On this episode of 'Inside The Mavs' Kevin Gray, Mavericks Pre/Post Game Host discusses the news that the Mavericks love Bronny James ahead of the NBA Draft and want him for their team. KG discusses the impact of the news on Luka, Kyrie and LeBron James and what a fit of Bronny would look like on the Mavericks and much more!
Support the show: This episode is brought to you by Aura. Aura: Stop data brokers from exposing your personal information. Go to my sponsor at https://aura.com/kevingray to get a 14-day free trial and see how much of yours is being sold.
Subscribe to @InsideTheMavs on YouTube for more Mavericks content and subscribe to Grant's channel @GrantAfseth on YouTube for more Mavericks coverage as well!
Be sure to like and comment on the video and subscribe to KG's YouTube Channel and follow him on Twitter @KevinGraySports
Download and subscribe to the 'Inside The Mavs' Podcast, the official Mavericks podcast of 97.1 The Eagle wherever you get podcasts free, give it a five-star rating and write a review for the podcast.
Inside The Mavs Podcast:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mavs/id1687581495
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3lH97deoTre1memqcpISRe?si=16ed964f523e4b17
Support the show: This episode is brought to you by Aura. Aura: Stop data brokers from exposing your personal information. Go to my sponsor at https://aura.com/kevingray to get a 14-day free trial and see how much of yours is being sold.
Subscribe to @InsideTheMavs on YouTube for more Mavericks content and subscribe to Grant's channel @GrantAfseth on YouTube for more Mavericks coverage as well!
Be sure to like and comment on the video and subscribe to KG's YouTube Channel and follow him on Twitter @KevinGraySports
Download and subscribe to the 'Inside The Mavs' Podcast, the official Mavericks podcast of 97.1 The Eagle wherever you get podcasts free, give it a five-star rating and write a review for the podcast.
Inside The Mavs Podcast:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inside-the-mavs/id1687581495
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3lH97deoTre1memqcpISRe?si=16ed964f523e4b17
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Made a like a big thing aboutit. One time. Your dad was
like, oh, like my dreamwould play with my son. But I
don't know if like anybody ever askedyou, like, did you ever like
dream about playing with your dad,like for you or like what what went
to it from your perspective? No? Never, uh, you know all
my dream has always just been toput my name out, make a name
for myself, and of course,you know, gets to the NBA,
(00:22):
which is everyone's angle at us here. And you know, I never thought
about just playing with my dad,but of course he's he's brought it up
a couple of times. But yeah, I don't, I don't. I
don't think about it, right.The Dallas Mavericks apparently loved Brownie James,
what it actually means and why there'sa larger discussion to be had when it
(00:43):
comes to GM Nico Harrison in lightof the Mavericks making the NBA Finals.
This is Inside the MAVs. Welcometo Inside the MAVs presented by Aura.
(01:23):
I'm your host Kevin Gray. Maverispanpost game hosting the Dallas Mavericks Radio Network.
Appreciate you joining me here for thisepisode of Inside the mass makes you
a download and subscribe to the podcastwherever you get your podcasts or free give
it a five star rating and runa review for it while you're there.
And if you're watching this, myYouTube channel at Kevin Gray Sports makes you
like a comment on the video andsubscribe to the channel here as well by
(01:44):
hitting that subscribe button. And alsoyou can follow me on Twitter ats Kevin
Gray Sports. Didn't think I wasgonna be talking about Bronnie James and the
Dallas Mavericks in this fashion and mannera week ahead of the NBA Draft,
but yet here we are, becausereports are that the Dallas Mavericks, according
to his agent Rich Paul, loveBronnie James. Now there's so much to
(02:08):
get into the reports of Jonathan Gavoniof ESPN, where Rich Paul had a
chance to sit down and talk withCaavoni ahead of the NBA Draft and allowed
us to have some pretty interesting informationwith respect to Bronnie James, the son,
of course, of the all timeleading scorer in NBA history and four
(02:30):
time NBA champion lebron James. BronniJames, who had a forty and a
half inch vertical metres at six toone average five points, three rebounds and
a couple assists. At usc Lawshooting thirty seven percent from the field in
just twenty six percent from three hasa chance to be projected to be a
second round pick. Now, theLos Angeles Lakers, who own the seventeenth
(02:53):
and fifty fifth overall picks, willprobably and have a chance to draft Bronni
first. But the Alas Mavericks,who had the last pick in the NBA
Draft this year at number fifty eight, apparently are a team that, according
to Rich Paul, loves Bronnie James. In fact, Rich Paul telling Jonathan
Cavoni an ESPN quote, there areother teams that love Bronni, for example
(03:17):
Minnesota, Dallas, and Toronto.If not the Lakers, it will be
someone else. Minnesota would love toget Bronnie in, but I don't know
who the owner is going to be. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is like
an uncle to Bronnie. If theLakers don't take him at fifty five,
Dallas would take him at fifty eightand give him a guaranteed deal. End
(03:42):
quote. Now there's a lot totake in there based on what Rich Paul
is saying, because Lebron James's son, Bronnie, has only worked out for
the Lakers and the Suns at thispoint, and that doesn't appear to be
any other workout schedule for Bronnie aheadof the NBA Draft. But let's focus
in on what paul I said whenit came to GM Nico Harrison and the
(04:02):
Dallas Mavericks. Number One, thatthe Mavericks love the idea of Bronnie James.
