June 26, 2019 • 39 mins
Doug thinks the Rockets trying to land Jimmy Butler in a sign and trade is only showing you how desperate they are. He also thinks Kevin Durant going to New York in free agency would be a mistake because they don't have anything he is looking for. Plus, Bill Oram from The Athletic joins the show to tell Doug if the Lakers can sign any free agents after getting Anthony Davis via trade.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time, that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
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Radio app by searching fs R. This is the best
(00:21):
of the Doug Gotleive Show on Fox Sports Radio. What
Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio, coming to
you from the overcast city of Los Angeles, California, where
we like Boston, like New York, like Toronto, like Charlotte,
(00:45):
like Houston, like Philly, like Milwaukee. Everybody waiting on this
free agency bonanza which gets set to start next week,
and it it officially kind of kicks off with these
play you'r's opting out. By the way, By the way,
we have a short discussion, uh now, maybe a long
(01:08):
discussion with Clay Travis yesterday over the use of the
term owner. I don't believe. I just want to make
sure this is very clear. I don't actually care about
people's politics. I don't. It doesn't make me want to
watch or not want to watch. I don't I know.
(01:29):
I'm I haven't conducted a poll about whether or not
somebody's politics makes you want to watch a sport um,
but I do know there are people that that that
do they If somebody kneels before the flag, maybe it
makes them not want to watch the NFL. If somebody
uh says the term owner is racist and you get
(01:51):
so fun, I don't think that makes anybody turn off
the TV. I only point this out if you really
think that there's any sort of comparison between slavery and
the current NBA, I give you Kevin Durant, who on
his own free will, turned down thirty one and a
(02:14):
half million dollars guaranteed to stay in San Francisco and
now has the ability to pick any team he wants,
and one team can pay him more for more years,
over two million dollars for five years of work, other
(02:34):
teams four and it depends upon there how much else
they paid to other people. So if you want to
tell me that the term owner because there's black men
who are being measured and judged at the combine, like okay,
but you're gonna have a really tough time passing the
(02:57):
smell test of of people who it's not even necessarily
feeling sorry for understand how you could possibly offended when
the reality is that you've collectively bargained for the ability
to have a four or five year contract which could
be worth as much as two fifty million dollars, and
you have the right to not just it's not just
(03:19):
like turned down the work, turned down thirty one million dollars.
You know that you're good at what you do and
valued at what you do. If you can say I
could make thirty one million dollars guaranteed, but I'm gonna
instead and while injured, and he won't play for a year,
(03:39):
and he could give a command two hundred and forty
million dollars, you're having a time. I'm having a real
tough time with that one. And I am actually a
somebody who's who's in real life very sensitive to the
needs of others and how words can be hurtful. This
one not it full. You're making yourself look ridiculous. NBA.
(04:06):
All right, speaking of looking ridiculous, have you heard the
latest out of Houston, So Houston which there was smoke
there appears to be fire, right, We could go back
through it, and I told you when it happened that
when it wasn't that they lost to the Warriors last
(04:27):
year when Chris Paul was hurt, but Chris Paul was hurt.
When they lost to the Warriors, it wasn't just that
they lost, It was that they missed twenty seven consecutive
three point shots, which is like the reverse of the Yankees,
who have now hit home runs in twenty eight consecutive games.
But losing in that fashion living and dying, said dying,
(04:49):
but you live the old adage. As you live by
the three, you die by the three. And they died
by the three. And then to try something new, Trevor
Reza walks, you rework your roster a little bit. Chris
Paul's healthy this year. You still lose that home to
the Warriors, this time in six games, and they don't
have their best player. You have a new owner and
(05:13):
he kind of freaks out. They get rid of most
of the staff. They offer up anybody upon anybody who's
we want for trade outside of James Harden. It's hard
to move Chris Paul with a deal, which you know
they may have agreed to when they made the trade
for Chris Paul, but they didn't have to, and now Houston,
(05:34):
it might it's bad business what they did last offseason
to re up with Chris Paul for that sort of
money for that sort of length. So now the working
story is they're working towards a signing trade with Jimmy Butler.
And remember whatever Jimmy A. Butler appears to be to
you and me, because he appears to be a great story, right,
A guy who started from nothing to being an NBA
(05:56):
All Star, a guy who only wants to have guys
around him work hard and do the right things. And
he is a guy who you feel like you cann
you can depend upon to to make big shots and
to take big shots. But the truth is, Jimmy Butler,
whatever money he signs for, no one actually thinks he's
(06:17):
like a Max level player. He's a really really good
player and a really good piece. But the truth is this,
Jimmy Butler has been on the Bulls, the Timberwolves, and
the Sixers on the last four seasons, and each one
of them seemed to have the exact same thing about
jimmybody like, yeah, he's great, but we'll let him go
(06:39):
somewhere else. And so the story is you you, if
you're gonna make this move to make it work financially,
it's gotta be what you gotta take two out of
the three guys. You gotta take either p J. Tucker,
Eric Gordon or Clint Capella. And if you're Philip Philadelphia
(07:01):
seventies six ers, it's gonna be p J. Tucker and
Eric Gordon, right, which is kind of what makes Houston
who Houston is. P J. Tucker a small ball four,
played small ball five this year. His intangibles, his toughness,
is not replaceable. And then you bring in a guy
(07:23):
who hasn't been able to get along with people in Chicago,
in Minneapolis and in Philadelphia for a team that doesn't
see it has two stars that might not get along
together all that well off on the basketball floor. This
is what happens when you shop hungry, all right, You
go shopping hungry, You come home You're like, man, what
the hell did I buy? Usually when I go shopping,
(07:47):
I like to get and I'm up. I actually like,
I enjoy the grocery store. My wife does not. I
like to get something I'm gonna make tonight, and something
I'm gonna make tomorrow night, and then everything else is
aret the things that you can keep in the fridge
or in the uh in the cupboard for uh substantial
period of time, and then maybe some fruit as well.
(08:10):
But if you go in there and you're super super hungry,
everything looks good, that sounds great. Well, maybe here's a
better one. You ever been to a restaurant When you're
super starving, hungry and eating, you're like, man, that's amazing.
That's the best place ever. You come back like two
weeks later, like this place was awesome. Now you're not
necessarily as hungry, bud, and you're like, hey, that's not
that good. Why did I tell everybody that's best? Why
(08:32):
did I go into yelp and say this is the
greatest place in the history of Newport Beach? Because you're hungry.
When you shop hungry, you pick out things you don't need,
and when you trade and you're desperate, you end up
partying with things that are the core of what makes
you good. Like I think Eric Gordon is really good
and he makes good money, but he doesn't make huge money.
(08:54):
And I would rather have a couple of guys than
have just one Jimmy Butler, who thinks he's a one,
probably more of a two or three in terms of
star players struggle as they get along with dudes like
but he didn't work in Chicago, it didn't work in Minneapolis,
it didn't work in Philadelphia. All of a sudden, it's
gonna work in Houston when you already have two guys
(09:15):
that aren't getting along in a coach that's kind of
holding on for your dear life to his job, and
a whole new staff and an owner that wants that's
motivated to win and win now, and the desperation of, hey,
if we can't do it this year when Golden State
is down, and we couldn't do it last year when
Golden State didn't have James Harden, Oh, he didn't have
Kevin Durant, like with the way I blow the whole
thing up. The Sixers planning to be aggressive in signing
(09:40):
Butler to a Neil New deal, or they could uh
have the Rockets, who have pushed for a five year,
one hund ninety million dollar offer, started free agents. The
Sixers could offer Butler four years, one sixty one six
point five million dollar deal too. Butler would be eligible
(10:00):
to sign a hunt forty million to our contract with
the Rockets, but Houston likely to need uh two of
these players Clint Cappela, Eric Gordon, and or p J.
Tucker to make the financial deal work. In other words,
they have to get rid of salary in order to
acquire p J. Tucker, Tummy, Jimmy Butler. I'm sorry, so
either Jimmy Butler, Clinton Cappella, or Eric Gordon. Like Clint Cappela,
(10:24):
I actually think is really valuable and doesn't make a
crazy amount of money, but they didn't feel like they
could play him late in games against the Golden State Warriors.
Does that change when they they're gonna play against the
Lakers this year, or against the Jazz this year, or
against the Nuggets this year. I just feel like this
(10:45):
is a move. These are moves out of desperation, whereas
they would have been way better off to go. You know,
this is a lot like the New York Knicks back
when when Michael Jordan's went to baseball. Jordan goes to
baseball and and the Knicks were always kind of missing something.
