Aaron Gordon's Extension & Predictable Kyrie Rumors

In today’s episode, Rohan takes over hosting duties and is joined by The Ringer’s Paolo Uggetti. They settle the 1-on-1 debate tearing apart the Open Floor family, discuss the Aaron Gordon extension, look back on the LA basketball rivalry that never happened, and ruminate on the latest round of Kyrie Irving rumors. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome back to another episode of Open Floor, filling in
for your host Michael the pod Pina this week, I'm
s I staff writer Rohan Nagerny and joining me on
the show today. Uh is the NBA Media certified lover boy. Uh,
he's too sexy for the fame. Uh. He's the staff

(00:22):
writer at the Wringer. That's my good buddy, paoloaghetti Poalo.
How's it going, buddy? What's up? Rohn? Thanks for the
intro that was that was a little bit too much,
but I'll take it. I think all facts, I think
all facts. I don't know about that Fox News is
shaking at two immigrants hosting a basketball podcast. It's truly

(00:44):
a momentous situation here we got going. Do you have
any uh friends, cousins and al Salvador who have any
stories that we should be aware of before we get going? Um?
None that I can tell on the pot Okay, okay,
cool um, Paulo. We have a lot to get to

(01:05):
today on a on a jam packed off season episode here.
But before we get started, I gotta thank the Open
Floor Globe for all their emails that have really kept
us going uh this summer. Obviously the season starting soon.
We don't want you guys to stop sending in those emails,
and emails have been the lifeblood of this podcast. To
make sure you get those emails in to open floor

(01:26):
Globe at gmail dot com. Paolo, I know you love
sending emails. We'd love to see you in the inbox sometime.
But whether you're an NBA writer or not, please keep
those emails coming in now. Paulo, I know, uh, you're
a loyal listener of the podcast, but but just in case,
I'm gonna give everyone a refresher last week. Early last

(01:50):
week the pod, Michael Pena and I did a podcast,
uh debating the greatest one on one players in the
NBA A and who would win a one on one
tournament amongst all retired players in the NBA. In that podcast,
Peanut picked Kevin Garnett as his winner of a one

(02:11):
on one tournament among all retired players in the NBA.
I rightfully freaked out. Earlier this week Pena and then
No Good Chris Herring, whose book that's available for pre
order and Amazon dot com but I will not be
buying it, uh slandered me while I was on vacation,
uh trying to defend peanuts, insane. Take that KG would

(02:34):
win a one on one tournament of all retired players, Palo.
None of my crushers are listening to this, so I
feel comfortable comparing this to the m c U. But
this is really like, you know, the Captain America Civil
War of open Floor. It's torn, it's torn, the team apart. Uh,
we're going at it. I just want to give you
a chance to weigh in. If you had to pick

(02:57):
one player to win a one on one tournament amongst
retired players in the NBA, tell me why you wouldn't
pick Kevin Garnen. Well, first of all, let me say
I am a long time listener for a while. So
I come to the Open Hole, Open Floor very humbly
and oh there we go, you know, looking for acceptance.
But also I feel bad for the Open Floor because

(03:19):
I feel like they've been time has been wasted on them,
like valuable podcast time has been tasted off the back
of discussing whether Kevin Garnett is good enough. Yes, I
think to answer with Kevin Garnett only Michael would. And
I'm just frankly I apologize on behalf of a yes,

(03:41):
go off, King, Go off k. I also say Chris
was way too nice to Michael on that he was.
He was basically like, oh no, it's a it's a
good answer. Like, you know, Chris is a nice guy.
You should order his book. But beyond that, Kevin Garnett
cannot be the answer you could. I mean, he Chris
had the right answer and Michael Jordan's yes. You can

(04:02):
also say shock. You could say a bunch of amabdul Jabbar,
Bill Shamberlin, Bill Russell, Keim. You could keep going. You
could keep going. Yeah, but okay, I'm sorry, Mike, but
I'm not that sorry, hollow. Thank you for settling debate.
Thank you for making everyone realized that Chris Harring two
nice of a guy again. Chris Harring's book about the Knicks,

(04:26):
Blood on the Floor, The Flagrant History of the Nineties Knicks,
available for pre order and Amazon dot Com, even though
I will not be ordering it. Uh seems like a popular,
popular piece of literature there. Uh, But without further ado, Michael,
let's jump into the pod. We actually had some NBA
news dropped this week, and you were you were giving
me some guff on Twitter for doing my job and

(04:47):
commenting about it. But let's expand on it a little bit. Here.
We got an email from Gaddess. Gaddess, I hope I'm
saying your name right, buddy, that that you know, I
take that player like piece like tease, got tease. It
could be uh, he goes he they I don't know.
I don't know Gattis Gottis. But here we go. What's

(05:08):
your guys honest opinion about this Aaron Gordon four year,
ninety two million dollar extension with a player option on
the last year. He averaged ten and five last year
and eleven and five in the playoffs. Is he even good?
My god? I get that he's somewhat okay defensively, but
come on, twenty three mills for a guy who can't
shoot or create. Come on, guys, he's never even averaged

(05:29):
more than one steel or block per game. All right, Paulo,
you're the guests, so I'll let you go first. Your
thoughts on the Aaron Gordon extension. I respect the emailer's
tone about this. He seems disgusted. Is not a level of,
you know, harshness that I could get I could work
up too, But I will say I think that's just

(05:49):
life in the NBA Now, for especially for a team
like Nuggets, you know they probably are not going to
get somebody like Aaron Gordon free agency. It's gonna take
a lot for them to entire somebody to sign with them.
So the fact that they have this guy in house,
they have to do everything to keep him, and I'm
sure in Gordon's agents know that and leverage this kind
of deal for him. So I think that's just a reality.

