Just the Stats

Evaluating Blockbuster NBA Trades and Their Impact on Team Performance

July 10, 2023 Reggie Johnson and Eugene Morton Season 6 Episode 25
Just the Stats
Evaluating Blockbuster NBA Trades and Their Impact on Team Performance
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

-Evaluating blockbuster NBA trades and their effect on team performance
-Summer League Convo
-Dame Lillard trade talks

Speaker 1:

That's the statue Johnson, eugene Warren, coming to you from the love of CD of Atlanta, georgia And Eugene. It was a subject I hate to talk about here, only because there are some players. We're gonna talk about a few players here and welcome to our YouTube channel for those who are watching on YouTube, tiktok, wherever you may be watching or listening on our podcast here, sit your heart ready. Google podcast, several podcasts wherever you may be listening. Thank you for doing so. And this subject pains me here because it got my guy, katie. Katie front and center for those who can't see, and we'll go through some of these stats for our podcast audience, but Katie front and center here, man, and he's one of my favorite players.

Speaker 1:

So I really hate to do this, but I have to do it because I think it's becoming a question when you see how much is being traded for players and when you're looking at the results, right, it ultimately it's a result based business. Eugene, right, winds and losses, that's what we're interested in. We're interested in wins and losses here, man. We're not interested in just trading guys, just to have guys. So we're gonna talk about how much is too much for an invasive start and then we're gonna be started with the Kevin Durant one, but I do have to give Kyrie some honorable mention in here.

Speaker 1:

I wanted to include Kyrie in this, but I can't. I can't include Kyrie because you can argue that Dallas's big mistake was trading Jalen Brunson and Kyrie didn't have anything to do with that. Correct, like you know, kyrie, in my opinion, was just trying to make that better, like it was a situation where you're just trying to make the fact that you let Jalen Brunson walk out the door better. You end up having to get a Kyrie. So maybe they reach and their record was, i think, worse, worse than they got him.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, after they, after they got them. But at the same time, can you say that's Kyrie's fault, the average 27, 28 game? I mean, i can't say it's his fault, so we'll leave him. We'll leave Kyrie out of it for now. We'll go to to just talking about Katie and specifics here, because you know, at the time I remember thinking it was a hall man. I was like, man, this is a hall for, or a player, yeah, at the same time, you're looking at a player that is a first ballad hall of famer right, you got first ballad hall of famer player with this guy.

Speaker 1:

So what else? what else are they going to trade for him? I mean, or what else can you get for a player that is a Hall of Fame player that is also got years left on his contract, right? So what else will that bet? Well, we have the stats up here. Let's go full screen. Let's go full screen here for our YouTube audience here And we'll talk through this for our podcast also audience. So, kevin Durant when he was traded to the Suns, they received Katie and TJ Warren. She did Warren serviceable player, right? Yeah?

Speaker 2:

he's not bad Not bad serviceable guy.

Speaker 1:

And that's got back The Kell bridges, Cam Johnson, who just signed a hundred million dollar contract, by the way.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Juan Pablo Valet. I'm pretty sure I just butchered his name. I'm not sure.

Speaker 2:

I'm not sure I nailed it actually, you got it.

Speaker 1:

Oh, thank you. Thank you Appreciate that. 2023 first round pick from Phoenix. 2025 first round pick from Phoenix. 2027 first round pick from Phoenix. 2028 first round pick swap from Phoenix, a 2028 second round pick from Milwaukee, a 2029 first round pick from Phoenix and a 2029 second round pick from Milwaukee. They also sent J Crowder to Milwaukee in this same trade as well, so they were able to get some more stuff done there. So, let's, let's count that up real quick, right, okay, and I am going to count TJ Warren, but this is basically a Kevin Durant trade. Yeah, right, so we're at one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 players. right, because you got a first round pick. so maybe nine players one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Yeah, nine players because you got a pick swap in there, so they're not exactly giving that up all the way. But here we are, though. we're at nine players for Kevin Durant. Now we'll go pros and cons here. Okay, the pros, pros.

