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July 10, 2025 • 33 mins

Jason McIntyre fills in for Colin examining the state of the Lakers and why there's one move they can make to vault up to the top of the Western Conference. He believes college football is on the verge of major changes after recent comments made by Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. He also shares his "JMac 6 Pack" listing the top contenders in the NBA after free agency

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Herd podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox
Sports Radio in noon to three Eastern nine am to
noone Pacific. Find your local station for The Herd at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio
or FSR.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the Best of the Herd with Colin cowher
on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Welcome back to the Herd.

Speaker 4 (00:29):
It's me Jason McIntyre Filly in for Colin Cowherd, who.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Is jet sitting as usual.

Speaker 4 (00:37):
I can't say where he is, but trust he is
in a good spot enjoying his two weeks off. We've
been off for a little while due to the Women's
FIFA World Cup, but we're back today. It's me Jason
joined by Alex Curry. I know you guys are waiting.
Alex is close. It's getting out.

Speaker 5 (00:55):
Don't put that out there. We're definitely in the red zone.
But we're doing great. We're feeling great. We're excited to
be here today.

Speaker 4 (01:01):
Fantastic show. Listen when you take it. When you're off
for a few days, you got a lot of news.
We got Albert Breer coming up next hour. Jovon Bouja
with our big Lakers update here in about twenty minutes.
Eric main Genie Final hour boy. Shout out to my guy,
Eric Mangini. He's sick of Aaron Rodgers. Yes, I knew
I could get other people to the place where I've

(01:22):
been for a while.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
Anyways, I want to start the show with text messaging.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
Well, not totally but kinda sorta. The Lakers made a
big splash here in the last week picking up DeAndre Ayton,
the disgruntled center who was cut loose by the Portland Trailblazers.
And I know a lot of people instantly poop pooed
this deal as out, this is no big deal.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Aton's a malcontent.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Jay.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Did you see the story.

Speaker 4 (01:47):
In the Athletic about DeAndre eight and the guy was
a jerk last year. He would come out of games
and slam chairs down. You'd be late to rehab, he
would be late for team flights. I said, guys, guys, guys,
this is how much DeAndre Ayton hated it in Portland.
He forfeited ten million dollars to get out of town

(02:08):
on a bad team.

Speaker 3 (02:09):
He saw that they drafted as replacement.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
He wasn't feeling it, and DeAndre Ayton leaves Portland for
the Lakers.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
Now, I know you guys, even if you want to
say Aten's not that good of a player, I.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
You know, we have a great staff who comes up
with some amazing stats. And let's just say, DeAndre Ayton
through his first seven seasons is kind of sort of
a top eight center in the league. I mean, listen,
look at these stats. Are here, fifteen and ten and
fifty percent shooting in the last seven seasons. Jokich is
an MVP, Giannis is an MVP. AD's all NBA, Duell

(02:42):
Embiid has an MVP, cat and Sabonis. These are all
great players. DeAndre Ayton's in that class with them. He
just obviously was in Portland, so nobody paid attention. I
wanted to start with Ayton because it gets me into
where I'm about to go, folks. So it's understandable that
Ayton hated life in Portland, and at thirty two million,
Portland probably hated him too. However, DeAndre Ayden's making eight

(03:07):
million dollars with the Lakers. I looked this up. Rudy
Gobert's at like thirty six million on any planet in
the Solar System.

Speaker 3 (03:17):
Is Rudy Gobert four times?

Speaker 4 (03:18):
The player DeAndre Ayton is hell, no, he's not even
two times the player Eighten is a great defender, obviously,
but Aidan's a better offensive player.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
But it was telling this week when Aydon had an interview.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
About arriving to the Lakers and they asked if he's
heard from Lebron and he said, no, not really. You
either hear from someone or you don't. He probably realized
he stepped in it by saying no, and then he
quickly followed up with but I heard from Luca. Luca
texted me, and.

Speaker 3 (03:48):
That kind of put the antenna up. Okay, okay, okay.
When we last left.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
This show, Lebron was sending cryptic messages to the Lakers.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
Remember the welcome home.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
Hat in Cleveland, Alex and I got a good chuckle
out of that playing golf in Ohio. As free agency started,
he's kind of gone radio silent otherwise on social media,
and it's like, well, what's going on with Lebron? Does
he want to be traded? Does he want out? Nothing's
making sense. I was able to put it all together
last night.

Speaker 3 (04:19):
He's waiting for one piece.

