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Right now you can find offers from hundreds of brands like Sony All birds and Vier and save offers before you check out earn unlimited rewards. pllus you can add those rewards on top of credit card points Now that is clutch. downownload the PayPal app today Save those offers, start scoring rewards. Terms and exclusions apply. See payPal d. com slash rewards terms, credit card points subject to issuers terms and conditions. All right, it's the Bill Simmons podcast. We are recording it is eight twenty two Pacific timeim. Zach Le, kind enough to stay up late. We thought we were going to be on Netflix doing a live, but we had some tech issues we're gonna to get the pod going. I want to mention new reatchableles coming tomorrow Oy doing from Hell mononth is over. U, it ended On july first with the Jaylen Brown trade Glo has how many podcasts you doing this week? At least two? I don't know. Yeahah,. twowo is the floor for this week. year. Over under is one and a half. Okay Yeah We're going to do a bunch of basketball stuff in a second, but we just watched England, Mexico The World Cup There's a wightiness there's just nothing like it. I was trying to think of other games that feel this way and like the Super Bowl can't feel this way because it's a neutral location Basketball, we can get like forty percent 's where we got to tonight, but there's Something different about countries A place like Azteeca m which I've been to which I'll talk to in a second, but there's just nothing else like this, right? Every four years pressure if you blow it You don't come back now until twenty thirty And I just I'm kind of drained after that game and I didn't really care who won I'm drained after every game There is nothing like it. It's the every four years thing. so any missed opportunity feels like you've missed the opportunity of a lifetime that she'll never get back again. It's that every game is like there's no game No there's no like Mexico can make adjustments for game two against England tomorrow. They're just out. It's over. and even even in grou even in group play If you're in a hard group, like it's hard to just get out of your group. They aren't elimination games, but they start to feel like elimination games. really, really fast and it's just It's too much, man. It's too much and I don't understand itough for the rules, but u That's neither here and nor there It was one of the most boner games ever where we had, you know, England goes up to nothing in five seconds. Then all of a sudden We get a penalty kick be another penalty kick. thenen all a sudden England's playing playing a man down forever. And Mexico is just doing cross after cross after cross after cross and guy and every time you just having a heart attack, I went to Astkca in two thousand nine, I wrote a column about it. I went for a USA Mexico qualifier and It was one of the great sports experiences I've ever had. The places You can't even describe it. You can't feel more unsafe. It's like kind of designed It's designed to make everybody feel unsafe who isn't on Mexico side. That's what they do and it's really close to the field. They're throwing stuff at the players in the corner kicks Um and it's just getting in and out, you're nervous and you're always wonder like, what's the mood going to be if This is a terrible loss for Mexico. How do we get out here And I'm sure that's what it was like. You're watching England at the end. they had the one section They're singing Wonderwall, which was really cool And then it's like, okay, now you guys have to get out of here and these fans are mad and you've just ruined the next four years of sports for them. So you're not and you're not well disguised walking the streets of Mexico City for the game. You're not. you could that first goal that England scored This is the same sound that when I was there, America scored the first goal and lost to one They scored the first goal and it was like, you know when It's like a mute button for a crowd. Where it's like gl And it's like, what happened? Where like where did all the sound go? It's gone That was one of those. And then conversely when they score, it's like the loudest, most joyous thing ever. But I thought it was an incredible win for England. to go in that place. I don't think Mexico had lost Oh Kind of a real international game in thirteen years Um, England is probably the best team they played over that last thirteen years, but u The steaks I was trying to think like, Basketball worked this way So this would basically be the Indiana Pacers Stadium. if we made it even closer to the court And then Indiana had I don't know, a thousand times as many people And all they cared about was basketball and then this weight of the Basically the playoffs are before I didn't even know how to do the formula in my head But that's the only thing I could think of because that that canseco fieldhouse is the only Basketball Ana, I felt that kind of reminded me of hiseka. Well did did you hear the stuff? I mean, I think they were mentioning this on the broadcast how the Mexico City fans found what hotel England was staying at and were were like a lighting fireworks firewor spraying the buses on the way with like, I don't know if it was shaving cream percent. This is like old school try to call the players hotel room at four in the morning and figure out what their suited him is. This is like old school fan stuff. It's great. Hom soil really seems to be in a lot in soccer is it's kind of dying in the NBA as a huge advantage. But yeah, I look, I know nothing. I'm just an idiot American soccer fan who like checks in every once in a while. I just like England that that seemed like a really rugged win for England in that stadium down a guy and like Mexico had the ball the entire last twenty five minutes of the game but they didn't get like sensational chance after sensational chance. theirir best chances were in the first half and Pickford who my one of my hot worldld cup takes is Pickford. is now the three consecutive World Cup winner of most punchable face in the World Cup. But man he showed up huge man. like some truly amazing saves, but I still his still has a very punchable face. I'm sure it would beat me up, but it's very punchable Bellingham was amazing. Oh my God. an athlete because Kains the Kaine's the quote unquote signature star of the team and then Bellingham is kind of I'm trying to think of a basketball analogy of this Shayen Brown and Jason Tatum in the twenty twenty four playoffs that Oh. Too soon today. Yeah. Too soon and So we have America tomorrow And CR and Debundo and I are going to be going live after that game and America has a chance to go U to the final eight That feels like It was pretty significant. What's the first one cup you remember Oh I mean, I remember ninety four basically just because it was the one that was in the state. It was the formative one. It was it was such a big deal. I was in high school and I was like the classic dumb American. I had a couple friends who played soccer and they were like trying to sell me on what a big deal this was and what a great sport it was. And I was like just the classic guy and my dad still is this guy. I was like, every game is zero, zero. It's so boring. one one, Nil Nil. It was like I I was like Totally ignorant, closed minded. And it turns out it's just wildly exciting to the point of being like impossible for me to watch when I actually care about the game. But I remember Carlos Valdorama, the Colombian team, the traragedy afterwards, Roberto Bgio I think was that the one where Baggio misses a penalty kick at the end of that one So that was That was the first one where it was like really truly in my life That was the one where it felt like soccer had a chance. to get real momentum in America And then we just kept saying that for the next I don't know, thirty, thirty five, forty years, but now I think There's a variety of reasons for it But I think the main reason other than the games have been really entertaining. and there's also big stars in the different countries that you want to see But it's just having the games lined up to an American TV schedule has been great. I mean, even like during fourth of July weekend Just to know that these games are coming on Bically basically everybody's planning their stuff for the weekend or whatever around these games. And even countries that you didn't even know who's on. You have like Holland on Norway who is You know, one of the best parts of the world. It's not like My wife doesn't know who that is She doesn't watch Man City So then, you know, people like that, it's just it just feels like everybody's watching this. I know of him because all my dad friends are big Premier League fans and they've tried get me to become premiereag fan. I'm just like, I'm like you when you try when you try to big Tottennam. I'm like, I can't I'm forty eight years old. I can't like pick a team and pretend like I care about this team out of nowhere. I can't do it. So I don't, but I know of him But this is my first time really watching you and play. The guysy just like I'm just I just watch him and he's just like walking around. standing around, walking around, turns over here, turns over then the ball comes and scores. It's like this guy is just a machine. He's built to score goals. He's amazing He's like a shark in the water. He just kind of swims around and waits Wait's for like somebody's arm to fall in the water I am I would like to announce I am now throwing my allegiance with Croatia out and we will address this topic soon I am I am now throwing my allegiance behind Norway for the rest of the for the rest of the tournament. The f the full the full force of the low familyam household is behind Norway Where did that lady, the gif of that lady in the Croatian jersey screaming fuck you at the top of her lungs. didid that sum up the entire Low familyam's feelings on the game? My wife was at the game and she had an absolutely hellish travel story to get to the game and they made it fifteen minutes before kickoff. but o I just look Explain it to me. Can someone explain it to me? Explain it to me. I don't understand it. It maybe maybe hit a hair follicle And there was this minor spike on the fucking VAR chip, the chip that's in the ball. but we can't really say if the spike happened at the exact time. It hit the guy's hair follicle. and if it didn't hit the hair follicle, it's a good goal. You robbed us of I don't know soccer well enough to say thiss what was say. The greatest, most dramatic equalizing goal like ever basically with one second left in the game. We never know how much time is left in the game. I don't know how socer hasn't finished this I think the game's over now, but it was basically the end of the game. They tie the game or just give us extra time. Who wants to? I tell you between the NBA and this I am getting closer and closer to just Let's just have no more replay. Let's just not let's just live with the results on the field because all this stuff is all nonsense. All the reviews are endless. They go to the VAR or the nerds are in the VR little spike, a little shark finin spike on the graph. Croatia' out of the World Cup. We don't have another game. We're done. We're out I have some other hot takes about the World Cup. That was a