Ramona Shelburne: Paul George to Warriors seems to be a “longshot”

Ramona Shelburne: Paul George to Warriors seems to be a “longshot”

upon us is a real treat hey Momo how we doing what’s going on uh a lot or or maybe about to be a lot I like everybody’s going crazy up here I know you get it you’ve been among the uh the dialed in reporters who have all said the Warriors are knocking on every important door so where where does it sit let’s start with Paul George do how How likely uh of a scenario do you see that one as I mean I am somebody pretty close to this descri this is more long shot um just because it’s complicated right and you know the Clippers they don’t have to do anything they can just sit back and kind of dare him to leave you know if they know their guy and they think he’ll just he really just wants to stay in LA or stay on the west coast they don’t have to trade him anywhere he you know the only the only thing that gets a little weird is if he opts in and then we know that by Saturday right that’s the opt in day the 29th so if he opts in then you go well that’s kind of interesting you know that’s he can still do the extension with the Clippers he um then he kind of comes off the board for the cap space teams unless you they do a sign and trade there um but I think it’s it’s it’s it’s a really I think the you know the Warriors obviously have interest in that he they’re trying to surround Stu and Draymond and and whoever else is Left Right with with talent and GI St it’s really I mean I I say step drma but it’s it’s it’s step right as long as you have Stu you got to give them you got to give them a roster that’s not going to fin finish 10th and begin to play in every year if we do get to that signed and trade portion of the show is the Chris Paul contract still live in the trade game for a team like the Clippers or or another team that might be looking to bring that in as either an asset or as a contract I think that’s still alive I mean you know there’s a lot of teams that now have to figure out where they are MoneyWise right um now the draft is done the trades that have happened and not happened still an attractive contract plus I think Chris Paul can still kind of play you know I mean that’s that’s I I think the Warriors would like to have Chris Paul back I just don’t know if they can do 30 million again um but there’s a there’s a set of scenarios where they can extend him out they can they can they can you know they can extend the deadline that they have to do that it would take his agreement on that um but they can you know they have the luxury of time here don’t have to do it um right in the next day or two uh Ramona if we go with uh the source that you sort of mentioned that the Paul George idea is complicated and a bit of a long shot um to what level is there a pivot um and and and what other possibilities at a high level are out there I think um they just they just have to keep working at it right like um how do I how how can I phrase this I think there is a pivot I think that there are still a lot of players out there whether or not they fit what the Warriors do I’m not sure um right um you know like you’ll hear a Brandon ingrams name out there well it didn’t really work out on the Olympic team with Steve Kerr right so I don’t know about that one okay um but there’s still a lot of there’s still a lot of really good players that um that they that they can go Target and it doesn’t none of it has to be done now I just keep coming back to that you know it doesn’t all have to be done in the next two days it can it can it can take a minute and um I think that’s I think that’s an interesting I think that’s an interesting wrinkle here right because you know there’s a Klay Thompson situation I think that’ll get settled fairly quickly whether that’s whether he stays in Golden State or goes um I used to think he was definitely staying now I’m not so sure um you know just based on how this whole thing is gone and how how other offers he may have but but there’s um you know like there’s a there’s there’s guys like kcp out there that are that are interesting they don’t have the cap space for that but but they do have young players that people like and I don’t think they have to trade all of them to even get good to get good players I think there’s a lot of there’s a lot of options for the Warriors and that’s that’s not easy to do in today’s NBA is to leave yourself this many options Ramona why do you think the Klay Thompson thing happens quickly and why are you less confident in a return um there are only a couple teams with the cap space right um to to sign him to something like a little larger and I think that cap space drives up pretty quick right there’s only a couple teams that that would fit there um and then everything else would be sort of a mid-level right um I so there’s not much to decide except for where do you want to go um and uh you know the Warriors I think the Warriors do have an interest in bringing them back but what is is is that you know is that happening before they they deal with the other four