What Are We Thinking: Eastern Conference - Featuring Bryan Toporek

Mort & Bry share their thoughts on select teams from the Eastern Conference.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hi, my name is Morten Jensen, and you're listening to
the NBA podcast. Hi, and welcome to the NBA Podcast.
My name is Morten Jensen, and today we'll be doing
the first of two episodes where we're looking at the
West and Eastern Conference and just racing questions, racing a

(00:28):
bunch of questions and talking about like certain teams, certain players,
trying to figure out where are they headed, what are
they trying to do. Do they need to shed money,
do they need to do nothing? Do they just need
to play ball, compete whatever. And to help me do that,
I have a very old, very great friend returning to
the show, Brian, supporting everyone. How are you, sir?

Speaker 2 (00:47):
I am doing well. Thank you for having me back.
I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been back.
But my youngest son now is turning one in a
couple of weeks, so we're almost through the worst of it.
Knock on wood, so I might actually have a little
bit more free time coming up here.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Well, we always knew that that one year, that one
season that we just completed, that was you were very
very busy, obviously and rightfully so, because you need to
take care of the young ins like can't just have
a baby and then for the first year say hey,
if you you're gonna deal with things.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
On your own, well we could just wouldn't end well.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
And then then while that person would definitely be primed
to be the next Republican candidate.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Sure's right.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, So we're going to start up with the Eastern Conference.
This is going to be a somewhat short episode because
we're gonna split things into two, So about forty forty minutes,
and like, I want to start with you, is there
a team where who that you're looking at or a
player who you're looking at and just saying, oh, like

(01:54):
this is going to be great? Or what the hell?
How is this going to look?

Speaker 3 (01:58):
Like?

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Like the floor is yours. All opportunities are open here.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
You're gonna regret having me on this podcast right now,
last two minutes, and you're gonna end it here. But
the Chicago Bulls, I think, are my what is the
plan here?

Speaker 3 (02:16):
Team?

Speaker 2 (02:17):
And it's you know, Josh Giddy is still unsigned, which
makes sense, there's no cap space other than Brooklyn.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
You know, the reports are that he wants thirty million.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
I think the Bulls it sounds like you're trying to
keep him closer to twenty million. That's a big gap.
So like, where does that end. Do they find the compromise?
Do they Does he gamble and taking the qualifying offer.
I'd be very surprised by that, But just that whole situation,
and you can copy paste that for Quentin Grimes and
Cam Thomas as well, just all of these major restricted

(02:49):
free agents, but also the Billy Donovan extension. They just
got a multi year extension the other yet Sunday, and
I was looking back, He's won exactly one playoff game,
and his five years in Chicago, he is I believe,
one ninety five and two oh five overall, so.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Hovering right around five hundred, you know.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
And I think it is fair to say the Bulls
front office and the Bulls ownership group have not exactly
set him up for sustainable success, correct. And he did
have that one year where before Lonzo got hurt, like
they you know, were first in the East halfway through
the year and then everything fell apart. So I don't
want to pin this all on Billy Donovan, but I

(03:34):
think it just speaks to the larger question of like
what we I mean, since we've been doing the podcast
what is the long term plan in Chicago?

Speaker 3 (03:44):
And it still just remains completely unclear to me.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
And to put that into context and perspective. We started
this podcast in April of two thousand and sixteen.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Correct, Yes, Sam Hanky, I think it was our third
episode is when he stepped down from the Sixers. So
I feel like the Sixers have lived through five different
lives right since we started this, and the Bulls are
still just trudging through, like, you know what, forty wins
and one play in revenue, that's good enough for us. Like,

(04:20):
I respect the lack of ambition to some extent, but
I'm also like, is that really it? Are they just
happy with floating in this nebulous middle instead of actually
taking their medicine for a couple of years and maybe
trying to build in to something great.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
I mean the answer is yes, they are, clearly. I mean,
after so many years, I don't think I honestly don't
think you can we can sit here and say, oh,
they're probably trying to do something more. I think for them,
the plan is what it's honestly always been. Let's just
see what happens and if we somehow fall ass backwards
into a Dirk Rose or a Michael Jordan or whatever. Okay,

(05:00):
then great, we'll do something because remember that team was
slotted to Big ninth back in two thousand and eight,
so they would have gotten Brook Lopez or something, which
sure that good player, great career, would even done anything
to like dramatically turn around that team. No, no, not
at all. It wasn't until they won the lottery they said, oh, okay,
potentially a generational player here, let's see what we can do.

(05:23):
They're just doing the same thing now. I mean it's
very very clear that they're not a proactive organization, never
have been. So yeah, it's we're sitting here asking questions.
I don't think we need to ask questions about them, honestly,
we just need to determine and just state this is
who they are, this is what they're trying to do,

(05:43):
and it's all very very dumb and a waste of time.
And if there are still Bulls fans out in this world,
they should get every right to switch teams without anyone
pointing fingers at them.

Speaker 3 (05:54):
I agree.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, I was thinking, you remember like the amnesty back
in was it twice seventeen?

Speaker 3 (06:02):
Yeah? Or was it twenty eleven.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Well you I think there were two. There were two.
There's been two times we've had amnesties.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Okay, Well, either way, Bulls fans should get an amnesty.
They can amnesty their fanship join another team, a bandwagon amnesty,
and no one can make fun of them for it,
because it's Kings fans too.

Speaker 3 (06:23):
When we get to the West, it's just.

Speaker 2 (06:25):
Like at a certain point, you're just spinning your wheels
and like, I mean, I know you went through this
cycle of trauma where you're just after a while, you're
just like, what what is the point here? We're just
it's Sissphis all over again. We're just pushing a boulder
up a hill and we're not even getting halfway. We're
just falling. As soon as we get to forty five wins.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
I will be happy to report to you though, that
over the course of last season, that was the fust
amount of Bulls games I've ever seen in a season. Proudly, yeah,
I don't even think I cracked thirty. That's like I
watched every team like a fair bid, but the Bulls
was the one team I just did not prioritize a
great Yeah. Well, and like I actually come to think

(07:11):
of it like the Hornets. I also didn't proach. I
just files breage is still I can't.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
I just kept.

