September 29, 2023 • 53 mins
Damian Lillard is now a Milwaukee Buck and -- after Chris Haynes' revealing behind-the-scenes piece for Bleacher Report on the blockbuster trade -- Haynes and Marc Stein reconnect on the pod to go deep on all angles of the Lillard deal and, specifically, to detail the depths of the discontent that marked Dame's divorce from the Trail Blazers.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to this league uncut rule of twenty four hour
NBA News. This's you, Chris Hans.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's time, work's time, It's so time.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
This league uncut is underway and on fire.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
This should be a good one.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Friends, Welcome in to the long awaited return of this
league uncut. Yes, we are back, and back just in time.
After Wednesday. On Wednesday this week, the NBA was hit
(00:46):
with a legit, no holds barred, true blockbuster trade. Damian
Lillard shipped from Portland to Milwaukee in a three team
and then Thursday followed with the next blockbuster. Chris Haynes,
(01:08):
star of this very podcast, with a very detailed behind
the scenes inside look at how this trade came together
how Damian Lillard, with very little chatter about the Milwaukee Bucks,
ended up being sent to Wisconsin to now partner with
(01:32):
Jana Santetakumpo and form one of the stariest star duos
in this league. I think if you've already read Chris's story,
you understand why we did not do an emergency immediate
reaction pod Wednesday after the trade. Chris obviously needed to
report out that story, and if you haven't read the story,
I urge you to read it, but we're going to
(01:54):
get into tons of it here, mister Haynes, good evening,
recording this late Thursday night. And you threw a lot
at us today, sir.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well Stein, there was a lot. I'll tell you this.
You said, I threw a lot at you. There was
still a lot of meat left on the bone. Still
a lot of meat left on the bone.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Let's well, hopefully we'll get into so, hopefully we will,
we will, hopefully we will reveal some of that in
this forthcoming discussion.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, but it's that time again. It seems like Stein
will glad to be back man.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah, no question, And look, it was it was. It was,
you know, a source of curiosity I think around the
league that how would Portland? Was Portland really treating Media
Day as a deadline? How motivated were the Blazers to
get this done and make a Dame trade before Media Day,
(02:55):
before the season started so they could truly move on.
And as we've come to learn that after a very
quiet second half of July and a very quiet August,
things really did heat up in the back half of September,
and the Blazers were determined to get this thing done.
(03:17):
Before the new season started. And one of the many
very interesting revelations in your piece is that when Damian
Lillard and Joe Cronin, the Blazers general manager, when they
met on September fifth, as it was becoming apparent to
Damian Lillard that a trade to his preferred destination of
Miami was not going to materialize, Damian Lillard, as you've
(03:41):
reported tonight, offered to rescind his trade request and go
back to the Blazers, and Joe Cronan told him no,
that the Blazers were going ahead with trading him. And
in your story you talk about how Dame realized at
that point he wasn't going to Miami. He didn't nowhere
he was going yet, but he knew he wasn't going
(04:02):
to Miami. And most of the league twenty eight teams
media day is Monday. Dallas and Minnesota because they're playing
exhibition games abroad, they were able to start this week.
Minnesota's media day was today, Dallas's media day was Friday,
but everybody else in the league media day is Monday.
And now Portland has its deal and has its fresh start.
(04:25):
But just just take us take us from there, I
guess just I mean that was you have a lot
of stunning stuff in here. But the fact that Dame
actually offered to rescind the trade request and stay a
Blazer for the short term to give them more time
to make a trade, and the Blazers turn that down.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Wow, Yeah, I mean it just got really ugly behind
the scenes. And you know, a lot there was a
lot of developments that happened throughout the course of this offseason,
this journey, I should say, and I just couldn't bring
it home at the time. But I will say to Dame, like, yes,
(05:06):
he he made an effort to say, you know, he
would rather resend his trade and come back if he
was going to get traded to somewhere other than Miami.
And he you know, he was shocked to hear that
that wouldn't be allowed. And so with that being said,
(05:28):
it's still like there was still we weren't hearing much
traction from any other teams. You know, we heard, you know,
we heard about Toronto and Minnesota. You know, there was
there is some concern Utah could jump in, who else
who else? South was out there talk Chicago, they were
(05:49):
doing they were trying to feel around and so Dame
thought like, look, okay, you know he's saying I might
not be welcome back, but if they can't get a
trade done, then I you know, I would rather go
and do what I've always done this time of year,
and that show up to the practice facility, you know,
around this time, because this is the around the time
(06:10):
where guys gather a few weeks before camp and they
start during their their pre camp routine schedules of these
are unofficial practices that take place. And so he went
like a few days after It was like literally the
(06:31):
next week, a few days after his meeting with Joe Crone,
and he went to the facility and he went for
eight days, and you know, you know, he told me
that you know, people were excited to see him, and
you know, he hasn't been at the facity in a while,
and he had just got had his his new house built.
(06:51):
It took a few years to build his house from
from scratch and his house has his home actually has
a full court, plush basketball gym in there, and so
he's been working, you know, he spent the majority of
the off season working at you know basketball while I
was working in in his gym and his home and
(07:11):
so he decided to go back to the practice practice City,
and you know, he said everybody was receptive. Man. You know,
he went in there for eight days and he said
he saw Joe each and every day and he didn't
say not one word to him during that time. So
you know, he didn't know. And he has a quote
(07:32):
in there in the story of him not knowing if
they felt like he was trying to cause a commotion
or whatever, but you know, he was just doing what
he's been doing for you know, ten plus years already,
and just going going into the facility getting ready because
he didn't know where he was going to be. And
so it just got to it. It just got to
(07:54):
an ugly place, man. And it was unsad and fortunate
to see it all come down to this. But there's
a lots time. There's a lot in there. I forgot
a lot of ship that that that's in the story.
And so it's at the end of the day they
had to pivot and think of other teams outside of Miami,
(08:17):
and word trickled trickled out to my excuse me, word
trickled out to Milwaukee that Dame would be receptive to
going there if he was moved there and from there
that's when the Bucks got on the move, and and
that's what led us to to Dame and Johannest teaming up. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
I mean, it's just that's going to be a spectacular pairing.
And you know, you've kind of talked about it a
little bit that you know, these guys have huge appreciation
for each other. They have talked about playing together, and
I think you you reported earlier this week about how
you know, Dame said well, why why can't we get
(08:57):
you to Portland? And Giannis is like, well, why can't
we get you to Milwaukee? And and it ends up
being Milwaukee. I mean so so, I mean, you know
I always call you the world's foremost damologist. Do you
think he you think he's going to be good with
this that that obviously Milwaukee is not South Beach, but
he is going to get a chance to play for
a championship with a guy.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I'm going to be candid with you. I was on
the phone with him when he got word he was
going to Milwaukee, Like I was live on the phone
with him and he was just really just speechless, you know,
he he was he was saying, like I gotta wrap
(09:42):
my mind around this. I gotta wrap my mind around
That's that's what he kept saying. And he was talking
about his kids. You know, you know, what is his
kids going to do? Are they coming? Are they you know?
You know, that's that was what he was thinking. And slowly,
over time he started to think about the basketball side
(10:04):
of it. He was like, yeah, this will be the
the greatest team I've ever been a part of, you know,
he was he was like talking himself through it, like
it was really like he you know how it is
like when you when you with somebody or are you're
on the phone with somebody and they're just hit with
this life's changing news and they're they're just they're just
(10:30):
speechless for a minute, and you can tell they're just
taking it all in. And that's what what I kind
of caught. You know, I didn't I didn't catch them.
We just happened to be on the phone at the time.
And slowly, I will say so, I would say probably
a few hours afterwards, you know, we were we were
texting throughout and he was like, yeah, I'm still thinking
(10:52):
I'm just informing a family, informing loved ones what's going on.
But like as the day went on Star, he got
more excited and more excited, man like, and I think
I think what really got him to that point as well, Uh,
he finally read a text from Jannis that said, let's
(11:14):
fucking get this championship, you know, and so that like
really got his juice is flowing right there, and you
know he's ready, He's all in now. Like when it
first happened, I didn't know how long that type of
feeling he had. Initially, I didn't know how long that
(11:34):
would last. But as he started, you know, he started
talking about the roster and looking at you know, I
was going over the roster with him at one point,
and I'm like, damn, Like they got Brooke Portos. You know,
they didn't they didn't really gut the team. You know,
it's the team is intact, and you know, I forgot
(11:55):
they got Malik Beasley out there. You know, Milik Bezy's
our first our first player guests on our podcast, and
so you know, he just started thinking looking at the roster.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
I hope, I hope, I hope Dame is the first
player to do two interviews on this podcast. Look, I like,
I love this move for Milwaukee and it is definitely risky.
I mean, Drew Holliday is a fantastic player who you
see the frenzy that his availability is now sparking with
(12:32):
Portland fielding all kinds of interest because everybody knows the
Blazers want to trade Drew Holliday now, and Milwaukee doesn't
win a championship without him, and there's definitely going to
be a hit on the perimeter defensively. But like this is,
you know, Yannis has been so vocal this summer with
the two interviews in the New York Times and then
(12:54):
on the forty eight Minutes podcast, and he, you know,
so openly kind of you know, put it to the
Bucks that hey, guys, I need to see something. I
need to see more. And they turn right around very
quickly and make a trade for Damian Lillard. I mean,
can I sit here and guarantee that it's going to work. No,
(13:15):
But as you said, the Bucks still have a lot
of defensive minded players on that team. This trade moves
Chris Middleton to third Star rather than second Star, which
I think helps him. But most of all, the Bucks
are going to be able to no matter what happens,
if this goes well, If if it doesn't if somehow
Jannis still doesn't want to stay down the road whatever,
(13:37):
But the Bucks are gonna be able to look their
fans squarely in the face and say, we try to
do everything to make Giannis happy.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yeah, I will say this, so also take people behind
the scenes. Jannis called me. So when the trade went down,
I'm texting with Giannis and you know, we're texting back
later on in the day, which was yesterday. Yesterday, he
gives me a gives me a call, and he was like,
(14:09):
I wish people could I wish I could play the audio.
