June 26, 2023 • 19 mins
Sarah talks with NBA.com senior writer Steve Aschburner about the massive trades that have already happened this off-season including, Bradley Beal to the Suns, Chris Paul to the Warriors, Marcus Smart to Memphis and more. Plus, they get into potential free agent moves and trades like Damian Lillard, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
NBA Pulse is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome into NBA Pulse, a production of iHeartRadio in the NBA.
I'm Sarah Coustack, NBA analyst for the S Network, and
today is Monday, June twenty sixth. From our extraordinary core
group of NBA dot Com journalists. We're joined now by
NBA dot Com Senior writer Steve Ashburner. And as we
continue to roll here, we made it through the NBA
(00:22):
Draft no surprise. Victor Wembinyama went number one overall to
the San Antonio Spurs, followed by Brandon Miller number two
to the Charlotte Hornets and Scoot Henderson number three to
the Trailblazers. And as it all continued on, but Summer
League is upon us as the first game opening up
(00:44):
that night will be on July seventh between the San
Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets. Expectations as Wemby said that
he will be playing, will he be facing up against
Brandon Miller, all those things I think, we hope for,
we expect. We'll wait and see when it all starts rolling.
But now we are in the cusp of free agency,
and some moves have already been made free agency, beginning
(01:05):
here on Friday evening. But when it comes to some
moves that have already happened, I can't wait to hear
your thoughts, your opinions. But first things first, it's great
to see you.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Yeah, thanks for having me again, Sarah. It is great
and it's remarkable the NBA manages annually to cram thirteen
months of content into twelve months of calendar. It's sir, Rack,
there's really no downtime. It's just a matter of when
you can sneak away and get some for yourself. And
I hope you're able to do that too after a
(01:37):
crazy season.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, and before we get into I want to get
your thoughts and opinions some of the discussion now on
our expectations of what might happen when free agency begins.
But these deals that have already taken place, and some
that certainly are significant in impacting the landscape of what
the teams look like, and some organizations look like Bradley
(01:58):
Beal going to the Phoenix Suns. We'll kind of break
down each part of this trade for for all these teams.
That obviously includes h Washington picking up Jordan Poole, Chris
Paul going to Golden State, because of it, Washington will
also get tyas Jones. But let's first start with the
Bradley Beal uh part of this, part of this dynamic.
(02:22):
What what do you think will be the impact that
he will have on the Phoenix Suns. Of course, with
a new coach in Frank Vogel, we'll be playing alongside
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, uh DeAndre Ayton as well.
For now part of that, what's your thoughts on what
this team looks like to this point?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, you know what, for fans of a certain vintage,
I mean you can remember, you know, they can remember
teams that have been overloaded almost with offensive firepower. I
remembered while this story was breaking, and somebody on Twitter
referred to those type of teams, and I thought of
(03:04):
the uh, the seventy six, seventy seven ninth Philadelphia seventy
six ers. They had Doctor j They had Lloyd Free,
they had George McGinnis, they had Doug Collins, they had
all these guys who needed the ball. They had a
young Darryl Dawkins. They you know, they had players at
every position that could score. And Phoenix to me, is
(03:27):
reminiscent of that different personalities, no doubt about it. You know,
you got to believe that Kevin Durant has committed to winning.
Devin Booker obviously has knocked on the door and been
rejected enough in terms of you know, getting back to
a finals and winning a ring. And now Bradley Beal,
you know, is in a sort of a He's a
(03:49):
quiet guy. I don't want to say put up or
shut up, but this really does sort of challenge him
because he's been kind of luxuriating in a no win
situation in Washington where it ended up right or wrongly
being about his contract, and now it's a matter of, okay,
is he a winning player? We'll see. This will be
(04:09):
the first opportunity since he and John Wall were sort
of you know, lighting, you know, flashing across the NBA
sky as this young backcourt, so that to me is intriguing.
Will they have the depth, will they play the defense?