Now again, Bronnie goes six toone, can shoot a little bit,
doesn't have a great three pointer,but good basketball IQ and athletic defender
that can continue to grow into hisoffensive game where he has limited offensive skills
but can shoot the balls with someinconsistency at times from the three point line.
(04:27):
And with the Mavericks, the ideabeing that they need some athletic defense
and a guy that can shoot.Now again, let's not get over our
skis here when it comes to BronnieJames. There would be a lot of
development that would need to take placefor James to even be a serious contributor
for a Dallas Mavericks who just madethe NBA Finals. But the intrigue here
(04:48):
lies in the idea that the relationshipthat Nico Harrison has with Lebron James and
his son Bronni considering him like anuncle like figure, is very very interesting
to me. And I think thelarger discussion here, let's think about it
in the context of what the Maverickshave just achieved here. They went to
(05:08):
the NBA Finals, they saw theirsuperstar on Luca Doangis to send to arguably
the best player in the world thispast season as an NBA scoring champion.
They have Kyrie Irving there, whois there in a large part because of
the relationship that Nico Harrison and obviouslyJason Kidd had with Irving and he being
able to be comfortable in the environmentthat Dallas presented with the infrastructure built in
(05:31):
large parts by Nico Harrison, thepresident of basketball Operations and the general manager
there, and Harrison being declared theguy who's running the show. Mark Cuban
not the one running the operations forthe Mavericks, it is Nico Harrison show.
It just shows you how deeply connectedNico is to the entirety of the
(05:53):
league that we were even having thisdiscussion. And I think that is the
point that if you're going to takeanything away from the idea of Bronnie James
aside from the player himself and thedevelopment that he still has to do as
a prospect to eventually be a contributorto an NBA team. It's the idea
that with the success that the Maverickshave had and the fact that Nico Harrison
(06:14):
is running this team, he putsyou in play for pretty much everyone in
the league, and that should bodewell if the Mavericks can use some creative
and interesting roster management and gymnastics tobe able to improve this roster going forward,
where they've got decisions to make whenit comes to guys, namely in
Derrick Jones Junior. If you seethe article in The Ringer by Kevin o'connery
(06:38):
has his quote unquote dream fits fordifferent teams for certain players around the league,
Jeremy Grant being the quote unquote dreamfit for the Dallas Mavericks. I
bring that up because, again,when you're looking at the correct and potential
roster construction that the Mavericks have todo to elevate their ceiling that much more
to win a championship and not justget back to the NBA Finals, it's
(06:59):
going to take some maneuvering on NicoHarrison, Andrew Baker, Michael Finley and
this entire Mavericks front office to beable to pull it off. But the
idea that we're talking about lebron James'sson, Brian, should give you an
indication of the standing that the Maverickshave in the league relative to who's running
their team and the success that they'renow having that they are one of the
(07:21):
teams that is being quote unquote inwhen it comes to Bronnie James and the
fact that they love the idea thatJames is there. And if you're going
to trust this team from a rosterdevelopment standpoint, they found you Derrick Jones
Jr. They found you a guyin Dante Exam. They were able to
turn PJ. Washington and get himfrom the Charlotte Hornets, that got Daniel
(07:43):
Gafford from the Washington Wizards. Thisteam in a lot of ways under the
leadership and direction of Nico Harrison,that put themselves in this position. So
if you're going to trust the ideathat Nico's going to be continuing to run
the show here, this is areally interesting piece of news relative to not
just the player and the prospect andwhat it means for lebron James, which
(08:05):
we'll get into, but more importantly, what it means for the Mavericks.
