WEBVTT - Karl-Anthony Towns TRADED 0:00:10.080 --> 0:00:12.840 On this episode of The Heat Check, We've got a 0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:17.200 huge trade out of fucking nowhere Curly Anthony Towns for 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:21.759 Julius Randall and friends Dante DiVincenzo. One of the most 0:00:21.840 --> 0:00:25.200 complicated trades in NBA history. A lot of people who 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:28.880 are tippy top of the salary cap game, they can't 0:00:28.880 --> 0:00:30.960 even figure it out. We're gonna try to make some 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:33.000 sense out of it, as well as cover all the 0:00:33.080 --> 0:00:36.680 latest news from around the league. Fun episode ahead. Anthony 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:52.520 my man drop that motherfucking beat that should be Rihanna. 0:00:54.080 --> 0:00:58.080 When I say it's rare that a trade just comes 0:00:58.080 --> 0:01:02.440 out of nowhere and it takes me by surprise, I 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:07.319 mean it almost always. We hear smoke almost always, there's rumors, 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:11.960 there's developing stories, there's at least some inkling that a 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:15.479 trade is going to happen. Only rarely do we get 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.080 that Kevin Durant getting sent to the Suns at one 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:20.360 point thirty in the morning type trade that drags me 0:01:20.400 --> 0:01:22.880 out of a cookout to make a late night TikTok. 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:26.679 So when I say I was absolutely shooketh by Karl 0:01:26.720 --> 0:01:31.440 Anthony Towns going to the New York Knicks for Julius 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:35.039 Randall and Dante DiVincenzo and a bunch of other friends. 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:38.360 I never saw it coming. I mean we've been talking 0:01:38.400 --> 0:01:40.399 about it. We've been talking about it for years though 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:43.240 it's like folklore, like never gonna happen. And from the 0:01:43.240 --> 0:01:46.800 looks of things, Carl Anthony Towns didn't see it coming either. 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:51.040 He was in a facility. How sucky is that you're 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:54.280 in the team facility at three am with your pops 0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:59.760 the night before the trade. You show up to a 0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:04.520 we already function the morning after decked in Wolves gear 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:10.160 and nope, you are gone. Sir Randall also blindsided two 0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:12.640 days before the trade for him, he was at a 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:16.360 groundbreaking ceremony for a school where he was honored for 0:02:16.480 --> 0:02:19.680 donating one point three million dollars. Leon Rose was there, 0:02:19.960 --> 0:02:23.440 Timms was there to support him to a New York school. 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:29.680 Kind of shady actually, honestly, like both teams were totally 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:35.320 down for their marquee players to take part in community 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:39.240 service events, tying them to the city. Non like, come on, 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:42.320 come on, It's like you know you're about to break 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.519 up with your girlfriend and then you allow you allow 0:02:45.560 --> 0:02:48.320 her to go to Eastern dinner with your family, like 0:02:48.400 --> 0:02:51.240 you can't do that. You'd be like, oh, yeah, you 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.400 know about that charity event, like they the kids are good. 0:02:54.760 --> 0:02:58.160 The kids are good. Now, don't go, please, don't go. 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:03.680 Let's bring this thing down into detail. Let's get it first. 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:07.440 We should probably acknowledge at least this as the very 0:03:07.520 --> 0:03:10.720 first major NBA event in the post WOJ era, which 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:13.040 we'll get to in a second. We're gonna talk about 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:16.360 what happens next after WOJ a new era has begun. 0:03:17.520 --> 0:03:23.120 The trade itself is complex. Friend of the show Keith 0:03:23.160 --> 0:03:25.520 Smith of Spowtrack tweeted, this is one of the most 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:30.440 complicated trades in NBA history, and that's not being hyperbolic. 