WEBVTT - EPISODE 4: The Kyrie Irving Trade REACTION 0:00:03.400 --> 0:00:07.040 Welcome to This League Uncut in the world of twenty 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:10.680 four hour NBA news. Just do you lose? Chris Hanes, 0:00:10.920 --> 0:00:16.320 Di's go Time, Mark Stein, Di's show Time, Bucker Loka, 0:00:16.720 --> 0:00:20.840 Chris Hanes and Mark Stein. This League Uncut just underway 0:00:21.040 --> 0:00:24.400 and then fire. This should be a good one. Thank 0:00:24.440 --> 0:00:29.960 you Tim kits Roe, legendary voice of NBA jam who 0:00:30.040 --> 0:00:34.479 is graced our little pod, our new little pod with 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:38.480 some amazing intros. Some drops will be throwing in here. 0:00:39.280 --> 0:00:42.479 Mark Stein here with his pal Chris Haynes. Mister Haynes. 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:45.839 It was just a week ago that not only this 0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:49.400 show debuted, This League Uncut, not only a week ago 0:00:49.479 --> 0:00:52.320 was the first episode. I'm pretty sure a week ago 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:55.080 you and I were at the end of that episode. 0:00:55.320 --> 0:00:57.160 We were talking and kind we were trying to will 0:00:57.160 --> 0:00:59.520 it into existence. Are we gonna get a curveball? Are 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:01.720 we gonna get a surprise? Are we going to get 0:01:01.760 --> 0:01:05.320 something that we haven't even talked about? But it's gonna 0:01:05.319 --> 0:01:11.920 make this trade deadline memorable. Yesterday Sunday, what I thought 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:14.760 was going to be the last stretch of the last 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:18.760 dose of calm before the madness, before locking myself in 0:01:18.840 --> 0:01:23.920 the trade deadline Dungeon. Of course, the Dallas Mavericks, the 0:01:23.920 --> 0:01:28.679 team in my city, strikes a Sunday afternoon trade to 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:34.160 acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets. I guess we 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:40.520 have our seismic surprise this league. There you go, I 0:01:40.720 --> 0:01:43.520 did this league. I didn't. I mean we talked. We 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:47.400 talked the morning Sunday morning. Yes, and you know what 0:01:47.560 --> 0:01:50.200 the people need to know. You told me a stein, 0:01:50.520 --> 0:01:53.200 you said this could happen today. I'm like this young fellow, 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:55.320 Chris Haynes, what is he talking. There's no way this 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:59.280 trades happened on a Sunday. I at least have till Monday. No, 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:03.000 I do not. Chris says was correct, and I was not. 0:02:04.040 --> 0:02:10.160 And Sunday lunchtime you were right boom. So I gotta 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:12.560 call at five in the morning my time. I'm here 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:15.960 on the West Coast. I gotta call five in the morning. 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:21.560 That should I marks GM of the Nets and Joe Side, 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.760 the owner of the Nets, were going to huddle up 0:02:25.760 --> 0:02:28.959 at some point in the morning. So I got to 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:31.880 call around five and they and I guess they were 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.639 going to huddle up in the next two to three 0:02:34.720 --> 0:02:37.720 hours at that time, and they were gonna go through 0:02:37.840 --> 0:02:41.359 all their all the offers that they had. And so 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:43.760 at that point, that's when I knew, Okay, this thing 0:02:43.840 --> 0:02:49.239 can go down today or at the latest tomorrow, just 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:53.680 the way that this individual explained the plan of attack 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:56.200 for that day. And so I remember I talked to you. 0:02:56.240 --> 0:02:58.520 We talked, Yeah, we talked that morning. I think we 0:02:58.560 --> 0:03:00.880 talked a couple of hours. It had to been the 0:03:00.919 --> 0:03:03.280 morning time. Yeah, you weren't. I should I should have 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:06.880 just locked myself in my house, but no, I tempted fate. 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:09.560 I said, this is my last chance to escape before 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.800 these next four days of NonStop no sleep. So what 0:03:12.840 --> 0:03:15.360 were you doing? Star? Do I have to reveal that? 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:20.440 I will? I will reveal. It doesn't made me look 0:03:20.520 --> 0:03:23.760 very smarter. Good, So you know, you know I'm a 0:03:23.760 --> 0:03:27.440 tennis addict. I mean addict. Tennis was my first sporting love. 0:03:28.480 --> 0:03:30.840 I wanted to be a pro tennis player. Never even 0:03:30.919 --> 0:03:35.320 got within a bazillion miles of being anywhere close. But 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:37.960 I started playing very late. I didn't really start playing 0:03:38.000 --> 0:03:40.960 until I was thirteen, but by fourteen I was an addict, 0:03:41.480 --> 0:03:45.520 and I realized it really cemented my decision to be 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:47.960 a sportswriter because I thought I can make the tour 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:50.520 as a writer. I can be and in those days, 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:52.640 you know, this is the days of John McEnroe and 0:03:52.720 --> 0:03:55.520 Jimmy Connors, and you know, tennis was huge back then. 