Speaker 4 (04:20):
Guys, there is one missing piece on the Lakers before
Lebron is fully bought in. Is he probably a little
perturbed that the Lakers are catering to Luca not him. Well, yeah,
that's natural, right. Lebron's been the alpha on every team
he's been in since he joined the league. He goes
to Miami, even though Wade was a legend, I was
Lebron's heatles. He goes back to Cleveland. I know Kyrie

(04:42):
was the number one pick there. Uh, it's about Lebron.
He goes to the Lakers. Even when they brought our ad,
it was still Lebron's show. It's pretty clearly going to
be Luca's show going forward. In Lebron's feelings are probably heard,
He's in his feelings a little.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
That happens. But I have the answer, and it came
to me last night.

Speaker 4 (04:58):
Now, I will warn you when I presented this missing
piece to the Lakers in the morning meeting, I got
a couple groans and a side eye.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
And let's just say not everybody was feeling it.

Speaker 4 (05:09):
But if you've been following what's going on in Phoenix
right now, the Suns cannot find a taker for Bradley Beal,
and by all accounts, they're gonna have to wave and
stretch him the same way Milwaukee dumped Damian Lillard. Well, listen,
Bradley Beal making fifty million dollars a year is not
a great part of your team. He's overpaid at fifty mil. Now,

(05:33):
Bradley Beal gets bought out and waved in stretched and
suddenly he looks like Russell Wilson. You guys remember Russell Wilson, right,
he signs this lucrative deal in Denver. Sean Payton quickly
realizes this ain't gonna work, not at thirty seven mil
ask him to take a pay cut. Russ says, not happening,
and they dump him. Russell Wilson thirty seven million. No,

(05:55):
Russell Wilson at one million a year with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speaker 3 (05:59):
Sign me up up and.

Speaker 4 (06:00):
The Steelers got to the playoffs. They lost to the Ravens,
but they still made the playoffs. And you had a
quarterback at one million dollars, which brings me to Bradley Beal. Folks,
I get it. You think Beal's washed. I disagree. He's
only thirty two. His numbers last year, thirty eight percent
on threes, forty nine percent from the field.

Speaker 3 (06:17):
Those are good numbers on a bad team.

Speaker 4 (06:20):
At fifty million, they're not great numbers. Now, if Bradley
Beal hits the market and the Lakers can grab him
at four or five million dollars a year, well who's
better than the Lakers? And don't say, okay, see you
give me closing games, starting whatever, closing games eight Lebron,

(06:41):
Luca Beal and reeves. Who's stopping that offense? The Lakers
need catch and shoot guys. Hey, Austin Reed, go spot up.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
Hey, Bradley Beal goes spot up, catch.

Speaker 4 (06:53):
And shoot threes, bang bang. Now, the defense is obviously
gonna be a question. But you look at that Minnesota series.
They could not have offensively, couldn't get to one hundred
in three of the games.

Speaker 3 (07:02):
Now, Lebron was banged up, he's old.

Speaker 4 (07:05):
I think Bradley Beal is the missing piece for the
Lakers to win the West.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
Obviously, Houston is elite, we know that.

Speaker 4 (07:12):
Obviously, Denver very very good, much improved, and okase, he
should be.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
Very good again.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
Although you know the history of teams trying to get
back to the finals, the year after winning, it hasn't happened,
and I believe since the twenty nineteen Warriors. So the
Lakers are missing one piece and I think at that
point lebrono by in that piece is Bradley Beal.

Speaker 3 (07:32):
Now, the Celtics kind of want him.

Speaker 4 (07:35):
The Clippers are going to make a hard push and
they've got a starting spot to offer him and the
Milwaukee Bucks, Hey, Beale, come and take all the shots
you want with Jannis, we have no back court. But
do you have a better chance to get out of
the East. Sure, but it's the Lakers, Beal. Do you
know what you can make off the court? Do you
know what Lebron and Luca are going to do to
your numbers? I think it's a no brainer. The Lakers
get bial to me, they become right there, one of

(07:58):
the favorites.

Speaker 3 (07:58):
In the Western Conference. And I want to shift to.

Speaker 4 (08:02):
College football because the Big twelve media Days are happening
this week and something interesting was said by Dion Sanders
about the state of college football.

Speaker 3 (08:12):
Now, let me give you a quick little backstory.

Speaker 4 (08:14):
Obviously we know Dion hits Colorado and oh my gosh,
what an impact on college football. Obviously, having Shaduor Sanders
and Travis Hunter too, elite players that helped Dion.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Was getting everybody he wanted. Colorado was on the ride,
the program was back. How about them Buffaloes?

Speaker 4 (08:33):
And then nil has really changed the equation, and I
mean at a pace that nobody foresaw. And some of
these numbers that we're seeing now are becoming astronomical, and
it's becoming pretty clear college football is if you didn't
believe it before, it's now paid a play.

