Episode 412: LaMelo Ball To The Clippers…Who Says No? Ft. Justin Russo

The dog days of the offseason are here, so we might as well talk about LaMelo Ball, Jrue Holiday, and MORE trades for the Clippers. Adam, Chuck, and Will are joined by Justin Russo to talk LaMelo Ball to the Clippers, argue about Kuminga's contract, and talk dips

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
What is going on? Clippers fans, Welcome to season three,
episode sixty nine of Clips and Dip, and we've immediately
lost William Updyke. I guess we're gonna keep this going
because we're both saying, oh, there he is, He's back.
I am Chuck Mackler, joined by Adam Oslin and William
Upton for most of the pod, as well as our
favorite French Canadian reporter, Justin RUSSEO. Justin Russo is here.

(00:31):
Thank you for being on the pod. Justin. We are
Clips and Dip. Hopefully your favorite Clippers podcast or Clippers Talk.
We're coming at you once a week. You can find
us at YouTube dot complish, at Clippers podcast, or anywhere
you get pods in general. We are talking trade rumors
today we're talking dips. Justin, did you bring a dip?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I just want you to know I welcome from a
nap thirty minutes before this podcast, ran out of my
house and bought a dip. So you're wow.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Hell yas.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
This is like an advertisement for the new Superman movie.
We let it move.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
I mean I think it classifies as a dip. You
guys will have the final say, Well, a lot of
this pod the last Yeah, you guys have stretched the
rules a little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, kind of been dedicated to debating what a dip
is or isn't. Will and Adam, how are you guys
doing on this incredibly hot Friday evening in Los Angeles? Well,
we'll start with you.

Speaker 4 (01:28):
I'm doing good.

Speaker 5 (01:29):
Yeah, having some like weird computer issues, so sorry if
I'm coming in and out, but I think we got
it figured out.

Speaker 4 (01:36):
I'm hot as tell us.

Speaker 5 (01:36):
You could probably tell if you're watching this over on
YouTube dot com that's at Clippers Podcast getting real sweaty
over here.

Speaker 4 (01:42):
But I got a dip. I'm ready to go. I'm
feeling good, Man, Adam.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
How about yourself, you babies, I ran five miles earlier indoors. Uh,
it is a little bit hot, but luckily I live
in a brick house, so it stays. It doesn't get
as warm during the winter as i'd like, but during
the summer it's not too bad. It stays cooler. So

(02:07):
I'm doing okay, Okay.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Well, I'm gonna come back with some other architectural thoughts
on your apartment next week. We will leave that for
next week. Today we are talking trade rumors. It is
not even the it's the Clippers offseason and there are
rumors flying a lot of fans seemingly disconnected from everything
that the front office has been talking about over the

(02:30):
last year. Probably, I think that's one of the reasons
we should talk about the trade rumors. So the three
names basically are LaMelo, Drew Holiday, and a classic. Now
that Miles Turner has hopefully crossed off the list, John
Collins now occupies the number one trade target for Clippers
fans to want to get Justin Russo, you're the guest,

(02:54):
which of these three would you like to dispel or
just discuss? First?

Speaker 2 (03:02):
The Drew Holiday one is very like weird to me. Yeah,
why his contract is the main reason I don't think
he's a player. Like he's a player. They would look
at if he's on the market, which he will be.
He like, the majority of the Celtics roster is going
to be on the market, they like. Unfortunately, that's just

(03:23):
the nature of well, the majority of them would have
been on the market anyways, even if Jason Tatum never gets.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
Hurt, right, but their tax is like four hundred.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, probably funds a small country at this point. So yeah,
it's great. I just don't get the Drew thing anymore.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
He's goods and has three more years left.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
It's it's the it's the years more than the age.
But also it is the age too, and he's just
not a good shooter anymore. Health Wise, he really hasn't
been great of late. He did make all defense like
five I think it was five straight years, but he
missed out this year because he didn't hit the games requirement.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Sounds like a future clipper.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Look now, I'm sold on him, so, you know, just
because if he's not gonna be on the floor, that's
a clipper right there, baby. But no, it's the years.
It's he's literally got thirty two point four million next year,
thirty four point eighth the year after, and a thirty
seven million dollar player option.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Likes not an option, that's not an option. He is
taking it. So he's taking the thirty seven million.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
There's the uh, there's the Bill Simmons and Ryan Russillo
running joke that Ryan Rusillo always does, which is breaking news.
He's picking up that option, and that feels like he's
already picking that up three years in advance. It's a
lot of money.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
It's a lot of money for a guy who might
be hurt too, and like will like the main trade
pieces the Clippers have are I guess we should level
set that right like Ormond Bogie, because we're not getting
rid of Zoo.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
Maybe done in there. Yeah, I don't know it.

Speaker 5 (05:11):
Like it's a move that that made sense in previous
years of Drew Holliday. With where he's at right now,
I think that that's a that's a tough road to
hold man especially Yeah, especially like you know the years,
it just doesn't line up.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
It doesn't line up as well as you'd like.

Speaker 1 (05:27):
People would be furious too, Like Clippers fans would not
be excited about this.

Speaker 4 (05:35):
Some might do you talk yourself into it? Adam? Could
you talk yourself into it?

Speaker 1 (05:39):
I could talk myself into it, but I would be like,
this is there's a lot of the odds of stuck.

Speaker 5 (05:43):
Is this a John Wall shooting thirty nine percent from
three situation?

Speaker 4 (05:46):
Could we get there?

Speaker 3 (05:48):
God? I thought I was the receipt master, but you
guys always bringing that up.

Speaker 1 (05:52):
Oh, we're gonna talk about that later because I was
great with you put out.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
So I think there's a scenario where, depending on what
they gave up, it could make some sense, but I
still think it's a long shot because of his age,
because he is going to take that player option for
thirty seven million dollars when he is thirty seven, and
he has been this league for a while. I know
he had some injuries early on, it seemed like he

(06:18):
was gonna have a shortened career. But since then he
has been more reliable. So there's a lot of tread
on the tires, a lot of long, extended playoff runs.
He has won two rings. I mean, he's a great guy.
He's from southern California. I love him, But it's probably
two years too late to bring him in at this point.
That's what it feels like to me.

Speaker 5 (06:37):
The other problem being that we haven't talked about is
like how much do you want to give to the
Celtics too?

Speaker 1 (06:43):
Right?

Speaker 5 (06:44):
Yeah, here's why would you like, Like why would I mean,
obviously next year is like a moot point, but beyond that,
why would you want to potentially give them anything of value,
anything that could help their team other like outside of
a salary dump and even that thirteen.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
Yeah, that's what the Celtics angle is, right, If anything,
they're looking to just shed salary. How do the Clippers
make that happen? Is there significant enough move What I
saw was like four billion dollars they could save by
trading what Norm and Uh done and maybe Jordan Miller

(07:25):
or something like that. Is that enough for Boston to
really be enticed?

Speaker 1 (07:30):
Probably not, like unless they really believe in Jordan Miller.

Speaker 4 (07:35):
Well, how much does that lower like the luxury tax
bill on stuff? Because then maybe, yeah, I don't.

Speaker 1 (07:39):
Know if that lowers it. But like that's why we
traded Eric Gordon, right, because Balward didn't have to pay
an extra two hundred million dollars or whatever it would
have been on the taxes.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
By the way, can we tell how stupid this is
that we have to even factor in, Oh, how much
money does this save people on luxury tax for a trade?

Speaker 1 (07:55):
Yeah, like the revolutionary dude talk about.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Remember when we used to talk about trades in sports
and it was like, oh, does this trade make sense
from like an on corner on field? For now it's like,
does this trade make sense because it could save them
like thirty seven million dollars? And luxury tax is so weird?

Speaker 4 (08:12):
And the Aprons? Have you considered the Aprons?

Speaker 2 (08:15):
It's it's I hate it. I hate everything. Now, I'm
just an old man who hates everything. Like it's so stupid,
Like I'll start looking at it. Uh Like, in the
next about week, I'm gonna put out an article about
the types of players the Clippers could possibly look after trades.
So it's very funny that I'm on here talking about

(08:36):
Oh I wish we could go back to it, like
because I'm gonna write an article about like how much
money teams can save on stupid crap. And it's just
like you're making.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
Off these off this system rus so you can't rail
against it.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Sure I can't because I'm old and I'm cranky all
the time. Now you know, it's hot, so I'm sweating
and mad, like it's the true holiday on the court,
Drew holiday makes sense simple as that they need to
They could use another guard that could kind of defend
multiple positions.

Speaker 1 (09:09):
Or guards more guards.

Speaker 2 (09:12):
I know fans hate the three guard thing. Guess what.

Speaker 1 (09:15):
Welcome to hell. People who hate that, like.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
I just I don't know, Just resign yourself to the
truths of the situation.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
You know, when we get that four, that's like a
yokic stopper.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
Forget about it, sir, we had him. His name was PJ. Tucker.

