The Sports Rehab Show
The Sports Rehab Show is the NBA and NFL injury podcast hosted by a licensed physical therapist and a die-hard hoops and football fan. Every episode breaks down player injuries, recovery timelines, and return-to-play outlooks for the league’s biggest stars — from ACL tears and hamstring strains to concussion protocols — plus what it means for your fantasy football lineup and your favorite team’s playoff push.
This isn’t just an injury report. It’s still your home for NBA trade rumors, MVP debates, and playoff drama, alongside NFL news, team performance, and the latest on your favorite players. The Sports Rehab Show sits at the intersection of sports medicine and sports fandom — delivering injury analysis, fantasy football implications, and NBA/NFL hot takes for die-hard fans of both leagues.
The Sports Rehab Show
LeBron’s Next Team Could Redraw The NBA Map-Are Lakers Done With Free Agency?
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LeBron still hasn’t picked a team, and the longer it goes, the more it bends the entire NBA free agency market around him. We come back from a short hiatus to lay out what’s really changed: more legitimate suitors, less straightforward money, and a league waiting for the one move that unlocks everyone else’s plans. We debate the most believable landing spots and what each choice says about LeBron’s priorities at this stage of his career.
Miami gets the spotlight, especially after a wild moment on the Heat’s YouTube channel that hints at how close things might be. We talk through the basketball fit of a potential LeBron and Giannis pairing alongside Bam, what needs to happen for spacing and shooting, and why the Eastern Conference path could be more forgiving than the West. We also hit the human side: how LeBron might want to announce the decision, and whether old relationships in Miami still matter.
Then we pivot hard to the Los Angeles Lakers: a full roster makeover that’s clearly built around Luka, with new depth pieces like Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle. We like the direction, but we don’t dodge the biggest issue: the glaring need for a starting-level 3 and 4, and the trade-rumor chessboard around names like Jonathan Kuminga and PJ Washington. We close by naming offseason winners and losers so far and why everything still feels on pause until the LeBron domino finally drops. If you enjoy smart NBA free agency talk, subscribe, share the show, and leave us a rating and review.
Back From Hiatus And Free Agency
SPEAKER_01All right, everybody. Welcome back to the Hoops Rehab Show. Yes, we've been on a little hiatus, but we are back better than ever, ready to talk NBA free agency. And we got some stuff coming up this summer that you guys are going to like. Eric, how you doing?
SPEAKER_04What's up, man? I know a little too long, but just obviously a lot of things going on this summer. Not you know, we had the World Cup, uh, obviously some personal things with us, you know, things uh just kind of life, right? And so uh it definitely feels good to be back uh talking ball. Um, you know, here we are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. And LeBron still hasn't made a decision since we've been lasting work. 21 days that he hasn't made a decision. Um, this is the longest ever in the four times he's been able to decide where he goes. That's right. And we still don't have a resolution, Eric.
SPEAKER_04We do not.
SPEAKER_01But we do not have one. Like always, everybody, we uh you can find us at the hoops rehab show on YouTube. Please hit that subscribe button. The pod will be available on wherever you get your pod, pod uh Spotify, YouTube, anywhere, Apple, wherever it is, the Hoops Rehab show. Please subscribe and also comment and rate our show.
Why LeBron Still Hasn’t Chosen
SPEAKER_01All right, Eric, you ready to get this cracking? Yep, let's do it. Okay, so we last left off with where we think LeBron is gonna go, and we are still talking about where the hell LeBron is going to go. The only thing that's probably changed since the last time we talked about it was that Jalen Brown got traded to the Sixers, and that's kind of thrown a wrench in his decisions, I believe. I think that has, if it wasn't for the Sixers, I I I don't know. I don't know if he would have made a decision by now, but you think it would have been an easier decision to be made at this point. It would have been at least down to the three teams that we've talked about Golden State, Cleveland, and Miami. But throwing that fourth team in there, I think that has really changed everything. Eric?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I guess we really should have took LeBron for his word when he mentioned, like, I think right after the offseason, like, hey, now I'm gonna make my decision late July, August. And of course, it put uh Lakers Nation um uh in a kind of a frustrated frustration kind of mode because it's like, hey, there's no way you can like wait that long and make a decision. And so I think maybe the the writing was on the wall at that time with that comment. We probably should have known, okay. Well, that just means he's probably leaving the the Lakers, and uh that's exactly what happened. I just I guess what I'm surprised about, I don't think we ever thought that he was gonna be in a situation where he was gonna take like a minimum uh deal. Um we still don't know if that's what he's gonna take, but we know that the teams that uh are kind of uh running for his services are not gonna be able to pay him nearly what he has been making as of late. So I think that's why it's like a huge surprise. Obviously, if we would have known in the season, hey, like he's willing to just be happy and take whatever, uh, we probably wouldn't be like as surprised. Um, I had a feeling it was gonna be uh like kind of drawn out a little bit that I think this long, no. But then I started thinking about it, right? The World Cup, as I mentioned earlier, and just you know, summer vacations and things like that. Um, where I'm like, okay, like it's gotta be soon. And if anything, like you mentioned, we had we have like more teams now that he can potentially go to versus before it was it's probably gonna be Cleveland or Golden State, right? Where uh where he can play with uh you know, obviously some some great players in Golden State or go back home to Cleveland. And now with Philly being uh thrown in the mix, Miami obviously. Yeah, uh I I have a just a big feeling that it's either gonna happen tomorrow or Thursday because it does get to the point where it's like, okay, yeah, we're over it, right? If you wait too long, if you wait another week or two, I I think people are gonna move on. You know what I mean? I think the World Cup's done, right? Uh he's got center stage now, uh, which is obviously something he wants. And tomorrow or Thursday, I I think it gets done. Now, to whom, I don't know, but we can maybe talk about that.