You know, Chris Paul, people talk about him thirty eight
years old, not always available, although not that not really
(04:32):
less available than Bradley Beal has been, but clearly the
kind of player who can organize a team that has
a lot of gunners on it. Now I'm not sure
where the organization for the Phoenix Suns comes from. And
that's Frank Vogel's job one, I think, and we'll see
how much Booker and Durant, you know, are able to
(04:53):
accommodate and you know, take advantage of Bradley Beal. So
it's an offensive channel with that.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Team offensive challenge. Also, big time salary cap hit right
one hundred and sixty million between the four of those
players in Durant, Beale, Booker, and Ayton. See how that
plays out. Speaking of offense. As I said, part of
this trades a lot of aspects and teams that were
involved with all of this. Jordan Poole Golden State gets
(05:23):
off his contract, he goes to the Washington Wizards. Wizards
will also get Tias Jones from Memphis in part of
this tradeas Porzingis will be a member of the Boston Celtics,
Marcus Smart with the Memphis Grizzlies, and CP three. We
were talking about a Chris Paul playing with the Golden
State Warriors. So take your pick of these teams of
(05:43):
these players, whether it is the Celtics, whether it's the
Golden State Warriors, whether it is the Memphis Grizzlies. What
jumps out to you about the impact and or loss
of these players for these teams.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Well, I'll tell you. Over the last season plus, going
back to the playoffs in twenty twenty two, I've become
you know, a big fan of Marcus Smart. I think
he is, you know, incredibly valuable on the court off
the court. You know, even the people that traded him
will tell you that he's the heart and soul of
the recent Celtics teams. And that's going to be pretty
(06:21):
important in Memphis. I mean, first of all, they're not
going to have John Morant for what looks like twenty
five games. So now you've got Marcus Smart that picks
up that slack, plugs that that void, You're good to go.
He's also going to pick up some slack as a
as a wing defender, backcourt defender. With the absence apparently
(06:42):
everything we've been told of Dylan Brooks that he will
not be back, and he was a second team All
defensive selection this year. The Celtics. Meanwhile, with Porzingis, I mean,
it reconfigures their team, It shifts things to the front court,
and to me, it shifts responsibility onto Jason Tatum and
(07:03):
Jalen Brown in a way that they've not had to
carry it. You know, Smart and el Horford have have
been you know, first and foremost in in in sort
of being team leaders there. And I think I think
the cents in Boston is if these guys are going
to lead that team anywhere, it's going to have to
come not just with their stats, not just with their play,
(07:25):
you know in certain games, it's going to have to
come with them being the top options, dominating the opportunities
and the usage, and also drawing them out as as
individuals and personalities, and when you have other strong personalities,
maybe it's too easy to sort of hang back. So
I think that that porzingis who's extremely skilled and gives
(07:49):
them a whole different look, you know, on the front line.
But I think it's even more so about getting more
out of the two top assets Celtics have had is
in Tatum Brown.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, without a doubt, and one with Boston, which is
going to be interesting, just seemingly like they felt like
they hit a ceiling with the group they had, needing
to make some changes, change things up. Joe Mizzoula the
opportunity to come back now in a second season experience
that he's gained. You mentioned Memphis, they do lose Tias Jones,
who he was an important part of when John Morant
(08:23):
was missing times playing he was excellent in that point
guard position. Brandon Clark though, if you remember, obviously he
was injured in expectation that he'll be back. So Memphis
will be interesting to watch. Golden State is the one.