Speaker 3 (08:50):
If you spend the money, your chances of.

Speaker 4 (08:53):
Getting to the playoff and winning a Natty increased greatly.
Oregon last year. Look how much money they spent. Look
at the result, Ohio State, Texas. I mean Texas's budget
for this year. I mean it's crazy, you're look at it.
Spent in access of thirty five million. So Dion Sanders
was asked about it at Media Days and here's what

(09:14):
he had to say.

Speaker 6 (09:16):
I wish it was a cap. You know, like the
top of the line player makes this, and if you're
not that type of guy, you know you're not gonna
make that. That's what the NFL does. So the problem
is you got a guy that's not that during good
but he could go to another school and they give
him a half a million dollars and you can't You
can't compete with that.

Speaker 7 (09:33):
That don't make sense.

Speaker 6 (09:34):
See, all you had to do is look at the
playoffs and see what those teams spent. And you understand,
during the white end the playoffs, it's kind of hard
to compete with somebody who's giving twenty five thirty million dollars.
So during freshman class it is. It's crazy. The teams
that pays the more, pays the most is gonna be then.

Speaker 4 (09:52):
In Yeah, I'm sure a lot of baseball owners and
general managers seeing this right now are like.

Speaker 3 (09:58):
Hey, we could use a salary cap. Not gonna happen, But.

Speaker 4 (10:01):
I mean, what's next. Are we gonna get a union
for college football players? Is that on the horizon?

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Listen?

Speaker 4 (10:06):
I'm not gonna lie. I saw this idea from Dion.
I was like, that's not terrible. I don't hate it. However,
I think the real reason Dion is going off like
this is because of something small.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
That happened on the fourth of July.

Speaker 4 (10:21):
You guys probably missed this, celebrating with hot dogs and fireworks,
but there's a young man named Felix Ojoe, who is
one of the best offensive tackles in the country, and
he was ticketing to go to the Texas Long Horns.
Everybody thought, oh, that's a lock for Texas. And then
out of nowhere comes big spending Texas Tech, the Red Raiders,

(10:43):
and all of a sudden they steal this elite offensive lineman.

Speaker 3 (10:46):
Now, Texas fans, I wasn't on the message.

Speaker 4 (10:48):
Board, but we got a staffer who's a diehard Orange
Bloods guy, and Texas fans are melting down. Hey man,
our offensive line is a huge reason we got to
the playoff in back to back years. Obviously we need
skill position guys in a quarterback and defense, but offensive
line sets the tone you win in the trenches. And
Texas Tech stealing this offensive tackle is a huge sign

(11:09):
to college football.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
Wait, how did Texas Tech do that?

Speaker 4 (11:12):
Well, there was a great story written back in December. Now,
December is a tough time, guys.

Speaker 3 (11:17):
I'm not gonna lie.

Speaker 4 (11:18):
When the transfer portal opens up, it's like, oh, who's
in the portal, who's leaving? It's all like rumors, and
you buy the rumor sell the news. So you may
have missed this article December. Also, NFL is starting to
heat up. You got the NBA starting to get to
Christmas games, which matters a lot. You got the holidays, life,
a lot of stuff. So you may have missed this article.
But the Texas Tech Red Raiders have a billionaire donor

(11:41):
who seems to not care about how much he's spending
on players. And they have an infrastructure at Texas Tech
right now where they've been doing incredible research. And wouldn't
you know it, but of the top eight teams in
the Transfer portal, the rankings that came out for getting
the best players in the portal, guess who was the
only non SEC team in there.

Speaker 3 (12:03):
The Texas Tech red Raiders.

Speaker 4 (12:05):
Take a Guess who's gonna lap Dion and Colorado in
the Big Twelve this year? The Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Dion can see the writing on the wall.

Speaker 3 (12:14):
Damn Texans. Where are they getting this money from. They
got a billionaire, They're getting all the players.

Speaker 4 (12:19):
They've got an amazing general manager who's crushing it to
the point that Notre Dame made a run at him
because he absolutely destroyed the Transfer portal Texas Tech. Ladies
and gentlemen, When was the last time you heard them relevant, Mike,
you got to go back fifteen years to those Mike
Leach teams. Texas Tech is not finished in the top

(12:39):
twenty five and fifteen years. But now because there's no
salary cap, they are spending and spending wisely. Mike Gundhy
Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Speaker 3 (12:50):
He has now chimed in here. He is on Dion's
salary cap idea.

