Every NBA Team’s Biggest Need After 2024 Free Agency
what is up fellow sickos and thermonuclear AF I am Dan Valley coming at you with another solo podcast a podcast I wanted to record for just a minute uh but between fireworks and puppy Duty that comes with the fireworks couldn’t carve out time at night didn’t want to do it during the day because it’s going to become so dated we’re doing it during the day on a Saturday anyway I’ve got triple screens up for anyone who cares I got my well I guess four screens if you count my two phones laptop here where I have notes cap stuff and about signings we’ll get to I’m going to go through what I think is every NBA team’s biggest need that they still need to address now that we’re done with this first sort of wave of free agency as I’m recording this it’s the sixth the moratorium will lift shortly I think I’m eight minutes out of that happen happening so we have some more deals that will become official um if anything breaking news we’re going to cover enough teams here obviously I’m G to try and make it super quick Pace maybe like I mean an hour for all 30 teams would be great um but again gonna go through all those um very quickly just subscribe if you haven’t already uh getting close to 5K subscribers on YouTube continue to flood the comments like seeing people have discussions I’ve been responding to some of them seems like it helps the algorithm a little bit for us as well flood the comments of our shorts too um they’re not always at the end of this this podcast um anymore uh so go there flood the comments like share all the nine appreciate all you guys and subscribe of course Spotify Apple wherever you get your podcast all the support continues to be very much appreciated but look let’s just hop to it and like I said we’ll use the some teams might be longer and if there’s any signings we missed because we want to talk about every signing um I will fold those into which is why partly I have another screen up up here um because I have unbolded the the signings I haven’t covered for each team yet in so far as they’ve made them and we’re going to go look it’s a little dangerous and I thought about going reverse but now that I’m doing it myself this isn’t the time to To Go reverse here so we’re going to begin with the Atlanta Hawks um their biggest need no move since we might still be waiting on them to do stuff since we last talked it feels like they need I mean they still need two-way Wings just because Zachary Reet is really young we don’t know what he’s going to look like at the NBA level Dyson Daniels is very defense oriented even though I kind of like his passing field there um they do have DeAndre Hunter but he’s like is he like he’s like 1.25 way where it’s like there’s going to be days where oh look how Dynamic he is or plug and play on offense I know he’s defending quite well but there’s gonna be days where it’s not so he’s not quite I wouldn’t call him onedimensional he’s got the body he could still stack up but they also kind of need like is the plan at this point just to have are you gonna give a lot of backup point guard reps to Dyson Daniels or Kobe buffkin I don’t hate and of course bonovich is here I actually don’t hate that idea of like okay let’s see have and Kobe buffkin and let’s give Dyson Daniels let’s surround him with shooting maybe those are the minutes where you downsize with because if theoretically you’ll be big all the other positions do you go with a kungu or Nance or Jaylen Johnson as like you know two of those guys as your front Courts for for better spacing than capella I don’t hate it but I’d probably like to see them get like another backup type of of point guard if they’re not going to go that route though they need two-way wings I just don’t see them expending the assets necessary to go out and get those two-way Wings the Boston Celtics since we last spoke they did sign resign Xavier Tillman two years $4.8 million I think that was good just a different type of big man look for them and he can hold up I think Better Than People realize on switches they still feel like not that they’re shallow at the five you have Horford and cornette and Tilman and that like that’s probably fine for Bigs and then the porzingis injury sort of looms and you have namus keada is coming back as well um but it’s like okay if Al Horford gets injured things feel like they could get touch and go I don’t know what else you would expect them to do when you do look at this team it’s like kind of you know what do they actually need because their top like you could trust their top seven guys you want to throw Sam Hower in there top eight if you’re throwing Payton Pritchard they just really they don’t have a hole I would say maybe they could use a different type of Reserve wing on this roster maybe someone who could shim me between the two three or four um Justin holiday would be interesting you would you know you have to look and you run roster spot issues here of course they’re only working with minimums if you want a different type of backup playmaker for them I would kind of get it uh but like just between Derek white and Drew holiday and Jason Tatum and pton Pritchard and of course even J like you could just stagger minutes definitely you can run some stuff through Al Horford and I think I might be overcompensating for focusing too much on saying that they need this additional um this additional playmaking so kind of like just a another combo Wing forward type because look you have white and brown and Tatum and I guess you want to throw a holiday there but that’s that’s sort of it and so someone outside the starting lineup who’s not Sam Hower that can maybe feel that role a little bit better defensively but this team is just the Celtics are the Quint essential no notes team I don’t aside from just health I don’t know what you can actually like what concern are we going to manufacture here so let’s not manufacture anything let’s just keep it moving the Brooklyn Nets I mean you talk about a team they’re all over the place I kind of bandied about the idea like they they need I want to see them have like a floor general of the future to mod I mean they need anything of the future because who’s their who’s their primary building block right now they don’t have one and so if you want to have that be the need but just like having Ben Simmons having Dennis shuder I know you have K Thomas is probably him or Nick Claxton the closest they have to a building block but those two are not building block type of people if you end up moving a cam Johnson or Dorian finny Smith seeing if you can get sort of a younger point guard type feels like the way to go to this team that’s someone who could start organizing your offense again having Ben Simmons if he’s healthy or Dennis shuder in the interm those guys are not going to be long for Brooklyn anyway and so they just need a talent in Fusion younger Talent take the flyer um if you want him in the wings combo forward it’s not a big like I’m fine with I’m interested in um I’m still interested in Noah Clowney full disclosure drron sharp like kind of nice physical some Brute Force there and then you have Nick Claxton so I think that’s the route for for them to go there for sure the Charlotte Hornets uh they still no moves again I’ll I’ll go through them if there’s any moves that we have not covered yet we’ll get into a little detail with them I they’re like still they’re kind of in the talent acquisition mode type deal um it still kind of feels like do they need the guy that’s going to just play next to Lamela ball long term and it’s not going to be is it Trey man it’s not definitely not gonna be Reggie Jackson um I do kind of like their wing set up now when you look at having um TJ salon and Brandon Miller I think that’s a good start um you also still have Cody Martin on this team so like I’m not and we don’t know what’s going to happen with Miles Bridges as of this moment of course so they could use some wing upgrad in theory if you’re looking for a veteran presence but it’s like if that’s a two3 do you think it’s Josh green um that’s fine I tend to be a little bit lower on Josh Green than most I like him better in the non lamelo minutes to be honest with everybody uh but if they could I guess just like I’ll call it Wing shooting just they have they they do have Miller they have lamelo they have Josh Green can hit threes Vil meic um so you do have guys who can do that maybe if you want if you want them the swing for the fences I think you look at it and try to identify it and say okay they do have salon and so if you want to evaluate him in the larger context okay the four is set and if you don’t trust miles Bridges which totally fair so just like another two three that’s bases the floor I think would be good you could make a case that would be better to have some backup point guards here again Trey man being there he’s got some wiggle to him and then of course Reggie Jackson is just like a good enough Steward probably and then again they still have meich on this roster so I’m gonna settle on that another team that’s sort of in transition though so you could come up with a a ton of different ones the Bulls I mean what don’t they need to make sure that they duck the tax and any demard roseen sign and trade uh I like I guess like they still kind of could use shooting they have if Zack lavine’s gonna be moved it seems like they’re trying to move Lonzo ball you did just trade for Josh giddy I think that’s sort of the logic behind Okay we brought in jayen Smith here um that gives you kind of another guy him and Vu to to space the floor I think if you want to get super generalist will just get future first round picks and just continue to lean into sort of the the bottom it does seem they’re taking a more gradual approach but you kind of just need indiscriminate shooting across the two three and four and I would probably shooting with size like real Wing size is probably the way to go because you do have Kobe white you do have IO D on this team and again for now you have Zack LaVine and Lonzo ball I hope is healthy enough to watch this season you brought back Patrick Williams but just sort of like you know Javon Carter is on the smaller end too soone just like Kobe white and dumu is kind of a wing um has good size can defend up but just like Wing I think just go Wing shooting in in vol which spoiler alert that’s I guess that’s going to fall into the category for a lot of these teams every team could like couldn’t we have someone who plays the two the three and the four then just shoots threes that’d be great uh but that’s probably their biggest need it’s tough to really boil it down for them though until you get understand what direction they’re actually headed in and it does seem again that they’re maybe not a full tilt rebuild but just based off the rumors about will they sign and trade DeMar rosen into the Sacramento Kings or maybe even the San Antonio Spurs uh so does seem like they’re headed in that direction but until they pick it uh not to be confused with Jen pick it but until they actually pick that direction it’s it’s like kind of tough to identify the needs and I but as of right now I guess you could say because you paid Patrick Williams and you just have like you’re kind of fine in the back court of Giddy and Kobe white and to soonu if you want to evaluate those guys against the future it’s still you could say well let’s get like an actual Center if you wanted to get like a a center of the future in there you go with that because they don’t really have that on the roster but um anyway you want to slice it with that and could you get someone who fills either of those roles that I just talked about in a demard Rosen signing trade or as part of a Zack oine trade honestly don’t know certainly not gonna get that as part of Lonzo ball trade because I don’t think he has a ton of value around the league right now more that matter does Zack mean next team up the Cleveland Cavaliers so since we last spoke Dom Mitchell agreed to in extension three years about $15.3 million one fewer year than he could have signed for but now if you’re Cleveland like you’ve added two seasons so this season the following season to say okay we have this we’re not going to be under pressure to move him and then he’ll have another guaranteed year before free agency or the option to get to free agency but like that could be if you haven’t won yet or if you haven’t progressed or you’re looking to you know the roster got so expensive with moobi on a new deal maybe Allen on a new deal um you you bought yourself two years here with this three-year extension being tacked on to it’s a two plus one being tacked on to the year that’s already there so you’ve given yourself two more years I would say of just not you know WorryFree but you know that he can be here for two years there’s not going to be pressure to move him you can see what the work that Kenny ainson does with this core four I I think that’s you know that they could have hoped for the four-year extension that would have bought them even like three years with this but to just get that commitment from Donan Mitchel is a very big deal for this team and I think it reiterates why organizations that might not be on a players list or be in the primary running go out there and make the move if you think you’re closer you think it makes a difference because these guys might stick around so I was kind that was kind of cool to see the biggest need I mean it’s kind of the same it’s you want more like I guess a two-way Wing someone who could play in the playoffs maybe log sometime at the four um can defend maybe some of the bigger Wing assignments where that’s not Isaac aoro strength who is this recording Still Remains unsigned by the way in restricted free agency um they would be an interesting Dory and finy Smith team I think and they should be able they just between George and yangang salary they could couble together uh enough to get there I just don’t know in terms of draft Equity what is Brooklyn going to want for that player and so you out you draft jam and Tyson is that enough is like kind of to sweeten that package but that’s sort of the need because we know that they’re going to heavily stagger you know all four of their top players where you’re going to see different combinations between the the two guards and the two bigs but we know that they’re probably going to aggressively stagger Jared Allen or Evan Moy unless Evan Mobley just comes in he’s shooting you know a bunch above the break threes and hitting him at a 35 36% clip or whatever that’s going to be that’s going to remain their biggest need next up the Dallas Mavericks who I turns out I’m a lot higher on their off season a lot of people who don’t think they’ve improved by that much maybe those people really like Josh green or Tim Hardway Jr uh they probably could use like another point of attack defensive option just because I believe in Dante exm and