it's it's definitely in the cards for him. And if he does so, I think he'll be a great running mate for Anthony Edwards. He doesn't play a lick of defense, but I think the I think that Minnesota still has other players on that team that play very good defense. I think they have obviously Anthony Edwards, they have Lourdy Robert, still one of the best defensive centers in the league. You have um Jaden McDaniels, who's a very good um wing guard as well, as well as a 3nd D guy. And so they still have a lot of good defenders, and I think that Lamelo is gonna have to at least put in a little bit of effort to try to be try to be a better defender, but they'll be able to hide him a little bit based on how many great defenders they have on that team already. And I just think that it's gonna make it very hard for other teams to have to put a lot of resources to stop Anthony Edwards because Lamello Ball is gonna be able to strike from anywhere, hitting threes if necessary, getting to the cup, distributing, getting other players some good shots. I think that's all the all things Lamello Ball can do, and I think the only question, me, just like a lot of other people have, is whether Lamello will be able to take the take his new surroundings and be able to accept it and be able to thrive in that is what Lamello Ball is going to have to prove to everybody. Because if he does, I think that the Timberwolves can be a very exciting and um scary team in the playoffs in the biggest games. I really do think so, but it's just whether Lamello can kind of make that change and do what he has to do on his end. I think that um that'll mean a lot for that team, honestly, because I think they've kind of they've made a big bet that doing this is gonna be able to shake up the way that what they can do, especially in big games in the playoffs in the West. So I totally love this trade for both sides. I think that I'm a little bit not um more positive on Lamello than than most like fans in the NBA, at least not fans, because I think the fans like Lamello. I think when it comes to like the people that follow the NBA, people that cover the NBA, a lot of them are not necessarily all that positive about LaMelo, and I totally get it because he has done things to kind of ruin his own image in that way. But when it comes to on the basketball court, he's a very fun player to watch, and like all the things that people have said about him are totally valid. So I just think I'm gonna leave a little I'm gonna have a little bit of hope that he can kind of change the way he plays a little bit and be a little more mature and become more of a winning basketball player because I think Anthony Edwards are gonna force it out of you, and if not, he's gonna make it very hard for you to you know survive there. So I have a little bit of hope that um that the Timberwolves can make this move and be able to do some really cool things on the basketball court together as long as they can kind of like you know get the back and forth between those two going in a good spot. So um next

Quick Hits From Early Free Agency

SPEAKER_01 21:45

move I wanted to talk about here. Let's see, Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams signed with Phoenix on a thirty eight million dollar contract. A very good uh rebounding big man, he's like a okay score, but not great. But defensively, he's just a big rebounder that can block some shots. I think he's a big uh big ad. Well, not an ad. He's already he was already with the team, but keeping him around for that Phoenix Suns team is definitely a good option. Um, let's see here. I think let's see, next one here. Pistons required uh acquired OKC guard Isaiah Joe. I think OKC was like a team that was like getting rid of some of their guards because I think they've been kind of building themselves up over the last couple years. As as soon as a uh a piece ends up getting too expensive or like is on his way to getting a big payday, OKC to try to keep themselves cheap around the core that they have um with with Shay, with um why am I forgetting names with um oh no uh with Chet Homegren and then um I'm so I'm so there I'm I'm right there to having uh Jalen, nope it's hold on, why am I forgetting names now?

SPEAKER_00 23:09

This is not good.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Um this is a bad time. I was doing so good remembering names until just now. It's Jalen Williams. Like with those with those three being like the core three, I think they were trying to kind of build themselves up. Not build themselves up, but with all the guards that they have that can cut that play their roles, and as soon as they're ready to get paid, they'll be able to get rid of them. And Isaiah Joe was one of those those moves that they managed to make to be able to um make that happen. Again, it's it was time for them to get paid, and I think that they they just need to stay cheap around the margins, and this is a way for OKC to do so. Um, so that was a a scene thing that I know I've talked about before that they just they've allowed themselves to do that based off the fact that they draft so well, and they have all these players kind of like know their roles to where if something happens and they have to get rid of one or two players, there's an there's another few guys ready to take up those roles and be able to do what they have to do on relatively cheaper contracts than what those the uh those older players like Isaiah Joe were going to get. And I Isaiah Joe's not even that old, he's 26, um, but he is a guy that probably wants a little bit more playing time, wants some more money, and they managed to get two second-round picks out of him, and that'll be they'll be able to use to help themselves with get even more players to kind of help build that roster around the margins to be able to kind of stay as cheap as possible. So makes total sense. I think Isaiah Joe will be able to do some really good things with the Pistons, and that's exactly what the Pistons need. They need they need a lot of shooting, and Isaiah Joe can do a little bit of ball handling to kind of alleviate Cade Cunningham in spurts, and I don't think he'll be a starter. He may just be a I'm not sure if he'll be a starter or not there. But I think when he does is out there, I think he'll be able to handle the ball a bit, and I think he'll also be a very good shooter to add to that team. I think the Pistons, that's one of the biggest weaknesses last season, was a lack of real shooting, and Isaiah Joe will be able to take it, uh be able to fill in that role nicely to kind of be a big, really big three-point shooter for them. Next move, Jose Alvarado um declined his player option to sign a new uh deal with the Knicks. He had a $4.5 million player option, and then he ended up signing a new three-year deal to stay with the Knicks worth over $14 million. So good for him. They just won the championship and they're kind of paying some players out to kind of stick around. And I'm not gonna be one to say that the Knicks should be right in the driver's seat to be the best team in the East next year because I just don't, even though I think the Knicks had a magical run, I'm just I feel like there was a little bit of just getting hot at the right time to a certain extent. And I think with some of the moves that have happened in the East, I think there are some other real contenders for the Knicks to have to deal with. And the Knicks aren't necessarily going to be making any sweeping changes because again, why should they? They just won a championship. So I think with the team that they have, I think they could easily go out and win the East next year and be and try to like defend their own crown as the champions of the NBA. But I just think that what the NBA has shown is like over the last few years is that there hasn't been a back-to-back um champion in all like the last over ten years. And I it feels like getting hot at the right time is really like a big thing in the NBA now if you want to be an NBA champion. And I just don't see the Knicks as a team that I think will automatically be like that team, right? Going into next season. But again, you just won a championship, so like why does that matter? I think he kind of resets everything. I don't think they have nearly the same type of pressure on them to kind of go back and repeat or all that. So I I totally get kind of keeping a guy like Jose Alvarado to kind of stay on that team. He's a three and D type of dude, does what he has to do on the basketball court. Um, totally makes sense to reward a guy like that that kind of played a very pivotal role on that team winning a championship. Um, let's see here. Next move. Um, Hornets uh also coming off the Lamella Ball tree. This is on June 28th. They send Miles Bridges and a let's see, Miles Bridges a 20 a first round 2029 draft pick and a 2029 second round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns for guard Grayson Allen forward Royce O'Neill in a 2033 first. So this is another guy they got rid of in Miles Bridges. I think Miles Bridges played very well last year as a shot creator and a guy that could shoot threes did very well for the for the Hornets last year on their run to get into the play-in and kind of make the playoffs there. And I feel like they got a really good return for Miles Bridges in this spot. I think Miles Bridges will be able to go to Phoenix and be a very good complement to what they have there with Devin Booker and the rest of that team and be able to play some very good basketball. And the Phoenix Suns, they Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neal are two very good, are two good players. They're just good role players, they're not gonna be guys that are big every night starters for you, but they're gonna be able to be three and D guys that I think uh that I think uh Charlotte will be able to kind of help fill in spots for them to help build around that young core. And getting that for a 2020 2033 first round pick as well is definitely a big deal. So all that being the case, I just feel and not to mention I think this is a little bit of a salary dump too, because I think Miles Bridges is owed a decent amount of money. So getting rid of being able for the Hornets to get cheaper as well as getting uh being able to build around that young core that they now have um with Knipple and with Brandon Miller. I think that this kind of ha leaves them a lot of wiggle room to be able to go make other moves to help build around that young team to kind of change to a totally different team if that's what they want to do. So makes sense. I think this is good for both sides, and I think uh the Hornets got a really good really good uh return for Miles Bridges if they weren't exp weren't trying to keep him long term. Let's see here. Next one I want to talk about.

SPEAKER_00 29:26

Let's see.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

What was the next move I wanted to talk about here?

