August 25, 2022 • 48 mins
Jason Smith and his best friend Mike Harmon are first to react to the Lakers and Jazz trade that sends THT to Utah and Patrick Beverley to LA! Jason lays out how the Lakers can pick up momentum from here. MLB insider Jon Morosi joins the show to talk everything baseball and Laker insider Dan Woike is in the house to discuss the Lakers trade and next move!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
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(00:22):
Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.
We do have a trade in the NBA in these
later night hours on a Wednesday. Here the Lakers making
a move. They are bringing in There's a little drum
roll there, Patrick Beverley. Yes, he is coming to the
(00:43):
Lakers and they're trading him straight up for Taylon Horton Tucker.
There's no draft picks and evolved this according to The
Athletic and ESPN. But Pat Beverley set to join Lebron James.
Wait a minute, Wait a minute, wait and wait. The
last eighteen months, Taylon Horton Tucker has been linked for
the lateness to get every single star in the NBA.
Janice Iverson, Will George Mike In and it's gonna be
(01:08):
for Pat. Not that Pat Beev is not a great movie.
He's a good three point shooter, He's a phenomenal defender.
But this is the greatest agitator of the world's ever known.
This is who Taylor Horton Tucker gets traded for all
the Kyrie No, no, no, we're we're gonna we're We're
trade Tailor Tucker for Pat Beev. Oh okay, alright, that's done.
The question is does he replace Russell Westbrook in the
(01:29):
starting lineup or could they play together? Are you kidding?
They're gonna fight every night? Two? Are you kidding? They're
gonna be the week the opening tip, there's gonna be
a fistfight. Brian Finley brought us this story a few
minutes ago. Well, get ready, Taylor Horton Tucker is going
to be an ex Laker. Yes, mentioned in every single
(01:53):
trade the Lakers were made. We're gonna do th HT
for Buddy heal to th h T for Kyrie Irving.
It's gonna be th HD for Luca Donson. Just gonna
be th HD for John Morant. Oh Dad. Finally, Taylor
Horton Tucker is getting traded and the Lakers are bringing
in Patrick Beverley. Yeah. Now here's the thing. I like
(02:14):
the trade. It's just all these names that t A
we can't trade t t H T is gonna go
for one of these big games, and that's we winds
up getting traded for. I mean, come on, man, you
had you were you had us. Believe me, you had
a snow that we trade Taylor Horton Tucker, We're gonna
get Michael Jordan for him. That's the only guy. He's
(02:34):
so good. He's such an unbelievable talent. Oh yeah, yeah,
it's it's how you're getting Pat Beev talking about being
a great snowman Colonel Tom Parker in the Elvis movie.
Uh the Snowman. Uh thirty seven point eight percent, three
point shooter, Pat Bev nine points a game. About all
of those things. But what does he do. He's an
(02:55):
agitator and he was in the news because he was
getting after Kevin Durant yesterday. Uh, you can all sit
and don't say nothing, but that ain't cool. It's dudes
with families out here who are having a job because
of this Kadie blankeney blank and to be on and
off again ain't cool. Blessing gang and then uh, Durant
just responded with hashtag blame Kadi uh. And remember Beverly
(03:19):
and Westbrook don't exactly get along. Did I think by
training for him that Westbrook's just gonna quit? Like we
hired your biggest nemesis. How do you like that? I'll
give you the big bold prediction now, because this is
not just about the Lakers trading Taylor Norton Tuck, which
is like, oh my god, I'm so sad. I I
really thought he'd be there forever. Uh, this is the
(03:40):
first of a domino effective moves because I'll tell you
right now, this means they're trading Russell Westbrook and they're
getting Kyrie Irving. That's what this means. They're trading Russell
Westbrook and they're getting Kyrie Irving. Somehow it's going to
wind up at because look, you think Kyrie is gonna
go back with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn. No, that's just
what people are expecting him to do. So he's gonna
(04:02):
do the complete and unlob And look, he still wants out.
He's not gonna go back to k D. You know,
who knows what the relationship was really like at the end,
Remember Katie wasn't with Kyrie what he talked about coming
back to the nets. Um. This tells me the Lakers
are gonna be able to accomplish what they wanted to do,
and that is let's get rid of Russell Westbrook and
let's bring in Kyrie Irving and that's gonna be what
(04:23):
it is. I got a feeling that's that this is
the first of those move that's gonna allow that to happen.
And the Lakers need to get better defensively they did.
You know, Patrick Beverley is also a guy that can
hit threes, So I like the move. I mean, look,
he brought intensity. He's a guy that's going to um
be a be a leader by example in Darvin ham
Had doesn't have to worry about motivating him, like how
(04:44):
how do I get through to a D and Lebron
and West But no, Patrick Beverley is not a guy
need to do that. So that's what's going to happen.
The next two moves are Westbrook out and Kyrie in
certainly not a shy man in any way, shape or
form and will be great for content for us. But
while you have chaos in the locker room ahead of
his arrival. Like th HD was just a guy, right,
(05:06):
They tried to sell him. He flashed at times a
couple of years ago, this past year, expected to take
on a bigger role with all the injuries and issues
and and chaos around the team. He he shrunk away.
So they finally get the deal and send him away.
Th h D, thanks for being part of the rumor
mill for two years now. It's you're suggesting, and this
(05:27):
would have to be the case a domino effect that
flows through unless just like working with James Harden, which
it seemed that Katie was amenable to that, maybe you know,
things with he and Russell Westbrook, they could just play.
Otherwise there's gotta be another team or teams involved, and
and really a whole shuffle up and deal kind of
(05:49):
effect here to get Kyrie l A. I mean maybe, look,
maybe the Lakers can do this and pull off a
roster change that we didn't think was happening. Maybe maybe
maybe they've decided, okay, we'll part with those extra two
first round it well, alright, then yes we'll part with
them so we can get rid of Fine, we'll do it.
(06:10):
But I mean, like this is not just a one move. Uh,
this is the first of you're gonna say that one
to three. It's gonna be Pat Bev. That's gonna be
And maybe it's Westbrook and Kyrie in the same deal
somehow where they have another team involved. It's not if not,
if not, Joe Sigh is pulling off the ultimate blank
you to Kevin Durant. You thought it was bad, Let's go.
(06:31):
We'll have more on this in the Big Story out
of the NFL next right here on Fox. Fox Sports
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(07:17):
you get your podcast. Taylor Horton Tucker will be leaving
the Lakers. I know who are the Lakers getting. Yes,
they're getting you honest, and they're getting MB. It's a
three team to know, no matter what you know. Look,
I know that Rob Polenka would answer his phone. Hi,
Rob Polenka, if you want th h D give me
(07:37):
an offer. They're training him to get Pat Beverley from
the Utah Jazz. The Jazz we're gonna wind up playing
this season with Taylan Horton, Tucker and forty seven future
first round picks. UH. This deal coming to us Curtis
of agent Walt Sanarowski, expected to be completed on Thursday morning.
Stanley Johnson also part of this trade, UH to the Jazz.
(07:58):
So the Lakers are getting Patrick Everly and already all
the memes are out there. Oh, Pat, Bevan Westbrook playing together,
and it's some kind of big fight, you know, the
big Andre Johnson fight from a few years ago. All
these big these guys aren't coming to training camp together,
see the bigger picture. Why can't you let it be
for just a second, let it marinate. Just as as
(08:21):
Lebron has to referee this and Darvin Ham is shaking
his head going. Nobody listened to my speech. I talked
about professionalism and being there for your teammates. And this
is what I got. I got beef. These guys are
sitting there john at each other the whole time. They've
done for a for a decade. Hey man, I got beef. Funny,
(08:44):
there's there's actually the we had an idea and it's
already being turned into a TV show, Celebrity Beef, Celebrity Beef,
and it's a cooking show, but it's Joel McHale. Well,
it's a cooking show between celebrities who fight with each other.
I mean, tell, that's what it is. If you bring
(09:05):
two people out to make food together that don't get along.
So that's what it is. Come on. I like Joel
mckelly as a host. That's pretty cool. Keep I I
enjoy him tremendously. But they are doing everything they can
to keep trying to make him happen, like Fetch. Yeah, No,
he's look. Quit trying to make Fetch happen. Okay, it's
not happening, Gretchen. Uh, they're Lakers. Are not bringing both
(09:28):
Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook to training camp together they're not.
The Lakers have gotten Patrick Beverley and this is their
first salvo, and maybe miracles do happen and the Lakers
are able to upgrade this roster in the offseason, because
I've told you, if you can't do it, tank, If
you can't do it, tank, that's the best thing to
do would be the tank, because if you can't, you're
(09:48):
not getting any better. If you're just bringing back Westbrook
and Lebron and a D and expecting the results to
be different. Just because the calendar turns the page, right,
so many people think that well this year, why just
because we haven't haven't played in a while. Yeah, I
think positive things. Yeah right, Um, that's not gonna happen.
There had time to walk the beach and reflect on
(10:09):
past action. You know, I really have to straighten up,
and who kne Who's gonna do that? Um? This is
the precursor to a trade. They're gonna find a way
to get rid of Russell Westbrook and it's either going
to be Kyrie Irving or potentially that trade we've heard
about for a long time. Buddy Healed and Miles Turner
(10:30):
will come to the Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook
and no, no matter what else the Lakers have to
give up. Let's say it's a couple of first round picks. Uh,
no matter how you cut it up, if the Lakers
go into next season, and what are the changes you
made in the off season. We brought in Buddy Healed,
who's a big shooter, Miles Turner who was pretty good
(10:51):
and pretty underrated, and Patrick Beverley, who's gonna bring you
a lot of defensive enthusiasm. That's a huge upgrade. I
don't know that anybody's gotten better in the Western Conference
than the Lakers with that move. I mean, I realized
I said this a year ago when they got Russell Westbrook.
But uh, they're they're No other team has made big moves, right,
the Suns they stayed the same, Right. The Jazz are
(11:13):
getting rid of everybody, so we know, we know that's happening.
But all the big contenders. Yeah, okay, we think we're
gonna come back next year and be good. Right, the
Warriors won the title. We don't need to do anything.
The Grizzlies are saying John Morand will be healthy. We're
gonna get Jaren Jackson back at some point. Middle of
the season. We're we're fine, we don't need to do anything.