even just having watched Quenton Grimes for the first like I don’t know like the two seasons of of his career before things went sideways this past year that’s actually a role that he could fill while spacing the floor not needing the ball uh the fact that Detroit gave him up in that Tim Hardaway dump where they only got them seconds that was bizarre so it’s is there’s something there that’s medically a red flag or behaviorally or functionally like what is it about that organization that was out on him and the Knicks even eventually moving on from him but I I do think that they can reasonably app like Dereck Jones Jr gave you flexibility and pop that no you’re not going to replace with Dante exm you’re not gonna replace it with uh with Quenton Grimes but you do have options there they’re not Barren of this and Naji Marshall I do think can hold up against they’re probably more change of pace smaller players like AA gild Alexander is the name I mentioned so if you need someone to go like I think he probably do well against a Devon Booker type or a Bradley Beal type if you have more of these just like explosive type guys a really just super quick twitch um that might be where he runs into some issues I just think they could approximate it enough at the same time like there’s no other need on I like you could look and say all right like do you want to see kind of a different type of like three like another type of wing in there um and I I mean I guess that’d be fair but Naji Marshall can spend time with the three or the four PJ Washington you can move him around um but I think it’s maybe another point of attack option not I don’t know that they need to close games that’s also going to be like a very tough thing to fill at this point in the offseason I mean do they want to reunion with uh Dennis Smith Jr I don’t know I was about to say Dennis Jones Jr that would have been super weird for that’s not a real player for case anyone was wondering so like I just and you’re kind of looking at the options it’s I I have wondered just like Marquel faults is still floating around out there my guess is maybe just Orlando is going to resign him at this point um because they’re just bringing all their normal guys back apparently but uh that that would be if they’re going to address something I think this team is better they do have Klay Thompson on the wings now by the way and if you can like figure out you know if Naji has to cover some of the tougher wing coverages and then clay gets to shift on to just like maybe glorified fours at that point I don’t know if their defense will be as good as it was last season but I think their offense is a lot better and I really don’t think if there is a drop off defensively that you’re going to see it and if you wind up with like a Markel folz that’s just an option floating around on here I mean good God they’re GNA have a case to be favorites over OKC at that point and by the way you know it takes a lot for me to put anyone in the same classes OKC uh Denver has made they have not made any other move since we we talked about the Klay Thompson signing with Dallas by the way in case anyone wants to go back and listen to that podcast so I mean they Pro I like what is their biggest need I would probably say you could like a veteran backup five or a veteran backup one or I I think you probably need like the kcp replacement or just like here’s the issue and there are a lot of nuggets fans who agreed with what I said about the nuggets on the last podcast like I understand this idea that Christian Brown will come in and be as good or better defense and leaving kavus K pop I also understand that there are real second apron challenges here I think when you really start to dig into the Frozen picks and how long you know if you’re in the second apron for a full season your pick becomes Frozen and if you do it again it’s going to be moved to the bottom of the draft and then to get out of it you’re talking about like being out of it in I think three or four years or whatever it is those are real challenges my issue with the KC thing and I promise I won’t spend a [ __ ] ton of time on this is that if you really wanted to you could have ducked the tax uh the second apron excuse me with him they’re like 15 million away from it right now you add kcps $22 million or whatever it starts in year one into the fold your zek Naji salary dump away and we talked about that deal when it was initially signed last year and said well it’s good that you have the sort of matching salary on the books if you need to make a trade but that’s almost turned into a toxic deal because he hasn’t played and they went out four years for some reason which was you know very lengthy and I’m sure we mentioned it at the time that is my primary issue here is that I’m team if there’s a way to do it and there was a clear path to do it it might have cost you some draft Equity but I think he probably could have done it without giving up seconds but like you’re trying to figure out and Zack L phras this way you have to figure out the backup to the backup minutes now okay so Christian Brown comes in replaces what Casey p is doing now you need someone to replace like the Christian Brown type Reserve minutes do you think that’s Julian Strather are we going to see a lot more Hunter Tyson um they’re also seems like this might have been the product of a disconnect between the coaching staff and the the front office just the way that you know Justin holiday is not back at this moment and the way that he was played in favor of pton Watson during that Minnesota Timberwolf series is that something that Calvin boo would not have wanted to see matter how bad pton Watson was playing I just think for this year you continue Kick the Can yeah you have to reconcile when Aaron Gordon’s on his next deal and Jamal Murray his presumed extension kicks in okay fine deal with it then so that’s what I ended up with when you’re citing a need it’s I mean like I guess just a veteran backup five like you have Nai and you have Jordan and you have Don Holmes now I I think it’s probably I want to go with shooting you need to go another Wing type of shooter but just like you were a low volume three-point shooting team and that’s a tough math to to win even if you have Nicole yic on your squad so you kind of need like someone in the vein of a two three four who’s not who has more experience it’s like maybe that would be a Justin holiday at this point if we’re talking just minimum options is there anyone that you could get as part of a zek Nashi trade do you take a fly on like has has sadik Bay fallen down into the the minimum territory do you take a stab at Jay Crowder I just feel like they need an extra body there I don’t expect them to play at this point because of how invested in the youth they are it’s slim Pickin at this point in freeing Joe Engles would have been fantastic by the way but he is uh he’s ended up excuse me um he’s not gonna end up going there I thought that was a great addition by Minnesota to get him which we’ll probably get to so just like do you want to see them take a look at dariio sarich it’s like some of a backup five there they just I they just need another veteran in the rotation to me u in case there are nights where the younger guys aren’t giving you enough or you need to sort of pivot I’m not even any of the names I listed you can’t guarantee me that they’re gonna play over X or should and maybe that’s what Calvin boo is doing because he wants to take all the other Alternatives out of Michael Malone’s clip which he’s basically effectively done so like if Gordon hayward’s will to sign for the minimum that’d be interesting sort of gamble for them I’m not really going to help their three-point volume or defense though but I guess from just a pure talent play would he even be willing to do that though just because he wants he clearly wants these youngsters to to develop uh our next team here is going to be uh someone’s Detroit Pistons I’m not going to take ownership of them um they just added that’s one of the things we missed on them is they signed a leag Beasley to a oneye $6 million contract right before uh I hopped on this podcast I think just continuing to load up on shooting I I totally get it and now you have Tobias Harris you have Malik Beasley you have Tim Hardaway Jr so those are guys who can effectively space you have Marcus Sasser too by the way so when you have you know a non-s spacing five in jayen dur and Isaiah Stewart’s here they’ve yet to resign Simone fono and that’s probably their biggest need is like let’s make sure he comes back um with our SAR Thompson and Rob Howen and how shaky Jay iy’s been you just can’t have too much shooting on this team and so I think you’ve gotten to a point now where you could play if you really structure it steuart at the five like you can get to some either five out or four out combinations that make like literal actual sense so I like that from them I probably continue to load up on shooting I think what they maybe could need as I mean a bunch of stuff but could there be like a better way to get some floor spacing five minutes um at this point in free agency you’re not just going to go out there like Daniel Ty is not like okay whatever you know the Daniel Ty of like four or five years ago maybe so it have to be done via trade I think it might be more realistic you know Canen we get some like a the idea they had with Monte Morris that didn’t pan out whereas like do we have sort of floor General an alternative to to Jaden Ivy an alternative to to King Cunningham to lead some of those minutes again you’re looking in for re agency and like fultz isn’t a good enough shooter I don’t think is dewy gonna want to go back to Denver I mean did you just want tyus Jones on this roster because you can afford him and doesn’t seem like any other team is all that interested is that something you’re addressing via VIA trade but that seems like what they could still I think that’s what they need the most it’s just kind of that alternative there I don’t really like I get the investing the minute equity and like arstar Thompson can do some stuff maybe we see him as like some primary playmaker minutes around shooting but I’d kind of like to see them get just more of a veteran presence there again the idea of Monte Morris which I thought made a lot of sense for them the next team we have up is going to be and we have some stuff to talk about them I believe the Golden State Warriors so since we last talked Kyle Anderson signed a three-year $27 million deal on a sign and trade um they also got buddy hee via a sign and trade for Dallas’s 2031 second round pick um they guaranteed him two years and 18 million basically it’s the 3 million partial guarantee in year three so a guarantee total of 21 and it goes out to an unguaranteed year four so that’s a very team-friendly contract for the dubs and the fact look you basically turned Chris Paul and Klay Thompson into DeAnthony Melton Kyle Anderson and buddy heeld but even more so like to turn Klay Thompson’s departure and that traded player exception into buddy heeld and Kyle Anderson I think is is nice work um and then even with like this team now they’re really interesting defensively when you look at having Kyle Anderson and Melton adding that to the fold if Gary pton second is healthy still have Draymond Green Jonathan kaminga maybe Andrew Wiggins has a bounceback year here uh there like they’re in an interesting spot um and Buddy heeld shooting of course that’ll be important very inter to see how they flush out this rotation where it still feels like they have a lot of players who need to be on the floor even if they don’t have that second a Lister Beyond St and that’s still their biggest need I know been linked to Larry Markin and I think he would help um I thought a little bit about do they need more of a backup playmaker but just between Tyle Anderson Dany Melton having Draymond Green and Steph I think you eek out just enough here it might be a need but I don’t know that it needs to be top of mind they just needed another reliable person who can generate their own shot and that’s not on the roster right now you really have to believe in Andrew like even the 2022 version of Andrew Wiggins that was not necessarily his but not it just wasn’t his strong suit I don’t need to use the the necessarily qualifier I don’t like I don’t hate L Mark here I love that fit but that’s not really his game either he’s sort of banking on kaminga to become that player right now um they need it’s like almost a high run Talent is the way to phrase it but like that’s what they’re clearly looking to compete I think they’ve done better work rebounding after deciding not to keep clay not go in the second apron than the Clippers or the the nuggets have done so do I like the roster better than the Nuggets no do I like them better than the Clippers absolutely at this point so but that would be their their biggest need again unless you just really think that like Moses moody or kaminga or pods is going to become that guy but also didn’t mention him in sort of the secondary playmaking options for them too um and I just don’t that’s where I go back and forth where it’s like I like Larry Markin but is he the guy for this team that I would just give up everything for and it’s I mean probably not everything because he’s gonna be a free agent and you have him and if you’re keeping kaminga both those guys are going to need new deals at the same time uh but like if that’s the move I guess I would still make it but it’s like you probably need him to generate more of his own shots or you’re just hoping that infusing this team with some extra spacing having Larry Markin in in addition to maybe pods and you makes a leap there and then you have Moses Moody playing some minutes their their spacing could still be pretty mocky on this team but with heal is there more room for kaminga to kind of develop that part of his game the Houston Rockets I like they they’re they don’t have a need just because I like that they haven’t really done anything this offseason because like just continue to invest they resigned Aaron holiday uh they just don’t have a need like I want to I want to see all their their like I want to see them play their their prospects and just look let’s look at all these guys who need minutes bred van Fleet amen Thompson jayen green Reed Shepard Dylan Brooks Jabari Smith cam Whitmore alarin shenon tar een that’s 10 guys and I didn’t even mention a j shant or Stephen Adams so that’s just a lot of bodies there if you had to quibble like they do maybe need like I guess someone like a wing Siz player who might be able to generate their own shot am and Thompson sort of a wing siiz player but he’s almost a point guard or a fringe big at this point I think you could also just make the case like let’s continue to lean into complimentary shooting but I’m reticent to just list anything here for them because I don’t want to