Speaker 1: Welcome to this league uncut in the world of twenty
Speaker 1: four hour NBA.
Speaker 2: News, This news you lo.
Speaker 1: Chris Haynes. It's so time, Mark Stein, It's so time.
Speaker 1: This league uncut is underway and on fire. This should
Speaker 1: be a good one.
Speaker 2: Yes it will be a good one. And yes, it
Speaker 2: is the long awaited return of this league uncut. Mark
Speaker 2: Stein here with Chris Haynes. We have been separated for
Speaker 2: more than a week. I left the country. I went
Speaker 2: to London right when the NBA Finals started, got to
Speaker 2: London on the day of Game one, had my own
Speaker 2: slew of travel adventures. But I am back in the
Speaker 2: States now. Chris Haynes, the star of our show, is
Speaker 2: in Miami at the fire, so we can all experience
Speaker 2: this vicariously through him, and we will get to finals.
Speaker 2: Talk of course, the Denver Nuggets take a two to
Speaker 2: one lead into Game four Friday night. Chris and I
Speaker 2: recording this on a Thursday night. We will get to
Speaker 2: the finals because obviously pivotal Game three result. History tells
Speaker 2: us when it's one to one, the team that wins
Speaker 2: Game three goes on to win it all eighty percent
Speaker 2: of the time, thirty two times out of forty in
Speaker 2: league history, so that was a huge win for Denver.
Speaker 2: We'll get into whether Miami can win Game four and
Speaker 2: get this thing back on track and still make it
Speaker 2: a long series, but we've got to start with some
Speaker 2: matters away from the NBA Finals, because it has been
Speaker 2: a crazy Newsy week. Man was I throwing things when
Speaker 2: Chris Haynes posted a Dallas Maverick story on Monday when
Speaker 2: I'm in London, Man was I upset? But we'll get
Speaker 2: to that in a minute. We're going to start with
Speaker 2: the Wednesday bombshell from mister Haynes that Chris Paul has
Speaker 2: been informed by the Phoenix Suns that they intend to
Speaker 2: waive him later this month. Of course, the Suns have
Speaker 2: a June twenty eighth deadline to either guarantee Paul's contract
Speaker 2: fully for next season at thirty point eight million, or
Speaker 2: by waiving him on June twenty eighth, they would only
Speaker 2: owe him fifteen point eight million in that deal. Obviously,
Speaker 2: that story generating a lot of discussion. Again away from
Speaker 2: the finals. Do not want to detract from the championship series,
Speaker 2: but this is a massive story. Chris Haynes, First of all,
Speaker 2: how are you sir, it's been a while since we hung.
Speaker 3: Out, man stought. I am in my favorite city in
Speaker 3: the country, Miami. I have an ocean view. I went
Speaker 3: out there. There was some sun out today this afternoon.
Speaker 3: I went out to the beach, and I said, you know,
Speaker 3: I was tired, so I feel like, you know, I'm
Speaker 3: gonna get go out there and take a nap on
Speaker 3: the beach. As soon as I get out there, put
Speaker 3: my towel down on a nice white sand, take my
Speaker 3: shirt off, lay down on the towel. Five minutes later,
Speaker 3: a severe rainstorm just hit, which led me to running
Speaker 3: probably ninety five percent speed running back to my hotel room,
Speaker 3: drenched in rain, soaking wet. And so that was that
Speaker 3: was the moment in time that I had to enjoy,
Speaker 3: the five minutes of which I saw sunlight out there.
Speaker 3: So I'll try again tomorrow. It'll be my last day.
Speaker 3: Tried again tomorrow before the game. What I have yet
Speaker 3: to experience good Miami wedd since I've been here.
Speaker 2: So, actually, you just dropped a couple of items. There
Speaker 2: are multiple items that I want to now interrupt our
Speaker 2: Chris Paul discussion before I get to So it is
Speaker 2: Miami is your number one city on the NBA map.
Speaker 3: Number one was one A one. That's what you said, Miami, Yeah,
Speaker 3: number one, number one, Yes, number one.
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm a little surprised by that, but I guess
Speaker 2: you like what you How can I love Miami? I
Speaker 2: love Miami, but I just I wouldn't have it number one.
Speaker 3: But that's just me something something's wrong with you. Stop.
Speaker 3: But let's get back to Chris Paul. That's what everybody
Speaker 3: wants to hear about. So let me, well the.
Speaker 2: Last thing before we get to Chris Paul. Is there
Speaker 2: any video of you running at ninety five percent speed?
Speaker 2: Because I was really I would really see that.
Speaker 3: The reason it was ninety five percent opposed to one
Speaker 3: hundred percent because I was trying to make sure I
Speaker 3: didn't slip. I didn't want to slip and falled on
Speaker 3: that sidewalking and hurt and d damage to myself. So
Speaker 3: I run in ninety five percent speed. But Stein, there
Speaker 3: was very little warning. I mean the warning we had
Speaker 3: was thunderstorms just started. It was loud, it was Stein,
Speaker 3: it was It reminded me of those thunder storms that
Speaker 3: we were experiencing in the bubble in Orlando. The thunderstorms
Speaker 3: came out of nowhere. Boom boom, boom, and you should
Speaker 3: have saw it. The beach just took off. It was
Speaker 3: like it was a horror movie, Like everybody was just
Speaker 3: took off running, you know. They took off towards the street.
Speaker 3: And luckily my hotel is right across the street from
Speaker 3: the beach, so I didn't have that long of a run.
Speaker 3: But yeah, it was ninety five percent because I didn't
Speaker 3: want to slip in falls. I was trying to watch
Speaker 3: each step.
Speaker 2: A lot of flexing going on. You got a hotel
Speaker 2: on the beach, you're taking off your shirt, you're slipping
Speaker 2: in these little these little flexes.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm still you know, this is still PG. Thirteen.
Speaker 3: This is not like my man Stephen A. Smith now
Speaker 3: sif his pod.