The Nuggets are saying, we're getting Jamal Murray back, allegedly,
(11:35):
we're getting Michael Porter Jr. Back. Allegedly, we're gonna be better.
The Clippers are saying, we're gonna get Kauai Leonard back,
We're gonna be better. The Lakers are saying, all right,
we gotta go out and actually do this. And I
didn't think they'd be able to do it. But if
you're subtracting Russell Westbrook and a couple of first round
picks that don't matter anyway, and you're bringing in those
three players and right now, just Patrick Beverley's the deaf,
(11:57):
and I'm telling you it's gonna happen. They're not deep.
These guys can't stand each other, so they're not gonna
be on the same team. It's not gonna be all
we're all good. And you're bringing in Patrick Beverley and
Buddy Healed and Miles Turner. That's a pretty good offseason, man.
That's that. That's the one team you could say who
improved the most. The Lakers. Now you're talking about going
from a tenth place team eleventh place team to how
(12:19):
far can you get? But hey, it's a much better team,
it's a playoff team and it might even be a
top six team in the Western Conference. Well, but that's it.
You're trying to just get yourself back into the dance
and get rid of whatever distractions, disruptions, whatever, right Anthony
Davis and his health is still going to remain an issue.
Lebron James and where he is approaching the you know,
(12:41):
the cliff like he's in uh Infinity War and what
does he get thrown off or not health wise uh
this year? Or or can he play? And is he
available for more than sixty games? Or is that the norm?
And you have to build his big and robust a
roster around him, uh to get yourself into the playoffs.
The answer to that is the latter part of all
(13:03):
of that, for sure. Uh. It's so getting rid of
Russell Westbrook where clearly didn't work and won't work, and
given and I alluded to Darvin Hamm's introductory speech, that's
that's where you're at. You're trying to get guys and
change the energy and maximize what you've got left after
Lebron resigns. So the only way to do that is
(13:25):
to change out the rest of the roster. Th HD
was a guy who showed some promise, but clearly not
the same guy. And right now there's a lot of
lamentation in laker Land on social media and I and
rightfully so one of the first things I wrote down
was why not Caruso and and a dollar side? And
that's and that's where this is starting. The head of
(13:45):
well in the end, isn't that where you headed up?
But you had people in the building and around the
team that thought th HD was gonna be a guy
to push forward well, and he didn't. And so now
you go and you address some of the deficiencies we
were talking about into a shooting and attitude and defense
and a guy who will hold people accountable, as opposed
(14:06):
to what you had was a locker room just guys
sitting around pointing fingers and the l a media trying
some trying to make it as nice as they could,
the rest just doing whatever they could to gain headlines
and bash the whole process. So you get rid of
some of that energy and bringing guys that can play
and play strong roles and let Lebron take a night
(14:27):
off as he needs to and make sure you don't
over tax a d. Yeah, that's the way to go
as you bring in a new coach and try to
move into a new era. And you know if they
and again we're doing the if game because we have
to project where this is going, right, we project where
this is going. If you see, that's what I why
I used Infinity War. That's the end game. Jason's pretty good. Yea.
(14:47):
The Lakers had fourteen million combinations of players to trade for.
This is what we wind up getting. If Rob Point
sit there in the little stop motion like he's the
doctor Strange I over there, there are fourteen million trade
combinations for Taylor, Horton, Tucker. This is the one that works.
You mean you mean Pat bev Really? That there? That's
(15:09):
where we're down there. All right. If I tell you
what it is, it won't happen. All right, it's bat
bev uh. And if they can do this again, I
get there. It's an if. But if Rob Polinka can
pull this off, this is yet another example of the
Lakers being able to make a trade when they are
bargaining from a position of weakness. Anthony Davis wanted to
(15:30):
be a Laker, Well, guess what, Pelicans were gonna hold
him hostage and we're gonna make you really work to
the point where there's no way you can make this trade.
Rob Polinka made it happen. Yes, he gave up a
couple of really good players, and Brandon Ingram has become
an All Star. But the Lakers won the title with
a D. That was that's a hard trade to make happen,
and he made it happen. If he can make the
(15:51):
Westbrook thing happen and bring in a couple of pretty
good players there and and these are the three guys
you're bringing in. Hey, I I gotta give him a
lot of credit for being able to do what what
I I didn't think a lot of gms can do,
because who will want Russell Westbrook? How are you gonna
get assets for Westbrook? Yeah, you could dump Russell Westbrook. Hey,
let's trade your problem for my problem. Hopefully it's different.
(16:13):
But this is not saying hey, hey, John wall come
on and let's see what you have left. This is well, suddenly,
Buddy Heal's a guy that can fill it up a bit,
and he's gonna play pretty well with Lebron and Miles Turner,
it's pretty underrated. Well, suddenly the Lakers got some things
going on here, man, And then and I gotta give
I would give them a lot of credit on this, uh,
(16:35):
because sometimes it gets to a point with the Lakers
where I go, man, they don't know which way is up,
and then they surprise you by pulling off a move
and you go, oh, man, I underestimated. Then they can
still do that once in a while. I mean, it's
still been a train wreck for the better part of
the last decade, but once in a while they do
something that really surprises you. Still comes back to the
next steps, right, all right, you made one small move
(16:55):
and and on the surface, you're gonna get twenty unless
a move come by under cover of night or early
tomorrow morning. Uh, it's gonna get bashed. Not for the
players exchanged, but for the scenario that it sets up
right until in the uncertainty and all those gifts or
gifts depending on you gotta go back and listen to
(17:17):
the conversation with John paulma Rossi, however you want to
pronounce it, all of the memes, all of the jokes,
everything else. Uh, for me, just stay all right, can
you be professionals if you had to play together, just
you know that two percent chance on that giant wheel
or that one in fourteen million combinations as they get
(17:38):
on the court together to bring that back in again.
But it's the all right, what's next and how are
you gonna and and slow playing the draft picks in
the end might work work out after all, right, that
second draft pick now becomes a bigger piece now that
you've done this, But you've also kind of forced your hands,
so you might have to go a little deeper in
(17:59):
the well because everybody around the NBA knows that these
two don't it won't work. So on some level, you know,
did you cost yourself? At the same time, we could
applaud it and what the chess moves to get to
checkmate and win are all about. But there might be
a little rough going now because you're seen as a
(18:20):
distress property based on bringing in this dynamic. Gotta be
a realist about it. Yeah, But as much as we
we could be positive about what Beverly represents, assuming the
exodus uh and the exit of Westbrook, but did it
make it harder on them? And will they have to
give up? You know that extra draft pick, which they
(18:41):
really don't want to do because that's on the second
white board that we haven't even gotten to for the
next decade. They said, what doesn't matter. I mean, listen,
just figure Okay, we're punting on. We're just gonna We're
just gonna be back in the draft. Okay, we'll be back. Okay,
what happens? All right? Let me ask you this. If
I give you this question, what happens first the Lakers
pick in the first round of the NBA Draft or
(19:03):
the Mets finished paying Bobby Bania? What happens first Bobby Bia? Yeah?
And how and how that there has a bit of
buyout negotiated and just sent away at this point, but
that's a whole other thing. Well, this point, the Mets
are like leaning into it now, and Steve Cohen celebrates
(19:24):
the Mets looking and it was a good move. And look,
we've talked about this a million times. But but I
think you could actually have Bania's contract run out before
you have a draft pick, barring a trade where you
know they may they get one back as an ancillary
asset down the road. I mean, I think if you're
(19:44):
talking about the Laker, you're getting twenty thirty before they
get another first round pick, that maybe it could happen.
And if and if you're able to win now, it's
it's well worth it. That that's I'll gladly trade you
the draft pick in a decade for the title. Run
to Twitter and out about a Fresca Mike. It's Swollen
Dome The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike
(20:07):
Harmon live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios. Twitter at
how about a Fresca Mike at Swollen Dome. Tonight show
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Getting the job done just got easier. Restrictions apply. So
getting the zone auto Zone, I mean the Lakers would
turn into a contender. They'd be a top six team
and probably a Western Conference title contender. Again, if they
(20:49):
can pull these two things off. Amazing, But that that
that's how close it would be. Everybody else is open
on injured guys coming back or we're good enough, the
Lakers are gonna say, hey, let's go out and make
these moves. They would be back, there'd be a top
six team. And wait a minute. Even with all of that,
I I still have to say that they're banking out
all those injured guys and guys that have been known
(21:10):
to find other things to do in the middle of
a basketball season, right. I mean, look, as much as
I want to let you pull out your Lakers car
flag and get exciting, come on, now, you're trying to
pat Oh, you know they're dealing with all the well
the Lakers would be bringing in in your scenario for
those that miss the the logic in this that Kyrie
(21:32):
Irving eventually shows up. Well, now we got guys that
are injured, missing time and Kyrie and maybe Kyrie's you know,
he said he's a change guy, is related to Lebron
James and wants to make it up to him. Maybe
he does. Well, if the Angels are sold, does that
mean you could get Mike Trout and you got Shohyo
(21:54):
Tani for Enter Tutas Jr. Is he possibly on the
trade block? Will Steve Cohen by the Ball joining us
down on the hotline? MLB Network insider extraordinary Fox Sports Radio,
longtime friend of the show, getting set for the Michigan
football season. He is trying on Khaki's as we speak.
It is John, Paul Morosi JP. What's happening, Buddy, Jason
(22:17):
and Mike. Good evening, my friends. I don't believe the
Big Ten has added one more team since we last spoke,
or two more, but I I shall maintain an eye
on that story as we go through the fall. But yes,
excited for football season here and the conclusion of the
regular season baseball over the next month. And Jason, I
(22:39):
must say I got an up close look at your
Mets this week in New York. I was there on
Monday night, the first of the two losses there to
the Yankees. The Yankees seem to be getting well the Mets.
I'm still a little bit perplexed as to why we
did not see Jacob deGrom. But I do think your
team will still find a way to win the National
(23:00):
League East. I hope so, because the Braves just won't
lose like Michael Myers at the end of Halloween just
die already. No, they won't champions. And I tell you what.
Check out the way they've played since Michael Harris the
Second has come up and started playing center field for them.
