This past Sunday, man. The Memphis Memphis Memphis Memphis That's funny. The Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic made a mid-level Definitely not blockbuster trade sending Desmond Bing to the magic in exchange for Contavious, Caldwell Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first round picks and one first round pick swap. Who won this trade?
Well, can't first and foremost I got to clarify you. It is a blockbuster trade because of the first for first round picks that are unprotected. The player involved, the main player doesn't vane, not a superstar, all-star level type of caliber player, but it's a blockbuster because of those four unprotected first round picks. Now here's the thing.
From a fit perspective, love the move for Orlando because we saw the play against Boston and for as if not three-quarters we saw Orlando be able to maintain pace. When they hit that fourth quarter they just didn't have the horse and they didn't have the shooting. Orlando's one of the worst three-point shooters in the NBA as a collective and now they got one of the best three-point shooters in the league. One of my gripes with Desmond vane, I've always said I don't feel he's like a one-on-one score.
He's more of a recipient score. And I say he can't take you off the dribble and get floaters. But that's just not his game. He's more of a catch-and-shoot guy.
He has expanded his game since he's been in the league, which is the reason why he got the extension that he got. I think he's gonna fit Orlando like a glove. They got obviously a young and up-and-point guard with Jaylen Suggs, which I don't know if y'all knew, but that is Tyree's Halliburton's cousin. Oh, that's my leg.
What the hell? But he's up and coming in and then they have two main horses with Frostwagner and probably by Carol. So I like the fit, but this is where Orlando messed up. If it took four first-round picks to get them, it took four first-round picks to get them.
But you got to protect them, Jonestog. They got to be top three, top five, top eight protected because your future is not guaranteed. The Phoenix pick, it is what it is, right? Like you give them that.
Even this year's pick from Orlando, obviously give that unprotected it is what it is. But those other two picks that are in the future, they should have protected them. Just in case. You know what I'm saying?
And to me, that's the only thing that makes this trade a bad trade, is that they're unprotected picks. Because again, Desmond Bain is going to move the meal, but he doesn't put you over the top to be one of the elite teams in the East. You're going to be in the middle of the East now. Instead of being in a plane, you should be six or higher.
You know what I'm saying? But it's the unprotected on the picks. That's scary to me. I don't think that's good business.
The whole protection on the picks. So you're saying that Orlando should have protected picks. So the grizzlies didn't take it if they got a topic. Exactly.
So in the NBA, you could protect your picks, right? Like you could say top three protected. So let's just say for whatever reason, let's say next season, right? Franz Wagner and Paulo go down and it's just Desmond Bain on there.
You know, you're going to be one of the worst teams in the league. You're going to have a top three pick up in there. That pick goes to Memphis. But if you would have protected that pick, you keep that top three pick and then you exchange another, you know, say first wrong pick down the way or whatever like that.
You know what I'm saying? So from what we seen in other playoffs in the match from the magic, I do think that this thing needed me like this going to be a vital piece of the team. They didn't have anybody under the Apollo that they could get a bucket. And even though Baines, I agree with you, he's a recipient score.
He's not going to create his own shop, but he is so efficient from what he does at the three points. It's like that. I think that him and Paulo actually may be a better combination than Bain and Moran. So I do think the magic came out very well in this trade for the Grizzlies.
It just all the talk I've seen about in the same thing I thought was like, okay, what are they? This kind of puts them in no man's land. I think if we're first round picks, yeah, but does that mean you're rebuilding with John? You're going to like put those picks around him?
Is Jackson going to resign? Are you going to resign? Like it's interesting that they want to break that team up that I think was number four in the West. I just don't seem like they doing anything cohesive to continue to build towards all we think.
Jamaarran is our guy and we got the ammunition to put a good team behind him and want to compete in the West. I don't think this did anything towards that for the Grizzlies, which makes me question the move on area. Well, I will say this, right? Like we're building in draft picks, especially as many as they got.
It's not you don't get those draft picks all the time to draft those guys in those drafts. You get that that ammunition to be able to go swimming for another trade for somebody else that you may feel fits better or takes you over the top. Because at the end of the day, right? We know that the West is ridiculously loaded.
Wasn't it like only four or five games that separated like one through eight? Like it was really close. And if we're talking about on paper, right? Because obviously we're in the summertime now, except for two teams, but on paper, they're not better.
KCP is not Desmond Bayne. KCP's coming off of arguably his worst season of his career. You know what I'm saying? He got paid.