see them it’s it’s not a need but if they wanted to make a consolidation move which I don’t see the name out there that would make sense for them I mean l Market would be interesting on this team I love jaari Smith so much but I would kind of love to see those two play together but like this team just doesn’t have they’re at a point in their development where it’s right we have basically all the boxes checked maybe we need more information about what do we have in terms of primary Playmakers when it’s Jaylen green and Fred Van fleed and am and Thompson do we need more there do we have enough shooting where it’s okay it’s Reed Shepard it’s jayen green are we gonna get is J shant or t e are they gonna be healthy enough will they hit enough jump shots how does Cam Whitmore fit in this equation I’m not adding anyone to this roster personally if you wanted to pick I guess it might be like another veteran playmaker just to that’s not van fleet’s game necessarily the amen Thompson learning curve and just Aaron Aaron holiday’s kind of more of a downhill threat not going to be known as like that pass first but this is like one of the teams where it’s need is like a very strong I wouldn’t expect them to address anything if the right star you know Kevin Durant and they want him or I’d be more interested in a Devon Booker if he becomes available then yeah you pounce uh but there’s not there’s no point in fussing and fiddling on the margins for the Rockets is basically what I’m getting at the Indiana Pacers I mean the same thing they need a wing like a wing Defender aze from an Aaron Smith or having Andrew neard fill that role T.J McConnell can play some of it I guess you can make the case that jarus Walker defensively fits that bill sure I don’t know if he fits that bill offensively they would be another if you can get to salary matching which you could but it’s okay are we comfortable getting rid of TJ McConnell at this point they would just be an interesting Dory FN Smith team to kind of take a flyer on him from there they would have been a very interesting Mel Bridges team but the Knicks made sure that that wasn’t really happening for them and you’re kind of looking at you know if they were able to scoop a free agent off the scrap Heap is like kind of to take like a flyer on there’s just that guy is not really available uh maybe javante green at this point like that would be someone who’ be fairly interesting in Philly uh I’m not really taking like a flyer on Jay Crowder if I’m again if you just want it as like the body type there but then you’re infringing upon just because he’s like more forward than Wing at this point and so whoever you get you don’t necessarily want them you created a weird I don’t know if it’s redundancy or just position IAL overlap with having Obi toppen and Pascal SE yakum and jarus Walker something’s going to have to give and it’s not going to be siakam’s minutes and you just paid topping and so does Walker’s development suffer at all with this setup so you don’t want to bring in someone else who’s not worth maybe complicating that even further I think Dorian finny Smith because if you wanted to just if you wanted to play super big not even like structuring at the lineup like you could just play Dorian FY Smith with Pascal SE yakum and Miles Turner and like jarus Walker if you really wanted to see what that looks like defensively you could try it then just tyes halberton at the one uh but yeah that’s been their biggest need it remains their biggest need we’ll see if they look to address it I wouldn’t expect them to do it this summer if the cost is cheap enough for dorany Smith but they would be a team to watch at the trade deadline for sure for me next team up uh someone’s Los Angeles Clippers not taking ownership of them either they kind of need like do they need uh Terrence man Norma pow Kawhi Leonard Derrick Jones Jr’s there they have Nicholas baton back they need more playmaking I just between having bones Highland and Kevin Porter Jr wussell Westbrook’s not going to be there you have James Harden for sure he might be more comfortable this season because the ball should be in his hands even more you have Kawhi Leonard to get there so as a secondary option okay sure I guess if you want to see them go a splashier backup big route or can someone downsize and play Big Man minutes for them but you might be able to get there with Batum and drik Jones Jr with kawii Leonard like just having big enough lineups there with Terence man rolled into there they do not need the I don’t want to say say forget about the offc court allegations from a talent perspective if you can get miles bridges for a song okay with this team I just don’t think the he’s gonna make even if it’s costy Norman PO is not a good Defender he’s gonna make the defense I guess not worse but he’s not a defensive upgrade over Derrick Jones Jr I look I’m gonna be honest I don’t know if he’s a defensive upgrade over Nick Batum I think Miles Bridges is super malleable I think he’s younger when you’re looking at his fit on the court offensively there’s not enough self-creation juice there for me to like it um so I kind of hate that addition for them and um again could be colored by the domestic violence issues that he had off the court and look that’s fair I think that the league has moved on or decided that he is you know he was punished um he quote unquote served his time there paid his dues there I’ve yet to see any just I’ve yet to hear anything or see anything that would suggest that he has begun the path that would make you think he’s worth the the second chance Redemption is a real thing but you also have to earn it especially when you’re sort of this repeat like a proven repeat offender where don’t forget about the second case where they said there wasn’t enough evidence there they’re just like anecdotally terrible and there was certainly enough evidence um in the first case and you can’t shifting stories in these situations you take those with a grain of salt just because when you’re talking about domestic violence victims and if any story shift or if they painted as like it wasn’t as bad as usual you have to take those with a grain of salt as well it’s the same thing with the Kevin Porter Jr stuff this organization clearly doesn’t have a problem betting on potentially poor character players I don’t think he gives you enough backup playmaking either I guess from a talent perspective again sure uh but it’s got to be that or maybe just unless you’re really high on Mo Bamba It’s that or just sort of the backup five stuff behind zubats uh they have the tools if they want to because they duck the second apron this is another team man they’re excus for the second apron I think the war look the warriors were flat out with it where they just said in February Joe Le but they don’t want to pay it I respect that more than just man statement the second apron it was going to be tough uh by the way you offered Paul George a contract still reportedly that would have taken you into the second apron so unless you were just dumping Norman Powell from three and getting rid of Terence man you still would have had set you could get rid of PJ Tucker too of course there you go there’s your small ball five that’s why you don’t need the backup five option but uh so I just the excuses here I understand they’re tough to reconcile with but if you’re in a championship window now you go into the second apron if it’s to keep your own players to keep a championship core intact and then you figure it out thereafter more players are getting paid or if you really have to have a conversation about that we need to be out of this in the next three years when your window is now it can’t be about just the future and that’s what and the Clippers just painting it is that like the nuggets at least okay you look at their draft track record what they’ve done with youngster some of the moves that they’ve made at least they can kind of justify it the Clippers is just what what are you doing you’ve traded all your picks already you don’t have young guys on this roster and you offered him a contract so you didn’t want to give him the fourth year which again stupid I think that was a bad decision I well I think it was a bad decision I or a curious decision will I am I open to the fact that I’ll be wrong for Denver for the Clippers yeah sure I I don’t root for teams to fail I don’t care if I’m right or wrong it’s that people don’t remember when I’m right anyway they’re only going to remember when I’m wrong so for engagement purposes I hope the Clippers win the title at this point like I just don’t but I it was a curious way for them to justify it like his departure and the fact that it sort of came out like the way they released it before he even picked his next team that was just super bizarre too just super cringe and just as a recap we did cover this Nick Paton back they do have Chris Dunn so forgot about Chris Dunn for a minute is that enough playmaking though I just and I guess with the Kevin between Kevin Porter Jr’s flyer James Harden Chris Chris D does I don’t know if he does enough playmaking for me you would like to you have kawh Leonard though and Batum so maybe I’m just like yeah might just be the backup five route unless you’re really trusting Mo Boma here it’s it’s one of those two things I think you could also add for this team like they just need shooting even if you think Kevin Porter Jor is to come in and launch and hit a bunch of Threes if Derek Jones Jr repeats his performance from Beyond The Arc he had this past regular season butum will hit some threes it’s just very iffy now you have a lot of guys that like you don’t have a lot of off ball good like bankable Shooters it’s Norman Powell and then like like maybe we’ll throw Nicholas Batum and Terence man of course is in there so yeah there’s this team has a bunch of needs they should be pretty F frisky defensively Zubat is a good rim protector and they have a lot of just optionality and malleability on the roster and quick pet peeve I’ve heard so there’s always like every once in a while there’s like the basketball cliches going around where I think I saw point of attack was there and maybe Advantage creation I saw optionality was becoming one I just want everyone to know that we probably we probably are responsible for like jumping on the bandwagon of cliches at points optionality and scalability were here first so just just remember that that you heard it on hardwood knocks first or at least in the early a before they became cliches the Lakers they need LeBron to take that million-dollar pay cut to duck the second apron fantastic PR work by by his team to make it look like yeah he’s want to take less if they can get actual talent knowing they can’t even get [ __ ] yonas Valen junis uh or he might take a million less for us to duck the second apron if they want to duck the second apron it’s just dump a real salary it’s are you looking at Jared Vanderbilt trades are you looking at Gabe Vincent trades um or is it we’re getting rid of some of the minimums where we gave those guys those options this team is so weird they need two-way Wings it’s just boil it down it’s they’ve actively decided every year since they’ve won the that two-way wings are stupid or they’ve devalued them at almost every turn and I guess over the past two seasons or offseasons they haven’t but only because they’re not in a position to get them uh so I don’t know how you get any two-way Wings on this roster it’s gonna have to happen via trade they would be an interesting Dory infiny Smith team um can you shave salary as part of that deal like what is the matching salary you want to send out there Brooklyn might be will to take on Gabe Vincent that’s not enough alone for Doran finny Smith you need to include you can’t step ladder your way with with minimums on top of that I don’t know I’m not giving Jared vanderbild up in that just because he’s probably one of your better just point of point of attack there is point of attack Defenders here uh right now unless you think that Gabe Vincent is going to have sort of this one be healthy and then have a Miami Heat Renaissance vanderbild actually makes less than him I don’t know why I thought he was on the books for more they’ be interesting Doran FY Smith team but they just need any reasonable just this guy might be a two-way Wing the heat just absolutely need to be in uh the heat the Lakers absolutely need to be in on that player and look I think the LeBron deal getting the max he should get his money it complicates their path to staying beneath the second apron I don’t care much though like I think like you could still just make moves and cut salaries part like you could just aggregate just as an example you Gabe Vincent and uh Jared Vanderbilt on the books for $21.7 million next year you could trade that money and just take like back like a $17 million player if that player is indeed sort of available in theory you could step out of your way with like three I wonder if making a deal is harder because it doesn’t seem like they want to give up dton connect or even in Austin Reeves and so two first two swaps plus salary who does that get you probably not in the trey young discussion doesn’t look like Darius sc’s gonna request a trade either uh none of those guys are Wings by the way could you get like how hot would Atlanta be just to get off DeAndre Hunter and you could say this is kind of like a fact simile of like what I call 1.25 1.5 way Wing uh just with if you’re were like exchanging him for money but that he’s making ruy he’s making more than Ru hamor so it would take two salaries and Atlanta is not going to be a team that’s going to want to take on money but that’s what they need is two-way Wing so we move on uh to the Memphis Grizzlies which they’re just kind of floating around out there the Luke Canard Still Remains on sign they the client his team option haven’t really done anything outside of drafting Zach EDI seem is Gonna Be Frisky as is but they need a bigger Wing slash forward I mean maybe they think they have the answer and GG Jackson um I’m open to the concept of it but like between him and Vince Williams and Marcus Smart or Desmond Bane kind of playing up you just need like more of a properly sized Wing they would still be the money getting there is just impossible to make work they’d be a good Jeremy Grant team the Lakers I still think would be a pretty good Jeremy Grant team by the way too so you’re probably looking at like a three for one in that scenario if they have to cut money as part of the process too uh but is that the trade you want to go in on I don’t know uh that’s what the Grizzlies have needed since basically they decided Rudy Gay was not that player however many years ago and he wasn’t even that player I guess when they they had him so again I wouldn’t expect them to make a big move they would be would they make a move closer to the trade deadline when they kind of know