He has been their catalyst. And I mentioned this on
(23:23):
MLB Network earlier in the week, and I will take
your advice on this, uh and you'll you'll know exactly
what my question is going to be to you once
I'm done with this. A little quick story, but Michael
Harris the Second was playing so well in the minor
leagues that Dana Brown, the Braves vice president, kept texting
a Jeff of Lebron James, saying it's time. It's time.
(23:45):
It's time. To the president of Baseball Operations, Alexanthopolis this
say it's time to call it Michael Harris a second
and he wisely listened to Data Brown, who is an
excellent executive. And so what is not in dispute is
that Michael Laris the second is one of the best
rookies in baseball right now. What is in dispute, however,
is if I have pronounced Jeff properly, because I have
(24:08):
been scolded and to say that it's a gift. But
I think you can go either way, and then that
it's okay for me to say, Jeff your thoughts please,
Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely, gift or Jeff. Now, if you're
talking about eating peanut butter, it's Jeff. If you're talking
about on the internet, it could be gift, it could
be Jeff. Either one is acceptable, thank you. You know,
(24:31):
I'm still learning about the interwebs. Even though I was
one of the initial I think I was probably one
of the first couple of thousands subscribers ever to Facebook,
because of course began my senior year at Harvard and
I was there, and so I signed up like everybody did. Originally,
it was just an idea to get your figure out
(24:52):
who was in your classes. That's how it was described
to me. And here we are, all these years later,
it's still it's still going. Sure, quote figure out who's
in your classes, guys. And again you think you think
that is like a a euphemism for my awesome social life,
but I was pretty boring that that that's gonna surprise you.
(25:14):
It was my idea of a great weekend was, Hey,
do you know the hockey team was playing a Cornell
this weekend. That we can drive to Ithaca. That is awesome.
And that's basically how cool I was in college. Nothing
wrong with that man. The other day, you got to
interview President Push. That's kind of a from your face
moment to everybody that says you think I'm not cool,
(25:34):
look at me. Now you got to interview President Well,
so I'll tell you this. Uh and and thank you
for watching that. The President was incredibly gracious. I was
honored to be able to have the interview. And he
loves the game of baseball. We had a great conversation
and uh and and speaking of that on my my
group text, shame with all my with all my roommates
(25:55):
from college, many of them have gone on to work
in much more important fields than what I do. I
think I was the only one of this text chain
who did not go to a day of school after
we graduated from college. That they're all they all got
their professional degrees and etcetera. And so I just sort
of checked back into that group text a couple of
(26:15):
days afterwards, and somebody had had sent the video of
the president and in our our interview, and then the
statement from my friend Matt was anybody who had Morossi
as the first one of our group to meet the president.
Congratulations you've won. But I'm not sure that everybody thought
that was gonna be the case. I was like, I
didn't either. I just kind of got lucky there were
(26:37):
no It worked out great, and uh, thanks to the
President for his for his gracious as there in that conversation.
And then you followed it up when Aaron Judge beat
the Mets. So let me go there to New York
where Aaron Boone looked like he was on the verge
of tears having to answer the same question day after day.
A couple of wins over the Mets cure all ills?
Or is there still some uneasiness in the Bronx? You
(26:58):
know a couple of things. I right, Aaron Boone and
also Brian cash but for how they handle things, because
we all know that that things get tense there very quickly.
And Paul O'Neill at his Jersey retirement ceremony Monument Park,
there were some booze and it was getting pretty testy.
And I credit Brian Cashman for for speaking with the
(27:18):
media before the game on Monday. I realized that he
didn't have to do that, and it's not like he
was out there hitting home runs. But I do think
that when the temperature is hot, it helps the manager,
helps the players for the GM to standard front of
media and talk. And I think that was a useful
move and I think it may be helped to lower
the temperature a little bit. He projected column sort of
(27:41):
Daron Boone. At some point, there's not much a manager
or even the GM can do. The trade deadline is over.
He can't manifest a new third baseman to replace Donaldson
when he struggles. Trevino is gonna catch Rizzle is gonna
play first base. That they've got Cabrera now to come
in and play, and he's been really good defensively. He's
(28:02):
been a really fun story. Uh. They they've obviously got
him to play with confer to play short. That's that's
their team. And maybe there are some different things that
you can do from a hitting coach perspective, uh, to
get guys going. And I think it's not as though
they they dropped ten runs on the Mets and back
to back games. They were pretty competitive. They pitched really
(28:23):
well and and Judge was great. I mean, the whole
series obviously had a huge hit on Tuesday as well,
But I mean to be in the ballpark for the
home run against Scherzer on on Monday, you know, certainly,
I'm not trying to just recall at a tough loss
for Jason's mess, but that was that was great entertainment.
That is why we were there. Okay, we were there
at the national broadcast for Emmy Network and to see
(28:46):
that Marquee matchup Judge against Scherzer. That's that's why we
love the game. And and Scherzer got him early and
then Judge came back, made it adjustment, hit a pretty
good pitch out to right field for home run number
forty seven. So it's just it's a lot of fun
to watch Judge this season, and that was a fun
Subway series to watch. I will say this, I've certainly
(29:08):
I've covered my share of games in the Bronx over
my career. That was the loudest I have heard when
when voco Backs home run went over the wall on Monday,
after that crazy turn of events, that was the loudest
I had heard visiting fans at Yankee Stadium since the
OH four Alcs against Boston. That was the that was
just epic and I love being there for a moment.
(29:28):
For that moment, it was a fun game, and Voga
back man, he's he's a guy, Jason that you're your
your Mets can count on there down the stretch. I'll
tell you he's a he's the new patron sayings, the favorite.
He's everybody's new favorite player. Now, whether he's you know,
busting it down the line or not, I'm just gonna
be a double play. I'm just gonna kind of walk
down the line. Yeah. Well, I think he knows he's
probably you know, if it's a dinner made groundball, he's
(29:50):
probably not gonna beat that out. But I'll tell you
what one thing he can do is he he didn't
even get all of that ball that he hit out
Monday night and it still got out of the ballpark.
I mean, that's just that's how strong he is. He's
just he leveraged the ball and and he's again they've
done a good job, whether it was it's him or
rough you know, Nike win, They've added some good complimentary
(30:12):
pieces and that Mets lineup is going to be fine.
I believe Jason down the stretch all right, JP as
we moved forward, big news here in Southern California. Larti
moreno look at the potentially cash out and break away
an awful lot of money and exploring the sale of
the Angels. What do you think of how long this
(30:32):
is this process gonna take? Who do you see as
potential bidders, any names arriving, and what does that mean
for that roster and those big stars. Well, I think
it's a great question. I think it's probably a little
too early to know exactly who the who the front
runners are. Obviously, there was a report from Bill Shaken
that perhaps the members of the Golden State Warriors ownership
group might have some interest in getting involved with the
(30:54):
Angels too. We can understand obviously it's a very appealing
franchise to own, even though there's the certainty surrounding the
ballpark and where they're gonna play long term. No matter what,
they're not gonna leave Southern California. So whether it's Anaheim
or Long Beach, or or tusted In or these different
areas that have been mentioned in the past, they've got
(31:14):
to stay there. I mean that that part is certain. Uh,
And but we do what we don't know is if
Otani is going to be there and and certainly what
Trout's future looks like. I think with Otani, I would
expect that they will have some kind of idea about
where this is heading by by spring training or thereabouts,
(31:35):
and even then, I think the Otani decision has to
come long before then. You cannot show up the spring
training with an Otani trade being on everybody's mind. I
just don't see that being a plausible scenario. I think
you have to have at least to begin the season
the idea by sometime in November. Is he part of
(31:56):
it or is he not? Because otherwise the whole organization
is going to be waiting. He's just that important of
a player, and so I do think that there will
likely be a conversation, a very robust one about where
things stand. I personally think that that Otani would would
not sign long term with the Angels, that that he
wants to to go somewhere else. And so I think
(32:18):
if that conversation has had and if everybody decides to
listen to what we're moving on, it's going to be
a new ownership group, that would seem to me to
be a natural time to make that trade, because this
team is just not close to being a competitive World
Series caliber ball club. And if that's the case, and
if you still have Mike Trout and Anthony Rendau making
(32:40):
a ton of money, you probably need to move the
one player that you could move for a massive return,
as hard as that would be in trade Otani this winter.
I fully understand why they kept him in in August,
and I think that was actually the right move. But
now in the wintertime, if you can't sign the long German,
I don't think they can. He should be on the
trade market early in the off season. All right, j P. Lastly,
(33:04):
I'm gonna give you three choices for this next question.
You tell me which one it's going to be. Okay,
all here we go. Sounds great. So Fernano Tutis Jr.
Last night apologizes for his behavior says, oh, by the way,
also have to get shoulder surgery. So you and I
and Mike are having a conversation one year from tonight,
one year from tonight, in one year, is Fernano Tautist Jr.
(33:28):
A back playing for the Padres. We're talking about him
on the field, be we're still waiting for him to
play his next game for the padres he still hasn't played,
or see he is on another team. Which do you
see the most most likely scenario for Fernano Tatis Jr.
You know, that's such a great question. I think c
(33:49):
is so unlikely because you've got a player who is
who is a distressed asset, he is hurt, coming back
from surge and suspended for p e D S. When
you add up all those things and he's signed to
a massive contract, the amount of gumption, let's say, that
it would take to acquire Totis under these circumstances is
(34:14):
extraordinary and I just don't see anyone being willing to
take on that that kind of risk Right now. Um,
I think he's probably back, or at least has been
back tried to come back, uh from from this shoulder surgery.
It's it's unclear exactly what the timetable is going to be,
(34:34):
but I would expect that by you would hope the
second half of next year he's able to play. But guys,
this looks like it's one of the the the all
time poor decisions by an organization to sign a player,
and it's not so like Obviously, the p D suspension
is the most egregious and the most worrisome. But he
(34:54):
hasn't been healthy, and and there's the risk issue, the
shoulder issue. Even even if you take a side of
the b D piece of it, he was slow getting
back from the rift, and he didn't seem to necessarily
be in in game shape yet. So I am really
perplexed to where this is. I think he will probably
(35:16):
have to try to get on the field and see
what he can do sometime next season. But guys, he's
a very young man, and it's already entirely possible that
the player they thought they were signing will just never
be back in the form that we saw in the past.
