WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: The Finals AND free agency 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.320 Welcome to this league uncut in the world of twenty 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:05.279 four hour NBA. 0:00:05.160 --> 0:00:06.640 News, This news you lo. 0:00:08.600 --> 0:00:12.840 Chris Haynes. It's so time, Mark Stein, It's so time. 0:00:17.120 --> 0:00:21.799 This league uncut is underway and on fire. This should 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:23.000 be a good one. 0:00:24.640 --> 0:00:27.639 Yes it will be a good one. And yes, it 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:32.480 is the long awaited return of this league uncut. Mark 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:37.239 Stein here with Chris Haynes. We have been separated for 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:41.520 more than a week. I left the country. I went 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:47.559 to London right when the NBA Finals started, got to 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:51.360 London on the day of Game one, had my own 0:00:51.440 --> 0:00:53.840 slew of travel adventures. But I am back in the 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:58.520 States now. Chris Haynes, the star of our show, is 0:00:58.560 --> 0:01:02.920 in Miami at the fire, so we can all experience 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:07.160 this vicariously through him, and we will get to finals. 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:11.280 Talk of course, the Denver Nuggets take a two to 0:01:11.319 --> 0:01:16.280 one lead into Game four Friday night. Chris and I 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:20.679 recording this on a Thursday night. We will get to 0:01:20.720 --> 0:01:25.920 the finals because obviously pivotal Game three result. History tells 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:28.399 us when it's one to one, the team that wins 0:01:28.440 --> 0:01:31.520 Game three goes on to win it all eighty percent 0:01:31.760 --> 0:01:34.920 of the time, thirty two times out of forty in 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:37.880 league history, so that was a huge win for Denver. 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:42.880 We'll get into whether Miami can win Game four and 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:46.240 get this thing back on track and still make it 0:01:46.280 --> 0:01:48.600 a long series, but we've got to start with some 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:51.720 matters away from the NBA Finals, because it has been 0:01:51.800 --> 0:01:58.680 a crazy Newsy week. Man was I throwing things when 0:01:58.760 --> 0:02:03.880 Chris Haynes posted a Dallas Maverick story on Monday when 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:06.640 I'm in London, Man was I upset? But we'll get 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:08.280 to that in a minute. We're going to start with 0:02:08.400 --> 0:02:14.520 the Wednesday bombshell from mister Haynes that Chris Paul has 0:02:14.560 --> 0:02:18.240 been informed by the Phoenix Suns that they intend to 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:23.040 waive him later this month. Of course, the Suns have 0:02:23.120 --> 0:02:29.640 a June twenty eighth deadline to either guarantee Paul's contract 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:33.480 fully for next season at thirty point eight million, or 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:38.240 by waiving him on June twenty eighth, they would only 0:02:38.280 --> 0:02:42.320 owe him fifteen point eight million in that deal. Obviously, 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:47.440 that story generating a lot of discussion. Again away from 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:50.239 the finals. Do not want to detract from the championship series, 0:02:50.240 --> 0:02:53.760 but this is a massive story. Chris Haynes, First of all, 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:58.080 how are you sir, it's been a while since we hung. 0:02:57.200 --> 0:03:01.360 Out, man stought. I am in my favorite city in 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:06.440 the country, Miami. I have an ocean view. I went 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:09.400 out there. There was some sun out today this afternoon. 0:03:09.440 --> 0:03:11.920 I went out to the beach, and I said, you know, 0:03:12.000 --> 0:03:13.800 I was tired, so I feel like, you know, I'm 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:15.840 gonna get go out there and take a nap on 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:19.120 the beach. As soon as I get out there, put 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:22.720 my towel down on a nice white sand, take my 0:03:22.800 --> 0:03:27.520 shirt off, lay down on the towel. Five minutes later, 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:35.000 a severe rainstorm just hit, which led me to running 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:41.160 probably ninety five percent speed running back to my hotel room, 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:47.480 drenched in rain, soaking wet. And so that was that 0:03:47.640 --> 0:03:50.800 was the moment in time that I had to enjoy, 0:03:51.120 --> 0:03:54.320 the five minutes of which I saw sunlight out there. 