June 12, 2023 • 37 mins
On the latest episode of #thisleague UNCUT, Chris Haynes and Marc Stein preview Game 5 of the NBA Finals but also start to turn their attention to the offseason chaos that awaits. They discuss the prospect of a significant trade at the top of June 22 draft, Toronto's hiring of Grizzlies assistant Darko Rajaković to fill the league's final head coaching vacancy and the latest with Kyrie Irving's looming free agency ... including potential interest from Houston.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to this League Uncut in the world of twenty
four hour NBA news. This's you'll, Chris Haynes, it's time,
Mark Stein.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It's so time. This League Uncut is underway and on five.
This should be a good one.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Friends, Thank you for joining us for another edition of
this League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes, recording
on a Sunday night. This will drop by the time
you get this. By the time you're listening, it'll be Monday,
game day, Game five of the NBA Finals, back to Denver.
(00:46):
Nuggets lead three to one on the brink of the
first championship in franchise history. They didn't win one in
their ABA days. They haven't won one in forty six
seasons as an NBA franchise. Chris Haynes back himself from
Miami after seeing the Nuggets sweep those two games on
(01:10):
the road in person. He will not be at Game five,
but he is here with us. Mister Haynes. This is
the thirty seventh time in Finals history, thirty seven times
that a team has gone up three to one. Of
the previous thirty six, there has only been one comeback.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
From three to one down. We were both there.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
You remember it well, Cleveland while you were spying for
the Cavs comes back to win game five, Game six,
Game seven to stun the seventy three win Golden State Warriors.
And I will still say that seventy three win season,
(01:57):
it's one of the five craziest, most incredible things I've
ever seen covering this league. I know they didn't win
the championship, but a twenty four and oh start, winning
the seventy three games, that whole ride is something that
I really don't think will ever be duplicated again. And
even though the three to one gets thrown in their
(02:17):
face all the time as this massive failure, and you know,
it's one of the few lasting criticisms of the Warriors,
I still say that those achievements were historic, unforgettable. But
that's a tangent for another day. I guess this is
my roundabout, long winded way Chris of asking you can
the Heat become just the second team in thirty seven
(02:42):
tries to overturn a three to one deficit.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Come all the way back.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Heat culture so strong that Bernie the mascot is back.
He is apparently shaken off those vicious haymakers from Connor McGregor.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
You were there, you saw it heat, you were in
the locker room. You wrote a whole piece about the Heat.
Can they actually do this and come back from three
to one down? Because I'm gonna say.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
No, let me give before I answer that, let me
give a shout out to U. D. Donnas Haslam, the VET,
the leader of that team. He lightweight called me out stein.
I went into the locker room after the game, after
that Game four loss, and I went to him. First thing,
(03:29):
he said, oh you show up to Miami. Huh, well,
good to see you. I say, yes, good to see you.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
That was the first time you'd seen him.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
That, that's the first Yeah, I wasn't there for the
first two games, endeavor, and so my response was, Hey,
good to see you. If y'all make it get back
to a game six, you'll see me again. And then
so uh you d keeping track of who's attended these
NBA finals.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Here love the petty.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
But with that being said, you said no, I'm going
to I'm going to echo that sentiment. I was going
to say a little bit more stronger words, but I'll
leave that alone. I haven't seen anything within the Miami
Heat that leads me to believe that they have three
(04:21):
more wins than them in this series. They they just
don't have the firepower. And you cannot discredit or disrespect
the road they had to get here. It's definitely been
a Cinderella story. It's been very similar to the New
York Knicks nineteen ninety nine season, the Trail Spree well
(04:43):
knows Nicks. That was before I was covering league, but
the Trail Spreewill is my favorite player back then, so
I always you know, it's very it's very similar to
that run. But they don't have enough. They just don't
have enough. You know, at some point when you're at
this stage NBA Finals, you need a guy or a
(05:03):
few guys that can just get their own basket, get
their own bucket, just go at wheel. And Jimmy has
he hasn't done it as much as he's had in
the previous two rounds, and they just don't have anybody else,
And so don't I don't see it at all. I
honestly think Devil will close it out Monday.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Look, and it brings me no joy to say it,
because I have been a heat backer and believer this
whole playoffs I'm a huge Jimmy Butler fan. I have
been shouting from the proverbial sports writer mountaintops since the bubble.
The man is a top ten player in this league.
(05:47):
Because he continually performs at a higher level in the
postseason than the regular season. There's a reluctance for people
to want to give him that status. But I mean
this regular season, especially in the second half, he was sensational,
so good that for the second time in his career
(06:07):
he ended up earning All NBA honors after being snubbed
by the Eastern Conference coaches from the All Star And again.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
This isn't just a media thing.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You know, the East coaches didn't put him on the
All Star team when he should have been on there.
I mean, he has been fantastic. I think we forget
how bad that ankle turn was in the first game
of the second round. Nobody's going to talk about that.
I mean, Jimmy cert Well, I shouldn't say nobody, but
Jimmy certainly is not.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Going to use that as an excuse. But I mean,
you said it.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I mean, no matter how much they get from Butler
and bam At of Bio, the supporting cast, the state
of Miami supporting cast. It can't come close to matching
what Denver is getting from all these other guys. Jokic
is playing at an other worldly level. I mean, Jamal Murray,
(06:56):
this is crazy. Jamal Murray had two doubled digit assist
games after the All Star Break, only two. He did
not have one after March sixteenth. In the first three series,
the first three rounds, fifteen games against Minnesota, the Suns,
and the Lakers, he didn't have a single double digit
(07:17):
assist game. He's four for four in the finals. We've
never seen a player in his first four finals games
put up double digit assist numbers. And suddenly, like Aaron
Gordon said, suddenly, Jamal Murray's the point God Jokic heading
towards the finals MVP, and then all these other guys are.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Playing so well.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I mean Aaron Gordon, Christian Brown, Bruce Brown the other
night had an out of body fourth quarter that it
doesn't even matter that Michael Porter Junior is struggling to
the degree that he struggled. So but it's funny you
mentioned you. I mean you, you know ud I just
I remember him. I remember the young u d and
(07:59):
the six finals and how well he defended Dirk Novitsky,
and he's still going, what is it sixteen seventeen years later,
and obviously this is the end for him, but he's
so valuable and every team wishes it had a Eudonnas
Haslam or an Andrea Gadala. Those are it's so hard
(08:22):
to find those guys. Those vets are so valuable. And
you know, Dame Lillard said this in one of his
twenty five recent interviews. I can't remember specifically which one. Obviously,
all the focus is always on whatever team people think
he's going to next, but it was really interesting what
he said that He said the commissioner should put a
(08:44):
rule in that every team has two vets to mentor
young guys, and the problem is there aren't. I mean
that's saying there's these vets are hard to find. Teams
want vets like Eudonis Haslem and can't find them. So
I don't know how much longer Igodala's gonna play. This
(09:04):
is it for ud who you know will leave. As
you know, he played thirty seconds in these finals, so
no matter what happens in Game five, he will go
down as the oldest player in finals history, breaking the
previous record that was held by my fellow substacker Kareem
Abdul Jabbar.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
But I love that. I love that UD is keeping
track of you.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He doesn't know about your Miami only clause only you
could get a finals contract where you only have to
cover the Miami games.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
That's that's a.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Flix, what a trip. I enjoyed my time in Miami.