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:57.280 I said, I can make it as a I'm gonna 0:03:57.280 --> 0:03:59.680 make it as a writer. I'm gonna travel the circuit, 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:02.480 I mean tennis. So we have a pro tennis tournament 0:04:02.680 --> 0:04:06.600 that started Sunday in Dallas and it runs through the 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:08.600 whole trade deadline week and I don't get to go 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:11.560 to any of it. Pro tennis in my city up. 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:14.200 An ATP Tour event last year was the first time 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:16.320 since the late eighty So I said, you know what, 0:04:16.400 --> 0:04:19.919 I'm gonna sneak to tennis and just watch, just watch 0:04:19.920 --> 0:04:24.040 a smidge of tennis before. And I'm an idiot. I 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:26.800 should have listened to Haynes. Haynes told me the trade 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:29.800 was gonna happen Sunday, and I didn't believe you. You 0:04:29.839 --> 0:04:32.719 would have still went, But the trade happened. But Stein 0:04:32.880 --> 0:04:36.000 we gave, We gave everybody a little bit of a teaser. 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:39.160 Was it our first episode about how this could possibly 0:04:39.160 --> 0:04:40.640 go down? I think it was like, yeah, I think 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:43.040 you're right. Yeah, no, you said, I think it was 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:45.200 also the first episode. It was the first or the second, 0:04:45.240 --> 0:04:47.440 and you said, we've got to keep our eye on 0:04:47.480 --> 0:04:51.640 this Kyrie Irving situation. Yeah, and this was obviously the 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:56.560 last step requesting the trade in. We're here now, go 0:04:56.600 --> 0:04:59.240 ahead and Stein, go ahead and break down what the 0:04:59.360 --> 0:05:02.120 Dallas maver got, and then I can I can talk 0:05:02.160 --> 0:05:06.400 about um. Somebody offers, well, look, I have to say 0:05:06.400 --> 0:05:09.800 I Look, I knew the Mavericks would be interested. You know, 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:13.960 they flirted with it in the summertime. And the reason 0:05:14.160 --> 0:05:19.080 that the Mavericks came up immediately is because you know, 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:22.359 the Mavericks trade assets get dissed all the time, but 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:26.960 what the Mavericks do have. Nico Harrison, the former Nike executive, 0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:31.880 very closely with both Kyrie and Shatilia Riley Irving, kyrie 0:05:31.960 --> 0:05:35.840 stepmother and agent, so he knows them very very well. 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:41.320 Jason Kidd was one of young Kyrie's favorite players because Kyrie, 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:43.360 as he's told us many times, grew up a Nets fan. 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:47.440 I just found out the other day that in twenty eighteen, 0:05:47.520 --> 0:05:50.840 when Kidd got inducted to the Hall of Fame, when 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:53.640 Kyrie found out. You know. He basically reached out to 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:57.360 their mutual friend Robin Pound, the former trainer of the Sons, 0:05:57.400 --> 0:06:00.120 and Kyrie said, I have to be in Springfield you 0:06:00.160 --> 0:06:02.520 get inducted. So he and Kid are close. So the 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:05.520 MAVs do have that infrastructure in their favor. But I 0:06:05.560 --> 0:06:07.240 didn't think the MAVs would be able to put the 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:09.880 best deal on the table. I reported, I want to 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:13.159 say Friday or Saturday that the Nets we're always going 0:06:13.200 --> 0:06:16.520 to go after din Witty and Dorian Phinney Smith. When 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:19.919 you look at the MAVs players, they're three most coveted 0:06:19.960 --> 0:06:23.400 players around the league not named Luca. Would have been 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:26.800 Dorian Finney Smith number one. And then I think a 0:06:26.880 --> 0:06:29.560 toss up between din Witty and Josh Green because Josh 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:31.920 Green is really improving and I think I think teams 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:35.400 like him. But the Nets no din Witty. Din Witty 0:06:35.480 --> 0:06:37.960 has shot at the ball in Dallas. He's in Dallas. 0:06:37.960 --> 0:06:40.280 He's become a forty percent shooter from three point range. 