really good rant. Here's my what if we just went replay across all sports? No slomo Yeah, like I sure. You just get to watch it in real speed three times and then make a decision and let's. I don't want to watch NBA reps huddle up anymore. I'm done. I'm done. It' great. Did you get your Zack Zarba? You're so handsome. You get your TV time and Billy Kennedy with your facial expressions. It's over. It's over. It jumped the shark, you're done So you're out on Var too. Var sucks. I don't know what Var Throw Var into the fucking ocean, I light Var on fire. I just I hate all loven it Zach Lows, my f. I have two other worldorld Cup takes that I have. canan I follow up on your Var and then we'll go to your takes? Yeah, sure. I just feel like the offsides it shouldn't be like Oh, you were fingernail offsides or No' distinct offsides. Ronaldo had a goal called back against Krisha, two goals called back on offsides that were whatever. and Ronald had one Rinaldo's goals should have counted. It's all stupid. The whole thing is stupid What are your other two takes? All right, number one, and this this I this I transpose onto other international competitions. And I understand why it is, but I don't think the host nation should get tier one status in the World Cup. So like Canada, U S and Mexico are treated like the top eight teams in the world when it comes to formatting the groups. Same thing with the Olympics and basketball. Only twelve teams make it I don't think the wholeost nation should automatically get in. likeike whenember when England was in when London it was like, what are we doing? likeike And my other, I don't know, the formula, some will have to research it. I think they should resee the World Cup after the group stages because it's just like random who plays who second place here and you have like heavyweight clashes and then you have Argentina who could like walk into the semif finals because of how the draw broke for them. And I will admit, Croatia benefited from this greatly in twenty eighteen when their entire side of the bracket after the group stage just was like a wasteland of teams like all the best teams were out and they just walked into the finals or the semif finalsway Those are my two t. So would you do the receeding for basketball In the playoffs. Yeah Because the reason they don't do this is because the schedule then everybody has to wait for the end of every round to keep going with the next round I just feel like it it's less of a problem because of seven gamame series and you know, you're already down to four teams in each conference. like what are the chances it's going to be that much of a crime? but that is a cousin of my And your', I think to, the number one sege toB able to get be able to pick its first round opponent, which I do support in the NBA In football, they recede after every round which I like And I't when it's a winner take all one game. It feels like the reed should be a little bit more advantage for the teams that have earned some sort of like by the way privilege I'm willing to admit that this is probably enraging actual soccer fans who have done poured their life's work into figuring this out and why this happen This is just me. I'm just I'm just this is how I feel. I'm emotional I'm still it's three days later I'm still angry I will be cheering for Spain tomorrow out of spite. For Portugal, That's just. You're get a spite here. You realize that Yeah. So that's really the last level U Yeah, I got I actually got a couple different emails about the same topic about levels of losing Croatia. Oh great. thenen Even worse was the Iran where they had it and then it got called back, but then they were still alive And then that stupid game where the teams had basically agree to have a tie. And then somebody scored So then I ran was like all of a sudden they had been given a reprieve, but then the other team scored and they got kick them the nuts again. which and people are saying that's like, Basically hasn't happened before. But I do think The So we scored the game time goal with like under a minute left in a World Cup game and then and then it got reviewed and became off sides is some sort of level of losing of its own Maybe football would be the only Like if you had a touchdown and then it turned out the guy was was on the line. Durant, I guess with the toe in the line would be the equivalent of the Cro Isigal But we know that was to wr. I know. But in the moment, if you were just watching it, you thought it was a three, you didn't realize his toe was an theoy. But the Croatia thing then you just lost It was tough. It was tough and, you know, You know, it was tough. I won't I won't elaborate too much more. That was a tough one Well, I've I've love the World Cup have been Betting on it. I feel like I'm getting good at betting on it. not going away boy. Oh boy, that is famous words. I had Norway. And I had Norway partled with England today? I'm on a heater. My God. Yeah, I like have opinions I watch things. I'm like, I don't know Collin too big for This is going to get clipped so badly when you lose your next four bets in a row, but I'm definitely gonna to l this. Well I had I had another parlay with I have I had Norway, England with Spain tomorrow and the US tomorrow. It was like twenty three to one. Thatounds good. That seems a good a good one, especially since uh, you know, There was some intervention that took place to overturn a Rd card, which no one had thought was really a thing that could ever happen, but it has happened Yeah, we had some sort of legislation with President apparently got involved. I guess a bunch of I got a bunch of emails about it in the last twenty four hours about this would be kind of what the sports Aar would do If we did have a sports, like you try to intervene and bully them into repealing the red card for Dalgan. I guess my thing with the cards is I don't think it should be a red card. after a review like what happened because they like to me, Red Card is like intense. Or it's like when you're breaking a clear soccer roll. likeike whatever he did Bal get on that play. To me, that's not a oh, you're out for half this game and then all the next game because you accidentally stepped on somebody's ankle. It feels like they need a third card card where you get red carted, you're out for the game, but you get to come back the next game. I was wondering if FIFA could overturn Draymond not playing in game five of the twenty sixteen finals. if we could just go backwards now. Well where was the Croatian government at the end of that game? Like I wanted I remember Croow Cop, the MMA fighter. what I want is like send him into VR and they cut to the Var guys reiew and he's just beating the shit out of all of them like Jason Born throwing them against the wall. There's no Var. goal counts Where were we on this Well, I'm sorry about Croatia That's enough soccer talk for us. CR and the Bundo and Iron coming on right after. U the American game tomorrow, Balgun's back. We have our We have our striker. I thought he was the best player we had. We're going to take a break lotots of seventy two hours after one of the strangest trades in history of the league. I have a nice mail bag. I only prep you for one question and we're going to go right after this This episode is brought to you by Micolbe Ultra. We are in the heart of the World Cup. Look at these little special bottles for Micolob Ultra. Every play matters here. FIFA World Cup twenty six for you Mistakes. just decide. Mic Lobuchch are the official beer sponsor of FIFA World Cup twenty six is giving you a chance to win one million dollars worth of tickets and prizes. Micolobltra Pitch Four periors worth playing for. Eter now at Miclob Ultra. com slash superior access slash FIFA World Cup T six Micolow Bulttra a F four World Cup twenty six superior access purchase necessary, open a US Ridence twenty one plus begins on december first, twenty twenty five Es On july thirty first, twenty twenty six multiple entry periods Visit wWW. miclobulttra. com slash superior access slash FIFA World Cup twenty six for free entry, entry deadlines, prizes, and details All right, so it's been four days since one of the weirdest trades in the history of the National Basketball Association. You talk to people There's texting, you text with people Maybe you send a couple of emails back and forth with people You talk on the phone with people Does anyone know anything? What are people saying? What is what is the consensus around the league for Wow, whyy did Boston do this All The consensus is you can't really find anyone who thinks it was a good trade for Boston. first of all. Second of all The consensus is it must have just been The bridge must have been burned to the point of no return and the Celtics just wanted out of the Jail and Brown business for reasons that we may not fully understand, but may one day fully understand because this return is I think surprisingly low, even if people in the league sort of had a conception that Jalen Brown's trade value was not going to match his sort of all first team, second team this year all NBA. reputation, six in NP voting all that mostly, I think because of his salary more than any analytics or this and that. It's the salary and his sort of just like standing in the league U, but Even so, there was just surprised that they chose to make this deal now There is an basasically an agreement that it's not as if this deal was going to ever go away. Like the Sixers would do this deal in September and October and August. so why did they feel pressure to do it now And you can find people who will caution that in a year, a year and a half, this deal will look less bad for Boston than it does today and it probably will. But you can't really find any fans of it Do you want to know what day I landed on, was Paul George a better trade asset than maybe all of us realized Right now,ay second And was it was this morning in the shower thinking about it. It's like, Paul George is really good in that playoff series went back, looked at his stats. You played five clipper seasons twenty three, six and five for the five Cpper seasons thirty nine percent from three three point four threees the Games act. Th three all star teams The two Philly seasons were not as good Some issues Some injuries. There's a twenty five game drug suspension. I will say though Last ten games after he came back twenty one a game forty two percent from three And the playoffs, he was sixteen in the game, forty nine percent from three. I went back and looked at my notes from after game six and then after game seven. And I repeatedly wrote down Paul George was the best forward in the series And he has actually revived his trade value to the point that maybe they can get rid of him I did not think they would get rid of him for Jalen Brown. U fromom where we were with him in March to now is it posossible that they really like Paul George just as a player for their team Be I think it is byy the way, I don't agree with this opinion. I'm not sayingre right. I was gonna say that was That was one of the sadder one minute segments in the history of the Bill Simmons podcast and its predecessor. That was it made me sad. I just I felt I agree I didn't know how to react to it. But when you're looking for answers, Zach, you look for answers. You turn over every