But I don't see again, I don't see anything that
gives me the confidence that's saying that I'm gonna be
traveling back to Miami for a game later this week.
Don't see it. I just don't. It's you know, as
great as this run has been for the Miami Heat,
(09:57):
they're asking too much of role players. I think that's
what it's. It is taking you know, out of body
experiences of you know, out of body performances from from
role players. And they've stepped up. Gave Vincent had his moment,
Max Struce had his moments, Duncan Robinson, but to continually
(10:21):
to try to ask that they step up and have
big games, it's just too much. And then you know
even b BAM has struggled offensively. You know, BAM hasn't
give them them enough offensively on an efficient level. They
need more, they need more. This is gonna be and
again Starn, this is like say, if the Miami Heat
(10:43):
did say the Miami Heat did, if they were able
to be competitive in this series and win it going
this next season, nobody would peg them as the favorite
to repeat. Nobody, they wouldn't even be top five. So
it's just it's just been. It's building a good run,
building a really good run with Jimmy Butler, got hot,
(11:05):
was dominant, but sy look like, look like it's over.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
With apologies to your beloved Latrell Spreewell and the ninety
nine Knicks. This has been a this this run has
been I mean to take out Milwaukee and Boston fifty
eight and fifty seven win teams. The way they have
absolutely incredible. I said it was going to be a
six game series because I have so much respect for
the Heat. I couldn't imagine them winning less than two games.
(11:32):
But let's see, maybe producer Ryan can package all this
doubting that we've recorded here. Maybe he can package it
and we could send it to UD as a clip.
He can play it in the locker room and maybe
it motivates. So maybe it motivates these guys to shove
it in our face yet again and bring this thing
back to Miami and get you on yet another cross
(11:54):
country flight rack up.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Something I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
We know you.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
You've made a clip you love your South Beach. That
is number one.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
That is number one in the Chris Haynes NBA travel rankings.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
All right, let's start to move away from the finals,
because if we are correct, if this thing ends Monday night, boom,
we zoom right into the time of year that we
are the busiest. The draft is June twenty second. It's
interesting the new CBA. There's a rule in the new
(12:36):
CBA that allows teams to start discussions with their own
free agents the day after the finals ends. However, the
new CBA does not take effect until June thirtieth slash
July first, so that particular rule does not come into
effect until next season and after next season's finals.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
So, technically speaking, the Dallas Mavericks, for.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Example, cannot talk to Kyrie Irving yet, the Philadelphia seventy
six ers cannot speak to James Harden yet, the Toronto
Raptors cannot talk to Fred Van Vliet yet or Gary
Trent Junior yet, But again that's by the rules.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
I think we all know that free agency not.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Talking about any specific teams or any specific free agents,
but we know that conversations do tend to happen just
a shade before June thirtieth. So look, we're already at work,
We're already chasing stuff down. It's going to be busy
the draft. We're going to bring in some draft experts
(13:47):
as this month rolls on, because Chris and I obviously
chase all the trades.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
But we are not the draft experts.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
We don't watch these guys day in and day out,
so we're going to have to bring in a draft
expert or two to help us break down some of
the top prospects. But look, the intrigue at the top
it is trade related. Obviously, san Antonio is going to
take Victor winm Minyama. We think Charlotte is going to
draft Brandon Miller, most likely over Scoot Henderson or at
(14:15):
least that is the strong buzz going around.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
The league at this point.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
But number three Portland, number four Houston, number five Detroit.
There are people in various corners of the league who
believe that all of those picks are in play to
be traded for win now players. So I mean, we
do expect a.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Lot of action.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Are you ready in general, mister Haynes, for the onslaught
that is draft slash free agency?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Ready? You know what? Ready? I don't know if that's
a good question. Am I ever? Ready? It just comes? Ready?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
It not?
Speaker 4 (15:00):
It is happening, you know. So I'll get in that
mode and get to the point. But no, we're well already.
This is the time where we're already making our calls.
And Stein, you had an incredible notebook in your substack recently. Man,
you had tid bits and nuggets galore. So I'm looking
forward to getting into a few of those. But no,
this is the time where we're starting to make make
(15:21):
calls and see on the free agent front, seeing what
what teams are thinking, seeing what teams are thinking about,
what they're thinking about, excuse me, see what players teams
are thinking about having meetings with doing a free agency
that this is you know, this is this is around
(15:42):
that season. But obviously we have the NBA Draft, and
I think that I think it's going to be pretty
active on the trade front going into the NBA Draft,
and I think you have to keep an eye out
on Portland. You got to keep all important with that
number three pick all side and I'm hearing the same thing.
All signs indicate Scoot Henderson will probably be going number three.
(16:10):
Now will Portland be picking for themselves or would they
be picking for someone else? So that that would be
a huge subplot to keep your eye on right there.
And then you know, we got free agency, we got trades,
so yeah, it's all coming and oka't wait. Stim I'm
I'm I'm glad you brought up the new CBA. The
(16:34):
new rule in the new CBA where teams can start
talking to their own free agents as soon as the
NBA Finals is over. So yeah, I guess now just
legally they can do that.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Right, But that does see I actually thought it was
starting this.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Week, so I was like, wow, like, you know, we're
ready to go. But I checked with the league.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Know that rule, that specific element of the new CBA
does not go into place until next season, so any
talks that are happening now are theoretically against the rules.
But the reason that was so interesting to me is
because what it means is teams that teams will next season,
(17:16):
not again, not this month, but next season. After the
twenty twenty four NBA Finals, there are going to be
instances where free agents come to verbal agreements to stay
with their own teams, and they're gonna We're gonna have
reports and rumbles and tweets before the draft, after the draft,
(17:36):
all throughout the month of June now instead of just
waiting until July thirtieth. So that's gonna be pretty different.
Pretty it's gonna be a drastic change. Again, it doesn't
go it's not gonna impact this free agency, but I
found I was trying to imagine what that would be
like that, you know, just again pretend this is all pretend, aggregators,
(17:59):
We are pretending, but like, imagine, if you know, Harden
and the Sixers came to a deal this week next.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Year, that would be reportable, so.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Crazy I'm looking for I'll be ready. I'll be ready.
It's always fun. You got some of the right in
the mix right in there as well, there's a lot
to keep your eye on. Well.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Sure, before we move on to Kyrie and CP three,
who we seem to talk about, it feels like Kyrie,
CP three and Dame feels like we talk about the
three of them in every episode, but before we get there.