0:03:54.600 --> 0:03:57.800 So I'll try again tomorrow. It'll be my last day. 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:01.119 Tried again tomorrow before the game. What I have yet 0:04:01.160 --> 0:04:04.120 to experience good Miami wedd since I've been here. 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:06.800 So, actually, you just dropped a couple of items. There 0:04:06.840 --> 0:04:09.560 are multiple items that I want to now interrupt our 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:12.200 Chris Paul discussion before I get to So it is 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:15.480 Miami is your number one city on the NBA map. 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:21.160 Number one was one A one. That's what you said, Miami, Yeah, 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:23.719 number one, number one, Yes, number one. 0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:31.560 Okay, I'm a little surprised by that, but I guess 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:34.920 you like what you How can I love Miami? I 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:37.600 love Miami, but I just I wouldn't have it number one. 0:04:37.640 --> 0:04:41.600 But that's just me something something's wrong with you. Stop. 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:43.640 But let's get back to Chris Paul. That's what everybody 0:04:43.720 --> 0:04:45.200 wants to hear about. So let me, well the. 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:47.200 Last thing before we get to Chris Paul. Is there 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:49.760 any video of you running at ninety five percent speed? 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.640 Because I was really I would really see that. 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:55.760 The reason it was ninety five percent opposed to one 0:04:55.800 --> 0:04:57.760 hundred percent because I was trying to make sure I 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:00.080 didn't slip. I didn't want to slip and falled on 0:05:00.160 --> 0:05:05.200 that sidewalking and hurt and d damage to myself. So 0:05:05.400 --> 0:05:08.159 I run in ninety five percent speed. But Stein, there 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:10.679 was very little warning. I mean the warning we had 0:05:11.600 --> 0:05:14.599 was thunderstorms just started. It was loud, it was Stein, 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:17.000 it was It reminded me of those thunder storms that 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:21.159 we were experiencing in the bubble in Orlando. The thunderstorms 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:24.599 came out of nowhere. Boom boom, boom, and you should 0:05:24.600 --> 0:05:27.680 have saw it. The beach just took off. It was 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:29.680 like it was a horror movie, Like everybody was just 0:05:29.720 --> 0:05:32.839 took off running, you know. They took off towards the street. 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:37.160 And luckily my hotel is right across the street from 0:05:37.200 --> 0:05:39.799 the beach, so I didn't have that long of a run. 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:42.200 But yeah, it was ninety five percent because I didn't 0:05:42.240 --> 0:05:44.320 want to slip in falls. I was trying to watch 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:45.080 each step. 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:47.320 A lot of flexing going on. You got a hotel 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:49.720 on the beach, you're taking off your shirt, you're slipping 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:52.400 in these little these little flexes. 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:58.640 Well, I'm still you know, this is still PG. Thirteen. 0:05:58.839 --> 0:06:01.400 This is not like my man Stephen A. Smith now 0:06:01.480 --> 0:06:02.960 sif his pod. 0:06:08.200 --> 0:06:14.560 We're not going to get too far into I was 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:16.680 in England when that happened. I only saw a couple 0:06:16.720 --> 0:06:19.159 of excerpts and I was like, what what is going 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:23.920 on here? Or maybe I was still I don't. 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:26.400 Know, Stephen is letting loose. 0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:28.240 All right, you're right, we need to get let's let's 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:32.760 get let's let's uh, let's elegantly move to Chris Paul Okay, 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:36.400 just go to it, lay it out for us. 0:06:37.400 --> 0:06:42.800 Yeah. So I received word yesterday, which was Wednesday, Wednesday night. 