WEBVTT - Phoenix Was Always Kevin Durant’s Preferred Destination

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<v Speaker 1>You're tuned into Heat Check with trist Quick.

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<v Speaker 2>On this episode of the Heat Check, We've got an

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<v Speaker 2>interview with Yahoo senior NBA reporter and friend of show,

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<v Speaker 2>Jake Fisher. He gives us some really good info on

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<v Speaker 2>how the trade deadline went down, how the nets KD

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<v Speaker 2>Kyrie Harden arrow will be looked at over time, why

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<v Speaker 2>the Toronto Raptors were never going to make a move

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<v Speaker 2>at the deadline except for to be a buyer.

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<v Speaker 3>Who is going to tank moving.

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<v Speaker 2>Forward this NBA season, and much much more like to

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<v Speaker 2>get into Nick, So do me a favor and drop

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<v Speaker 2>that generic ass beat.

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<v Speaker 3>Let's just felt like the trade deadline as a whole,

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<v Speaker 3>because I felt like, to a degree it was like

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<v Speaker 3>one of the more dramatic trade deadlines, and then outside

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<v Speaker 3>of the two real pieces of shot and all, there

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<v Speaker 3>wasn't really anything of note.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I mean that's kind of what we with inside

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<v Speaker 4>information were kind of saying for a while, right that,

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<v Speaker 4>like there wasn't a lot of like starting level players

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<v Speaker 4>that were actually going to move teams. And then the

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<v Speaker 4>Kyrie Urbing thing obviously throw a giant monkey wrench in

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<v Speaker 4>the entire trade landscape. But just like with Kevin Durant

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<v Speaker 4>requesting the trade like an hour before free agency started.

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<v Speaker 4>Like those two situations kind of happened in a vacuum

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<v Speaker 4>outside of everything else, Like forre agency started at six

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<v Speaker 4>o'clock on June thirtieth, even though KD, you know, asked out,

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<v Speaker 4>and you know, the wheels still spun, the world still

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<v Speaker 4>moved on. And like the fact that Kyrie's trade happened

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<v Speaker 4>to Dallas, like he requested them on Friday, so it

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<v Speaker 4>was six days before the deadline, and then he was

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<v Speaker 4>already dealt by Sunday. I mean, the reporting has been

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<v Speaker 4>pretty clear since that KD requested his deal out of

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<v Speaker 4>Brooklyn on Monday, but the Nets, they weren't willing to

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<v Speaker 4>discuss it with anybody. He wanted to go to Phoenix.

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<v Speaker 4>He's wanted to go to Phoenix all along. So the

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<v Speaker 4>other twenty eight teams kind of operated as we were expecting,

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<v Speaker 4>which was pretty much Toronto dangling players and having a

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<v Speaker 4>lot of calls around the league. But they didn't make

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<v Speaker 4>any selling type moves. They were interested in Naka Purtle,

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<v Speaker 4>like we had known about since you last trade deadline

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<v Speaker 4>when they were registering interest there.

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<v Speaker 1>And there's a lot of activity.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean I wrote today, yeaho's seventy one second round

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<v Speaker 4>picks got traded between January first and the deadline. The

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<v Speaker 4>other past four years, the most was thirty two second

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<v Speaker 4>round picks traded because there just weren't a lot of

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<v Speaker 4>players out there that were actually worthy of first round picks.

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<v Speaker 4>And I think that's illustrative of the level of talent

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<v Speaker 4>that was actually on the market.

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<v Speaker 3>To when did it become clear to everybody was in

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<v Speaker 3>the know that Phoenix was like the only place.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, I didn't know for certain until the deal happened,

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<v Speaker 4>but when Kyrie's stuff dropped on Friday, everyone around the

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<v Speaker 4>league said, well, just just like just like my Twitter feed,

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<v Speaker 4>just like yours, the timeline was going off, what does

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<v Speaker 4>this mean for KD?

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<v Speaker 1>Is KD next?

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<v Speaker 4>And the impression that everyone got, and especially by everyone,

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<v Speaker 4>I mean like rival teams inquiring and especially after Brooklyn's

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<v Speaker 4>return for Kyrie was Spencer Dinwiddie, Dori and Phinney Smith

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<v Speaker 4>first and a couple of seconds, I believe that was

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<v Speaker 4>a win now move, right like that was a move

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<v Speaker 4>just like they did throughout the summer with going and

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<v Speaker 4>get Royce O'Neil and resigning Claxton, TJ. Warren and other

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<v Speaker 4>things to try to build a contender around KD. So,

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, the thought was still prevalent of well, if

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<v Speaker 4>he does if I mean he's he's changed his mind

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<v Speaker 4>left and right.

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<v Speaker 1>That's that's kind of been his mo.

