1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule. 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 2: Of twenty four hour NBA news. 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 3: This you lo, Chris Hans, It's time, works time, It's 4 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 3: so time. 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 2: This League uncut is underway in on fire. This should 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: be a good one. Hello friends, Thursday afternoon. 7 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 4: As Chris and I tape this latest edition of this 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:38,959 Speaker 4: League Uncut, the finals are over. The twenty twenty two 9 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 4: to twenty three season is in the books. Trade season, 10 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 4: or at least the chatter it generates, is already underway. 11 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 4: The Denver Nuggets championship parade is raging right now as 12 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 4: we speak, as we tape, and we will get to 13 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 4: the Nuggets eventually. 14 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 2: We will put a bow on their title run. 15 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 4: The first championship in that franchise is forty seven season 16 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 4: run in the NBA, and of course there were nine 17 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 4: glorious seasons before that in the ABA. First title in 18 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:20,639 Speaker 4: more than fifty years for Denver. We will, I promise, 19 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 4: get to that. But first we got to start with 20 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 4: the trade chatter because it has been so aggressive already. 21 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 2: You just say trade season. 22 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 4: Do we gotta spell that with a s ZN like 23 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,959 Speaker 4: I tweeted out a couple of pieces before we started 24 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 4: taping this I feel a little I feel a little 25 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 4: too old to be saying trade season and spell it. 26 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: S z N. If anybody can get away with it, 27 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: that's forty five and older. You can. 28 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 3: You can do that, so you get I. 29 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: Don't even remember. I don't even remember forty. 30 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 3: Five to Nice. 31 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: That was a long that was It was almost a 32 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: decade ago. 33 00:01:59,680 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 3: Nice. 34 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 4: Let's just jump right into it. Bradley Beal, I think 35 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 4: the situation is more advanced than it's been described. I 36 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 4: think the end is near. Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard, Draymond Green, 37 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,799 Speaker 4: all drafted in twenty ten twelve, with you. 38 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 2: Donnis Haslam retiring. 39 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 4: Now, those three are tied for the third longest tenure 40 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 4: with one team. The only players who've been with their 41 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 4: teams longer the Splash Brothers Stephen Curry drafted in two 42 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 4: thousand and nine Klay Thompson drafted in twenty eleven. Those 43 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 4: are the only two players with a longer longevity run 44 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,519 Speaker 4: than Bradley Beal in Washington, Damian Lillard in Portland, Draymond 45 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 4: Green yet another Warrior at this point, you know, Dame Lillard. 46 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: His name keeps coming up. 47 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 4: We have no indication yet that there's any real real 48 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 4: trade smoke there. But Bradley Beial to me, the trade 49 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 4: smoke is very, very very legit. 50 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 2: What do you see? 51 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: I agree, I think you know, you look at that. 52 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:15,240 Speaker 1: There's new regime over there. There's a new general manager 53 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: over there in charge of the basketball operations over there, 54 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: Michael Winger. So you have to understand that when changes 55 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: like that are made, oftentimes they want to establish a 56 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: new team, establish a new identity, a new culture, and 57 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: that often leads to personnel changes on the roster and 58 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,839 Speaker 1: Bradley Bial being the main stay there. The Wizards were 59 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: not going anywhere. They haven't went anywhere in a while, 60 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: and so if that's going to be the case, I mean, 61 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: I think it's obvious to look at some form of 62 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: a rebuild and I think, well, that's not a thing. 63 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: Bradley Bial doesn't want to be a part of rebuild. 64 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: And thus why we're, you know, in the situation we 65 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: are now. This is the realist that has ever been 66 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,680 Speaker 1: with Bradley Beal, and I think that's what needs to 67 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: be relaid out there. Like we've heard of Bradley Beal 68 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: talk over the last few years, linking him to the Lakers, 69 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 1: or to the Miami He you know, that's been going 70 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: on for the last three four years. This is as 71 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,040 Speaker 1: real as it's gotten. Let me know what you think, 72 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: but Stein, I would be surprised if he's a member 73 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: of the Wizards going into next season. 74 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: Do you have that? Are you? Are you that? Do 75 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 3: you just feel that strongly about it as well? 76 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 2: I do? 77 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 4: I agree with you because the crazy part about this, though, 78 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 4: is Bradley Beal holds pretty much all the cards, which 79 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 4: is makes this such a unique situation. I wish I 80 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 4: could remember exactly how old I was when I first 81 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,800 Speaker 4: heard the term no trade clause, and it was I know, 82 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:54,160 Speaker 4: I was pretty young because in baseball, it was it 83 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 4: was a thing, you know, I was. 84 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: Baseball was my first love, you know. 85 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 4: I want to say early by the early eighties, the 86 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 4: prospect of the no trade clause in baseball was starting 87 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:12,799 Speaker 4: to get more prevalent. Like I said, I really should 88 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 4: have researched this better. It might have even been late 89 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 4: seventies in baseball. But in the NBA, I've written about 90 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 4: this a bazillion times because I've always found this a 91 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 4: pretty interesting subject. In the NBA, a no trade clause 92 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 4: is so hard to come by. You have to have 93 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 4: eight years of service time and four with the same team. 94 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 4: But the wrinkle that makes it tough is it can 95 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 4: only be in a new deal and most of the 96 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 4: best players in the league they do extensions. They play 97 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 4: out their rookie scale, play out their rookie scale deal, 98 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 4: then they do a rookie scale extension. Then you know, 99 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 4: they typically extend off of that. Like you have to 100 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 4: get all the way to unrestricted free agency to get 101 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 4: a no trade clause to add it into a new deal. 102 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 4: And that's exactly what Bradley Beal did last summer. He 103 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 4: went to unrestricted free agency and then sign that massive 104 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 4: five year, two hundred and fifty one million dollar deal 105 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 4: with the Wizards. 106 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 2: And the Wizards they gave him a trade kicker fifteen percent, and. 107 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 4: They gave him the no trade clause and it is 108 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 4: the only full no trade clause on the NBA map. 109 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 4: And because Ted leonsis blessed that last year, Bradley Beal 110 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 4: and his agent Mark Bartostein they are in control of this. 111 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 4: The Wizards cannot trade Bradley Beal unless he blesses it. 112 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 2: And I think, as we've seen, because you know, you mentioned. 