Speaker 1:

you got Kevin Durant first ball and Hall of Famer right Give you 30 in a sleeve. Top 75 guy. You know so it's and you know what is funny about this trade? because hindsight is 2020 and I didn't like the fact that I told you McKell Bridges and he would have had to be included in this. By the way, there's nothing Phoenix could have done.

Speaker 2:

I'm pretty sure they would have kept them mckelbridge's.

Speaker 1:

I told you the fact that he, how much he he played for, or how much he played, he played a lot, he played a lot and It was interesting to see him be traded And the suns get worse. From a bench standpoint, from a from a secondary standpoint right, Right, because you know you thought.

Speaker 1:

That's what you thought. I never looked at mckelbridge's being one of the the big three. If you were going to say the big three was aiden, or or booker, cp3 and And aiden if you want to include aiden in a big three, a big two and a half, i should say yeah, but I didn't think mckelb was A part of that. But mckel and cam were definitely a part of the bench right, which you saw a glaring hole In this year's finals. What's your thoughts on that?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and then you saw what he did in um in brooklyn this year, so he, he became a legit, you know a star right in in brooklyn. so, yeah, and we, we've, we've Uh, talked to nauseam about the cam johnson, that's the one we were like we're just scratching our head. I mean, why do I have to include cam johnson with all those other picks and look at the? those pick swaps could come To hunt them down the road, you know, because they can't, because of what happens, because Their ability has been All three of their guys is that there are stars right, him, right, durant bill have all, i'm sorry him, him, uh, booker in in, uh bill, have all had health issues the last couple years, so especially durant these last two years.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, it's Uh, and and then they did pick up a lot of free agents but they didn't, they didn't really help themselves on defensive guys, defenses, side of the ball. Now, oh, we know this, we know teams that had their lineups have their Their roster set in the, you know now can change in fit where, we know that. but Rather the gate, they, they got a bunch of three point shooters. So they're not, they're just don't have a lot of, they don't have a lot of defensive players And they're gonna rely on durant to be that defensive guy.

Speaker 1:

I don't, i just that's a lot to ask. Uh, it is because it's not as mo man. You know that's not what he has been It's. And look at where he's at in his career. I'm already a hall of famer, bro. I've already got chips, got two chips. I'm not changing right, I can be coached up. It's a difference between being coached up and changing somebody's game, totally right. So I don't ever get the impression that he doesn't want to be coached up. I think a lot of the better players don't mind being coached hard because they're better to have natural talent. They can be coached harder than a lot of these other guys who don't have that natural talent that pull from Um, and I'm also gonna bring out the fact that their record for the podcast audience here sun's 2022 record before Durant 64 and 18. Sun's 2023 record 45 and 37. Now In kevin Durant's defense, he came at the end of the season. This is Parker. Probably would have been much better if he got there much earlier. But who? how do we know?

Speaker 1:

I mean, I guess that that depth really counted right, something that really they sorely missed when they were in the Playoffs, when they're making that playoff run. But they did were great with him when he got there. I think they were like 8 and 0 or something like that. He played very few games with them, but they were winning all the games he played, yeah. So this is, i mean, who knows how this trade really talks out, talks, really turns out. But I will say that when you are Looking around and trying to make a trade for your team, you have to worry, at least be concerned, about how much it cuts your team. Yeah, to try to get that player Right to see if, ultimately, if it does not win, lead to more wins than you had previously. Is it a good trade. I will let the audience not gonna make my mind up for the audience here. We'll let the audience decide if this is a trade They feel is is worth it or not, but at the same time, um, i think it's a trade that most NBA teams would have made.

Speaker 1:

Now to a trade. I don't think most NBA teams would have made This. Rudy go bear now, rudy go bear. They got a haul. Shout out to Danny age man. Danny age man doing it again. man, always, always doing it right, like, and that's that's. Shout out to Danny here. Now, when you're looking at, uh, what they got and this is, this is quite a haul the jazz.