So part of this trade was unloading KCP, which I get, which you have to give up assets if you want to get rid of a bad contract. But again, the protection and also Memphis doesn't have a coach, right? So a lot of the things that you're saying is like, I don't disagree with you. I 100% agree with you.
I'm just interested to, because this is not the only domino. And Sean's and Wendy have been talking about, this is going to be a crazy off season. And obviously we, you know, it has started, you know what I'm saying? We're seeing, we know Katie's going to move.
We know there's certain other players that that's going to be available. That being said, I wonder if the grizzly, because I think Jot is still a superstar guy. I think he could be the face of the league if not the franchise, right? I feel that if you do resign job, you do resign, Jerry Jackson, then you utilize KCP's contract plus these four first Olympics that you got, and you make swimming for another person.
Because at the end of the day, Memphis is one of those markets, you're not going to get a free agent. So you're going to have to go trade for your guy if you don't draft your guy. And I don't think that Memphis's timeline is in drafting players right now. They're in more of a win now, compete now mode.
I think Bang was filling himself in there to get him up on there. You know, he was acting like he was one of them guys, bro, you know, and like he was the best player on the team, you know, compared to Jot. So what happens to him now, because we'll move into Orlando, we will see, because I think he can, what do you think he'll he'll slide into the second as the second best player or the third best player on the team, because they're nice. Yeah, I think some games he could be a two can be when you shoot 41% from three, that means that you get hot, you know, and those games like he's hot, he might be the first option in those games, you know what I'm saying?
Because he's that hot. We'll see how they want to construct their offense now that they have a legit floor spacer. But he's definitely a third option routinely. I think he could be a second option, you know, just depends on Franz.
I think Franz could be a second or third. And the thing is, is that I feel with Baines, we kind of know what he is. Franz is still finding himself and Paulo still hasn't even stretched the surface of how good he can be. So those, so all of that, you know, movement, I think if Baines is goes in there as a professional and be like, hey, look, I'm going to do what you guys brought me in here to do, which is get buckets, space the floor, you know what I'm saying, be a constantly professional where he fits in the hierarchy won't matter.
I mean, he's doing this way. Yeah, I mean, you know, job was always out. So he was used to being a guy. So now you got to slide back into third option, second option depending on the night.
You know, I think he'll be okay with doing that because it's Paulo's team, bro. It's like, that Carol's the guy. I think this is a really good move for Orlando. Like, it makes a lot of sense.
It looks like they were lacking a guy of this caliber and not many people were going to go to Orlando to play. It doesn't seem like McCarrel is a guy that people want to go play with just get. That is subject to change. But I really love the trade for them.
I think with Memphis, I don't know, man, it's really weird what they are doing. Now, JJ has finally managed to stay healthy. He had injury concerns early on, but he's managed to stay healthy consistently. And he's turned into a really, really good guy.
He was looking shaky early on his career, but he's there now. And now, are they going to build around John now? Or what's the deal? Well, there was always building around, and that's the best player on the squad.
It was always building around. And part of Jaron Jackson's journey was figuring out, okay, well, what does my game look like next to Jock? He didn't come in being a three point shooter. He didn't come in being that type of guy.
He didn't come in being one of the best shop blockers in the league. He grew into that. I'm saying that he didn't have the ability, but he grew into those things. Now, I will say this, does this not remind you of what Minnesota did last all season when they got rid of Cat, which is arguably their second best player.
That's saying, Bayne is, we know Jaron Jackson Jr. is definitely a second best player. But then one of those guys that you know that you have to get involved, a guy that they paid big money to. And all season, I was talking about that this is a retool for Minnesota.
And they went as far as the Western Conference Finals. I'm not predicting that for the Memphis Grizzlies. But again, I think that they have so much draft capital now that I don't see them draft. The only way they're going to use those draft picks to draft players can is if they trade Jarmada.
So that's the next part of this. Do you think it would be wise for them to move on from Jaw or continue to build around him? I think you have to explore all options. I think everything's on the table right now.
I think Jaw has to be on the table. If you get the right offer, then you move on. If you don't like what you're getting, obviously he's extension eligible. I think he still has two years left on his contract, but he's extension eligible this summer.
So if you don't like what you're getting, resign them. Utilize those picks and facey P to move on to somebody else that may be available and just keep it moving. But I think that if you do get the right offer, then you move on from him, depending on what you get back in the trade, shit, you might have to train during Jackson as well. So they still have some some roster restructuring to do, but we got Jaw, KCP will play what two three.
