WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: Trade SZN 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.360 Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:05.480 four hour NBA News. 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:06.840 This's you'll. 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 --> 0:00:23.160 be a good one. 0:00:24.480 --> 0:00:28.360 Friends of the show, good evening. Welcome in to a 0:00:28.440 --> 0:00:33.240 new edition, the latest edition of this League Uncut. Mark Stein. 0:00:33.320 --> 0:00:37.520 Here with Chris Haynes. We are together on Sunday night, 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:44.440 basically fifty one ish now, actually fifty two ish hours 0:00:45.080 --> 0:00:48.160 into free agency. As Chris and I record this thing, 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:52.080 our producer, the Great Ryan Music, is going to have 0:00:52.120 --> 0:00:54.200 this thing turned around quickly, so by the time you 0:00:54.280 --> 0:00:57.040 start listening to it, this will have been out on 0:00:57.200 --> 0:01:04.120 Sunday night as usual, free agents flying off the shelves. 0:01:04.560 --> 0:01:07.560 You will never see again what we saw almost a 0:01:07.640 --> 0:01:13.319 decade ago, twenty fourteen, when Lebron James didn't make his 0:01:13.440 --> 0:01:18.920 decision until July eleventh to leave the Miami Heat and 0:01:19.040 --> 0:01:23.520 go back to his home state Cleveland Cavaliers. Free agency 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.920 in the modern NBA just and modern NBA it's not 0:01:27.959 --> 0:01:32.000 even a full decade later, but this stuff happens faster 0:01:33.080 --> 0:01:36.960 every single year. Chris Haynes, our friend from spot Track 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:41.680 Keith Smith Catman Supreme, who keeps track of every single 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:46.080 dribble of free agency. I checked with him before we 0:01:46.160 --> 0:01:51.880 hit record. At the time of this taping, seventy nine 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:55.880 free agents have already made commitments to new teams. Seventy 0:01:55.960 --> 0:01:59.440 nine we are two days in change into free agency. 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:05.960 N contract extensions agreed to as well. Total spent total 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:11.799 committed money exceeds three point three billion, and according to Keith, 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:19.800 agreed upon trades have already included fifty two different players. 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:22.000 And as we're recording this, we don't even have the 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:25.359 full picture yet of the mechanism that is going to 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:29.040 get Dylan Brooks to the Houston Rockets. We assign and trade, 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:33.000 and man, do we need those full details because we 0:02:33.040 --> 0:02:37.240 need some explanations on how what was initially projected to 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:40.519 be a two year deal in the fifteen million dollar 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:43.320 range got to be a four year deal in the 0:02:43.400 --> 0:02:46.960 eighty million dollar range for Dylan Brooks. The money spent 0:02:47.000 --> 0:02:49.960 on Fred van Vliet, I get it. The money spent 0:02:50.000 --> 0:02:55.200 on Dylan Brooks, I got questions. But look, we've got 0:02:55.520 --> 0:03:00.960 many more trade issues to discuss because since we last 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:07.640 visited you live from elk Grove Sacramento with Chris Haynes 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:13.400 and kingsguard Davion Mitchell from Charlene's Beauty Supply. Since the 0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:19.080 first live show in this league uncut history, James Harden 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:22.880 opted in and asked the Sixers to trade him. Damian 0:03:22.960 --> 0:03:27.360 Lillard has asked the Portland Trailblazers to trade him, so 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:30.480 we will obviously get into all of that. Kyrie Irving 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:35.600 swiftly recommitted to go back to Dallas on a three year, 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:38.520 one hundred and twenty six million dollar deal with a 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:42.600 player option, not a team option in year three. Yet 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:47.360 another surprise, another development that has people around the league 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:52.760 asking questions and raising eyebrows. First thing we got to do, though, 0:03:52.840 --> 0:03:57.120 is check on our suffering co host, because sources say 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:00.120 and have I only have one source on this, and 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:04.200 I don't think I need a second source. Air Conditioning 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:09.640 is out at the Haynes mansion and it cannot be 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:17.400 put back online until Thursday. I man, I feel you're 0:04:17.440 --> 0:04:20.000 living out one of my worst my worst fears, a 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:21.320 house with no air conditioning. 