(06:10):
I think for Denver, even if it's just over pay,
if you want to call it that, it makes sense
because they have no other avenue for getting better unless
they decided to trade Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Johny,
which it doesn't seem like they want to do. Yeah,
I couldn't agree more with you, Pale, and I think
you make a lot of good points. They're about this
being the reality of the n b A as I tweeted,

(06:31):
I loved this signing for Denver. I think it's an a.
I think it's a home run. I think it's a
no brainer, and that's because they have a team that
can contend for a championship. They have an m v
P level player. Frankly, the m v P and Nicoleioki,
Jamal Murray, and a sending star, an intriguing young talent
Michael Porter Jr. A lot of good and interesting role

(06:52):
players to Michael Green has been good for them. They
have Jeff Green, Monte Morris probably one of the better
backup point guards in the league, and now, of course
Aaron Gordon. You can't afford to not keep this core together.
We've seen teams let guys walk for money and then
get and then get killed for What did we say
when the Bucks Thatt Malcolm Brogden go, You know, would

(07:12):
you rather have had him? And obviously they ended up winning.
They were able to swing that Drew Holiday trade, but
it came at a steep price. Uh the Suns back
in the day when they let Joe Johnson walk. There
are so many examples of teams getting close to building
a title contender and then getting cheap at the last second,
letting someone walk out the door, and we kill them
for that. How can we criticize the Nuggets for quote

(07:33):
unquote overpaying someone like Aaron Gordon, who I might add
only twenty five years old. His best basketball will be
played on this current contract. As far as his averages,
I don't think it's his averages that are important. It's
how well does he fit with the Nuggets. And I
think we saw when Jamal Murray was healthy last year
he was the perfect third guy there. They need someone

(07:53):
to guard, uh, those superstar wings in the Western Conference
and on other title contenders. The Lebron's Katie is the
Durants of the world. Uh. They need someone who doesn't
need the ball playing alongside Murray and Yokich. And that's
why Gordon's numbers are so low. Would we have liked
to see more from him in the playoffs when Murray
was hurt. Absolutely, At the same time, the Nuggets are

(08:15):
just completely decimated by injuries at that point. So I
think it's an absolute no brainer of a signing. And
what are there other options? I when you mentioned if
they let him go, if if they try to trade him, whatever,
are you going to get equal value back if he's
gone an expiring deal and you can't just let him
walk out the door, right, And if you're the Nuggets,

(08:35):
you also have the ability to say, we don't know
what our core when healthy could accomplish, right, So there's
even an appeal in that, like maybe this would be
a different conversation if Jamal Murray hadn't gone hurt, and
then they would have still topped out, you know, in
the second round. But the fact is that didn't happen.
So now they want to see what they can do
with three guys healthy, and so it makes sense. And
like you said, he's young, he fits that role that

(08:57):
he's supposed to happen the team on on the Magic,
I mean he he was kind of expected to do
a little bit of everything here. His role is extremely
well defined and he's playing alongside Yoki, who is going
to make him even to a better player. So it
just just makes too much sense for this not to happen,
no matter what the price. That is right. And something
we you know, Mike and I have discussed a lot

(09:17):
on this podcast is maximizing someone's value in a specific role.
And I think you hit the nail on the head
Orlando Magic, Aaron Gordon, when he's being asked me the
lead guy, the lead score, etcetera. Is he right for
that role? Probably not. Can he be the third guy
on a team? Absolutely? Why wouldn't you sign him up
for that? And they're going to extract more value from

(09:40):
him than most other teams in the lead because of
what they're asking him to do, and that's what makes
the contract worth it. Now, I saw the look on
your face, Polo, and I said the Nuggets were a
title contender. I've seen that look on your face before
many times in my life, and it's when I say
something crazy, uh, and you're not a fan of it.
I want to ask you your honest thoughts on the

(10:02):
Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. Aaron Gordon, Nicole, Ki Corps.
I've seen some of the Nuggets reporters say that they
expect MPJ to get extended at some point or he
seems to be in the team's future plans. What do
you think of that core for in Denver? Do you
think they're a title contender? I think the reality is
that the Nuggets have done everything right, Like they literally

(10:23):
have done the team building, they've They've got the second round,
you know obviously your KI, you know tournament and m VP.
They have done nothing almost nothing wrong, I would say,
and so it's hard to criticize them. But when you
look at the reality of the NBA landscape and what
teams look like, I just don't see how this team
is more than perhaps a conference finals team. It's just

(10:44):
it's hard for me to see that because you know,
obviously we don't know what Jamal Murray is gonna look like.
That's a big question mark coming back from injury, but
even just in general, I just there's just something missing
and I'm not you know, this is not done a
great yogi who I think. I don't player on the
I'm serious, I'm serious. He I know he can be
the number one player on the title team. I believe that,

(11:05):
But it's just more about, you know, kind of putting
them up against these other teams, Like, are you really
going to sit here and tell me that the Nuggets
could be you know, the Nuts, for example, or even
the Bucks. You know, I just I don't know. I
don't know. I don't know that the answer to that
to that question. And I feel like, if things break right,
they can totally be a title team, but they need

(11:27):
things to break right, whereas other teams might not might
be able to, you know, chart their own path. That's interesting.
I will say I like the Nuggets in the West,
especially if Murray is healthy. Now that's a big if
and that's a little bit unfair, but I don't look
at any team in the West right now is a
runaway favorite. The Lakers are an absolute wild card. The

(11:48):
Sons are a team that had a lot of things
break right for them in the playoffs last year. The
Clippers are obviously dealing with the Kaway injury. And guess what,
the Nuggets have already beaten the Clippers in a playoff
series when their team was fully healthy. So I look
at as a team that can absolutely make a run
to the finals one healthy. Beyond that, there, they have
the youngest core of any title contender, um which I

(12:11):
think they have the bigger the biggest window, right, I
mean the Lakers, Lebron's obviously on the wrong side of
thirty five at this point. Uh, the Clippers already dealing
with health issues with Kauai. I just think the Nuggets
have a wide open window, and I know that those
windows always end up being way shorter than we assume.
Crazy things happened in this league. The movement's nuts, but

(12:34):
I really like their transitions. I do think they could
beat the Bucks in a playoff series. I really like
the Bucks, but there were times when they were really
underwhelming during the playoffs last year. Before the Vinyls. I don't.
The Nets are obviously the big jugger not looming, but
there's outside of them, there's no team that I think
the Nuggets are heard of, absolutely huge disadvantage against no.