The other big news this weekend was there are no
longer any more coaching openings in the NBA. The big
story this weekend the Toronto Raptors.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
They have a coach.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
The last of the league's coaching openings is phil Darko Ryakovic,
the Memphis Grizzlies assistant. He is the surprise choice in Toronto.
Other finalists were Sergio Scariolo, the Virtuo Spologna and Spanish
national team coach, who of course was a Raptors assistant
(19:04):
for three years. Kenny Atkinson from Steve kerstaff in Golden State.
He was a finalist. Charles Lee, a finalist in Detroit,
also a finalist for the Toronto job. But the Raptors
make this really unexpected choice. Rakovic has been a head
coach in the g League, but he's not been an
(19:27):
NBA head coach, and I have to admit I really thought,
you know, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Masaiyu Jerry.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
In his thirteen years as a lead decision maker in
the league, he inherited two of his three coaches. He
inherited George carl in Denver. He inherited Dwayne Casey in Toronto,
and the only hire he had made before this was
hiring Nick Nurse to replace Dwayne Casey, but of course
he had five years of data and personal EXPERI sperience
(20:00):
with Nick Nurse before making that choice in this case. Look,
Ryakovic is very highly rated, and if I'm mispronouncing his name,
I apologize, and I'm sure my many friends in the
Balkans are gonna send me a note and correct me
on how to say it better. But he's he's been
(20:20):
an assistant, he's been in the NBA for a decade,
but he's still largely an unknown quantity.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So this is I mean, this is a surprise.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
To me, the bigger surprise. So I to answer your
question start, I don't think this is the biggest surprise
when I talk. When I talked, we were talking about
head coaches who've gotten jobs, who head coach who have
feeled these openings. I should say the biggest surprise to
me Adrian Griffin getting the gig with Milwaukee. This is
(20:57):
a team that it's a championship team. They're championship ready
and they're looking for that next step. And I've been
one of Adrian Griffin's biggest supporters over the last decade.
He's had a ton of interviews, even going back to
when I was covering to Portland Trail Blaze, the interview
(21:18):
for the job when Terry Stotts. To think about how
long ago that was when Terry Stotts took over, that
was about eleven years ago, eleven twelve years ago. When
Stotts took over, Adrian Griffin was one of four, the
final four. I believe in that and that coaching open opening.
And so although I've been one of his biggest supporter
(21:41):
and saying he should get a shot, I didn't think
the Milwaukee Bucks would go to somebody who hasn't been
ahead coach yet. But I think we're seeing a little
bit of a trend. We see that with the Lakers.
They went and took Darvin Ham, never been ahead coach before,
put him in that role. And so I think we're
(22:03):
seeing a slight a slight let me see, how can
I say this, We're seeing a slight transition out of
recycling coaches. Slight because still you know you can make
the case Nick Nurse obviously should get another job. He's
(22:25):
a championship coach. Frank Vowell championship coach should get another job.
So it's not the same, you know, recycling of just
big name coaches who haven't really done much lately in
the league. They're given opportunities to first year coaches, and
these first year coaches are getting some pretty good gigs.
And the other surprise for Adrian Griffin is that, you know,
(22:49):
there was really I mean, he played in Milwaukee, but
there was really no connection with him and Jannis or
Chris Milton before this. Like so obviously people know my
connection with Jannis. You know, he's his partner, his girlfriend
is my cousin, and so I was able to talk
(23:11):
to him a little bit and he told me he
vouch straight up vouch for Adrian Griffin. You know, he
had he Adrian Griffin had the support of Giannis If
that came as a shock to me when he told me,
I'm like, wow, again, there was no connection between those
two before, and so that was the biggest surprise. I
(23:31):
thought they would go for a coach who probably even
won a championship, you know, let alone just a coach
with NBA head coaching experience. So that was the biggest
surprise for me.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Yeah, I mean, look, when you frame it like that,
it's hard to argue.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I think there's no question that without Giannie is backing,
Adrian Griffin does not get this job. Milwaukee was certainly
very interested in Manie Williams, but many william initially he.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Didn't want the Bucks job. He didn't want the job
he ended up taking.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
He I was told he turned down the Pistons at
least twice before the Pistons convinced him with that monster
contract to take the Detroit job. I've also heard pretty
strongly that the Bucks were very interested in Kelvin Sampson,
who's had so much success at the collegiate level at
Houston since.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Leaving the NBA.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
But Jannis wanted Adrian Griffin. And you know what happens again.
We're recording this on Sunday night. Earlier today, picture pops
up on Twitter Adrian Griffin with Jannis in Greece watching
the Greek League finals.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
So coach and star already bonding.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
On an overseas trip, and Milwaukee is such an interesting
situation because they're, you know, the staff that Adrian Griffin
has put together. Terry Stotts and Joe Prunty are on
that staff. Two guys who have been the Bucks head
coach are assistants on Adrian Griffin's staff. So a lot
of interesting layers to that Milwaukee situation. And you know
(25:12):
you said it, there were six openings. We've seen four
experienced coaches get these jobs. Emy Udoka gets the Houston job.
He may, of course, took Boston to the finals in
his only previous season as a head coach. Mani Williams
took the Sons to the finals and followed that up
with a sixty four win league leading sixty four wins
(25:34):
the next season, loses his job. Detroit puts that monster
offer on the table to ultimately convince Mani Williams after
a couple no's, to say yes.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Frank Vogel, as.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
You said, championship coach now in Phoenix, Nick Nurse championship
coach now in Philly. But two of the six openings
go to NBA head coaching rookies, Adrian Griffin and.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Milwaukee and dark O Royakovich in Toronto.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And the big question, of course, which I don't think
we can fully answer at this point, is you people
around the league are certainly trying to figure out, now,
what does hiring a first time head coach who's known
as a developmental specialist. What does that mean for Toronto's
roster plans? The latest rumbles I've heard Fred van Vliet,
(26:26):
Gary Trent Junior more likely than not to be back
in Toronto. But what that means for the rest of
the roster. How much trading will the Raptors be doing?
Are they going to extend Pascal Siyakam? Is everybody in
play apart from Scottie Barnes. These are the questions people
(26:47):
around the league are asking. We're asking them to trying
to get answers, and as soon as we.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Do, we will share them with you.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
All Right, one more item we should touch on before
we put a bow on this edition of this League
Uncut and as always, friends, please remember to rate, review,
and subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your pods.
In my aforementioned This week in Basketball Sunday, Around the
(27:20):
League Notes, column I reported that, look, there's a lot
of names that the Rockets are being linked with beyond
just James Harden.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
And that's not really a surprise because.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
The Rockets are going to have fifty nine million and
estimated fifty nine point one million in salary cap space.