Speaker 1 (07:17):
So one team that I want to touch on, you know,
the Magic, because we started out on this very weird note.
And there obviously Snach went out and traded for Desmond
Bain and everyone was like, oh, that's way too expensive,
and like, yeah, I'm still there. I think the Grizzlies
came away with a great deal, but I'm also not
at that point where I'm like, oh, why did the

(07:37):
Magic go out and get Desmond Baine, Because like, as
a from a basketball perspective, it made a great deal
of sense, Like they needed someone who can initiate the offense.
They need someone who's a you know, class A shooter,
they need someone who can play both sides of the ball,
Like he fits that team so perfectly. But what made
me even more optimistic about their summer that was that

(07:59):
was not just the Desmond Bain trade. They went out
and god tis Jones. They need a floor leader who
he's not gonna start, but just coming off the bench,
someone who can hit the three ball at like forty
one percent and who can play stellar defense, who can
do all those things. They signed Jase Richs or drafted
Jase Richardson rather a guy who's just going to be
able to get spot up threes off of the attention
of Wagner, given to Wagner, given to ben Caro and

(08:21):
those guys Like I just like their summer overall, even
if they did overpay for discman Bin, there's a part
of me just says, who cares?

Speaker 3 (08:29):
Yeah, I fully agree.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
I mean, I think you know when I when I
first saw on the trade, my immediate thought was, like,
this is not sustainable long term, especially now that they've
signed Paalo to a five year max deal and it
could be a thirty percent max, and like, if they're
as good as they could be, right, you know, there's

(08:51):
a real chance that Pallow, Like, yeah, I would be
kind of shocked if.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
He's not an all stary house permitting.

Speaker 2 (08:57):
And like, I think there's a legit chance that he's
all NBA and bumps up to that thirty percent max.
So you got him on a max deal, Fronz on
a max deal. Bain isn't quite a max, but it's close.
Suggs isn't quite a max, but it's close. Although they
did design design his deal to descend, which was smart.
So you know, I think by like twenty twenty seven,

(09:19):
twenty twenty eight, they're gonna have.

Speaker 3 (09:21):
To trade one of these four guys. But if they
are just operating under the mindset.

Speaker 2 (09:26):
Of like the East is wide open right now because
of the Halley injury, the Tatum injury, you know what
happened with the Bucks, Dame and now, I mean, they
couldn't have anticipated the amount of offseason overhaul the Bucks
would get.

Speaker 3 (09:40):
But like it's Cleveland, it's New York, and then I.

Speaker 2 (09:43):
Think a lot of people are ready to put Orlando
as that next best team aside from those two. So like,
capitalize on this window when some of your guys are young.
You still got Paolo and a rookie deal for one
more year, and then, you know, worry about two seasons
from now, two seasons from Like I think title windows
are just gonna be shorter because of this new CBA,

(10:04):
so you might as well take advantage while you can.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
And like Wendell Carter.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
Junior is still on a cheaper deal than he will
be next year, So like they have some major financial
headaches coming in a couple of seasons, And I think
you can't ignore that, but at the same time, you
also can't like preemptively worry about it this year, Like
you make this commitment because you know that's coming, and
you're you're gonna have to do basically what Boston did

(10:28):
this offseason, Like you will have to do that at
some point. I also think, like all of their guys
are young enough that it's not gonna be a Drew
Holliday situation where you're worried that you have to like
give up potentially value. I know they ended up just
basically doing a one for one for Simons, but there
was some speculation of like is Drew Holliday or you're

(10:49):
gonna have to attach stuff to get off of his contract,
like if they end up having to trade Wagner, Suggs
or Bane or whoever. I don't think they're gonna have
to attach stuff to get off of those contracts. I
think they'll get positive in return, So I like the
gamble for them. I'm definitely intrigued. I'm with you with
the Tias Jones signing was probably one of like the

(11:09):
sneaky biggest signings of the offseason, Like it won't get
the fanfare, but I mean, the Magic were cruising last year,
like they were off to a great start and then
Jalen Suggs got hurt and they just didn't have competent
point guard play for the rest of the year. Or
I mean, you know, they were like trying to get
a lot of playmaking out of Franz and Pollo. They

(11:32):
had Cole Anthony, but he's not really a true point guard.
Like now they've got sugs back and Tias Jones. That's
gonna help stabilize them a lot. So like I think
there are a legit dark horse to make some real
noise at least make it to the second round possibly
conference finals. I mean, they're young, so you're you know,
you think like Cleveland and New York have a better

(11:54):
shot just out of that. But I mean, the Thunder
just won the title and we're the second youngest champion
in NBA history, So like, you know, these playoffs kind
of show that youth and depth might be more important
than the high high end star power. And I mean,
like Polo and France and husband Payter are really good,

(12:15):
Like I don't they definitely again in a series against Cleveland,
like Donovan Mitchell is better than anyone on the Magic currently,
But I don't know if there's like a huge gap
in star power with no either Orlando or like Orlando
to Cleveland or Orlando to New York.

Speaker 1 (12:35):
There is one question that keeps hovering, I think, and
obviously that's the shooting of front Schagner.

Speaker 3 (12:42):
Like we don't know, man, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
Yeah, because it's such a big thing, right because Polo
isn't a natural shooter himself, and they still haven't figured
out the center like solution. I don't necessarily think you
can say all Windle Carter Junior is like locked in
to be their starting center moving forward or go got betatsee,
So you're potentially looking at three front court members who

(13:04):
aren't really guys you should be concerned about shooting wise,
And that's why I think there's this I think that's
why they kept Jeed Howard around. Like I know he
hasn't done a lot for the first two years of
his career, but let's say he suddenly pops in the
year three, Like, yeah, he won't be as good as
Frons Vakner, but let's say he becomes like this forty
two to forty three percent high volume three point shooter. Oh,

(13:27):
all of a sudden, you can actually make a proactive
French Vakner trade, Like you can do something with that deal.
And because like there's interest in him if he even
if he's only going to be like a pedestrian long
range shooter, he's a six to ten guy who just
averaged twenty four points a game, grabs rebounds, can playmate,
can do a bunch of stuff. They can push the

(13:48):
ball in transition. And if we know anything is that
teams that make these proactive moves they tend to get
a little bit bigger returns. Okay, look at dont to
side because the Lakers are Mania or well sorry, the
Mavericks Romanians. It's I'm not closing the door on Whacker
being a guy who mike down the line you looked

(14:09):
at as a trade acid instead of like a player.

Speaker 3 (14:13):
I completely agree.

Speaker 2 (14:15):
When all this Lebron stuff was going around, and you
know it was like Dallas might go after him, or
Golden State or whoever.

Speaker 3 (14:23):
Like you could put together.