But he was really distraught about losing Drew, but very
very excited about having Dame. So it's like that, it's
like the emotions, you know, he described as bittersweet, and so, uh,
(14:32):
you know, he just talked. He just talked really glowingly
and favorably about the person first and foremost that Drew
Holliday is, And he talked about the still that he
had in Game five in the finals that helped them
win their first championship, and how he's always going to
be indebted to him. Say, he loves Drew, Drew loves
his family, He love everything he stands for and so
(14:55):
he's really caught in a tough place there because yes,
the honesty, you know, he did have words out. They're
kind to illustrating the need for the Bucks to continue
to try to improve the roster if they want to
keep him, and you know, in doing so, you know
you're going to you're gonna lose, there's gonna be collateral damage,
(15:16):
You're gonna lose key pieces. And Drew Holliday is one
of those guys. And you know then he then he
goes into Dame and saying like, you know, Dame's going
to be spread the floor and you know, the pick
and roll game. So he you know, it was tough
for you, honest too. It was very tough for honest
too because you know he had those public comments and
then this happens, and you know, you lose a great
(15:40):
player and a greater person two to get Damian Lillard.
So tough, tough situation all the way around.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
But I have this quote here, I've got your piece open.
Here's here's what you quote.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Hold on Stein, Oh no, no, no, no, no, Stein.
If you're going to read this, read this verbatim. I
want you to read every single words STI every single
word love to get me in trouble, man, you could
do it.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Drew is my fucking brother for life. I love his family,
I love him, I appreciate him. I wish him nothing
but the best. He blessed me with a fucking championship.
Antetokumpo told b R he's the one who made that
huge steal in Game five of the finals. I went
to battle with him multiple times. Fuck basketball, Fuck the media. Shit.
(16:31):
This guy is my brother for life, and it's always
going to be like that. He's going to thrive wherever
he ends up and then he continues. Now. At the
same time, I'm excited to have Dame. He gives us
a chance to win a championship. I'm excited to play
with the caliber player that he is. He can score
the ball in his sleep and shoot the lights out.
It's a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee. You
(16:52):
get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose
a great guy. Drew took us to the promised Land.
I'm ten years in now, I know it's of business.
At the end of the day, Drew will always be
my brother for life. He's one of the best human
beings I've ever been around, but we've got to focus
on the goal to win a championship. Dame wants this,
he's hungry to win, and he's going to push us.
I'm very happy to have him on our team. I
(17:15):
actually want to see if you would expound. You had
a tweet right after the trade about Giannis in a
barbershop in Fresno, and I I know more of that story,
but I don't think the audience knows that story. So
can you kind of tell that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Stun I think no, I told that story here on
this podcast.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
You don't want to retell that whole story.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I can, so this would this would be the off
you know, the off season the Bucks are eliminated and
every summer, so for full transparency, Gianni's fiance is my cousin.
That's my blood cousin, Mariah. She's from Fresno like I am.
(17:58):
You know, they have beautiful kids. You know, those are
my cousins. So every summer, Jannis takes a trip to
Fresno and spends time with the family down there. And
I got a phone call from one of my partners
who was at Phase two barbershop in Fresno. It's a
(18:19):
popular barbershop. We have in Fresno. It's been there for years, decades,
a few decades, and Yannis Yannis went there. Uh, my
cousin took Giannis up in there, and my partner who
told me that he was there, was just raving about
how Giannis was just saying like giving them like great stories,
(18:41):
like just being free and open and transparent about how
he feels about what he's looking for, you know, in
a team and who he wants to play play for
and play with or like he was being transparent and
I'm not even going to say some of the stuff
that he said because it was off the record. You know,
(19:02):
no cameras were in there, so props to uh to
the people that were getting haircuts with keeping keeping their
phones uh in their pockets. But one thing, one thing
for sure. He was asked like if is there one
player that he would like to play with that he
hasn't played with before, and without hesitation, he said, Damien Lilok.
(19:24):
So you know that that you know? And then look,
you know they they brought this up on social media.
I think it was what was this past this past
draft All Star? Yeah, this All Star game, Joannis made
Dame the number one pick over his teammates Drew Holliday.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Yeah, which because I'm I can't even remember yesterday, so
of course I did forget all that and now that
was that was, that was, it was right there in
front of us, and we we we didn't realize it.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Yeah. Yeah, so this has been going on going on
for a minute. But no he he he. He revealed
that in a barbershop with about ten people in that shop.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
And so I shouldn't meddle people, I should not meddle
into your writing life, but I can't resist. Someday I
would love to read when I want to read Chris
Haynes and Joannis. I want to read a day in
the I want to read a story, a day diary
of you guys in Fresno, because that's the thing I
(20:29):
think people are like, why is and Fresno?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
I kid you not, so Stein, this was about seven
years ago, I kid you, not about seven years ago.
I'm covering the Portland Trailblazer at one point and then
leave they're in the playoffs. The high school I went
to is Edison High School, where same high school as
your good pal Bruce Bowen. Yes, indeed so so Edison State.
(20:56):
Yes that that Bruce Bowen, So, Edison High School is
on the west side of Fresno, which is the roughest
side of town in Fresno. So just for background, So
my dad, who's not you know, he doesn't keep up
with things that well with what's going on in the
news and things, so a lot of times when he
brings things up, I have to clarify and and tell
(21:20):
him what's really going on. So I just know I'm
covering a playoff series and my dad gives me a call.
I pick up and I'm like, what's up? Dad? He said, Hey,
the Greek freak is at Edison High School? And I'm like, what, Dad,
what's wrong with you? Like I'm mad, and like I'm
almost about to hang up on my dad because I'm
like I'm busy, Like I got like, why is the
(21:43):
Greek freak at Edison High School in Fresno? Like what
is the point? What is he talking about? Like, the
Greek freak is at Edison? I saw him? Like, Dad,
you saw some other tall dude. You didn't see no
Jannis after Coupo and Fresno at Edison High School? Stop it?
So I hung up. I dismissed it and about a
month later, I was was it Vegas? I don't know,
(22:06):
but I saw Mariah. You know, Mariah used to work
at Mariah used to work for the Philadelphia seventy six ers.
She used to work in their media relations department. And
I would get a customer meeting up with her in Philadelphia,
you know, saying, you know, when I get there on
the road, we'll catch up or whatever. And then she
(22:32):
never told me one thing. Last thing. That first thing
I heard her dad Pat, which is my that's my
first cousin, her dad. So, yeah, Mariah moved to Milwaukee.
I'm like, what, her dad's the one that told me.
So then they just hit I'm like, hold on, she
(22:55):
really is. She's she's what Yanna Yes sees what Yanna's
Chris like wow, just wow. So that's how that all.
That's how all transpired. Man. So uh yeah, I have
yet to actually, I have yet to be in Fresno
the same time has been there ever since. They've been
(23:16):
a good I have yet to be there at the
scien time.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
The city can't handle that much stardom at once.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Oh that's that's a lot. That's its bell can handle
it with just me. That's that's a lot stun.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
So. All right, back to your story here, So, I mean, look,
the first quote you run is, you know, is a
headline in itself. I mean, for one, Dame wrote an
incredible thank you letter to the city of Portland and
to fans. You gotta you have to read the whole thing.
If you haven't seen it, it's everybody. It's eight screen
(23:49):
shots long. And uh, you know, I actually tweeted the
last line because you know, it was a beautifully written line. Quote.
I do believe a day will come where I put
on a Blazer's uniform again, on again, and hopefully by
then I'll be forgiven, Dame says, for breaking your hearts
along with my own. So I mean he knows that he's,
(24:11):
you know, disappointed a lot of Blazers fans by leaving.
But I mean, look this, this quote in your story again,
the first quote, this is from Dame again, first quote
to you. How this summer played out behind the scenes.
Definitely definitely left a sour taste in my mouth, but
it doesn't change and doesn't change the amazing experiences I've
(24:32):
had with the Trailblazers and this city. I'll always cherish,
cherish this place. This is my home. I'll always live
here regardless. So I mean, he's he's referring there in
the beginning to just the way this all went down.
Your story details over and over about how the Blazers
they just would not engage Miami. They were not going
(24:53):
to trade Dame to the team he wanted to be
traded to. That's and look, that's their right as a
team that you know Dame was under contract, they can
do whatever they want to do when that's the scenario.
Dame did extensions. In the NBA, you can only get
a no trade clause if you have eight years in
the league for with the same team. But and this
(25:13):
is a huge disclaimer, you have to have a new
contract and negotiate the no trade clause into a new contract.
Dame always did extensions, so a no trade clause could
not be added to his contract extensions and thus he
didn't have one. So he was hoping that after eleven
(25:34):
years with one team, that the Blazers would send him
where he wanted to go. It didn't go down like that.
You obviously have lived in Portland, You've covered the Blazers
from close range. You know that area. Well, I mean
how do you think what's the reaction going to be
there to some of these things that you've revealed in
this piece.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Mix you up. I'll look, I don't look on social media,
well social media talk about Twitter or what is it
called X. I don't look on X like I used
to anymore. I used to devote a lot of time
scrolling through. So I don't really know what the the
mood is. But there are people that I follow, and
(26:19):
you know, I get notifications when they respond to a tweet,
and so I've kind of checked out the vibe and
the narrative in the field since that story has gotten out,
And you know, it's a mixed mixed, a mixed bag.