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<v Speaker 4>So the thought kind of prevailed, well, he could still

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<v Speaker 4>do that before Thursday, he could decide it turns out

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<v Speaker 4>he did it on Monday, right, And at that point

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<v Speaker 4>in time, it was a holdover thing that everyone around

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<v Speaker 4>the situation believed that if he was leaving Brooklyn, and

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<v Speaker 4>even why he requested a trade originally from Brooklyn was

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<v Speaker 4>the thought that that Phoenix could happen, that Phoenix was there,

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<v Speaker 4>he could play with Devin Booker, Chris Paul. So it

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<v Speaker 4>just kind of felt like an inevitability if this came around.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, Memphis definitely lobbed an offer. Let's say, I

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<v Speaker 4>don't know the specifics, but I know it was definitely

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<v Speaker 4>all their picks and they're willing to trade anybody not

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<v Speaker 4>named John Dylan Brooks and Jared Jackson Junior. But he

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<v Speaker 4>wanted to go to Phoenix and that was the only

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<v Speaker 4>thing that was going to happen. So I didn't know,

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<v Speaker 4>like I said, until you know when's did it. When

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<v Speaker 4>the trade went down, it was like I mean, I

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<v Speaker 4>remember saying on the radio on Tuesday night in Philly

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<v Speaker 4>at WIP and my family because I'm from the area,

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<v Speaker 4>was like listening to my brother, so like, oh, like

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<v Speaker 4>you called Katie the Phoenix on Tuesday night, I didn't.

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<v Speaker 4>I just like I had an understanding if he was

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<v Speaker 4>going to get moved, the overwhelming likelihood was to the Sun,

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<v Speaker 4>so that's where he wanted to go.

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<v Speaker 3>And then the second thing that you mentioned earlier too,

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<v Speaker 3>was like that Toronto was just going to dangle everyone.

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<v Speaker 3>How close do you think they actually were to ever

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<v Speaker 3>selling the parts that they were dangling.

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<v Speaker 4>So I don't have that definitive answer, but what I

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<v Speaker 4>can say is that they were telling rival teams. And

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<v Speaker 4>only the reason I don't have that definitive answers I'm

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<v Speaker 4>on the phone right and like you're hearing stuff. At

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<v Speaker 4>the end of the day, the job is to tell

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<v Speaker 4>the public what you believe to be true based off of.

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<v Speaker 1>The information that you hear.

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<v Speaker 4>A lot of times you're hearing, you know, falsehoods or

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<v Speaker 4>things that are a little bit misleading. To try to

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<v Speaker 4>paint a certain picture, and it's your job to or

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<v Speaker 4>it's my job to try to sift through all that

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<v Speaker 4>and come and bring like the clearest picture I can.

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<v Speaker 4>Right So with that, like Toronto was telling other teams

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<v Speaker 4>starting at the showcase, like, we don't know what we're

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<v Speaker 4>gonna do. We're gonna take out until the final minutes

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<v Speaker 4>of the deadline. We're gonna have this long like eight

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<v Speaker 4>game road trip or whatever it was, six games something

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<v Speaker 4>like that, all throughout the West Coast before they came

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<v Speaker 4>back that Sunday night before the deadline, and they were

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<v Speaker 4>gonna regroup on Monday and figure out what the direction

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<v Speaker 4>they wanted to go and sure Fred van Vliet's contract

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<v Speaker 4>he could be a free agent this summer if he

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<v Speaker 4>opts out. Gary Trent can opt out. Ojiananobi's guaranteed to

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<v Speaker 4>be unrestricted for agent in twenty four because he can't

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<v Speaker 4>buy CBA limitations get more than one hundred and twenty

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<v Speaker 4>percent salary increase, which is well below his market value,

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<v Speaker 4>being that he's eighteen ninety million that our player right now.

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<v Speaker 1>But they were telling.

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<v Speaker 4>Teams like, we don't know what we're gonna do, And

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<v Speaker 4>they were telling teams we might be buyers. So to me,

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<v Speaker 4>like I'm looking at reading all these te leaves and

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<v Speaker 4>operating at the thirty first front office and trying to

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<v Speaker 4>figure out what these teams are going to do because

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<v Speaker 4>they don't know what they're gonna do. All that stuff

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<v Speaker 4>I just said to you never signaled a team that

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<v Speaker 4>was really going to sell. And it signaled a team

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<v Speaker 4>just like they did with Kyle Larry in twenty one,

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<v Speaker 4>they were going to talk and talk and see what

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<v Speaker 4>the market was looking like and then probably the result

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<v Speaker 4>would really come in the summer. So that at a

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<v Speaker 4>certain point was really what I expected to be the case.