(12:54):
I think you made grade points. I think the West
is very wide open this year. Obviously, who knows what's
gonna happen with the Lakers and that that crew that
they put together, And you're right, they do have, hypothetically speaking,
the longer window because all their guys are in there
around their mid twenties, and that's not nothing. You know
that they're going to have, you know, more longevity than
these other groups in the West. And and I think

(13:15):
one thing they have going for them, which I think
has contributed to them getting to the point to have
is that continuity. Right, they have that same core of
Jamal and Yokich and a few of the other guys
who have been there and who have created that culture,
if you will, and and and then seems like they're
in Gordon has fit in pretty well. I mean, obviously,
Michael Porter Jr. Is kind of the big question mark.
I think we're having a different conversation if you know,

(13:38):
we start the season and he makes a pretty big
leap and is healthy, you know, because then then I think, yeah,
you could, you could talk yourself into them being a
title team. I've already said like fifteen times on this
podcast they should trade mpj um. But pal I feel
like we've had our like reporter voices on during this
whole conversation, and I just really want to, you know,

(14:00):
one of Pallodi's biggest running arguments, and we rarely even
talk about basketball and our normalize is Palos just flagrant
distaste for Nicoleon Kich. I don't know what it is.
I I you know, I just want you to give
a chance to It's like you're always making fun of
me for how much I like Yokich. Can you just
tell me once in for all, can you make clear

(14:20):
what your feelings are exparied to put you on the spot.
I just want to know what's up, man, because every
time I'm tweeting about Yoki, you're in my DM is
making fun of me, and I just want to know
what's up. First of all, it's not every time I
have nothing against as a fellow immigrant. I cannot ok
while you're throwing down the fellow immigrant card already, Okay,

(14:43):
I think there's something about you know, I don't know,
I don't know how to describe us. But sometimes a player,
you know, the passion around him is a little bit
it's a little bit off putting sometimes. And I'm not
I'm not pointing the finger out any particular person or anything.
It just feels like it goes for the top. I mean,
I think there's nothing for me to object about your

(15:03):
Yoki just came because it's like unimpeachable. I mean, he
won the MVP, He's like one of the best players
in the league. I don't think I have anything against it.
I think I think I enjoy watching him play. Is
he my favorite player to watch? Probably? But I just
you know, there it's worked out for the people who
have been on the Yoki's bandwagon for so long, and
I can't possibly be like, I'm I've been on that

(15:25):
bad way Ben wagon all on, because you know that
sounds true. But I wish all the good things for
you which and the Nuggets. I have nothing against them.
Please don't you just have something against me for tweeting
about Yoki so much? And that's really what it comes
down to, alright, Paulo, Well, that seems like a very
good spot to take a quick break. But when we

(15:47):
come back, we'll be discussing all things Los Angeles basketball. Alright, Paalo,
So you and I actually first met a couple of
years ago at Clippers media day, and is you'd like
to remind me. I was walking around with backpack on
the whole time, and it was really embarrassing. I was
new to Los Angeles. I was really nervous. The backpack

(16:08):
just offered me a sensitive security. And I wanted to
have this conversation with you because it's really funny to
think about just two short years ago when I first
got to Los Angeles. A big reason why I was
there was this huge, burgeoning Lakers Clippers rivalry. Right, everything
was about basketball. Center is now in l a Lebron

(16:31):
and choir in the same city. You know the path
to the title. These teams are on a collision course.
It's going to be incredible, and both teams are playing
down the rivalry, even though the Clippers are putting up
all these billboards that are subliminal shots at the Lakers, etcetera.
In two years, we got a couple of solid Christmas

(16:51):
Day games. Uh, they don't meet in the playoffs, in
year one. Year two, the Clippers try to avoid the
Lakers in the playoffs, only for the Lakers to go
out and round one. And now it seems like no
one even cares about the Lakers Clippers rivalry anymore. I'm
just curious what you make of this. Do you do

(17:11):
you think anyone has their eye on these two teams
as rivals anymore? Because two years ago and slightly headed
into the last season, it was a very big deal.
Now it's just I don't think anyone considers them in
the same league. Kind of yeah, I think only Patrick
Beverly does, and I think it's not a different team,
but I think the Lakers Clippers rivalry. Uh No, It's

(17:35):
so crazy how quickly the luster has fallen off that
that entire situation. I mean, I remember, you're right, like
those media days were such a big deal because it
was all the questions to the Lakers were about the Clippers,
and the all the questions of the Clippers were about
the Lakers. And it was just this you know, constant
putting back and back and forth of the two teams,
and obviously when they played, the games were extremely fun,

(17:58):
you know, the regular season ones. I I remember Patrick
Beverley speaking of him. You know when they won that,
I think it was a season opener that first year
that they won. He was just going up and down
the tunnels and Staples Center and just yelling, you know,
why are you guys lined up to because into the
Lakers locker room. Nothing's going on over there that should
be over here by the Clippers locker room. And he,

(18:21):
I mean, he just he just went off. I remember
that very goodly, and like that was fun. You thought that, like, Okay,
this is gonna be the future of the Laker, this
is the next five years of basketball. You're right. L
A was the epicenter of basketball um or at least
it was going to be going to be. And so
the fact that it's gone to this point where like
Kauai is injured, I don't think I see any billboards
anymore like those. The billboards are as corny as they were.

(18:45):
And I mean again it goes back to you know,
there's not a lot of I mean, speaking from an
l A standpoint, first, there's not a lot of the Clipper.
Laker dynamics is always going to be a big brother,
little brother. That's never gonna change. But the team is
just not a title competitor, and then the Lakers are
just their Owen circus with just how many the guys

(19:06):
they've signed in this office, and so it feels like
they're on two separate universes now and it's not even
you know, I'm sure we'll get some fun matchups even
without Kauai, but it's just it's it's kind of sad.
It is really sad. And and not to make this
oh poor Los Angeles and poor Clippers, whatever, it just
it's kind of a bummer. We never got to see

(19:27):
those teams go up in a playoff series, especially now
that the Lakers have gotten so weird, and then no
one knows what to make of them, and we don't
know if Kauai is going to be healthy in time
for the playoffs. Who mentioned that Pat Beev moment. I mean,
he also had that Christmas Day game where he strips
Lebron his Lebron's going up late in the game. There's
that silly replay review and all that stuff. You know.