But because the Bulls lost Jordan's they went to their
first NBA Finals. Be sure to catch live editions. So
(11:08):
the Doug Dot Leaps Show weekdays in noon eastern three
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app Old people dab or little kids dab. The
rest of them was like, dude, we dabb like three
years ago. I thought it was lame. Then I think
it's super lame. Now that's what the Kevin Durant and
New York feels like. It feels like dabbing. Okay, So
(11:30):
you want to move to New York because that's where
all the players are. Right by players, I don't even
mean basketball players. That's where all the money players are
New York. Um. No, Actually, that's not the way it works.
(11:51):
You can't consider yourself the greatest city on earth if
you're uninhabitable for about three weeks in the summer and
three weeks in the winter. And that is actually true.
Good Okay. Now, second point, we do realize where all
the money is in Merca. It used to all be
the financial district, and there's people that make gobs and
(12:12):
gobs of money in New York City. I'm not saying
there are not players there, but have we not adjusted
to the new age where all the money is in
Silicon Valley, Like, there's a reason that when Kyle Lowry
goes in the front row, like there's a guy worth
two point seven billion dollars there to push him. This
(12:35):
is not the nine nineties where in order to make
it you got to go to New York. Like, no,
you don't. People don't have to have offices anymore. They
can work from home, they can work from Starbucks. People
don't have to move to New York anymore. Do you
know why? Because Silicon Valley has flipped it. They're like, hey,
what if? What if we just established our great companies
(12:56):
and stayed right here where the weather is nice? But
we don't have three weeks in the winter and three
weeks in the summer we're uninhabitable. We're gonetting a car
and drive to Napa. We're getting a car and drive
the pebble. We can go hang out in San Francisco.
You know, San Francisco is the most expensive city in
the world. You know why because that's where all the
(13:17):
money is. Like this is such a like an old
fashioned way of looking at things that you know all
and I want to do it. You want to make it?
That gotta moved to New York. Study you do Huh?
Who are the names you know most in the NBA?
I would say Steph Curry is pretty popular. He played
(13:38):
in Oakland, Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City, Paul George Indianapolis in
Oklahoma City. Yes, Lebron James, who until this year played
in Cleveland and in Miami. You tell me most people
on the street couldn't name a Brooklyn Net if they
had a media guide in front of him. Tell me
(14:00):
who's on the Knicks right now? I swear to God,
if you can go six deep on the Knicks roster,
I'll give you. I'll give you the radio show for
a week. Uh. Nope, they probably traded him. No, now
it's probably traded him. No, he hasn't played for them.
And don't get me like all Dennis Smith and Mitchell Robinson.
And because you were you saw the trade that was
(14:20):
made for Dennis Smith, trade Kevin Knox. Then what do
you got outside of those three names? Somebody? R J. Barrett?
Those are the four go to six I dare you,
But they play in New York. They played for the Knicks.
If I'm Kevin my advising Kevin Durant, My number one
piece of advice is you know what you can do.
(14:40):
You can just stay right there, you make more money,
you win more titles, you win more titles, and then
you can go, uh, I won five titles, this whole petty.
I gotta do it my with my team and my
way in New York, like a dude, this ain't the
nineteen nineties. Well, you had to go make it in
(15:01):
the big city. Santrancis got plenty big enough, they got
a new arena. If you pass out in the court
and fall in the lapse of somebody in the front row,
there worth more than people in New York. And what
is the deal with Rich Climming? It is just weird,
Like didn't have a father in his life for a
long time. Obviously his dad's kind of back in his life.
Like guys advising with Rich Climan, who's like kind of
(15:24):
made himself a player. Here's the thing, um, in television
producers who put themselves on TV on camera, I have
suspicions about right that they don't actually love their job.
They want to do your job. And in basketball agents
(15:45):
who want to be in the TV shows that their
athletes are in kind of have the same feeling about
that's rich climate look at all the stuff that the
boardroom stuff. Why is he in it? Alright? Cool, he's
he's the advisor. It just feels very forced and feels like,
(16:05):
you know, he wants Kevin Durant to live his life
his way, the way he thinks is a New Yorker.
This is the way it is. Be sure to catch
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(16:27):
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car buying experience. Bill Ower and works for the Athletic
He covers the Lakers for a living. He joins us
in the Doug out Lip Show on Fox Sports Radio. Um,
you know, look, it's been why they reported that they
wanted to The Lakers want to go after Kemba and
now a sudden looks like the Celtics and the MAVs
(18:14):
have a chance to offer more money. Um, what do
you think the Lakers are in terms of their planning
and how they're going to proceed once July first starts. Well,
I think I mean, first of all, this as the
money goes. The Lakers insist that they have a path
to get to a max slot or as close as
possible UM in a way that they think that they
(18:34):
can still make up a compelling pitch to Kemba or
whoever it might be, who's at that caliber mac of
max guy. But I think they're their off season plan
is really hasn't changed. It's it's going to be start
at the very top, try to try to land one
of those top guys. And you know, obviously they have
been viewed as you know, kind of the team with
the longest shot for much of this UM this season.
(18:57):
You know, throughout the year you started hearing that Kauai
Kyrie um, they all were looking elsewhere. The Clippers were
a more appealing destination. But some things have changed with
the Lakers, and obviously most notably Anthony Davis. And now
one of those top guys is not coming to you know,
be Lebron's number two and and carry Lebron's water in
in his old age. It is coming to be part
(19:18):
of you know, a super dynamic three headed Monster and
you know, one of the best you know trios in
the modern era, if you're talking about Kawhi Leonard. I mean,
that would be the best three man line up perhaps
you know we've we've ever seen. But there's still a
lot of issues here. So the Lakers are gonna go
down that progression and you know, whether it's the Angelo
Russell a reunion, they're trying to do something with Malcolm Brogden.
(19:40):
I mean, they they have their eyes on the right guys.
I'd think the problem is that we don't we have
we haven't yet been able to test whether guys are
interested in the Lakers and how the Anthony davis Um
trade changes the way this team is viewed around the league. Okay,
let's let's let's dig in with the uh Russell thing.
(20:03):
Could that really happen? Like they did not like him
at all when they got rid of it. Now of
a sudden that changes twenty four months later? Yeah, yeah,
I mean he has. I mean, first of all, the
Angelo continued to develop as a player in Brooklyn. Um,
he became a better all around player. Um, you know,
lad that team into the playoffs. Um, the Lakers did
(20:25):
not like him. You are right, But you've had You've
had an overhaul in all of your major departments. You
have a new coaching, a new head coach, a new
coaching staff. The front office is now UM run by
Rob Olincoln instead of Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson was the
one who had the problem with with the' Angelo Russell UM.
And also, you know, I talked to Magic the other
night outside the NBA Awards and he made it very
(20:47):
clear that he felt that the Nick Young video incident
made it so guys would not respond to the Angelo
in that locker room. And Magic's point to me was,
those guys are all gone and you've seen that. You know,
different players respond. Just find d' angelo in Brooklyn. So
there's really no reason that wouldn't carry over to l A.
And there's really no and there's no sense in de'
(21:10):
angelo having bad feelings towards the Lakers because the guy
who spearheaded the trade for him and who disparaged him
on his way out the door, UH stepped away from
the organization doing Magic Johnson. So it is real and
there is there's certainly interest on the Lakers side, UM,
and and there should be. I mean, de' angelo Russell
is a top five point guard in the league, and
(21:30):
he has become the player they thought that they were
drafting into two thousand and fifteen. And it's I mean,
it's crazy and it's ironic, and it's you know, only
in the NBA. But if if the Nets have the
kind of summer they hope to have, then there's absolutely
after d' angelo Russell back to the Lakers. Um, well,
if deangel Russell was such a league point guard, why
would the Nets let him go? I mean, isn't that
(21:51):
isn't that? Isn't that the great debate? Right? That's that's
the that's the issue. If if they are going to
be able to land a Kyrie Kevin Durant combo, then
and it's worth letting the Angelo walk. If not, I mean,
it's a tough decision. Twenty three years old average twenty
one and seven last year, is continuing, is continuing to evolve. Um,
it's it's a it's a tough decision in Brooklyn of
(22:13):
kind of how you want to shape and direct your franchise.
But Kyrie Irving, i think in general, is viewed as
that transcendent talent that you know, superstar, top level player
that the Angelo is not there yet. But um, you know,
I think that the Nets are only gonna let the
Angelo Russell walk if they if they feel like they
have to. Philore, I'm joining us here on the Doug
(22:33):
Gatlip Show on Fox Sports Radio. What about the Darren Collison's,
What about the Patrick Beverley some of those second level guys, Um,
how likely are they to be Lakers? Being more likely?
