NBA Free Agency Primer: The Main Characters of the Offseason!

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Coming up on this act low show. NBA Free Agency officially kicks off in about 35 hours or something like that. Michael Pena from the ringer.com is here to get into all of the biggest stories.

“Who are the main characters of NBA Free Agency slash the transaction period that is really already underway?”

Why Leonard? Will he be traded by the time this podcast drops? Jalen Brown, what about him? LeBron James? Huh? Well, teams he going to be unrelated. What are the warriors going to do? The nuggets, the pistons, we get into just the very broad strokes, main characters. And some news that's already happened with the next, the thunder, James Harden, Fred Bamvlee. All of that stuff and a bit on the Charlotte Hornets making two big trades.

We did LeMelo last week over the weekend. It was Miles Bridges to Phoenix with some stuff coming back to Charlotte, including a juicy Phoenix 233. Unprotected pick. We get into all of that quick setup for free agency with Michael Pena. That's all coming up on this edition of the Zach Low Show. Welcome to the Zach Low Show.

It's Monday morning NBA Free Agency starts in like 35 hours. It's been going on for a while. Traits are happening. Signings are happening rumors are swirling. Michael Pena, how are you doing, sir? I'm doing great to that. How are you, man?

I'm good. I'm ready. I've been ready. I've really never stopped being ready.

Things just keep happening. And from Janis until now, it's been a whirlwind. We're going to get into the main characters of the next week in the NBA. And it's going to be a week. It's going to be fast and furious like it always is. Before we get to that, some news that I don't think is all that surprising. But if I want to hear if you have any takes on any of these things, okay?

We have I say a heart and shine three years 75 million with the thunder. Thereabouts a slight pay cut on his annual salary for some security.

“Like that deal to good deal. I think it's indicative that yes, he is essential to our attack against Victor Wimbanyama and the young guys that we have may not be ready yet.”

The next recent deal war on three years 15 and Jose Alvarado about the same. I like both. It brings into question. Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamit as the mixer perilously close to the second apron. And both of those guys, particularly Mitchell Robinson have a lot of interest around the league.

And just this morning, Fred Van Vleet ops in to $25 million.

Now an expiring contract with the Houston rockets after a lost season last season when the rockets really missed them. And James Harden, not surprisingly ops out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and according to Shams Tronier. They are as we all have been saying discussing a new wolf day year deal that I'm going to guess is probably three years 80, 90, 100 something in that range. Is any of that interesting to you or should we just move on?

“You know, I think that next situation is interesting just in terms of the deals that they got done where smart.”

The fact that they are so hamstrung with regards to the second apron somewhat curiously is really interesting to me. And we'll see, like you said, with Shamit, with Mitchell Robinson if they'll be able to retain one both neither who knows that's that's something to keep an eye on for sure. The heart and shine deal real quick. I'm glad that he's staying because losing him would be kind of borderline catastrophic for the Oklahoma City Thunder. I think he's so integral to how they play and and defeating the San Antonio spurs next year. He's a huge part of that. So it's good to see him get locked up there.

Yeah, I mean, look, the off season is not even close to over, but I was asked a bunch of times in the last week or so by NBA people. You know, if you had to pick one team right now to if when you go to Las Vegas to bet on who's going to win the championship next year right now before all the moves. I said, I think I would pick Oklahoma City. I wouldn't feel great about it, but they would be my pick, but obviously there's a lot to be done.

I think that's a good bet for the next Alvarado is a no brainer gives them a little doosmic bride insurance.

“He's an unrestricted free agent after next season.”

I like all the things the next have done. I get the hesitancy with the second apron. It really is restrictive. And the thing with the next is if they're in it next year, there's really no sign of them ever getting out of it in the near future with this team.

As Bronson's deal will. Bronson will sign his new big deal eventually and other guys are essential.

It's not like you can just ditch Josh Hart or Michaela Bridges or something. And then your pick gets moved down and all that, but you know what, it's a special team. Who knows how much money that it's just made Mitchell Robinson. You know, you know, when Ben Yammer world is that archetype of player is essential.

“So let's run it back. I say it's not my money though. Okay. Michael Pinar, are you ready?”

The main characters of the rest of the NBA off season.

In no particular order, are you ready to go? Let's do it. Main character number one, and I'm accelerating him to the top of the list. Why Leonard the centerpiece of one of the most audacious crippling risky whatever mega transactions in NBA history that continues to this day to cost the clipers in the last draft in the aspiration scandal is still ongoing and all that. There is interest and there is interest specifically from the Toronto Raptors. These talks are very real.