That I think that's just the reality that the Padres
have to acknowledge him. By the way they are now
five and seven since his suspension was announced. He's on
(35:39):
Twitter at John Morrossy. That is at John Morrossy MLB Network,
Fox Sports Radio, insider, ex shortinaire and uh hit him
up on Twitter and maybe he will interview another president
for you. He is now the specialist baseball reporter and
insider who interviews presidents. So maybe that's actually a pretty
nice line to add to the bio. I would I
(35:59):
would love to do that, but we'll see. I have
to be uh lucky right place, right time. I would say,
my friends, but I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you so much.
Taking easy, buddy, have fun, JP. We'll talk to you
next week. The Lakers are trading Taylor Horton Tucker. Is
Russell Westbrook? Next is Buddy Healed coming? Is Miles Turner coming?
(36:21):
Is Kyrie Irving coming? Well? So he's coming on right now.
Lakers insider NBA insider for the l A times longtime
friend of the show. He's on Twitter at dan Wicky Sports.
That is at dan Wicky Sports, the afore mentioned Dan
Wikey and Dan with Taylor Horton Tucker being traded. If
(36:43):
the Lakers trade Westbrook and they finally get Buddy Healed,
Twitter usage will drop like during the basketball season because
people will stop tweeting about them. I think the like
people going to the trade machine to to like it'll
like crater in on itself. It's been think it's been
like a a like a load bearing wall on the
(37:06):
basketball Internet, and there will be there will be nothing
holding us together. We ripped the spacetime continuum in Oh
my god, I can't check my email. Why can't I
check me? Well, nobody's googling Laker trades anymore. The bandwidth
(37:29):
is all screwed up all over the internet. Uh, the
Internet's out of business. There's no more Internet. It's all.
We gotta go back to calling each other on the phone. Now,
h we got good duds. They could maybe still trade
Anthony Davis someday, quick open up the leftop. We're back
in business. There you go. That was an inspired idea there,
(37:49):
But we were joking about it before Dan like nine
thousand permutations of th HT trades after they soured on him,
And now I keep seeing pictures of Alex Cruso throughout
my timeline. Yeah, I feel bad. That was sort of
my fault. Um, Like I think and it's funny, Um,
(38:10):
so I sent a tweet and I think like I
wasn't trying to be like inherently negative. I do think
like it is sort of like it's an interesting circular trade, right,
Like you have a team um that you know, signed
Taylor Horton Tucker Um, you know, because they believed that
he was, you know, a player that that was a
(38:31):
young player with upside and that they could he could
develop into a rotational player, especially on the defensive end
of the ball. Um. You know, and because of that functionally,
you know, in some ways, they chose him at that
that kind of ten million dollars slot instead of Alex Schrems,
who got that from Chicago. UM. And then they go
(38:52):
and trade Taylor Horton Tucker for a guy who plays
defense and it's kind of a spot up three point
shooter and Patrick Beverley who does a lot of like
kind of crusively things or a place for some maybe
I get special on defense. And he was kind of
like okay, Like it's just like that. They're kind of
circle of life, you know, just like like this is
(39:12):
like this decision, Let this decision, which this decision, and
it's you know, I mean I think like, yeah, like
today you rather have caruso UM, but you can't. You
can't you know, turn back time Share told me that
UM second Share reference of the night, I'll have you know,
(39:34):
Oh that's amazing. UM And wait did you have any wait,
did you guys have any gypsy shrimps? Leave that earlier?
Here's that. So somehow we went from we went from
chet to Share and that's kind of what happened. We're
talking out one name people. She is set is bound
(39:55):
to be a one name NBA player. But he can't
lose him. He's got to be helped. We can't lose him. Yeah,
we need more chat, We do need more chat. But yeah, no,
So I think, like, you know, like it's a it's
a course correction. And the Lakers do that. Um, you
know they were they were older and slow last year
and now this year there you know, they signed a
lot of younger players. I think, you know, to meet
(40:18):
my My first reaction on this is sort of like, okay,
like they Lakers need Patrick probably to be healthy. That's
another player that that's sort of his health they have
to consider. And then my second reaction is, oh, as
of today, him and Russell Westbrooker teammates, that's super fun.
Well that's the thing is that I see this and
there's no way. Look, these guys hate each other. Uh,
(40:39):
there's no way a Russell Westbrook trade isn't happening, you know,
like a finally Rob Bolink is going to do the
impossible and with property. I hear that, But like, can
I just offer this as like a counter like and
I mean this as respectfully as possible. Are there's a
baseball bat at this day age, at this stage in
(41:01):
Patrick Beverley and quite freely Russell Western's career. Is their
hatred of one another like reason enough really to be
like all right, well, yeah, I find you can have
the nine first, now, like I I don't think so.
Rob Polink is gonna be long fired by then, Dad,
(41:22):
he's gonna be gone. What does he care? Well, based
on the distress properties, they might have to add thirty
now Dan desperation, it's like, we know what you got
cooking over there, give us one more? How would they?
What they should do is they should offer the rights
to like episode nine of the Hulu docuseries where it's
just like randomly you just get another team, just like
(41:44):
you know, like all of all of a sudden, you
get the Indiana Pacers for a for an episode for one.
I don't see if I'm not hey, I don't see
it in the C B A. I don't think I
can tell you. It absolutely doesn't prohibit it explicitly. So
(42:04):
you're saying you don't think this is gonna happen. You
think no, no, no, no, I mean look, I just
don't think It's like, I don't think their personal relationships
is going to be what's driving any decision making, right, Like,
I think that you know, it's if the Lakers train
Russell Westbrook, right and we know that they've tried and trying. Um,
(42:25):
it's not going to be because of his relation with
Patrick Beverley, right, Like that's just sort of a fun subplot.
It's just you know, and I don't think that because
oh Patrick Robley's on the team, now we really have
to do it. I just don't think I I don't
think it's that. I mean, I think the reasons for
turning Russell Westbrook are I suppose a bigger then Um,
(42:46):
what's been a pretty fun petty NBA for the last decade. Yeah,
this is just news. We didn't expect it. I dance,
so we're we're still to breathe, breathe it all in.
I will say this, right, it does sort of feel like,
you know, you look at the Lakers roster and you
say they have a lot of guards. You know, they
(43:07):
don't have a lot of that they maybe need less,
and you're like, well, you wonder if there's more, you know, Um,
I would think that there you know, the way it's
am phrase to me very generically by people, is you know,
continuously looking to improve the roster and um, like you
(43:28):
know you don't want to you don't want to put
that out of like sources say or anything like that,
because right like show me the show where the guys like, nah,
we're good where we're at, We're can you send a share?
Like yeah, like that guy like that doesn't you know,
like everybody's always doing that. But the New York things
(43:49):
have just entered the chat. Wait a minute, Nicks are
involved on Turnbaker, did you see did you guys see
the Bobby Porter's quote about the about the next other day?
Oh yeah, where he just quickly said like, yeah, we
had like eight power forms at the time. I was
(44:11):
like the Good Old Days podcast. There it is, but
it was specific to the nex they do like the
NBA classic jerseys. They should just make everybody play before
for a game for the next So like, realistically, other
(44:33):
than hey, let's keep adding draft picks, I mean, are
we really going to go into camp where you guys
get to watch and sit there with bated breath for
the blows to start or at least guys to start
screaming at each other or or do you think Polinka
is now unleash something and and they can actually get
some traction. So I think two things are are true,
and they're kind of opposite. So this is the hedging. Um,
(44:57):
I think I think it is true that as the
season where to progress, you know, kind of the notion
of Russell Westbrook as an expiring quote unquote contract like
is probably a little more palatable because you know that
salary is pro rated. Um, you know, it's not just
your forty seven million dollar burdens, you know what I mean,
Like that's all. I think. That's a big check to write,
(45:20):
you know for someone who's just going to be cap space,
you know. And and I think, um, the ownership ownership
around the NBA knows that, and no one really wants
to cut that check. So I think, like, yeah, if
you get a little close to the trade deadline, um
that that gets pro rated, maybe teams are a little
more willing to take that on for you know, some
(45:42):
draft compensation or something like that. Right, Like, so like
that that options does it exist for the Lakers? And
it's one I've heard multiple discussed, you know, like we
could go into this and sort of just play it
out until you know, under December early January and sort
of reassessed that. UM. I do think though that sort
(46:02):
of the news out of Brooklyn um kind of give
the Lakers a little more clear eyed sort of look
at their off season now too, you know, where it
doesn't seem like it like it doesn't seem certainly like
carry Irving is available at the Lakers price or maybe
even available at all um at this stage. So um,
(46:24):
like if you're serious about making the trade, like now
at the time, if you want to get serious with Indiana,
like this is the time to do it. If you
want to try to try to rope Charlotte into something like,
this is the time to do it right now. You know,
if you want to call San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Detroit, um,
you know, Utah, they've obviously just struck a deal with
(46:44):
like they're like, you know, like those types of teams
are legal. Go now that's where you know, if you
want to kind of try to pick up some vets
or something like that, like this would be when you
would do it. And I think you could be a
little more clear clear eyed without having to kind of
wonder about you know, the prospects of an all NBA
guy potentially following the right like that, that's not going
(47:05):
to happen. So now you can kind of go about
this different ways. And so I think you know that
certainly seems like there's a window to get something done here,
um for the Lakers, but you know they do have
in their back pockets or the idea that um that
as the season want to go on and sort of
that westbrook sality would kind of eating away at paycheck
(47:29):
by paycheck that maybe he'd be a little easier to
move later. He's on Twitter at dan Wicky Sports. That
is at dan Wicki Sports, NBA Insider, Lakers Insider for
the l A Times. Dan, thanks so much for staying
up late. Appreciate it. Uh yeah, this was fun. I
missed you. Yeah, we're getting we're getting ready. Listen, when
(47:52):
they trade Westbrook tomorrow, we'll call you right back, buddy.
It's oh god, alright, keep I'll keep the phone alright, alright,
I'll meet you down at Portillo's and we'll chow it up.
Let's make that happen. I'll send you a note. We'll
do it, all right, I'll take buddy. Everybody get Easyboddy
(48:12):
always great stuff with Dan Wake NBA inside
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two a m.
Eastern seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for The Jason Smith Show with
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by searching fs R. This is the best of the
(00:22):
Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.