what’s happening with this core they just haven’t seen enough of jir Jackson Jr John Morant has been made and Marcus Smart together like you need more of that information and then let’s sprinkle in some more Vince Williams and GG Jackson into there uh so it’s a tough team to really say they need anything but we know what their need is I just wouldn’t expect them to even try and address it right now we are on to the Miami he who have lost Caleb Martins but they haven’t done anything but they lo oh they did things they resigned Thomas Bryant one year deal at the minimum and Alex Burke Alec Burks excuse me one year at the minimum that’s a really good pickup the Burks one can generate his own shot hit some catch and shoot threes playmake some gets a little tunnel vision you’ll become frustrated with him at points on defense but at the minimum that’s one of the better minimum signings that we’ve seen this off season uh they need like another Advantage Creator but preferably one with size I like or it’s do you want a different type of front Court partner for bam at a buy it’s just they can still get to Nicole yovic interesting now the way he def I know people have talked about his offense the way he defended last year I thought was great so you have him you have Kevin Love you have Hae hawz Jimmy Butler you move bodies around and okay poof you’ve got like a Frontline partner next to Bam a higher end one that’s why they’re in on Larry Markin he would be perfect for this team not going to create advantages for you on the ball necessarily uh but like so but you could go that route like someone who’s just going to open up the floor be a good play finisher can do some stuff on the ball otherwise it’s you need an advantage Creator but that player probably needs to have size just because between Terry Rosier and Tyler hero and Alec Burks like you’re just not super huge in those areas and that’s not territor of your strength by the way uh so maybe you’re exchanging one of those guards in a hypothetical trade but like who’s the bigger okay Advantage Creator that’s just going to be out there that you’re also going to have the best trade package for I don’t have the answer there but their offense still feels like it could be spotty this year and that could be even worse if okay both of Tyler hero and Jimmy Butler need to enjoy Better Health than they did last season if you’re only getting from one of them the ceiling on this offense feels pretty low um could they get that’s not really V like what would it cost like get Kellin Johnson would be interesting here but again what is like not enough on ball stuff that’s and that’s someone who’s like yeah okay the straight line drives and then in theory hit those off the The Catch threes um depending on like how much he actually cost to get I wouldn’t actually mind them going after him but that’s just that’s sort of their biggest need don’t know what name really Springs to here I love Larry Mark for them even though I did not list that as their their biggest need that’s they’re second though just like let’s increase the like let’s upgrade that spot that’s next to Bam from The like Nico yovic or hakz like let’s allow I guess yic if you’re in on him you’re fine with that but like rather than having Jimmy Butler or haime hawz like the way you’re structuring out your lineups be your de facto fours in those scenario can you get someone else to to play that role losing Caleb Martins kind of big there because he opened up sort of those three wi type lineups to where you could Envision that not being necessarily a huge need the Milwaukee Bucks since we last talked they added uh torian Prince on a one-year minimum I think for you know to replace like the maddening Jay Crowder minutes like that’s a good approximation you’re G to be just as frustrated with torian Prince I trust him more as a three-point shooter I think at this point than Jay Crowder and he’s probably okay but not probably he’s going to be okay guarding smaller type of wings like trer wings than Drake Crowder would be but in the right matchup Dr Crowder is probably more valuable defensively because tan Prince isn’t giving you a ton of resistance uh defensively with the Bucks though I mean their biggest need still kind of feels like athleticism on the wings I just I know there’s been talk about trading Brook Lopez but you have Bobby poris there and you can go to Giannis at the five it’s looking at those two three four spots is could you just get more athletic if that player could shoot okay like that’s a plus as well but just more bounce and more pop from there so that’s not something that they’ve done unless you really are like a big Aj Johnson believer are you like super big believer in Tyler Smith how much do those guys even wind up playing um they’ve now added Del Wright and tan Prince though that doesn’t really satisfy that need even if I think it improves the balance of their the roster I think Delon wri specifically will end up helping them uh a pretty a pretty great deal the Minnesota Timberwolves a team that I think has done some really nice work on the margins or at least the Rob Dillingham swing it’s a risk but like I like the idea of oh they’re in the second apron but they’re still just kind of doing [ __ ] uh we already mentioned luuka Garza they have Joe Engles one year at the minimum and PJ doer that’s an interesting flyer um I like to Joe Engles kind of gives you the veteran backup playmaking element with better floor spacing than Kyle Anderson clearly not as valuable defensively um this team I still worry a little bit though about it’s Wing shooting and trying to open up the floor and that’s I think you know if you’re looking at Mike Conley Anthony Edwards Rob Dillingham and then Joe Eng Les I think you could say that they have enough Reserve playmaking even if you would like them I mean like what do you want them to go out and get n Smith or somebody um they could use like if you could get if Luke Canard just falls into minimum territory I don’t know why Memphis would let that happen that’s something though that he’d be a great fit for Denver be a great fit for a bunch of teams I think that’s my biggest concern for Minnesota they have guys who open up the floor in mikoni in Nas Reed in Carl Anthony towns but their ring shooting can be sh just between n Alexander Walker Jane McDaniels and even Anthony Edwards himself good not great maybe even you wouldn’t even call him a super Dependable shooter Joe Engles does give you some of that but how much are you relying on a 37y old Joe Engles at that point to play but this is a team that they’re gonna be if Dillingham hits they’re gonna be [ __ ] scared even if he doesn’t you just have the prospect of another leap from Anthony Edwards Nas Reed nil Alexander Walker Jaden McDaniels like those are all guys that continue to to get better good time to continue buying Minnesota timberwol stock if you had sold it before last season our next team is the New Orleans Pelicans uh we’re still waiting on the I don’t think the because they now they’re folding it we thought it was going to have to be completed before the new new league year started um but that I don’t think the Deonte Murray trad’s officially complete um but you need to you couldn’t go in you would have been into the tax if you completed before this new league year now because Deonte Murray’s making even more closer to the $25 million Mark you need to figure out the additional salaries that are to go in there I know EJ lell started being involved so I don’t know if it has been announced if it has I apologize but they had a deante Murray I liked it for them they’re currently like I think almost $6 million do beneath the tax they you could still make a case that they need more complimentary shooting but they really need a five there’s just no Center on this roster right now that you can Bank on playing minutes unless you’re gonna lean all the way into Zion Williamson at the five I haven’t gone and looked at all these like the way depth charts are listed on all these different websites Zion Williamson is probably just listed as their starting center which I mean Murray McCullum Ingram Trey Murphy herb Jones like that’s enough body say yeah we’ll just play Zion at the five I don’t know that you’ve insulated him defensively and you want to put him in a position to succeed because of how well he played defensively last year I also think that there might be more of a wear and tear element to just being the five flat out and given his injury history you don’t want to subject him to even more of that it’s a center and it almost needs to happen via trade because you’re looking at the centers that are going to be available right now on the open market and okay Daniel Ty isn’t really going to do anything for like how many minutes the Mike muscala is floting around out there I don’t think you’re going to fall on precious sucha range I would guess that he’s probably back with the Knicks at this point Damen Jones is still Flo out there you want to take a flyer on javal McGee or Kem bur I you know I don’t I don’t I don’t know there’s just not a lot of good the Pickins are slim if this was a if this was a Tom Tibido team I might say like just take the flyer on Josh Gibson but yeah so it’s gonna have to Dominic Barlo I don’t know what he would end up being and Paul Reed was just waved by the Sixers too we haven’t gotten them yet so do either them fall into your price range those might be some options there otherwise it feels like it has to happen via trade I know everybody kind of wants the Jared Allen there making the money work get a little bit tougher when you look at the the players they sent out for Deonte Murray are you trading Brandon Ingram in that deal I hate his fit in Cleveland by the way so do you need a third team there’s also GNA have to be more money maybe coming back your way involved so I could still see a case for like all right let’s get some higher volume shooting in there luk Canard could also be interesting or Gary Trent Jr if he’s going to fall into their price range for for this team but they need a five I mean like they just they need a five preferably one who you like them to protect the rim and space the floor but it’s preferably one who’s a good rim protector and then can they at least create some vertical spacing can they set good screens but you need like a good rim protector I would argue more than more than anything next team up the New York Knicks I guess they we’re going to stick with fives for them I mean they have that M Bridges trades officially completed um I would expect them to maybe bring back pre AA now they are capped at the second apron rather than the first but it’s a five I mean I look at this roster and I still say right like you have guys who can shoot but who is like a really good high volume shooter and it’s Dante Devan chenzo and like Randle and Brunson might be good shooters for self-c creators but they’re not these caps lock Shooters even Mel Bridges is not a caps lock shooter I think you just you’re you’re overwhelmed by the sheer breath of talent and depth on this team it doesn’t matter um but a five for sure does press tuua come back are you a Daniel Ty team are you a Nick Richards team um he’s only making five million bucks that might be it you know New Orleans is looking to go try and pull off a trade that’s someone who could maybe fit there as well too but what I will say on the Knicks is that and I might have mentioned this in the last podcast I really hope that having ogn and Obi male Bridges and even Josh har factor in warms tibs up to the idea of okay well we can play Randall at the five without him being our defensive five there’s ogan and Obi can play a lot of that role for five 10 minutes 12 minutes a game and then Rand your five on offense where he’s gonna be more of a mismatch if you want to see him set screens go uh like roll downhill that way or just he’s more of a mismatch if he’s GNA attack on the ball if they have their five on him and if they don’t like then he’s gonna be able to maybe punish smaller mismatches or you have someone else like who’s the five covering is it probably Josh hard is the liability he’ll get that five moving off his feet is it o Obi same difference same difference with Mel Bridges so not that I don’t want them to sign to Center just having Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims is super risky but I want to see them get to more of those minutes in in general we’re gonna go to the Oklahoma City Thunder uh what do they need I I think they could still need a third player aside from a jayen Williams or sha gills Alexander that’s going to put defenses in rotation but it’s I don’t know where those minutes are coming from just full disclosure here and maybe Alex Caruso or Cas Wallace can get there there a little bit I know a lot of Thunder F like we’ve been developing Usman Jang as a ball handler defenses don’t care about that and we didn’t see enough from I love Usman Jang people listen to this podcast know I don’t think he’s gonna be your answer for next season the answer might be are we gonna put the ball in Chad hen’s hands more and do we have Isaiah hardenstein screening for him or just in the five out setup is he gonna be able to do more creation I also just recognize you’re going to get better name I mentioned case Wallace is someone who could get better on the ball jayon Williams not done growing at all sh Alexander could still get better picking here because they have just they have every [ __ ] thing like I just this team is probably now with the aition of hartenstein aside from the Celtics might be the most complete team in the league when you’re looking at the balance playing being able to play different styles and like a GL like a just a relative lack of weaknesses I think it has to be them Boston’s first and they will be until proven otherwise but the Nuggets no they’ve been demoted from that discussion maybe the Mavericks who ironically have sort of the same type of need but their defense I think specifically around the perimeter a little bit more shaky there now we’re on to the Orlando Magic I don’t know that I’ve turned on A team’s offseason more quickly than I have for the magic I don’t hate it but I was prepared for it to be spectacular once they signed cavius C pope from Denver and then it’s just been well we’re going to retain our own guys I think look they elevated Jonathan Isaac’s salary I think they looks like they’re starting him at 26.9 million so almost 27 million next year and then it declines from there so they renegotiate it amounts to 5 years and 84 million in total that’s going to make them a lot more flexible as they start to they sign France Vagner to that uh Max extension 224.210 did some of that stuff while just adding a ton of shooting I think kcp in motion as a shooter in general I know his clip fell off but he’s someone defenses will respect that satisfies some of the role but I don’t know that