(19:50):
The two teams, they really made it a point to
act like they weren't rivals, even though it was obviously
they had their eye on each other for so long
was that Pat beev haul Way moment the most memorable
moment for you? I'm curious if anything stands out even
for obviously it was just regular season matchups, but anything
that stands out to you from those last two years
when it looked like those teams were going to be

(20:11):
headed for each other right, well, the games felt like events.
You know. It was awesome to be there for those
because you felt like, Okay, this is both teams want
to win this and our taking me seriously even if
it's a regular season game. Yeah, I would see the
pat Um Pet Beverlely moment for sure. There there was.
I think it was that same night where during his
actual press conference, pep Everley had like an incredible quote

(20:36):
that I remember writing down. I think it was um,
like I said about us being the best team in
l A. A lot of people don't believe me. It's fine,
women linemen line numbers don't. I do remember that very
Pet Pet evervan Um. And then I would also say
another thing I remember, even though this is not a
Lakers Clippers game, was last season when um the state

(21:00):
center ushers who we're making fun of the Clippers as
they and that just tells you everything you need to
know about the shout out to the Stable Center Ushers,
who also one time made Bob Iger the president of Disney,
who basically runs like six of America. Bob Iger was
trying to leave a Staples Center a few minutes before

(21:22):
a game ended, and Usher had to check his ticket
to make sure he was allowed to walk out in
the tunnel. Usher did not let him go through. He
didn't not. He was like, no, sir, this is not
the Uh. He seemed kind of chuckle. It was yeah,
great to see someone literally the only person in America
who Bob Iker has ever had to answer to was

(21:45):
that Stables Center Usher. Yeah, it is sad. It's funny
you you mentioned the games being events. That's that's such
a good point. I'll never forget that first game that
they played on the opening end of the season. And
what really felt great about that game was Durant had
left the Warriors, and obviously he was injured anyway, but

(22:05):
it felt like, for the first time the league was
wide open again. Uh. It felt like anyone could win
the title, and there was such an energy around that game.
I remember walking by Kate Hudson in the Stable Center
tunnel and be like this is wild, Like what like,
what are we doing here? There's hundreds of media members there.
I remember MATV Carter like sitting in the tunnel and
getting MLB playoff updates. It was just those games. I'll

(22:29):
really miss the seed because everyone was there, hundreds of
media people, all the celebrities, et cetera. Those were a
lot of fun. But that brings me to a question
about this season, because we might not have that that
Lakers Clippers rivalry anymore, that that never really was Pello.
Is there a playoff matchup or rivalry? Uh? You know,

(22:51):
Mike and Christy even touched about this in their Christmas
Day pod. Maybe some of the lack of exciting matchups
arrivalries in the league right now. Is there a dream
playoff matchup that you have for this season or two
teams that you'd really really like to go see head
to head. I think in the West, I would say
I really want to see a Lakers Sons again, just

(23:13):
to see, you know, full strength, like what that looks like.
And I'm sure the Lakers will feel like they can
beat the Sons, you know, after not having Davis. So
I want to see that in the West, and I
also want to see I think it'd be fun to
see Lucayoki. That would be I wouldn't you know that
would be a fun matchup too, But I think I don't.
I feel like this is everybody's answer this season. But

(23:35):
of course everybody wants to see Lakers and Nets, and
that would feature so many weird connections between the players
who want on each team. Like I just there would
be way too many storylines and way too many things
to talk about. And I think that's just probably the
number one number one for me too. If you made
a chart of how the relationships between the players and

(23:59):
the Lakers and Nets, And it's like Lebron and Katie
head to head in the finals, used to work out together,
Katie tired of being number two. Uh, they did that
weird uber thing together with Cary Champion. What was that about?
I don't know. Then It's like Russell Westrook used to
play with James Harden twice, doesn't like Kevin Durrett, James
Harden a mutual friend of Kevin Durant. Just so many things.

(24:21):
It's like it's like the Lakers. That series would explain
the last fifteen years about exactly. It's just ridiculous. Do
you even have Steve Nash and uh in there? Yeah?
Oh man Amari Stadomar. It's really really absurd. I think
that's really good. I would love to see a Jazz

(24:44):
Clippers rematch, just to see if the Clippers can knock
out the Jazz for a second time without Kohi let heard,
and to see what Rudy Gobert would do if Terence
Mann was hitting eight corner threes again, Just what he
would he go out and guard him? What would happened?
So that's not my quite my dream matchup, but I
would like to see it again as the resident Rudy

(25:06):
Gobert skeptic um on the open floor pod. But let
me tell you about my dream matchup, because I agree
Lakers and Nets makes a lot of sense. But what
what I really want to see, Paolo, is a Warrior's
Nets NBA finals. I want to see Clay Thompson back
and healthy, and I want to see the Warriors with

(25:27):
Iguadala with some fresh new faces. The young guys uh Kominga,
James Wiseman, Otto Porter who I'm really high on, who
I'm banking on him being healthy, and I just want
to see the idea of the Warriors. It's like almost
like a heist movie. It's like, we got there's one
last job we gotta do, you know what I mean.