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:34.800 He says, here's what we know. The Wolves receive Julius Randall, 0:03:35.320 --> 0:03:40.920 Dante DiVincenzo, Kaita Bates dop a twenty twenty five top 0:03:41.360 --> 0:03:45.000 lottery protected first round pick via Detroit, which means probably 0:03:45.040 --> 0:03:47.920 not going to be a first round pick. Charlotte Hornet's 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:50.640 will facilitate the trade because they've got a bunch of 0:03:50.640 --> 0:03:55.120 caprom players like Da Kwan, Jeffries, Dwayne Washington Junior, who 0:03:55.160 --> 0:03:58.120 by the way, is playing overseas, so he needs to 0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:01.760 be cut or released, and then brought back and then released. 0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:05.000 I don't know he's playing for Belgrade Partisan right now, 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:08.280 but he's part of the trade. What are we talking about. 0:04:08.720 --> 0:04:11.000 He's gonna have to be bought out, sign traded, bought 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:14.720 out and resigned back in Serbia again. What is he 0:04:14.760 --> 0:04:18.040 getting out of that? By the way, like, what does 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:20.360 he get cookie? A lot of this is because the 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:23.440 Knicks are working really hard to balance out the ledger 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:26.520 it took. They just took on four years, two hundred 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:29.880 and twenty million dollars of Karl Anthony Towns's contract. The 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:34.640 Wolves get major cap relief. Randall's on a contract year 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:38.200 with a player option. He's woefully underpaid as a top 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:39.800 forty player in the league. By the way, a lot 0:04:39.839 --> 0:04:41.920 of people say that that contract was terrible when he 0:04:42.000 --> 0:04:44.280 was signed to the Knicks. Sounds sounds like it's not 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:47.360 really that terrible right now. According to Keith, here's what 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:51.040 we do not know yet. How's New York matching the 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:55.320 salary for Towns? How is he avoiding the hard caps? 0:04:56.640 --> 0:05:00.520 Smith says that the Knicks are already hard cap at 0:05:00.520 --> 0:05:03.039 the second apron and when need destructure this trade to 0:05:03.080 --> 0:05:07.080 avoid a hard cap at the first Apron does Randall 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:09.880 take on his full trade bonus? Karl Anthony Downs had 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:12.280 to give it his trade bonus because he's already maxed out. 0:05:12.920 --> 0:05:15.760 What picks? Who are the Hornets getting to help along 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.479 this deal? Why would they even be a part of it? Like? 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:21.160 What are they getting out of it? Finally, how do 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:23.360 the Knicks go about filling out the roster this close 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:27.520 to camp with limited resources? All of this has to 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:29.960 do with the second Apron hard cap. If the Knicks 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:33.120 fill out their roster with two players on veteran minimum deals, 0:05:33.160 --> 0:05:35.320 they'll still need to make at least one more deal 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:40.640 to make the math work, and more likely two more deals. So, 0:05:41.400 --> 0:05:44.160 I mean, there's a lot going on here. I cannot 0:05:44.200 --> 0:05:47.520 remember a trade, even the Russell Westbrook trade, which was 0:05:47.560 --> 0:05:50.560 like really really really complex involving the most teams in 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:54.280 league history, being disconfusing, How complex is it? Well, the 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:57.640 Knicks immediately waved both Marcus Morris Senior and Chuma Akiki, 0:05:57.760 --> 0:06:01.240 and the Wolves waved Chase on Nd immediately after the 0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:04.720 trade was announced. When it is finalized, we will give 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:06.760 you all the details. We will have Keith Smith on 0:06:07.040 --> 0:06:09.480 to cover all the details. But for now, let's get 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:14.400 into the emotional personality, human side of the trade, because 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:18.960 I honestly think it's kind of It's always a dirty game, 0:06:19.000 --> 0:06:22.240 but this was like for me, like wow, you know 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:24.520 what I mean? I was like, I don't know. This 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:28.520 is it for all of Karl Anthony Towns was false. 