you’ve opened up the floor nearly enough here and you have not given yourself enough proven just floor General juice at this point maybe you’re gonna rely on Vagner or sus to just do more of that they’re making the leap or is this gonna I don’t think the team is better set up to necessarily give Anthony black more minutes and work against his spacing limitations um but I haven’t hated any of their individual move though the Jonathan Isaac one is just a smart piece of business he goes from he’s making 27 million next year and he’ll drop all the way back down to about 16.2 then he’s at 14.9 then 13 then 12.3 in 2028 2029 this is someone who’s only 27 so you’re talking about like he’s gonna be in his early 30s that could end up being a steal I assume there’s some type of injury protections on this I have not seen any of it yet so I like what they’ve done they should still be a defensive Beast the floor will be a little bit more open however I really wanted to see them be more aggressive just on the trade market or like why not even like this could have been maybe unspectacular but it ties Jones team so that would been nice off season’s not over but that is still just their biggest need is someone to organize the offense who preferably won’t shrink the floor in the process we are on to the Philadelphia 76ers who have done some stuff since we last talked well did one thing and that’s added Cayla Martin on a four-year deal worth more than $32 million then they wave Paul Reed so they’re basically just unless something changes signing Caleb Martin into space look they’ve assembled a real roster around the big three of Joel embiid Paul George and Tyrese Maxi having Kelly UB having Andre Drummond Eric Gordon we’ll see how many minutes that he’s able to play there so there’s still work for them to be done I would expect Kyle Lowry to be back on this team probably uh but I liked their roster a lot more than I kind of thought I was going to I think the Kayla Mart Sig is actually huge their biggest need I still think would be like a four combo forward type between Cayla Martin and Paul George and Kelly UB you’re able to build that together into like a two three four rotation but I would like to see someone more of a you know pulling off a Dorian FY Smith deal performance season that’s just not gonna happen now I’d like to see more of a body that goes that rout with like a TR not doesn’t have to be a pure four multi-os but like if you’re having I’ll I’ll say this way if you’re having Paul George or Caleb Martin defend the four they’re playing up so you want someone who’s a four that can maybe play Down would be the best way to phrase it that’s not exactly the smallest like that’s not exactly the smallest ask and they’re not just going to get it from I mean Davonte green be a nice flyer on this team maybe you bring back KJ Martin for that you take a shot at J Crowder doesn’t really you know satisfy the defending down thing um and if they’re not they don’t have to defend down although Larry Markin would fit I just kind of Wonder now you can’t get there if Larry Markin is still floating around mid-season and there is if they renegotiate well makes it tougher if they don’t renegotiate and extend him like the Sixers could still do something along those lines or maybe you’re working like a mega K KJ Martin sign in trade at this point you just have five tradeable first round picks so there are still things that they can do there will be some salary cap Hoops that they have to jump through now uh but yeah just someone like in that vein I don’t know like do you bring Robert Covington back uh Marcus Morris could maybe do some of that for you but that’s we’re talking signing now like that’s what you’re looking at after the major work you’ve done love the Caleb Martin signing for them I think we’ll see a better outside shooting performance from him this year and he gives them a lot of defensive optionality which just Paul George Caleb Martin and Joel embiid you’ve kind of built out the the skeleton of what should be a really good defense but it is kind of contingent upon right everyone needs to be healthy and on nights does Drummond do enough if embiid’s not playing or if he’s hurt what does that do to your defense I don’t know how well they’re set up to to navigate that situation at the moment next team would be the Phoenix Suns uh they’ve added Monte Morris one year at the minimum I actually think given their turnover issues especially in the fourth quarter that becomes pretty big I know he hasn’t been healthy or great for a couple years then they resigned Damen Lee which also means that they’re probably not resigning Josh aogi which I think is a good thing for them the Josh aogi experiment did not work out their biggest need I think it’s just you need to revamp the fiveman rotation to get someone who’s more in line with what Mike buholzer likes to do I know you have Mason plumbley you have USF nage maybe we see some minutes as bulbo like just be the rim protector you’re not a good Defender but you’re big you’re long just be the rim uh rim protector there are Pathways if they could rope in like a third and fourth team um because I don’t think the Blazers want nage like rolling the ice and Robert Williams I third here I think would be a really good bet for them but they need and I don’t think that like maybe even a Nick Richards uh via trade as a name I’ve mentioned for them a bunch I’d like to just see someone who I think fits the motif of one as a screener and diver more uh but also just defensively not just because B hols was there but a stronger option defensively at the center spot and right now like you really don’t don’t have it so like are we G to play Kevin Durant at the ferr like I said B bow is the primary rib protector unsp it best think that’s very clearly their their biggest need I don’t know what else you want to I guess two-way wings but that’s just like I mean you got Damen Lee back that’s got to count for something and you have Grayson Grayson that was probably more two-way Than People realize last year so that would be that just feels so unreal oh two-way wings like yeah this team that can only offer the minimums doesn’t really have anything to trade that’ll definitely work out the S the Portland Trailblazers so fewer centers maybe like is that what they mean at this point but in all honesty like I think I would continue to want to just see shooting and I don’t really care the position that it comes at just because you have so much Equity tied up in the back court can the shooting com sort of the three or the four spot where yeah okay you might be infringing upon some sharp or Simon minutes there or tyo minutes or Jeremy Grant minutes but you’re not gonna you don’t like you just have enough bodies at the five I’m resigned to not coming there um you also could say they have Denny AIA now and just between with Simons do you want like sort of another backup type of point guard in this like Portland just continuing to punt on the idea of like a true backup floor General I think Denny AIA probably gives you enough as sort of a driver and playmaker there um but he hasn’t upgrade your shooting enough he’s probably a shooting improvement over what you’re Fielding last year but like just there’s a lot of question marks here you’re not going to get any as of right now spacing at the five um you have Taman Kamar kind of shot better from three last year and I think a lot of people realized but like a shaky jumper there mati thall same difference even if you’re banking on sort of Chris Murray like taking a jump and Jaden sharp you know taking a jump and you have Simons this team just needs like someone who’s going to help get their three-point attempt rate up there or just be able to they have a a few guys who are either better off or most used to working on Ball and so can we get some just more guys to dot them around there uh I did not mention duop Reit like yeah you can get some floor spacing in the front court that way I just some higher volume stuff there would feel like it’s going to be there biggest need the Sacramento Kings who I mean they’ be the team that feels like it’s most likely going to date this they’re pursuing a demard dzen sign in trade with the bulls I’m not going to pretend to love it I don’t hate it they could certainly use someone else to break down defenses and be a primary playmaker um that’s just like so are you just never gonna play him with sabonis or dearon Fox because the spacing could get wonky there and then if you’re trading Kevin her in part of that deal you’re becoming a worse shooting team and like the force bacing isn’t super perfect like who are the shooters you’re counting on aside from herder I know he’s working off a down year but it’s Kevin herder you have to go by the previous sample not just what happened last year so I guess Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis like if we’re not including Kevin herter there that’s just not enough so I’d prefer to see them just get some more optionality on those Wing spots in the form of someone who can shoot I don’t I understand the need yeah you a playmaking wing would be ideal but Denny AIA and Mel Bridges have been traded so you’re not going to see um you’re not just going to see those players readily available the Kings have been linked to Larry Mark in I like his fit a lot better than I like the Rosen fit I’d like to just see them open up the floor more and there’s I don’t know that you need to skew as defense heavy as you might have would have I just think the leap that Kegan Murray had made you’ll probably get enough if you finagle your matchups the right way with Harrison Barnes because you have Keon Alis as well it’s like that feels like maybe there’s enough there to do something where it’s if you could just continue to open the floor let’s not forget Devin Carter cut his teeth defensively so I don’t know how much he plays as a rookie coming in but that’s someone who might be able to take on some really tough assignment for you and going hder for demard Rosen is just so counterintuitive to opening up the floor even more and it comes back to the challenges I think of not you know lamping him as a player or building block but that is part of the challenge of building around sa bonus even Darren Fox a little bit when those are your main two and neither of them are perfect Shooters but Darren Fox you know he can hit some off the dribble looks and will stretch the floor that is not what sabonis is going to do to add DeMar rosen into that fold is just it’s shaky I don’t hate it uh I might like it more if Harrison Barnes was the outgoing money rather than Kevin herder so I get the theory of what Demar de rozan would do for this team I just don’t love what the spacing might look like after said deal happens and so I’d like to see them open up the floor maybe I’m already kind of like in demard d r rozan as a king mode and that’s why I’m all that’s why I’m already here the San Antonio Spurs yeah Wing I think it’s Wing shooting for them I just you have Chris Paul you have Trey Jones so I’m going to say that they’re fine at the Flor General spot now um I would like to see them also just a little bit better with that primary front Court spot next to Wy um is it going to be Kelvin Johnson is it Jeremy San playing a bunch of minutes there I don’t know uh but are either of those guys good enough Shooters to kind of open up the floor so you have like I mean when you’re looking at your plus Shooters I guess you could Wy at the five we’ll call him a plus shooter Deon Melle okay there that’s like it I don’t know what you want to consider Chris Paul it’s certainly not Trey Jones Kelvin Johnson SE brandom like those are all just even Stefon Castle coming in like that we’re talking about a lot of guys with limited range the idea of Zack Collins might maybe give you some shooting so they would be they’ve been linked to Larry Markin in and I think they’re my favorite Larry marinin team uh just the Thunder I guess could still be like the Thunder my everyone my favorite team for everybody apparently but like we even just like could they get Trey ly from the Kings like just someone to kind of open up like more people to open up the floor here and I just don’t like there’s not enough of it Kellin Johnson’s coming off a down year as a shooter maybe with Chris Paul see like with 48 minutes so to speak or let’s say 40 minutes of good point guard play but like brandom has not proven enough as a shooter um that’s not going to be we’ll see how even like any minutes he’s going to get but like a Blake Wesley that’s not going to be his strength it’s not Jeremy San’s strength so it’s really just Devin like to count on is let’s be reasonable about their shooting I will give it to Chris Paul I’ll throw Kelvin Johnson in there forell and wemy and it’s just like how many of those are just guaranteed to shoot 37% or better on five plus three point attempts per game of the group I just mentioned probably Wy and Vel are the most likely picks and so if you want to include Collins or Mamu in there as one of the guys who could theoretically space the floor fine I I think it needs to come from the wing spots more is what I would like to see from San Antonio and look I’ll count lry marketing he could play four or three especially next to wenyama that’s just absolutely that’s absolutely perfect so the Spurs want to trade for marketing they have my blessing I know everyone was a little bit worried about that the Toronto Raptors I think they still need a like such a weird place place to be how many times am I going to say that about the Raptors like can we get a like a like a an actual Wing here like a true Wing is RJ Barrett okay sized like a wing grd dick sized like a wing are they RJ bar comes closest to actualizing the Wing part it’s not abbaji it’s not Bruce brown maybe you think it’s jacobe Walter how much does he play um they need a more proven like wing and probably someone who could shoot like they they need probably someone who’s gonna guarantee them more half court just shooting than in RJ Barrett or o baji like Grady dick is there okay and you have quickly and let’s assume that Barnes is going to continue to improve because he’s Barnes like you need another type of wing and I don’t even know they don’t even need to be caps lock but like I’ll continue to mention him just give me Dorian Smith on this team at this point I would have loved when they had the cap flexibility I thought Simone Fon Teo was a great uh potential addition for them maybe they could still evaluate some sign and trade scenarios because Detroit stacking up on all these shooters who are not Simone fonio but they’re also trying to work with his smaller cap hold not more of the story don’t think it’s a realistic option um can they go at like a Luke Canard on this team would make a lot of sense I don’t know what his Market is he’s got so much Tunnel Vision on this roster they probably need someone who’s going