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<v Speaker 4>I didn't know, I didn't like, I didn't wake up

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<v Speaker 4>on Thursday confident, but I fully believed that they were

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<v Speaker 4>going to go after Yaka Perle and the rest was

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<v Speaker 4>kind of undetermined. And it seems like even though there's

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<v Speaker 4>a finality to it right now, I mean it's late

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<v Speaker 4>February already, like juven's pretty close. So we'll see what

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<v Speaker 4>happens come this offseason, especially if they don't continue to

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<v Speaker 4>rise up the East. They're still I mean, there are

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<v Speaker 4>ways away from getting out of the play in tournament,

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<v Speaker 4>which is you know, obviously not where they want to

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<v Speaker 4>be when they've got all these guys will who are

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<v Speaker 4>up for thirty million dollars paydays coming up?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, you know, I thought that that to myself. I

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<v Speaker 3>was sitting in the lawn in Arizona and right before this,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, on Super Bowl Week, and I was like,

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<v Speaker 3>do we really actually believe these guys are gonna do anything?

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<v Speaker 3>Like I they really gonna move og Ananoby when he's

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<v Speaker 3>under team control for another Yearine change Like it just doesn't.

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<v Speaker 3>It never felt like a MASSI move, like a full

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<v Speaker 3>fire sale, you know what I mean. So I think

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<v Speaker 3>you're I think you're right. It is interesting that they

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<v Speaker 3>didn't do anything really at all except for you know,

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<v Speaker 3>purchase Yaga Purtle former play.

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<v Speaker 4>In fairness like they can say no one met her

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<v Speaker 4>asking Christ like the Pacers offered three first right the

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<v Speaker 4>Pacers picks, I believe, one's almost Cleveland, one's Milwaukee, Like

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<v Speaker 4>those aren't those aren't great first round picks that they're

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<v Speaker 4>their late twenties. The Grizzlies offering a bunch of picks.

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<v Speaker 4>The Grizzlies are gonna they're projecting to be a top

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<v Speaker 4>five record team in the league, like they have been

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<v Speaker 4>for the next half decade, like how pick is.

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<v Speaker 1>Going to be?

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<v Speaker 4>So I can understand, you know that the Rappers thinking, well,

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<v Speaker 4>we did a good job of drawing up this interest

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<v Speaker 4>to get the quantity of first rounders, but the quality

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<v Speaker 4>isn't what we're looking for. That could be a fair

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<v Speaker 4>counter argument. But I don't know, three first round picks,

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<v Speaker 4>no matter where they land for a player that I

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<v Speaker 4>don't know. I don't know if OGM was ever going

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<v Speaker 4>to be more than what he is in Toronto. That's also,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, why would a team give up so so,

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<v Speaker 4>so much more than what we just stated because they

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<v Speaker 4>wanted to pick from everything I've heard the Rappers wanted

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<v Speaker 4>to picks and players and the player when that that's

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<v Speaker 4>let's say it's Memphis or in Indiana, but Memphis probably

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<v Speaker 4>it's greater stakes for them being that they're they're at

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<v Speaker 4>the top of this, uh you know echelon here? Are

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<v Speaker 4>they going to just willingly mortgage all that stuff?

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<v Speaker 1>To be right?

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<v Speaker 4>In the situation Toronto is where he can be an

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<v Speaker 4>unrestricted for agent with no guarantees to re sign in

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<v Speaker 4>twenty four that's a lot that's a big price to pay.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, and it's not that much cheaper than say, like

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<v Speaker 3>a Donovan Mitchell or you know, it's it's more than

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<v Speaker 3>a Kyrie Irving at this stage, it's just slightly cheaper

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<v Speaker 3>than Kevin Durant. Just feels like the drop off from

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<v Speaker 3>like a A list player to let's be honest, like

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<v Speaker 3>probably a B minus player, but a really good wing defender.

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<v Speaker 3>It's like Toronto's very Danny Angish when it comes to

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<v Speaker 3>getting what they want. So, I guess, how do you

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<v Speaker 3>think the trades actually fit into the rest of the season, Like,

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<v Speaker 3>do you think anything really makes an impact outside of

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<v Speaker 3>Katie and Kyrie to their respective destinations.

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<v Speaker 1>I do.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, I think the Clippers got better and they're

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<v Speaker 4>going to end up being just a talkable team until

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<v Speaker 4>their season ends because Kwi and Paul George are so

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<v Speaker 4>good when healthy and active, and that has not been

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<v Speaker 4>the case consistently, right, and people love to talk about

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<v Speaker 4>they're the big poster argument against you know, load management

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<v Speaker 4>and whatnot. But and this is also like the fourth

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<v Speaker 4>year of this expensive iteration. And you know, they were

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<v Speaker 4>across the aisle of the k D Kyrie experiment in Brooklyn,

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<v Speaker 4>like those tandems came together the exact same offseason in

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<v Speaker 4>July twenty nineteen, So like one potential super team dynasty

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<v Speaker 4>already crumbled, Like is the time running out on this

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<v Speaker 4>iteration in LA where there was already talk around the

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<v Speaker 4>league back when they made that Western Conference Finals run

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<v Speaker 4>against the Suns in twenty twenty one of like if

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<v Speaker 4>they didn't make it that far, what was going to

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<v Speaker 4>happen up top?