I mean, you're you're you're now in the scenario where
the Lakers are not able to lure that top guy.
That guy is gonna command thirty million dollars on the
on the open market, and that they're now they're breaking
(22:55):
up their cap space. Um, whatever that number ends up
looking like, Um, Darren Collis and Patrick Beverley, UM, Marcus Morris,
Jeremy Lamb. Those are the sorts of guys that, you know,
as they try to build a roster that they should
be looking at and by all accounts, I mean they
know that Seth curries out there. Um, it's just gonna
be it's it's just going to be an interesting test
of Rob Polinka and his and his managerial skills. I mean,
(23:18):
we saw last summer the Lakers had you know, limited um,
you know, they had they had cap space last year
and that they didn't want to carry it over beyond
two thousand nineteen, and so they signed a bunch of
one year deals and the guys they signed, um, you know,
ended up not really working out. I think we can
safely say Michael Beasley was not on the team by
the end of the year, Lance Stevenson, Tavaille McGee, and
(23:39):
Rajon Rondo. The team didn't make the playoffs, didn't really
come close to the playoffs. Obviously the injury to Lebron
was was a key factor there as well, but that
was not a good supporting cast for Lebron James. Now,
they were mitigating circumstances. But you know, if if the
Lakers failed to put that if the Lakers put that
caliber cast around um Lebron and a D, this team
is not gonna come anywhere near the expectations that people
(24:01):
suddenly have for it. So this is going to be
a real test of Rob Lincoln and his ability to
build a quality supporting cast for Lebron. Bill Orm joining
us in the Doug Gotled Show on Fox Sports Radio.
And then you still have the kind of makeup of
the coaching staff, like have we they still have put
together the whole coaching staff, right like Ron Adams, they've
they've been gotten permission to talk to Well, how how
(24:23):
is that coming together? My sense is that Ron Adam
is still going to be difficult to lure away from
Golden State. UM. But yeah, I mean, we don't we
don't know what this staff looks like. The Lakers haven't
haven't done anything formal. They haven't even announced the Jason
Kidd higher, although that Frank Vogel discussed it at his
at his introductory press conference. So we don't really know
who's going to be who's going to be alongside um
(24:45):
Frank Vogel, you know on opening night. But you have
a good sense obviously with Lionel Hollins and and and
Jason Kidd, there's your those are your your primary assistance.
It's a it's a you know, a a tame of
you know, former head coaches, lots of name recognition, which
matters to the Lakers. UM. You know, guys who have
(25:06):
won UM, won championships as players. UM. You know, there's
there's credibility to those names, which frankly um the guys
Luke Walton brought in with him, with the exception of
Brian Shaw, were probably a little bit more unknowns and
so um, you know, Frank Vogel, I have no doubt
is assembling his staff. But they've played they've played that
pretty close to the vest. It is gonna be fascinating,
(25:27):
all right. The last thing is they got any shout
at Kahi letter. I think I think it's um. I
think it's slim. You know, I think that they they
hope that they're that they get a chance to make
the pitch to him that he can come be part
of the best, the best three man lineup in NBA
history like Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Lebron James. Is
the best, is the best, the best trio in the
(25:48):
in the history of the league, come here win multiple championships.
They hope it's that simple, Um, But you know, there's
obviously going to be some um. There's there's a lot
of reasons for Kawhi Leonard to not leave throughout and
a lot of reasons why the Clippers would look more
appealing where he can be um the soul face of
the franchise and say what you will about you know
that you know, three headed monster this is still Lebron
(26:10):
James's team, and if you come as a as a
second or third star, you're still going to be expected,
at least in the first year two to defer to Lebron.
And I don't know if you are Kawhile Leonard if
that appeals to you, But um, there are people still
talk about Kawhi Leonard as being one of the guys
they're going to pursue. So I don't think they're going
to close the door on that until it's closed on them.
(26:30):
M fascinating, fascinating stuff. Um, Bill, really appreciate you join us.
It's going to be an interesting week and a week
and a half in l A. We love that you're
staying on top of it. Read your work in The
Athletic all the time. And thanks for your guest. Okay,
my pleasure, Doug. Thank you. Bill or from Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
(26:52):
com and within the I Heart Radio app search f
s R to listen live. Zach Harper covers the NBA
for The Athletic and for series sim NBA Radio and Zach,
I don't know if you saw this, but betting sites
now have the Nets has even favorites to land Kevin Durant.
What's your reaction, Oh, man, I mean they usually know
(27:13):
better than we do. They seem to have that information
for a reason. So it tells me that Kyrie Irving
is definitely gonna go there. And if Kyrie Irvan is
gonna go there, you gotta believe that he he thinks
his friend is gonna go there, and Kevin Durrest's friends,
so I guess we should get on board with it.
It's weird though, right, Like it's really weird. Yeah, I
can't figure I can't figure out. Like I like the NETS.
(27:36):
I feel like they were making a nice steady climb
they and I love Kevin Durant. This is but it's weird,
like you're gonna be a playoff team and then you're
gonna go get Kyrie instead of D'Angelo Russell. I'm not
a Dangel Russell guy, so I actually see that. I
see the upgrade. I do think that means buy or
beware for the l a Lakers or whoever else wants
(27:57):
d Angelo Russell right, that they have burden the hand
is better than two in the bush. And yet they
are willing to let him walk no matter how good
Kyrie is. But they were all about chemistry, newboring and
Kyrie who will take over this year and then you
get k d maybe at the end of this year,
probably next year. It just feels weird to me. Yeah,
I mean it's it's certainly a gamble based on what
(28:18):
they've been building. They've been building culture, culture, culture, right,
and this is kind of counterculture to what they've they've
established to a degree because of how things ended in Cleveland,
how things ended in Boston with Kyrie. If you feel
your culture is strong enough to manage egos, then I
think you go for it. And clearly they think that's
that's what they need and that's what they're capable of doing.
(28:40):
I don't mind the risk of it in that sense.
I'm more worried personally about Kyrie's knee and then obviously
the return of Kevin Durant with the Achilles. But if
you're gonna take two big swings and try to become
a powerhouse in the league, you know those are two
pretty good swings to take, no question, no question. What's
this means for the Knicks? Come on like it's just
(29:01):
the Knicks, you know, Like I mean, but this, but
their plan, their plan is actually a pretty good one, right,
Like I can make fun of the Knicks all I want,
and we can say Dolan this, Dolan that, but the
fact is that Dolan doesn't do anything with the day
to day. They cleared out a bunch of cast space.
They have a couple of good young players that I like.
I like r J. Barrett, I like Kevin Knox, I
(29:23):
like Mitchell Robinson. Like I think those are three kind
of good pieces to sort of build around. Um, they
cleared out cash space, and they're like work with the
New York New York Knicks. This is the spot in
New York. Like Brooklyn, still Brooklyn. If they swing and miss,
like what they can do? I mean, I guess who
do you think they swing with it at this point? Right,
Like Kemba that, but I mean what does that do?
(29:45):
Like not and not times to diminished kemp But Kempa
is really good. But you're just moving the Hornets to
a a big city at that point. Like r J.
Barrett is really nice. I think I'm high on r J.
I think he's been an excellent player in the league.
But probably not for like four or five years, right, Like,
that's when he'll really start making an impact. That's when
a lot of these guys usually start making impact. You know,
Kevin knocks the same thing, probably three or four years.
(30:07):
This is junior to three years. Like a lot of
these guys. They need time. And so Kemba is just
gonna go there and and play with a bunch of
young guys. Like I don't I mean, I guess I
don't hate it because it's a good story. It's obviously
an upgrade. He would clearly be the best player on
that team, and you need talent. But at this point,
if you're not getting Katie and you're not getting Kyrie
and you can't get a second guy to come with Kemba,
(30:28):
if that's the goal, wouldn't she just kind of roll
that over, like maybe throw twenty million at Bobby Portis
or or Jabari Park. Right like these one like one
year deals to spend the money. You've got to spend
the money just to remain somewhat competitive, have somewhat of
a product on the court. Really try to develop the
young guys and circle back next year or the year
after when the free agency class gets better, Like I
(30:50):
just I don't know that you spend just to spend.
It's certainly not long term money. Okay, let's let's work
our way to the Toronto Raptors. How am I What
do you think happens now with Kauai? I'm I'm leaning
towards the one and one for a few reasons. One,
I think, you know, it's hard to leave a championship team.