SPEAKER_01Now,
How The Announcement Should Happen
SPEAKER_01would you want this to drop on like a shams tweet? Or would you just want them for like LeBron to go live or to say, hey, like I've made a decision and kind of do it himself? Because I feel like there's too much anticipation, too much buildup for it just to be a random tweet. I wake up at 5 30 in the morning to um that LeBron's going somewhere. So I don't know why, but I expect something to happen where, like, all right, we're going live to LeBron at his house with his daughter and his wife or something like that, and they've made a decision. Um, but also that might not be a good look, too, because then everybody expects that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I could I could see that. I could uh it's a good thought, like kind of coming full circle because we know his first decision um since then is is obviously been controversial the way he uh exited Cleveland the first time and went to Miami. We know the second time that he went back to Cleveland, I think it was like some letter that he uh posted, if I'm not mistaken. I I forget if it was like um through social media or some website or some uh The Athletic or I forget where, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there I think it was was it through the players' tribune when they were doing that? I don't I don't remember yet, but I do remember the letter being posted though, like I'm coming home or whatever it was, all that stuff.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and then the Lakers, it was Woge.
SPEAKER_01Woge, uh was a Wog bomb for the for the Lakers to the Lakers. So I just remember being like they're tracking this plane, like it was like the Lakers was like it happened so quick, it happened in 16 hours, right? So it was just like I just remember that whole day was just like pure, like, oh my god, LeBron, somebody's been tracking his plane. That this it's gonna he's in fan eyes. Um, so there's a lot of anticipation with that one.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so I think you can come full circle, uh, do it the right way with the family, you know, kind of like I like that. Um, like you were mentioning, and like, hey, like I I did it the first time to Miami, and my next time to Miami, who who which I believe that will be the team.
SPEAKER_01Um
Miami Hints And The East Path
SPEAKER_01so did you see what happened on their YouTube channel, the official Miami Heat YouTube channel?
SPEAKER_04No, I didn't I didn't see it actually.
SPEAKER_01So, you you know how we can schedule a show or schedule a post. So one of the interns or whoever it was scheduled the LeBron return press conference for July 27th. Okay, yeah, that means he's announcing likely in the next two days or something, like 22nd and 23rd, and then he would be it would be like a next Monday for the press conference.
SPEAKER_04Oh press conference on the 22nd.
SPEAKER_01So you know, is that something that a team is jumping the gun? Is that it is that like, hey, if it were to happen, this is when it would be, or has there been a signal to Miami? And when you look at all the prediction apps, Calchi, all those apps, Miami's leading in the race. Um I don't see I it changes every week, it feels like, but you know, every time I look at that Miami team with LeBron and Giannis and Bam, I just don't see the fit like all the other teams. Yeah, I don't know. I don't like to me, because they're they just have to upgrade that roster, and I just don't know how you upgrade it. But it could be where LeBron signs, and all of a sudden these bunch of these minimum guys that we've like talked about, and all of a sudden like people are just start signing like right away, the shooters that they need, uh the veterans that they need, uh they make a little trade to sign somebody else too, right? Um that could be the thing, but yeah, LeBron and Giannis on the same team, though, that is the best player currently that he can go to in the NBA, right? Currently, currently no disrespect to Steph. Yeah, Steph is 38. Yes, he's played 40 games, 40 plus games last year, 50 the previous year. So there is a little concern of his like health, I would say. Um, but it I mean Giannis hasn't played as well. He's been injured too, but he's a little bit younger, he's getting a fresh start, he's gonna be in Miami. I I would I would imagine this is gonna be a really big year for Giannis. Um, yeah. Do you like do you like the fit in Miami, Eric? I mean, I know you're saying that's your favorite, but do you do you actually like the basketball side of it?
SPEAKER_04I just think it somehow, some way they'll they'll figure it out, you know, whether, like you said, some signing some guys or or something, right? And you know, it's it'll be you know kind of fun to watch, just like it will be for for all a lot of the other teams, too. Um it's just they all have like this provide something different. So like Miami, it it's kind of like the fit, right? Is that gonna be uh kind of what um like he wants, also like the family perspective, like being obviously LA to Miami, there's that when I think of Cleveland, I no disrespect, but I I don't know if I can see him teaming up with like James Harden.
SPEAKER_01It's just James Harden doesn't make sense. Like, I yeah, like I feel like no matter if he goes to Cleveland, he has to be moved. Yeah, right if he goes to Cleveland, like I just don't see that as a fit at all. So you're right on that. So if they kept the same roster, I don't like that as much with James Harden on it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, and then you know, Philadelphia obviously would be probably like uh a really cool cool spot. I just I don't think it's a big secret that him and Jalen Brown are not, I don't want to say they don't like each other, but they're they're not, you know, there's a lot of different things like that, yeah. Yeah, like what he said about Bronny and the whole like Nike thing at the Olympics. Yeah, it's just I don't know, you know, does he want his last season to have that like elephant in the room?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I also see the Philadelphia as like the easy escape, like him ring chasing with that. And I I feel like the fans will just hate that a lot. Yeah, I feel like any other place he goes, goes to Cleveland, everybody loves that. You know, goes to Golden State, everybody. I think everybody loves that.
SPEAKER_04It'll be fun to watch.
