Steve Cleveland: The Utah Jazz should be cautious as they consider making a dela to trade away La…
DJ and PK is brought to you in part by America First Credit Union get the official debit cards of the Utah Jazz University Utah Sports R Salt Lake and more exclusively at America First Credit Union we’re joined Now by Steve Cleveland Steve good morning good morning fellas Steve back in the day you may or may not have been misquoted by the media now Technology’s move forward we can quote people more accurately but I’m still a little fuzzy did you or did you not promise somebody uh stake if Paul George went to Philadelphia and played for the 76ers I’m I’m fuzzy can you clear this up oh man I’ve been thinking about this all morning I’m not sure who I promised that to maybe it was the whole group of guys on on draft night if it is I will live up to my promise uh I knew that was going to be the very first thing you asked me and and I take that because I know their family I I know that uh I know all the circum es and situation and I know the conversation would have been like no we’re not going to Philly but at the end of the day he’s there I’m excited about it and I just give me the names and we we’ll figure out how we can VMO you some money for a dinner does that include an appetizer for me PK how many people did he promise dinner to well he told me I I remembered vividly there we go let’s go to the Vivid recollection of Patrick kenahan so so I got on the draft coverage the last 90 minutes it had been going on for a couple hours I think by the time I got on but then Lloyd schedule those in shifts and so I went from 800 to 9:30 and I think it was during the break I’m not sure maybe it was on the air but I was sitting right across from coach Cleveland and he looked at me and he said he’s not going to Philadelphia I’ll get you I’ll buy you a steak dinner if he is and I think this is why I’m a little fuzzy I think that he’d already made that Proclamation to Jake scottt and Ben Anderson they’ll have to speak for themselves when they get Jake’s off today but Ben uh so I know he made it to me and I think he said and I told the other guys Ben Anderson was a part of it as was Jay Jak isn’t Jake on vacation yes correct correct it was a 20 it was it was like a 48 hour deal or it’s no and void nice well you had okay but that’s that’s for him you had to wait till obviously league rules stipulate it couldn’t begin until Sunday so and I think that I think the the thing here obviously to me is the Clippers were unsure about offering Paul a fourth year and the Sixers did so that’ll bring him to age 38 so what do you think of the deal I love the deal for Paul and the Sixers I mean I here here’s the you’re right I mean he’s had some injuries early on at different times in his career and you get to be around 38 things can happen but their window is such that the next couple of years you know they’re in a position to win a championship and hey things have to go right and and obviously Paul would be one of those pieces that could guard a guy like Jason Tatum and that be a good matchup yeah um uh you know there are some matchups that that having Paul there he can he can guard either tatore Jaylen Brown depending on what the circumstances are he can guard anybody he’s a versatile guy that can he’s a three and D guy but he he’s much more than that and I I think the other thing is is that he he will be a leader on that team I mean I know it’s Jo and B’s team and and Maxi’s you know a young young man but Paul can immediately step in there and really provide leadership uh and and I think with the coaching staff that they have there coach NSE I mean I I like it I love it I can’t wait to be honest with you I’ve never I’ve been to Philadelphia recruiting uh quite a few times but I’ve never been to a game out there so I I called my boys and told them I said hey we we’re we’re going to Philly next year for a couple of games out there and and share that experience so I I’m really excited despite the fact this is probably going to cost me about a 100 bucks oh I’m sure they can I’m sure they can find more expensive steak than that I am curious so why you were so dead set that and just so sure he wouldn’t go to Philly because I think for a lot of people you know just driving around right now they’re thinking well Philly is a legit Contender embiid is a star four years is a lot of years 200 whatever million is a lot of money it does look like a good fit and and I get you’re a West Coast guy you’re a California guy and you’re playing in California and Philly’s a long way away but man when you just got a $200 million you know you you can send a jet a private plane for whoever needs to come out and visit for a week when the uh Sixers are in in at home for a week and playing three games so why were you so dead set be because I know how much his it means for his mom and dad and you’re right I mean they can fly his parents out and he Paul can do that as often as he wants uh he’s got plenty of money to get his parents out there and to be honest with you if you know his family uh I I know that talking to just hearing conversations about the family and you know being in La that’s where they’re from that’s where extended family is those the reasons had nothing to do with basketball nothing to do with basketball it was all about you know do we really want to leave here and go across the country and get the kids in different schools and do this and do that and so that that it had nothing to do with the basketball piece in fact it’s kind of exciting to see what that potentially could happen and I just you just hope and pray that for all of them that people stay healthy I’d like to see the Sixers team with Paul where everybody’s healthy and and and you know it’s it’s a matter of you know obviously Boston’s got the big old Target on their back and and uh they’re capable of winning multiple championships and I don’t know you know the thing is they they picked up Drummond which gives them kind of another piece to this and uh which I think would help and I’m slipping my mind right now on who else they they they picked up as well but I I think that it’s a great move B wise for Paul for Philadelphia they’re going