I guess you know another thing. And you know you
talked about Dames, Stan, you talk about Dames. Thank you
(26:40):
letter Man. He thanked everybody, everybody. He named all the
beat writers in Portland. He the training staff, people behind
the scenes with the team that people wouldn't even know
their names like he he this is really thoughtful and
he worked a long time on it, and I was
waiting for him to drop that. Even Thank Neil O'sha
(27:03):
who was the former GM who got fired a few
years ago. For cause, and you know they didn't have
the best relationship. You know, towards the end of O'sheat's
tenure with the Portland Troublazer, he even thanked him. He
did not think however, Joe Cronin and you know, even
(27:25):
in my story, you know, he taught to you know,
again I mentioned Ray, but he was at the facility
and Joe, Joe wouldn't didn't address him, didn't say anything
to him. You know. Also in my story, and this
has gotten some attention. You know, he was he was
asked to sit out the final ten games of the
(27:46):
regular season last year to help the team improve their
draft odds. Dame doesn't like sitting out, that's not him.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Well, that's going to get a lot of attention. I'm
real curious to see what the league does with that,
because that is you know, teams are always you know,
accused of sitting guys to tank at the end of
the season. Obviously, we had the situation in Dallas where
you know, the MAVs were dinged seven hundred and fifty
thousand for what happened in their last few games of
(28:23):
the season when you know, basically they held out a
slew of guys on it from the second to last
game of the season because they were clearly trying at
that point to hold on to the number ten pick,
which they did hold on to and was a huge
part of their draftne And look, the reality is Portland
(28:43):
has done this two years in a row, two years
in a row. After the All Star Break, they've they've
taken this course to try to play for a pick.
And but but your story is shining a major spotlight
on it with that passage.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Yeah, but you know, multiple teams operate like that.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Yep, no question. It's by no means just Portland, just Dallas.
But all I'm saying is the league when it's when
when a spotlight gets on a situation, that's typically when
the league feels the need to step in. So I
wonder you know, and I'm trying to scroll here to
get to this here. This is what you wrote. This
(29:27):
is this is in Chris's peace. According to sources, Portland
had asked Lillard to sit out the final ten games
of the twenty twenty two to twenty three regular season
to help the franchise improve its lottery odds. He was
told the higher the draft pick, the better chance they
had using the pick to facilitate a trade for a
proven veteran player. He reluctantly acquiesced to being shut down,
(29:48):
citing a quote calf injury end quote. Portland went one
to nine to finish the season and would go on
to win the number three pick and select Scoot Henderson,
a promising young point guard the team planned to keep.
So again, when it when it is spotlighted in that manner,
I don't think we've heard the last of this.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yeah, we'll see, we'll see. But it's just that I
think covering, you know, covering the Portland Trail Blazers and
covering Damian Lillard. You know, he's arguably regarded as you know,
the the best Trailblazer of all time, and not just
talent wise or even even accomplishment wise, just what he
(30:30):
meant to that organization. He repped them like no other
player has repped that city, in that organization, and he
wanted and the things start. The thing that hurts with
him is, you know, his his words are genuine, they're real.
He wanted to win there. He did everything he could
to try to recruit some of the best players out there.
(30:51):
He just could not get players to come to Portland
like he tried. He tried, you know, just think, you know,
think about Yiannis. Somebody like Giannis Yannis wanted to play.
Dame was the guy he really wanted to play with.
You know, had they been in a in another city,
some other attractive market, they they probably would have connected
(31:13):
somewhere else. But it was just it was hard, and
Dame didn't mind it being hard. He wanted to stick
it through all he All he asked was that the
organization tries to do what they can to have that
same level of commitment to reach the promise land that
he had. And over the last couple of years, he
(31:35):
you know, he finally realized that they weren't on the
same page. And so that's what and I brought all
that stuff up about the you know, him sitting out
the regular season and you know, with the promise that
they would use that that pick that high picked to
go after a veteran guy, which they did, and they
(31:55):
they kind of told everyone right away that they were
keeping that pick. So you know, that's why he felt mislayed.
And that's what, you know, a culmination of those things
of what led to him asking out in the first place.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
So in my story today, which wasn't even a fraction
as good as yours, but I did earlier today kind
of try to break down the trade in terms of
looking at the five teams that I most closely associated
with this trade. Obviously, you've got the three that actually
did the trade, Milwaukee, Portland, and Phoenix. And then the
two teams who were the most talked about suitors until
(32:34):
Dame actually landed in Milwaukee, and that would be Miami,
the team he wanted to go to, and then Toronto,
which their interest in Dame has it really did generate
the most media coverage over the past week until the
actual trade came to fruition. So in that piece, I wrote,
(32:57):
and I'm certainly I don't think I'm the only one
saying this, that Portland will be judged on how it
really did in this trade. I think we have to
see what happens with Drew Holliday and what they get
for holiday to fully gauge the package and you know
how much what kind of you know, we need to
know the full return before we can we can try
(33:18):
to grade what they've done here. But look, Dame himself,
in his in his thank you farewell said you know,
he acknowledges that he he definitely broke some hearts in
Rip City by asking to be traded and trying to
get to Miami. And you know, he asked the question,
will he will you know, will he be forgiven? He will? Right?
(33:39):
I mean Blazers fans will, I mean, they will get
past this, don't you think?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah, time, time, heels, time hills, all wounds, that's part
of it, you know. I mean it's rare that a
franchise player stays with that team the duration of his
career is rare.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
But you know me, I'm a bas I'm a basketball
romantic who roots, who roots for these things. So I
mean I did, I really did. I would have loved
to have seen it worked out and that he could
have stayed there and you know, tried to try to
win that championship there. But I mean the situation he's
going to, I mean, is is is as fascinating as
(34:22):
it gets it.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
You know, I told him Stein, I was like, man, like, yes,
I know you won in Miami and for many ways,
for many, for many reasons, I won in Miami.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
To yeah, you are going to get your You're going
to get your little new apartment in on South Beach.
And now are you are you gonna become a part
Are you becoming a part time Milwaukee resident? Is that
part of this trade?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I'll say this. I'll be in Milwaukee this weekend. I'll
say that.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
So are you? Have you switched to Bucks Media Day?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Now? Yes?
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Bucks me break news. Chris Haynes is covering Bucks. What
were you supposed to do initially?
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Lakers?
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Look at that. That's the big that's Thursday's trade, Lakers
media day for Bucks Media Day, Chris Haynes.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I gotta be there. I gotta be there. You know,
we weren't.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
I don't. I don't blame you before.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
So we had about we had about you know, we
had about seven reporters all dispersed out to the I
would say, probably what the juiciest what's going to be
the juiciest media days? You know, whether that storylines or
just star players that you have to go cover. We
(35:43):
didn't have Milwaukee. We were not scheduled to be in Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
And so when really, even even after all all of
Giannis's comments this.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
This summer, no, well, yeah we weren't. Yeah, we were
not scheduled. We weren't scheduled to be in Milwaukee. So
I've been reassigned. So I tell you so, I don't know.
I don't want to give too much because you know
that I don't think that would be right. But there's
a team that's going to get left out this equation,
and I have a pretty good idea what team that's
(36:16):
going to be. So I'll say this so before I'll
probably get myself in trouble. It was so well, I
I was gonna I didn't give it too much, but uh,
you know, we were going to be in Memphis, Sacramento, Philly, Lakers, Sons,
Golden State, Boston. Those are the teams. So out of
(36:39):
those teams, who do you think is probably getting getting
yanked now that I'm going from l A to Milwaukee.
I don't know, but.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
It's Memphis, Memphis, Sack, Philly, Boston Lakers, and who else?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
War Warriors, Sacramento.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I already had sacriment and and and yeah, the defending champs.
You probably need to cover Denver Warriors, Memphis, I'm gonna sack, Philly,
Boston Lakers. I'm gonna say Sack is gonna get bumped off.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I don't know your.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Hometown Kings oh Man, Is Mike Brown gonna be upset?
Mike Brown is not. Mike Brown is going to be
downloading this pod Friday morning. He is going to be
calling you.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
I was with Mike yesterday. Last night we went with
a comedy.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
So last night I'm not liking the King's chances. That's
all I'm saying. Let's let's talk about the basketball for
a second. Mhm. Is Milwaukee the favorites in the East?
Now they are?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
For me? Yeah, favorites in the East? Yeah, for sure?
For sure. Stein he didn't it didn't lose my much.
They didn't. They didn't. They didn't. You know, you can
make the case they didn't lose much at all. You know,
Like Dame is ready, like Dame is going to be
(38:12):
And it's crazy, I noticed to be true, but to
hear Dame tell me, you know, it's in the story,
you know, to have a He's he's thrilled to have
the opportunity to play with somebody better than him. And
I've never heard him say that before. Like, and we know,
you know, Giannie is a two times or three time
(38:35):
MVP two time Believe right, two times in.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Two time regular season, one time in the.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Final Yeah, and you know, I mean, you know that stuff,
but it's like it kind of really hits you, like Dame, like, dang,
this is something different. And so no, they're the favorites, man,
and Dame is going to spread that floor. They're going
to have so much room to operate. Yannest is going
to be able to do his thing, Chris Milton's going
to get so many open shots. It's going to it's
(39:01):
going to be chaos. It's going to be chaos. They're
definitely the favorites in the East and too, I would
I would say probably even the favorites in the entire league.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Well, look, I mean, they're losing Holiday is going to
be a big blow and there's no question that that's
going to change this team in a dramatic way. But
I I am a believer that what Dame brings offensively,
how dynamic he is offensively, is going to offset some
of what they're losing defensively, because that that's thing. Giannis
(39:32):
and Dame are going to co carry this team and
neither one has ever had that opportunity to co carry
a team, and that should make them incredibly dangerous. And
when when the Bucks have flamed out in the playoffs.
Offense grind you know, offense in the grindy conditions of
(39:54):
playoff bastball. That's been the problem.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Yep, you're right right.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
And Philly, Philly, with Harden still there, crazy uncertain what
we're gonna see out of the Sixers. Miami, they didn't
trade for Bradley Beal. They we were told at the
time they were saving all their best chips for Lillard.
They didn't get Dame Lillard. Now the Heat will tell
(40:20):
you they didn't have a chance to get Dame Lillard,
and Dame's agent Aaron Goodwin has gone on record is
basically saying the Heat didn't even have a chance to
properly negotiate. But whatever the circumstances, the Heat have lost
Gay Vincent, they've lost Max Strus, and they weren't able
to make a big trade. They've taken a step back.
