Are the OKC Thunder NBA Finals contenders? | The Athletic NBA Show

Are the OKC Thunder NBA Finals contenders? | The Athletic NBA Show

Hello and welcome to the athletic NBA show it’s Wednesday I’m Dave deor here with Seth part now and Moda keil so that means it’s nerder she wrote we’re doing this one late Tuesday night we just watched OKC and Boston and um even though this wasn’t a nationally

Televised game which it should have been man NBA TV poor guys got stuck with Bulls Sixers and you know the Bulls we all that they would be better but they stink they should have flexed over to this game great game Oklahoma City beats the Celtics and Seth Mo this is game five of

A winning streak that is extremely impressive theyve now beat they beat the best team in the league they they beat the best team in the west and they’ve beat the defending champs all in the last five games when you said they beat the best team in the

League do you mean themselves by record I I was just but I mean look this me you could say that’s every time the Celtics lose they that they’ they’ve beaten the best team in the league because they beat themselves uh I I would just I want to

Start by just saying um a lot of the conversation about about the thunder has been about what they need to add and you know like we we definitely feel you know they need to add some pieces um but are they finals contenders today I mean they certainly are playing like it

They’re the two seed in the in the west uh they again they’ve been on this run they’ve got a all-nba first team guard who Seth I know you’re gonna have to go and update those tiers um and and Chad holgren is at least top 30 I think as a

Rookie which is kind of crazy I mean he has been really really good for them I I would top 50 Maybe top 30 we start to like we split hairs between 30 and 50 you know how this work it matters there’s 40 guys in my top 30 yeah

Exactly that’s but yeah so are they are they contenders now so I know they beat Denver this week and they beat Minnesota but I think those are two teams they probably have to go through at least one of them maybe both and while the Celtics are a very

Good team I think the Celtics are from a matchup standpoint a better matchup for them than than either of those teams and and obviously Denver in particular just because um you know nobody has anyone who can handle joic but they really don’t have anyone they don’t they don’t

Even have like the the trixy let’s try this matchup for yic yeah I mean they even tried two possessions of Zone tonight and this was against the the Celtics and gave up five points and I don’t think they played Zone the rest of the game yeah I think

It was that quick where they’re like yep nope that’s not for us um and I think that’s an important uh uh aspect of it I think I you know what I’m now going to kind of say yeah they are contenders and I think it’s more just

Along the lines of I I don’t know if they can beat Denver or Minnesota in a in a playoff setting seven game series they’re very young the size issue that we’re we’re gonna discuss at nauseum from here until the trade deadline and then they don’t answer it if they don’t

Answer it all the way to the playoffs um I think think is one of those things but it’s something that kind of Seth has said in our group chat that kind of uh has been floating in my brain for a while just talking about the number to

Flawed teams that have made it to the finals is more than one you know and it’s it’s I think it’s it’s one of those things where if things break right there’s no reason to think it they can’t be you know I think they need to add

More pieces but what they have now is pretty damn good like when you talk about Shay gilgas Alexander he was the best player on the court any moment he stepped on the floor tonight and he torched this team it didn’t matter who was in front of him he made Drew holiday

Look slow he blew by Derek white he blew by Jaylen Brown I don’t know if Tatum ended up on him Tatum at the end I thought did a pretty good job in the fourth against against Jay but like he was just smoking these guys over and

Over again and then you add in the fact so that pulls in just on the clip where hit that big three you know he’s his penetration has been so strong that porzingis has to kind of be at the nail to show hell after the pick and roll and

Then Shay kicks it to chat for a wide open three and that pick and pop and I think that’s just kind of the stuff a they’re becoming very difficult to defend as a team and the guy that kind of gets lost in the shuffle here and not

That he’s not good but jdub Jaylen Williams is been the secret to their success because when Tatum slid over on you know they started working the ball against pton Pritchard who was stuck guarding Jaylen Williams now I don’t love the execution down the stretch it’s very isolation heavy it was you know