to embrace him and I just pray that they’ll stay healthy because I like I like this team I like this move basketball-wise but everything else before that was just about family and leading LA and and leading good friends and leaving family and uh I know how strong moms can be and you know his wife’s very involved in this process uh and these are difficult sometimes hard decisions to have and you know talking about 200 plus million dollars who wouldn’t take that but at the end of the day he’s already making really good money and wherever he went he was going to make that type of money except for the Clippers who were only going to give him three years I don’t know if that was what tipped it tipped the scale to hey we’re going to go and get another extra year I’m not sure what happened I wasn’t privy to any of those conversations but I do know family is important when you’re making decisions like that especially when you’re going across the country but a basketball-wise I think it’s a great deal for Paul for the six and I just want to see them be healthy and continue to develop the young guys they have and and have a have an opportunity to to win that Eastern championship and win an NBA championship yeah if I’m a Philly fan this morning I’m excited because I’ve got a coach who’s won a title in Toronto and is widely respected I mean he was on the market for about a half hour and then boom he gets another job and he probably had multiple jobs I’ve got a a an MVP cber player in embiid provided he’s healthy he’s as good as anybody in the league I believe and then you got Maxi who’s a rising star he’s shown that he’s young and he’s going to be getting better and so Philly is looking at hey we got to match up with Boston because there are uh impediment to getting through to the NBA finals so they get a fellow who can guard these guys and Paul George I think for years has been the prototypical NBA player in terms of what you’re looking for in length size speed a agility shot making put it on the floor you know whatever you want out of him he can do that so you go and they got o o to O Jr so they’ve got and they still have a Harris I think right we’ll see what happens there but they’ve got a roster a starting unit that looks like they can contend and and I think they picked up Eric Gordon also too they did you know he’s a veteran guy obviously so you got those things going on and I don’t care about 38 because if he gets helps me win a title in the next two to three years well then it’s gravy that fourth year and anything I spend that fourth year is well worth it and I think that’s what you have to do you have to be bold man because it’s not going to come easy you got to get somehow you got to get lucky and score on draft picks like I guess they already did with embiid and Maxi so forth and then you got to go in and they’re putting their chips in and then we’ll see what happens so I like it yeah I do too uh you know having Uber and Drummond uh you know Uber he he he can play versatile situations he he’s a guy that can guard he’s athletic enough to defend Drummond same thing he’s a pres there you know he’s not the answer but it’s nice to have a backup with that kind of size and experience so I think that you know they put some stuff together I don’t know if they’re done or if they have any money left to to pick up any other types of uh of picks but I think they’re in a great situation um it’ll be fun to watch beid and Maxi and and and Paul on the four at the same time but defensively they’ve just gotten way better just way better and uh with you know embiid key thing for him is being healthy but but but with George and UB and you know Maxi has certainly shown that he’s capable of playing in this league at a high level so it is it’s a good move uh I you know my doubts were more about the the family than they were about whether this would fit basketball-wise because I think I think everything about it is just uh screaming hey we we’re going to go compete and now they’ve got a piece and and you know I’m not we used to talk about the East maybe being not quite what the West Was and so forth but you know these kind of drafts and these kind of free agency changes things a lot so it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out and falls out in terms of the competitiv of both leagues but uh I’m excited and uh I am good for that buddy so we may may just maybe uh we’ll supersize something for you Klay Thompson’s name is out there and he’s been linked to so many contenders uh the Dallas Mavericks the Denver Nuggets the Orlando Magic the Lakers uh and he’s been mentioning in a potential sign and trade that the Warriors are willing to do that so people you think might not have the money for them maybe the signning trade could make it happen how much does he have left and where could he really make a difference as opposed to go and hit some shots and make some money and be entertaining but not be in the discussion at the end of the season do you do you think that he’d want to go back to the Lakers I mean he grew up running his dad you know his dad’s there obviously and uh he’s has a brother playing professional baseball I’m not sure where he’s playing right now is he down in Southern California as well Clay’s brother I can’t remember but I think he was back East he’s been bouncing around I think the last I saw was white socks okay so anyway you know um I think any of those places would fit but I mean he as long as he doesn’t doesn’t have to have the responsibility of carrying a team where there’s not that kind of pressure and he come in and play you know 20 24 minutes whatever I think he still got gas in the tank man and you know it’s just it’s one of those things that it’s there’s been so much chaos with the Warriors and personalities and issues and that was you know obviously clay kind of losing his touch and not shooting the ball like he had but I think he gets in the right spot um I think Klay has something to offer besides the fact that has so much experience there’s a maturity there and I think when you go to a new spot and you go you have a new opportunity uh you know I I think it can work uh he’s not going to be expected to play 38 minutes and guard the