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:45.080 So I go into the readA. You have to go 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:48.000 through security, and so as I'm going through security, you 0:06:48.120 --> 0:06:50.599 have to put your phone. It's on that. It's like 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.320 the conveyor belt. We have to go through this. Uh, 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:55.479 put all your items down. It's just like you do 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:57.880 at an airport. You have to do that in Miami. And 0:06:57.920 --> 0:07:00.320 so as I put my phone down, I see that 0:07:00.360 --> 0:07:04.080 I missed a call from this very very important individual, 0:07:04.480 --> 0:07:07.440 very very important individual. So I'm like, all right, okay, 0:07:08.640 --> 0:07:10.840 I'll call him right back as soon as I pick 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:13.920 up the phone on the other end. So then when 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.800 the phone comes out on the other end, I see 0:07:16.880 --> 0:07:20.080 that I missed two calls from this person just in 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:22.480 that short of a timeframe. So I'm like, what is 0:07:22.560 --> 0:07:25.640 going on? So I call this individual. 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:28.040 This is usually good news for a reporter, by the way, 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:29.520 not this is not this is not. 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:33.400 That is Yeah, this is usually good news. When you 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:38.760 get in a call from this very important individual, you 0:07:38.920 --> 0:07:41.600 usually picked up right away. But you know he called. 0:07:42.120 --> 0:07:46.240 He called twice. This individual called twice. And I'm giving 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:49.040 a little bit a way of saying he called twice, 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:54.960 and so I get word that the Sons have reached 0:07:54.960 --> 0:07:58.640 out to Chris Paul's represent representative, his agent, Steve Human, 0:07:59.240 --> 0:08:03.600 and I will told that it were informed that they 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:07.600 will be waved. It will be waved by the June 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:13.360 twenty eighth deadline. And so that's what I that's what 0:08:13.480 --> 0:08:16.400 I went with, had multiple sources. I got on the 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:20.720 phone with a few people, and that's what I went with, 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:24.560 and so I was I can I can't say this. 0:08:24.680 --> 0:08:29.520 So when I reported that, I did receive a call 0:08:31.160 --> 0:08:40.400 from the Suns saying that basically that they there are options, 0:08:40.880 --> 0:08:44.520 There are options out there where they can still trade 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:51.360 Chris Paul. But the likely scenario, yes, is a wave. 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:55.280 But what I can say is this, I can't say this. 0:08:56.559 --> 0:09:01.280 Chris paul Is representative left that initial phone call with 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:06.640 the impression and how they took it was he was 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:08.240 going to be wighd by the deadline. 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:12.200 That's yes, because they may have options, but let's be 0:09:12.280 --> 0:09:15.360 honest here, they're gonna try to trade him because of 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:18.760 the contract, and if they don't trade him, they are 0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:25.160 going to waive him. That's basically my interpretation as a 0:09:27.200 --> 0:09:32.600 I think, i'll say, seasoned spectator of a story like this. 0:09:33.600 --> 0:09:36.920 Yeah, you know, it's always funny seeing other people how 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:40.360 they spend things and all that. It's always funny. And 0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:48.040 you know, local national, that's always funny. But I feel 0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:51.240 pretty good about my sourcing on this, and that's why 0:09:51.240 --> 0:09:57.280 I stood it. So I had the opportunity to include 0:09:57.520 --> 0:10:00.280 before anybody else chimed in on it. I had the 0:10:00.280 --> 0:10:05.200 opportunity to include. Oh yeah, trading is an option. You know, look, 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.960 we could look into trading, but I'm standing by by report. 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:13.760 I'm standing by the people who I've spoke with. Got 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:17.000 pretty good sourcing on this time, and so I left 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:19.000 it up, and I, you know, I leave all the 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:23.960 other shenanigans to other folks. 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:27.920 Yeah, because look, it totally makes sense that they would 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:31.920 try to trade him because that contract perhaps could be 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:35.080 appealing to someone else. But one way or the other, 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:39.040 they're moving on from Chris Paul. Now. It's interesting because 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.240 last night a team, a rival team said to me 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:45.880 that what they heard is no Phoenix is going to 0:10:45.920 --> 0:10:50.200 wave him and resign him. And that is technically possible. 