Speaker 8 (12:54):
College needs to instigate and to build that type of
system so we don't have the same four or five
or six schools that pay the most money in at
the end of the season. But you've got to restructure
the system, and you got to admit that the players
are employees, and then you can build a collective bargaining
We've all talked about it, but you have to admit
their employees, and then you need an entry salary cap,

(13:16):
like you need an entry level for a high school
player coming in because it's not sustainable.

Speaker 3 (13:25):
He's not wrong and Dion's not wrong.

Speaker 4 (13:26):
I just I have a hard time believing the phrases
collective bargaining agreement you know, and salary cap are going
to really be into college football anytime in the next
two years. Basically, if you haven't hit up the billionaire
graduates from your college already and set up an nil infrastructure.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
You're way behind. And I have this feeling.

Speaker 4 (13:47):
Folks obviously, losing Schador and Travis Hunter hurt, but I
have a feeling that Dion sees the writing on the wall.

Speaker 7 (13:53):
Damn.

Speaker 4 (13:53):
We're like maybe a five win team and Texas Tech's
gonna spend the money and make all the money. I'm
not saying they're going to the playoffs, but college football
right now is in an awesome moment if you like
disruption like I do. All Right, we got a great
show ahead and coming up next, we got a Lakers insider.
Are the Lakers gonna get Beal? Is it gonna be

(14:13):
the paper clips? And is DeAndre Ayton gonna clean up
his act? That's next year on the Hurd.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
and noon eastern nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 7 (14:29):
Hey what's up everybody?

Speaker 9 (14:30):
It's me three time pro bowler LeVar Arrington, and I
couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up
on Game?

Speaker 7 (14:37):
What is up on Game?

Speaker 9 (14:38):
You asked along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Huschman,
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yep, that's right, Plexico Burris.
You can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game We're going to be
sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen
to Up on Game with me LeVar Arrington, Hutchman's Ada,

(15:01):
and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or
wherever you get your podcast from.

Speaker 3 (15:10):
The Lakers have been in the news all the time.

Speaker 4 (15:12):
Jovon Bouja, formerly of the Athletic He's got a new
job coming up, He's got his boojas Block podcast hasn't
invited me on. But then whatever he's going to are
He's going to the Summer League tonight.

Speaker 7 (15:28):
In like an hour. Yeah, I'm going straight to the airport.

Speaker 6 (15:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (15:31):
Bronnie versus Cooper flag? Huh? Yeah? Is that how it's
being built?

Speaker 4 (15:34):
Cooper Flag versus A fifty eight figgiftyth Sorry apology. We'll
get to that soon, but we've got to start, obviously
with DeAndre Aighton giving his first interview since going to
the Lakers, and I think people are already past his
failures in Portland and forfeiting.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
Ten million dollars to get out of town. He said.
Lebron has not texted him, but Luca has.

Speaker 4 (15:55):
Now, you had a great nugget last time that Austin
Reeves and Jake Laavia share an agent. Doesn't Luca share
an agent with DeAndre Jordan? So maybe that's like agent
or is there something should we read something into this?

Speaker 10 (16:08):
So so I've heard they have a good rapport, like
by NBA standards, a good rapport between Luca and DeAndre Ayden,
so they share an agent. They were the top two
top three picks in the same draft twenty eighteen Draft
eight and went first, Luca went third. Their families have
met each other, like they have a rapport. So Luca,
I've been told, was on board with Ayton coming on

(16:29):
and like he got the stamp of approval. So Luca's
excited to have a pick and roll partner, and like
DeAndre Ayton for all of the discourse around him, will
say has been statistically one of the most efficient pick
and roll threats, pick and roll finishers, lob threats like
over the last few years. So I think Luca's excited,
like certainly an upgrade over Jackson Hayes.

Speaker 7 (16:50):
We'll say so, like I think, like, this.

Speaker 10 (16:52):
Is a guy who's been double double every year of
his career. Obviously there's been some questions with the motor
and whatnot, but like, yeah, I think the like he's
effectively in a contract year, so he's got a lot
to prove. And he talked about like this situation fueling
him and like, yeah, I thought the best line of
his whole press conference was I can't run from this,
Like I picked this platform, I can't hide from this now.

Speaker 7 (17:14):
So this is going to.

Speaker 10 (17:15):
Be the most scrutiny in spotlight he's dealt with in
his career playing for the Lakers as their starting center,
So we'll see what he's made of.

Speaker 4 (17:22):
And it feels like maybe, you know, he'd always been
saying I just got to get that second contract, a
big one. He got that, so he's been paid, and
now they lost in the finals when he was like
twenty two in Phoenix. Does he marginally change the Lakers
or significantly change them, because I mean, again, they had
nothing at center last year.

Speaker 7 (17:40):
I think it's probably somewhere in between, just because again, like.