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:34.800 He sat through mischief, He got berated by Jimmy Butler, 0:06:35.080 --> 0:06:38.800 He had a weed smoking co host who could not 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:42.480 fulfill what he thought everyone thought he was going to 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:48.560 be in Andrew Wiggins. The entire team was chaos at times, 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:51.839 drama at times. Remember we were following Jimmy Butler around 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:54.400 at practice because he was motherfucking the whole team telling 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:57.520 him all what that ass and then he ends up 0:06:57.520 --> 0:07:01.440 getting traded like he was one of the only guys 0:07:01.480 --> 0:07:05.559 ten toes down in Minnesota. Never asked for a trade 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:10.040 in nine years Towns. Apparently, according to the Athletics John Krasinski, 0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:16.040 never saw it coming, like just completely blindsided, out of 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:20.560 the blue. The word that John used was stunned. He 0:07:20.680 --> 0:07:24.600 did not request this trade. Quote, he has never requested 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:27.840 a move in nine years here. He had a lot 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:31.640 of reasons. Boy, that franchise, those players have not always 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:35.680 treated him well. Remember he just got completely cooked by 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:41.560 the media other teammates, and he's done a lot to 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:46.440 bring that on. But he did take a back seat 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:49.520 for Aunt Edwards. He took the back seat for Rudy 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:52.240 Gobert in the past two years and still managed to 0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:55.680 be an All star. Come on, the only issue that 0:07:55.720 --> 0:07:58.120 we have with Karl Anthony Towns is making sixty million 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:02.400 dollars a year. Really, his massive contract was so bad 0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:05.640 that new owners were like, he's gotta go. Like literally 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:08.520 before they even bought the team, they're telling the old owner, Yeah, 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:11.640 he's gone, we are getting rid of him. We've already 0:08:11.640 --> 0:08:15.120 paid four first round picks for Rudy Gobert. A voir 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:18.320 Karl Anthony is what they said. That's pretty much it. 0:08:18.480 --> 0:08:22.200 But god damn, this has got a sting. Gott a sting. 0:08:22.600 --> 0:08:28.640 Spent nine seasons in Minnesota. Listen, Minnesota in the winter, 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:33.880 cold as fuck, lots of white folks. What are we doing? 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:39.160 I don't listen. He had the tragedy of the COVID 0:08:39.240 --> 0:08:41.480 year where he lost his mom and a bunch of 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:45.000 other family members. And for all the shit that Karl 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:48.680 Anthony Town's gets nationally, he's a beloved figure in Minnesota, 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:53.079 so it's kind of it's not exactly all hearts and 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:57.200 roses from Towns' perspective. In terms of the good side 0:08:57.240 --> 0:08:59.320 of things. He gets to work with Tom Thibodeau again, 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:01.160 his former head coach that was the head coach of 0:09:01.160 --> 0:09:04.000 the Minnesota Timberwolves back in the day. He spent three 0:09:04.080 --> 0:09:07.839 years under Tibbs, and like I didn't think they were 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:12.640 that close, so very curious. They did have a huge 0:09:12.640 --> 0:09:15.559 amount of