Summer League Free Throw Rule Experiment

Coming up next got Tom Hammerstrod, Reacting to. Jayn Brown, Boston to Philadelphia, shocking decision. You heard my emergency podcast reaction episode on Wednesday night. I've had a little time to chill out, relax. I'm still in shock though after all the time. But Tom and I get into that. We go deep into that as well as everything else happening around the NBA. LeBron James, what's going to happen there with him. What's going to happen with the Lakers after their week they had Ci Leonard going to the Raptors. Jayalen Duran. What's going on there and a lot else happening around the NBA right now? That's me and Tomy Aavistro right now It's the best time of the year in the NBA right now with the conference finals, then the finals, then the draft and summer League And on game time, you got the advantage as a fan. It's the hack for unlocking amazing tickets and just a few taps. It's incredibly easy to use and the gameime guarantee means you can trust you'll get one hundred percent authentic tickets to no matter the event that you're trying to go to. pllus Fes are always included so you get to see what you pay. I'm very thankful to get credentials to these events in the basketball world. So I will be using the gameime app instead for my summer concerts coming up. I'm very excited about it. One of the cooler features about the Gameime app is the seat views. You get to have a panoramic view of your seat in the app before you buy And I've been using that when I've been looking for tickets at venues that I haven't been to before to get an idea of what it's going to look like when I decide or what seat I'm going to have at the concerts that I'm going to. So take the guesswork out of buying tickets with game time Download the Gameime app, create an account and use code KOC. For twenty dollars off your first purchase, terms do apply. againg Create an account and Rdeem code KOC for twenty dollars off. Download the Gameime app today In a country that never stops moving, reliable energy is essential People need oil, a natural gas for heating, transportation, and everyday items like clothing, cell phones, and contact lenses. Behind the scenes, one of America's largest pipeline operators, Eergy Trfer works all day, every day, to transport the energy that our communities depend on. Energy transansfer invests in modern infrastructure as technologies like AI drive greater need for reliable natural gas. Learn more at energyransfer. com So you know that uneasy, anxious feeling you get when you think about dealing with your insurance company Well, there's actually a term for that. It's called insureanoia And if that sounds like something you're way too familiar with, you should really think about getting NJM insurance They go to great lengths to do what's best for their policyholders by providing dedicated reps whose priority is you. And that means you'll find more peace of mind with them Relieve your insuranoia with NjM insurance by visiting njM. com for a quote today. Welcome back to the Kevin Oak Conor Show. Joining me today to talk about everything going on around NBA free agency, Tom Abastro. Tom, what's up? Did anything happen last night? Oh my God. L, I've had time to chill out and relax and sleep on it and think about it a lot more. and we'll get to all my thoughts about it. But first of off, I just still want to get to the shock The shock of the trade Tom Jalen Brown for two first round draft picks and two second round draft picks of the Philadelphia seventy sixers. And Paul George, the ghost of Paul George, the shell of his former self, Paul George, the guy who does no he no longer plays over seventy games, Paul George. the always hurt Paul George. So that's the version that that the Celphics are getting on the Ser side of things, you're getting an upgrade very clearly. Where do you want to start, Tom? Do you want to start on the shock of the Philly side Be able to get rid of Paul George, a guy that you wanted the salary dump with only two first or do you want to start on the Boston side with a shock of One week ago You were in on you how to send it a coupo. And then you trade Jay La Brown for Pul Gege., Wh do you want to stop? That's the story. That's the executive of the year Brad Stevens, the architect of the Championship. complepletely losing the PR battle in this Jalen Brown. trade, the scuttled Janacended Ikpo trade. Remember, executive of the Year award is not voted by the media. That is other executives believe he had the best year in Taring down the salaries of that Boston Celtics Championship team and reloading last year And then He tried to trade Jayalen Brown to the Milwakee Bcks and they said now we'd rather take the Miami package And did he have a plan B? It certainly doesn't look like it because from Sham Srania's reporting on ESPM, He was trying to get four first round picks from the Philadelphia seventy sixers in the immediate aftermath of that failed Janis attempt. And now he's sitting on two first round picks instead of four And I'm sitting here, Kevin and saying, what happened? in the aftermath of that Janis attempt to trade for Janis. because Brad Stevens. doesnesn't make this trade. unless he thinks It is Iirrecable. and totally butchered that word. He thinks it's gone to the p point of no return, Kev with Jalen Brown that instead of just sitting on this for the summer and deciding Yeah, let's just mend the fences. Let's get everybody in the same room. Let's talk this over. We did it back in twenty in twenty twenty two. when you got snubed for Team USA after the finals MVP, everything was fine. We brought everyone back. It's all good But now, the fact that they traded them now suggests to me While Jaylen Brown didn't make a trade request, something had to have happened that let Brad Stevens know, I got a cut bait here. I got a bail on Jayalen Brown, who is one of the most popular players in Boston Celtics history, a finals MVP and someone that was beloved by by the by the organization at one point and at some point it soured to the point where they had to trade him for Paul George and two first round picks and not just Paul George and two first round picks Paul George. And two first round picks from the seventy sixers, the team that just sent you packing in the in the first round. Kev. It is a colossal PR disaster for the Boston Celtics, and I cannot wait to hear Both sides of this trade, how it came to this because Brad Stevens knows something that we don't Som Shrani reported that the Boston Celtics originally asked for Paul George five first round draft picks in VJ Edgecombe So they can't way down from their initial demands from Philadelphia Jalen Brown, which is hard to fathom it came so low this low. I think the one thing you said in there Tom, he was beloved to be clear They've tried to trade him a bunch of times before. They tried to trade him for Coi Leonner. They tried to trade him for Kevin Durant. They of course tried to trade him for Jonison Nacpo. There may be other instances as well in which they tried to trade Aalen Brown, but they get back and return two first and two seconds with Paul George. And I think for Boston The reason why there is so much frustration from seelfx fans. I had people texting me saying that Brad Stehven should be fired. I had people saying like this is the worst trade that we've seen in Boston sports history. I've seen people like that's ridiculous. It's not worse in bookie Bs. I saw Mark Spears say there's Babe Ruth in Boston spports and then Janlee Brad Ple let's relax here. This is not the most shocking trait in the last five years of Boston's sports history. Mookey is far, far, far, far more shocking than Jalen Brown. But the point being is there's a lot of shock and a lot of disgs consonsidering the context of where we just came from or ten days ago, people woke up and thought Boston was going to land Janison in the Kumpo. They didn't. He went to the Miami heat. And then there is this belief that he's they're going to get four plus first, five first really good young players, this package, that package And then they end up with this and he goes to Philadelphia a rival for decades with the Sixers T your point, Tom. I think that's where the disgust lies with this with this return for Boston, especially given Paul George played twenty five games last year, fifty something games the year prior. He's always hurt. and he's definitely nowhere near what he was as an onball player in the past However I do think There's two ways to look at the shock of this. A As you said, what did the Celtics know that we don't know Do Brad Stevens has some information about Inur potential He's thirty now. He has a history of right knee soreness. He had a left Achilles tendonitis at the end of this past season. Is there something Boston knows that we don't know. Was there something about the friction between Tatum and Brown that really made this a high risk proposition to continue? The things we don't know. You can make up anything you want to. Maybe there was a secret trade demand and that for whatever reason it's not being messaged orr they very clearly wanted messagage that there wasn't an event. I don't know. There could be something there or B To me, the more worrisome potential outcome of this is that This is a new owner with the Boston Celtics and Bill Chisholm and that this could be influence here from the chisholm side of things to cut money, to make a deal, panic move. I don't know the specific angle, but all I know is growing up watching the Boston Celtics trade away Antoon Walker, go get Kevin Garnet and go get Ray Allen, trading away Kendrick Perkins for Jeff Green, trading away Isaiah Thomas, trading away Markcus Smart for three decades under Danny Age and then under Brad Stevens, there was a courageous front office that was never afraid of the response from fans. This is another move along those lines. The differenceces in all of those instances, the return was understandable. It was something that I think may not pe fans didn and agree with But it was an understandable decision return that received the