Full-Court Speculation: Giannis Trade Rumors Overflow

We're into the thick of the season now and so does Carl's reward shaker with even bigger reward and offers The half and half scoffers shaking decisively for once. They backed a super boost Next to them the procs average brigade old they've shaken up a free bet after that free lunch Play Carl's free reward shaker to win bigger guaranteed daily reward and offers this season Carl We're here for it 18 plus UK max one reward or offer per player per day 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. reward restrictions and season season plan gamblerware.org Coming up on the Zacklow show Howard Beck is here. What a Beck Yannis Did he has to be traded the hint that he wanted to be traded? Did he suggest that it was maybe time for a mutual parting of the ways is that the same as asking to be traded? Something happened and the whole league has gone from a ground stop because of waiting on Yannis to A ground stop because the bucks are now listening on Yannis And it's unclear if for when they're going to act or what exactly they want or who's really chasing him Howard and I get into all of that. Yeah, you're tired of Yannis You know what he's at worst the third best player in the NBA this season and the whole league is talking about it Has been stopped for it. So yeah, we're gonna talk about we're gonna talk about what questions seems Need to answer before they dive all in What this looks like this season off season one of the bucks. We're gonna do anything and then we're gonna Tame all Yannis to move on we each picked Howard and I our biggest non-Yannis X factors Swing factors for the second half for last part of the season Joelle and bead is prominently involved The Celtics are prominently involved do Orlando magic still funky little funky. They beat my emulator last night But we'll funky. I had it Orlando magic X factor. Who is it? What is it? Why do I have them as an X factor and the thunder? The thunder have one of my X factors Interesting. Yeah, the thunder 14 and 9 that are last 23 games. They're anything to worry about We dive into we dive into that question and who my thunder X factor is how the West stacks up I say and we talked a little bit about that Houston San Antonio Bardburn or last night. Whoo. That was fun The West man the West It's different than these all right. That's all coming up after this on the Zach Lo Show Welcome to the Zach Lo Show live from I think I'll fill Simmons House. What's going on Howard back how are you? I'm doing great. That's not a fake background. That's not a virtual thing. You were literally in Casa Shay Bill Yes, I am we we did it phenomenal. We recorded a few things last night and now I'm recording here this morning I didn't sleep over we didn't have a sleepover party and And I did not break into his house this morning We are in the hot zone Howard the check your phone every 10 minutes zone the trade deadline is one week from today And yesterday it was reported by shamshtrani at ESPN. I'm going to read verbatim from the story Sources said Janis at the Cumpo has informed the bucks for months that he believes the moment has come to part ways After 12 plus years together and so the NBA is officially on high alert Everything had been ground to a halt awaiting Janis Everything is kind of still ground to a halt as they see what the as the bucks navigate the Janis offer landscape But I read I'm not gonna. We're just we've done Janis to death. We're just gonna do like five big checklist items Okay, but before we do that Has informed the bucks that he believes the moment has come to part ways Why are we doing this? Why can't we just say that he asked for a trade even today I'm reading couples like well, this is more about the bucks taking the offers and not young Janis I'm not sure he explicitly is asked for a trade. Why are we doing this? This is so dumb And why is everyone afraid of an ugly breakup that is never going to be ugly this dude one a championship in Milwaukee The first one in 50 years. He's been there a dozen years He is living the natural life cycle of 90% of NBA superstars where team rises team gets old Team does everything possible credit john horse you can love them you can hate the moves you can do whatever The dude swung hard and swung big for drew holiday and Damien Lillard at this milestone or disaster thing that has happened They tried the team got old they didn't hit on draft picks in the 20s because that's your most likely outcome And now the team's bad and this is why I never shut the door on a honest trade in season despite the fact that we all know Offseason is more likely because the extension variable which more or less serves as a yes or no Do I want to be in Milwaukee moment because teams like Miami the Lakers other teams have more picks that free up to trade in the summer All of that I never shut the door because if the team stinks it stinks and they stink and now Janis is hurt And here we are, but why are we doing this? Why do we have to do this strangulation of the English language and maneuvering and then even even shamsang has informed the bucks for months And he believes the moment has come to par ways has other people being like well, I don't know if the ever explicitly asked for what what are we doing? why It's a great question You and I lived through the mellow drama back in the day that was the car mellow trade demand out of Denver which lasted many many many many months We we survived the Dwight mayor The Dwight Howard saw gun or landau which had so many bizarre twists and turns I we don't have some fun clever word plate nickname for this one yet The Greek freak show maybe no, I don't even want to know. Let's say I'm just gonna tell but I am gonna call it this Zach and I'm saying this with Hard to believe this is the number 29 years of ex of time on this beat now covering the NBA This is the most passive aggressive trade demand slash non-trade demand in modern NBA history or probably all of NBA history This is a this is a passive aggressive trade demand Where I don't want to call it a demand. I don't want to recall the request I don't even want to say that I want to be traded. I don't want to say anything at all other than I'm really not happy with the way things are going and I might want to be somewhere else But I don't want to be the bad guy and look we all love y'all. He's amazing The bad guy. He'll never be the bad guy. He's a hero in Milwaukee forever. How does this is this? I had that I had this this text exchange with somebody like literally like two months ago I think about This whole thing because we were in whatever version of this cycle we were in like he wants happened He doesn't want out and why what's all with with all the and This is somebody who's very plugged in there and who knows the landscape very well who was basically just saying yes This is this is what it comes down to He just he doesn't want to have to say it. Yes. He has concluded already that this is not going anywhere good We I mean this we've heard how many different versions of yana saying I only want to win championships And I only want to be somewhere where I can win championships And then he starts talking about breakfast food with Sam Amick and That interview and the other press conference after one of the many horrible losses the bugs had where he Says 17 different things We're like, you know, I mean, I'm never gonna ask for a trade But I could wake up one day and feel differently just like I have breakfast and one day I want to go I'm like I think it might be time to just stop talking like none of this makes any sense. You're reaching like It's sort of like a gobbledy-gook madlibs nonsense like it's just stop If you are a you know a hardcore Milwaukee bucks fan who never wants to see him leave and who does not want to think ill of him Yana says given you all of the material you need to feel like this is not him He's not asking out. He's not going to abandon us But if you were anybody else Media other NBA personnel who are following all this it's not even really reading between the lines It's the actual lines and the actual lines are he has been signaling for some time now That this was not heading to a good place. He just does not want to have Shams who is who has strangled the English language a little bit straight up says He's informed the bucks at the moment has come to part ways. What does that mean other than that's for trade Okay, that done. I don't want to do it anymore Okay, yeah big questions slash checklist item number one Should and will the bucks actually trade yana's in the next week I've been on the phone constantly for the last two or three days about this very subject And right now a week out there is Including among interest potentially interested teams at least Not a skepticism that they will move him by this deadline, but a they're Asking for so much as they should but not even that they're asking for so much They just are sort of trying to go to us Into putting everything on the table and if they don't get exactly what