Speaker 1 (09:30):
You know that's true, very true.

Speaker 2 (09:34):
Hey, listen, PJ Tucker stopped Nicola Jokic on a last
second shot in Los Angeles. Can't say the same for
the rest of the twenty four to twenty five Clippers.

Speaker 1 (09:43):
Unfortunately, Yeah, they didn't even stop him on a first
second shot in Los Angeles.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
Pain.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
The other funny, My favorite part of the Drew Holiday
rumor is that I was trying to look at where
it came from, like what source, and all I got
was a league source called a bro mass Live that
the Clippers are going to make a play. So like
some like, I don't no disrespect to our Massachusetts Clippers

(10:09):
contingent who might listen to this show. But mass Live
is a very funny name for a place to start
a trade river. I don't believe it at all because
it's from that spot. Okay, now, LaMelo.

Speaker 2 (10:21):
So I will say money wise, Norman Powell and Derek
Jones for Drew Holiday works just money wise, it also
saves It also saves the Celtics like two million dollars.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
But I don't want to give up Derek Jones with
that contract.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
I was gonna say, I don't know why you do
that if you're the Clippers to add more money in
an extra year. I don't really I don't really get that.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
He's still one guy under thirty who's really athletic.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
Listen, I think Drew Holliday has one of the greatest
step back. The Drew Holiday's hot back step back three
at the top of the arc is so good to watch.

Speaker 1 (10:58):
We all Holiday fans. I don't want to all so
make I think he's a great player, but right we're
not trading the youngest, most athletic guy who gets any
time for an old guy who will probably be hurt.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
Is that worth thirty five million dollars when he's thirty
six thirty seven years old? I just don't know. I
mean maybe it is. I mean we've seen the way players,
you know, so I don't know.

Speaker 3 (11:18):
If you're doing a deal with Doune involved, then you
can sell it as he's a better version of Chris
Dunn because of his shooting, and that makes some sense,
but he's older, and the contract is problematic if you're
trying to have as much money as possible for twenty
twenty six and for twenty twenty seven, because he's gonna
be on the books with that player option until the

(11:38):
summer twenty twenty eight because he's taken.

Speaker 1 (11:40):
It, and he better be four times or six times
as good as Chris done when the contracts work out
for that, right.

Speaker 2 (11:47):
I mean Norman Chris for for Drew works. It's just
now we're getting into the conversation of if you're the
Clippers and you do that, is that worth cutting into
your likely going to be over the luxury tax? And
you've already said on the record one of these next
two years, you're not going to be in the luxury tax.
To reset the repeater the repeater penalties, which obviously they

(12:09):
should do, he's not.

Speaker 3 (12:11):
The Lawrence press conference though, the exit interview, he said,
we're going to have the non tax payer mid level
exception to use this summer. That tells you they're going
to be under the tax this year, right unless something
crazy happened, Well, they would have it regardless.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
They would have it regardless because they were under the
tax for this fiscal league year. So like when the.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
League years, the year start for the NBA.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
It ends July third, or I'm sorry, June thirtieth, So
like it's that's.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
Why, Okay, got it.

Speaker 2 (12:40):
Yeah, So they're under the luxury tax right now as
long as they don't take money to get over the
luxury tax, which technically they can make trains right now.
So as long as they don't do a deal that
ends them over the luxury tax before July first, then
they'll have the non tax mid level. But anything that
they use on that, you know, you you become if

(13:02):
you use any amount I believe it's if you use
any amount over the taxpayer mid level, which I don't know.
I don't remember what the taxpayer level is this year,
and it's like probably like five point nine or something,
then you become hard capped at the apron. So it's
like you're gonna be hard caped regardless. So why like,
if you trade for Drew, you're just gonna be in

(13:23):
the luxury tax. It's really just that simple.

Speaker 1 (13:25):
And I like the point that you made though, Adam,
like from kind of which is like the theme for like,
I feel like the segment a little bit is like
from everything the front office is said, is it quite
literally unless something crazy? They've said the GM version of
unless something crazy happens. We're kind of chilling at this spot.
Right now.

Speaker 3 (13:45):
I also don't love the idea of using one of
your best trade chips, if not your most realistic best
trade chip. In Norman Powell on Drew Holiday, I would
rather use that to try to bring in some front
help or just a younger player in general that can
maybe grow into the next era of Clippers basketball.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
Speaking of someone who'd grown to the next era of
Clippers basketball, William Updike. Should the Clippers attempt to make
a trade for LaMelo Ball, a rumor that was started
by his own brother and then perpetuated by Lou Williams.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
By the way, great Segway, Chuck, that was incredible.

Speaker 1 (14:24):
Well, we've been doing this for fifty years.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
That's why they pay you the big bucks.

Speaker 5 (14:28):
You know, yeah, exactly, yes, game, let's completely pivot on
you know what got us to fifty wins. Let's let's
do another about face like the front office did at

(14:51):
the time of the Rust signing. Is what I want
from this offseason. It's the only thing that I really
want from this offseason. I mean, look, what do you
want me to say? LaMelo the injury stuffed, very very troubling.
Has he played less games every single year he's been
in the league.

Speaker 1 (15:08):
Uh, let me look, what do you mean You're so
you're worried about a point guard who you're worried about
their broken ankle and they're hurt wrists?

Speaker 4 (15:18):
Yeah, I was gonna say, and the wrist is it? Like?
Is it? Is he undergoing like a double surgery? Is
a two for one?

Speaker 3 (15:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (15:24):
He got a two for on April second.

Speaker 3 (15:26):
They're switching them out.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
Actually does get a discount from the wrist of the ankle? Yeah,
he probably? Well, I think the Ball family I would
hope that. So that's actually quick pivot. How does that work?
Like if LaMelo Ball, if they go to their own doctors,

(15:48):
because assuming there's a team doctor who they're like, we'll
do the surgery. But like say Blake Griffin or Kawhi
is like, I want my guy to do it. Who
pays for it? If they go to their guy, is
the team, like you gotta pay for this ship? If
they go to their guy.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
The team, the team pays for it.

Speaker 4 (16:05):
I think okay, they No, I thinks the team still
pays for it. I mean, I don't the billionaire should
foot the bill?

Speaker 1 (16:12):
Well, I bet w w F they don't. So like
I guess that was my I totally agree that the
team should pay for it, but I just wonder if
I bet it's a pain in the ass. We've all
tried to get I had, you know, a lunch receipt
comped at our various places of work. Imagine trying to
get your third ACL surgery comped.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
They're like, again, justin, how are you feeling about LaMelo ball?
I know he has four more years left on his contract,
but given the injury history like we're talking about here,
but also high potential, high upside my position.

Speaker 4 (16:50):
I mean, like, I'm not mad at some youth.

Speaker 3 (16:52):
Yeah, I think the Clippers at some point are going
to have to take a big risk. If you're going
to be able to get a young player with high upside,
There's i went to be some major flaws. We've talked about.
Mingo will get into more of that. But LaMelo here,
what are your thoughts? Justin? No, Like, I don't mean
to be blother like is that the whole article?

Speaker 1 (17:15):
Big capital?

Speaker 2 (17:20):
Just don't get me wrong, Like, I I get why
people find him exciting. I just don't think here, I'll
put it to you this way. For as much crap
as Kawhi Leonard gets for not being on the court.
Over the last five seasons, He's played twenty two fewer
games and LaMelo Ball and he missed the whole year.

Speaker 1 (17:42):
Like yeah, LaMelo Ball had forty seven games last year
and then like thirty three before that.

Speaker 3 (17:47):
And I think this is also the only reason you
can get him, like otherwise they wouldn't be in the hunt.
Like you're going to have to accept some risk.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
Sure. I also just don't know how much people actually like,
like people aren't league passing in on hol games February
third to watch them against like the Pistons or something.
Now I'm not crapping on the Pistons here, that's it,
do I know?

Speaker 1 (18:13):
Ball?

Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, yeah, I just by the way, I'm actually still
annoyed that the Pistons Nick series ran on the same
nights that the Clippers Nuggets series ran. So we're every
time we're in the arena walk like even in Denver,
we're just sitting there in the work room trying to
watch Pistons Knicks because every game was like on crack
and it's like, oh, Clippers Nuggets are starting, like great,

(18:37):
we gotta go watch this, But like no one's pining
to watch Hornets games in the middle of February.

Speaker 1 (18:44):
You know, like, but that the idea of lamellow ball
is maybe a little more appealing than the Yeah.

Speaker 2 (18:51):
I just don't get me wrong. I think he can
be a positive player. You look at certain metrics out there,
he's been a positive player, like a positive impact player.
I just nothing about his game has changed in his
five years in the NBA compared back to high school
or even overseas. Like it's the same game. It's it's
a lot of stuff that looks cool and flashy, and

(19:14):
then you watch I can't get I can't get oot,
get the thought out of my head of like I
watch him on defense and I'm just so annoyed. Like
there are certain players you watch on defensee you just
get mad. And at one point this year, early in
the season, he led the league in total fouls.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
He was fouling out of he.