Speaker 2: We're not going to get too far into I was
Speaker 2: in England when that happened. I only saw a couple
Speaker 2: of excerpts and I was like, what what is going
Speaker 2: on here? Or maybe I was still I don't.
Speaker 3: Know, Stephen is letting loose.
Speaker 2: All right, you're right, we need to get let's let's
Speaker 2: get let's let's uh, let's elegantly move to Chris Paul Okay,
Speaker 2: just go to it, lay it out for us.
Speaker 3: Yeah. So I received word yesterday, which was Wednesday, Wednesday night.
Speaker 3: So I go into the readA. You have to go
Speaker 3: through security, and so as I'm going through security, you
Speaker 3: have to put your phone. It's on that. It's like
Speaker 3: the conveyor belt. We have to go through this. Uh,
Speaker 3: put all your items down. It's just like you do
Speaker 3: at an airport. You have to do that in Miami. And
Speaker 3: so as I put my phone down, I see that
Speaker 3: I missed a call from this very very important individual,
Speaker 3: very very important individual. So I'm like, all right, okay,
Speaker 3: I'll call him right back as soon as I pick
Speaker 3: up the phone on the other end. So then when
Speaker 3: the phone comes out on the other end, I see
Speaker 3: that I missed two calls from this person just in
Speaker 3: that short of a timeframe. So I'm like, what is
Speaker 3: going on? So I call this individual.
Speaker 2: This is usually good news for a reporter, by the way,
Speaker 2: not this is not this is not.
Speaker 3: That is Yeah, this is usually good news. When you
Speaker 3: get in a call from this very important individual, you
Speaker 3: usually picked up right away. But you know he called.
Speaker 3: He called twice. This individual called twice. And I'm giving
Speaker 3: a little bit a way of saying he called twice,
Speaker 3: and so I get word that the Sons have reached
Speaker 3: out to Chris Paul's represent representative, his agent, Steve Human,
Speaker 3: and I will told that it were informed that they
Speaker 3: will be waved. It will be waved by the June
Speaker 3: twenty eighth deadline. And so that's what I that's what
Speaker 3: I went with, had multiple sources. I got on the
Speaker 3: phone with a few people, and that's what I went with,
Speaker 3: and so I was I can I can't say this.
Speaker 3: So when I reported that, I did receive a call
Speaker 3: from the Suns saying that basically that they there are options,
Speaker 3: There are options out there where they can still trade
Speaker 3: Chris Paul. But the likely scenario, yes, is a wave.
Speaker 3: But what I can say is this, I can't say this.
Speaker 3: Chris paul Is representative left that initial phone call with
Speaker 3: the impression and how they took it was he was
Speaker 3: going to be wighd by the deadline.
Speaker 2: That's yes, because they may have options, but let's be
Speaker 2: honest here, they're gonna try to trade him because of
Speaker 2: the contract, and if they don't trade him, they are
Speaker 2: going to waive him. That's basically my interpretation as a
Speaker 2: I think, i'll say, seasoned spectator of a story like this.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, it's always funny seeing other people how
Speaker 3: they spend things and all that. It's always funny. And
Speaker 3: you know, local national, that's always funny. But I feel
Speaker 3: pretty good about my sourcing on this, and that's why
Speaker 3: I stood it. So I had the opportunity to include
Speaker 3: before anybody else chimed in on it. I had the
Speaker 3: opportunity to include. Oh yeah, trading is an option. You know, look,
Speaker 3: we could look into trading, but I'm standing by by report.
Speaker 3: I'm standing by the people who I've spoke with. Got
Speaker 3: pretty good sourcing on this time, and so I left
Speaker 3: it up, and I, you know, I leave all the
Speaker 3: other shenanigans to other folks.
Speaker 2: Yeah, because look, it totally makes sense that they would
Speaker 2: try to trade him because that contract perhaps could be
Speaker 2: appealing to someone else. But one way or the other,
Speaker 2: they're moving on from Chris Paul. Now. It's interesting because
Speaker 2: last night a team, a rival team said to me
Speaker 2: that what they heard is no Phoenix is going to
Speaker 2: wave him and resign him. And that is technically possible.
Speaker 2: It is technically an option. But if you're Chris Paul
Speaker 2: and they've waived you, why would you want to sign
Speaker 2: back there for the minimum? I'm assuming Chris Paul, yes,
Speaker 2: he I don't think he's in this huge rush to
Speaker 2: leave Phoenix. But you know, if they're going to take
Speaker 2: the step of waving him, it would make sense that
Speaker 2: he would want to look around and see what other
Speaker 2: options he has in free agency if that's the step
Speaker 2: they're going to take. Because again, just to be clear,
Speaker 2: if they wave and stretch him, which is that's the
Speaker 2: best route for the Suns to create significant cap space
Speaker 2: to try to make another move. If they wave and
Speaker 2: stretch Chris Paul, they would then have full access to
Speaker 2: the mid level exception of twelve plus million. But if
Speaker 2: you wave and stretch Chris Paul, you can't resign him.
Speaker 2: So they would just have to outright wave him. If
Speaker 2: they wanted to bring him back, they would have to
Speaker 2: hope that he'd be willing to come for the minimum.
Speaker 2: And at that point, why wouldn't Chris Paul sign with
Speaker 2: the Lakers or someone else in free agency that didn't
Speaker 2: just wave him two three days before?
Speaker 3: And I think that's an option when they wave him,
Speaker 3: not to wave a stress for vision. I think that
Speaker 3: is an option to waive him and to see if
Speaker 3: he'll be willing to resign back at a lower number.