Speaker 2 (14:26):
I'm not saying this is a good idea, but if
you're the Magic and you think that Franzi shot is
just broken down for whatever reason.

Speaker 3 (14:35):
And you do see that, I am gonna.

Speaker 2 (14:37):
Have to trade one of these four guys eventually. Franz
and Jonathan Isaac are almost an identical salary match to
Lebron James. Now, Lebron has no trade clause, so he
would have to sign off on the deal and not
Maybe he's trading Disneyland for Disney World.

Speaker 1 (14:54):
I don't know, right, but this New World is better, And.

Speaker 2 (14:59):
I mean he could win a second Mickey Mouse ring,
so that'd be nice. But that was I was like,
could Orlando be a dark horse for this? I don't think, Like,
I don't think it's actually gonna happen, but yeah, I
mean to your point, I do think they have the
flexibility with those guys and some of their smaller contracts

(15:21):
that like, yeah, you know, if let's say Jannis decides
to ask out and wants to go to Orlando, like
they could be in the market for him or you know,
whoever the next big star is. Like if Jokic is
shakes Free in twenty twenty seven, I don't think it's
going to happen, but you know, they've just because they
have this core right now does not mean they are

(15:43):
locked into it moving forward. But I like the upside
of what they've got right now, and I think they
deserve to be in the conversation for.

Speaker 3 (15:50):
Cleveland and New York. As you know, one of those
three teams is probably making out of East this year.

Speaker 1 (15:58):
What is another Eastern team if you have your eyes.

Speaker 2 (16:01):
On I'm just curious what the Brooklyn Nets are doing.
I know Yassi Goslin of the Third Apron just wrote
about it today and I haven't had a chance to
read it yet, but they still have a significant amount
of cap space. And the new CBA makes you know, previously,

(16:22):
like teams could they didn't have to hit the salary
floor until the final day of the regular season. So
like one or two rebuilding teams occasionally would go into
the season with like thirty million dollars of cap space
and said, like, we're open for business with.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
The trade deadline. You need to dump a bad contract,
we will take it. Just give us a draft pick
or give us a young player.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
The new CBA, you have to hit the floor by
the first day of the regular season, and if you don't,
it like you get assigned an artificial cap charge basically,
so you like you, you are forced to whether you
actually spend it or not. You are forced to hit
the floor by the first day of the regular season.
So Brooklyn is not going into the regular season with

(17:03):
thirty million in the cap space, however much it actually has.
You know, it's going to spend its money and then
re sign Cam Thomas, although by the sound of things,
they are very very far apart in talks, even more
so than the Bulls and Giddy. But I'm just you know,
do they decide to throw an off for sheet at

(17:24):
one of these other remaining restricted free agents? Like, if not,
what trade shoe are they waiting to drop, Because there's
not a free agent out there at this point other
than the RFA is who's worth that kind of money.
So I'm just wondering what's going on behind the scenes
that they are still keeping that amount of caspace open for.

Speaker 1 (17:46):
I went into the off season very enthusiastic about all
the wonderful opportunities then that's had, and a part large
part of that was also just going into the twenty
twenty five draft and getting a bunch.

Speaker 3 (18:02):
Of five first row picks right.

Speaker 1 (18:05):
The players they chose, though, that's like, I'm just so
much more skeptical right now. I did not think they
had a good draft. I'm the more that I look
at their draft choices right now, the more I'm basically
reciting myself to the fact that so many more things
have to go right than wrong for this to be,

(18:28):
you know, a thing for them, for these guys to
hit like your demon demon at eight. I think it
was like a wild greach, just a wild creach, like
Daniel Wolf. Okay, this is a team that just went
with some of the youngest players in the draft, like, oh,
we're building for the future, and then you get like,

(18:48):
you know, not a super young big man in there
who doesn't really do a bunch of big man stuff,
who's more perim and oriented, and then a bunch of
guys who are you know, Okay, if you get them
like late, very very late, all of them in the
first round or early second round. I just I was
I was underwhelmed. That's probably the word I'm looking for.

(19:09):
I was very underwhelmed with their draft picks. So that's
going to influence my thinking moving forward of them. But
I could also be wrong, because if you remember this
about three might have been four years ago. Three or
four years ago, you and I had an episode where
I was like, are we sure the Oklahoma, Sydney Thunder

(19:30):
are on the right path. And I was asking that question.
You were more optimistic than I was.

Speaker 3 (19:35):
Yes, I yes, I was very you were, and.

Speaker 1 (19:39):
That's totally fair. You ended up being right. But I remember,
because I was looking at Poku at the time, it
was like he's not living up to, you know, expectations,
and there were other players in that like that. That
was the That was the years where you know, Sam
Presty obviously optimized so many bites of the apple, right.
He wanted to as many bites of the apple as
humanly possible, and he had that one or two year

(20:01):
stretch where most of those bites were unsuccessful. And I
think that could also be a case here, like because
and then you know, they have one good draft next year,
maybe the nets, and then all of a sudden, oh
all right, okay, cool, your back on draged Fine, but
this roster right now, I just I have no idea
what's up or what's down, and like it makes no

(20:22):
sense to me.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, I mean in retrospect their trade last year with
Houston where they gave up all of those Phoenix picks
to get control over their own picks back, you understand
why they did it, but now you look back and
that ended they ended up getting the eighth pick and
they ended up sending the tenth pick to Houston by

(20:45):
a Phoenix, So it was like a two spot move basically,
which is relatively inconsequential, especially if they were going to
do a perceived reach at number eight, like Demon was
probably going to be at the board at number ten.
So effectively traded your twenty twenty six control of your
twenty twenty six first round pick back for I think

(21:06):
it was twenty seven and twenty nine unprotected first from Phoenix.
And that's a Phoenix team that just traded Kevin Durant
and bought out Bradley Beal, Like, right.

Speaker 3 (21:20):
You understand why they did it.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
It was just a gamble that might have blown up
in their face and set them back a little bit.

Speaker 3 (21:27):
So I don't know.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
I mean, I'm just intrigued to see, like they still
have a lot of opportunity with that cap space.

Speaker 3 (21:33):
But you know, free agency, there are.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
Still a couple of loose ends to high up the
restricted free agents, and then like you know, Trey Lyles,
like al Horford and Melton, they're presumably going to the Warriors,
but there are a couple guys out there, but no
one worth spending a ton of money on. So like
do they you know, maybe they do a couple like
big one year balloon deals just for salary matching purposes

(21:58):
as trades.