Speaker 10 (17:43):
If you go back to the playoffs, a couple of
months ago, they literally could not play a center like
JJ Reddick lost all trust in Jackson Hayes, and it
got to the point where they were through Maxi Kliba
in a game five after he missed like three months
with a foot injury in foot surgery.

Speaker 7 (18:00):
So it's like that showed you that the level of.

Speaker 10 (18:02):
Now it's interesting Jackson Hayes' back and I think as
a backup he's fine. He also does share an agent
with Luca and DeAndre Ayton, so they're yeah. I mean,
I think these are all positive signs for Luca's upcoming
extension on August second.

Speaker 4 (18:17):
Okay, so a lot of Luca talk, Jovanne, you're not
talking about Lebron a lot what's going on.

Speaker 10 (18:24):
It's been quiet, and you know, I came on here
and we talked about it, Like, I don't think he's going.

Speaker 7 (18:28):
To get traded. I think this has been.

Speaker 10 (18:31):
Just him putting some pressure on the organization because he
sees the finish line and he's trying to get them
to move that first round pick to invest in this
year's roster and not look ahead to twenty twenty six
or twenty twenty seven, because there's the report by ESPN
that they're trying to keep the cap sheet clean for
the summer of twenty twenty seven, when Giannis could potentially

(18:51):
be available, or is it yo Kic available either for
trade or to sign one of those guys. Yokiksch would
still be under contract, but like, does someone want out
at that point? The Lakers have the flexibility with multiple picks,
some expiring contracts and maybe some young players at that
point that like you could flip that for the next
star or post Lebron. So I think he's been trying

(19:11):
to put some pressure on them to do something and
we'll see, I guess.

Speaker 7 (19:14):
The rest of this month.

Speaker 4 (19:15):
If they do it, let's ask is there a deal
to be had right now with their twenty twenty six
first By the way, the twenty twenty six draft class
is pretty damn good a lot of them players, but
like Dalton connect in the first, that's not getting you much.

Speaker 10 (19:28):
So they can't trade the twenty twenty six. It has
to be the twenty thirty one or thirty two. So
I guess the upside there is like you are betting
on what are the Lakers are going to look like
in six or seven years, which Luca will be I
guess what thirty two to thirty three should still be
in like maybe the tail end of his prime, but
but still probably in his prime.

Speaker 7 (19:45):
I think that pick has value.

Speaker 10 (19:47):
I think the issue has been, like we've seen teams
start to value first round picks again in a way
that they hadn't for the last few years. So if
you look at it, like some of these trades that
have happened, like guy, the prices for guys have dropped,
with the exception of like the Michael Porter junior trade
with Cam Johnson, Like first round picks aren't flying around anymore.
So I do think if they put Dalton connect and

(20:08):
the first on the table, they could get in some
conversations that like on paper, maybe you wouldn't expect them to,
but it doesn't.

Speaker 7 (20:13):
Seem like they want to do that.

Speaker 10 (20:14):
It seems like they like having a first going into
the season and having that flexibility, so maybe make a
move or make a move down the road. So I'm
a little skeptical right now, but it's fluid.

Speaker 4 (20:24):
So you reported a lot Lebron and the Lakers management
not getting along great. Is this because maybe Lebron he's
just upset that he's no longer the guy to build around,
and it's Luca. Is this impouting? Does he have a
player in mind? I think it's it's a little.

Speaker 10 (20:41):
Bit of all that, right, Like this is the first
time you could say in Lebron's career he hasn't been
the sole focus or the primary focus of his franchise
that he's been on. Like even with Ad, it was
all like it was always Lebron trying to pass the
baton to Ad. Luca just came in and it got
the baton right from the owner. He was handed it
on on a golden pillows. So and understandably so, because

(21:02):
he's a top at worst, top five player in the league,
if not top three, with the upside to be the
best player in.

Speaker 7 (21:07):
My opinion and win an MVP.

Speaker 10 (21:08):
So like I get it. He's a guy who's about
to enter his prime, has already led a team to
the finals. But Lebron's just I think the big thing
is like he sees the finish line, whether it's another year,
two years, and he wants to win that fifth ring.
And it doesn't feel like the Lakers are going all
in on this year's roster. They're trying to kind of
split the baby, not yet. But even if I mean,
I guess if they trade the first, I'll say that's

(21:30):
going all in. But anything short of that, it is
kind of like a half measure in terms of like
trying to make this year's roster better but also keeping
that flexibility. Like those two things are kind of at odds. Yeah,
and and but it seems like they're prioritizing the future.

Speaker 3 (21:43):
Remember with like the James Wiseman too.