you know the best offensive player in the team those are responsibilities he’s had in the past he’s not going to have that he’s going to have an opportunity to come in and Off the Bench and and put himself in a situation where he’ll space the floor really well for him and and what you know shooting shooting slums come and go for everybody I don’t care what level and I think a new and a fresh start and not nearly as much pressure is kind of will get him relaxed and he might surprise a lot of people all of a sudden he’s you know he’s 16 18 a game and and either coming off the bench or playing 25 minutes could help somebody really take the next step and all those teams you mentioned could benefit from that I I just thought I was kind of curious I thought I wonder if he’d like to go back to LA because he spent a lot of his time there in Southern California I don’t have any idea where he’s going to hit end up but I think he has enough to help a team he doesn’t have to carry him and uh I I just I’ve watched him play too much and and uh and just following him with with the Warriors and being in Northern California uh I would never give up on Klay Thompson unless he just had a serious injury I like the fact that he still had another chance and if it’s a couple year contract whatever it ends up being um that boy has a serious heart in competitive invest and I know it’s it’s probably his confidence and everything’s been Shook and he kind of starting to question things about his own life but I think this is a new start for him Fresh Start for him and I’m I’m excited to see where he’ll go and the contribution I think he’s going to surprise people I think he has still plenty left not that he can play 40 minutes or 30 minutes because I don’t think he can but playing 20 minutes a game and spacing the floor for whatever team that is I think he has great value in that way what do you have to get back in any deal with marketing oh man I don’t I I mean we talked about this on the show the other night and we talked about patience and and I think you know the Jazz have demonstrated patience here I again I gotta be careful what I say right but I I just don’t see Markin and leaving there is there’s a trade out there for him I I’m not sure what it is he he still has value here and the idea that he’s not going to be part of this uh would really really surprise me um I think when you when you look at where the Jazz are and and with you know now we’ve got three young players again that probably aren’t going to make an immediate contribution but a year from now they’re either going to be with the club or maybe be traded or whatever the circumstances are going to be uh I I just I don’t think you take your best guy right now I think you’re if you’re going to be patient let’s just be patient let’s see what happens a year from now and uh the picks that we know we’ve talked about the Jazz picks and uh I think the strength of the draft that they had and I mean who would have thought that they they they’ CW in what you know three four five months ago was the number one pick draft pick you know in in the NBA and you know he’s obviously fing for some Grace and he’s not he’s not played nearly as well as as a lot of people thought but I think when you look at their draft and and it was just so good that I think you hold pack stay patient and then next year you make some decisions based upon the quality of that draft which is supposed to be better and then you have to make some decisions you know is County George going to be our point guard or you know who who’s that going to be and how these things play out so uh I I I don’t like the idea of trying to trade marketing right now when you got so many young people there let this thing play out if Markin is someone they want to trade the following year and they’re more apt to get it’s a stronger draft uh you know it puts them in a situation that you know they they can probably afford to make that move based upon a stronger draft and all all the picks that they have to maybe replace him but I just don’t like the idea of doing that right now now a week from now you know we’re going to be on the phone together what do you think about Maran now playing for Orlando whatever the circumstances might be I just don’t like it I just think one more year you’re going to stay patient and you’re going to do all this that you’ve been doing and this has all been part of the master plan stick with the master plan and then make the big Hall next year and see if you can really get the Jazz in a position to be a playoff team again but number one I want to stake for free and number two maybe that is patience though maybe that really is what patience looks like if you trade marketing the rebuild stretches out longer oh but if you keep marketing he is good enough and we’ve seen this the last two years you will end up drafting 8th 9th 10th 11th if you trade him you’ll be in the top five depending on how the lottery goes you could be one two or three and they’re supposed to be generational Talent at the top of the draft and there are Jazz fans who are pretty frustrated and maybe there’s Jazz management too although they’ve kept a little closer to the vest maybe they’re frustrated they’ve drafted 10th instead of fifth or third or first so if you want to move up in what is supposed to be a great draft marinin is good enough to stand in the way of doing that and so maybe you have to trade and then be patient that yeah the rebuild is going to stretch out longer but if you get the right guy and you ride him for a decade older Jazz fans have seen that happen they like yeah that was awesome well I I agree with you on on the generational talent because there are going to be individuals there and I’m not Savvy enough and smart enough yet right now to really know and understand haven’t spent the time to see what that draft would look like but I do believe that them not doing anything this year and I I can’t imagine anything happening with Markin in this year but I I see your point and it it have to be generational talent and I don’t know if they want to wait another two or three years for generational Talent uh it’s probably the the fan base is a little more impatient than maybe