They were trying to force a switch to get Shay the ball and I think it get they got out of their offense which I mean when when they’ve got the ball moving th this offense is is fantastic uh I would rather they went to prevent offense prevent offense and and so I

Don’t love that but what a luxury to have that oh Shay is being guarded by this guy who’s 68 and and Shay does kind of struggle a little bit with size uh and you get to give it to this other big guard who can handle and who can attack

And do stuff um they they’ve got they’ve got the good core pieces I think that they’ve got some moves to make on the margins they’re not a perfect team but nobody is as Mo just pointed out um but they can play with anyone who’s going to

Play small at any level they can play with anybody it’s once you go big and so one of the things we talk about all the time is what is their curveball okay so they they don’t have the small ball curveball and they don’t have anyone on

The roster to to help him play Big you know with with Chad being able to play the four and I can even see defensively him being monstrous next to another rim protector uh so what’s their curveball because every team if you’re going to be a contender you have to have a

Curveball okay if they don’t have one it’s it’s a great question and right now it’s it’s somewhere between putting you know Williams on the ball or or just constant like Shay Chet uh you know ghost screen pick and Pops basically um which you know that’s it’s that’s that’s

Boston’s best play too so it’s not a with with kind of very similar Personnel so it’s not a not a bad place to go but it’s not it’s sort of all out of the same group I don’t think they have a they don’t really have a group they can

Flex to that that presents a holy different look yeah I think when you when you’re asking for the curveball I don’t know if they even need it right now their fast ball and splitter is killing and in the playoffs in the playoffs it’ll be interesting in that

Sense but this is a very difficult team to guard even that okay even after Jay du you know giddy shot his the three ball pretty well tonight and then I think you know then you have guys like Lou Dort and you have other pieces there that they can kind of start to work

Through uh meich looked really good like they have a lot of stuff in there in in in their back pocket of like yo you only need the curveball when they can hit the fast ball right now I don’t I’m not convinced anybody can really stop the

Fast ball yet and I’m not and I’m not saying they nobody can or what not like we’ll see playoffs changes everything yeah Josh kid’s gonna get put in a blender in the yeah for sure you know they’re gonna sit down I mean the the Celtics tried that tonight they started

Out the game with porzingis on him and he his job was to help first off the Celtics did a terrible job of that if you’re gonna do that then porzingis has to take control of the paint instead he was kind of like halfway in halfway out

Which led to drives for Shay and uh Williams and then giddy started knocking down some threes and then it became a bigger issue it’s one or the other in that sense but the second thing for the uh the thunder in that aspect is it all comes down to him making shots this is

One of the reasons you know we’ll find out how valuable he is become a trade deadline I don’t know if they make a move I don’t know maybe they want to see how they go through this playoffs and then make a decision afterwards but I

Mean there might not be a guy out there that really moves them yeah I mean Dorian finy Smith is the sort of the the I think the dream candidate right if if they could get him for not much we just talked about they need size and then you

Add another small CER I mean they need to add a wing for sure I think you they need a wing for the playoffs but I think before that they need size man like we need we we do you feel confident with chat versus yic in the playoffs oh

Definitely not I don’t feel confident with anybody against joic but yeah they need they they need to be able to go to the two big lineup that the other teams in the west are going to be able to run out there I mean like Nas Reed would

Have been a perfect pickup for them over the summer I mean you just what a crazy fit that would be right because it allows him to play big and small but um I don’t know that that guy’s out there I mean we you know we sort of have our

Dream scenario of yeah I don’t know can they get Jared Allen or or Clint capella or someone like that I just I don’t know that they will what does Atlanta feel about ano a Kongo like I think that it’s hard capella is a hard one to to go get and

Plus he’s you know he’s starter money guy and so that that sort of fundamentally changes the team but it’s sort of is it is it a is it a kol linic is it you know these are the sort of of of guys retire there’s are two those are

Two very different players obviously uh both of which would would do some interesting things for them I think I think oen allows them to to stay pretty similar to the way that they play now I mean he’s a good ball mover he Jay King told us today that he’s averaging like