support of Wick Grosbeck, the team owner In this instance, it's different It's a it's a trade that nobody likes. It's a trade that feels rushed, that feels premature. like they didn't take it all the way, that they may have panicked. And I wonder perhaps Could there have been some ownership meddling here from Bill Chisholm, a new owner wororried about the declining offers, worried about Jayalen Brown making this ugly ins sayane, we got to just do this deal. Let's just make it happen I do not know this. I'm not reporting it, but I just that is a new factor worth considering with Bill Chisholm replacing withick Gross but considering how different this deal feels than all of the others with how they ended up playing out. I think you hit it on the head is that this is an ownership and a second apron new world in the CBA deal. You have to look at what the new owners have done over the last three years that have come into the NBA, into this new private equity, new influx of capital and having these new owners come in in this since the twenty twenty three CBA with the second Apron rules, we saw James Dolan James Dan, who's not a cheapskate when it comes to in house financials. likeike he's paid for Phil Jackson. He's gone out and gotten Carl Anthony Towns, but where do they get Carl Anthony Towns from Minnesota, a team that under A R and Mark Laorie, they decided, hey In this new projection of the of the CBA, we got to offload this Carl Anthony Towns contract We can't have this long term money on our books, and we're going to send them over to the New York Knicks. That's one ownership change while they were taking over for Glenn Taylor that Now when you listen to A Rod, he says, we traded Carl Anthony Towns. I'm excited to see Carl Anthony Towns win a title. We decided We needed to make a financial decision there and trade Carl Anthony Towns, a good player. But in this environment We have to trade a guy who's making that kind of money. You look at The new ownership in Charlotte threeree years into the new ownership, they trade Lameello Ball, the face of the franchise. You look at Dallas. Patrick Dumont and the Adelson family. They traded Lua Donic pretty much on Right as soon as they take over, they trade Lua Danticich. You look at Jimmy Haslam buying into the Milwaukee bucks. They trade Janis Neda Kumpo. and now you're seeing on top that's five of the last new six owners have traded a huge piece of their franchise, if not the face of the franchise. And these new owners are saying, look, this is my new team. I want to not only have my own players that I want to have on like my pick of the players going forward, but also This is owners that are responding to a hardc Let's call it what it is. If James Dolan just won a championship is not willing to bring back Mich Mitchell Robinson thenen I think this is pretty clear that these owners are saying we are responding to the second apron salary cap and we don't want to go deep into the tax as much as we did in the past. And we're all coming together here and saying the same thing If you're making sixty plus seventy plus million dollars better be a top high player in the NBA. And if you're going deep into your thirties, we're not going to be paying that. And we certainly can't have two of those guys on the books. and that's what I think happened here Is this was a money thing. This was a financial decision And Brad Stevens, whether it was his call or Chisholm's call I think what happened here is Jayen Brown's going to be making three hundred twenty million dollars over the next five seasons. because let's be honest. Jayalen Brown wants a contract extension. He can get two years, one hundred forty million dollars after this deal that pays him one hundred eighty million dollars over three years. So if he's getting one hundred eighty million doars for the next three years and potentially one hundred forty On top of that, hundred twenty million dollars over five years going to Jayn Brown Did the boss in Celtics want to pay that, Kevin? Absolutely not. We know that answer now that they've traded him for Paul George. They did not want to be on the hook for seventy million dollars of Jayen Brown at the back end of that extension. So I think this is Another example of new ownership coming in And getting rid of the face of the franchise in part because the secondc apron and the super Max deals that a lot of these players are on, they did not want to pay it. And it seems like there's a pattern here I do think you're spot on, Tom. I do think that's the pattern And for Boston, Jayalen Brown might be in kind of that zone where he's clearly a great player, incredibly talented. pererhaps not great enough to warrant the salary that he's receiving Lamella Ball might be in that bucket. Devin Booker might be in that bucket. I think there's a handful of players that are earning sixty plus million dollars or on target to earn that much money that maybe you don't want to pay that much money, even though you have to pay that much money because somebody will clearly, as Philadelphia is willing to at least for the next three years and trading for him. And I think this could be a league wide trend potentially I think for Boston Obviously, they were clearly willing to pay two guys sixty plus million dollars since they pursued Yana send it to Kupo. But there's a lie Clearly there's a line. They're willing to pay a top ten level player that much money. Jason Tatum, they perceive as that. Jannaon Npo is undoubtedly that. but Jayla Brown Clearly Boston does not perceive as being that level of player. Here's the one thing I'll say, just to add some context So to Jaylen Brown I don't report this in the middle of the season, but I heard this in the middle of the season Boston went into the twenty twenty five twenty six season, planning on selling high on Jalen Brown if an offer was out there that made sense. But then plans changed. They were on a fifty plus win pace Jason Tatum was healthy enough to come back and they knew we would come back in March it happened. And they're like, you know what? we'll just stick with it and and keep rolling this year and see what happens in the playoffs. Sometimes the plans you have end up changing. That's what happened for Boston this past season But they went into last season with a plan like, hey, we could sell high on Jayalen this year with Jason Tayon being out. He could be in a position where where we want to be in the lottery. Let's sell high on Jason Jaylen Brown and and get a good return. and ended up that they let it go into the summer and they almost get Janis under the Kpo and then they miss And they end up not selling high But they still sold They still decided to get rid of Jayen Brown for a return that pretty much everybody unanimously except for some of the analytics extremists believe is a negative return for Boston So I do wonder From the bs side of things. I said this on my emergency pod last night, Tom and I know you wrote about it on Yaga Sports as well. So I look forward to talking about this point with you because If the Celtics are proven to be in the right by making this decision If we look back a year from now or five years from now, we're like,h Wow, Brad Stevens is a genius. Brad Stevens won the deal. Why would that be? And I think You can look at the Paul George side of it. Paul George is a forty percent guy on kitchen shoot threees, Jayalen Brown thirty five percent, a better spot up shooter. You can look at last year, twenty five games with Philadelphia. Paul George was the more efficient pick and roll score. He was the more efficient isolation score. Jayalen Brown was far less efficient in those play types. So they're going from a higher volume average efficiency Jalen Brown to a lower volume higher efficiency Paul George And then where is the compensation coming from with the rest of the roster? And as you wrote about on Yahoo Sports This might be a bet on Peyton Britcher Tom, what did you find in your research about how Boston might be thinking about this move and what it can mean for the rest of the roster absorbing that open now volume, the touches that are going to be just absent without Jalen Brown there Well, let me first off just mention that You know, Derek White is catching a lot of flack here from Brian Winhurst comments last night in the emergency pod that he did that Brian Winhurst is making The connecting the dots here saying the Celtics did not feel like Jalen had the best season on their team. They felt that Derek White had a better season I also think you can look at Team USA In twenty twenty four, after he won a finals MVP, who was left off the team USA roster and who was put ono it? It was Derek White notot Jalen Brown And he felt a certain way about that and Gran Hill went on the record to explain that is that they wanted a better on ball defender, a guy that would be playing high energy defense. and Derek White and Drew Holiday made more sense on that front, filling a roster spot with those two guys rather than Jayen Brown And so you can look at this and say, the Boston Celtics feel like they have a redundancy in Jayen Browns skills set, which is He's a high volume High isolation guy, dribble drive guy, not a great three point shooter. They have Jason Tatum. they had Dererk Whay who did not have a good three point shooting system, but defensively, much better than Jalen Brown And then there's Pyton Prchard I know he's a he's kind of People laugh at the notion that he could be a mini Jalen Brunson. I'm not saying he's going to be a finals MVP and an all NBA player. I'm not suggesting that. What I'm saying is When you look at the numbers and when you watch them The guy is a bucketter And we saw Jalen Brunson Go from a Dallas Mavericks team as a backup could not get the right oxygen and minutes to prove that he is an all star calibiber player until he left to go to New York And then he showed Hey, everyone thinks I'm undersized. I'm not big enough, but I got the footwork and the jump shot and the tenacity to be an all league type player And I think the Boston Celtics are not saying Payton Pitichard