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:26.440 Rio I'm maintaining well. Listen. 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:32.279 I think we're definitely doing during our listeners a great 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:36.960 service because it is important, especially important for this episode 0:04:37.000 --> 0:04:40.480 that this podcast be audio only because i am shirtless. 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:43.719 I've been shirtless the whole day. I'm not putting any 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:47.360 I'm putting bare minimum clothes on today, and I'm sorry 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:51.520 if you have a really good ear my our podcast, 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:54.880 The great Our great podcast producer Ryan told me he 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.960 doesn't hear anything, but I have about four fans on 0:04:58.120 --> 0:05:00.560 in my living room with you know, with then reach 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:03.000 of me right now. So if you're hearing a little 0:05:03.040 --> 0:05:05.800 blowing sound, you have a really good ear if you 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:08.600 can hear that. But I'm sorry, everybody. Those fans are 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:11.240 going to stay on while I'm doing this podcast because 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:12.800 I'm trying to make it through. I'm trying to get 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:16.800 through and without melting. So thank you for your support, 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:20.440 Starn But yeah, I'm gonna make it. I'm gonna make 0:05:20.480 --> 0:05:20.800 it through. 0:05:21.440 --> 0:05:23.880 Luckily for you, I guess the trade winds are blowing 0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:27.240 and there's no time to even think about the rough conditions. 0:05:27.279 --> 0:05:32.560 Because Damian Lillard, it finally happened. He met with Blazers 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:37.520 management last Monday. There was no change in status after 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:43.600 that meeting, but free agency has now begun. The Blazers 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:46.320 commit to a five year one hundred and sixty million 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:50.760 dollar deal with Jeremy Grant on Friday night, and by Saturday, 0:05:51.240 --> 0:05:56.000 Dame Lillard has formally lodged that trade request. It's bringing 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:58.080 Dame some heat because people are asking why did he 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:00.400 do it? Why is he doing this now right after 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:05.400 the Grant move? And sorry, Ryan Music, I know I 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:07.400 have my phone too close to the microphone. I know 0:06:07.520 --> 0:06:12.520 that postpod lecture is coming. My bad, And then I 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:15.080 have to flip it around and say, well, the Blazers 0:06:15.360 --> 0:06:19.280 could have taken charge of their own situation a lot sooner. 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:22.760 They didn't want to take charge of this situation. They've 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:28.160 had more than ample time to proactively say, Dame, we 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:30.520 love you, but we need to make this We need 0:06:30.560 --> 0:06:33.359 to seek trades for you instead of waiting for you 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:35.760 to tell us when to do it. So all that 0:06:35.839 --> 0:06:40.760 kind of back and forth is going to be volleyballed 0:06:41.320 --> 0:06:45.040 until we actually get a trade. But there is no 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:48.960 one better to discuss this with than you, because, of course, 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:51.480 Chris Haynes or Turner Sports, you were the one who 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:55.279 broke the news that Damian Lillard had taken this step 0:06:55.360 --> 0:06:58.120 that so many around the league had been asking and 0:06:58.320 --> 0:07:03.480 wondering when will Dame finally decide that this is the 0:07:03.520 --> 0:07:07.040 time to push for his exit? Take it wherever you 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:10.600 want to go? Where are we? What do you see next? 0:07:10.680 --> 0:07:13.320 How did we get here? The floor is yours. 