Draymond And Harden Option Fallout

SPEAKER_01 29:37

So we're on the June 29th, and this was a day where um Draymond Green declined his option with the Warriors. Um he had a $27.7 million player option and decided to become a free agent. The move is what from what they were saying was not a move that was like Draymond was going to be a free agent to try to go out and play with a different team. This move was more meant for Draymond to try to give Golden Safety options to be able to have some money freed up so that they can go and get a guy like LeBron James or because again I'll talk about LeBron in a minute. I kind of want to leave him till the end because that's that's kind of still an open door. Um go get LeBron or go make different moves here or there. And I think Draymond on his went on his podcast, I think the day day after, two days after, talking about how that he felt like he wanted to be a partner with the with the Warriors and be able to be flexible with them to be able to allow them to make different moves, try to make their team better. And I think the LeBron thing was probably the main thing that they're trying to do right now to try to help their team get better. But I totally think Draymond Green's gonna be able to stay a Warrior going into next season. He'll be in a Warriors uniform, no questions asked. But it's just I think he's just giving them a little bit of space to be able to not have to have all that money locked up in that $27 million he would have been owed anyway if you were to take that player option. And I think he's just freeing up some money a little bit for the Warriors to kind of play around with and kind of help try to make that team better. Um, let's see, what else did I have here? Harden as well. He had a $42 million player option for the 26-27 season that he declined on that June 29th day. I think the 29th was the day where that if players had player options or team had teams up team options that they had to be exercised or um decide they had to be had to be decided whether they were taking it or not. And Harden was also another player that decided not to take that option. Also, because I think it was it was news that um Harden was trying to give the Cavs a little bit of breathing room um cap-wise to be able to go after LeBron or go make some different moves to kind of help make that team better. And I think it was on the assumption that he would end up getting a longer-term deal after the Cavs decide whether they're getting LeBron or not. Or kind of as this has gone longer on, like what if they he becomes like a sign and trade piece for the Cavs to be able to sign him to a long-term deal and then trade it off to a different team that does want um does want James Harden in or in exchange for other things, if because again, you'd have to trade for him in a side and trade. Um something that the Cavs would want to kind of help make that team better if their main goal is to get LeBron and pair him with Donovan Mitchell. Because let's be honest, if you have LeBron there and you think he's gonna be best when it comes to having the ball in his hands and kind of running the offense, then why do you need James Harden? Again, I'm I I think James Harden has his issues in the playoffs, but I think in the regular season he's still a very good player, and I think it does kind of have a little bit of redundancy based off the way that LeBron wants to play and what Harden does. Because LeBron just left the Lakers because he felt like he felt like the offense wasn't moving in a way that he wasn't moving in a way that he would like to play, and the role that he had on that offense wasn't really what he liked when it come came to Luca being the guy dribbling the air out of the basketball all day long, and LeBron just being more of a spot-up shooter and like picking his spots. I think LeBron, in his last year or two of what he has in the NBA, would love to be able to have the ball more in his hands. And I feel like if he does go to the Cavs, having James Harden there would be a problem because James Harden, if he's not sitting there with the ball in his hands, kind of running the offense, what in the hell else does he do? He shoots the three-ball, I guess, relatively well, but he's not really a great spot up shooter, and he doesn't play great defense whatsoever. So I just don't know how adding LeBron to that scenario is going to make it things any better, because LeBron is a guy that wants to have the ball in his hands, and like he's not really as great of a defender as he once was because of his age. He could do it in spurts, but he just can't do it all the time like they would need to in order to make up for Harden's kind of lackluster defense in that way. But I'm not sure what it comes what's gonna come of that. I think they're I think all these teams are just waiting on LeBron to make his decision. And again, I'll get to LeBron here at the end because that door is kind of sitting there open bit a bit because LeBron's gonna, you know, take as much of the spotlight as possible because nothing else is happening in the in the world of sports right now. So I think LeBron's gonna manage to take all of that that attention and kind of take advantage of it and then make his decision when he decides to make it. But until then, I think Hard might be one of those um one of those deals that's kind of like sitting out in the air until LeBron decides where he's gonna go. And spend next season, which could be his last season, in the NBA. Let's see here. The next move I wanted to talk about was Oh, it was June 30th, right? Hold on. Yeah, it was the next the next day was the the Jalen Brown trade the Jalen Brown trade, right? Yeah, it is Let me see.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

Um30th, right?

SPEAKER_01 35:22

That was July 6th? Although when the trade actually happened, when did the news come out that you got traded? That was July 1st. So not on July 30th, but on July, um, not June 30th, but July

Jalen Brown Traded To Philadelphia

SPEAKER_01 35:45

1st. The news came out that Jalen Brown was getting traded from the uh Boston Celtics to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for I think it was Paul George and two first round picks, I think.

SPEAKER_02 36:05

Let's see.

SPEAKER_01 36:10

I think that's what it was. Boston Celtics traded former finals MVP Jalen Brown to the 76ers in exchange for a Paul George and two first-round draft picks being in 2028 and 2031, and then two second-round draft picks in 2028 and 2030. So that was the full haul that the lack of haul that they managed to get for Jalen Brown. And when I first saw it, I was confused, just like everybody else in the NBA, because obviously he was just being kind of dangled out there in trade talks to be able to try for the Celtics to try to get Giannis onto Takumpo. And that trade kind of broke down because the Celtics weren't willing to give up some extra pieces in order to try to make that trade go through. And because of that, the Bucks chose a Miami Heat offer, which they gave a lot more picks and a lot more young players to be able to make that trade happen. And now, and then they and then on a few days, like three, four, five days later, they trade Jalen Brown for Paul George and two firsts and two seconds, which isn't a lot for a guy of Jalen Brown's caliber at his age. He's still, I think he's 28, 29 years old, still, and he's very relatively these like by by comparison, he's way more healthy than a lot of these, a lot of these other. I'm not saying he's a top 10 guy, but he's definitely a top 15, top 20 player in the NBA. He's a very healthy, he's a great two-way player that can play well offensively and defensively. He's definitely has a little bit of a weakness shooting, but I think that overall, Jalen Brown is still a very good player. Whether I believe he could be a number one on a championship-winning team, I don't think I can go that far. But I think outside of that, I think Jalen Brown's still a very, a very good player that you can kind of build a team with. He can be a part of a championship-winning team, but whether he can be the best player on such team is a a scoche too far for me, right? So here's what I'll say. I'll st I'll start with the Celtics here, and then I'll get to the Sixers based off of like analyzing both sides of this. So for the Celtics, I think they did not get nearly enough for Jalen Brown as they thought they would. I think, and I also think that they thought Jalen Brown in two firsts was going to be enough to get Giannis onto Tacumpo. And I think that the Celtics were very full of themselves in thinking that if the Bucks didn't take this offer, that they thought they were going to be able to get a lot more draft assets in exchange for just trading away Jalen Brown without looking for another superstar. And I think that once the Giannis trade didn't go their way, and they'd and obviously once you kind of dangled him out there for another trade, I don't think Jalen Brown was ever going to be able to sing Kumbaya and be able to take it on the chin that you had him out there for another trade and it didn't work out. There was no way I don't think I don't think the Celtics were going to be able to go back to him and smooth this thing over and just say, Hey, sorry, we can we just run this back again and do this over? I just don't think that was gonna happen. And I think because of that, there was a little bit of a rush that the Celtics had to trade him, and I just don't think they needed to do so. And I think that when they decided to make that trade on July 1st, they did not have to. They put that that is a I think they rushed into that decision, and I felt like they could have sat on that for that the trade that they got from the Sixers, I think would have been there a month or two from then. They could have done it right before the season started. But I think that they were done with Jalen Brown as a player, and I think that the things that he was doing off the court when it comes comes to streams and speaking his mind and all that probably didn't help this whole situation. And I'm again, I'm not sitting here only blaming Jalen Brown, I'm really not, because he has been taking a lot of lumps when it comes to the the hit pieces of trying to make Jalen Brown sound like he's a terrible teammate and terrible player, and all of not a terrible player, but like he's not a good enough player, because there's news that some there were some GMs that thought he wasn't a top seven player on a team, and like that's insane because and this is all based off numbers because there's a bunch of map number crunchers in the NBA now that work off efficiency and like they're like all the math stuff. When I think basketball is a is a game that can't just be put into a math equation, and again, I think a lot of it can, and I think you can get a lot of information by using the math and using statistics statistics and everything, but I feel like you have to use that in conjunction of what you see on the basketball court. And I think when you see Jalen Brown on the court, he's a great two-way player that can play defense, that plays well offensively. Can he get a little better at this three-point shot? Yeah. Can he be a little bit more efficient? Yeah. But I just think that he's getting a lot of hate throughout the MBA the NBA that he probably doesn't deserve. But I do also have to say that he does have a hand in his own his like his own uh fate in that way because he has done things that have been a little bit unflattering towards him, and apparently he's like made himself a little bit you know, like he people say that he thinks he's smarter than everybody else, and all of that. And like when you like when you have stuff like that going on about say being said about you, and then you go on a stream, and the first thing you say about it is the you're in these MB in these rooms, the bar is relative is very low, and then so like you're not helping your own case, you're not making yourself as likable as like if like if the thing is trying to try to say you're not likable as a human and as a player, like you're not helping out your own case in that way. But again, what does it matter? The news had already come out that you had gotten traded, so like why pull punches after that? But I just think that all in all, I think the Celtics thought they were gonna get more for him when when the tr when the Giannis trade didn't go through, they tried to get they tried to send him out again. They didn't get what they didn't get the same type of hype that they thought they were gonna get when it came to teams trying to trade for him and everything. And and I think those reasons are because not only what Jalen Brown can, you know, he's a little bit of a loot, not a loose cannon, but like he's he speaks his mind a little bit, and he don't really know what he's gonna say next, not necessarily in a bad way, because I think he's still a very good PR type of player, but you know, just in ways that you just would like not to, right? But then on the basketball court and what he's getting paid, it's just like people don't think he's efficient enough. People don't think people think, especially with the contract he's gonna end up getting, he's getting paid 50-55 million dollars to go out there and play. And I feel like they're as a team, if you're the Boston Celtics, you have to real to wonder whether you want I think with Jalen Brown and uh Jason Tatum together, I think if you kept them both in the squad, they would take up like 70% of the cap space that they have as an organization. And I think the Boston Celtics thought that they can't like I think they actually what they said is that they don't think that having 70% of their cap tied up in two players is definitely gonna be is gonna be a way to help keep a uh what is it, a competitive team out there in the NBA, which is totally totally reasonable. But I think I just think all this stuff about him not being a good player and all this other stuff and him being uh and all the other stuff, it just feels like it's going a little bit too far. But I don't know, man. I just feel like it goes I goes out of the way because again, do I think does I do I think Jalen Brown could be a number one for a championship winning team? No. Can do I think he could be a darn good one? Good number two and be and be on the championship winning team, no problem. Yeah, for sure. And I also think that it do I think do I think Jason Tatum was going to be ever to like full want to fall on the sword and try to keep Jalen Brown around? I don't think so. Because of some of the things that Jalen Brown was saying, and who knows whether they were actually really good friends to begin with or like really great teammates and like how close they were to be to already. But when Jalen Brown, after the season, goes on a s goes on a stream and says that one of the first things he says is that this past season was his favorite in a season where they got outed in the first round and by the 76ers, and it was when a lot of that time Jason Tatum wasn't able to play, and then Jalen Brown was able to be the number one. I don't think that necessarily was going to go well over well with Jason Tatum as a player and as a teammate. So I don't I just think all in all this is a this is a kind of like something that had to end. It just kind of felt like it was kind of a little bit um anticlimactic because of the lack of what Boston was able to get for him. And again, it was just wasn't a lot, man. You get you get back Paul George and very little draft picks, and it's just like you felt like you could have gotten a lot more draft picks or you couldn't have gotten a lot more players, and they really just got neither of those things. And Paul George is still a very usable player, and I but he's much older. He's 35 years old, I think. Um he's a lot more hurt than Jalen Brown ever is. Jalen Brown ever uh really is right now in his at this point of his career. Um he's again, because of his age and everything, he's not gonna be like the same player on a nine and nine out basis when it comes to being able to run the offense. But again, being a number two, I think he can do just fine. But it's just there's no doubt the Celtics got worse in this in this move. They got worse as a team. And I feel like they get made look they probably made this move with a little bit of heat on them to try to like just just get it over with because Jalen Brown wasn't gonna make this a easy transition to try to make it work after they try to put him out there for a trade again for Giannis, and it didn't work out. But it's just it just didn't make any sense to me, and um when it comes to the return of it. But when it comes to the money and all the other stuff, I think there can be an argument made, and I think the Boston Celtics are definitely gonna try to make that argument when it comes to just not having that much money tied up into two players, which is totally agreeable. And this is all because of the all the new uh first and second apron rules and all that with with the cap stuff, but it's just um it just sucks that the all that needs to happen, you kind of need to get worse because you just don't want to again, I'm not gonna say it sucks because I think it needed to happen to a certain degree, but yeah, I don't know. Um it played its course there and it needed to happen. Let's just say that. And then going to the 76ers side of this, I think they made out with the steal. I think I think I heard this point made on some show that I was listening to, that if the before this trade happened, if the 76ers were to talk to any other team in the NBA and said, Hey, I want you to take the Paul George contract off of my hands, just take it, just take it off my hands and please, right? They just try to do that. The other team that would be taking Paul George would also want the 76ers to add a first round pick, if not more, to make that happen. So, with that logic, the fact that you're able to trade Paul George in two first round picks in two seconds away and get Jalen Brown a young player still in the prime of his career, and on a on three years worth of control, because he has three years left on his deal. I think people it people are making the case that they probably got Jalen Brown for free based off the fact that they wanted to get off the Paul George contract anyway. And I don't necessarily disagree with that. I think Paul George is much he got caught using um performance enhancers last year, missed a big chunk of the season last season, and when he came back, I think he had a very good playoff run and he played relatively well, but I don't think he's gonna be able to be that on night in on a night in, night out basis based off his age and injury history and all that. But I think that trading him away and getting Jalen Brown back, and I think it just changes the dynamics of their team a lot more. I I think it's a little bit of a weird fit because you have like let's just be honest, who knows whether Joel Embiid's gonna be able to be healthy and be able to like be able to make a a whole season type of run of like what he did in the playoffs because when he was playing in the playoffs and when he was playing well, like he was out there doing some real good things, but you have Joel Embiid, you have um Tyrese Maxey, and now you have Jalen Brown, three guys that need to have the ball in their hands to be as effective as they need to be, and there's only one basketball in the basketball court, and I feel like that's gonna be a weird fit to try to figure out how they're gonna be able to share the ball because all of them need to be dribbling the basketball in order to and making decisions in order to kind of be their most effective selves. And that's the part where I think it's a little bit of a weird fit, but I just think that with the money that they had going to Paul George anyway, and they wanted to get off that contract, and then you just turn that into Jalen Brown, I don't think I could be mad at that if you I don't think I can be mad at that, or I don't think I don't think the any Sixers fans can be mad at that that option to be able to get a player like that to add to your team. And I think there would be a very like if Joel Embiid's healthy, and if they can figure out how to kind of play together, I think they could be a very like scary team next year. But again, Joel Embiid being healthy is like not something you really like lay any type of real like real faith in that that can actually happen. Again, he he's just not that type of player that where he can be a healthy guy all year long. So getting him at the right time to be able to be healthy at the end of the season when he can play at his best is gonna be what you're gonna be hoping for, and that's just gonna be a hard, hard ask. But I think outside of that, I think they can be a they have some really good pieces on that team that can make some real noise in the playoffs that they can get there. And what was the other thing I was thinking of in this whole thing? Um the thing, that, that, that. No, I don't think that's that's it for the and oh, not to mention the fact that the Boston Celtics traded Jalen Brown to the team that just knocked them out of the playoffs literally a month ago is kind of insane, right? Like of all the teams you could trade them to, again, they maybe the market wasn't good, so they really didn't have any other options, but damn, like that is a if you're gonna try to convince your fans that this is a good move and everything, it's gonna be much harder when you're trading him away to like there's only like two really big rivalries that the Celtics have in the NBA, at least that they play all the time in the Eastern side, and that is the New York Knicks in this Philadelphia 76ers. And you traded him away to the team that knocked you out last year in the playoffs, I mean this left past season in the playoffs, and you're gonna have to see him quite plenty because he's on he's in the same conference as you. I think the same division as well. So, all that being the case, it's gonna be a hard ass to be able to kind of convince your fans that this is a good good option. I don't think any real Celtics fan is really happy about this move being made. I don't think they really can accept it, but now that you're gonna have to see him a whole bunch for this your own rival team in the 76ers, definitely definitely not great. So, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 51:44

