WEBVTT - Westbrook Trades, CP3 & Jrue Rumors, Oladipo's Rep 0:00:04.160 --> 0:00:07.080 You've done some brilliant pictures, You've done some stinkers. 0:00:07.680 --> 0:00:20.040 Really good morning, sweet world. 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.520 Then welcome to the No Dunks podcast on the Athletic Network. 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:26.800 It's Friday, November thirteenth, twenty twenty. 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:27.080 Yeah. 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:29.200 I can't wait to check in at Camp Crystal Lake 0:00:29.320 --> 0:00:32.440 later today. I'm Jay Skeets alongside me. As always, we 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:37.000 got Tasmellos, Hello everybody, Hello Tassy, We got the Bearded One, 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:42.239 Trey Kirbye. Hey hey, we got the international Man of 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:48.280 Mystery taking it to the Max, Lee Ellis friend, and 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:50.880 last but not least, making the magic happen. JD. Hello, 0:00:51.720 --> 0:00:54.160 there is and here we are on a Friday. Guys, 0:00:54.240 --> 0:00:58.080 keep your questions coming for our next beach step in podcast. 0:00:58.240 --> 0:01:00.760 Email theman No Dunks at the Athletic You can tweet 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:03.360 him in at No dunk Sinc. Don't forget to grab 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:05.839 your merch your No Dunk's merch over at No dunks 0:01:05.840 --> 0:01:08.000 dot com. And make sure you check out the three 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:12.080 classics that we dropped earlier this week, even though it 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:14.280 feels like we dropped them three weeks ago to me, 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:16.760 but we did drop them earlier this week. We talked 0:01:16.760 --> 0:01:21.840 to NBL broadcaster Liam Santa Maria about LaMelo balls game 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:24.960 and whether he's worth the number one pick next week. 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:26.680 That's a lot of fun. Tastinly did a great job 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:29.600 with that one. Then we talked with John Hollinger about 0:01:29.640 --> 0:01:37.800 his twenty twenty NBA mock Draft spoiler every prospect sucks 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:40.720 except maybe uh Halliburton. I guess is the one that 0:01:40.760 --> 0:01:43.000 John was high on. And then we talked on Wednesday 0:01:43.040 --> 0:01:46.160 with Jason conception on about leaving The Ringer and why 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:50.400 he's pivoting to politics and binge mode and NBA Desktop 0:01:50.440 --> 0:01:52.920 and the time you pissed off Woes and Baby Yoda. 0:01:53.000 --> 0:01:55.080 We had a blast. We talked next with him as well, 0:01:55.280 --> 0:01:57.360 a lot of fun, so go check out that podcast 0:01:57.400 --> 0:02:00.280 as well. But today, guys, oh my goodness, we got 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.640 so much to dissect here, and we're gonna play a 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:14.359 little what you got, what's you good? What's Oh it's 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:16.640 been so long since we've had that intro. I love 0:02:16.720 --> 0:02:20.480 those bars, all right, So many topics to tackle here, guys. 0:02:20.480 --> 0:02:25.359 First one, Russell Westbrook is seeking a trade from the Rockets. 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:29.280 According to the Athletics Sham Sharanya, Sam Amic and Kelly 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:33.120 Eco damn dream team right, there. Russ has been uneasy 0:02:33.680 --> 0:02:36.959 about Houston's accountability and culture and wants to join a 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:38.880 team where he can have a rule similar to the 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:41.959 one he had with OKC. James Harden, by the way, 0:02:42.160 --> 0:02:44.200 is apparently still committed to the Rockets, so we can 0:02:44.240 --> 0:02:46.720 get into the Rockets. But let's focus on Westbrook right now. 0:02:46.840 --> 0:02:50.200 He's got three seasons what one hundred and thirty two 0:02:50.360 --> 0:02:53.520 million dollars ish remaining on the deal. So but what 0:02:53.680 --> 0:02:58.320 you got task? You get us started? Weirdest Westbrook destination. 0:02:58.440 --> 0:03:00.800 I'm gonna give you three maybe you go off board, 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:05.920 but Hornets, Nicks or Magic Westbrook on what are those teams? 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:06.560 What you got? 0:03:07.360 --> 0:03:09.600 Man? This whole thing is weird? You want to talk weird? 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:15.120 I mean this escalated super quickly. The first report, according 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:18.200 to ESPN, was James Harden and Russell Westbrook not happy 0:03:18.400 --> 0:03:21.960 with the outlook of the future of this team, right okay. 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:26.320 Hours later, Russell Westbrook says, you know what, not strong enough. 0:03:26.600 --> 0:03:28.919 I demand a trade. I want to be out of here, 0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:31.760 and James Harden says, no, no, no, I'm taking that all back. 