PG-13 TO GOLDEN STATE⁉ CJ McCollum wants GSW, Klay Thompson to ‘explore all options’ | NBA Today

PG-13 TO GOLDEN STATE⁉ CJ McCollum wants GSW, Klay Thompson to ‘explore all options’ | NBA Today

let’s start with Klay Thompson the talks between Golden State and the four-time champ they have stalled as the start of free agency looms that’s according to our MBA reporter Kendra Andrews and yesterday GM Mike Dunley Jr he spoke about his approach to the negotiation process with Clay take a listen I think I’m reasonable I’m rational that’s how I’m always going to operate um but to say like a guy like Klay Thompson who’s meant so much this franchise to completely strip the emotion away from it um I think that’s almost impossible uh but you know this is a business bus and we we’ll talk through things we continue to talk through things and uh you know like I said we’re hopeful but you know we’ll see we got to we got to figure things out this is a business that may be one of the most like used overused phrases in the NBA but it is true we all know that that is true and it may not be a storybook ending for teams and their foundational pieces but is there a way that this ends in in a best scenario for both parties the bay and Clay I definitely want to chop it I think looking at this situation having played against Clay having known him and watched how his role has kind of changed watching the chatter around his name how he was utilized essentially bringing him off the bench for a rookie at one point during this year I think it may be time for both parties to explore other options I think that’s what they’re doing right now to try to figure out what’s available and what’s out there and I think from a perspective standpoint you go from arguably the greatest Run the game has ever seen based on what they were doing collectively Klay was a huge part of that threes defense hitting big shots game six game seven clay and to be treated the way he was treated this last year and a half or so I think um I looked at it as disrespect from the outside looking it and I think he may have taken it that way as well and that may be one of the reasons why they’re exploring all the options and sometimes you know as a person who had to change scenery not that this is the same situation but sometimes change of scenery is great for everybody involved and that may be something that they’re just talking through and just trying to explore good point that’s really interesting when you think about from the outside you perceived it you know as disrespect because if you think about it I think a lot of the blame for the warrior struggles they finished in 10th they were in the play and a lot of people looked to Clay and his struggles coming back after two very difficult injuries and said he is the reason we’re struggling no they had more issues than just Klay Thompson but he feel it feels like everyone attributed it to him at that moment that made it feel worse a hundred times worse I do think there’s also a point we all know this where you have a professional dilemma as an athlete do you want to stay in a place where they might relegate Your Role to coming off of the bench or do you want to explore a place where you feel like you can still be that guy or that woman that person out there and I think that’s what’s going through his head because we saw how much better he was coming off of the bench in this circumstance and we know they want to protect Prime step but does he want to do that does he have more you know juice to squeeze out and does that mean does he go elsewhere and the Golden State Warriors as we’ve talked about their organiz their organization has been synonymous with success over the last decade for championships he’s one of the part of one of the greatest trios ever but Golden State’s focus at this point is singular it is how can they maximize the end of Steph Curry’s career let’s turn our attention here to O G anobi he has opted out of his contract and into free agency according to multiple reports New York went 20 and three remember with him in the starting during the regular season so Austin chop it or drop it retaining OG anobi should be at the top of the Knick’s priority list absolutely we’re going to chop it uh listen he opted out because that boy’s going to get paid and and and New York’s going to pay him they have to they were 20 and3 with them 20 and three when he was in the lineup that’s not something to look over they were dominant when he in there he’s a Swiss army knife he does everything on the floor he he can defend capable three-point shooter can guard one through four and he’s just like a you know a Tibido guy hard noosed strong Josh Hart divon chinzo all these guys are hard-nosed two-way players he fits in perfectly with that team and I think them fully healthy with Julius Randle back they are a team as well as extra cap space that they have can go find something even else in addition to paying him they could be a really dangerous team next year and when you give up quickly RJ Barrett that’s those are those are pieces for them you want to got to bring back noi all right let’s stick in the East here the Cleveland Cavaliers they have tapped Kenny Atkinson to be the franchise’s next head coach and now they can turn their focus into fully securing All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell on a contract extension so CH now that we know who the coach is going to be is Cleveland the best place for Mitchell to contend Cho it or drop it y’all cool with me dropping it because I think they have a lot of questions that they have to address Donovan obviously he’s the number one guy but does he want to be as someone who has many years in this league stay there and maybe win or go somewhere else where he could really be a key piece and then also we all know like I think it’s a great coaching move but overall they have some development and they have some time so let’s drop it all we’re going to drop that one for now and and save maybe the most consequential player for last here Paul George the nine time Allstar has until Saturday to decide if he’s going to become an unrestricted fee agent the Clippers they won 65% of their games with PG-13 in the lineup the grass isn’t always greener on the other side sometimes it is so Austin chop it or drop it Paul George should leave Los Angeles chop it he should he needs to he needs to leave listen I in my eyes they’ve had a decent run there um definitely that run where they went to the Conference Finals uh but him and qu haven’t been able to be healthy at the same time well they played 68 games oh in the postseason in the postseason where it matters yeah it happens every single year they get to the postseason and one of them goes down it’s like clockwork it’s like we wait for it almost um which has been disappointing just from the fan aspect because we all thought that them together could be a really dangerous team especially with the addition of James and Norman Powell a lot of other guys they have on the team that make them very talented so at this point you know I I I I would look for him to leave but not just anywhere I mean kawai’s healthy they say he might play in in the USA