Um, next thing I wanted to talk about is let's go here. What else do I have? Move-wise. Don't care about that, don't care about that.

SPEAKER_01 52:05

Are we already here? I just want to get through all the little moves and then I'll talk about LeBron. Like, that's like the main thing I want to get to. I just want to make sure I talk about all the other moves that I wanted to get to before that. No, no. Oh, there the Sixers also try to get LeBron too to kind of help fill out that roster, which is kind of like a weird thing to add him to that whole thing. I'm not sure if that really will help out, but again, LeBron, if he's willing to take take less money, will be a very good ad to any team. Um, other moves. Tari Eason, um, Houston Rockets, they signed him to a five-year deal, five-year $81.5 million deal to return to the Houston Rockets. Very good 3nd player that helps them out a lot. Definitely a player they needed to keep on the roster, and they paid him some decent money. What else here? No, don't care. LeBron. Rockets trade Dorian Finney Smith to the Hornets. He's a good 3nd guy that I think will help the Hornets quite a bit. Um, but it was a little bit of a salary dump because they didn't want to pay him what they had to pay him left on his contract. So they did have to send three first-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets to make this deal happen because there's a big uh big uh amount of money. And not to mention the fact that they signed uh Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovich. So they needed to get themselves a little bit of uh space cap wise. So trading Dorian Finney Smith and those three second-round picks allowed them the space to be able to make the Marcus Smart move and the Bogdan Bogdanovich move. And adding those two players, real quick, Marcus Smart, very good 3nd guy, will be able to handle the ball a bit and help them out in that way, which is something that the Houston Rockets definitely lack last season. And then Bogdan Bogdanovich is another great three-point shooter, can play some relatively good defense. Um those are two players that definitely add to their team, especially off the bench, that'll be able to help them out. Because again, the Rockets were their starting lineup was a pretty decent lineup when they were all healthy and working out well as long as KD wasn't nuking the culture there with his um secondary secondary uh accounts and everything on Twitter. But but what their biggest weakness was a lack of ball handling and a lack of a bench. And I think the Rockets are doing pretty well at adding guys to help with their bench to kind of help that part of their team out. Let's see here. The Lakers traded uh DeAndre Ayton away to the Washington Wizards for Jaden Hardy in two second round picks in 2031 and 2032. I'm not sure why they traded Aiden. Again, maybe this is a little bit just to get that money off of their books, but I just think that when they when the Lakers oh, did I talk about Walter Kessler? I don't think I did, but that those are the moves I forgot to do. Let's just do that. So they traded away Aiden because they had gotten Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. Um Lakers free agency moves. It was Lakers moves I'm missing. Um again, getting to LeBron as well. So they traded away Aiden. Again, he was a player that had his ups and had his downs last year for the Lakers, and he when he was on, like he was doing some really good things, but I just don't think they ever thought he was gonna be their main guy. And then when they got they were able to trade for Walter Cat uh Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz, I felt like that was gonna be a matter of time. I thought they were gonna try to keep Aiden as a backup guy, but apparently they're not. They decided not to. Um, but let's get to the Lakers here and talk about all their other moves. So they got Walker Kessler, like I talked about, in exchange for let me see here. I'm trying to make sure I get to a spot where I have all the moves without having to go back and forth. So they got so they traded for Walker Kessler. And it was a sign it was a sign and trade? No, it was so they traded for him and they managed to give him four years, a hundred and thirty million dollar deal. So averaging around thirty million dollars per season for him. And in order to get him, they had to give up the trade. I just want to get this the what exactly what the trade details were for that, because I want to get into it. So