SPEAKER_01Miami, I think everybody loves that. But if you go to Philly and you try to stack that roster, I don't think people love that. No, um, and then yeah, the Jalen Brown is a new wrinkle. I I haven't I that's a good one. I did not think about them not really getting along, him trashing Brawny and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_04Um like yeah, and so does he want his last potential last season to be there with him? I don't know. Maybe maybe they've squashed it, they've all been sending voice notes, I guess, to him or whatever.
SPEAKER_00Hey LeBron, what are we saying? Yeah, like I think if we team up together, I think we're gonna win a championship. All right, call me if you need me. Like, come on, give me a break.
SPEAKER_01Voice memos, Eric. What are what is it? It's 2026, Eric. I'm not doing no voice memos. Um, okay, I let's get back to Miami. Yeah, another positive I do see who's the coach, Eric.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I should have done it.
SPEAKER_01He's the same coach, he loves both, he knows exactly what he's getting from the spell.
SPEAKER_04Eric's postrock.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, defensively, this team will be insane. Giannis and Bam, and even like LeBron and Spurts, and then Davion Mitchell is a great defender, too. Um so I see that as a positive, right? Let's go to a third positive. I think LeBron going to the Eastern Conference will change the like it's gonna be an easier way for him to get to the championship, get to the finals. You go to the West Coast, yes, it's all fun. You want you want to be happy, you want to have fun, right? Go play with Steph. You ain't getting past okay, see you're San Antonio. I just don't see it happening unless AD gets there. Now, if you go to the East Coast, it's really New York, right? Yeah, they're the favorites, they're they're the champions. But are they gonna repeat? Right, it's it's been so difficult to repeat, right? Um, and then you're not gonna really trust Cleveland at all. Can't trust Boston anymore, and then you go to a Philadelphia team that will be brand new, and everybody will probably say they they should be a one or two seed, but do you trust them? And so that leaves Miami and LeBron, and and that actually makes it seem more appealing that you can actually probably get to the finals with that team than more than I mean. I would say if he goes to Philly, yes, that is a a team of a collection of pretty damn good talent, right there. Oh, yeah. Um, but the Miami might be a little um intriguing option, actually. When you when you kind of break out the broader range of it, I'm not I've still not sold on the fit unless I see other pieces around.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, again, it's yeah, they'll have to kind of figure that out. And I think they would still be a candidate to make it out of the east, right? You know, they'll be up there with uh your Phillies and um obviously the Knicks, uh things like that. And so now if they kind of stand pat and get to the finals, obviously once you get there, I mean we saw it last season, anything had happened, but I I think they would definitely be um a little bit of a weaker team like to play against like an OKC, who will, you know, obviously they have everything, yeah, along with San Antonio. But um, yeah, uh I mean here we are uh like talking about uh with LeBron James' team when he's gonna be 42 and year 24. I I just I I think it's it's obviously possible because of his uh kind of his the salary demands have have obviously gone away. And so this could have happened you know the last few years if if that's what his kind of uh idea was. But he's Lesmart guy, he knew that while he had a really good year that people were not gonna move mountains for his services, like I I it's just realistic, right? They just weren't. Um and so he kind of had to like in my opinion do this to kind of get one last crack at at being wanted. Yeah, um, and and and that's what we have here. And he could very easily make a difference. He could make a difference from a real like turn a really good team into um you know, uh contender, basically, right? Um, but we'll see. We'll see. I do think um, I just think it's gotta happen either Wednesday or Thursday, kind of before the weekend.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then before people get bored. So it'll be Monday. Yes. So it has to happen tomorrow, end of the week. It has to.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. And it's like I don't know if people are trolling because you know there was like a video of like Steve Kerr. Uh he was like, we got him, or whatever. Like some, yeah. So people were just kind of having fun with it, I think, too.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um, but it's just funny, just like I said, like for a few days, it's like, I think it's Golden State, it's close to LA, it's easy. Flight back home. He's gonna play with Steph.
SPEAKER_00To me, it makes like everybody talks about flight home. When are you flying home? I know. Like, give me a like, give me a break, dude. Like, you got games every other day. You're gonna fly home to see like your kid, like it's not happening. That's true, that's true.
SPEAKER_01Unless he's you know, unless they just have this arrangement where like he just basically commutes on plane or something like that, lives at home, you know, lives at home and then just flies the game and like barely shows up to practice, stuff like that. I don't know.
SPEAKER_04I don't think that's like will that will that fly that special treatment for like a Miami and that you know a team. I don't maybe not.
SPEAKER_01No, I'm saying the realistic golden state, right? You can do that, you can't do that in Miami. You're not flying five hours for you know every other day and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_04No, yeah, uh it could ease a lot, it's it would be a lot easier when it's like a 45-minute flight or whatever, you know.