Seven assists per 36 minutes in Utah which is a great stat um but he’s a good ball mover and obviously can stretch the floor a little bit um so yeah I think oen is kind of an interesting guy for sure yeah L lenck would actually be

Kind of a perfect fit for them because you can play him with Cad and I think that kind of opens up a lot of things for them but ultimately you know it’s for me it what I think will end up happening with OKC is they won’t like

The options that are out there and we’ll try to see how the playoffs look and then go from the playoffs evaluate basically off of the playoffs instead of off of the regular season that’s what’s going to be important for this front office and I think that’s going to be a

Big one but I know we’re gonna move on here but I just got to say again none of you believed when I said SGA was yeah it was on none of you believed he could be a guy that could carry a team this one did I did I will be taking Victory laps

All Season you’re slightly misstating yeah but you you’re you’re both right and overstating but you’re right uh is he the hardest guy to stay in front of in the league right now man Jaylen Brown was literally in his short s uh up around the free throw line and Chay

Turns it into a layup through contact which by the way OKC the whistle OKC Got Tonight is what the whistle ought to be like for the entire league and the whistle that the Celtics Got Tonight is what we need to get away from that’s that’s the that’s the end of our

Analysis for that game but I like the way that o Oklahoma City was officiated I don’t like the way that Boston was officiated they got too many soft fouls uh let’s do it the other way and also Boston’s too good they don’t need the help that I I want to answer Seth’s question

Because that’s the more the more fun part of the question I don’t give a [ __ ] about the refs Dave yeah um the uh uh the if ja wasn’t out for the first part of the season I think we would you would have a very interesting conversation between those two guys and I think

That’s the uh that’s what he’s kind of like except I almost think he has a more repertoire moves in terms of getting to the rim and finishing at The Rim he had a play he did you know come off the roll was in the first half it was right

Towards the end spun off Drew holiday kept holiday on his side and finished with a lefty scoop high off the glass like when I saw that I was just kind of like oh damn you know he’s got not only he has every move but he he does everything in Rhythm right he’s always

Able to get a shot up like balanced shot the one thing again I’m nitpicking but down the stretch the isolation trying to get into his mid-range stuff um that you know the one there was one possession late where he he essentially goes down there’s no action just goes into the

Little Baseline fade away don’t love that I mean I understand that this is the NBA and and you know if you’re a star guy those are the shots that you get to take but if you want to win games man those are not winning shots x’s and

Mo’s that’s it that’s it all right so moving on it’s officially trade season uh because we had a good a good and big trade uh the New York Knicks made a splash and went out and got a guy who I think and mo you said it to to us in the

In the group chat it puts the Knicks much closer to title contention than they were before they got OG an anobi by now you know the trade RJ Barrett and Emanuel quickley uh go to to Toronto um we’re probably going to be more focused on the Knicks portion of this because

They’re a competitive basketball team and Toronto no definitely oh you we’ got Toronto takes here do Oh I thought we were just going to talk I think we have we have we have uh we have we have some disagreements about about how to how to view this

Trade from Toronto side I think I think they’re both they’re both legitimate points of view so let’s get into it let’s start with where we agree and I think it’s that the Knicks this is a good trade for the Knicks um ogj an anobi is a you know an all-nba level

Defender uh helps with their protection and especially and sucks they don’t have Mitchell Robinson out there for the rest of the year because they would work really really well together especially on the offensive glass gives him a guy who can score a little bit um I mean

What’s your initial reaction guys I mean I know we’re a couple days late but this is a pretty big swing I think by the Knicks and doesn’t and doesn’t take away from their stash of you know picks and a couple other players that they’ve got I

Mean I thought it was a great trade can it be a big swing when it doesn’t take away from your stash like they went out got AER no I think it was a smart move it’s a big swing to me when you put all your chips in they didn’t swing from

Their heels right like it’s like okay let’s go for this massive prayer here it was a smart move in in the position for them on the Nick side of it like I think it adds somebody did anybody feel confident if they played Boston in a playoff series