iss better than Jayalen Brown. I am not saying that. and that's what I wrote. I wrote the Celtics probablyrobably do not think that Payton Pritchard is better than Jayalen Brown Pate Pritcher is making seven million dollars a year eight million dollars a year He's on one of the best contracts in the league. and by the way in the games in which Jayen Brown did not play Payton Pritchard was an all league level statistically, all league level player Averaging twenty five points a game, seven assists and five rebounds in those ten games last year. And he was a six man of the year two years ago And the numbers don't lie when it comes to Pyton Prichards potential to breakout next season. when he is playing Outside of Jayen Brown, he's absolutely scoring twenty, twenty five points per thirty six minutes 's bucketter Annie's making M He is making, Jayalen Brown is making more in one month. nextxt season then J Payton Pritchard will make in the entire season. Crazy. So million bucks year for Payton Pritchard. justust a tiny fraction of what he'd get on the open market It's incredible. So Brad Stevens has to look at this and say, under a hard salary cap because that's what it is Under a hard salary cap system, does it make more sense to have Payton Pritchard using up a lot of those touches and those dribble drives. He's the second most efficient scorer on ISO last season And you got Jalen Brown, who let's face it a high volume isolation score They were scoring at a higher rate, a better rate when he was off the floor and Derek White and Payton Pritchid were leading that offense. It's just I think P Payton Pritard's going to have the ability to break out next season and I am not saying that he's going to be all NBA. But I am saying that The Boston Celtics looked at the situation and said, I think we can makeake up our offense. without Jayalen Brown and be just fine I think there is a high potential that the ewing theory coined by Bill Simmons could be at play here that the Celtics actually have a better record next season than this year becausecause of the allocation of those skill sets, And I do think that the mitch will Mitch Robinson deal is going to be a big improvement for them next year. And I think Payton Prch is going to be a big reason why I will take the over on whatever the win loss projection is from Vegas I think you could see a breakout season from Peyton Prichard and better allocation of the skill sets in Boston without Jaylen Brown. And you know who also agrees with me is Brad Stevens Tam USA and all the other owners and GMs who did not Bite. at getting Jayalen Brown at the number that he's at And definitely whoever Bobby Marks talked to as well Definitely whoever you spoke to, seeven of the best player in a team. But regarding Pritard, one of the screenshots you had on your story was a graphic from Data Baller Looking at Peyton Pritard's numbers per seventy five possessions versus with Jayalen Brown on the floor versus without Jalen Brown on the floor And without Jayen Brown last season, Pyton Prchard averaged twenty seven points seven seven point six ass says five boards on sixty one percent true shooting neearly forty percent from free as well There are plus nine point six in those minutes as well. We all know about the plus minus with and without Jailin, but individually Peyton Pritchard is somebody I know like one of the best Celtics reporters out there, Noah Dell Zell. She gets ragged on sometimes a few years ago for saying, Peyton Pritchard will be an all star someday If it's going to happen It's got to be this year that Payton Pritcher becomes an all star And that Noah will look like a genius with great foresight for the future with that prediction a few years ago that she made. And I think with Prertre, as you said, he was a sixth man of the year Last year, he became a starter and maintained his efficiency and was very productive And then this coming season. I think Boston, that's what their bet is. I don't like the return in a vacuum I think they should have gotten more for Jayalen Brown and I think there's so much you can poke holes at with how they botched this and screwed it up. I think if they're proven right, it's going to be because Paul George is a more efficient role player Jaylen Brown you can't will not play a small role and that what's lost in volume go to scoring and Jayalen Round would be compensated for with a little bit of Paul George, a little bit more Jason Tatum, a lot more Peyton Pritchard. and who knows what other ways in which we'll see them revise their system as well. So Look, I'm I'm not ruling out that Boston ends up looking very smart in this situation, but At the end of the day though, Tom, the best player in the deal is Jayalene Brown and he's going to the Philadelphia seventy sixs and this is undoubtedly grade for their roster This is an upgrade for Philadelphia. They got Paul George two years ago hoping that Paul George could be a guy that help with help keep the team afloat in the minutes that Joel Leabid was inevitably out injured the games he was out injured. and instead it was Paul George who played seventy eight games over two seasons He was the one who was out all the time It cannot be relied upon. But now with Jalen Brown, a guy who thus far in his career plays all the time and plays heavy minutes all the time. If that continues next season enough Tyus Maxi continues ascending if VJ Edgecom in year two of his career takes a second year leap And if L Baron Fhylon is good as a rookie of Joel Omb can play half the games Philadelphia did raise their ceiling without an absolute doubt with this deal. And it is worth giving up those future first round draft picks that they did to attach to Paul George when they already were thinking about trying to dump Paul George And so it takes a pick or two sometimes to dump a salary and instead you dump the salary and you get Jalen Brown back Ganzy. So far, his tenure as Six was genereneral manager off to a ten out of ten start to get Jalen Brown, but how high do you think Philadelphia ceiling really is Tom? Is this a championship contender I think if everything goes right, you of course have to consider the Philadelphia seventy sixers with Joe LMB, Tyes Maxie, Jalen Brown VJ. Edcom They're a title contender The high end. of all of the scenarios is that they're all healthy and in an eastern conference with the championship tacks of the of the New York Kicks that we've seen past champions come back in their repeat quest and just fall apart physically. They don't have the same legs in this modern NBA The Pace in Sace NBA. to withstand the rigors of a repeat quest after going further than anybody else. And so if you're the Philadelphia seventy sixers, you're looking at this and saying, If everything breaks our way We will be the ninth team in nine years to win the title. My question is Does Jayen Brown on a vengeance? U after this Boston Celtics ex lover scorned ex type vengeance tre that he is after a bad breakup, you know what you want to do You want to be your best self and you want to go out for Jayalen Brown. I think he is going to want to show that he is going to be the NVP in the NBA next year And at what cost to Tyes Maxie and Joeln Bid is that going to be? And that's my question is a guy that had just as many series playoff series with more turnovers than assist as playoff series where he had more assistant turnovers Is he going to at the expense of Joe Limbid and Tyres Maxi just go nuclear on the league next season and be the high usage guy that he was for Boston last year without Jason Tatum. And that's what to me is the most interesting aspect of this is what Jalen Brown are we going to get next season because he missed the most twos per game in the NBA last year, high volume low efficiency and coming into a team that with JoeMBid and Paul George out for half the season, they needed every bit of Tyse Maxie healthy and being the engine of that offense But now, when you got a rising ascendant VJ Edgecom who's way past what I think, even the highest and biggest supporters of VJ Edgecom coming into the draft expected him to be last year, Andnt Ty Reese Maxie, who's, in my opinion, a better engine for your offense both both in an efficiency standpoint and a playmaking standpoint than Jayalen Brown Is Jalen Browns going to be inA. I had him all in BA over Jayalen Brunson. I'm a dope though. Don't listen to me. It's a regular season award not a postseason. I know And he was better. He should have been but that's that's never mind. We can leave that Do you think that the touches, if you could if you could just like kind of do the hierarchy, Kev Is Jayalen Brown going to have the high highest used of drait on the team next year? Be I think so. Yeah, probably. I'd say probably. I look it can it shouldn't come at the expense of Tyree S Maxi, who is on a real assense. I mean, he was twenty eight points per a game last year, thirty seven percent from three in a very high volume off the dribble, an improving ass turnover ratio. He's improving as a creator every single season So no, it shouldn't come as at the expense of Maxi. But I do think if anything Should this come at the expense of Joellnbed? Should Ibed take a severe back seat here and make it about Maxie Brown and Edgecomb and then beads instead becomes more of like a finisher. L was really, really wrap him up Bubble wrap starting in October more so than they already do. But like and I mean not just in terms of games missed, but I mean in terms of shots taken. He was at eighteen shots per game last year and thirty two minutes per game. Bring that down to like twelve That's what I'm thinking about would you allna be to like just really, really keep him as healthy as possible. to to vote on him I don't know. I see this is this is It's a good problem to have. Let me just let me just say is is it a good problem? or are they too top heavy top? isn' it really a good problem to have? They have no debt. I they've been pals Dean Wade is not the three points shoer they need Jayen Brown is not the three point shooter they need. They need shooters around Joel