(31:10):
Um too, if he gets two more years under his
belt and there's a free agent in two years, he
gets the ten year max as opposed to the you know,
the thirty percent of the calf now, so he gets
more money out of it, um and uh and I
and you know, it just seems like if he wants
to win, that's you know, they could rule the East
and and and repeat next year. Uh not easily, but
(31:31):
like pretty you know, pretty decent chance of that. They
would be my favorite if he comes back, Mark assault
ops in. So you know, maybe that's just he wasn't
gonna get twenty five million dollars anywhere else, or maybe
that's him saying like, hey, I think I think I
was coming back. Like I, I'm leaning more towards that.
All I've heard all years Clippers, Clippers, Clippers, right, even
as they were about to win the championships. Clippers Clippers.
Now some of that talk seems to be a short
(31:53):
term deal with the Raptors. Yeah, so what does that
mean for the Clippers. I mean, I think you can
you can try to get Jimmy Butler right, and you
can try to go get um, I don't know, maybe
D'Angelo Russell or someone like that, maybe go try to
get Kemba Walker. But I would stay the course and
just wait for the next big guy. Like maybe that's
then you put pressure on Washington right to try to
(32:14):
go get Bradley deal someone like that. Like I think
the Clippers again, with a lot of these teams who
have opened up as counsels, I don't think you need
to just go commit to guys because you have the
money to spend. I think you've got to keep things
kind of you know, in a carouself type fashion of
of the short one you know, one or two year
deals with big money to it. So you spend the money,
but you don't compromise your long term goals of bringing
(32:35):
in stars. Yeah, it's a it's a it's a great idea,
but I mean, they're they wanted to bring in stars,
and you know, like the Knicks, the Clippers, I think
it'd be more normal for them to not get the stars.
All right, let's look at the Lakers. Okay, so let's
let's assume Kyrie is not coming. That's an easy assumption.
Katie's not coming, easy assumption. Kauai, I don't see it,
(32:56):
but okay, let's assume he's not coming. What they do?
I mean, I think that's where you turn your attention
to someone like Kemba, Like if they want a third star.
Kemba's a really good sur banana there, right, like Kemba's
kemp was a guy who can play off ball. Like
this year he was bad at it in terms of
catching shoot three parts. I think he was around the
(33:19):
previous years. He's like on a significant number of attempts,
Like he's a good off ball player. It's just Charlotte
has been so horrible and has he's had so little
help for so long. He doesn't get a lot of
chances to play off ball. That was the reason they
went and spent money on Land Stevenson, you know, years ago,
because they wanted to play Kemba more off ball when
they went out and got Nick Buttom so they could
(33:40):
play him more off ball so he doesn't have to
wear himself out, like if you put him, you know,
kind of running that show with Lebron and you've got
Anthony Davis out there. That's an incredible big three right there.
You still got to fill in everything else with with
minimum players in short and you know, small contracts, but
that's a great jump forward. Or you know, you go
try to get a combination of like you know, the
(34:00):
combination that keeps getting thrown out there is someone like J. J.
Redditt and Patrick preperately, right, you try to flesh out
that roster with multiple role players. I think either way
as a smart play, personally, I would go for more
depth than just another star. Um. But you know it's
the Lakers. They're gonna want stars. They are gonna want stars,
but they also you know, need shooters and need bodies
and need people. If you're gonna rest Lebron and maybe
(34:21):
Anthony Davis, simple you're gonna need guys to so you
don't get beaten in every one of those games in
which you rest him. That's that's daring. That kind of
lies the problem, right Oh, for sure, and we are like,
we don't know if Lebron is gonna have injury problems
going forward after this year, right, Like he's usually in
great shape and avoided it, but we don't know. And
then Anthony Davis he seems to always be questionable return
to return in any given game. So yeah, like you've
(34:43):
got to find a way to kind of manage those
expectations without leaving you know, too much talent on the bench.
Zach Harper is our guest on The Doug Galip Show. Okay,
what does it look like for the Golden State Warriors?
I mean, I wouldn't worry about of leaving. I think
they'll give him the five year max and I think
he'll stay. Um, that seems to be what everyone assumes,
(35:05):
and I think it's a safe assumption. Uh. You know,
if you lose KB, I don't know, do you try
to like bring in other guys on on shorter term
deals with you know, whatever your mid level, your taxpayer
mid level is, with someone like like a Rudy Gay,
Do you go out and try to get him? Right?
Is that enough money to go get Rudy Gay to
have him help you compete for championships? To you try
to bring back Boogie cousins, Like, I think there are
(35:26):
a couple of things they can do, but those seem
to be you know, it's not gonna just all right,
you lose Kevin Durant, you get to go replace him
with a star. That's not how the money works here.
So I think it's just try to develop the young
guys that you have, even though it's not a great
crop of players, right, and then on top of that,
like just get Clay healthy, make sure you don't endure
burnout Steph and Draymond, and you go. You probably go
(35:48):
into the playoffs next year as like a five through
seven seed somewhere in that range, and then you hope
you get Clay back healthy for the playoffs and you
just try to make one of those Houston Rockets runs.
I know we all want the games to feel like
they matter more, mean more. I know we we all
think that's what we want, right that we want these
bigger games. But I don't see how it works financially
(36:12):
to have fewer games. How does this want? It's a
great question. I mean, it's nothing that you can negotiate
now with the TV rights, right, Like, like this is
this is what it is, and that's that's going to
be the hardest thing is is figuring out fewer games
while still keeping the TV money the same or have
an increase and so and so. To do that, you
(36:34):
need to create more of a demand. But the demands
already already like relatively high. So you can try to
bring in these like kind of gimmicky mid season tournaments
and the season tournaments before the playoffs start and all
that crap, but those have to bring in monster numbers
with sponsorships, ad revenue, everything right in order to make
up the money. So I love the idea of lessening
(36:55):
the schedule. I love the idea of making sure we
don't have twenty games of load management from one of
best players in the league. Those are all great, but
this sounds a lot like the draft wheel to me, right,
Like remember the draft lottery wheel where it's gonna be
like every thirty years someone gets the number one pick
or whatever that crap was, and it was like random
rotating wheel and all this stuff. Like that's a cool idea,
but it's not practical in any way. So the you know,
(37:18):
the kind of the stuff being discussed. Now, yeah, it's
great to consider it. But unless you can make up
that money, that's not like these games aren't going anywhere. Yeah,
I don't. I don't see it. I don't see it.
You know. They they took the money from TV and
they're like, oh wait, that means we actually had to
fill fulfill the responsibilities. It's like, it's the guy who
it's the band who's like it takes a huge payment
(37:40):
upfront for four records. They get done doing the first record,
then they go do a tour and they're like, hey,
we need that second record out, you know, by July one.
Like what, Like, yeah, it's in the contract. You gotta
start pumping these rights, Like dude, we're fried. Sorry, Bud,
that's the contract you sign. You want the money, you
gotta keep pumping out the albums. You gotta keep touring around.
That's how we that's how you make it work. And
(38:01):
you think the players, the or the teams are gonna
give up any of any of that money, of course,
Like no, you know what, people love money and loss
of it, and the league makes lots of money right now,
so there's no way they're just gonna give up games
unless they find a way to replace that revenue completely.
And totally agree with you. That's why I had you on,
(38:22):
not because you're good, but because you agree with me.
I'll agree with you anytime you want. Um. Okay, So
let's let's sum it up. Okay, I want Zach Harper
to close his eyes? All right? All right? So on
July one, let's whatever this is the dust settles. Jimmy
Butler is where I'm gonna say, Philly, I think it
(38:43):
resigns five years one nine? Okay, Kemba Walkers where wild
card Dallas without Horford too? Yeah? Why not? Okay? Um,
Kyrie and Katie package deal to Brooklyn? Yeah, I think
(39:05):
so Lakers add who Lakers add? Jj Reddick and not
Patrick Beverley, but a solid starting point guard Darren Collinson.
I like that. Darren Coulson's pretty good. I think he.
I think. I don't think people realize how good he is.
Good and you can really shoot and you can defend.