Speaker 2 (19:36):
Was fouling out of the games as a point guard
that doesn't even play. How is that possible?

Speaker 1 (19:41):
Right, So you're just barely playing bad decision defense at
that point.

Speaker 3 (19:45):
I think there was two categories field goal attempts and fouls.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
There was there was a staff from some ESPN article
like a month and a half into the season. That
was like, oh, when teams are running pick and rolls
with LaMelo ball as the as the guard defender, the
ball the ball defender, they were after like one point
four points per possession, Like, what do we do now? Granted, okay, Charlotte.

Speaker 1 (20:11):
This is a new era for the Clippers in this scenario.
This is the era of defense. No defense, TikTok Clippers, Like,
what are we doing?

Speaker 3 (20:23):
Do you think even if they wanted him they could
put together a package that would even entice to Charlotte Hornets?

Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (20:30):
What if the package is bottom of the barrel? Like
what if you're talking about Harden and DJJ maybe one
pick and like it's bottom of the barrel package because
there's no other suitors.

Speaker 2 (20:40):
They're not giving up a pick in that deal. They're
giving up the best player. Why would you give up
a pick in the best with the best player?

Speaker 1 (20:46):
That's true because you're buckets.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
Yeah, Derek, you know, like like I get it. Okay.
The Charlotte Hornets they were terrible. They had a lot
of injuries.

Speaker 1 (20:59):
So we stuff. But there was a funny thing because
I was like I was looking, I was like, oh,
what does Charlotte Hornets need to help with it? The
Clippers could offer, and I was like, everything everything, okay, great,
Like Norman Bogie isn't the craziest package.

Speaker 2 (21:12):
Their center has no feet apparently according to the Los
Angeles Lakers, so they just need everything. I don't like.
I said, Okay, he's still very young. But LaMelo. I
actually had a conversation with with Jamal Christopher and Justin
Wilson about this at a Clipper game. My whole thing

(21:32):
came down to, LaMelo is the player you don't want
on the first or second contract. You want to be
his third team, where like the first team is like, okay,
he's had injuries, but we kind of should move on
the second teams like hey we'll take a flyer. The
third team is the one where it's like, hey, maybe
he's learned something, and then like you know, like he's

(21:54):
understands why he's here. I just and I don't want
to sound mean like I'm crapping on the guy. I'm
not trying to just I don't think his style of
basketball is conducive to winning in this era of the
NBA right now and now. The counter argument to that
would be, well, have you seen Tyre's Halliburton, Like they
do play in a lot of similar ways to some degree,
but also and yes, the Pacers have a lot better

(22:17):
team than the Hornets, but also Tyre's Haliburton I think
at least has a contextual understanding of like, We're not
gonna be good at defense, but I'm still gonna try somewhat.
And I just haven't seen that from LaMelo at all.
It's it's really just depressing to watch at times when.

Speaker 5 (22:36):
Like do we even have the right combination of players
around him to even like extract what his skill set
is actually good.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
At You're like Kawhi and Zoo, I don't like.

Speaker 5 (22:47):
A bunch of like a bunch of slow guys, Like
how does that really Like how does LaMelo really benefit
you in those scenarios?

Speaker 3 (22:57):
But you're not bringing him in because we're trying to
win right now with LaMelo. Ball is to try to
find somebody to agent to the next era of Clippers basketball.
And for as many flaws as he has, and obviously
it's a very easy argument to make, that's also the
only reason you'd have a chance to get him in
the first place if he was doing everything we want

(23:18):
him to do, then Charlotte wouldn't even be thinking about it.
And the Clippers if you look down the line, it's like, great, Okay,
there's all these reasons not to like Lamel. Who are
you guys going to get Who's going to be the
next perfect guy that's going to be available for the
Clippers to get because I don't think those guys are
going to be trade going to be trade bait, or
going to be free agents anymore. Teams aren't letting them

(23:39):
go for nothing.

Speaker 1 (23:41):
And LaMelo's contract just started twenty four to twenty five
was the first year of his extension, so he's locked
in for the next four years.

Speaker 5 (23:50):
Also, if he's blowing through red lights in Los Angeles,
he's getting hit ten out of ten times at this
Charlotte baby, if he's that in a red light outside
the stadium, he is getting tea boned every single fucking time.

Speaker 1 (24:02):
Yeah, you're trying to come out of that player garage
without stopping, dude, like you're driven here. He hasn't driven
the cars that he's peeling out in Charlotte. Here, he's
gonna run over, He's gonna hit an orange cone that
is gonna hurt his low profile car. I like the
driving point. I think, who do.

Speaker 2 (24:22):
You think would be happier about the Clippers trading for
LaMelo Ball? Clippers fans or the front offices of the
Thunder and seventy six ers.

Speaker 1 (24:32):
That's a great way to put it. Probably not Clippers fans.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
Well, and I said the front office of the seventy
six ers, because I don't think Darryl Moore is gonna
be there after next season. Either.

Speaker 1 (24:42):
But well, he final target that has been talked about,
not just this trade season, but every trade season that
we've all been walking this big spinning rock we call
Earth's what it feels like. John Collins power forward for

(25:03):
the Jazz whoever, whatever bad team that he plays for,
which seems to kind of weirdly be a pattern with
John Collins. Are we finally pulling the trigger on this?
Is this the year that the Clippers get that four
that we've so desperately craved?

Speaker 3 (25:22):
Is he opted into the contract justin or is he
becoming a free agent? Is what twenty six million?

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Yeah, it's like twenty six that's I don't know. I
don't have any read on what he does there.

Speaker 1 (25:36):
I mean, you're not a friend, John Collins. I don't
know what he's going to do.

Speaker 2 (25:41):
We always me and my guy JC. If there's if
there's one footprint in the sand, it's because he's carrying.

Speaker 1 (25:46):
Me, you know.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
I just there's not a lot of money out there
in this year's free agent market is the problem. It's
like Brooklyn's the main team with now.

Speaker 3 (25:58):
That doesn't mean oh no.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
No, Justin cut out. He was about to let him
have it.

Speaker 3 (26:04):
They don't want the truth. I can't handle Kim.

Speaker 1 (26:07):
Cook hurt him. He was like, he can't be saying
these on my airpox.

Speaker 3 (26:10):
Maybe it was the j C blasphemy there that.

Speaker 1 (26:12):
Jac line was so funny. That's generally one of the
funniest things someone say on the soapbox.

Speaker 2 (26:20):
I got to and tapped my frail microphone and decided
to short out.

Speaker 1 (26:25):
You know, my frail microphone.

Speaker 2 (26:29):
There's not a lot of money out there this off season.
It's really just Brooklyn and but that doesn't mean you
can't acquire him. You know, to be a be a
sign and trade. But if you sign and trade for him,
you're hard capped. So like you're back in the same
situation which you're probably gonna be hard capped. Either way,
how much of what we saw out of him last

(26:50):
year was real.

Speaker 1 (26:53):
Welcome to every year that I feel like he's played.
No one knows, no one like the talking points for
John cons Art. He's athletic, and he's young for what
the Clippers can do, Like he's just kind of a
more expensive Derek Jones Jr.

Speaker 2 (27:09):
His shooting was good this year. He shooting was good
last year. I it's very hard to put into context
how good players are on bad teams. Like towards the
end of the year, he played like three of their
last like thirty games, and in those games, what happened.

Speaker 3 (27:30):
They got fined Utah. When they're trying to evaluate Utah,
it's really tough.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, I mean, he happened then, I think, now here's
the here's the argument, John Collins in Utah is impossible
to evaluate because Utah was terrible and they weren't trying
to win, and they're not going to try to win
next year either.

Speaker 3 (27:54):
This they lost out in the draft.

Speaker 2 (27:56):
Well, and the guy the one of the top picks
next year, Aja Mansa's going to buy U went to
his last year of high school was spent in Utah. Basically,
that is that is their last chance. Essentially, if they
don't get him, good luck to them. You know, it's
just the Clippers can't get John Collins. He's a very

(28:18):
realistic get for them.

Speaker 1 (28:20):
He's the most realistic of these three.

Speaker 2 (28:22):
Yeah, it's just.

Speaker 3 (28:25):
I don't would they value Noran Powell.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
Utah? Yeah, like that's I think it would be a
three team or Utah is not taking stuff back for him.
I probably it's gonna be like, hey, can you give
us a pick?

Speaker 3 (28:39):
Because you know, I mean three teams are tough.

Speaker 2 (28:44):
Before what would it would be like Norman, Well, you
can't take Chris Dunn back to Utah.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
That's weird, but feels so bad for Kristin. I'm like, hey, sorry, man,
thanks for everything you did back at the shipthole that
we got.

Speaker 3 (28:58):
You got sent back there a couple of times.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
So the alternative is like Norman Pale and Drew Eubanks
is expiring, which I mean maybe Utah does that if
you throw in like a somewhat of a pick, I.