0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:43.360 He never shot the three like that in his other stops. 0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:46.440 So the Nets get back din Witty, a guy they 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:49.560 know very well, Dorian Finney Swift Smith a three and 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:52.280 d Wing who Kevin Durant likes. They also get a 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:55.200 future first. But I didn't think that. I knew that 0:06:55.279 --> 0:06:57.239 was the best the MAVs could do. I really thought 0:06:57.240 --> 0:06:59.640 this was going to be a Laker's three way with 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:04.600 Sam Antonio. The Nets get the picks, Jaka Purdle, the 0:07:04.640 --> 0:07:07.080 picks go to San Antonio, the Nets get other stuff. 0:07:07.279 --> 0:07:09.400 I didn't think the MAVs would win this race, and 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:13.800 it happened. It happened fast. I feel it, you're feeling 0:07:13.840 --> 0:07:16.760 all the other blanks. Yeah, okay, I thought, you know, 0:07:16.960 --> 0:07:18.880 I think we talked about this before. I thought Phoenix 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:23.120 had probably the best package. So what I gathered from, 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.520 you know, the offers that they received from the Lakers 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:29.080 and from the Phoenix Suns, they felt like the Davers Mavericks, 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:32.480 you know, they value of course, they value picks, but 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:36.840 they value more importantly to have good complimentary players to 0:07:37.000 --> 0:07:39.960 help KD because they still want to make a run. 0:07:40.000 --> 0:07:43.640 They still have championship aspirations. But with that being says I, 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:48.600 so I was able to gather the intail of what 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:54.120 the Lakers offered and what the Dallas excuse me, the 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:58.960 Phoenix Suns offered. So the Lakers, they did. Indeed, as 0:07:59.000 --> 0:08:02.040 you would know, they did d include those two first 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:06.600 round picks. There was I think there was like some 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:11.280 pause on people that felt like Robert only Rob Polinka, 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:15.480 that is, would only offer, you know, include one, you know, 0:08:15.480 --> 0:08:17.280 one of those picks. But he did include both. So 0:08:17.360 --> 0:08:20.000 the Lakers went all in. They went all in to 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:24.480 try to get Kyrie Irvin and it didn't work. The 0:08:24.480 --> 0:08:28.520 Phoenix Suns. Now, this is probably the probably probably the 0:08:28.520 --> 0:08:32.800 more juicy tip bit. I was told the Sons included 0:08:33.360 --> 0:08:40.600 Chris Paul, Jay Crowder, and some unspecified picks that they 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:46.120 couldn't get an agreement on, and ultimately they turned that down. 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:49.160 And I will say this, Stein, I'm very sensitive to 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.160 you know, what players go through during this time, this 0:08:53.200 --> 0:08:55.640 period trade and trade deadline and hearing your name and 0:08:56.080 --> 0:08:59.360 all that stuff, and so you know, in reporting what 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:04.160 offered were turned down, I reached out to Chris Paul. 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:07.280 And before I reported that, I reached out to Chris 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:10.760 Paul first. I wanted to get his not that I 0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:13.240 needed to, but you know, I have a pretty good 0:09:13.240 --> 0:09:16.880 relationship with him, and the trade has done, like the 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:20.240 big trade is done, so you don't necessarily need to 0:09:20.280 --> 0:09:25.720 know who was who was offered. But I knew it 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:28.160 was going to get out if I did it, So 0:09:28.880 --> 0:09:31.280 I reached out to Chris Paul. I told him what 0:09:31.320 --> 0:09:35.600 I had and he you know, he thanked me before 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:38.880 coming to him and being up front with him, and 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.280 he said, Chris, you gotta do what you gotta do. 0:09:41.760 --> 0:09:45.320 I respect the fact that you haven't handled it this way. 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:48.160 Do what you gotta do. Go ahead. And so that's 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:52.760 what led me to reporting the extra details on what 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:56.000 was offered to the Brooklyn Mets. Yeah, and see when 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:59.040 you reported that Sunday night, see that seat because the 0:09:59.080 --> 0:10:02.360 way it had been built to he is Brooklyn picked 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:06.760 the Mavericks offer because the Mavericks offered the two best 0:10:06.840 --> 0:10:12.480 win now players in the deal perspective, I think you're 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:14.640 right they were willing to trade both picks. From what 0:10:14.720 --> 0:10:18.880 I've heard, though, the Nets asked so much more from 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:22.439 the Lakers than they did the other teams, multiple pick swaps. 