113 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 4: You know, there was talk last year, will he try 114 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 4: to go to the Lakers? Will he try to go 115 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 4: to the Heat. You know, Bradley Beal has stuck with 116 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 4: the Wizards his whole career. 117 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 2: He's not just gonna go anywhere. 118 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 4: He's not just gonna say yes to the deal Washington 119 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 4: wants to make that might bring Washington back the most 120 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 4: in terms of assets. By all accounts, Miami. That is 121 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 4: the team that is most intriguing to Bradley Beal. 122 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 2: Maybe others will emerge. 123 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 4: As this process goes on farther, but at this point, 124 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 4: it's not the Knicks. I don't think Boston or Philly. 125 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 4: I don't think either one of those Eastern powers is 126 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,679 Speaker 4: even pursuing this. You know, Miami right now, that's the team. 127 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 4: And because of that no trade clause, it really puts 128 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 4: Washington in this brutal position of they're probably gonna and 129 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 4: you know what, whether it's Miami or someone else, even 130 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 4: if some other team emerges, Miami's going to have to 131 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 4: consider trade proposals that they probably would not have considered 132 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:46,960 Speaker 4: because again. 133 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 2: Bradley Beal is the ultimate decision maker here. 134 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: I would throw Brooklyn in there as well as a 135 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: team that interesting, I could potentially get in the mix 136 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: if Bill. You know, that's again you talked on just 137 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: how scarce it is for an NBA player to have 138 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: that no trade clause. So that eliminates a lot of teams. 139 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: So I know, like fans like to you know, they 140 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: love rumors, they love rumors, they like nuggets, they like 141 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: the details, they like to stay on top of how 142 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: things are progressing. But with the Bill situation, we have 143 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: that no trade clause, it's going to eliminate a lot 144 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: of those potential rumors out there, and it's going it. 145 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 3: Could be boring. I don't know. 146 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: I don't know if this is something that's going to 147 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: play out where he's linked to the Mavericks, he's linked 148 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: to here, he's linked to here there. Those reports still 149 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: may get out, but they might not hold validity because 150 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: of the power that Bill holds in it. And so 151 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: you know that that's one thing to be you know, 152 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: but I expect over the course of over the weekend 153 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: leading to next week, we'll see a few teams start 154 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: emerging in the Bill sweepstakes. And then we'll we also 155 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: here may start hearing about teams that Bill doesn't want 156 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: to go to as well. That can very much happen. 157 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: I remember when Anthony Davis was requested his trade in 158 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,240 Speaker 1: New Orleans and. 159 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 3: He didn't have no trade clause. It wasn't like that, but. 160 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: I reported it was probably a few weeks before the 161 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: trade deadline. I reported that he had no interest in 162 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 1: being traded to the Boston Celtics. Remember because at that 163 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: time the Celtics were in place, and so a lot 164 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: of times what that does when when the word gets 165 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: out that a player is not interest interested, it messes 166 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: up there and messed up their value, and then teams 167 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: start to think, well, is it worth having a is 168 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: it worth bringing a player like ad over because he 169 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: may just bounce at the end of the year, Like 170 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,439 Speaker 1: it's it worth trading away all those assets for a 171 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: year rental. We've seen what happened with Toronto Fadl semi 172 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: worked out because they got a championship out. 173 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 3: Of it with with Kawhi Leonard. 174 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: But those are things you have to weigh, and those 175 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: are the type of stories or developments that could come 176 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:15,319 Speaker 1: out of the process of us continuing to monitor Bradley 177 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: Bill's situation. 178 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 4: Yeah, you said it, ad The hammer ad had was 179 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:21,720 Speaker 4: if I get traded somewhere, I don't want to go. 180 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 4: I'm just going to leave in free agency at the 181 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 4: first opportunity. But this hammer that Beal has really is 182 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 4: the mightiest hammer you can have, because you know he 183 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 4: can block the trade. It was the end of May 184 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 4: when Washington struck the deal to hire Michael Winger to 185 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 4: basically take over Monumental Sports. He has oversight of both 186 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 4: the Wizards and the WNBA's mystics. And you know, from 187 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 4: that point in rival front offices, this expectation has been 188 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 4: building that a teardown was likely, that the Wizards were 189 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 4: gonna go on this aggressive path to remake the roster, 190 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 4: and obviously that starts with Bradley Beale. And look, I 191 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 4: think in a perfect world, the Wizards would love to 192 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 4: know that they could get draft picks and cap relief. 193 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 4: But again, because Beale holds so much sway here with 194 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 4: that no trade clause, it's gonna force the Wizards to 195 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 4: look at proposals that they just nor they wouldn't even 196 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 4: consider if they had more leverage and ability here. But 197 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 4: it will make it a lot easier if it would 198 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 4: be a lot easier if if Bradley Beal would tell 199 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 4: us exactly where he is or isn't willing to go. 200 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 4: But I'm gonna leave it to I'm gonna I'm gonna 201 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 4: leave it up to a reporter like Chris Haynes to 202 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,080 Speaker 4: get to the bottom of that, which I'm actually gonna 203 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 4: I'm actually I'm not a betting man, but I'm gonna 204 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 4: bet on Haynes to be among those who among those 205 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 4: who very likely will figure out exactly where mister Beal does. 206 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 2: And doesn't want to go. 207 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 4: But it's it's funny how you said how much the 208 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 4: people you know love these kind of stories. Today in 209 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 4: Dallas we had huge news locally where Norm hitchkis, who 210 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 4: is an absolute institution locally. He's been on Dallas radio 211 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:28,079 Speaker 4: for nearly fifty years. I mean, you know, he had 212 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 4: the first morning show in Dallas in terms of sports, 213 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:33,959 Speaker 4: and one of the first in the country. I remember 214 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 4: seeing him on ESPN Baseball broadcast before I moved to Dallas, 215 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 4: and you know, I've lived here a quarter century now, 216 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 4: and you know he's been on the radio that whole time. 217 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,680 Speaker 4: Just he's Norm Hitchkiss is a Dallas sports franchise. Onto 218 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 4: his unto himself when I posted my congratulatory note to 219 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 4: Norm after he announced his retirement. The first response on Twitter, 220 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 4: when is your next pod discussing Mavericks trade in draft chatter? 