SPEAKER_01Sure, yeah. So I I I don't see that as that big of a deal. That's not the deal breaker, I don't think. Yeah, because it's one year family, but I think you're leaving LA regardless, yes. So I don't think it's like I don't know. I don't to me it doesn't seem as big a deal, but we'll we'll see. Um, and then lastly, I would say does this Pat Riley play a role? Like, I know their relationship was super strained after uh LeBron left. Um you know he felt Pat Riley felt blindsided. He he kind of said some choice words after he left. They haven't really talked much since Pat Riley goes on the press conference and says we landed one plane, ready to land the next plane, right? So does that matter, Eric? I mean, he he also this is a guy that also went back to uh Dan Gilbert after he wrote all that that letter about him, and you know, that was pretty, pretty rough in my opinion, but he still went back.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I think that'll that should tell us right there that he's definitely open to it. And then also again, I guess we should always kind of look back on just certain little things that that happened. So, like when I know when Pat Riley uh there was a he had a statue, right? Like unveiling, yes, was it or no? He was he there for somebody's statue or was it like no for his for his, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So um, from what I was I remember, I would thought we saw I thought that they they kind of potentially like had a good conversation at that time, I believe. I'm not saying they squashed things, but I do recall something like that. Okay, so maybe that it could go a long way in him kind of going back, yeah. You know, just just I I just remember something like that, yeah. But as you said with Dan Gilbert, I mean it he yeah, he he did not say nice things to him. His was his were really bad. So yeah, as you said, he went back. So I think anything's possible for for one season, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then are there are there any dark horses? Like, is there any like surprise? Like, oh this motherfucker just went to this team. Like, is there any of that? Is there any chance for that? I mean, you hear Minnesota, but it's just no even ant said we're not even the top three, like he's just like yeah, like uh Denver, what you know, obviously, there's no way.
SPEAKER_04I mean, like, I I just I think if Nick uh again, if the Knicks hadn't won the championship last season, he would have been there, he would have a good really good chance, and you know, as long as they have like a pretty good team and stuff, he would be there, you know.
SPEAKER_01Um I still like the idea of like if he just chose Washington, but I know he's not gonna do that. Yeah, I'm just saying, like that was to me, that was always the dark, dark, dark course, right? Like, where it's like, what the hell? He actually chose them. Um, and also before we get started and calling the Lakers. I'm sorry, did you hear Anthony Davis talk about the Wizards?
SPEAKER_04What did he say?
SPEAKER_01Said they're gonna win 40 plus, which is fine. That's a fine statement. The worst he's just said the same statement he said all the time. I'm gonna play. Yeah, yeah, it's always every every time he's gonna play 82 games. I mean, the last time he did say that, though, he did play 76. So maybe you know he's in shape, he's ready to go. He's gonna play the normal amount of games, which means you know, he's not gonna miss much this season, which would definitely put them in the playoff contention.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, we've seen obviously a uh motivated AD in the summer and things, and you know, he's just sometimes just weird things happen, and obviously, ever since he got traded from the Lakers, he hasn't really played much.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he's only played like what I mean, barely played last year, right?
SPEAKER_04So, yeah, like I said, it feels like he hasn't played in a you know year and a half years, right? So, but um, yeah, is a is a sleeper team for LeBron, the Lakers, you know, like we could use a uh the funny thing is the Laker, we're about to talk about the Lakers roster right now.
SPEAKER_01And the glaring hole in this roster is a damn power forward and a 6'8 wing guy like LeBron James. That's the sad part about this roster. It's like if you put him in there right now, that's definitely top three in the West.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, because you and you may think, like, why haven't they done this in the past? But you gotta remember he LeBron didn't want yeah, the money. The the money, right? The Lakers wouldn't have been able to have this team if he got his normal money.
SPEAKER_01So that's just but imagine though, this is the 16-and-2 team. You substitute Walker Kessler for Aiden. I mean, Aiden for Walker Kessler, yeah. That's a much better, like in general, that's a better team. So um, you know, we'll see.
Lakers Roster Overhaul Around Luca
SPEAKER_01So let's get to the Lakers roster. I mean, it is getting absolute makeover, total different team.
SPEAKER_03Total different team.
SPEAKER_01We're we're gonna look on the court, and you're gonna honestly, my kids are gonna have no idea who plays for the Lakers next year. Um, it's gonna be like I'm gonna have to update the roster to them, get them, get them updated on everything. But we we obviously talked about the big signings before on our last show, but since then, um we have signed a couple players. And we want to kind of get into those and see what your dots were with them. Um, I would say let's go with what Zaire Williams first. That was I would probably say that was the signing that we got another minimum guy. Um, he is a wing, so we definitely need a wing, right? So that's important. Um and he and he started playing for Brooklyn a lot last year. He was a first round pick back in the day, but then just kind of uh fizzled out a little bit, kind of came back and started getting his footing under Brooklyn. Looks athletic, can definitely shoot a little bit, and also can play defense. And that's the type of player that I think the Lakers need to get.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, uh like I think so, you know, we're we're not gonna sit here and say like signing all these minimum guys are gonna like uh you know move us from non-contender to contender, right? It um, but I I think what they're doing is kind of strengthening that like eight to twelve like men on the roster, you know, which I think it's the the that portion of the roster is better than last year, where yours there's guys, and unfortunately the Lakers still have some of those guys, but there's guys that were just kind of unplayable, right?
SPEAKER_01But once we've gotten to eight or nine, it was not really uh a good amount of players that we had.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and and we know like for for just to get through an 82 game season these days and to have a top three or four seed, you're gonna have guys in and out of the lineup, and you're gonna have to have some of these guys like perform in you know big situations. And so I do um, you know, again, I'm not gonna sit here and say, Oh, like we were not a contender like a week ago, and now we have Zaire Williams and um Matias Dybull, and now we are, right? It's not about that, it's just it's signing quality guys that are young that maybe we'll hit on one or two of them, and they're playing for probably their next big contract, you know what I mean? And so we've had situations where we've picked up guys like this, um, and it really hasn't, you know, worked out, and we've had situations um that we have, and it has, you know. So um I think it's a little bit of a crapshoot, but I kind of see what they're doing. Uh, we've always always we've been asking for this for a few years as is just getting younger in athletic, and and that's what they're doing.
SPEAKER_02For sure.