Basketball so you know unless an opportunity really presents himself I you know I would stay but you know if he can’t leave leave yeah I’m going to start with a this is a business uh line I bringing that back again financially it may be in his better interest to stay um with respect to who his ownership group is uh understanding the complexities of leaving losing the year and all those things but he has to decide what matters most to him does he want to be in La he’s from there I know the family dynamics of being closer to home what that means does he want to continue to play alongside Kawai and bet on health obviously James probably coming back as well does he want to explore living on the East Coast you know I’ve been in New York a little while it’s nice here it’s nice outside of New York in some of the surrounding cities does he want to explore that does he want to explore seeing what happens with Clay whether he leaves or stays so I think he has to kind of figure out what his priorities are are and who he wants to kind of play alongside as he gets closer to the latter part of his can I ask you something if it’s winning if it’s about winning it would be where if it’s if if if Paul George wakes up today and goes I’m making this decision not lifestyle not money I just want to win next year I want to win a ring and then I’ll give you my thought to the Bay him Steph Dre together you like that better than Maxi him and Joel well the health we talk about health we talk about the importance of availability correct and Joel are going to be able to play playoff that’s completely different but we’re looking at history which has Joel has played but he’s been injured in the playoffs which has hampered the team and put a lot on Maxi has put a lot on the rest of the guys to have to play up a role or two which is we went through the same thing in in in New Orleans if your best player gets hurt or close to your best player everybody has to play up a role which is sustainable for short periods of time but not for long periods of time throughout the playoffs and I think that is my biggest apprehension because energizing wise him going to Philly it feels like that feels good as a basketball play player someone that can score off ball you’ve got so many different styles between Maxi and embid you just play on that wing it works out with the size but you’re leaving for something that is the same question mark hey we’re never healthy when it matters most so are the Philadelphia 76ers which is why you bring up the bay is uh pretty intriguing you sounded very presidential on your answer by the way you did but very diplomatic two things to consider if you’re the Los Angeles Clippers you’re heading into a new Arena you’re not going to want to have nothing to show for Paul George and all of this because you want to have butts and seats and and and a talented team that are going to draw people out there and the Clippers are right now the oldest team in the NBA so those are things to consider when you’re trying to retool that roster all right so while we have to wait to see what roster changes the Lakers are going to make this off season their new head coach JJ reick laid out some differences that you can expect to see schematically in his introductory press conference on Monday Anthony and I already had a conversation a week ago uh about some ideas both offensively and defensively and you know one of the things I brought up with him is just um the idea of him as a hub with LeBron look you have to certainly uh get by in and talk to him about how he wants to play he shot over 40% from three this year like I I want him shooting threes I’m going to use math I’m going to use math he’s going to use math my worst subject in school buty really made it clear he’s going to try and emphasize analytics in Los Angeles and he said he’s going to to use Anthony Davis as a hub but tday what does that actually look like on the floor look JJ and I are sort of spirit animals we like math we like analytics and ad if you look at this first I want to take it to the court because I want to show you how he is actually a hub watch the intricacies of how he gets the ball first there’s a pin down for LeBron James then there’s a handoff then there’s a slip screen see where ad started on the outside this is all to get him on the inside where in the postseason he averaged the most points per game in the paint 20.8 this is against joic only second to yic in post-ups as well over the course of the regular season so these are the things that I think JJ will mine the game with again see where he starts this is where they start again another pin down to get LeBron but what I love about LeBron because he shoots the ball as JJ said so well people have to guard him downhill and he’s able to shovel past so those things are going to be the things that I think JJ is going to keep an eye on and look at these numbers second most points in the NBA trailing only yic last season so you have the keys to the kingdom in ad you also have literally the king in LeBron James you put those two together you up the development of The Supporting Cast I think he has a good I guess you can say starting block for his coaching career you mentioned his paint scoring he also averaged three and a half assists per game last season the most in a Lakers uniform with LeBron James being 40 years old could the offense be going through him a little bit more so that they could take a load off of LeBron James what do you expect to see there Austin yeah I I I think they need to up that usage rate last year they played the most games that he has what 60 plus games him and LeBron uh they’re going going to play through him he’s 31 years old he’s not 37 he still got plenty of juice in that tank you can play through ad uh and obviously have LeBron hopefully be healthy come posted that’s a good point because LeBron LED them in usage if we see a flip that shows you that they actually believe to utilize ad for the foreseeable future I think it’s not about LeBron it’s not about ad obviously they’re going to play well you’re going to hope that they play as many games as possible together it’s about the others what are you getting from Austin Reed DLo is there what are you getting from DLo how are you empowering them within the offense JJ is great at doing math he’s great at understanding the science of shooting threes how are you generating threes and that’s playing inside out we have to double ad and I think if you play through him then you’re going to allow others to be open that’s going to do it for us here on MBA today [Music]

CJ McCollum, Austin Rivers and Chiney Ogwumike join Malika Andrews on NBA Today to discuss what’s next for the Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson, Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland, Paul George and the LA Clippers, and, how head coach JJ Redick will improve the Los Angeles Lakers.

0:00 Warriors-Thompson
2:58 OG Anunoby opts-out of Knicks contract
4:01 Cavaliers hire Kenny Atkinson
4:40 Should Paul George leave LA Clippers?
6:35 PG-13 & Klay Thompson on the same team!?
8:07 JJ Redick’s impact to Lakers

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