221 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 2: So that just tells. 222 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 4: You nobody has time for Nobody has time for sentiment 223 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,479 Speaker 4: right now or anything else they want. 224 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 2: They want the trade talk. 225 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 1: And they are quick with it. It makes me believe 226 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: that they got that in draft. So no matter what 227 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 1: you tweet, you could have tweeted rest in peace to somebody. 228 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 3: We don't care about that. Where's where's Chris Paul going? 229 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 4: Don't even think about It's funny you brought him up too. 230 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 4: I got a call from a team today. What do 231 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,319 Speaker 4: you know about Chris Paul? What is Haynes telling you 232 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:33,959 Speaker 4: about Chris Paul? 233 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 2: I'm like, heyes. 234 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:36,959 Speaker 4: What Haines is telling me is what's on the pod. 235 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 4: Everything we've said on the pod. That's what I listen 236 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 4: to the pod. That's what I said. 237 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:44,719 Speaker 3: That's a good way to bring on me a star. 238 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 3: That's a good way. 239 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:46,720 Speaker 2: It works. 240 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 4: But try so Look, Bradley Beal, on one hand, you 241 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 4: know that that it's a five year, two hundred and 242 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 4: fifty one million dollar deal. So look, any team that's 243 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 4: trading for him, you really have to do some serious 244 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 4: numbers crunching to fit him in because in this new CBA. 245 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,600 Speaker 2: You know, that's really my question with. 246 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 4: The Heat that Okay, maybe Bradley Beal is going to 247 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 4: want to go to Miami, and maybe that's the direction 248 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 4: this is going to go. But what kind of deal 249 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 4: can the Heat assemble to bring in Bradley Beal as 250 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 4: basically your third guy? Their two main guys are going 251 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 4: to stay Jimmy and Bam. This is Jimmy's team and 252 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 4: Bam out of Bio with the defense he plays that 253 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 4: you know, the interior anchor that he is. I mean, 254 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 4: that's the twosomewhere it all starts. If you're bringing in 255 00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 4: Bradley Beal at that number again in this new CBA, 256 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 4: it's going to be really tough to put a balanced 257 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 4: roster around three guys making that kind of money. So 258 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 4: to me, I do wonder is this the direction that 259 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 4: Miami really wants to go? And I think it is 260 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 4: at this point, But I throw in the disclaimer that, okay, 261 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 4: does someone else they like better than Bradley Beal become available? 262 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 2: And the natural name to throw out is Dame. 263 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 4: But again, as we speak as we're recording this on 264 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 4: the afternoon of June fifteenth, Damian Lillard to this point 265 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 4: is not in trade play for Miami or anyone else. 266 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 4: So at this point, I do think Beal is at 267 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 4: the top of Miami's list, but it is fluid. Things 268 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 4: could change if Dame or someone else they. 269 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 2: Like becomes available. 270 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 4: All right, let's move to the first big potential underlying 271 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 4: the word patental trade story that emerged. 272 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 2: After the NBA Finals. 273 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 4: We are as we're recording this, we're one week away 274 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 4: from the NBA Draft on June twenty second. New Orleans 275 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 4: interest in Scoot Henderson has become a significant talking point. 276 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 4: A lot of people around the league are buzzing about this, 277 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 4: and the reality is the Pelicans they have the fourteenth pick, 278 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 4: and to make sure they have a shot at Scoot Henderson, 279 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 4: they would need the number two pick because the Hornets, 280 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 4: who hold number two, are still deliberating between Scoot Henderson 281 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 4: and Brandon Miller, which one of those players would they draft. 282 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 4: If the Hornets keep the pick, they've kind of kept 283 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 4: the league off balance. Some days you hear it's going 284 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 4: to be Scoot. Some days you hear it's going to 285 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 4: be Miller. That's obviously by design. The Hornets are trying 286 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 4: to keep teams off balance. But the talk is, and 287 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 4: you know, I went into I went into this in 288 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 4: depth with a story on Wednesday, and based on what 289 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 4: I'm hearing, yes, the Pelicans are legitimately considering. Doesn't mean 290 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 4: they would one hundred percent do it, but they are 291 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 4: considering the prospect of trying to assemble a deal for 292 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 4: Charlotte's number two pick that would feature Zion Williamson. And 293 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 4: at first blush, you say. 294 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:32,840 Speaker 2: Wait a minute. 295 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 4: For only four years removed from Zion going number one overall, 296 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 4: New Orleans would actually seriously consider trading him. And again 297 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 4: the word I'm hearing is yes, it's something that they 298 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 4: are weighing. What do you see in the Fresno crystal 299 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 4: ball here? Could you see New Orleans actually parting with 300 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 4: Zion to get up to number two in the draft 301 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 4: or number three? Lynn is the other kind of variable here. 302 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 4: But if you trade for number three, you might not 303 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:06,879 Speaker 4: get Scoot. Charlotte might stay on too, might hold firm 304 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 4: and take Scoot Henderson at number two. So look into 305 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 4: your crystal ball. What do you see, mister Haynes. 306 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 3: I think the only way. 307 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: Well, first of all, as answer your first question, do 308 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: I think they could move Zion, Yes, I do. Giants 309 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 1: availability has been an issue, you know, there have been 310 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: questions about how he has how he has attacked his 311 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 1: several rehab stints. So you have that, and then you 312 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: just have the urgency of the Pelicans. They're trying to win, 313 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: They're trying to do something now. So you put all 314 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: that out there that leads me to believe. Yes, I 315 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: do agree that they would consider moving him now when 316 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: it comes to moving up to try to get scooted 317 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: unless Charlotte lets everybody knows that they're going with Brandon, 318 00:18:57,960 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: which I. 319 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 3: Don't think Charlotte should do. I don't think they will do. 320 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: I think you keep that very close to the Vest 321 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: to give yourself the opportunity to get the best deal possible, 322 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 1: to get New Orleans to want to do a deal 323 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 1: with you opposed to a deal with the Blazers at 324 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:21,200 Speaker 1: number three. And so I think from New Orleans standpoint, 325 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: if they really want Scoop, they have to figure out 326 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,959 Speaker 1: a deal to get that second pick. And that's what 327 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,040 Speaker 1: I think Charlotte should hold close to the Vest and 328 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: New Orleans that they've been looking for. They've been in 329 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: need of a point guard. You know. CJ has been 330 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 1: playing that position, but he's more of an off guard. 