to be not more plug-and playay but at least not kind of actively hurt you on offense with his tunnel vision so Gary Trent Jr’s return is kind of out and I would say a properly sized three that’s doing a lot of these things and that’s not Gary Trent Jr 65 around there that’s not going to be his bag I did mention lukar but that’s not going to solve that either and they’re not going to be a team that gives up Assets in a trade at this point like I think they’ve kind of shown their hand as we’re going to take a little bit more of a gradual approach here but it might just come down to oh can they take flyers on someone again I don’t think that player’s out there in free agency look you put Simone vono on this team I’m all in if you could get there uh are you a team that’s gonna try and like do you become a Gordon Hayward team I just thought eh that’d be interesting I think Gordon Hayward at this point like if he’s getting that minimum from someone that’d just be interesting do you try and take a flyer on like rehabilitating what what’s Joe Harris like how is his body looking these days um chumo KK is that someone that you could like take a flyer on Whose career’s just been derailed by injuries and never really played a ton he shown flashes in I in Orlando so I don’t know I just that’s like the need I just don’t expect them to like actively do anything about it as some quick breaking news uh Demar roosan pams is traveling to meet the kings in Sacramento this weekend the kings are in serious pursuit of him everything I said still holds true so if he goes to the kings that won’t date this podcast look at me kind of planning ahead here uh our next team and we’re getting towards the end here folks we have the Utah Jazz uh they need to figure out they could probably use fewer like Center fours too I don’t know like was it really necessary for them to go out there and sign Drew euck I just don’t understand they still need Wings especially if just like you know they have Cody Williams who we all know I love Cody Williams I hope he plays a [ __ ] ton that also might be the benefit of trading Mark as you open up minutes from him maybe for Bryce sensah those guys aren’t Wings Tay Hendricks not a wing Kyle filipowski not a wing Darius basley not a wing they just need wings and if you can get that as part of the like if you were able to get if I’m the Heat and they were just like first round pick salary and haime hawz for Larry Markin in I don’t know that I’m saying no right out of the gate as Miami but like if you’re able to get a prospect along those lines just another Wing younger type Wing player um the Spurs they’re Gonna Give You Deon Mel I’d probably count Jeremy soan here like he can play like he could guard close to four positions at this point so I would count him if you end up getting him from from San Antonio uh they were linked to Miami so be Aime hawz there I don’t know which other I mean a bunch of other teams should be showing interest I’m just trying to think of like where do you look at would would New Orleans be able to give up either a herb Jones or a Trey Murphy for him if they knew Mark and want to stick around and we’re saying Markin and Zion are a front court it’s or you getting brenon Ingram in that scenario I don’t think that that’s someone who’s if you’re trading Larry Markin in you’re not interested in the Brandon Ingram route so trying to think of like teams Larry Mark in Memphis would be super interesting what if you just built something around gig Jackson and money because it’ have to be Marcus Smart’s money at that point does that do anything for Utah like that you could talk you could talk me to that I mean Houston’s got Wing prospects to spare but like if you’re getting Mark in and planed on paying him you’re you’re basically saying that Jabari Smith or shenon isn’t long and I guess that would be shenon in that instance maybe I mean is that like is like would you do shenon I just I don’t know like Shang goon and either T een or Cam Whitmore as part of the like marketing trade because it doesn’t seem my cin totally sold on shenon and the the Jazz have enough bigs but they’re clearly not sold John Collins whatever they’re clearly not sold on Walker Kessler they want like a younger big that they can run their offense through um I don’t know that I love it I don’t know that I hate it either because you get of course there’s kaminga from Golden State that might come close to Wing Prospect or if you’re just taking picks in that package then definitely get Moses Moody someone free Moses Moody nice Target for Toronto would be I think he would fit really nicely there he fit really nicely on a lot of teams actually so yeah fin like you need to I think the goal needs to be to get a wing Prospect back in whatever Larry Markin trade you’re making and uh I just like there are teams that we just went through okay that maybe they end up there like they could give you that EX excuse me I don’t know if there are any others that I’m missing here like Denver could give you a wing and Michael Porter J I don’t know you want him but L Marketing in Denver as just like if he replaces Michael Porter Jr you’re willing to give up Payton Watson in that scenario um money gets all sorts of crazy but the Jazz have a ton of cap space you would have to include your 2031 pick I think is would you do that I don’t think Utah would do that but like Michael Porter Jr is a talent flyer you probably need to give up two of your young guys to pick in addition to Michael Porter junor salary I don’t even know if that move Utah I’m G tell you right now um if it was brown Watson and a pick and then Michael Porter Jr for Larry Markin I’m probably not doing it because Brown and it would have to be like you can have one of those guys and it can’t be brown I don’t think Brown is too important to this team now so it could be Watson and if you want stur and the first and Michael Porter Jr I’m I’m doing it I mean Aaron Gordon Nicole yic and lry Markin that’s [ __ ] nasty front line that is a nasty for those all dudes who could really play the five and a pinch too I don’t think they have the assets I’m just spitballing here if you wanted to go that route um and we are on to our final team which is the Washington Wizards I still want to see them get and I’m maybe bub Carrington ends up being this guy um just a younger Flor General type you have Brogden on this team already and I guess you could say that they’re a whittle a whittle a little bit Wing lighter after giving up than aan so it’s okay you have kma but are they eventually going to trade him and then it’s Bal kabali and after that it’s Cory kissper uh but I’d like yeah I’m going to go with I’d like to see him try to chase a playmaker that they could maybe evaluate against the future I loved I mean for them and even Brooklyn was a team I mentioned maybe he becomes available at the trade deadline I just don’t know who you have now that OKC would want but I loved Aaron Wiggins for this team uh maybe that’s something Brooklyn could look at if if uh OKC still wants to look at cam Johnson or dorany Smith I don’t really don’t think they do I think they be shooting higher than that so I like a just a younger primary playmaker type again I want to see bub Carrington get a ton of minutes tyus Jones could theoretically still be back here but uh like I I would like to see them go that route I’m trying to look at names though at the moment to see just like are there even any flyer types like could you get a Trey man from Charlotte are they kind of willing to not give up on him but give you him uh what could you do with the Knicks like what are you facilitating there to get Duce McBride a flyer on him you’re not going to get pick it from Jaden Hardy would be great but I think he’s really important in what Dallas is doing now um is they’re like they do have other salaries if they wanted to look at you would be pretty small here but if they wanted to look at bringing in Brogden that’s a route that you could go and maybe get Jaden Hardy as part of that I don’t hate that and so your salaries there are just like you have Dwight Powell and Maxi kleba like those are kind of your primary salaries then Jaden Hardy is in there you’re kind of bit you’re you’re leaving it awfully small at that point I don’t think that that’s especially if you’re willing to incude Olivier maxon’s Prosper as just well if you’re giving up jayen Hardy I probably wouldn’t do that but jayen Hardy from Dallas maybe they don’t view him as as important so long as Luca dones and Kyrie Irving there he was playing by the end of the playoffs but that would be a name uh they’re just you’re not gonna give up the equity even if Detroit wants to get rid of Jaden Ivy they would be I don’t like the salary matching here gets weird and I don’t know what Chicago wants like they would be just like Lonzo ball that’d be a fun team to be okay let’s just see what his knes have left I just to get to you could get to well they’re they’re so cheap with all their other I mean you could send them Brockton is it a three- team trade where you’re sending Brogden somewhere and you’re just getting Lonzo ball and maybe something else and then another team’s taking on Brogden and sending something to the Bulls because their money is would I don’t think the Bulls want Jordan p and so after that it’s you’re not giving up Kyle kusman Alonzo ball trade unless it’s again a third team you’re getting back a [ __ ] ton of stuff they would be a fun just and if you’re going through teams that would be worth just all right let’s just kind of see what happens with the Lonzo ball situation I would throw Charlotte as a team i’ be like okay like yeah why not I wouldn’t hate it for Detroit um just to take that flyer um I would like I said I would not hate it for Washington I think the teams that would have the flexibility to just be kind of look at that that’s probably it though to be I mean that Orlando just out of c and what is the money that’s going out in that scenario that’s that’s a bad one now uh We’ve hit all the signings the only thing I didn’t really comment on uh too much is the France vogner getting the extension I think that I would have waited that’s what he was commanding I guess you don’t have the cap space next season because youve you decided not to roll it over which again fine just he shot a really low percentage on jumpers last year he was sub 29% from three he ends up being sub 44% on two-point jumpers and you haven’t improved your spacing enough to say okay well like we’re going to bank on him getting less attention and having more room to work on the ball and just or even just to get off threes um that was just I know the cap is going up I know these are the fun Maxes as ESPN’s Brian wior calls them but that was just why could we not have kicked that decision down the like use restricted free agency at that point let’s see if this guy gets actually better I don’t the the language I hate the way Shams reports it as just like a five-year deal that could be worth $270 million give the actual number what it is I don’t care about the language because if he does make an all NBA team you’re gonna be happy to pay that difference I was just I talked about this in a previous podcast I I guess I was prepared for them to extend him but just it happened so quickly they viewed as a no-brainer after the season he had and I’m very curious to see if and where jayen suggs’s number kind of ends up here but if those were my secondary kind of thoughts on the magic is a team that I’m endlessly fascinated with at the moment I don’t know that they’ve made the most of their c space I think they’ve made good moves but I don’t know that they’re good moves that really get them any closer to their ceiling they might improve incrementally based off internal development and just infusing kcp into the rotation as replacing minutes from Joe Engles and Folts at this point as of now but just sort of running it back they’re still loaded for a trade and so I would still love Simons on this team um this is a team that I mean you can get there if you’re willing to include Cole Anthony I don’t know if you when he only has one year left on his deal in talking about Malcolm Brock didn’t that could be someone that you just take a look at you could still get to the money there for him um you could aim higher like let’s just get lamelo ball onto the Orlando uh if if you think that he’s going to remain healthy so their offseason is one I I mentioned this during their section I wish I would spent more time in it their offseason is one that I’m just I’m conflicted on because I don’t hate it but I was so ready to love it after they got kcp and now I’m just sort of like okay me what’s sort of what’s sort of going on here don’t none of these moves are indefensible I would have waited on fron personally um but I think I don’t know if this makes it and I guess the thing they did this offseason I would say it makes it more likely they extend jayen Suggs I’d be very curious to see what his number winds up coming in at because I I really do think to maximize fron and even I mean jayen s pal like you need at least one other caps lock and they don’t have a caps lock shooter maybe that becomes jet Howard is that what they’re betting on next year this team is really really really good and deep but like they’re a team where it’s they need that offensive and if it’s not going to be a caps lock shooter then certainly just a better offensive organizer than having a turn to Jaylen Suggs and Cole Anthony and pal B Caro and France vogner and saying okay we’re just gon to sort of put together this floor General by committee I think that can work in certain instances and I’m high enough on jayen sugs and pal Bank Carol specifically that I’m open to it but then like that’s when you need to go get the caps lock shooter which they have yet to do so really good team was expecting and hoping more from them this offseason the offseason or the free agency period is like a week old so there’s still time for them to do stuff and I’m hoping that they will continue to do that’s right it’s I guess a version of stat padding but it’s by myself so I’m going to try something out and hat tip to uh Discord user be rich for suggesting that we do something where maybe we react to viral Clips or videos those get a little bit hard to do during the offseason um so I’m going to talk about or I’m going to react to skip bis talking about LeBron James Brody James the Lakers someone sent there were two videos they sent one of them in Discord and just based off the way it was promoted uh that bronny James is more clutch is it clutcher I asked my editors about this no one answered me I think it’s more clutch I don’t think clutch is a word but he called bronnie James more clutch or has more of a clutch Gene than LeBron I have not watched these so the whole point is to just react off the cuff I’m not trying to give them we’re just putting them on the show not trying