(25:48):
It's like I need Steven Soderberg directing. It's like we
got the band back together. We're a little rickety now.
But there's there's one there's one white whale out there.
And as Kevin Durant, who I think most people agree
as a top two NBA player right now in the universe,
one of the greatest basketball forces we've ever seen, can

(26:11):
the Warriors prove that their collective can take down the
guy who supercharged their dynasty? And you want to talk
about it's not just Kevin Durant, it's like the Warriors
going up against like their playoff like nemisses. You know,
it's like Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kyrie they have they
have playoff history with all these guys. So that's that's

(26:33):
my dream matchup. I think a Warrior's nets there would
just be so much narrative, beauty and poetic justice behind
the matchup like that one. Well, I think if if
Lakers nets would be kind of the marquis of you know,
all these names and all these guys who have connections
with each other. I feel like, uh Warriors, that would

(26:55):
be you know, more of like the petty petty Uh
I'm I'm here for I mean, I think it's it's
almost too perfect, like the narrative, like it's would there
be a final series where the distinction between the good
guys and the quote unquote bad guys would be more
clear than in the Warriors and the Clinals like that,
that would just be wild, Like I don't think I

(27:16):
could take it, Like I'd end up brooding for the
nets just because everybody would be so pro Warriors. Would
It's like a it's a reverse terminator to situation almost
were like the no no, no, no, no, it's a
it's a terminator to situations because the late the late
twenty Warriors were the terminator, right. They were coming in,

(27:37):
they were destroying everybody. But now all of a sudden
they're coming back. Is the good guy and it's like whoa.
And then you got Kevin Durant, the T one thousand,
he can be whatever he wants to be. And yeah,
it would just be the Worriors basically what they did
birth what the nets like and there. It's like it's

(28:00):
a total, like full cycle thing. It's and it's like, Yeah,
the Warriors were this team that so many people got
so tired of because of how unfair they felt, and
now all of a sudden, there the underdog that that
switched for the Warriors then becoming the team that everyone
was chasing, everyone was hunting to. Now. I don't think
the Warriors will tell you that we're chasing anyone but

(28:22):
them being in this position where maybe they have a
little something to prove. I mean, you give a you
give Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Clay Thompson something to
prove against Kevin Durant. I just I am My heart
literally races at the thought of that finals. Yeah, and
that's why I probably we're not going to get it exactly.

(28:44):
That's the real conversation you need to have is how
we never get the playoff series we actually want. Uh
That's that doesn't mean we don't end up with some
good ones and some classics we never saw coming, but
for some reason, we somehow never end up with the
playoff series we really want to see. Yeah, I mean
I think this year we have maybe two chances right,

(29:04):
because we want Lakers. That's where we also want worries
that so maybe there's the way we get one of those, right, right,
So get ready for the the Sun's Hawks Finals or
the you know, the Nuggets sixers or something crazy. All right, Paulo,
that seems like a good time to take another short break.
But we'll be back with another email from the Open

(29:25):
Floor Glow right after this. All right, Paolo, we're back.
We got another email here from the Open Floor Globe.
This one comes from Elliott Gold. Uh, and this is
a very nice email. So I was an Open Floor
Globe member from the beginning, took a break when Sharp left,
and just took another break when Goliver left. I just
started listening again, and I gotta say, y'all are great. Well.

(29:45):
First of all, Elliott, thank you so much. And let
me just say shout out to Andrew Sharp and Ben Oliver,
the o g s of the Open Floor Podcast, two
people who mean a lot to me. Uh. We're indebted
to the work that they built did building this podcast,
ask so we're really glad to have you back in
the fold. Elliott, his question is is Ben Simmons for

(30:07):
Kyrie Irving? Straight up? The trade that will never happen,
but definitely should have it if you got the g
ms of the Nets and Sixers in the room alone
and got them to speak honestly, what do they say
to me? This makes both teams better on paper, although
it definitely has some off court complications. Polo Uh, let
me start with you. What do you think of the
Simmons for Kyrie swap that Elliott lays out here. Well,

(30:29):
first of all, I want to say, Elliott just can't
quit the open floor, wanting to go out and back in.
Every time I'm thinking about, they pull me back in. Um.
I love this trade. I think I would have loved
it more, you know, maybe like halfway between last season

(30:52):
before everything with Ben Simmons kind of went down. UM.
I just love the idea of it. I love the
fact that it's so cleanly like Okay one for one. Obviously,
we if we want to get into the basketball specifics,
which which I guess this is a basketball podcast, we will.
Kyrie is a far better player thre than Semmons. I
think that I'm not saying anything new there, and and

(31:14):
and that in itself would be lopsided. The talent and
just the skill and the accomplishments, etcetera, etcetera. But I
just love the idea of one team, you know, thinking
we need to get rid of this guy, and then
the other team being like, you don't need to get
rid of this guy, but like maybe we should. And
it's like there's like there's there's a lot of things
that make sense. And I mean, who knows how the

(31:35):
Nets feel about Kyrie. There's a lot of reports about that,
but it doesn't seem like they're I mean, if bringing
k D and Kyrie to Brooklyn was the plan, I
don't think they're gonna just trade Kyrie willingly. But you
never know, so I don't think this trade will ever happen.
But that being said, I just love the idea of it.
I love just the fact of being like, Okay, I'll
stop you your slight problem for my slight problem. I

(31:57):
just I think the concept is fun. I think we're
in agreement that the concept of the trade is very fun.
I don't think it's as obvious as Elliott lays it
out to be. I don't think if you've got the
g ms of the Nets and Sixers in a room
alone and got them to speak honestly, because I I
think the Nets would love to have a good defense.

(32:18):
I'm sure that would mean a lot to them, But
really a big part of what makes them special is
the fact that you just when all three of those
guys are healthy, they are impossible to defend. You cannot
defend them, There's no answer. They're always going to be
able to find a way to get those guys in
a one on one situation, and nobody is stopping hard

(32:39):
in one on one, Kyrie one on one or Durant
one on one. And you if you have Joe Harris
on the floor and Blake Griffin is a roller, they
just become unstoppable. And I'm not saying that their offense
goes to stoppable with Ben Simmons, but it becomes conceivable
on how to defend them, which is you're either you know,

(33:01):
Simmons and Griffin are playing together, and now the floor
is a little bit more shrunk, or Simmons becomes there
five man, but now they're putting out a point guard
out there that you can ignore a little bit more.
And that's why I don't like this trade for the Nets,
because as kind of comical as their defenses, as we
saw in the playoffs against the Bucks. They're incredibly hard

(33:23):
to stop. When one and a half of those guys
is healthy. When two of those guys are healthy like
they were for the start of that Buck series, there
are a nightmare. And I just think that this trade,
it doesn't make them stoppable, but it would make them
It would just add that slight bump, and that slight
bump could be the difference in a seven game series. Yeah,
you're right, this is not a good trade for the Nets.