Speaker 3 (22:00):
I don't know. I'm just curious to see what they
end up doing there.

Speaker 1 (22:05):
Yeah, because it does feel like that's the one seam
this offseason that isn't close to done. Yea in some capacity.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
They literally can't be, or if they are, that is
a huge wasted opportunity.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
Like I know, they just drafted a bunch of you know,
ball hampers or leaders or whatever, and I commend them
just throwing those guys into the fire. If that's their plan,
that's fine because you're you also want to be bad
for next years, like obviously you do. But at the
same time, who's going to get Michael Porter Junior touches?

(22:41):
Because he's not going to be someone who creates things
off his own accord. He's just not we know this,
So there's there's going to be an element here of
if he's going to be asked to do more with
the ball in his hands, like he's thinking he's the
next Kevin Rant you know what, Maybe that's their plan.
Maybe that's hey, you know what, go right ahead and

(23:03):
believe you're the next Kevin durand will give you the
green light to do So maybe that's the plan. I
don't know, but it just feels like this just from
a basketball perspective, it just feels unfinished.

Speaker 3 (23:14):
Oh for sure.

Speaker 2 (23:15):
Yeah, I mean they are still a complete mystery box.
Like I'm not sure they have a single like the
next time they are really good. Are we sure that
they have a single player on their roster currently who
will still be there or are they just gonna turn

(23:36):
through basically everybody on here before they end up moving
back into contention.

Speaker 1 (23:43):
The only player that could be their long term isn't
even there anymore because you guys signed him, Trenton Watford.
That's right, my pick for MIP last year, which did
not age well.

Speaker 2 (23:57):
No, well, this year you got a chance because Paul
George probably Am'm playing very much.

Speaker 1 (24:03):
Well, I I've already picked next season's MPH, so it well,
so we can stay in the East, because I know
you want to talk about this team as well. This
is actually a perfect transition my m I p and
this So I'm just going to tell this story. I
think I told it once on the show before, but
on the Danish pod two days, two or three days

(24:27):
before the trade went down, I was like, you know who,
the Washington Wishars Wizard should go get Cam Whitmore. And
I was talking to my my my guest at the time,
and I was like, you know what if the Wizards
go out and get Cam Widmore, He's going he's going
to average twenty three right off the bat Washington. That's
what I said, Lord behold the Wizard hurt me. And

(24:47):
two or three days after the show, they traded for
his ass, which by the way, I take partial credit,
and so I have it. You know, no like every
day and who listens to my show can just go.
No moret said this, He said, as Cam Whitmore it
goes to the Washington Wizards, he'll he'll average twenty three
points per game. So I backed myself into a corner

(25:08):
here and I'm pretty sure that if Cam Widmore does that,
he's the mip.

Speaker 3 (25:14):
So.

Speaker 1 (25:15):
But yeah, the Wizards, man, we need to talk about
the Wizards, Yeah, because you and I are high on
their process.

Speaker 2 (25:24):
Yes, Like I think we need to be clear we
do not expect them to be good this year. No,
they're still going to be very bad, but they are
rebuilding in a way.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
That I think is conducive to long term success.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
And like they're kind of following the OKAC model without
starting around Shake Gilss Alexander.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
I mean they did not know.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
Trading Bradley Beal for Flatsam is very different than trading
Paul George for Shake Gilds just Alexander and fifteen first
round picks. That that is the part of the OKAC
model that will be No other team can replicate that
unless you pull off a generational heist. But yeah, like
taking flyers on young guys like with More, like Malachi Brandham,

(26:09):
who they basically got for free.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
Yeah, hell, they almost got whit More for free.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah that was two second round picks.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
Two seconds and then they acquired a second like in
a follow up, what was it that the trade with
the Spurs where they sent Kelly Lin So basically, if
you look at the grand you know some of it all.
They gave up a single single second for game wit More,
which seriously.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
Yeah, yeah, that'sgusting to two years left of team control.
Not like Brandham and Blake Wesley were going into the
final years of their deal, so to one.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
Year flyer or whatever. But like can't wait more.

Speaker 2 (26:49):
You don't have to make a decision on his extension
until next offseason, so you actually have like real time
to evaluate him, which is nice. But yeah, I mean
they've got they just have a bunch of like intriguing
young guys, and they last season that they're you know,
they have Chris Middleton, they have CJ. McCollums still on
the roster, but otherwise they are almost completely devoid of
veterans at this point. So they'll keep those guys in

(27:10):
the fold, you know, to play them early on. But
like Middleton had quote unquote left knees soreness a whole
lot at the end of the last season, even though
he was perfectly fine to play one game, and then like, oh,
had left knee soreness, I'm gonna sit out five more games,
and like, oh, I'm back to healthy for one more game.
So they threaded the needle very well enough to not

(27:32):
get fined, but still lean heavily on their young guys,
and like, you know, they were pulling their veterans late
in games, like a lot of these teams were late
in the season, so they are very much committed to,
you know, putting these young guys in situations where like,
let's let's see the full extent of what you can
do and what we still need to address, which I

(27:54):
think was the big thing that OKAC did as well
and the lead up to their ascension.

Speaker 1 (28:00):
And honestly, I love that they have Middleton and mccollumn.
I love that because those guys, as you and I
both know, have great reputations within the league. I mean,
these are not guys who come in and say, well,
I want to average thirty and it's all about me, me, me,
me me, Like, don't don't get it twisted, Like I'm
not saying CJ and Chris don't want to play and

(28:21):
don't want to have featured role, Like name me a
player who doesn't want that everyone does, and like they
might also get a little pissy if they aren't playing
a lot of minutes, which would be justifiable. But there
aren't guys who would ever try to take it out
on their younger teammates. They are never guys who would
get so fed up with a situation that they would
stop supporting their younger teammates. Like these guys are mentors.