they want Blue ship this draft pick that they can wait until the summer when all those teams that we mentioned have draft picks It open up when the extension deadline happens and he's guaranteed he's on a guarantee deal for next year with the player option for the year after that So there's no time crunch and so a week out You do hear teams a lot of that I was on the phone with two gm's this morning who said but I don't think they're gonna trade them I don't necessarily agree with that because once the toothpaste is out of the tube to this degree It's really hard to put back in There's also a school of thought that because A team that trades for him now Despite his ongoing calf issues would have access to him for the playoffs this year That their leverage might be higher now the bucks than it will be in the offseason I don't know if that one's hard to read because in the offseason not only do Some teams get access to picks not only does the cap picture clear up a little bit because contracts expire But as I've said repeatedly one of these teams in the west with tons of trade assets is gonna crap to bed in the playoffs And exit much earlier than they want to and perhaps emerge as a shooter for honest. So My checklist question or one is will they do it now or won't they? I still don't know the answer to that question. I'm not sure it's a sure thing either way definitely If the chances were 90-10 that they hold on to him through the deadline and into the summer Three days ago. It's now much less than that. It's 50-50-60-40 whatever it is I still think they wait till the offseason because there are more bidders available then Because we have the lottery order sent by then we know who has Not just one golden ticket potentially multiple golden tickets right because there are multiple players in this draft who are viewed as franchise stars and so You know if you're making this momentous decision that John horse has a try to avoid Making just as the Portland Trailblazers tried to avoid forever making it with Dame Lillard when the time finally comes You better get it right and I think that means having the maximum number of bidders and options And knowing what all the assets available are So I still think it makes more sense that doesn't mean it won't happen a week from now or within the next week But I still think it makes more sense after the season one of the things that people have raised about why the bucks Want to do this sooner than later is well To tank this season You need Janice not on your team. Well, he's already out for however number of weeks that doctor Audit Acumbos said he's going to be out for Um, I don't know that we have that estimate is gonna end up I think that he said four to six weeks from what I've heard that's largely accurate He's always had superhuman recovery timelines, but I I've heard that they have not offered a timetable Which is also strange that the bucks have not but any timetable out there, but I've heard that's largely accurate Yeah, NBA get on your teams about injury reporting rules, please Janice is going to miss another trip that the all star break is in there too But Janice is going to miss a bunch of time Even if he's still on the team. So there's that you can always dick around as all these teams do anyway with like oh We're gonna, you know slow his recovery or he's not ready yet or whatever Not playing back to back to back to right young I think the wizards have added an injury to trade youngsless I think trade young now has a hangmail. He heard his funny bone his got carpal tunnel from playing video games too much I think that I think they're adding to the injury list Svima high-look Svima high-look. I don't know if he fell down the stairs a couple times at his house in Utah I just I don't think it's a necessity for Janice to be traded for them to tank But also their tanking is of course complicated by the fact that the hawks own the swap between the bucks and the pelicans right now As of right now of course, it seems very likely the pelicans are gonna have the better pick But oh wait, there's a lottery in this league and it sometimes really scrambles the results So the bucks could end up with the higher pick which then they would lose Uh in in in any case But then they would get the pelicans pick wherever that falls But like there's just too many variables here which again goes back to what I said like if I'm the box I would rather know where my draft pick is where the pelicans pick is which of them the hawks is claiming And who's got the other top picks and the draft Because now I know exactly what I might be trading for in addition to all the things you laid out It's easier in the summer because of the cap. It's easier in the summer Because a lot of teams will will regain Draft pick draft capital flexibility once we're past this draft So I I think it's I still think it's an offseason play That makes the most sense to me, but we'll see in the next seven days Okay, um checklist item number two and this is where it gets interesting um If you're a team that's bidding for yana said there are going to be a lot Do you have enough to win the championship this season If you trade for yana's Given what you're going to have to give up to get him and that's where it gets very interesting how it back Because the teams that could affirmatively say absolutely to that question and theoretically have the assets to get yana's The spurs I don't think they're in it The thunder I don't think they're in it the rockets Have privately and publicly set all along. They're not in it um They did that with Durant too and they were not in it right up until the price dropped to where they could be in it So I'm not going to disqualify them completely, but they may not be in it By the way, brief aside. Did you see that rocket spurs game last night? Uh, I saw like the last quarter of it. Yes, and I saw when we doing just stupid things amazing things That's going to go down as one of the landmark games of the season because a the rockets crunch time was on offense rose up again And it's it's one of the reasons why I won't disqualify them from a big big trade now The but the bucks would surely want shen goon or amand tomson And I think the rockets rightfully are like we're not we're not quite ready to do something like that Yeah, and despite all of their draft assets I'm not sure they can make a deal that appeases the bucks of that one of those two guys But it was notable to me for that reason and also for the reason that the rockets Very clearly tried to beat the shit out of wimbanyama. It was an incredibly physical game They fouled him all the time some called some not called and when we fell over a bunch of times He got stepped on by tarryeason and he was just like I'm not retaliating. You know how I'm going to retaliate I'm going to make you each shit the entire fourth quarter You want some lob dunks from area 51st of on castle You want some shop locks and Kevin Durant's face you want some jumpers rained over your head I'll bring it all you hit me. I'm going to smack your ass to it was like a that is a game We're going to look back on when the spurs reach the fruition of whatever they're going to be as like that was an awesome moment There was that possession I don't know if you saw it were castle who guarded everyone from shengu and to Durant to almond Thompson never wanted between Was guarding Durant and body to mop and body to mop and body to mop and Durant probably fouled him But whatever Durant rose up for mid-range jumper and as he rose up here comes wembee and it was just like He blotted out time and space and erased Kevin Durant from the universe. It was in terrifying Anyway, those teams could affirmative to say yes with the honest we could win the title to share I'm not sure they're in it the next My pick to make the finals Yannis is chosen destination according to shams in the offseason They could affirmatively answer yes if we get Yannis depending on the price we could win the title um I don't know their pathway to a Yannis deal they don't have pixatrade they traded them from a kale bridges I have it's doable you flip this guy for picture flip that guy for fix cat gets over here It's just very very difficult to do and that brings us to the other teams who are who have been mentioned um Toronto I don't think they could say yes to that question Maybe they don't care because you do get Yannis again for next season right and and we're like they're solid I don't know where they're going um Philadelphia I don't think is in it Atlanta I don't think is in it they could definitely not say yes we could win the title this year they're way below But they're below 500 um The timber wolves Have been cited as a Yannis potential destination. I think there's truth to that I do too uh Mark Stein reported this morning that Yannis is Perhaps back channel that Anthony Edwards as a teammate he would like I that would not surprise me at all based on what I've heard um That is they don't have pixatrade they've traded a lot of their Pix for go bear They do