Speaker 3: I just don't know. I haven't spoken to Chris yet,
Speaker 3: but I don't know if he would be willing to
Speaker 3: do that. But knowing him, you know, he'll have to
Speaker 3: talk with his wife and kids, his agent, his brother
Speaker 3: CJ and get together and see see what's the logical
Speaker 3: option for him. But what I do though, as I
Speaker 3: was told, I was told that he feels he has
Speaker 3: several years left to play at a high level and
Speaker 3: he wants to help a team contend and compete for
Speaker 3: a championship. So with that being Phoenix, I don't know,
Speaker 3: and you know, I don't know if this process rubs
Speaker 3: him the wrong way. You know, I can't wait till
Speaker 3: when he gets to speak on it. But one thing
Speaker 3: I do know, Stein Chris Paul did tell me a
Speaker 3: few days ago that he will come on the podcast.
Speaker 3: So we will have Chris Paul at some point this offseason,
Speaker 3: so there will be a lot to talk about. But uh,
Speaker 3: you know, I don't know. I don't know as of
Speaker 3: right now, I don't know how he feels about the
Speaker 3: possibility of resigning.
Speaker 2: And yeah, I probably should not be the one trying
Speaker 2: to guess where his head's at, because you know, I
Speaker 2: have not spoken to Chris Paul in Ages. I'm just
Speaker 2: again putting my observer cap on. It's just hard for
Speaker 2: me to see that he would be waved and then
Speaker 2: just say, yeah, cool, you know, I'll you know, I'll
Speaker 2: stay on the minimum. Maybe I'm wrong, Maybe he would
Speaker 2: want to be in Phoenix so bad that he'd be
Speaker 2: fine with those conditions. But my you know, my read
Speaker 2: from where we are in not quite mid June, I
Speaker 2: would imagine that if Chris Paul is waved and is
Speaker 2: on the open market, he's going to get some enticing
Speaker 2: offers because you know, they may not be the most lucrative,
Speaker 2: but you know he's going to have plenty of options
Speaker 2: to you know again, I mean to me, the Lakers,
Speaker 2: that would be such a natural one. You know, there's
Speaker 2: all this question of are they going to bring back
Speaker 2: D'Angelo Russell? At what price point would they resign D'Angelo Russell?
Speaker 2: I mean, I would imagine Lebron would love the chance
Speaker 2: to play with Chris Paul. And to me, I think
Speaker 2: we've seen how willing Lebron is to see some of
Speaker 2: the ball handling responsibilities to Austin Reeves. I don't think
Speaker 2: Lebron would mind having another ball handler around too. So
Speaker 2: there's a reason why so many people are bringing up
Speaker 2: the Lakers, and there will be others, I'm sure, but
Speaker 2: I guess to me, the Lakers just seems like such
Speaker 2: a logical landing spot because we know of the Lebron
Speaker 2: Chris Paul relationship.
Speaker 3: For sure, that's gonna be definitely that he'll be tied
Speaker 3: to the Lakers. I don't know about the Clippers, you know,
Speaker 3: I know you know Chris Paul lives and lives in LA.
Speaker 3: Family does and I don't know about the Clippers because
Speaker 3: I would think I don't have any intel on this
Speaker 3: as of right now, but I would think they plan
Speaker 3: to resign Russ, I would think. So. I don't know
Speaker 3: how realistic that would be on Chris Paul, but I
Speaker 3: will say this. A member of a prominent member of
Speaker 3: the Los Angeles Clippers, a player text me yesterday right
Speaker 3: when I reported the Chris Paul news and said they
Speaker 3: would love to have Chris Paul over there. So he's
Speaker 3: definitely going to have people in his corner. Prominent players
Speaker 3: from teams out there, contended teams in his corner to
Speaker 3: try to bring them on. You wonder if the front
Speaker 3: office is going to feel the same way.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Chris Paul in you know, making thirty something million,
Speaker 2: you know there's gonna be a limited market. Chris Paul
Speaker 2: is a free agent, that's a completely different situation. You know,
Speaker 2: Lakers and Clippers. Easy for us to talk about them
Speaker 2: as potential destinations, but there will be more that we
Speaker 2: don't know yet if he actually makes it to free agency.
Speaker 2: So that's definitely an interesting one. I mean, it's interesting.
Speaker 2: You know, I had heard, honestly for for a couple
Speaker 2: of weeks here that hey, keep your eye on keep
Speaker 2: your eye on a wave and stretch for Chris Paul
Speaker 2: and Phoenix, and I just didn't. I'm like, wow, are
Speaker 2: they really going to take that step? I guess I
Speaker 2: shouldn't have been as skeptical as I was, because you
Speaker 2: know that is that.
Speaker 3: You told me that weeks ago you were.
Speaker 2: Here, and that yeah, I guess I would. I guess
Speaker 2: my sources were right. Sometimes that happens where they're way
Speaker 2: Sometimes that happens where they're way out in front of
Speaker 2: the news and you're like Damn. I should have listened.
Speaker 2: I should have listened better, because I mean, it is
Speaker 2: one of the options, you know, trade him, wave him outright,
Speaker 2: wave and stretch. But I think the summation is an
Speaker 2: exit from Phoenix is very very very very likely. Let's
Speaker 2: let's at least say that much. I mean that that
Speaker 2: is clearly the message here that.
Speaker 3: Yes, and that's what and that's what Chris paul Is
Speaker 3: Representative came away with went contacted by the team yesterday.
Speaker 2: Okay, now let's move on to the story that began
Speaker 2: the week. And like I said, I'm over it now.
Speaker 2: I'm over it now, even though you're family to me,
Speaker 2: even though you are family to me. Monday, It's Monday.
Speaker 2: I'm in London. Clock is ticking, Stein is running out
Speaker 2: of time in his favorite place to escape. So what
Speaker 2: was my plan on Monday? Tuesday? I knew I had
Speaker 2: a huge piece that would be I was so you know,
Speaker 2: I actually got the chance. I've struck an arrangement with
Speaker 2: SB Nation to syndicate Tuesday's column and next Tuesday's column.
Speaker 2: A first in the history of of my little hum
Speaker 2: my humble, little substack that SB Nation is running my piece.