331 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 3: And I don't know will that make New Orleans better? 332 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 3: You know, Scoop. Look, I had to I was invited 333 00:19:46,600 --> 00:19:47,959 Speaker 3: to Scoots. 334 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 1: He had a personal workout in Atlanta last week, but 335 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: I was covering. I was covering game three or Game 336 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:58,479 Speaker 1: four of the finals, and I couldn't make it. But 337 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 1: just from the video footage I watched from a couple 338 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:02,360 Speaker 1: of his workouts, Man. 339 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 3: The guy, I mean, body wise, he's NBA ready. 340 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:09,480 Speaker 1: You know, he's like he's really he's really a physical 341 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: specimen already. And he's played in the G League and 342 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: he's nineteen, and a lot of nineteen year olds are 343 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: not ready day one of the NBA. But the fact 344 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 1: that he's played against grown men already, I think that 345 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:25,199 Speaker 1: puts him a step above probably his his counterparts. So 346 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: with that being said, if New Orleans really wants that, 347 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 1: I think they gotta go. They got a trade for 348 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 1: that number two pick. I don't think he can mess 349 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 1: around and try to wait and hope that he falls 350 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: number three and try to do some with Portland. I 351 00:20:40,359 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: think that would be a catastrophic move. 352 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 4: You've always been plugged into the Scoot Henderson camp. He's 353 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 4: never going to admit it. They're never going to publicly say, 354 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,720 Speaker 4: but just if you were surmising, will use that word 355 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 4: instead of speculating, would he be excited to land in 356 00:20:57,640 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 4: New Orleans? 357 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 2: You think that's something that would appeal to him? 358 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 3: You know, I haven't. 359 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,359 Speaker 1: I haven't spoken with him since this had this had 360 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: surface before it was just Charlotte New Orleans. And I 361 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 1: know he's a big Dame fan, and you know, I 362 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: think at some point Dame and Scoop might talk in 363 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: the near future, but so yeah, I haven't. I haven't 364 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 1: spoken to them, uh in recent days since this new 365 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:28,239 Speaker 1: surface about New Orleans. So I really I don't know 366 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: how he feels about it. 367 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 4: I guess so he's been He has been pretty outspoken 368 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:34,119 Speaker 4: about the Portland thing, hasn't he like he he wants to. 369 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 2: He's convinced that he can he can become that. 370 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 4: If he ended up with the Blazers, that he could 371 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 4: play next to Dame and be an instant contributor. 372 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 3: For sure. 373 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:45,720 Speaker 1: He wants he wants to play next to Dame. He 374 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,160 Speaker 1: wants to play the next Dame. So you know, Dame 375 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:50,959 Speaker 1: has a decision. You know, I know this is a 376 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: scoot New Orleans topic, but you know, Dame kind of 377 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,719 Speaker 1: a nice segue into into what Dame is going to do. 378 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: He has a decision to make. Is he going to 379 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: be happy with the number three pick? The players also 380 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:09,440 Speaker 1: have believe that twenty third pick as well. So it's 381 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:11,880 Speaker 1: like Portland they can do a few things like if 382 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 1: they keep the number three, if Dame feels good about 383 00:22:16,560 --> 00:22:18,920 Speaker 1: the possibility of him and Scoop being able to work together, 384 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:21,600 Speaker 1: and he thinks that, you know, Scoop can take help 385 00:22:22,040 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: take this team to the next level, then there's other 386 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:27,640 Speaker 1: packages that Portland could look into trading the number twenty 387 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: three pick along with we've been hearing you know, Athrety 388 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: Simon's name being available. 389 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:35,400 Speaker 3: Does Simons in the number twenty three get you. 390 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:41,679 Speaker 1: A good quality starter waterline all star player? 391 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 3: Does it? I don't know. 392 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:47,200 Speaker 1: And so Portland has a lot They got a lot. 393 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 3: Of decisions to weigh. 394 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: But as it pertains the Scoop, you know, he believes 395 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: he's ready day one, he believes he's prepared, he believes 396 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 1: he's yeah, very confident he believes he's prepared more than 397 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: anybody in this draft class. And so for New Orleans standpoint, 398 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:06,280 Speaker 1: that bodes well for them if they're able to make 399 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:06,919 Speaker 1: that happen. 400 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 3: The thing is with Zion, so let's transition to Zion. 401 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:12,439 Speaker 3: Thing with Zion. 402 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: One thing teams are telling me is that no doubt, 403 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: when Zion is healthy, he's a specimen. 404 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 3: He's unstoppable. 405 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: You know, the sheer force that he provides in that 406 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,359 Speaker 1: painted area and on an office and end, he just 407 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: overpowers everyone. But one thing teams want to see is 408 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: his medicals. That is going to be very very important. 409 00:23:36,520 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: Teams getting to look at his medicals and then deciding 410 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 1: from there what to do. I don't know what those 411 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:46,680 Speaker 1: medicals look like. I don't know the story that that's 412 00:23:46,720 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 1: going to tell. But if these trades talks pretended to Zion, 413 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 1: I'm not saying the trade talks because it's just this 414 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: is right now, is just New Orleans would consider. But 415 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:02,399 Speaker 1: if it gets really serious, teams are going to have 416 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:06,440 Speaker 1: to look at the medicals, and then from there. Once 417 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,800 Speaker 1: one team looks at the medicals, and if say, for example, 418 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:13,920 Speaker 1: say the medicals they're bad, They just do not look good. 419 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: It's going to get out there, and then that's going 420 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: to mess up the trade value for the Pelicans in 421 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: general as it pertains to Zion Williamson. So that's that's 422 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 1: like steps further down the road if we get to it. 423 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to give fans a little peek inside 424 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: how these things work. 425 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I get the question. 