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:37.120 Very strange. Houston has to hope that Russell Westbrook didn't 0:03:37.160 --> 0:03:39.320 think that first message was strong enough he needed to 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:42.040 send a smoke signal to the front office that hey, 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:44.640 we need to do something to make this team better. 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:47.280 And they got a hope that that's all that Russell 0:03:47.280 --> 0:03:49.480 Westbrook wants out of this and that he actually doesn't 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:52.280 want to be traded, and that they're just sort of 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.600 upset with the way that things have gone. That the 0:03:55.680 --> 0:04:00.160 two decision makers that aren't on the floor decided, Hey, 0:04:00.200 --> 0:04:02.920 I'm leaving this team in this offseason, Daryl Morey and 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:06.160 Mike D'Antoni. That's what they got to hope. But that's 0:04:06.160 --> 0:04:07.880 not fun to talk about. So let's just get into 0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:10.120 the fun part. Where's Russell Westbrook gonna go? You mentioned 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:13.360 Charlotte Orlando the Knicks. What's the weirdest one. At first, 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:18.080 you gotta think Charlotte just not a match for Russell Westbrook, 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:20.159 But then I thought about it. It's kind of like 0:04:20.720 --> 0:04:23.480 Russ being in Oka. See without Kevin Durant, He's gonna 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:27.080 take every stink and shot yea. So it's similar to me. 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:30.120 They wouldn't be great. They might make the postseason. They 0:04:30.160 --> 0:04:33.279 might they definitely get bounced in the first round. I 0:04:33.440 --> 0:04:38.919 think the Knicks it would also be a one man show. 0:04:39.640 --> 0:04:41.760 The team wouldn't be that good. I think that would 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:44.960 be the sexiest for everybody. Everybody wants to see a 0:04:45.000 --> 0:04:48.239 guy making shots in MSG. Saw Yanist at the Goupo 0:04:48.360 --> 0:04:51.599 Share yesterday randomly his first game winner, which was in MSG. 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:54.240 Everybody loves that. So I think that would be the 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:56.880 best one for everybody involved. It doesn't matter if the 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:01.479 team's good, but Orlando's the weirdest because there would also 0:05:01.480 --> 0:05:05.680 the would be expectations and there would be no shooting. 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:07.880 Just like last year, this team just doesn't have a 0:05:07.880 --> 0:05:11.280 lot of shooters. You add Russell Westbrook to that, what 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:14.120 are they going to do? Everybody would just pack the 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:18.039 paint against Westbrook, against Aaron Gordon if he's still there, 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:21.760 against everybody that they have. But there would be expectations 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:24.320 because if he's playing with Nikola Vucevic, who is a 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:28.400 former All Star, and Evan Fournier. I just don't want 0:05:28.400 --> 0:05:31.440 I don't want to be judging Russell Westbrook now in 0:05:31.480 --> 0:05:34.919 the next three years. Is he a good basketball player? 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:36.960 I just want to watch hoops and I want to 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:38.800 watch the one man show. So I kind of hope 0:05:38.839 --> 0:05:41.039 he gets to the Knicks. Orlando's too weird for me. 0:05:41.200 --> 0:05:44.200 What expectations hold on with the Orlando Magic? Hap with 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:45.159 Westbrook on their team? 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:46.640 Like playoffs? 0:05:46.720 --> 0:05:50.160 Well, yeah, okay, playoffs? Yeah, wouldn't all these teams expect 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:51.359 to make the playoffs with Westbrook? 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:54.800 Ye, Orlando was a playoff team. Now you add a 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:57.039 former MVP, the headlines are going to be former MVP 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.719 added to a team that was at least made the playoffs. 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:03.680 Charlotte Nicks are way off, So I think there would 0:06:03.720 --> 0:06:07.479 be some Hey, the conversation about being a five seed, 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:09.440 a mid team five or. 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.839 Sixty losing in the first round, just like he always has. Yeah, 0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:13.600 I guess you're right. 