Lakers Reset Around Luka And Kessler

SPEAKER_01 57:15

once so obviously I've already kind of mentioned this multiple times over throughout the pod. LeBron James, I think it was kind of like a coming to where the Lakers pretty much told LeBron that they didn't want him back, and but they allowed LeBron to kind of come out and say that he was leaving to try to like, you know, the kind of like high school boyfriend-girlfriend thing. I didn't break uh they didn't break up with me, I broke up with them, all that, but I do think the Lakers made it very clear to LeBron that they did not want to keep him long term. Well, they did not want to keep him for another contract, right? So once he goes, it becomes very apparent for the Lakers to use the I think the $50 million that they have in cap space to help upgrade their team now because they're not going to really have that same amount of cap space um farther off into the future. So one of the main things they had to do first was they had to get a big man to pair up with Luka Doncic. And the biggest name, even though he wasn't necessarily a free agent, he was a restricted free agent, and they had to trade for him was Walker Kessler, who is a backup center for the Utah Jazz. I think he was a starter, he was end up being the back does actually no, he was never an all-star. So he I don't even think he was a starter with them. So they traded for Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz. So with that being the case, they traded, let's see here. See, even this doesn't say what the trade was. Okay, there we go. So they traded for Walker Kessler in exchange for unprotected first round picks in 2031 and 2033, and then first round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. And with when it comes to the draft picks that the Lakers had left, those were it. That is all they can do. Like that's all the first round picks they had to trade left, and that was the two first and the two pick swaps, and that's all they had left. And they use all of that to get Walker Kessler, but I do think that the Lakers had to do something because that was the number one thing Luca wanted for that team was to get a big man to pair with him, and that's what they had to do to get Walker Kessler. It does suck that they had to give up so much of their so like the literally the rest of their first round picks they had available to them, and give up the big contract to Walker Kessler to make it happen. But I just think that there's no way you're gonna be able to go throughout this this uh offseason after letting LeBron leave and doing all that and not getting Luca the center that he so desires is definitely gonna be a hard thing. So I I think the pressure was on the Lakers to make this move happen, and they had to overpay to make it happen. Walker Kessler is a player, very good rebounder. I think he'll be able to catch lobs from Luka all day long, and I think that Walker Kessler has, I think he's like the first center in like a long time to I think he's like the first center ever to never be an all-star, but get paid $30 million a year. So I think they are definitely making a bet on what he can be as the starter for them. I think they're hoping that he can be a little bit better of a defend of a defensive player for that team. Because let's be honest, you lost LeBron, and even though LeBron really is not as great of a defender as he has been in years past, he's still much better than what Luca and Austin Reeves are at this point in their careers, and what they'll ever be. Because I just don't think Austin Reeves and Luka Doncic are great, either one of them can be good even good defenders, let alone great defenders. So you're gonna need Walker Kessler as like your last line of defense defensively, and then be able to catch lobs from Luca on the offensive side of the ball and be a really good rebounder. So that is what you need Walker Kessler to be. I think that hopefully he can be that for them and be able to play bigger and be in a bigger role with the Lakers and be able to play do a lot better. But it's just a lot to ask, especially when they gave up so much when it came to do all their draft, all the draft picks they had left, at least first round draft picks they had left, and then gave them all that money. Just definitely a big ass for them to uh but again, they needed to get a big man anyway, and there was really nobody else in the market. There's really no other big man that was like really worth their salt and being able to go out and give big money to. So Walker Castler was it, but it's just the fact that the Utah Jazz were able to milk them for as much as they got for him was kind of insane. But again, the pressure was on the Lakers, they had to get it done. Um, outside of Walker Kessler, they also signed uh the I already mentioned the Austin Reefs contract, they pay him the I think a four-year $185 million deal. Again, a deal he will he deserves, but I just think as a player, him and Luca together are pretty much kind of the same player. They're both offensive players that that do very well on offense, but defensively they really don't they're really not big additions defensively, and I think that having those two players together kind of need the ball in their hands to be their most effective. So again, Luca's gonna have the ball in his hands no matter what, if he's on the basketball court, because that's he's Luca. Um, but Austin Reeves is gonna be a he's just a little bit redundancy when it comes to the type of players that they are, but I don't know. They needed to keep him because if you let LeBron walk and you let Austin Reeves walk, then you really don't have anybody on your team for the most part. So um it's I guess they had to give him the money, and I think he's gonna get it from somebody else if the Lakers didn't give it to him. So they were kind of forced into that because they had to keep keep their team together to a certain extent. And Luca likes Austin Reeves, so I think that was a little bit of a also a little bit of a uh a push their way in order to have to keep Austin Reeves around. Um they also I think they signed Mamu Scalavelli. Uh Sandro Sandro Mammu. I'm I'm pretty much gonna stick with that. He was playing for this tour for the Toronto Raptors last year. They got him to be like their four. Um he plays good defense, can rebound the ball well. Um he can distribute the ball when like this the defense breaks down. Like if you have him in the with the middle of the deep in the middle of a defense, he can make some good passes to try to get it to the open man. I feel like he's gonna be a very good four. And is he gonna be a starter on an everyday basis? I'm not sure if that's really the what he's best gonna be best at for the Lakers, but I think that's really the role he's gonna be forced into based off of where their their uh their team is. But they gave him, I think, $12 million a year. I think they gave him a $52 million contract over four years. He shot very good from the three-point range, and like I said before, he'll be able to be a really good backup center, and then maybe play the four when they need him to, if they want to go really big on their lineup. But again, it's a very it's a good ad because it adds some size and adds some uh some playmaking as well and some three-point shooting, which is what something the Lakers really did lack um for the last couple years or so outside of Luca. Um they also added Quentin Grimes to their team, a you know, a guy that is really just a guy to score the ball off the bench. He I think they gave him a four-year, $60 million contract, so maybe they might have him start based off of where their holes are on their offense. Start or be off the bench. Quentin Grimes is gonna be a guy that's gonna be scoring the basketball. He's an okay defender, but not necessarily somebody you can say just go play defense on the best uh offensive player on the other side. Um, so they're gonna need him to be a kind of like a a big three-point shooting guy that can give you a little bit of extra um secondary scoring off of Luca and Austin Reeves. Um, but again, they gave him a lot of money, though. They also signed Colin Sexton, who was another guy that they're gonna be able to be able to bring off the bench, be another scorer. He can shoot well, handle the ball in the for the secondary unit if necessary. Um it's funny because every team that LeBron ends up leaving, Colin Sexton has gone to over the last like two or three times. It's like when LeBron left Cleveland the second time, Sexton went there, and then now that LeBron is leaving uh the Lakers, now Colin Sexton's going to Lakers. Kind of funny, the last two spots that Colin Sexton's kind of following. But Colin Sexton, guy off the bench, he'll be able to be a really good offensive piece. He'll do some shooting, he'll do some ball handling when necessary. Um they have a lot of whites in their roster, though. I think I remember seeing all the tweets about how many white dudes they're gonna have when they're starting. I think out of the starting five, I think like four out of five of them, or if not all five, no, it'll be four out of the five. Um, are all gonna be white dudes. Is kind of funny. I was seeing so many tweets about how the Lakers were going all boss like 1980s Boston Celtics and everybody, which is kind of kind of wild. Um, but you know, it is what it is. They're just trying to again, I think with all the moves they have made, I think it is now built a little bit better around Luca specifically. Do I think they're a worse team now than what they were when they had LeBron last year? I think LeBron, I just felt like they wanted to get to the only caring about Luca part of their of of the of their organization. I feel like that's what what happened here. And LeBron, I feel like if he if the Lakers showed that they wanted to keep him around, I think he would have stayed. Because as much as I think LeBron was a little bit unhappy with the way that he was playing basketball, I feel like his family's in LA, his son's playing for the Lakers as well in Bronny, his other son is playing at Arizona, and now LeBron is gonna have to go find someplace else to go for him to kind of be able to play out the rest of his basketball career and kind of do it the way he wants to. But I feel like the Lakers really didn't want to keep him around. I feel like the Lakers wanted to get to only having to care about catering to one superstar at a time, and I feel like they decided it would it was Lucas' time to be that superstar for them to have to put all their effort towards. Because I think LeBron would have taken a pay cut a little. I don't think he would have taken the same pay cut that he's supposedly trying to take with other teams, where there was news coming out that from his agent Rich Paul that he is willing to take the league minimum or even like the um the trade exemption, no, what is the the trade exemption or whatever it is, the other the other term it was for another like low-tier contract in order to go to a different team. But I don't think he was going to be able to be willing to do that with the Lakers because of how much he's done for them and all of that. And I feel like the fact that Austin Reeves got the big contract that he had, I feel like if LeBron was looking at that situation and looking at Austin Reeves and Reeves getting paid $185 million, I feel like LeBron being a better player than Austin Reeves as of right now. Again, Austin Reeves is a better offensive player, but I think as an all-around player, LeBron at 41, 42 years old is still probably better than what Austin Reeves will be. And I do understand the idea that LeBron maybe not be willing to take a big pay cut if Austin Reeves is getting the money that he's getting. But again, it may not even be about that. I really do think it was more about the idea that the Lakers just wanted to get to the Luca era of the Los Angeles Lakers. And as long as you have LeBron around, it's really hard to do that. So I just think that the Lakers were tired of being in LeBron, being with being with LeBron in general, and they decided, hey, we're not going to keep you around. So they let LeBron kind of like take control of the narrative that he decided to leave, and he wasn't rejected by the Lakers, which I think that really is what happened. And I think that they are now a worse team because I just think that they got rid of a very smart and very malleable basketball player in exchange for a bunch of role players for the most part. Maybe Walker Kessler can be a superstar center in his role there with Luca and on that Lakers team. But outside of that, there's just a bunch of role players that I'm not, I think they fit better around Luca, but I'm not sure any of them is gonna like make them a better team than what they have been over the last couple of years. I don't know. I again I'm and I'm sitting here like I don't think I don't think I put the same pressure on LeBron to go be with a championship winning team at all times. So like I'm not sitting here saying that with LeBron they were gonna be a championship contender and all that, but I just think that they're definitely worse now than what they were without with LeBron last year. I don't know. I I but again, all this like with when they were all playing together, LeBron kind of had to lessen himself in order to make that team the as best it can be, and I don't think LeBron was very happy doing that, and I think that was a big a big part as to why LeBron was not willing to do everything necessary to stay with the Lakers. Like taking the minimum, because I just don't think LeBron would be willing to take the league minimum in order to stay with the Lakers. I just don't think that was gonna happen. Um even though I think he's open to do that doing that with other teams in order to try to help himself play be able to go to the best basketball situation possible. Um is there anything else I want to talk about before I get get straight to the LeBron thing? Um the Knicks signed Andre Jumman to a one-year, $3.9 million contract um to go to the to be with the Knicks. Another big center. They did lose Mitch uh Mitch Johnson?