andbed. If Joeln Bed' is going to be healthy, they need shooters around them to really put pressure on defenses to put two on jaw They the two big acquisitions there are not going to be Three point spacers around Joel and Bade. Now if if Mbed is healthy, again, the only way that this works is if Mbed's healthy. They're not going to be a title contender or an East title contender without Joel andbed. It's just not you' not trust a Dam bona. You don't trust bonah? I don't. I don't. Maybe if they brought back Kelly Ubraay, then I'd be like, yeah. Uh This Look, man, the reason why I tweeted this last night in the aftermath of the deal. I didn't like the deal for both sides is because I feel like Boston should have just sat this out and just tried to make this work with Jalen And I didn't think that they should have traded Jalen at that Return. On the Philly side I just worry that the fit is not great. And I think people are caught up in that the asking price for Jayalen as in terms of assets is such that in a vacuum, you do that deal But I do think there is a downside risk here is that Mbid is not happy with his touches. Tyse Maxi gets his ascendants gets kind of cut And he's they're all just Bowing for Jalen Brown in this vengeance tour that he's going to have. and I don't know how that impacts VJ Edgecombe or Pylon or the younger guys, it might work out. it might not, but I don't I don't love the fit on the Philadelphia seventy sixers And I think it is An amazing thing that he is now on an intra division rival, Philadelphia seventy six' team to take away an all NBA player from your rival and putting it on your team Is it is definitely a coup But I want to make sure that he is the right fit next to MB because in a vacuum, I don't think he is a good fit next to Maxi And next to, u and next to MBed. And I will say Gany's got an interesting Dilemma here Do you give the extension that he's gonna ask for and make it a five year three hundred twenty million dollars commitment to Jayen Brown as he gets into his thirties Or does he say look We want to play out the season, see how things go, and then we will have substantive talks later But right now, you know what Jaylen Brown wants and he wants a long term commitment in the same way that Kai Leonard wants that long term commitment to run. They need a bench That's one thing I do worry about with Philadelphia. I love that I love the potential of their top end. I think as Eric said in the live chat, there could be a hierarchy issue. with what Philly has with this current roster at the top. and as you're talking about, Tom, when it comes to's what version of Jayalen Brown you're going to get and what does that who does that take away from But you look at their bench right now. it's like Tembona. Dominic Barlow L Baron Fylon. That's prettyretty much it right now That's it. And like they got Ariel Hack Porty as well, whoopy do Like there's just not much here on this sixixers's bench. and That's where my concern is, Tom, considering what has been the trend of these recent champions It's it's teams that go. ten deep and have different ways they can play and different lineup configurations and Philadelphia, their top five is really nice and beed Wade Brown, Edgecom Maxie. That's a really nice starting five, but you're really betting on Dominic Barlow to be, you know good over a higher volume over the season. Trenton Wadford and Justin Edwards who showed some flashes, but who are your wing defenders? Who were your wing stoppers can Can Jallen Brown be your second best wing defender behind Dean Wade over the full duration of the season while also being in a high volume. there's a lot of questions about about this roster. And I think those top end players in the team are going to be really taxed on both ends of the floor unless they add more role player depth So there's concern there for Philadelphia, but ultimately, I like to deal a little bit more than you do, Tom. I think for Philly is worth the risk. This is a team that was inching towards or completely all in already on complete irrelevancy. And Jayalen Brown makes the Sixers a more relevant team, a team that has a chance. that you feel better about what their floor can be because of what Jayalen Brown can do leading the Celics to fifty six wins last year, but also what he can do instead of Paul George, the always absent Paul George, but it also raises their ceiling considering we know what Jayalen Brown is capable of on the biggest stage as a former Finals MVP. And so I think it both raises their floor and their ceiling and it's worth giving up those two future first round draft picks. the twenty thirty one unprotected from Philadelphia and the twenty twenty eight complicated. It's kind of the cllippers first. It's kind of the sixers first depending on what's better. It's not quite a swap, but it is a swap, but Boston wouldn't have to give anything out. It's more like the best of Philly or the clippers first that they're getting and that could be high value. That like the clippers, I don't I don't like the clippers's chances of making the playoffs And twenty twenty eight, Tom. Obviously, things can change by the twenty seven twenty eight seons. But you look at the Western confonference, the way those teams are ascending and getting better or should stay good in the coming years like OKC in San Antonio The Cliippers being in the top eight come mid April I don't know about that after jailing away Coi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. The Cippers are going in a younger direction. The East is getting stronger. Maybe Boston will be better than people think despite losing Brown The sixixers should be better. The Raptors will definitely be better After getting Kawi Leonard. U is do what do you who do you feel better about Tom Is it the Toronto Raptors Aing Coi Leonard Or is the Philelphia six seventy sixers adding Jayalen Brown. You're nodding your head about Toronto already. You think Toronto raised their ceiling more I just I just I love Koi Leonard I think he's so good and a playoff riser consistently a playoff riser. That's not the case with Jalen Brown His numbers have been down in three out of the last four seasons. The one season that he did have a great post season was the one he won fininals MVP. wasn't a unanimous MVP You know, when when Steph wins MVP or when Yokich wins MVP, Yonis, it is unanimous. eleven voters all all go for That final is MVP Jayen Brown had a really Strong run in twenty four. But let's not forget in twenty three and game seven against the Miami heat Who had the eight turnovers, the twenty three shots to Jason Tatum thirteen shots. and it was a disaster performance for Jayen Brown cameame back in twenty twenty four Awesome And four voters in the finals voted for Jason Tatum for the finals MVP and seven voted for Jalen Brown And you're hoping if you're the Philadelphia seventy sixers That final MVP is the guy that you're going to get But this was another series. They just watched Jalen Brown have more turnovers. He had a negative turnover ratio, assistive turnover ratio in the series against against Philly this time around And the hope is that he is that guy, the twenty twenty four guy, not the rest of them that was up and down in the postseason Now on Koi Leonard. I just think that if you're trying to win a championship or win in the east They've got so many dogs on that team. They got so Colin Murray Boyles, they got Scottty Barnes. they got Coi Leonard and now this Allen Graves kid from Santa Clara who projects as just a defensive menace that yeah he's rookie. He's not going be a U a championship contributor right away, Dylan Harper's is an anomaly. That's an exception to the rule. But if you're looking for three guys in Scottty Barnes and CMB and Ci come playoff time, I have much more faith in them in the playoffs than I do Joolen B being healthy enough and Jayen Brown being efficient enough because I just haven't seen it enough from Jalen Brown. He had one great Great playoff run But it's a lot more mixed outside of that. And I don't want people to run away with the finals NVP in twenty four and saying that's what you get every postseason. It is not with Jalen Brown. And I think Celtics fans remember that from different playoff runs of the past. and I do think For me, Toronto U They I said this yesterday. They just got a bunch of OGN andobbe types on the team. I saw what the Kicks did last, you know, in the post season run And I just feel like They're going to be so much harder to play against than the Sixers So on my emergency podcast after the Coi trade, I raved about that for Toronto and I feel exactly the same today I think great, great acquisition for Toronto. They help solve their end game offensive clunkiness with a go to score of Kaw's caliber while not sacrificing their defenseive DNA. However Just playing Devil's advocate, Tom Are are we Oh possibly overrating Ki Leonard here. He hasn't made it out of the first round since the twenty twenty twenty one season. He played two games in the twenty three playoffs before getting hurt. two games in the twenty four playoffs before getting hurt. They lost in a game seven in twenty twenty five to the Denver Nuggets. last year they lost in the plan to the Golden State Warriors. They didn't make it out of the Draymond Green shut down Ci Leonard in the final moments of the game It's been F years. It'll be six years next year with the raaptors and the playoffs with Kawai Leard if he makes it to the finish line. And so I love Kawai. I'm a Kawai fan I've always been a Kai fan. evenven when it was ugly at the end in San Antonio. I love Kai Leard. I loveved all the editions of Coine Leonard. I love seeing him limp in the locker room, his lone year with Toronto leading them to the finals. I'll always have that memory in my brain of just this warrior battling out that injury and leading Toronto to an NBA finals, all of Canada to an NBA finals. even the clippers version through all the annoying things with Uncle Dennis and the absences and the demands and aspiration. I just like watching Kaai Leonard I'm also a