Speaker 1 (29:10):
Guess population in Utah with Banksfield at home there.

Speaker 2 (29:16):
I have no idea. As someone who's walked in mead
streets of downtown Salt Lake, I didn't see a lot
of Aussies walking around.

Speaker 1 (29:23):
Okay, yeah, you didn't see any big knives.

Speaker 3 (29:26):
No one, No great, right there.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
I I don't hate the idea of John Collins. Like,
as weird as it sounds, I'm much from a fit standpoint,
John Collins fits a lot better for the Clippers than
LaMelo Ball does, is how I would characterize that?

Speaker 3 (29:43):
Sure?

Speaker 2 (29:43):
Sure, The biggest issue with John Collins is can he defend?
Or is it still like the idea that John Collins
can defend because they're two different things. Now, he did
play next to Yes, he did play next to a
good defensive center and Walker Kessler, so at least he

(30:04):
knows how to operate there. If he plays next to Zoo.

Speaker 1 (30:08):
And Kawhi like, like, that's not the worst.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yeah, I don't hate the John Collins thing. It's just
what does he cost? Like, if you give up Norman Powell,
you're giving up the best player in the deal, Which
that doesn't mean you don't do the trade because you're
kind of swapping talent for fit, which is what they
did last off season by not bringing back Paul George
and then bringing all these other guys in. Like, no,

(30:34):
those guys were not as talented as Paul George, but
they fit a little bit better on the margins. So
there's that. I don't hate the John Collins idea on
the Clippers. It's just what are you giving up? And
are you even giving up a pick? If you don't
give up a pick, I think it's okay. I don't
think you should give up a pick to be fair.

Speaker 3 (30:55):
Yeah. Two seconds, Yeah, I kind of want to just
slashing seconds, just satisfy all the Clippers fans that have
been clamoring for this forever and then watch them turn
after he has three bad games for.

Speaker 1 (31:09):
Two seconds. Yeah, let us know what you think at
Clippers pod or at YouTube dot comash at Clippers podcast
about these trades. We know that you will.

Speaker 2 (31:22):
I have two others to throw out real quick. Could
I do it?

Speaker 4 (31:25):
Absolutely?

Speaker 3 (31:27):
So?

Speaker 2 (31:28):
These are going in my is that?

Speaker 1 (31:29):
Is that an into it dome water?

Speaker 2 (31:32):
You saw nothing?

Speaker 1 (31:35):
Okay, great, you saw nothing like rainbow, but with promotional
free I feel like I got caught on air man.

Speaker 3 (31:43):
The Clippers were out of the playoffs, but I'm not
leaving here with nothing.

Speaker 1 (31:46):
That's right with that trash bag.

Speaker 2 (31:51):
Well, I'll throw on a first name that doesn't I
haven't worked out the trade details on this, but uh
Goga Batazda is a backup center. I think it would
be a great fit the Strong charter. Now, the two
trades I'm putting in my article for next week are
number one, Lonzo Ball and Zach Collins for Norman Powell
and Kobe Brown. Yes, so Zach Collins will be on

(32:17):
inspiring deal. And it's not a cheap expiring either. It's
like thirteen million, I think, because we have to give
Zack Collins almost fourteen million dollars in the NBA.

Speaker 3 (32:28):
I guess I like Zach Collins. I always have. He's
like a one three hill bad guy looking dude, A
well fan.

Speaker 1 (32:37):
Oh yeah, dude.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
And do you know I love Lonzo because that's going
to bring a lamellow.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
So the idea we're getting the whole family.

Speaker 2 (32:47):
The idea with with Lonzo being here is, yes, he
is not the picture of health. Obviously he does have
any issues that have dated back to high school. But
he is a connector that does a role that you
don't currently have, which is backup point guard while also
being able to be a defender. And he plays us
a little bit quicker of a tempo to where James

(33:09):
doesn't have to always have the ball in his hands.

Speaker 1 (33:11):
But then what happens when he misses fifty games?

Speaker 2 (33:16):
Does it matter?

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Yes, I think it does matter. I think the Clippers improved,
it doesn't matter.

Speaker 2 (33:21):
Well, the counter to that would be, well, you're using
your mL now, you're using your mL on not a
center because you have Zach Collins, so you can find
someone potentially on the perimeter to give you kind of
like replacement level filler at that point. So there's that. Now,
the other trade Norman Powell for Harrison Barnes.

Speaker 1 (33:45):
I like Harrison Barnes, so yeah, sure, I'm with it.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
I think that's the trade I've kind of settled on.
As Hey, this probably makes the most sense for both teams.
San Antonio. They're most likely selecting Dylan Harper at number two,
assuming they don't trade a haul for you, honest right,
So the thought process would be, well, we also we

(34:12):
still need more guards scoring like they do need guard
scoring Stefan Castle, Ricky the Year had a great year,
but not a guard score at this point. Not his fault.
Chris Paul is most likely not coming back, and I
do think Norm could fit alongside that San Antonio squad
to where it gives them a little bit more offensive
punch that they need. Harrison Barnes, I think becomes a

(34:34):
little bit reductive for them because they're gonna have to
likely make a decision between Harrison Barnes and Kelden Johnson.
So I don't think they're they're not liked for like,
but I think there's a little bit of a cross over.
And also Jeremy Sohan, so there's that as well. I
think if I think if the deal's Harrison Barnes for

(34:56):
Norman Powell, it's not the worst deal in the world.
Harrison's expiring just like Norm is. They make almost the
same amount of money.

Speaker 1 (35:02):
It might be the most uninteresting deal, but that's what
it is. Like, it's very boring. But it's not like.

Speaker 3 (35:10):
It's like when you're trading fit.

Speaker 2 (35:13):
But yeah, it's like when your team selects a guard
twenty third overall in the NFL Draft and you're like, sure,
I guess the quarterback needs to stay alive this year.

Speaker 1 (35:22):
I'm a Dolphins fan. We need that pick to work out.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
So yeah, how to be to scar you a little bit,
you know, Listen, my team has no quarterback you know,
so there's that waiting for a.

Speaker 1 (35:33):
Rud Uh yeah, I would we all, well, you would
do Harrison Barnes for Norm Powell.

Speaker 4 (35:40):
Yeah, I like it.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
Sure. Harrison Barnes has taken way too much crap over
the years for how good of a player he is.
Remember he got traded while being in the game a
couple of years, right, crazy.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
You know what's crazy about that? He wanted to finish
the game.

Speaker 1 (35:57):
Damn. They told him he was traded and.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
He was like, I want to finish the head Like,
oh okay.

Speaker 5 (36:03):
I mean I could see he's actually younger that I
thought too. He's only thirty three.

Speaker 1 (36:07):
I thought he was thirty six and like.

Speaker 4 (36:10):
Just and like just turned thirty three today.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
Happy birthday, Sorry, Harrison, happy birthday.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
You're at a trade, You're traded now. I like that idea.
I think that's the best study that's been proposed so far.
All Right, coming up, we are talking Jonathan Kaminga because
we have two people who want Jonathan Kaminga and I
have flip flopped as of this morning, unwanting to again. Yep,
I'm just it's the off season, man, I'm just blowing

(36:37):
in the wind. We're talking that and then maybe should
have the Clippers signed CP three and then all of
us have a dip. So we're going to talk about
that right at the very end. If you're listening to
us on audio, is going to be a quick break.
If you're watching us, our beautiful faces are still here.
Uh cominga talk coming up in three two one.

Speaker 5 (36:56):
All right, welcome back into clips and did. If you're listening,
there was a slight break. If you're watching, which you
should be over on YouTube dot com slash at Clipper's podcast, there.

Speaker 4 (37:05):
Is no break. We're here with you.

Speaker 5 (37:07):
We're here with Justin Rousseau or Justin Rousseau as he's
known in French Canadia.

Speaker 4 (37:13):
Look, we talked.

Speaker 5 (37:13):
We talked some potential trade tot targets, some realistic, some
not realistic. We gotta circle back to something that on
this podcast is one of our larger about faces. That
seems like it's now gonna be an about about face
wherein we through the course of one episode, talked ourselves
in the Jonathan Coaminga. We talked about a potential number

(37:33):
we would be willing to go on a contract, which
I believe.

Speaker 4 (37:36):
Ended up in the thirty three range.

Speaker 5 (37:39):
I believe it something around thirty three a year. I
believe it was three four hundred somewhereabouts there. Justin immediately
hated this idea. He mentioned that in the in the
in the media group chat. So we gotta circle back,
we gotta circle back. This is this is the final,

(38:01):
This is the final.

Speaker 4 (38:02):
Uh cominga conversation. Oh what do we what do we
think about this? He's oh, yeah, I.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
Want to preface it with there was another piece of
cominga news that came out, and this is kind of
what flipped me. This is from Anthony Slater, he said.
Kaminga league sources said, still has visions of becoming an
All Star, not fitting into an ever moving mid tier
rotation role. He wants to be a featured player in
the NBA offense and chase the twenty point and beyond

(38:32):
dreams he's spent his life chasing. In the last week
of his fourth season, tasting, I just quizit. Writing that
is incredible. Writing it sounds like incredible. It sounds like
a very nice statement written by someone's PR team.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
Is what No.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
I just I thought that was actually very eloquent. I
I was hooked.