have jaded mcdaniel's who the bucks would surely covet I just don't know if I see a pathway to a deal there but they could The warriors who will try like all hell to get Yannis it can offer four first round picks Which is really three and a half first-round picks but first-round picks attached to an aging team If you unprotect them those are valuable picks That has to be Jimmy's contract Despite the fact that I think he and Steph would like to ride it out together and the words would like that too Or dramon's contract Plus the young players plus all those picks Can that team win the championship this year? I'm not sure that you can affirmatively answer yes to that question Howard Beck any thoughts on these teams before I'd mention a couple more Um, I agree and I had heard recently too that Minnesota was definitely in the mix here Despite the you know in the mix from a Yannis standpoint and from a Minnesota interest standpoint Whether or not they have what it takes to get a deal done with the bucks is a different question But I do think that they're involved in this the warriors are fascinating because yeah I don't think there's anything that's going to save this season and especially like even the outline of a Yannis Steph and whatever else Team minus the stuff going out The depth isn't great and Yannis is out for however many weeks he's out so it's just But you get him if if if you had to do this now If this was absolutely going to go down by February 5th and you're the warriors and you've got the ability to do it using everything You just mentioned Then I think you do it be not because you think you're in it this year, but because You want Yannis to go into next season with and you've got the offseason to figure the rest out And that's the thing like I don't I don't think there's a Yannis trade that is going to change May and June June in particular um Because of everything you you've already laid out I think that is the list of teams. I was told recently that The Lakers were a team to keep an eye on from Yannis's standpoint just as another team of interest But again, you know, there's a difficulty there in terms of of you know trade assets There another team where once the summer comes they've got more on the draft capital side of things and they've got more clarity Once they figure out where LeBron is or isn't and where Austin Reeves is because he's a free agent um But yeah, I mean, I think that's the landscape and the other thing just to go back to something you said in in point one Like I know he Houston sanitorial Oklahoma. These are not teams that I expect to be in the running for Yannis But what happens if the just shit goes awry and you get bounced in the first round like Weirder things have happened and if you're the bucks And you want just a hall of draft capital of course Oklahoma's the first team you would want to talk to of course Houston is a team you'd want to speak with Um and sanitorial so you know look the landscape could change I don't expect it to but the landscape could change april may june And maybe suddenly the teams that have all the draft capital and especially other teams picks picks that could be really good because They're not the team that Yannis is going to So uh i i still think As i say the the the landscape could change a lot Detroit could answer yes to this question. I don't sense it there in it Brooklyn a team that cannot be dismissed because of their draft assets and their young players and their market Certainly can i answer this question Can we win the championship this season and it's easy to poop who this um and a team will talk themselves into poop-pooing it by saying well who cares if we can't win the title this season A he's injured right now and he has a history of cap problems and he's misplayoff games in 2020 2021 when they won the title the only must to 2023 and 2024 and So we don't even assert you can talk yourself into we don't really even care about this year We're doing it for next year and then the opt-in slash extension whatever comes after that which by the way It should be noted Yannis is going to have a lot of leverage and dictating sort of where he goes And no team is going to trade from i don't think without an indication that he would stay there And that's easy to talk yourself into But this season really matters when He only has one plus one left on his contract when he's 31 years old and you're trading a bounty to get him I don't think you can just skirt over this question for this season which brings me to the most interesting team and that's my Amy Ira winderman who has discovered the heat forever at the sunset and it was tremendous literally since the franchise is inception He tweeted out Okay, let's theoretically say what's the heats best offer for Yannis and he tweeted hero Who I'm not convinced the bucks want despite the fact that he's in Wisconsin kid Wiggins goes elsewhere, but they get a pick for Wiggins and they put that pick in the deal so Wiggins plus a pick Kalo where Hi mayhaka's junior rose years contract which is portable until the NBA says it's not portable And all the picks which right now I believe is two but in the summer will be more swaps whatever um And you get Yannis and Right now the heat are after losing to the magic last night the heat are 25 and 23 In the play internament Only two games out of not being in the play internament only five games out of the second seed in the east five is a lot actually at the stage That leaves you if you do that trade. Let's just take Irish trade and do it Your starting five is Davie on Mitchell um Norm Powell Pella Larson maybe Yannis and bam who have the same agent and their great basketball players and they would make a fit work better than it might look on paper But they're fit issues there your benches drew smith Yacchonis Rookie Fantecchio out of the rotation until recently Yolvich out of the rotation until recently some minimums and two way guys and no backup center I don't think that team can win the championship. I'm sorry and um And and and that's i mean it which raises sub question big point number three is Can you get someone else to come with Yannis it did like Kuzma is not that good, but is he helpful? That's why this like drew a holiday fantasy that's but not fantasy But like possibly can you work it so that it's not five for one but it's five for two and then sub question three For a team like Miami is this big question number four How easy is it to add to your team this summer Immediately because if you say well this year we don't care about so much We're not going to win the championship this year, but we're loading up for the future with Yannis the future is immediate every single year Is more important than the one that comes after it for your championship equity and just as an example if they he'd do that exact trade They have a hundred and forty five million dollars of salary on the books for it next year Which vaporizes most of their cap room you have a token amount that matches the mid-level exception And that doesn't include norm Powell who's doing new contract um And so The answer is yeah, you have the mid-level exception. You have some tools blah blah blah But those are the questions you've got to answer if you're going to go all in for Yannis and this year is not going to be your year You better be able to reorient your roster Going forward now the summer after that to he could get to a point where it's just Yannis and Bam and cap space and Pat Riley Is one would say a veteran of that kind of situation with Donovan Mitchell's free agency potentially there and Yokeucho I don't know how Yokeuch would ever fit here for I don't think I'll ever leave Denver um So these are the big questions, you know, it's not it's not that it's not that simple and those are those are I think The teams I don't think I left out any other team other than a couple we're going to talk about um Talk about later any any parting thoughts on Yannis No, I think that pretty well covers it um You mentioned the nets along the way like yeah, they have a boatload of picks But like they just have nothing for him to play with and there's no point but they're the team How can we change our team this summer? Yes, they can do any number of things change their team this summer But if I'm Yannis I want to know like I'm not going there on blind faith that me and Nick Clax are going to take over the world together The point of the exercise for Yannis is the team I'm on no longer can contend for titles I want to go to a team where I have better teammates that seems pretty simple and the nets do not present that right now And would still have a pretty uphill battle to do at this summer But yeah, they've got all the flexibility in the world in terms of draft capital and cap room and everything else and it is an attractive market We'll see but again This is why if I'm John Horst I want the nets and all their picks potentially in the mix I want everybody in the mix so well and the nets have all those nicks picks And if there's a bucks you could say and