or five options that are out there I don’t I don’t I don’t see that I think they have a few other things to try to get done that may or may not happen right before they deal with clay and let’s see how long he waits and the timing of it fascinating because I think the Chris PA money becomes guaranteed tomorrow so you’d mentioned that they don’t have to do anything right away but don’t they have to essentially have a good idea of what they can do with Chris Paul’s contract if in fact they guarantee it tomorrow Yes except they could if he I think if I understand this correctly I I think they can extend that deadline if he agrees he would have to agree um but if I’m Chris Paul I think I would agree I think I you know if there’s a chance I still get to make 30 million next year heck yeah I’m gonna agree you know it makes sense right Ramona shelburn ESPN with us here Willard and dibs 957 the game what would you say uh collectively about the the Warriors young assets and the Warriors willingness to include them in in current talks um I would say kaminga everybody asked for kaminga and psky and the Warriors say no like they they don’t want to include those those two young guys in any trade um now is there a trade that could move that needle I’m sure there is um you know there’s you know okay Giannis or something right but but it’s pretty close to Untouchable um you know in terms of kaminga kaminga and some extent fensky we’ve heard reports that the team is quote aggressively shopping Andrew Wiggins are there aggressive buyers and what do you think the market is to acquire Andrew Wiggins this year it’s not that high right he had a pretty bad season um and he has you know he actually has a pretty good contract you know in terms of if you think that he can bounce back and have another good year his contract is not too bad um so I think there is a market it’s it’s just not something that it should have been based off of where he was a couple years ago it’s hard to it’s hard to um there’s not a lot of people clamoring for that right now um that’s just a salary match and and there’s there’s several years left on that so that’s that’s a tougher one to to do and I think a lot of teams also you know there’s just not a lot of players in that that salary range right now you know what I mean there’s there’s you’re like you’re either a Max or you’re or you’re a mid-level guy but there’s not a lot in between and so um you have to aggregate things you have to put things get and I and I I don’t I I my head doesn’t fit all this information yet but they did something today that with their 50 second pick where they traded it and then they got it back and then now I think they’re they’re they’re first and second apron or something and I don’t know what that means yet um I haven’t called Bobby or read enough of the breakdown but I think they they made it a little harder on them themselves by doing that yeah what by the way they did they’re hard cap now second apron what and and again I’m gonna I heard what you said you haven’t done the doesn’t that doesn’t it seem at least like that makes large scale moves less likely yes before the new year but I but again I’m not the right person to ask you gotta call like Nate Duncan or something for that you know like call call Nate or call call Bobby or something this new cap is new for all of us and I and I I don’t know exactly I keep thinking I keep hearing it’s coming but it hasn’t hit yet it’s the new year and you know it’s all that stuff uh Ramona shelburn ESPN with us here on 957 the game Ramona I want to go back to your comment about moves for the Warriors don’t have to happen now um and and and sort of Explore More what what you mean mean by that like is this something that you’re thinking if it’s not now this could be trade deadline stuff what what what are you what are you saying there yeah I mean they well the one thing I think golden state has done is they’ve really preserved optionality for as long as they can and when you have a player like Wiggins where his value is pretty low right now I mean I mean I suppose he could go lower but most likely it’s GNA rebound a bit um when you have younger players like Moody who you know if there’s if Klay Thompson is not back then I think Moody plays a bigger role and he’s a really good player um so you know they don’t have to be in a huge hurry here um I I just don’t understand everything that happened with the second apron yet so I can’t right I it seemed like a thing that they did today following all the people who were who were who were talking about which pick goes where and who traded this and then all I know is Bobby marks tweeted that they they invoke the first and second apron things and that’s not good right and probably good for Joe lob because now there’s I was telling Mark there’s no more temptation to overspend and get in above that second apron now they absolutely can’t do that as far as trade targets do you think that they might eventually be in that second and third tier and maybe trying to acquire multiple players who are maybe not top of the