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:15.599 But in the Eastern Conference there would be There would 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:19.200 definitely be expectations for a guy who's MVP not too 0:06:19.240 --> 0:06:21.800 long ago to jump up into Hey are they a 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:24.839 part of the second tier? At least that would be 0:06:24.839 --> 0:06:26.640 the conversation. I don't want to have that conversation. 0:06:26.680 --> 0:06:29.039 Okay, that is fair. These are all weird, So Tass, 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:30.960 excuse me, Trey, what do you think if you had 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:33.200 to pick one, what's the weirdest from these three? 0:06:33.640 --> 0:06:34.680 I'm with Tass here. 0:06:34.760 --> 0:06:37.640 I think that the Magic would be the absolute weirdest 0:06:37.680 --> 0:06:41.160 place for Westbrook to end up. It does make sense 0:06:41.200 --> 0:06:43.640 a little bit from a basketball fit standpoint, like Tas 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:46.000 Is saying, you Gotvucevich who can at least stretch the 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:48.360 floor a little bit as a big man, which should 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:52.599 theoretically give Westbrooks some space inside. You know, there are 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:55.520 definitely going to be shots to be taken if he 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:57.960 were to end up on the Orlando Magic. But just 0:06:58.040 --> 0:07:02.920 imagining Russell Westbrook in Orlando Magic jersey with the pinstripes, 0:07:03.240 --> 0:07:05.720 it feels odd. It feels like Alan Iverson at the 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:07.039 end of his career, and it feels like we're going 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:09.480 to see this a few more times because Westbrook has 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:13.080 this massive contract and it's hard to convince yourself he's 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:17.440 going to elevate you to a championship tier with Westbrook. Well, 0:07:17.760 --> 0:07:20.120 while if you are a playoff team, if you're on 0:07:20.160 --> 0:07:22.040 the fringes of the playoffs, you can talk yourself into 0:07:22.120 --> 0:07:25.360 him as a guy who's going to be, like Tessa saying, 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:28.640 raising the floor a little bit, the Magic would be 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:30.920 more in the mix for a fifth or a sixth 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:33.480 seed rather than a seventh or an eighth seed. But 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:36.240 the Knicks isn't weird to me at all. It seems 0:07:36.320 --> 0:07:39.240 one hundred percent tailor made to bring in Russell Westbrook. 0:07:39.280 --> 0:07:42.040 The Knicks haven't totally been operating like they did through 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.760 the entirety of the nineteen nineties and two thousand, so 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.640 maybe things have changed. But an aging star on a 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:50.720 huge contract at the end of his career, that's really nixy. 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:53.920 As for the Hornets, they need a star. Westbrook has 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:57.240 worn Jordan Brand's stuff for years and years. Michael Jordan 0:07:57.360 --> 0:07:59.440 is obviously the owner of the team. 0:07:59.440 --> 0:07:59.600 There. 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:01.560 It seems like every player who ends up on the 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:03.960 Hornets gets a jump man deal. At some point, they've 0:08:04.000 --> 0:08:07.040 already started at second base. If they pick up Westbrook, 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:10.320 but man imagining him on the Magic, it's just weird 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:12.240 to me. Also, all throw in here tasks. When you 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.280 were talking about Westbrook being a one man show, I 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:16.640 definitely thought you were gonna say everybody loves a one 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.160 man show on Broadway. That's another reason why he would 0:08:19.160 --> 0:08:22.840 fit with the Knicks. But the Magic just feels so 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:26.000 weird to me. It just feels like it's a retirement 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:28.920 home Florida, you know. And if Russell Westbrook is going 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:30.920 to the Magic at thirty two. 0:08:31.200 --> 0:08:32.520 It's gonna be a long retirement. 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:36.320 I mean, that's the thing. Hell, we've talked so much 0:08:36.320 --> 0:08:38.920 about Westbrook. Everybody has like is he I mean, he's 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:41.160 an all star. He's still good. He had like a 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:43.520 stretch there lead with the Rockets that was incredible, Like 0:08:43.559 --> 0:08:45.560 he had one of his best months I remember ever 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:48.360 for at least in a long time there. I guess 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:50.640 was it January or February and one of those particular 0:08:50.679 --> 0:08:52.600 it's pretty good for both of them when they went 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:55.959 super small ball, pokagarts all that. But also people look 0:08:55.960 --> 0:08:57.959 at it in the contract and go like Westbrook's a 0:08:57.960 --> 0:09:01.000 negative value asset, Like he's this point his career, where 0:09:01.000 --> 0:09:03.800 do you think, what's the weirdest spidan And I know 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:06.079 you're not the biggest Russell Westbrook found out there too. 