you should do this with any team because the bucks picks if the bucks can't get their own picks back Which are owned by Atlanta and Portland mostly or pieces of them Which is why as I said on Monday's show This wild three-way rumor between Portland and Milwaukee and New York has come up with Portland sending Milwaukee It's picks back for reasons that I just I never found a deal that passes a smell test from Portland's perspective Why they would do that if you can't get those picks back Another thing you can do whether it's the nets or whoever is Worked up if if you get a team that owns another team's picks like the nets on the nicks picks You have to if you're Milwaukee giving your picks are swapped out in some years have Well, I don't just want the nicks pick or your pick I want the right to the best of whatever picks you have in this year and this year I want to effectively be able to swap up As many times as I can and as many drafts as I can if I can't get my own picks back I'm trying to think if we missed any team. I mentioned Toronto right they also have Murray Boiles who's good Toronto is like The why the hell not team if you don't think you're you're that if you don't think you can really do You're good, but not good enough now and set up to be good, but not good enough for the next two or three years That's a why the hell not like why the hell that Miami's kind of been that boat to a why the hell why the hell not But it's gonna be it's gonna be fascinating to see how this goes. It's certainly gonna make For an eventful week In Milwaukee and I hope that you honest had a good breakfast this morning. What'd you have for breakfast this morning? Um, I had eggs scrambled some bell peppers mixed in that's uh that's kind of a usual go-to for me I don't know if it is for y'all it's because as you know any given day you might want something different Uh, we did mention the hawks right And I said I think the hawks are out. I do think the hawks are out I think trea young would have been the handy salary to put in that deal and I don't think again they are 24 and 25 You cannot responsibly if you're the Atlanta hawks one game under 500 Be like yeah, you know what we'll trade jail in Johnson I want the best contracts in the entire league or the potential number one pick in the draft We don't even know where it's gonna be. We have the best of two picks Uh, like I just don't think you can do it. I think they play the long game. Okay. I'm done with y'all What else do you have to say? I think I think we are honest out at this stage Okay, um Our next topic was gonna be we each pick some x factors for the rest of the season that are not y'all And x factors like I want swing factors. I want wide variants I want this could be a zero. This could be a hundred and it has to swing the championship race I have some honorable mentions that I did not pick because I've talked about them before would you like to hear my honorable mentions would love to Does Detroit make a win now trade honorable mention? Yeah, does Fred van Vliet come back honorable mention Does minnesota make a smaller non-ionist guard upgrade Kobe white iode to sum new style trade and then Aaron Gordon's legs Those are my those are my uh honorable mention. I've mentioned them a lot Uh honor swing factors for the team. I will let you lead off with one of your x factors for the rest of the season I mean this one is so obvious that it's stupid and I had jotted down on my notes on this before we had like three more waves of reporting On jason tatum I don't think there's a bigger x factor Potentially on the board anywhere Conceptually or otherwise for the rest of the season um I thought the most interesting first data point on this was uh he was on a podcast the pivot podcast Which uh our friend j king over at the athletic uh transcribe this where I thought this was really interesting exact tatum talks about How he would fit in if and when he returned this is before we get the new wave of reporting from chris hans and remonna shellburn about him saying Maybe I won't But he talks about the fit about coming back and he says quote that's something I contemplate every day More about the team if or when I do come back this season they will have played 50 somewhat games without me So they have an identity this year or things that they have felt uh clicked for them and it's been successful So the reason I bring that up is because One incredible self-awareness and humility I think on jason tatum's part. I love that aspect of it To this does not happen very often and I was trying to find an analogy and it will be a strained analogy because I'm going to invoke the name But when michael jordan came back After his first retirement and scottie pippin had become the man and like This is a different scale and different level different players different era But like it it's a decent analogy for what happens when the number one goes out the door and the number two becomes the number one And does a damn good job of it right scottie leaving them to 55 wins the one full season and then michael comes back in the middle of or late in the second season and Scotty's whole Roll changes he's no longer the leading man and Tatum and brown have a lot of track record together as scottie and michael did and and it's a different kind of relationship Jalen brown was mp of the finals like they have they know how to do this and I'm not bringing this up for reasons of like ego Whose team it is or all that bullshit? It's just more the fact that it's just human nature um Whether it's jalen brown himself on the way he's re styled refashioned his game and then having to adjust again Whether it's tatum having to adjust and coming back whether it's tatum just adjusting to his body while still Coming back from the Achilles whether it's just the fact that he's coming back to a team that no longer has Alhorford and drew holiday and chrisps persingus and luke cornette and There's a bunch of guys who were barely barely playing Last time jason tatum was on the floor who are now significant role players In this rotation some of them starters named he's keta um so like I I just think it's it's a fascinating Test case if he comes back He's waffling, but my gosh like let's go back to our our leading cliche of the season that the east is wide open They're playing this well without him if you can get jason tatum back even at 80 85% of him as long as there's no risk of re injury You know why wouldn't you and I think that changes the eastern conference race He was number one on my x factor list. Let's take a quick break before I get into my reasons for that This acklo show is brought to you by fandall fandall's putting you in control right from tip off That's right. You get to choose your reward played safe go for it feeling bold. That's your move I guess whatever your style your in control no matter how you play Fandall's giving you the power to choose your reward and own your game this NBA season Had to fandall.com slash low to make your pick get in the game and play it your way 20 or over in president's lick states are 18 and over in president dc can tuck your y-omag opt in required Rewards are not withdrawal but restrictions apply including bonus and token expiration leg requirements and max wage or amounts He terms its force book that fandall.com gambling promo call 1 800 gambler or visit rg-help.com call 1 888 789 777 777 or visit ccpg.org Connecticut This episode is brought to you by ebay On ebay behind every car in part is a story waiting to be shared I read about this guy brought a nearly scrapped 2020 Porsche Cayman, okay You rebuilt the whole thing all with parts you found on ebay. I couldn't do that. Maybe you can And now that came in is out tearing up the track from Toyota's to aston Martin's ebay has thousands of cars And the largest online selection of vehicle parts and accessories ebay things people love The east is wide open. I do think we just have to just every time we say that We should be required to say Detroit is seven games up Seven In the eastern conference. That's a lot of games I had Tatum as well Um, and I'll give the Celtics credit privately publicly. They have never ever pushed the idea that he was coming back this season In fact, it was it's always been the opposite It's always like if he's ready he'll come back the fact that we're better than expected They have they're in a virtual tie with Denver for the number one offense in the NBA That is one of the all-time Crazy unexpected accomplishments for a team and a coach and Joe Mizzula and his staff that I can every remember They lost Jason Tatum Christophe's fingers true holiday. It's lukewarm ed etc etc alwha effort and have the number one offense In the NBA that's crazy um So I mean they've never they've never Pushed pushed him. They're not going to push him. They will actually air on the side of caution Tatum has Tatum and the workouts that he's publicized and all that none of which have been contact We're like five on five contact and like that as far as I know Has created the rumblings