stud. I could tell your heart wasn't in it. I mean, you were giving it an honest j. I respect it, but your heart wasn't in it. It was not Ired I really tried. I don't think that the Celtics Belve that Paul George is wildly underrated, diamond in the rough, ready to average twenty two points a game again next season. I think they know exactly who Paul George is. They don't have they think he's going to be a nice, you know, third, fourth option, three point shooter, good defender, all of that. They think he fits into how Mizla wants to play. They'll win a lot of regular season games. I said even in my pessimistic trade reaction, this team is a regular season wins machine. I think they're going to win fifty games and be in contention I mean, you can't just put almost anyone otherther than the very very best teams in the East like no brainer lock top six They're counting a lot on Mitchell Robinson to change their. offensive rebounding and shot profile at the rim because they lost some rim pressure in the Jayen Brown Paul George exchange and Rim pressure was all Brad Stevens talked about in that post mortem and they lost some in that And now they have a guy who has a shoe free throw. And Mitchell Robinson's injured all the time too.. And so but I don't to answer your question, I don't think the Celtics are like we've been secretly coveting Paul George. They know exactly what he is. I think this is just more about The time whether it whether it is a overreaction to the Philly series going bad whether it's a understanding that Putting Jalen Brown back into a one B role was going to cause all sorts of issues. whether it's we've always thought he was a little overrated and compared to his salary, compared to his salary to be clear. And this is the time to act with three years left on the deal It might be all those, but I don't think it's like we We love Paul George like we did ten years ago when we tried to trade for him I agree I do wonder though if their thinking was Tatum and all the Brown minutes from last year the same kind of offensive responsibility And then you shift Paul George into this supplemental role that they just obviously decided Jalen Brown was never going to want to play Um that they talk themselves into will actually still be really good because the weirdest thing to me is this is the opposite of a new owner syndrome trade ussually the Usually the new owner is trading Paul George and five first round picks for Jaylen Brown. And instead we have the owner going the other way. Well, not only that this the same ownership group shed all the salary with Drew Haling Porzinggus and all on and on like they they've Bill Chisholm and his group have done nothing but willingly kind of eat a little, you know what? and big time on this trade Well, and I saw when I did my thing with Kirk and CR day after the trade And I felt I had landed on this is part one of a part two And they're going to use this Paul George and the picks they got more picks and make a play for the Treay Murphy Jordan Pool type contract I where they just they get the asset and in a year from now, they'll have way more flexibility Um That did not happen either. Well not yet starting to come to grips with Paul George, maybe being in aultigated form, which is G to be weird. And I said this when I did the pod the other day that There's there's real anger about this trade in Boston And it's something, this has been a feel good, lovable Celtics run, really since the year after they traded PG and KG. Um I'm PP and KG to Brooklyn U It's always been an overachieving love it. really the only unhappy team was that twenty nineteen second Ki reseason team U There hasn't been anger toward the front office or the ownership really ever U really going back to I think the last time was maybe when they traded the Antoine Walker I people peopleople are mad. that they traded an unlock did have a high level front office person at another team. We were just chatting today about stuff going on in the league. and he said, It speaks to how solid the Celtics front office reputation is and how Brad Stehvens reputation is. that they're not getting even more shit and more anger for this trade because there's only three or four front offices who could do this trade and not get just immediate cataclysmic blowback that they have enough benefit of the doubt. even from their angry fans that it's not like a coup and this is one of them, but yeah, it's it's I think I think the other thing about doing it this early is Um It's going to be a long time before the Celtics start winning basketball games again. And if this were like in September and you could just say, look preseasonons coming, training camps coming, J just watch. We're going to be, you know, fifteen and eight right out of the gate will'll be solid, fifteen and five, whatever. And like now now they we have the absolute full off season for people to be angry about this. like when Minnesota traded towns That was really close to the start of the season and we just right into it with preseason games and everything else I'll never understand it. And I know you and I both talked separately on our podcast about this whole advance metrics U argument that has now sprung and this is now going to be the thing that we talk about all season, I guess. And people have just dug into their sides and Honestly, Mor's real life. This is just one this has become one of those things It's like politics where it's like I stand here. This is my opinion. I'm just going to be here Somebody says, I'm over here This is what I think. Well, some of the analytics stuff is I mean, I don't want to do the whole thing on here, but Some of like the anonymous you know, the anonymous source who thinks with the with whatever team that thinks he's not one of the fifty best players in the league or You know, you have a source who thinks he's not a top seven player on a whatever typical NBA team That's just it's just crazy. And I have always thought that he's probably a hair overrated, but it doesn't really matter The most important reason this traade happened, personally, it could it could be the one A one B thing with Tatum. But to me, it still comes down to fifty seven million, sixty two million, sixty six million do. And where the analytics come in is whatever an like the on off stuff throw it out. likeike just just whatever the like all the analytics together If he's making sixty six million dollars and he's, let's give a realistic pessimistic ranking a realistic skeptical ranking of Jayen Brown. If he's making sixty six million dollars and he's eighteenth best player in the NBA. That's a problem. That's like hard to build around when you have another guy making even more money than that. I'm just throwing that ranking out there. Like if I were an analytics guy who's done all the eye test stuff and seen All the stuff that Jalen Brown did to win finals MVP, carry the Celtics leasure, all of that. So I have that infused with my analytic stuff that's a little more skeptical and it washes out to like eighteenth best player in the NBA at that salary. I think that's really just what it comes down to more than anything else And I wonder if that's where we're going with the league. One of the things that so obviously every single person in my life has asked me about this One of the things that I thought was interesting that didn't get enough attention was how the salary cap kind of went backwards. And under under its projection by a little a little tiny bit Yeah, but some but there's been years where we're like, whoa, we're way over this year and U I wonder if there's a fear with the local TV revenue just in general that they were looking at two years from now like wow, we might get really screwed with two of these guys. So it's say basasically my picture outside of Boston, I'm wondering is are more teams going to be thinking this way Is this driving some of the pistons duran stuff, which by the way, the durnt thing, that was another casualty of the CBA thing where they can offer him one hundred million more than anybody else, but why would they Why am I just going to give you a hundred billion more than your net worth if you just tested it elsewhere. So I don't It feels like that and they have a couple of questions about this that I don't want to step on, but it feels like we're headed toward a really strange salary cap era for the week The only time I can In recent history, at least since I've known you, maybe we didn't even know each other then, but it was like the end of the two thousands spepecifically with the H and trade, which we've talked about over and over again, where there was a moment where team started choosing salary decisions over basketball decisions. I think that's the number one reason this trade happened. numberumber two is that all the stuff that happened from the moment the season ended all the way to last week I think bad taste in their mouth and they decided to move on. Yeah, there was a time during that era where the it sounds quaint to say it now and I'm pretty sure I'm right about this. that the cap stayed flat Basically for like three or four years in a row, and it was flat at like fifty eight million dollars. Like that was the saling camp And so that that is and I have had a couple of agents sort of just venting to me in the last week that Call the second Apon this is the agents speaking, but call the second Apron, whatever it is. teams are treating it like more or less a hard cap and they're going to continue to treat it even like what James Dolan did and like letting Mitchell Robinson go and replacing him with an inferior version and Andrew Drummond a championship team willingly doing that But he should have done that though. I'm not defending Dolan, but we've seen teams do that We saw the Celtics do that with James Posey in two thousand eight where it's if you're not one of the best five guys and you're going to brring all these penalties and all these other things with me. I don't think it's defensible. You have to figure out patch those stats together. I mean, D Mitchell Robinson minutes are better than the Andre Drummond minutes are going to be. And sure like you're going to feel Andre Drummond is almost as good of an offensive rebounder but not quite defensively it's a huge downgrade. The corner three thing is like actually kind of interesting and I'm curious to see Um if Mike Brown leans into that like Nick Nurse did, that's like a little interesting wrinkle. But yeah, I mean look I'm just saying what I'm hearing from agents about the hard cap and the the second apron and the nuggets are going to be one of the one of the test cases. I do have to give you your praise because day Jalen Brown got traded Um Even before and after I did my podcast, I had several executives around the league reach out to me. Is Bill okay? Like, where is Bill And there were a couple I trusted enough to tell them where you were, but I said I can't, I can't text it. It's too good. You have you you want to know, you have to call me and their reactions were Absolutely riotous. Like they just like I've never heard some of these men, grizzled veteran men laugh with this level of glee. I'll never have another experience like that in my life Coming out of anesthesia and having my wife break the trade to me and just not being able to process it. I would have had a hundred