(39:26):
And he's from l A. So I mean, check checks, checks,
a bunch of boxes. Um who plays with Jana's. Next year,
they get the band all back together, they get brook
Lopez back, everybody except Malcolm Brody. Okay, good stuff, all right,
look forward to hearing you on Sirius XM NBA Radio
and on the regio stuff in the Athletic plus of course,
(39:47):
you know you're a great following on Twitter. Thanks for
joining us. Appreciate Thanks,
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time, that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the I Heart
Radio app by searching fs R. This is the best
(00:21):
of the Doug Gotleive Show on Fox Sports Radio. What
Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio, coming to
you from the overcast city of Los Angeles, California, where
we like Boston, like New York, like Toronto, like Charlotte,
(00:45):
like Houston, like Philly, like Milwaukee. Everybody waiting on this
free agency bonanza which gets set to start next week,
and it it officially kind of kicks off with these
play you'r's opting out. By the way, By the way,
we have a short discussion, uh now, maybe a long
(01:08):
discussion with Clay Travis yesterday over the use of the
term owner. I don't believe. I just want to make
sure this is very clear. I don't actually care about
people's politics. I don't. It doesn't make me want to
watch or not want to watch. I don't I know.
(01:29):
I'm I haven't conducted a poll about whether or not
somebody's politics makes you want to watch a sport um,
but I do know there are people that that that
do they If somebody kneels before the flag, maybe it
makes them not want to watch the NFL. If somebody
uh says the term owner is racist and you get
(01:51):
so fun, I don't think that makes anybody turn off
the TV. I only point this out if you really
think that there's any sort of comparison between slavery and
the current NBA, I give you Kevin Durant, who on
his own free will, turned down thirty one and a
(02:14):
half million dollars guaranteed to stay in San Francisco and
now has the ability to pick any team he wants,
and one team can pay him more for more years,
over two million dollars for five years of work, other
(02:34):
teams four and it depends upon there how much else
they paid to other people. So if you want to
tell me that the term owner because there's black men
who are being measured and judged at the combine, like okay,
but you're gonna have a really tough time passing the
(02:57):
smell test of of people who it's not even necessarily
feeling sorry for understand how you could possibly offended when
the reality is that you've collectively bargained for the ability
to have a four or five year contract which could
be worth as much as two fifty million dollars, and
you have the right to not just it's not just
(03:19):
like turned down the work, turned down thirty one million dollars.
You know that you're good at what you do and
valued at what you do. If you can say I
could make thirty one million dollars guaranteed, but I'm gonna
instead and while injured, and he won't play for a year,
(03:39):
and he could give a command two hundred and forty
million dollars, you're having a time. I'm having a real
tough time with that one. And I am actually a
somebody who's who's in real life very sensitive to the
needs of others and how words can be hurtful. This
one not it full. You're making yourself look ridiculous. NBA.
(04:06):
All right, speaking of looking ridiculous, have you heard the
latest out of Houston, So Houston which there was smoke
there appears to be fire, right, We could go back
through it, and I told you when it happened that
when it wasn't that they lost to the Warriors last
(04:27):
year when Chris Paul was hurt, but Chris Paul was hurt.
When they lost to the Warriors, it wasn't just that
they lost, It was that they missed twenty seven consecutive
three point shots, which is like the reverse of the Yankees,
who have now hit home runs in twenty eight consecutive games.
But losing in that fashion living and dying, said dying,
(04:49):
but you live the old adage. As you live by
the three, you die by the three. And they died
by the three. And then to try something new, Trevor
Reza walks, you rework your roster a little bit. Chris
Paul's healthy this year. You still lose that home to
the Warriors, this time in six games, and they don't
have their best player. You have a new owner and
(05:13):
he kind of freaks out. They get rid of most
of the staff. They offer up anybody upon anybody who's
we want for trade outside of James Harden. It's hard
to move Chris Paul with a deal, which you know
they may have agreed to when they made the trade
for Chris Paul, but they didn't have to, and now Houston,
(05:34):
it might it's bad business what they did last offseason
to re up with Chris Paul for that sort of
money for that sort of length. So now the working
story is they're working towards a signing trade with Jimmy Butler.
And remember whatever Jimmy A. Butler appears to be to
you and me, because he appears to be a great story, right,
A guy who started from nothing to being an NBA
(05:56):
All Star, a guy who only wants to have guys
around him work hard and do the right things. And
he is a guy who you feel like you cann
you can depend upon to to make big shots and
to take big shots. But the truth is, Jimmy Butler,
whatever money he signs for, no one actually thinks he's
(06:17):
like a Max level player. He's a really really good
player and a really good piece. But the truth is this,
Jimmy Butler has been on the Bulls, the Timberwolves, and
the Sixers on the last four seasons, and each one
of them seemed to have the exact same thing about
jimmybody like, yeah, he's great, but we'll let him go
(06:39):
somewhere else. And so the story is you you, if
you're gonna make this move to make it work financially,
it's gotta be what you gotta take two out of
the three guys. You gotta take either p J. Tucker,
Eric Gordon or Clint Capella. And if you're Philip Philadelphia
(07:01):
seventies six ers, it's gonna be p J. Tucker and
Eric Gordon, right, which is kind of what makes Houston
who Houston is. P J. Tucker a small ball four,
played small ball five this year. His intangibles, his toughness,
is not replaceable. And then you bring in a guy
(07:23):
who hasn't been able to get along with people in Chicago,
in Minneapolis and in Philadelphia for a team that doesn't
see it has two stars that might not get along
together all that well off on the basketball floor. This
is what happens when you shop hungry, all right, You
go shopping hungry, You come home You're like, man, what
the hell did I buy? Usually when I go shopping,
(07:47):
I like to get and I'm up. I actually like,
I enjoy the grocery store. My wife does not. I
like to get something I'm gonna make tonight, and something
I'm gonna make tomorrow night, and then everything else is
aret the things that you can keep in the fridge
or in the uh in the cupboard for uh substantial
period of time, and then maybe some fruit as well.
(08:10):
But if you go in there and you're super super hungry,
everything looks good, that sounds great. Well, maybe here's a
better one. You ever been to a restaurant When you're
super starving, hungry and eating, you're like, man, that's amazing.
That's the best place ever. You come back like two
weeks later, like this place was awesome. Now you're not
necessarily as hungry, bud, and you're like, hey, that's not
that good. Why did I tell everybody that's best? Why
(08:32):
did I go into yelp and say this is the
greatest place in the history of Newport Beach? Because you're hungry.
When you shop hungry, you pick out things you don't need,
and when you trade and you're desperate, you end up
partying with things that are the core of what makes
you good. Like I think Eric Gordon is really good
and he makes good money, but he doesn't make huge money.
(08:54):
And I would rather have a couple of guys than
have just one Jimmy Butler, who thinks he's a one,
probably more of a two or three in terms of
star players struggle as they get along with dudes like
but he didn't work in Chicago, it didn't work in Minneapolis,
it didn't work in Philadelphia. All of a sudden, it's
gonna work in Houston when you already have two guys
(09:15):
that aren't getting along in a coach that's kind of
holding on for your dear life to his job, and
a whole new staff and an owner that wants that's
motivated to win and win now, and the desperation of, hey,
if we can't do it this year when Golden State
is down, and we couldn't do it last year when
Golden State didn't have James Harden, Oh, he didn't have
Kevin Durant, like with the way I blow the whole
thing up. The Sixers planning to be aggressive in signing
(09:40):
Butler to a Neil New deal, or they could uh
have the Rockets, who have pushed for a five year,
one hund ninety million dollar offer, started free agents. The
Sixers could offer Butler four years, one sixty one six
point five million dollar deal too. Butler would be eligible
(10:00):
to sign a hunt forty million to our contract with
the Rockets, but Houston likely to need uh two of
these players Clint Cappela, Eric Gordon, and or p J.
Tucker to make the financial deal work. In other words,
they have to get rid of salary in order to
acquire p J. Tucker, Tummy, Jimmy Butler. I'm sorry, so
either Jimmy Butler, Clinton Cappella, or Eric Gordon. Like Clint Cappela,
(10:24):
I actually think is really valuable and doesn't make a
crazy amount of money, but they didn't feel like they
could play him late in games against the Golden State Warriors.
Does that change when they they're gonna play against the
Lakers this year, or against the Jazz this year, or
against the Nuggets this year. I just feel like this
(10:45):
is a move. These are moves out of desperation, whereas
they would have been way better off to go. You know,
this is a lot like the New York Knicks back
when when Michael Jordan's went to baseball. Jordan goes to
baseball and and the Knicks were always kind of missing something.
But because the Bulls lost Jordan's they went to their
first NBA Finals. Be sure to catch live editions. So
(11:08):
the Doug Dot Leaps Show weekdays in noon eastern three
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app Old people dab or little kids dab. The
rest of them was like, dude, we dabb like three
years ago. I thought it was lame. Then I think
it's super lame. Now that's what the Kevin Durant and
New York feels like. It feels like dabbing. Okay, So
(11:30):
you want to move to New York because that's where
all the players are. Right by players, I don't even
mean basketball players. That's where all the money players are
New York. Um. No, Actually, that's not the way it works.