(33:45):
And it just isn't, you know, because first of all, like, yeah,
a few years ago, maybe when the league still if
I like, defense still kind of mattered as much as right,
like you could make the case like, oh they need
a defensive sopper, But now they just start school and everybody,
and that's just the reality of the league today. And
and they don't need it necessarily better defense. And they
have a lot of depth already because Seawan Marks has

(34:07):
done a pretty good job of filling out the roster.
So I don't it doesn't it doesn't really make sense
for them from a basketball perspective. And you're right, you know,
on offense, you know, they could play the other team
could play off of him and then it's more pressure
on during and hardened, so it just has a cascading
effect that doesn't make sense. I mean, obviously, for this
six ers, this would be a dream because they need

(34:27):
they've been needing that exact that exact player for the
last I don't know, five six years. So uh, it's
it's fun, it's fun to think about in theory, but
I mean it would never happen, obviously. It is also
funny to think about it from a NETS perspective. Obviously
they'd rather have Kyrie than Simmons. And I'm not suggesting
they wouldn't be better. They wouldn't be a title candender.
I will just say I don't think Kyrie and Mbid

(34:49):
would be a perfect fit in many ways personality wise.
Maybe they would love each other. I don't even know,
but I don't see Kyrie is a kind of guy
who wants to dump the all in the post twenty
times a night. He's also, I don't think he's like
a huge I also, I'm sure the stats are great,

(35:09):
but you've never looked at Kyrie and been like, let's
run fifty picking rolls with him at night with a
big man either, you know what I mean? Uh So
it just I like where your head is at, Elliott,
because I think we all agree it's a very fun
trade in theory. Um, and I'm with you, Polo. I
love one for one's swaps. I think that it's like

(35:30):
a lot of fun. Like you take this guy, we
take this guy. Let's plug a man in the fit
is so much better. But yeah, I'm gonna have to
disagree with you, Elliot, because I think it would have
on court complications for the Nets and even some some
tiny ones for the Sixers. Uh. PLO. I want to
get to some more Kyrie stuff. But let's take one
last quick break, al right, Paolo, we just touched on this,

(35:52):
uh through Elliott's email he he brought up the potential
Simmons for Kyrie swap that neither of us were you
see happening for a variety of reasons. But there's something
in the ether. There's just something in the air. There's
some kind of I don't even know how to describe it,
but for some reason, people are talking about Kyrie irving

(36:15):
trades and a weird thing happens in the NBA sometimes
where sometimes people will be talking about something and it
comes out of nowhere. And then all of a sudden
kind of just gets spoken into existence, you know what
I mean. Like Kyle Rowery, Like two years ago, people
were like, he loves Jimmy Butler, and then the next thing,
you know, a couple of years later, he ends up
on the heat. These things just have a way of
of coming from somewhere, et cetera. We're seeing some weird

(36:39):
Kyrie Irving rumors right now. Nick Wright tweeting the other
day that if the Nets were to trade Kyrie, he
would retire right away. But why are they even talking
about that? I'm just curious, what what do you make
of this? And then obviously of Kyrie tweeting. For the record,
I'm fine with Kyrie Irving. If anything, I like him.
I'm a fan. I appreciate the chaos here to the NBA,

(37:00):
and I'm not saying that all of his statements I
agree with. I do think that he is just moving
through life at his own speed, and I respect that.
I'm letting people cook, especially post pandom Baby, I'm letting
people cook so plo. I want to ask you, what
do you make it? Just kind of the the aura
around Kyrie Irving right now and some of the weird
rumors kind of seemingly coming in out of left field.

(37:23):
I feel like it's part of the course. I feel
like he's one of those guys that everybody just enjoy
because there's nothing. I mean, Okay, it's not like he
doesn't give us anything, right, because he's tweeting out a
bunch of different things and posting and kind of taking
sabbaticals and coming back, so he gives us a lot.
But I feel like people are constantly trying to figure
him out right, and so in lieu of being able

(37:45):
to do that, they're just kind of talk about him
or project ideas on to him that like might not
even be accurate, or you know that some of them
might be. You know, I'm sure people are. There are
people who are informed or are close to people close
to him and and sort of know more about him,
but it just feels like we're just talking about him
because he's in the news again, or like talking about
him because he said this, or like, you know, I
do think that Nick right tweet is interesting because you're right, like,

(38:07):
why would the nets be talking about training him. I'm
not saying that they are, but like, why would that
even be a thing that he needs to report, you know, um,
and and so I don't know, I don't really make
anything out of these things because I feel like with Kyrie,
we've just been in this. I've gotten to the point
where I'm just like everything that Carrie does or says
or whatever happens in this kind of vacuum here, and

(38:30):
you know, once in a while it will affect the nets,
or it will affect once in a while it will
like actually be something that we all need to think
about or write about or discuss. But but if not that,
I'm just kind of like it's just in the it's
like back our noise for me. And like you said,
I don't, I don't have anything. I think you're right.
I think he brings out a level of chaos to
the link that's kind of fun from from from time

(38:51):
to time because you know, it gets people upset, But
beyond that, I just don't. I don't. I don't know.
I feel like when if if he someone gets traded,
we won't hear about it at all, and then it
would just happened. Like I don't feel like this is
leading to some sort of conclusion where suddenly he's being traded.
I just I don't feel like that's the case. Yeah,
that's a good point. I'll kind of attack this on

(39:13):
two fronts. I do think you brought up a great point.
People will almost care too much about the Kyrie thing.
Is it what has he done that's really affected the NBA?
You know what I mean? Like, maybe just if you
didn't react, none of this would be a problem. Also,
if anything, he's a labor's dream. We'd all love to
take a sabbatical in the middle of our jobs, you

(39:33):
know what I mean. You're telling me you wouldn't take
a month, a month of pay leave in the middle
of the busiest time of the year for you. Like,
the guy's a labor's dream, laborers dream. So yeah, so
shout out to him for that. Uh the trade stuff,
I don't know why the Nets would ever trade him, because,
as I kind of mentioned in the Simmons discussion, I

(39:56):
think what makes them the most special is the fact
that they have three just really really highly skilled offensive
players that it's even different. I don't think that they
are collectively better than say the Steph Clay Katie Warriors,
but there's a style of play that they've kind of gravitated.