That they’d be able to guard Jason Tatum or Jaylen Brown although Jaylen Brown can’t dribble so you’re probably better off that way uh but the uh you know now they have a guy even in his first game I thought OG did a pretty good job on uh

Edwards you know and I think there was a lot of stuff in in in terms of the way he defend that’s something that they didn’t really have and I think that’s the stuff that I find very impressive for them you know when I make the comment that they’re like one move away

Like they they have everything still they have the the the contract if they want to try to make the move in the uh regular season with EV for they have the draft Capital with all those things I think it was very interesting that they were able to pull off this trade and not

Give up a first round pick and I think that’s the stuff when you’re looking at it I think is is along the lines of like they kept the powder dry this is a great trade for them and I’m surprised by the number of people that are so hurt by

Quickly being traded I think it’s pretty obvious when they couldn’t come to a contract agreement with quickly on the extension he wasn’t in their long-term plans and yes they will need more they will need to find a backup point guard but I think that’s fine I think they can

Figure that part out finding the stopper is the harder thing and quickly you know we’ll discuss when we get to Toronto so there’s there’s it’s a reasonable point of view to think that that that quickley might end up being the best player in this trade however I

Think for for obvious reasons or or reasons that he he was for whatever reason largely because he’s blocked by a better player in Brunson uh that that he could be that that and and know could be the second best player in the trade and it could still be an upgrade for New

York um I’ll also say that that I think the we are what would be the risky part of this trade we’ve all sort of breezed past which is you’re trading a a decent amount uh for a guy who’s an impending free agent but given I don’t know his representation

Come on we know we know there’s a deal worked out and so part of it is is I’m um is I’m a little uh you know on some level withholding some judgment on the trade until we see what that number is like if he if he signs a Max contract in

The summer I feel I find I kind of feel little different about it than if he they you know they get him on on you know you know how much more are they gonna pay him than they were paying RJ Barrett is basically uh determines a little bit the final grade yeah and

That’s also that’s an advantage nobody else had in in these negotiations and the thing about OG and we talk about this all the time especially come playoff time he’s the go guard that guy guy J like you know and mo you said it who was gonna guard Jason Tatum who was

Gonna guard Jaylen Brown this team hasn’t had that ever I I mean this is this is this iteration of this team hasn’t had a guy who could do that for a quarter much less uh for an entire playoff series which I think ojan anobi like pretty

Much feel confident he’s be able to do that been Josh Hart and Dante D venzo and those guys are both like good Defenders but they’re both 63 small yeah yeah too small they both play bigger but they’re still small yeah but it’s even better when you have a guy like OG and

Then have those guys flanked behind them they get to kind of play a little bit more of a different role in the way they play defense and can kind of sort of muck stuff up there a little bit and then with OG again is positional versatility in terms of what he can

Defend he was on cat he was on gobear you know he was on Edwards like being able to switch through all of those positions helps you know and I think that goes a long way with them and then being able to knock down threes goes

Goes long way we still I mean the Knicks offense still needs a whole lot more in terms of creativity and things like that and that’s a whole another topic for a whole other day that’s when we start playoff prep so I think that there’s there there’s two ways to think about

That sorry my dishwash got smoke my dishwasher I thought it was mine yeah uh no so there there there’s two ways to think of to to think about that is is one is yeah their offense is not super creative but they don’t actually have uh

A ton of creation on the roster like the ball is in I I think we all watched the the the them play now the Timberwolves the the other day and that was the first game all season where anyone of the Knicks had had double digit assists and

That you know it’s it’s uh uh Brunson is is is an All-Star level player but he’s he is definitely more in the scoring point guard than the Distributing point guard realm um he can do it but he’s not like he I would not describe him as a

Top level table setter for others and they don’t really have especially and quickley wasn’t great at that either to be honest and and so they have a they have a shortage of shot creation I think and that’s that does make uh you know offensive design um challenging but they

Could also still do that better that makes offensive design more imperative and more important than than just okay go make something happen and I think that’s the problem I think we have with NBA offenses in general again podcast for another day because I can go probably about four hours on that and I