SPEAKER_00 1:10:55

Nope. Um Mitchell Robinson.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:06

Mitchell Robinson walked, he ended up getting a big a contract with the Celtics, so he managed to go to the the uh the enemy, so they had to get a secondary, another center to be their backup for that team. Um behind well uh Carl Anthony Towns. And Andre Drummond being a big guy that can rebound, that can score a little bit, is definitely a big ad for that team with the hole that they had in their roster. What else did I have to talk about here before I get to LeBron? Um Rui Hachimura, he was formerly with the Lakers. He has he now signed. This was I think this was some news yesterday. I think this is yesterday, right? Yeah, it was yesterday. The news came out that Rui Hachimura, who people were thinking might go back to the Lakers on a on a lesser deal, um, has now gotten a deal to go play for the Clippers, so he doesn't have to move houses. He can pretty much stay in the same house and just go to a different side of the arena. He signed a actually no, it's a they have a different arena now. Never mind. Kind of crazy, I forgot about that. Um I think he could stay in the same house while still going to play with the Clippers. He signed a two-year $28 million deal to stay with to go to them. Very good player, 3nd D guy, can do a little bit of scoring here or there. I feel like he'll be a great ad to the Clippers. And

Kawhi Leonard Heads Back To Toronto

SPEAKER_01 1:12:30

oh, I didn't talk about Kawhi, did I? I forgot about that. So Kawhi Learning did get traded. I'm not sure when that trade happened. Um so the trade was announced on the 30th that he was gonna be traded to the Kawhi Limer was gonna be traded back to the Toronto Raptors from the Los Angeles Clippers. And that trade specifically was Kawhi was going back to the to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Grady Dick, a future first round draft picks, a let's see. Two for future first round picks in 2031 and 2033, and then a 2027 first-round pick swap, and then a second round, and then two second round picks. An absolute haul that this the LA Clippers got for Kawhi Leonard. Okay. From the Clippers side of this, I think that the aspiration stuff has been a kind of like a dark cloud over their over their team this whole season, as the NBA is still doing their investigation over that whole thing. Insane story. If you want to listen to that, go like learn about that, go. Pablo Torre finds out a great podcast on YouTube. He does a lot of good work. This whole series about Kawhi Leonard aspiration stuff, getting money under the table. Um that doesn't count towards salary cap. Definitely a big no-no in sports. Big whole thing. It's a very good story if you want to go learn about that, but it's I think it's a real thing that did happen. I think they they might have had to pay a price at some point, and because that did happen, I do think the Clippers kind of negotiated that to happen, um, which is against the rules in the NBA. So that was a dark cloud that was happening over the Clippers organization. I feel like they played very I think Kawhi played very well this past season, was relatively healthy, and was able to do some really good things throughout this last season, but I also think that the Clippers are in a spot where they realize, like, hey, we are not going to be able to beat OKC. We're not gonna be able to beat uh San Antonio. And with Kawhi being the age that he's at, I think he's like 36, 37 years old. Um, where he's at in his in his NBA career and his health being a little bit iffy, the fact that they were able to get as much as they got for trading him away back to Toronto is insane. Brandon Ingram, very good offensive player and can do some really good things for them. Grady Dick, very good role player, a couple first round picks and then a pick swap and a second round pick. Like they got a whole bunch for Kawhi Leonard, who is I think he's 36. He's 35. But I think his knees are like 40-something years old. Like his knees are definitely a big issue, and the degenerative like knees that he has going on. So like his health is definitely a big problem, and if they were able to get, which is exactly what they did, they got so much in order to trade him away. It I think the Clippers definitely made the right move getting rid of him because I just don't think they're gonna be a winning team with what they have to deal with and what they have like around Kawhi, let alone what they have to go through in order to get later on in the playoffs. So being able to get off of Kawhi with all the aspiration stuff kind of looming and all of that, I feel like it was a very good move by them to get the halt that they got for him. And they'll be able to use those first-round picks and those those young players to help either build a new squad or they can trade those young players to go like go get even more draft capital and be able to kind of take this thing down to the studs if they want to. So I just think they have a lot of moves that they can make. They just had the fifth overall pick in the draft that they added to that team as well. So, all those things, all in all, being able to kind of like get it, get out of the kawaii business is definitely a big deal for them. And and get to get everything they got for him was definitely a big deal. And the money that we would have to be paying him as well, also because he would have a I think he has a player, I think he's gonna have to sign a uh extension as well, which is something that I don't think the Clippers are really trying to do um and giving him any sort of long-term deal. So now they don't have to do that either. So getting to the Toronto side of this, they gave up a lot for Kawhi, but I also think that with the team that they had last year, and I think that if Kawhi can have a relatively healthy season, like this upcoming season, like they did like he did last year, and he could be healthy at the right time, especially in the playoffs, I think they're a good enough team. With Kawhi being the player that he is, is being as really as good as he is when he is healthy. Um they have a lot of like Scotty Barnes and um let's see that Toronto Raptors um roster. They have Scottie Barnes, they have uh Emmanuel Quickley, now Kawhi Leonard, like Colin Murray Boyles and Jamal Sheed, and like so they have some real dudes on that roster, and I think if Kawhi can be the great player that he has been, and what he showed really be last year, I think he had his best year that he's had in a couple years in a Clipper uniform. If he can kind of do that again for the Toronto Raptors and they get hot at the right time, they could really make some noise in the East because there really is no overpowering team in the East, even though the Knicks just won a championship. I totally get and understand that, but I just feel like the East is so much more muddied when it comes to there is no clear, like clear out and away favorite. So being able to add a guy like Kawhi to your team to have your own superstar, and then as long as he could again, it's still a it's still a risk on the health, man. I really do think it is. But I feel like you get a superstar back, and if he's healthy, you can kind of make another run here. But if not, you still have a superstar that already won you a championship that you that he's already very beloved by that Toronto by the city of Toronto because of what he did during those eight months that he was there by getting them a championship and kind of getting right out going to the Clippers. But I think that he did a lot of good. I think that he'll they'll get a lot of love from getting Kawhi Leonard back, and if he can get them to a point where they can be really competitive in the East, we'll be gravy for them, to be totally honest with you. But they I think that even if they don't, he still has he's still gonna be able to like there's a lot of young players on that roster that I think will will help by having a guy of his talent on that team and be helped help kind of get them to help them grow and come along. So I think all in all, I think that was a good trade for both sides. I think both sides got what they wanted out of this. And I do think if Toronto made this trade that they think they were given some sort of head nod by the NBA that he wasn't gonna be like suspended for any sort of extended period of time. Because why would you trade as much as they did for Kawhi Leonard if he was going to be suspended and you weren't gonna be able to have him on your squad? So I do think they at least got that much news from the NBA that that the suspension wasn't coming for him. So that is a little bit of kind of like a little bit of like a nugget. I'm not sure. I hope not, because I do think that whole thing with the aspiration stuff is a real big deal that I think the NBA should handle. But you know, if they don't do it, this that is what it is. It's their it's their league, and they can handle it how they want to. But I don't know. So I think it's a good move for both sides. I think Celtics can kind of go along and try to build up a new core and be able to do it the way they want to do it and kind of build up from the bottom up if they want to. And then I think the the Raptors can kind of, you know, maybe micro selves their way into being a championship contender next season or over the next season or two with what Kawhi has left in his prime. Hopefully, health notwithstanding. And then that was the Kawhi stuff, and I think that's all I have other than LeBron stuff.