0:10:50.559 --> 0:10:54.480 It is technically an option. But if you're Chris Paul 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:58.320 and they've waived you, why would you want to sign 0:10:58.400 --> 0:11:02.400 back there for the minimum? I'm assuming Chris Paul, yes, 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:04.959 he I don't think he's in this huge rush to 0:11:05.040 --> 0:11:08.920 leave Phoenix. But you know, if they're going to take 0:11:08.920 --> 0:11:11.160 the step of waving him, it would make sense that 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:12.959 he would want to look around and see what other 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:16.120 options he has in free agency if that's the step 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:18.679 they're going to take. Because again, just to be clear, 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:22.559 if they wave and stretch him, which is that's the 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:26.839 best route for the Suns to create significant cap space 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:29.000 to try to make another move. If they wave and 0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:32.240 stretch Chris Paul, they would then have full access to 0:11:32.320 --> 0:11:36.040 the mid level exception of twelve plus million. But if 0:11:36.040 --> 0:11:38.680 you wave and stretch Chris Paul, you can't resign him. 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:41.400 So they would just have to outright wave him. If 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:43.360 they wanted to bring him back, they would have to 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:45.600 hope that he'd be willing to come for the minimum. 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:48.680 And at that point, why wouldn't Chris Paul sign with 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:51.960 the Lakers or someone else in free agency that didn't 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:53.840 just wave him two three days before? 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:58.320 And I think that's an option when they wave him, 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:00.720 not to wave a stress for vision. I think that 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.200 is an option to waive him and to see if 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:06.600 he'll be willing to resign back at a lower number. 0:12:07.440 --> 0:12:10.280 I just don't know. I haven't spoken to Chris yet, 0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:13.400 but I don't know if he would be willing to 0:12:13.440 --> 0:12:16.040 do that. But knowing him, you know, he'll have to 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:20.240 talk with his wife and kids, his agent, his brother 0:12:20.360 --> 0:12:26.400 CJ and get together and see see what's the logical 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:29.040 option for him. But what I do though, as I 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:31.800 was told, I was told that he feels he has 0:12:31.840 --> 0:12:35.880 several years left to play at a high level and 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:39.199 he wants to help a team contend and compete for 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:42.760 a championship. So with that being Phoenix, I don't know, 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:45.560 and you know, I don't know if this process rubs 0:12:45.600 --> 0:12:47.800 him the wrong way. You know, I can't wait till 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:49.920 when he gets to speak on it. But one thing 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:53.680 I do know, Stein Chris Paul did tell me a 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:58.680 few days ago that he will come on the podcast. 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:02.480 So we will have Chris Paul at some point this offseason, 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:05.880 so there will be a lot to talk about. But uh, 0:13:05.920 --> 0:13:07.360 you know, I don't know. I don't know as of 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:09.320 right now, I don't know how he feels about the 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:11.040 possibility of resigning. 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.520 And yeah, I probably should not be the one trying 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.480 to guess where his head's at, because you know, I 0:13:16.520 --> 0:13:18.680 have not spoken to Chris Paul in Ages. I'm just 0:13:18.960 --> 0:13:23.800 again putting my observer cap on. It's just hard for 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.520 me to see that he would be waved and then 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:28.680 just say, yeah, cool, you know, I'll you know, I'll 0:13:28.720 --> 0:13:30.800 stay on the minimum. Maybe I'm wrong, Maybe he would 0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:33.200 want to be in Phoenix so bad that he'd be 0:13:33.320 --> 0:13:36.800 fine with those conditions. But my you know, my read 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:41.760 from where