I know you talked about Chris Paul, but Golden State
the one that is we'll get into free agency question
marks about free agency, they have a key individual declining
(08:47):
his player option in Draymond Green. So there's a lot
of moving parts with what the Golden State Warriors may
look like. But with Jordan Poole being out and Chris
Paul being in, how do you see Chris Paul fitting
into the style of play that the Warriors have shown
for their their run that they have been on.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Well, I think he can help most teams. I think
with Golden State, the question is does this take the
ball out of Draymond Green's hands more? And he's a
decision maker for them. He has been. He's been sort
of a point forward points center type and if he's
not doing that is he as valuable as he advances
in age, as he's been for the Warriors. You know,
(09:28):
it's great having step off the ball. You've got Klayton
Thompson as a shooter. Chris Paul still has some punch
in his game. Maybe he's not playing a full season
at this point in time, and you know, perhaps he's
a halftime player in terms of twenty four minutes and
fifty to sixty games. But they nurse him and he's
(09:48):
ready for the postseason. But yeah, it's going to be
interesting to me what the commitment is to Draymond. And
you know, if they keep him, what price do they
keep been? Man, how long do they keep him. I've
seen suggestions of you know, a seven or a three
year contract somewhere around seventy million dollars. That sounds great
(10:10):
to you and me, I know, but you know, we'll
see if that would be appealing enough to Draymond. A
lot of a lot of buzz about Sacramento maybe trying
to add Raymond Green as a way, you know, not
only to help themselves, but to handicap you know, a
top rival in Golden State, the team that put them out.
So yeah, it's you know it will be interesting with
(10:32):
with Jordan Poole gone. I think most most people have presumed,
well that means they're going to keep Draymond. They just
did not want to bring, you know, have both those
guys back on the scene again. That was an awkward
situation from the punch all the way I think through
the end of the year. So yeah, Draymond, you know,
he's one of those players that a lot of us
(10:55):
have thought, well, he can thrive in certain situations, but
not so much if he goes as some sort of
a savior or superstar to another situation, and so really
depends on that. I think Sacramento could work well for him,
you know, with sabonus there already and the guards they have,
But there are a lot of teams where if they
just outright signed Draymond Green, they're gonna get less than
(11:18):
they bargained for Golden State. Of course, they know what
they have. They're happy to I believe continue that. But
you know, I would hate to see him in a
situation where he's overextended and the expectations are too high.
So you know, we'll see Chris Paul, who knows. I mean,
you know, I assume he's going to be there. He's
(11:40):
going to get, you know what, his full thirty million
instead of the fifteen million, and had he gotten waived
by the Suns. Crafty player, he's got a chip on
his shoulder. They'll figure out a way for him to
be a plus player rather than any sort of a distraction.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, lots of decisions to make, and without the architect
and the voice of Bob Myers running things over, there
is gonna it's certainly going to be something that may
factor in. Let's get to that free agency buzz. We're
gonna take a quick break and be right back. Welcome
(12:19):
back to NBA Pulse, Sarahustak joined by the great Steve
Ashburner and ash This is the time of year that
becomes intriguing on so many different levels, and it's stressful
for those who are actually trying to make the decisions.
Free agency begins on Friday evening six pm Eastern, and
so let's let's try to hit quick hit some of
these free agents, those who have some options, and see
(12:44):
what your thoughts are on them. And let's begin with
James Harden, player option Philadelphia. A lot of buzz about
him potentially going back to Houston, Doc Rivers obviously no
longer the head coach with the Philadelphia Step six Ers.
What's your thoughts on what happens with James and and
(13:06):
his future here.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
I think if if James Harden wanted to continue to
chase a ring, which is something missing from his portfolio,
he should stay right where he is. I think the
fifth I think the contender status of the seventy six ers,
the way he and I give him all credit for this,
I voted for him, you know, to the All NBA
(13:28):
Third Team, The way he adapted his game to more
suit the role he needed to play. You know, I
thought he reverted, of course, when Embiid was out a
couple of games, or certainly the first game in the
Boston series, but that was out of necessity. I thought
that Harden played smart, he played well, and he could
do that again. But it seems like the vibe with
(13:52):
James Harden is he's sort of looking for his annuity
at this point, and if he can go to a
place where he really enjoys living and the lifestyle and
cash in, you got to keep going if you're going
to find the ring on that list, the priorities and
and you know, we we just assumed that, well, heck,
(14:13):
Yang's gonna he's gonna want to stay where he can win.
But I don't know if that's the case. He may
feel he's done what he needed to do. He sacrificed
last season in his style of play. Now he wants
to go and enjoy the remaining years he has as
a as an NBA player, as an NBA star, as
a as a known quantity, and and uh in a
(14:33):
place that he likes to do it. It's sort of
a retirement within a retirement perhaps for him to do that.