respect for each other. Tibbs must have seen 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:18.120 his growth and thought to himself, I know what I 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:22.960 can do with him. That's good enough to facilitate and 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:26.720 sign off on the Randall trade. As for Randall, come on, 0:09:27.840 --> 0:09:30.760 nobody wanted to come to New York before Randall. We 0:09:30.800 --> 0:09:33.120 gotta give him all the love. If the Knicks win 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:37.200 a championship because of this trade, Julius Randall should win 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:39.640 a ring as well. He should also get a ring. 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:43.680 Knicks fans, of course, love hate relationship with Julius Randall, 0:09:44.360 --> 0:09:47.319 first big free agent to come to New York. No 0:09:47.360 --> 0:09:50.199 one will forget this season where he single handedly carried 0:09:50.200 --> 0:09:53.120 the Knicks to the playoffs. They're not gonna also forget 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:57.000 his injuries the off the court drama that he brought 0:09:57.000 --> 0:09:59.960 to subsequent teams. Bill Simmons said this in his latest podcast, 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:02.719 Yes quote, I feel like there were some real chemistry 0:10:02.760 --> 0:10:06.000 concerns with Randall, bringing him in under you know, as 0:10:06.040 --> 0:10:09.040 the kind of ugly step child of this Villanova four team. 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:11.679 He's over there, he's underpaid by the fact that he's 0:10:11.720 --> 0:10:13.959 a top fifty guy. He's gonna have to play out 0:10:13.960 --> 0:10:16.280 a position because he's gonna have to play center. Brunston's 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:18.080 gonna have the ball all the time, and they must 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:21.800 not have liked something all fair comments. I also think 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:24.040 Julius Randel needs the ball in his handle lot. So 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:27.439 whether he stays in Minnesota or he gets flipped is 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.480 the next question for me. Are there places that could 0:10:30.559 --> 0:10:34.560 use him? Absolutely? New Orleans could use him again. He's 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.240 eligible to sign a four year, one hundred and eighty 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:40.000 one million dollar extension six months after the trade is completed. 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:43.720 I don't think that's happening. As I mentioned, he can 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:47.679 opt out after this year test free agency, although I 0:10:48.280 --> 0:10:50.199 believe he won't be able to sign for as much 0:10:50.200 --> 0:10:52.360 as he can with the Wolves. But for me, the 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:54.640 key is whether Julius Randld's gonna be able to stay 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:56.920 healthy because we've had issues with Julius Randall and that 0:10:57.120 --> 0:10:59.920 for a while now. He's had arthroscopic surgery on his 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:03.040 left ankle that happened last April. He had season ending 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:05.880 surgery last spring for the dislocated shoulder that he got 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:10.839 in January. So Joyce Randall has had some issues. He's 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:13.680 had some wear and tear. To be fair, Karl Anthony 0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:17.320 Towns has head wear in tear as well. But if 0:11:17.320 --> 0:11:20.120 he stays healthy, I think he's an incredibly valuable player 0:11:20.120 --> 0:11:24.640 to someone. Is it Minnesota, I don't know. Also hidden 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:29.479 under the headlines is like Nick's just discarded Dante DiVincenzo 0:11:29.840 --> 0:11:33.360 part of the Villanova four. All of the Villanova boys 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:36.720 thought that the band was back together. It was Dante, 0:11:37.160 --> 0:11:40.319 it was Josh Hart, it was Jalen Brunson. They were 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:43.920 coercing Michale to come over. Hey, we're having so much fun. 0:11:44.160 --> 0:11:45.680 And as soon as they get together, they don't even 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:48.880 get one fucking game together. They don't even get training 0:11:48.920 --> 0:11:51.880 camp together for all that good stuff that they're gonna do. 