(40:18):
Tour the fact that they're so one on one hunting
isolation that that makes them just so much more intimidating,
so much more scary in a way that they would
lose that if they ever traded him. And beyond that,
it does seem like the way they were able to
get Kadi in the fold and Kyrie for that matter,
was to promise them bringing both of them right. So

(40:41):
I just think that you're throwing a real, a real
wrench into your team if for some reason you traded him,
and you know, he's best friends with your superstar, et cetera,
and they signed because they wanted to be a package deal.
I just don't know why they would ever break up
that trio, especially after one year when they were mostly hurt. Well,
there's no basketball reason to trade him, because you're right,

(41:03):
the fact what makes them invincible is the fact that
they have those three guys on offense. So there's no
basketball reason to trade him, And then you start veering
into this territory of Okay, is there a non basketball
reason to trade him? And we don't know the particulars
to that, but I feel like people like to fill
in the blanks. You know a lot of things that
really knowing you know, what's going on, like, and so

(41:25):
I feel like if this is coming up, it's like
maybe there's an off off the core reason why they
feel like they should trade him, and maybe even Durrant
is on board with that, you know, who knows, right,
we don't know. But even then, it's just like, is
it is it? Is it something you can put up
with whatever it is, um and still have the best
team in the league, you know, from a talent standpoint,

(41:46):
And so I just I'm sure it's a complicated situation
whatever whatever is going on. But maybe there's nothing going on,
and maybe this is just you know, Kyrie making noise
and people thinking that it means he wants a trade
or whatever. I mean. According to the nick right to beat,
I said, we just retire, which also again going back
to the sabbatical, fully respect that, you know, more people
should walk away. Let me tell you something. I got

(42:08):
killed on this podcast for saying Mike Budenholtzer should should
just walk away after winning the title. But since when
did riding off into the sunset become a bad thing? Like, yeah,
go out on top? Now? That would that be Kyrie
Irving doing that? Not necessarily but guess what, He's already
hit one of the biggest shots in NBA history. What

(42:29):
more does he have left to prove? More people should
walk away, man, you know what's great not doing anything
to this point, not not to I just thought of
this last night. I watched one of those Netflix uncut
like document sports documentaries, and it was about Marty Fish
who had, you know, mental health and anxiety issues. He
was about to play Roger Federer for a chance to

(42:52):
go into the quarterfinals of the U S Open, and
he just had he was having like a panic attack
and he was just not and he just decided, like
I don't have to play, and he just walked away.
And he just didn't play for for like five years.
And you know, I was like, good for you, man,
like propaty, Like that's that takes a lot of guts
to do that. And I mean it's it's a it's
a mental strength in its own to do that. So yeah,
I mean, can walk away. But when when Vonte Davis,

(43:17):
an NFL player, like retired at halftime, that was awesome. Man,
that was dope. Are you kidding me? More people should
walk away if it's not bringing you joy anymore. I mean,
what do you do it? Like? You know, yeah, I'm
all for walking away. Yeah, Marty Fish salute. That's cool.
You know who. Like I remember I was watching a
college football game. Was like that Notre Dame Alabama playoff

(43:40):
game and Notre Dame's core bat got hurt and the
backup had to come in and play Alabama And like, no, man,
you're not paying me enough to do this, you know
what I mean, I'm not coming in cold off the bench.
Just walk away, people, Just walk away. It's gonna be
all right. Yeah, I love this is in a little

(44:00):
darky session for you. My conversation off my I'm just saying,
if you take away anything from this podcast, it's don't
be afraid to quit. Uh. Well, let's get to an
entirely different point guard. Another bit of NBA news that
came out this week john Wall and his representation, according

(44:21):
to Sean's Tawny of the Athletic, apparently working with the
Rockets on finding the point guard a new home. I mean, sure,
you can't say any contract is untradeable anymore, because John
Wall already got traded when he had more erres left
than his current deal. Russell Westbrooks and traded multiple times.

(44:45):
Is there any team that should trade for John Wall?
I have not just one team. I can give you
multiple teams that Okay, I'll you don't like the financials
aside in terms of like the kaep machin nations and
what it would take. But this is strictly from like

(45:06):
would it be kind of fun or interesting to help? Okay? Okay? Uh,
how would you feel about the Heat treating for John Wall?
I would hate that. I absolutely hate it. They just
got Kyle Lowry. They don't need another old point guard
on the team. I understand that they could play Lowry
and Wall together, but yeah, I don't. I don't really

(45:27):
like that. They already have too many players on the
team who can't shoot, so I don't think that they
can afford to add another one. Okay, that's fair, that's fair.
I get that. Um what about I like you? I
like you pitching this to me, Like you're like Ashton Kutcher,
like a VC meeting. You're like, this is if yeah,
this is a shark take. You're like, what if John
Wall in a Heat jersey? And I'm like, but okay, alright, alright, next,

(45:52):
I feel like that that would be hilarious on its
own because I feel like the dynamics of that would
just be fantastic. And then, you know, I know you
have done Shrewder, but I don't know I would. I would.
I would get excited about John Wall and maybe just
in the Celtics unit form, maybe just he's a good
passer you would help with, you know, feeding the ball
to Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I don't know. I'm

(46:13):
kind of intrigued by that option. You know, they do
talk a lot about finding someone who could handle the
ball for Tatum and Brown. I can squint and see
that one a little bit more than the Heat even
though I think Shrewder is actually gonna have a big
gear for them, and there's obviously a steal at the
money they got for him, So that one, I guess
I like a little bit more than the Heat one.
But what I actually do it if I were them? No, Look,

(46:34):
the reality the answers to this question is no, no
team she needs. I'm just starting to entertain the question.
I appreciate it. I appreciate it. I was even trying
to think about the Clippers, like you, maybe maybe that's
something you know, I know, Reggy Gie Jackson is there
and we can't. You can't break up the brilliance of
of Reggie Jackson right now, not after what he did