and the hope and the timing of the surgery that Bill has mentioned and all that and As great as the Celtics have been they're 29 and 18 I just don't think they can win three playoff series as is now Given how many unproven players they're relying on who are proving that who are becoming proven to some degree They've had perfect health almost no setbacks at all and that rarely sustains for a full season sometimes it does sometimes it doesn't And you can see some wear down happening like Derek white's just been in a shooting slump for a month basically um So I I think despite the fact that it could create a is Tatum coming back to be the guy kind of thing um, I think it can't help but It can't help but help them if he comes back. He's a great defensive player. He'll you'll have lost I have a step a quarter receptive. He'll regain gradually. He's a great spot-up shooter I don't know how much he'll lean into being a secondary player But he's a pretty self-aware guy if he gets on the floor and he realizes like hey, I'm not I'm not quite myself yet or maybe he won't get on the floor until he feels like he is quite himself And then we won't see him till next year um, I do have to say I take note Every time Jalen Brown makes a comment about Basically like yeah, man. You see now what I had to sacrifice like I've always been this good You know, I like you see kind of had to sacrifice stuff. It's just I take note Did I take note? Yeah, no listen I've brought this up before but you know in in previous years in you know earlier in their partnership when they were Rumblings about are they gonna stay together and this and that whatever a lot of it had to do with the fact that folks around the league Had you know, we're very aware that Jalen Brown saw himself as a number one like he was a willing Coast star, but he was somebody who envisioned himself as somebody who could lead a team and now Jalen Brown has gotten that chance and has shown Fuck yeah, dude was right all along. He's he's absolutely cut out for this and for a a a leading man role With everything on his shoulders and and let's face it not exactly like superstars around him with all do respect to You know the Derek Whites and and Peyton Pritchard's and everybody else like Jalen Brown has has shown that all that talk and all that What seemed like maybe to some people bluster once upon a time Was warranted and it doesn't mean that This has to be a permanent state of affairs It doesn't mean that he doesn't also have the self-awareness to be able to real back and bring Jason Tatum back in the fold But he he is putting up like career high usage by a very very large Stretch here and and he's just a bill and I were watching the Celtics in last night Just ruthless hunting these undersized guards and or below average defenders I mean every if it's crunch time like they played poorly in the other night every possession was bring me shade in sharp Bring me shade in sharp and I mean you're gonna bully him or you're gonna send a double team C.J. McCollum bring him to me It's just it's ruthless apex predator shit that he's doing right now and it's awesome to watch and I'm actually gonna walk myself back a bit I think the Celtics could make the finals given the state of the east Because someone has to and they're they're just playing that well like they're that good I just think their margin for error is is like zero to win three straight playoff series and and that I wouldn't pick them to make the finals But they they've been just really really good. I want to make sure I give them uh there do I have another important Celtics take you ready. Yeah So I have a lot of teenagers in my life now because I'm a suburban dad loser and my daughter has a lot of friends Who have older siblings or older siblings and their friends and we always joke That every teenage boy in Connecticut has the same haircut. We call it the llama haircut Hat that my friend Karen who coined it the llama haircut where there's just big a big puff of hair And it's like goes down to right above your eyebrows It's just like a ball of hair and I don't know if she calls it the llama. So it's called the llama I think who gogan zalas is the first NBA llama I think he has the first NBA llama haircut and I'm here for all of it And he's clearly ahead of the fashion curve because the teenage boys that I know Sounds like a bad phrase that I just said the teenage boys that I know in and familiar with a lot of them have the llama They have the who gogan zalas. I've heard this as the alpaca a couple years ago Basically the same thing. I think I don't know the nature people are gonna be like you know It's not a dolphin. It's a pork pass Uh as soon as I heard it saw it maybe saw an Instagram really or something about it But all of a sudden that's all I could see you know and it's just a flock of llamas running around everywhere Like who goes a llama uh by the way side note quietly Despite the fact that Darius Garland's been out max rooses out endlessly on and on and on calves five straight wins Blue out the lakers in the LeBron homecoming game last night tied for fourth in the east with Toronto 29 and 20 And I've talked about the calves a lot. I will say I did read Dave McManamins piece Where he said the calves would gladly welcome back LeBron for a fair well season LeBron has not said whether he's retiring or not. He said he has to have to have to have the conversation with his family I have ranked it several times on this podcast in the last six months if I had to rank the three true outcomes of LeBron's 2020-26-20-27 season This is just like even no one knows. I'm just I do my best to talk to people and read the tea leaves I've always said number one Farewell tour with another team almost certainly Cleveland number two Retire number three stays with the lakers that and I don't know if it's 40 31 29 if I did the math right, but it's not I don't feel very strongly about it, but The Cleveland Romanticism has always been there and people say it like it's easy It's like let's say Cleveland makes the finals and they have a bunch of young good players in their primes It's not like you just first of all the money element how much money is he gonna take how much of a pay cut as he will To take Cleveland has basically nothing to offer in less. There's crazy signage rate, which I don't even think they can do He's a plot plot LeBron in there like you it's not like you're just like all right. I'll be I'll be Sam Merrill. I'll just run around and do stuff But I did I agree with Dave is well sourced in the LeBron camp and that was interesting to me Okay, give me your second X factor. I bet we have the same second X factor too I don't know because I I was I was bouncing all over the place mentally yesterday as I was as you after you sent me the assignment um But I'm gonna Please don't groan if this is not in your in your list here The health of joellen beat and Paul George number two on my list forget Paul George Paul George is fine Paul George is played great for this affiliate exactly as you want Paul George to play for the six He had nine three the other night, which apparently is a sixers team record Joellen beat is number two on my list But I'm gonna let you I'm gonna let you I'm gonna let you finish I'm gonna let you finish this is um This all right. This is at least like three percent of me doing a like Modest victory lap my my take last summer. Oh, no don't you the victory lap All I'm saying that all I was saying at the time was we shouldn't just assume that these guys are dead and buried that We needed to at least acknowledge the possibility that in lieu of any Additional medical information that there was still possibility of joellen beat Paul George getting back to some semblance of who they were And that that combined with maxi could be enough to make them at least respectable That's all I would say I and I did I think I boldly put them as a top four team in the east and right now I think there's six then they're you know in shouting distance. They're also in shouting distance of falling into play in hell um Paul George explodes for 32 points the other night 9-3's tied a franchise record Looking very good as a high-level role player maybe the most expensive overpaid role player in history But who fucking cares it doesn't yeah it doesn't matter. He's not my money Not my money not my cap space Not great for cap management purposes, but who cares? He's super effective and he's willing to play the role off of maxi and Embed and edge comb and who else whoever else you want to put in there um I think they're eight and eight with their big three um But the 330 338 minutes together With a 118 offensive rating that would be fifth in the NBA um 111 or so defensive rating that would be third in the NBA That's a plus seven point three that would be for net rating that would be second um For the season they are middle of the pack in in every facet offensive defense But they're they're showing And imbete is showing well, so we'll get back to the main piece of this Joelle b looks a