Speaker 10 (21:45):
They won a title, like they kind of did the
best version of it. Obviously the Wiseman pick didn't work out,
but they were able to rebuild quickly, get back to
the finals, win a championship, and then now obviously you know,
we'll see with them.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
So that brings me to Bradley Beal.

Speaker 4 (21:59):
So the Sun's not seem to find a taker for
him with that contract, so they'll have to wave and stretch.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
Yeah, And I.

Speaker 4 (22:05):
Was saying at the outset Beel at fifty mili not
really good? Feel at five mil amazing? Do you anticipate
that to happen to Bale? And then who are the
main contenders.

Speaker 10 (22:15):
For sounds like the Clippers are the main above the Lakers. Yeah,
because they could offer him a starting spot with the Lakers,
it gets a little dicey if you look at like
Luca Austin Beale, Lebron a lot of firepower, but defensively
that's going to be.

Speaker 3 (22:30):
But they're closing lineup with one hundred percent have Beal eight.

Speaker 10 (22:34):
But again, but then I just think that defense isn't
good enough if you just look at right, like, but.

Speaker 4 (22:39):
When the offense overcompensate for it with Beal and Reeves
on the perimeter.

Speaker 10 (22:43):
Maybe, but I think we mean we kind of saw
Phoenix try to do that approach with Katie Booker and
Beel and be like, you know, like they tried to
go to the all wing offensive approach and it just didn't
really work.

Speaker 7 (22:54):
So I'm personally skeptical. Like I'm of two minds.

Speaker 10 (22:57):
Beal at five million dollars great value, and the Lakers
I think need a talent upgrade. So like from that perspective,
you could talk me into it. I just think he
would have to buy into probably a six man role
and selectively close, Like there might be some matchups where
it's like we need more defense, so you're not closing tonight.
And is he okay with that? I think he's still
trying to get back to being a starter. And because

(23:19):
you also got to think about his next contract, right,
So like in the NBA, once you accept the bench role,
once you get bought out, like there is like a
stamp on you that I think affects like your perception
and like your next deal.

Speaker 7 (23:30):
Like very few guys are able to get.

Speaker 3 (23:32):
Bought out and like rehab their value.

Speaker 10 (23:34):
So I think once you you know, now you're making
five million dollars, now you're coming off the bench, Maybe
next contract's like a mid level contract. So I think
for him, maybe going to the Clippers or going to
like a Milwaukee I think would be not from like
a competition perspective, but like he could be the number
two guys in Milwaukee and like, really show what.

Speaker 4 (23:52):
Does Bradley Beal want? He's made a I can't say
that word. He's made a lot.

Speaker 10 (23:56):
Of a lot of money.

Speaker 3 (23:58):
What does he want? Has he been to a conference finals?
Not to own? No second round with the Wizards?

Speaker 4 (24:02):
Like does he want to win or make more money
on top of the you know, he's probably made two
hundred million in his career. I'm just guessing probably more
than that. Yeah, do you want to win? Like also
going to the Lakers versus going to the Clippers. Like
the Lakers are going to be on more TV games.
They're the most high profile team.

Speaker 3 (24:20):
In the league.

Speaker 4 (24:20):
Yeah, I mean the money he could make off the
court with the Lakers.

Speaker 3 (24:24):
I don't know what is his wife.

Speaker 10 (24:26):
So I agree, Like I understand that the arguments for
the Lakers. I just think that the Clippers are offering
a starting role in like thirty minutes a night, and the.

Speaker 7 (24:34):
Lakers can't quite match that.

Speaker 10 (24:36):
I think at that point, you know that that's a
potential differentip.

Speaker 3 (24:39):
What is who is the Beal hardened backcourt stopping?

Speaker 10 (24:43):
I mean, come on, I think we could run some
pick and roll against that.

Speaker 3 (24:46):
I would like to think, so I just listened.

Speaker 4 (24:48):
I think Beal at five mil, Yeah, might be the
best contract in the league given what he I mean,
if you could.

Speaker 10 (24:54):
Put up seventeen he's still better than like people have
given him.

Speaker 7 (24:57):
Like I think he's gotten.

Speaker 10 (24:58):
A little too much flat because of the con tracked
and because of how much a failure that Phoenix situation was.
Where he's still averaged like seventeen four and four last year,
thirty nine percent three point shooter, Like he's still He's
still good, it's just not fifty million dollars good.

Speaker 4 (25:12):
So basically, in a perfect world, the Lakers get eight
and at eight and Beal at five two, you know,
awesome rotational players for thirteen mil. That would be a
home run. They'd get an a Would that get Lebron
you think to buy in and get out of this
funk or whatever he's dealing with right now.