0:07:13.720 --> 0:07:15.960 A lot of people have been waiting for Dame to 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:18.720 ask out, and I think a lot of people also 0:07:19.920 --> 0:07:24.480 never it expected him to do so, you know, aren't 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:27.640 going to be the greatest Blazer in history. The all 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:31.960 time franchise is all time leading score. You know, he 0:07:32.080 --> 0:07:36.600 wore he wore the Blazers on his sleeve. He loved 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:40.600 that community, he loved the city, raised his kids. There's 0:07:41.240 --> 0:07:43.440 a lot of his family from Oakland moved to Portland, 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:47.120 so it was very It's a city and the organization 0:07:47.200 --> 0:07:49.440 that's very near and dear to his heart, and that's 0:07:49.480 --> 0:07:51.360 why it was tough for him to get to this point. 0:07:51.520 --> 0:07:55.680 But you know, just just for context, you know, when 0:07:55.720 --> 0:08:00.360 he had that meeting last Monday, I think out, I 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:01.960 don't know if we didn't we didn't talk about that 0:08:02.040 --> 0:08:02.559 on this spot. 0:08:02.680 --> 0:08:03.760 Huh, Yeah we did. We didn't. 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:05.880 Probably wouldn't have been good to make Da Mitchell have 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:07.480 to have to address this. 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:11.280 Yeah that's true. 0:08:11.680 --> 0:08:15.560 But yeah, he so he met with the Blazers last Monday, 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:19.200 and I was told that meeting was for what was 0:08:19.200 --> 0:08:21.400 about two and a half hours. It was Damian Lillard, 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:26.120 his agent Aaron Goodwin, and general manager Joe Cronin. And 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:28.720 in that meeting, Dame was a lot. You know, he 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:32.880 was able to vent and you know, voice his frustration 0:08:33.120 --> 0:08:37.959 with the direction of the team. And the Blazers have 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:42.320 always maintained, especially Joe Craning, excuse me, especially Joe Cronin, 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:46.440 that they want to build around him. That and they said, 0:08:46.520 --> 0:08:49.320 Joe Cronin said it, We're going to do everything within 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:54.800 our power to build a contended team for Dame. He said, quote, 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:57.959 we owe him that. And so you look at it. 0:08:58.080 --> 0:08:59.920 Let's let's go back, so you look at the draft, 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:02.760 because let's go before the draft. 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:04.280 The regular season. 0:09:04.960 --> 0:09:07.840 Damian Little having a career year, just coming off of 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:09.800 that core injury where he had to sit out the 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:14.680 year before to get surgery on that that core, came back, 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:17.400 had the best year of his career at thirty two. 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:22.680 Then remember he sat the final ten games of the 0:09:22.720 --> 0:09:27.760 regular season. Remember that he sat the final ten games 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:28.720 of the regular season. 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:30.679 A lot of other. 0:09:30.520 --> 0:09:37.080 Players core players sat the remainder of the season, so 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:40.640 they got a higher pick. They get the number three pick. 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:46.240 Dame was under the impression, I'm not even gonna say 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:47.880 under the pressure, I don't think I have to code that. 0:09:48.280 --> 0:09:54.600 Dame was told that the Blazers will look to move 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.800 that pick. Moved the pick to get help. Dame made 0:09:57.840 --> 0:10:01.160 it clear he does not want to play with young guys. 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:03.640 That's not what he needs to win. He needs to 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:06.760 have a player that's more on his timeline, that is 0:10:06.880 --> 0:10:09.920 ready and prepared to compete now to help them contend 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:14.080 for a championship. Well, I can say two days before 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:19.040 the draft, Joe Cronin called Damian Lillart and told them 0:10:19.040 --> 0:10:22.440 that they were likely keeping the pick, and from there 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:25.960 I know Dame didn't have any conversations with the Blazers 0:10:26.240 --> 0:10:31.480 at that point, which led to Monday's meeting, which would 0:10:31.480 --> 0:10:33.920 have been what three days later, three or four days later, 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:39.640 voice his displeasure with the direction of the team, talked 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:43.560 about promises that weren't made and weren't kept, and so 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:48.120 leaving that meeting, the Blazers understood that they had a 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:50.080 little bit of a little bit, a little bit of 0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:53.520 time to try to improve the team via a trade, 0:10:53.640 --> 0:10:55.960 not free agency via a trade. 