Marquee but guys who can come in and be at least rotational and maybe making about 20 million yeah I mean that’s that’s really the um the new NBA I mean it’s if you look at the last two teams that won it’s it’s not I mean look joic and Murray are great Tatum and brown are great but are they are outside of okay joic clearly is a top five player in the league but are the other ones you know like it used to be like you had to have two or three like top five players and now it’s you got to have a squad it’s about the whole team um and I think that’s that’s kind of new and the the depth matters now let’s go all the way back to strength and numbers Warriors obviously s you know obviously they know that um and that’s how they’ve won a lot of titles but they also had Steph Curry and Klay Thompson at that point um but I think top to bottom they just need more offense out of anybody not named Steph I mean that was the takeaway from last year right one of they it just can’t be Curry versus everybody every night and is kaminga there yet I don’t know when will he get there hard to say um you know it’s time to fortify that second score role Ramona I I wonder also just based on what you’re you’re saying to us right now like what do you think the likelihood is that the Warriors come back in October with a roster that that looks pretty similar to what they’ve already got you know I I think there was offseason plans and and offseason let’s let’s back to this in Mark um you just can’t spend as much money on a roster and finish tents like they did last year can’t do that and so there’s a sense like you got to do something different like you’ve seen what this is what the year before what were they they still in the play in tournament I think they were eighth or seventh or eighth oh they were six there were six and they and they beat the Kings and lost in the second round yeah yeah yeah but either way like this is way too expensive of a team to be finishing the play in like they did last year not it’s not that that can’t that can’t continue so how how big of an overhaul can you do um how much how much is it about you know giving other people different roles how much is it about completely recasting the team I think they had a lot of different plans they you know ABCDE e f right I don’t know where they are on the on the plans that might work or not work um you know like like I said on the I said on NBA today the other day name a high-profile trade Target a free agent they’ve made some calls Kevin dur they’ve called you know Paul George they’ve called right I mean this is this is where they are every every big name Lori Markin in they’ve called but you know you can’t make other people trade you think with players right if they don’t want to um you can’t always find the right match there so I think it’s you know what what can they actually pull off we’ll see it’s they got a couple of couple of big deadlines coming up starting tomorrow you you you speak of these offseason plans kind of in past tense I I don’t know if that was intentional or not well just because we’ve gone through the draft now um I I guess it’s not past tense because the offseason hasn’t really started yet outside of the draft but you know every time a moment of Leverage goes by so the Warriors kept they they use a pick so that’s one less asset that they have right they they use pick so that’s that’s one less thing they can put in potential deal um that’s that’s one point where guys get traded there weren’t any really huge trades besides the Mcall Bridges trade for the draft Yeah it seemed like it was somewhat of a quiet draft until today when the Lakers really shocked Everyone by going out on the limb and taking bronnie James what’s your takeaway with the Lakers taking LeBron’s son is it a throwaway pick or you know like second round picks or could he actually maybe be a player someday um you know it’s um it’s it’s really interesting I I don’t know if he can be a player um I think he you know Michael Thompson and I were on radio today in LA and uh he goes you know I think he’s kind of like Gary Peyton the third you know Gary Peyton the second he’s kind of like he obviously has the genes he has you know he has the basketball Q athleticism is he going to be an all-time leading scorer probably not um but could he be a nice rotational player in the league maybe um and I I’m I’m on the side of okay yeah there’s nepotism involved here there obvious you know would he be getting drafted if he wasn’t LeBron’s son probably not but I don’t think there’s any harm in in taking a late second round pick flyer on him if it keeps your best player happy and it’s it’s it’s really a nice story for the league right I mean you know do people get on the bucks for having fases on the team with Giannis I mean I I don’t know I I don’t I think it’s I think it’s pretty cool to have a father and son on the same team like this and and you know I went through and I looked up number 50 five picks overall okay there’s there’s two of them that stood out to me two Patty Mills was number 55 overall and Lis skola like