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:26.600 On top of that, they wanted Austin Reeves, they wanted 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:29.600 Max Christie. I was also the Tulton Knight. They just 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:32.280 got Ruey hatch m last night. Sorry, I was just 0:10:32.320 --> 0:10:34.760 told Sunday night they just got Ruey had Cha Murrow, 0:10:34.800 --> 0:10:37.040 So you can't you can't aggregate Ruy had Cha Murrow 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:39.680 with other players. But the Nets would have wanted Rudy 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:43.800 if if he could have been aggregating the deal. So, 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:47.400 as one source put it to me, Eat, one of 0:10:47.440 --> 0:10:50.240 the presumed objectives for Joe Si the Nets owner in 0:10:50.240 --> 0:10:52.720 this trade, was don't send Kyrie where he wants to go, 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:54.760 don't send him to La. And when you when you 0:10:54.800 --> 0:10:58.000 start hearing all the stuff that they were asking from 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:00.840 for them, that they were asking for from the Lakers, 0:11:01.080 --> 0:11:04.560 it does certainly support the notion that they did not 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:07.840 want this deal to end up with Kyrie going the Lakers. 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:10.400 But what the stuff you reported about the Suns is 0:11:10.440 --> 0:11:16.480 fascinating because is Din Witty, Dorian Phinney Smith and a 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:20.800 first a better win now package than Chris Paul, Jay 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:25.960 Crowder and draft capital. I mean that is that's a 0:11:26.000 --> 0:11:30.000 really strong offer from Phoenix. So it's interest very interesting 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:34.040 to me that the Nets chose the Dallas offer over 0:11:34.080 --> 0:11:38.160 the Phoenix offer. I have to believe that they did. 0:11:38.280 --> 0:11:40.800 Now this is this is this is this is tea 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:43.120 leaves reading. On my part, I'm not reporting this because 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:45.319 I do not know how the nets arrived at that 0:11:45.400 --> 0:11:48.360 ultimate decision. But I have to think they thought Kevin 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:51.559 Durant would like the din witty Phinney Smith combo better 0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:56.120 than the Chris Paul J. Crowder combo. But again, that 0:11:56.640 --> 0:11:59.439 doesn't that surprise you a little bit? It definitely does 0:11:59.440 --> 0:12:02.319 surprise me. But I mean, I think that's a safe assumption. 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:05.960 If you're gonna make that move, you you have to 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:09.680 run that by KD to get his stample of approval. 0:12:09.720 --> 0:12:11.600 I think you would have to, especially at this stage 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:14.800 right now, where KD has been left bare with no 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:21.000 other all stars, I should say, on the roster. So yeah, 0:12:21.080 --> 0:12:24.200 I was surprised because going in I thought Phoenix. So 0:12:24.280 --> 0:12:28.199 it was it was funny. So this morning waking up 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:31.400 receiving a five IM phone call kind of giving me 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:34.000 a heads up on what's going on, I was under 0:12:34.040 --> 0:12:37.679 the impression that Phoenix, like this was Phoenix's to lose. 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:42.040 And then a few hours later, talking with a few people, 0:12:42.480 --> 0:12:45.840 I was told Dallas is in the driver's seat and 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:48.040 I was like wow, like that just shocked him, Like 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:51.160 what what is Cuban? What is Nico doing? Like how 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:52.959 can they get like how can they be the driver's seat? 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:56.040 What is Phens doing because at the time I was thinking, man, 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:59.160 Phoenix must be it must be playing like what's going on? 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:01.920 They're not including everybody. They're not doing you know, because 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:04.079 I was I was hearing Phoenix, Phenix, Phenix, and I 0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:07.880 didn't know what changed. And so you know, again, from 0:13:07.880 --> 0:13:10.679 what I understand, the Nets felt like these two pieces 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:17.000 were better suited to keep the Nets afloat for championship pursuit. 