Think that’s the the stuff we’re looking at but I think and again that’s where this the next move is you know I think it’s finding the wing scorer who can create offense for others you know uh think uh Paul George when he was in Indiana you know and in that regard I

Think is is that element and I think that’s the stuff we’re waiting for again one move away this team looked before the trade this team looked clearly a step below all the other Eastern Conference teams the the the top dogs in the East right I think Before Christmas

Day they were 0 and six against Milwaukee and Boston they hadn’t played Philly yet because of course Philly schedule was interesting um and but now they’re one and six with the Christmas Day game but like that’s been a clear problem for them was that they were now I feel like they’ve they’ve they’re

Closing the Gap they haven’t closed it but they’re closing the gap which is something I think that’s big for the Knicks I love the trade for them yeah and uh uh should mention you know pressure to Chua will give him some backup five minutes which they’re going

To need you know hartenstein now is the the starter don’t don’t sleep on Malachi Flynn yeah and Malachi Flynn hey by the way look man I I’ll say this Tom thibo uh can coach guards really really well so we’re going to find out if Malachi

Flynn can be a player um let’s swing to Toronto Toronto gets RJ Barrett and Emanuel quickly and a 2024 second round pick the the 31st pick in the in the 2024 draft is that how we do so this is this is how when you want to talk about the

Value of the trade you talk about it as the 31st pick and when you want to go on the other side of it it’s a second rounde pick first pick a fake first can we can we just calling I mean one is it no longer a fake first I don’t know 40

Or something yeah like that’s really the question I mean would I don’t know you you probably say you’d rather have the 31st pick than the 30th just for the from a flexibility standpoint but yeah unless that dude turns into a player and then you’re in trouble because they

Become a free agent much much sooner yeah that’s a problem all right let’s let’s talk about these guys um I Toronto they they get a couple of good young players they bring RG J Barrett home and I I actually think RJ is you know he’s had an interesting season but not a bad

One favorite player uh see I pretty good this the pendulum on him is wild like i’ I feel like I’ve sort of been largely in the middle on it and I think that when people were were huge into him they were too like he’s getting talked about like

The the worst contract in the league and he’s like okay he’s making like starter Wing money and like is he a starting NBA wing on a playoff level team team maybe not the way he’s played this year but I think that that doesn’t it’s not it’s not a huge gap between where he

Is in in that spot so I think that’s like that’s fine and then and then quickly getting who’s been you know from a from an impact standpoint has been a monster his entire career like the Knicks win possessions with quickly in the game and have done his entire in his

Entire career and if he can carry that over into a a larger role in Toronto then we’re talking about just like really really good player if you look at what they’ve been doing with with Dennis schruder and how how much they’ve been relying on him I I mean I I think

Quickly is gonna get a lot of opportunity with the ball in his hands um you know it at least gives him some some clarity as hey this is this is our Direction yeah it’s interesting with quickley I’m I like quickle I’m not as high on him as everybody else you know I

Think he’s going to put up good numbers in Toronto I think he’s going to put up numbers for this kid’s a star and then everybody’s going to start comparing him to Tyrese Maxi which I don’t think he’s close to except they’re both terrible on the defensive end so maybe that’s the

Comparison but the uh I think the thing for me with quickly is he doesn’t create enough which is what Seth was alluding to with him with the Knicks besides the 20 game stretch I think last season where he started and he did really well he constantly got to go up

Against the second team on a more regular basis than than normal so now it’s a little different with him being the guy uh I think him pairing with Scotty Barnes is actually going to be really good I think that’s going to be a lot of fun with that stuff when I look

At it from the Toronto side like on the court I understand it makes sense great stuff good trade when I look at it off the the the the larger picture the organization or whatnot I think this was a mistake and not in trading form I just

Think they held on to OG and anobi way too long I think they could have gotten more for him last season I think the uh they could have gotten players and draft picks and first round draft picks that you know were not the you know kind of first round extended draft picks not