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:57.840 Because we all knew the signing Jeremy Grant, I mean 0:10:57.880 --> 0:10:58.640 that was expected. 0:10:59.760 --> 0:11:02.160 Yeah, that was expected. But I got something to say 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:04.720 about that too, Stein. But they had a little bit 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:09.280 of a window via a trade to show Dame, we're 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:13.040 gonna do everything we can to make you happy, to 0:11:13.160 --> 0:11:16.960 give you a finally give you a contended team. Well, 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:22.319 the period went and gone, came and gone, free agency 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:28.880 hits DA ain't recognized. Nothing happened. They did sign Jeremy 0:11:28.880 --> 0:11:32.880 Grant to that massive deal, which I was surprised by that, 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:38.840 but kudos Jeremy Grant, kudos to Rich Paula's agent. But 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:44.400 Dame didn't see the vision wasn't kept. It in his eyes, 0:11:45.120 --> 0:11:49.040 the promises weren't kept. And the timing of the trade 0:11:49.120 --> 0:11:52.800 requests coincides with the fact that listen, you want to 0:11:52.800 --> 0:11:58.560 make sure that these teams haven't trade away all their 0:11:58.600 --> 0:12:02.760 assets or these didn't make moves that they would have 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:06.640 made if they known that he was available. So timing 0:12:06.800 --> 0:12:08.760 was up the essence. So that was the that was 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:12.080 the why. That was why timing, that's why it happened 0:12:12.080 --> 0:12:14.959 at that time, the trade request. So I'm trying to 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:17.480 give people a little context and background of how we 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:18.439 all got to this point. 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:18.840 Yeah. 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:22.600 Look, I mean I'm just from a little bit further away. 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.160 I mean I've said this before and you already know this. 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:28.560 I am a basketball romantic. I wanted this to work out. 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:34.320 I love that Dame wanted to make this work in Portland. 0:12:34.360 --> 0:12:36.760 He wanted to win in Portland. I mean, you know, 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:41.160 I guess that's over now, and you know he wants 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:45.080 to go to the Miami Heat. The Blazers are obviously saying, hey, 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:46.600 we're going to look around. We're going to make the 0:12:46.640 --> 0:12:49.280 best deal we can for the franchise. There's a fair 0:12:49.320 --> 0:12:53.200 bit of skepticism about that when you talk to other teams, 0:12:53.280 --> 0:13:00.880 because given Lillard's stature in Portland and everything he's done 0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:04.079 across his eleven years, Like you said, the leading scorer 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:08.400 in franchise history, a proud franchise that has a championship 0:13:08.440 --> 0:13:11.760 from the Bill Walton era and two finals trips in 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:15.560 the Clyde Drexler era, and Damian Lillard is the leading 0:13:16.320 --> 0:13:21.760 score among all Blazers, and you know, it's hard to 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:25.600 see them just dispatching him somewhere that he doesn't want 0:13:25.640 --> 0:13:31.800 to be but they all to me, they all waited 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:35.320 too long. I mean, that's just this path. This was 0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:37.880 the second sorry ran if you can take out that 0:13:38.080 --> 0:13:43.480 stutter three two one. This was the second season in 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:46.840 a row, really after the All Star Game that the 0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:51.679 Blazers basically shut it down to tank. I should have 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:54.200 looked up the stat and I don't have it at 0:13:54.240 --> 0:13:56.199 my fingertips, so that's my bad. But I want to 0:13:56.240 --> 0:13:59.480 say I've written it before. I think they've won seven 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:02.880 games after the break over the last two seasons. It's 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:05.360 really been two tank jobs in a rowan look, and 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:09.920 that's you know, that's when Blazers fans want to point 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:12.319 to something good. Even though they're they're in this situation 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:16.800 now that they have to find a workable Lillard trade. 