Speaker 2: So what my plan was Monday. I'm gonna work all
Speaker 2: day Monday to get the Tuesday piece ready, and then
Speaker 2: Tuesday I'm gonna be able to enjoy one last London fling.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go sneak away and watch
Speaker 2: some grass court tennis in Surbiton, which you know how
Speaker 2: much I love my tennis. I'm so excited. And then
Speaker 2: there it is. I'm in a coffee shop working away
Speaker 2: and Chris Haynes drops the story no warning to his
Speaker 2: podcast partner Kyrie Irving is trying to convince Lebron James
Speaker 2: to come to Dallas. You didn't realize what you did
Speaker 2: to me, did you? You didn't realize I'm over it now.
Speaker 3: I thought you were asleep. I knew you were out
Speaker 3: the country, and I'm not familiar with the time zone difference.
Speaker 3: What you know, I assume there's probably two three in
Speaker 3: the morning at that time. But what was what was
Speaker 3: your reaction to hearing that? Is that something you heard before?
Speaker 3: Did that catch you by surprise?
Speaker 2: My reaction, honestly, is very cynical to the intentions here,
Speaker 2: because I think Kyrie Irving knows quite well that the
Speaker 2: chances of the Mavericks trying to orchestrate any possible way
Speaker 2: to acquire Lebron James are pretty much close to nil
Speaker 2: if I continue with London speak. So to me, really
Speaker 2: my reaction is he wants to be a recruiter for
Speaker 2: the MAVs, and I think that's kind of his way
Speaker 2: of trying to appeal to the MAVs that he has
Speaker 2: even more value to them off the court beyond what
Speaker 2: he could deliver as a player, because look, it's a
Speaker 2: it's a negotiation now. I think based on everything I've heard,
Speaker 2: Kyrie wants to stay in Dallas, and one motivation that
Speaker 2: was suggested to me is that, you know, he's tired
Speaker 2: of the narrative that he's trying to get his you know,
Speaker 2: force his way to the Lakers, and you know, so
Speaker 2: why not try to convince Lebron to come to the MAVs,
Speaker 2: even though again that's just not possible, but it's negotiation time,
Speaker 2: and he wants to, you know, establish himself as having
Speaker 2: value to the MAVs both on and off the court.
Speaker 2: That was really my first reaction.
Speaker 3: As the author of the story. My reaction was, and
Speaker 3: my reaction is similar to your style, but my reaction
Speaker 3: was he's staying in Dallas Like that was basically kind
Speaker 3: of like a subtle confirmation of he's resigning with the Mavericks.
Speaker 3: That's what I gathered more so out of it than
Speaker 3: anything else. Yes, you know, I try and I tried
Speaker 3: to put that in my piece on you know, if
Speaker 3: you're gonna write something like that, right, what how it
Speaker 3: could happen? And it would just take It would take
Speaker 3: Lebron asking for a buyout. You know, he has one
Speaker 3: hundred like one hundred million left on a two year deal,
Speaker 3: the second years a player option, asking for a buyout,
Speaker 3: signing for significantly less, and Kyrie. It would take Kyrie
Speaker 3: signing for significantly less in order for you know, have
Speaker 3: to make that happen. Now, Lebron James makes He's made
Speaker 3: a lot of money, a lot of money. I'm pretty
Speaker 3: sure he's close to billionaire status at this point. He's
Speaker 3: getting up there. I have a hard time believing he's
Speaker 3: going to just scrap one hundred million to play the
Speaker 3: final years of his career in Dallas. And then you
Speaker 3: have not to say there's anything wrong Dallas. But you know,
Speaker 3: he got a son playing at USC this coming up season,
Speaker 3: so it's just things don't line up, makes sense. So
Speaker 3: what I got it from it out of all of
Speaker 3: that was that Kyrie is putting out a subtle confirmation
Speaker 3: that he's resigning with the MAVs.
Speaker 2: So let's examine both of those things, because there's a
Speaker 2: lot happening there. Let's let's start with Kyrie. I mean,
Speaker 2: first of all, I agree with those sentiments, and again,
Speaker 2: you know, in my checking with the MAVs side of things,
Speaker 2: the MAVs as a team certainly believe that Kyrie wants
Speaker 2: to resign. Now the question, again, the question from the
Speaker 2: start will be can they reach a deal that makes
Speaker 2: everyone happy. The five year max that Kyrie is eligible
Speaker 2: for is two hundred and seventy two million over five.
Speaker 2: The four year max is two ten over four. The
Speaker 2: Mavericks naturally want to come out of it with the
Speaker 2: most team friendly deal they can, and Kyrie Irving naturally
Speaker 2: wants to come out of this as close to the
Speaker 2: five two seventy two that he can get. So it's
Speaker 2: a negotiation, and you know, we'll see how it ends up.
Speaker 2: But yes, I mean, the MAVs have been consistent since February,
Speaker 2: since they traded for Kyrie Irving. This was not, in
Speaker 2: their eyes, a rental. They want to make this a
Speaker 2: long term agreement. And so I do still see that
Speaker 2: as the most likely scenario. And as I've said many
Speaker 2: many times on many many pods, the who's coming after
Speaker 2: Kyrie Irving? Where are the external suitors? We still free
Speaker 2: agency is twenty odd days away as we record this.
Speaker 2: Those external suitors have not yet materialized. I personally have
Speaker 2: not been able to pinpoint a team that's planning to
Speaker 2: go after him and try to sign him away from
Speaker 2: the Mavericks and the Lakers are thrown out instantly. But
Speaker 2: the message, all the recent messaging from Lakerland has been
Speaker 2: that they are not going after Kyrie Irving in free agency,
Speaker 2: And so you know, is there going is Are we
Speaker 2: going to see an external market developed that you know
Speaker 2: would give Kyrie more leverage here? At this point, I
Speaker 2: don't see it.