rational person and see the facts on the table that he had his first healthy season, the best Regular season of his entire career at thirty four years old and he is now thirty five years old with a very long and scary injury history And I feel like we're just sort of just anchored to what he did last year and Igoring everything else. There's a lot of risk for Toronto in this acquisition too though's what I'm just saying here, Tom I think if the question is who has the higher ceiling, like in terms of who raised their ceiling more. I think it is the Toronto Raptors, but they might have a lower floor here in terms of an aging superstar in Koai Leonard that It doesn't seem like Remember, we were wondering if his career was over just a few years ago. He missed the entire year with the ACL injury And at thirty five years old, I don't think anyone ever expected him to be as good as he was last year, given how he was hanging on by a thread just a few years ago So I totally get your point here is, yeah If he's playing He's awesome, both ends of the floor and as automatic in clutch time as we've seen in the NBA over the last two decades B I just I think If you told me that I was getting seven games of Kohi Leonard or seven games of Jalen Brown, which one am I taking? I think it's Coi Leonard. And I also think If the question is Is Joell and Bed going to have enough in the tank to be in a post season run I would like to see more bigigs on that roster that can fill the gap for Joel and Beat if he misses forty games next year and misses a bunch of games like he does every year in postseason And so Do I think that Jalen Brown fixes that issue? No, I don't And so is is the superstar acquisition that they got. I mean, think about it. they got they got Jayalen Brown a second team all NBA and would have been first team if it weren't for Kade Cunningham getting the haul pass in that in the exemption, right for the Paul George contract and It's it's a great in terms of value upgrade from Jen from Paul George to Jalen Brown. Certainly. But I kind of wish that they had gotten in an ideal world, gotten someone that can fill the shoes a four. I don't know notot saying they could have gotten Carl Anthony Towns, but someone like that that would have been able to slide over at the five in case Joel and Beat is hurt. So that's why I'm not as big on the Jayalen Brown acquisition as many people are I would say For both teams Maybe if I go with the Boston Celtics, if I was putting a grade on this, it'd be like a C plus If I was the seventy sixers, it's it's probably a B minus I don't love the either deal. But if if you're telling me, it's Paul George over the next two years or Jayalen Brown over the next three years at that number I'm like, okay, I do that deal. especially with the draft capital. but Kev If it's five years, of three hundred twenty million dollars to Jayalen Brown I don't love that I don't love that. And that's what really this is all about is do you think that Jayen Brown is going to be a top five player in the NBA over the next five years? because he's going to be paid like it. And that was the decision from Brad Stevens We don't think We're willing to pay that. And Mike Any has now has to answer that question because three hundred twenty million dollars is what Jayen Brown wants. It's a lot of money. It's a lot of money. That twenty twenty eight pick. I want to tie this all together with the Clippers Rapt's deeal and the Celtics Sixers' deal The Celtics get this twenty twenty eight first round pick from Philadelphia. That is a six pick If it lands in the top eight. And if it doesn't It could be the best of the cllippers or sixers pick. In all likelihood, that would be the clippers pick. I would imagine during the twenty seven twenty eight season, the sixers make the playoffs in the easastern conference. I would imagine during the twenty seven twenty eight season the clippers don't make the playoffs because you look at the Western conference so not this season But next season, I'd imagine OKC will still be better. San Antonio will still be better. The wolves with ants The nuggets with Yokich The Lakers with Luca. That's five teams already. I'd imagine that the Blazers on the up and up will be better. I'd imagine the Mavericks with Cooper flag ascending will be better. That's seven teams. mayaybe the Grizzlies Maybe the jazz Maybe the warriors Maybe the sus, we are at eleven right now. It is very possible the clippers are the twelfth or thirteenth team in the Western confference for the twenty seven twenty eight season. and if they're not, they might just be tenth or the ninth at best as a playing team, which still has lottery odds under this new rule. And so for Boston to get that pick It is valuable. It is a valuable piece as a projected lottery pick for the twenty twenty eight draft and who knows what it's going to look like? We don't even know what twenty twenty seven is going to look like quite yet. Never mind twenty twenty eight But for the clippers, they very clearly are going in a different direction here, Tom. They are getting Brandon Ingram. They got Benedict Matharine, Darius Garland. They drafted Keaton Waggler with the fifth pick last year, Jan it Conan Nerhauser Kobe Sanders. I got some good quality young players The Cliippers are right now a team where it's just a clean slate ultimately. and I'm not expecting them to be very good at all. So that's a good thing for Boston. It's a good thing for Toronto to get Cai Leonard And for the Cippers to get what they did for Coi Leonard is a big win. But that doesn't mean it's going to lead to many wins on the court You know the magic Aball play with those kids. Oh ye for sure. ye. Yeahah, you shake it up, yeah. and something message pops up, ye Sometimes it says like reply Hzy, tryry again, Rly that look not so good I think every team in the NBA, Kev is shaking that magic eight ball And it's just replying the same thing is ask again later Things are too hazy. We have no idea what the projection is going to be in two to three years I think it's a fool's errand to try to project what the NBA is going to look like in two or three years. Look what the Lakers just did They got rid of LeBron, they brought in Walker Kessler and Austin Reeves and now we don't even know how good they're going to be in two, three years. If Lukad Dotgus is going to even be there We just saw Janis get traded We just saw L Mila Ball got traded. Coi Leonard got traded Uh, James Harden's still a free agent. LeBron is still a free agent I think there's so much upheal and upheaval and turnover in the NBA right now any traded pick in two, three years I think it's a fool's error to try to project what the NA looks like I think it is so crazy. what we're like four years ago, the Detroit Pistons are the worst team in NBA history. longongest losing streak in NBA history and now they win the east. I think the New York Kicks Before they got Jayen Brunson No way we could have predicted that the New York Knicks would have won the twenty six NBA championship I think the NBA is in a total Total state of flux that these draft picks that are being traded right now In twenty thirty one, in twenty thirty three It's insane to try to project this. We don't even know what the draft lottery is going to look like. There couldn't even be a draft lottery in three years And so I think it's just The NBA, while I think the NBA is trying to increase parity and trying to give everyone a shot, and having you know, everyone have a quote unquote chance winning a championship. What it really is is What the NBA wants is a salary cap and not have to spend so much money in the luxury tax. and the owners are using the parody thing to make sure that they're going to hard cap all these contenders and that the Boston Celtics are't have to trade Jayen Brown that the Denver Nuggets are going to have to look at their books of Aaron Gordon and Christian Brown and Jamal Murray a couple years after. and they already got rid of Michael Porter Junr. Um Every champion has basically had to either blow it up or look at their books and say, yeah, we got to trade those guys We can't afford to have Damiian Lillard on the team anymore. We got we got to blow it up and sign Miles Turner and see if we can make this work and then we're going to trade Yonest Every team right now, I feel like is in a state of flux and I think these draft picks Teams just I just don't know what the NBA is going look like. the clippers in the Philadelphia seventy sixers two years from now. What's going to happen with Joeln Bade It's impossible to know to your point. It's impossible. It's like I make that prediction, but I don't know. I have no idea like there's injuries that could happen. There's unexpected trades. the clippers could trade for a star player who becomes available and be at the top of the West, who knows? It's impossible. I didn't even mention the rockets in that little group. They could be better, they could be way worse. I don't know how that's going to unfold. So it's impossible to predict all I know is that I would bet on the clippers to not be top team by twenty seven, twenty eight, but they also have no incentive to be at the bottom of the standings either considering they don't have their own draft picks. So we'll see what happens with all that. Parigold has luxury homeome's largest selection of outdoor furniture, lighting, decor, and more. Access more than two thousand of desesign's best brands with beautiful all weather pieces in every style. From traditional to modern, Plus enjoy free design services and full service delivery on most items. Shop in store and online at perarigold dot com Tigold luxury lives here Have you ever considered surrounding your house with a moat to keep it safe Would you hire a professional wrestler as a bodyguard for your car Okay, maybe you wouldn't go that far But if you'd go to great lengths to avoid dealing with your insurance company You might have insoranoia And if you have insanoia, you should have NJM insurance They go to great lengths to do what's best for their policyholders Start relieving your