the administration for the Jazz but I like the path they’re on I that that one of the things is I kind of studied the draft and looked at you know the different scenarios I just believe I kind of thought maybe at the end of the summer that the Jazz find somebody that they really like and and uh a disgruntled NBA guy that’s a star that wants to be traded I’m just not sure I’m seeing that or hearing about that uh but I do like the way they’re going about this and I think they I think the one thing that the Jazz management has done is they’ve kep informed the fan base they there’s no like oh yeah surprises here there should be nothing surprising about this draft other than the fact they got three great picks and and again we don’t know that’s probably not generational talent but there there’s no question in my mind that these guys could play a role in that rebuild quicker than maybe some so I I just don’t think it was wise right now but I get your point and if they could get a generation Talent I’m not sure who they are and until I kind of wrap my arms and figure out who that all is as we prepare for next year’s draft I think the Jazz have to be really happy the fans have to be really happy what’s happened it’s going to be exciting to Watch What Happens it’ll be exciting to see what happens with the younger players in the draft and and who knows a year from now you know we might have a point guard that we love and that maybe that is keante George and everybody else needs to go to the side and we’ll tra they’re tradable uh we’ll just have to see but I I just go back to let’s just take a deep breath kind of step back let this thing unfold and Trust in the management and going forward uh I think the Jazz are going to be better two years from now so I agree with you that if there’s generational Talent there and they can get marketing to be a big piece of that trade then yeah you that probably would make sense but again you have a just a amazing fan base and they’re probably looking around and going hey how long are we going to have to be patient with they are you know what I mean yeah I do I do yeah I mean how much longer are we gonna have to wait for something really cool to happen here and so you got to deal with that and I I think that I think a lot of those problems will be resolved next year with the draft with trades free agency I think we’re going to see the the management take a step forward and make this a better team where year in and year out uh that you’re always in right now being in the top 10 would be good enough maybe next year uh to be in that spot to get it to the playoffs in some form and eventually two or three years down that road with generational Talent now you’re competing for a you know one to six spots and and you’re becoming relevant again in the league and right now they haven’t been relevant but I trust in that management trust in what they’re doing and and the community just has to be a little more patient let’s give this thing 12 more months before we all kind of lose our minds um quick update Harris is uh going to be with Detroit so he’ll be gone but give us a real quick uh assessment of Philip palsky to the Jazz well uh I I didn’t know a lot about him until that night and uh we we talked a lot about uh Cody Williams and we talked about Isaiah CER um you know can’t getting a 611 guy 230 pounds uh who played a Duke which is obviously speaks for itself uh everybody says that he can shoot it he can dribble it he’s he’s versatile um and at times he played really well in the ACC he he was inconsistent as a shooter and he doesn’t have a real physicality to his game yet and uh and he’s not really a rim protector either but again we’re talking about younger players players developing um this this young man can provide offense he’s talented in that way and there were times during the year where he carried Duke and uh he he hasn’t the key thing he the presence he hasn’t had a presence defensively and I know everybody wants to look at that because you got to be able it seems like you got to be able to do one thing really well when you come in that you can offer uh I don’t know that he’s going to be able to do that but Jazz brought him in for a workout and he’s got legitimate perimeter skills he’s got a good feel for the game and um you know we’ll see what happens but I mean you got to love all three of these picks because there’s an upside to all of them and uh anytime you’re coming out of Duke you you know that you’ve been in an institution where the intangibles are important where you know the the whole chemistry of that organization and uh that’s gone on for years and years is still there and so getting a really grounded great young man good human being that comes in that has those kind of skills uh anytime there’s an upside offensively and he already can shoot it I mean it we talk about we’re going to turn him into a shooter you know not that doesn’t happen that often we’re guys that can’t shoot all of a sudden figure out how to shoot down the road it does happen over time but this a young man that already has the difficult things to do the late the weight room the strength and conditioning do those will be the things that help him get more pounds on his body and become a better Defender but it’s a good get Steve we appreciate it as always PK probably appreciates it a little more than as always he’ll have a steak sandwich and a steak sandwich and put it on the under Hills Bill PK yeah you find the golf you find the golf course get the forsome and I’ll I’ll I’ll I’ll feed everybody there Pebble Beach here we come no we’ll stay somewhere in the public range in Utah County or or northern Utah County okay it all thank Steve bye bye Steve Cleveland former BYU basketball coach if Paul George Goes to Philly I’ll buy you a steak dinner well he’s gone to Philly and as you mentioned there Tobias Harris has left Philly two years $52 million to go to Detroit and play with the Pistons and hartenstein to OKC DJ and PK NBA free agency continues we’ll keep you up to date there’s more next stay with us
Steve Cleveland joined DJ & PK to talk about Paul George landing with the Philadelphia 76ers and what the Utah Jazz should do with their roster.