we are in not quite mid June, I 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:44.520 would imagine that if Chris Paul is waved and is 0:13:44.520 --> 0:13:47.720 on the open market, he's going to get some enticing 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:52.599 offers because you know, they may not be the most lucrative, 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:58.120 but you know he's going to have plenty of options 0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:00.720 to you know again, I mean to me, the Lakers, 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:05.160 that would be such a natural one. You know, there's 0:14:05.160 --> 0:14:07.160 all this question of are they going to bring back 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:11.280 D'Angelo Russell? At what price point would they resign D'Angelo Russell? 0:14:12.320 --> 0:14:14.880 I mean, I would imagine Lebron would love the chance 0:14:14.960 --> 0:14:18.920 to play with Chris Paul. And to me, I think 0:14:18.960 --> 0:14:23.280 we've seen how willing Lebron is to see some of 0:14:23.600 --> 0:14:27.200 the ball handling responsibilities to Austin Reeves. I don't think 0:14:27.280 --> 0:14:30.200 Lebron would mind having another ball handler around too. So 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:34.280 there's a reason why so many people are bringing up 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:37.200 the Lakers, and there will be others, I'm sure, but 0:14:37.280 --> 0:14:39.640 I guess to me, the Lakers just seems like such 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:43.960 a logical landing spot because we know of the Lebron 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:45.280 Chris Paul relationship. 0:14:46.760 --> 0:14:49.920 For sure, that's gonna be definitely that he'll be tied 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:52.880 to the Lakers. I don't know about the Clippers, you know, 0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:57.200 I know you know Chris Paul lives and lives in LA. 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:00.560 Family does and I don't know about the Clippers because 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:03.960 I would think I don't have any intel on this 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:07.440 as of right now, but I would think they plan 0:15:07.560 --> 0:15:11.960 to resign Russ, I would think. So. I don't know 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:16.520 how realistic that would be on Chris Paul, but I 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:19.960 will say this. A member of a prominent member of 0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:25.600 the Los Angeles Clippers, a player text me yesterday right 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:29.040 when I reported the Chris Paul news and said they 0:15:29.040 --> 0:15:31.920 would love to have Chris Paul over there. So he's 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:36.680 definitely going to have people in his corner. Prominent players 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:39.520 from teams out there, contended teams in his corner to 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:42.040 try to bring them on. You wonder if the front 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:43.600 office is going to feel the same way. 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:47.800 Yeah, Chris Paul in you know, making thirty something million, 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:50.920 you know there's gonna be a limited market. Chris Paul 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:54.640 is a free agent, that's a completely different situation. You know, 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:58.280 Lakers and Clippers. Easy for us to talk about them 0:15:58.320 --> 0:16:01.880 as potential destinations, but there will be more that we 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:06.200 don't know yet if he actually makes it to free agency. 0:16:06.240 --> 0:16:08.640 So that's definitely an interesting one. I mean, it's interesting. 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:13.120 You know, I had heard, honestly for for a couple 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:17.160 of weeks here that hey, keep your eye on keep 0:16:17.200 --> 0:16:19.320 your eye on a wave and stretch for Chris Paul 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:21.760 and Phoenix, and I just didn't. I'm like, wow, are 0:16:21.800 --> 0:16:23.920 they really going to take that step? I guess I 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:27.640 shouldn't have been as skeptical as I was, because you 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:29.160 know that is that. 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:33.440 You told me that weeks ago you were. 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:34.760 Here, and that yeah, I guess I would. I guess 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:38.320 my sources were right. Sometimes that happens where they're way 0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:40.520 Sometimes that happens where they're way out in front of 0:16:40.520 --> 0:16:42.640 the news and you're like Damn. I should have listened. 