And Boston there's a lot of uncertainty, you know, there's
(40:44):
a lot of They they made a bold move too
to bring in Porzingis, but moving on from Marcus Smart
and Grant Williams, you know they're gonna be going through
a transition too. So the East is there for Milwaukee's
taking for sure.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
For sure, I'm excited to see it all, excited to
see that all play. And obviously, you know that's Dame
is my guy. I'm very happy for him. And that's
what I was trying to say early on, is you know,
I know, you know, I told him, I know Miami
was your your spot, but you probably ended up in
the best scenario possible. When you're talking about just basketball,
(41:19):
that team, from top to bottom, they are stacked great
role players, Jay Crowder, Malik Beasley, Bobby Portis, you know,
you got the Lopez Twins, like Chris Miller, like this
is a you know, he teams back up with his
former teammate pet Conneton you know who started off in Portland.
They're going to be really good, really really good. And
(41:42):
so I'm happy that he's going to have the opportunity
to actually play on the big stage.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Let's talk before we go, and look, this is just
podcast one of this is this is a trade with
so many, such far reaching impact. We're gonna be talking
about this trade for months and in different ways. And look,
if you're I mean you're going to Milwaukee, I'm gonna
want to hear all about that trip as soon as
soon as we can pin you down in a corner
(42:09):
after that one, because you're going right to you know
you're going to be there from from day one of
that thing. Like we said Portland, we got to take
a step back and it'll be easier to assess how
the Blazers did in this trade when we know exactly
what they get for Drew Holiday. So let's look at Phoenix,
a team that you know very well. How do you
(42:29):
you know Phoenix's involvement here to ship out Ayton, to
bring in use of Nurkics, to basically turn aighton into
three or four contracts to address their depth. What do
you think about what the Suns did here in participating
in this?
Speaker 2 (42:44):
And didn't we do a pod? Uh? You know I'm
getting old. I'm forty two now. We did a part.
We did a pod on Phoenix's potential involvement last week?
Did we not? Man? Did we we are click at
allso of this stuff?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
I don't think I think you are. I think I
think you imagine this.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Maybe you saw last episode.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Producer, Ryan, did we talk at length about Phoenix jumping
into this? I don't think we did this?
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Ryan, Our producer.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Last episode, No, last episode was the Tylu interview.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Prior to that was the last episode Wow.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
Prior to that it was you did a little bit
on the Yannis reaction, and then before that it was
Mark Spears. I think, I think, I think, I think
this was one of your many media appearances away from
this podcast.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
You know, I don't do many appearances outside.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
I saw a Sacramento radio station got you on the
air recently.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Was that? Yeah, I did. I did do that? You
got me there? Did I say anything about that there? Yeah?
I did. I did. That's what it was. I talked
about it there. Okay, so Phoenix was thank you, producer, Ryan.
You know, when you got two old heads up here,
sometimes the youngsters have to jump in and remind us
where we left off.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
At one old head and one senior citizen.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Oh man, oh speaking of senior citizens, Din, just realize, man,
you know, I've been playing basketball four days a week.
I'm in two basketball leagues. My left knee has been
killing me over the past month, and I'm not good
with going in getting checked, but it's just it been
(44:37):
killing me. I mean, it's not like really stopping me
one hundred percent from doing what I gotta do. But
it's just pain I gotta go through. I've never had
a surgery, never had anything like that before. So I
decided to get checked out this week, get the knee
X ray. I thought I was gonna need an mri
X ray. Revealed that I've lost cartilage in my left
knee and I'm experiencing our for arthritis and it's not
(45:02):
bone to bone in that left and I have a
little bit of cartless left. And he said, he said,
what you can do? He says, really nothing you can
do to repair it, but you can go get those
PRP injections or stem cell injections or get steroid injections.
And I'm like, wow, this is what has come to
(45:23):
and so I'm actually thinking start. He was like, So
I called Jared Jefferies, you know who is a works
in the front office of the different Nuggets. I covered
him in Portland because I remember he got PRP injection
when he was in Portland. And so I'm on the
phone with him and I was like, Hey, what would
you recommend? He said, no, get the stem cell injection.
He's like, you make enough money where you can go
(45:44):
to Europe and go get that and I'm like, okay,
so how much does that cost? He said about fifteen
twenty thousand. I'm like, man, you I'm like, you crazy man,
And then I start thinking I'm crazy, Like I'm actually
thinking I'm athlete, Like this is like this procedure is
necessary for me.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
You need to get you need you need to go
to Germany and get one of these. Well, don't you
want to bring don't you want to bring the media
game back? This summer? You didn't bring the you didn't
bring the media game back.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
Yeah, but that's that's that's I can. I can tolerate
in the game once a year, you know what I mean? Like,
I'm actually really contemplating going to Mexico or going to
Germany to get some type of procedure as if I
got to play eighty two games.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
We're gonna we're gonna do a pod on that too
if you do that. But yeah, you before you answer
this son's question, can you still dunk?
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Yes? I can still dunk. I can still do just.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Making sure just making sure that half, making sure that
half of this podcast duo can still throw one down.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
Yeah, I'll prove it to you if you need be.
But yeah, with the Suns like they were waiting for
the Portland trail Blazers contacted them a few weeks ago,
might have been a little bit earlier than that, and
they threw out different scenarios of of what they might
be able to give Phoenix in return for DeAndre Ayton,
(47:11):
and Phoenix was always they were always, i would say,
looking to n load Ayton, but they were very open
to moving Ayden, and they just felt like a use
of Nurkic bringing him on board because he's a guy
who who can initiate the offense from the top of
(47:31):
the key, dribble hand off, you know, give you pick,
could be nice, big screens at the top, one of
the greatest screener, one of the greatest screeners we have
in this league. It's very underrated skill that he has
and nobody really knows about him, and he just works
well with better players. And eighton is a guy who
is looking to to continue ascending in his talents in
(47:55):
the skill set once more of a role, and I
don't think he's going to get that. And I think
the Suns felt like they didn't know if Ayton will
would accept favorably a more diminished role that centered primarily
on the defensive end. And so but one thing I know, Phoenix,
(48:16):
they they are they did want a point guard. I
know Phoenix gave Portland a list of names that would
suffice because they were they were not going to do
a Nurkic for Aydon swap. They wanted other pieces in return.
And so you know, I don't think Phoenix is done,
you know, trying to find that backup point guard. That's
(48:40):
that's still something they lack on that squad. But I
was told that Phoenix was very interested in Kyle Lowry
and and I think that's why Dame always held out
hope that Portland at last minute will go back to
Miami with some potential offer on the table. And that
is something that was seeing Kyle Lowry to Phoenix, Phoenix
(49:04):
give Ayton to Portland, Nurkis to whatever, and so it
just never panned out. But no, I like to move.
You know, I know Nurk is happy to be. He
loves the sun, and so I know that guy really good.
He loves the sun. So you get a lot of
sun in Phoenix, So I know I know he's ecstatic
about that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
All right, Everyone, like I said this is just our
first kind of look at this massive, massive trade. That
because again, because Chris Haynes is the world's foremost damologist,
this is by no means the last time that we're
going to put this trade and it's zillions of angles
(49:47):
under the microscope. We're gonna keep talking about it, keep
looking at it. And Yeah, if Chris Hanes is going
to Milwaukee for the first you know, the first, the
very first words of the Honest and Dame era, I mean,
like I said, I'm already curious about what you will
learn and hear on that trip.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
He's going to be I'm actually going to go a
little bit earlier now. So the books announced that they're
having a welcome rally, right yeah, on Saturday, and so
you'll be.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
There for that too.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Yeah, I'm gonna be there for that.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
Go to Carsons for me.
Speaker 2 (50:26):
Yeah, I went. I went the last time I was there.
And you like phenomenal, phenomenal, steak phenomenal, you know through
your mouth.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
Go to Carsons. Text me a picture. I will be jealous.
I love Milwaukee, I really do. It's one of my
It's one of my sleeper cities. Yes, growing I always
have a good time when I go to Milwaukee. All right, everyone,
like I said, that does it for this edition of
this league uncut. But the season is basically here. All
(50:56):
thirty teams will be back to work as a Monday day,
so we will be back to our twice a week
podcast frequency very very soon, and you will be getting
all kinds of stories about Chris's travel, Chris's knees, Chris's
rec league stats, which I'm going to be working to obtain.
Speaker 2 (51:18):
Let's keep it at knee style, knee singular not plural.
Don't say knees.
Speaker 1 (51:24):
Are you playing well? Are you at least playing well?
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Sty I just finished a league in which I averaged
twenty three points a game in this league? How many
say it will man?
Speaker 1 (51:34):
How many assists?
Speaker 2 (51:35):
Okay, I'll give my five or six assists, you know
what the yeah, I'll look for my teammates. I look
for my teammates. Stein, But it really hit me Steyn,
like I'm really I'm facing a little bit of depression
because there's only there's only so much longer that I
have left to dunk the ball. And I really like that,
(51:58):
I really hold that dearly to be able to I've
been doing. I've been dunking the ball since I was fifteen. Yeah,
I can't dunk it like I used to anymore. But
time is catching up. Starn timeout a time. It captures everybody,
and right now it has my need.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Man, you are all over the place, all right. I
think we did it. This was a good first effort
in our attempts to capture all things Dame Lillard to
the Milwaukee Bucks. We will be back soon with more.
The season is here, this league uncut back in your
podcast app wherever you get your podcast, Apple, Spotify, you
(52:42):
name it, it's there. Please if you would be so
kind to give us a five star rating, we would
be hugely appreciative. And like I said, we will be
back soon with more of this league uncut. And yes, everyone,
let's rejoice the NBA's seventy eight season has arrived and
(53:04):
that I'll do it for us. See you next time.
This league and cuttage an iHeartRadio Production put a lock up.