They got JJ J. They got their center in the rookie and Cole Anthony, what coming up the bench? Of course, back up. And then you know, whoever else is on the team that they got.
So it seems like they'll need another guy to slot into maybe they're starting line up. Maybe that guy's already on the team. Not a guy's not on the team. What is he?
He's a he's a European player. I'm not sure if he's like, Pakistan, Pakistani or something like that. But he's a wing player. He's a him and then got into it a couple of times on the sideline.
You know, I'm bad with names, but he was a rookie. I really like him. Can I think, you know, I've been talking about Memphis in the weakness in the roster. He's been that three four guy.
Well, not for now, because you know, they draft his equity. So it's like JJ J to four, but that two three guy that has elite ability. He doesn't have to be like elite in terms of like KD or Giannis, but a Siakam and Ojian and Obi. That's what they're missing.
They need a guy like that. I mean, they need a bucket gear as much as beans is a bucket. You can't you just can't give him the bomb and clear it out and be like, just go get a bucket. Like that's just not his game.
So whether that's somebody off the bench, somebody in the start of line up, I think they need a bucket getter. I think they need, and then they need somebody that can compete with the KD's, the Giannis is the LeBron's world on defense. What's your thinking to strike you? It's good for Orlando.
At first, you're going to look at it with all the picks involved, but I know it's going to be good for the next three, four years. So a lot of those picks are probably going to be really late. And they're first, I think that with the top 10 protected, oh wait, no, I'm protected. But I believe that there's still going to be good enough to where that's going to fall to the back half of the draft.
So you shouldn't be looking at that like, you know, this huge hall for, you know what I'm saying? I see people were saying, look, I got one thing. I don't think it's going to be that big of a hall. I think the only thing that's going to be good for the next three, four years.
And if you're Orlando, I think the reason why they probably pulled the trigger on this is because you're watching Nie Smith and you're watching them hard, you're watching, you know what I'm saying? Cass and Wallace and Wiggins and all these people, you know, come off the bench, start for these final teams. And with the Celtics having, you know, basically in a punt the year and Jalen Brown having orthoscopic surgery on his knees and people been ringing the alarms about Jalen Brown's knees also for the last season or two. Boston's not going to be in the picture.
We were not sure how good Cleveland really is and who's really the top guy there. There's still things that have to be sorted out in that organization. You look at Milwaukee, are they going to be stubborn and just keep you on? It's because, hey, they think the same thing is Orlando that the East is wide open.
And if you're Orlando, are you scared of Milwaukee? If all they got is honest and a bunch of guys. So if you're Orlando, you can talk yourself into the fact that yo, we can make the East and Conference Finals next year. Ben Carroll is that good.
And we keep running in the Boston in the first round when they were fully loaded. Now that they're gone, who's really in our way? Are we scared of the Pacers for real? I don't think anyone is looking at the Pacers like a juggernaut.
They're looking at them like, man, this is a really good team that doesn't quit. They know their roles and they're scrappy. Desmond Bain, he adds the shooting that they needed so badly. They still need a point guard to me.
I still would have liked to have seen him. You know what, Jimmy Suggs? Suggs to me, I think he can be a combo. I think that he's good enough to play with.
I always say like Tre Young and Jaylen Suggs live in the perfect backcourt for them because you have distribution and shooting and you still have defense and some secondary ball handling there. I don't think Jaylen Suggs moves the needle enough from an offensive standpoint. But I think Orlando's betting on just running, you know, Suggs from France, Ben Carroll, Bain and then probably putting Isaac in whoever else their five is and then hoping that they're rookie, Black, Anthony Black, you know, shows him some more promise because he had a pretty solid year last year wasn't as good as his rookie year. But no, I would give the train like a B plus, A minus.
And I think that if Orlando, you shouldn't be afraid of anybody because you have no idea, like I said, Boston Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York, Nick, who's going to lead that organization? Can they recapture lighting in a bottle? Really your peers in the East are going to be probably Detroit. It's going to be, you know, saying the guys with stars like New York, but nobody's a juggernaut.
Nobody's Goliath. So this is a good trade. If I'm in for so to answer you all's question there, I will, to me, I'm blowing it up. I think that that that experiment is done.
I think I've seen what John Moran is in this organization. I'm not saying as a player, but from what I've seen in this Memphis organization and them firing Taylor Jenkins, it's just there's no adults in the room. And when there's no adults in the room, I'm always going to go for the philosophy of get value now before it gets even worse. Jay Jackson has a has a year left on his contract.