0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.760 So yeah, I think that's still going to be ongoing 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:23.160 debate if if they're better with din Witty and Phinney 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:26.679 over Chris Paul and Jay Crowder. So that's well, They're 0:13:26.760 --> 0:13:28.640 one thing now. One thing I can add to this 0:13:28.679 --> 0:13:30.760 that I've since learned. You know, I wrote all I 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:33.600 wrote like two thousand words on my sub stack about 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:35.839 this trade, but I didn't know this when I wrote 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:39.800 that Sunday night. I have since been told that don't 0:13:39.880 --> 0:13:45.120 the Nets have not ruled out sending din Witty somewhere 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:49.680 else in a in a subsequent trade or look, these teams, 0:13:49.960 --> 0:13:52.120 the Mavericks and the Nets haven't announced their trade yet. 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:54.320 They haven't formally done it, so that the trade can 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:57.840 still expand if they find something else that they want 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:01.840 to do. So that might be the element where the 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:05.240 Nets thought, if we get Spencer din Witty, who's making 0:14:05.240 --> 0:14:08.400 in the eighteen million dollar range and having you know, 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:11.240 again since he became a maverick, didn't he's played the 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:14.200 best ball of his life, maybe the Nets think it's 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:17.880 easier to move din Witty for something else to fill 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:20.360 another need than move you know. Obviously Chris Paul would 0:14:20.400 --> 0:14:22.920 have been harder to move on. But yeah, I mean that, 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.200 like I they're gonna when there's finally press conferences here, 0:14:26.240 --> 0:14:29.040 that's certainly gonna be after what you reported. I can't 0:14:29.040 --> 0:14:30.840 wait to hear what Sean Marks has to say. You 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:34.320 were offered Chris Paul and you didn't take it. Yeah, obviously, 0:14:34.360 --> 0:14:37.800 you know he wouldn't. He wouldn't respond to that him. 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:40.000 I think, no, I mean he might have to. He's 0:14:40.000 --> 0:14:42.400 got to say. I mean, they're gonna ask him. He's 0:14:42.440 --> 0:14:44.080 got to say something. May I guess he could go 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:48.120 no comment, but yeah, yeah, I would. I'd be very 0:14:48.160 --> 0:14:52.720 surprised if he commented on any other teams. Yeah, I mean, 0:14:52.720 --> 0:14:54.200 you're right, he'll just say these you know, we went 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:56.120 with the guys we like best or whatever. But I mean, 0:14:56.120 --> 0:14:59.880 that's that's but but look at look at what happened. 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:03.520 Kyrie requests the trade, and then just the last couple 0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:06.880 of days and then you know, I was told that 0:15:07.200 --> 0:15:09.240 the Nets were going to sit them out until they 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:11.320 found a deal. So we knew like this was over. 0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:14.880 And I mean they were applying applying pressure Kyrie and 0:15:14.880 --> 0:15:17.560 in his camp, you know, word got out, and you know, 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:20.360 I was told the same thing that if they didn't 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:24.280 trade them pass the deadline, they were seriously considering sitting 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.640 out the rest of the season. So they were really 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:30.280 trying to apply as much pressure as possible to get out. 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.320 And I was told from Kyrie's camp as well that 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:37.080 he's ecstatic about this move. He's looking very looking forward 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:40.640 to partner up with Luca Donkis. Now that's what we 0:15:40.680 --> 0:15:42.400 have to look at. You know, you're gonna have a 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:44.520 front row seat to that starting sign. I'm jealous. I'm 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:47.920 always jealous. Man. You got the best seats, probably with 0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:50.680 some of the best seats that we have in all 0:15:50.680 --> 0:15:54.480 the other twenty nine NBA arenas. Man, that is a 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:57.560 great seat to watch some great basketball knock on hardwood. 