426 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,719 Speaker 4: So many of my readers on my substack have been 427 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 4: asking me to try to gauge Zion's value, and it's 428 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 4: really hard to do that because, yes, you know, like 429 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 4: you said, you just look at the pure numbers. When 430 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 4: Zion's on the floor, he averages twenty six on nearly 431 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,000 Speaker 4: sixty one percent shooting from the field. I mean, you 432 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 4: can't be more efficient offensively than he is. 433 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 2: You know, his rebounding, to me, that's. 434 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 4: Always been an area that he needs to, you know, 435 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 4: deliver more. That's an area where he can certainly improve. 436 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 4: But we also saw in New Orleans early this season 437 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 4: when he was rolling and the Pelicans were rolling that 438 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,160 Speaker 4: you know, he can play make too, So I mean, 439 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 4: he has considerable offensive gifts. But then there's just no 440 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 4: way to get around the fact he's only played in 441 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 4: one hundred and fourteen out of three hundred eight possible 442 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 4: regular season games. 443 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:27,679 Speaker 2: There's just no way to dodge that. 444 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 4: And the two main things I can add the reason 445 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:34,640 Speaker 4: why this is a consideration for New Orleans, why they 446 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 4: are weighing the prospect of trading Zion Williamson after just 447 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 4: four years together. You know, as one trusted league observer 448 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,959 Speaker 4: put it to me, there is a rising level of 449 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 4: exasperation within the Pells organization about those availability issues, about 450 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:56,880 Speaker 4: the way he. 451 00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 2: Has approached the game. But the other thing, and this 452 00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:02,080 Speaker 2: is this is just as significant. 453 00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,199 Speaker 4: It really appears that if the Pels were forced to 454 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 4: consider trading Zion or trading Brandon Ingram, they're much more 455 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 4: apt to trade Zion at this point that Ingram has 456 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 4: reached a level in that organization where he is considered 457 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 4: the safer from a trade when looking at those two guys. 458 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 4: So those are two significant developments. And look, we've spent 459 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 4: the first half hour of this pod. You know, the 460 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 4: season has been over for minutes, and again the championship 461 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 4: parade is going on as we're recording this, and already 462 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 4: Zion Williamson Bradley Beal in potential trades. 463 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 2: I think that speaks to what. 464 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 4: Kind of off season in terms of player movement we 465 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 4: are likely in for. It is not a stellar free 466 00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 4: agent class. Spending money for free agency is very limited. 467 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 4: It's only a few teams that have significant cap space, 468 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 4: and they're not contending teams. So I don't know what 469 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 4: we're gonna get in terms of free agent fireworks. But 470 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 4: the prospect of trades connected to next week's draft, right 471 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 4: after next week's draft, before the NBA calendar year moves 472 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:23,920 Speaker 4: to twenty twenty three to twenty four, and even in July, trades, trades, trades, 473 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,479 Speaker 4: I think we're going to see a fair few, so 474 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:46,439 Speaker 4: buckle up for that. Lastly, mister Haynes, I think we 475 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 4: need to dedicate this edition of This League Uncut and friends. 476 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,679 Speaker 4: As always, remember please rate, review, and subscribe to the 477 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 4: show via Apple Podcasts. 478 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 2: Or wherever you get your pods. Please do that for us. 479 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 4: But this episode, it must be it must be said. 480 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:11,800 Speaker 4: We're doing this with a serious hat tip to the 481 00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:17,560 Speaker 4: Denver Nuggets, the NBA's new champions, first time champions. The 482 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 4: last time we did a pod, it was with the 483 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 4: series score at three to one, a very very unsightly 484 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:31,400 Speaker 4: Game five, Miami mucked the game up, mucked with an 485 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 4: m just as they would have wanted to, made it ugly, 486 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:41,320 Speaker 4: made it messy. Denver still finds a way, finishes the 487 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:48,080 Speaker 4: series off. Nikola Jokic NBA Finals MVP in an eleven 488 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 4: zero runaway in that vote no MVP debate in the finals, 489 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:02,280 Speaker 4: and man, all I can say is, you tricked us, Denver. 490 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 4: You tricked me. That seven and ten finished to the 491 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 4: regular season. I paid way too much attention to it. 492 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 4: It made me question whether the Nuggets were truly ready 493 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 4: for a playoff run. 494 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 2: It was all a ruse. 495 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 4: They mowed through the postseason sixteen and four, and critics 496 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 4: will say, yeah, you know, they didn't play a top 497 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:32,400 Speaker 4: three seed, which has never happened in the you know, 498 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 4: in the in the sixteen team playoff era, and this 499 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 4: was year forty of that playoff era, and somehow they 500 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 4: didn't play a number one seed along the way. But 501 00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,520 Speaker 4: you know, this was a this was a season I 502 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 4: think you got to somewhat throw the seedings out. The 503 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 4: Lakers made it to the conference finals as a number seven, 504 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 4: but they were not a number seven, and they took 505 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,240 Speaker 4: out the defending champion Warriors to get to the West Finals. 506 00:29:56,280 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 2: And Miami. 507 00:29:57,640 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 4: We can't look at them as your usual number eight 508 00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:03,719 Speaker 4: after what they did to fifty eight win Milwaukee and 509 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 4: fifty seven win Boston. So you know, downgrade the Nuggets 510 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 4: championship if you want because you think they didn't see 511 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 4: enough powerhouses on the way. But come on, man, Nikola 512 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 4: Jokic age twenty eight, first player in NBA Playoff history 513 00:30:21,920 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 4: to lead all players total points, six hundred, total rebounds, 514 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 4: two hundred and sixty nine total assists one hundred and ninety. 515 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 4: Incredible coronation for the Nuggets, and they shut a lot 516 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,239 Speaker 4: of people up. And again, as we're taping this, the 517 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 4: parade is going on, and I'm seeing tweets while we 518 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 4: record about wow Jokic with some curse action. 519 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 2: Here, Nikola Jokic said to the. 520 00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:57,600 Speaker 4: Roar of five hundred thousand plus fans in Denver, this 521 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 4: is a tweet from our buddy Mark Spears. 522 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:01,840 Speaker 2: Quote. 523 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 4: I told them I didn't want to stay for the parade, 524 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 4: but I bleeping want to stay for the parade. 