insure anoia today injM. com Patrick loves dining out. Omar loves takeout And Katie, she cooks from scratch Because no two people are the same, so their credit cards shouldn't treat them the same That's why we made the TD cash credit card. It lets you choose which spend categories earn unlimited three percent cash back, like on dining, groceries, or gas It's how TD is making banking more human Terms and conditions apply Ctd. com slash cash for details I mention LeBron Tom Braon is still onsigned. He's got a wandering eye. He's looking around. he's Reviewing his options. he's looking at Golden State. He's looking at Cleveland. He's looking At Miami. there's been reporting out of Denver and Minnesota and Philadelphia. that those teams inquired about LeBron James. I wrote something on Yahoo Sports yesterday. I ranked all twenty nine potential destinations for LeBron James. And my top teams were Golden State, I had Minnesota up there, Cleveland, Denver, Miami, the usual suspects,' the ones that scored highly on my rankings and also the ones who happened to be in this conversation for him. And one little note I had in there was according to my league sources LeBron James has had discussions about filming this entire season for either a documentary or a series that would run throughout the year, and there's the possibility of him doing live streaming. throughout the year as well attached to the season. It may suggest that this is a farewell season, but like with many great artists and bands over the years, sometimes they have multiple farewell tours. There's one farewell tour, then there's another farewell tour, then another farewell tour, another farewell tour. So I don't necessarily suggest anything about this being the final year for LeBron James. If he goes to Cleveland, I'd imagine that would increase that probability for LeBron, haveave you heard anything about this Tom with him where he could go? Do you have any sense of what he could do or What do you think he should do if you don't really have any idea on the former question Yeah, given your reporting, I think it only confirms my belief that it's going to be Cleveland I it's going to be clear. U The Miami heat certainly It seems looks like they have interest in bringing him back from all the reporting that we've seen out there. I think when you hear Rich Paul saying The factor that's going to be the primary driver in this decision is going to be happiness And we're gonna film this, or we have plans to film this and create a series or documentary Which destination has the lowest stakes that if he joins, there's not going to be a title make or break, blame LeBron if they don't win a title It's Cleveland Right? because he's already won a title in Cleveland They're not going to look at this next year and say it's championship orust because he already delivered the goolden championship in twenty sixteen And to me, if LeBron wants Venus Whatever that means I think it's Cleveland because he knows that in Cleveland he has power And he can say, hey I want this player I want that player and you guys have clearly shown that over the last couple years with the highest payroll in the NBA and still flaming out in the playoffs year after year. You don't know what it takes to win a championship in the same way that I do as I've brought a championship to every team that I've gone to And I think to me, LeBron James' next move is going back to Cleveland. Now If Steph Curry Has something to say about that and he's able to convince LeBron James to do it in Golden State, Maybe that changes things U But I think if he does it in Golden State as a farewell tour, I think it gets kind of convoluted with Draymond and Steph and Steve Kerr I think it's more interesting for me that if he does it in Cleveland, it makes more sense that he goes back there. I don't really think the basketball fit all that relevant to LeBron right now? I think if it is just happiness, he's It's not championship or busust. likeike Rich Paulv could have said he wants to win a championship first and foremost and that's what's going to drive the decision. That's why I think this is going to be Cleveland and not Golden State or Miami Rich Paul did have multiple quotes though. He did have another quote where he's like, it's about winning But he also had the quote about complete happiness. And when he talked about complete happiness, he said within under the umbrella of complete happiness is is winning. So so I do think with thee Braon He is very happy when he's in Ohio I know he likes being there I know he enjoys living there. I know a lot of people speak poorly about Cleveland. I've never visited personally. I have nothing to say, I don't know. There's no place like home, Kev. right? Yeah There's no place like home. Exactly. And so I think there's an element of it here with LeBron James, whereereas if he goes to the Bay Area New place for a guy in his forties He doesn't know how much he's going to like living there, commuting there to the arena, to the prractice facility. He doesn't know of what the rhythm of the week and the days are going to be like going to the airport and everything else. It's all new for a guy in his forties, whereas Cleveland. It's home And I do think there's an element of that that does point towards Cleveland as his potential destination, as well as this Tom What I reported on Sunday that the warriors were targeting an Anthony Davis trade and then a LeBron James signing quickly it became What We're not going to go for Anthony Davis. We're telling Jimmy Butler that we're not going to be trading him. How much of that was because the wizard's price was too high for Anthony Davis And the flip side of this conversation is Well, if the warriors are unwilling to trade Jimmy Butler and whatever amount of picks it takes to go get Anthony Davis Could the Cavaliers be a team that goes out and gets LeBronze guy from Washington goes out and gets An Anthony Davis. Could we see them put mobly on the table for Anthony Davis and Picks Could they put Jared Allen and Strs and Schrouder on the table to go again Anthony Davis. Could they be the team that does what makes LeBron Happy as Brian Windhorse reported over the week, he hinted multiple times that Cleveland was going for Jalen Brown They' missed on Jalen Brown. They ain't get Jalen Brown. But could they instead go and get Anthony Davis to make LeBron happy to improve his happiness to go to Cleveland So That's tal That thought has crossed my mind, Tom. I'm not reporting that. I have not heard that anywhere Just my own personal thought kind of, you know Ping, you know, pieces together James Harden aspect is interesting, right? Be he go he identifies Cleveland last year and says, I want to go there because they're going to have the ability to extend me and get me my contract that I want. That curiously was exactly the number that Cleveland could have in terms of the Darius Garland deal, the swappperu I don't know how he fits in all this. Does LeBron James look at James Harden and Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobbley and say and Jared Allen and say that's the crew that I want to go with on my farewell tour Or is there some sort of sign and trade with James Harden where James Harden gets his money, but they use his contract to go get another player that LeBron wants. That's why I think it's so fascinating is LeBron still. By the metrics, he's still the best player in free agency this year, which is nuts at forty one years old Eestimated plus minus this has this projection of your value onct value, or oncourt impact. and it is it is as good as any free agent this year, including Jayind Duran. And so if you're Rich Paul, you're like, hey, this isn't just a hallmark movie that you're acquiring. It's also a guy who averaged, you know, twenty seven, seven and seven last year Uh, and was All star all NBA level when he did play but didn't make the requirement to to be eligible It's just like It's so crazy to think that a decade after winning the championship in Cleveland. That seemed like he was in the twilight of his career. that he's right back here Being the chess master, being the puppet master and being able to basically call his shots in multiple locations where now Golden State is kind of in a holding pattern. Miami is still trying to figure out a way to bring him home back to back to Miami where he won his first title. It's just it speaks to LeBron's greatness and his power that he's still at this age, even though he's not in LA He's very much at the controls of free agency Absolutely is and clearly still has the power to Push a team to do something for him We'll see with Cleveland with what happens there. but If they were on in on Jayen Brown And they were willing to put Mobli on the table to get Jayalen Brown or if they were willing to put Allen and other pieces on the table to go get Jayalen Brown What else are they willing to do Right? Is it something for AD? Is it something involving flipping James Harden? because I'll tell you what from a pure basketball standpoint. I don't love the fit with Mitchell and Harden and LeBron I think it's a little bit too much of your turn, my turn with Cleveland. And and I have some concerns with how those guys would fit together, particularly with Harden with his style of play and you know, I'm a James Harden guy. I don't I don't love that fit necessarily. I don't. I do think it would would take the workload off LeBron a bit though, Tom. We did see him show a willingness to be the third wheel behind Luca Darich and Austin Reeves. So perhaps he would be okay with that But then that creates a whole different set of issues because LeBron his shot fell off last year playag next to those guys, LeBron with a lower volume role and only shot thirty two percent from three ne of the lowest marks of his entire career So that would need to improve dramatically. So I'd have my concerns with the fifth there. who's your wing stopper as well, you lost Dean Wade There's some concerns there with that Cleveland roster. but Who knows? He might just want to go home because as you said, there