0:15:57.760 --> 0:16:01.640 Somehow we have retained just to show you how how 0:16:01.640 --> 0:16:04.600 spoiled I used to be in the old old days 0:16:04.600 --> 0:16:06.960 when we sat like on the table on the part. 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:09.360 You know, when we first got those seats, when when 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:12.880 you know the MAVs Arena opened, it was it two 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:16.360 O one o two somewhere in there. At first, those 0:16:16.360 --> 0:16:18.200 seats were a little farther away than we were used 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:20.920 to in Reunion Arena. I sat on the on the table, 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:23.320 I was on the floor. I could reach out and 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:26.000 touch the game. So going from Reunion Arena to the AC, 0:16:26.200 --> 0:16:28.040 I was like, man, this is you know, I'm a 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:30.640 little I'm a little spoiled. This isn't close enough. But 0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:33.920 compared to where we are now in twenty twenty three, 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:36.880 you're right, the MAVs seat is about as good as 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:39.800 it gets. Knock on hardwood, We're still pretty close. And 0:16:39.840 --> 0:16:42.520 you're right. I mean, look, I have a lot of 0:16:42.600 --> 0:16:48.680 skepticism about that yourself. Stet the MAVs. The MAVs made 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:54.120 this look they lost Jalen Brunson without compensation, and that 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:57.880 was an absolute hammer blow. I think Brunson should have 0:16:57.880 --> 0:17:00.440 been an All Star in the East. I mean, there's 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:03.640 no room for James Harden and Jimmy Butler, so I 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:06.560 guess there's no room for Jalen Brunson, But I mean 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:09.240 he had a very strong case. The guy just gets 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:13.320 better every single year. He was great. He knew how 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:17.080 to play well with Luca, which made him even more valuable. 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:22.720 It's been a rough season without Brunson. So look, the 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:28.240 MAVs have paid a very hefty price here after not 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:31.320 resigning Brunson and losing them without compensation. They have paid 0:17:31.359 --> 0:17:36.040 a very hefty price for Kyrie Irving, who is essentially, 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:40.320 potentially will say to be more polite here a rental. 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:43.800 We'll see how the Mavericks have not promised. Based on 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:46.960 everything I'm told, the Mavericks have not promised Kyrie a 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:51.719 new deal. They're gonna see how it goes. There's a 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:57.320 lot of skepticism about how two ball dominant players Luca 0:17:57.400 --> 0:18:01.400 don Chich and Kyrie Irving can co exist, and so 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:04.280 everybody wants to see it first before they commit. But 0:18:04.520 --> 0:18:08.480 if this doesn't work out and Kyrie becomes a free 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:13.200 agent and leaves, the MAVs just lost Din Wittie, Dorian 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:16.720 Phinney Smith and a future and unprotected future. First in 0:18:16.760 --> 0:18:20.600 twenty twenty nine, for cap space, the Mavericks history with 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:26.480 cap space is awful. They have never hit the home 0:18:26.560 --> 0:18:29.640 run with cap space. All of the MAVs big moves, 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:36.560 their successful splashes were always trades, always, so having a 0:18:36.600 --> 0:18:39.120 boatload of cap if Kyrie leaves and having a boatload 0:18:39.160 --> 0:18:41.080 of cap space, the MAVs can tell you a better 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:44.680 than anybody that that guarantees nothing. So there are a 0:18:44.760 --> 0:18:47.200 lot of question marks. I mean again Kid and Miko. 0:18:47.880 --> 0:18:51.920 Infrastructure wise, the MAVs are probably best positioned to take 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:55.120 him in. I mean the Lakers with Lebron or obviously 0:18:55.400 --> 0:18:57.680 you know Lebron and Kyrie wanted to get back together, 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:00.480 so obviously the Lakers, you would think Lebron could have 0:19:00.560 --> 0:19:04.439 managed that. But infrastructure wise, with Kid and Nico, the 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:08.000 map should be is well positioned to take Kyrie in 0:19:08.000 --> 0:19:09.920 in the middle of the season as any team. But 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:13.920 what is that really How much insulation and protection does 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:16.119 that really give you after these last four years of 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:20.959 roller coaster in Brooklyn? Yeah, I mean, and that's what 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:23.720 I'm man. Look, I am very much intrigued with how 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:27.119 that partnership is going to work with two ball dominant players. 