Hat tip to our mutual friend Keith Smith for that
estimate I asked him for and that's the number he
came back with. Fifty nine point one is the current
estimate in salary cap space. So look Harden wrestling with
(27:53):
the idea of going to Houston or staying in Philly.
Lots of other free agents have been mentioned as potential
Rockets targets. Free agents like Toronto's Fred van Vliet, like
Brooklyn's restricted free agent Cam Johnson, like unrestricted free agents
Chris Middleton and Brook Lopez in Milwaukee, even Dylan Brooks
(28:15):
in Memphis. There have been reports linking the Rockets with
all those guys. But today in my Sunday column, I
reported I've been told that the Rockets will weigh a
run at Kyrie Irving in the event they are not
able to convince James Harden to leave Philadelphia. Now, again,
(28:36):
those are both contingency scenarios if they don't get Harden,
and the Rockets have to weigh if they really want
to go down that road. But I'm told it is
something they will consider. But since they're still in the
consideration phase, I really haven't changed my view of this
(28:57):
I've said this track of how many times I've made
this statement since the regular season ended.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
The only to this point, the only.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Verified confirmed team bidding for Kyrie Irving in free agency,
it's still Dallas.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
You know, Houston will weigh it. And that's the.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
First other team that I've been able to report since
the season ended. And you know, we've been talking for
months about maybe the Lakers, maybe the Suns. But again,
there is no evidence that the Lakers are going to
make a push for Kyrie this summer. It's a little
bit more unclear in Phoenix since they're moving off Chris Paul.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Does that mean do we have to at least.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Raise the possibility that there could be a trade push
for Kyrie Irving?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Again, I am not reporting that.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
I have no evidence to confirm that, but it is
something people are obviously wondering about. But at this point,
I think we still have to go with what we've
been saying. The expectation is that the MAVs are going
to resign him. They want to resign him, and Kyrie
by all accounts to this point, as we record on
June eleventh, twenty twenty three, all the signals say that
(30:13):
Kyrie wants to stay with the MAVs who acquired him
in February.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
I turn it over you.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
No, that was interesting when I read that. That was
interesting because depends on who you talk to. You know,
some people say James Harden is conflicted on whether to
return to Houston or stay in Philly. Other people will
say they believe that it's a done deal, that is Houston,
(30:42):
that James Harden is going to. I did not I
did not hear about a potential the potential of Kyrie Irving,
you know, going to Houston. If they indeed struck out
on James Harten, that would be interesting. But you definitely
have to you look at the free agency that's out there.
(31:04):
The Houston Rockets had let it be known they want
to change the course of where they were headed with
this youth movement. The youth movement, it involved a lot
of losing. That owner is not happy, you know, being
in that transitional phase. So he's trying to get out
and get to some wins. And they believe getting the
(31:27):
Star next season that that is priority number one, getting
a Star next season, trying to change the tie to
get back to their winning ways. And you know, I
still like, like you said, I still, I still would
find it hard to believe that Kyrie would not be
back with the Dallas Mavericks. You know the fact that
(31:48):
he's he's out there trying to recruit Lebron James, even
though I believe that is a I believe that's an
I don't see that happening, But I think he's I
think he's going back to Dallas, and it would take
it would take a real hang up in negotiations to
(32:11):
veer him off of that course, because I think there's
gonna be something at play. I think, I do think
some teams are going to surface as far as they're
interest in Kyrie by next week. By next week, I
think teams are going to surface express an interest in
(32:34):
Kyrie trying to line up trying to line up meetings,
free agency meetings with him.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
So yeah, that's what we've been waiting for, because again,
you know the obviously I live in Dallas, so the
questions about Kyrie, I get them probably as often as
you get questions about Dame. And you know, I just
I keep saying it because it's all I can say.
That's the only the only confirmed team in my notebook
is Dallas.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
So it would really make things interesting.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
And give us a lot more to analyze if it
emerges that some other teams have interest in Kyrie, because look,
as we've talked about before, the MAVs are trying to
thread a needle here.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
They're trying to.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Re sign him to the most team friendly deal they
can that Kyrie.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Feels good about.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Kyrie obviously wants as close to the five year, two
hundred seventy two million max as he can get. The
The MAVs are not going to offer him five years
and two hundred seventy two million, But what you know,
is it going to be three years, is it going
to be four years? How close to the max will
it be? Will it be the max? You know, these
are all the variables that we don't know yet, and
(33:47):
Kyrie's going to need a market. He's going to need
external interest to create some leverage because to this point,
basically two months since the season ended, it really doesn't
appear that he has much because this thing that I
reported earlier today that Houston will weigh a pursuit of
Kyrie Irving if they don't get James Harden. That's the
(34:08):
closest thing yet to external interest. But let's see if
mister Haynes crystal ball is correct, and let's see if
some interest actually does materialize from beyond Dallas borders in
the next week or so.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
I think you will, Stan, I think you will.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
All right, Well, that's a pretty nice tease for future
episodes of this League uncut. The next time Chris and
I join, you will know if the Denver Nuggets have
finished off the Miami Heat to win the first championship
in their franchise history, or if the indomitable Heat, if
(34:54):
Heat culture can keep this thing going and get Chris
Haynes back to South Beach because he wants to go
out one more time and not get rained on see
if he can actually have a full afternoon in the
sun without having to dodge some kind of South Beach storm.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
It's rough, man, it's rough. You know, these are rough.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Joker is going to be the Joker regardless, and I
expect them to. That's why I expect Stein the next
pot that we do, I would expect we're talking about
Joker being a finals MVP, Denver Nuggets winning their first
championship and and you know, just going on this tremendous
(35:38):
run and salute them salute them. You know, I don't
want They've done everything that they had to do to
get to this point. They took care of the regular season,
they handled it, they respected the regular season, and they
got to this point. So I anticipate will be opening
up our next pot Stein giving praise to the Joker
(36:02):
and a diffultness.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
All right, my friend, that's going to do it for
this edition of this League Uncut again.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Friends, Please rate, review, subscribe to the pod wherever you
get your podcasts, and Chris and I will be back
very very soon. Buckle up.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
We are moving into that time of year. The transaction
game is going to take complete control. It will occupy
our full focus very soon. The draft, free agency, and
a trade frenzy that Chris Haynes promised earlier in this podcast,
Trade Frenzy Capital f.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Chris Haynes says it's on the way, and you know what,
I agree with him. I do think we are going
to see a lot of trade action.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Might not be blockbuster superstar trade, but there are going
to be There's going to be trade action as teams
try to balance their books and move pieces around before
the new CBA takes hold at the end of the month.
All right, this really does it. We're moving on. New
episode of This League Uncut will be coming at you
(37:11):
very very soon. Enjoy Game five everyone.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
And now I'll do it for us.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
See you next time. This League Uncut is an iHeartRadio
production Chris Haines and Mark Stein
Welcome to this League Uncut in the world of twenty
four hour NBA news. This's you'll, Chris Haynes, it's time,
Mark Stein.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It's so time. This League Uncut is underway and on five.