is no place like home and maybe that's what he ends up doing. Nonetheless, that all reports are he's in no hurry to make a decision We'll see what happens there Perigold has Luxury Home's largest selection of outdoor furniture, lighting, decor, and more. Discover pieces in every style for more than two thousand of desesign's best brands. shhop in store or online at perarigold. comot Perigold Luxury lives here So you know that uneasy, anxious feeling you get when you think about dealing with your insurance company Well, there's actually a term for that. It's called insureanoia And if that sounds like something you're way too familiar with, you should really think about getting NJM insurance They go to great lengths to do what's best for their policyholders like providing dedicated reps whose priority is you. And that means you'll find more peace of mind with them Relieve your insuranoia with NjM insurance by visiting njM. com for a quote today Patrick loves dining out. Omar loves takeout. And Katie, she cooks from scratch Because no two people are the same, so their credit cards shouldn't treat them the same That's why we made the TD cash credit card. It lets you choose which spend categories earn unlimited three percent cash back, like on dining, groceries, or gas. It's how TD is making banking more human. Terms and conditions apply Ctd dot com slash cash for details A other loose notes. Kelly Eo over Yahoo Sports, our colleague said Demarto Rosen wants to accelerate his exit. from the Sacramento Kings. thingsings are interesting there with Sacramento. There's been the reporting around The Matas Sbonis possibly wants to play for a winning team as well. The Kings have interest in Jayind Duran. I've reported that the pistons have no interest in sign and trading Jayalen Durn. I think there's a threshold a number where they would be willing And we saw Walker Kessler, of course go for a lot. But with the Kings, things are interesting. with Sacramento possibly making some moves and having interest in Jay La Duran with the Detroit pistons Yeah, do they just buy out or not buy out D Martar Rzy as a non guarantee for this season and just say, hey, it's been a real G go someim wherever you want. And I think that might be a potential for Miami is a guy that Miami could use another wing scorer Uh and a guy who can not distribute and playmake at this stage of his career. But a guy, another veteran that they can look at like we're just buying low on D Marta Rosen and trying to go at this with the kind of cap space deficit that they have, they don't have a lot of wiggle room to add. And I wonder if Marta Rosen is a Tim Hardaway junior, Dave Mitchell, Pellell Larson, a guy that fits there, not as a three point shooter next to Di next to Jonest and bam, but a guy off the bench that can be your score and to keep, you know, thingsings afloat as they deal with a lot of wing scoring issues there in Miami. I think Damona S Bonas and Zach Levine This is the this is the problem in today's NBA is The contracts for those two guys are so prohibitive that when you're dealing in an apron world, how many teams are willing to take on that salary This isn't Lamello Ball where a team sees the high upside of LamMella Ball and they're going to go and strike on a deal with Lamella ball for Minnesota I think it's a lot tricker with Sabonas in the lack of defense, the lack of shooting It's not a great fit. And for all the teams that are loading up this year, I don't see where the bonus goes. Like I could talk myself into You now that Detroit has lost a couple pieces off their sixty win team next year Do they go try to get Zach Levine and figure out a way to bring in a high level shooter and not have to be a high usage guy Does he become a piece that the Detroit Pistons look at and bringing in on an expiring deal But the contracts are so crazy for both of those guys I know. it's tough. And plus, like if you were to sign and trade Jalind Dur, you'd be dealing with basier compensation, which complicates The number going out versus the numbers going in in a deal, which we don't need to get into unless it becomes a reality. But I think for Detroit, Durren will be back in Detroit next season is my prediction. as of now, but we'll see how that all plays out as well. moving moving down the coast in California. We talked about the wararriors just talked about the Kings, talked about the Clippers already. The Lakers had a big Wednesday as well. LeBron out in is Colin Sexton, Mamu, Grimes, and Walker Kessler You tag got more for Walker Custler after playing five games last season than Boston Seliccott for Jalen Brown hard to fathom the Lakers ended up giving up As much as they did in a sign in trade with Utah Jazz giving up unprotected firsts in twenty thirty one and thirty three and then swaps in twenty eight and thirty to go out and get Walker Kessler on paper Tom Without a doubt Walker Kessler is a great fit with Luca Don. He is an elite lob guy near the rim, a great finisher can put the ball on the floor one or two times and finish with real good feel and touch and coordination Last year with Utah, he's a guy since he was in high school has always tried to be a guy who shoots threes. Last year, he started to make threes on only five games On five games, not going to overreact but he shot well from three shot well from the free throw line. Maybe that sustains Maybe that doesn't. We'll see how it plays out. And what the reason why he's getting paid the big money four years, one hundred and thirty million is because of his defense. He's a really talented rim protector really big going to help the Lakers out in a big, big, big way with his room protection But giving up everything that you did. and now not having the ability to trade other future first round draft picks outright on a team that right now still doesn't really have a w wing stopper. Who was their wing on this team? Who was their OGN and Oi Who is their guy that can do that? They don't have it And so I do worry about this Lakers roster being just a very fun regular season team. but not a team that actually has championship aspirations come middle of April I'm not saying we're on Luka Watch yet This is a really, really all in move for Walker Caster because they don't have control or any tradeable first round picks going for I have that correct, right? Kev, that this is at this point they're cornered. And you're right. They did not they don't have a filled out roster there. They got a big three here with Austin Reeves and Luca and Walker Kessler But if this doesn't work out The Lakers don't have a real pivot point. besides, we're the Lakers and we always get superstars and We saw LeBron how that did not work out and he decided he wanted to go elsewhere and it wasn't even on a hey, I'll take the minimum to be back. Let's reload around Lu and I'll take a backseat. No Hes like I'm out of here And again, the new ownership that is coming in and essentially saying, yeah, let's go, I don't know whether this is Palinka or someone else is saying, let's put all our chips in Walker Kest who played five games last year and fits the prototype as a lob threat as a high level rim protector defender It's not a perimeter defender that can switch on to other guys. You want more of those. feel like Daniel Gafford and Derek Lively were better at that than Walker Kessler can be This is a very, very thin roster right now. And if you're Luka Donchich We always talk about Anthony Edwards, right? Like he might be the next disgruntled superstar in the next couple years But I wouldn't rule out that Luka Donich after this this summer I would not rule out The chances that Luka Donchic decides This ain't it Austin Reeves and Walker Kessler are not the championship material that I need. and I'm not saying he's going to ask out in LA anytime soon But they've got a lot of work to do, Kev before they can convince Lua Dodchard that he can win a championship analysis I think it' I think it's scary. I mean, we're obviously not quite there yet to your point. just like we're not there yet with Anthony Edwards or you, but like we're nearing the point that it becomes a conversation. If things don't get better this season or it's very clear that they don't have a path to being a championship contender because I think with Jake Laavia, Quentin Grimes, Cameron Carr, Jared Vanderbilt Ronnie James That's those aren't the wing defenders that are up to the level necessary in today's NBA to be true wing stoppers. and I like the names on paper that they got. I like Colin Sexton. I think he's a good spark plug guard. Quentin Grimes is a nice like up and down wing. Sometimes he has some good games for you off the bench. Sometimes he goes cold, but like you ride those highs Mamu I think is one of the more underrated players in all of the NBA do it all guy. They can play at a four for them. I like Mamu But ultimately, they're missing Gee figure in today's modern NBA. And that's the player at least so the Nick go out and trade five first for Niel Burges go out and get OGN and Oi. The Celtics winning with Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum. OKC with Jayen Williams and a big SGA and all the guys they have at the wing position. Alex Caruso who they get from Chicago who left Los Angeles. They had a wing before the Lakers did. So these guys are really important in today's league because of how versatile they are to to being able to defend quicker guards but also sometimes be able to defend bigger guys on a switch And I don't Tust that Lakers team defeensively around Walker Kessler and I've got I've got some concerns there. We'll see if they make other moves. We'll see. But I don't love the way that way is trending. Another move that I didn't like yesterday, Tom. the nugget signing Marvin Bagley They just I think the conspiracy theorist might be onto something They just want to inflate the on off differential for Dicole Yokage and signing these guys. That's what it is. Bagglely is okay He's okay And I think the conspiracy theorists might be ono something with these That's a thing. Marvin Vagler. Yes. Yes. Wow. I