back in 2002 so we went pretty far back last 20 something years um it’s interesting right like it’s it’s most of the time this number 55 pick doesn’t doesn’t even make the roster um I think bronnie probably will or he’ll be in the g-league for part of the year but but it’s a it’s a good story it’s it’s you know giving LeBron what he’s kind of always dreamed about he’s talked about this for years I don’t think there’s any harm in it and you know if there was some guy on their board that was still there at 55 and they passed on him okay maybe maybe there’s a yic that got picked at 58 maybe McCullers or something is going to be great right but I don’t think there’s I don’t think it’s hurting anybody and I think most of the reaction against this is just people who don’t like LeBron um is KD staying in Phoenix I think so yeah I think this an ego thing thing I don’t think ish is ready to move off that yet H okay uh and what’s what do you think uh the Jimmy Butler situation what do what’s your take on that I think he stays in Miami I don’t think he wants to get traded um and uh he may not do a new deal now um might just stay there and play it out but uh but yeah I feel like he’s uh I feel like he stays I I don’t think that moves all that much the ones the ones that I think will be interesting the the big dominoes really are are Paul George and whether he stays if he leaves a Clipper that changes the whole western conference right depending on where it goes um might change the Eastern Conference uh Klay Thompson is a is a pretty big domino in my world kavus callwell Pope those those three players in terms of free agents that that could move or could could shake things up those three I think are that that really could change the complexion of the Western Conference we we’ve been watching the last 5 10 years medium dominoes and I’m fascinated by the Atlanta because they’ve got four or five guys in the $20 million range are they going to part with dejonte Murray or bogdanovich could one of those guys maybe pop free it makes sense right I mean I feel like Deon is probably the guy because he has more trade value than Trey young um Trey makes a lot of money and so it’s harder to move that contract it’s like it’s not that he’s a better player it’s just the contract um and you have to kind of build your team around him you’re not trading for him to be your you know um your your fifth BL best player trading for him to be your first or second best player uh so I don’t know there’s there’s there’s a few other salaries out there that are interesting like what does what does Brooklyn do now looks like they’re in sort of fire sale mode do they trade do they find a taker for Ben Simmons is that a good out of jail free card for somebody is that is that interesting um cam Thomas they have a couple good players on that team that that that could you know Dorian finny Smith those are those are good rotation players um I think Dallas is an interesting team to watch obviously they were in the finals and they they’re probably one more transaction cycle away um from from doing what they you know from what they need and so it’s an interesting it’s an interesting um I think this this whole thing is uh this this whole next week or so with free agency is there’s there’s a lot of teams that are motivated to do things plus we really don’t know what this new CBA is about to do like and I don’t know if we’ll have the answers in three days or three months but it’s it is it is really forcing teams to draw lines in the sand in ways that they haven’t before Ramona shelburn ESPN Ramona we will let you leave us with this our audience obviously filled with tons of Warrior fans I I’ll just make this very broad what what would you tell them uh to to sort of expect in the next week in the next two three weeks a great effort to improve the team around staff whether or not it’s successful I don’t know how’s that that’s fair enough that’s fair enough I I I mean I I think they owe it to step I really do I think they feel very strongly they owe that to him yeah no that that much is clear I just think all of the talk from from you know those NBA insiders about big game hunting has Warrior fans kind of braced for something big and and and I don’t know if that I don’t know if they’re going to get it yeah they still got to pull it off yeah yeah you know I mean look the Knicks were waiting for years and years and years to what are they going to spend their picks on what are they going to trade their pick which star are they going to get at the end of the rainbow was Mcall Bridges good player I like it I like the trade but you know is that what they were thinking all those years I don’t know probably not yeah probably not um Ramona thank you thank you thank you very much you got it boys okay awesome Ramona shelburn as always yeah bringing it the uh the

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne joins Willard and Dibs to break down the Warriors options this offseason now post-NBA draft. What are the Warriors capable of?

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