525 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 2: This is the best. This is amazing. So there you go. 526 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 2: Loves parades. Michael Malone's been talking smack all day. 527 00:31:19,840 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: Long, rightfully, so rightfully, so I told you start our 528 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: last part. 529 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 3: I said, listen, we're going to the next pot. 530 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:31,440 Speaker 1: We're gonna we're gonna be congratulating the Dinner Nuggets, congratulating 531 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: Joker on winning Finals MVP, and you know they're gonna 532 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: wrap it up in five, and they did. I didn't 533 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: see anything left in Miami covering that series. I felt 534 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: like the Miami Heat they emptied their clip, as small 535 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:50,240 Speaker 1: as a clip that they were dealing with. 536 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 3: It was empty. They'd have nothing left. 537 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: And Denver was just too much depth, too much talent, 538 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: and Miami Heat worked hard, they worked their butts off, 539 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: and that's probably one of the most hard hardest working 540 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,760 Speaker 1: teams in the league, especially the most hardest working team 541 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: in the playoffs, and I think that got them to 542 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: this point. But at the end of the day, when 543 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: you're the two last two teams standing, it's going to 544 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: take hard work and it's going to take some talent 545 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: and depth, and they just didn't have the latter two 546 00:32:23,360 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 1: to be able to extend this series out. And so 547 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: Denver Nuggets, may you credit them. I've been seeing like 548 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 1: people try to discredit the Nuggets run or diminished or 549 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: the value the competition they had or to run. 550 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 3: All you can do is play the opponent that you're giving. 551 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,920 Speaker 1: You know that that opponent they had a path, They 552 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,280 Speaker 1: had to get through some obstacles to get to that point. 553 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 3: I think it's weak to try to devalue the Nuggets championship. 554 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:49,760 Speaker 3: They are champions. 555 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: They were the best team. They were the best team 556 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: in the regular season all season long. They respected the 557 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: course of the regular season. They were not about all 558 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,080 Speaker 1: this low management stuff. 559 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 3: They went in and they had. 560 00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 1: A plan and they executed, and so I applaud them. 561 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: They were a fun team to watch. I hope people 562 00:33:06,520 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: got got a chance to really see how valuable the 563 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,640 Speaker 1: Kolaki is. You know, that is a He's a great, 564 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:19,080 Speaker 1: great player that you should already have amongst the top 565 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: centers of all time already. I'm gonna let you say something, 566 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: but I want to ask you about later about the 567 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: all time great sinners. And I want to see if 568 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:32,400 Speaker 1: you agree with me or not. This is a conversation 569 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: I was having with my brother a few days ago. 570 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:36,480 Speaker 1: But what do you think about the dinner Nuggets run? 571 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 4: When you really look at it, The signals were there, 572 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 4: and again, I you know, I put myself high on 573 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:45,400 Speaker 4: the list when they wobbled at the end of the 574 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 4: regular season seven to ten finish, I did start to 575 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:51,920 Speaker 4: ask those questions again about these guys. 576 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 2: But the truth is, you. 577 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:59,720 Speaker 4: Know, they took sole possession a first place in the 578 00:33:59,760 --> 00:34:05,000 Speaker 4: way on January seventeenth. They never relinquished it, So they 579 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,680 Speaker 4: basically were the top seed in the West for three 580 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 4: months before the playoffs started, and that enabled them to 581 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:16,400 Speaker 4: you know, that certainly contributed to that kind of wobble 582 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 4: at the end. They maybe lost some focus because they 583 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:22,800 Speaker 4: knew they had the West wrapped up, but they mowed 584 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 4: through the four teams in front of them. I really 585 00:34:25,840 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 4: feel like Miami the crusher for them. What any chance 586 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,319 Speaker 4: they had of winning the finals was lost when they 587 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,120 Speaker 4: got dragged to seven games by Boston. You go up 588 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:40,040 Speaker 4: three to zero on Boston, Finish them off in four, 589 00:34:40,160 --> 00:34:41,360 Speaker 4: finish them off in five. 590 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 2: At worst, finish them off in six. 591 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 4: If Miami does any of that, any one of those 592 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:51,080 Speaker 4: three options, the Heat can go to Denver early before 593 00:34:51,160 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 4: the finals, get acclimated to the altitude, give themselves a 594 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 4: better foothold in the series. They still won Game two 595 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 4: as it is, but yeah, I mean the only game 596 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:06,680 Speaker 4: they won they shot nearly forty nine percent from three 597 00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 4: the four games they lost, they were sub thirty five 598 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 4: percent from three in all four defeats. So the Nuggets 599 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,920 Speaker 4: earned every bit of this championship. Jokic was great, Murray 600 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:22,919 Speaker 4: was great, all the others were great. I mean, they 601 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 4: had the best team and were trying to tell us that. 602 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 2: Again, they tried to show they were. 603 00:35:29,960 --> 00:35:33,280 Speaker 4: They gave us a lot of hits for three months 604 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 4: before the playoffs, and we just didn't want to see him. 605 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:39,839 Speaker 4: And you know, now we'll see in this wild offseason 606 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 4: who can close the gap because Denver, Okay, Bruce Brown, 607 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 4: they're in danger of not being able to re sign him. 608 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,240 Speaker 4: But you know already you're hearing people kind of compare 609 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 4: it to the Bobby Porter situation. Will Bruce Brown elect 610 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:59,279 Speaker 4: to stay with the Nuggets for possibly less money. 611 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 2: Than he could make on the open market. 612 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 4: Because he loves the situation so much, just like Bobby 613 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,880 Speaker 4: Ports did in staying with the Bucks after they won 614 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:11,080 Speaker 4: it all. But you know, most likely Brown would be 615 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 4: the only key departure from that team. So there's a 616 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:17,360 Speaker 4: lot of work for a lot of teams. 617 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:21,320 Speaker 2: To do in the West just to close the gap. 618 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:25,400 Speaker 4: So man is it going to be a wild and 619 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:29,320 Speaker 4: crazy and busy offseason, these nests again. 620 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:32,480 Speaker 2: You know, maybe I hope I'm not jinxing it with 621 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 2: all this hype. 622 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 4: I really hope I'm not, But I don't think I am. 623 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:40,160 Speaker 4: I think we are going to see many, many, many trades. 624 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 3: Stan question I have for you, now go for it already. 625 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,839 Speaker 1: We're just talking about what Nikola Jokis has done to 626 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 1: this point, and then you know what we think he's 627 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: going to continue to do for however many. 628 00:36:55,960 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 5: Years as of now, has he corracked your all time 629 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 5: top six center category? 630 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:09,759 Speaker 3: Has he coracked it? So? 631 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:15,960 Speaker 4: The five ahead of him are Kareem Russell, Wilt Shack. 