(46:55):
in the playoffs. Yeahough situation. There's not really like a
place for him, and it's it's really just a matter
of his contract. I'm not saying that he should be
out of the league. Obviously he's the injury issues, but
we'd love to see him find a spot somewhere. But
I don't know how they think they're gonna trade him,
Like what team is gonna be able to put the

(47:16):
salaries together of players who aren't valuable to trade for
someone like John vall I that is ah. I don't
shout out to him and his representation for for trying
to find a partner, but they're gonna have to call
in someone in saying fame. How would you feel about

(47:36):
How would you feel about the Sixers trading for him?
They do they need a they need they need a
ball hangler, they need a point card. You would definitely shoot,
which is good. So I don't think wall in the
Sixers is as absurd as some people think it is.
But that can't be who they get for Ben Simmons
that's gotta be like a three team trade or something

(47:57):
like that, because the trade can't be John Wall for
Ben Simmons. It has to be Ben Simmons for John
Wall a ton of assets where there's a third team involved.
But I mean, if you're really trying to that can't
be what they get into Simmons trade. It's dark, it's
a dark reality. But but where what else are they
going to get at this point? Right? Like, it's pretty

(48:18):
tough right now, and it seems like the Sixers wanted
are okay going into training camp without having him on
the team, and I wonder how long that's gonna last.
And I mean it's not it's it's an option. It's
not a good one, but it's an option. I mean
it's just like you you get a third team involved.
Why did the Rockets? I don't know, man, But in
your day, you like saw that, like Simmons for Wall,

(48:40):
and you're like, wow, that's bleak. I saw someone tweeted
out like Simmons for Wall, and I'm like, man, no,
I was already really pushing the limits of Simmons trades,
and I was like Simmons for Harrison barnes Um. But man,
Simmons for wall All would be particularly particularly upsetting. Um. Yeah, man,

(49:06):
I don't know, if you had to guess, do you
think they're able to move him this season? I know
it's kind of crazy because the contracts are getting moved,
maybe like we never expected before. But I don't even know.
I don't even know who would take that. That feels
like something the Kings would do. That's a good that's
a good culture I think they do with him, because

(49:27):
you're right, like some team is going to you know,
I think that they can, you know, get something something
out of him, right, And it's just it's tough to
see because everybody kind of has their point guard situation
figured out and not that like he needs to be
a starting point guard, which because he probably doesn't, but
and that, but instead you're paying a backup point guard

(49:48):
four million dollars exactly. So it's tough to see. But
I don't know. We've seen crazier things, let's be honest,
in the NBA. So I feel like if they want
to try to move him, they could probably figure something out. Yeah,
maybe somehow Oklahoma City gets involved for the million of
time and they get another eight draft picks that they
can't use and everyone freaks out about it. Um, all right, Paulo,

(50:12):
before we before we get you out of here, I'm
gonna spring this one on you. I didn't put it
on the outline. I love to just throw curveballs at
my co host on this podcast. But something Mike and
I have touched on during the offseason kind of our
favorite regional or snacks that we used to eat growing up,
things we loved. Mike, we got an email about this

(50:32):
from Thaddius. By the way, shout off the Thaddius are
most loyal just a Hall of Fame gold status, open
floor emailer. Um. You know Mike talked about the potato
pie he would eat growing up. I talked about the
chili cheese stares. I want to ask you, Paolo, what's
kind of your your regional snack, that that thing you
had grown up that you think more people need to

(50:55):
know about. Well, I feel like I would get in
trouble if I don't mention who's this? What's all there?
As as you know that's it's more of a meal,
but and it's more it's very popular over there, Like
if you haven't had one, you should definitely have one
because it's just basically at filled with cheese and beans
and other good stuff if you want it. So, I mean,

(51:15):
obviously that was like a staple um of that. I
think beyond that, though, I don't I don't know if
there's anything in particular. You know, there's like Yuga, which
is another which is we fry it over there, dude,
fried ucays, come on, you can do about we're more popular. Um,

(51:35):
But yeah, stuff like that. I think it's you know,
I just went back to us with there and a
few months ago, and and I had both of those
and it was like, Okay, I'm good now I can
go home happy. So I want to know somehow I've
never actually asked you this, but what is like, tell
me your favorite papoosa felling? Like what should I be getting?
Um when I'm trying to get papoosa? Is because in

(51:56):
l A you can get a lot of options, and
I'm curious to you, what's the go to you that
the highest order the number one? Well, in classic American
fashion here THEFZA is there. It's just a bevy of options,
like it's like working out anything in there. And really
like the traditional ways, there's three main fieldings, which is

(52:17):
just cheese, um, beans and cheese, and then what we
call which is cheese beans and wow nix. So I
like to mix a lot. I I like the mix
in the cheese. Those are two are part of my
favorite um. And you can do different things even even
over there, like you can add like lororoco, which is

(52:39):
like the screen. Um. I don't even know what to call.
But it's the brain plant that goes in the cheese
that's really good. But the the two main those are
the three main ones. Those are like the whole trinity
from there are people or not, But I stick to
the basics. I do the cheese and then those are
those are like you could anytime anytime I see the

(52:59):
word feature row. Hey, my eyebrows are raised. I'm very intrigued.
I need to know more. I'm expanding the box, etcetera, etcetera. Um. Well, Paulo,
thank you. This was your first time on Open Floor, right, yeah,
I think so, the first time there we go. I
think you did a great job. Thank you so much

(53:20):
for joining, Thank you so much for settling. It's now done.
The one on one debate that tore Open Floor apart
is now done. Mike, you were wrong. You were ridiculous.
I don't care what Chris Herring says, just because he's
so nice, even though Chris has a new book that
you can pre order on Amazon dot com right now. Um, Paulo,
thank you so much for joining. Thank you so much
to our producer Shelby Royson as always for producing this podcast.

(53:44):
I think Michael will be back next week, as long
as he doesn't quit and protest over the things you
said about him on this podcast. But until then, Mike,
thank you for letting me sit in the host chair
for you. Everyone. Stay safe, take care, we'll talk to you.
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