Speaker 1:

So Timberwolves received Rudy, go bear. Jazz received Malik Beasley, patrick Beverly, leandro Balmorrow I'm not BOL and they are Walker Kessler, who turned out to be a pretty good player. Um, i think that was like their pick. I want to say maybe that was the Timberwolves picked that year, i'm not sure, but he's turned out to be a guy though, um, jared Vanderbilt, who I think is in LA right now. Yeah, he's in LA and Malik's also there. Right, malik Beasley was there anyway, i'm not sure if he's. He's think he's on a different team now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, uh, 2023 first round 20 25 first round 20 20 26 pick swap 20 27 first round 20 29 first round. So let's look at that one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine players for Rudy, go bear. Then we just say that for Kevin Durant, you, you can't say the same thing for those two guys, right? If I say, the amount of players that was traded for Kevin Durant, an amount of players that are traded for Rudy, go bear. There should be some distance there of like at least two to three players right, maybe five, six players for Rudy, maybe, maybe, i don't, i don't think that's wrong?

Speaker 1:

Is anything wrong with that 2022 record for the Timberwolves 46 and 36? Their current record with your boy go bear 42 and 40. What do you think about this trade here?

Speaker 2:

Well, i, i, none that had to look because I ever had to look at the contract. So, um, just to throw it out there. So he's gonna make 41 next year, 43 2024 and he's got a player option in 25 for 46. I'm calling it now. He's gonna pick that up.

Speaker 1:

So there you go.

Speaker 2:

He's going to pick up the option, right. Yeah, and that was the thing it's. it's the new owner's center, right, it's the same thing with phoenix, right, it's the new owner coming in and wants to make a splash. It's the same thing with with the Timberwolves, it's kind of new internship, they want to come and make a splash. I, you know, i like Gold Bear, it's just the defensive metrics. numbers have been, you know, been feeding the last two years And it's not like it's not like it's a secret, like you can legit look up the numbers and they have been just falling, falling in it. And now you're stuck with okay, are you going to? you can't really trade them because you're not going to get back, you're not going to get back this, so and you're not. And so now you got to look at cat. cat is cat. You're going to trade cat because his numbers are, i mean, kind of kicking.

Speaker 1:

So I don't think so. Yeah, they're going to run it with Gold Bear Edwards in and cat. I think that's what they want to run it with that team Right.

Speaker 2:

And that's not bad.

Speaker 1:

On paper It doesn't sound bad It doesn't sound horrible.

Speaker 2:

It doesn't, but they had that. That's what they had this year, and they were 42 and 40. So I don't you know. so are you going to? you want to pay the second or apron tax to be to have?

Speaker 1:

no, yeah right, And I could be 40 to 40, you know so.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's so. that's going to be interesting thing. What are they going to do? Cause you're not, you're not trading anything, at worst that there's just not going to do it.

Speaker 1:

And no, absolutely not.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's everybody except him. I'm not even taking calls on the guy. You're right, exactly So. Yeah, this, this is the one. When it first happened, you're like really Cause, then it cause. Then it started being compared to the said okay, well, what are? what can teams get for for?

Speaker 1:

yeah, man, for some of these other players here, like they owe them 20 players.

Speaker 2:

Right, right. This is like Danny. I don't know if he like, did some like voodoo or did some hypnotize and the mad, the timbre was ownership.

Speaker 1:

I, when I start, first saw I was like I'm not a fan of Danny age too, man, at least in these teams. man, what an executive.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

He has turned out to be right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and that's the thing that was because they went from, like you said, the 46 and 40 36 record that year member in the playoffs versus them in Memphis. That was a exciting series. It's like these, look like these two teams are going to be going at it for the next couple of years. You know they're going to keep building to the rosters and and Memphis, you know they, they, you know, had a great the number three number, number number two weren't they The number two in the in the West last year? And and they, you know, they, you know they went started a project in higher And then, right, it's almost, it was had to go in a playing game to get to playoffs here. So, yeah, well, not good.

Speaker 1:

They, they got to get better in some way. And I don't know, eugene, keeping this, uh, i mean the Gaubert situation I'm not sure it's worked out the way they planned for it to work out, but I think they probably feel they still have some some um, some hope here and, uh, maybe something to build around. I think this year a beta deciding year, uh, for them. Let's talk about our guide to John Tay here. Now you know what This I was happy about. I was happy about what happened here?

Speaker 2:

I was, I was.