LeBron’s Next Team And Narrative

SPEAKER_01 1:21:10

I think this is where I go to LeBron, okay? So, like I mentioned before, LeBron not a Laker anymore. He's made it, him and his team has made it very clear that at least they're trying to put out the narrative that he doesn't he did not want to be a Laker anymore. It was LeBron's choice. It for sure wasn't the Lakers telling LeBron they didn't want him back. At least that's what LeBron wants us to believe. I don't believe so. But at the end of the day, I'm not in the room where it happened, so maybe that was the case. I just don't think that was, I just don't think that was the case. So now LeBron is the last big domino left in the NBA free agency to fall. LeBron and his team, Rich Paul, has made it very clear that he is not sitting here. They've they've said he is not making a money decision. This is not about money. This is about LeBron's quote unquote basketball happiness. And I think that happiness has to do something with him being able to play the way he wants to play. I don't think LeBron wants to be a guy that's like forced to be like a 3-8D or kind of like a lesser usage player. I think he wants to have the ball in his hands. I'm not sure how high playing for a contender is on his list. And do I really care? I don't think so. I think LeBron is at a point where he should be able and he should be able to do whatever he wants to do. If he wants to go play for the Golden State Warriors and just have a fun season or two and play some fun basketball, even if they're not necessarily going to be a championship contender, he should go do that and not have anybody say anything negative on him for for doing that. If that if that's what he wants to do. If he wants to go back to Cleveland and have the storybook ending and have the storyline and have a I don't think he like for sure makes us the Cavaliers a better team or anything. Like, at least not a good enough team to be a like a real contender in the East. I don't think he does that for them because of like how weird their roster is built all around. But if he wants to go and have the storybook ending with the Cavaliers, I don't hate that. And I don't think anybody should hate him for wanting to do that. If he wants to go and take the league minimum and go play with the Denver Nuggets or go play with the San Antonio Spurs to try to ring chase, that's okay too. I don't think I have any sort of expect I don't think I think I've been in this in this boat, right? The last two or three years of I have not had any sort of expectations on what LeBron should be doing at his age because I think he is well out lasted being as good as he has been for the ages he has been, for as late in his career as he is, and being able to do this on the things he's doing is absolutely insane. But I'm also not gonna put because of that put some crazy expectations on him and saying that he needs to be winning a championship, he needs to be one of the better players on the team, or that chip doesn't matter, or if he doesn't go for a championship, oh you should winning should matter more. I just haven't had that expectation of him in a while, right? And again, there are LeBron haters out, like true LeBron haters out there that is going to hate him for whatever he does. I'm not one of those, I don't think I am. And there are some people that want LeBron to like pass Jordan by any means necessary and like go win a championship and all of that. And again, I'm not I don't I don't fall in that category either, but I just think that LeBron should deserve to do whatever he wants to do without any sort of negative talk or slander about him. I really do think that's what he deserves, right? He's been a face of the NBA for over 20 years. He's been a constant professional. He's been a little bit of a, you know, a sneak disc type of dude and kind of doing things underhanded, but I think for the most part, he's done the right things. He hasn't made made the NBA look terrible. He's done what he's supposed to do. He's been a constant um what's the word I'm looking for? He's he has the been the face of the NBA for a long time. I feel like he deserves to do whatever he wants to do. And now that LeBron and getting back to whether I think winning is his number one goal, I don't think it is. I feel like he wants to go to a place that he can play the basketball he wants to play. I feel like the storyline maybe is a little bit part of it. Again, at his age and where he's at in his career, he can do that. I don't, I'm not gonna doubt him at all for that, right? And it might be a little bit of lifestyle, right? Does he want to go all the way back to Cleveland if you like his family's still gonna be in LA? His son is still playing with the Lakers, and he still has a son playing in Arizona. Who knows whether he wants to have to do that back and forth this next season um to manage that his home life and his and his NBA career? Um, like that stuff is stuff he's gonna have to figure out. But I'm gonna leave him and I'm gonna leave him alone and kind of let him do that. And I feel like he's gonna take all the time necessary to do so because until then, everybody in the NBA is gonna be waiting on baited breath because LeBron, even at his age, at 41, going on 42 years old, is a player that can make a team a much better basketball team by being added to any pretty much any team in the NBA, right? Especially if he's not gonna be taking the as much money as possible, if he's willing to take the the league minimum to do so, that's a huge deal. And he can be added to a lot of teams and he can make them a lot better. And here's the teams that are apparently in on his services, like these are the top three. I think the top three in no particular order are Golden State, it's Cleveland, and it's um Golden State Cleveland. Who was the other one I was thinking of?

SPEAKER_00 1:26:57

Golden State Cleveland, and who was the other team I was thinking of.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:07

I know I'm going insane thinking about it. Golden State. Who was the other team I was thinking of? Miami Heat was also it was an was another one, right? So those are the top three options from what everybody has been talking about, okay? Like I said, the Sixers, I mean, sorry, the the Cavs are more of the storybook ending, and then maybe be a little bit more of like a feisty type of team in the East. I don't think they're really gonna be championship contenders, but I think they could be a relatively good team in the East to be one of the better ones. But I'm just not sure if that's gonna be like an automatic he makes them a title contender, okay? Um, like I said before, Golden State. I feel like if he goes goes there, he gets to go play with Steph, with Draymond, and go play some really fun basketball. I feel like you could do a lot of cool things. Will they be a team that's like going to be winning a lot of games? No. But I think they'd be playing playing with they'd be having a lot of fun playing together. LeBron and Steph working off each other, Draymond playing some really good defense. I they are saying that they're trying to get Anthony Davis as well, but who knows how willing Washington's going to be willing to get rid of Anthony Davis. So I don't think Golden State has all the power in the world when it comes to the Anthony Davis part of it. But that is what they're trying to do in getting Anthony Davis and LeBron at the same time to go to their team. And if that happens, it makes them a tad bit more interesting when it comes to winning, like being able to be a real contender in the West. But I don't I still, even with that, I don't think that's like really where they're going to be. I think they're going to be a team that's going to be a lot of fun to watch. And LeBron will have a lot of fun playing because he'll be able to have the ball in his hands, be kind of like the distributor on the offense, and then be able to get the ball to Steph, get the ball to Draymond and AD and kind of like do things the way he wants to do it while having a lot less pressure on him to like go out there and win games. I don't think if he goes to Golden State, anybody will be expecting them to be a championship contender in the West with OKC and San Antonio still sitting there. Giannis just got traded there, BAM's there, and they have a lot of holes in their roster. And if LeBron's not going there to try to take up a lot of money, he can go there and be another guy to help kind of be the ball. Like he can go there and hope honestly, he can be the ball distributor there too. It's not like Giannis and BAM are guys that really wants to have the ball in their hands at all times, and they really don't have a point guard on that team right now to really rely on. So LeBron can go to Miami right now and go play with a real a great player in Giannis and then another top 20 player in in Bam, and he could be a guy just kind of and he wouldn't have any sort of real pressure on him defensively because of how great Bam and Giannis are defensively still. So he wouldn't have nearly as much pressure on himself defensively as he would those other places, and he would be a part, I'm not going to sit here and say they'd be a contender, but he would be in the east, he would be playing with Giannis, and if Giannis can be healthy and go out there and him and Bam kind of be the best players on that team, I think it would lessen any sort of pressure on the basketball court on LeBron. And LeBron go out there, be just be the ball distributor, play some smart defense, and not necessarily have to play as hard. And I think they could do some really good things, even if that's still a very big lack of shooting that the Miami Heat really have. That's like their biggest issue. I don't think LeBron necessarily fixes. But it would be a fun time for him to go play with Giannis and Bam and kind of like help them out on their road to because again, I don't think the Miami Heat are going to be a team that's a real contender this year. I think they're probably waiting until next season. Um, not this upcoming season, but next season in order for them to really make their push to try to be as best they possibly can to go try to go after it for a championship. But I feel like LeBron going there would definitely make them better, and I feel like he'd be able to play the way of the type of basketball that he would like to play as well. But the the going news is that the Cavaliers are like the number one favorite, right? And like I said before, I'm not sure if that's like necessarily a great fit, especially if they managed to keep James Harden as well as him, and they just signed um heck the news was they just signed uh Donovan Mitchell to a ex to an extension today. Real quick, yeah, they did sign him to an extension. I'm glad I remembered that. So they gave him a four-year, so the Cavs gave Donovan Mitchell a four-year, two hundred and seventy-three million dollar um contract extension, which is the max essentially, and that's on top of the the this next year contract where he has like eighty million dollars left. Hold on, let me see. No, no, it's not eighty million. He had let's see, I think he had like sixty million this year left in the last year of his deal. So like he is signing a huge amount of money. So 273 million dollars. Insane. A lot of money. I think they said in year.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:24

Let's see.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:40

So he decided that extension. So in his age, 33 and 34 seasons, he'll be getting paid 70 and 75 million dollars, which is insane. And again, do I think Donovan Mitchell like is a good enough player to be getting that type of money and like being the best, like again, him getting paid this much money implies he's the best player on a on a team. Do I think he can be the best player in a championship winning team? I just don't think so, with what he is as a player, especially by the time he's 33, 34 years old, he's nowhere gonna be near as effective as he is right now. And he's gonna be getting paid a whole hell of a lot of money. But um, but yeah, so they just signed him to a big deal to stay there long term, um, which I'm not necessarily a big a big proponent of, but again, if they think he's gonna be their like big answer long term, then you have to keep him. This is the money you're gonna have to pay to keep him. He's uh because he's gonna get to go get that money somewhere else if you don't give it to him. So I think the Cavs are kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place there, because again, what are they gonna do? Give James Harden a long-term deal? That's a terrible idea. And you know, LeBron is a year-in-year-out type of dude now. Like, he's no way you're gonna look at him and be like, hey, come back to the Cavs for the next two seasons. Like, I don't think that's what um LeBron is even gonna want to promise to do, let alone actually do. Um, so and again, LeBron's 41, 42 years old. I just don't think he's gonna be a guy that you can like expect to be your best player and try to actually go win games and be a real contender. So I don't know, it's a lot of money to give Donovan Mitchell, but it is what it is on that. So back to LeBron. So the Cavs are kind of looked at as being like the favorite because of the storybook ending and all of that, and he can kind of be a little bit more of a um in a winning spot with the Cavs in the East to be able to go there and do that thing, um, go to do what he has to do to kind of like play the basketball he wants to play and kind of be in a more winning situation than some others. But again, I don't think there'd be a real real contender in the wet east, to be totally honest with you. Um but there were some other options that I looked at and was like, man, that would be pretty cool if he did that. Like some of the other options that were brought up was like I mentioned San Antonio earlier, if he took the league minimum and went and played with San Antonio to kind of be the elder statesman to help out all those young dudes like play their basket basketball in the playoffs, I think that would be a great that'd be great for LeBron and great for the for the San Antonio Spurs. Whether Wemby would want to do that because of how competitive he is and like who knows how he would feel about bringing a guy like that onto the roster and kind of like having that question as to who the real man on the team is. So who knows whether whether Wemby would be okay with that, but if he were, and who knows whether LeBron would be okay with that? Because if he did go to the San Antonio Spurs, went out there and won a championship next year, I think people would have a lot of questions as to whether of the legitimacy of that of that championship for LeBron, which is something LeBron for sure cares about. Again, I'm not sure if I care about it, whether I would use that against him or for him in that scenario when it comes to talking about GOAT status and all of that. But like that is a real that is a real option if the San Antonio Spurs and if Wemby is like open to it, right? Like that would be a really cool thing. And like he'd be able to beat, because again, he wouldn't have to, that the team's already great defensively. He wouldn't have to go out there and play amazing defense, like he could be really kind of like pick his spots and like play good defense and in moments, and he could be a guy that can be a real big ball handler for them because of the little bit of the youth side of the rest of that team. He can be a guy that kind of calmed down everything with that play that Wemby had where he bounced the ball off the back of um why am I forgetting his name?