That to me is what we needto focus in on based on what we're
learning when it comes to Bronnie Jamesand his draft prospects, particularly the fact
that the Mavericks love him as apotential way and also with quote unquote guarantee
him a deal which could be someposturing obviously by Rich Paul. Don't let
(08:28):
that go by the wayside. Heremore on this when it comes to this
fascinating piece of news when it comesto Bronnie James and what it actually means
for the Dallas Mavericks, Nico Harrisonand his front office. But before we
get there, let's hear from today'ssponsor of our video and our podcast,
Let's hear from Aura. Today's videois brought to you by Aura. Do
(08:48):
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on doing the hard work to protectme and my family so I can focus
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yours. You can go to Auradot com slash Kevin Gray to start your
two week free trial. Please seethe link in the description. Back here
on Inside the Mass, thank youfor hanging out with us to our spot,
and thank you to today's sponsor,our video and our podcast. In
(10:22):
Aura with the news that Bronnie Jamesapparently is loved by the Dallas Mavericks according
to his agent Rich Paul, andI already see y'all jumping in on my
timeline saying yeah, we don't wantnecessarily a borderline g leaguer who would be
a distraction all year for the Mavericks, into which I say, look,
I understand the idea that you mayfeel like the Lakers are going to take
(10:43):
Bronnie at number fifty five, orsomeone may take him earlier that what the
Mavericks would be able to by thetime we get to the final pick of
the draft, when they have thenumber fifty eight overall pick. But at
the same time, what's intriguing hereis that now you have a prospect connected
to, arguably for some the greatestplayer in the world when it comes to
(11:05):
lebron James, and most importantly,when you have the opportunity to be connected
to that player. I'm not sayingthat Lebron James is coming to the Mavericks.
The Mavericks don't have the necessary andrequisite room to even bring or contemplate
bringing Lebron James here. So let'sget that very clear here. This is
not a thing to where the Mavericksfeel like they would need to draft Bronni
(11:26):
to somehow acquire Lebron James. That'snot happening. In fact, I don't
think it matters to Lebron James ifthe Lakers draft Lebron James's son, because
I think he's staying with Los Angelesregardless if Bronni is there or not.
And part of Cavoni's report is thatLebron James isn't married to the idea that
he has to play with his son. And you heard at the beginning of
(11:48):
our show that Bronni James isn't necessarilymarried to the idea that he wants to
play or has to play with hisdad either. So I don't see this
piece of news as a sign thatwe're connecting the idea that the Mavericks are
trying to angle to potentially get BronnieJames in order to bring Lebron James to
Dallas. I don't think Lebron Jamesis going anywhere and is going to stay
(12:09):
in Los Angeles. I do wonderthough, if you're JJ Redick and you
do take that job in Los Angeleswith the Lakers, and they do take
Bronnie James and they're there with LebronJames as well. That kind of circus
that you're going to be dealing withall year long, especially with the lofty
expectations with Lebron James and Anthony Davisstill there for a first year head coach
at JJ Redick trying to manage allthat. I don't know if I would
(12:30):
want that headache if I'm Reddick,and if I should just take that money
that I'm making on TV, especiallyhaving called my first ever NBA Finals.
But that's another conversation for the Lakersto have. But this again is more
about the Dallas Mavericks and what they'vebuilt in terms of their culture and their
front office led by Nico Harrison,that should attract a number of different players
(12:54):
to feel like they may be apiece that helps the Mavericks get over the
top, and that to me isthe old overarching idea and discussion here is
that the Mavericks are now seen ina light by teams around the league and
by players as a legitimate NBA Finalscontender, having already made the NBA Finals
with a top five player in LukaDoncic and a superstar sidekick and Kyrie Irving
(13:16):
who has been there, done thatand been an NBA champion and with the
Mavericks could utilize in order to getover the top to win a championship.
That is the foundation that Nico Harrisonhas built here. And when you've got
a young core that includes a PJ. Washington, a Daniel Gafford, a
Derek Live of the second to goalong with Luka Donca Kyrie Irving, you
(13:37):
have the foundation of a team that'sgoing to be a contender for several years
to come, even in a stackedWest when it comes to the Nuggets in
the Oklahoma City Thunder and the MinnesotaTimberwolves, the Memphis Grizzlies and other teams
that you want to put in thatconversation as legitimate NBA Finals contenders, but
specifically coming out of the West.But for this to come out a week
(14:00):
before the NBA Draft, And again, is it some smoke screening potentially by
Rich Paul in order to make surethat he's drumming up that much more interest
in Bronnie and potentially getting him drafteda little bit higher. Of course,
it may be, and I'm notsaying that the Mavericks aren't necessarily maybe being
used as a pawn in the gameof Bronnie James to increase his draft stock.