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:08.400 Well no, no, but let's go back to why he 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:10.600 was very good there for the Rockets for a patch 0:09:10.640 --> 0:09:12.280 this season. It was because he got rid of that 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:14.840 three point shot and he was taking driving more into 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:17.599 the lane and being active and using his explosiveness to 0:09:17.600 --> 0:09:20.080 still score. He's still got that, maybe not quite to 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:21.880 the degree that he had in his prime, But that's 0:09:21.960 --> 0:09:25.280 Russell Westbrook at his best attacking the basket. At his worst, 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:27.360 it's him settling for those mid rangers and the three 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:29.400 pointers that he just doesn't have and he's never going 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:31.200 to have now at this stage of his career. So 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.280 it's really kind of okay, Russ, do you want to 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:35.400 go to a team where you're potentially going to compete 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:37.720 for a championship. If that's the case, then you have 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:41.080 to understand you're taking a much lesser role on a team. 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:41.319 Now. 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.040 You just cannot be the leader on that team. If 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:46.360 you want to go and just go crazy and stack 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:49.160 those numbers and stat stuff again, then go to the 0:09:49.240 --> 0:09:50.840 Knicks if you want and go to the Hornets. That'll 0:09:50.880 --> 0:09:53.400 work out there fine for you. And in Orlando, it's 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:55.120 kind of like, what's the point then, you know, you're 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:58.160 just he's not anywhere closer to winning a championship and 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:00.520 it's just not a sexy team. Hornets of aren't that 0:10:00.600 --> 0:10:03.320 sexy either. But the Knicks is where we want Russell 0:10:03.400 --> 0:10:06.160 to go because that would just be a perfectation fan 0:10:08.120 --> 0:10:10.040 That's where That's where we just want to see what 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:12.040 would happen there if Russ we're there. But I've got 0:10:12.080 --> 0:10:13.720 another one. I'm gonna throw out there. I'm just gonna 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:15.600 throw this out there and see what people think, right, 0:10:16.160 --> 0:10:19.480 because I actually think again, Russell's best when he's on 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:21.280 the floor with people who can shoot threes right and 0:10:21.280 --> 0:10:23.960 spread the floor, and then the lane open up and 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.760 he can go inside. The Utah Jazz were one of 0:10:26.760 --> 0:10:30.160 the best three point shooting teams go on this season 0:10:30.360 --> 0:10:33.920 right this season, right now, if you think of all 0:10:33.960 --> 0:10:37.559 those guys Bogdanovitch and Ingalls and Conley and Donovan Mitchell, 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:39.280 they all spread the floor, they can shoot the three, 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:43.480 opens up the lane. Then for Russell Westbrook to drive inside, 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:45.920 I mean he again, he's athletic, he's fast. I think 0:10:46.000 --> 0:10:49.440 that's actually, even though it's not got zero zero chance 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:51.720 of happening, I actually think that wouldn't be a bad 0:10:51.760 --> 0:10:54.839 spot if again Russ was to accept. Okay, Russ, maybe 0:10:54.840 --> 0:11:00.640 you're coming off the bench. Even in this situation, there's 0:11:00.720 --> 0:11:02.560 no way he would ever go to Utah. 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:05.040 You remember what happened with Westbrook and Utah, and now 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:07.160 you're asking him to come off the bench as well. 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:10.200 Mate, Hey, he had history with the Rockets. Let's not 0:11:10.240 --> 0:11:12.440 forget too. Before he went to George Houston. Now I 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:15.760 know I said the zero chance of stands zero. 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:17.400 H there's fans in the stands. 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:19.360 Now, good point. 