We do have a trade in the NBA in these
later night hours on a Wednesday. Here the Lakers making
a move. They are bringing in There's a little drum
roll there, Patrick Beverley. Yes, he is coming to the
(00:43):
Lakers and they're trading him straight up for Taylon Horton Tucker.
There's no draft picks and evolved this according to The
Athletic and ESPN. But Pat Beverley set to join Lebron James.
Wait a minute, Wait a minute, wait and wait. The
last eighteen months, Taylon Horton Tucker has been linked for
the lateness to get every single star in the NBA.
Janice Iverson, Will George Mike In and it's gonna be
(01:08):
for Pat. Not that Pat Beev is not a great movie.
He's a good three point shooter, He's a phenomenal defender.
But this is the greatest agitator of the world's ever known.
This is who Taylor Horton Tucker gets traded for all
the Kyrie No, no, no, we're we're gonna we're We're
trade Tailor Tucker for Pat Beev. Oh okay, alright, that's done.
The question is does he replace Russell Westbrook in the
(01:29):
starting lineup or could they play together? Are you kidding?
They're gonna fight every night? Two? Are you kidding? They're
gonna be the week the opening tip, there's gonna be
a fistfight. Brian Finley brought us this story a few
minutes ago. Well, get ready, Taylor Horton Tucker is going
to be an ex Laker. Yes, mentioned in every single
(01:53):
trade the Lakers were made. We're gonna do th HT
for Buddy heal to th h T for Kyrie Irving.
It's gonna be th HD for Luca Donson. Just gonna
be th HD for John Morant. Oh Dad. Finally, Taylor
Horton Tucker is getting traded and the Lakers are bringing
in Patrick Beverley. Yeah. Now here's the thing. I like
(02:14):
the trade. It's just all these names that t A
we can't trade t t H T is gonna go
for one of these big games, and that's we winds
up getting traded for. I mean, come on, man, you
had you were you had us. Believe me, you had
a snow that we trade Taylor Horton Tucker, We're gonna
get Michael Jordan for him. That's the only guy. He's
(02:34):
so good. He's such an unbelievable talent. Oh yeah, yeah,
it's it's how you're getting Pat Beev talking about being
a great snowman Colonel Tom Parker in the Elvis movie.
Uh the Snowman. Uh thirty seven point eight percent, three
point shooter, Pat Bev nine points a game. About all
of those things. But what does he do. He's an
(02:55):
agitator and he was in the news because he was
getting after Kevin Durant yesterday. Uh, you can all sit
and don't say nothing, but that ain't cool. It's dudes
with families out here who are having a job because
of this Kadie blankeney blank and to be on and
off again ain't cool. Blessing gang and then uh, Durant
just responded with hashtag blame Kadi uh. And remember Beverly
(03:19):
and Westbrook don't exactly get along. Did I think by
training for him that Westbrook's just gonna quit? Like we
hired your biggest nemesis. How do you like that? I'll
give you the big bold prediction now, because this is
not just about the Lakers trading Taylor Norton Tuck, which
is like, oh my god, I'm so sad. I I
really thought he'd be there forever. Uh, this is the
(03:40):
first of a domino effective moves because I'll tell you
right now, this means they're trading Russell Westbrook and they're
getting Kyrie Irving. That's what this means. They're trading Russell
Westbrook and they're getting Kyrie Irving. Somehow it's going to
wind up at because look, you think Kyrie is gonna
go back with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn. No, that's just
what people are expecting him to do. So he's gonna
(04:02):
do the complete and unlob And look, he still wants out.
He's not gonna go back to k D. You know,
who knows what the relationship was really like at the end,
Remember Katie wasn't with Kyrie what he talked about coming
back to the nets. Um. This tells me the Lakers
are gonna be able to accomplish what they wanted to do,
and that is let's get rid of Russell Westbrook and
let's bring in Kyrie Irving and that's gonna be what
(04:23):
it is. I got a feeling that's that this is
the first of those move that's gonna allow that to happen.
And the Lakers need to get better defensively they did.
You know, Patrick Beverley is also a guy that can
hit threes, So I like the move. I mean, look,
he brought intensity. He's a guy that's going to um
be a be a leader by example in Darvin ham
Had doesn't have to worry about motivating him, like how
(04:44):
how do I get through to a D and Lebron
and West But no, Patrick Beverley is not a guy
need to do that. So that's what's going to happen.
The next two moves are Westbrook out and Kyrie in
certainly not a shy man in any way, shape or
form and will be great for content for us. But
while you have chaos in the locker room ahead of
his arrival. Like th HD was just a guy, right,
(05:06):
They tried to sell him. He flashed at times a
couple of years ago, this past year, expected to take
on a bigger role with all the injuries and issues
and and chaos around the team. He he shrunk away.
So they finally get the deal and send him away.
Th h D, thanks for being part of the rumor
mill for two years now. It's you're suggesting, and this
(05:27):
would have to be the case a domino effect that
flows through unless just like working with James Harden, which
it seemed that Katie was amenable to that, maybe you know,
things with he and Russell Westbrook, they could just play.
Otherwise there's gotta be another team or teams involved, and
and really a whole shuffle up and deal kind of
(05:49):
effect here to get Kyrie l A. I mean maybe, look,
maybe the Lakers can do this and pull off a
roster change that we didn't think was happening. Maybe maybe
maybe they've decided, okay, we'll part with those extra two
first round it well, alright, then yes we'll part with
them so we can get rid of Fine, we'll do it.
(06:10):
But I mean, like this is not just a one move. Uh,
this is the first of you're gonna say that one
to three. It's gonna be Pat Bev. That's gonna be
And maybe it's Westbrook and Kyrie in the same deal
somehow where they have another team involved. It's not if not,
if not, Joe Sigh is pulling off the ultimate blank
you to Kevin Durant. You thought it was bad, Let's go.
(06:31):
We'll have more on this in the Big Story out
of the NFL next right here on Fox. Fox Sports
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app. Search f
s R to listen live. Hey it's me Rob Parker.
Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for
(06:56):
twenty two minutes of piping hot baseball talk featuring the
big his name, the newsmakers in the sport. Whether you
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the bases covered. New episodes drop every Thursday, So do
yourself of favor and listen to Inside the Parker with
Rob Parker on the I Heart Radio app or wherever
(07:17):
you get your podcast. Taylor Horton Tucker will be leaving
the Lakers. I know who are the Lakers getting. Yes,
they're getting you honest, and they're getting MB. It's a
three team to know, no matter what you know. Look,
I know that Rob Polenka would answer his phone. Hi,
Rob Polenka, if you want th h D give me
(07:37):
an offer. They're training him to get Pat Beverley from
the Utah Jazz. The Jazz we're gonna wind up playing
this season with Taylan Horton, Tucker and forty seven future
first round picks. UH. This deal coming to us Curtis
of agent Walt Sanarowski, expected to be completed on Thursday morning.
Stanley Johnson also part of this trade, UH to the Jazz.
(07:58):
So the Lakers are getting Patrick Everly and already all
the memes are out there. Oh, Pat, Bevan Westbrook playing together,
and it's some kind of big fight, you know, the
big Andre Johnson fight from a few years ago. All
these big these guys aren't coming to training camp together,
see the bigger picture. Why can't you let it be
for just a second, let it marinate. Just as as
(08:21):
Lebron has to referee this and Darvin Ham is shaking
his head going. Nobody listened to my speech. I talked
about professionalism and being there for your teammates. And this
is what I got. I got beef. These guys are
sitting there john at each other the whole time. They've
done for a for a decade. Hey man, I got beef. Funny,
(08:44):
there's there's actually the we had an idea and it's
already being turned into a TV show, Celebrity Beef, Celebrity Beef,
and it's a cooking show, but it's Joel McHale. Well,
it's a cooking show between celebrities who fight with each other.
I mean, tell, that's what it is. If you bring
(09:05):
two people out to make food together that don't get along.
So that's what it is. Come on. I like Joel
mckelly as a host. That's pretty cool. Keep I I
enjoy him tremendously. But they are doing everything they can
to keep trying to make him happen, like Fetch. Yeah, No,
he's look. Quit trying to make Fetch happen. Okay, it's
not happening, Gretchen. Uh, they're Lakers. Are not bringing both
(09:28):
Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook to training camp together they're not.
The Lakers have gotten Patrick Beverley and this is their
first salvo, and maybe miracles do happen and the Lakers
are able to upgrade this roster in the offseason, because
I've told you, if you can't do it, tank, If
you can't do it, tank, that's the best thing to
do would be the tank, because if you can't, you're
(09:48):
not getting any better. If you're just bringing back Westbrook
and Lebron and a D and expecting the results to
be different. Just because the calendar turns the page, right,
so many people think that well this year, why just
because we haven't haven't played in a while. Yeah, I
think positive things. Yeah right, Um, that's not gonna happen.
There had time to walk the beach and reflect on
(10:09):
past action. You know, I really have to straighten up,
and who kne Who's gonna do that? Um? This is
the precursor to a trade. They're gonna find a way
to get rid of Russell Westbrook and it's either going
to be Kyrie Irving or potentially that trade we've heard
about for a long time. Buddy Healed and Miles Turner
(10:30):
will come to the Lakers in exchange for Russell Westbrook
and no, no matter what else the Lakers have to
give up. Let's say it's a couple of first round picks. Uh,
no matter how you cut it up, if the Lakers
go into next season, and what are the changes you
made in the off season. We brought in Buddy Healed,
who's a big shooter, Miles Turner who was pretty good
(10:51):
and pretty underrated, and Patrick Beverley, who's gonna bring you
a lot of defensive enthusiasm. That's a huge upgrade. I
don't know that anybody's gotten better in the Western Conference
than the Lakers with that move. I mean, I realized
I said this a year ago when they got Russell Westbrook.
But uh, they're they're No other team has made big moves, right,
the Suns they stayed the same, Right. The Jazz are
(11:13):
getting rid of everybody, so we know, we know that's happening.
But all the big contenders. Yeah, okay, we think we're
gonna come back next year and be good. Right, the
Warriors won the title. We don't need to do anything.
The Grizzlies are saying John Morand will be healthy. We're
gonna get Jaren Jackson back at some point. Middle of
the season. We're we're fine, we don't need to do anything.