(28:43):
These guys are great with emphasis of great locker room guys.
So if you do right by them, they'll do more
than right with you. And for them to be there
and people to instill a certain culture and a certain
level of responsibility into all these nineteen twenty twenty one
year olds, that's huge and something we also seem to

(29:05):
be forgetting is Corey Kisspert. You know, he's a young veteran.
He's been in the league for what five years about
I think five years, I think, so somewhere along those lines.
He too has a great reputation in the locker room.
So it's very clear that the Wizards are going like
the anti Clippers road like always like hey, hi Josh Primo,

(29:27):
Hi Kevin Porter Junior, we don't care what you've done,
We're gonna sign you to become a new Los Angeles Clipper.
Like the Wizards are going the route of hey, you
know what, let's actually get adults in the room. Let's
make sure that we have people in charge, no or
not people in charge, but players on the roster who
can act as mentors, who can act as as an
extended coaching arm on the floor.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
Rick and love that, Yeah, yeah, I'm right with you there,
and like honestly, trading Kyle Kuzma was additioned by traction.
He was just playing such boso ball last year that
not having him soak up minutes and touches like Blah Kolabali.
The difference between when Kuzma was on the floor, active

(30:13):
in games and not was so stark last year, and
like you need to like Kuzma is so clearly not
a part of your future. You need to see what
you have in Kulabali because he's up for an extension
potentially after this season, so that is great. Jordan Poole played,
you know, he was in full boso ballmo two years ago.

(30:33):
Played much better this past season, like Kuzma was on
a different tier of boso ball.

Speaker 3 (30:39):
But still, you know, Jordan Poole.

Speaker 2 (30:41):
Is not part of your long term future either, flipping
him for a colum who's on an expiring contract, like
they have so much financial flexibility next summer, and you know,
not that like I think they're a threat to sign
Luka Doncic or anything. You know, I think it's going
to be a pretty tough sell to get any star
free agent to come there. And I you know there

(31:04):
might not be a ton of star free agents to
begin with, but just when we saw it the summer
with Brooklyn, Like, having that type of flexibility allows them
to trade a cam Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Junior
and get a fully unprotected Denver Nuggets pick from when
you know Jokich is either going to be very old

(31:24):
or he's gonna be watching horses in Serbia. Like that,
it allows you to take today, it takes a long
term place, which is what you know. I think that's
again like going back to Oka. See, that's what has
set them up so well for the future. Like now
they are in this model with they signed all three

(31:47):
of their stars to max extensions. They're gonna start feeling
the financial pinch starting next season, but they have so
many future draft picks that they're gonna be able to
turn through guys more easily than most contenders and most
champions can. I mean, we'd like Denver fell apart because
they started losing depth over the last couple of years. Okay,

(32:09):
see is gonna like they might lose a Lou Dort
or an Isaiah Hartenstein after this season just for financial reasons.
But now they have a Thomas Sorbert to step in,
or they have a Cason Wallace and kids, they have
to move on from Alex Caruso. I think the Wizards
are looking at that, as you know, that's what we're
hoping to accomplish as well. We're gonna continue compiling draft picks,

(32:31):
so like if Alex sar If Trey Johnson turn out
to be long term keepers, now we'll have additional picks
to surround them with long term talent once they're off
their rookie scale deals and like once we don't have
the financial flexibility that we currently do.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
And some thing to keep in mind with all this
is what we love about this is the process of
it all. Like we are not saying that all of
these guys are gonna be all stars, like the Salt's situation.
That's a couple of years away, and obviously you want
the results you want to have, like the long term
benefits and that that's there's a certain element of luck

(33:11):
involved in that too, just in terms of how guys
develop and how they you know, go from a draft
pick to becoming a star or whatever. And Ray Johnson,
for example, it's not that I'm without questions. It's not
that I'm without questions to alexr as well, Like I
have questions about plenty of these dudes, Like what is
Bob Carrington? Is he gonna be a one? Is he

(33:31):
gonna be a two? Is he gonna be kind of
stuck between positions for the rest of his career? Is
he like a career six man? B Sean George? Is
is he like a starting wing? Is he more gonna
be like a long term backup? Or is he gonna
be more of a four than the three? Like, it's
just the process of accumulating young talent. Because again, we

(33:53):
talked about like the bites of the Apple thing, and okay,
see that's the same situation here, Like Johnston, is he
the next Ray Allen? Or is seen the next Jordan Hawkins?
Nobody knows and we'll figure that out together.

Speaker 3 (34:07):
Yeah, totally.

Speaker 1 (34:11):
Let's wrap up with the last two teams. Who you got.

Speaker 2 (34:15):
I feel like we have to talk about this team
because you and I have been dming so much about
them over the past couple months, and we seem to
be aligned in a way that at least local writers
and media members of this team very much disagree with us.

Speaker 3 (34:32):
But the Milwaukee Bucks.

Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
I mean the report comes out from Sham's in mid
May that Yannis is open to exploring his other options
for the first time in his career. You and I
seem to say, like, okay, that might. You know, we've
seen this story enough times that we know how it

(34:57):
ends typically, and maybe maybe this time will be different,
Like maybe he really does spend his entire career in Milwaukee.
But I think you need to at least be objective
and realistic and like, look back to Damian Lillard two
years ago on you know, he started kind of laying
the groundwork for Soft launching a trade request before it

(35:17):
actually happened. The Bucks proceeded to wave Damian Lillard, who
gets hurt in the playoffs, has the torny a chill,
He's going to miss the whole season. Now are saddled
with a massive dead cap hit. The deal that he
signed with Portland will decrease it a little bit, but
it's still going to be north of twenty million per year,
I believe, and that's for the next five years. So

(35:40):
in an era where every team, like the second Apron era,
every dollar matters more than it ever has before, because
you like, no matter what else, you're doing. You're trying
to stay below the second apron whenever possible, unless you
are ready to win championship contender. Right now, they are
starting with a twenty million dead cap hit for the

(36:03):
remainder of Yiannis's prime. They signed Miles Turner. They use
the capsules that they created to sign Miles Turner. Yeah,
I think they did about as well as they could
have with the limited resources that they had at their disposal.
Getting Gary Trent Junior back, signing Gary Harris resigning toward
Prince all Great resigning, or getting Bobby Porters back wonderful.

(36:29):
I still just don't know where this.

Speaker 3 (36:30):
Team is going.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
Like I know, the hope is just like Giannis is
just so good he can carry us to forty five wins,
and that.

Speaker 3 (36:38):
Very well might be true.

Speaker 2 (36:40):
It's still hard for me to see how they build
a championship contender around him moving forward. And it really
just comes down to how much he has been telegraphing,
Like I mean, I can't count how many different interviews
he's done with different media outlets where he said, like
I love Milwaukee, I would love to spend my whole

(37:01):
career in Milwaukee.

Speaker 3 (37:02):
But the most important thing is a championship.

Speaker 2 (37:05):
If I end my career with one championship, I'm gonna
view as a disappointment, Like I want to contend for
another title.