Speaker 3: All right, the Chris Paul situation in Phoenix, do you
Speaker 3: think that opens up a possible door for another suitor
Speaker 3: being a signs.
Speaker 2: Well, it's interesting because from the moment that Kyrie was
Speaker 2: traded to Dallas, the Sons and the Lakers were always
Speaker 2: the two teams mentioned as they could come after Kyrie
Speaker 2: in the off season the Lakers, like I said, since
Speaker 2: since the trade, since the trade deadline when the Lakers
Speaker 2: did make a play for Kyrie, ever since then, and
Speaker 2: then they've obviously had the second half around the trades,
Speaker 2: they did make the run to the Western Conference Finals.
Speaker 2: All the messaging since this Laker turnaround has been that
Speaker 2: they're not going after Kyrie Irving. As for Phoenix, I
Speaker 2: don't know. I genuinely don't know. When the trade was
Speaker 2: made in February that brought Kyrie Irving to Dallas, Like
Speaker 2: I said, there was this, there was there were rumblings
Speaker 2: that Phoenix would revisited in the off season, but then
Speaker 2: we had the game in early March here in when
Speaker 2: Phoenix came to Dallas and KD and Kyrie, there was
Speaker 2: just like no interaction, very icy tension that you could
Speaker 2: literally feel between them. Now, Am I putting too much
Speaker 2: stock in that? Do the Suns secretly want Kyrie?
Speaker 3: You know?
Speaker 2: I guess it's possible. I don't have knowledge of it,
Speaker 2: So I guess we'll see. I guess we'll see if
Speaker 2: are they moving off Chris Paul to make a run
Speaker 2: at Kyrie Irving? I guess that's what you're getting that,
Speaker 2: that's what you're getting at.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I don't I don't know.
Speaker 2: I'm right right, you're posing the question, and I think
Speaker 2: it's the right question. I'm not sure, Okay, but maybe
Speaker 2: they know.
Speaker 3: I know months ago. This is different times. I know
Speaker 3: months ago. I'm talking like three months ago, maybe even
Speaker 3: four months ago, there was and in they were having
Speaker 3: talks about possibly being able to land KD and Kyrie.
Speaker 3: Those were months months ago. I don't know where that
Speaker 3: stands now.
Speaker 2: Yeah, because they've got they to me that you've got
Speaker 2: Durant and Booker as your duo, who are just two
Speaker 2: supreme scorers. And that's another thing, like there's so much
Speaker 2: talk right now. I'm hearing so much talk, you know,
Speaker 2: send Dame to Miami so we can be with Jimmy
Speaker 2: and Aebio. We gotta remember, in this new CBA, you
Speaker 2: gotta get the twosome right because you're most likely not
Speaker 2: gonna be able to afford three Max guys. And if
Speaker 2: you have three Max guys, you are not gonna be
Speaker 2: able to put a lot of depth around him. And
Speaker 2: that's what just killed Phoenix in the playoffs. They didn't
Speaker 2: have enough around Durant and Booker. So do the Sons
Speaker 2: really want to now bring in Kyrie and you have
Speaker 2: Durant and Booker and Kyrie, three guys who can score
Speaker 2: all night long, but then you have nothing else. I mean,
Speaker 2: I don't know that that's really the best team building
Speaker 2: path to versus. So, like I said, maybe maybe everything
Speaker 2: I'm saying here, I'm gonna look like an idiot and
Speaker 2: it's gonna come out that, Hey, the Sons are you know,
Speaker 2: the Sons are after Kyrie Irving. But to this point,
Speaker 2: I'm just saying, to this point, as we record this,
Speaker 2: I haven't heard of that team that's trying to get him.
Speaker 2: And if that happens, if a suitor emerges, then obviously
Speaker 2: a lot changes and that puts Dallas under all kinds
Speaker 2: of new pressure.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's why it's still like again that the
Speaker 3: whole revelation of him trying to get Lebron and one
Speaker 3: in the front office to pursue it, avenue to get Lebron. Yeah,
Speaker 3: that's what I basically got that he's leaning towards resigning
Speaker 3: with the DAAs matters. But to your point, there's still
Speaker 3: a lot that has to get worked out between now
Speaker 3: and free agency to make that a reality.
Speaker 2: All right, So look, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, free agency matters.
Speaker 2: We will be talking about these at length. We will
Speaker 2: be talking about these topics with increasing frequency as we
Speaker 2: get closer to free agency. See something tells me that,
Speaker 2: very very soon, once this series is over, this pod
Speaker 2: will become nothing else but discussions about Chris Paul's future,
Speaker 2: Kyrie Irving's future, and all the major free agent and
Speaker 2: trade and draft topics. But Chris is at the finals.
Speaker 2: It's been a very good series so far. I do
Speaker 2: want to talk some NBA Finals before we go. What
Speaker 2: was the mood after Game three? What did you encounter
Speaker 2: on your postgame visits to the locker rooms and catching
Speaker 2: up with people. I mean, Yokich and Murray were just man.
Speaker 2: I mean, that was next level two man game. The
Speaker 2: way they started the game, the way they got inside
Speaker 2: and just repeatedly did damage in the paint. You know,
Speaker 2: you started this pod by talking about the South Beach sand.
Speaker 2: Those guys, so they gave Denver a foothold in the
Speaker 2: South Beach sand, and that that thing was. I mean,
Speaker 2: I know you are not a soccer guy, but yesterday,
Speaker 2: yesterday you were in Miami for one of the greatest
Speaker 2: days in the history of South Florida sports. When Leonel Messi,
Speaker 2: arguably the greatest footballer of all time, says he's coming
Speaker 2: to play for Inner Miami. That was not the ending
Speaker 2: to the evening that the locals were looking for. Down
Speaker 2: by twenty one in the fourth quarter, down by so
Speaker 2: much that that's when the game ops in Miami through
Speaker 2: the welcome welcome to Leonel Messi sign went up when
Speaker 2: they're down ninety three seventy two in the fourth not
Speaker 2: the way the heat expected that game three to go.