This should be a good one.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Friends, Thank you for joining us for another edition of
this League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes, recording
on a Sunday night. This will drop by the time
you get this. By the time you're listening, it'll be Monday,
game day, Game five of the NBA Finals, back to Denver.
(00:46):
Nuggets lead three to one on the brink of the
first championship in franchise history. They didn't win one in
their ABA days. They haven't won one in forty six
seasons as an NBA franchise. Chris Haynes back himself from
Miami after seeing the Nuggets sweep those two games on
(01:10):
the road in person. He will not be at Game five,
but he is here with us. Mister Haynes. This is
the thirty seventh time in Finals history, thirty seven times
that a team has gone up three to one. Of
the previous thirty six, there has only been one comeback.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
From three to one down. We were both there.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
You remember it well, Cleveland while you were spying for
the Cavs comes back to win game five, Game six,
Game seven to stun the seventy three win Golden State Warriors.
And I will still say that seventy three win season,
(01:57):
it's one of the five craziest, most incredible things I've
ever seen covering this league. I know they didn't win
the championship, but a twenty four and oh start, winning
the seventy three games, that whole ride is something that
I really don't think will ever be duplicated again. And
even though the three to one gets thrown in their
(02:17):
face all the time as this massive failure, and you know,
it's one of the few lasting criticisms of the Warriors,
I still say that those achievements were historic, unforgettable. But
that's a tangent for another day. I guess this is
my roundabout, long winded way Chris of asking you can
the Heat become just the second team in thirty seven
(02:42):
tries to overturn a three to one deficit.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Come all the way back.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Heat culture so strong that Bernie the mascot is back.
He is apparently shaken off those vicious haymakers from Connor McGregor.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
You were there, you saw it heat, you were in
the locker room. You wrote a whole piece about the Heat.
Can they actually do this and come back from three
to one down? Because I'm gonna say.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
No, let me give before I answer that, let me
give a shout out to U. D. Donnas Haslam, the VET,
the leader of that team. He lightweight called me out stein.
I went into the locker room after the game, after
that Game four loss, and I went to him. First thing,
(03:29):
he said, oh you show up to Miami. Huh, well,
good to see you. I say, yes, good to see you.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
That was the first time you'd seen him.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
That, that's the first Yeah, I wasn't there for the
first two games, endeavor, and so my response was, Hey,
good to see you. If y'all make it get back
to a game six, you'll see me again. And then
so uh you d keeping track of who's attended these
NBA finals.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Here love the petty.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
But with that being said, you said no, I'm going
to I'm going to echo that sentiment. I was going
to say a little bit more stronger words, but I'll
leave that alone. I haven't seen anything within the Miami
Heat that leads me to believe that they have three
(04:21):
more wins than them in this series. They they just
don't have the firepower. And you cannot discredit or disrespect
the road they had to get here. It's definitely been
a Cinderella story. It's been very similar to the New
York Knicks nineteen ninety nine season, the Trail Spree well
(04:43):
knows Nicks. That was before I was covering league, but
the Trail Spreewill is my favorite player back then, so
I always you know, it's very it's very similar to
that run. But they don't have enough. They just don't
have enough. You know, at some point when you're at
this stage NBA Finals, you need a guy or a
(05:03):
few guys that can just get their own basket, get
their own bucket, just go at wheel. And Jimmy has
he hasn't done it as much as he's had in
the previous two rounds, and they just don't have anybody else,
And so don't I don't see it at all. I
honestly think Devil will close it out Monday.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Look, and it brings me no joy to say it,
because I have been a heat backer and believer this
whole playoffs I'm a huge Jimmy Butler fan. I have
been shouting from the proverbial sports writer mountaintops since the bubble.
The man is a top ten player in this league.
(05:47):
Because he continually performs at a higher level in the
postseason than the regular season. There's a reluctance for people
to want to give him that status. But I mean
this regular season, especially in the second half, he was sensational,
so good that for the second time in his career
(06:07):
he ended up earning All NBA honors after being snubbed
by the Eastern Conference coaches from the All Star And again.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
This isn't just a media thing.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You know, the East coaches didn't put him on the
All Star team when he should have been on there.
I mean, he has been fantastic. I think we forget
how bad that ankle turn was in the first game
of the second round. Nobody's going to talk about that.
I mean, Jimmy cert Well, I shouldn't say nobody, but
Jimmy certainly is not.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Going to use that as an excuse. But I mean,
you said it.
Speaker 3 (06:35):
I mean, no matter how much they get from Butler
and bam At of Bio, the supporting cast, the state
of Miami supporting cast. It can't come close to matching
what Denver is getting from all these other guys. Jokic
is playing at an other worldly level. I mean, Jamal Murray,
(06:56):
this is crazy. Jamal Murray had two doubled digit assist
games after the All Star Break, only two. He did
not have one after March sixteenth. In the first three series,
the first three rounds, fifteen games against Minnesota, the Suns,
and the Lakers, he didn't have a single double digit
(07:17):
assist game. He's four for four in the finals. We've
never seen a player in his first four finals games
put up double digit assist numbers. And suddenly, like Aaron
Gordon said, suddenly, Jamal Murray's the point God Jokic heading
towards the finals MVP, and then all these other guys are.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
Playing so well.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I mean Aaron Gordon, Christian Brown, Bruce Brown the other
night had an out of body fourth quarter that it
doesn't even matter that Michael Porter Junior is struggling to
the degree that he struggled. So but it's funny you
mentioned you. I mean you, you know ud I just
I remember him. I remember the young u d and
(07:59):
the six finals and how well he defended Dirk Novitsky,
and he's still going, what is it sixteen seventeen years later,
and obviously this is the end for him, but he's
so valuable and every team wishes it had a Eudonnas
Haslam or an Andrea Gadala. Those are it's so hard
(08:22):
to find those guys. Those vets are so valuable. And
you know, Dame Lillard said this in one of his
twenty five recent interviews. I can't remember specifically which one. Obviously,
all the focus is always on whatever team people think
he's going to next, but it was really interesting what
he said that He said the commissioner should put a
(08:44):
rule in that every team has two vets to mentor
young guys, and the problem is there aren't. I mean
that's saying there's these vets are hard to find. Teams
want vets like Eudonis Haslem and can't find them. So
I don't know how much longer Igodala's gonna play. This
(09:04):
is it for ud who you know will leave. As
you know, he played thirty seconds in these finals, so
no matter what happens in Game five, he will go
down as the oldest player in finals history, breaking the
previous record that was held by my fellow substacker Kareem
Abdul Jabbar.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
But I love that. I love that UD is keeping
track of you.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
He doesn't know about your Miami only clause only you
could get a finals contract where you only have to
cover the Miami games.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
That's that's a.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Flix, what a trip. I enjoyed my time in Miami.