(14:22):
Here, that is definitely on thetable as well, because we know
when we get to draft season,whether it's the NBA or the NFL or
otherwise, it's lying season and theremay be a lot of pieces of information
that are put out there that maydrum up interest in a prospect that may
not necessarily be there. So theMavericks could be falling victim to that.
But if we are to believe whatwe are reading and hearing, the Mavericks
(14:45):
are legitimately interested in Brian James,and we've heard that throughout the course as
we get closer to draft season ofabout the mavers potential interest in drafting Bronnie.
But at the same time, allI know is that way as I
feel now about this front office,based on the moves that they made,
whether it be to get off Kristasporzingis obviously to be able to bring in
(15:07):
Kyrie Irving by moving Spencer Dinwiddie andDorian Finneysmith. The team has made shrewd
moves that it fit the identity ofwhat the Mavericks were looking for on the
defensive end, and they've got tofind some more shooting going into next season
to increase their sealing that much more. But players talk around the league and
when they see information like this beingconnected to one of the greatest players in
(15:31):
the history of the game and hisson who has a chance to be an
NBA player, no matter how youmay feel about him as a prospect,
that will carry throughout the course ofthe league, and the Mavericks will be
in those discussions. And now theyhave a legitimate seat at the table when
it comes to the discussions around theleague about how they may be able to
acquire certain players and the maneuvering thatthey will be able to do to be
(15:54):
able to make that happen. Thatto me is a large part of why
I find and it's so fascinating whenit comes to Lebron Bronni and the Lakers
and everything else that has to dowith Bronnie James and this information here,
So if you're a Mavericks fan,take it in because all of this discussion,
whether you feel like there are somedream fits out there, whether Jeremy
(16:17):
Grant or other players like Malcolm Brocktonor whoever you ain't feel needs to come
in to help this team get toan NBA championship and actually win it.
Those conversations will be taking place overthe next several days and weeks as we
get closer to NBA free agency.But damn it, when the NBA news
moves fast. We just finished theNBA Finals and now all of a sudden
(16:38):
we're talking about, of course,the NBA drafted NBA free agency happening here
at the end of the month.We've already seen a deal be announced for
the Indiana Pacers in terms of retainingPascal Siaka. Who will make that official
when the moratorium ends on in earlyJuly on July the sixth, But again
this shows you where we are andmost importantly, the discussion that the Mavericks
(17:00):
are now in and you will hearthis more and more and more over the
coming days, weeks, months,and years, because now they have seen
themselves making NBA finals and are legitimatelyseen as a team that will contend for
years to come with a superstar anda superstar superstar sidekick in terms of Kyrie
(17:22):
Irving, who is his robin tothe batman that is Luca Donci's. But
my goodness again, I don't thinkyou and I would be having a discussion
about Bronnie James, no matter howyou may feel about him as a prospect,
whether he can help or is theborderline giguer. However you may feel
the hell about Bronnie James, feelthat, but take a look at the
bigger picture here when it comes towhat it means for Nico Harrison and this
(17:48):
front office and for Dallas itself andthe mind that people have toward this organization
as it relates to how they competeon the floor and what players may feel
about their chances to come here tobe a missing piece or link to help
this team win a championship. That's, ladies and gentlemen, is what I
want you to focus in on whenyou hear, especially something like this smoke
(18:14):
screen or not. It's something totake interesting seriousness in because of what it
means for the bigger picture for thisMavericks front office or organization, not just
now, but down the line aswell. But we'll see what happens when
we get to the NBA Draft aweek or so from now, what Bronnie
James will do and how if hewill be drafted by the Lakers or the
(18:37):
Suns or someone else to potentially bea part of their roster or an intrigue.
Let's just walk down this road realquick before we end to day.