Speaker 2: But I mean, that was absolutely historic masterpiece from Jokic
Speaker 2: and Murray last night. So paint a picture for us
Speaker 2: what was what was postgame like?
Speaker 3: So I decided, you know, I focused on I focused
Speaker 3: on the different nuggets obviously. So I went and I
Speaker 3: went to their locker room. I spoke with Jeff Green.
Speaker 3: I had a conversation with Jeff Green, have conversation with
Speaker 3: Contagious codwoll Pope. I had a conversation with DeAndre Jordan.
Speaker 3: I had a conversation, little conversation with Jamal Murray, and
Speaker 3: I had a little walk and talk with the Joker
Speaker 3: last Night starn.
Speaker 2: I read that and I was like, wait a minute,
Speaker 2: did he sidle the Joker? I didn't know. The Joker
Speaker 2: goes for the Joker go he allows a sidle.
Speaker 3: Hey, hey, he was very accommodating to Last Night Man.
Speaker 3: But check check it out. And this is why I
Speaker 3: wish he'd I hope he does more in the interviews
Speaker 3: because his his personality is it is great. So I
Speaker 3: go into the locker room and I have got word
Speaker 3: this is what happened. I got word that Joker had
Speaker 3: like some type the speech after that Game two loss
Speaker 3: that pretty much stunned everybody. So that was my plan
Speaker 3: after the game to start asking around. So I pulled
Speaker 3: guys to the side in the locker room, got KCP,
Speaker 3: DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green, and they were all were like yeah,
Speaker 3: like usually So the way the way it works in
Speaker 3: their locker room, the guys who are the most vocal
Speaker 3: is Jeff Green, DeAndre Jordan, and KCP. Those are the three.
Speaker 3: So after losses or wins, those are the ones that
Speaker 3: or those are the players who addressed the team, whether
Speaker 3: it's in a good way a bad way, calling people out,
Speaker 3: it's those guys. But I was I was told Joker
Speaker 3: actually joined in and said something, and DeAndre Jordan said,
Speaker 3: that's rare, you know, he told me that's rare. Like
Speaker 3: k CP was like, yeah, when he says something, you
Speaker 3: gotta listen, like because he's not gonna say he doesn't
Speaker 3: say much. And he said it was just him doing
Speaker 3: that and talking about just how they didn't come with
Speaker 3: a proper mindset and they can't do this at the finals,
Speaker 3: and you know, he said he had more to say
Speaker 3: and addressing the team. But KCP told me that set
Speaker 3: the tone for them practice the next day, shoe around
Speaker 3: the next day is set the tone for them to
Speaker 3: go into Game three. And you know, it's hard to
Speaker 3: play in Miami. And so anyways, I get all these
Speaker 3: good quotes from these players talking about just how great
Speaker 3: of a speech Joker had, and then I go to
Speaker 3: the Joker and I, you know, I was able to
Speaker 3: walk and talk with him leaving the arita and I
Speaker 3: asked him, I said, hey, all these these all your
Speaker 3: most of your teammates were talking about just this great
Speaker 3: speech you gave and how it resonated with them, and
Speaker 3: they were just caught off guard because you never say anything,
Speaker 3: do you know what lared you to say something at
Speaker 3: that point, and he said, honestly, I don't even remember,
Speaker 3: he said, I don't even remember. He said, I don't
Speaker 3: remember me even saying anything he's he said, so they
Speaker 3: must be crazy. I don't I don't remember. He said, Hey,
Speaker 3: if I got something to say, I would say it.
Speaker 3: But I don't know. I don't remember. Man, he said,
Speaker 3: if it worked good, I'm glad it worked. It was
Speaker 3: just so. But he was like genuine, he was genuine
Speaker 3: about it, like he forgot that he said something. You know,
Speaker 3: you got all these guys pumping them up and talking
Speaker 3: about how how motivated he was to speak up, and uh,
Speaker 3: he forgot about it. He didn't remember what he said.
Speaker 3: So he has a great personality that I hope he
Speaker 3: shows more.
Speaker 2: But uh, I'm actually quote, I'm gonna read the quote
Speaker 2: I've called up your story. Quote. Honestly, I don't remember
Speaker 2: that I was talking. So if I was saying something,
Speaker 2: I don't remember what I was saying, Jokic told b
Speaker 2: R with a snicker. But in all sincerity. Quote, maybe
Speaker 2: it was just my emotions at the time. I don't remember.
Speaker 2: To be honest, maybe they're all just crazy. But I
Speaker 2: think I'm normal When I say something. It's not that
Speaker 2: I'm trying to be vocal. There's a purpose when I
Speaker 2: see something, I'm going to say it. I'm never going
Speaker 2: to talk just to talk. End quote. I'm gonna give you.
Speaker 2: When I read this story, hey, I mean it's the
Speaker 2: longest paragraph in here. That shocked me. Like it's not
Speaker 2: even about it's not even what he said. You gotta
Speaker 2: I thought Joker hated doing interviews so much like maybe
Speaker 2: he's done sidles and I just missed him. But a
Speaker 2: sidle of the Joker at the finals, that's pretty good.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he was very he was accommodating. He gave me
Speaker 3: a you know, handshake, Hey, Chris, come on, let's talk,
Speaker 3: let's talk, walked on. You know, he was it was cool.
Speaker 3: But he doesn't I know, there were there were I
Speaker 3: thought there were others that requested it, request to try
Speaker 3: to get some time with them in and he didn't
Speaker 3: get it. But but he was. He was great man.
Speaker 3: He has a great personality and uh again, I just
Speaker 3: hope that you know.
Speaker 2: He showed it today at the off day and when
Speaker 2: the press conference started today at the podium. One of
Speaker 2: the first you know, he got a good X and
Speaker 2: L question, and he called out Mike Singer and he
Speaker 2: was like, take notes, Mike have to say, as if
Speaker 2: to say to the Denver Post beat man, do step
Speaker 2: up your questions. That was good. He does have he's
Speaker 2: got some jokes.