guesses for it. Anway. All right, we got great meail bag questions. Let's go. And we can cover some of this Jaline stuff from there. Joe Madden says Dear BS, after watching the Celtteics cut off a limb with a pocket knife with the Jalen Brown trade, you should add one hundred and twenty seven hours to From Hell mononth on the rewatchables I mean, that is probably the movie you would say for the sha one thing. We went from We went from the guy was is he going to be fifth or sixth an MVP to Um Whoa, it leaked out that we offered him for Janis to fire sale In the span of two weeks And Clancy from Connecticut wants to know Would you rather Boston traded Shaylen Brown a year ago last summer tank for a chance at D Bana, Peterson Boozer Wilson draft. That's a great That's the great what if right there. One of many, but that's a great one So I went to I saw their first win of the season, I think They were ow three and then they beat Washington to go one in three, I want to say. and watchedon was terrible in Boston. And I was watching that Celtic lineu up. and I think I did a pod the next ten. I was like, I think they should throw the season away I don't see it. likeike they don't have enough turned out they go on this heater, they win fifty six games. but When you think like round one loss, versus what they get for Jayalen and how the season played out. I just don't know what they would have But a year ago, what would we had he would had four years left on his deal heading into you know, the second season. I just don't know what they would have gotten for him at that point Well, and you're not you're not getting a Desmond Bane trade, I don't think. But I was gonna say, you you also, you know It's nice to say Dana for a shot at Deabana. you could end up with Michael Brown junior, which is fine, but like the chances are not are much better that you're not getting to bance and this obviously this top four is outrageous. So mayaybe the odds would have been in your favor, but yeah, that's that's a good what if Would you have traded for Jaywin this year if you were Brooklyn Like last week. U I think that was kicked around for sure. Oh, it was really kicked around I heard the Nets frront office was enthused And then once it got to the higher levels, they were not as enthused. Don't I haven't thought that much about it. I don't think I would I don't think I would have U But I would have thought hard about it and I don't like the path that I'm on really right now. I'm not that excited about it, but u I don't think I would have So that, I would have at this like, I don't know what the equivalent cost is for Brooklyn versus like like what is their version of this trade because I don't think the Celtics wouldview someone like I think it would been like is Porter equivalent to Paul George basasketball? He's probably better Paul Jeorge. I would say Porter's better. He is't expiring and it's cheaper. So so Porter plus, I mean, I don't like the deal with at that point gets pretty palatable for for Brooklyn, honestly Well, that's my question. If I'm running the nets and I see this trade And then I go and talk to my basketball people and I say You guys told me you're interested in this Jaylen Brown thing. I didn't this was the price. I just what it cost us. Porter Junror. and we could have given them I don't know, one of the Kicks first and maybe our own twenty twenty nine first and we got Jayen Brown we couldang with Julius Randall. This is the exact trade I pitched two weeks ago Zach Lo show, Michael that Michael Porter Junror and a bunch of draft picks, like two picks and a swap, whatever. You probably thought more than two first rners. You probably thought like three first swaps. Yeah And they that was one of the things that the social team clipped and put on my Instagram and and Celtics fans shit all over it. And I was just saying like look, I said over and over again This deal is going to net you. once the honest thing fell through This deal is going to net you a deal that makes you a little bit worse this coming season. It is going to make the fans mad. I tried to prepare them for it. That was one of the deals I suggested. Everyone once said it was a bad deal. It's not that bad of a deal I u stay had traded in last summer now that I know how I played out. and I got Paul George and two half decent picks. Do you think This is my mail bad question to you Do you think they are overreacting to the last three games of the Philly series? One of which Jason Tatum didn't play? Like is too much weight being put on that versus the fifty six wins that came before it I like the I kind of like the way Jayen played in the last game Game seven I'm sure there's some advanced metric shit that could pick it apart. But remember he guarded and beat at one point. Like I felt like To me, that's that was the good and bad of Jayen all one game. Like you took couple dumbs shots, to have a couple charges, whatever That guy would was willing to do anything it took to try to win the game. I'm not even just talking about him. I'm talking about like kind of giving up on every model of the team being a championship contender it the next season Um Well, that's another thing. Tatum putut those minutes on Tatum And he lasted six games and then skip the seventh one because he wasn't happy with something that was going over his legs And Jalen was the fall guy I'm not saying Tatum should have been, but I thought Mizoula should have taken a lot more criticism and I was talking about my pod as it was happening. Like, why are we putting this many minutes on T him Wh why are you trying to make him a thirty eight minute a game guy? I don't get it Why not ease him back into it? Why not play them twenty eight minutes? Um This is from Jordan in LA. W Jalen's value extremely low I'd love to hear your blame pie for the reasons why. percentages of ability in the basketball court, massive contract, off court stuff. How would you split up the blame pie? I'm a huge fan of the pod, Go see these even though I'm depressed And I would say off court stuff and massive contract, probably ninety percent of that. What is off court stuff with Jayen Brown because there's no like people say that and it's used pretty liberally. Is it just like that he shares his opinions on Twitch because there's no like bad off We normally we say off court stuff and it's like bad court stuff. There's nothing like that Thank you for clarifying that. and you' Offcord stuffs the wrong phrase. Um Let's go with Um So Criticism. self awareness, self self awareness. And that that your opinion of oneeself. What we're going to say is like that's where it becomes hard to separate that from the basketball stuff because that's going to bleed into is there going to be a tug of war for control of the team? Is is that going And thought yes. I mean that like I think that's fair to say. I think they felt like this situation was what it was going be. I think the contract forty five contracts. forty percent self awareness. what's my role, all that stuff And then it build in the basketball court. it is an advanced metrics friendly team And I'm sure there's some things they didn't love O off stuff, I'll never know what to make sense of it because You can't tell me that last year's team was better when he wasn't on the court. He had a huge, huge, huge load and showed up all the time and did so many things. You know, I remember talking about this during COVID or right after when Kye was only playing home games and his stat remember his stats were really good Its he, he's playing once a wee If you're going to play if you're going to miss ten games in a season. You're gonna play thirty six, thirty seven minutes and take the pounding that Jaylen and go to the basket like he did in nine free throws a game guard the other team's best player. you're going to have games where you're not one hundred percent. you play anyway And I still feel like there's no way for advanced metrics to to value that the guys that Whatever they're dealing with, they're still playing. This is one of LeBron. This is one of the great skills that he had durability and the consistency no matter what his body was. I don't know I just don't know how you put a number on that Zach I would give the contract even more than forty five percent Blamepire or forty percent or whatever you said. I would go fifty at least and it's impossible to separate that from the analytics because the analytics are don't exist in a vacuum. they exist in relation to What percentage of the C is taking up? and is it worth it that specific player taking up so much of your cap. And I would put the contract as like easily half the pie So if we're going to say that How does Denver regard Jamal Murray right now I mean, I think they love Jamal Muray, they love his chemistry with Nicole Yokich. I think they're probably very aware that his if they were to trade him, it would not look dissimilar from the Jalen Browns traded, it might even be a little bit worse because these smaller And uh plays a position that is pretty well filled across the league because we have He's over fifty, right? He's fifty this year, fifty four, fifty seven And I wonder, is there going to be more Jayen Browns? Like is Orlando going to start looking sideways at Franz Wagner? Jesus. Well, he's on he's on the smaller one and that that's the timing, right? But in two years, wont it be like forty seven, forty eight H forty He goes Yeah, forty four, forty five, fifty, but fifty one in twenty thirty is different than fifty seven now in terms of what percent of the cap it it's going to be It's the next one. It's the next one. you know, and that's the other thing that we need to talk about is like All these guys who are I understand the extension rule and why it's written the way it is and why it's beneficial for both sides a lot of in a lot of ways to get security for players and teams These players who are like, it happened with towns, It's happened with Jaalen Brown It's going to happen a lot of other players. likeike you have three years left under your contract. Like I don't think If I'm a general manager, I'm like it's cool that you're eligible for an extension by the letter of the law. canan we wait a year, man? you have three guaranteed years left under your contract? Wh? But itreat it creates issues within teams really early in the calendar of the contract I feel like there's only four or five guys in the weeague that you would proactively just keep adding years to their contract, right Like if Wenby iss like, hey, I'd love another three years like great. that sounds awesome, Victor Here's your next three years. Lua' same thing. I'm sure the moment Luca' eligible for an extension. The Lakers will be pouring years in the extension. And I just don't think Jayalen's at that level This question came all the way from Lance in Australia Do you think Jayen Brown's trade happened? not because he asked to be traded because Tatum was jealous and said to Boston, it's him or me don't I don't think it happened for either. I don't think it happened for that reason. I don't think Tatum said tradeem, and I don't think Jayen Brown said T trade me I don't think either those things happen I agree with you. Good question. They're even in Australia, they're thinking about this No is aQipper fan. She said, uh I don't have a question. Welcome to the