Even necessarily late Lottery but I think they could have gotten a bevy of picks for him in the way teams were bidding for him and overbidding for him well we all heard four first last year or well that’s what they wanted that’s what they wanted I think I think the

Number I think they were getting I think they had offers for three first which is still pretty damn good for a dude um like oh and anobi but like I think they kind of overplayed their card here a little bit and I know Toronto fans are

Going to be up in arms and we got our guy and we got the maple Jordan and all that stuff but you know um I think that’s actually my least favorite part of the trade for them is like like if if RJ being Canadian played any part in

Them wanting to do that yeah no no for sure I I was just that’s just not letting me Rift thanks um you know maybe he’s just jealous because I’m still in Hawaii uh the uh lovely weather today um the but the thing is for me when you

Look at it in terms of how the organization needs to build and whatnot this team and this organization would have been better off making this move last year oh yeah when they could have gotten more for OG and I think you know it’s and for people who are like who

Aren’t looking at or just looking at draft picks as players that you would pick in the draft you’re not looking at the fact of we’re talking about the Knicks being able to make a big move because they have a ton of other people’s picks you don’t interact like I

Think that’s the issue and then the other side of it that I don’t think people are really aware of is yo if this pick if this trade makes them a team that’s at a playing tournament team they probably lose their pick this year because that goes to uh San Antonio

Because it’s top six% protected for the yaka purle trade from last season so now it’s almost a negative value in terms of picks and draft Capital with all that stuff if you lose that pick so if this thing is seven or or later that’s the

Spurs pick I just think that it to me it just wasn’t for the past year just not well planning stuff from Toronto they did well for what they’re going to do on the court now but I don’t think this is something that takes you to the point where I go oh

Toronto’s maybe not this year but next year they’re going to be great it’s like I still think they have a long way to go well I mean the the Fred Van vet deal last year you know or non-deal I should say they did they didn’t move on from

Him they lose him in free agency for nothing um you know something is better than nothing if you already know what you’re going to do you know we’ll see how it plays out with sakam it I yeah I mean I think that it’s it’s sort of from from what time Horizon

Are you looking at and like from the standpoint of getting to this year with anobi as an expiring contract I think they did well and as you say could they have done better last year probably um you know could could they you know before last season or or for however

Long an anobi has been sort of rumored as a as a top trade candidate yeah probably the question is is you know where were they in their evaluation of their team overall were they ready to to flip things over and it I think the calculus is like with the benefit of

Hindsight knowing now that that you know their roster is not no I’m not this is not I’m not trying I’m not I’m not trying to defend I’m just I’m I’m you know the complication of of that of the sort of the multi- period game of of

Knowing when to when it’s time and when you know when you can actually get permission to flip your roster over that way like we we’re we’re sort of taking on faith four first round picks and like you know people say no nobody’s saying they had four first round picks we know

They had three first round picks that four first round picks was what they were saying they W right which was again ridiculous it’s the same way as we will talk about other teams later overvaluing their guys and the the market and all of those things but like when we talk about

Like it’s pretty obvious where this team was heading last year before the trade deadline we knew Fred Van vet was gone right like we knew Nick nurse was gone we we knew the coach was gone we we we knew the problems that were coming with this team you know we knew there they’ve

Been try the rumors of Pascal seak have gone beyond last season like you know were two years ago where he was unhappy might move him or whatnot and things like that like it’s to me it’s just like when I look at it and we’re talking about the timeline and stuff like that

This team would have been better off breaking this whole thing down and and and and building around Scotty Barnes who I think is great yeah Quickly’s good I think he’s not gonna be a great playoff player I’m gonna just put it out there now like I we we you know the Nick

Situation’s different Off the Bench tibs didn’t really Vibe with him it’s going to be him as a starter he can’t defend so that’s a playoff problem for you you know and that’s I mean it’s the same thing Philly we’re gonna find out about Philly with and Maxi in that issue right