I don't know that he's driven, you know, to chase,
what we would say with other guys, their next ring,
in his case, his first ring. He may feel that
his own personal window is closed. So Houston might be
the best spot for him. I don't see him as
the kind of veteran that the Rockets need in a
(14:56):
locker room full of young talented players. He just h
he might set a wrong example in terms of priorities
and things. Now, if if he's willing to be that
old head and and in part good lessons, then you know, okay,
(15:16):
Houston can try that. I just I don't see that
really fast tracking you know, their their growth, their development
as a as a team that eventually, you know, in
the next few years wants to chase the playoff spot.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Ask my bias is showing. Let's get to another former
net Kyrie Irving uh free agency by all accounts with
the Dallas Mavericks, whether through what they did in the draft,
it appears as though they can offer him the most money,
so it appears that they probably expect for him to return.
But what what do you think? What do you think
Kyrie may I know that's a that's a question that
(15:51):
he doesn't like to be asked. What do you what
do you think Kyrie may May be doing?
Speaker 2 (15:56):
I'm not sure he knows. I'm not sure he has
you know, full sale that either. I mean, he can
ultimately sign his name to the dotted line or not,
but it's a matter of with whom, for how long
and for how much. And you know, I don't think
he can. He can expect top dollar hardly anywhere in
this league anymore. I mean, he has been his own
worst enemy at burning bridges, making himself steam seem unreliable.
(16:23):
I mean, he's got all the talent and one of
the best we hear it all the time. You know,
one of the best handles ever, one of the best finishers.
That's all great, but if he's not out on the
floor for you, he's not going to be finishing or handling.
So it's a it's a real situation where you know,
he may be looking at the Lakers. I think that
probably would be his first choice, but they face Sarah
(16:46):
Capp and tax situations that would be insufferable if if
they if they were to try to bring him in,
and they would have to forego some players that they
like already. So yeah, it's I heard his name suggested
for the Bulls, and as a team that I spend
a lot of time around, that gave me pause. It's like, oh,
(17:09):
what's that going to do to that locker room? You know,
Kyrie brings that kind of baggage, and so I think
Dallas would be a great spot for him. He could
get paid more or less, and you know, he could
make good on on what was sort of a you know,
on the fly move that was more about exiting Brooklyn
than getting to the Mavericks. So you know, we'll see.
(17:31):
But he likes drama, He likes headlines and the idea
of just resigning with the Mavericks might not be enough
for Kyrie Irving.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Yeah, and to your point about the Lakers, as Kyrie
appeared at some of their postseason games. Ruy Hachimura Austin
Reeves obviously with very impactful postseason play, are both restricted
free agents for the Lakers, so a lot of decisions
for them to make last one. Damian Lillard not a
free agent, though, a lot of buzz about what Portland
may do the decision that they have ahead after drafting
(18:01):
Schood Henderson with that number three overall pick. What do
you think is going to happen with Dame? What jersey
will be he'd be wearing at the start of the season.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I think he'll be moved. If I had to pick
one team, I would say the Miami Heat. I think
that they were very interested in Bradley Beal and that
that did not go their way. The adding in Damian
Lillard to that lineup or what would mostly be left
of that lineup depending on who they had to part with,
Tyler Herro or whomever. You know, we would put them
(18:30):
right back into the contention for the top of the
East and and another Finals trip. You know, I I
cover the finals. After the finals, I wrote that they
need a number one star. Jimmy Jimmy Butler got overly extended.
I thought in in that role and the way he
likes to play, the way he plays, and how often
(18:51):
he plays or in off and he he uh yeah,
he he would thrive with a with a number one
like Damian Lillard. You know, I think I think that
they've sort of played it out in Portland and they've
now acquired young pieces which are totally out of sync
(19:12):
with what Lillard's schedule or his calendar is. So I
guess I would say Blazers is a second choice. That
nothing would happen, but that's only by default, that's only
out of resignation. If if, if there weren't a way
to get him to uh to Miami.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Get out your popcorn ash until next time. We got
a lot. We got a little lot going on. We
appreciate you as always in all of your time.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Oh you're welcome, Sarah.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
NBA Pulse with Sarahustak is production of the NBA and
iHeart Radio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the iHeart
Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome into NBA Pulse, a production of iHeartRadio in the NBA.