Chris Haynes and Mark Stein
Welcome to this league uncut rule of twenty four hour
NBA News. This's you, Chris Hans.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
It's time, work's time, It's so time.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
This league uncut is underway and on fire.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
This should be a good one.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Friends, Welcome in to the long awaited return of this
league uncut. Yes, we are back, and back just in time.
After Wednesday. On Wednesday this week, the NBA was hit
(00:46):
with a legit, no holds barred, true blockbuster trade. Damian
Lillard shipped from Portland to Milwaukee in a three team
and then Thursday followed with the next blockbuster. Chris Haynes,
(01:08):
star of this very podcast, with a very detailed behind
the scenes inside look at how this trade came together
how Damian Lillard, with very little chatter about the Milwaukee Bucks,
ended up being sent to Wisconsin to now partner with
(01:32):
Jana Santetakumpo and form one of the stariest star duos
in this league. I think if you've already read Chris's story,
you understand why we did not do an emergency immediate
reaction pod Wednesday after the trade. Chris obviously needed to
report out that story, and if you haven't read the story,
I urge you to read it, but we're going to
(01:54):
get into tons of it here, mister Haynes, good evening,
recording this late Thursday night. And you threw a lot
at us today, sir.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well Stein, there was a lot. I'll tell you this.
You said, I threw a lot at you. There was
still a lot of meat left on the bone. Still
a lot of meat left on the bone.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Let's well, hopefully we'll get into so, hopefully we will,
we will, hopefully we will reveal some of that in
this forthcoming discussion.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, but it's that time again. It seems like Stein
will glad to be back man.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Yeah, no question, And look, it was it was. It was,
you know, a source of curiosity I think around the
league that how would Portland? Was Portland really treating Media
Day as a deadline? How motivated were the Blazers to
get this done and make a Dame trade before Media Day,
(02:55):
before the season started so they could truly move on.
And as we've come to learn that after a very
quiet second half of July and a very quiet August,
things really did heat up in the back half of September,
and the Blazers were determined to get this thing done.
(03:17):
Before the new season started. And one of the many
very interesting revelations in your piece is that when Damian
Lillard and Joe Cronin, the Blazers general manager, when they
met on September fifth, as it was becoming apparent to
Damian Lillard that a trade to his preferred destination of
Miami was not going to materialize, Damian Lillard, as you've
(03:41):
reported tonight, offered to rescind his trade request and go
back to the Blazers, and Joe Cronan told him no,
that the Blazers were going ahead with trading him. And
in your story you talk about how Dame realized at
that point he wasn't going to Miami. He didn't nowhere
he was going yet, but he knew he wasn't going
(04:02):
to Miami. And most of the league twenty eight teams
media day is Monday. Dallas and Minnesota because they're playing
exhibition games abroad, they were able to start this week.
Minnesota's media day was today, Dallas's media day was Friday,
but everybody else in the league media day is Monday.
And now Portland has its deal and has its fresh start.
(04:25):
But just just take us take us from there, I
guess just I mean that was you have a lot
of stunning stuff in here. But the fact that Dame
actually offered to rescind the trade request and stay a
Blazer for the short term to give them more time
to make a trade, and the Blazers turn that down.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Wow, Yeah, I mean it just got really ugly behind
the scenes. And you know, a lot there was a
lot of developments that happened throughout the course of this offseason,
this journey, I should say, and I just couldn't bring
it home at the time. But I will say to Dame, like, yes,
(05:06):
he he made an effort to say, you know, he
would rather resend his trade and come back if he
was going to get traded to somewhere other than Miami.
And he you know, he was shocked to hear that
that wouldn't be allowed. And so with that being said,
(05:28):
it's still like there was still we weren't hearing much
traction from any other teams. You know, we heard, you know,
we heard about Toronto and Minnesota. You know, there was
there is some concern Utah could jump in, who else
who else? South was out there talk Chicago, they were
(05:49):
doing they were trying to feel around and so Dame
thought like, look, okay, you know he's saying I might
not be welcome back, but if they can't get a
trade done, then I you know, I would rather go
and do what I've always done this time of year,
and that show up to the practice facility, you know,
around this time, because this is the around the time
(06:10):
where guys gather a few weeks before camp and they
start during their their pre camp routine schedules of these
are unofficial practices that take place. And so he went
like a few days after It was like literally the
(06:31):
next week, a few days after his meeting with Joe Crone,
and he went to the facility and he went for
eight days, and you know, you know, he told me
that you know, people were excited to see him, and
you know, he hasn't been at the facity in a while,
and he had just got had his his new house built.
(06:51):
It took a few years to build his house from
from scratch and his house has his home actually has
a full court, plush basketball gym in there, and so
he's been working, you know, he spent the majority of
the off season working at you know basketball while I
was working in in his gym and his home and
(07:11):
so he decided to go back to the practice practice City,
and you know, he said everybody was receptive. Man. You know,
he went in there for eight days and he said
he saw Joe each and every day and he didn't
say not one word to him during that time. So
you know, he didn't know. And he has a quote
(07:32):
in there in the story of him not knowing if
they felt like he was trying to cause a commotion
or whatever, but you know, he was just doing what
he's been doing for you know, ten plus years already,
and just going going into the facility getting ready because
he didn't know where he was going to be. And
so it just got to it. It just got to
(07:54):
an ugly place, man. And it was unsad and fortunate
to see it all come down to this. But there's
a lots time. There's a lot in there. I forgot
a lot of ship that that that's in the story.
And so it's at the end of the day they
had to pivot and think of other teams outside of Miami,
(08:17):
and word trickled trickled out to my excuse me, word
trickled out to Milwaukee that Dame would be receptive to
going there if he was moved there and from there
that's when the Bucks got on the move, and and
that's what led us to to Dame and Johannest teaming up. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
I mean, it's just that's going to be a spectacular pairing.
And you know, you've kind of talked about it a
little bit that you know, these guys have huge appreciation
for each other. They have talked about playing together, and
I think you you reported earlier this week about how
you know, Dame said well, why why can't we get
(08:57):
you to Portland? And Giannis is like, well, why can't
we get you to Milwaukee? And and it ends up
being Milwaukee. I mean so so, I mean, you know
I always call you the world's foremost damologist. Do you
think he you think he's going to be good with
this that that obviously Milwaukee is not South Beach, but
he is going to get a chance to play for
a championship with a guy.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
I'm going to be candid with you. I was on
the phone with him when he got word he was
going to Milwaukee, Like I was live on the phone
with him and he was just really just speechless, you know,
he he was he was saying, like I gotta wrap
(09:42):
my mind around this. I gotta wrap my mind around
That's that's what he kept saying. And he was talking
about his kids. You know, you know, what is his
kids going to do? Are they coming? Are they you know?
You know, that's that was what he was thinking. And slowly,
over time he started to think about the basketball side
(10:04):
of it. He was like, yeah, this will be the
the greatest team I've ever been a part of, you know,
he was he was like talking himself through it, like
it was really like he you know how it is
like when you when you with somebody or are you're
on the phone with somebody and they're just hit with
this life's changing news and they're they're just they're just
(10:30):
speechless for a minute, and you can tell they're just
taking it all in. And that's what what I kind
of caught. You know, I didn't I didn't catch them.
We just happened to be on the phone at the time.
And slowly, I will say so, I would say probably
a few hours afterwards, you know, we were we were
texting throughout and he was like, yeah, I'm still thinking
(10:52):
I'm just informing a family, informing loved ones what's going on.
But like as the day went on Star, he got
more excited and more excited, man like, and I think
I think what really got him to that point as well, Uh,
he finally read a text from Jannis that said, let's
(11:14):
fucking get this championship, you know, and so that like
really got his juice is flowing right there, and you
know he's ready, He's all in now. Like when it
first happened, I didn't know how long that type of
feeling he had. Initially, I didn't know how long that
(11:34):
would last. But as he started, you know, he started
talking about the roster and looking at you know, I
was going over the roster with him at one point,
and I'm like, damn, Like they got Brooke Portos. You know,
they didn't they didn't really gut the team. You know,
it's the team is intact, and you know, I forgot
(11:55):
they got Malik Beasley out there. You know, Milik Bezy's
our first our first player guests on our podcast, and
so you know, he just started thinking looking at the roster.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
I hope, I hope, I hope Dame is the first
player to do two interviews on this podcast. Look, I like,
I love this move for Milwaukee and it is definitely risky.
I mean, Drew Holliday is a fantastic player who you
see the frenzy that his availability is now sparking with
(12:32):
Portland fielding all kinds of interest because everybody knows the
Blazers want to trade Drew Holliday now, and Milwaukee doesn't
win a championship without him, and there's definitely going to
be a hit on the perimeter defensively. But like this is,
you know, Yannis has been so vocal this summer with
the two interviews in the New York Times and then
(12:54):
on the forty eight Minutes podcast, and he, you know,
so openly kind of you know, put it to the
Bucks that hey, guys, I need to see something. I
need to see more. And they turn right around very
quickly and make a trade for Damian Lillard. I mean,
can I sit here and guarantee that it's going to work. No,
(13:15):
But as you said, the Bucks still have a lot
of defensive minded players on that team. This trade moves
Chris Middleton to third Star rather than second Star, which
I think helps him. But most of all, the Bucks
are going to be able to no matter what happens,
if this goes well, If if it doesn't if somehow
Jannis still doesn't want to stay down the road whatever,
(13:37):
But the Bucks are gonna be able to look their
fans squarely in the face and say, we try to
do everything to make Giannis happy.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yeah, I will say this, so also take people behind
the scenes. Jannis called me. So when the trade went down,
I'm texting with Giannis and you know, we're texting back
later on in the day, which was yesterday. Yesterday, he
gives me a gives me a call, and he was like,
(14:09):
I wish people could I wish I could play the audio.