0:11:20.240 --> 0:11:23.280 I'm just saying. I actually think from a basketball fit, 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:25.679 if Russ was prepared to accept a lesser role, I 0:11:25.720 --> 0:11:28.679 think that would be a situation where he's still competing 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:30.640 for a championship there with the Jazz, because we know 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:33.760 they're missing something. Uh, He's still going to get his 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:36.520 opportunities there. Again, just because you come off the bench 0:11:36.520 --> 0:11:38.080 doesn't mean you're going to play less minutes and get 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:40.040 less shots. You're going to sort of have to appease 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:42.560 him in that way. But that's an opportunity for Russ 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:44.720 to be like, Okay, you're not the superstar that you 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:46.240 think you are. You're not the number one guy on 0:11:46.240 --> 0:11:48.280 a team anymore. But he's an opportunity for you to 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:51.360 still be a very good player on a team that's contending. Again, 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:53.720 the Knicks the horn is the magic and nowhere near 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:54.920 winning a championship. 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:57.880 The Jazz might be a playoff team, Like it's not 0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:00.960 even that's what I mean, that's they're not close. 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:03.800 I actually feel with the Jazz he can he can 0:12:03.840 --> 0:12:06.559 satisfy both those things. It's not gonna happen, right, I'm 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:09.800 just saying, hey, listen, I never go to the trade machine, 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:12.080 and I was actually thinking like, where would where could 0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:13.880 Russell Westbrook fit? And I think there's a fit there. 0:12:13.920 --> 0:12:15.480 I know he's got history trade as you mentioned there 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:19.240 with Utah. I'm aware of that, but it's like there's 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:20.880 something there make it happen Utah. 0:12:20.920 --> 0:12:22.800 Well, that's funny you said all this because I just 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.560 heard Simmons talk in Westbrook trades on his podcast. I'm 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:27.560 pretty sure someone would have to fact check me on this. 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:30.120 I'm pretty sure he threw out this lee a three 0:12:30.200 --> 0:12:33.800 team deal that you know, at its core had Westbrook 0:12:33.840 --> 0:12:36.600 and Utah. So you're the second person today to say 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:41.400 this Conley and Philadelphia. Conley and Philadelphia to work as 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:43.720 like the point guard, and I guess Horford making his 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:46.760 way somehow to Houston. So that was sort of what 0:12:46.800 --> 0:12:48.679 Simmons was thrown out there. But I can't believe I've 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:50.760 heard two people in the last hour and a half 0:12:50.880 --> 0:12:54.679 told me, Hey, west broken Utah. Now that's weird. It's 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:56.199 next level weird because if you. 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:58.400 Are Westbrook and you know, I know he said Charlotte 0:12:58.480 --> 0:13:01.680 is one of his had Atlanta too. Apparently. I saw 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:03.560 someone said that he wants to come to Atlanta. But 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:07.160 you know why, other than just to stat his numbers, 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:09.920 what's the point of that at this stage of his career. 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:12.720 I would him buy those rumors that he wanted to 0:13:12.760 --> 0:13:13.120 come to it. 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:15.800 This is exactly what we want to do. We want 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:19.000 to overreact to every roomor make a case for everybody, 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:20.120 at least. 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:22.360 I saw that man. I saw that man on Twitter. 0:13:22.720 --> 0:13:25.040 Just because a man has an avatar where he's wearing 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:28.800 a tie doesn't mean that his rumors are legitimate. But 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:32.120 he's I just yeah, Atlanta. It doesn't make sense either, 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:35.440 Like why would Atlanta trade for him to hug the 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:36.200 ball from tray out? 0:13:36.520 --> 0:13:38.720 Yeah? The only reason would be if because they've got 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:40.920 the cap space to take his contract, if the Rockets 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:42.520 were then to furnish it with a first round pick, 0:13:42.520 --> 0:13:45.200 which they don't don't have. Yeah, so that that wouldn't 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:46.920 have But that's that's the kind of thing that Travis 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:49.640 Schlank has done before with Camello. It's basically like, I'll 0:13:49.679 --> 0:13:51.080 take your contract, you just got to give me a 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:53.199 first round pick for it, because we're not ready yet. 