SPEAKER_01Um, yeah, so I I think that's the main thing, getting younger, getting more athletic. Um, I really love the my Matthias Dybel pickup. He's you know an all defensive player, like two times in his career. He's been an all-NBA defensive player. Over the last two years, Eric, in his I think he only played about 20, 16 minutes last year, 20 minutes um the year before, he averaged in those minutes 2.2 steals and two steals in those two years. I know. So I think I looked up a stat, they looked up a statis per 36 minutes, he's leading the league in steals. Like he's a defensive menace and menace in that amount of time. Um, so I think providing us that 20 to 25 minutes off the bench is gonna be huge for the team, especially when you have AR and Luca on the court. You're gonna need that third guy to play defense. Um, you're gonna have him, he's gonna be scrappy. You're gonna have Grimes, who I think is a really athletic defender, but you can't have you couldn't have just Grimes um as your primary ball defender. You needed somebody else, and they got that somebody else.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, like um, we talked about it. Some of the the guys that they got were you know maybe more like uh high-level, you know, bench bench guys with with your with your Grimes. And then Thyball, he was, I know he didn't like like you were saying, he didn't didn't play much last year, but I know he had the thumb injury, yep, thumb injury, I believe. Yep. And so you again you kind of hope that like that. Um I mean, like like we're not gonna need him to be this top-notch scorer. We're gonna need him to just come in and cause cause havoc and and and uh get those steals that he's gotten in the past. And um, I think he's like a little bit better of a shooter than Zaire, right?
SPEAKER_01Like uh Yeah, no, I mean he shot uh last two years, 39.8 and 43.8 um from three point. And I think he's a career 35% shooter from three. So that's all a three and D. That's all we need. You know, doesn't need to score that much, be able to hit the corner three, um, hit those open threes from uh Luca and AR.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, exactly. We're always asking for those, you know, corner three guys, and and you know, he could he could be it again. Um, whatever. Some nights probably may not get on the floor, and other nights, you know, just kind of got to stay ready. And um, yeah, like the uh kind of end of their roster. I I think they're sharing it up. Obviously, they got their top top guys, um, and just kind of like that middle right now where um there's that that glaring hole, right? That that I know we'll get into. Um but from kind of obviously moving on from the LeBron era and and it being a total Luca team. We're definitely starting to build a team kind of like Dallas. Yep. Um different different faces, but but same skill sets, same skill set, you know. And so he's had some success with with Dallas. Um, they had never what I always thought about like they'd never really had a like an amazing, you know, regular season. It was always uh they're like a four or five seed, and I know one year they made it to the western finals, and then the one year they made it to the finals. So yeah, it would be it's gonna be tough to get a top two seed. I think we know that, but yeah, uh I just wonder if if if they have enough. But I think when you have a brand new team, there's gonna be some growing pains too.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_04But but I hope I hope it's not uh uh a complete roster yet, but we'll see.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, it'll be interesting. And you know, obviously they sign um Kavan Looney, I think is a good backup to have. Um, I still think they're gonna have need to make another tweak to get another athletic big man there. Um, but currently they have 16 players, so they're gonna have to either waive somebody, uh, obviously trade people if they want to sign anybody else um to get down to that 15. Um, so hopefully, you know, there is some more moves to be made. Obviously,
The Forward Hole And Trade Targets
SPEAKER_01we still have a glaring hole at our four and kind of our three to be honest, like our starting three and four.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, we got some people in the summer league that you go, Karen Carr looks great, but he's obviously not gonna be able to step into that role. I do think he's a player that can come right in and score for this team. I think he's gonna get his opportunity. It might not be in the beginning, but at some point in the season, he is gonna be a good bench player for the Lakers. I do three-year-old prototypical player that Luca would love to play with. Yeah, like 6'8, super athletic, can he catch the lobs? Um, he's just not a shooter yet. No, and he's not a good dribbler in space. So, like and I do think he can play defense. I think he cheats a little bit on the defensive end, but I think he's athletic not enough to keep up with people. So he's not he's just not there to be that person. He's not starting to be able to do it. He's still pretty raw.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, he's still pretty raw.
SPEAKER_01You know, we're we're hoping he's a nine or ten player on this roster, right? Like that you actually are putting in lineup again. When you look at Sandro Mamu, I don't want that to be their starting forward next to Kessler. Yeah, I want him to come in and play 25 to 30 minutes a game. I just don't know if that's a starting person next to Kessler. Um, and then you go to small forward, and that's still, I mean, it looks like you're probably going Grimes at this point, right? You're going Luca, AR, and Grimes, but it's still missing. And obviously, we've had this talk about Kaminga. Coming wanting a lot more money than Lakers can offer. The Lakers have to trade people in order to sign them. They literally can't sign anybody right now. Um, so we have to make those moves. Obviously, Vanderbilt, Connect, Fronny, anybody in that realm. Um, I know you probably say Jake La Ravia. Now, that is another person that could be our three or four in the starting lineup.
SPEAKER_04He's probably gonna start, but we'll have to see his like coming.
SPEAKER_01It's okay. Like if you're you're coming out of the if your starting lineup is Kessler, La Ravia, Grimes, Luca, AR. I mean, I'm not that happy with it. I I would still prefer to make a move for like a comming or a PJ Washington.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think like a La Ravia probably um he he definitely struggled in the playoffs. We don't want to like sugarcoat that, but he did play all 82. He was he was like he was solid, like he was had some moments. I think he would um like there's a little bit more there. Like if you're a team, right? You want Bando, you want Kinect. Like they all they all say the same thing we're seeing, right? Like they're not gonna like all of a sudden, like, we get that connect. Um, so there might he might have a little bit more value. I I think. Um, but yeah, Kaminga, I don't know, like the longer this goes, like I hear uh it's just interesting. Like, I hear like um people like you know, Mike Trudell, right? For example, who's like the sideline reporter for the Lakers, and I hear Ramona Shellburn today, um, who obviously don't know exactly what's gonna happen, but they're a lot more connected, like than let's say us, right? And they're pretty like not against it, but they really feel like the Lakers are probably not gonna get Kaminga, like it's a long shot kind of thing. And that when I hear that, I'm like, oh man, I thought it was like a little bit more of a it's just a matter of when. Um, and it still might happen, right? It doesn't mean they're always right.
