GET UP | “Lakers are best fit for him” – Tim Legler predicts Lakers will beat Mavs for Klay Thompson

GET UP | “Lakers are best fit for him” – Tim Legler predicts Lakers will beat Mavs for Klay Thompson

to talk us through some of his Wy watchs uh let’s start with Tyrese Maxi Wendy yeah wo just told us 5 years 100 $24 million this is a twin deal that’ll go along with Paul George this was really sort of established last summer when Maxi was in position to get essentially this same contract darl M made a partnership with him trust me he will will take care of you just leave the cap space open they’ve all it’s all paid off obviously a big day for Maxi and the 76ers speaking speak of that you may have heard the 76ers have locked down Paul George another separate but much more in interesting $200 million contract four years 212 million W broke the news in the middle of the night this was something that was headed towards um becoming a union after the Clippers refused to increase their offer over the last few days of free agency even though there were other teams interested in Paul George the team that had the the cap space to make a straight signing and had a championship aspiration was Philly the two of them found each other and made this deal in a definite League changing situation Chris Paul has not been a free agent in the 20 years he’s been in the league well he was won for about 10 minutes yesterday the the Warriors decided to move on uh cutting him from his $30 million non-guaranteed contract understanding they couldn’t find a trade for him San Antonio had been eyeing this for weeks they they swoop in with a one-year $1 million deal he will now Mentor Victor wanyama and really upgrade the overall playmaking on the Spurs roster and we still have one major free agent really out there and that’s Klay Thompson another player who be leaving the Warriors right now the Warriors from what I am told are in discussions with both the Lakers and the Mavericks about sign and trade deals for clay the Mavericks right now are in a little bit better position because they have already made a trade involving Tim Hardway Jr opening a trade exception which could be attractive to the Warriors the Lakers have a window to do the same thing we’ll see if they’re able to do it but they’re both trying to give clay contracts in the 4year 70 million dollar range in a sign and trade I wouldn’t roll out the Clippers Brian they’re still in there they would have to do a sign and trade at this point with the with the Warriors but I think it’s coming down to the Mavs and the Lakers with the Mavs in the lead at this point well if you look at the Western Conference Finals that is what the Mavs needed they needed somebody to knock down some threes stylistically on the court he’d be great for the MAV Tim so Klay Thompson on the Mavericks would be like who like when Ray Allen went from Boston to Miami checks a lot of boxes aging Celtics roster acrimonious departure goes to a championship contending team obviously Miami a little bit higher in the pecking order back then with the big three than where the Mavs are but look the Mavs just went to the finals obviously they could have really used another shooter in the finals and I think Dallas is in the group of teams a top the West with Oklahoma City with Minnesota with Denver I wouldn’t put them at the top of the list but they’re unquestionably in a better position than the Lakers and to me when you’re talking about obviously no income tax in Texas obviously you’re getting more money then better Style istic fit getting threes next to LCA donic and just a much better team to me makes a ton of sense for Klay to go to Dallas if he goes to La it’s just for family reasons Nostalgia reasons you know location reasons as opposed to the best basketball fit there’s no question with the better basketball fit show me why it’s the perfect landing spot for clay well let’s start with uh the petty the Revenge Factor right oh you gave Wiggins 100 million you gave Draymond 100 million I can’t get 100 million all right watch me as you dismantle this dynasty I’m going to get another ring so you start there right winning is the ultimate Revenge start with that now he might not publicly have that outward but in his heart you know that’s definitely got to be part he’s a super proud guy yes and there’s a lot you can you know there’s a lot of underlying emotion with this whole thing so let let’s start there number two it’s also for both of them a perfect fit on many levels if you’re the Dallas Mavericks this is a guy you should Target because of what he brings that you were missing you mentioned it in the Western Conference talking about the NBA Finals under 32% three-point shooting when you have donic on the floor when you have Kyrie Irving on the floor you need spacing you need shooting you know what else they needed veteran experience there you go I was going there next a guy that’s been there at the at at the highest level who’s played on the biggest stage who when they get there again if they can now you’re not as an experience because he knows he’s been there Kyrie was the one in luc’s ear cuz Kyrie had been there before telling him are you tired you’re supposed to be this is how it’s supposed to feel extraordinarily and they did in that overwhelmed and Klay Thompson I was there for game six in Oklahoma City he’s obviously at all these moments he’s won four rings like that that’s the kind of experience you need to add to that group and then the last thing is is that Klay Thompson has the unique experience of playing with a an overwhelming entity in a guy like Steph Curry an allw World player that you know everything revolves around and you have to learn how to play with guys like that it’s not easy as porzingis there’s other players who have said this playing with Luca donic is not easy cuz you don’t know what he’s going to do but you better be ready when that ball comes because you need to hit that Klay Thompson that’s exactly what he’s been doing his whole career he knows how to play around players like this and he is exactly what the Mavs Mavs could use all the different things that we have laid out it is the perfect fit we’ve talked about Paul George fitting with the Sixers how it is both needed each other I think personally for Klay Thompson he needs the Mavericks and the Mavericks need him so then do you think it it’s Clay or bust for the Lakers I mean it depends on what you’re saying if it’s to make the playoffs again sure I would say it’s CLA bu but like are we talking about them being a championship contending team then they’re busted like this is not a team that’s good enough to be a serious threat in the west they’re not a serious threat to me to win a round in the playoffs and I don’t think that making a move like this would really change that to me if I’m the Lakers what I’m doing is holding on to my chips I’m not moving D’Angelo Russell for stuff and I’m waiting to potentially make moves during the season CU if you have to pay a team to take D’Angelo Russell and then you have to pay the Warriors to do a signning trade all