632 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 2: Who am I leaving out? 633 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 3: I put a lodge one in there? Yep, that's five. 634 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:26,560 Speaker 4: I'll put it like this. He's absolutely an all time 635 00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:30,320 Speaker 4: great to me. And the only reason you could even 636 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 4: say that he wouldn't be is because he's only won 637 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:35,800 Speaker 4: one title. You know, he's won for one in the finals. 638 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 4: Let's see how many titles he ends up with. But 639 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:42,120 Speaker 4: you know what I feel even stronger about is it 640 00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 4: really bothered me that he wasn't in the top seventy five. 641 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 4: I mean, he to me, I was not an official 642 00:37:48,520 --> 00:37:51,479 Speaker 4: voter on the top seventy five, but to me, even 643 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:55,000 Speaker 4: at that point, he should have been a top seventy 644 00:37:55,040 --> 00:38:00,560 Speaker 4: five player. And you know, he has a tru tremendous 645 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 4: chance to ultimately crack the top five. You know, I 646 00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 4: guess we consider dunking a power for it rather than 647 00:38:07,040 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 4: a center. 648 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 2: But there's no question. I mean, this guy is an all. 649 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 4: Time great and he has nothing to prove to nobody 650 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:16,200 Speaker 4: at this point. 651 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,960 Speaker 1: Okay, STEI, I maybe taking another I maybe taking it 652 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 1: to a controversial place, but we do that here in 653 00:38:22,600 --> 00:38:25,239 Speaker 1: this league, and this this is a podcast we could 654 00:38:25,239 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 1: believe if we could erase it if we want to. 655 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:30,560 Speaker 1: So let's act now and worry about the consequences later. 656 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:39,239 Speaker 1: All right, Stey Bill Russell? What the greatest winners of 657 00:38:39,280 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 1: all time? Why is he a top five sinner of 658 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:45,960 Speaker 1: all time? Take winning out of it. 659 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:50,920 Speaker 4: I think defensively, he was such a game changer that 660 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 4: he would you know, offensively, you know, all those centers 661 00:38:55,200 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 4: you named have better offensive credentials. But it's not just 662 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:06,880 Speaker 4: the winning with Russell, it is the defense. Block Shots 663 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:09,720 Speaker 4: weren't even a thing when he played, or when Wilt played, 664 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:13,480 Speaker 4: so It's like, we don't really have the raw statistical 665 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 4: data to tell us how great these guys are, and 666 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,400 Speaker 4: we don't have the footage. This has always been one 667 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 4: of my major, major complaints and laments about being an 668 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:28,239 Speaker 4: NBA fan and trying to be an NBA historian. Baseball 669 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 4: was my first love. That was the first sport I 670 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:33,960 Speaker 4: was really introduced to. And what but like even at 671 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,279 Speaker 4: a young age, like you know, you're not even ten 672 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:39,279 Speaker 4: years old, and you know about Babe Ruth and lou 673 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:42,880 Speaker 4: Gerrig and Ty Cobb and Bob Gibson and on and on. 674 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:44,760 Speaker 4: You know, I mean, I could name a zillion guys. 675 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,160 Speaker 4: You learn these stories as a baseball fan when you're 676 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 4: so young. But in basketball, pardon me if I've told 677 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:54,360 Speaker 4: this story before, but it's important. I feel like, you know, 678 00:39:54,560 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 4: I can't tell it enough. When I started covering the 679 00:39:57,680 --> 00:40:02,880 Speaker 4: LA Clippers halfway through the ninety four season, Elgin Baylor 680 00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 4: was the general manager of the Clippers, and I remember 681 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:11,760 Speaker 4: the first extended conversation I had with Elgin and I said, 682 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 4: I can't believe I've never really. 683 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,480 Speaker 2: Seen footage of you playing. You know. 684 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:21,800 Speaker 4: He retired during that amazing Lakers early in that amazing 685 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:23,920 Speaker 4: Lakers season when they won thirty three games in a 686 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:26,200 Speaker 4: row and won the title in seventy one seventy two. 687 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:30,359 Speaker 4: So I was only two or three. I never got 688 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:33,680 Speaker 4: to see Elgin Baylor play. And when I told the 689 00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:37,760 Speaker 4: Clippers that a team official with the Clippers actually went 690 00:40:37,960 --> 00:40:43,080 Speaker 4: to the league and paid NBA Entertainment to make like 691 00:40:43,239 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 4: a forty five minute VHS tape of Elgin highlights. And 692 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:49,239 Speaker 4: I didn't get to keep the tape. I don't have 693 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:51,840 Speaker 4: it anymore, but they let me borrow it and watch it, 694 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:55,480 Speaker 4: which was so cool to see just what was in 695 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:59,960 Speaker 4: the vault at the league. Because again, this stuff, it's 696 00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:03,040 Speaker 4: we don't we do. It's such a bad job with 697 00:41:03,200 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 4: NBA history. So like Bill Russell Wilt like, we've seen nothing, 698 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 4: you know, my age or your age, We've seen nothing 699 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:12,440 Speaker 4: from what these. 700 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:13,960 Speaker 2: Guys could really do. 701 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,920 Speaker 4: So the number of rings Bill Russell has, you just 702 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:18,239 Speaker 4: you cannot diminish it. 703 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:20,480 Speaker 2: You know, I love a cheme too. 704 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:23,840 Speaker 4: I would say if Jok isn't there already, that he 705 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:27,560 Speaker 4: will pass a keem. But I see a lot of 706 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:30,840 Speaker 4: our contemporaries they rate a cheme higher than I do. 707 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 4: So again it's also Iya the Beholder stuff too. 708 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:37,400 Speaker 1: We have to remember Hakm was first of all, probably 709 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: had the best foot work it that of a big 710 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:46,160 Speaker 1: forget big, just best footwork period as a basketball player. 711 00:41:46,160 --> 00:41:48,239 Speaker 1: Even still to this day, I don't know, I don't 712 00:41:48,239 --> 00:41:51,560 Speaker 1: see anybody who has the pivots like Hakm did, Kobe, 713 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:54,799 Speaker 1: Michael Jordan, they were, they were close. But the thing 714 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:58,080 Speaker 1: about Hakim he was dominant offensively, but he was dominant 715 00:41:58,080 --> 00:42:01,719 Speaker 1: deficively too. I still, uh, you know, I still got 716 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:06,840 Speaker 1: ha Keen higher than Joker right now. But back to 717 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:10,560 Speaker 1: Bill Russell Stein, you know the King Baby Tumble was 718 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:15,520 Speaker 1: just defense. Alonzo Morning earlier, his earlier in his years 719 00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:18,759 Speaker 1: was a two way player, then transition to just being 720 00:42:18,800 --> 00:42:24,240 Speaker 1: a defensive player. But for a center, Bill Russell, I believe, 721 00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:26,359 Speaker 1: I mean, look this up because I want I want 722 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,480 Speaker 1: to have it accurately. You know, the big man position. 723 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:34,400 Speaker 1: Usually for centers, they average a field goal percentage career 724 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:38,360 Speaker 1: of fifty or higher. Do you know what Bill Russell's 725 00:42:38,400 --> 00:42:39,960 Speaker 1: field goal percentage is for his career? 726 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:41,640 Speaker 2: Not off the top of my head, hit me. 727 00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:47,560 Speaker 1: His field goal percentage for his career is, drum roll, 728 00:42:48,320 --> 00:42:54,400 Speaker 1: forty four percent from the field. Bill Russell was sixteen 729 00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:58,920 Speaker 1: sixty ten center, which you know that was that was 730 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:02,719 Speaker 1: center size back those days. That does like that doesn't 731 00:43:03,080 --> 00:43:04,000 Speaker 1: do anything. 732 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 2: No, it doesn't change. 733 00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:11,919 Speaker 4: It doesn't change my feeling one ounce, because I think 734 00:43:12,239 --> 00:43:16,279 Speaker 4: field goal percentages were generally way lower. 