to give them super shine where I’m necessarily bumping it um but it’s all jokes nothing personal here they’re going to be bad jokes because I doing this off the cuff it’s supposed to be unplanned I think if we were going to do a deeper dive into a clip like a viral play or something going around yeah you watch that a bunch and try and whatever but if we’re reacting to opinions just something to try out hopefully everybody enjoys it hope we’ll see if I even enjoy it because I cannot stand listening to skip alist but again nothing personal all jokes all jokes here it’s just just jokes good nature fun we’re going to be off and running here hopefully this translates somewhat to audio I’d probably recommend I don’t know watching it on YouTube so let’s uh let’s play it’s two clips they’re each like I think two minutes long let’s just see let’s just see what we got going here bronnie okay first right off the bat I’m sorry to interject I don’t watch the skip Bist show um this is my first exposure to it is this always what he wears like he’s got a black shirt plain black shirt with a gold chain it kind of looks like he’s trying to recreate that rock like does he have a fanny pack on beneath this that picture but that’s not a turtleneck um so I don’t what did we do like the gold chain in the playing back shirt it’s like looks like Meek Mill maybe trying to be the rock here I don’t know this is just right off the bat I’m already turned off Sign Sealed and the other thing too is I’m not going to criticize I hate criticizing appearances but as someone who was most recently called uh what was it in the comments looks like a an AI Disney character an AI generated Disney character I feel like I’m allow to say this he kind of looks like I don’t know like can we pick a I’m I’ve been tanning before full disclosure but like can we pick a how aggressive you want to be with it like right now he kind of looks like Ted dancing decided to get like a die job and then go tanning exclusively in beds that have like year old bulbs or maybe planets F Planet Fitness bulbs at this point I don’t really know what he trying to trying to do here but I already don’t I don’t like the and he just looks so miserable at this point you get paid a bunch of money to give bad Sports takes for a living be happier my guy delivered now with the Lakers he’s on a a guaranteed Laker contract there’s no g-league involved here oh boy okay inaccuracy right off the bat so it is a guaranteed deal the fourth year for bronnie james’ contract is a team option um there’s going to be the g- league is involved they already I think came out and said JJ reck I believe that the plan is for him to spend a ton of time with the Lakers g-league affiliate so they was at the Eerie Bay Lakers still so there is g-league involved which is exactly what you want to happen for someone drafted towards the end of the second round even just like first round picks being in the G league if there isn’t you’re dealing with a t on a team that has title aspirations I don’t know if the Lakers should really have those aspirations but there’s there’s going to be some g-league minutes involved here he’s going to be on the Laker roster as I said from day one and he’s going to play okay so oh looks like he might be need to finishing the thought here I don’t yes he’s going to be on the Lakers roster you’re right on that skip he’s not like what is the over under the number of games real Laker games that bronnie plays in I would assume they’re only going to be like massive blowouts and maybe we have the sort of fanfare of all we need to see Bron and bronnie on the court together but let’s I mean yeah like I will set the over under the number of NBA games or let’s let’s do total minutes if you’re giving me 500 minutes I’m going to take the under fairly significant minutes fairly quickly I don’t know how many that’ll be and I am again no if he is playing fairly significant minutes fairly quickly I don’t know what the Lakers are doing and this is just like I want to know where he’s going with this point because this was never the intention to draft bronnie to have him play a bunch of minutes and I think JJ reick made that clear when they were talking about getting him into their player development program a bronnie fan in fact I think Brony is built even tougher than his father is because Bron’s been through a lot in his life my God this man is a this is idiotic I know you probably get paid to be this caricature of an actual sports analyst but I will not diminish what bronnie went through I think one that gets underplayed is the attention in the social media age and also having LeBron as your father um Mir Vader wrote an incredible piece of the ringer called the weight and weight of bronny talk about that incredible title of bronny James there’s that pressure that I don’t think anyone necessarily can relate to and you have to deal with that this is a young kid and then there’s he had that Cardiac Arrest episode last summer and that’s ridiculously tough to come back from you’re going to sit here and tell me that he has been through more than LeBron James James who during his adolescence from what like just based off stuff that we’ve read was cou surfing at one point with his mom didn’t have a permanent home was living with coaches there was concerns about how unsupervised he was at one point um but bronny James has been through more this is just now I’m at a point where I’m I’m not criticizing bronny James here like he has had a level of safety that LeBron James was basically never insured while he was growing up and this is just such a Blasphemous comment to make I mean we’re just the cardiac arrest thing with bronnie James that is scary as hell I can’t imagine what that was like for Savannah and LeBron to have to see your kid go through something that you’re just not supposed to see someone in their youth go through adolescence go through but like he’s been through more than LeBron James like oh and even if you like even if you want to talk about not you want to throw off court stuff out of the equation coming in is this highly touted Prospect but like where your safety net wasn’t like if at the end of the day like if bronnie doesn’t pan out he is now signed and LeBron would signed a massive contract too but like there’s a there’s generational wealth set up for him I’m not saying he couldn’t get another job work really hard I’m not saying he won’t even be a good NBA player but there’s just like a fail safe there for him that wasn’t there for LeBron so this is just like my god let’s see if I even make it through this entire clip in the harshest Spotlight any kid could ever be thrust into as LeBron James Jr fair when in terms of Spotlight but what’s tougher to deal with Spotlight or maybe not knowing where your next meal or is coming from or where you’re going to sleep that night that week where you’re going to be living the next year what’s what’s tougher to deal with skip I’m asking you I love how Bron’s handled this I I get a good feeling every time I watch him not only play basketball but just handle himself carry himself that is one I want to know how much of Brony James playing basketball skip bis is has watched so we set Bron James’s rookie minutes over under at 500 I’m gonna go over under five minutes that skip is sat down and watch even bronnie James highlights I’m gonna smash that under and also if he’s watching Brony James handle himself this is just kids got a back bone kids got guts kids got principal and character his parents did a good job raising him hell yeah I respect it we got to give credit where credit is due you don’t we tend to lionize these athletes when you don’t know them personally um and there’s a lot of performative jokes made at LeBron’s expense and many of them are just hilarious I will say even if you cringe at some of the stuff he does say or maybe some of the social media posts that he has this it does seem and I’m not saying that other NBA players aren’t I think people went after Jason Tatum for the comments he made about having a kid um how he initially didn’t want Deuce when he was younger I mean he was what is he Jason Tatum was 19 now so two few years so he’s 19 then and having a kid like that’s something that you have to reconcile with um but LeBron James does seem like a like a good parent or an involved dad and that’s just the view from afar so it’s really cool to see people recognize that part of what and like for even someone like skip to say that uh I fave that I fave that part of this I think he’ll be more calm cool and collected in the eye of next year’s storm than even his father will be that’s probably because he will be playing in the G league and LeBron will be trying to win actual NBA basketball games as the best player on his team and one of the best players of all time but carry on I think he’ll play pretty well alongside his father but it is going to be circus material because you have a firsttime head coach trying to juggle minutes with bronnie and proven veterans who are not going to love it when bronnie gets his 12 minutes 14 minutes and 16 minutes and maybe that is actually a good point and semi-interesting I push back on the proven veteran aspect of this yeah they a lot of these veterans have just proven that they shouldn’t be guaranteed minutes I mean you look at this Laker roster and if everyone’s healthy okay yeah LeBron Anthony Davis D’Angelo Russell ruy haimura Austin Reeves uh who is bronny playing in front of with those guys none so now you get into the Gabe Vincent Jared Vanderbilt yeah better track records uh neither of I guess Gabe Vincent might play Bron’s position Jared Vanderbilt’s IM material bronn’s not gonna take minutes from him jayon h chafino i mean are we gonna worry about I guess Max Christie that’s the reason they hired JJ reick was to develop Max Christie so I hav interest to see how they kind of Juggle that but what makes it a circus is because it’s LeBron it’s because places like what is what who Skip skips on Fox Sports is the skip bayor show on Fox Sports again my first exposure to the skip bayor show and the I can’t take my eyes off this gold chain I just honestly can’t like this looks like my God I don’t looks like Eric Roberts forgot that he was Eric Roberts right now I’m so I just don’t understand the outfit I need to maybe I need to check out other skate B show clips but I am interest to see how JJ reck handles that dynamic as a firsttime head coach and also just the framing that he’s LeBron james’ podcast co-host those aren’t his credential credentials but they have that relationship built in there so not that’s far as skip Bist takes go that that one was okay maybe even some nights 20 minutes a game playing a long side if not in place of his father I really want to see the Lakers sub out LeBron for bronny but like I want to see them do it spitefully I want JJ reick to have have a game plan in place or wanted a certain play run and LeBron doesn’t and then he just gets benched for his kid how funny would that be I’d be with it I think bronnie will be pretty good I think he’ll he’ll become a clutch three-point shooter I I’ve always gotten the feeling that bronnie had a bigger clutch genan than his father does based off what I literally just pulled my mic phone out of its stand what is this man talking about this is going to ruin the rest of the clip because I got way too OV exuberant here based on what like what is he has the more clutch is it maybe because he learned to drive on a standard car and LeBron only does self-driving cars or get chauffered around I don’t honestly what makes bronny more clutch than LeBron what I need the evidence what is it McDonald’s game he was in the spotlight they went went to him late two or three times he just nailed threes he did not shoot the three well at USC but I’m giving him a complete and utter break because I’m knocking on wood for him he had a serious heart condition he did and does have a serious heart condition but I don’t know that two or three plays in a McDonald’s game makes you more clutch than one of who’s like perhaps the greatest NBA player of all time who’s always been a playmaker first and this a narrative that he’s always passing out of dries or out of situations in crunch time being too differential has always been overblown just pretty mind melting stuff here that wh laid him to start his first year of college basketball at USC and it just never quite got going and I get it and that team never quite go got going around Isaiah col excuse me Isaiah klier who I thought was going to be the first pick in the draft and he fell all the way to the bottom of the first round I’m throwing all that out because I think that Brony at only 61 and a half will become a very credible if not differen making on ball Defender I think that okay um I’m trying to think yeah you could be 61 and be a credible on ball Defender um tying that into his shooting in his clutch Gene certainly interesting I am looking I want like more evidence as to why skip thinks this body of his which already looks pretty good to me will become more that’s a good point I mean this Dude Looks Like LeBron I mean this might have something to do with the resources available to him but uh Brony looks kind of like chiseled and built in a way that even LeBron didn’t seem like coming in where he was even still had that young stringy look to him but I think it’s also what is LeBron 68 69 and so if bronnie 61 62 around that area lbody easier to fill out there more of a man body so I I like what bronnie will bring except it’s going to be very difficult on JJ reic to juggle minutes and egos down the bench bronnie yeah that’s a I I would agree with that point from skip that it’s going to be hard to juggle those EOS but we’re operating under the assumption that there’s going to be pressure on him to play Brony in NBA minutes and I think if he’s getting run in the G League that that’s and playing with the ual Lakers in practice and maybe he earns minutes that way I don’t think like if they’re if it gets to a point where the Lakers are just playing bronnie over some of these veteran like if he’s taking Austin reeves’ minutes and he he sucks then yeah but I feel like we’re manufacturing a lot here because his name is bronny James and he’s on the team with his um with his dad so uh I just I can’t bring myself to worry about that the circus is going to come from all of us uh including ourselves that are covering this and Skip who’s really going to milk it so this next clip here I think is uh it was promoted as skip bis talking about why the Lakers no longer have the cache to get players that might actually be super interesting so let’s go let’s go see what he has to say on this matter there are four key pieces to that puzzle last year who were not healthy and yet and still they’re right there in the fourth quarter a game one at Denver first round of the playoffs and LeBron pal and won’t shoot until the oh my God this anti- LeBron