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:56.080 But the Rockets don't have a lot of assets to it. 0:13:56.240 --> 0:13:58.200 No, no, they don't. They give up a lot of 0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:00.679 them to get Russell Westbrook. And I think we do 0:14:00.760 --> 0:14:03.439 need to dissect what this says about James Harden a 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:05.920 little bit here too. But first to stick with Westbrook 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:07.600 because you said it, Trying to come up with a 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:09.640 trade for this guy with that type of deal is 0:14:10.240 --> 0:14:12.560 I mean, it's very difficult. You almost have to have 0:14:12.600 --> 0:14:15.600 a team unless you get in the three team deals 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:19.400 and fourteen deals. You need a team that has so 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:22.280 much cap space that they can sort of absorb him, right, 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:24.840 a team of then you know you have that caps. 0:14:24.880 --> 0:14:26.480 If you don't involve that cap space, you've got to 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:28.280 send back a ton of money, like thirty three million. 0:14:28.280 --> 0:14:30.880 So you got to start adding some contracts together. The 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:33.960 Hornets one, they have the things that can make it 0:14:34.000 --> 0:14:37.480 happen because they have an expiring contract of what twenty 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:41.080 seven point four million in Nicholas Batoum, And they have 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.000 all of their picks. I mean, they've got this year's 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:45.960 pick number three. Now you wouldn't expect them to move 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:48.840 on from that, but I've got all their future first 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:50.840 round picks for like, you know, the next six seven years, 0:14:51.600 --> 0:14:53.800 and they could you know, they don't have to match 0:14:53.840 --> 0:14:55.920 that entire salary. They could take a lot of that 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:57.680 in like twenty million dollars in cap space, so there'd 0:14:57.720 --> 0:15:00.280 be some there'd be a deal there. But man, just 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:02.960 so weird that you're right. I'm with you guys, like 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:05.040 the idea of like Westbrook, Like I don't want to 0:15:05.400 --> 0:15:07.600 I don't trust where the Rockets are going here, be 0:15:07.680 --> 0:15:10.080 it ownership, be it. I don't like James Harden anymore 0:15:10.120 --> 0:15:11.920 because there were some reports, you know, they're getting into 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:13.840 it at times on the floor, and then he's like, 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:16.040 I just want to go get triple doubles. Man, put 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:17.720 me back, put me in the Eastern Conference. Let me 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:19.600 just rack up like thirty tens and tents for the 0:15:19.640 --> 0:15:21.680 rest of my career. I don't care and get and 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:24.120 sort of like at least give a because one thing 0:15:24.120 --> 0:15:26.120 Westbrook does is he gives an identity right to a 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:29.520 team like he does, and he sort of jams his 0:15:29.680 --> 0:15:33.480 sort of his mo to a team and can be good, 0:15:33.560 --> 0:15:35.520 can be bad. I mean, you're gonna compete hard. You're 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:37.160 probably gonna flame out in the playoffs, but you are 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.040 gonna beat compete hard and you're probably gonna put butts 0:15:39.080 --> 0:15:41.040 in seats when we eventually could do that. And he's 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:45.240 a draw. He's definitely a draw. So but the Hornets, 0:15:45.240 --> 0:15:47.880 I mean, I you can picture him in these new 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:49.480 jerseys and we'll get to those in a second. I 0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:51.640 think he would look cool, but wow, it'd be weird 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:54.080 on any of those Eastern Conference teams. The Nicks, I'm 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:56.440 with you, guys. It feels like we've been thinking about 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:59.240 it for years. It's eventually just gonna happen. But Bobby 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:01.840 Marks put it well them of whether or not they 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:04.520 would want him, a good way to look at it 0:16:04.560 --> 0:16:08.240 is if he were a free agent this offseason Westbrook, 0:16:08.640 --> 0:16:10.680 would New York commit to him for three years and 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:13.120 one hundred and thirty two million dollars? Like, would that 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:14.880 be a type of thing that they would be comfortable with? 