They are real enough that I would not surprise me at all if Kowai Leonard is traded to the Raptors like shortly after this podcast is released. It also would not surprise me at all if it takes a couple of days or if it never happens because my read is the clipers are asked there is a gap between what the clipers want to move on from Kowai Leonard and sort of honestly begin a rebuild and what the Toronto Raptors are willing to give up. They are not going to go up Scotty Barnes, they are not going to go up columnary boils, they are not going to give up the swing didn't know who did they just draft. I can remember they got they just drafted in the first one and not giving him up.

“So it's just like do you want Brandon Ingram plus greedy dick plus a lightly protected first round pick that conveys now if so I think there's a deal if not I think there's further negotiations.”

It's super interesting because I just was never sure the clipers would reach this point with Kowai when they would honestly look themselves in the mirror and say it's time it's time they've indicated that they've been very honest about their place in the league like they never I don't think seriously entertain trading the number five pick they realized what what a gift this was to them having given up so much to get Kowai Leonard what a rare chance to get a blue chip prospect and they get keep in water.

But I still I just assume they'll ride it out forever with Kowai and here we are what do you think of this and I think this is very real I don't think that Dallas rumors are real that could change but I don't think that's real I don't know if there's any other team but Toronto is definitely interested in pairing Scotty Barnes and Kowai Leonard and really kind of going for it in the east where a lot of teams are kind of going for it. I this is an interesting one for a lot of reasons it took me by surprise the fact that the clippers you know Sean's reported that the clippers made quote no long term commitment to him the soft season so the extension talks are stalled and.

That's surprising to me a little bit given everything that they've said and hinted at and signaled for months. I don't think it's going to be I you know could it be buried instead of ingram I'm not sure how much that changes your life and fear the clippers even if you may be for bear it like it's not it's not going to be the any of the blue chip guys it it's not going to be like for first and three swaps like that's not happening. It's something like that where to happen and he were to just end up on the raptors I'll just say that.

Scotty Barnes, Kowai Leonard and CMB like that front court that's my league past team I'm watching every second of the Toronto Raptors next season but I think like fundamentally for me if Leonard is truly on the market the clippers don't want him they don't want to extend him. I don't see why another team wouldn't do what Toronto did in 2019 and take a one year flyer with the caveat here that Leonard doesn't have the same amount of leverage that he once did you know like. In 2019 obviously that the risk was that he was everyone knew he was going to go to Los Angeles well that's off the table now and how many teams would even be willing to give him the extension that that he covers so I think that.

Wider and more team should be interested in getting Leonard if they want the one year flyer and then kind of will see what happens give me a team.

“You're a problem for my problem yeah I mean if the Celtics we where I don't we're going to talk about this a little bit but if the Celtics are going home about trading jail and brown.”

I think it would be a better team on paper or a better player than jail and brown I think while Leonard is a better player I think he would get you closer to a championship in 2017 2000 27 so that's interesting to me and then they could also save some money or they could get another player in like I say a Jackson or Chris done maybe. So that's like an interesting one but I there's just other teams out there like the other teams that we're going to probably be talking about in a few minutes so. That's kind of just what do you think about that just like opening up the the negotiation if you're the clippers and you're seriously not wanting to why Leonard which is kind of a groundswell throughout the league I feel like.

That's interesting because like obviously the idea that he would extend with Toronto reportedly is giving the Raptors some leverage like to your point like July 35 and has a fairly long and well documented injury history. I'm not sure I mind depending on the price just getting him and saying we'll figure it out later the Celtics that was on my list of like so who's going to trade for jail and brown who's another main character.

I just think I could see the two teams arguing over who and how much should send draft compensation right who should who should compensate the other and how much.

That one gets a little complicated is age is a little complicated look there's a ticking clock on this thing with Toronto like Toronto is going to move on to other business. Just like other teams are going to move on like there will be jail and brown potential trades that fall apart because teams move on to other business. You know we'll see I mean the funniest one would be. Paul George to the clippers with one of their first round picks that the six are zone in exchange for a coli Leonard that would be the funniest one and by the way the clippers don't control their pick for the next three drafts even though the the Oklahoma city.

Nightmare trade is over for them and that factors into it too and I think they still want to be somewhat relevant right they don't want to bottom out even though the relegation zone is not going to affect them since they don't control their pick so that's why I got.

“Like in groom I think that's why Toronto would pitch that idea look coli went healthy last year was one of the eight best players in the NBA and at worst probably went healthy like the last 55 games of the season he was that good.”

You put him with Toronto I've already had a couple people from eastern conference contenders.

Text me like we would really not like that to happen like that team gets pretty scary pretty fast. So yeah, I just think it's interesting we'll see what happens. I don't really buy the Dallas stuff. I don't really buy the San Antonio one either like I don't I don't really know how that's working and what the prices and all that. What we've been to sell would have to be involved I think or I don't know it's just that's too much I think it's too much it ended worse with San Antonio than it did with Toronto by like orders of magnitude between coli and the team and I just feel like.