love hate Paul George relelationship I had a few coopper fans Throw this at me. You know, it is funny as I continue to try to talk myself into Nepaul George Really good career Eat all stars One top Five OMBA Third NVP twenty nineteen Five third team OlympAs Three conference finals, thirteen, fourteen and twenty one twenty one playoffs ack. twenty seven, ten and five forty one minutes a game. For his career he's twenty one, six and four, thirty nine percent from three. Guys had an awesome career and yet like I don't know any Paul George fans, do you Den that he's like my favorite play is Paul George. Every young player who comes into the league who's aw his favorite player is Paul George. I bet you too I have been a huge Paul George fan. I think the last two years have tanded a little bit. I've always been a fan. I wrote a big piece on him. I can't remember what playoff year it was. I remember that. Iess say late twenty ten maybe. Yeah about up his up and down sort of playoff record and particularly the last couple in Oklahoma City were're not good Um that I think it was probably the year the Clippers made the conference finals, maybe in twenty twenty one But anyway, like I've always been a pretty big fan, but the last two he's now thirty six and the decline is happening and the last two years have been problematic in a lot of different ways. Even I'm looking it up now. Even podcast P has gone dormant U since july twenty twenty five. I was going to say, I think a great A great moment to mark this monumental transaction would be if you went on podcast pe, but it it appears to be It appears to be dormant Well, I think we're going to have them on the team this year. so to feel welcomed by the Boston fents. And Kase twenty eleven draft guy You know who else was the two eleven draft my Lon I mean, they were teammates old, they were teammates Wh later. They were teammates for a hot second in Indiana Yeah, as the summer goes along and I relax, I'm going to really start thinking more and more about how good Paul George was in that Boston series. like maybe there's Maybe there's something left We'll take one more break and then I have more mail backack All right, it's time for a special segment on today's podcast where we discuss the superior matches, teams and players We I'm talking about players today for the FIFA World Cup twenty six brought to by Michola Ultra The official beer sponsor of the FIFA World Cup twenty six a superior I'm going to dive into, threeree players that I thought had superior. impact At least so far in FeFA World Cup twenty six as we head into yet another week. I love it can't wait're getting close to the finals Three players that we thought would be three of the best guys in this tournament have all delivered and then some. you have Ebape, twenty seven years old. time his career U Francis playing Paraguay over the weekend park in the bus, they're trying to agitate him. They're trying to agitate all the French guys And he just has this attitude. he's seen it all I've been here before, guys. It's not none of this stuff's going to work. France advances. somehow he has been One of the two most memorable players in this tournament. and I'm not counting Harry Kaine just because we're recording this before the England, Mexico game, but Holland on Norway If you watch Premier League, you've watched them on Man City the last couple years. I think they won in twenty twenty three It's not like he's Breaking news that this guy's unbelievable. But He is the first striker I've ever seen who really makes me feel like I'm watching a dominant big man in basketball. Like there's pieces of all of these big guys that I've loved from over the years like early nineties Sean Kemp on the headers. anythingything close to the rim Sean Kamp would get. it feels like anything in the box where he can have time to jump and you know, get airborne and stick his head somewhere and just get over somebody he's putting away. Young Shaq banging bodies around. There's like three, four times a game. he'll just bowl over somebody. Footwork of Hakim And then a little Michael Myers in there too because he has the Michael Myers reactions after the goals. Everyone else loses their mind when they scores. he's like He does the Michael Myers. I love it To me, he looks like When you have in the Little Lig World Series the one kid who's way bigger than everybody else who just throws the team on his back That's the feeling he's giving us during in this doorway run and they had a great win. on Sunday. So I still can't give them MVP through this past weekend because least through the past weekend because that's it's got to be messy U carrying Argentiny yet again highest approval rating of any team sport athlete period right now. and game after game, it feels like he's doing couple of magical things and it's so much fun to watch him and watch the delight that his teammates have just getting to play with a legend like that who still got it. So I would have him the MVP so far as we head into yet another week. of an awesome FIFA World Cup twenty six. If you disagree, Ultra wants to know. they want you to share your superior moments. from the FeF World Cup twenty six give the chance to vote after every FF World Cup twenty twenty six match for the superior player of the match on the FIFAPus app That play we'll get the superior player of the match trophy representing the host countries of Canada, Mexico, of course U. S.. So celebrate every goal, save and win with US soccer Miclope I'm Arch Manning.'madison Skinner, I'mva Yov. I'm Coria Moo. wantan to train like a Red Bull athlete. Tell us your fitness goals this summer to enter the Red Bowull Athlete challenge. You'll get to try each of our workouts for a chance to win an ultimate Red Bowl experience. Think you have what it takes So good, so good, so good. New summer arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. Get ready to save big with up to sixty percent off brands like Rag and Bone, Levi's, Adidas, and Free People. Join the Nordy Club to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first, and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack I just SMmoi for Rnt. Nice. Now I can instantly spend it whether I'm checking out online with Vemmo or using a Vemmo debit card Say more The more exactly, because the more you do with themmo The more you get likeike earning up to five percent cash backack with Ven Mostache on a bundle of brands So order more pizza. The math demands it. Cet the Venmo debit card VimMo stash bundle terms and exclusions apply. See terms of VIMo. me slash dash terms. Vmo check out Not available at all merchants. VemMo Master card issued by the Bankcor Bank andA All right, a couple more quick mail back. Emmt from Chicago Do you think this brown trade happens Tatum had won Finals MVP in twenty twenty four Pretty good one. I did I did about this with my dad who refuses to come on the podcast. He's really mad. He doesn't want to say anything he regrets I did wonder if Jalen wins the Etern conference won Jason wins the finals NVP And we never had this Avon stringer thing that develops right after that I don't know if he doesn't get traded, but I do think it changes the dynamic I think the bigger what if is what if Tatum never gets hurt And they just they lose the Nick series and it's totally normal because I think that's the event that catapults Jayelen Brown into a different role than that changes everything. I don't I haven't thought too much about what if with the MVP trophies does that? because Well, there's three would ifs because you have the finalsVP. What if Tatum doesn't get hurt Tatum just doesn't come back last season. That's another one too I mean, and it's just Jalen's team the whole year and we don't see Tatum until Whatever. I think all three of those things maybe No trade. Um I got the I just I'll have to This is from Cage from Kant City, but did get a few of these Brads send Jayalen to the Sers to destroy them from the inside because Jalen will want to be the guy in the team and there to have Maxing and be That's why he did it. But I don't I don't in fact, I don't think so either. In fact, I It's It feels far away now, but man are they going to face him a lot of times and maybe in the playoffs and just it's going to just be a lot of Jill and Brad. I do think the fit is interesting. We have all summer to talk about how Those three guys are going to fit together in Philly I'm not particularly worried about it, but I don't think Brad Stevens did that I like that Maxie Edgecomb and Jayen Brown all play basketball They do they play most seventy one to seventy five games, thirty six to forty one minutes a game All three And you know who doesn't is Jo On Bid those three will be in a lot of games together and I think they're going to be better than People seem pretty split on' just gonna to be a weird team and is there enough basketballs they'll be. I think they'll be good I will say thisough it's Tyce Maxy's team and Jayalen's going to If he goes there thinking like, finally I have my own team. I don't think that's going to go up, but we'll say. Well, I mean, there's also like when he plays It's at least half Joel andbide's team and half Maxie's team. I mean when he plays, Joel andbid is still a colossal force. He's a former MVP. like it's it's his team a lot when he plays too I really liked everything the Sixers did this off season Simons for twelve million was a steal. Simons is good. That one that one snuck in under. I mean, they have a lot of guards, particularly after drafting Fylon toube. So you know, that'll be interesting to see how they split that all up. the four position after Wade. I mean, we'll see where LeBron goes, who knows the whiteboard. I almost I almost U We were watching the Mexico England game at a friend of mine who had a whiteboardide in the side of his kitchen because his daughter was using it for something. and I was like, should I should I put this in the back of our car and bring it home and have it like ready. So it's just a whiteboard, some locations. Ready? Beause that whiteboard has really become the star in its own right Ryan H says, first time writing in loveve the show. Here's my thought worry Brad Stevens, Michael Corleone Arc. I'm afraid we're onto the third movie He says part one reluctantly joins the family of the front office and takes to it like a fish to water Tw makes the tough but right calls bringing the family to ultimate power. Removing Tom Hagan his contilillary, Rob Williams trade, whacking Fredo, Marcus Sart trade, all lead in the consolidation of the five families Ber eighteen. Tom Hagan is Robert. Robert Williams was he's called T Lord because he's madeate all the time. Tom was a precise machine. Ryan's on a heater. donon't talk about of this. Part three, Michael tries to change the direction of the family by making it work in the legitimate world The second apron And then the process loses a child because of all the maneuvering. Jayalen Brown moved prematurely because of the honest miss And then he said, that's all I got for now prettyty good. Pretty good I have to say I have to admit, I never saw the Godfather Par three because the buzz was so bad that I treat it like Jordan on the Wizards. I don't I don't wan to know what happened. I'm just gonna appreciate the it's better than Jordan on the Wizards. We