What if Bronnie James does get tofifty eight and is there with the Dallas
Mavericks, if we're talking about aguaranteed deal quote unquote that Rich Paul is
talking about. If you're the Mavericks, why not take the flyer on Bronnie
(19:00):
James. You've got the last overallpick in the draft. You might as
well make it happen. And here'sthe thing. If you're worried about the
Mavericks having to deal with what comeswith drafting of Bronnie James, this is
an organization has built a structure anda culture around it to withstand having Kyrie
irving on it. And if youbelieve that the organization has been able to
(19:22):
successfully navigate the Kyrie Irving experience.So whether they have so far, I
think they're well equipped to be ableto handle what may come with Bronnie James
being part of this organization as well. And let me tell you some summer
Lyae will be hella interesting as wellwhen it comes to Bronnie James and the
experience for the Mavericks. But don'ttake that for granted. If the Mavericks
(19:44):
have been able to put together ateam, a culture, and an organization
that we can withstand with having KyrieIrving on this team and build that around
here to successfully navigate to an NBAfinals, yeah, I have confidence that
they can handle the Bronnie James experience, even with all the exterior noise that
comes with having him potentially on yourteam. Just something to think about when
(20:06):
it comes to this whole Brownie Jamesthing with the Mavericks. That'll do it
for this episode of Inside the Mass. Thank you for joining me here on
this episode of Inside the Mass.We're sure you're download Subscribe to the podcast
wherever you get your podcasts for free, give it a five star rating,
write a review for it while you'rethere, and if you watch this on
my YouTube channel at Kevin Gray Sports. Make sure you like a comment on
the video and follow me on Twitterat Kevin Gray Sports. I'm of course
(20:29):
you're Mavericks Breeing post game hosts onlyDallas Mavericks Radio networking host of Inside the
MAVs. This has been Inside theMAVs presented by Aura
Made a like a big thing aboutit. One time. Your dad was
like, oh, like my dreamwould play with my son. But I
don't know if like anybody ever askedyou, like, did you ever like
dream about playing with your dad,like for you or like what what went
to it from your perspective? No? Never, uh, you know all
my dream has always just been toput my name out, make a name
for myself, and of course,you know, gets to the NBA,
(00:22):
which is everyone's angle at us here. And you know, I never thought
about just playing with my dad,but of course he's he's brought it up
a couple of times. But yeah, I don't, I don't. I
don't think about it, right.The Dallas Mavericks apparently loved Brownie James,
what it actually means and why there'sa larger discussion to be had when it
(00:43):
comes to GM Nico Harrison in lightof the Mavericks making the NBA Finals.
This is Inside the MAVs. Welcometo Inside the MAVs presented by Aura.
(01:23):
I'm your host Kevin Gray. Maverispanpost game hosting the Dallas Mavericks Radio Network.
Appreciate you joining me here for thisepisode of Inside the mass makes you
a download and subscribe to the podcastwherever you get your podcasts or free give
it a five star rating and runa review for it while you're there.
And if you're watching this, myYouTube channel at Kevin Gray Sports makes you
like a comment on the video andsubscribe to the channel here as well by
(01:44):
hitting that subscribe button. And alsoyou can follow me on Twitter ats Kevin
Gray Sports. Didn't think I wasgonna be talking about Bronnie James and the
Dallas Mavericks in this fashion and mannera week ahead of the NBA Draft,
but yet here we are, becausereports are that the Dallas Mavericks, according
to his agent Rich Paul, loveBronnie James. Now there's so much to
(02:08):
get into the reports of Jonathan Gavoniof ESPN, where Rich Paul had a
chance to sit down and talk withCaavoni ahead of the NBA Draft and allowed
us to have some pretty interesting informationwith respect to Bronnie James, the son,
of course, of the all timeleading scorer in NBA history and four
(02:30):
time NBA champion lebron James. BronniJames, who had a forty and a
half inch vertical metres at six toone average five points, three rebounds and
a couple assists. At usc Lawshooting thirty seven percent from the field in
just twenty six percent from three hasa chance to be projected to be a
second round pick. Now, theLos Angeles Lakers, who own the seventeenth
(02:53):
and fifty fifth overall picks, willprobably and have a chance to draft Bronni
first. But the Alas Mavericks,who had the last pick in the NBA
Draft this year at number fifty eight, apparently are a team that, according
to Rich Paul, loves Bronnie James. In fact, Rich Paul telling Jonathan
Cavoni an ESPN quote, there areother teams that love Bronni, for example
(03:17):
Minnesota, Dallas, and Toronto.If not the Lakers, it will be
someone else. Minnesota would love toget Bronnie in, but I don't know
who the owner is going to be. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is like
an uncle to Bronnie. If theLakers don't take him at fifty five,
Dallas would take him at fifty eightand give him a guaranteed deal. End
(03:42):
quote. Now there's a lot totake in there based on what Rich Paul
is saying, because Lebron James's son, Bronnie, has only worked out for
the Lakers and the Suns at thispoint, and that doesn't appear to be
any other workout schedule for Bronnie aheadof the NBA Draft. But let's focus
in on what paul I said whenit came to GM Nico Harrison and the
(04:02):
Dallas Mavericks. Number One, thatthe Mavericks love the idea of Bronnie James.