Speaker 1 (38:54):
That's what made me flip is I'm like, this is
not like he already turned down the huge contract from
the Warrior because he was like, I can definitely get
more than this, will not get more than that before this,
It just doesn't seem like everything a quick. I just
I'm scared off from this. I don't want to give
him thirty million dollars a year. I don't know. I

(39:17):
just don't know. I'm out.

Speaker 3 (39:19):
I will I will for just three years, three.

Speaker 1 (39:25):
For ninety Who are we giving up in the trade?
Did we talk about that? I think Norm Boge seems
like a Warriors.

Speaker 3 (39:35):
Guy DJ maybe, but I guess I'm just looking at
none of it. FO. Yeah, like Kaminga and LaMelo aren't ideal,
they're also available because they're not ideal, but they might
turn into much better players down the line. And you
have to take some big swings in this new CBA.

(39:56):
I think if you don't have your draft picks and
you don't have high draft takes, even if you did
have them, how are you going to find a young
player that you can build around or that can be
one of your main guys moving forward if you don't
take some risks like these, I just don't know.

Speaker 1 (40:14):
Justin how do you feel.

Speaker 2 (40:15):
Have you watched him play basketball?

Speaker 3 (40:18):
Yeah, checkout's last three games in the playoffs.

Speaker 6 (40:20):
He was great, great playing a Minnesota team that had
no worries in the world about a good Warriors team
that didn't have Steph.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
I say this with the thought of knowing Steve Kerr
as a coach. If he's not putting you out there,
it's for a reason, like I get it. Jason Tatum agree, well,
that's that's a different reason. But also, hey, maybe Steve
Kerr is a wizard and foresaw what could happen to

(40:54):
Jason down the line.

Speaker 3 (40:55):
Oh god, the warlock.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
To be fair, they did also win the gold medal.

Speaker 3 (41:01):
In six games.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
I just his dream is to chase twenty points a game.

Speaker 1 (41:11):
Great, cool, No, like, what is that twenty isn't even
that high?

Speaker 3 (41:18):
Right?

Speaker 1 (41:18):
Yeah, if you're gonna be that guy, I don't know,
Like it was funny there. I was like, why not
thirty twenty is insane?

Speaker 2 (41:28):
Is something?

Speaker 3 (41:32):
There is something lost in translation? Maybe a little bit
with the clude can you.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
Play some defense? Can you give me fifteen points a
game of defense and rebounding? I don't need the extra
five points, But that's not there. It's and it hasn't been.

Speaker 1 (41:48):
I just.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Kaminga is still young, and I think our phrasing of
players when they're young is that they can always get better,
and that's true, but progress is never linear in anything
in life. And if you pay him thirty million dollars
next year, you're assuming he improves. But what if he doesn't.
Now you're just stuck with a thirty million dollars a

(42:13):
year albatross that you can't move like, and.

Speaker 1 (42:16):
You might not be happy. That's the other part, is it.
And then it's like, then we're in another kind of
weird era of Clippers locker room stuff, which might be
not worth freaking out, but.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
I just I don't know.

Speaker 3 (42:27):
I I My point is, thirty's not going to kill
you if it's only three years, with how much room
they're gonna have coming up.

Speaker 1 (42:32):
I had the three years. I like the three years.

Speaker 2 (42:35):
I mean, you're paying a guy thirty million, he's maybe
gonna shoot thirty percent from three and as your as
you're four, and that's that's just rough. Like in this
climate of what the Clippers need to build around Kawhi
and James or even going forward, like you shouldn't give
a guy thirty million dollars a year and be like, hey,

(42:56):
in a couple of years, this is our guy, When
in a couple of years you got to repay him
likely more money. If you do think he's.

Speaker 3 (43:06):
Your guy, if he fulfills some of that potential, you
will if not, you took a chance on a young guy,
it didn't pan out, he's off the books.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
But the problem with taking a chance on a young
guy is there's a difference on taking a chance on
a young guy at like twelve million year and then
doing it at thirty when you're gonna run up against
luxury tacks and aprons and okay, if he doesn't pan out,
now we've got to try to move him. But who's
taking him for thirty million? And it becomes taking flyers

(43:37):
on guys I think is a lot harder now in
this new CBA than it was in the past CBS.
And also I think the biggest thing that actually works
in Comena's favor is he was a lottery pick. And
people care about that five years end of the NBA
career because they think there's some untapped potential. But that
just means you stick around longer if you haven't been good,
Like it's just really that simple. I don't think he's

(43:59):
been an impact player any of the years he's been
in the league. Yeah, he had a great three and
a half games for the Warriors to end the season.
It also was pointless. It didn't mean anything, And I
just I'm very hesitant on a guy who can't shoot,

(44:20):
isn't a good defender, can be a ball stopper, and
not a high level rebounder enough to fit in for
thirty million dollars a year. Like if you're debating between
him and John Collins, the difference between him and John
Collins is John Collins rebounds better and can shoot. I'd
got to play John Collins twenty six and a half

(44:40):
million dollars a year over thirty Tokminga.

Speaker 3 (44:44):
It's just the ceiling thing, like who Kaminga could be
versus who we know John Collins is sure.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
But I think for the Clippers, they don't need to
bank on what can be at this point in the time.
They need to bank on what they know they're getting.
And with Comina, you don't know, we.

Speaker 3 (45:00):
Sugar, are we sure they shouldn't bank on and take
some risks right now? Like they should instead only do
things that solid like, what are they in that place
where we're still saying this is our year and they
need to do everything to win a championship this year.

(45:22):
Have we still in that place?

Speaker 2 (45:24):
The West? For them, the wet the the puzzle of
the West is there's one dominant team and everyone else
is basically jumbled together. If you take the home run
swing and it doesn't pan out, you're bottoming out. And
now you're you have don't have a first round pick
in twenty twenty six, and now you're a year longer

(45:45):
into the into this run, and you're staring at the
fact that, okay, well James probably gonna walk this off
season now, and now Coli is going to be an
unrestricted free agent the year after and and basically you're
burning through a year of Zoo's very valuable contract. If
you take a swing on a guy who, if he
doesn't pan out even in year one, now you're kind

(46:06):
of out of any chance of having any type of
playoff success because of the ramifications of what his contract
will do. Like if you add John Collins instead of
him into this current Western Conference climate, the odds of
the Clippers having as good of the season as they
did this year and potentially better. It's far more likely
than it is if you had Jonathan Kaminga even at

(46:28):
the same price point.

Speaker 3 (46:30):
I don't disagree with that. I just don't also know
if it puts you over the top or brings you
into a different level of the Western Conference. Maybe it
could if everything goes your way. But Kuhi is gonna
be thirty four, James Harden's going to be thirty six?
Is there? I think where you should think about the
future a little bit more.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
I think we know. I think I think we need
to get rid of the idea of put them over
the top. There is no top.

Speaker 3 (46:56):
It's put them in at it's be competive, different tier
of competitive teams in the Western Conference.

Speaker 5 (47:03):
I think I think that players out there, Yeah, none,
not realistically.

Speaker 3 (47:09):
Then then does it not make sense to go for
somebody that could help you now if he plays well
and could could help you in the future too.

Speaker 5 (47:17):
I think you need to mitigate the floor versus look
at the ceiling right now.

Speaker 2 (47:27):
I'm with Will.

Speaker 5 (47:28):
I think there's like we're just not even close to
the championship tier right now.

Speaker 4 (47:32):
We see the team that's at the top, then we're
not away like we're not away.

Speaker 5 (47:39):
Neither of these guys that we're talking about is the
young guy that's going to develop into the guy to
make this team like competitive with that team not in
their not in their highest of projected ceilings right now,
maybe if they blow through that.

Speaker 4 (47:50):
Ceiling somehow, which I just wouldn't bet on.

Speaker 5 (47:53):
I think you need to mitigate the floor, like you
need to, you know, hopefully make the picks that you
still don't own, the like least desirable picks that you
can stay competitive, put asses in the seats and like
call it a day man like that that you know,
like maybe you get out of a player, maybe you
can get can win a playoff series.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
What I'll also say is I think if you can
do all that while trying to find a young guy
that can help you now and in the future, that's
that's the ideal spot to be.