(11:51):
You can't consider yourself the greatest city on earth if
you're uninhabitable for about three weeks in the summer and
three weeks in the winter. And that is actually true.
Good Okay. Now, second point, we do realize where all
the money is in Merca. It used to all be
the financial district, and there's people that make gobs and
(12:12):
gobs of money in New York City. I'm not saying
there are not players there, but have we not adjusted
to the new age where all the money is in
Silicon Valley, Like, there's a reason that when Kyle Lowry
goes in the front row, like there's a guy worth
two point seven billion dollars there to push him. This
(12:35):
is not the nine nineties where in order to make
it you got to go to New York. Like, no,
you don't. People don't have to have offices anymore. They
can work from home, they can work from Starbucks. People
don't have to move to New York anymore. Do you
know why? Because Silicon Valley has flipped it. They're like, hey,
what if? What if we just established our great companies
(12:56):
and stayed right here where the weather is nice? But
we don't have three weeks in the winter and three
weeks in the summer we're uninhabitable. We're gonetting a car
and drive to Napa. We're getting a car and drive
the pebble. We can go hang out in San Francisco.
You know, San Francisco is the most expensive city in
the world. You know why because that's where all the
(13:17):
money is. Like this is such a like an old
fashioned way of looking at things that you know all
and I want to do it. You want to make it?
That gotta moved to New York. Study you do Huh?
Who are the names you know most in the NBA?
I would say Steph Curry is pretty popular. He played
(13:38):
in Oakland, Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City, Paul George Indianapolis in
Oklahoma City. Yes, Lebron James, who until this year played
in Cleveland and in Miami. You tell me most people
on the street couldn't name a Brooklyn Net if they
had a media guide in front of him. Tell me
(14:00):
who's on the Knicks right now? I swear to God,
if you can go six deep on the Knicks roster,
I'll give you. I'll give you the radio show for
a week. Uh. Nope, they probably traded him. No, now
it's probably traded him. No, he hasn't played for them.
And don't get me like all Dennis Smith and Mitchell Robinson.
And because you were you saw the trade that was
(14:20):
made for Dennis Smith, trade Kevin Knox. Then what do
you got outside of those three names? Somebody? R J. Barrett?
Those are the four go to six I dare you,
But they play in New York. They played for the Knicks.
If I'm Kevin my advising Kevin Durant, My number one
piece of advice is you know what you can do.
(14:40):
You can just stay right there, you make more money,
you win more titles, you win more titles, and then
you can go, uh, I won five titles, this whole petty.
I gotta do it my with my team and my
way in New York, like a dude, this ain't the
nineteen nineties. Well, you had to go make it in
(15:01):
the big city. Santrancis got plenty big enough, they got
a new arena. If you pass out in the court
and fall in the lapse of somebody in the front row,
there worth more than people in New York. And what
is the deal with Rich Climming? It is just weird,
Like didn't have a father in his life for a
long time. Obviously his dad's kind of back in his life.
Like guys advising with Rich Climan, who's like kind of
(15:24):
made himself a player. Here's the thing, um, in television
producers who put themselves on TV on camera, I have
suspicions about right that they don't actually love their job.
They want to do your job. And in basketball agents
(15:45):
who want to be in the TV shows that their
athletes are in kind of have the same feeling about
that's rich climate look at all the stuff that the
boardroom stuff. Why is he in it? Alright? Cool, he's
he's the advisor. It just feels very forced and feels like,
(16:05):
you know, he wants Kevin Durant to live his life
his way, the way he thinks is a New Yorker.
This is the way it is. Be sure to catch
live editions. So the Doug Got Leap Show weekdays at
noon eastern, three pm Pacific. There's gonna be no bats
that we need to make at this point. It's straight
out of Vegas. Week Days at six pm Eastern, three
(16:27):
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(16:48):
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(17:33):
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This is the Doug god Laid Show on Fox Sports Radio.
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car buying experience. Bill Ower and works for the Athletic
He covers the Lakers for a living. He joins us
in the Doug out Lip Show on Fox Sports Radio. Um,
you know, look, it's been why they reported that they
wanted to The Lakers want to go after Kemba and
now a sudden looks like the Celtics and the MAVs
(18:14):
have a chance to offer more money. Um, what do
you think the Lakers are in terms of their planning
and how they're going to proceed once July first starts. Well,
I think I mean, first of all, this as the
money goes. The Lakers insist that they have a path
to get to a max slot or as close as
possible UM in a way that they think that they
(18:34):
can still make up a compelling pitch to Kemba or
whoever it might be, who's at that caliber mac of
max guy. But I think they're their off season plan
is really hasn't changed. It's it's going to be start
at the very top, try to try to land one
of those top guys. And you know, obviously they have
been viewed as you know, kind of the team with
the longest shot for much of this UM this season.
(18:57):
You know, throughout the year you started hearing that Kauai
Kyrie um, they all were looking elsewhere. The Clippers were
a more appealing destination. But some things have changed with
the Lakers, and obviously most notably Anthony Davis. And now
one of those top guys is not coming to you know,
be Lebron's number two and and carry Lebron's water in
in his old age. It is coming to be part
(19:18):
of you know, a super dynamic three headed Monster and
you know, one of the best you know trios in
the modern era, if you're talking about Kawhi Leonard. I mean,
that would be the best three man line up perhaps
you know we've we've ever seen. But there's still a
lot of issues here. So the Lakers are gonna go
down that progression and you know, whether it's the Angelo
Russell a reunion, they're trying to do something with Malcolm Brogden.
(19:40):
I mean, they they have their eyes on the right guys.
I'd think the problem is that we don't we have
we haven't yet been able to test whether guys are
interested in the Lakers and how the Anthony davis Um
trade changes the way this team is viewed around the league. Okay,
let's let's let's dig in with the uh Russell thing.
(20:03):
Could that really happen? Like they did not like him
at all when they got rid of it. Now of
a sudden that changes twenty four months later? Yeah, yeah,
I mean he has. I mean, first of all, the
Angelo continued to develop as a player in Brooklyn. Um,
he became a better all around player. Um, you know,
lad that team into the playoffs. Um, the Lakers did
(20:25):
not like him. You are right, But you've had You've
had an overhaul in all of your major departments. You
have a new coaching, a new head coach, a new
coaching staff. The front office is now UM run by
Rob Olincoln instead of Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson was the
one who had the problem with with the' Angelo Russell UM.
And also, you know, I talked to Magic the other
night outside the NBA Awards and he made it very
(20:47):
clear that he felt that the Nick Young video incident
made it so guys would not respond to the Angelo
in that locker room. And Magic's point to me was,
those guys are all gone and you've seen that. You know,
different players respond. Just find d' angelo in Brooklyn. So
there's really no reason that wouldn't carry over to l A.
And there's really no and there's no sense in de'
(21:10):
angelo having bad feelings towards the Lakers because the guy
who spearheaded the trade for him and who disparaged him
on his way out the door, UH stepped away from
the organization doing Magic Johnson. So it is real and
there is there's certainly interest on the Lakers side, UM,
and and there should be. I mean, de' angelo Russell
is a top five point guard in the league, and
(21:30):
he has become the player they thought that they were
drafting into two thousand and fifteen. And it's I mean,
it's crazy and it's ironic, and it's you know, only
in the NBA. But if if the Nets have the
kind of summer they hope to have, then there's absolutely
after d' angelo Russell back to the Lakers. Um, well,
if deangel Russell was such a league point guard, why
would the Nets let him go? I mean, isn't that
(21:51):
isn't that? Isn't that the great debate? Right? That's that's
the that's the issue. If if they are going to
be able to land a Kyrie Kevin Durant combo, then
and it's worth letting the Angelo walk. If not, I mean,
it's a tough decision. Twenty three years old average twenty
one and seven last year, is continuing, is continuing to evolve. Um,
it's it's a it's a tough decision in Brooklyn of
(22:13):
kind of how you want to shape and direct your franchise.
But Kyrie Irving, i think in general, is viewed as
that transcendent talent that you know, superstar, top level player
that the Angelo is not there yet. But um, you know,
I think that the Nets are only gonna let the
Angelo Russell walk if they if they feel like they
have to. Philore, I'm joining us here on the Doug
(22:33):
Gatlip Show on Fox Sports Radio. What about the Darren Collison's,
What about the Patrick Beverley some of those second level guys, Um,
how likely are they to be Lakers? Being more likely?