You just made the finals like I don't that just feels like a bridge too far. I'm trying to think if they're anything else we need to hit on this nope that's it coli like we'll see I think there's real likes of this thing in Toronto but I agree with you like there are a bunch of teams that could talk themselves into it like you could build Denver deals you could do all sorts of things. Okay, main character number two jail and brown. We're here with jail and brown Bill and I talked about it a lot last night.

I don't know who the jail and brown team is I am beginning to wonder if the Celtics. Overthought the yonna thing and just this should have just been like we've gone this far we know that it's going to be hard to put the toothpaste back in the two with jail and if we keep him we know it's going to be pretty hard to trade him for return that our fans find palatable.

“Maybe Hugo isn't this essential or shiremen or both isn't this essential and we should just go all in and rip the band it off and get it over with.”

Throw our depth out the window like I'm not sure that's a great answer either but now they're in this situation where. I just don't know who the team is that's that's like that they're deep in in the weeds with on any jail and brown trade and I said this with Bill last night I compared it to the Minnesota timbre was trading cat in the sense that.

I think they are stuck in a place where their choices are right now.

“I've been told on to jail and brown to try to salvage this relationship and figure it out and it may be too far gone I don't know I mean I'm looking at a tweet this morning that I think everything is fake and AI.”

I think Kendrick Perkins threatened to fight jail and brown's dad on Twitter I think that's that's like a place to where are we are right now like that's the media okay. So reconciliation or take a package that is just not gonna excite your fans your talk radio host maybe you've been your owner it might be like a smart package that you could be like okay we reorganize our finances we get a couple young players a couple picks but like the headline or or the present day value is going to make your team materially worse.

This coming season then having jail and brown will be I think that's where they're stuck and I don't really know.

“Like what the team even is right now I don't know I don't know where the what who they're at the 20 yard line or 30 yard line with you have any thoughts.”

My thoughts on this are I'm I texted you this last night up I'm I'm still surprised that we we got to this point. Well, like you don't trade a guy who just finished six the MVP made was about to make first team all MBA finished with the sixth most votes for first team all MBA was a finals MVP two years ago he's about to turn 30 but still kind of getting better in a lot of different ways. Do that because his you don't trade him because his feelings are hurt because it was revealed that he was in an offer for yana sent into kumpo who's like one of the greatest players in the history of the MBA and if I'm the Celtics like.

I'm not making a trade unless like I clearly win the trade like I would feel like the Celtics are negotiating from a position of strength like that's the kind of the point of selling high like if I if I make no trade if I'm Boston. I keep jailing brown and I come back next season with a roster that won 56 games and had a better offense defense and net rating and the regular season than the nicks and Jason Tatum only played 16 regular season games like I feel like it's a pretty good consolation.

And we have all this data that Tatum and Brown are fantastic together we have all this data I know that.

The analytics conversation is kind of going way too far in one direction that it's like silly. When jailing brown is on the court the Celtics are good like every year like whether Tatum is on the court or not they're very good basketball team. I have some thoughts on analytic skate can I just share my thoughts on analytic skate please please. So this is reminded me of my biggest pet peeve in MBA media for 25 years was when SI when it was a real publication like a actual print publication in a real website used to put out anonymous MBA scouts preview the season and it was just a column of like anonymous MBA scouts.

And a lot of it would be like really mean pot shots at players like stuff that you would not say if your name were attached to it not like this guy needs to work on his jump shot or whatever like but like this guy is just a loser and like really it's good.

“And you don't know who the scout is it could be like scout number 12 in the depth chart right and I think like.”

I love Bobby Marx he's very close to me like we were of a great relationship with both met fans all of it I just think like just gatekeep that one like random analytics guy saying something that you know is objectively crazy. Is just like you don't have to share that one number two even if he shares it and he did I promise you everyone from jail and brown to green runs deep to Joe Celtics fan you don't have to care you don't have to get mad about it it is possible. To just dismiss it as the one opinion of a stupid analytic stapper whose name we don't know whose team we don't know whose experience we don't know and just move on with your life you don't need to make it a new cycle for 48 hours.

You can just go outside ride a bike go to the beach take a swim read a book cook a meal like you don't have to make it a thing and nor do Nord is anyone in the media and this is the end of me making it a thing please move on no more talk about it. Right agree with everything you just said but again like the the whole the toothpaste back in the tube thing it's like.

And in a game seven where Tatum got hurt like the first play and then jail and brown proceed was proceeded to get out played by Caleb Martin.

So obviously you know the Celtics have belief in jail and brown they have. They understand as value they gave them 285 million dollars on that deal they gave them they've given them over 400 million dollars in his career so the feelings hurt thing is just like I'm not taking a.

“You know some of the fake trades that I've seen I just I would just not do that if I was Boston I think they're a significant step back step back from championship contention which is not what you want to do when you have Jason Tatum.”