Speaker 2 (48:19):
What what I'll say is, if you look at the
last offseason and going into this offseason and the things
that they've said, risk is not something they're interested in.
High level risk is not something they're interested in, Like
letting Paul George go inherently as a risky move. I
get that, but look at the guys they filled in
with those are low risk players Like those weren't super

(48:41):
high variance players. They knew exactly what they were getting
at a Derek and Chris Dunn, you don't know what
you're getting out of jhathank Amica. Like we could say
there and debate it for three hours that like, oh
Johnathan Amuica could do this, he might not be able
to do this, but you just don't know, Like John Collins,
I'm just using them as example. You know what John
Collins give you. It might infuriate you half the season

(49:02):
and it might not, But you know what John Collins
is gonna give you. With Kaminga from a night to
night perspective, you have no idea what's gonna happen, What's
gonna happen with the shot? His defense is playmaking anything
Like you know, I think.

Speaker 3 (49:18):
There's a lot of Clippers fans that would favor some
of the unknown and the mystery box right now, honestly,
and by the way, that's just let's not forget Cominga.
If he's included in that trade for Paul George, the
Clippers might have done it.

Speaker 2 (49:32):
They needed a little bit more than coming did they.

Speaker 3 (49:37):
Cominga would have been the big get there and that's
what wouldn't do it.

Speaker 5 (49:42):
But wasn't the apron stuff still the issue too, like
because they would be taking on just as much money.

Speaker 2 (49:48):
And and also odds wasn't available on the trade either.

Speaker 3 (49:52):
But the hang up not getting cominga The major hang.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
Up was that Paul George wanted to go to Golden
and didn't want Golden State to give up anything for him.
That was a major hang up. Paul George was like,
I want to go to Golden State and then he didn't.
Anybody wanted to go to Golden State with certain guys
still there, and one of the certain guys was Kaminga
and Pozemski and it was like, well we just when
what the hell do you want us to trade for?

Speaker 3 (50:16):
Then says that the Clippers wanted young guys and everybody
said they want Kamena. That's what I said.

Speaker 5 (50:23):
Are we going to get a podcast p where he
does a revisionist history on the trade and says that
he never wanted them to trade Shay when he wanted
to come to the Clippers. We're getting that at some point,
right we're getting their revisionist history, just like we've gotten
the doc revisionist history that he knew that he was
going to be special despite not playing him until an injury,
a season ending injury to Avery Bradley.

Speaker 3 (50:44):
If Indiana wins, he's got to say something about the
joke of Paul George helped build both these teams that
are in the NBA Finals. He has to acknowledge it
to some level that.

Speaker 1 (50:53):
He should, but that would make good content, which he
does not make. So I'm interested to see if he's
able to that.

Speaker 2 (51:00):
I've never I've never. Okay, I preface this by saying,
Paul George great to deal with media wise, always was
willing to talk, and I did appreciate that. I don't
think Clipper fans understand there are certain times players that
want to talk and that's not great.

Speaker 1 (51:15):
And this is also a franchise that does not grant
access at all. We're not fors.

Speaker 2 (51:26):
Has the most mind numbing clips I've ever seen from
a podcast. Just just SI insane, man, I just I
can there be a producer at the room.

Speaker 3 (51:40):
I thought he did the right thing when he came
back and brought on a guy criticizing him the entire time.
I think that was smart. I know it's convenience. Always
just hate on Paul George, but I think that's exactly
how you had to do it if you're going to
come back, and he did it.

Speaker 1 (51:53):
I'm excited for part two of that in about a year.
I mean, credit to Paul George.

Speaker 3 (52:00):
Was watching it wouldn't still be there.

Speaker 7 (52:02):
I well, yeah, Tobias Harris over you, buddy, Like that's
literally what A fan was just like it his face,
like come on, man, And I get it.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
You have to roll with the punches. And I think
athletes get a lot of crap from fans in public
that should never even.

Speaker 3 (52:20):
Happen at all, especially of course.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
Yeah, it's just very funny. It was like with how
much they hated Tobias Harris and a fan walked up
was like, Tobias Harris over you, like come on, man,
Like it's.

Speaker 3 (52:36):
Like, damn, I mean it's Philly. Remember the Adore guy,
Like I caught the baby.

Speaker 1 (52:45):
All right, So we've settled it. We were all against
kaminga what's it for Adam Adam million?

Speaker 3 (52:54):
Come in?

Speaker 2 (52:55):
How does it keep going up?

Speaker 3 (52:56):
And buddy ninety whatever around there.

Speaker 1 (53:00):
Before after taxes fifty we are talking should the Clippers
sign a former Clippers legend and then breaking out all
our dips, because I'm assuming we all have dips. If
you're listening to us, you give me a quick audio break.
If you're watching us at YouTube dot com, Sash at
Clippers Podcast, we're still here. We're still hanging out. Diptalk
coming up in three to one.

Speaker 3 (53:21):
Welcome back in is Clips and Dip episode sixty nine
of season three. I'm Adam Oslem. We got Chuck Makler,
will If Dick and special guest Justin Russeau joining us here.
So Justin as returned to the podcast. Could there be
a Clippers player returning a former one?

Speaker 8 (53:40):
Now?

Speaker 3 (53:41):
With San Antonio. We talked about Harrison Barnes a little
bit earlier. Chris Paul interested in leaving the Spurs, still
lives here in southern California. I believe would he be
welcome back? What do you think the reception would be
like if he was interested in returning to the Clippers?

Speaker 2 (53:58):
Justin I don't hate it. I he left on very
good terms. It wasn't like this contentious. It wasn't a
contentious split. If you ever see him and Steve at games,
Steve Bomber, they're always very like they always are very

(54:19):
friendly and talking like that. They always have been, even
after that offseason trade was made.

Speaker 5 (54:25):
And that helped the Clippers by the way, like in
that rebuild. Yes, I mean it ended up working out
for us, all right.

Speaker 2 (54:33):
Do you remember how Sam Decker was the prize of
that trade?

Speaker 1 (54:37):
Do I ever?

Speaker 3 (54:39):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (54:39):
Yeah, where was everyone when that broke?

Speaker 3 (54:42):
You know, he was gonna be the next Chandler Parsons,
they said, I think.

Speaker 2 (54:46):
Some say the original Jonathan KAMINGA yep that I've heard.
Some have said, I I don't hate the Chris Paul return.
I think it's be a nice.

Speaker 3 (54:59):
Little wayon for Justin's audio short turn cut out.

Speaker 1 (55:09):
They hate the truth man.

Speaker 3 (55:11):
A nice small, full circle moment. Even though he didn't
start with the Clippers, he did have his best years there.

Speaker 1 (55:21):
You're back.

Speaker 2 (55:21):
Yeah, okay, sorry, I gotta stop. This is terrible.

Speaker 1 (55:27):
One's gesturing.

Speaker 2 (55:29):
Yeah, I'm sorry. I talked with my hands.

Speaker 1 (55:32):
You Italian and you're so Italian. Russo, I know.

Speaker 2 (55:37):
I think it'd be a nice little bow on his
career to kind of come back to the Clippers and
kind of just end it there. And he does feel
a need they need a backup point guard. They don't
need a backup point guard plays twenty minutes a night
or anything, so like, are there gonna be nights where
he could do that? Sure? I just he's just a
very safe, risk free player that I think can fill

(55:58):
a need. Now, the downside to it is somehow I
don't know how the Clippers will play even slower. Right,
it's a miracle in and of itself. I don't know how,
and they don't need to do that, so I don't know.
I wouldn't hate it, And it's one of those low
risk minimum signings that you just don't care about. At
the end of the day.

Speaker 3 (56:21):
He played eight did he played all eighty two games
last season? By the way he did, Yeah, pretty remarkable.
I wouldn't hate it. I know people you know he's
one of those players you love him when he's with
you and you hate him when he's gone. Because the
antics and stuff and how things ended in the playoff
series in twenty twenty one in the Western Conference Finals

(56:42):
with him doing the Clippers in in that game six
and then the push in the back from Patrick Beverley,
things were a little sour there. But he was at
a playoff game recently.

Speaker 1 (56:52):
I was gonna say he was add into it. I
think he might have been there for a game four
he was add into it. Like it's not people if
I think people would be pretty hyped, like not just
past enough times past. It wasn't contentious when they left
or when he left.

Speaker 4 (57:11):
Like Chris Paul or Patty Mills though.

Speaker 1 (57:15):
Oh well, I don't want to break up the Australian
trio of Ben Simmers, Bills and Drew u Banks. Oh
yeah I do. Yeah, Chris Paul because he made ten
million dollars last year, Like has he hit some weird
mark where you have to pay him ten mil?

Speaker 3 (57:33):
Like?

Speaker 1 (57:33):
Or what is his mint? Can he take him in?

Speaker 2 (57:36):
You could tell me any amount of money?

Speaker 1 (57:39):
Well you know what I mean, like after a certain
years of service, like does it go up from like
the regular men? It's like an ultra vat right, Yeah,
that's true. He wrote all this. Put a clause in
the new CBA that if your name is Chris Paul,
you have to get paid.

Speaker 2 (57:57):
Well, the NBA pays teams back the amount of mine.
Did they spend on minimums for vet minimums?

Speaker 3 (58:02):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (58:02):
There we go.

Speaker 2 (58:03):
So like only a certain percentage of it counts against
the actual cap.