did a rewatch was about it five years ago. It's like a guilty pleasure now. it's bad. I mean, there's really bad things about it, but it's worse seeing Le Bronquest. Oh no. go backwards, soold then. Okay Um Christmas games I centice to you. Yes. Jayalen wanted to know what the Christmas games would be predicted seventy six or Celtics at noon Spurs next two thirty. He left five o'clock blank seven thirty Minnesota Thunder. and then he said ten o'clock Briers Lakers Um I made my predictions, but you go, would you write them Um Okay I didn't I didn't tell you what I had. I'll be interested to see if we have the same five. So traditionally the Kicks play first, but I'm now I'm putting them I'm giving them the championship bump. We're going we're going primeim with with the Kicks. agree. first game a Celtic Sers I had the same. Where'd you have the game I don't I didn't think about that. I'll put it I will put it in in Boston. I want to want it to be the return game I had that as well. All right, We're one for one. We're tied two thirty PM or the second game. I have Minnesota, Denver, just cl just like T great teams, Lameello Ball excitement, just they played each other last Christmas, goodood rivalry. I needed this was the game I was less sure about, but that was the one I put in there I had Spurs Nicks as the second game 'cause the east cooast. Okay Um That would be two hundred thirty. PM Eastern time. I don't have Spurs Nix as a game Oh, okay. what do you have for the third game? I have five PM right before dinner Thunderpurs U going with that rivalry again as a Christmas sequel. And it's because I'm giving in the Nicks the prrimetime game And it's if I don't the problem is if I don't give them the spurs and I don't give them the Celtics and I don't give them the Sers I'm kind of running out of Marquee like Nick's rival teams, there's no final rematch. but seven thirty Nick Heat Yanis heat Classic rivalry renewed, defending champs get the dinnerertime prime timee spot. That's what I went with my fourth game What's your fifth? I'll do mine after you do. I just went Lakers Warriors fuck it. like TBD on where LeBron signs and what team he's on. But if he's on the Warriors and it's a revenge game against the Lakers, that's going to be. I don't know what team's going to be on. I've covered all the possible LeBron teams except for the cavs who I do not have I have Surs next to thirty Warriors at Lakers is the fiveive o'clock OC at Minnesota And then Dallas Denver, ten o'clock late I thought about Yogkage. I thought about Dallas Lakers too. justust all the Luca games in Dallas are going to be fun and Cooper Flag showcase U, but we have to account for LeBron. Like LeBron is going to play on Christmas. and so I have him in the five o'clock game with the Warriors Lakers play for the Warriors. Okay so that's where Davis and Draymont Green and Yaxel and Steph Curry and everybody else. So the I don stillt think he's going to the Wriors. If he goes to Cleveland I don't know who I'm bumping out. I mean, I don't I guess I guess I would Now, if he goes to Cleveland, then five PM's Cleveland at the Lakers. Lakers are going to have that five PM. Okay. And and then maybe Curry is the ten o'clock t five PM I think will be the little brown spot. All right, that was fun Dave from San Antonio wants to know a conspiracy bill Are the Celtics clearing up money and building up assets for twenty twenty eight Sper Flag tells the Mavericks he wants to go to Boston. from Dave from San Antonio. I feel like conspiracy bill should be the one to answer that. I always have my eye Cooper flag. and the Celtics It's a big Celtic family I always have my eye on it. Listen, I Paul George on my team and Probably fifty one and thirty one succeed and probably lose in round one for the next couple years. So I'm going to start dreaming about Cooper Flag We did win the title on twenty four though second D that happen I actually, you know, youre you're mentioning that you're just throwing it out there as a little fun aside. Y it's it's I kept saying the title They're D hanest stuff. likeike as bad as this is going, like they won a title. They got the thing done that no one can ever take away from you and like that It's the whole thing We won a title this decade and it wasn't in the bubble Joseph Quinn says, Hey, Bill, are we in Celtics Bazaarre world right now? The next are likable NBA champion. You just traded your finals MBP to your division rival and Brad Stevens is getting universally hammered bizarre world time, it feels like I guess the final piece of that would be LeBron going somewhere super weird LeBron playing with Curry, I think would be the fourth piece of that. What's what's the weirdest LeBron team? Like the of all the ones that are on the Wed believable? Of all the ones that are on the whiteboard. What's the one that if it happened, you'd be like, wow, I can't believe that corner of the whiteboard is the one that had it Minnesota Okay He's just like, yeah, I'm gonna hitch my wagon of Lameella ball. That's how I'm going to end my career A R an A Rod and Mark Laorie is my owners and I'm just going to live in Minnesota. That I mean seems insane. Dallas was on the whiteboard. I'm going to just shove Dallas. I'm going to erase them from the whiteboard. Im I would be shocked if you went there. What's so what's your answer I guess it has to Minnesota. I kind of would be surprised if it were Denver It just doesn't I think that would be a great spot for him. It just doesn't feel like things like that happen for Denver. U Can we all agree Cleveland is the worst outcome? I ranked it by basketball fits and like entertainment value fits that I had Cleveland last It's just like forget back there. He did his business. He brought them a title. He did it already.t you can't go back and get. And the reason is it's just the Harden piece is just like he's goingm what is he going to be doing when James Harden dribbles thirty times and he still plays that way a fair amount of time. Nobody in the planet thinks that's a team that could win the title I just don't see it I don't see it I don't I just don't see it. I don't think Bron and Harden as two of my five best guys. I'm winning the title. I think it's ridiculous I think in Golden State it would be ridiculous too. The problem for him. is He was on a team that had two that had one of the best six players in the league And one of the best forty ps in the lek Oh, yeah, for sure.. And they weren't going to win the they weren't going to win the title no matter. if Lebron had come back on a minimum and they had done this Kessler trade I still don't think they would have Oh now that they've traded Deandra eighten, it's over I mean, like you can't recover from that. You can't recover if you're Joe House and you have to watch Trey Young Diandre and High boss screens I uh Listen Basketball, fan Bill, Denver. I would love to see him in Yokids. I know you've talked about N your Potter bunch. I totally agree I think it would be really be Like some weird movie, like two stars that they're like, I can't believe they're in the same movie. This is unbelievable And I think it'll happen do. How much How much money do you think he's for a hair I mean, these these teams don't have level off for him. Yeah. I mean, right you can get the full bitid level. I think that's a win. It doesn't seem like he's prioritizing that and that at this point in his career, why I wasn't prioritizing that. Why didn't he prioritize it last year instead of cashing in the fifty million. Right. Why didn't he opt out and that would have really helped last year's team. instead of instead of releasing a aggressive aggressive statement, I think through Rich Ball and then opting in, why not Why not just opt out and you don't have to release any aggressive aggressive statement. You can go wherever hell you want I did a thing on my pod the other day that I was really proud of and enjoyed about him doing the Roger Clemments Roger Clements the last couple of years when he was playing He would just come back into the season, like in June or July on Houston, just do like a three or four month run I'm going to be I'll be in peak shape by the time the playffs start I'm just going to show up. I'm going to pop in Like if they if the ringers Rich Paul asked me what I think LeBronch should do, I would tell them, I'm going to come back in January I'm gonna watch everybody play golf for six months. I'm going to think about everything. I want to watch all these different teams. I've never had a chance to just not play Want to watch everybody, see where I might fit in And then around January, maybe somebody will get hurt, Maybe I could be a replacement for somebody I'll just have a better sense of January where to go. and do it that way. And guess what Everybody will just talk about it every week, like we're talking about it right now. It'll just be like the story that one end. Oh Dallas is better than we thought Could LeBrono there? We'll just be doing that for six months. That's If you want the most attention, do that Um Mes says u Does this idiotic piece of malpractice be in the Jayen Brown trade Join the Mount Rushmore of pathetic NBA trades along with Luca Russell, whoeverver else you have in the list. Thanks for all you do. So this didn make me D did make a little list here, Zach. Let's he It's the Oh no, trades Lucaate number one Barkley to Phoenix. for Jeff Hornesc. Andrew Lang and Tim Perry. That was a nine out of ten. Ohh no. L that was I was immediately calling Joe House Did you see that like just, oh my God Hard in Houston. Where do you learn about the Barcley trade as a as tradia. Yeah, thats that's how you learn about it. Yeah, That's like twenty twenty flash this just in Charles Barcley's been traded. Harden in Houston was an no no Philly traded the number one pick in nineteen eighty six for Roy Henson and seven hundred fifty thousand dollars in the draft of Brad Doughty Lim Bias cllassic. Ohh no. and I was happy they did it because I a Celtic fan I wasn't old enough to really remember my feelings on this, but when Portland had Moses Malone and traded him for onene Buffalo first round pick and two hundred and thirty two thousand dollars two hundred and thirty two thousand dollars. That's like does someone have a specific debt that they're trying to repay? And then Buffalo, six days later traded him for two number one picks. J Kid to Phoenix when Dallas traded J Kid, that was oh Godd, why You've Jake kid. Wh are you trading him Vinced, New Jersey, even though we were waiting for it just because of how bad that trade was. where it was like, you have to you got a laonza morning. you're going to have to buy them out You have here's some shitty picks Here's Aaron Williams or Eric Willams. There's a Williams in it. They just got nobody And then my last one, Utah Utah is number three in nineteen eighty two Well in the draftwood. James wherethy Terry Cummings and Dominiic Wilkins are the top three picks. Dominiic Wilkins hints that he doesn't want to play for Utah. They trade the pick for John Drew who was in and out of drug rehab for years. Freeman Williams at seven hundred fifty thousand dollars. The mor of the story is that low Anytime money, weird numbers of money is in a trade, just say, oh, no. it's not a good sign Buty not. But I think Luca Barcley, I don't know where Jay