But he was really distraught about losing Drew, but very
very excited about having Dame. So it's like that, it's
like the emotions, you know, he described as bittersweet, and so, uh,
(14:32):
you know, he just talked. He just talked really glowingly
and favorably about the person first and foremost that Drew
Holliday is, And he talked about the still that he
had in Game five in the finals that helped them
win their first championship, and how he's always going to
be indebted to him. Say, he loves Drew, Drew loves
his family, He love everything he stands for and so
(14:55):
he's really caught in a tough place there because yes,
the honesty, you know, he did have words out. They're
kind to illustrating the need for the Bucks to continue
to try to improve the roster if they want to
keep him, and you know, in doing so, you know
you're going to you're gonna lose, there's gonna be collateral damage,
(15:16):
You're gonna lose key pieces. And Drew Holliday is one
of those guys. And you know then he then he
goes into Dame and saying like, you know, Dame's going
to be spread the floor and you know, the pick
and roll game. So he you know, it was tough
for you, honest too. It was very tough for honest
too because you know he had those public comments and
then this happens, and you know, you lose a great
(15:40):
player and a greater person two to get Damian Lillard.
So tough, tough situation all the way around.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
But I have this quote here, I've got your piece open.
Here's here's what you quote.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Hold on Stein, Oh no, no, no, no, no, Stein.
If you're going to read this, read this verbatim. I
want you to read every single words STI every single
word love to get me in trouble, man, you could
do it.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Drew is my fucking brother for life. I love his family,
I love him, I appreciate him. I wish him nothing
but the best. He blessed me with a fucking championship.
Antetokumpo told b R he's the one who made that
huge steal in Game five of the finals. I went
to battle with him multiple times. Fuck basketball, Fuck the media. Shit.
(16:31):
This guy is my brother for life, and it's always
going to be like that. He's going to thrive wherever
he ends up and then he continues. Now. At the
same time, I'm excited to have Dame. He gives us
a chance to win a championship. I'm excited to play
with the caliber player that he is. He can score
the ball in his sleep and shoot the lights out.
It's a bittersweet day for the city of Milwaukee. You
(16:52):
get Dame, who is a great player, but you lose
a great guy. Drew took us to the promised Land.
I'm ten years in now, I know it's of business.
At the end of the day, Drew will always be
my brother for life. He's one of the best human
beings I've ever been around, but we've got to focus
on the goal to win a championship. Dame wants this,
he's hungry to win, and he's going to push us.
I'm very happy to have him on our team. I
(17:15):
actually want to see if you would expound. You had
a tweet right after the trade about Giannis in a
barbershop in Fresno, and I I know more of that story,
but I don't think the audience knows that story. So
can you kind of tell that.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Stun I think no, I told that story here on
this podcast.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
You don't want to retell that whole story.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I can, so this would this would be the off
you know, the off season the Bucks are eliminated and
every summer, so for full transparency, Gianni's fiance is my cousin.
That's my blood cousin, Mariah. She's from Fresno like I am.
(17:58):
You know, they have beautiful kids. You know, those are
my cousins. So every summer, Jannis takes a trip to
Fresno and spends time with the family down there. And
I got a phone call from one of my partners
who was at Phase two barbershop in Fresno. It's a
(18:19):
popular barbershop. We have in Fresno. It's been there for years, decades,
a few decades, and Yannis Yannis went there. Uh, my
cousin took Giannis up in there, and my partner who
told me that he was there, was just raving about
how Giannis was just saying like giving them like great stories,
(18:41):
like just being free and open and transparent about how
he feels about what he's looking for, you know, in
a team and who he wants to play play for
and play with or like he was being transparent and
I'm not even going to say some of the stuff
that he said because it was off the record. You know,
(19:02):
no cameras were in there, so props to uh to
the people that were getting haircuts with keeping keeping their
phones uh in their pockets. But one thing, one thing
for sure. He was asked like if is there one
player that he would like to play with that he
hasn't played with before, and without hesitation, he said, Damien Lilok.
(19:24):
So you know that that you know? And then look,
you know they they brought this up on social media.
I think it was what was this past this past
draft All Star? Yeah, this All Star game, Joannis made
Dame the number one pick over his teammates Drew Holliday.
Speaker 1 (19:41):
Yeah, which because I'm I can't even remember yesterday, so
of course I did forget all that and now that
was that was, that was, it was right there in
front of us, and we we we didn't realize it.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Yeah. Yeah, so this has been going on going on
for a minute. But no he he he. He revealed
that in a barbershop with about ten people in that shop.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
And so I shouldn't meddle people, I should not meddle
into your writing life, but I can't resist. Someday I
would love to read when I want to read Chris
Haynes and Joannis. I want to read a day in
the I want to read a story, a day diary
of you guys in Fresno, because that's the thing I
(20:29):
think people are like, why is and Fresno?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
I kid you not, so Stein, this was about seven
years ago, I kid you, not about seven years ago.
I'm covering the Portland Trailblazer at one point and then
leave they're in the playoffs. The high school I went
to is Edison High School, where same high school as
your good pal Bruce Bowen. Yes, indeed so so Edison State.
(20:56):
Yes that that Bruce Bowen, So, Edison High School is
on the west side of Fresno, which is the roughest
side of town in Fresno. So just for background, So
my dad, who's not you know, he doesn't keep up
with things that well with what's going on in the
news and things, so a lot of times when he
brings things up, I have to clarify and and tell
(21:20):
him what's really going on. So I just know I'm
covering a playoff series and my dad gives me a call.
I pick up and I'm like, what's up? Dad? He said, Hey,
the Greek freak is at Edison High School? And I'm like, what, Dad,
what's wrong with you? Like I'm mad, and like I'm
almost about to hang up on my dad because I'm
like I'm busy, Like I got like, why is the
(21:43):
Greek freak at Edison High School in Fresno? Like what
is the point? What is he talking about? Like, the
Greek freak is at Edison? I saw him? Like, Dad,
you saw some other tall dude. You didn't see no
Jannis after Coupo and Fresno at Edison High School? Stop it?
So I hung up. I dismissed it and about a
month later, I was was it Vegas? I don't know,
(22:06):
but I saw Mariah. You know, Mariah used to work
at Mariah used to work for the Philadelphia seventy six ers.
She used to work in their media relations department. And
I would get a customer meeting up with her in Philadelphia,
you know, saying, you know, when I get there on
the road, we'll catch up or whatever. And then she
(22:32):
never told me one thing. Last thing. That first thing
I heard her dad Pat, which is my that's my
first cousin, her dad. So, yeah, Mariah moved to Milwaukee.
I'm like, what, her dad's the one that told me.
So then they just hit I'm like, hold on, she
(22:55):
really is. She's she's what Yanna Yes sees what Yanna's
Chris like wow, just wow. So that's how that all.
That's how all transpired. Man. So uh yeah, I have
yet to actually, I have yet to be in Fresno
the same time has been there ever since. They've been
(23:16):
a good I have yet to be there at the
scien time.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
The city can't handle that much stardom at once.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Oh that's that's a lot. That's its bell can handle
it with just me. That's that's a lot stun.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
So. All right, back to your story here, So, I mean, look,
the first quote you run is, you know, is a
headline in itself. I mean, for one, Dame wrote an
incredible thank you letter to the city of Portland and
to fans. You gotta you have to read the whole thing.
If you haven't seen it, it's everybody. It's eight screen
(23:49):
shots long. And uh, you know, I actually tweeted the
last line because you know, it was a beautifully written line. Quote.
I do believe a day will come where I put
on a Blazer's uniform again, on again, and hopefully by
then I'll be forgiven, Dame says, for breaking your hearts
along with my own. So I mean he knows that he's,
(24:11):
you know, disappointed a lot of Blazers fans by leaving.
But I mean, look this, this quote in your story again,
the first quote, this is from Dame again, first quote
to you. How this summer played out behind the scenes.
Definitely definitely left a sour taste in my mouth, but
it doesn't change and doesn't change the amazing experiences I've
(24:32):
had with the Trailblazers and this city. I'll always cherish,
cherish this place. This is my home. I'll always live
here regardless. So I mean, he's he's referring there in
the beginning to just the way this all went down.
Your story details over and over about how the Blazers
they just would not engage Miami. They were not going
(24:53):
to trade Dame to the team he wanted to be
traded to. That's and look, that's their right as a
team that you know Dame was under contract, they can
do whatever they want to do when that's the scenario.
Dame did extensions. In the NBA, you can only get
a no trade clause if you have eight years in
the league for with the same team. But and this
(25:13):
is a huge disclaimer, you have to have a new
contract and negotiate the no trade clause into a new contract.
Dame always did extensions, so a no trade clause could
not be added to his contract extensions and thus he
didn't have one. So he was hoping that after eleven
(25:34):
years with one team, that the Blazers would send him
where he wanted to go. It didn't go down like that.
You obviously have lived in Portland, You've covered the Blazers
from close range. You know that area. Well, I mean
how do you think what's the reaction going to be
there to some of these things that you've revealed in
this piece.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Mix you up. I'll look, I don't look on social media,
well social media talk about Twitter or what is it
called X. I don't look on X like I used
to anymore. I used to devote a lot of time
scrolling through. So I don't really know what the the
mood is. But there are people that I follow, and
(26:19):
you know, I get notifications when they respond to a tweet,
and so I've kind of checked out the vibe and
the narrative in the field since that story has gotten out,
And you know, it's a mixed mixed, a mixed bag.