Speaker 3: No, he's good. The joker got some jokes. But no,
Speaker 3: it was so the scene. You know, I look at it.
Speaker 3: I look at it like the Denver Nuggets. It's hard
Speaker 3: for a lot of reasons to play in Miami. A
Speaker 3: lot of a lot of a lot of a lot
Speaker 3: going on.
Speaker 2: In my it sounds like it's hard for you to focus.
Speaker 2: It sounds like it's hard for you to focus with.
Speaker 3: Well, let me tell you this. That's that's one reason
Speaker 3: I got my hotel right by the beach. I don't
Speaker 3: want to focus that much. But I will say this, Stean,
Speaker 3: I didn't know I found this out last year. I
Speaker 3: think I told you. I might have said this before.
Speaker 3: The Miami he Arena has a nightclub inside the arena
Speaker 3: that's going, that's popping off during the game. Now you
Speaker 3: wonder why fans show up late to Miami Heat games.
Speaker 3: It's an actual like you go, It's a club. It
Speaker 3: has VIP section, VIP sections, all around, bottle service, nice views,
Speaker 3: I caddy, any type of I caddy, you like all
Speaker 3: of it. It's crazy, It's crazy, it is happening during
Speaker 3: the game. Miami's a different place, though. I don't like
Speaker 3: different places.
Speaker 2: I don't like it. Can we just focus on basketball
Speaker 2: for three hours ahead?
Speaker 3: They don't There's no.
Speaker 2: But no, I'm just saying there's not enough clubbing in
Speaker 2: Miami after the game. I mean, can we just have
Speaker 2: three hours, two hours where we focus on basketball? I mean,
Speaker 2: the Heat are in the finals as an eighth seed. Yes,
Speaker 2: that was a rough Game three, but still the run
Speaker 2: that this team is on is incredible. I picked Denver
Speaker 2: in six because just there's no way to I mean
Speaker 2: the Heat, the Heat are limited. They're missing Tyler Hero
Speaker 2: so they're not even at full strength. Denver has a
Speaker 2: more well rounded team, better balance, length, more depth. The
Speaker 2: Nuggets should win this series, but Miami is the toughest
Speaker 2: team on Earth, and I couldn't. I couldn't say that
Speaker 2: the series would end in anything less than six because
Speaker 2: I just think no matter what strikes Miami has against them,
Speaker 2: they're gonna find a way to win at least two games.
Speaker 2: So Denver looked incredible in Game three, as we've all said,
Speaker 2: as Michael Malone said, it's the best Yokichen Murray have
Speaker 2: ever looked like. As a duo, They're making everyone wonder now,
Speaker 2: is this the best one to two punch in the NBA?
Speaker 2: Even though Jamal Murray still has no never sniffed an
Speaker 2: All Star game. But it will not shock me if
Speaker 2: Miami wins Game four, if Denver goes up three to one,
Speaker 2: it won't shock me if Miami finds a way to
Speaker 2: win Game five. I still think somehow the Heat drag
Speaker 2: this thing to six. Hmm.
Speaker 3: They could. This is a scrappy team. But the thing
Speaker 3: about the Miami Heat stein they have to play so
Speaker 3: perfect because their skill level is not on par with Nuggets.
Speaker 3: From top to bottom. They gotta play so man, they
Speaker 3: gotta play so perfect. Guys have to really step up.
Speaker 3: It's tough, man, It's tough. Yes, I guess I can
Speaker 3: see them getting Game four. I don't know, but Denver
Speaker 3: looks like they figured something out. I think the Heat
Speaker 3: felt like they might have found something and switching Jimmy
Speaker 3: Butler onto Jamal Murray in Game two. Jamal didn't have
Speaker 3: that type of breakout game that he's been having in
Speaker 3: these playoffs, and then he comes in and does it
Speaker 3: on Jimmy in game three. So I don't I don't know.
Speaker 3: It's like Miami. The thing with Miami, they need guys
Speaker 3: to have big games who aren't star players, Like you
Speaker 3: need a gay Vincent to give you fifteen plus, you
Speaker 3: need Strews to give you fifteen plus.
Speaker 2: You need.
Speaker 3: Even Bam, you need Bam to give you more than
Speaker 3: what he's given you offensively and to be more efficient offensively.
Speaker 3: So it's just tough, man, It's tough. They again, they
Speaker 3: gotta play so perfect. And then Tyler Hero does Tyler
Speaker 3: Hero come back for Game four. I know weeks ago
Speaker 3: he was aiming for Game three. So I don't know.
Speaker 3: It's a tough situation. I wouldn't be surprised if the
Speaker 3: Nuggets close it out in five. I wouldn't be surprised.
Speaker 2: Really. I mean, look, you're there, you have a better
Speaker 2: feel for it, and I mean it's it's hard not
Speaker 2: to be impressed by the show that Denver put on
Speaker 2: in Game three. I mean, they only made five threes.
Speaker 2: They're the only team in the playoffs, these whole playoffs
Speaker 2: to win a game when making as few as five threes.
Speaker 2: That's how good they were. Everywhere else on the court
Speaker 2: dominated the glass. Christian Brown played the game of his
Speaker 2: life off the bench, So Michael Porter Junior, who's just
Speaker 2: really slumping and struggling, and it doesn't even hurt Denver
Speaker 2: because Brown steps right in and attacks the rim and
Speaker 2: provides that third scoring boost that as if, as if
Speaker 2: Joker and Murray need it, he provided it. I mean,
Speaker 2: that was that was just an incredibly impressive road wind
Speaker 2: from Denver, and it was really I mean, they were
Speaker 2: facing adversity for the first time in these playoffs. If
Speaker 2: they lose that Game three, the noise really starts. All
Speaker 2: the doubts about the Denver Nuggets get dredged up and
Speaker 2: they shut it all down. So you know, they now
Speaker 2: get to play with house money in game four, and
Speaker 2: I guess we will see. I guess we will see.