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:57.800 Rumors though, are that Dante DiVincenzo maybe was not as 0:11:57.840 --> 0:12:01.920 happy with the Nova reunion as first let on because 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:04.640 he got moved to the bench pretty damn quick. Even 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:07.119 though we know he could be a very valuable contributor 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:09.240 to a playoff team. How do we know that, because 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:11.880 he was a very valuable contributor to the Knicks last postseason. 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:15.360 I think he's exactly what the Wolves need, by the way, 0:12:15.760 --> 0:12:19.079 a really good three point shooter, third best in the 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.640 league three point shooter. Now that Karl Anthony Towns is gone, 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:24.600 he's gonna have to step up. He's gonna get a 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.200 lot of touches. He's a really good defender on the wing. 0:12:27.840 --> 0:12:30.880 Some people feel that with Randall almost certain to opt 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:33.600 out of his contract after next year, Dante was actually 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:35.520 a key part of the trade. I think this trade 0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:37.360 does not I'm certain this trade does not get done 0:12:37.400 --> 0:12:40.679 without Dante being in it. So now we have to 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:45.280 get to the big question. Who won the trade who? 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:50.120 Let's start with New York. I think he's a net win, honestly, 0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.480 taking a consideration that Mitchell Robinson was out till January 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:56.640 at least, and by the way, we know Mitchell Robinson 0:12:57.040 --> 0:12:59.080 not only does he have one injury one boo boo, 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:00.880 one booboo leads the two two boo boo, three boo 0:13:00.920 --> 0:13:04.960 boo four boo boo, Like he played two games in 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:08.040 the postseason last year and out for the rest of postseason, 0:13:08.800 --> 0:13:12.079 and what do they have? That's why they had Isaiah Hartenstein, 0:13:12.240 --> 0:13:15.520 and Isaiah Hartenstein ended up having to play starting center 0:13:15.600 --> 0:13:17.640 minutes and then ended up getting the bag from ok 0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:19.720 See because all of a sudden, now we know what 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:23.600 Isaiah Hartenstein can do, Like if Mitchell Robinson doesn't get hurt, 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:26.880 we probably don't see what Isaiah Hartenstein is capable of. 0:13:27.320 --> 0:13:30.600 And now the Knicks get Isaiah back on a cheap deal, 0:13:31.880 --> 0:13:33.640 and then they don't have to even get Carl at 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:36.520 the day. Towns all of this because Mitchell Robinson cannot 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:39.960 stay healthy. So January twenty twenty five, best case for 0:13:40.040 --> 0:13:43.440 Mitchell Robinson, you had no backup center. You've got Julius 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:46.000 Random playing center, you got oj and Obi playing center, 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:49.120 Precious playing precious, a chew Youia playing center. I don't 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:52.000 think so. No. I think Towns is an elite three 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:55.600 point shooter, especially as a big in this league. For 0:13:55.679 --> 0:14:00.480 available centers, available shooters, He's the number one pick, number 0:14:00.520 --> 0:14:02.800 one guy you could get number one guy that was available, 0:14:03.040 --> 0:14:05.320 pick and rolls. Pick and pops with Brunson are gonna 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:09.079 be danger like just really really good. I think it's 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:12.439 gonna be really hard to defend the Knicks. You're talking 0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:15.600 about pick and pop one two man game with Jalen 0:14:15.640 --> 0:14:18.880 Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns, and then you got og 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:21.880 Nanobi in one corner and Michael Bridges in another corner. 