love this. Keep your third eye open. They're getting purposely bad backups for Yokage so that it inflates his on off splits. That's amazing Yeah U what else was yesterday? John Collins Tobbias Paris had a strong take on Tobias going to San Antonio. The second leading scorer on the Detroit Pistons, a team that won sixty games and oftentimes in the playoffs was their best scorer on the wing Guy is as Bomadi Jones called it, U Mr. Bankman, just like the guy who's at three hundred twenty million dollars on his payroll. like over his MBA career signigns with the San Antonio Spurs that were a couple games or a couple mind melts away from winning a championship I don't hate the move But You're right in that it's not they already have Harrison Barnes who does a lot of the similar things that Tobias Harris does But he did he did cash in after a good postseason run Pucky. He had a great postseason run seven strike games of twenty points. And then by the end of the series, he looked like more like the Tobias Harris that Philadelphia fans learned to hate over his six years there And to buy his house is getting attacked, targeted defensively doesn't make quick enough decisions with the ball in his hands. notot a high volume shooter, not a high efficiency shooter as well helping off him clogging the paint for the pistons. Depiusas is a very solid player If this is how you're dedicating your mid level exception I don't love it for San Antonio. I also don't love the fact that now adding to Bias Harris means that you're going to be taking away importantort minutes for development and experience from Carter Bryant, a guy that I really believe in as somebody who can be an elite wing stopper A guy who brings size who has the ability to be a lob threat who plays within his role and makes quick decisions. I think Carter Brian is the guy that you want to truly invest in. And if Carter Bryant becomes that guy great, like maybe you just fliip to buy his harris. And you trade them fifty million dollars tradeable salary, mayaybe you pat you trade away Kelvin Johnson, whatever the deal is. Maybe then Carter Bryant becomes a guy anyway But I just I do not love the Tobias Harris acquisition goingo back to his time in Detroit the first time years ago I was never the biggest fan of Tobias Harris. U And at this point now after his' time with the clippers with the Sers, with the pistons, it's just He's okay. He's okay. And I feel like six sorry, Spurs fans are Almost overreacting T tough of a postseason Keldon Johnson had Kelvin Johnson was the sixth man of the year And this was his first postseason experience with the San Antonio Furs, and it wasn't great Like let's let's not act like Kelvin Johnson. didn't have a great regular season And it wasn't great for him, but like I don't I don't want Mitch Johnson feeling like he's going to give his old wiley veteran to buyas Harris mininutes, just like I I don't want Pistons last year, Pistons fans were telling me, Ohh, we can't, we can't trade to Byas Harris We can't trade Harris. He's our veteran leader What you can trade to Bias Eris. What are we talking about And I worry that same thing could happen with Mitch Johnson, who has already shown symptoms. of favoring his vets with the way he handled Earon Fox last year. So I think there's risk here with San Antonio. I'd love to be wrong. I'd love to see Wendby hoist the trophy in the year, but I don't love that addedition for San Antonio No Yeah, as good as he was for that stretch to Biz Harris, twenty nine percent from three in the Orlando series and then twenty nine point six percent from three against C. Exactly. So not the first time either No, careareer thirty four percent. three point shooter in the playoffs. So ye he projects as an elite catch and shoot guy, you know, Richard Lewis type. But he's not he's not that guy. So it it's a swing for the San Antonio Spurs. They needed size at the four position. obbviously Julian Champani and Devin Vasll played that position admirably as underersized fours. Harrison Barnes was, you know, Harrison Barnes at the end of his career wasn't able to pitch in as much as he might have otherwise and earlier in his career. but Uh, yeah, I didn't You know, OKC, I think a Mara as we've talked about That acquisition on Draft Night was was so important for what they're trying to do against the San Antonio Spurs and reloading for next year Uh, the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City, New York, they basically stood pat outside of that Um, and I think every team is going to come for those three teams. like the favorites OKC, San Antonio and New York I I think this upcoming season is as uncertain and volatile and high variance as I can remember in recent years An of those three teams can win and then you can make a list of four other teams that I would be like, Yeahah I could see Dianis somehow going on this incredible run, the best defense in the NBA and they make these trade deadline pickups and they end up winning the whole thing next year under Eric'spolster. could see that I could see the Toronto Rapors. Kohi Leard delivers again U The Philadelphia seventy six has just got Jayen Brown with Tyse Maxi, VJ Edcom who might have been the best rookie last season and now they got Joel and B healthy. Yeah, you could talk me into that Houston, will'll see Um, but all of these I did wantan to bring this up actually Houston not getting in the Jail and Brown business There are teams that could have gotten in the Jail and Brown business and decided not to And then you have the team USA aspect and then you have Brad Stevens trying to get something for Jalen Brown Is Houston the most interesting snub of Jalen Brown. I just feel like that would have been the move a guy who can be a floor razer How much how much Jalen Brown could have impacted their half court offense in the post season. Yes, KD changes that tremendously if he's healthy in the series last in his most recent season But I just feel like Jalen Brown to me is more of a floor razor for a team that needs instant offense rather than a ceiling razor for a team like Philadelphia. and I'm surprised that Houston didn't go for that and maybe that's indndicative of Emyudoka doesnn't think Jayen Brown is that guy for them. because if you may don' believe in Jalen Brown feel like you would have been a rocket. It could mean that, or it could mean that Eme Odoka really has lost a voice in terms of decision making there because you look at their fir an office, it is very analytically driven with Raphael Stone at the head of it with their decisions they make and his history of decisions, his philosophy, very analytically driven. So if Jaylen Brown is not a top forty player or a top sixty player on some analytics metrics, where does he rank for the Houston Rockets? Maybe he is perceived as somebody that is overrated as a player. So maybe Houston was dri the front office was driving that decision. even an emay may have wanted it or may have not wanted it. If the coach also want it. I do think that would be quite telling If Udoka through the eye test lens was like, no I don't watch Jalen Brown That would say something to me, Tom It really would. It definitely would with emay N go sorry, another question fire I wanted to ask because we did the draft show. it feels like it was months ago Butzili Yeah, ye. I mean, was that last week? Yeah. I feel like that was last week. Yeah. It was last last Tuesday op Um Does the Walker Kessler trade change your opinion of what the Jazz did on Draft Night because you know, I'm a big camboozer guy, but now that they have a loosened up court where you have Markinen, Jaron Jackson Jr. and use of nerage does if the Walker Casto trade gets done before the draft, Do you have a different opinion about the fit there for Darren Peterson versus Camboozer because that's the thought that crossed my mind is you had three you had four bigs for three positions. mayaybe that's not a great fit But if you have Jaron Jackson junior at the five Camboo are at the four and Larry Market at the three. That's a lot of size And a lot of shooting around Jaron Jackson juni. And it just feels like to me id Utah know that they were going to move on from Walker Kessler on draft night? orr do they think that they ended up realizing, oh, if the Lakers are willing to give them that deal U and they're willing to give us all those draft picks, then we'll make that move becausecause I think maybe the calculus changes. if you have Camboozer potentially available at number two If you have Walker Kessler freeing up a spot there at the five. O one hand, Walker Kessler is a great fit next to Cambooer long term O on the other, that's just a lot of bodies at in your front court that maybe Cambooer isn't a possibility there number at number two if you do have an opening at the two guard position I think it's a good question. Like, did they know this was on the table then Did they know they were going to take it then? and they went Peterson anyway I get the impression they were taking Peterson no matter what That is my imp withith or without Walker Kessler is my gut feeling there. And I'm sure we'll learn more in the weeks and months and years to come as well. But they still have plenty of size. They just resigned Nirkich who suffered a serious loss yesterday with Bosnia losing the team USA in the World Cup. Sorry Nerkich. B the Bosnian beasts, use of Nerkich, sorry about that. Go team USA. Even though I did not I didn't watch the game. I was live. I was doing my reaction show I was doing that yesterday. You were getting a callrososopy though Now I wasn't getting a colonoscopy like like Bill Simmons. I wasn't doing that. But but I am looking forward to very much seeing Darren Peterson and all these rookies play in NBA suummer League got to get my tickets on NBA for the NBA suummer League on Gameime. the Gameime app. Be sure to pick up your summer League tickets there or any concert tickets you need for the summer. And one thing we are going to see in suummer League Tom is something new News broke. During a recording at NBAPR NBA communications posted on X