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:20.320 They just drafted his heir apparent in Scoot Henderson. They 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:23.680 have Shaden Sharp from a year ago. They have Simons 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:27.480 on a very very reasonable contract to either keep or 0:14:27.520 --> 0:14:31.000 maybe move for better roster balance. So they're they're not 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:35.600 going to be just taken down to zero like Houston 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.920 was when it traded James Harden away. The Blazers do 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.400 have something to start over with, and with Scoot Henderson, 0:14:42.480 --> 0:14:48.080 something exciting to start over with. But again, the basketball 0:14:48.200 --> 0:14:52.480 romantic in me would have loved to have seen Damian 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:56.800 Lillard go out a Blazer. I think that would have 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:59.600 been an amazing story and a cool story. But I mean, 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:02.960 they're they're not getting any closer to competitive. They just 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:07.000 continue to slip farther and farther away, And so I 0:15:07.080 --> 0:15:11.800 do understand the frustration. I'm gonna be asking many more 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:16.200 questions about the Blazers. They why didn't they try to 0:15:16.240 --> 0:15:21.360 force his hand sooner and speed up this timetable because 0:15:21.400 --> 0:15:23.960 now you've got a situation where the whole league knows 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:28.160 he wants to go to Miami, and that complicates the 0:15:28.160 --> 0:15:29.160 process even further. 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:33.200 You know, there was a there was a I don't 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:36.720 know if people know this as well, but a few 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:41.440 years ago. It was after the Blazers lost to the 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:44.120 Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and that was when the 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:47.760 Nuggets were they were missing some key pieces. Jamal Murray 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:52.440 was injured. He didn't play. I want to say, I 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:54.840 want to say Porter probably didn't play as well in 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:55.400 that series. 0:15:55.720 --> 0:15:58.840 But they lost to a Nuggets team that was wounded. 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:01.760 Wasn't it. Austin is in Composo in the backcourt for 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:02.400 the Nuggets. 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:06.080 Yes, yes, yes, they lost to that team, and that 0:16:06.320 --> 0:16:12.240 was really the first time Dame was really considering requesting 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:19.000 the trade. And from that standpoint, nil O'Shea was a 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:22.800 general manager at that time, it was known that he 0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:25.320 was leaning towards hiring Chauncey Billups. 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:26.880 And so let me just. 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:35.120 Tell you this and so, and for background again, James 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:40.840 Harden had left when Steven Silas got the head job 0:16:41.560 --> 0:16:45.320 with the Houston Rockets, and this was at a time 0:16:45.360 --> 0:16:48.840 where you know, we just weren't seeing a lot of brothers. 0:16:49.000 --> 0:16:52.960 Wasn't seeing a lot of Excuse me, I can answer 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:56.320 that call later, but we weren't seeing a lot of 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.080 brothers getting head coaching jobs at that time. And Steve 0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:03.360 Silas was somebody who's been an NBA lifer who finally 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:09.040 got his first head coaching job and then the best 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:13.679 player on the team. James Harden requests the trade and 0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:17.840 put Steven Sallace in a difficult predicament. And we've seen 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:19.960 what he had to deal with during his time with 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:23.600 the Rockets and he's now gone. I know for a 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:30.760 fact that when they hired Chauncey Dame had so much 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:34.560 respect for Chancey that even though Chauncey didn't have anything 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:37.840 to do with the shortcomings of the Blazers in previous years, 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:42.280 he didn't want to do to Chancey what was done 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:46.840 to Steven Sallas. So that that played a factor in 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:51.480 him staying giving the team another chance. His relate to 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:53.720 his love for Chancey and wanted to give him a chance. 