But I don't see again, I don't see anything that
gives me the confidence that's saying that I'm gonna be
traveling back to Miami for a game later this week.
Don't see it. I just don't. It's you know, as
great as this run has been for the Miami Heat,
(09:57):
they're asking too much of role players. I think that's
what it's. It is taking you know, out of body
experiences of you know, out of body performances from from
role players. And they've stepped up. Gave Vincent had his moment,
Max Struce had his moments, Duncan Robinson, but to continually
(10:21):
to try to ask that they step up and have
big games, it's just too much. And then you know
even b BAM has struggled offensively. You know, BAM hasn't
give them them enough offensively on an efficient level. They
need more, they need more. This is gonna be and
again Starn, this is like say, if the Miami Heat
(10:43):
did say the Miami Heat did, if they were able
to be competitive in this series and win it going
this next season, nobody would peg them as the favorite
to repeat. Nobody, they wouldn't even be top five. So
it's just it's just been. It's building a good run,
building a really good run with Jimmy Butler, got hot,
(11:05):
was dominant, but sy look like, look like it's over.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
With apologies to your beloved Latrell Spreewell and the ninety
nine Knicks. This has been a this this run has
been I mean to take out Milwaukee and Boston fifty
eight and fifty seven win teams. The way they have
absolutely incredible. I said it was going to be a
six game series because I have so much respect for
the Heat. I couldn't imagine them winning less than two games.
(11:32):
But let's see, maybe producer Ryan can package all this
doubting that we've recorded here. Maybe he can package it
and we could send it to UD as a clip.
He can play it in the locker room and maybe
it motivates. So maybe it motivates these guys to shove
it in our face yet again and bring this thing
back to Miami and get you on yet another cross
(11:54):
country flight rack up.
Speaker 4 (11:56):
Something I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't mind.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
We know you.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
You've made a clip you love your South Beach. That
is number one.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
That is number one in the Chris Haynes NBA travel rankings.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
All right, let's start to move away from the finals,
because if we are correct, if this thing ends Monday night, boom,
we zoom right into the time of year that we
are the busiest. The draft is June twenty second. It's
interesting the new CBA. There's a rule in the new
(12:36):
CBA that allows teams to start discussions with their own
free agents the day after the finals ends. However, the
new CBA does not take effect until June thirtieth slash
July first, so that particular rule does not come into
effect until next season and after next season's finals.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
So, technically speaking, the Dallas Mavericks, for.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Example, cannot talk to Kyrie Irving yet, the Philadelphia seventy
six ers cannot speak to James Harden yet, the Toronto
Raptors cannot talk to Fred Van Vliet yet or Gary
Trent Junior yet, But again that's by the rules.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
I think we all know that free agency not.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
Talking about any specific teams or any specific free agents,
but we know that conversations do tend to happen just
a shade before June thirtieth. So look, we're already at work,
We're already chasing stuff down. It's going to be busy
the draft. We're going to bring in some draft experts
(13:47):
as this month rolls on, because Chris and I obviously
chase all the trades.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
But we are not the draft experts.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
We don't watch these guys day in and day out,
so we're going to have to bring in a draft
expert or two to help us break down some of
the top prospects. But look, the intrigue at the top
it is trade related. Obviously, san Antonio is going to
take Victor winm Minyama. We think Charlotte is going to
draft Brandon Miller, most likely over Scoot Henderson or at
(14:15):
least that is the strong buzz going around.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
The league at this point.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
But number three Portland, number four Houston, number five Detroit.
There are people in various corners of the league who
believe that all of those picks are in play to
be traded for win now players. So I mean, we
do expect a.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Lot of action.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
Are you ready in general, mister Haynes, for the onslaught
that is draft slash free agency?
Speaker 4 (14:51):
Ready? You know what? Ready? I don't know if that's
a good question. Am I ever? Ready? It just comes? Ready?
Speaker 1 (15:00):
It not?
Speaker 4 (15:00):
It is happening, you know. So I'll get in that
mode and get to the point. But no, we're well already.
This is the time where we're already making our calls.
And Stein, you had an incredible notebook in your substack recently. Man,
you had tid bits and nuggets galore. So I'm looking
forward to getting into a few of those. But no,
this is the time where we're starting to make make
(15:21):
calls and see on the free agent front, seeing what
what teams are thinking, seeing what teams are thinking about,
what they're thinking about, excuse me, see what players teams
are thinking about having meetings with doing a free agency
that this is you know, this is this is around
(15:42):
that season. But obviously we have the NBA Draft, and
I think that I think it's going to be pretty
active on the trade front going into the NBA Draft,
and I think you have to keep an eye out
on Portland. You got to keep all important with that
number three pick all side and I'm hearing the same thing.
All signs indicate Scoot Henderson will probably be going number three.
(16:10):
Now will Portland be picking for themselves or would they
be picking for someone else? So that that would be
a huge subplot to keep your eye on right there.
And then you know, we got free agency, we got trades,
so yeah, it's all coming and oka't wait. Stim I'm
I'm I'm glad you brought up the new CBA. The
(16:34):
new rule in the new CBA where teams can start
talking to their own free agents as soon as the
NBA Finals is over. So yeah, I guess now just
legally they can do that.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Right, But that does see I actually thought it was
starting this.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Week, so I was like, wow, like, you know, we're
ready to go. But I checked with the league.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Know that rule, that specific element of the new CBA
does not go into place until next season, so any
talks that are happening now are theoretically against the rules.
But the reason that was so interesting to me is
because what it means is teams that teams will next season,
(17:16):
not again, not this month, but next season. After the
twenty twenty four NBA Finals, there are going to be
instances where free agents come to verbal agreements to stay
with their own teams, and they're gonna We're gonna have
reports and rumbles and tweets before the draft, after the draft,
(17:36):
all throughout the month of June now instead of just
waiting until July thirtieth. So that's gonna be pretty different.
Pretty it's gonna be a drastic change. Again, it doesn't
go it's not gonna impact this free agency, but I
found I was trying to imagine what that would be
like that, you know, just again pretend this is all pretend, aggregators,
(17:59):
We are pretending, but like, imagine, if you know, Harden
and the Sixers came to a deal this week next.
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Year, that would be reportable, so.
Speaker 4 (18:10):
Crazy I'm looking for I'll be ready. I'll be ready.
It's always fun. You got some of the right in
the mix right in there as well, there's a lot
to keep your eye on. Well.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Sure, before we move on to Kyrie and CP three,
who we seem to talk about, it feels like Kyrie,
CP three and Dame feels like we talk about the
three of them in every episode, but before we get there.
The other big news this weekend was there are no
longer any more coaching openings in the NBA. The big
story this weekend the Toronto Raptors.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
They have a coach.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
The last of the league's coaching openings is phil Darko Ryakovic,
the Memphis Grizzlies assistant. He is the surprise choice in Toronto.