Instance when he becomes the number one guy but I think Maxi is just a better player I agree with that for for sure I agree with that um this has got to be a precursor to a SE yakum trade I mean you you mentioned Mo they can’t like they it

Would be a disaster to lose their pick this year uh so they need to make sure that they don’t make the play in SE yakum is expiring I mean it just it’s gonna happen I mean this is this is we’re on their way so well I I don’t

Know because you can never that’s guess last year we had them all pegged for for Sellers and they want to got yaka purle that’s G to cost them probably a pick this year another guy they probably need to move you know this year so um this is

A this is a kind of a perfect segue to uh our first segment of the new year new year fresh start uh we’ve been talking about guys that um let’s just say they’re on teams that aren’t doing much stuck in the mud or just suck and

They’re good players and we want to see them on contenders because uh you know they’re older guys uh Pascal sakam is number one on my list guys I I I think that he can’t be your number one on a title team but man he’d be a really good number

Two where have I seen that before right he he’d he’d be really good but like let’s just let’s just I I don’t know if I’ve said it here I know I’ve said it somewhere else before if not here we just have to start the campaign of free the

Banovich I I don’t know what’s the plural bogdanovich banov bov yeah both of them buan and bdan let’s start with Bo on like with Detroit like this is should have traded him last year they were trying to get two first for him last year I I thought that was a

Ridiculous price again going back to teams being absolutely ridiculous with their uh value and assessment in those things but I think he can help a lot of teams you know I don’t know if the Lakers can find a way to get him but with how bad their offense is I think he

Takes them a a pretty take up I think you know and then when you look at B bdan bogdanovich I love him man he’s just fun to watch he has games where he goes completely off I just want to see him on a team where he can really

Cook I wish the TR the the the trade or the sign in trade or whatever it was and he ended up in Milwaukee before he ended up in Atlanta I wish that happened because it would have been probably so much fun to have him there uh and I

Think he would have kind of given them a little bit more of a boost in their offense with with all that but just free the budanov the the you know the the funny thing about those three guys I mean I think sakam is clearly a better player

Than the other two guys right um and buan you know later in his career so that’s a different sort of acquisition bogdon obviously younger um but all three of those guys should help a winning team you know I I don’t I see that Warriors fans have been kicking

Around SE yakum as some sort of a a a a solution to to their problems I mean I don’t know maybe he joins RJ Barrett you know they send Wiggins to Canada is is that kind of the story that we’re working with there um I I don’t

Think SE yakum does enough for the Warriors there uh to solve some of their their bigger concerns but they I mean it feels like some team could could get SE yakum and go from let’s say six to eight see range to top four like final four in

The west or the East I he’s that kind of player is there any team that you guys would like to see him on he strikes me as I think you differentiate largely because of of sort of the off ball shooting ability that that both bdon ofi

Have is there a little easier in terms of just plug and play add them to what you’re doing whereas I think SE yakum probably because of his ability his ball in hands ility probably requires more of a morphing of what you have and there there would be S situations like say

That you dropped him on the Knicks and then that almost gets them back in the problem they had before like he’s better than RJ Barrett obviously but it’s still the problem of you got three guys on the floor all who want to ISO every possession and there’s not really any

Synergy that they had before so I think Randle is not going to sit there and watch Pascal SE yakum post-ups like o did in Toronto so yeah I don’t think that’s going to happen I would love for that to happen to just OG walk into the

Locker room going like I just got away from you man you’re right I mean again plugging in guys who don’t even have to start like like Buon and bogdon uh another guy that that I think it is more easy to plug in than maybe any player in the

League that I would like to see playing playoff minutes this year for any team Alex Caruso can can we get Alex Caruso uh another shot at some playoff basketball I I I think that this is a guy who I mean when you talk about guard Defenders I mean he’s in the top handful

Uh connectors on offense he he’s a plug-and playay piece offensively to a certain degree you know he’s not like gonna go out and create a bunch for you but that’s a guy I really want to see a team pick up here in the next you know

Month and and some change as we go into the deadline I I’m just not sure you know what the Market’s going to look like you know know we we talked at the beginning of the show about OKC and how good they’ve looked and they’re no perfect