I'm Sarah Coustack, NBA analyst for the S Network, and
today is Monday, June twenty sixth. From our extraordinary core
group of NBA dot Com journalists. We're joined now by
NBA dot Com Senior writer Steve Ashburner. And as we
continue to roll here, we made it through the NBA
(00:22):
Draft no surprise. Victor Wembinyama went number one overall to
the San Antonio Spurs, followed by Brandon Miller number two
to the Charlotte Hornets and Scoot Henderson number three to
the Trailblazers. And as it all continued on, but Summer
League is upon us as the first game opening up
(00:44):
that night will be on July seventh between the San
Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets. Expectations as Wemby said that
he will be playing, will he be facing up against
Brandon Miller, all those things I think, we hope for,
we expect. We'll wait and see when it all starts rolling.
But now we are in the cusp of free agency,
and some moves have already been made free agency, beginning
(01:05):
here on Friday evening. But when it comes to some
moves that have already happened, I can't wait to hear
your thoughts, your opinions. But first things first, it's great
to see you.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Yeah, thanks for having me again, Sarah. It is great
and it's remarkable the NBA manages annually to cram thirteen
months of content into twelve months of calendar. It's sir, Rack,
there's really no downtime. It's just a matter of when
you can sneak away and get some for yourself. And
I hope you're able to do that too after a
(01:37):
crazy season.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, and before we get into I want to get
your thoughts and opinions some of the discussion now on
our expectations of what might happen when free agency begins.
But these deals that have already taken place, and some
that certainly are significant in impacting the landscape of what
the teams look like, and some organizations look like Bradley
(01:58):
Beal going to the Phoenix Suns. We'll kind of break
down each part of this trade for for all these teams.
That obviously includes h Washington picking up Jordan Poole, Chris
Paul going to Golden State, because of it, Washington will
also get tyas Jones. But let's first start with the
Bradley Beal uh part of this, part of this dynamic.
(02:22):
What what do you think will be the impact that
he will have on the Phoenix Suns. Of course, with
a new coach in Frank Vogel, we'll be playing alongside
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, uh DeAndre Ayton as well.
For now part of that, what's your thoughts on what
this team looks like to this point?
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Well, you know what, for fans of a certain vintage,
I mean you can remember, you know, they can remember
teams that have been overloaded almost with offensive firepower. I
remembered while this story was breaking, and somebody on Twitter
referred to those type of teams, and I thought of
(03:04):
the uh, the seventy six, seventy seven ninth Philadelphia seventy
six ers. They had Doctor j They had Lloyd Free,
they had George McGinnis, they had Doug Collins, they had
all these guys who needed the ball. They had a
young Darryl Dawkins. They you know, they had players at
every position that could score. And Phoenix to me, is
(03:27):
reminiscent of that different personalities, no doubt about it. You know,
you got to believe that Kevin Durant has committed to winning.
Devin Booker obviously has knocked on the door and been
rejected enough in terms of you know, getting back to
a finals and winning a ring. And now Bradley Beal,
you know, is in a sort of a He's a
(03:49):
quiet guy. I don't want to say put up or
shut up, but this really does sort of challenge him
because he's been kind of luxuriating in a no win
situation in Washington where it ended up right or wrongly
being about his contract, and now it's a matter of, okay,
is he a winning player? We'll see. This will be
(04:09):
the first opportunity since he and John Wall were sort
of you know, lighting, you know, flashing across the NBA
sky as this young backcourt, so that to me is intriguing.
Will they have the depth, will they play the defense?