They're only choice is a trade that is even if it can be spun as like hey this is a smart trade with these long term assets and this financial flexibility and clearing up the hierarchy it will be a step back in 272627 and maybe 2728 and that's your going to be your I don't think there's the. And I don't know that there's a trade that's not a step back that exists. I have a fake one for you I want to tell me how realistic you think this is. Sacramento Kings.

The bonus to Rosen who's got a non guaranteed 10 million guaranteed and three first for jail and brown.

I don't think the kings are doing that with that with that level of draft equity involves so bonus isn't good name though. For a team that really needs like a proven MBA center I mean Neemy Kato is now proven as a regular season starter and then after the title dicey. That's a good in fact the kings are on my list of just so like let's just real quickly.

“Here are teams about whom there's been noise with jail and brown or reported connections or fake trade connections that I think are now either out or mostly out Brooklyn.”

Detroit.

I don't think he's ever been in.

What are some other names that have been like bandied about that I should that I should hit because I'm going to then go to the teams that make Portland or London is then I don't know I'm not convinced that they're in they could be in that's I'm not crossing that one off. But I think for like well who's in that would surprise me right go you have a team you're looking at the teams. Would you say the pelicans that's pelicans I have no clue no clue I mean you could build any number of trades it could be a Zion trade a trade trade or her plus trade trade or her plus Zion trade and no Zion trade there's like a million possibilities and do not they murdered they don't really need so I'll keep them in the in circle.

“Denver I think has to be monitored and we'll get to them in a second is one of the main characters of the off season.”

And then I'm like is there a team that's off my radar that I need to look deeper at Sacramento was one. Now I didn't think of subonus what I thought of was Keegan Murray de Andre hunter and some drastic draft assets that are obviously not a cup maybe I get care band is a win now player something like that. Again like it's in I thought like do we need to keep an eye on Atlanta again who is just sort of like like but I don't know what the money is in that one like does Dyson Daniels plus coming up plus.

Some future and what's the blue chip young player because obviously it's not going to be Kingston Fleming's like what's what's the is it Dyson Daniels is that that excited to me is the Celtics. Do I get to kill Alexander Walker somehow throwing in there I just don't see a great deal for either side obviously jail and it's from Atlanta. I thought about Dallas because they were they've been rumored everywhere and I'm not sure any of those rumors are true. You just have to pile up a ton of players and again I don't know who's like.

PJ Washington plus Nazi Marshall plus Clay Thompson like that's not I need something younger and more exciting than that and by the way. Notable report from Christian Clark at the athletic over the weekend directly is out of his walking boot but still hasn't progressed to running or jumping as he works his way back from multiple right foot surgeries okay. Like I'm I'm my years went up with that in terms of like I don't know I mean Orlando for one of the star players on Orlando that just feels like a two size make a change for everybody involved so I don't really like even know.

So let me just ask you like what is wrong with bringing in back.

Like I I understand the money I understand like how expensive he is I know how difficult it is to build around two guys who. Will earn 70% of your cap for the next three years like I totally I get all that. But the Celtics are like really good and I don't bring if you if you you know shift things around the margins here and don't have suits as your your backup center I just think like. You're still a very good team that can win the Eastern conference like am I crazy. Let's take a quick break and then I will answer that question.

Think about the 31st Newly like that last call for a star oh no I don't know where I just want to go. By the way, the star that is like a star is just one thing. Of course, it makes everything automatic.

That's the long way. No, just a little bit.

No, then. Hold it now then. With the star. It's the 31st Newly upgeben. He seems legit and really mad about the Celtics putting him in trade talks and like I understand. It's too easy for us to say hey, man, it's Janice. Janice is better than you.

Janice is a top 25 all-time player and multiple MVP finals and repeat just like you. If I'm dealing brown like these are just like I'm not wired that way. I'm 29 I play every game. I just saved in my mind. This is how I would think if I were dealing brown.

I just saved our season when everyone thought we were going to suck. And I carried the team and I'm a finals MVP at East Finals MVP. Like I don't want to be in trade. How about I'm not in trade talks for anybody. How about how about we get to that point.

That's just how he would think. And the other thing that's materially changed is he got a taste of running his own team. And I think that and they won 56 games.

“And I think that really matters and Tatum the Tatum integration went pretty smoothly.”

I thought for the most part there were definitely segments particularly in the playoffs. So it's like oh there's a lot of Tatum going out right now. And not as much jail and brown going on and like that's but that's also okay. There will be segments where there's a lot of jail and brown going on and not as much taste and Tatum going on. That's just part of this imperfect yet wildly fruitful partnership.

But I do think things have shifted a little bit and the other thing is you know you said the words sell high. I do think there's probably some worry within the Celtics of yes there's only three years left on this mega contract. Does his value rise or fall as his contract gets closer to expiration or is he becomes closer to ease eligible for an extension now that I would be shocked if you got. So I think those are all factors. I don't I feel like they're going to trade him. I just feel like this has gotten too far and too much has happened and too many teams have been involved and contacted it all that.