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:56.720 And so, you know, that was the first that was 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:59.480 and so there's been multiple times, you know, where he's 0:17:59.480 --> 0:18:03.119 thought about this, and this was this was it. And 0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:05.240 then Joe Cronin came in, you know him and Joe 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:07.320 R's you know, they're they're cool. Joe Cronan is a 0:18:07.359 --> 0:18:10.200 good dude. Number of respect for Joe Cronin. He's been 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:15.000 there for a long time, somebody who's earned his stripes, 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:17.680 earned his opportunity to get this, get this chance to 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:21.280 lead a front office. And so Dame wanted to give 0:18:21.359 --> 0:18:24.800 him a chance as well, you know, give give him 0:18:24.840 --> 0:18:30.200 some time to make to make those promises coming to Fruition. 0:18:31.520 --> 0:18:34.880 And I know it's been only two years, but Dame 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:38.080 is looking at his timeline, he's looking at the roster 0:18:38.240 --> 0:18:41.200 is not getting any better. There's still a team that's 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:45.439 going to struggle to make the playoffs at best, and 0:18:45.480 --> 0:18:47.439 he wants to win, and he wants to win. He 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:51.080 wanted to win in Portland so bad, you know. So 0:18:51.200 --> 0:18:53.720 I know the memes Tombody's running from the grind. No, 0:18:53.800 --> 0:18:57.359 he's not running from the grind. He just I believe 0:18:57.400 --> 0:19:01.199 he just doesn't feel like his goals are aligned with 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:02.800 the organization's goal. 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:04.719 Well, I don't know him like you know him certainly. 0:19:04.760 --> 0:19:06.320 I mean, you know him much better than I do. 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:09.200 But I I kind of have the impression that he's 0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:12.120 a basketball romantic too. I think he did want this 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:16.560 to happen with the team that drafted him, and you know, 0:19:16.680 --> 0:19:20.440 it was a small market team that is perpetually under 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:23.600 the radar, and that's how he came into the league. 0:19:24.040 --> 0:19:28.679 And he, you know, has grown into the player that 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:31.120 we all know him. And Dame time and the whole thing. 0:19:31.480 --> 0:19:33.880 I mean, you mentioned the previous administration. I mean, look, 0:19:33.920 --> 0:19:39.119 I I remember writing it years ago, and I said 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:41.800 this as a CJ McCollum fan, and I felt like, 0:19:42.000 --> 0:19:43.960 you know, I never actually kept the stats, but I 0:19:43.960 --> 0:19:47.920 felt like CJ's shooting percentage in games that I attended 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:50.639 had to be about sixty seven percent. I feel like 0:19:50.720 --> 0:19:54.160 the man never missed a shot if I was watching him. 0:19:54.560 --> 0:19:57.120 But I said it, I mean, I wrote it years ago. 0:19:57.200 --> 0:19:59.119 I think my first year at the New York Times, 0:19:59.440 --> 0:20:01.480 when I, you know, every at the start of every season, 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:05.920 I always do a you know, my eight bold almost 0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:10.159 bold predictions at the start of every season. And I 0:20:10.520 --> 0:20:12.240 think it was the first year at the Times. Maybe 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:13.760 the second, but I do think it was the first 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:15.720 that I thought they had to break them up then 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:20.320 because for roster balance, CJ was closer to his peak 0:20:20.359 --> 0:20:22.360 and they could have gotten more from I think they 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:27.040 waited too long to trade him because as much as 0:20:27.720 --> 0:20:29.800 as close as they were and as good as they 0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:33.840 were together, you could make the argument, a strong argument 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:36.879 that they would have been better served with more roster 0:20:37.000 --> 0:20:41.719 balance than having two guards as the two best guys 0:20:42.119 --> 0:20:44.840 on the team and neither one being a defense first guy. 0:20:45.000 --> 0:20:48.480 So I mean, there, you know, there will be you. 0:20:48.440 --> 0:20:52.320 Know asti ASTI remember, like I forgot to mention when 0:20:52.359 --> 0:20:55.480 I was giving context and background, you know, they draft 0:20:55.560 --> 0:20:59.399 a player who plays his position, drafted his replacement. 