Now again, Bronnie goes six toone, can shoot a little bit,
doesn't have a great three pointer,but good basketball IQ and athletic defender
that can continue to grow into hisoffensive game where he has limited offensive skills
but can shoot the balls with someinconsistency at times from the three point line.
(04:27):
And with the Mavericks, the ideabeing that they need some athletic defense
and a guy that can shoot.Now again, let's not get over our
skis here when it comes to BronnieJames. There would be a lot of
development that would need to take placefor James to even be a serious contributor
for a Dallas Mavericks who just madethe NBA Finals. But the intrigue here
(04:48):
lies in the idea that the relationshipthat Nico Harrison has with Lebron James and
his son Bronni considering him like anuncle like figure, is very very interesting
to me. And I think thelarger discussion here, let's think about it
in the context of what the Maverickshave just achieved here. They went to
(05:08):
the NBA Finals, they saw theirsuperstar on Luca Doangis to send to arguably
the best player in the world thispast season as an NBA scoring champion.
They have Kyrie Irving there, whois there in a large part because of
the relationship that Nico Harrison and obviouslyJason Kidd had with Irving and he being
able to be comfortable in the environmentthat Dallas presented with the infrastructure built in
(05:31):
large parts by Nico Harrison, thepresident of basketball Operations and the general manager
there, and Harrison being declared theguy who's running the show. Mark Cuban
not the one running the operations forthe Mavericks, it is Nico Harrison show.
It just shows you how deeply connectedNico is to the entirety of the
(05:53):
league that we were even having thisdiscussion. And I think that is the
point that if you're going to takeanything away from the idea of Bronnie James
aside from the player himself and thedevelopment that he still has to do as
a prospect to eventually be a contributorto an NBA team. It's the idea
that with the success that the Maverickshave had and the fact that Nico Harrison
(06:14):
is running this team, he putsyou in play for pretty much everyone in
the league, and that should bodewell if the Mavericks can use some creative
and interesting roster management and gymnastics tobe able to improve this roster going forward,
where they've got decisions to make whenit comes to guys, namely in
Derrick Jones Junior. If you seethe article in The Ringer by Kevin o'connery
(06:38):
has his quote unquote dream fits fordifferent teams for certain players around the league,
Jeremy Grant being the quote unquote dreamfit for the Dallas Mavericks. I
bring that up because, again,when you're looking at the correct and potential
roster construction that the Mavericks have todo to elevate their ceiling that much more
to win a championship and not justget back to the NBA Finals, it's
(06:59):
going to take some maneuvering on NicoHarrison, Andrew Baker, Michael Finley and
this entire Mavericks front office to beable to pull it off. But the
idea that we're talking about lebron James'sson, Brian, should give you an
indication of the standing that the Maverickshave in the league relative to who's running
their team and the success that they'renow having that they are one of the
(07:21):
teams that is being quote unquote inwhen it comes to Bronnie James and the
fact that they love the idea thatJames is there. And if you're going
to trust this team from a rosterdevelopment standpoint, they found you Derrick Jones
Jr. They found you a guyin Dante Exam. They were able to
turn PJ. Washington and get himfrom the Charlotte Hornets, that got Daniel
(07:43):
Gafford from the Washington Wizards. Thisteam in a lot of ways under the
leadership and direction of Nico Harrison,that put themselves in this position. So
if you're going to trust the ideathat Nico's going to be continuing to run
the show here, this is areally interesting piece of news relative to not
just the player and the prospect andwhat it means for lebron James, which
(08:05):
we'll get into, but more importantly, what it means for the Mavericks.
That to me is what we needto focus in on based on what we're
learning when it comes to Bronnie Jamesand his draft prospects, particularly the fact
that the Mavericks love him as apotential way and also with quote unquote guarantee
him a deal which could be someposturing obviously by Rich Paul. Don't let
(08:28):
that go by the wayside. Heremore on this when it comes to this
fascinating piece of news when it comesto Bronnie James and what it actually means
for the Dallas Mavericks, Nico Harrisonand his front office. But before we
get there, let's hear from today'ssponsor of our video and our podcast,
Let's hear from Aura. Today's videois brought to you by Aura. Do
(08:48):
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and thank you to today's sponsor,our video and our podcast. In
(10:22):
Aura with the news that Bronnie Jamesapparently is loved by the Dallas Mavericks according
to his agent Rich Paul, andI already see y'all jumping in on my
timeline saying yeah, we don't wantnecessarily a borderline g leaguer who would be
a distraction all year for the Mavericks, into which I say, look,
I understand the idea that you mayfeel like the Lakers are going to take
(10:43):
Bronnie at number fifty five, orsomeone may take him earlier that what the
Mavericks would be able to by thetime we get to the final pick of
the draft, when they have thenumber fifty eight overall pick. But at
the same time, what's intriguing hereis that now you have a prospect connected
to, arguably for some the greatestplayer in the world when it comes to
(11:05):
lebron James, and most importantly,when you have the opportunity to be connected
to that player. I'm not sayingthat Lebron James is coming to the Mavericks.