one's going to rank in this, but I think everybody had the same reaction like, o no That's a trade. I will say I've heard and listened and read a bunch of people trying to say it's the most inexplicable trade since the Luca trade or it's as bad as I don't think they're comparable. I think the Luca trade No way is like by orders of magnitude And for many different reasons return, the fact that they intentionally did not shop him the way that the Celtics canampvass the hoague. It's just a different species of. mistake. Its I wouldn't put it abo Barclay or hardarden neither The hardarden trade, I think, was way worse because just paying the extra four million and tradeem And you have a team that's willing to go for a fifth year with even more money on them, that tells you at least have the asset. you can trade it. Except formiere as in New York rightits We had Kenny Hckkinson talked about how the number said Cleveland was up on the nexts while they were actively getting eliminated Bobby Mark s sayang an analytics guy hadad Jaylen Brown graded seventh best on his own team What point do we stop calling it analytics and start calling it astrology for guys with XceL We're one modile away from some asshole telling us the team that lost by thirty actually won emotionally I thing They feel they feel better about it Yeah It' getting a little wacky. I mean you just like It's some of it like I don't know who said that to Bobby. I don't know I don't know who those people are. They're obviously crazy. and I just think We don't have to as the media take the craziest thing that we hear and amplify it. We can use a little bit of better judgment about what wed choose to amplify. Well in that case, he was talking about I'm talking to this person. they really value Jayalen Brown. and then I talked to this person and he said this crazy thing and then that's the part that cut out. That's what happens to fortunately Mike from Hartford, Wisconsin. Hartford Wiscin.id know there's Hartford Wiscin? I did not He said, Hi conspiracy bill. immediately, you have my attention. Okay. I'm moderately surprised that LeBron did announce his latest decision either on july third to try to take some attention away from the Terror Sift and Travis Kelsey wedding Or on july fourth to take shine from America's twenty thousand fiftieth birthday I think Mike thinks she's slipping, what are your thoughts Wow I think the opposite. LeBron's going to take all of June or all of July to really, u really enjoy the dialogue about where he might go You want them all the way. You want them all the way to January. Yeah. I think it's great Was he not at the Taylor Swift wedding You know who' that Terr sothlet Me Were you really No way. F a backag twenty four hours. No, you did not No, I really did. I went back. backack in time for july fourth. Have you did I miss eight hundred people. Did you miss me Did I miss you tweeting about this And you weren't kind of you weren't supposed to do social media about it. How did you get What's I mean it's a long story, a it wass interesting. What do you want to know about the wedding I don't really like I mean so any questions? Was there was there a W there a reception? Did you just get to go to the wedding? Was the party also I there was wedding I't looking at anything Adam Sandler did did the um He married them and sang this song because apparently they loved one of his movies They had they didn't have tables like you weren't at a wedding table. You were just, they had these food courts And a lot of it was like big pictures. By the way, I didn't go to this wedding, I just wanted to say people me You did. You thought I went to the wedding. That was ably am. I was skeptical, right? I mean No I roped you in You believe me. All right. Well, look, it's twenty thirty in the moreor. It's all thirtyning. I knew I can get Cck ack to buy it to that. I was gonna to ask who your plus one was, why I didn't get why I didn't get considered as the plus one because boy I would like to go who's there. Tommy Alter I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know what to believe. No, Tommy Alter was there Matt in Charlottteesve wants to know. Why doesn't one of the teams in the running for LeBron just go ahead and trade for Bronnie right now Who' son Matt in Charltesville I mean, if it were a deal breaker, that he has to play with Bronnie. he wouldn't have left the Lakers. I don't I think he's ready for Bronnie to be like released like the doves and just go fly. fly and and be your own men So if you're Cleveland, you wouldn't trade Dquan Tomland Straight Ni Kwan Tomlin. Nkon Tomand N Kon Tomand for R Job Dakean. Boy if that happened I mean, it would just be the all time. There are no tea leaves. There's nothing to There's no dots to connect. likeike that's the if a team trades for Bronnie James in the next week. I think we're going to know something Something is up. Golden State has somebody. He makes Brionnie makes like two point two So I went on the trade machine. I looked at all the teams. So Golden State really wanted them tryry to get Bronnie first. That's the smart move. onene of my favorite subplots of the summer so far has been Pat Rileilly reportedly just stonewalling all the Antteeumpo brothers. Just like Thanesis, no, it's not happening here. Alex hosters don don't even think about it, but Thassis, you could buy some tickets Well maybe give you a seat. But you are not playing for the Miami Heat All the uh Guys on the heat are relieved they don't have to practice against Thanassis. I think he was a physical practice player And You know, I got this question a few times And I'll read this one from Edmin from La Mata, California He also asked for conspiracy bill always gets my attention Is the Ki trade to Toronto the modern day version of Jordan's retirement in nineteen ninety three The parallels are undeniable MA has ink the MA has inkra convertible proof The playerers guilty of crimes that make the league look bad. But instead of airing out their dirty laundry in public, they quietly forced the player in a double secret pulbation Jordan to play minor League baseball, Kaida, exxile in the MBA version of Siberia, Toronto. That is that is phone. Wh sent phone? Who sent to anyin from Laamarada California Ewin State your source, Edwin. Okaykay. putut your full name on the email. state your source. That's some VS. Toronto is an amazing city. It's not exile. It's a great city. G people, great food, great nightlife, great everything except the weather. And by the way Edmin points out at least Jordan got to stay in the country. He going to play basketball for eighteen months. He's going to be coming in and out of the country at will. Okaykay There's we think and they're going to be a very good basketball team. It's not like he's they traded him to You know The Kings or something like that Conspiracy Bill did take a look at this to catch his attention And Let's go back to when Kawai signed and Toronto was really mad because they felt Any the way, Toronto may or may not have been involved a little in this aspirations camp. They certainly were about talking about Uncle Dennis, right Oh and just in Denis wanted this from us. They wanted that. likeike they I felt like they were one of the sources for kind of the things Uncle Dennis was asking for. I mean twenty nineteen. That's come out in the media and even before the aspiration scandal hit, I think. Okay. So you lose Kawai because this other team. This is all leeged, by the way. This is just conspiracy bill considering the argument You lose Kawi because this other team goes beyond the rules to get him. And Adam says All right, here's how I'm going to fix this. You will now return Kawai to the Raptors. They're going to trade these picks. And then my ruling will be the picks no longer matter and Toronto basically gets Kawai for nothing That's would get conspiracy bills. The pics no longer matter and like we're sending them back to Toronto as punishment for Toronto gets the Clippers don't get to use those picks. They just go back to Toronto Ohthough that would be something That would be something That would be pretty good Yeah, that would would that? Would that make you wonder? that make you go, huh? And The other thing would be is if Bomber buys the Seattle Seahawks and decides I've always want to own the NFL team in Seattle I've had a great run here in the clippers. I built the new stadium. I am now going to sell the clippers And we'll never know why he's sold another conspiracy bill has accepted that one on his desk. he's looked at that one as well Its It's a yellow envelope just marked marked top secret conspiracy. Jack in Missouri said about my idea in the Conascpy pod. I like that it's now the Conascy pod. You had to know that that's what it was gonna to be That LeBron might wait until December January to set a team. He said, what if he chose this team based on the winner of the NBA Cup and just sat courtside Winner against LeBron. announced it And then Th then then the kings begin creeping through or like through NBA He's like, Oh no I got to get in the quarterf finals. So they're in the semifinals. Oh boy get nervous This one excited me. We talked about surprise LeBron teams. Josh Cook said, LeBron in Indiana with the Pacers would be wild, right? He loves getting out and running. That's what Halburn's teams do Starting five with T Tyrese Demhard, Le brronziakum Zu Bots. Connell Nemith U Topppin and porter They nail both ends of the floor, shooting rebounding and selfess basketball. and I'm not even a Lebron fan. That is from Josh Cook That was Mah I agree. That was Mahoney's pick when he came on my show. I said what's your just just just fun fun only that's the only criteria What your He said Indiana. And by the way, apologies to Indiana. I should have mentioned we were doing Christmas games when I was thinking who could the Nicks play? And I settled on Nicks heat I thought about Nicks pacers. That would be really fun because the pacers on the team like The Nicks the Nicks didn't have to go through the pacers. The pacers can still sit here and say we beat that team twice in a row in the playoffs. I know there's lots of injuries and all that stuff, But that and that's obviously a classic rivalry as well So that would be the Christmas Um They just have that noon spot And that just belongs to the Ns every year Ns Pacers makes more sense, I think. O or Ns versus whatever Lebranthi. Andgerew Smith wants to know why don't the Sers trade a bead to the bucks for Miles Turner and Kyle Kzma right now Tusman is an expiring turner has three years left U Okay I Ive Wh has a longer meeting on that I've I've taken note. I've taken note. It's twelve forty in the morning. I'm a little groggy, but that's I mean, look, obviously that's not gonna to happen. I think thought it was interesting I've been So Philly would be basically in a year. They would just have the Miles Turner number who's mood expire. so you would have a center for thirty million dollars less than. I mean this goes back to like how many times can we say things like, well, but the upside of beenat if he ever stays healthy for the playoout. Like is Is it just time to give up on that? Yeah. So I would I Oh, if I'm philly, I'm the opposite. I'm looking at him be like I have these three durable, really good players that I can build a regular season