Speaker 3 (37:12):
I just don't see how that's going to happen in.

Speaker 2 (37:14):
Milwaukee, Barn. I mean, you know, the East is wide
open this year because of the Tatum and Halley injuries,
and like, I still don't think the Bucks are in
that conversation. And once those guys recover next year, I
know Boston's gonna look different because they had to basically
get rid of Drew and Porzingis. But like the Pacers,

(37:36):
you know, we'll see what they do at Center.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
I guess to replace Miles Turner, but like, they very
well could be right back in the mix.

Speaker 2 (37:42):
You've got teams like Orlando, Detroit, Atlanta that could be
up and coming. Yeah, I guess it's a modified version
of the same question that I had for Chicago of
like what's the plan here? I mean, your plan is
to build around Giannis. That's great, but like, how do
you plan to turn this team into a championship contender?

Speaker 1 (38:05):
The Bucks are the bulls, but the honest.

Speaker 3 (38:08):
Right, which which is a much better place to be, right.

Speaker 1 (38:14):
I think For me, I obviously I agree with you,
because I voiced this opinion plenty of times as well,
both on On Blue Sky and here. To me, the
whole challenge is always it's it's the same thing that happens,
the same story. Giannis goes out, he makes some you know,
ryptick not thread, but it's not also not a threat.

(38:37):
It's like one of those I want to be competitive,
I want to win another championship, and the Bucks ownership
group or their managerial team whatever kind of panics, and
then they literally literally exhaust every possibility just to move
forward one inch. You know, it's like, okay, let's trade

(38:58):
everything we have over the under this on for this. Okay.
And when they got Dame, I'm on board because that's
at least, you know, a player who's off a certain
caliber to a point where yeah, that makes sense. But
they've done it before and after with so many guys
from like, is this is this really going to be enough?

Speaker 2 (39:17):
And yeah, so like it's hard to fall them for
doing it every single time.

Speaker 1 (39:26):
But now they're so old though, that's the issue like
that because they they never at any point did they
go out and go for younger guys and that was
something you and I. I think you and I actually
talked about it right on the heels of the championship.
I seem to recall you and I saying, oh, they
won the championship. Great, they got the monkey off their back.
Now it's about trying to find ways to keep that

(39:49):
train moving by becoming a little bit younger, and instead
they kept getting older, kept getting older. That's what I
mean by exhausting all of your assets, because when you
then acquire old players, those are depreciating assets, like you're
not going to get something more from them later on.
And now we've reached the point where they had no
assets left. They had to go in and use the

(40:12):
waven stretch provision and use it acid ascid. And that
to me is where you've become so desperate and have
painted you're in yourself into a corner to such an
extent where you have no maneuverability left, like at all,
You're screwed. Like and we can sit here and talk
about all that magical gap year, Brian, that we've heard

(40:35):
a lot of Bucks people talk about, like that magical
gap year. I'm sorry, what is that magical gap year
going to result in? Like a Cooper Flac esque draft pick,
because I can tell you right now, as long as
you have Gannis on the Kombu, it's fucking not mm hmm.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
Well I saw they not have control over there, right,
that's at least one.

Speaker 3 (40:56):
If not, yeah, I mean they've got.

Speaker 2 (40:59):
Uh okay, Well, honestly, I mean thanks to Atlanta or
New Orleans. Atlanta gets the more favorable of the Pelicans
pick and the Bucks pick this year, and then Milwaukee
gets the less favorable of the two. But if you're
the Bucks to pick the one, but if you're thinking,
you know, you're doing these moves to stay competitive, so

(41:21):
like you're hoping that you are not going to have
a high lottery pick, and if you do, Atlanta's gonna
take it anyway. So you need basically, you need disaster
to hit both the Bucks and the Pelicans for the
Bucks to get a good draft pick this year, and
then they don't have their pick in twenty twenty seven.
You've got swaps in twenty eight, they don't have their

(41:43):
pick in twenty nine, don't have a swap in twenty
thirty with Portland, so they all have control of their
own first round pick until twenty thirty one. I don't
think they think they've traded all of their available second
round picks and have a top fifty five protected pick

(42:03):
from Utah or twenty twenty six that I do not
believe is going to condect.

Speaker 1 (42:08):
So, but let's also clarify something. We're not saying that
if Janis Onscompo is happy being a Buck, we're not
saying they should proactively trade him, just because what we're
saying is that if Gianni's genuinely truly is like I
need that second freaking championship, right, that third freaking championship,
if you win the second one, like I need to

(42:30):
have multiple rings, then we just we're going to reach
a crossroads, like eventually there's going to have to be
a decision made, be that from Yanni's or the organization.
If this whole thing ends up with Gianna's being perfectly
satisfied with being a Buck until he wraps up his
career and the team forever and ever and ever until

(42:51):
he retires, or is just like a first round or
at best second round team, Good on you. That's fine
if that's what you want to do, because to satisfy
the face and base and satisfy Giannis and like he's
a buck for life and you can, you know, basically
paint him as the new era like Tim Duncan, a
guy who never left. More power to you. I would
love that story. I would love to see Yannis continue

(43:12):
his career and wrap up his career for that matter
in Milwaukee. That's that's a great story. But Jesus, they
haven't made itself. It like, they haven't made it easier
for themselves to like align those align that situation for him,
Like when is that second championship even going to be

(43:32):
within their grasp? Right? I don't see an avenue to.

Speaker 3 (43:36):
That, right, right? Right? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (43:38):
I mean I think that's my fundamental question is like
do you have the assurance that he just is going
to stay forever? And all of this talk about winning
another championship is like to put pressure on them, but
they're not, like He's not going to leave no matter what,
because if not, I just I just think like both

(43:59):
sides need to be brutally honest and say, like, look,
this relationship has run its course. We went all in
around you a couple times, we won a championship, like
it was all worth it. We have no regrets about
how we built around you, but like, at a certain point,
it's just not realistic to expect us to be able
to build a championship a contender around you with no

(44:21):
draft picks, very few promising young players, this twenty million
dollar dead cap hit from Damian Lillard, You're on a
thirty five percent max contract, Like, how do you expect
us to conjure a second co star and then a
competent supporting cast, especially with your future in question? Like,
you know, you were able to resign a bunch of

(44:42):
these guys because they probably didn't have a ton of
other great options in free agenciess, no team had cap space.