I mean, you're you're you're now in the scenario where
the Lakers are not able to lure that top guy.
That guy is gonna command thirty million dollars on the
on the open market, and that they're now they're breaking
(22:55):
up their cap space. Um, whatever that number ends up
looking like, Um, Darren Collis and Patrick Beverley, UM, Marcus Morris,
Jeremy Lamb. Those are the sorts of guys that, you know,
as they try to build a roster that they should
be looking at and by all accounts, I mean they
know that Seth curries out there. Um, it's just gonna
be it's it's just going to be an interesting test
of Rob Polinka and his and his managerial skills. I mean,
(23:18):
we saw last summer the Lakers had you know, limited um,
you know, they had they had cap space last year
and that they didn't want to carry it over beyond
two thousand nineteen, and so they signed a bunch of
one year deals and the guys they signed, um, you know,
ended up not really working out. I think we can
safely say Michael Beasley was not on the team by
the end of the year, Lance Stevenson, Tavaille McGee, and
(23:39):
Rajon Rondo. The team didn't make the playoffs, didn't really
come close to the playoffs. Obviously the injury to Lebron
was was a key factor there as well, but that
was not a good supporting cast for Lebron James. Now,
they were mitigating circumstances. But you know, if if the
Lakers failed to put that if the Lakers put that
caliber cast around um Lebron and a D, this team
is not gonna come anywhere near the expectations that people
(24:01):
suddenly have for it. So this is going to be
a real test of Rob Lincoln and his ability to
build a quality supporting cast for Lebron. Bill Orm joining
us in the Doug Gotled Show on Fox Sports Radio.
And then you still have the kind of makeup of
the coaching staff, like have we they still have put
together the whole coaching staff, right like Ron Adams, they've
they've been gotten permission to talk to Well, how how
(24:23):
is that coming together? My sense is that Ron Adam
is still going to be difficult to lure away from
Golden State. UM. But yeah, I mean, we don't we
don't know what this staff looks like. The Lakers haven't
haven't done anything formal. They haven't even announced the Jason
Kidd higher, although that Frank Vogel discussed it at his
at his introductory press conference. So we don't really know
who's going to be who's going to be alongside um
(24:45):
Frank Vogel, you know on opening night. But you have
a good sense obviously with Lionel Hollins and and and
Jason Kidd, there's your those are your your primary assistance.
It's a it's a you know, a a tame of
you know, former head coaches, lots of name recognition, which
matters to the Lakers. UM. You know, guys who have
(25:06):
won UM, won championships as players. UM. You know, there's
there's credibility to those names, which frankly um the guys
Luke Walton brought in with him, with the exception of
Brian Shaw, were probably a little bit more unknowns and
so um, you know, Frank Vogel, I have no doubt
is assembling his staff. But they've played they've played that
pretty close to the vest. It is gonna be fascinating,
(25:27):
all right. The last thing is they got any shout
at Kahi letter. I think I think it's um. I
think it's slim. You know, I think that they they
hope that they're that they get a chance to make
the pitch to him that he can come be part
of the best, the best three man lineup in NBA
history like Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Lebron James. Is
the best, is the best, the best trio in the
(25:48):
in the history of the league, come here win multiple championships.
They hope it's that simple, Um, But you know, there's
obviously going to be some um. There's there's a lot
of reasons for Kawhi Leonard to not leave throughout and
a lot of reasons why the Clippers would look more
appealing where he can be um the soul face of
the franchise and say what you will about you know
that you know, three headed monster this is still Lebron
(26:10):
James's team, and if you come as a as a
second or third star, you're still going to be expected,
at least in the first year two to defer to Lebron.
And I don't know if you are Kawhile Leonard if
that appeals to you, But um, there are people still
talk about Kawhi Leonard as being one of the guys
they're going to pursue. So I don't think they're going
to close the door on that until it's closed on them.
(26:30):
M fascinating, fascinating stuff. Um, Bill, really appreciate you join us.
It's going to be an interesting week and a week
and a half in l A. We love that you're
staying on top of it. Read your work in The
Athletic all the time. And thanks for your guest. Okay,
my pleasure, Doug. Thank you. Bill or from Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
(26:52):
com and within the I Heart Radio app search f
s R to listen live. Zach Harper covers the NBA
for The Athletic and for series sim NBA Radio and Zach,
I don't know if you saw this, but betting sites
now have the Nets has even favorites to land Kevin Durant.
What's your reaction, Oh, man, I mean they usually know
(27:13):
better than we do. They seem to have that information
for a reason. So it tells me that Kyrie Irving
is definitely gonna go there. And if Kyrie Irvan is
gonna go there, you gotta believe that he he thinks
his friend is gonna go there, and Kevin Durrest's friends,
so I guess we should get on board with it.
It's weird though, right, Like it's really weird. Yeah, I
can't figure I can't figure out. Like I like the NETS.
(27:36):
I feel like they were making a nice steady climb
they and I love Kevin Durant. This is but it's weird,
like you're gonna be a playoff team and then you're
gonna go get Kyrie instead of D'Angelo Russell. I'm not
a Dangel Russell guy, so I actually see that. I
see the upgrade. I do think that means buy or
beware for the l a Lakers or whoever else wants
(27:57):
d Angelo Russell right, that they have burden the hand
is better than two in the bush. And yet they
are willing to let him walk no matter how good
Kyrie is. But they were all about chemistry, newboring and
Kyrie who will take over this year and then you
get k d maybe at the end of this year,
probably next year. It just feels weird to me. Yeah,
I mean it's it's certainly a gamble based on what
(28:18):
they've been building. They've been building culture, culture, culture, right,
and this is kind of counterculture to what they've they've
established to a degree because of how things ended in Cleveland,
how things ended in Boston with Kyrie. If you feel
your culture is strong enough to manage egos, then I
think you go for it. And clearly they think that's
that's what they need and that's what they're capable of doing.
(28:40):
I don't mind the risk of it in that sense.
I'm more worried personally about Kyrie's knee and then obviously
the return of Kevin Durant with the Achilles. But if
you're gonna take two big swings and try to become
a powerhouse in the league, you know those are two
pretty good swings to take, no question, no question. What's
this means for the Knicks? Come on like it's just
(29:01):
the Knicks, you know, Like I mean, but this, but
their plan, their plan is actually a pretty good one, right,
Like I can make fun of the Knicks all I want,
and we can say Dolan this, Dolan that, but the
fact is that Dolan doesn't do anything with the day
to day. They cleared out a bunch of cast space.
They have a couple of good young players that I like.
I like r J. Barrett, I like Kevin Knox, I
(29:23):
like Mitchell Robinson. Like I think those are three kind
of good pieces to sort of build around. Um, they
cleared out cash space, and they're like work with the
New York New York Knicks. This is the spot in
New York. Like Brooklyn, still Brooklyn. If they swing and miss,
like what they can do? I mean, I guess who
do you think they swing with it at this point? Right,
Like Kemba that, but I mean what does that do?
(29:45):
Like not and not times to diminished kemp But Kempa
is really good. But you're just moving the Hornets to
a a big city at that point. Like r J.
Barrett is really nice. I think I'm high on r J.
I think he's been an excellent player in the league.
But probably not for like four or five years, right, Like,
that's when he'll really start making an impact. That's when
a lot of these guys usually start making impact. You know,
Kevin knocks the same thing, probably three or four years.
(30:07):
This is junior to three years. Like a lot of
these guys. They need time. And so Kemba is just
gonna go there and and play with a bunch of
young guys. Like I don't I mean, I guess I
don't hate it because it's a good story. It's obviously
an upgrade. He would clearly be the best player on
that team, and you need talent. But at this point,
if you're not getting Katie and you're not getting Kyrie
and you can't get a second guy to come with Kemba,
(30:28):
if that's the goal, wouldn't she just kind of roll
that over, like maybe throw twenty million at Bobby Portis
or or Jabari Park. Right like these one like one
year deals to spend the money. You've got to spend
the money just to remain somewhat competitive, have somewhat of
a product on the court. Really try to develop the
young guys and circle back next year or the year
after when the free agency class gets better, Like I
(30:50):
just I don't know that you spend just to spend.
It's certainly not long term money. Okay, let's let's work
our way to the Toronto Raptors. How am I What
do you think happens now with Kauai? I'm I'm leaning
towards the one and one for a few reasons. One,
I think, you know, it's hard to leave a championship team.