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<v Speaker 1>Like there's I'm not I'm not here to.

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<v Speaker 4>Say that, Like I know definitively that there's hot seats

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<v Speaker 4>in LA, but like this conventional wisdom would suggest he

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<v Speaker 4>paid all this money to put together this you know contender,

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<v Speaker 4>that maybe they don't make it to the Western Conference

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<v Speaker 4>Finals more than once in a four year window like

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<v Speaker 4>that be below expectations, Right, So they got better with

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<v Speaker 4>Eric Gordon and Mason Plumley, And I really do like

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<v Speaker 4>Bones Island. I know there's been some you know, personality

0:12:11.400 --> 0:12:14.960
<v Speaker 4>stuff that's come up in Denver, but I mean he's

0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:16.679
<v Speaker 4>a damn good players in the second year of the

0:12:16.720 --> 0:12:17.160
<v Speaker 4>rookie deal.

0:12:17.200 --> 0:12:18.920
<v Speaker 1>That's a pretty good, you know gamble.

0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:21.600
<v Speaker 4>I think from LA, the Nuggets got better with Thomas

0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:26.640
<v Speaker 4>Bryant and Reddy Jackson's the nice buyout signing Golden State,

0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:29.600
<v Speaker 4>getting Gary Payton the second back, Like I don't think

0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:33.520
<v Speaker 4>he's a world changer, but you at least turn James Wiseman,

0:12:33.520 --> 0:12:35.319
<v Speaker 4>who's was not going to play for them this year,

0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:37.720
<v Speaker 4>into someone who was a really valuable or tation piece

0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:38.080
<v Speaker 4>for them.

0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:39.760
<v Speaker 1>I mean the Lakers got a lot better.

0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:42.480
<v Speaker 4>Obviously they're starting five to pull the doors off the

0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:46.839
<v Speaker 4>Pelicans without Zion, but the other night, so I mean,

0:12:46.960 --> 0:12:50.240
<v Speaker 4>the whole conference, I think outside of Portland really got better.

0:12:50.320 --> 0:12:55.120
<v Speaker 4>Your Blazers, like they didn't exactly buy to move.

0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:57.240
<v Speaker 1>This thing forward here, Trista, what what's going on?

0:12:57.559 --> 0:12:59.839
<v Speaker 3>It doesn't feel like it. No, they got it for

0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:03.880
<v Speaker 3>Trump pick that is only lottery protected, so that will

0:13:03.880 --> 0:13:06.280
<v Speaker 3>convey I think this year they're gonna need to figure

0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:09.600
<v Speaker 3>something out, right like Jeremy Grant, whether he ends up

0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:12.760
<v Speaker 3>getting a deal done this summer, I don't know. I

0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:16.880
<v Speaker 3>saw something earlier today that I forget who was writing it,

0:13:16.920 --> 0:13:20.600
<v Speaker 3>that in order to keep Dame really supported that most

0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:22.760
<v Speaker 3>likely they would have to sign, or they would most

0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.120
<v Speaker 3>likely have to trade Anthony Simon's and Shade and Sharp,

0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:28.959
<v Speaker 3>which I very much disagree about trading Shade and Sharp

0:13:29.240 --> 0:13:33.959
<v Speaker 3>but it just doesn't feel like their philosophy is much

0:13:34.080 --> 0:13:38.560
<v Speaker 3>different than neiel' shase was outside of just finding more

0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:41.319
<v Speaker 3>athletic dudes. I think Neil Shan would have been fine

0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:44.080
<v Speaker 3>with Cam Reddish, Like I think neil'sha would have been

0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:47.000
<v Speaker 3>fine with Jeremy Grant, Like maybe he doesn't, maybe he

0:13:47.040 --> 0:13:49.240
<v Speaker 3>doesn't draft Shade and Sharp, maybe he ends up with

0:13:49.360 --> 0:13:52.720
<v Speaker 3>like I don't know, some white guy from Gonzaga that's

0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:56.160
<v Speaker 3>not Chet Holmgren, but like, I don't know that this

0:13:56.240 --> 0:13:59.480
<v Speaker 3>is a defensive first team really, and to me, it

0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:06.880
<v Speaker 3>doesn't feel like they're doing Dame any favors. Mhm