The Nuggets are saying, we're getting Jamal Murray back, allegedly,
(11:35):
we're getting Michael Porter Jr. Back. Allegedly, we're gonna be better.
The Clippers are saying, we're gonna get Kauai Leonard back,
We're gonna be better. The Lakers are saying, all right,
we gotta go out and actually do this. And I
didn't think they'd be able to do it. But if
you're subtracting Russell Westbrook and a couple of first round
picks that don't matter anyway, and you're bringing in those
three players and right now, just Patrick Beverley's the deaf,
(11:57):
and I'm telling you it's gonna happen. They're not deep.
These guys can't stand each other, so they're not gonna
be on the same team. It's not gonna be all
we're all good. And you're bringing in Patrick Beverley and
Buddy Healed and Miles Turner. That's a pretty good offseason, man.
That's that. That's the one team you could say who
improved the most. The Lakers. Now you're talking about going
from a tenth place team eleventh place team to how
(12:19):
far can you get? But hey, it's a much better team,
it's a playoff team and it might even be a
top six team in the Western Conference. Well, but that's it.
You're trying to just get yourself back into the dance
and get rid of whatever distractions, disruptions, whatever, right Anthony
Davis and his health is still going to remain an issue.
Lebron James and where he is approaching the you know,
(12:41):
the cliff like he's in uh Infinity War and what
does he get thrown off or not health wise uh
this year? Or or can he play? And is he
available for more than sixty games? Or is that the norm?
And you have to build his big and robust a
roster around him, uh to get yourself into the playoffs.
The answer to that is the latter part of all
(13:03):
of that, for sure. Uh. It's so getting rid of
Russell Westbrook where clearly didn't work and won't work, and
given and I alluded to Darvin Hamm's introductory speech, that's
that's where you're at. You're trying to get guys and
change the energy and maximize what you've got left after
Lebron resigns. So the only way to do that is
(13:25):
to change out the rest of the roster. Th HD
was a guy who showed some promise, but clearly not
the same guy. And right now there's a lot of
lamentation in laker Land on social media and I and
rightfully so one of the first things I wrote down
was why not Caruso and and a dollar side? And
that's and that's where this is starting. The head of
(13:45):
well in the end, isn't that where you headed up?
But you had people in the building and around the
team that thought th HD was gonna be a guy
to push forward well, and he didn't. And so now
you go and you address some of the deficiencies we
were talking about into a shooting and attitude and defense
and a guy who will hold people accountable, as opposed
(14:06):
to what you had was a locker room just guys
sitting around pointing fingers and the l a media trying
some trying to make it as nice as they could,
the rest just doing whatever they could to gain headlines
and bash the whole process. So you get rid of
some of that energy and bringing guys that can play
and play strong roles and let Lebron take a night
(14:27):
off as he needs to and make sure you don't
over tax a d. Yeah, that's the way to go
as you bring in a new coach and try to
move into a new era. And you know if they
and again we're doing the if game because we have
to project where this is going, right, we project where
this is going. If you see, that's what I why
I used Infinity War. That's the end game. Jason's pretty good. Yea.
(14:47):
The Lakers had fourteen million combinations of players to trade for.
This is what we wind up getting. If Rob Point
sit there in the little stop motion like he's the
doctor Strange I over there, there are fourteen million trade
combinations for Taylor, Horton, Tucker. This is the one that works.
You mean you mean Pat bev Really? That there? That's
(15:09):
where we're down there. All right. If I tell you
what it is, it won't happen. All right, it's bat
bev uh. And if they can do this again, I
get there. It's an if. But if Rob Polinka can
pull this off, this is yet another example of the
Lakers being able to make a trade when they are
bargaining from a position of weakness. Anthony Davis wanted to
(15:30):
be a Laker, Well, guess what, Pelicans were gonna hold
him hostage and we're gonna make you really work to
the point where there's no way you can make this trade.
Rob Polinka made it happen. Yes, he gave up a
couple of really good players, and Brandon Ingram has become
an All Star. But the Lakers won the title with
a D. That was that's a hard trade to make happen,
and he made it happen. If he can make the
(15:51):
Westbrook thing happen and bring in a couple of pretty
good players there and and these are the three guys
you're bringing in. Hey, I I gotta give him a
lot of credit for being able to do what what
I I didn't think a lot of gms can do,
because who will want Russell Westbrook? How are you gonna
get assets for Westbrook? Yeah, you could dump Russell Westbrook. Hey,
let's trade your problem for my problem. Hopefully it's different.
(16:13):
But this is not saying hey, hey, John wall come
on and let's see what you have left. This is well, suddenly,
Buddy Heal's a guy that can fill it up a bit,
and he's gonna play pretty well with Lebron and Miles Turner,
it's pretty underrated. Well, suddenly the Lakers got some things
going on here, man, And then and I gotta give
I would give them a lot of credit on this, uh,
(16:35):
because sometimes it gets to a point with the Lakers
where I go, man, they don't know which way is up,
and then they surprise you by pulling off a move
and you go, oh, man, I underestimated. Then they can
still do that once in a while. I mean, it's
still been a train wreck for the better part of
the last decade, but once in a while they do
something that really surprises you. Still comes back to the
next steps, right, all right, you made one small move
(16:55):
and and on the surface, you're gonna get twenty unless
a move come by under cover of night or early
tomorrow morning. Uh, it's gonna get bashed. Not for the
players exchanged, but for the scenario that it sets up
right until in the uncertainty and all those gifts or
gifts depending on you gotta go back and listen to
(17:17):
the conversation with John paulma Rossi, however you want to
pronounce it, all of the memes, all of the jokes,
everything else. Uh, for me, just stay all right, can
you be professionals if you had to play together, just
you know that two percent chance on that giant wheel
or that one in fourteen million combinations as they get
(17:38):
on the court together to bring that back in again.
But it's the all right, what's next and how are
you gonna and and slow playing the draft picks in
the end might work work out after all, right, that
second draft pick now becomes a bigger piece now that
you've done this, But you've also kind of forced your hands,
so you might have to go a little deeper in
(17:59):
the well because everybody around the NBA knows that these
two don't it won't work. So on some level, you know,
did you cost yourself? At the same time, we could
applaud it and what the chess moves to get to
checkmate and win are all about. But there might be
a little rough going now because you're seen as a
(18:20):
distress property based on bringing in this dynamic. Gotta be
a realist about it. Yeah, But as much as we
we could be positive about what Beverly represents, assuming the
exodus uh and the exit of Westbrook, but did it
make it harder on them? And will they have to
give up? You know that extra draft pick, which they
(18:41):
really don't want to do because that's on the second
white board that we haven't even gotten to for the
next decade. They said, what doesn't matter. I mean, listen,
just figure Okay, we're punting on. We're just gonna We're
just gonna be back in the draft. Okay, we'll be back. Okay,
what happens? All right? Let me ask you this. If
I give you this question, what happens first the Lakers
pick in the first round of the NBA Draft or
(19:03):
the Mets finished paying Bobby Bania? What happens first Bobby Bia? Yeah?
And how and how that there has a bit of
buyout negotiated and just sent away at this point, but
that's a whole other thing. Well, this point, the Mets
are like leaning into it now, and Steve Cohen celebrates
(19:24):
the Mets looking and it was a good move. And look,
we've talked about this a million times. But but I
think you could actually have Bania's contract run out before
you have a draft pick, barring a trade where you
know they may they get one back as an ancillary
asset down the road. I mean, I think if you're
(19:44):
talking about the Laker, you're getting twenty thirty before they
get another first round pick, that maybe it could happen.
And if and if you're able to win now, it's
it's well worth it. That that's I'll gladly trade you
the draft pick in a decade for the title. Run
to Twitter and out about a Fresca Mike. It's Swollen
Dome The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike
(20:07):
Harmon live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios. Twitter at
how about a Fresca Mike at Swollen Dome. Tonight show
brought to you by auto Zone. Auto Zone's got the
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(20:28):
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Getting the job done just got easier. Restrictions apply. So
getting the zone auto Zone, I mean the Lakers would
turn into a contender. They'd be a top six team
and probably a Western Conference title contender. Again, if they
(20:49):
can pull these two things off. Amazing, But that that
that's how close it would be. Everybody else is open
on injured guys coming back or we're good enough, the
Lakers are gonna say, hey, let's go out and make
these moves. They would be back, there'd be a top
six team. And wait a minute. Even with all of that,
I I still have to say that they're banking out
all those injured guys and guys that have been known
(21:10):
to find other things to do in the middle of
a basketball season, right. I mean, look, as much as
I want to let you pull out your Lakers car
flag and get exciting, come on, now, you're trying to
pat Oh, you know they're dealing with all the well
the Lakers would be bringing in in your scenario for
those that miss the the logic in this that Kyrie
(21:32):
Irving eventually shows up. Well, now we got guys that
are injured, missing time and Kyrie and maybe Kyrie's you know,
he said he's a change guy, is related to Lebron
James and wants to make it up to him. Maybe
he does. Well, if the Angels are sold, does that
mean you could get Mike Trout and you got Shohyo
(21:54):
Tani for Enter Tutas Jr. Is he possibly on the
trade block? Will Steve Cohen by the Ball joining us
down on the hotline? MLB Network insider extraordinary Fox Sports Radio,
longtime friend of the show, getting set for the Michigan
football season. He is trying on Khaki's as we speak.
It is John, Paul Morosi JP. What's happening, Buddy, Jason
(22:17):
and Mike. Good evening, my friends. I don't believe the
Big Ten has added one more team since we last spoke,
or two more, but I I shall maintain an eye
on that story as we go through the fall. But yes,
excited for football season here and the conclusion of the
regular season baseball over the next month. And Jason, I
(22:39):
must say I got an up close look at your
Mets this week in New York. I was there on
Monday night, the first of the two losses there to
the Yankees. The Yankees seem to be getting well the Mets.
I'm still a little bit perplexed as to why we
did not see Jacob deGrom. But I do think your
team will still find a way to win the National
(23:00):
League East. I hope so, because the Braves just won't
lose like Michael Myers at the end of Halloween just
die already. No, they won't champions. And I tell you what.
Check out the way they've played since Michael Harris the
Second has come up and started playing center field for them.