hell of a lot better today than he did a month or so a month and a half or so ago Or in October late October where it looked like he was laboring just to like get up and down the court And wasn't going anywhere near the paint He's still not where he used to be defensively um in terms of paint protection or just lateral movement But he's he's a lot more active than he was and his his offensive production is Flirting with his old self like he's he's a wrecking ball again and his his mid-range shooting touch Like like his shop profile has changed quite a bit and he's shooting terribly from three But he's been incredible from the mid-range and It doesn't matter where he gets the points. It just matters that he's putting them up at a pretty efficient clip And yeah, suddenly with a functional Joelle imbede a mvp Caliber Tyrese maxi a Super good rookie in an edgcomb and a very high-level Wing and Paul George Kelly Ubrei's back They they look really good. They look really competitive and again like Yeah, Detroit. We should know it as as often as possible. Detroit has a hugely in the east and maybe it's not so wide open But after them with the nicks trying to figure their their their their identity out again and the calves You know every so often they start to come out of it and then they slip again I don't see why the sixers are are not given health in that mix This is the the best story in the mba right now and frankly I never thought that we would see this again from Joelle imbede For the season he's averaging 25 points eight rebounds three and a half assists a game 48% shooting 52% on twos Not not up to his standards fine. He's recovering from all sorts of injuries He's played 15 of the sixers last 19 games He's played a lot of minutes in a lot of those games like regularly 30 35 I think he's cracked 40 once or twice In those 15 games 15 out of 19 so they sat him four times on back to backs 29 points eight rebounds four assists 53% shooting 33% on threes creep it up 57% on twos I just never thought we would see this level of consistency again from him over Even this many games and it's just delightful to watch He there is still something of a stylistic I don't want to say tug of war just Maxine imbede are built to fly or maxi and edgcomb are built to fly and beat is not built to fly But imbede is not in their half court. He's happy to let them run you run like i'll hit a head to you and i'll trail for three or whatever In the half court His time of possession for like his touch time is as low as it's ever been in his career He is happy to set screens pitch the ball set another screen pitch the ball He's posting up Still and and is a little bit more in the last couple of weeks and he's posting up like to pass as much as he is to score And It's just been awesome to watch no one can guard him in the play now the the power game Is in all the way back right he's not just bulldozing everyone getting to the basket But if you look at his numbers i'm looking at him now His rim shots are up where they almost they're sniffing Where they were in his best seasons 30% of his shots have come at the rim this season that was at like 3537 in his MVP level play Um, and it's and it was much below 30% like a month ago. So it's rising. He's getting to the basket more His horizontal burst is much better than it was a month ago He can get from point eight to point B on the horizontal plane to block a shot to channels a shot to burst up to burst toward the rim Much faster than he could his vertical bounce is still not there despite the alupe had the other night It is dunk in mass and square garden. I don't maybe that never comes back maybe it comes back later But he's been awesome. He has a legit all star case now. I don't know if he'll make it as a reserve because of the games played I just didn't I had kind of given up on this I still don't have any faith that it can survive three straight playoff series And if he can't they can't make the finals But every week two weeks that goes by with him playing pretty much every game at a heavy minutes load That my lack of faith in that gets shipped away at a little bit and it's awesome like it's it's One of the best stories in the league and with them beat on the floor for the season They're plus six per 100 possessions When and beat is off the floor. They're minus two per 100 possessions The other team doesn't get to the rim quite as much because he's still enormous even if he can't jump he's still enormous and intimidating And they're shooting percentage at the rim is much lower with them beat on the floor So some of his defensive effects remain intact. I just think look he's a polarizing player the health is what it is um I just think this is delightful and yes This is maybe his big and ex-factor as Tatum if he can play like this This is not just a feel good story This is a real team that even if I don't have any faith That they can win three playoff series that and be can say healthy for three playoff series They could be Detroit in one playoff series. They could be the nicks in one playoff series They could be any team in the east yes in one playoff series and that's scary For everyone else in the east and I barely mention him and I'm in about McCain's playing better Uh, who braze back They have trade assets if they want to go after a power forward. I'm not sure that they'll find one that works Uh, and edgcomb is fucking unbelievable completely fearless Very good on both ends of the floor and when he plays well and shoots well They're really hard to beat like this is the best that maybe the best story in the entire NBA. I'm delighted It's it's fantastic and you know you and I both know the six years quietly we're insisting all along We have no reason to believe that joelle and bead snee is is something that is going to be debilitating or chronic or permanent Um that we think that the that there is some semblance of him coming back. We he just need some time Um, he he's turning 32 in March Which look he he maybe he's an old 32 given all the injuries and all the time he is spent on the floor and getting banged up And even coming into the league with back and feet issues and all that But 32 is not that old in today's NBA in general Uh, so I just I always felt it was a little too soon to to just kind of write him off That this is that this is done and people talking about you know should they like wave and stretch him or something or whatever Um a couple other interesting just kind of like data notes um as I was scrounging around yesterday Do you know many dunks he has through 26 games? I think two It's 10 10 10 Somehow he's done he's I guess he's dunked more recently and I just have a purpose Per basketball reference on their their chart so I'm taking that for uh Taking that friend. I would take them as gospel. Yes, I do um But it would be way way way down obviously for a guy who's you know Obviously a power player His uh 60% of his two pointers are assisted that would be a career high So to the point of like him not being the same mobile shot creating a ball dominating player Yeah Most of most of his shots are assisted at this point His we talked about the mid range shot being being awesome 10 feet and closer he's down in terms of of uh shooting percentage by about 100 percentage points like he's he's he's way off Closer to the basket and again like you you see it like he because he doesn't have the burst in the lift But he's still just a physical beast and you know if he gets it anywhere near there You know watch out and I think he's still getting a lot of that back too like assuming again everything is assuming health right now He may only keep gaining in terms of mobility and lift between now and the playoffs. So I think I'm with you. It's fantastic um He's It once once a superstar fades It we start to we it's natural to write them off and think we're never seeing that guy again De facto he can defy all that is fantastic the sixers are a factor and yeah I don't expect them in the finals, but they're You laid it out They are going to be in the ultimate position of playing spoiler In the first round and maybe the second Uh and beat is shooting 64% of the basket this season uh in his best seasons that was like 75% But again, it's it's trending up as is everything uh Sixers and Just a great story. It's a great story. All right. Let's I have two more X factors. We'll take a quick break before I get to my last two X factors All right, I'm gonna go now. Is that okay? I'm gonna take the wheel hit me X factor number three from his we had the same first two Tatum And and beat and and by the way, we should have mentioned with Tatum Ramona Shelburn tweeted today that uh I don't know if she spoke to Tatum or source close to Tatum, but Um kind of that pushing back on the idea that he's made any decision to shut it down for the season that he's sort of taking it day by day Which you would expect okay? X factor number three from E. Jalen Williams for the Oklahoma City Thunder Who's been out for a little bit yet another sort of lower body thing? I