Speaker 1 (58:06):
So if an owner really wanted to save money, he
could just sign fifteen VAT minimal contracts.

Speaker 2 (58:11):
Yeah, but there's a salary floor.

Speaker 1 (58:13):
Well okay, fine, they did it somehow. One guy gets
the salaries for yeah, exactly, LaMelo and fourteen vatman's you
surrounded with enough vets. One of them will work. PJ.
Tucker's available for sure, and Gershanyaviseli.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
All right, the dancing bear we need.

Speaker 1 (58:37):
All right, dip talk. We're doing dip talk Russeau. You're
the first guess of the off season.

Speaker 2 (58:45):
I gotta go grab it though, I gotta go.

Speaker 4 (58:47):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, do it.

Speaker 1 (58:49):
Yeah, okay, take us on the schur of your home.

Speaker 3 (58:53):
Fucking guy doesn't like? What is this?

Speaker 5 (58:56):
I was gonna say, should we visit the conversation out
of the room.

Speaker 1 (59:00):
Should we see if we can like?

Speaker 3 (59:02):
What are his ideas for who the Clippers are getting?
What is this?

Speaker 2 (59:06):
I hear?

Speaker 4 (59:06):
Damn? Do you want to see if you can flip
Chuck and I once again.

Speaker 1 (59:11):
One more thing about the absolutely I doubled back.

Speaker 2 (59:15):
I'm blowing.

Speaker 1 (59:16):
I told you I'm blowing on the wind man. The
Chris Paul thing would be a dream for the marketing team,
they'd make, their jerseys would be sold. It'd be huge
for marketing.

Speaker 3 (59:26):
If he had anything closed to the level of health
and good fortune he had this past year with the Clippers,
that would be awesome as your backup point guard. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (59:34):
By the way, I could hear you talking ship at him.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
I was like, as air pods in me?

Speaker 3 (59:42):
What Chuck and Will said?

Speaker 1 (59:44):
We were speaking of zign language. You couldn't see ship,
That's right.

Speaker 4 (59:48):
Can Chris Paul wave a towel like Patty Mills? Though?

Speaker 1 (59:51):
Come on, that's true. That's a very good time. What
ports dos?

Speaker 3 (59:55):
What up?

Speaker 2 (59:56):
Both his tower, his towel? Wave over replacement? You can't
beat it?

Speaker 1 (01:00:02):
Man? Well, and I used to do Terence Man watch,
which was always funny.

Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
I remember that year he was just.

Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
Like, he's a replacement. He's pretty much righte a replacement.

Speaker 2 (01:00:12):
Did you see his tweet the other day about like
how why do all the best ideas happen on the
four or five?

Speaker 1 (01:00:16):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:00:17):
Yeah, I just tell you, I'm very excited to not
have to have driven on that freeway like the last month.
It's my mental health has never been better.

Speaker 5 (01:00:28):
Well, run down your commute time for the people who
don't know because a lot of people, I'm sure a
lot of people who watch the show have senior coverage.

Speaker 4 (01:00:34):
I don't know if they know.

Speaker 5 (01:00:35):
Like Justin is like about this, Justin is committed to
this in a way that yeah, follow him, get on
his Patreon.

Speaker 4 (01:00:43):
Come on, folks.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
Some days it can take me two hours to get there.
Getting back is easy. I always usually get back in
like an hour. Oh okay, but getting Yeah, take back
everything I said. I've been doing Sparks coverage and going
to Crypto or excuse me, Staples. I'm calling Staples. The
other name doesn't.

Speaker 1 (01:01:05):
Exist quite literally it it is such night and day.

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
I was sitting on the one on one, stuck in traffic.
I was like, oh, I'm six miles from Staples, and
I'm actually okay, like six miles from six miles from
into it. I want to like drive off the fun
then goddamn overpass and like it's brutal downtown LA. I'm like,
I know these streets I could just zip through. I'm great,

(01:01:34):
it's fantastic. And then it takes me getting down to
Stable takes me about an hour forty that's in heavy traffic. Okay,
into it that can take me up to two hours,
even longer if there's heavy traffic on afternoon days. If
they have like an afternoon practice, it can take me
about an hour and ten.

Speaker 1 (01:01:55):
Damn yeah, you're doing practice too. I forget about that.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
I actually tabulated it. I think I ended up doing
I think it was like something like seventy five hours
of driving this year. Damn. Yeah. I lost days of
my life covering this team. So I hope, but people
understand what I'm doing.

Speaker 1 (01:02:13):
The grind folks were giving of some twenty cents per
gallon or something like that.

Speaker 2 (01:02:18):
I feel like people And I don't mean this isn't
like against fans in general. I just mean, like I'm
just saying, like I don't think people understand the amount
of time. Like I think there's a there's like a
misconception that when you cover a team, you just show
up when the game starts and then your days over
when the game ends. It's not now it's better than

(01:02:40):
like people work regular ninety fives. I'm not gonna sit
here and be like, oh, yeah, it's like the.

Speaker 4 (01:02:45):
Hardest job on the fired.

Speaker 1 (01:02:47):
Yeah, wow, this is starting a real class or no.

Speaker 8 (01:02:50):
No, I'm saying people work definitely work a lot hard.
I'm just saying, like the hours are very long.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
It's the drive time that I think is the most
killer of anything.

Speaker 1 (01:03:05):
Yeah, you live in like Vadkaville, right, you could say
any city.

Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
People probably believe it.

Speaker 1 (01:03:10):
You know, it's Montreal.

Speaker 2 (01:03:14):
I'm living out in your bow.

Speaker 1 (01:03:17):
You've always check in with me when you have you
ever come over to Silmar. Okay, what is your dip?

Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (01:03:24):
And what are you eating it with? Because I kinda
oh yeah, okay, so some classic tortilla chips, Miss Vicki's.

Speaker 2 (01:03:37):
No they lost nort Okay, sorry, you know what we
should get? This is an Apaula's salsa from the local place.
And yeah, I'm just enjoying this.

Speaker 4 (01:03:52):
It's great, gorgeous.

Speaker 1 (01:03:54):
Where did you get it? What local place?

Speaker 3 (01:03:56):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
There's a local market in town.

Speaker 3 (01:03:59):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Oh my, I think it's just called Labodego and fantastic,
I can say it. So that's great.

Speaker 1 (01:04:05):
You know, would you bring that dip to a barbecue?
Is that?

Speaker 2 (01:04:08):
Absolutely?

Speaker 1 (01:04:09):
It looks really good?

Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
Come on now, all right.

Speaker 5 (01:04:13):
The fact that, like the fact that this was like
your go to right after waking up from a n
app tells me that you would absolutely bring.

Speaker 4 (01:04:18):
It to a barbecue. This is like, this is an
old standby for you.

Speaker 2 (01:04:21):
This is Yeah, that's the quintessential fat guy. I know food.

Speaker 1 (01:04:25):
Okay, nothing worse than a fat guy who has a
horrible taste in food. You're like, what are you even doing?

Speaker 3 (01:04:31):
Man?

Speaker 2 (01:04:32):
What are you here for?

Speaker 1 (01:04:33):
You know? Out of.

Speaker 3 (01:04:37):
And uh So, I got a little boars head spinach
Greek yogurt dip here. It is quality in my pavilions.
But even more interesting is lentil chips aged white sheddar.
Really good. Okay, I cleaned it out quick.

Speaker 4 (01:04:59):
Damn never this I've never seen this.

Speaker 3 (01:05:01):
Yeah, it was my first time seeing it too. I
was looking for like a protein chip or some low
carb thing. It was like, mental chip, let's go, it works.
I'm bringing in to the barbecue all day.

Speaker 1 (01:05:10):
Hell yeah, will? What did you are you really excited about? Yours?
Mine is pretty good, but if yours has more production,
we can save it for last.

Speaker 5 (01:05:17):
No, mine's a mine is good, don't get me wrong,
So not breaking. I'm not breaking the mold he or anything.
I got a Qeso dip. It's actually a brand I've
never had before. This is the Don Poncho. Uh This
is a white caso dip. If you've been watching the
show around YouTube dot com, slash at Clippers podcast, you

(01:05:40):
would have seen me eating this through the entire episode.

Speaker 4 (01:05:43):
It's very, very tasty. I heated it up a little bit.
For me personally, it could use a little bit more spice.

Speaker 5 (01:05:49):
I'm eating it with just a classic cheat your on Lately,
I'm normally a spicy cheat your own guy. Lately, I've
been feeling just the classic because it's a little bit
more versatile if you want to do some weird shit
with it.

Speaker 1 (01:06:00):
I did mine last year. I did classic on the
uh the Mayo ketchup I made from.

Speaker 4 (01:06:06):
You could just yeah, it's just a little bit more versatile.
I like this case of it.