He has been their catalyst. And I mentioned this on
(23:23):
MLB Network earlier in the week, and I will take
your advice on this, uh and you'll you'll know exactly
what my question is going to be to you once
I'm done with this. A little quick story, but Michael
Harris the Second was playing so well in the minor
leagues that Dana Brown, the Braves vice president, kept texting
a Jeff of Lebron James, saying it's time. It's time.
(23:45):
It's time. To the president of Baseball Operations, Alexanthopolis this
say it's time to call it Michael Harris a second
and he wisely listened to Data Brown, who is an
excellent executive. And so what is not in dispute is
that Michael Laris the second is one of the best
rookies in baseball right now. What is in dispute, however,
is if I have pronounced Jeff properly, because I have
(24:08):
been scolded and to say that it's a gift. But
I think you can go either way, and then that
it's okay for me to say, Jeff your thoughts please,
Oh yeah, yeah, absolutely, gift or Jeff. Now, if you're
talking about eating peanut butter, it's Jeff. If you're talking
about on the internet, it could be gift, it could
be Jeff. Either one is acceptable, thank you. You know,
(24:31):
I'm still learning about the interwebs. Even though I was
one of the initial I think I was probably one
of the first couple of thousands subscribers ever to Facebook,
because of course began my senior year at Harvard and
I was there, and so I signed up like everybody did. Originally,
it was just an idea to get your figure out
(24:52):
who was in your classes. That's how it was described
to me. And here we are, all these years later,
it's still it's still going. Sure, quote figure out who's
in your classes, guys. And again you think you think
that is like a a euphemism for my awesome social life,
but I was pretty boring that that that's gonna surprise you.
(25:14):
It was my idea of a great weekend was, Hey,
do you know the hockey team was playing a Cornell
this weekend. That we can drive to Ithaca. That is awesome.
And that's basically how cool I was in college. Nothing
wrong with that man. The other day, you got to
interview President Push. That's kind of a from your face
moment to everybody that says you think I'm not cool,
(25:34):
look at me. Now you got to interview President Well,
so I'll tell you this. Uh and and thank you
for watching that. The President was incredibly gracious. I was
honored to be able to have the interview. And he
loves the game of baseball. We had a great conversation
and uh and and speaking of that on my my
group text, shame with all my with all my roommates
(25:55):
from college, many of them have gone on to work
in much more important fields than what I do. I
think I was the only one of this text chain
who did not go to a day of school after
we graduated from college. That they're all they all got
their professional degrees and etcetera. And so I just sort
of checked back into that group text a couple of
(26:15):
days afterwards, and somebody had had sent the video of
the president and in our our interview, and then the
statement from my friend Matt was anybody who had Morossi
as the first one of our group to meet the president.
Congratulations you've won. But I'm not sure that everybody thought
that was gonna be the case. I was like, I
didn't either. I just kind of got lucky there were
(26:37):
no It worked out great, and uh, thanks to the
President for his for his gracious as there in that conversation.
And then you followed it up when Aaron Judge beat
the Mets. So let me go there to New York
where Aaron Boone looked like he was on the verge
of tears having to answer the same question day after day.
A couple of wins over the Mets cure all ills?
Or is there still some uneasiness in the Bronx? You
(26:58):
know a couple of things. I right, Aaron Boone and
also Brian cash but for how they handle things, because
we all know that that things get tense there very quickly.
And Paul O'Neill at his Jersey retirement ceremony Monument Park,
there were some booze and it was getting pretty testy.
And I credit Brian Cashman for for speaking with the
(27:18):
media before the game on Monday. I realized that he
didn't have to do that, and it's not like he
was out there hitting home runs. But I do think
that when the temperature is hot, it helps the manager,
helps the players for the GM to standard front of
media and talk. And I think that was a useful
move and I think it may be helped to lower
the temperature a little bit. He projected column sort of
(27:41):
Daron Boone. At some point, there's not much a manager
or even the GM can do. The trade deadline is over.
He can't manifest a new third baseman to replace Donaldson
when he struggles. Trevino is gonna catch Rizzle is gonna
play first base. That they've got Cabrera now to come
in and play, and he's been really good defensively. He's
(28:02):
been a really fun story. Uh. They they've obviously got
him to play with confer to play short. That's that's
their team. And maybe there are some different things that
you can do from a hitting coach perspective, uh, to
get guys going. And I think it's not as though
they they dropped ten runs on the Mets and back
to back games. They were pretty competitive. They pitched really
(28:23):
well and and Judge was great. I mean, the whole
series obviously had a huge hit on Tuesday as well,
But I mean to be in the ballpark for the
home run against Scherzer on on Monday, you know, certainly,
I'm not trying to just recall at a tough loss
for Jason's mess, but that was that was great entertainment.
That is why we were there. Okay, we were there
at the national broadcast for Emmy Network and to see
(28:46):
that Marquee matchup Judge against Scherzer. That's that's why we
love the game. And and Scherzer got him early and
then Judge came back, made it adjustment, hit a pretty
good pitch out to right field for home run number
forty seven. So it's just it's a lot of fun
to watch Judge this season, and that was a fun
Subway series to watch. I will say this, I've certainly
(29:08):
I've covered my share of games in the Bronx over
my career. That was the loudest I have heard when
when voco Backs home run went over the wall on Monday,
after that crazy turn of events, that was the loudest
I had heard visiting fans at Yankee Stadium since the
OH four Alcs against Boston. That was the that was
just epic and I love being there for a moment.
(29:28):
For that moment, it was a fun game, and Voga
back man, he's he's a guy, Jason that you're your
your Mets can count on there down the stretch. I'll
tell you he's a he's the new patron sayings, the favorite.
He's everybody's new favorite player. Now, whether he's you know,
busting it down the line or not, I'm just gonna
be a double play. I'm just gonna kind of walk
down the line. Yeah. Well, I think he knows he's
probably you know, if it's a dinner made groundball, he's
(29:50):
probably not gonna beat that out. But I'll tell you
what one thing he can do is he he didn't
even get all of that ball that he hit out
Monday night and it still got out of the ballpark.
I mean, that's just that's how strong he is. He's
just he leveraged the ball and and he's again they've
done a good job, whether it was it's him or
rough you know, Nike win, They've added some good complimentary
(30:12):
pieces and that Mets lineup is going to be fine.
I believe Jason down the stretch all right, JP as
we moved forward, big news here in Southern California. Larti
moreno look at the potentially cash out and break away
an awful lot of money and exploring the sale of
the Angels. What do you think of how long this
(30:32):
is this process gonna take? Who do you see as
potential bidders, any names arriving, and what does that mean
for that roster and those big stars. Well, I think
it's a great question. I think it's probably a little
too early to know exactly who the who the front
runners are. Obviously, there was a report from Bill Shaken
that perhaps the members of the Golden State Warriors ownership
group might have some interest in getting involved with the
(30:54):
Angels too. We can understand obviously it's a very appealing
franchise to own, even though there's the certainty surrounding the
ballpark and where they're gonna play long term. No matter what,
they're not gonna leave Southern California. So whether it's Anaheim
or Long Beach, or or tusted In or these different
areas that have been mentioned in the past, they've got
(31:14):
to stay there. I mean that that part is certain. Uh,
And but we do what we don't know is if
Otani is going to be there and and certainly what
Trout's future looks like. I think with Otani, I would
expect that they will have some kind of idea about
where this is heading by by spring training or thereabouts,
(31:35):
and even then, I think the Otani decision has to
come long before then. You cannot show up the spring
training with an Otani trade being on everybody's mind. I
just don't see that being a plausible scenario. I think
you have to have at least to begin the season
the idea by sometime in November. Is he part of
(31:56):
it or is he not? Because otherwise the whole organization
is going to be waiting. He's just that important of
a player, and so I do think that there will
likely be a conversation, a very robust one about where
things stand. I personally think that that Otani would would
not sign long term with the Angels, that that he
wants to to go somewhere else. And so I think
(32:18):
if that conversation has had and if everybody decides to
listen to what we're moving on, it's going to be
a new ownership group, that would seem to me to
be a natural time to make that trade, because this
team is just not close to being a competitive World
Series caliber ball club. And if that's the case, and
if you still have Mike Trout and Anthony Rendau making
(32:40):
a ton of money, you probably need to move the
one player that you could move for a massive return,
as hard as that would be in trade Otani this winter.
I fully understand why they kept him in in August,
and I think that was actually the right move. But
now in the wintertime, if you can't sign the long German,
I don't think they can. He should be on the
trade market early in the off season. All right, j P. Lastly,
(33:04):
I'm gonna give you three choices for this next question.
You tell me which one it's going to be. Okay,
all here we go. Sounds great. So Fernano Tutis Jr.
Last night apologizes for his behavior says, oh, by the way,
also have to get shoulder surgery. So you and I
and Mike are having a conversation one year from tonight,
one year from tonight, in one year, is Fernano Tautist Jr.
(33:28):
A back playing for the Padres. We're talking about him
on the field, be we're still waiting for him to
play his next game for the padres he still hasn't played,
or see he is on another team. Which do you
see the most most likely scenario for Fernano Tatis Jr.
You know, that's such a great question. I think c
(33:49):
is so unlikely because you've got a player who is
who is a distressed asset, he is hurt, coming back
from surge and suspended for p e D S. When
you add up all those things and he's signed to
a massive contract, the amount of gumption, let's say, that
it would take to acquire Totis under these circumstances is
(34:14):
extraordinary and I just don't see anyone being willing to
take on that that kind of risk Right now. Um,
I think he's probably back, or at least has been
back tried to come back, uh from from this shoulder surgery.
It's it's unclear exactly what the timetable is going to be,
(34:34):
but I would expect that by you would hope the
second half of next year he's able to play. But guys,
this looks like it's one of the the the all
time poor decisions by an organization to sign a player,
and it's not so like Obviously, the p D suspension
is the most egregious and the most worrisome. But he
(34:54):
hasn't been healthy, and and there's the risk issue, the
shoulder issue. Even even if you take a side of
the b D piece of it, he was slow getting
back from the rift, and he didn't seem to necessarily
be in in game shape yet. So I am really
perplexed to where this is. I think he will probably
(35:16):
have to try to get on the field and see
what he can do sometime next season. But guys, he's
a very young man, and it's already entirely possible that
the player they thought they were signing will just never
be back in the form that we saw in the past.