0:21:02.160 --> 0:21:04.359 All right, So let's let's spin it forward. What do 0:21:04.400 --> 0:21:08.160 you think happens. I mean, I'm struggling to find anyone 0:21:08.200 --> 0:21:12.480 in my conversations with people around the league who who 0:21:13.119 --> 0:21:16.199 don't think game's ending up in Miami one way or another. 0:21:18.280 --> 0:21:20.160 I tend to think he's gonna end up in Miami, 0:21:20.240 --> 0:21:24.520 And honestly, that's more a statement about the Heat than 0:21:24.560 --> 0:21:29.680 anything after. I mean, the Heat had less than three 0:21:29.720 --> 0:21:32.520 million dollars in cap space and still found a way 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:37.560 to trade to sign and trade for Jimmy Butler with 0:21:37.920 --> 0:21:40.919 Philly arrival in the East. So after the Heat pulled 0:21:40.920 --> 0:21:43.960 that off, you know, I know it doesn't look great. 0:21:44.040 --> 0:21:47.320 Their best asset is Tyler Hero who Portland apparently doesn't want. 0:21:47.359 --> 0:21:51.240 But I am not betting against the Heat finding a 0:21:51.280 --> 0:21:53.919 way to get this tone, whether that needs three teams 0:21:54.000 --> 0:21:57.080 or four teams or whatever. We know that's where Dame 0:21:57.160 --> 0:22:01.040 wants to go, and I'm just I'm really struggling to 0:22:01.040 --> 0:22:02.800 come up with a scenario that prevents that. 0:22:05.760 --> 0:22:06.800 Yeah, I don't know. 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:10.480 You know, obviously that's his first choice, that's the main 0:22:10.560 --> 0:22:15.240 place he wants to go to. You know, I see 0:22:15.240 --> 0:22:17.920 a little bit of a debate going on about do 0:22:18.040 --> 0:22:20.920 the Blazers owe it to send Dame where he wants 0:22:20.960 --> 0:22:24.240 to go. You know, people are pointing to his contract. 0:22:24.280 --> 0:22:29.520 You know, he was paid very handsomely over his eleven 0:22:29.600 --> 0:22:32.560 year career, and they don't owe him anything. He signed 0:22:32.600 --> 0:22:36.840 a contract. I hear all that, I get it, But 0:22:38.119 --> 0:22:40.879 Dame situation is a little bit different from any other player. 0:22:40.920 --> 0:22:43.280 I think the only player that can probably relate or 0:22:43.320 --> 0:22:47.160 has a similar path is Kevin Garnett, somebody who held 0:22:47.200 --> 0:22:51.080 it down in the organization for so long, did everything 0:22:51.119 --> 0:22:53.240 he could, didn't complain. 0:22:54.720 --> 0:22:57.520 It, just stayed the course, and. 0:22:58.280 --> 0:23:00.520 It was like it was I wasn't covering the league then, 0:23:00.560 --> 0:23:03.199 I wasn't NB a reporter at that time, but I 0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:06.080 remember people were saying, like KG, all right, it's time 0:23:06.080 --> 0:23:06.320 to go. 0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:08.880 It's time to go. It's time to go. 0:23:10.040 --> 0:23:16.159 So I feel like for the Blazers, I think that, 0:23:16.440 --> 0:23:18.720 you know, because the league is watching, players are watching. 0:23:18.760 --> 0:23:22.760 They're watching how the Blazers are gonna treat Dame. After 0:23:22.800 --> 0:23:27.600 way he held down the organization, the community and just 0:23:27.600 --> 0:23:31.560 just being a noble citizen and spokesperson for that team 0:23:31.560 --> 0:23:34.720 that he was for decade. They're watching to see how 0:23:34.800 --> 0:23:37.679 this is going to play out. Young guys, young players 0:23:37.680 --> 0:23:45.360 are watching. I think the Blazers. I think they should 0:23:45.720 --> 0:23:47.960 look to see how they can get him to Miami, 0:23:48.040 --> 0:23:52.080 but also figure out how they can get the best package, 0:23:52.320 --> 0:23:55.040 which meaning meaning if you know, if it involves a 0:23:55.080 --> 0:23:57.120 third team, which it would have to involve a thirty 0:23:57.119 --> 0:23:59.800 team at least, or if it involves a fourth team, 0:24:00.119 --> 0:24:03.920 like trying to go out, go out your way to 0:24:03.960 --> 0:24:06.240 make to make to appease both sides. 0:24:06.880 --> 0:24:09.600 I think there's a way that that can be done. 0:24:10.400 --> 0:24:12.840 And so that's what I that's what I kind of hope, 0:24:13.200 --> 0:24:16.120 you know, so it can kind of so that situation 0:24:16.240 --> 0:24:22.640 won't be such a at tension feel exit between Dame 0:24:22.680 --> 0:24:25.000 and the Blazers. I'm hoping that both sides can come 0:24:25.040 --> 0:24:29.200 to a to come to a situation of where they're 0:24:29.240 --> 0:24:34.320 both taken care of. And I think that solution does exist. 0:24:34.880 --> 0:24:38.959 And you know, one counter that people will say in 0:24:39.000 --> 0:24:41.399 response to what you just laid out is, well, the 0:24:41.440 --> 0:24:43.679 Blazers are not getting free agents anyway, so what do 0:24:43.760 --> 0:24:46.360