Speaker 1:

For the home team. Right, yeah, for the home team I was very happy about. We got to John Tay Murray. We got Jacque Landel, which I'm not sure why we didn't keep him. Um, he's a serviceable guy. He's got eight years, uh, a 32 million, uh, four year. I want to say from Houston just now. I think the landel ended up playing with the Suns last year, yeah, uh. So I'm not sure why we didn't keep him around, but we didn't keep him As far as received down. Uh, danila Gallinari is he still there? Is Gallinari still with us?

Speaker 2:

No, gallinari went to um uh to Boston, okay.

Speaker 1:

So they got Gallinari uh 2023 first round pick, uh 2025 first round pick, a 2026 pick swap and a 2027 first round pick. Now that's one to three first rounders, i mean okay, i mean I guess kind of going right to certain degree. But here's the bad part the record talks 2022, record 43 and 39 talks. Record with the John Tay 41 and 41. Um, ultimately, when you're making these trades, you want your team to be better. You want better results. Right, ultimately, that's what you want. You want better results. You want your team to be better. Yes And um, that's not exactly what we are getting here. Um, currently, now, we did, we are the and this is kind of current news here as far as it happening literally in the last, i think, a few days here we are going to resign them, which is, which is would have been a disaster if we weren't.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, you give up, um, you gotta resign, i gotta resign, i gotta resign.

Speaker 1:

The guy, especially in this um, the day and age of being able to sign in trade, right, Signing trade seems like the way to go. Man, You're not stuck with these guys just because you sign them. You could sign them, give them a couple of years and then no-transcript trade them with two years up on their contract. That seems to be the way to go here. So I think it was a four year 120, which I think is pretty good.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, or your John Tay, Yeah not a person of his talent And we're going to build, i guess, around him and Tracy, exactly what's going on with that and how and how that goes in the future. We just got John Collins out of here, so we're going to be interesting with the future here to see, because we don't even know how long trade is going to be here. But I do like the fact that we re-signed to John Tay, despite the fact that our record says that might not have been the best trade to make. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I like the deal. I'm glad they were able to give them the boat, to give the re-sign them. So four years, 120. I mean I'm okay with that number. Yeah, me too. And a lot of packing, that record too. I mean there was so much coaching turmoil going on So I'm anxious to see what Quinn can do with what the team hopefully turn it around. Because I, just like I said, if you look at this team on paper, this team is, should not be, a 500 team. This team should be and should be in that four to six playoff range. We should be in those conversations, We should be throwing Okay, What's the next piece that's going to get us further in the playoffs? Because I'm not counting the year we went, We'd be fully.

Speaker 2:

I still think it's a fluke. I mean there's been Simmons meltdown series. I mean you and I both were like when we watch that series, like look, we won one game, That's all we wanted at it, because Philly was just the better team They should have won. But you know, wait, it just happened. We, we saw a man maybe do it last year. So what is the conference finals that year. So it was a great year that year.

Speaker 2:

And then we just kind of we've, we've, we've, we've regressed from those in these last two years and it's, and I don't, it's not good. So but and I and that's the thing, The time design is bending the games with himself Like there's much more ball movement and I and I did see more of that one trade through it's end of the year. You know, sometimes he tasks in games but he he still kind of checks out on some, on some plays. So I'm, I'm hoping that Quinn can, can write the shift with both these guys, because I did, like the, there's just too much talent on this roster to be a 500 team.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, i'm kind of with you there And I'm thinking, you know, we give it another year, let's give another year. Yeah, yes, give another year, before we do the whole blow it up thing, cause you never lie people who are like, man, let's just blow it up and get rid of Trey. And once we got rid of Trey, it's over, like it's it's blow up time And that's now do we build around the John Tay? I mean, he's a pretty good player, i guess. I mean I'm not sure exactly where you would go from there, but I would imagine you give this another year, maybe even another two years, kind of how Dallas, the years that Kyrie has coincided with the years left on Luca's contract, like so they gave Kyrie three years and then Luca's got about three years on his contract, So they're kind of they kind of if we're going to blow this thing up and we blown up together type of situation.