Teams I mean how many teams are willing to actually take a swing and and say hey all right we’ll throw some chips in on Alex Caruso for this run this year what teams that he would make a lot of sense for actually have like the

Assets to go get him he would be a obviously a uh pretty good backcourt partner for I don’t know Damen Lillard in in Milwaukee but they’ve used all their stuff already and so the teams that you know a team like OKC that has a lot of lot to

Offer you know we know they yeah they could probably use some more defense in the back court but he’s he’s small the the Knicks would he’s he’s you know they’ he’s I think he’s better than than but he’s redund yeah he’s redundant so so where is the is is sort of the um

Even a reasonable as price where is that met and I think that the teams that have that kind of capital are are hunting for for bigger game I know in our in our group chat we’ve been talking about you know the Knicks are one guy away the

Problem is the one guy is a guy not just like one one piece they’re like you know they’re they’re you know Wing level Donovan Mitchell whoever that is and I don’t know who that is in the league right now um but that’s that’s sort of the piece that they’re they’re away

Would would he’d be interesting in Cleveland Pascal seak or or alexo no Alex Caruso I was pasak would be interesting in Cleveland get a Defender with with with Garland I mean I don’t know how the Donovan Mitchell stuff’s gonna play out but get another Defender out there in the backourt I

Think goes a long way and I mean you know uh I don’t know what their assets are or or whatnot but I because I know they gave up a lot to get Mitchell but like that would be a team I think that would be pretty interesting in that I I would

Say for Cleveland he’s too small their their needs are more on on the wing I mean yes they need point of attack defense but if you’re going to stick with Garland and Mitchell as your back court I mean you just you need everything think I don’t think I don’t

Think they have an option uh soon it might not be their decision whether to stick with it or not uh soon enough so I think it’s kind of a move that hey like at least when we have one of those guys on the floor we could put Caruso out

There and have some defense and I think that’s one of those those things there and we’re kind of a little bit protected should uh somebody uh choose to leave in yeah certain amount of time late uh you guys got anything else on your mind before we wrap up well one more one more

Name we should mention actually two it’s Kyle kosma and tyus Jones in Washington yeah you know please save the Wizards no just just get them just save us just save us from that nobody need for Jordan pool but but like those two need a need

A little bit of a chance my dream for Kyle kozma is that he Embraces his inner Robert Ory and just says you know what I want to go be like the best fifth starter uh that I can be like in the NBA I mean the guy defends he’s willing to take clutch

Shots can shoot um I I think he’s a really good player it’s a matter of can I just commit to this is who I am take the Aaron Gordon career path basically yes yeah he’d be amazing I mean he’s such a talented player um and I I would

Love to see that I mean if we could get him to a contender uh that would make a big difference having he’s having a great year on an awful team but you know he could be a I was having this conversation with someone the other day

20 point a game guy on a 25 win team or you can be a 12o a game guy on a 50- win team I mean KY kma could do that he was that you know the bubble Lakers he’s been both he’s been both already yeah

Yeah I mean tyus Jones is a guy like a team that needs a a he may not want to go back to being a backup point guard but I think that’s where he’s best I mean maybe the Knicks make a phone call and give up one pick or something for

Him I don’t know like you know or or or or whatnot but I think that’s a interesting guy that can also really help a team uh in the playoffs and I think that’s I mean he’s done it he did it in Memphis right I mean we had a list

A mile long uh but we decided not to include young players on awful teams so uh you know this was our this is not the part where I can start to you know I I I’d be interested in seeing Patrick Williams in a different environment no lamelo ball sorry you’re stuck in

Charlot for the rest of your life uh for that’s gonna do it for today’s show folks for Seth part now mqu I’m Dave deor and this has been ner she wrote on the athletic NBA show

Nerder She Wrote on The Athletic NBA Show discuss:

0:00 Intro
0:34 Oklahoma City Thunder
13:18 OG Anunoby Trade
31:07 Trades