all of a sudden you’re sending out all these assets to add one guy in his mid-30s that isn’t really changing Laker’s Destiny they need to take a longer term approach and try to add some pieces that have some longer term potential I just don’t think this makes any what’s the thing the Lakers can’t really afford that Klay Thompson once in his career was this but not anymore perimeter defense right they they can’t afford to have an issue on the perimeter where okay yes he can space he can shoot he’d be a great fit with LeBron but at the other end are you losing something there have to commit to what they have right now let JJ reck figure out what they have and then as the season goes on like you’re saying I think during the season is where the Lakers if they are a very competitive team if they are getting closer to the trade dud line then you start to say who’s somebody that we can Target to go get that’ll put us over the top that’ll get us there but if you’re not top six in the west before the trade deadline what are we doing so Wendy you know we we I know you’re reporting was LeBron called obviously clay as soon as pre- agency began LeBron and said I’ll take as less as 20 million uh to sign a guy like Clay Thompson give me your your thoughts on this yeah I understand Lakers fans are probably saying what about LeBron taking less that’s what you were guys were talking about yesterday yes LeBron has said he will take less for a player like Klay Thompson but to make this work this transaction work the Lakers are very likely going to have to make a separate trade that offloads some money in fact the Mavericks even though they’ve offloaded Tim hardyway may need to make another trade as well because they have signed they’re going to sign a marshall away from the Pelicans which is a different story if the Lakers may have that trade they may be working on it right now involving D’Angelo Russell or Gabe vincer to somebody but until they have that trade it’s hard to make an Apples to Apples comparison on the on the value of the offer and then when it comes to the actual talent and what they’ve just done this past season it’s not really comparable the the Mavericks are significantly ahead but it doesn’t mean the Lakers won’t get a move here there’s other players they can look at demard De R rozan is a player that LeBron might consider taking less money for I’m told so let’s I know Clay is the focus of the moment I’m sure the Lakers are working on it but there are other things the Lakers can can look at as well you know you know the interesting thing is we’ve always talked about this dynasty that the Golden State Warriors have had now all of a sudden it seems to be coming apart here you know Zack low talked about this uh on our show I want you to take a listen to what Zack low had to say about clay leaving and what it means for the Warriors this is the end of something magical in basketball like this was a dynastic team and this guy from the threes in Oklahoma City to the threes against Toronto to coming out with a busted ACL to shoot the free throws to the loudest Ovation I heard in that Arena ever this is the end of something we need to take a moment to appreciate it we also need to take a moment to ask what’s plann B here for this team that has one of the 10 to 12 greatest players of all time still playing at an all NBA level you know Wy I remember hearing and this was like last week where you were talking about Hey look look Golden State’s trying to do any and everything they can to upgrade this team especially while Steph Curry is still you know Elite um so what can they do to improve this team in the short term now that we know that Clay’s leaving well there’s a possibility that in a Klay Thompson signing trade they may be able to land an asset or two that they can use in a separate trade and I think they’re looking at that one player I think that they’re looking at is Lowry marinan of the Utah Jazz the the Jazz have put marinin available on the market they’re talking to a number of teams there is significant interest in him he is a prototypical player stretch the floor big man in the modern NBA there are teams interested in him he potentially could be a move for the Warriors not unlike the way porzingis was a move for the Celtics a year ago however the Jazz’s price when it comes to any player that they’re trading is very high so meeting that I shouldn’t think you know it wouldn’t be assumed that any team could meet it or that the Warriors would win a bidding war but the Warriors are not done here and if they’re not able to make a transaction in this cycle over the summer it doesn’t mean they’re going to fold their tent they have good young pieces that they’re going to have move into replace Klay Thompson and they’ll be able to have draft picks that they can trade and potentially an asset they get back for clay that they can move later on so um they are definitely no longer in my view a serious Championship Contender at this moment but don’t don’t sleep on them don’t rule them out from making another move in the wake of a losing clay uh you know Clay and Chris Paul the Lakers and Warriors are in the same place they’re both both teams that we talk about a lot for obvious reasons but they’re not Championship contenders Brian just summed it up they’re in a better position than the Lakers because they do have more young Talent they do have a better balanc roster they do have I think the ability to make more moves than the Lakers do but again we’re talking about a team that’s hoping to get back in the top six hoping to get back in the playoffs again right there’s a long way to go to catch up with Oklahoma City to catch up with Dallas to catch up with Minnesota to catch up with Denver even after losing kcp like there’s a big gap there and even if they do make a swing for lowi Mark there’s still probably a gap there and L Markin is really good he’s a good player I like that fit but but you know let’s also look at you mentioned they do have at least some young players Jonathan kaminga finished the season where he started to crackle a little bit right he started to jump off the page a little bit like it’s starting to figure out for him you know can he be a splash nephew you know can they turn him into somebody that that can work with Steph Curry that can start to you can build something there Steph Curry might be 36 he still has a lot left clearly right but but he’s 36 right no not quite good enough to get them there by himself anymore as your best player but he’s still going to be your best talent so how do you properly build the talent around I I I like the idea of marketing again on paper all this stuff has to still be worked out but that’s exactly what you’re looking for but for Golden State you know it’s going to be about can they get kuminga to that next level say then they can start saying okay now it’s worth piling on some money or making some moves to turn this into something the start 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GET UP | “Lakers are best fit for him” – Tim Legler predicts Lakers will beat Mavs for Klay Thompson