Speaker 1:

And I feel the same way about the John Tay and Trey here, like maybe if if it does get blown up, it gets blown up together, you know what I mean And you have a situation where you don't have just just one guy left trying to hold the hold down the four especially with no JC here now And then hoping that some of these general players develop. So it's, it's a. It's a long road here in the A and I really feel like two years It's probably where we're at here. I'm not sure if they're down to one year on Trey, but I'll say maybe a couple years, you know, and just to see how it all goes, see if we get better, if we worse this year, then we'll know that we need to make some changes here.

Speaker 2:

Right, If we go 500 again this year, then there's got to be changes. We cannot be a playing team. There's like you look up and down this roster, even with John Collins being traded, that just opens up for a conglute to be in that starting role, right, that just opens up him to now jump in there and Hunter and you know, and and Bogey, like this, this team has way too much talent on it not to be to be like I said. We should be in that four to six range seating for for the playoffs. We should not be in a playing situation every year. All right, man.

Speaker 1:

Let's talk some summer league here, and you know summer league is is very deceptive, right, summer league is very deceptive because you have a guy killing it in the summer league. It's a bum. It's a bum in actual league. You know, when it comes time to actually play these games, not great at all, barely a starter, if I started not even a starter, and I mean barely on a team. Some of these guys do great in summer league and don't even play during the season. And then you have the opposite. Some guys come and stink it up during the summer league, right, and then are great during the actual season, right. So let's, let's start with that. When discussing any summer league games, there's two players that I really think can come back to haunt us here in the A and come back to haunt a couple of teams, depending on, well, every team, i think. Well, cam Whitmore he went late. I know Monty Bates went second round. Now, both of these players at one point in their high school careers and we're talked about and even college for some.

Speaker 1:

Or Cam Whitmore Cam Whitmore, we talked about being lottery picks, you mind he based when he's in high school. He's a very popular guy. He thought he was a could be a lottery pick. Cam Whitmore, it could be a lottery pick. Both these guys drop You mind. He based to the second round. Cam Whitmore dropped to Houston, i think late first. Yep, great pickup by them And both of them are doing decent in summer league. They're doing okay Yeah.

Speaker 2:

They're doing okay.

Speaker 1:

They're doing better than the guys that we picked up. I'll tell you that, but these guys can come back and haunt you later. What are your thoughts on that?

Speaker 2:

The Cam Whitmore one. I just I watched him play last night. I was like he just looks, he looks like jumping off the screen.

Speaker 1:

Jumping off the screen.

Speaker 2:

Obviously, Park Jabari Parker was just phenomenal last night, but do you mean?

Speaker 2:

just say oh here's. Thank you, smith. Sorry, see, if you need someone to mess up names, that don't take my job. But yeah, he, he just looks. It just looks like he fits. You know, when you see a guy, you know he could just be, he could be in the. You know, i don't think he's. He may be a star, but man, he could be just a good rotational guy And then you could just see like man this guy could, you could put him in, you can plug him in anywhere. Those guys are just so hard to find. You can just plug the guy and plug him in and play. Plug it in and play. It's like you don't have to worry about. Oh, you can't be in the situation, you can't be in that situation. That guy's a baller, it's like.

Speaker 2:

It's like man that's going to haunt us, i really think it's going to haunt us And Kudos to Houston, for you know so many teams passed on. I was like, well, we're not going to pass on them here in 20. We're going to take them. Well, let it every other team. And, like you said, like we talked about, once you get outside the lottery, take a swing, take a swing, Yeah, man.

Speaker 1:

We should have been taking that swing, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

Right, like look at Denver, hey, it worked out for them. They look at the medicals on MicroPort Jr. We're all bad And like then. So he dropped for that reason. He dropped for that reason And he did And he's yeah to the credit. he has had some, you know, injury years. Yeah, and did they? did he look good in the playoffs, man?

Speaker 1:

he, he And they have a championship.

Speaker 2:

Part of the championship because, right, because of him, because he's got, he's a big body, you can plug him in, because in the times, when he's not scoring.

Speaker 2:

Rebound. Yes, it's like, when you see those types of things, that that's what frustrates me. It's like you know, when there's going to be games where Whitmer's not going to have the shot but he's going to be in there to rebound, he's going to be in there to you know, to just be in that defensive presence, to be there, that rim protector which got you with with our team, with our dynamics. We need as many rim protectors as we can get.