You know, Chris Paul, people talk about him thirty eight
years old, not always available, although not that not really
(04:32):
less available than Bradley Beal has been, but clearly the
kind of player who can organize a team that has
a lot of gunners on it. Now I'm not sure
where the organization for the Phoenix Suns comes from. And
that's Frank Vogel's job one, I think, and we'll see
how much Booker and Durant, you know, are able to
(04:53):
accommodate and you know, take advantage of Bradley Beal. So
it's an offensive channel with that.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Team offensive challenge. Also, big time salary cap hit right
one hundred and sixty million between the four of those
players in Durant, Beale, Booker, and Ayton. See how that
plays out. Speaking of offense. As I said, part of
this trades a lot of aspects and teams that were
involved with all of this. Jordan Poole Golden State gets
(05:23):
off his contract, he goes to the Washington Wizards. Wizards
will also get Tias Jones from Memphis in part of
this tradeas Porzingis will be a member of the Boston Celtics,
Marcus Smart with the Memphis Grizzlies, and CP three. We
were talking about a Chris Paul playing with the Golden
State Warriors. So take your pick of these teams of
(05:43):
these players, whether it is the Celtics, whether it's the
Golden State Warriors, whether it is the Memphis Grizzlies. What
jumps out to you about the impact and or loss
of these players for these teams.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Well, I'll tell you. Over the last season plus, going
back to the playoffs in twenty twenty two, I've become
you know, a big fan of Marcus Smart. I think
he is, you know, incredibly valuable on the court off
the court. You know, even the people that traded him
will tell you that he's the heart and soul of
the recent Celtics teams. And that's going to be pretty
(06:21):
important in Memphis. I mean, first of all, they're not
going to have John Morant for what looks like twenty
five games. So now you've got Marcus Smart that picks
up that slack, plugs that that void, You're good to go.
He's also going to pick up some slack as a
as a wing defender, backcourt defender. With the absence apparently
(06:42):
everything we've been told of Dylan Brooks that he will
not be back, and he was a second team All
defensive selection this year. The Celtics. Meanwhile, with Porzingis, I mean,
it reconfigures their team, It shifts things to the front court,
and to me, it shifts responsibility onto Jason Tatum and
(07:03):
Jalen Brown in a way that they've not had to
carry it. You know, Smart and el Horford have have
been you know, first and foremost in in in sort
of being team leaders there. And I think I think
the cents in Boston is if these guys are going
to lead that team anywhere, it's going to have to
come not just with their stats, not just with their play,
(07:25):
you know in certain games, it's going to have to
come with them being the top options, dominating the opportunities
and the usage, and also drawing them out as as
individuals and personalities, and when you have other strong personalities,
maybe it's too easy to sort of hang back. So
I think that that porzingis who's extremely skilled and gives
(07:49):
them a whole different look, you know, on the front line.
But I think it's even more so about getting more
out of the two top assets Celtics have had is
in Tatum Brown.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
Yeah, without a doubt, and one with Boston, which is
going to be interesting, just seemingly like they felt like
they hit a ceiling with the group they had, needing
to make some changes, change things up. Joe Mizzoula the
opportunity to come back now in a second season experience
that he's gained. You mentioned Memphis, they do lose Tias Jones,
who he was an important part of when John Morant
(08:23):
was missing times playing he was excellent in that point
guard position. Brandon Clark though, if you remember, obviously he
was injured in expectation that he'll be back. So Memphis
will be interesting to watch. Golden State is the one.
I know you talked about Chris Paul, but Golden State
the one that is we'll get into free agency question
marks about free agency, they have a key individual declining
(08:47):
his player option in Draymond Green. So there's a lot
of moving parts with what the Golden State Warriors may
look like. But with Jordan Poole being out and Chris
Paul being in, how do you see Chris Paul fitting
into the style of play that the Warriors have shown
for their their run that they have been on.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Well, I think he can help most teams. I think
with Golden State, the question is does this take the
ball out of Draymond Green's hands more? And he's a
decision maker for them. He has been. He's been sort
of a point forward points center type and if he's
not doing that is he as valuable as he advances
in age, as he's been for the Warriors. You know,
(09:28):
it's great having step off the ball. You've got Klayton
Thompson as a shooter. Chris Paul still has some punch
in his game. Maybe he's not playing a full season
at this point in time, and you know, perhaps he's
a halftime player in terms of twenty four minutes and
fifty to sixty games. But they nurse him and he's
(09:48):
ready for the postseason. But yeah, it's going to be
interesting to me what the commitment is to Draymond. And
you know, if they keep him, what price do they
keep been? Man, how long do they keep him. I've
seen suggestions of you know, a seven or a three
year contract somewhere around seventy million dollars. That sounds great
(10:10):
to you and me, I know, but you know, we'll
see if that would be appealing enough to Draymond. A
lot of a lot of buzz about Sacramento maybe trying
to add Raymond Green as a way, you know, not
only to help themselves, but to handicap you know, a
top rival in Golden State, the team that put them out.