0:19:28.480 --> 0:19:31.640 I think for the most part, when you team up 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:36.000 to challenged players like that, they tend to figure it out. 0:19:36.640 --> 0:19:40.240 And so I you know, Kyrie played with Lebron, you 0:19:40.280 --> 0:19:43.760 know Broun's ball dominant. He was able to figure it out. 0:19:43.840 --> 0:19:47.639 And I think he wants this. He understands this is 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:50.400 Lucas team. I think he's gonna come out. I think 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.560 he's gonna do well. I really do. I think he's 0:19:52.560 --> 0:19:54.360 gonna do well. I mean, I don't know how well 0:19:54.440 --> 0:19:57.760 that's going to translate into team success or how deep 0:19:57.760 --> 0:19:59.560 they go, but I think I think he's gonna do 0:19:59.640 --> 0:20:03.440 better than what people probably initially expect. The other element 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:06.720 about this is I'm hearing Dallas is not done. S 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:10.359 this is this is your team. I'm hearing they're not done. 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:14.440 You know, I agree. I reported Saturday that the Clippers 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:18.439 have been eyeing Christian Would. I think Christian Would and 0:20:18.560 --> 0:20:21.320 D'Angelo Russell. I mean, look, the Clippers are looking at 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:23.360 a lot of guys, and the Clippers made a run 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:25.760 at Kyrie. Let's not forget that. So the Clippers, we 0:20:25.840 --> 0:20:28.359 know they want to improve. They want to bolster the 0:20:28.440 --> 0:20:32.960 front court and the backcourt. So you can pretty much 0:20:32.960 --> 0:20:36.480 expect that the Clippers are going to do something between 0:20:36.520 --> 0:20:39.160 now and Thursday. I you know again, they're they're looking 0:20:39.160 --> 0:20:42.120 at Christian Wood. It would not surprise me if would 0:20:42.320 --> 0:20:45.680 ended up being traded to the Clippers, because he's extension 0:20:45.720 --> 0:20:48.760 eligible with the MAVs and they weren't making much progress 0:20:48.800 --> 0:20:52.679 on extension talks before this Kyrie trade, So um, that 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:56.600 would not surprise me. Um. From what I'm told, the 0:20:56.600 --> 0:20:59.240 Clippers have been looking hard at D'Angelo Russell. I think 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:02.280 they think they have interest in nas Read as well. 0:21:02.320 --> 0:21:04.919 But all the signals from Minnesota have been that that 0:21:05.080 --> 0:21:08.200 naz Reid is not going to be moved. But yeah, 0:21:08.240 --> 0:21:10.040 I mean, the MAVs are not done. The nets are 0:21:10.520 --> 0:21:13.080 the nets aren't very much not done. As I said, 0:21:13.119 --> 0:21:15.639 you know, they could. They have not ruled out trading 0:21:15.680 --> 0:21:18.720 din Witty for something else, and you know you said it. 0:21:18.920 --> 0:21:21.119 I mean, the two things we don't know is, you know, 0:21:21.240 --> 0:21:23.879 Lebron tweeted a cryptic tweet like he always does, but 0:21:23.920 --> 0:21:26.960 we can't be sure what that actually. We do not 0:21:27.160 --> 0:21:32.280 know for sure what Durant and Lebron are thinking here. Yeah, 0:21:32.320 --> 0:21:36.560 and those those are two major major dominos. Is Lebron 0:21:37.760 --> 0:21:43.359 pissed or is he understanding that we just the Lakers 0:21:43.440 --> 0:21:46.560 could not come up with a package like the Nets 0:21:46.600 --> 0:21:48.359 just kept out asking for so much there was no 0:21:48.440 --> 0:21:50.760 way to do it. Do a deal with Lebron, accept 0:21:50.800 --> 0:21:52.800 that you go ahead, here here, here it is. I 0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:56.000 think when it comes to that tweet, Brook, that that 0:21:56.080 --> 0:21:59.960 tweet is very much tied to the Mavericks getting Kyrie 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:03.400 and the fact that you know, you know, we reported 0:22:03.520 --> 0:22:08.200 that they did offer those two first round picks before 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:14.919 Lebron understands that they offered what they could, they offered 0:22:14.960 --> 0:22:17.159 what they could within reason. Well, that's good news for 0:22:17.160 --> 0:22:19.359 the Lakers if that's the case, because yeah, yeah, I 0:22:19.400 --> 0:22:21.400 think that's what he means by what do he say? 0:22:21.520 --> 0:22:23.920 Is it me? Maybe? Maybe maybe it maybe it's maybe 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:27.960 it's me, And so I think, um, you know, it's 0:22:28.000 --> 0:22:30.800 just I guess he feels unlucky. I don't know, I 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:34.119 don't know, but yeah, I think with um Rob Lincoln 0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:36.720 didn't hold back. He didn't hold back. You know, we 0:22:36.800 --> 0:22:39.200 just didn't know if he was gonna, um include those 0:22:39.200 --> 0:22:42.280