Speaker 1:

It'll be interesting to see exactly how his career ends up panning out, because, you know, i don't know what goes on with executives, why they talk themselves into these things. I would have loved to have been in a room where we talked ourselves into trading Luca. I would have loved to have been in a room when this is being discussed. Yeah, When these execs.

Speaker 1:

they get around each other, they become the smartest people in the room and they make absolutely dumb decisions. Yeah, and I don't know if the Camwin where one will be and there will be a lot of teams. We won't be the only one, there'll be a lot of teams kicking themselves if he ends up panning out. What do you think about the top guys? You know we had a little bit of got to see Scoot. We got to see all the guys this week, even though the time of the recording, you know, some of them played less games than others. You know, i think Wimby's only played one game at the time of the recording. but what are your thoughts on some of the top guys? Let's talk. the top three guys Talk to me.

Speaker 1:

Let's go Brandon Miller first. I think he's played more games than Scoot And I only seen Scoot one game. I need to see if he's played more than that, but I think I've only seen him play one game. I've only seen Wimby play one game. I've seen Brandon Miller play like three.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, i watched Brandon last night. He looks, you know, for all those people in Charlotte that were booing they should watch.

Speaker 1:

Well, he struggled those first two games.

Speaker 2:

I thought they might be coming for him.

Speaker 1:

man I was like man, those fans, they're not going to let you have it.

Speaker 2:

Right, yeah, yeah, but he, the shot was definitely. Then you saw it. It's like, okay, this is why. And then Scoot has been everything that everything has been advertised. He's just been, he's just a dog, he's just he. He just I think he's going to be like Westbrook, but just with better decision making. That's what reminds me of him. And then if he gets a, if he gets a jump shot, it's like Chris Paul 2.0. It's just the way to win out that guy. Just, i mean, if he can just work on the jump shot, which everyone seems to think and he's, they're always seeing the good things about him. First one in the gym, last one, leave type of deal, and he's. And they said they think he will lock himself into a gym and work on and get his jump shot down. So yeah, i. And when we, like you, said we only see one game, one game, yeah, one game, so I, and that's kind of he's so much hype around him too, so I mean there's so much pressure on him. But Yeah.

Speaker 1:

We're going to do a separate hype episode on on a Wimby Yeah, probably sometime here soon. Just to kind of put a bow on that to a certain degree, because we've talked about it on different shows and everything. Maybe we can do a separate episode on that, did he? it's going to be hard to live up to the hype. First of all, he would have to go in for 40 to live up to the hype. He would have to come out, go for 40 in summer league before you feel like he's worth all the hype.

Speaker 1:

Now there is a pump your brakes And I'm going to give you a little preview of the show here now, because there's going to be some pump your brakes here for me when it comes to the hype And the pump your brakes is before you compare people to LeBron and and I felt the same way even when LeBron came into the league and people comparing him to to the other greats that have actually came out and done something Right, you need to do something. I mean, you need to do something. I get the hype. The hype is fun, right? The hype we were. Of course, that's why we're a summer league game was sold out because of the height of the player. But look at what LeBron's done Before you compare him to a guy that's just got the scoring record this year. The all time scoring record this year has multiple chips with multiple teams. Let's see if this guy can play. I'm pretty sure he can. I mean, his defense showed up pretty, pretty good.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and that's where it's going to carry him with that size, right? Yeah?

Speaker 2:

That's where it's going to carry him when he's going to have those off games, like he, when he's not shooting well, like you can at least depend on the defense, and that that was good last night. That's why I like because if the shot wasn't there but you could see that, okay, well, if my shot's not going down, i'm still going to affect the game in other ways. And I think that's what makes him special is, like he can do this other things versus like if Miller's off, then that's going to be. He's not a defensive presence right On the on the court, but again, he's probably going to be on more than off. But with Leaf, with Wimby, he can. He's going to be on both sides of the court And he made some nice passes to like I mean not not Joker-ish, but he, you know, obviously just still big, you know he could just like, just like tower over guys and just he'd be able to deliver the ball. So he's going to be able to do those things that are. That's just that's what makes him special And that's why I think that's what the hype is. He just he just has those full packages.