So yeah, it's you know it will be interesting with
(10:32):
with Jordan Poole gone. I think most most people have presumed,
well that means they're going to keep Draymond. They just
did not want to bring, you know, have both those
guys back on the scene again. That was an awkward
situation from the punch all the way I think through
the end of the year. So yeah, Draymond, you know,
he's one of those players that a lot of us
(10:55):
have thought, well, he can thrive in certain situations, but
not so much if he goes as some sort of
a savior or superstar to another situation, and so really
depends on that. I think Sacramento could work well for him,
you know, with sabonus there already and the guards they have,
But there are a lot of teams where if they
just outright signed Draymond Green, they're gonna get less than
(11:18):
they bargained for Golden State. Of course, they know what
they have. They're happy to I believe continue that. But
you know, I would hate to see him in a
situation where he's overextended and the expectations are too high.
So you know, we'll see Chris Paul, who knows. I mean,
you know, I assume he's going to be there. He's
(11:40):
going to get, you know what, his full thirty million
instead of the fifteen million, and had he gotten waived
by the Suns. Crafty player, he's got a chip on
his shoulder. They'll figure out a way for him to
be a plus player rather than any sort of a distraction.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Yeah, lots of decisions to make, and without the architect
and the voice of Bob Myers running things over, there
is gonna it's certainly going to be something that may
factor in. Let's get to that free agency buzz. We're
gonna take a quick break and be right back. Welcome
(12:19):
back to NBA Pulse, Sarahustak joined by the great Steve
Ashburner and ash This is the time of year that
becomes intriguing on so many different levels, and it's stressful
for those who are actually trying to make the decisions.
Free agency begins on Friday evening six pm Eastern, and
so let's let's try to hit quick hit some of
these free agents, those who have some options, and see
(12:44):
what your thoughts are on them. And let's begin with
James Harden, player option Philadelphia. A lot of buzz about
him potentially going back to Houston, Doc Rivers obviously no
longer the head coach with the Philadelphia Step six Ers.
What's your thoughts on what happens with James and and
(13:06):
his future here.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
I think if if James Harden wanted to continue to
chase a ring, which is something missing from his portfolio,
he should stay right where he is. I think the
fifth I think the contender status of the seventy six ers,
the way he and I give him all credit for this,
I voted for him, you know, to the All NBA
(13:28):
Third Team, The way he adapted his game to more
suit the role he needed to play. You know, I
thought he reverted, of course, when Embiid was out a
couple of games, or certainly the first game in the
Boston series, but that was out of necessity. I thought
that Harden played smart, he played well, and he could
do that again. But it seems like the vibe with
(13:52):
James Harden is he's sort of looking for his annuity
at this point, and if he can go to a
place where he really enjoys living and the lifestyle and
cash in, you got to keep going if you're going
to find the ring on that list, the priorities and
and you know, we we just assumed that, well, heck,
(14:13):
Yang's gonna he's gonna want to stay where he can win.
But I don't know if that's the case. He may
feel he's done what he needed to do. He sacrificed
last season in his style of play. Now he wants
to go and enjoy the remaining years he has as
a as an NBA player, as an NBA star, as
a as a known quantity, and and uh in a
(14:33):
place that he likes to do it. It's sort of
a retirement within a retirement perhaps for him to do that.