The Mavericks don't have the necessary andrequisite room to even bring or contemplate
bringing Lebron James here. So let'sget that very clear here. This is
not a thing to where the Mavericksfeel like they would need to draft Bronni
(11:26):
to somehow acquire Lebron James. That'snot happening. In fact, I don't
think it matters to Lebron James ifthe Lakers draft Lebron James's son, because
I think he's staying with Los Angelesregardless if Bronni is there or not.
And part of Cavoni's report is thatLebron James isn't married to the idea that
he has to play with his son. And you heard at the beginning of
(11:48):
our show that Bronni James isn't necessarilymarried to the idea that he wants to
play or has to play with hisdad either. So I don't see this
piece of news as a sign thatwe're connecting the idea that the Mavericks are
trying to angle to potentially get BronnieJames in order to bring Lebron James to
Dallas. I don't think Lebron Jamesis going anywhere and is going to stay
(12:09):
in Los Angeles. I do wonderthough, if you're JJ Redick and you
do take that job in Los Angeleswith the Lakers, and they do take
Bronnie James and they're there with LebronJames as well. That kind of circus
that you're going to be dealing withall year long, especially with the lofty
expectations with Lebron James and Anthony Davisstill there for a first year head coach
at JJ Redick trying to manage allthat. I don't know if I would
(12:30):
want that headache if I'm Reddick,and if I should just take that money
that I'm making on TV, especiallyhaving called my first ever NBA Finals.
But that's another conversation for the Lakersto have. But this again is more
about the Dallas Mavericks and what they'vebuilt in terms of their culture and their
front office led by Nico Harrison,that should attract a number of different players
(12:54):
to feel like they may be apiece that helps the Mavericks get over the
top, and that to me isthe old overarching idea and discussion here is
that the Mavericks are now seen ina light by teams around the league and
by players as a legitimate NBA Finalscontender, having already made the NBA Finals
with a top five player in LukaDoncic and a superstar sidekick and Kyrie Irving
(13:16):
who has been there, done thatand been an NBA champion and with the
Mavericks could utilize in order to getover the top to win a championship.
That is the foundation that Nico Harrisonhas built here. And when you've got
a young core that includes a PJ. Washington, a Daniel Gafford, a
Derek Live of the second to goalong with Luka Donca Kyrie Irving, you
(13:37):
have the foundation of a team that'sgoing to be a contender for several years
to come, even in a stackedWest when it comes to the Nuggets in
the Oklahoma City Thunder and the MinnesotaTimberwolves, the Memphis Grizzlies and other teams
that you want to put in thatconversation as legitimate NBA Finals contenders, but
specifically coming out of the West.But for this to come out a week
(14:00):
before the NBA Draft, And again, is it some smoke screening potentially by
Rich Paul in order to make surethat he's drumming up that much more interest
in Bronnie and potentially getting him drafteda little bit higher. Of course,
it may be, and I'm notsaying that the Mavericks aren't necessarily maybe being
used as a pawn in the gameof Bronnie James to increase his draft stock.
(14:22):
Here, that is definitely on thetable as well, because we know
when we get to draft season,whether it's the NBA or the NFL or
otherwise, it's lying season and theremay be a lot of pieces of information
that are put out there that maydrum up interest in a prospect that may
not necessarily be there. So theMavericks could be falling victim to that.
But if we are to believe whatwe are reading and hearing, the Mavericks
(14:45):
are legitimately interested in Brian James,and we've heard that throughout the course as
we get closer to draft season ofabout the mavers potential interest in drafting Bronnie.