Other finalists were Sergio Scariolo, the Virtuo Spologna and Spanish
national team coach, who of course was a Raptors assistant
(19:04):
for three years. Kenny Atkinson from Steve kerstaff in Golden State.
He was a finalist. Charles Lee, a finalist in Detroit,
also a finalist for the Toronto job. But the Raptors
make this really unexpected choice. Rakovic has been a head
coach in the g League, but he's not been an
(19:27):
NBA head coach, and I have to admit I really thought,
you know, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Masaiyu Jerry.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
In his thirteen years as a lead decision maker in
the league, he inherited two of his three coaches. He
inherited George carl in Denver. He inherited Dwayne Casey in Toronto,
and the only hire he had made before this was
hiring Nick Nurse to replace Dwayne Casey, but of course
he had five years of data and personal EXPERI sperience
(20:00):
with Nick Nurse before making that choice in this case. Look,
Ryakovic is very highly rated, and if I'm mispronouncing his name,
I apologize, and I'm sure my many friends in the
Balkans are gonna send me a note and correct me
on how to say it better. But he's he's been
(20:20):
an assistant, he's been in the NBA for a decade,
but he's still largely an unknown quantity.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
So this is I mean, this is a surprise.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
To me, the bigger surprise. So I to answer your
question start, I don't think this is the biggest surprise
when I talk. When I talked, we were talking about
head coaches who've gotten jobs, who head coach who have
feeled these openings. I should say the biggest surprise to
me Adrian Griffin getting the gig with Milwaukee. This is
(20:57):
a team that it's a championship team. They're championship ready
and they're looking for that next step. And I've been
one of Adrian Griffin's biggest supporters over the last decade.
He's had a ton of interviews, even going back to
when I was covering to Portland Trail Blaze, the interview
(21:18):
for the job when Terry Stotts. To think about how
long ago that was when Terry Stotts took over, that
was about eleven years ago, eleven twelve years ago. When
Stotts took over, Adrian Griffin was one of four, the
final four. I believe in that and that coaching open opening.
And so although I've been one of his biggest supporter
(21:41):
and saying he should get a shot, I didn't think
the Milwaukee Bucks would go to somebody who hasn't been
ahead coach yet. But I think we're seeing a little
bit of a trend. We see that with the Lakers.
They went and took Darvin Ham, never been ahead coach before,
put him in that role. And so I think we're
(22:03):
seeing a slight a slight let me see, how can
I say this, We're seeing a slight transition out of
recycling coaches. Slight because still you know you can make
the case Nick Nurse obviously should get another job. He's
(22:25):
a championship coach. Frank Vowell championship coach should get another job.
So it's not the same, you know, recycling of just
big name coaches who haven't really done much lately in
the league. They're given opportunities to first year coaches, and
these first year coaches are getting some pretty good gigs.
And the other surprise for Adrian Griffin is that, you know,
(22:49):
there was really I mean, he played in Milwaukee, but
there was really no connection with him and Jannis or
Chris Milton before this. Like so obviously people know my
connection with Jannis. You know, he's his partner, his girlfriend
is my cousin, and so I was able to talk
(23:11):
to him a little bit and he told me he
vouch straight up vouch for Adrian Griffin. You know, he
had he Adrian Griffin had the support of Giannis If
that came as a shock to me when he told me,
I'm like, wow, again, there was no connection between those
two before, and so that was the biggest surprise. I
(23:31):
thought they would go for a coach who probably even
won a championship, you know, let alone just a coach
with NBA head coaching experience. So that was the biggest
surprise for me.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Yeah, I mean, look, when you frame it like that,
it's hard to argue.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
I think there's no question that without Giannie is backing,
Adrian Griffin does not get this job. Milwaukee was certainly
very interested in Manie Williams, but many william initially he.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Didn't want the Bucks job. He didn't want the job
he ended up taking.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
He I was told he turned down the Pistons at
least twice before the Pistons convinced him with that monster
contract to take the Detroit job. I've also heard pretty
strongly that the Bucks were very interested in Kelvin Sampson,
who's had so much success at the collegiate level at
Houston since.
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Leaving the NBA.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
But Jannis wanted Adrian Griffin. And you know what happens again.
We're recording this on Sunday night. Earlier today, picture pops
up on Twitter Adrian Griffin with Jannis in Greece watching
the Greek League finals.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
So coach and star already bonding.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
On an overseas trip, and Milwaukee is such an interesting
situation because they're, you know, the staff that Adrian Griffin
has put together. Terry Stotts and Joe Prunty are on
that staff. Two guys who have been the Bucks head
coach are assistants on Adrian Griffin's staff. So a lot
of interesting layers to that Milwaukee situation. And you know
(25:12):
you said it, there were six openings. We've seen four
experienced coaches get these jobs. Emy Udoka gets the Houston job.
He may, of course, took Boston to the finals in
his only previous season as a head coach. Mani Williams
took the Sons to the finals and followed that up
with a sixty four win league leading sixty four wins
(25:34):
the next season, loses his job. Detroit puts that monster
offer on the table to ultimately convince Mani Williams after
a couple no's, to say yes.
Speaker 2 (25:45):
Frank Vogel, as.
Speaker 3 (25:47):
You said, championship coach now in Phoenix, Nick Nurse championship
coach now in Philly. But two of the six openings
go to NBA head coaching rookies, Adrian Griffin and.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Milwaukee and dark O Royakovich in Toronto.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
And the big question, of course, which I don't think
we can fully answer at this point, is you people
around the league are certainly trying to figure out, now,
what does hiring a first time head coach who's known
as a developmental specialist. What does that mean for Toronto's
roster plans? The latest rumbles I've heard Fred van Vliet,
(26:26):
Gary Trent Junior more likely than not to be back
in Toronto. But what that means for the rest of
the roster. How much trading will the Raptors be doing?
Are they going to extend Pascal Siyakam? Is everybody in
play apart from Scottie Barnes. These are the questions people
(26:47):
around the league are asking. We're asking them to trying
to get answers, and as soon as we.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Do, we will share them with you.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
All Right, one more item we should touch on before
we put a bow on this edition of this League
Uncut and as always, friends, please remember to rate, review,
and subscribe to the podcast wherever you get your pods.
In my aforementioned This week in Basketball Sunday, Around the
(27:20):
League Notes, column I reported that, look, there's a lot
of names that the Rockets are being linked with beyond
just James Harden.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
And that's not really a surprise because.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
The Rockets are going to have fifty nine million and
estimated fifty nine point one million in salary cap space.
Hat tip to our mutual friend Keith Smith for that
estimate I asked him for and that's the number he
came back with. Fifty nine point one is the current
estimate in salary cap space. So look Harden wrestling with
(27:53):
the idea of going to Houston or staying in Philly.