SPEAKER_01So many moves have to be made, like we literally have nothing to give him and sign. Um so yeah, it's so it's like do you take hinges on LeBron signing somewhere so everybody else can move on?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. It's like do you get PG Washington? Because I think Dallas would like to come off his contract.
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_04Um and then Lakers would have to kind of swing that I I again. I I don't know what we we Lakers and the Mavericks just did a trade uh a year and a half ago, and so I don't know what that relationship is like in terms of it for trades. Yeah, I always thought, hey, like it doesn't really matter, whatever is the best thing you can get out of it, then you go for it. You know, the best result of of the trade, right?
SPEAKER_01Like, would I mean I wouldn't be happy about giving up well some play young players, but like if you had to throw in a Cameron Carr, would you get PJ Washington? Like, is that somebody like are you willing to throw that young of a player? Like, if you told me it was Vanderbilt, a pick, and a Deuthero or something like that, yeah, yeah. We can we can get that, you know, that's fine, right?
SPEAKER_04Um essentially it would be like our first round pick, and then oh, we don't have any first round picks, though, right? But it would be like this year's, you know, like oh this year's first, yeah. Thinking of it like that way. Um yeah, I think us hesitating is kind of like telling telling uh each other that we have some obviously some high expectations from from carr, I think. Yeah, I like them, you know.
SPEAKER_01But but we've seen these young guys, like some have panned out, some have not, and so you gotta you got a window, and you sign these guys for four years, you add like a PJ Washington, and that was the perfect fit for your roster. Um, if it's Cameron Carr that's holding you up from that, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Luca's not gonna like that.
SPEAKER_01Trying to do a rebuild and not really win, if that's the case, right? Yeah, so they're not gonna take Vanderbilt and connect and second round pick. Like we're I know we always like throw it out there, but we have to throw in somebody that's young, and whether that's like a do thero, I would hope like something like that would be cool. Yeah, um, but yeah, I mean, I was just thinking in my head, I'm like, there's no way Dallas is taking those two players, and we're just like, Yeah, we got PJ Washington for Vanderbilt and Connect. Um, so you would probably have to throw in like a car, which would be a a lot, like that would be a change in what you know, you know, is that the move to make, but at the same time, that fills the need that you have to have on this roster.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's gonna make this particular roster better the next two seasons versus probably Kevin Carr the next two seasons. Now, hopefully he's a pleasant surprise because there's been rookies that have um, and even you know, not even like uh lottery guys that have like just been right off the bat like uh pretty successful. Now, you know, there's obviously that thought that uh it's always talked about JJ really not playing young guys. Um, you know, I I think you have to earn it. But yeah, I never never didn't think about that. It's like you may have to package your first round pick of this year or your uh high second round pick of last year, one of the two, um, just to even kind of start negotiating. Um but yeah, it's it's it's it's you got you're on a I don't want to say you're on a Luca window, because I mean hopefully you haven't for a while, but um you almost are uh these next couple seasons. So uh we'll we'll have to see. They're gonna again need to do something um in the direction they go, we'll we'll have to see. Is it gonna be an off-season move? Is it gonna be during the year? Is it gonna be trade deadline? You know what I mean? So um we'll we'll we'll have to see. But I think we all know or we believe that it's a good roster, but it it's it's definitely there's some uh a glaring hole, you know, I would say.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's like you get a I mean, obviously you lost LeBron James, right? So the big piece that you lost, but overall, who you've added, uh put the Lakers at like maybe a B right now. But if you add like a a PJ Washington or a Kaminga, that puts it up pretty high for what you have done without LeBron James.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yep. And then also you gotta think, is it is it gonna work for Kaminga too? Like, I mean, we know what's kind of been I don't know, whatever, whatever the issue has been the first few years of his career. Um, he's still not gonna be the top dog on the Lakers, you know. Um now we can what we can promise is most likely a starting job and probably some big minutes, you know. That's one thing that we have that maybe and some maybe some winning. Um, sure, he could maybe go to Brooklyn or whatever, you know, and um get all the minutes he wants and probably put up numbers. Um and hey, maybe that's what he wants, and that's what we'll get him paid. But I mean, we see a guy like what's his name, Cameron. What's the guy that was there? Is he still out there? The one that is it not Cam Johnson.
SPEAKER_02No, oh Cam. Um oh um he got traded to the Bucks. Bucks, yeah. Uh yeah, I'm blanking that.
SPEAKER_01Oh man, why am I blanking on his name?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, Cam Thomas? Cam Thomas. Yeah, Cam Thomas, yeah. But you know, I think Kim Ming has some more upside, obviously. But anyways, yeah, so um that's I guess that's it. Obviously, we got Lakers got their big man, and hopefully he, you know, he stays healthy. We have didn't even really talk about him much, but I think there's uh definitely some expectations for him to kind of to be that force. So we'll we'll have to see.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, definitely.