SPEAKER_00 1:36:20

Um why am I forgetting his name? I'm forgetting not Vass.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:33

It's not Don Harbor because Stefan Castle. Like that play where Wemby uh passed the ball to Stefan Castle and it bounced off the dude's back, would that have happened if LeBron was there? Would they have given up all the crazy leads they had in the finals if LeBron was there? I just don't think that would have been the case. And I feel like adding LeBron to that roster would help bring an elder statesman to kind of help them along, and he would be a guy that can help stabilize the offense, especially late in game, so they they wouldn't be giving up all the leads they've been getting that they had throughout that playoff run and that they were losing these games because they're just a young team that just didn't know any better, right? Um, LeBron also to Denver. That was also another guy, the other team brought up. If you have LeBron and Jokic, two real basketball savants kind of playing together, would have been insane. Again, that wouldn't have helped their defense whatsoever, which is one of Denver's biggest issues for that team, was their lack of defense. And I don't think the problem would necessarily help with that, but I think they would be a very that'd be a very smart basketball team with those two at the helm. Either you're gonna have the ball in LeBron's hands making decisions offensively, or you're gonna have Jokic with the ball in his hands and them being able to play off each other and they're both basketball savants and be able to make some really smart basketball decisions. I think they'd be able to score a whole hell of a lot of points because of how smart they are and how they can put each other in good spots to be able to make some good decisions and make some big plays. But like again, do I think LeBron would make Denver a championship contender? Probably not. He'd make them a feisty team in the West, but not a team that I would think right away would jump over OKC and San Antonio as the best team in the E in the West. But I do think he'd make that team very interesting, and I think him and Jokic together could like it would be some absolutely beautiful basketball with them with the both of those guys being as smart as they are when it comes to the game of the of basketball. Um so I think that was a really cool option. I think the other option that was being brought up was the 76ers. Um they they're trying to go after LeBron as well. Again, I'm not sure how adding him to that concoction over there in Philadelphia would be helpful. It's another guy out of that roster on top of uh on top of Jalen Brown, on top of Tyrese Maxie, on top of um Joel Embiid that all want the ball in their hands. And now you're gonna add LeBron to that scenario too. Another guy that wants to kind of like he wants to control the ball and be able to run the offense as well. I just don't feel like that's a great fit for LeBron in the way that he wants to play. But the Sixers are definitely making a run at him and trying to make their case that LeBron should go to Philadelphia. And then the other team was Minnesota as well. Minnesota was a team that was talked about of being a real option for LeBron. And I'm just not sure if that's the case. I think that's a good option either, because they already have Anthony Edwards there, who is definitely a huge he's already super competitive, and there's no way he's gonna be willing to. Again, he'd already have to like give up a little when it comes to letting Lamelo ball have the ball in his hands a bit to be able to help get the pressure off himself to help help him out, be able to play some more efficient basketball, not have to have double teams all the time. But now you're gonna add LeBron too, and then you're gonna have to worry about Lamelo, because Lamelo definitely wants the ball in his hands, and it's gonna be hard for him to kind of he's already gonna be hard for him to be the number two on a squad, but now you're gonna have LeBron in there, and LeBron's gonna want to make decisions as well. I just don't think that's gonna be a real concoction for success when it comes to building a team out. Um, so I do think that's gonna be a little bit of an issue too, if you manage to go there. So I just think that those are the teams that everybody's been talking about with LeBron potentially going. But again, the top three Cavs, Heat, and Golden State Warriors in no particular order. And then the two that I think are very interesting, but I think are a lot less likely to happen, is San Antonio and the Denver Nuggets. Um, I think those two would be teams that like he'd be able to potentially be the most competitive in and try to go win a championship. But I just think that it's gonna be a little bit weird uh storyline-wise for LeBron. I feel like LeBron is one of those guys that really wants to control the narrative, his narrative at all times. It's gonna be a little bit harder for him to have control of that when he's going to those type of teams. But the other three, I think of the three favorites, I think I'd like Golden State the most. I just think he'd have a lot of fun there. And I think that there would be no pressure on him to go out and win a championship and all that. At least there'd be a lot less. I think there's always gonna be LeBron haters that want to make everything like make it like LeBron's being doing wrong at all times. But I feel like over as a basketball collective, the NBA world would not necessarily see LeBron as like having to win a championship if he if he went to Golden State. I feel like all of us would be would have a lot of fun watching him go play some fun basketball with Steph in this kind and I will say um skip Bayless. He had a heater when he made this up. Um when the news came out that the Golden State Warriors was an option for LeBron, he made up the nickname for the Golden State Warriors, the Olden State Warriors without the G. Absolute that's an absolute heater of a name. And again, he is the biggest LeBron hater, and he makes it makes it his life's work to be the number one LeBron detractor. And but again, I have to call a spade a spade. That was a heater of a of a name. So like he still has his fastball when he can when he gets there, but man, that was a it was pretty funny when I heard it for the first time. But I do think that I would have the most fun watching LeBron go play with the Golden State Warriors, having fun watching him on him and Steph play off each other with Draymond, and like I just think that would be the most fun. I think it'd be a very big spectacle to watch that team play throughout next season. But I do think that there's a reason why the Cavs are the favorites, because I just think that the storybook ending side of it, I just feel like LeBron would be a little bit too attracted to to kind of say no to. On top of the fact, I do think he'll be able to kind of do a little bit more of like handling the basketball and playing the way he wants to play. And I feel like there it was also news that LeBron's gonna be doing like a documentary for this finals this final year or two that he has left in the NBA. And the the storyline of having having him go home for the last time and kind of finish out the rest of his time in the NBA to the team that drafted him and the team that he got brought a championship to is definitely a huge sticking point if you're trying to make that type of content um for some point and that you're kind of having that stuff follow you around for what you have left of your NBA career. So I feel like that is a very cool thing that if he decided to do so, I wouldn't blame him if he if he wanted to. I and I just like I said, all in all, I just think LeBron should be able to do whatever he wants to do without any judgment whatsoever. Again, that's not gonna happen. There's always gonna be people that want to hate on him and judge him and do all of that, but I'm not gonna be one to do so. I'm gonna like at least try to enjoy what we have left of LeBron, and as as long as he can play healthy and kind of go out there and have some fun, I feel like we should be all be okay with that. But again, that's never the case. There's always people out there that want to hate and people that want to do that because you know, hate hate sells, you know?

Rich Paul’s Whiteboard Media Tour

SPEAKER_01 1:43:45

And that's what gets hate gets clicks and all everything in between. And I do have to mention one last thing. The stupid whiteboard that Rich Paul did for the podcast he does with Max Kellerman, I think is a weird scenario. I feel like the whole Matt, like, again, I get it, Rich Paul. You're a big you're a big enough name to where having a podcast isn't necessarily a bad thing for you. But I feel like when you're an agent and your your number one job is to protect the the discretion and the rights of your clients and LeBron being your biggest one, I just feel like it's a real like weird scenario, the fact that you're kind of just openly speaking about like LeBron's situation and all of that to a to a public audience. It doesn't make any sense to me, especially when you're doing it off the cuff and you have the stupid whiteboard of like talking about the the pluses and minuses of all the teams. I just feel like that's something you don't necessarily have, you shouldn't, you shouldn't be doing. And again, do I think if the if I think LeBron had a real issue with that, I think LeBron would tell him to stop, and he would. So maybe LeBron doesn't have any issue with it, but I just think it's a weird type of thought that whenever anything happens to LeBron, now Rich Paul gets to use it as a way to, you know, have his own podcast and be able to talk about it and be able to help build his own his his own um platform, which is kind of it's just kind of a weird back and forth between an agent and the and his uh an agent and the player. It just it's it's weird, to be totally honest with you. My a like the best agents out there that you never hear from until it's time for players to be getting paid big money, and then you hear from them, and then they kind of go back away. One of the biggest ones, David Mulgeta for in the in the NFL. Like, do you see him out there? Like you'll see pictures of him, you'll see him out there when it's time for guys to get paid, but he's not out there talking unless he's doing some business. But I I don't I don't know what the Rich Paul thing. Again, he's a big enough thing where he can do whatever he wants, but it's just I think it's a weird conflict of interest type of thing when you when he he's doing that cut that uh podcast with Max Kellerman and then talking about his own his own clients free agency uh options on air with everybody can listen. It's just a weird, weird, weird scenario. If if I again what is my opinion matter, but I just think it I I find it weird. And so that's it for LeBron. Do I have anything else I need to talk about right now? Because I again this is close to two hours now talking about just basketball. Again, if you again most people that have been listening to this podcast are mostly know us as a as a football podcast, but this is one of those times where you know there's not a lot of football going on. NBA is doing their thing, kind of having some real heaters going on uh narrative-wise. And I just feel