don't think it's anything long term Um The thunder of 14 and nine in their last 23 games underwhelming Their offense in that stretch is 10th overall Good, but underwhelming Their defense is still number two overall and they only have only by their centers the third best net rating over those 23 23 games Would you care to guess the two teams that outrank the thunder since mid-December in net rating in the NBA? This is actually tough uh is Boston one of them. No Boston was one of them until yesterday the Atlanta loss took Boston down to fourth in that rating since this artificial time stamp that I'm creating Uh is Detroit one of them Detroit is one All right, uh I'm really tempted to say Denver Nope Denver has scrounged their way to a better record without yoke and stand their point differential would indicate San Antonio. Nope Wow, look at me whiffing away Uh, I'm uh, I think I'm stoned. I'll give you a clue I'm afraid bill is gonna overhear this and storm through the wall of the studio like the cool aid man to celebrating Celebrating I'm I you lost Charlotte. Oh I forget about his hornets fixation um wow wow yeah that You you could have given me like 50 guesses and there's only 30 teams they they've had a couple the the two massive blowouts They've had Philadelphia and Utah are lifting that up a lot But hey blowouts are indicative of potential danger and they're dangerous jalen Williams Uh, I mentioned the thunder's offense is 10th overall in that stretch good, but not great and by the way I'm not I'm all I'm reading almost nothing into this like by their standard slump They've had Case in wallessness recent games Alex Karuso miss recent games Aaron Wiggins miss recent games jdub We're talking about right now heart and steens missed his most of this stretch And he's as I've said many times more important to their offense than their defense because it's rebounding in their passing They're playing these lineups a AJ Mitchell has missed a bunch of recent games like they're they're just down So many guys and clearly just like we're taking it easy Until with our health and our rotations until the playoffs that they're playing lineups like Usman jang is now like startlingly relevant to their team Um bar and hizers playing a lot Carlson's playing. It's just not their real team even with Shay and shet as constants jdub it just has not played a lot this season He's not been in peak form coming back from the wrist injuries averaging 17 a game is shooting is down And I'm just bringing him up for obvious reasons with Shay on the floor For the season 121 points per 100 possessions. That's better than Denver and Boston on the team level in offensive rankings Without him 108 That's bad. It's straight up like bad But they're still winning the non-shade minutes because their defense is so good and interestingly when you dig into it They're defense in the non-shade minutes is so good because their foul rate is way way now when he's off the floor I'm not sure what that's about if it's about anything or to without the other players that are playing um And jalen Williams is obviously meant to prop up those minutes one of the reasons I'm not super worried about any of this is With a j michael busting out like this and shet making a little bit of a leap offensively They should have enough offense when Shay sits with jdub Mitchell and shet all playing those minutes and I think they all should or if not shet then heart and steam For sure I think that's enough to get by and actually in the limited minutes those three have played without Shay their plus 11 per 100 possessions again most of that is offense is just so so defense is outrageously good Rint protection free throw rate allowed turnovers all that but I say this all to say The spurs are coming. I know I'm not sure they're ready to win three playoff series in the West yet But I'm not counting them out and they obviously have something with the thunder um and Denver To me is now a peer Up equal to the thunder what they have proven without yoke chan without a host of other guys is so astonishing and speak so all of what they have going there That if they're healthy and full blast and it's why Aaron Gordon's legs are my honorable mention x factor I think they're as good as the thunder. I think I might actually pick them over the thunder in a playoff series uh Which is all to say the thunder need the jalen Williams who had So many big games in the playoffs that he was like almost neck and neck with Shay for finals mvp for a hot second I have a uh friend who will remain nameless who's in the analytics community um who has been tracking jalen Williams is very puzzling Uh like rapm numbers like the other the advanced on off type stuff Yeah rapm is now by minus point two seven yeah um I i i take these with a grain of salt But it's an interesting discussion on the text chain back and forth over weeks But it's just one of those kind of keeping an eye on like this is weird. This is puzzling It's like sometimes when the guy is a great offensive player But the net negative defensively then you go like oh like that that might be what's dragging them down What what is what's going on here? I don't know. I'm just bringing it up because it's interesting um I the thunder have firmly established themselves in the i'm not worried about them as long as they're healthy in the spring territory Right uh, but I also think and it's fascinating to you know as we sit here on January 29th um To consider this that A month or so ago five weeks ago We were talking about where they you know going to break the all-time wins record Can anybody beat them? Is there even any point to the rest of the season and now you are saying I think quite accurately like there is absolutely a race in the west and the nuggets are right there As given health and the spurs are I think arguably right there And they do seem to have i don't want to say they have the thunder's number But they they know how to beat them. They got something they got something under one the most recent one. They they got a little vengeance um But they got something they go what they have is a bunch of guards who can dribble with at high levels Which you need against the how do you defense like the thunder as much ball security and ball handling as you can get And a dude who's seven five and just wreck shit all over the place like yeah, all that is very good The western comments playoffs are gonna be fucking amazing At least after the first round Uh Like again the thund and what the thunder have is the the constant that no team can touch Their defense is coming every single night shooting can come and go They're bringing that defense every night and when they amp it up and they start taking the ball from you That helps their offense. They become very hard to beat the defense is gonna be there every night The offense Has had you know some stagnancy to it even when they were in their title run Even this year just a lot of possessions where it's a lot of shea that's fine He's amazing or when like shea gives up the ball after a pick and roll There's just not much else happening. There's not a randomness. I'd like a little more randomness a little more flow to their half-court offense And having a second elite ball handler to unlock that Or third, I guess you want to throw a j-mitchell in the conversation is like get shame moving off the ball a little bit Get a little more improv get a little more like when I kick it I'm kicking it to a guy who can really do something with it So he's my x-factor. Do you have another x-factor? You wanted me to give you my last one I had two others that I had jotted down Weirdly one of them still in the Atlantic division. Is that what they call it? I don't know Carly Anthony Towns is mood slash play You know he's he's always been a bit of an enigma and He's he's clearly been struggling and now we get to the report this morning from Same-amick that Maybe Towns has not gotten over Feeling like they they were gonna you know send them off in a yonness trade in the offseason that this has been kind of eating at him There's the you know towns and Mike Brown whether they're meshing enough and or what meshing well There's you know James Edwards at the athletic had noted this the other day that the last couple of games that they had one prior to last night their best stretches were with towns on the bench and You know to kind of a more defensive minded line up around jalen brunson not only their best stretches But some of the stretches to end close games Yes crunch time. Yeah. Yeah, yeah I wouldn't it's not it's not like a thing. It's but it's a few to feel it's not it's not nothing um He was a plus 19 in the in the win of a Toronto last night Rebounds the guy's really the league and rebounding like he can't like Look, yeah, I've talked a lot about cat. He's an easy target like to guys lead in the league and rebounds I counts for something But in terms of x factors for the stretch like yeah Like I've got an eye on the next chemistry specifically regarding towns and his production