I guess you know another thing. And you know you
talked about Dames, Stan, you talk about Dames. Thank you
(26:40):
letter Man. He thanked everybody, everybody. He named all the
beat writers in Portland. He the training staff, people behind
the scenes with the team that people wouldn't even know
their names like he he this is really thoughtful and
he worked a long time on it, and I was
waiting for him to drop that. Even Thank Neil O'sha
(27:03):
who was the former GM who got fired a few
years ago. For cause, and you know they didn't have
the best relationship. You know, towards the end of O'sheat's
tenure with the Portland Troublazer, he even thanked him. He
did not think however, Joe Cronin and you know, even
(27:25):
in my story, you know, he taught to you know,
again I mentioned Ray, but he was at the facility
and Joe, Joe wouldn't didn't address him, didn't say anything
to him. You know. Also in my story, and this
has gotten some attention. You know, he was he was
asked to sit out the final ten games of the
(27:46):
regular season last year to help the team improve their
draft odds. Dame doesn't like sitting out, that's not him.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Well, that's going to get a lot of attention. I'm
real curious to see what the league does with that,
because that is you know, teams are always you know,
accused of sitting guys to tank at the end of
the season. Obviously, we had the situation in Dallas where
you know, the MAVs were dinged seven hundred and fifty
thousand for what happened in their last few games of
(28:23):
the season when you know, basically they held out a
slew of guys on it from the second to last
game of the season because they were clearly trying at
that point to hold on to the number ten pick,
which they did hold on to and was a huge
part of their draftne And look, the reality is Portland
(28:43):
has done this two years in a row, two years
in a row. After the All Star Break, they've they've
taken this course to try to play for a pick.
And but but your story is shining a major spotlight
on it with that passage.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Yeah, but you know, multiple teams operate like that.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
Yep, no question. It's by no means just Portland, just Dallas.
But all I'm saying is the league when it's when
when a spotlight gets on a situation, that's typically when
the league feels the need to step in. So I
wonder you know, and I'm trying to scroll here to
get to this here. This is what you wrote. This
(29:27):
is this is in Chris's peace. According to sources, Portland
had asked Lillard to sit out the final ten games
of the twenty twenty two to twenty three regular season
to help the franchise improve its lottery odds. He was
told the higher the draft pick, the better chance they
had using the pick to facilitate a trade for a
proven veteran player. He reluctantly acquiesced to being shut down,
(29:48):
citing a quote calf injury end quote. Portland went one
to nine to finish the season and would go on
to win the number three pick and select Scoot Henderson,
a promising young point guard the team planned to keep.
So again, when it when it is spotlighted in that manner,
I don't think we've heard the last of this.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Yeah, we'll see, we'll see. But it's just that I
think covering, you know, covering the Portland Trail Blazers and
covering Damian Lillard. You know, he's arguably regarded as you know,
the the best Trailblazer of all time, and not just
talent wise or even even accomplishment wise, just what he
(30:30):
meant to that organization. He repped them like no other
player has repped that city, in that organization, and he
wanted and the things start. The thing that hurts with
him is, you know, his his words are genuine, they're real.
He wanted to win there. He did everything he could
to try to recruit some of the best players out there.
(30:51):
He just could not get players to come to Portland
like he tried. He tried, you know, just think, you know,
think about Yiannis. Somebody like Giannis Yannis wanted to play.
Dame was the guy he really wanted to play with.
You know, had they been in a in another city,
some other attractive market, they they probably would have connected
(31:13):
somewhere else. But it was just it was hard, and
Dame didn't mind it being hard. He wanted to stick
it through all he All he asked was that the
organization tries to do what they can to have that
same level of commitment to reach the promise land that
he had. And over the last couple of years, he
(31:35):
you know, he finally realized that they weren't on the
same page. And so that's what and I brought all
that stuff up about the you know, him sitting out
the regular season and you know, with the promise that
they would use that that pick that high picked to
go after a veteran guy, which they did, and they
(31:55):
they kind of told everyone right away that they were
keeping that pick. So you know, that's why he felt mislayed.
And that's what, you know, a culmination of those things
of what led to him asking out in the first place.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
So in my story today, which wasn't even a fraction
as good as yours, but I did earlier today kind
of try to break down the trade in terms of
looking at the five teams that I most closely associated
with this trade. Obviously, you've got the three that actually
did the trade, Milwaukee, Portland, and Phoenix. And then the
two teams who were the most talked about suitors until
(32:34):
Dame actually landed in Milwaukee, and that would be Miami,
the team he wanted to go to, and then Toronto,
which their interest in Dame has it really did generate
the most media coverage over the past week until the
actual trade came to fruition. So in that piece, I wrote,
(32:57):
and I'm certainly I don't think I'm the only one
saying this, that Portland will be judged on how it
really did in this trade. I think we have to
see what happens with Drew Holliday and what they get
for holiday to fully gauge the package and you know
how much what kind of you know, we need to
know the full return before we can we can try
(33:18):
to grade what they've done here. But look, Dame himself,
in his in his thank you farewell said you know,
he acknowledges that he he definitely broke some hearts in
Rip City by asking to be traded and trying to
get to Miami. And you know, he asked the question,
will he will you know, will he be forgiven? He will? Right?
(33:39):
I mean Blazers fans will, I mean, they will get
past this, don't you think?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah, time, time, heels, time hills, all wounds, that's part
of it, you know. I mean it's rare that a
franchise player stays with that team the duration of his
career is rare.
Speaker 1 (34:00):
But you know me, I'm a bas I'm a basketball
romantic who roots, who roots for these things. So I
mean I did, I really did. I would have loved
to have seen it worked out and that he could
have stayed there and you know, tried to try to
win that championship there. But I mean the situation he's
going to, I mean, is is is as fascinating as
(34:22):
it gets it.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
You know, I told him Stein, I was like, man, like, yes,
I know you won in Miami and for many ways,
for many, for many reasons, I won in Miami.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
To yeah, you are going to get your You're going
to get your little new apartment in on South Beach.
And now are you are you gonna become a part
Are you becoming a part time Milwaukee resident? Is that
part of this trade?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I'll say this. I'll be in Milwaukee this weekend. I'll
say that.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
So are you? Have you switched to Bucks Media Day?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Now? Yes?
Speaker 1 (34:59):
Bucks me break news. Chris Haynes is covering Bucks. What
were you supposed to do initially?
Speaker 2 (35:05):
Lakers?
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Look at that. That's the big that's Thursday's trade, Lakers
media day for Bucks Media Day, Chris Haynes.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I gotta be there. I gotta be there. You know,
we weren't.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
I don't. I don't blame you before.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
So we had about we had about you know, we
had about seven reporters all dispersed out to the I
would say, probably what the juiciest what's going to be
the juiciest media days? You know, whether that storylines or
just star players that you have to go cover. We
(35:43):
didn't have Milwaukee. We were not scheduled to be in Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
And so when really, even even after all all of
Giannis's comments this.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
This summer, no, well, yeah we weren't. Yeah, we were
not scheduled. We weren't scheduled to be in Milwaukee. So
I've been reassigned. So I tell you so, I don't know.
I don't want to give too much because you know
that I don't think that would be right. But there's
a team that's going to get left out this equation,
and I have a pretty good idea what team that's
(36:16):
going to be. So I'll say this so before I'll
probably get myself in trouble. It was so well, I
I was gonna I didn't give it too much, but uh,
you know, we were going to be in Memphis, Sacramento, Philly, Lakers, Sons,
Golden State, Boston. Those are the teams. So out of
(36:39):
those teams, who do you think is probably getting getting
yanked now that I'm going from l A to Milwaukee.
I don't know, but.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
It's Memphis, Memphis, Sack, Philly, Boston Lakers, and who else?
Speaker 2 (36:54):
War Warriors, Sacramento.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I already had sacriment and and and yeah, the defending champs.
You probably need to cover Denver Warriors, Memphis, I'm gonna sack, Philly,
Boston Lakers. I'm gonna say Sack is gonna get bumped off.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
I don't know your.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
Hometown Kings oh Man, Is Mike Brown gonna be upset?
Mike Brown is not. Mike Brown is going to be
downloading this pod Friday morning. He is going to be
calling you.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
I was with Mike yesterday. Last night we went with
a comedy.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
So last night I'm not liking the King's chances. That's
all I'm saying. Let's let's talk about the basketball for
a second. Mhm. Is Milwaukee the favorites in the East?
Now they are?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
For me? Yeah, favorites in the East? Yeah, for sure?
For sure. Stein he didn't it didn't lose my much.
They didn't. They didn't. They didn't. You know, you can
make the case they didn't lose much at all. You know,
Like Dame is ready, like Dame is going to be
(38:12):
And it's crazy, I noticed to be true, but to
hear Dame tell me, you know, it's in the story,
you know, to have a He's he's thrilled to have
the opportunity to play with somebody better than him. And
I've never heard him say that before. Like, and we know,
you know, Giannie is a two times or three time
(38:35):
MVP two time Believe right, two times in.
Speaker 1 (38:38):
Two time regular season, one time in the.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Final Yeah, and you know, I mean, you know that stuff,
but it's like it kind of really hits you, like Dame, like, dang,
this is something different. And so no, they're the favorites, man,
and Dame is going to spread that floor. They're going
to have so much room to operate. Yannest is going
to be able to do his thing, Chris Milton's going
to get so many open shots. It's going to it's
(39:01):
going to be chaos. It's going to be chaos. They're
definitely the favorites in the East and too, I would
I would say probably even the favorites in the entire league.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
Well, look, I mean, they're losing Holiday is going to
be a big blow and there's no question that that's
going to change this team in a dramatic way. But
I I am a believer that what Dame brings offensively,
how dynamic he is offensively, is going to offset some
of what they're losing defensively, because that that's thing. Giannis
(39:32):
and Dame are going to co carry this team and
neither one has ever had that opportunity to co carry
a team, and that should make them incredibly dangerous. And
when when the Bucks have flamed out in the playoffs.
Offense grind you know, offense in the grindy conditions of
(39:54):
playoff bastball. That's been the problem.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Yep, you're right right.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
And Philly, Philly, with Harden still there, crazy uncertain what
we're gonna see out of the Sixers. Miami, they didn't
trade for Bradley Beal. They we were told at the
time they were saving all their best chips for Lillard.
They didn't get Dame Lillard. Now the Heat will tell
(40:20):
you they didn't have a chance to get Dame Lillard,
and Dame's agent Aaron Goodwin has gone on record is
basically saying the Heat didn't even have a chance to
properly negotiate. But whatever the circumstances, the Heat have lost
Gay Vincent, they've lost Max Strus, and they weren't able
to make a big trade. They've taken a step back.