Winners, Losers, And Waiting On LeBron
SPEAKER_01All right, so we want to finish off with NBA free agency and just kind of winners and losers so far um during this period. Obviously, LeBron hasn't signed, so that's a big difference. But what are who are your winners right now in NBA free agency? All right.
SPEAKER_04Um so I guess I'll uh you know, I gotta throw in maybe just like the off season, you know. So there's obviously trades, there's free agency. Um, and so uh like I have to go right away, uh, just the obvious one, a team like uh, you know, Miami who um you know acquired Giannis uh via trade. I think they were in, I mean, we always talked about it, uh, what is it, death taxes and the Miami Heat in the in the play-in, right? And so it's got it's gone to that point with Miami, where we've all you know talked about the culture and they always coached well and they're always they play better than than probably their roster like uh kind of indicates. But I I would imagine that was getting getting kind of old. So I I think landing him obviously is is a big um uh like you know, makes it a very successful uh offseason. Um I I would say I'd probably have to put them up top. Um and then I will stay in the east and I have to go with Philadelphia uh trading, you know, for obviously for Jalen Brown. I think they got a you know MVP candidate type player. We saw what he did in Boston all those years. We saw what he did uh most of last season, and I think they got a lot better. Again, that was trade, uh, but those are the two teams that kind of stick out for me. What about yourself?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I definitely had I think this year is not about free agency when we talked about this before. It was about trades, and those two teams obviously traded for mega superstars, and so they're gonna stay at the top of the list. But I'll go with another team that made some trades, so I I felt like it was addition by subtraction. No, it'd be the Charlotte Hornets, and them willing to break up a team that was on the rise, I would say, but also had some issues and kind of had some losing mentality over the years, and decided to go with the stars of that team that they felt were would benefit them, and that was getting rid of LaMelo and then also getting rid of uh Mikhail Bridges. Um, and I felt like they got some good compensation for those as well. Um, and then also was able to sign Kobe White to Extension, which I think just plugs right in perfectly for them, and then now making your team the focal point of Brandon Miller and Canopal. And and I thought that was a pretty damn good way to go about, I wouldn't say a rebuild, but also just knowing that this team probably wasn't gonna be ever contenders at with those with those two on there, and then now you can actually rebuild with the players that you feel like will will kind of lead you to the next next next step.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it took a lot because you you gotta figure Charlotte had been pretty bad for a lot of years, and they definitely had the best season last year that they've had in a long time. But they really had to still look in the mirror and say, hey, um, you know, we we had a we made the plan, but we didn't make the playoffs still. Uh we want to build around guys like you know, like Brandon Miller and company. And so they cut some of the noise, some of the guys that are very talented, but like, you know, from the outside the exterior, I'm like, that they really like taking this serious, you know? And so while while I think the teams that they went to, I think they can potentially be will be interesting. I think Minnesota will be interesting, and I think Phoenix could get a little better too. I think they may have benefited it, benefited it from as well.
SPEAKER_03Sure.
SPEAKER_04But yeah, Charlotte. I do, you know, I like like Charlotte, Washington, and Atlanta are just three interesting teams to me where I feel they're just building and building. And I think um those are just kind of teams as well that just had successful off seasons, right? Yeah, just whether if it's via draft or trade. Exactly. So it's funny, all of our I guess I guess we're kind of thinking the east is uh getting better. It seems like the west, other than the Lakers, pretty much stood pat, right?
SPEAKER_01Remember, we gotta we gotta trade on pause right now. I know, like we haven't talked about if that goes through, yeah, and there's no ramifications for Kawhi Leonard. The Toronto Raptors are a damn good team in the East next year. They're top three four at least, like you know what I mean, with Kawhi uh uh as one of the focal points there. So um we just don't know. We probably won't find out until August, which is kind of crazy to think of like both those teams just have to be on hold until it kind of goes through.
SPEAKER_04If LeBron goes to the east and and the Toronto trade happens with Kawhi, do you think the East is back?
SPEAKER_01Beyond back. Like that would be you would have it, New York, Philly, Miami with LeBron, still have Cleveland, have Toronto, you have an Atlanta team that would be damn good, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, you know, Boston will still be good.
SPEAKER_01Boston is still gonna be there, and that's not your seventh seed, that's probably likely still your four or five seed, right? Yeah, um, or better. Um, so you you're gonna have eight to nine teams that will be for sure really, really good, and probably ten teams vying for Um eight spots.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yep. So that if those two guys uh end up there, it'll be definitely interesting. But yeah, um, I know there's the opposite side of things, right? And so some teams had some good um free agency or trade or trades or off seasons, and there's some bad. So who do you who do you who are you uh whose offseason are you not liking? Oh no. Oh no. Should I look at the standings from last year for this one?
SPEAKER_01When when you look at like we look at the standings, you look at like GMs and just like overall when people take over teams and do all that, and and you see like an OKC, right? You you know, they had these bad years, but you just knew they were stockpiling draft picks and draft picks, and eventually it's gonna turn. And they they knew exactly what was gonna happen with the CBA. Then you got a team like the new Orleans, I want to call them Hornets, Pelicans, whatever you want to call them.
SPEAKER_04I was gonna say Hornets, I don't know what you the Jazz back in the day.
SPEAKER_01They literally were what 26 and what 56 or whatever they were last year. They brought back 14 of the 15 guys on that roster. You did not trade Zion, you did not trade Herb Herb Jones, did not trade um who's the other guy on there? Uh uh Trey Murphy.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, they've been talking about that like for a minute.