because those things are going hand in hand And he definitely is a guy who it seems like one tracks with the other when it comes to his demeanor and how You know whether he's feeling valued whether he's feeling included whether he's feeling You know whether you know there's that that version of towns that kind of awkwardly puffs out his chest But you need that guy and when that confidence and the the you know just general feeling of of whatever isn't there It all kind of erodes and so and and he's and he's back in those samey honest discussions for at least another week What What is it due to my declaration that the wolves won the cat trade if the nicks somehow Turned cat and other things into yannis. I think I think I then lose again. I don't know I mean, I don't know if they can do it, but it depends what else would be involved. I don't know. I don't know Uh, give me your last one Uh, the last one was just kind of a this I don't think this impacts the race But I am at least curious what it looks like when Austin raised returns to the Lakers They were 19 and 10 when he went down It's not innate since yeah um, they actually I actually think the Lakers because they have a negative point different As everybody knows they've won a million close games Luca looks good But the chemistry is not there etc. It's a eaten is wildly frustrating and Dalton connect demanded a trade apparently. I saw that reported yesterday I don't know if Dalton connects trade demand trumps for concork miles this trade demand is the most ridiculous trade demand in the history of the NBA But kudos to Dalton connect um There's still good there 2018 they're so good and they are missing Austin Reeves who has probably been their second best player this year And a really good fit with Luca um, I you know, they're clinging on to fifth like I think everyone is sort of shoved them into the play in a little prematurely But you know, their point differential suggest that Perhaps they should be shoved there. Okay, I have one more. Are you ready? Hit me Franz Wagner Who's injured? Not really sure other than Maybe he really wanted to or the NBA really wanted him to or both Why Franz Wagner played the Europe game or games? I can't remember if he played both of them off to top my head against Memphis Um, but he's been out since then hope it hope it was great for everybody involved And he's on here only because The magic did beat the heat last night. They are for no against the heat this season. They're 25 24 and 22 negative point differential for the season They're last best hope For this core that sounds a little dramatic, but I'm fine with it Is that their projected starting lineup of Bane Suggs, Franz, Palo and weddell Carter, Jr Is plus 47 and 117 minutes 117 minutes That's nothing they've played together in 11 games this season Franz, Palo and Suggs played 97 minutes total all of last season in six games And I'm sure the magic want to see that starting five and that fit Before they decide anything about Jamal Mosley Before they decide anything about Franz and Palo's fit together They definitely took note as said Palo, as it everyone that the team Looked a little crisper when Palo was out and I don't mean they were better although they were I just mean they looked crisper with a three-gar lineup of black Bane Suggs Wagner and a center that works And there's just a lot there's a lot of funk here in how they've been playing recently But there's also a lot going on Palo's had a blast season. We all know that Anthony Blackis had a great season. We all know that he's a starter level player Jalen Suggs has been hurt for a ton of the season as he is every season shooting 31% on threes and Makes you know a decent amount of money 30 30 and declining over the next five years. So no, okay contract It's a good contract if he plays you just doesn't play very much And Anthony Blackis established himself as a starter who's also going to get paid And they just can't pay all of these guys Something about the dynamic of their team hasn't worked and I think they're looking at Franz as a their best player I don't know what they think Franz is their best player and be The potential glue that can make this work on the level they hoped it would work And if it doesn't If he comes back this season and they're just meh I think everything is on the table in the offseason Maybe not everything maybe not trading fronds I think like what do they do with palo? Do they have a new coach? I think a lot of it is on the table So if and when he returns I'm going to be watching the magic Very closely all in up to and including can they play the lineup of black bane Suggs fronds and palo or is it just too small to play palo? I don't know do they need a new center? They're just like Everything is in flux for them Unless it all locks into place when fronds comes back. So that's why they're on my list And the magic have traditionally been I would say conservative to say the least when it comes to they're not a They're not a blow it up team. They're not a make-traumatic trades team They're not a team I would ever expect in a million years to trade Palo Bancaro just a few years after drafting him But that may well be what the answer is here that I've been skeptical of the bancaro Wagner combination as it was and I don't think anything. It's happened as change that and it's not just Bancaro in his own it just it just seems like and again We can go back to you know all the on-off stats that you know they're consistently better with God I think just just Wagner know bancaro and Very rarely when it's bancaro no longer but again a lot of those stats get blown up When their best players are all together including Suggs who despite being an up-and-down shooter Is something of a skeleton key for their team? Yeah, but we just haven't seen it enough like I know I can't I can't build my roster on the dream of these two hundred minutes that we have all together particularly when I have a rising guard like Anthony Black who's gonna get paid As much as or more than Suggs on his ex-hunt truck because he's been that and he's been there Second best player this season probably behind fronds when healthy. He's been awesome He's made maybe better that maybe man. I don't depends on your taste But for a team that has been Usually kind of conservative not swinging for the fences They made a swing for the fences type deal when they traded all those picks to get Bane last summer So that was kind of out of character for them But it showed how much confidence they had in the core and in bringing Bane into that core and Injuries or no injuries if it doesn't work out this season And they are well below expectations in terms of their production so far or they're they're win-lost record then Yeah, I do think this is the offseason where Everything has to be on the table and I don't think they can save this season like they were a legit Their overunder was 50 and a half reasonable people picked them to make the NBA finals I did not but I didn't look at that pick is like that's a laughable ridiculous pick I thought I was a little premature But I don't think there's any going back to that world I think this season is too far gone there are too many questions the answer They've been too many injuries etc. It's too much just too much funk This is more about What does this feel like when their season is over and if it doesn't feel good? If it doesn't feel like they've figured something out in the last X amount of games that fronts played and presumably a first round playoff series I think the teams could look If not a lot dramatically different like significantly different next year. All right Howard back Real ones what else we got uh real ones and Story involving some of the bigger names in the NBA that I'm working on and still wrestling with my editor about when it'll run Possibly next week Well, that's that's a good tease right there Howard Beck wow That's artfully done all right. You're the man uh enjoy Brooklyn and the freeze that is going on on these coast. Thank you Howard Beck everybody. Thank you Zach All right, that's it for the Zach Loes show this week pending Ending news you never know I'm out in Los Angeles. I got a travel at some point You just never know what's gonna happen one. It's gonna happen to trade that line week. We're in the hot zone But as of now that's it for this week. Thank you to Howard Beck Thank you as always to Mike Billy and Jonathan on production Thanks to you all for listening to and or watching the Zach Loes show Must be 21 or over in president select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas, Starkicino or 18 and over in president DC can tuck you or while McGamble and problem call 1 800 gambler or visit rg-help.com call 1-888-789-777-777 or visit ccpg.org slash chat In Connecticut or is it md gambling help.org in Maryland hope is here visit gambling help line ma.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24 seven support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8 hope and lie or text hope and lie in New York