735 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:18,720 Speaker 2: In those days than they are now. 736 00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:24,040 Speaker 1: But but not just he was just not just that. 737 00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:30,879 Speaker 4: Justin Kubatko, who does a wonderful substack called Statitudes. Justin 738 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:35,200 Speaker 4: is one of my favorite NBA historians and researchers and 739 00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:39,080 Speaker 4: just fantastic with the numbers in the history of the game. 740 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:42,280 Speaker 4: Before the finals, he went back and did a piece. 741 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:48,080 Speaker 4: You know, the final NBA Finals MVP didn't start until 742 00:43:48,880 --> 00:43:52,919 Speaker 4: I believe nineteen sixty nine, so there were many many 743 00:43:53,000 --> 00:43:56,440 Speaker 4: years that the NBA didn't even do a Finals MVP. 744 00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:00,239 Speaker 4: Justin did a piece and went back and awarded the 745 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:05,120 Speaker 4: finals that the mythical Finals MVP, who his numbers said 746 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:08,440 Speaker 4: should have won the award all those years that the 747 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:12,960 Speaker 4: league didn't hand out a Finals MVP trophy, and by 748 00:44:13,160 --> 00:44:17,040 Speaker 4: Justin's very unofficial count, but I take it as pretty 749 00:44:17,239 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 4: reliable that Russell would have won the Finals MVP six times. 750 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:27,480 Speaker 4: So there's a reason why the Finals MVP Trophy is 751 00:44:27,600 --> 00:44:32,280 Speaker 4: now named the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Trophy because 752 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:36,680 Speaker 4: the man was an undeniable. 753 00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:41,239 Speaker 2: Winner, game changer. And you know what, for me, whenever I. 754 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:44,279 Speaker 4: Think about top ten, top five, top twenty, whatever it is, 755 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 4: I do think the off court stuff does matter. And 756 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:55,960 Speaker 4: his impact on a social scale was so tremendous. I 757 00:44:56,080 --> 00:44:58,759 Speaker 4: do think that factors in, even though it's not an 758 00:44:58,760 --> 00:45:02,400 Speaker 4: on court things. It's like it's like Alan Iverson. You know, 759 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:06,960 Speaker 4: we could really analyze Alan Iverson's efficiency and we can 760 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:11,000 Speaker 4: theoretically grade him down as an all time great because 761 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:15,799 Speaker 4: of efficiency issues. But the cultural impact that Alan Iverson had, 762 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:18,520 Speaker 4: to me, that is worth bonus points. He never won 763 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:20,880 Speaker 4: a championship, he got the phil he got Philly to 764 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:26,239 Speaker 4: one finals, but his popularity and cultural impact, I do 765 00:45:26,560 --> 00:45:33,320 Speaker 4: factor that in when I'm assessing Alan Iverson's career resume, 766 00:45:33,520 --> 00:45:36,239 Speaker 4: and I think with Bill Russell, it's got a factor in. 767 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:39,000 Speaker 1: Also, I'm not even gonna argue with you, because this 768 00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:41,239 Speaker 1: is Bill Russell we're talking about. You can never win 769 00:45:41,239 --> 00:45:45,400 Speaker 1: a situation, You could never win an argument if people 770 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:49,160 Speaker 1: perceive you to be diminishing Bill Russell's legacy at all. 771 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna leave it there, but that I remember, 772 00:45:52,239 --> 00:45:54,279 Speaker 1: I remember when I found that stat out was. 773 00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:58,000 Speaker 3: Like forty from the field sixteen center. 774 00:45:58,160 --> 00:46:00,640 Speaker 4: Well, you know what's funny, because it's that you bring 775 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:03,640 Speaker 4: that up, because when I did my I was not 776 00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:06,840 Speaker 4: a voter on the top seventy five, and I actually 777 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 4: regret it now. Like in my New York Times years, 778 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:12,120 Speaker 4: I was at the Times for three and a half years. 779 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:14,879 Speaker 4: At the Times, we were not allowed to vote on 780 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:19,279 Speaker 4: anything official with the league because the Times philosophy was 781 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:23,760 Speaker 4: we cover the story, we don't participate in making the news. 782 00:46:24,080 --> 00:46:26,440 Speaker 4: And so when I started my own sub stack in 783 00:46:26,880 --> 00:46:29,000 Speaker 4: July of twenty twenty one, I'm coming up on my 784 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:32,080 Speaker 4: two year anniversary here, I adopted the same policy and 785 00:46:32,120 --> 00:46:34,520 Speaker 4: I basically said, I'm gonna I'm no longer going to 786 00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:37,840 Speaker 4: vote on any NBA awards. The league asked me to 787 00:46:37,840 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 4: come back and be a voter, I said no, I'm 788 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:41,360 Speaker 4: not going to do it. But when they asked me 789 00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:44,080 Speaker 4: to do top seventy five, I said no, and I 790 00:46:44,200 --> 00:46:47,840 Speaker 4: really regretted it because I do love the history of 791 00:46:47,880 --> 00:46:51,040 Speaker 4: the game, and that is one vote that I really 792 00:46:51,080 --> 00:46:53,680 Speaker 4: do now wish I had broken my own rule. To 793 00:46:53,719 --> 00:46:56,239 Speaker 4: be a part of, and my seventy five ended up 794 00:46:56,280 --> 00:47:00,640 Speaker 4: being very different from the ultimate seventy five. I remember 795 00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:04,319 Speaker 4: I left off Dolph Shase, who was one of the 796 00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:08,440 Speaker 4: initial greats in the league in the very very pre 797 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:13,320 Speaker 4: Russell stages of the NBA. And I had some very 798 00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:18,160 Speaker 4: prominent NBA historians come at me and just crush me 799 00:47:18,280 --> 00:47:21,920 Speaker 4: for saying, how could you not have dolphshes in your 800 00:47:21,920 --> 00:47:26,400 Speaker 4: top seventy five? And I omitted Dolph Shase in large 801 00:47:26,400 --> 00:47:29,920 Speaker 4: part because I did look at his field goal percentage, 802 00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:32,160 Speaker 4: and I'm pretty sure his career field goal. 803 00:47:32,040 --> 00:47:33,920 Speaker 2: Percentage is sub forty. 804 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:36,480 Speaker 4: So that's why I say, in those days, even big 805 00:47:36,520 --> 00:47:39,640 Speaker 4: men didn't you know, there were no zions converting at 806 00:47:39,680 --> 00:47:43,440 Speaker 4: sixty percent in the early days of the NBA. 807 00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:47,840 Speaker 2: So maybe I was too hard on Dolph Shase. 808 00:47:47,920 --> 00:47:50,399 Speaker 4: And now that's kind of entering my thinking here when 809 00:47:50,440 --> 00:47:53,520 Speaker 4: you bring up mister Russell's field goal percentage. 810 00:47:53,840 --> 00:47:55,319 Speaker 3: Okay, that's why. 811 00:47:55,360 --> 00:47:57,800 Speaker 1: That's why I'm glad I'm speaking to an NBA historian, 812 00:47:57,880 --> 00:48:02,160 Speaker 1: somebody who's coverly way further than you know, way earlier 813 00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:04,120 Speaker 1: than I was, So I'll respect it. 814 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:07,360 Speaker 2: Respect all right, everybody that was not that was not 815 00:48:07,520 --> 00:48:07,960 Speaker 2: a Laane. 816 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:10,960 Speaker 4: I expected us to go on Trade Talk Thursday, But 817 00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:15,480 Speaker 4: there you go. We'ved in some history, we'ved in some 818 00:48:15,680 --> 00:48:23,360 Speaker 4: Denver Nuggets championship celebrations. But yes, at the forefront, Bradley 819 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:28,640 Speaker 4: Beal is this It is Washington finally going to trade him? Well, 820 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:35,399 Speaker 4: the Pelicans actually trade Zion Williamson in connection with. 821 00:48:35,440 --> 00:48:38,880 Speaker 2: The NBA Draft. Major, major questions to ponder. 822 00:48:39,440 --> 00:48:42,040 Speaker 4: Chris and I will be back with you soon, and 823 00:48:42,120 --> 00:48:44,440 Speaker 4: by the next time we get together for one of 824 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:46,279 Speaker 4: these there will no doubt. 825 00:48:46,200 --> 00:48:47,560 Speaker 2: Be tons more. 826 00:48:48,960 --> 00:48:55,839 Speaker 4: Transactional discussion to get into because the transaction game has 827 00:48:55,920 --> 00:49:01,560 Speaker 4: fully taken over from the games themselves. For the next 828 00:49:01,920 --> 00:49:06,200 Speaker 4: two three weeks at least, Summer League isn't too far 829 00:49:06,239 --> 00:49:09,000 Speaker 4: in the distance. Chris Haynes and I will both be 830 00:49:09,160 --> 00:49:12,560 Speaker 4: in Las Vegas. We got a surprise in Vegas that 831 00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:15,560 Speaker 4: we're working on. Can't reveal it yet, but I promise 832 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:19,000 Speaker 4: it will not disappoint. That does it for this edition 833 00:49:19,760 --> 00:49:25,280 Speaker 4: of This League Uncut Friends again, Please rate, review, subscribe 834 00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:30,879 Speaker 4: to the pod so the gems that mister Haynes loves 835 00:49:30,920 --> 00:49:33,320 Speaker 4: to reveal on this show comes straight. 836 00:49:33,400 --> 00:49:38,360 Speaker 2: To your phone. That does it? Back again? Soon everybody 837 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:45,719 Speaker 2: enjoy all the transaction of talk out and that'll do 838 00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:49,800 Speaker 2: it for us. See you next time. This league uncut 839 00:49:49,800 --> 00:49:57,760 Speaker 2: it is and iHeartRadio production Chris Haynes and Mark stime 840 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:01,800 Speaker 1: I