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:45.800 I should have listened better, because I mean, it is 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:49.280 one of the options, you know, trade him, wave him outright, 0:16:49.520 --> 0:16:54.440 wave and stretch. But I think the summation is an 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:57.920 exit from Phoenix is very very very very likely. Let's 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:00.600 let's at least say that much. I mean that that 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:02.800 is clearly the message here that. 0:17:03.200 --> 0:17:07.919 Yes, and that's what and that's what Chris paul Is 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:13.040 Representative came away with went contacted by the team yesterday. 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:21.200 Okay, now let's move on to the story that began 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:25.240 the week. And like I said, I'm over it now. 0:17:26.080 --> 0:17:30.800 I'm over it now, even though you're family to me, 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:34.640 even though you are family to me. Monday, It's Monday. 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:38.640 I'm in London. Clock is ticking, Stein is running out 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:44.040 of time in his favorite place to escape. So what 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:48.239 was my plan on Monday? Tuesday? I knew I had 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:52.840 a huge piece that would be I was so you know, 0:17:53.080 --> 0:17:57.320 I actually got the chance. I've struck an arrangement with 0:17:57.480 --> 0:18:03.879 SB Nation to syndicate Tuesday's column and next Tuesday's column. 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:07.000 A first in the history of of my little hum 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:10.560 my humble, little substack that SB Nation is running my piece. 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:13.560 So what my plan was Monday. I'm gonna work all 0:18:13.640 --> 0:18:17.560 day Monday to get the Tuesday piece ready, and then 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:22.040 Tuesday I'm gonna be able to enjoy one last London fling. 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:24.200 I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go sneak away and watch 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:28.040 some grass court tennis in Surbiton, which you know how 0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:31.560 much I love my tennis. I'm so excited. And then 0:18:31.600 --> 0:18:34.639 there it is. I'm in a coffee shop working away 0:18:35.680 --> 0:18:41.600 and Chris Haynes drops the story no warning to his 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:48.520 podcast partner Kyrie Irving is trying to convince Lebron James 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:53.280 to come to Dallas. You didn't realize what you did 0:18:53.359 --> 0:18:56.399 to me, did you? You didn't realize I'm over it now. 0:18:57.640 --> 0:18:59.199 I thought you were asleep. I knew you were out 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:02.440 the country, and I'm not familiar with the time zone difference. 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:05.439 What you know, I assume there's probably two three in 0:19:05.480 --> 0:19:08.879 the morning at that time. But what was what was 0:19:08.880 --> 0:19:11.879 your reaction to hearing that? Is that something you heard before? 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:14.080 Did that catch you by surprise? 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:19.840 My reaction, honestly, is very cynical to the intentions here, 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:24.600 because I think Kyrie Irving knows quite well that the 0:19:24.720 --> 0:19:29.000 chances of the Mavericks trying to orchestrate any possible way 0:19:29.880 --> 0:19:34.639 to acquire Lebron James are pretty much close to nil 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:39.280 if I continue with London speak. So to me, really 0:19:39.280 --> 0:19:42.480 my reaction is he wants to be a recruiter for 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:44.920 the MAVs, and I think that's kind of his way 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:48.840 of trying to appeal to the MAVs that he has 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:52.840 even more value to them off the court beyond what 0:19:52.960 --> 0:19:54.879 he could deliver as a player, because look, it's a 0:19:55.040 --> 0:19:59.920 it's a negotiation now. I think based on everything I've heard, 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:05.080 Kyrie wants to stay in Dallas, and one motivation that 0:20:05.720 --> 0:20:08.800 was suggested to me is that, you know, he's tired 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:10.919 of the narrative that he's trying to get his you know, 0:20:10.960 --> 0:20:12.879 force his way to the Lakers, and you know, so 0:20:13.440 --> 0:20:16.879 why not try to convince Lebron to come to the MAVs, 0:20:16.880 --> 0:20:23.160 even though again that's just not possible, but it's negotiation time, 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:29.399 and he wants to, you know, establish himself as having 0:20:29.480 --> 0:20:31.840 value to the MAVs both on and off the court. 