Speaker 5 (01:06:09):
I would definitely bring this to a party. It's just
a little bit I would. This is another one I
would probably doctor up a little bit. I think maybe
toss a few you talk you tossed, maybe some some
grilled peppers in there, maybe a few herbs. I think
you got something that's that's great. There's no way that
this wouldn't be a crowd pleaser. I would just if
I was going to somebody's barbecue, I would have to
put a little bit more effort into it to feel happy.

Speaker 2 (01:06:33):
If you if your dip was a James Harden performance
from the season, which one would it be?

Speaker 9 (01:06:42):
Oh, Jame, there was.

Speaker 1 (01:06:55):
Something to build the series. They did not build after
that game, So you okay, three for three, So I
went dip wise. I went with a classic on this show,
Freedo's hot beam dip with the Holopeno in there. You
heat it up in the microwave. It's supposed to be hot.
It's a phenomenal dip chip.

Speaker 4 (01:07:12):
Are you recycling dips Chuck just this time?

Speaker 1 (01:07:15):
Yes, But because there was a there's a reason behind him.
This is not from last year. I want to make
that clear. This is a new Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:07:24):
Yeah, it doesn't know bad.

Speaker 1 (01:07:27):
Chip wise, because we did. We kind of broke a
story last year on this pod, which was the Chip
of the Summer. The Lay's Cuban Sandwich Chip of the
Summer was a pretty big moment on this podcast. I'm
trying to search around for the next Chip of the Summer.

Speaker 4 (01:07:43):
The realist scoop we've ever had on this.

Speaker 1 (01:07:46):
The only one that people should trust us on.

Speaker 2 (01:07:48):
That's a great pun. By the way, The realist scoop
we've ever had good.

Speaker 1 (01:07:52):
I went with Lay's Valentina and lime is the chip,
So I went a little out of the usual bounds
with the chip, not quite the chip of the summer.
A delicious mix with this hot bean dip. Cannot recommend
it enough. Would bring this combination to a barbecue people
would enjoy it? I think. I'm really they did a
weirdly good job with the Valentina and lime flavor paired

(01:08:14):
with the Hall of Penu and the bean dip. You
can't go on in a barbecue with it.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
So would you say the chip is like Wemby and
the dip is just Tim Duncan's steady as can be.

Speaker 1 (01:08:23):
The chip is not Wemby. The chip is not a
generational prospect, you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (01:08:29):
So the Zacharys of chips.

Speaker 1 (01:08:32):
Yeah, actually I would do. Yeah, I would go with that.
And it's not Lamello LaMelo's chip. I feel like the
bag would have to the bottom of the bag would
have to open, and all of them would have to
fill three.

Speaker 5 (01:08:47):
Every three bags is just filled with like it's just
filled with gas and nails.

Speaker 1 (01:08:53):
Yeah, exactly. And they cost kind of a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:08:56):
It's like when you go to it's like when you
go to rip the bag open and it doesn't give
you that perfect like split at the top. Yeah, and
then like it just falls and.

Speaker 1 (01:09:05):
You're like, what the hell doing every Trader Joe's bag
of chips? Those people don't know how to make a
bag that opens normally.

Speaker 2 (01:09:11):
So wait, wait, hold on, you mentioned Trader Joe's.

Speaker 1 (01:09:15):
Have to mention and go off.

Speaker 2 (01:09:16):
Sorry, have you seen have you seen the Are you
guys like well versed in Trader Joe's snacks?

Speaker 1 (01:09:23):
Pretty well?

Speaker 2 (01:09:24):
Okay, have you stumbled upon the snack that is like
the chocolate with like pretzel and like the crunchy it's
like a it's like a black bag with like yellow
like coloring.

Speaker 4 (01:09:36):
Yeah, I know it's sung about.

Speaker 3 (01:09:38):
Is it the bark thing? No, it's not dark chocolate bark.

Speaker 1 (01:09:43):
Because I thought it was Steelers candy.

Speaker 2 (01:09:45):
I didn't think it was Steelers candy. Okay, listen, sometimes
it's just sometimes no, no, not the other bag, the
other bag. I have someone here who's given me the best.

Speaker 1 (01:09:58):
Are you just talking to your dog?

Speaker 2 (01:09:59):
That's a the snacky clusters?

Speaker 1 (01:10:02):
Okay, thank you to whoever's bringing you this. We don't
oh yeah, it's weird, really good, Okay, noted, I'm just
telling you all right, damn, maybe we should do like
a chocolates. We're gonna have to start flipping the game
a little bit. Maybe do a chocolate dip.

Speaker 4 (01:10:22):
We've never done a sweet dip. I don't think on
this show, haven't.

Speaker 2 (01:10:26):
I don't think so, because the show is sweet enough
with you three on it.

Speaker 3 (01:10:29):
Wow that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:32):
On that note, we're gonna be back next week most likely.
Reviews help will? Where can people give us dip recipes? Also,
because we've already made one that was really good? Will?
Where can people tell us what they thought of the show?
Compliment our mic usage, because we've all been eating chips
this whole episode and you cannot tell at all, which

(01:10:54):
is difficult.

Speaker 5 (01:10:55):
No, yeah, no one got the mute of shame. You
can listen to the show wherever you wherever you get
your podcast. If you happen to listen over on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
go ahead, leave a little ratio review.

Speaker 4 (01:11:06):
Helps us out. You can leave your dip recipes.

Speaker 5 (01:11:08):
You can leave comments on every episode of Spotify, which
is cool, but also every YouTube video that's at YouTube
dot com. Slash Clippers podcast, I'm not sure if I
set it my contractually obligated amount of times this episode,
but I think I got close.

Speaker 4 (01:11:20):
I'll just give it one more time. YouTube dot com.

Speaker 5 (01:11:22):
That's a slash Clippers at Clippers podcast, So that's where
you can check us out.

Speaker 4 (01:11:26):
And leave your dip recipes. We want to know. But yeah,
however you listen, however you watch this show, you know
we appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (01:11:32):
We will Adam beach you. If you don't put in
the amount of times that you have to.

Speaker 4 (01:11:36):
Say it, I don't get to wear a hat.

Speaker 5 (01:11:39):
I think that's one of the punishments on the show,
is you don't get to wear a hat.

Speaker 4 (01:11:43):
I live sometimes and sometimes you need the hat.

Speaker 1 (01:11:46):
Sometimes you need the hat. Justin Russell, thank you so
much for coming on. Thank you so much for the
coverage for the Clippers. Where can people find your fantastic work.

Speaker 2 (01:11:55):
You can find me on substack at Justin Russo dot
substack dot com. As I mentioned, I'm covering the La
Sparks during the downtime of the Clipper season. I'm still
putting out Clipper stuff though, and I am looking quite
likely to do coverage for l A f C and
Angel City FC. If people are interested in sl so

(01:12:15):
I'll be going down there, potentially going down there for
games or excuse me, matches, I gotta sorry, sorry, but yeah,
so if you want to see so, if you want to,
if you want any uh stuff, you can go to
the sub stack and I'll be there beyond that. No,

(01:12:38):
I've just you know, it's been a great off season
actually for me. I will say this, it's good. It's
great to always see you guys. And I I think
Chuck knows this. I don't know if you guys know this.
I still have a Jiff saved of Chuck from one
of the podcast episodes this year where you're just sitting
here like this and he just goes and I just
want you to know it's in my Jiff rotation. I

(01:13:00):
have various group chats.

Speaker 1 (01:13:02):
I get paid half of a half of a penny
every time someone uses that gift. So let's get that
out of there.

Speaker 2 (01:13:07):
Listen, Steve Bomber's got to compensate you one way, you know, Yeah, well,
these tanks aren't going to pay for themselves.

Speaker 1 (01:13:12):
Exactly, maybe a little closer than Roe four. Adam, you
have the hardest job on this podcast. One positive thing
to send these Clippers fans out this weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:13:24):
All right, you know what? I gave you, guys some
ammo at follow out of bay over the next two
or three weeks as the Oklahoma City Thunder go on
to win the championship and SGA is the finals MVP,
I would recommend looking for a sweet that I'll probably
pin to my profile that reviews all the reactions to
the initial trade back in twenty nineteen between the Clippers

(01:13:46):
and the Oklahoma stee Thunder, because a lot of those
same media talking heads that will be dunking on the
Clippers very often right now and saying, how could you
have traded SG and all these pinks? They did not
say that at the time of the trade. I don't
know if this will make you feel better. I don't
know if it will just help you in argument. I
don't know if you just are interested to see what
Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharp were arguing about that then.

(01:14:11):
But maybe check out the video. You know, I keep
their seats, so I did for this trade as well,
and it's up at fall out of May.

Speaker 1 (01:14:18):
It is. It's also up on our pod. We just
retweeted it. It's a fantastic cut. I watched the whole thing.
Don't know if it made me feel better, but I
went hell yeah for most of it, if that makes sense.

Speaker 3 (01:14:28):
Nothing's gonna make us feel better, obviously.

Speaker 1 (01:14:32):
Thank you everyone for hanging out. I guess we'll be back
next week, and as always, let's go Clipse.