around and I can sprinkle them beat and keep them healthy and just try to get in the playoffs. That counter argument be, well, you did that last year and got hurt anyway Can he get through four playoff rounds healthy? I mean, I'm skeptical of that alone. What if you just played him twice a week even during the playoffs? So he played like game two, game four. Game five and game seven. Like he just played four of the seven games. pooor Nick nurse trying to manage that. I do think the idea, what I'm fixated on is this trade rattles out of my brain is like Joellanbed Milwaukee Buck justust how miserable is that person going to be Take one Like what is happening? What team am I on now? I gave my whole career to Pilly or at least a good team and now I'm on the books that was the Posianas books lotot of fun pieces for him Tyler Hero and This is from Mel. He says podcasters have used can't put the toothpaste back in the tube too many times. Okay including you, I guess He has some alternatives. Can't put the milk back in the cow the shit back in the ass And then he had a third one that I'm not gonna to say, but it inv Sperm I don't like any of those 't put The milk back at the cow. I don't think hed nailed that one. The third one The third motive was just playing offensive. I'm not even gonna say it I thought I was going to say you can't put the milk back at the carton or something, but we just went straight, straight the back or a cow Tim Bowers one of many people who wrote about the NBA Payers Association, mainly represented by so many called stars screwed over its own middle class. I talked about this on Thursday. These contracts hurt the middle class guys Even Simons, two for twelve and a half for Simons. Simons is good Thank Lakers the Lakers were like, He hey, wait a second, middle class. You want to come to us? Quintin Grimes here's sixty million They were the only ones who they were partoning like it was twenty sixteen U For the most part, these the Dean Wade four for thirty nine felt were a little more oldld school but u more and then we're done Joshon Raleigh Imagine you're dating an absolute smoke show in college It was tons of fun, but completely insane She's amazing in bed at at parties, but sheess also goes through her phone and not looking. Also she's a horrible driver. You know, it's not going to last and that she isn' the kind of girl to introuce to your parents or you break up Dan, you know she was a long term solution, but when she's gone You just feel alone and that sucks. That's how it feels to be a Hornets fan right now. Jash really went deep. I was I got in obsession I was trying to figure out where that was going and then then you figured it out. It landed in it landed in a good NBA place actually F email Brandon says cheers The Ns can basically live like Kings in New York for the rest of their life, but as a post career business, I think the biggest no brainers is for Landry Shamet a chain of laundromats in the five buroughs called laaundry Shamit, who print money Would you go to launderry Shamot? I think that's it's a harder, it sounds great. It's a harder business than you think. Lundry you can't just call it laundry shhamot and it's not it's not like he has three hundred million dollars to spend just opening up laundry babot's all over the place. Yeah He need a backer. Nicholas said I couldn't believe the Cav's twenty sixteen Championship tenureion Tye didn't go that Moscow wasn't invited. Moscov was just not aware. just unaware felt bad for him. But he wants to know how will the Celtic celebrate in twenty thirty four? Will everyone be invited Um, who will ghost it? willill Porzinka still be injured? And will Pritard get blind drunk and repeally yeo, this is what I do All right, let me look at the roster Oh I think Jalen would probably be the if he is'ite, but I think he goes. I think they forget about FMa Hilu. I think he's the Mosgowv of I think he checks Instagram and it's like It's a good w And that hurts I think Jam one goes. I think by then we're in a good spot. We're a good enough spot. And Al Horford won't go because it'll coincide with his fiftieth birthday party time They hat Ben Craven in Ludlo Shopshire, UK. I feel like he's written before He wants us to set the over under for future all star appearances of all combined players and picks received by Milwaukee in the Miami trrade Frianas Okay, that's a good one He said zero point five. I would go one point five. I think hero may twenty se points a game next year Hold done. So we have bures amen Um What else do we have coming in that B is Amen Tellleo Linu Wh? Um future Miami lottery pick would probably be your best chance. Yeah Yeah. I'm trying to think how many futures I think Bures could make one I'm gonna go one and a half. I like one and a half because zero point five is too low Um, okay. L, this one's too long I really want your reaction to this.'s do. Let's go ahead. This's a july fourth email It's for Ben and St. Louis He said July fourth will mark Our seiquinentennial anniversary? is that a word? Si quin Centennial perhaps that's significantly the tenure university of Kelly Oinic killing Boston's chances of getting Kein Durant Recall Katie had narrow his choices down to OKC, Boston and Golden State A Celtic contingent flies to the Hamptons where Katie has a house rented The group is Tom Brady, Danny Aange, Brad Stevens, the owners is, Marcus Smart Isaiah Thomas, J. Crowder, and Kelly Olink What happened was Kelly O Link in a tie die shirt versus Steph Clay and Draymond seventy three win team Um He's still upset about it He still blames Kelly O Linic for the Celtics not getting Kevin Duran. I think there were other reasons Kelly Ilink specifically and the shirt that he was wearing I don't remember war a tie shirt. I don't remember the tie dt. You're speculating I there's gott to be Google images. Why did Tom Brady go too? That was another weird one I want to look I want to look this up now. I mean he was Is there a picture of all them in the Hamons? That's what I'm That's what I'm looking for I don't see any tie dy shirts Um Katie should have come to Boston Oh he's wearing he is wearing a t shirt Yeah. It's not quite a tie dye shirt. He's got a backwards hat and he's got a white t shirt with some tie dye like image. I actually might be a tie dye t shirt Interesting. I should have been more focused on it. All right, last question It's from Sher from San Francisco. He's on a group chat about the Kings's franchise withith a bunch of Kings fans U that they call the Kang's Fan annual season timeline and he's posted the same timeline below every year for the last five And somehow he his that every month, on the dot this past year the eight cups. So this is he sent this is from twenty twenty two sent me the screenshot. Here's the screenshot. Okaykay October We're going to be good this year November. Oh no, we suck again December team is actually good, but our coach sucks. January, newew coach also sucks. So it's probably our GN that sucks February. We could turn it around at the trade deadline. March, we definitely still suck. We should tank. Why are we winning? April. We suck and our draft pick sucks. May. Our draft pick doesn't suck, hope June, The guy we drafted traded for is awesome more hope. July Bro, ourur summer League guys look sick August, positive sack Town royalty training camp newews, Mega hope. September undefeated in preseason five seed question mark That's the twelve stages of Kings by month. And that's the same. He's done that the same He he posted he said five years in row, he's posted that in his group chat. And he said they've already deal the A cuff thing. Now A cuff, I guess he had twenty four point twenty four points on twenty nine shots last night Summer League So I don't know if the Smmer League bro or Smmer League guys look sick is coming out yet. The beam team it just blows that hole up The beam team didn't follow that at all. that but that is an anomalous Sacramento king season. that was a thing. Maybe that was an anomaly. I hope I hope ACuff works out Be well, for pretty bad for league pass purposes We need a cuff to work out or else that is the number one. I don't want to watch that team team. Who do you have a who do you have you when you do league p rankings, who is the Who's the favorite to be thirtieth right now for you I mean, is it just Brooklyn every year? you like their court Milwaukee's got a chance to be pretty rough Um feel the same. I don't know if I'm going to be diving into a lot of bucks games next year Chicago's got some young guys Sheene. Oh, I'm excited for Chicago. Cayleb Wilson? Yeah, that'll be fun. Um Milwaukee's Milwaukee might be Milwaukee might be my Clippers Fippers could be If Yanic, if my guy Yanic doesn't come back I think he's all right. I don't know how long you can have a Jones But did it have a jo one of the bad f Listen Yeah. he'll be all right and Yeah, I I think Mawukee is the ods on favorite. I think you're right. Okay We'll wrap it up. When's your next podcast Probably going to go up Tuesday morning. I think we're going to record tomorrow on some Laker stuff and Jayen Brown fallout and whatever else happens. Maybe LeBrono will sign in the next forty eight hours. Who knows? I don't think so It doesn't seem like it Basically everybody's signed now. The only things we have in play left are Peyt Watson restricted, right? What happens with Durin? I haven't liked Detroit's off season at all just for the record. It's been a strange,'s been a strange one Yeah . Yeahah, we got some of that and then the no brainer extensions will come, you know, like, o, the Wembenyama extension and Stuff like that. But yeah, Joe Derns that's going to be fun Do you think we'll ever see a player in our lifetime not do the rookie extension early and just do the stair down U I mean, we've seen that. I think what you're really asking is, will anyone take the qualifying offer? That'side in. Yeah. Yeah. There's been candidates. I think the money is now reaching a point where You're basically losing thirty million dollars It's pretty risky decision and I don't see anyone coming down the pike at this point Ry Zach. Thankks for stay up to almost cllock airtime. We put the toothpaste bat in the tube put the shit back in the cow I was saying Yeah Ollie for the rewatchables is coming either Monday night or Tuesday night because I think we're doing a post soccer thing tomorrow. and then then Hopefully the MA will come down Thanks for staying up late. Thanks to Gahel Eduardo and Jack and Chris and everybody else at Spotify too. And I'll see you tomorrowight live on Netflix right after the America game. Must be twenty one plus in President select states for Kansas and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino Or eighteen plus in President in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. Ging proble call one hundred gambl one eight hundred by reset. callall eight seventy nine seven seven seven seven or visit CcpG dot org slash chat in Connecticut or Md gamblinghelp dot org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit gamblinghelppline mA dot org or call eight hundred three two seven fif thousand fifty for twenty four seven support in Massachusetts or call eight seven seven NY or text hope NY in New York for Louisiana callall eight seven seven, seven seven zero seven eight six seven