0:20:31.880 --> 0:20:34.280 That was really my first reaction. 0:20:36.040 --> 0:20:42.480 As the author of the story. My reaction was, and 0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:44.879 my reaction is similar to your style, but my reaction 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:49.840 was he's staying in Dallas Like that was basically kind 0:20:49.840 --> 0:20:56.200 of like a subtle confirmation of he's resigning with the Mavericks. 0:20:56.400 --> 0:20:58.919 That's what I gathered more so out of it than 0:20:58.960 --> 0:21:01.919 anything else. Yes, you know, I try and I tried 0:21:01.960 --> 0:21:04.639 to put that in my piece on you know, if 0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:08.720 you're gonna write something like that, right, what how it 0:21:08.760 --> 0:21:13.359 could happen? And it would just take It would take 0:21:15.080 --> 0:21:19.000 Lebron asking for a buyout. You know, he has one 0:21:19.080 --> 0:21:22.880 hundred like one hundred million left on a two year deal, 0:21:22.920 --> 0:21:26.160 the second years a player option, asking for a buyout, 0:21:26.680 --> 0:21:30.720 signing for significantly less, and Kyrie. It would take Kyrie 0:21:31.240 --> 0:21:34.280 signing for significantly less in order for you know, have 0:21:34.320 --> 0:21:37.320 to make that happen. Now, Lebron James makes He's made 0:21:37.359 --> 0:21:41.639 a lot of money, a lot of money. I'm pretty 0:21:41.640 --> 0:21:44.240 sure he's close to billionaire status at this point. He's 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:47.720 getting up there. I have a hard time believing he's 0:21:47.720 --> 0:21:52.920 going to just scrap one hundred million to play the 0:21:52.960 --> 0:21:57.520 final years of his career in Dallas. And then you 0:21:57.640 --> 0:22:01.399 have not to say there's anything wrong Dallas. But you know, 0:22:01.440 --> 0:22:04.600 he got a son playing at USC this coming up season, 0:22:04.720 --> 0:22:07.080 so it's just things don't line up, makes sense. So 0:22:07.119 --> 0:22:10.320 what I got it from it out of all of 0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:16.119 that was that Kyrie is putting out a subtle confirmation 0:22:16.280 --> 0:22:18.719 that he's resigning with the MAVs. 0:22:19.320 --> 0:22:21.440 So let's examine both of those things, because there's a 0:22:21.480 --> 0:22:24.320 lot happening there. Let's let's start with Kyrie. I mean, 0:22:24.359 --> 0:22:28.399 first of all, I agree with those sentiments, and again, 0:22:28.560 --> 0:22:32.399 you know, in my checking with the MAVs side of things, 0:22:32.760 --> 0:22:38.359 the MAVs as a team certainly believe that Kyrie wants 0:22:38.400 --> 0:22:41.439 to resign. Now the question, again, the question from the 0:22:41.480 --> 0:22:45.280 start will be can they reach a deal that makes 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:49.560 everyone happy. The five year max that Kyrie is eligible 0:22:49.600 --> 0:22:52.680 for is two hundred and seventy two million over five. 0:22:52.760 --> 0:22:56.840 The four year max is two ten over four. The 0:22:56.880 --> 0:23:00.560 Mavericks naturally want to come out of it with the 0:23:00.560 --> 0:23:04.640 most team friendly deal they can, and Kyrie Irving naturally 0:23:04.680 --> 0:23:07.600 wants to come out of this as close to the 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:11.560 five two seventy two that he can get. So it's 0:23:11.560 --> 0:23:15.600 a negotiation, and you know, we'll see how it ends up. 0:23:15.680 --> 0:23:18.920 But yes, I mean, the MAVs have been consistent since February, 0:23:18.960 --> 0:23:21.919 since they traded for Kyrie Irving. This was not, in 0:23:21.960 --> 0:23:25.320 their eyes, a rental. They want to make this a 0:23:25.400 --> 0:23:28.520 long term agreement. And so I do still see that 0:23:28.680 --> 0:23:33.639 as the most likely scenario. And as I've said many 0:23:33.680 --> 0:23:38.840 many times on many many pods, the who's coming after 0:23:39.200 --> 0:23:43.120 Kyrie Irving? Where are the external suitors? We still free 0:23:43.160 --> 0:23:47.040 agency is twenty odd days away as we record this. 0:23:47.520 --> 0:23:51.679 Those external suitors have not yet materialized. I personally have 0:23:51.760 --> 0:23:55.000 not been able to pinpoint a team that's planning to 0:23:55.040 --> 0:23:57.240 go after him and try to sign him away from 0:23:57.240 --> 0:24:01.040 the Mavericks and the Lakers are thrown out instantly. But 0:24:01.160 --> 0:24:04.720 the message, all the recent messaging from Lakerland has been 0:24:05.000 --> 0:24:07.880 that they are not going after Kyrie Irving in free agency, 0:24:08.760 --> 0:24:13.359 And so you know, is there going is Are we 0:24:13.480 --> 0:24:19.240 going to see an external market developed that you know 0:24:19.600 --> 0:24:24.560 would give Kyrie more leverage here? At this point, I 0:24:24.640 --> 0:24:25.480 don't see it. 0:24:26.359 --> 0:24:30.600 All right, the Chris Paul situation in Phoenix, do you 0:24:30.640 --> 0:24:33.719 think that opens up a possible door for another suitor 0:24:34.359 --> 0:24:35.560 being a signs. 0:24:36.040 --> 0:24:39.119 Well, it's interesting because from the moment that Kyrie was 0:24:39.160 --> 0:24:42.680 traded to Dallas, the Sons and the Lakers were always 0:24:42.680 --> 0:24:46.240 the two teams mentioned as they could come after Kyrie 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:51.000