Speaker 10 (25:28):
I think he's going to buy in. I think, like,
I think it's going to work out. I don't know
if that's enough. Like I Lebron's always trade the picks,
Like that is like Lebron's motto is trade the picks.

Speaker 7 (25:41):
So if you don't trade the picks and.

Speaker 10 (25:44):
You're not, you know, all exhausting all resources to improve
the roster, because you could still sign Beal and trade
the picks and improve the like you know what I mean,
or trade d pick and then they got a few
pick swaps. So I think for Lebron, you know, there's
a lot of things going on with the situation, but
I think he will be a Laker starting whenever late September.

Speaker 4 (26:03):
All right, let's get to tonight's game. Cooper Flag making
his debut. It's against Bronnie. Bronnie has been up and down, fair.

Speaker 7 (26:12):
To say, in the summer better lately.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
You know, these guys online just put together clip reels
of that dunk was incredible. The dunk was incredible, Like,
I haven't seen that bounce from him. Wasn't a Laker?

Speaker 4 (26:24):
Just your thoughts on on what flag, what are reasonable
expectations tonight twenty.

Speaker 10 (26:28):
Yeah, Like I want to see the versatile skill set
from him, because I think he's someone i've the more
I've like studied his game and try to come up
with like an NBA comp, I think it's more like
an alpha Sean Marion, which which is like Sean Marion
is a really good player, multi time All Star and
Olympian like and but I said out like I think
he's got more of that like number one or number

(26:51):
two type score gene that that Marian is more of
like a number three. But he's got that Marian skill
set of like I think he's going to be a
guy at his peak, can play three through five, can
do just defend multiple positions, can bring the ball up,
run pick and roll, but also attack and come off
screens and stuff. So he can do a lot of
different things. In terms of tonight, I mean, this is

(27:13):
arguably the most.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
Exciting dayni Hey, tonight, it's a big one.

Speaker 10 (27:16):
Since Zion, right, I would say Zion twenty nineteen. There
was an earthquake that night, so we'll see about yeah,
twenty points.

Speaker 7 (27:23):
We'll say.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd weekdays
and noone Easter, not a Empacific.

Speaker 4 (27:36):
We're back our number two here on the Herd. It's
me Jason McIntyre in for Colin Cowherd. He's enjoying an
extended July fourth holiday.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
Boy, that guy's living the dream. Baby.

Speaker 4 (27:49):
So it's me and Alex Curry and the salt mines. Alex,
how we doing?

Speaker 3 (27:54):
Hold it up up? By the way, how was your
July fourth? Any firework activity or not?

Speaker 4 (27:57):
Real?

Speaker 7 (27:58):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (27:58):
I mean I did the standard think. I talked about
it when we were on the show last week.

Speaker 3 (28:03):
The Strand is.

Speaker 5 (28:04):
Just like immaculate vibes in hermos in Manhattan, and I
have a couple of friends with strandhouses, so just yeah.

Speaker 11 (28:10):
Just just hang Matt staff in and just did the
walk down the Strand like seeing seeing everybody else rage
and have a good time and just waving from afar
because I've officially been pregnant for every holiday since Thanksgiving.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
Wow, that's been great. All right, well that's exciting. You know,
you got you.

Speaker 5 (28:26):
Got a big summer ahead, big summer. We're in the
red zone. We're feeling good, we're feeling happy. Just hopefully
she cooks for another week.

Speaker 7 (28:32):
Two.

Speaker 4 (28:34):
All right, we got Albert Breer coming up in five minutes.
He's jet setting it. Well, all these guys taking summer vacations.

Speaker 3 (28:39):
We're just work.

Speaker 4 (28:40):
We grind. All right, let me let me quickly go.
So a lot of NBA free agency has been decided.

Speaker 3 (28:46):
Not everything. Bradley bial could still move. You've got big
got Jonathan Kuminga.

Speaker 4 (28:50):
I don't know if he's adjusting the odds of anybody,
but we decided to come up with a Jmax six
pack as of now, the sixth pack of ND teams
that can win the championship next year. Now, as I
was reminded this morning, if we had done this last
year at this time, it would have been Boston Celtics
one through six. Everybody thought they were gonna repeat. They

(29:11):
had a loaded team. They just won the chip. I mean,
they were absolutely stacked and didn't get out of the
second round. So keep that in mind. No defending champ
has gotten out of the second round since the Kadi
Curry Warriors. Let's have the six pack. Let's get started with.
I think we're starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East,

(29:32):
mostly because they retain almost everyone on their team. They
did lose tie Jerome rotational guy had a good season.
But when you keep the core Garland coming off to
toe injury in the in the playoffs, Moblei Allen Mitchell
is a good team. DeAndre Hunters now had we'll have
a full season.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
Listen.