But I don't disagree that if there's no palatable trade I don't say any problem bringing him back.

“I think Missulu is really good at mending fences and getting everyone on the same page but you know TBD on that.”

And do we forget any teams. I don't think so. I think you you hit them all Lanna was the one that. I mean Charlotte but not I don't know what I'm glad you mentioned. I don't think Charlotte's interested. I mean, every team could be interested right like I don't think anyone ever with a player of this quality just like out out.

It just depends what the prices that's the thing with the rockets and the hornets I just don't think those teams are really jumped in in a way that would suggest to me that they're actually. Interested in jail and Brown Portland is the wild card for me that I just can't really read their their intention. Speaking of the Kings, by the way, you're going to be shocked by this Michael sit down. If you have a seat belt on your on your desk chair buckle it.

Zach Levine opted in to his $49 million deal for this comic season.

I know you expected him to opt out and test on restrictive for agency. He has opted in with the Kings. Yeah guy I would keep an eye on as the heat go bargain hunting to try to fill out this roster. If tomorrow derosing gets bought out at any point I would I would think he could make some sense for the heat along with buddy healed and Tim Hardaway Jr. And Mike Conley and all these sort of just like grab bag of guys as the heat tried to couple together a team.

“Okay, I think I'm out of thoughts on jail and Brown.”

I do think I've been I'm let's move on main character number three the Denver nuggets who this morning tendered qualified offers to pay in Watson and Spencer Jones.

End of the season with the Oakage playing maybe the worst playoff series of his career against the temperal was in Rudy Goldberg's defense ended the season with Aaron Gordon injured yet again.

And I think end of the season. Both their own season and watching the spurs in the thunder and their seasons. Understanding like oh. This has gotten pretty dicey for us really fast. Mark Stein and Jake Fisher broke the news over the weekend that Yokech may delay signing his extension which he's delayed last season for reasons that made financial sense and no longer really applied now.

“I think that story is mostly nothing but not a hundred percent nothing.”

I don't think he's ever going to leave Denver. I don't think he wants to leave Denver. But and I don't think there's going to ever be like you've got to do these five moves around leaving Denver. I just think it's like. It's been noted it's been noted within the nuggets that he's not signed yet and maybe he signs in two weeks and it's all moot.

I think that's all going to be fine, but I think this team has reached across roads where it's like. Something about us is growing a little bit still and is not good enough to beat these two teams ahead of us. And we have a guy who has been the best player in the world or maybe number two or number three now for the last seven years six years five years. We've got to act. And even if the act is changed for the sake of change, we've got to try something.

“And that's why when Bill brought up his I think it was.”

He was jailing brown and Sam Houser for Jamal Murray and was it air in Gordon I know it wasn't air in Gordon was jam. I was a cam cam Johnson. That's a really interesting trade and I do think Denver has kicked the tires on jail and brown.

What do you think of that trade and what Denver is already like at the first apron before you even put a dollar in for Watson and Spencer Jones.

Like what's realistic here. I. From Boston's perspective, I think that if you're going to trade jail and brown getting a very very good all NBA level player. Who's where Jamal Murray is would would make some sense. I don't know.

Well, jail and brown's probably a little bit better, but I'd love Jamal Murray and obviously Cam Johnson. Great three point shooter had a up and down season, but very good player. I feel like that's a watch there with Houser. If I'm the Denver nuggets, I just I have obviously in recognizing and acknowledging how they went out last year was was really tough. I have a hard time.

Conceiving the Denver nuggets without the the Yogich Murray tandem, which I just think is still very special in a lot of ways. And, you know, when those two shared the floor last year, their offensive rating was 130, which was led the NBA among all two man tandem that played at least a thousand minutes. They're still exceptional together. And I just think that jail and brown is a totally different type of player. And I'm not saying it can't work on the court.

And I obviously he adds athleticism and power and force and defense for sure on ball defense. I just I don't know if that makes you that much better if you're the Denver nuggets and. So that's like that's kind of a trick you with and I just real quick touching on the extension news with Yogich kind of delaying it. I agree with you that it's probably nothing but it is also like a.

“A smidge of him putting his finger on the scale I feel like if you wanted to sign the extension you could just sign the I mean you can do it any day between now and I think next June.”

So it's fine, but. The fact that he hasn't already is just it's interesting.

And I want to see you know, they traded their first round pick obviously and a and a cost cutting move, which was tough to see.

But more shoes are left to drop here with regards to Peyton Watson and how much. They're willing to spend and are they're going to be in the second apron on this and that's so it's going to be really interesting to see what happens, but at that trade is is. It it also feels like a your problem my problem type of trade that I don't I don't think that. I don't think that Denver gets necessarily closer to when you title with it. I think that say it's an interesting concept to me because it fits my.