SPEAKER_01You did nothing. Well, everybody else in this league was getting draft picks and making moves to like help their future and roster. You did nothing with that roster. And I mean, more props to him that he got a contract, but you signed DeAndre Jordan for another two years. And I know he's a great locker room guy, but that's all you did. And so, like, to me, they definitely by far the what are the losers, and I don't think anybody's gonna get worse than that.
SPEAKER_04Got a new head coach.
SPEAKER_01I can't tell you the head coach of Red. Who is don't don't come after me right now. But Eric Who's the head coach of New Orleans Pelicans?
SPEAKER_04I was gonna say, like, who's looking up on Google like Van Gundy or something? It wasn't back in the because I know it they what they they got rid of what's his name, right?
SPEAKER_02I can't even say yeah, they they got rid of um um Willie Green.
SPEAKER_01Willie Green, yeah, who had some good couple good seasons, and yeah, so uh oh gosh, they hired oh gosh, they hired Jamal Mosley from Orlando.
SPEAKER_04Orlando. Oh, so he got let go from there.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Oh, maybe what they're thinking is that he turns some teams that have some talent into winners, which he has. But again, yeah to me, that's not the right move. But go ahead. Who who do you who do you?
SPEAKER_04They just haven't, I don't know, with them, they've been trying to build, but they just I think in the draft, they just haven't hit that obviously that first like you know, with uh, or how so for for example, OKC traded for SGA, and then you know, obviously San Antonio got Wemby, so they're and just it just hasn't panned out right for them. And so yeah, talk about like not doing anything. They had some assets where they could probably get some good good players or picks back, um, but they just want to hold on to them, I guess. Um, so for me, I mean, look, we we know that there's probably teams that stand pat, and it's just better for them to stand pat because they just had a really good season and they um you know they want they want to kind of grow. Like obviously, San Antonio went to the finals. Um, I think they added um Tobias Harris, right? So you got some got a a veteran in there, and so you got teams like that. Um, but you know, I like I have to go with, for example, um Houston, right? And so we saw what they did uh against the Lakers in the first round. I mean, they had you can tell like they just have so many holes. Um, they couldn't beat uh a Lakers team without Luca. Um and they went and got Marcus Smart, who they needed shooters, Eric. Yeah, yeah. So they went and got a player who who I wanted the Lakers to get back, and I think he was really good for the Lakers, but they have so many guys like that on the same player Houston team, but but younger, obviously, right? Athletic and could play defense. I I just not saying it's a bad fit, I just they're just adding more players um that do the same thing, and so um again, did they have a lot of that they could that they could work with and do? They have some talent, so they could have probably got creative, you know, in the trade market. So that's kind of a team that I just see uh regressing. Um, I think they were the fifth seed uh this year. I I I see them kind of uh kind of in play-in territory uh next season, uh to be honest with you.
SPEAKER_01I will say that I think they're banking on Fred Benfleet to come back and and be who he was. Yeah. Um, which if you add him, you have him, Durant, Amir, Sengun, and then you know, that's a pretty good team. We just don't know if he'll be the same player.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true. I guess they're kind of thinking, hey, we already got our addition um on our roster. He was just out for the year, and so uh we'll we'll have to see. And maybe that maybe that's the missing piece to to have a successful season, but I think that's asking a lot of him. Yeah, um, and this another team, like I think whenever, you know, they're they obviously their hands were tied. Um, I just think the Milwaukee Bucks are just kind of like in a messy situation. Uh, they needed to trade Giannis. If they still kept him, uh obviously they were going nowhere. They had they traded all their assets or a lot of their assets for uh Damian Lillard. Um and then they waived him and stretched him. So I really think I think they knew this. They know that they're in a bad spot, and they just kind of had to like cut bait now. But um, yeah, in terms of just kind of bad offseason, I'd have to throw them in in the mix as well, just for obvious reasons, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, then I mean, whenever you lose a ton to play like that, uh I I think that's definitely in the mix. I think contenders like uh Boston could contend for the worst offseason, right? Because you traded one of your best players and arguably the best player, um, away and got a Paul George contract. So I I think there's a lot of teams that like can fall in that category, and it's one of those things that you you're gonna have to make moves, and you know, sometimes they they're not always equal. Um, and time will tell if if those moves actually benefited your team.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and you had like teams like with Cap Space, Brooklyn, you know, yeah, they didn't do anything. These guys, these teams are just it's just Sacramento. But yeah, I I just wait, you know who I was thinking?
SPEAKER_01Uh Jalen Durant had never has still never signed, right?
SPEAKER_04That's right, and the guy from Denver uh and Peyton Watson.
SPEAKER_01So it's really just this LeBron that's holding that everybody's trying to move on and just get it get it done so they can rest of them can sign.
SPEAKER_04But that's kind of too, yeah. So it's like there is still some guys out there, but of course, with the whole restriction restricted free agent, you know, it just makes things kind of strange. Um, but yeah, I think once, like you said, once LeBron that domino falls, we'll probably start to see the the last few pieces until we have obviously probably a quiet you know, August and September. Um you know, till training camp. But for sure. Yeah, well, we'll see if it the decision part four, I guess. Uh tomorrow, Eric.
SPEAKER_01Tomorrow Thursday by the latest, the decision will be done in the press conferences on Miami. Oh, sorry, on Monday. That's what they're saying in Miami. Um, but hopefully, we'll be on later in the week. Hopefully, hopefully, we know something about LeBron. Um but Eric, stay tuned, everybody. We got some big things coming into July, August. I think you guys are gonna like it. We'll be announcing soon. All right, Eric. For the hoops re up team, we are out. Peace out, guys.
SPEAKER_04Peace out, guys. Good night.