But at the same time, allI know is that way as I
feel now about this front office,based on the moves that they made,
whether it be to get off Kristasporzingis obviously to be able to bring in
(15:07):
Kyrie Irving by moving Spencer Dinwiddie andDorian Finneysmith. The team has made shrewd
moves that it fit the identity ofwhat the Mavericks were looking for on the
defensive end, and they've got tofind some more shooting going into next season
to increase their sealing that much more. But players talk around the league and
when they see information like this beingconnected to one of the greatest players in
(15:31):
the history of the game and hisson who has a chance to be an
NBA player, no matter how youmay feel about him as a prospect,
that will carry throughout the course ofthe league, and the Mavericks will be
in those discussions. And now theyhave a legitimate seat at the table when
it comes to the discussions around theleague about how they may be able to
acquire certain players and the maneuvering thatthey will be able to do to be
(15:54):
able to make that happen. Thatto me is a large part of why
I find and it's so fascinating whenit comes to Lebron Bronni and the Lakers
and everything else that has to dowith Bronnie James and this information here,
So if you're a Mavericks fan,take it in because all of this discussion,
whether you feel like there are somedream fits out there, whether Jeremy
(16:17):
Grant or other players like Malcolm Brocktonor whoever you ain't feel needs to come
in to help this team get toan NBA championship and actually win it.
Those conversations will be taking place overthe next several days and weeks as we
get closer to NBA free agency.But damn it, when the NBA news
moves fast. We just finished theNBA Finals and now all of a sudden
(16:38):
we're talking about, of course,the NBA drafted NBA free agency happening here
at the end of the month.We've already seen a deal be announced for
the Indiana Pacers in terms of retainingPascal Siaka. Who will make that official
when the moratorium ends on in earlyJuly on July the sixth, But again
this shows you where we are andmost importantly, the discussion that the Mavericks
(17:00):
are now in and you will hearthis more and more and more over the
coming days, weeks, months,and years, because now they have seen
themselves making NBA finals and are legitimatelyseen as a team that will contend for
years to come with a superstar anda superstar superstar sidekick in terms of Kyrie
(17:22):
Irving, who is his robin tothe batman that is Luca Donci's. But
my goodness again, I don't thinkyou and I would be having a discussion
about Bronnie James, no matter howyou may feel about him as a prospect,
whether he can help or is theborderline giguer. However you may feel
the hell about Bronnie James, feelthat, but take a look at the
bigger picture here when it comes towhat it means for Nico Harrison and this
(17:48):
front office and for Dallas itself andthe mind that people have toward this organization
as it relates to how they competeon the floor and what players may feel
about their chances to come here tobe a missing piece or link to help
this team win a championship. That's, ladies and gentlemen, is what I
want you to focus in on whenyou hear, especially something like this smoke
(18:14):
screen or not. It's something totake interesting seriousness in because of what it
means for the bigger picture for thisMavericks front office or organization, not just
now, but down the line aswell. But we'll see what happens when
we get to the NBA Draft aweek or so from now, what Bronnie
James will do and how if hewill be drafted by the Lakers or the
(18:37):
Suns or someone else to potentially bea part of their roster or an intrigue.
Let's just walk down this road realquick before we end to day.
What if Bronnie James does get tofifty eight and is there with the Dallas
Mavericks, if we're talking about aguaranteed deal quote unquote that Rich Paul is
talking about. If you're the Mavericks, why not take the flyer on Bronnie
(19:00):
James. You've got the last overallpick in the draft. You might as
well make it happen. And here'sthe thing. If you're worried about the
Mavericks having to deal with what comeswith drafting of Bronnie James, this is
an organization has built a structure anda culture around it to withstand having Kyrie
irving on it. And if youbelieve that the organization has been able to
(19:22):
successfully navigate the Kyrie Irving experience.So whether they have so far, I
think they're well equipped to be ableto handle what may come with Bronnie James
being part of this organization as well. And let me tell you some summer
Lyae will be hella interesting as wellwhen it comes to Bronnie James and the
experience for the Mavericks. But don'ttake that for granted. If the Mavericks
(19:44):
have been able to put together ateam, a culture, and an organization
that we can withstand with having KyrieIrving on this team and build that around
here to successfully navigate to an NBAfinals, yeah, I have confidence that
they can handle the Bronnie James experience, even with all the exterior noise that
comes with having him potentially on yourteam. Just something to think about when
(20:06):
it comes to this whole Brownie Jamesthing with the Mavericks. That'll do it
for this episode of Inside the Mass. Thank you for joining me here on
this episode of Inside the Mass.We're sure you're download Subscribe to the podcast
wherever you get your podcasts for free, give it a five star rating,
write a review for it while you'rethere, and if you watch this on
my YouTube channel at Kevin Gray Sports. Make sure you like a comment on
the video and follow me on Twitterat Kevin Gray Sports. I'm of course
(20:29):
you're Mavericks Breeing post game hosts onlyDallas Mavericks Radio networking host of Inside the
MAVs. This has been Inside theMAVs presented by Aura
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