I don't know that he's driven, you know, to chase,
what we would say with other guys, their next ring,
in his case, his first ring. He may feel that
his own personal window is closed. So Houston might be
the best spot for him. I don't see him as
the kind of veteran that the Rockets need in a
(14:56):
locker room full of young talented players. He just h
he might set a wrong example in terms of priorities
and things. Now, if if he's willing to be that
old head and and in part good lessons, then you know, okay,
(15:16):
Houston can try that. I just I don't see that
really fast tracking you know, their their growth, their development
as a as a team that eventually, you know, in
the next few years wants to chase the playoff spot.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Ask my bias is showing. Let's get to another former
net Kyrie Irving uh free agency by all accounts with
the Dallas Mavericks, whether through what they did in the draft,
it appears as though they can offer him the most money,
so it appears that they probably expect for him to return.
But what what do you think? What do you think
Kyrie may I know that's a that's a question that
(15:51):
he doesn't like to be asked. What do you what
do you think Kyrie may May be doing?
Speaker 2 (15:56):
I'm not sure he knows. I'm not sure he has
you know, full sale that either. I mean, he can
ultimately sign his name to the dotted line or not,
but it's a matter of with whom, for how long
and for how much. And you know, I don't think
he can. He can expect top dollar hardly anywhere in
this league anymore. I mean, he has been his own
worst enemy at burning bridges, making himself steam seem unreliable.
(16:23):
I mean, he's got all the talent and one of
the best we hear it all the time. You know,
one of the best handles ever, one of the best finishers.
That's all great, but if he's not out on the
floor for you, he's not going to be finishing or handling.
So it's a it's a real situation where you know,
he may be looking at the Lakers. I think that
probably would be his first choice, but they face Sarah
(16:46):
Capp and tax situations that would be insufferable if if
they if they were to try to bring him in,
and they would have to forego some players that they
like already. So yeah, it's I heard his name suggested
for the Bulls, and as a team that I spend
a lot of time around, that gave me pause. It's like, oh,
(17:09):
what's that going to do to that locker room? You know,
Kyrie brings that kind of baggage, and so I think
Dallas would be a great spot for him. He could
get paid more or less, and you know, he could
make good on on what was sort of a you know,
on the fly move that was more about exiting Brooklyn
than getting to the Mavericks. So you know, we'll see.
(17:31):
But he likes drama, He likes headlines and the idea
of just resigning with the Mavericks might not be enough
for Kyrie Irving.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Yeah, and to your point about the Lakers, as Kyrie
appeared at some of their postseason games. Ruy Hachimura Austin
Reeves obviously with very impactful postseason play, are both restricted
free agents for the Lakers, so a lot of decisions
for them to make last one. Damian Lillard not a
free agent, though, a lot of buzz about what Portland
may do the decision that they have ahead after drafting
(18:01):
Schood Henderson with that number three overall pick. What do
you think is going to happen with Dame? What jersey
will be he'd be wearing at the start of the season.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I think he'll be moved. If I had to pick
one team, I would say the Miami Heat. I think
that they were very interested in Bradley Beal and that
that did not go their way. The adding in Damian
Lillard to that lineup or what would mostly be left
of that lineup depending on who they had to part with,
Tyler Herro or whomever. You know, we would put them
(18:30):
right back into the contention for the top of the
East and and another Finals trip. You know, I I
cover the finals. After the finals, I wrote that they
need a number one star. Jimmy Jimmy Butler got overly extended.
I thought in in that role and the way he
likes to play, the way he plays, and how often
(18:51):
he plays or in off and he he uh yeah,
he he would thrive with a with a number one
like Damian Lillard. You know, I think I think that
they've sort of played it out in Portland and they've
now acquired young pieces which are totally out of sync
(19:12):
with what Lillard's schedule or his calendar is. So I
guess I would say Blazers is a second choice. That
nothing would happen, but that's only by default, that's only
out of resignation. If if, if there weren't a way
to get him to uh to Miami.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Get out your popcorn ash until next time. We got
a lot. We got a little lot going on. We
appreciate you as always in all of your time.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Oh you're welcome, Sarah.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
NBA Pulse with Sarahustak is production of the NBA and
iHeart Radio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the iHeart
Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.