CJ2K ALS And Football’s Real Cost

SPEAKER_01 1:46:30

like it's uh it's it's kind of hard not to talk basketball because I'm just so fascinated by it. Um it comes to football. Before we get out of here, oh the CJ2K. So the news came out, I think it was last week or the week before. I forget when that news came out. I think it was last week. CJ2K's news came out that he was gonna be on Go to Morning America, I think this was the night before, and then it ended up he ended up having his thing in the morning. And it came out that he announced that he had gotten a ALS diagnosis for um for like over a year ago. And he was doing that interview, and I was watching the interview, and to watch him literally not be able to speak, he can't hold a cup of water. And literally, this is just over a matter of a year since he's been diagnosed. He's 39 years old, still relatively young. I think he got diagnosed 38, now he's 39, and he's like in the spot that he's in, to where ALS is pretty much over, like there is no fixing it. It's just that disease is just literally your body is being taken away from you as your brain is still up there. And one of the biggest parts I interviewed that really hit me hard was when he said, I'm still in here, right? My body may not do be able to do all the things it once was able to do, but my my brain, I'm still in, I'm still inside of your own, I'm still in here, right? And that was like one of the weirder things, like being able to like put yourself in the spot of being trapped in your own body. Again, you're always trapped in your own body because you only have one, right? But like when your your body can't move, you can't do anything for yourself, but your brain, you're still able to process everything going on, but you're not able to speak, you're not able to get your point across the way you need to. He needs he's talking with a machine. He's sitting there having to use like this the uh crazy eye machine that's reading your eyes to be able to make sentences and the and have a little robot talking for you. Again, it's it sounds like they had recorded his voice before all this happened, so it does sound like him still when it comes to having the robots talk for him. But like this dude was one of the fastest athletes in the NFL at one point in his life. He was doing some Herculean things in the biggest gladiator sport in all the world. And now when you s I saw him in that interview look the way that he did, he didn't even look like the same human. Like it it was a very shocking thing to see a guy that once looked like looked superhuman, like Superman out at one point, look the way he did, look like the way he did in that interview. And it was it was really shocking, and it really hit me deep. And and and one of the narratives to come out of that thing was talking about how like it should be more of a narrative talking about how football players, especially once you get later on in your life and you're playing football in the NFL, you're like four times more likely to get a get ALS because you've played NFL football. Especially for a long time if you're able to, like the head injuries and all that, like all that leads to being much more likely to get a disease like that. And like that's something that he talked about. It does suck, and I feel like it like I get it, you want to make you want to make this more of like a a a cautionary tale for like this can't happen to all these NFL players going out there, like g like these are literal like legal car wrecks that the in these NFL players are going through to go out there and entertain us on Sundays and Thursdays. And Mondays. Sometimes Saturdays. Like so, like they these players are putting themselves, their bodies and and their minds, through hell, potentially, and putting their futures on the line to go out there and entertain us on Sundays. And that is a real that's really something that we have to be able to live with as a collective because those dudes are really putting their bodies and lives and futures on the line to play that game. And I know once games start back up, we'll be back and we'll be back watching the games and we'll be sucked back in again to what the NFL what the NFL is and like not really caring about this. But I think that we do at least if we're going to enter inner to be entertained by this game, we also have to accept and we have to at least be open to the opportunity, like open to the the option that this this game is not a safe game, and it never will be a safe game, and stuff like this will happen. So I just think that you have to be willing to accept the bad side parts of it too, and not just look at it and be like, oh, why are they talking about this? They're just trying to make football look bad. I'm like, no, it's just a fact of life. Especially when CJ2K, his there was nobody in his family that's ever had ALS before. And so apparently most of the cases for ALS is like just kind of hits out of the blue. But when he played a game that made it four times more likely for him to get such a disease, that is something that should be talked about. And again, I get it, it's a very scary conversation because it just kind of makes the word because there is no fix. There is no fix for what the NFL is as a game and how violent it is. Or it really you can try, but you're not going to really fix it. But we have to be willing to talk about it when this stuff arises. And I feel like watching Chris Johnson look the way he did for sure was a gut punch and made me really really evaluate, man, like this is like this this this stuff is for real in the NFL, man, and and for those players and for their lives and for their futures, they really are putting it on the line out there every week to go out there and entertain us on Sundays. So we better for sure appreciate it because there's some players that may get to a point where they may do some real damage to themselves to go out there and do what they do. Again, the money is great, that's why they get paid the crazy money that they do, but it doesn't change the fact that there is some potential long-term damage happening out there when they're out there um playing the game that we all love to watch. So in the CJ2K, man, I'm I'm I feel I'm I'm praying for him and I'm praying for his family again. Not only the fact that he's stuck in his own body, and that's a real that's a real torture chamber to think about for me, but for his family too. To know that there's we had a bunch of young kids, he has young kids that looked at their dad a little more than a year ago and he was fine, and and now that he he's like a vegetable man. He can't speak, he can't hold a cup of water. Like that that that sucks for every not only him, but for everybody around him to see a man that they probably loved and adored so much and thought he was superhuman, and now he can't even do anything for himself. Like that has to be a real that has to be some real pain associated with that, and I feel like we should all be praying for him and his family that they can transition to the next phase of what they have coming in store for them, and hopefully it can go as smoothly as possible and they can have as much peace as they possibly can, as much as you possibly can have in this situation, because I feel like there is no truly accepting it and being okay with all of it. Because this is like it just hits you out of blue, man. Hits out of the blue, and again, not just hits out of blue because it he made it more possible by playing in football, but I don't know, man. It was just it was just a weird, it was a weird dynamic when I watched that interview. It it definitely hit me in the fields. I'm not gonna lie to you. Um that's all I got on that. Let's see what else. Did I have anything else really to talk about in football? No.

Next Pod Plans And Where To Follow

SPEAKER_01 1:54:05

Here's what I want to say before I get out of here. Close to two hours, but definitely close, about close to two hours now. Um hopefully late next week we'll be able to do another pod. Because we're going on this trip. We won't be back till like middle of the week next week. Um, so hopefully I'll be able to do another pod. But I do want to start doing because I think there was one thing that I saw on Twitter that it there's people that were like ranking the the position units for every single team, like doing it on like a tier, like a S A B, C, D, E, F. Um, ranking the position units for each team in the NFL. I want to do that for a couple positions. Quarterback's kind of hard to do that because it's only really one player that you're really talking about here. Quarterback rankings. So I want to start doing quarterback rankings, position rankings in that way, but I also want to do the position tiers as well because I think that was a very fun thing. Because I saw one, it was like the for wide receivers, and it was like had the Steelers as a as like a C tier. It was like a C or D. But then the P the teams that they had ahead of them and then above them were like insanely. I just totally didn't agree with, and I had a really good back and forth with Jace on it. So I do want to kind of have a couple of those too to kind of like talk about that because I feel like that was like a lot of fun. Um it could be a very fun exercise to do. So I do want to do that as well as do like start doing our position rankings and as well as do our preseason like NFL stuff, like who's in one division, who's gonna be in the best spot, who's gonna be good contenders. Um, so there's gonna be a lot of NFL content we're gonna be doing here. And I'm we're gonna we're on the next spot I put out. We will have some planned NFL content to do because we've been going a little again. These last two pods have been pretty much all basketball. So we do need to get back to getting back to our bread and butter of NFL stuff. So I will start that on the next pod we do, and hopefully I'll be able to get Jace on as well. But if not, it'll be me kind of sitting here doing again, talking to the wall and kind of talking to you guys, whoever once decides to listen to me ramble on. But we will be getting back to more NFL content because this whole all the basketball stuff is pretty much over for now. So, other than LeBron thing, because again, once that happens, I'll talk about LeBron and do all that once again. But NBA, we need to go back to the NFL stuff, which is what I definitely plan on doing because NFL is literally the main reason, like that's like my favorite sport to NFL and college football. My favorite sports to watch by far. So definitely getting back to more of that content as we go in the net in the pods going forward. Um, get Jace back on is my my number one priority. It's been a while since we had Jace on, so I definitely need to make that happen. And uh that is about it. I don't really have anything else. So um without further ado, let's get out, go ahead and get out of here, guys. So if you've been listening for a while, we appreciate you. If you're just not um listening, hopefully you like us and enjoy us enough to join us on this ride of listening to us talk about sports in the dumbest way possible. And if this is the first pod you've listened to, make sure you go listen to a different podcast with both me and Jason so you get a better idea of what this podcast is at its best, with both me, him, podcast host, co-hosts, and brothers talking shit, going back and forth, um, and all of that. So I'm gonna make sure you go listen to one of those pods to get a better idea of what we are at our best. Uh with and if you do like us, enjoy us, and want to stick around, we'd appreciate if you could like our podcast, subscribe to the podcast, rate the podcast five stars wherever you listen to us. We're pretty much available on all audio platforms out there. We are also available on YouTube as well. So we don't have video, so we do I we need to do video, to be honest, but we'll get there. But we are posting our our content on YouTube as well. So if you have YouTube premium, that's how you listen to your podcasts. That is an option where you can kind of get pick a video, pick a podcast of ours, close your phone out. If you don't really need to have the video, you can listen to us that way. So if you do find us on YouTube, make sure you like our uh follow us on YouTube, sorry, subscribe to us on YouTube, and then also like our like whatever podcast you do listen to. And then um share us with friends, family, enemies. Anybody feel like could enjoy the podcast we put out on a weekly basis during the offseason and then during the football season, like two times a week. We would love if you can do that. And then last but not least, if you go follow us on Twitter and or X, whatever you'd like to call it, at JB Sports Pod is the podcast handle, at Jovante Boozer is my handle, that's where I do the most pop posting on for the most part, and then at Jace Boozer1 is Jace's handle, and that is about it. So without further ado, thank you guys for listening. Thank you guys for always listening. Have a great day, have a great night, and we will see you on the next one. Bye y'all.