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:24.960 How are you defending that? I don't know. You got 0:14:25.040 --> 0:14:27.200 Karl Anthony Towns who doesn't need the ball in his hands. 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:29.920 Julius Randall did. We would watch Julius Randall have the 0:14:29.920 --> 0:14:33.320 ball dble dobble, dribble, jobber jebble, step back contested like 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:38.440 thirty seconds. It's like twenty seconds out of twenty four 0:14:38.480 --> 0:14:41.720 seconds in the shot clock. Karl Anthony Towns can play 0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:43.680 in the half court, he can lurk over the line, 0:14:43.840 --> 0:14:47.160 he can run on the fast break, he can slash, 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:50.800 he can rebound, he can defend. And this is excellent 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:53.600 news for Knicks fans, who I think probably are now 0:14:53.680 --> 0:14:57.840 the second best team in the East. Pretty clearly, Philly 0:14:57.880 --> 0:15:00.320 has gotta be punching air right now. A lot of 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.520 Knicks fans are elated with this news. A lot of 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.440 Knicks fans are pissed now in terms of the Wolves, 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:11.080 they now escape cap Hell. They figure out a way 0:15:11.480 --> 0:15:14.560 to get the ownership group to feel happy and content 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:16.800 with the way that this roster is structured. You've got 0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:20.480 nas Reid Nazrid, in my opinion, on a very cheap 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:23.440 contract and not that much worse than Karl Anthony Towns. 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:26.200 So you've basically got a little baby Karl Anthony Towns 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:29.080 and he's just been clogged up by Karl Anthony Towns. 0:15:29.080 --> 0:15:31.000 And he's making like thirteen million a year instead of 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:35.280 sixty million a year. And the Wolves couldn't play Gobert 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:37.720 Noried and Karl Anthony Towns at the same time it 0:15:37.840 --> 0:15:41.520 was clogging up the lanes. Anthony Edwards looked worse. In fact, 0:15:41.760 --> 0:15:45.920 the offense worked best when Karl Anthony Towns got hurt 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:49.400 last year and the year before. The only reason it 0:15:49.560 --> 0:15:52.040 ended up working in general ever, where they went to 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:55.080 the Western Conference finals is because Chris Finch, the head coach, 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:59.880 is a genius. But let's be honest, wasn't the best fit. 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:03.800 But I am a little concerned at the timing. You 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:05.920 go to the Western Conference Finals and you break the 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:09.920 band up. You break the band up. They beat the 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:14.760 fucking Denver Nuggets, the defending champs, and you break the 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:21.520 band up. Man. I know that the Cap situation was tenuous, 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:25.800 but from a hoop standpoint, I think Dante DiVincenzo is 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:28.400 the key piece to make this deal work. From a 0:16:28.440 --> 0:16:32.120 basketball standpoint as well. Like I said, fourth best three 0:16:32.160 --> 0:16:35.120 point shooter in the league, shot forty four from three 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:38.520 last year, set an all time Knicks record for made threes. 0:16:38.840 --> 0:16:41.600 He brings spacing defense to a team that needs it, 0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:44.600 and I think he unlocks ant And then for Julius, 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:48.760 I think he he now has an opportunity to be 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:51.960 like a third or fourth fiddle. He can play the 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:54.680 role that Cap played in terms of where he falls 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:57.440 on the court, but he's tougher, he's stronger. He's not 0:16:57.600 --> 0:16:59.320 as good of a shooter, but he can shoot a 0:16:59.320 --> 0:17:02.000 little bit. He can down to three people. Forget he 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:04.080 shot forty one percent from deep to twenty twenty one. 