Speaker 3 (44:48):
But you know it's gonna be hard. You're not getting
the top.

Speaker 2 (44:51):
Tier ring chasers to come to Milwaukee unless Jannis, you know,
signs another extension and says like I'm going to spend
the the rest of my career here.

Speaker 3 (45:00):
And then maybe maybe you do then.

Speaker 2 (45:03):
But they're just working from such a deficit to build
out of that. You know, I don't think there should
be hard feelings from either side, Like I get the
impression that, like I think Giannis genuinely loves being in Milwaukee.
I completely buy that, and I don't think he wants

(45:26):
to be the bad guy by asking out, and I
don't think the Bucks want to be the bad guy
by trading him before he asks out.

Speaker 3 (45:32):
So they're kind of at a standstill. But I don't
think there should.

Speaker 1 (45:36):
Be like it's a Mexican standoff in many ways, though
it really is.

Speaker 2 (45:42):
And like I don't think there should be bad blood
if they decide to move on from one another, Like
I think you can just admit the relationship has run
its course.

Speaker 3 (45:49):
And like the best thing for the Milwaukee.

Speaker 2 (45:52):
Bucks long term championship hopes that you know, trading gi honest,
you're not going to get a player as good as
you honest to return, even you're gonna trade them for
a bunch of draft picks. The odds are one of
these draft picks or none of those draft picks will
land you a player as good as Giannis, like he
is an all time great, and you're you're going to
be on the losing side if you want the best

(46:13):
player in that transaction. You are going to be on
the losing side if you trade Giannis. But you are
just so depleted at a certain point you just need
to start replenishing your coffers and looking ahead and like
trying to find, you know, who's the next guy we
build around, and can we get more depth around that guy,
because otherwise, like if you don't have a single second

(46:36):
round pick through twenty thirty two, you have one first
round pick and one swap that you could trade currently.

Speaker 3 (46:43):
And then you know you'll get like a very likely.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
I mean the twenty twenty eight pick they can get
is from like five different teams. Like they've got a
couple first round picks coming still that they just can't
trade yet. Or I guess they could, like technically maybe
trade additional swaps, but like they're just so limited in
the ways that they can take these big swings.

Speaker 1 (47:08):
Now, Yeah that I.

Speaker 3 (47:11):
Don't know it.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
I just keep coming back to, like I I think
the relationship has run its course if your goal is
actual championship contention, but.

Speaker 3 (47:22):
It really to your point, it might not be like it.

Speaker 2 (47:24):
The Bucks really just might be content with like we
need to keep fans and seats. If Yiannis is not here,
no one is coming, or we're going to be completely irrelevant.
We can't deal with that kind of financial hit for
a couple of years, and like, you know, that's not
the best thing for their organization's health moving forward from
a like championship contention standpoint, But if it is from

(47:46):
a financial standpoint, that's a consideration we need to take
into account.

Speaker 1 (47:50):
Yeah, it's you mentioned that thing that if they are
to trade Giannis, they're never going to get the better
player in return. That's I think that's part of why
I've been very confused about seeing Box people, you know, fans, writers, whatever,
kind of make the argument, you know, why should they
trade Gianni's if they aren't you know, absolutely certain they

(48:11):
can get a player as good or better than Giannis
in return. And I have true reactions to that. One is,
have you not seen the NBA over the past fifty years?
Like when does this happen? Two? Yeah, like you said,
Yannas is arguably a top ten player of all time,
Like what planet are you living on? Like even if

(48:34):
you were to have traded him for the rights to
Cooper Flag, Like, I don't think anyone is sitting here saying, oh,
Cooper Flag is absolutely going to be a top ten
player all time, Like he might be, we don't know,
we haven't. He hasn't even had his debut yet. But
like that's are those are pretty long odds man, Like,
that's not something that's treading in stone. So I'm like,

(48:55):
what is your expectation here, nicolea Jokic, Why would that
do that? Like, what is what is your expectation here?
Like we've never seen like a star who's going to
be like the feature player moved in a trade for
someone better, because then it's the other guy who's the
featured player in a trade. Like it's it just makes

(49:17):
no sense to me why that has suddenly become the
expectation that if we are to trade, is we have
to get something better in return that better isn't available. Man,
It's yeah, yeah, I don't really get that. But like
the Box is a team that I'm I'm just very
confused about, especially that. Look we talked about Kyle Kuzma.

(49:40):
He just had such a horrid playoff series for them
as well. I think I think we've reaching that point
where he's just a net negative so many ways, like
he'll have he'll have to just turn his entire narrative
around this coming season for sure for them to have
any chance. In hell, and then before we move on
to the sec to the last team here, there's also
this thing since they have just exhausted everything. That means

(50:04):
that Gianni's is going to carry a larger responsibility this
coming season and presumably the seasons beyond knock on wood
and nothing that nothing happens, obviously, but that's gonna significantly
increase an injury risk. So like, I just this seems like,
you know, a half minded retool, rebuild, whatever you want

(50:26):
to call it.

Speaker 2 (50:27):
Yeah, yeah, whatyd knows that I'm right there with you.

Speaker 1 (50:33):
Let's wrap up with the Toronto Raptors because I have questions. Okay,
I actually liked their team coming into last season. I
like like the theoretical cohesion between a lot of those
you know bricks. The thing was everyone was injured, like
they never really saw a moment together. And then over

(50:56):
the course of the trade deadline, they traded for freaking
Brandon in which I don't think made a lot of sense.
Like they did have some bullets in the chamber. They
had to go out and spend because they were going
to be at over the Captaine regardless, so like they
had to go out and get someone, and they used
Bruce Brown's expiring contract in particular to go get someone,
which I think was the right play. But Ingram specifically

(51:17):
was like, really a WTF situation. They extended him, They
even gave him a raise, which further, you know, weirded
me out considering you know how he's been a source
of frustration both of the Pelicans and Pelicans fans for
years now. Now, this team is very expensive and I

(51:39):
have very little idea about who they are. And I love,
emphasis on love culin Murray Boyles. I loved him in
the draft or before the draft. They took him at
ninth and I'm just very very skeptical of where he's
gonna play, how many how much minutes? So how many

(52:00):
minutes he's going to play because that roster is just
loaded at the at the forwards bunnel suddenly like Inkram, RJ. Barrett,
Scottie Barnes, Like where is Murray boys going to play?
Like they still need more guard help for Emmanuel quickly,
unless they're planning on making RJ. Barrett a guard again,
which didn't really work out all that well in New York.