(31:10):
Um too, if he gets two more years under his
belt and there's a free agent in two years, he
gets the ten year max as opposed to the you know,
the thirty percent of the calf now, so he gets
more money out of it, um and uh and I
and you know, it just seems like if he wants
to win, that's you know, they could rule the East
and and and repeat next year. Uh not easily, but
(31:31):
like pretty you know, pretty decent chance of that. They
would be my favorite if he comes back, Mark assault
ops in. So you know, maybe that's just he wasn't
gonna get twenty five million dollars anywhere else, or maybe
that's him saying like, hey, I think I think I
was coming back. Like I, I'm leaning more towards that.
All I've heard all years Clippers, Clippers, Clippers, right, even
as they were about to win the championships. Clippers Clippers.
Now some of that talk seems to be a short
(31:53):
term deal with the Raptors. Yeah, so what does that
mean for the Clippers. I mean, I think you can
you can try to get Jimmy Butler right, and you
can try to go get um, I don't know, maybe
D'Angelo Russell or someone like that, maybe go try to
get Kemba Walker. But I would stay the course and
just wait for the next big guy. Like maybe that's
then you put pressure on Washington right to try to
(32:14):
go get Bradley deal someone like that. Like I think
the Clippers again, with a lot of these teams who
have opened up as counsels, I don't think you need
to just go commit to guys because you have the
money to spend. I think you've got to keep things
kind of you know, in a carouself type fashion of
of the short one you know, one or two year
deals with big money to it. So you spend the money,
but you don't compromise your long term goals of bringing
(32:35):
in stars. Yeah, it's a it's a it's a great idea,
but I mean, they're they wanted to bring in stars,
and you know, like the Knicks, the Clippers, I think
it'd be more normal for them to not get the stars.
All right, let's look at the Lakers. Okay, so let's
let's assume Kyrie is not coming. That's an easy assumption.
Katie's not coming, easy assumption. Kauai, I don't see it,
(32:56):
but okay, let's assume he's not coming. What they do?
I mean, I think that's where you turn your attention
to someone like Kemba, Like if they want a third star.
Kemba's a really good sur banana there, right, like Kemba's
kemp was a guy who can play off ball. Like
this year he was bad at it in terms of
catching shoot three parts. I think he was around the
(33:19):
previous years. He's like on a significant number of attempts,
Like he's a good off ball player. It's just Charlotte
has been so horrible and has he's had so little
help for so long. He doesn't get a lot of
chances to play off ball. That was the reason they
went and spent money on Land Stevenson, you know, years ago,
because they wanted to play Kemba more off ball when
they went out and got Nick Buttom so they could
(33:40):
play him more off ball so he doesn't have to
wear himself out, like if you put him, you know,
kind of running that show with Lebron and you've got
Anthony Davis out there. That's an incredible big three right there.
You still got to fill in everything else with with
minimum players in short and you know, small contracts, but
that's a great jump forward. Or you know, you go
try to get a combination of like you know, the
(34:00):
combination that keeps getting thrown out there is someone like J. J.
Redditt and Patrick preperately, right, you try to flesh out
that roster with multiple role players. I think either way
as a smart play, personally, I would go for more
depth than just another star. Um. But you know it's
the Lakers. They're gonna want stars. They are gonna want stars,
but they also you know, need shooters and need bodies
and need people. If you're gonna rest Lebron and maybe
(34:21):
Anthony Davis, simple you're gonna need guys to so you
don't get beaten in every one of those games in
which you rest him. That's that's daring. That kind of
lies the problem, right Oh, for sure, and we are like,
we don't know if Lebron is gonna have injury problems
going forward after this year, right, Like he's usually in
great shape and avoided it, but we don't know. And
then Anthony Davis he seems to always be questionable return
to return in any given game. So yeah, like you've
(34:43):
got to find a way to kind of manage those
expectations without leaving you know, too much talent on the bench.
Zach Harper is our guest on The Doug Galip Show. Okay,
what does it look like for the Golden State Warriors?
I mean, I wouldn't worry about of leaving. I think
they'll give him the five year max and I think
he'll stay. Um, that seems to be what everyone assumes,
(35:05):
and I think it's a safe assumption. Uh. You know,
if you lose KB, I don't know, do you try
to like bring in other guys on on shorter term
deals with you know, whatever your mid level, your taxpayer
mid level is, with someone like like a Rudy Gay,
Do you go out and try to get him? Right?
Is that enough money to go get Rudy Gay to
have him help you compete for championships? To you try
to bring back Boogie cousins, Like, I think there are
(35:26):
a couple of things they can do, but those seem
to be you know, it's not gonna just all right,
you lose Kevin Durant, you get to go replace him
with a star. That's not how the money works here.
So I think it's just try to develop the young
guys that you have, even though it's not a great
crop of players, right, and then on top of that,
like just get Clay healthy, make sure you don't endure
burnout Steph and Draymond, and you go. You probably go
(35:48):
into the playoffs next year as like a five through
seven seed somewhere in that range, and then you hope
you get Clay back healthy for the playoffs and you
just try to make one of those Houston Rockets runs.
I know we all want the games to feel like
they matter more, mean more. I know we we all
think that's what we want, right that we want these
bigger games. But I don't see how it works financially
(36:12):
to have fewer games. How does this want? It's a
great question. I mean, it's nothing that you can negotiate
now with the TV rights, right, Like, like this is
this is what it is, and that's that's going to
be the hardest thing is is figuring out fewer games
while still keeping the TV money the same or have
an increase and so and so. To do that, you
(36:34):
need to create more of a demand. But the demands
already already like relatively high. So you can try to
bring in these like kind of gimmicky mid season tournaments
and the season tournaments before the playoffs start and all
that crap, but those have to bring in monster numbers
with sponsorships, ad revenue, everything right in order to make
up the money. So I love the idea of lessening
(36:55):
the schedule. I love the idea of making sure we
don't have twenty games of load management from one of
best players in the league. Those are all great, but
this sounds a lot like the draft wheel to me, right,
Like remember the draft lottery wheel where it's gonna be
like every thirty years someone gets the number one pick
or whatever that crap was, and it was like random
rotating wheel and all this stuff. Like that's a cool idea,
but it's not practical in any way. So the you know,
(37:18):
the kind of the stuff being discussed. Now, yeah, it's
great to consider it. But unless you can make up
that money, that's not like these games aren't going anywhere. Yeah,
I don't. I don't see it. I don't see it.
You know. They they took the money from TV and
they're like, oh wait, that means we actually had to
fill fulfill the responsibilities. It's like, it's the guy who
it's the band who's like it takes a huge payment
(37:40):
upfront for four records. They get done doing the first record,
then they go do a tour and they're like, hey,
we need that second record out, you know, by July one.
Like what, Like, yeah, it's in the contract. You gotta
start pumping these rights, Like dude, we're fried. Sorry, Bud,
that's the contract you sign. You want the money, you
gotta keep pumping out the albums. You gotta keep touring around.
That's how we that's how you make it work. And
(38:01):
you think the players, the or the teams are gonna
give up any of any of that money, of course,
Like no, you know what, people love money and loss
of it, and the league makes lots of money right now,
so there's no way they're just gonna give up games
unless they find a way to replace that revenue completely.
And totally agree with you. That's why I had you on,
(38:22):
not because you're good, but because you agree with me.
I'll agree with you anytime you want. Um. Okay, So
let's let's sum it up. Okay, I want Zach Harper
to close his eyes? All right? All right? So on
July one, let's whatever this is the dust settles. Jimmy
Butler is where I'm gonna say, Philly, I think it
(38:43):
resigns five years one nine? Okay, Kemba Walkers where wild
card Dallas without Horford too? Yeah? Why not? Okay? Um,
Kyrie and Katie package deal to Brooklyn? Yeah, I think
(39:05):
so Lakers add who Lakers add? Jj Reddick and not
Patrick Beverley, but a solid starting point guard Darren Collinson.
I like that. Darren Coulson's pretty good. I think he.
I think. I don't think people realize how good he is.
Good and you can really shoot and you can defend.
(39:26):
And he's from l A. So I mean, check checks, checks,
a bunch of boxes. Um who plays with Jana's. Next year,
they get the band all back together, they get brook
Lopez back, everybody except Malcolm Brody. Okay, good stuff, all right,
look forward to hearing you on Sirius XM NBA Radio
and on the regio stuff in the Athletic plus of course,
(39:47):
you know you're a great following on Twitter. Thanks for
joining us. Appreciate Thanks,