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:09.480 The Wolves get spacing, depth, toughness, cap relief, and now 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.360 you've got a spot for Nazri to really flourish, which 0:17:12.480 --> 0:17:18.159 made Karl Anthony Towns expendable. So it's very exciting The 0:17:18.320 --> 0:17:21.119 move was made in part, I think to maximize Anthony 0:17:21.240 --> 0:17:25.080 Edwards in his window. According to the Athletic, Randall's modest 0:17:25.160 --> 0:17:27.920 thirty one million dollar contract and his ability to opt 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:32.280 out next year helps, And as Krasinski said, the Wolves 0:17:32.320 --> 0:17:34.400 wanted to make sure Edwards could be on a competitive 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:37.320 playoff team for more, for much longer than just the 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:40.360 next two years, and believe the flexibility this move provides 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:45.760 will aid this pursuit, especially considering that the Wolves are 0:17:45.760 --> 0:17:48.040 going to need to pay Naz Reid more money. Cam 0:17:48.720 --> 0:17:52.080 and Karl Anthony Towns making one hundred million dollars together 0:17:52.240 --> 0:17:55.639 no chance. And you've got Nikail Alexander Walker there, so 0:17:55.800 --> 0:17:58.359 you can't lose both of those guys because they were 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:01.480 very crucial to helping you be the Denver Nuggets. So 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:03.760 I think it's tough to pick out a loser or 0:18:03.800 --> 0:18:07.520 a winner from a cap standpoint. The Wolves win. From 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:09.840 the knick standpoint, they feel a need that they really had. 0:18:10.119 --> 0:18:12.640 I think it's a win win if Kat doesn't work 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:17.560 out in New York. In the top comment under the 0:18:17.600 --> 0:18:19.760 trade news from Scham's was don't come to New York 0:18:19.840 --> 0:18:22.159 and be a bitch. That was what it was like, literally, 0:18:22.480 --> 0:18:24.639 there's a lot of people saying Karl Anthony Towns is 0:18:24.760 --> 0:18:26.879 soft and he cannot cut it. And there's a lot 0:18:26.880 --> 0:18:29.000 of people saying that Julius Randall is soft and he 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:31.880 can't cut it in a big market either. So it's 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:34.359 good that he's going to Minnesota. So I don't know, 0:18:34.560 --> 0:18:37.000 We're gonna see how he's received. It's a very tough 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:41.480 fan base. Whether he'll be happy is a real question. 0:18:41.680 --> 0:18:44.080 He was a Knicks fan growing up. It's gonna be 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:47.000 fascinating to see how this thing goes. The salary could 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:49.399 become a boat anchor for the Knicks. They better fucking 0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:53.080 win fast. From a play standpoint, most pundits believe that 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:56.080 the Knicks won the trade, some arguing that the Wolves 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:59.399 got significantly worse because integrating Randall into the offense and 0:18:59.480 --> 0:19:02.280 defense will require him to buy in, and Randall doesn't 0:19:02.280 --> 0:19:05.160 normally buy in. But remember Randall played for Chris Finch 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:07.600 for New Orleans. Chris Finch knew how to maximize him 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:10.200 and he had an awesome year. So this is fascinating, 0:19:10.320 --> 0:19:13.160 one of the most interesting trades in recent memory. Both 0:19:13.200 --> 0:19:16.800 teams could get better, both teams could be regretting it 0:19:16.920 --> 0:19:21.800 by January. Trades like this make the NBA so fucking 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:24.919 fun because we're gonna be dissecting this for many, many ages. 0:19:25.359 --> 0:19:29.760 All Right, Moving on, lots of news from around the league. 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:33.160 Out in Indiana, there was a different kind of shock 0:19:33.280 --> 0:19:39.840 news the Pacers. The Indiana Pacers signed jalil okafor the 0:19:40.200 --> 0:19:44.720 former number three pick in the draft. Back in thought 0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:49.080 how long ago was that twenty fifteen for a training 0:19:49.160 --> 0:19:53.399 camp deal. I haven't thought about julil okafor since, probably 0:19:53.440 --> 0:19:57.280 the pandemic, because he last played in the NBA in 0:19:57.440 --> 0:20:01.760 the pandemic season twenty twenty. Where has he been, I 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:05.400 don't know. He's been playing in China, Mexico. He's gonna 0:20:05.400 --> 0:20:07.200 be trying to make a comeback in the league. But 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:10.480 here's the shocking thing. When you think about Jeel, you're like, dude, 0:20:10.480 --> 0:20:13.159 it's like a million He's been out the league for 0:20:13.320 --> 0:20:15.880 longer than I can even remember. But he's only twenty eight. 