We just need a different look. And part of what we need is more size and the words you use athleticism power I wrote. Like they're just with Aaron Gordon increasingly just like I just have to plan.

They're just don't have enough power and size and own and physicality it's why to me Peyton Watson is a must I have to bring Peyton Watson back if I'm Denver. I what he showed when you'll catch in half the team was injured. He's not going to be able to play like that for Denver you're not getting 25 pick and rules of game and all this but just and in terms of power. He's better defending guards and he is defending for us and and and big guys, but he's very versatile defensively and just the athleticism.

“And speed and size I think he's an absolute must he's going to have shooters in Chicago Los Angeles the Lakers may be like show some interest in him.”

I think you've got to bring him back if you're the nuggets, but that's why that trade of like all right, we're just not going to have any guards on the team, but we're going to have all like super powerful wings and then we'll figure out the guards later is conceptually interesting to me, but to me like I've got to bring Peyton Watson back if I'm the nuggets almost no matter what I do and. And then I've got to make some choices of like I'm either going over the second apron or I'm salary dumping somebody somewhere and I might do I have enough to pay for the salary dumping of someone somewhere I don't know.

By the way, another just aside that I forgot that I should have mentioned about Dallas and jail and brown and quiet and all that like Dallas is a lot of picks like going forward. They don't have a ton of picks to trade in the Lakers pick when you're a courtesy of some trade I can't remember how they got a Lakers pick. Boggles might as I don't remember it, but that's nearly here nor there so I'm just fascinated by Denver because they feel like a team. That should be ready to take a stylistic gamble and I don't know what that is, but I'm very interested to see what that is and that Boston deal is just fascinating to I by the way that bills just making that up I don't think that's been discussed that's just a the castle of the trade machine deal, but I think it's it's very interesting and now.

“Timely main character number four Michael Pina let's you have any other Denver thought you want to get off the chest.”

Now we're good we're good we can move on. Main character number four is LeBron James, who is an understricted free agent who doesn't appear as of right now to have been tender to real offer by the Lakers for his services.

The Lakers are staring at a scenario where they could have like 45 ish million dollars of caproom.

To use, but they'd have to renounce all their outgoing free agents including LeBron and Ruby Hachimara. Ruby Hachimara I would bet on not being a Laker next year, but I wouldn't bet heavily on it that's just my educated intel.

“Or they could stay over the cap and basically bring back most of the same gang.”

The new's Shams Troner reports that Dreyman Green has declined this $27 million player option for next season. This move according to Shams gives the Warriors flexibility to pursue LeBron James and free agency and Anthony Davis via trade to form a big four. Now I'm assuming the big four in that scenario are Steph Dreyman, LeBron and Anthony Davis and the Jimmy Butler who's recovering from a tornado is moved. Theoretically Anthony Davis trade.

I was told last week that if Dreyman indeed opted out of $27 million, it would not be to leave the Warriors or not likely to leave the Warriors.

It would likely be to sign a longer deal at lesser money, particularly in this year, to give them the flexibility to upgrade the roster. I'm not this is the expendables fantasy scenario that bill is like three months in doubt, lining and patenting and I keep seeing people steal the expendables from him, not it's his thing. I don't know that that big four is good enough to beat the thunder or the spurs in a playoff series. It's it's very old in injury prone and those are bad things to be when you're facing young deep rising teams, but it would sure be a hell of a lot of fun.

It would make the Warriors must watch. The Steph LeBron thing is a proven thing like they go beautifully together and Anthony Davis. I mean, I have no earthly clue what the wizards actually want to do with Anthony Davis, longtime wizard Anthony Davis.

He makes $58 million this year. He's extension eligible. I know that I would stay as far away from an Anthony Davis contract extension as I possibly could know about what team I was.

He has a 63 million dollar player option for next year. He's still a very good player. He just doesn't play basketball very much and he's old like not he's older unlike unlike like LeBron who at least has age on his side. Anthony Davis has the injury plus age. This is now kind of working against him. Hello, I'm looking over and I was 31 32. He is 33 actually so I mean AD would be he still has a lot of good basketball in him.

It would just be interesting to watch him and dream on, you know, how does that all fit together, but that's those are luxury problems for the Warriors who have a lot of draft fix to trade.

As for the wizards, I have just no earthly clue what they want to do with longtime wizard Anthony Davis. There was tons of buzz over the weekend that they were going to be open to moving him and then I heard the exact opposite when I started checking around like no that's all inaccurate. They want Anthony Davis on the team.

“I would assume if the Warriors made a palatable offer why wouldn't the wizards at least entertain it. I think the trade young extension which was bizarrely expensive and I already talked about it.”