Speaker 2:

But you're to your point. Yes, lebron is in his own clubs. Now LeBron is going to be in the 50, 10 and 10 club, right? He's already in the 40, 10 and 10 clubs. So there's and he's, he's and he's being he's the only member, so there's nobody else with him and some of his clubs. So you're correct, until you get into those clubs, that's not compare him And let's not say he's going to be the best player in three years. Let's, let's pump our brakes.

Speaker 1:

Man, they said on both sides of the ball. That's what I'm hearing.

Speaker 2:

What's that? Three years best player on both sides of the ball Oh, okay, Deep pins and offense with that was what I'm hearing in the next three years.

Speaker 1:

That's, that's high, high praise, right? Yes, i mean okay. I mean we'll, we'll see. I mean and I'm not saying that it couldn't happen for the kid, but I mean I'm saying it's a lot to put on a 19 year old kid.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and we're going to come in and be one of the top two, three best players of all time. Never have dribbled a ball in the NBA in your life is a lot for any human being. The defense did show up the shot. He kind of passed a few times, but I felt like he could have took those shots And I think that's trying to get your teammates involved. Yeah, and also when you're playing summer league. one thing to mention it's the last thing we'll talk about when it comes to summer league here is A lot of these people are playing for themselves.

Speaker 1:

You know what I mean. I liked the Brandon Miller situation. I really liked him. I really liked Scoot Henderson. I really liked even watching Wimby is exciting to watch these guys play. But one of the things you got to think about is a lot of these guys that they're playing with are on teams that they're not going to be actually playing. They're playing for a spot. So these guys are trying to get their own off right. Your Wimby's, your Scoot Henderson's, your Brandon Miller's of the world. they're already there. They have their roster spot. They're already starting. Those guys are starting on their teams. These other guys they're playing with might not even be on the team, not even as a reserve, it might not be on a practice squad, it might not be out there at all.

Speaker 1:

So, these guys are playing for a spot. They're playing to try to figure out where they may be going or just show off for other players who may be going, or other scouts, i should say, who are there and it may be going to those teams. So you don't have exactly the team, the same team element, here as you would have on an actual NBA roster. You got to get some selfish play even on a roster. There's my contract here or something like that. Maybe they're going for theirs, i don't know, but you won't see it as much as you see people kind of going for theirs in the summer league here. Let's talk about Dame here in the show on. Dame Is there.

Speaker 1:

I mean, the problem with Dame is going to be the asking price and that's where you limit yourself as far as what teams he can go to. There's two problems there in my opinion. It's the asking price and it's also the where, where can he go, where he fits a timeline for your team. So it's two things, not just one. If it was just one thing, then maybe this thing would get settled a lot quicker. Of course, when you just ask on the surface who wants Dame, dame Lillier, on their team, everybody does right. Yeah, i mean a player like that. everybody wants him on their team.

Speaker 1:

If your timeline doesn't fit his timeline, which he's kind of now, which is when now, if you're not a when now team, why would you trade for a guy that you have to pay $50, $60 million to in the later years of his contract? That doesn't really make sense for you. if you're in a rebuild, what do you think he? where do you think he goes? I love the heat. I love the heat, but I don't know what the heat can give. It's hard to imagine that he can give Portland the best deal, but it's not like Portland can be talking to everybody either, though Like they can talk to like a few teams. You got to be at a four of the guy and you got to fit his timeline. Maybe that's like four teams.

Speaker 1:

Yeah three or four teams you could talk to.

Speaker 2:

Yeah Well, his agent is calling other teams and saying they're not, don't, don't trade, because Miami is the place he wants to go, but Miami only doesn't have the assets. Why? Because then I could. as to Portland's general manager, because he's like, look, i'm not just giving in the guy up for, just for why would you?

Speaker 1:

why would you do that?

Speaker 2:

Right, especially if I'm Portland. I need to, i want, i need to start back or some kind of start talent. So I think it's interesting. I just looked up before now. This happens after recording. Then you'll have to. You'll have to shoot me. I'm sorry, but Jaylin Browns has not. You know, all these contracts, extensions we talked about last week. Jaylin Brown has not been extended yet.