Lots of other free agents have been mentioned as potential
Rockets targets. Free agents like Toronto's Fred van Vliet, like
Brooklyn's restricted free agent Cam Johnson, like unrestricted free agents
Chris Middleton and Brook Lopez in Milwaukee, even Dylan Brooks
(28:15):
in Memphis. There have been reports linking the Rockets with
all those guys. But today in my Sunday column, I
reported I've been told that the Rockets will weigh a
run at Kyrie Irving in the event they are not
able to convince James Harden to leave Philadelphia. Now, again,
(28:36):
those are both contingency scenarios if they don't get Harden,
and the Rockets have to weigh if they really want
to go down that road. But I'm told it is
something they will consider. But since they're still in the
consideration phase, I really haven't changed my view of this
(28:57):
I've said this track of how many times I've made
this statement since the regular season ended.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
The only to this point, the only.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
Verified confirmed team bidding for Kyrie Irving in free agency,
it's still Dallas.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
You know, Houston will weigh it. And that's the.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
First other team that I've been able to report since
the season ended. And you know, we've been talking for
months about maybe the Lakers, maybe the Suns. But again,
there is no evidence that the Lakers are going to
make a push for Kyrie this summer. It's a little
bit more unclear in Phoenix since they're moving off Chris Paul.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
Does that mean do we have to at least.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
Raise the possibility that there could be a trade push
for Kyrie Irving?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
Again, I am not reporting that.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
I have no evidence to confirm that, but it is
something people are obviously wondering about. But at this point,
I think we still have to go with what we've
been saying. The expectation is that the MAVs are going
to resign him. They want to resign him, and Kyrie
by all accounts to this point, as we record on
June eleventh, twenty twenty three, all the signals say that
(30:13):
Kyrie wants to stay with the MAVs who acquired him
in February.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
I turn it over you.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
No, that was interesting when I read that. That was
interesting because depends on who you talk to. You know,
some people say James Harden is conflicted on whether to
return to Houston or stay in Philly. Other people will
say they believe that it's a done deal, that is Houston,
(30:42):
that James Harden is going to. I did not I
did not hear about a potential the potential of Kyrie Irving,
you know, going to Houston. If they indeed struck out
on James Harten, that would be interesting. But you definitely
have to you look at the free agency that's out there.
(31:04):
The Houston Rockets had let it be known they want
to change the course of where they were headed with
this youth movement. The youth movement, it involved a lot
of losing. That owner is not happy, you know, being
in that transitional phase. So he's trying to get out
and get to some wins. And they believe getting the
(31:27):
Star next season that that is priority number one, getting
a Star next season, trying to change the tie to
get back to their winning ways. And you know, I
still like, like you said, I still, I still would
find it hard to believe that Kyrie would not be
back with the Dallas Mavericks. You know the fact that
(31:48):
he's he's out there trying to recruit Lebron James, even
though I believe that is a I believe that's an
I don't see that happening, But I think he's I
think he's going back to Dallas, and it would take
it would take a real hang up in negotiations to
(32:11):
veer him off of that course, because I think there's
gonna be something at play. I think, I do think
some teams are going to surface as far as they're
interest in Kyrie by next week. By next week, I
think teams are going to surface express an interest in
(32:34):
Kyrie trying to line up trying to line up meetings,
free agency meetings with him.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
So yeah, that's what we've been waiting for, because again,
you know the obviously I live in Dallas, so the
questions about Kyrie, I get them probably as often as
you get questions about Dame. And you know, I just
I keep saying it because it's all I can say.
That's the only the only confirmed team in my notebook
is Dallas.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
So it would really make things interesting.
Speaker 3 (33:06):
And give us a lot more to analyze if it
emerges that some other teams have interest in Kyrie, because look,
as we've talked about before, the MAVs are trying to
thread a needle here.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
They're trying to.
Speaker 3 (33:20):
Re sign him to the most team friendly deal they
can that Kyrie.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Feels good about.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Kyrie obviously wants as close to the five year, two
hundred seventy two million max as he can get. The
The MAVs are not going to offer him five years
and two hundred seventy two million, But what you know,
is it going to be three years, is it going
to be four years? How close to the max will
it be? Will it be the max? You know, these
are all the variables that we don't know yet, and
(33:47):
Kyrie's going to need a market. He's going to need
external interest to create some leverage because to this point,
basically two months since the season ended, it really doesn't
appear that he has much because this thing that I
reported earlier today that Houston will weigh a pursuit of
Kyrie Irving if they don't get James Harden. That's the
(34:08):
closest thing yet to external interest. But let's see if
mister Haynes crystal ball is correct, and let's see if
some interest actually does materialize from beyond Dallas borders in
the next week or so.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
I think you will, Stan, I think you will.
Speaker 3 (34:30):
All right, Well, that's a pretty nice tease for future
episodes of this League uncut. The next time Chris and
I join, you will know if the Denver Nuggets have
finished off the Miami Heat to win the first championship
in their franchise history, or if the indomitable Heat, if
(34:54):
Heat culture can keep this thing going and get Chris
Haynes back to South Beach because he wants to go
out one more time and not get rained on see
if he can actually have a full afternoon in the
sun without having to dodge some kind of South Beach storm.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
It's rough, man, it's rough. You know, these are rough.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
Joker is going to be the Joker regardless, and I
expect them to. That's why I expect Stein the next
pot that we do, I would expect we're talking about
Joker being a finals MVP, Denver Nuggets winning their first
championship and and you know, just going on this tremendous
(35:38):
run and salute them salute them. You know, I don't
want They've done everything that they had to do to
get to this point. They took care of the regular season,
they handled it, they respected the regular season, and they
got to this point. So I anticipate will be opening
up our next pot Stein giving praise to the Joker
(36:02):
and a diffultness.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
All right, my friend, that's going to do it for
this edition of this League Uncut again.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Friends, Please rate, review, subscribe to the pod wherever you
get your podcasts, and Chris and I will be back
very very soon. Buckle up.
Speaker 3 (36:22):
We are moving into that time of year. The transaction
game is going to take complete control. It will occupy
our full focus very soon. The draft, free agency, and
a trade frenzy that Chris Haynes promised earlier in this podcast,
Trade Frenzy Capital f.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Chris Haynes says it's on the way, and you know what,
I agree with him. I do think we are going
to see a lot of trade action.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Might not be blockbuster superstar trade, but there are going
to be There's going to be trade action as teams
try to balance their books and move pieces around before
the new CBA takes hold at the end of the month.
All right, this really does it. We're moving on. New
episode of This League Uncut will be coming at you
(37:11):
very very soon. Enjoy Game five everyone.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
And now I'll do it for us.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
See you next time. This League Uncut is an iHeartRadio
production Chris Haines and Mark Stein
Fox Sports Radio News
Host
Jonas Knox
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