To me, indicates that Anthony Davis is not long for Washington either way. I just don't see any universe in which three years from now two years from now the wizards are paying those guys 110 million dollars combined or whatever it would be. I would assume if I had to cut through the noise the best I could, I would assume Warriors offer something realistic. They could probably get in the conversation and as for LeBron. Look, I have no, no one has any idea. I have no idea. The best I can do is like cross teams off.

I kind of crossed the clippers off already last week when I said like yeah, they can open cap space. I've just been told over and over again that he does want to play for the clippers. Maybe that changes if the clippers change their roster on. I don't know. It seems like this Warriors thing has more momentum than the Cavs thing and maybe even then the Lakers thing.

The Lakers are eternal though. I thought he clearly settled into like a winning third banana rule before everybody else got hurt, reads and down.

I just don't know what it really amounts to in terms of chasing an NBA championship, but I know that Steph plus LeBron plus AD plus dream on is absolute must watch television and at the very least like interesting, I can't wrap my brain around what like what's the over under on that team. I've absolutely no idea they're ancient and injury prone and AD's case. It's clearly better than what the Warriors are now.

“It's interesting. It's entertaining. I think depth could obviously be an issue health would be an issue.”

Athleticism, you know, they brought back Al Horford on a deal. I don't know what Moses moody's status is, but. Yeah, for a while, maybe out of for a while. I don't know. I mean, I've just penciling in like out for the season, but we'll see. Right. So I mean, it's it's top heavy for sure. All of the players that we're talking about are in some kind of decline. They're also super special and when healthy play at a pretty pretty high level. So. And they beat the spurs. Can they beat the thunder? Can they beat the healthy nuggets?

I don't know. It's an interesting one. I would want to see it for sure. And I think that. It's just a lot to think about with regard. I mean, we've seen LeBron and Steph on team USA. I thought that that was like really symbiotic in a lot of ways. And there's some, you know, versatile things that you can do offensively with all that intelligence. But yeah, it's an interesting one. I don't know. I don't know if they come in the title, though.

I just I can't conceptualize the team like to stuff LeBron to me and game is obviously like that's a dream come true for everybody to get to see that on the biggest stage.

“And we saw it in the Olympics. Where's Anthony Davis when that's going on? Where's the dream on Greenwood? That's going on. Does this team have depth? Is it at defense? Where's our horror?”

I have no clue. Like the anti-meltan has a player option. It's he kind of back and he's not kind of back. Pagensky's still around. Like it's a good team to fun team.

If they're down to one and the second round to San Antonio, it's going to be unbelievable wherever the game is if it's in gold and state.

It would be fun theater. And I talked about this with Bill who pitched the spurs as a as a LeBron destination and he asked me. Would would you consider him a ring chaser? Would people consider him a quote ring chaser in that scenario? Going glomming on to a team like the spurs who just made the finals. And I said two things. Number one, I think the spurs is a good franchise to pick out because I don't and this goes back to the clippers with apologies to the clippers in their fans. I don't think he's going to a franchise that doesn't have some level of gravitas to it and the spurs have gravitas.

I also said the dude is 41 years old. It's a miracle that he's still in the NBA. It's a triple miracle that he's still one of the 25 best players in the NBA.

It's going to be like LeBron's having fun at age 42.

And all these guys coming together would be fun. I mean, I don't think this is not even a ring chase. I mean, they can talk themselves and do it. I can't see four playoff series wins out of a team this old. But it's definitely a basketball near Bonna chase.

It's like I want to end my career playing with a bunch of other basketball geniuses and a teammate that I've had in Anthony Davis before. And I like and I'm fond of let's have some fucking fun and see how this works. I don't think that anything LeBron should be considered a ring chase at this point. And I frankly would love for him to be in a situation where he can win another ring. I mean, that way.

“I think that one of the cool things about how Lassie's an ended with the Los Angeles Lakers and him finding this role that was very new to him.”

But best for the team was the they were a team that was able to maximize all the parts with him not, you know, having the highest usage or being the first scoring option or whatever.

And winning, they were winning down the stretch and they were very good until Luca got hurt against the Oklahoma City Thunder. So it's fun when LeBron is in the hunt and I would love for to see him go to any situation where that were the case. And he was still functioning in a large meaningful role as he was last year with the Lakers. Buckle up, baby, the warriors are doing warrior things and just nothing is more warriors than chasing like this kind of thing which is super fun. Let's wrap up real quickly because I want to get this up as soon as possible.

These things are happening. Other quick thoughts, another main character, I think is going to be the pistons who opened up some space by dumping Isaiah Stewart and then used some of it on a great acquisition of Isaiah Joe that immediately made me think, huh. Duncan Robinson's contract is like very little guaranteed for next season. They could open up even more space again by doing something with him. And then if they do that, where is Duncan Robinson go, I need to choice up to something. I don't know what it is.