Speaker 1:

So I think he's going to man. I think he is, there's no way, but I just find it odd that he wasn't extended when everybody else was like we.

Speaker 2:

We talked about. Everybody was like you know. Everyone got extended last week And I just found it odd that, especially now, like he's got the kicker coming in with the because he made it all NBA team, i think he was like on our third team. Now he gets extra money on the on the contract right, so it can approach $300 million.

Speaker 1:

Right. It can approach very high when incentives Right.

Speaker 2:

So what I keep hearing with getting Dame to Miami is they got to get a 13. I'm not suggesting they're going to trade Jaylin, but I just find it strange that you know, boston hasn't re-optimized yet, so and but yeah, you're right, miami doesn't have like, if you're going to give me, if you're calling it on Miami, if you're in your Portland and I call you up and go, hey, i can give you hero Robin Duncan, robinson, tyler hero and some picks.

Speaker 1:

You're hanging them, but you're hanging up on me, you're definitely hanging up on me, So but yeah, that might be what they have to go with, man. If you're another team, i don't think that Dame is going to come and mail it in, anywhere he goes.

Speaker 2:

No, no, no, It hasn't been his MO.

Speaker 1:

I mean. At the same time, though, how much stomach do you have for bringing in a player that you know does not want to be there your team and paying him that kind of money? Yeah, yeah I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. You know what I mean. Like it's would you take him here in Atlanta. He says he wants to come today. What? what do we trade to get this guy? I?

Speaker 2:

mean, i mean that might. then there's your third team right. Then you're trading, then you're giving trade young to them. That's, that's your star Right, because they want to start.

Speaker 1:

I don't see that man And also I don't see giving up a star for Dame and the contract team that wants to win now, like because if you're not in win now mode, if you give up your stars, you've given away some of that. You know what I mean. You're not adding all the way. Yeah, you've given up something and now you're hoping that maybe you can get back. And, as we talked about the beginning of this show, it's not always guaranteed that you make these trades. You're going to be a better team. So you were already in the finals. If you're to heat, you were in the finals with your squad. Yeah, right.

Speaker 1:

Of course, some of those guys are gone now. For sure, some of these guys that helped to make your squad what it was gone. Okay, that's typically how it goes, but they've got a lot of money owed. Man, yes, they've got a lot of money owed. You got to pay a guy a lot of money. I think they say like 35, 36 ish somewhere around there. You got to pay his guy $50, $60 million, $50, $60 million.

Speaker 2:

When it gets to those, those last two years looks brutal, It looks it looks brutal. So yeah, And that's the thing, If we're bringing him here, then it's got to be. You're going to look. You got to see a championship next two years. Right, That's the only way.

Speaker 1:

you have to use it Right.

Speaker 2:

That's all you can do. That if you're going to pay that kind of money, especially to Asian guards, which is not good, i personally would do it. I mean just, i just would rather get. I would rather get more assets.

Speaker 1:

I think we're there yet I don't think we are. I'm just saying, if we, get to that road we can get a player of that caliber because we're not when now No, like if I felt that we were one piece away.

Speaker 1:

You know, because I really feel like the Miami fit. The really reason I keep talking about the heat fit so much is because a lot of times I look at guys who are getting traded into new teams and see where their position is and how that fit is And I'm like he drops right in at the one, one, two, right there, Right, I guess you got to be butler to play the three. I'm still playing the five.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. And then you just put the pieces around them, and Miami's really good about doing that Right. They're, they're and they're a free agent Like people are going to want, are going to want to play there, especially if they're bringing them.

Speaker 1:

Yes, absolutely Miami. The city itself recruits for you. It's like Los Angeles, right? These cities are actually recruiting for you. So it'll be interesting to see how the dust settles there and hopefully it doesn't Before we release this episode. And I got to cut out this whole portion of this episode, like as I've had to do. You know the episodes when trades come down before we release the episode. But thank you for listening. Thank you for watching, if you're watching on the YouTube channel. Thank you for listening. If you're listening, stitch your heart. Radio, google podcast, apple podcast, spotify, wherever you find your podcast is just a stat. See you next time, guys.

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Discussion on Summer League Players
Trade Possibilities for Damian Lillard
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