And Boston there's a lot of uncertainty, you know, there's
(40:44):
a lot of They they made a bold move too
to bring in Porzingis, but moving on from Marcus Smart
and Grant Williams, you know they're gonna be going through
a transition too. So the East is there for Milwaukee's
taking for sure.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
For sure, I'm excited to see it all, excited to
see that all play. And obviously, you know that's Dame
is my guy. I'm very happy for him. And that's
what I was trying to say early on, is you know,
I know, you know, I told him, I know Miami
was your your spot, but you probably ended up in
the best scenario possible. When you're talking about just basketball,
(41:19):
that team, from top to bottom, they are stacked great
role players, Jay Crowder, Malik Beasley, Bobby Portis, you know,
you got the Lopez Twins, like Chris Miller, like this
is a you know, he teams back up with his
former teammate pet Conneton you know who started off in Portland.
They're going to be really good, really really good. And
(41:42):
so I'm happy that he's going to have the opportunity
to actually play on the big stage.
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Let's talk before we go, and look, this is just
podcast one of this is this is a trade with
so many, such far reaching impact. We're gonna be talking
about this trade for months and in different ways. And look,
if you're I mean you're going to Milwaukee, I'm gonna
want to hear all about that trip as soon as
soon as we can pin you down in a corner
(42:09):
after that one, because you're going right to you know
you're going to be there from from day one of
that thing. Like we said Portland, we got to take
a step back and it'll be easier to assess how
the Blazers did in this trade when we know exactly
what they get for Drew Holiday. So let's look at Phoenix,
a team that you know very well. How do you
(42:29):
you know Phoenix's involvement here to ship out Ayton, to
bring in use of Nurkics, to basically turn aighton into
three or four contracts to address their depth. What do
you think about what the Suns did here in participating
in this?
Speaker 2 (42:44):
And didn't we do a pod? Uh? You know I'm
getting old. I'm forty two now. We did a part.
We did a pod on Phoenix's potential involvement last week?
Did we not? Man? Did we we are click at
allso of this stuff?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
I don't think I think you are. I think I
think you imagine this.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Maybe you saw last episode.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Producer, Ryan, did we talk at length about Phoenix jumping
into this? I don't think we did this?
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Ryan, Our producer.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
Last episode, No, last episode was the Tylu interview.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
Prior to that was the last episode Wow.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
Prior to that it was you did a little bit
on the Yannis reaction, and then before that it was
Mark Spears. I think, I think, I think, I think
this was one of your many media appearances away from
this podcast.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
You know, I don't do many appearances outside.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
I saw a Sacramento radio station got you on the
air recently.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Was that? Yeah, I did. I did do that? You
got me there? Did I say anything about that there? Yeah?
I did. I did. That's what it was. I talked
about it there. Okay, so Phoenix was thank you, producer, Ryan.
You know, when you got two old heads up here,
sometimes the youngsters have to jump in and remind us
where we left off.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
At one old head and one senior citizen.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Oh man, oh speaking of senior citizens, Din, just realize, man,
you know, I've been playing basketball four days a week.
I'm in two basketball leagues. My left knee has been
killing me over the past month, and I'm not good
with going in getting checked, but it's just it been
(44:37):
killing me. I mean, it's not like really stopping me
one hundred percent from doing what I gotta do. But
it's just pain I gotta go through. I've never had
a surgery, never had anything like that before. So I
decided to get checked out this week, get the knee
X ray. I thought I was gonna need an mri
X ray. Revealed that I've lost cartilage in my left
knee and I'm experiencing our for arthritis and it's not
(45:02):
bone to bone in that left and I have a
little bit of cartless left. And he said, he said,
what you can do? He says, really nothing you can
do to repair it, but you can go get those
PRP injections or stem cell injections or get steroid injections.
And I'm like, wow, this is what has come to
(45:23):
and so I'm actually thinking start. He was like, So
I called Jared Jefferies, you know who is a works
in the front office of the different Nuggets. I covered
him in Portland because I remember he got PRP injection
when he was in Portland. And so I'm on the
phone with him and I was like, Hey, what would
you recommend? He said, no, get the stem cell injection.
He's like, you make enough money where you can go
(45:44):
to Europe and go get that and I'm like, okay,
so how much does that cost? He said about fifteen
twenty thousand. I'm like, man, you I'm like, you crazy man,
And then I start thinking I'm crazy, Like I'm actually
thinking I'm athlete, Like this is like this procedure is
necessary for me.
Speaker 1 (46:03):
You need to get you need you need to go
to Germany and get one of these. Well, don't you
want to bring don't you want to bring the media
game back? This summer? You didn't bring the you didn't
bring the media game back.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
Yeah, but that's that's that's I can. I can tolerate
in the game once a year, you know what I mean? Like,
I'm actually really contemplating going to Mexico or going to
Germany to get some type of procedure as if I
got to play eighty two games.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
We're gonna we're gonna do a pod on that too
if you do that. But yeah, you before you answer
this son's question, can you still dunk?
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Yes? I can still dunk. I can still do just.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Making sure just making sure that half, making sure that
half of this podcast duo can still throw one down.
Speaker 2 (46:47):
Yeah, I'll prove it to you if you need be.
But yeah, with the Suns like they were waiting for
the Portland trail Blazers contacted them a few weeks ago,
might have been a little bit earlier than that, and
they threw out different scenarios of of what they might
be able to give Phoenix in return for DeAndre Ayton,
(47:11):
and Phoenix was always they were always, i would say,
looking to n load Ayton, but they were very open
to moving Ayden, and they just felt like a use
of Nurkic bringing him on board because he's a guy
who who can initiate the offense from the top of
(47:31):
the key, dribble hand off, you know, give you pick,
could be nice, big screens at the top, one of
the greatest screener, one of the greatest screeners we have
in this league. It's very underrated skill that he has
and nobody really knows about him, and he just works
well with better players. And eighton is a guy who
is looking to to continue ascending in his talents in
(47:55):
the skill set once more of a role, and I
don't think he's going to get that. And I think
the Suns felt like they didn't know if Ayton will
would accept favorably a more diminished role that centered primarily
on the defensive end. And so but one thing I know, Phoenix,
(48:16):
they they are they did want a point guard. I
know Phoenix gave Portland a list of names that would
suffice because they were they were not going to do
a Nurkic for Aydon swap. They wanted other pieces in return.
And so you know, I don't think Phoenix is done,
you know, trying to find that backup point guard. That's
(48:40):
that's still something they lack on that squad. But I
was told that Phoenix was very interested in Kyle Lowry
and and I think that's why Dame always held out
hope that Portland at last minute will go back to
Miami with some potential offer on the table. And that
is something that was seeing Kyle Lowry to Phoenix, Phoenix
(49:04):
give Ayton to Portland, Nurkis to whatever, and so it
just never panned out. But no, I like to move.
You know, I know Nurk is happy to be. He
loves the sun, and so I know that guy really good.
He loves the sun. So you get a lot of
sun in Phoenix, So I know I know he's ecstatic
about that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (49:25):
All right, Everyone, like I said this is just our
first kind of look at this massive, massive trade. That
because again, because Chris Haynes is the world's foremost damologist,
this is by no means the last time that we're
going to put this trade and it's zillions of angles
(49:47):
under the microscope. We're gonna keep talking about it, keep
looking at it. And Yeah, if Chris Hanes is going
to Milwaukee for the first you know, the first, the
very first words of the Honest and Dame era, I mean,
like I said, I'm already curious about what you will
learn and hear on that trip.
Speaker 2 (50:07):
He's going to be I'm actually going to go a
little bit earlier now. So the books announced that they're
having a welcome rally, right yeah, on Saturday, and so
you'll be.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
There for that too.
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Yeah, I'm gonna be there for that.
Speaker 1 (50:24):
Go to Carsons for me.
Speaker 2 (50:26):
Yeah, I went. I went the last time I was there.
And you like phenomenal, phenomenal, steak phenomenal, you know through
your mouth.
Speaker 1 (50:34):
Go to Carsons. Text me a picture. I will be jealous.
I love Milwaukee, I really do. It's one of my
It's one of my sleeper cities. Yes, growing I always
have a good time when I go to Milwaukee. All right, everyone,
like I said, that does it for this edition of
this league uncut. But the season is basically here. All
(50:56):
thirty teams will be back to work as a Monday day,
so we will be back to our twice a week
podcast frequency very very soon, and you will be getting
all kinds of stories about Chris's travel, Chris's knees, Chris's
rec league stats, which I'm going to be working to obtain.
Speaker 2 (51:18):
Let's keep it at knee style, knee singular not plural.
Don't say knees.
Speaker 1 (51:24):
Are you playing well? Are you at least playing well?
Speaker 2 (51:27):
Sty I just finished a league in which I averaged
twenty three points a game in this league? How many
say it will man?
Speaker 1 (51:34):
How many assists?
Speaker 2 (51:35):
Okay, I'll give my five or six assists, you know
what the yeah, I'll look for my teammates. I look
for my teammates. Stein, But it really hit me Steyn,
like I'm really I'm facing a little bit of depression
because there's only there's only so much longer that I
have left to dunk the ball. And I really like that,
(51:58):
I really hold that dearly to be able to I've
been doing. I've been dunking the ball since I was fifteen. Yeah,
I can't dunk it like I used to anymore. But
time is catching up. Starn timeout a time. It captures everybody,
and right now it has my need.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Man, you are all over the place, all right. I
think we did it. This was a good first effort
in our attempts to capture all things Dame Lillard to
the Milwaukee Bucks. We will be back soon with more.
The season is here, this league uncut back in your
podcast app wherever you get your podcast, Apple, Spotify, you
(52:42):
name it, it's there. Please if you would be so
kind to give us a five star rating, we would
be hugely appreciative. And like I said, we will be
back soon with more of this league uncut. And yes, everyone,
let's rejoice the NBA's seventy eight season has arrived and
(53:04):
that I'll do it for us. See you next time.
This league and cuttage an iHeartRadio Production put a lock up.
Chris Haynes and Mark Stein
Hosts And Creators
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