Any quick thoughts on that. This is the trainer 15 for me still. This is the Ron Holland carousel of er and four picks for trainer. Four picks. Let him be, let him be the Desmond Bay and of your team. Let him be the Michael Bridges.

I feel like if you're the Detroit pistons, this is our team. You know, it's going to get very expensive but paid a star Thompson, Jalen Durin, whenever he resigns. Tray Murphy. Isaiah Joe, all the other pieces I'm not like it's just. We were we were the best team in the Eastern conference last year.

We're we're clearly understanding things about ourselves and we made an identity shift in a lot of ways by trading. Essentially trading Isaiah Stewart for Isaiah Joe. Yeah, I just realized it was coming on on mouth. But yeah, that can win the title. So what are we like, that's, it's not just like a one year thing with a trainer fee is not 30 years old.

He makes sense with Kate and he makes sense with that young core.

“So yeah, I would do whatever it takes, honestly, to get trained.”

I think he's a perfect fit for what they do, how they play. Fits and on both sides of the ball and why not? I think I think four picks we get is immediately. Just a couple other quick thoughts before we go here. Hornets, two big trades, obviously Lamello and then Miles Bridges and they got Royce O'Neill in Grace and Allen in the 233 on protected pick with the 29 pick going to Phoenix.

I covered that with bill yesterday. The only thing I will say, I loved that trade for Charlotte. I did not like it for Phoenix. It raises some interesting roster questions for Phoenix. I like everything else Phoenix is done so far this summer.

I think jail and green now becomes one of the biggest wild cards in the league over the next 18 months with this player option for 36 million for the 27 28 season.

We'll see if he's part of their long term plans, particularly if they extend Dylan Brooks that almost feels like either or financially for them.

“The only thing I'll say about Charlotte that I haven't said is, I think I wonder if the new lottery rules.”

In bolden them even more to get off of the mellow because I think they're willing to take a small step back next season. I think the lottery rules just make a lot of teams in Charles position rethink like, hey, feel good season 44 wins. Played it like a 55 win pace in the last half plus of the season. We could go all in or semi all in or half of another foot in for next season and chase every win. And if we don't do that, the other option might be taking a small step back and like in the east actually missing the playoffs.

And I think they looked down and were like, well, what's the worst thing to happen is we missed the playoffs.

We have a bunch of draft assets if our own pick is in the lottery. And Dallas is pick is in the lottery. We just, you know, the new lottery helps us if there's not it's not bad to be 13 in the lottery anymore. So I thought that was an interesting smart little thought by them. And then the bulls had a great draft. Everybody loves the bulls draft. It does have to be frustrating for bulls fans to watch these teams clamor to pay pretty fair contracts to I'll just assume new and Kobe white when you just gave them away for nothing.

And that's all I really want to say because we've got a big week coming up and it's already starting. I'm glad all this stuff happened while we were on this podcast. The warrior's man, I just Steve Curs come back and it's like, let's have a party. Let's go and it may maybe they'll make it happen.

“And I wonder honestly, if like, I wonder if the lakeers would almost be relieved to not to like not that they want to not have LeBron on their team.”

But just the clarity of, okay, now we can operate as a cap space scene. Now we can really start turning over the team to make it look like Luca how how Luca wants it to look. And by the way, they have a lot of work to do to get it to look like they do lots it to look with him on the clock. But that's it for this morning, Michael Pena. What do we got coming up from you? You wrote, what did you, you wrote something? You wrote about something over the weekend. I can't remember what it was so much has been happening.

Janice, you wrote about Janice, I think, right? You wrote about Janice when the trade happened. Did a little offseason preview, had a bunch of questions.

“Oh, that's what it was. Yeah, Jalen and I think I proposed that tree Murphy,”

Million picks for tree Murphy thing that the Detroit piston should do hopefully that happens.

Yeah, just going to be covering covering the summer covering the offseason. It's going to be very busy for agency starting tomorrow. So can't wait. I got a time to swim meet tomorrow and I'm going to be timing and have my phone in one. And I'm going to be like, Joe, do Mars, except with a stopwatch and a phone. Can't I might accidentally answer a call with the stopwatch tomorrow and mess up with my timing.

Michael Pena, you're the best. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Zach. All right, that's it for today's edition of the Zach Low Show buckle up. Transactions are coming. It's that time of year. Summer league is right around the corner. I'll be in Vegas in a little over a week. I can't believe we're already there. Thank you to Michael Pena for his time and expertise.

Thanks as always to Mike Jonathan and Billy on production.

Thanks to you all for listening to and or watching the Zach Low Show. We'll be back later this week. Either Wednesday or Thursday as news trickles in ahead of your holiday weekend. Ethan, I'll heard about Scott and we will be back soon. Thanks, everybody.

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