That I think that's just the reality that the Padres
have to acknowledge him. By the way they are now
five and seven since his suspension was announced. He's on
(35:39):
Twitter at John Morrossy. That is at John Morrossy MLB Network,
Fox Sports Radio, insider, ex shortinaire and uh hit him
up on Twitter and maybe he will interview another president
for you. He is now the specialist baseball reporter and
insider who interviews presidents. So maybe that's actually a pretty
nice line to add to the bio. I would I
(35:59):
would love to do that, but we'll see. I have
to be uh lucky right place, right time. I would say,
my friends, but I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you so much.
Taking easy, buddy, have fun, JP. We'll talk to you
next week. The Lakers are trading Taylor Horton Tucker. Is
Russell Westbrook? Next is Buddy Healed coming? Is Miles Turner coming?
(36:21):
Is Kyrie Irving coming? Well? So he's coming on right now.
Lakers insider NBA insider for the l A times longtime
friend of the show. He's on Twitter at dan Wicky Sports.
That is at dan Wicky Sports, the afore mentioned Dan
Wikey and Dan with Taylor Horton Tucker being traded. If
(36:43):
the Lakers trade Westbrook and they finally get Buddy Healed,
Twitter usage will drop like during the basketball season because
people will stop tweeting about them. I think the like
people going to the trade machine to to like it'll
like crater in on itself. It's been think it's been
like a a like a load bearing wall on the
(37:06):
basketball Internet, and there will be there will be nothing
holding us together. We ripped the spacetime continuum in Oh
my god, I can't check my email. Why can't I
check me? Well, nobody's googling Laker trades anymore. The bandwidth
(37:29):
is all screwed up all over the internet. Uh, the
Internet's out of business. There's no more Internet. It's all.
We gotta go back to calling each other on the phone. Now,
h we got good duds. They could maybe still trade
Anthony Davis someday, quick open up the leftop. We're back
in business. There you go. That was an inspired idea there,
(37:49):
But we were joking about it before Dan like nine
thousand permutations of th HT trades after they soured on him,
And now I keep seeing pictures of Alex Cruso throughout
my timeline. Yeah, I feel bad. That was sort of
my fault. Um, Like I think and it's funny, Um,
(38:10):
so I sent a tweet and I think like I
wasn't trying to be like inherently negative. I do think
like it is sort of like it's an interesting circular trade, right,
Like you have a team um that you know, signed
Taylor Horton Tucker Um, you know, because they believed that
he was, you know, a player that that was a
(38:31):
young player with upside and that they could he could
develop into a rotational player, especially on the defensive end
of the ball. Um. You know, and because of that functionally,
you know, in some ways, they chose him at that
that kind of ten million dollars slot instead of Alex Schrems,
who got that from Chicago. UM. And then they go
(38:52):
and trade Taylor Horton Tucker for a guy who plays
defense and it's kind of a spot up three point
shooter and Patrick Beverley who does a lot of like
kind of crusively things or a place for some maybe
I get special on defense. And he was kind of
like okay, Like it's just like that. They're kind of
circle of life, you know, just like like this is
(39:12):
like this decision, Let this decision, which this decision, and
it's you know, I mean I think like, yeah, like
today you rather have caruso UM, but you can't. You
can't you know, turn back time Share told me that
UM second Share reference of the night, I'll have you know,
(39:34):
Oh that's amazing. UM And wait did you have any wait,
did you guys have any gypsy shrimps? Leave that earlier?
Here's that. So somehow we went from we went from
chet to Share and that's kind of what happened. We're
talking out one name people. She is set is bound
(39:55):
to be a one name NBA player. But he can't
lose him. He's got to be helped. We can't lose him. Yeah,
we need more chat, We do need more chat. But yeah, no,
So I think, like, you know, like it's a it's
a course correction. And the Lakers do that. Um, you
know they were they were older and slow last year
and now this year there you know, they signed a
lot of younger players. I think, you know, to meet
(40:18):
my My first reaction on this is sort of like, okay,
like they Lakers need Patrick probably to be healthy. That's
another player that that's sort of his health they have
to consider. And then my second reaction is, oh, as
of today, him and Russell Westbrooker teammates, that's super fun.
Well that's the thing is that I see this and
there's no way. Look, these guys hate each other. Uh,
(40:39):
there's no way a Russell Westbrook trade isn't happening, you know,
like a finally Rob Bolink is going to do the
impossible and with property. I hear that, But like, can
I just offer this as like a counter like and
I mean this as respectfully as possible. Are there's a
baseball bat at this day age, at this stage in
(41:01):
Patrick Beverley and quite freely Russell Western's career. Is their
hatred of one another like reason enough really to be
like all right, well, yeah, I find you can have
the nine first, now, like I I don't think so.
Rob Polink is gonna be long fired by then, Dad,
(41:22):
he's gonna be gone. What does he care? Well, based
on the distress properties, they might have to add thirty
now Dan desperation, it's like, we know what you got
cooking over there, give us one more? How would they?
What they should do is they should offer the rights
to like episode nine of the Hulu docuseries where it's
just like randomly you just get another team, just like
(41:44):
you know, like all of all of a sudden, you
get the Indiana Pacers for a for an episode for one.
I don't see if I'm not hey, I don't see
it in the C B A. I don't think I
can tell you. It absolutely doesn't prohibit it explicitly. So
(42:04):
you're saying you don't think this is gonna happen. You
think no, no, no, no, I mean look, I just
don't think It's like, I don't think their personal relationships
is going to be what's driving any decision making, right, Like,
I think that you know, it's if the Lakers train
Russell Westbrook, right and we know that they've tried and trying. Um,
(42:25):
it's not going to be because of his relation with
Patrick Beverley, right, Like that's just sort of a fun subplot.
It's just you know, and I don't think that because
oh Patrick Robley's on the team, now we really have
to do it. I just don't think I I don't
think it's that. I mean, I think the reasons for
turning Russell Westbrook are I suppose a bigger then Um,
(42:46):
what's been a pretty fun petty NBA for the last decade. Yeah,
this is just news. We didn't expect it. I dance,
so we're we're still to breathe, breathe it all in.
I will say this, right, it does sort of feel like,
you know, you look at the Lakers roster and you
say they have a lot of guards. You know, they
(43:07):
don't have a lot of that they maybe need less,
and you're like, well, you wonder if there's more, you know, Um,
I would think that there you know, the way it's
am phrase to me very generically by people, is you know,
continuously looking to improve the roster and um, like you
(43:28):
know you don't want to you don't want to put
that out of like sources say or anything like that,
because right like show me the show where the guys like, nah,
we're good where we're at, We're can you send a share?
Like yeah, like that guy like that doesn't you know,
like everybody's always doing that. But the New York things
(43:49):
have just entered the chat. Wait a minute, Nicks are
involved on Turnbaker, did you see did you guys see
the Bobby Porter's quote about the about the next other day?
Oh yeah, where he just quickly said like, yeah, we
had like eight power forms at the time. I was
(44:11):
like the Good Old Days podcast. There it is, but
it was specific to the nex they do like the
NBA classic jerseys. They should just make everybody play before
for a game for the next So like, realistically, other
(44:33):
than hey, let's keep adding draft picks, I mean, are
we really going to go into camp where you guys
get to watch and sit there with bated breath for
the blows to start or at least guys to start
screaming at each other or or do you think Polinka
is now unleash something and and they can actually get
some traction. So I think two things are are true,
and they're kind of opposite. So this is the hedging. Um,
(44:57):
I think I think it is true that as the
season where to progress, you know, kind of the notion
of Russell Westbrook as an expiring quote unquote contract like
is probably a little more palatable because you know that
salary is pro rated. Um, you know, it's not just
your forty seven million dollar burdens, you know what I mean,
Like that's all. I think. That's a big check to write,
(45:20):
you know for someone who's just going to be cap space,
you know. And and I think, um, the ownership ownership
around the NBA knows that, and no one really wants
to cut that check. So I think, like, yeah, if
you get a little close to the trade deadline, um
that that gets pro rated, maybe teams are a little
more willing to take that on for you know, some
(45:42):
draft compensation or something like that. Right, Like, so like
that that options does it exist for the Lakers? And
it's one I've heard multiple discussed, you know, like we
could go into this and sort of just play it
out until you know, under December early January and sort
of reassessed that. UM. I do think though that sort
(46:02):
of the news out of Brooklyn um kind of give
the Lakers a little more clear eyed sort of look
at their off season now too, you know, where it
doesn't seem like it like it doesn't seem certainly like
carry Irving is available at the Lakers price or maybe
even available at all um at this stage. So um,
(46:24):
like if you're serious about making the trade, like now
at the time, if you want to get serious with Indiana,
like this is the time to do it. If you
want to try to try to rope Charlotte into something like,
this is the time to do it right now. You know,
if you want to call San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Detroit, um,
you know, Utah, they've obviously just struck a deal with
(46:44):
like they're like, you know, like those types of teams
are legal. Go now that's where you know, if you
want to kind of try to pick up some vets
or something like that, like this would be when you
would do it. And I think you could be a
little more clear clear eyed without having to kind of
wonder about you know, the prospects of an all NBA
guy potentially following the right like that, that's not going
(47:05):
to happen. So now you can kind of go about
this different ways. And so I think you know that
certainly seems like there's a window to get something done here,
um for the Lakers, but you know they do have
in their back pockets or the idea that um that
as the season want to go on and sort of
that westbrook sality would kind of eating away at paycheck
(47:29):
by paycheck that maybe he'd be a little easier to
move later. He's on Twitter at dan Wicky Sports. That
is at dan Wicki Sports, NBA Insider, Lakers Insider for
the l A Times. Dan, thanks so much for staying
up late. Appreciate it. Uh yeah, this was fun. I
missed you. Yeah, we're getting we're getting ready. Listen, when
(47:52):
they trade Westbrook tomorrow, we'll call you right back, buddy.
It's oh god, alright, keep I'll keep the phone alright, alright,
I'll meet you down at Portillo's and we'll chow it up.
Let's make that happen. I'll send you a note. We'll
do it, all right, I'll take buddy. Everybody get Easyboddy
(48:12):
always great stuff with Dan Wake NBA inside
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