narrative just so tired and again I’m being part of the problem by I always tell people that seem to actually get grieved by it it’s fine to dunk on them if you want to have fun that’s what I’m trying to do here but to actually get mad about this tap because it’s just so cartoonish at this point and it’s coming from someone that looks like they’re using Donald Trump’s skin care routine regime whatever you want to call it that I can’t take it seriously like LeBron okay LeBron is pouted LeBron like refusing to shoot let’s just let’s just come on here settle down skip again I know that you’ve done a lot of bronny James film work I question how much LeBron James homework you’ve done the game’s out of hand game two at Denver the whole series could have been turned on its head LeBron gets a wideopen free throw of a three-point shot to win the game seconds left and he missed it as simple as that wow yeah I feel like we should there needs to be a bigger penalties every time an NBA player misses a shot like do we should we have taken away LeBron’s first born or should we have just executed LeBron on the spot for missing a shot there really just missing a shot Michael Jordan never missed a shot so I mean anyone who played for the Dallas Cowboys um has never dropped a pass so I just there needs to be Skip’s right we need harsher punishments in place for these dudes who can’t shoot 100% from the field even when they’re just totally wide open and playing in front of tens of thousands of people and uh like against a team where there might be AO I don’t even remember the play he talking about but yeah sure there might have been someone closing out running after him but you need to be perfect yeah the fact that LeBron missed that shot Jordan wouldn’t have missed that shot he would take it with one hand and his eyes closed and waited for a Defender to come out to him so that he could have shot it contested but that team coached by Darin ham who was doing a pretty good job to me was right there I mean I tend to give coaches most of the time the benefit of the doubt just because they forget more about basketball on a daily basis than I will ever know I think some of the lineups that Darin ham would perpetually run uh were definitely worth criticizing I think that the offense in general too for the Lakers was not inventive enough that might be a symptom of having LeBron James but do I think that he needed to be scapegoated I mean let’s see how JJ reic does before we answer that question I suppose so oh you see anyone who’s watching that like dramatic should I add that into like my podcasting repertoire which is staring at the ground and just shaking my head solemnly like really just adding dramatic because looks like he’s really about to uncork a take here I’m gonna be upset if the if the buildup isn’t worth the return oh I I keep hearing Laker entitlement of well let’s just go get Deonte Murray and it came down to Atlanta saying no uh we want Austin Reeves you got to throw Austin Reeves into whatever the deal was probably ruy was in there maybe DLo I don’t I don’t know but they want I I just I don’t know we know that the Lakers didn’t want to give up Austin Reeves and I think in the Deonte Murray deal specifically you probably have a case to do that because like if it was Reeves in two first versus the Pelicans gave up Dyson Daniels in two first the Lakers own picks are going to be more valuable than the picks that the Pelicans are giving up so to speak so I kind of understand that stance and we don’t have reporting right now on how seriously the Lakers were in on Deonte it seems like they’re more interested in cashing on maybe a bigger name or did this come down to they wouldn’t include Dalton connect it also just seems like honestly I know that they could use some secondary playmaking now or Reeves would have definitely worked for them it seems like the Hawks wanted to prioritize getting some Wing bodies in there and Wing Defenders the Lakers don’t have those guys to offer so could they have beaten Atlanta’s offer sure this is not the player where if you could have gotten him then I’m GNA criticize you for not I think part of the appeal would have been all right if you had put every pick two picks and two swaps on the table and could have gotten him and now you’re keeping Austin Reeds and you have LeBron and AD and bronnie James playing his like 18 19 minutes a game sure but I we haven’t seen enough reporting on I don’t think this is one of the opportunities that the Lakers necessarily just whiffed on at Austin Reeves and I was with the Lakers for saying no because dejon is not that good I like him but I don’t love him I guess I agree with everything I didn’t know this was going to go on for him to compliment the Lakers though so I’m very this is just I make some roundabout points and I think people listening or watching will have no idea where they’re going but this is a I don’t know where this is going guys Austin Reeves is really really good and he’s only going to get really really better du I mean I don’t really know that we could say really really better as proper English but aside from that we’re framing this is Austin Reeves is one of the young Lakers they want to build around he’s not old I’m older than Austin Reeves the seems so it’s [ __ ] ridiculous that I’m saying this he’s 26 like this is not like how much better do we expect him to get at 20 do you think he’s going to turn into building block material and then I kept hearing about Donovan Mitchell let’s just snap our fingers and go let’s trade for Donovan Mitchell and I said Cleveland’s not going to give him up and Cleveland just maxed him out and he is now for the next whatever it is five years a Cleveland Cavalier he is a Cleveland Cavalier for technically the next four um but three of those are guaranteed and the way that pre agency works is if he wants to leave we’ll be talking about this again in two years but he is right the game of Max extension uh and he is still in Cleveland and I think if you were ever setting your the Lakers were putting their eggs and then we’ll just go out and trade for Donan Mitchell or Trey young basket uh yeah you should you shouldn’t have done that the jante obviously went to New Orleans great take by Skip I pretty sure that Deonte is in New Orleans that’s really that was great good call Clay let’s go get clay and now on the front burner becomes Demar D roen we’ll see how that works out o not going right now those Demar Ros is going to the Kings we know Klay took he could have had 480 from the Lakers versus 3 and 50 from the Mavs I think what goes into that I guess the Lakers could have guaranteed him a SP a starting spot but to Skip’s Point like the Lakers being a circus might have worked against them there and he’s playing you know Michael Thompson his dad um and then just the air of like the pressure there did he want to go in Dallas where okay you’re guaranteed the starting spot there might just be less of a media hoopla and then I think the the more important thing here is the money is comparable enough the playing time is comparable if not better enough that why not just go to the better team which would be the Dallas Mavericks my point is he has a point this is exciting in the end something just happened a a message just got sent that the Lakers are no longer the destination right because they didn’t get Klay Thompson sure and because what players who were under contract didn’t force their way there I don’t I’m not really sure where we where we’re going here and there’s only like a couple seconds of this clip left maybe they’re no longer in the eyes of players around the league the Lakers anymore because LeBron has become oh God I don’t even want to let him finish the sentence but I’m gonna more troubled than he’s worth running the Lakers with now his puppet head coach JJ Reck okay this is just like LeBron is definitely him and clutch Sports have gone to Great Lengths to say like they aren’t involved in these decisions which I do think is [ __ ] and I think that you can lay if you want to some of the blame for the Russell Westbrook trade which might be the original cardinal sin although you look at the Danny Green trade as well a job of a front office is to keep stars in check and to if you want their input solicit it do it but you also need to shoot them down when they’re wrong and so I only assign so much blame as what what has gone wrong in La I don’t think LeBron has sat there and completely devalued the presence of two-way players that would be he’s too smart for them to do that does he maybe want ultimate power and control and they’ve given him too much I look I honestly can’t speak to that but to say that LeBron is more trouble than he’s worth Lebron was still one of the 15 best players in basketball last year and so I want to know specifically what he has done to ruin the Lakers and if it’s the whole him and Brony or just the attention that comes with being in Los Angeles has DET like prevented some other players from wanting to be there I’d like to hear more about it on the record but like Anthony Davis forced a trade to only the Lakers and there’s always going to be that cache is their Lakers exceptionalism will some teams charge a Lakers tax are they overvaluing some of their own players if they don’t want to give up Austin Reeves in some of these deals for targets that we haven’t even mentioned or heard about yet okay sure but this idea that LeBron has ruined the Lakers when he is still very clearly and I don’t think it’s he’s the reason that it’s this way like yeah I guess his style could be harder to incorporate but I’ve never like how do you watch this guy play and think that he’s still not great enough to be well like we still kind of need to flesh out like our roster in future and take his opinion into account LeBron is now effectively The Unofficial head coach of the Lakers oh okay yeah right I this is just utter BS I think that we can just I mean we we can just leave it leave it there because yes okay JJ reck is LeBron’s homie but JJ reck was not only interviewed by the Lakers he had interviews with the Raptors the Hornets wasn’t there another organization that he had interviewed with a while back uh so he’s had at least two other NBA interviews so this has been a name that’s at least been floated whether the interviews were out of courtesy or not he’s a name that’s been floated and the other thing here is just like unless the Lakers did this on purpose to make it look like they weren’t bending to Le Bron’s will they went after Dan Hurley first and offered him money in just one of the like dumbest public negotiations I have no idea what they were thinking on that it was i’ likened it to you don’t propose marriage to someone without knowing the answer there are just certain questions you don’t ask without knowing the answer and the way those negotiations unfolded with the money and the years they offered him would be one of those situations and so was this sort of an elaborate plan to make it seem like oh we’re not going the LeBron’s will be done route I spare me that LeBron is not the head coach the Lakers um this was as promised I it took him forever to get there but blaming LeBron for the state of the Lakers is quite to take here not perfect he’s definitely made some missteps along the way but everything that’s wrong with them can be laid at the feet of ownership and the front office because even if they solicited his advice or listen to them part of their jobs is understanding when not to do that hopefully you just didn’t hate that we’ll still work out some Kings for it there’ll be different types of uh clips that we go through if you’d like to submit one that you’d like to see me or maybe Grant together review you have via disc or our email uh we do have a trade to report though at the end of this a big one so everybody sit down the Spurs are trading guard Devonte Graham and a second round pick to the Charlotte Hornets per W the Hornets will wave Graham allowing him to become a free agent uh the Hornets are gonna have to pay the partial guarantee that was on Graham’s number which is like 2.9 2.85 million they’re going to get a second round pick out of the deal and the Spurs are now $25 million plus under the cap I think at this point $26 million plus so they are set up to do some spicy things maybe that helps them out allow market and trade or trade for someone else who knows hope you enjoyed this uh we’ll be coming at you with I think more frequent episodes in the following week we only had two this week we apologize after putting out like eight or 10 in the previous week or whatever please remember if you’re watching this far subscribe YouTube Spotify Apple the whole N9 um join our Discord link to that’s in the podcast and YouTube description be on the lookout for our latest merch drop which will be coming soon the designs are in I have samples on the way this is exciting they they kick some ass so be on the lookout for that until next time and as always leave with the shout out to one the only the indelible the legend Frank N Kina [Music]
Dan goes through his biggest need for every NBA team following the first wave of free agency and general offseason movement. CHAPTERS BELOW. (Note: Recorded before Miles Bridges signed a three-year, $75 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets.)
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CHAPTERS⬇️
0:00 – INTRO
1:42 – Atlanta Hawks
2:57 – Boston Celtics
4:41 – Brooklyn Nets
5:50 – Charlotte Hornets
7:28 – Chicago Bulls
9:44 – Cleveland Cavaliers
11:56 – Dallas Mavericks
14:35 – Denver Nuggets
18:35 – Detroit Pistons
20:43 – Golden State Warriors
23:48 – Houston Rockets
25:52 – Indiana Pacers
27:46 – Los Angeles Clippers
33:23 – Los Angeles Lakers
36:07 – Memphis Grizzlies
37:23 – Miami Heat
40:06 – Milwaukee Bucks
41:22 – Minnesota Timberwolves
43:05 – New Orleans Pelicans
45:51 – New York Knicks
47:37 – Oklahoma City Thunder
48:59 – Orlando Magic
51:10 – Philadelphia 76ers
53:43 – Phoenix Suns
55:20 – Portland Trail Blazers
56:52 – Sacramento Kings
59:13 – San Antonio Spurs
1:01:21 – Toronto Raptors
1:04:03 – Utah Jazz
1:08:04 – Washington Wizards
1:11:21 – Franz Wagner extension, More moves to come in Orlando?
1:14:44 – STAT PADDING
1:41:13 – Devonte’ Graham trade
#nba #nbafreeagency #nbaoffseason
6 Comments
No comments yet my nuclear AFers!?
Tyus jones to clippers?
Spurs will probably want Barnes since they have no SFs currently.
Raps need Cam Johnson so bad
With a little luck, the Hornets' 2/3 of the future is in next year's draft. VJ Edgecombe would be perfect for them. He's been the Bahamian National Team's best player so far. And that's on a team that includes Buddy Hield, Eric Gordon, and DeAndre Ayton. He's only 6'4", but he has unreal athleticism and he's strong. If his shooting is as legit as it seems to be, you're looking at another Anthony Edwards type.
Legendary title for the podcast version of this episode, btw. Your best work yet.