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:17.080 Because that's what he's looking at. And if the answer 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:18.640 is no, then you really can scratch him from the 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:20.520 discussion here. And I think that's here because like they 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:24.000 could package what like Wayne Ellington and Bobby Portis and 0:16:24.040 --> 0:16:27.000 Frankney Lakina and Kevin Knox. Maybe because there's a young 0:16:27.080 --> 0:16:29.040 stud there, maybe that could blossom into something. 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:30.960 Why wouldn't they do that? Why wouldn't they do that? 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:32.640 Why would they have fair? 0:16:33.040 --> 0:16:35.400 What else do they have going for the next three years? 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:39.720 The Westbrook Show? Why the heck not for a few years. 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:42.280 If you want to be a bad team here for 0:16:42.360 --> 0:16:46.240 this twenty twenty one season, keep flowing, keep flowing. 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:49.240 You know what's weird about that task? I do agree 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:50.480 with that with a lot of these teams that we're 0:16:50.520 --> 0:16:54.120 talking about Hornets, Nickson and Magic in a normal year, 0:16:54.240 --> 0:16:56.800 but we're talking about a year where you're not in 0:16:56.840 --> 0:16:58.640 they're going to even have people in the stands. You're 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:00.400 not going to obviously have to capacity. Some of these 0:17:00.400 --> 0:17:03.080 places may have zero fans out in their arena. So 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:05.480 that part where I keep struggling with my mind. You're right, 0:17:06.080 --> 0:17:08.439 some of these like small markets or the Knicks, who 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:11.080 are desperate for a big star. You'd be like, oh, yeah, 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:13.280 we'll get the place rocket, We'll sell it every night. 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:15.680 You know, he is a good player still, and maybe 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.720 he takes us to the playoffs, whatever, but there's a buzz, 0:17:19.480 --> 0:17:21.679 there's not going to be fans. I mean that, so 0:17:21.760 --> 0:17:24.280 at least for a year probably, I mean, I hope 0:17:24.280 --> 0:17:25.840 we get to that point but I think we can 0:17:25.880 --> 0:17:26.600 all agree it's. 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:29.320 Not full arenas full arenas anyway, that's a long way. 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:31.919 I'm just adding that part to what you're saying. I 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:33.879 sort of agree with you, but like that's not going 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:36.080 to be happening, like that part where you sell it 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:36.480 for arena. 0:17:36.640 --> 0:17:39.760 For me, that almost increases the likelihood of them making 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:42.679 a move. Do you want just a dead arena and 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:44.720 a dead market for a full year? I mean, it 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:49.720 almost amplifies the silence when they stink uh and Trey. 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:52.800 Trey already gave a nice little marketing point. Broadway is 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:56.399 done until May. I think at least Broadway is in 0:17:56.480 --> 0:18:02.000 Madison Square Garden every single night. The Westbrook Show. It 0:18:02.160 --> 0:18:04.400 just it just makes too much sense. The Knicks love 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:08.040 getting a guy who's shown his greatness throughout the first 0:18:08.040 --> 0:18:09.760 part of his career and then is sort of on 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:13.120 the decline. I know, three years a lot for an 0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:17.080 athletic guy going deep into his thirty series thirty two. 0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:17.920 I guess that's not deep. 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:20.640 But for how many how many how many injury knee 0:18:20.640 --> 0:18:22.720 injuries has the guy had or surgeries? I mean, it 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:24.320 makes them stronger, so it doesn't matter. 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:26.399 I don't know. Isn't it just like a good year 0:18:26.440 --> 0:18:28.720 of Westbrook, maybe two good years of Westbrook because he 0:18:28.800 --> 0:18:32.280