0:20:16.480 --> 0:20:20.280 He came into the league at twenty, despite the fact 0:20:20.280 --> 0:20:22.960 that he was overweight six' eleven two hundred and seventy five, 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:26.960 pounds never really quite caught on tough one for The 0:20:27.000 --> 0:20:30.359 sixers at a, time when the league was transitioning fully 0:20:30.840 --> 0:20:33.919 to three point shooting. Bigs he might actually be valuable right, 0:20:33.960 --> 0:20:36.840 now we're getting back to the bruisers down, Low, like 0:20:36.920 --> 0:20:39.080 we don't need all of our bigs to shoot threes right. 0:20:39.160 --> 0:20:42.480 Now he was a. Throwback we kind of like throwbacks right. 0:20:42.560 --> 0:20:46.040 Now last year saw this renaissance that the traditional big 0:20:46.240 --> 0:20:49.280 teams are scrambling to add rim. Protectors Now jalale gets 0:20:49.280 --> 0:20:51.840 another chance In indiana to resurrect his. CAREER i like, 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:55.000 This Chad, buchanon good for, you, Brother way to give 0:20:55.040 --> 0:20:57.159 a guy another, chance a guy that a lot of 0:20:57.200 --> 0:20:59.560 people were very high on when he got. Drafted if 0:20:59.600 --> 0:21:02.119 he catched on a lot of big men who were 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:04.399 run out of the league before their, time might just 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:09.199 be looking for their own. Comebacks all. Right moving On Jose, 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:14.000 Alvarado grand Theft, Alvarado, baby he just signed an extension 0:21:14.040 --> 0:21:16.639 with The pelicans and a lot of rival fan bases 0:21:16.720 --> 0:21:21.480 are fucking. Pissed. Why you might, ask, well what did 0:21:21.560 --> 0:21:24.960 grand Theft alvarado? Do according to multiple fan, bases he 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:30.399 signed for too little. Money according To, Shams alverado signed 0:21:30.400 --> 0:21:33.520 a two, year nine million dollar extension with the player 0:21:33.560 --> 0:21:36.800 option for twenty twenty, six twenty twenty. SEVEN i don't. 0:21:36.840 --> 0:21:39.760 Know that does feel like too, small. Paus it does 0:21:39.880 --> 0:21:43.800 feel like not not enough money to be. Fair it 0:21:43.960 --> 0:21:47.359 feels like he could be he could have signed for not, 0:21:47.600 --> 0:21:50.320 double but maybe like thirty percent. More it's the same 0:21:50.400 --> 0:21:54.200 contract That Nikil Alexander walker signed In. Minnesota and Remember 0:21:54.280 --> 0:21:56.800 Nikkeil Alexander walker was ran out Of New, orleans did 0:21:56.840 --> 0:22:00.640 not play really a single. Minute how little is four 0:22:00.640 --> 0:22:04.640 and a half. Million Kevin garnett right now still makes 0:22:04.720 --> 0:22:08.639 five million dollars a year on a deferred salary from The. 0:22:08.720 --> 0:22:13.920 Celtics The celtics players who make more Than alvarado Include Drew, 0:22:14.000 --> 0:22:18.600 eubanks the Ten Day, God Nick, Richards Johnny, davis the 0:22:18.720 --> 0:22:22.960 buss that went to The Washington, Wizards Uzman, jang whole 0:22:23.040 --> 0:22:26.159 lot of. TEAMS i think Pay alvarado ten million a. 0:22:26.280 --> 0:22:29.160 YEAR i think this is him betting on. Himself when 0:22:29.200 --> 0:22:31.200 he opts out in twenty twenty, SIX i think there's 0:22:31.240 --> 0:22:34.440 gonna be a lot of bidders for his, services which 0:22:34.520 --> 0:22:38.119 is pretty damn, good pretty pretty damn good for the 0:22:38.240 --> 0:22:42.879 undrafted free. Agent all, Right speaking of extensions out IN, 0:22:43.160 --> 0:22:47.720 la The clippers just Extended Terrence man three years forty seven. 0:22:47.800 --> 0:22:50.680 Million that keeps him there till twenty seven to twenty, 0:22:50.760 --> 0:22:53.760 eight which is the natural byproduct Of Paul george moving 0:22:53.800 --> 0:22:55.840 on To. Philly not only did that free up the 0:22:55.920 --> 0:22:58.600 money to Extend, man but now it is clear he's 0:22:58.640 --> 0:23:00.400 going to be a major part of their offense. Forward, 0:23:00.520 --> 0:23:04.359 Listen i've been fucking talking Up Terrence man for. Years, 0:23:04.520 --> 0:23:09.040 now give this man his opportunities nearly sixteen million dollars a. 0:23:09.160 --> 0:23:11.159 Year it might seem to people that he is on 0:23:11.280 --> 0:23:13.200 the cusp of being, overpaid BUT i don't think. SO 0:23:13.920 --> 0:23:16.199