Speaker 2: Don't go to the club watch the game. That's my
Speaker 2: professional advice.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm gonna tell you right I'm gonna tell you
Speaker 3: right now, if any team is up twenty five or
Speaker 3: more points, I'm going to the club and writing it.
Speaker 2: Are you gonna write it for? Are you gonna write
Speaker 2: a scene piece.
Speaker 3: I might have my I don't know if you want
Speaker 3: to see piece in there. I don't know if that'll
Speaker 3: be appropriate. I'm pretty sure it get a lot of clicks.
Speaker 3: It'll get a lot of clicks.
Speaker 2: Well, you at least have NBA player do that. You
Speaker 2: at least have to give the scene piece in audio
Speaker 2: fashion on this pod.
Speaker 3: I can do that. I probably couldn't mention names. They're
Speaker 3: they're there are NBA players in these VIP sections in
Speaker 3: this club. That might be that might be fun to do.
Speaker 3: Right there, give you a scene of Miami's Club.
Speaker 2: I guess I'm just surprised because it's not the newest
Speaker 2: arena in the world, So it's like, is the club
Speaker 2: really that the in arena club? Is that fancy? You
Speaker 2: actually went in there took a look.
Speaker 3: I went in there and took a look, and it
Speaker 3: was as.
Speaker 2: Good as a normal Miami club would be.
Speaker 3: Regular Miami club has a bar right in the middle
Speaker 3: of the club. Bar, nice looking women giving you bar service.
Speaker 3: Nice looking women's time. I reiterate, nice looking women giving you,
Speaker 3: you know, giving bar service, alcohol or whatever. And you
Speaker 3: got VIP sections and it's just people in the middle
Speaker 3: dancing club they didn't come for. Again, it doesn't sound that.
Speaker 2: It doesn't sound but again for two and a half hours,
Speaker 2: can we just focus on hoops? Well, Miami was clubbing
Speaker 2: all night long, that's what they.
Speaker 3: Say, different saying there in Miami. And you know what,
Speaker 3: star I for one love it.
Speaker 2: Man. The night that the Mavericks won it all in
Speaker 2: twenty eleven, of course they went to Live and took
Speaker 2: it over for the whole night. What did I do?
Speaker 2: I was writing in that arena so long that when
Speaker 2: I left the arena, it was it was six or seven.
Speaker 2: It was blinding daylight when I left that arena and
Speaker 2: just walked back to my hotel for more. That was
Speaker 2: my morning brunch walking back to the hotel. Because I
Speaker 2: took so damn long. I felt so much pressure writing
Speaker 2: that piece after the MAVs won it all took forever.
Speaker 2: Brian Winhurst still, Brian Winhurst still heckles me for how
Speaker 2: slow I was writing that thing. Oh what a nightmare.
Speaker 2: No clubbing for me, I guess was the No clubbing
Speaker 2: for me was the point of that story.
Speaker 3: I get it, and I wouldn't expect anything less when
Speaker 3: you start, I get it. Hey to each his own.
Speaker 3: I don't judge. You, don't judge me, and don't judge.
Speaker 2: I'm not judging it.
Speaker 3: Don't judge, don't judge. Prefer to partake in club activities
Speaker 3: during the game.
Speaker 2: But we're there for the game.
Speaker 3: Oh well, some people are. It's a game within the game,
Speaker 3: you know. I'm about to I'm about I'm about have
Speaker 3: to do a scene setting in that club right there.
Speaker 2: I don't think anyone's ever written that one. The scene
Speaker 2: piece from the Miami club during the game.
Speaker 3: Unbelievable. I'm a believable start.
Speaker 2: Hopefully, hopefully they at least have TVs in there so
Speaker 2: you can watch the game in case something amazing happens.
Speaker 3: Again, that is a good question. Yeah, I believe they
Speaker 3: got TVs. I believe they have TVs.
Speaker 2: Nobody Actually, all right, I look forward to your full report.
Speaker 2: That is going to do it for the latest reunion
Speaker 2: edition of This League Uncut. It had been a week
Speaker 2: a week and change since Chris and I got together
Speaker 2: for a podcast. The good news is tons happened in
Speaker 2: that week and change, so we had no shortage of
Speaker 2: stuff to talk about. We will be back with you
Speaker 2: very soon again to talk about where these Finals are
Speaker 2: where they're going. Can Miami pull even before the series
Speaker 2: moves back to Denver for Game five Monday night? And yes,
Speaker 2: I think we will continue to hear dribbles of trade,
Speaker 2: free agency, and draft news because this is going to
Speaker 2: be an eventful few weeks here, with the new CBA
Speaker 2: coming in, teams looking to balance their books make moves.
Speaker 2: There are going to be trades. I don't think there's
Speaker 2: any question about it. And you know, again, not even
Speaker 2: mid June yet, and the free agencies, free agency of
Speaker 2: Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul's future, they've been huge headlines all week,
Speaker 2: right alongside these NBA Finals. As always, please friends, rate
Speaker 2: review and subscribe to this league Uncut, Apple Podcasts or
Speaker 2: wherever else you get your pods. Chris Haynes, good to
Speaker 2: be with you again. My friend missed you. Like I said,
Speaker 2: mad at you Monday, very mad at you Monday. But
Speaker 2: I'm past it, I'm over it. We're good. Great to
Speaker 2: reconnect me.
Speaker 3: I'm glad we could do this again. I thought you
Speaker 3: left me hanging.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's that's how it was. All right, everybody
Speaker 2: that does it, We'll connect with you soon, be good.
Speaker 1: And that'll do it. For us. See you next time.
Speaker 1: This League on cuta is and iHeartRadio production lock up.
Speaker 1: Chris Haines, good, Mark Stein,