Speaker 4 (29:51):
I know Cleveland, it's tough to think of them winning
a chip without Lebron, but guys, the pieces are there
for sure.

Speaker 3 (29:58):
I think the Cleveland Cavaliers are one or two in
the East.

Speaker 4 (30:01):
Let's go to the next team and that is the
New York Knickerbockers. Yep, do they still call them the
Knickerbockers either way. So last year, the Knicks added two
new starters in Towns and Bridges. Obviously very difficult to
dominate right out of the gate with two new starters. Well,
now this year the Knicks will have a new head coach,
but it looks like they're gonna retain everyone else from

(30:23):
the starting lineup, added two guys to the bench.

Speaker 3 (30:26):
I you know, listen, Mike Brown, I like him.

Speaker 4 (30:29):
If he plays his cards right and uses more bench
and keeps his guys fresh for the postseason. I don't
see why this isn't a fifty five to six win team,
sixty win team. And I think they're top two in
the East, maybe number one, and the garden home court
advantage will be sick in the postseason. All right, let's
go to the West because nobody else is good in
the East, and we're gonna go Lakers.

Speaker 3 (30:48):
I know, I know, Jay Mack, You're crazy. We do it.

Speaker 4 (30:51):
Well, let's see if they add Bradley Beieald there for
sure in the six pack, and I'm gonna put them
here out of respect to I don't know, two of
the five best players in the league in Luca and Lebron.

Speaker 3 (31:01):
Oh, Jay, what happened against Minnesota, Well, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (31:04):
They had like twenty games together to work out the Kings.

Speaker 3 (31:07):
They had no center.

Speaker 4 (31:10):
Can we just take a deep breath and say, like
they lost to the Timberwolves and nobody really saw it coming.
They're gonna be fine. The Lakers are certainly one of
the six best teams in the league. Next up, Denver Nuggets.
I like the offseason they've had. They're putting all their
chips in for now. Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr.
Feels like a slight upgrade, not a huge one because

(31:32):
MPG is a much better scorer. But I think Cam
Johnson will be good. I like Bruce Brown coming.

Speaker 3 (31:37):
Back getting off Russell Westbrook. I think they added Tim
Hardaway too. Yeah, Tim Hardaway, They've done a good job.

Speaker 4 (31:47):
And remember Aaron Gordon was hurt in Game seven with
the ankle or maybe they beat OKC. Next up the
Houston Rockets. I think they've won the offseason more than anybody.
I mean, they added Kevin Durant, look at this, They
added Clip Capella, and they added Dorian Finney Smith. Essentially,
the Rockets got better than anybody and they lost like nothing.

(32:09):
Dylan Brooks and Jalen Green and a first round pick.
I think you could look for guys like Reied Shepherd
to step up big time. I would not be surprised
at all if shen Goon is an All Star once again.
Jabari Smith less pressure a'man Thompson rising star.

Speaker 3 (32:24):
Houston's good.

Speaker 4 (32:24):
I think the team to beat in the West Houston
Rockets in the Jmax six pas and I know you're
waiting on one last team, Okac Thunder. I'm not gonna lie.
I had for a moment Orlando in this spot over OKC. Yeah,
that's real. I could see Alex looking at me like, Jamack.

Speaker 7 (32:40):
What's wrong with you?

Speaker 4 (32:41):
I'm just gonna remind you guys. SGA got paid, Chad
holmern got paid. It's a different mentality and mindset among
the players, and history bears this out. If you haven't
won the chip, haven't gotten paid. Its front, front of office.
That's a top priority. That's everything.

Speaker 3 (33:01):
Well, now they got the title.

Speaker 4 (33:02):
SGA's got all the accolades, he's got all the money
that Hunger desires. Not quite there. Yes they're young. Yes,
they're probably gonna win fifty to sixty games, maybe sixty two.
I don't know that they're gonna win the championship. Again,
you guys can better go for it. I'm not doing that.

Speaker 3 (33:17):
So there's the Jmax six pack heading into next season.

Speaker 4 (33:20):
Oh my gosh, who's doing these graphics?

Speaker 3 (33:24):
For everyone listening? You guys.

Speaker 5 (33:26):
There is a photo of j Mac on the screen
that is so on brand.

Speaker 3 (33:31):
I'm in a tank top. Yes, that's a good job.
I think that's Tish or Scott. Shout out to those guys,
all right,
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Colin Cowherd

Colin Cowherd

Jason McIntyre

Jason McIntyre

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