(52:21):
Let's be real about it. So, like, what is your
take on these very odd Toronto Raptors.

Speaker 2 (52:27):
Yeah, that similar to your thought about the Nets. I mean,
they're like incomplete in a different way, and that you
just you know, they are still looking for those building blocks.
The Raptors potentially have some, but like right now, they
are very expensive.

Speaker 3 (52:48):
I believe they're over the tax. Yeah, they're like.

Speaker 2 (52:51):
Five million over the tax ye for a team that
is not currently favored to make the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (52:58):
And you know, I.

Speaker 2 (52:59):
Think I think the expectations for them might be a
little low. Like I actually think they have a real
shot to make the playoffs, in part because the East
is gonna be so bad. But they're pretty top heavy
in terms of salary. It's still not clear to me
at least if Scottie Barnes is like the number one

(53:21):
player on a title team, I think he's probably better
as the number two or number three. So I think
it's really like all of their guys are probably better
as like second.

Speaker 3 (53:30):
Or third options.

Speaker 2 (53:31):
So they're building around a bunch of like number two,
number three, number four is still need that number one.

Speaker 3 (53:37):
Unclear how they're gonna get it. If they're gonna get it,
you know, another shoe has to.

Speaker 2 (53:42):
Drop at some point. Like Barnes, Ingram and RJ. Barrett
all on the same roster do not make sense. So
I know Eric Pinkts a Bleacher report has been mentioning
Barrett as a possible trade candidate this offseason. You know,
maybe that going back to the nets, like maybe that's
a a consideration. Yeah, I mean, like they have because

(54:07):
they have so many guys on big contract, Like if
a star shakes free again, they've got the salary match
to acquire someone fairly easily. But it is hard to
kind of see they have to get that player via trade,
and it's just like, if it's not you, honest, then
who Yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:28):
Right. There's also another thing that just I guess it's
sense off weird vibes. They fired beside you, Cherry Wood
one day after the draft.

Speaker 3 (54:40):
Yeah, that was weird.

Speaker 1 (54:42):
I don't think that instills confidence in agents or players
around them mm hmm in any way shape of so. Like,
and they have to know that those were bad optics, right,
Like if you don't know that, that even make that
makes me even more.

Speaker 3 (55:00):
Worry, right right, right right? Yeah? Yeah, that whole situation
was weird.

Speaker 1 (55:09):
Right because there were conflicting reports. Oh, Massa didn't have
anything to do with the draft, and then someone else
was like, well he had to because of the job title.
He held he would have to okay the picks, so
like what.

Speaker 2 (55:22):
Yeah, and like all of their talk about culture and
like established in culture, like Massaill was a big part
of that. So yeah, I mean they feel like a
team in transition that you know, we had talked about plenty,
like they needed to move some of their pieces earlier.

(55:43):
They did not get as much as they like necessarily
should have Forrest Yakam or an Ogan and Obi.

Speaker 3 (55:49):
They waited too long to pull the trigger.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
And they're left with this where it's like, I mean,
Scottie Barnes was a godsend for them, but you know,
like for the prices they paid for Ingram for quickly
for Barrett like to acquire them via trade and give
up a ton like, they're still in fairly decent shape

(56:12):
into with their future draft capital. It's not like they
you know, they're not the Milwaukee Bucks here if anything,
Like they own all their first moving forward. They've traded
a twenty twenty six top fifty five protected second rounder,
so that's oh no, what right? Then they've got the
Lakers second in twenty twenty six. The only other pick,

(56:34):
either incoming or outgoing, is twenty thirty one to New Orleans.
But that almost speaks to their lack of ambition because
I think I was going through this the other day,
and like if you go on real gms, you know
the future drafts, like all the draft picks owed, and
like most teams, it's a crime scene, like trying to

(56:55):
sort through like who owes what to wear and like
what they're like, you know some picks that are could
be you get to pick from, like any of five teams.
Basically the two teams that did not have almost anything
either incoming or outgoing were the Toronto Raptors and the
Chicago Bulls. Like if you can screenshot their entire chart

(57:23):
in one page, you're doing it wrong because basically no
other team you can do that for except for the
Raptors and the Bulls.

Speaker 1 (57:30):
Right, you never want to be the same grouping as
the Bulls too, right.

Speaker 2 (57:36):
So I mean that like another shoe has to drop
here at some point, I guess we'll see, Like I'm
guessing it's more of a trade deadline thing, Like they'll
want to see how Ingram. I mean, we never saw
Ingram since after they acquired him, So they'll want to
see how all these guys Mesh and then reevaluate.

Speaker 3 (57:55):
But like this team is not finishing the season over
the tax line.

Speaker 1 (58:00):
No, I don't think so either. That would be very
very unexpected. I wonder if Bashi is the one to
go out, because if you clear him, yeah, you get
under the tax. And he's a restricted free agent next
year anyway, and given that you have already you know,
or you're paying Barns, you're paying Ink, or you're paying
Quickly bear it myrtle and so on, perhaps he's going

(58:22):
to be the sacrificial lamb.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
He's good too, Yeah, I could see that. I mean, yeah,
he's the easiest by far. Like if they're just doing
a pure we're dumping someone to get under the tacks, right,
he would be the one to go for sure.

Speaker 1 (58:36):
Yeah. And he's also not like you know, you have
Grady dig They drafted Jacobe Walter last year fairly high
as well. So like at the off guard spot, you're
probably going with the youth instead, Like lord knows, they
don't have minutes at the three. Bashi might be one
of those guys who like, hey, the nets called up
the nets. You need more money on the books. Here

(58:58):
have a twenty five year old, Yeah, why why not?
I am optimistic about their signing of San mamokoshreetly though,
I like that. I wanted him to Orlando originally because
I thought he'd be fun as like a floor spacing
center next to Paolo and Franz. But I don't hate
him and Surrunna either. He've be fun.

Speaker 3 (59:20):
Needs more minutes, sure, I have zero strong takes about
it either way.

Speaker 1 (59:27):
All right, Brian, thank you so much for joining the show.
We went through a bunch of teams. We said thirty
to forty minutes. We're at an hour that is so
typical US, honestly, like, well, right back to norm We
just covered the East. We'll be back in another episode
to well race questions about West teams as well. I'm
guessing we're all very skeptical of the Oklahoma City Thunder

(59:50):
moving forward. But until we talk again, everyone, thank you
for tuning in. Have a good one ever s