I would move that immediately. And I would try my damnedest to get off Josh's contract because I don't think that there's anything you're going to win in the future, especially if OKC and the Lakers retooling around Luca, the ones LeBron is all the books, they get mad cap space. That's going to be in the window. You have Denver that's still going to be lurking.
They're going to be able to retool. They're going to move some contracts if they can. You're okay. Just not going anywhere unless he just wants to retire.
He has another four or five years of being super fucking dominant. And if your Memphis like a foil to Orlando's philosophy, are you looking at yourself the next three, four years and saying we can make the Western Car Conspinals with this team? Personally me, I would say no, but I've been wrong before. So a couple of things, Q, I agree with like 95% of the things you said.
I don't agree with the unprotected of the picks because while I do agree that Orlando should be good for the next couple of years, we can't predict injuries. And I think injured in Vancouver, Carol puts you in a lottery, even with Bane on the roster, you know what I'm saying? So that's my only thing. And I don't think it needed to be like top three protect or like it didn't have to have like a large protection, like lottery protected, you know, just like top three because if you do have an injury that you can't overcome, I think you should be compensated for that.
So that's that's the only thing I disagree with you there. But in terms of like the fit for Orlando 100% agree in terms of what it means for Memphis, I don't disagree. I will say this. I think there are places that if I was jaw, I would probably want to go to you name them in terms of like that, an adversary.
But they've been flailing a little bit in recent years. But like Denver, I would entertain a Jamal Murray for Jamal Meringue because Jamal is a shell of who he was. Josh still has a lot of runway in front of him. I think he's kind of sort of I think you know what he is.
I think what I would like to see out of jaw is more old man game because when you can't double pump baseline against Boston 7-2 and you know blockers and everybody at the rim, you can't do that. What does your game look like? So, you know, it's still magnificent right now, you know, the athletic ability and the explosion. But what I would like to see out of jaw is what does your old man game look like.
And I think you put that juxtaposed to Joker. That's a dynamic duo. Like, you know, I told Ken Spike, I told Ken on Sunday, if I'm the league, if I'm the league, I'm trying to facilitate John to Minnesota. If I'm the league because I think that is just straight up prime time, the most athletic backcourt you ever seen.
You know, I mean, you have the splash brothers, well, these are the crash brothers. They were ready to crash out and I feel like this would be the ratings you're looking for. You give aunt his point guard or the pressure valve release that he needs. I think it would be prime time.
Let me ask you this, okay. I love that. But do you feel that John moves the needle more than KD with for it, Minnesota? That's long, long term.
Of course. I'm not talking long term. I'm talking like the next year, midterm, midterm, midterm, midterm. Next two years, you can make the case that KD fits more like pertinent offensive need in clutch situations and probably as just a three level score that they just don't have right now.
But I think that John makes it more dynamic immediately as well. And just a lot of threats, like immediately, like it's just like, wow, who, how do we like, you know what I'm saying? But John has to work on his three point shot and nothing has to be 43 per percent on like, you know, eight or nine attempts a game. But he has to me take that leap from, like you said, the old main game back to the back, it will be so nice to see like just a little turnaround baby hook consistent four or five times a game.
But then also I need him to be in that 39 40% 38 40 per percentage in his three point shot because that's the thing that has regressed since, I think the last two seasons, you know, he was he was making strides and he had like, I think three months where he was shooting 40% on like five or six attempts, but it's gone down since then. And I think that's a testament to just no adults in the room. And like he's, I'm not saying John Moran is being failed by the Grizzlies. I just think that the Grizzlies are not putting their best foot forward with developing their young talent for some reason.
Now, if that you if that you what you said first is was right. When you have a dynamic player like John, you have to get the coach that is going to build it around John and what his talents are. And I think once they moved off of tailoring, yes, once they moved off the coach, they tried to implement a system that took the ball out of John's hand. And when you're a dynamic point guard, you get him to rock.
And you say go create, go do what you do. And that times will run sets that make sense to get, you know, other people involved transpose that to Minnesota. It works a little different. I still walk the ball in his hand, you know, just know like one A is that guy named Edman, you know what I'm saying.
So you could create create for the others, but just know that when we need a bucket, you're going to be secondary to whatever they whatever the coverage is on him, you know what I'm saying. So but now I do like when Minnesota, there's a lot of places I think John can go and really be a difference maker. I think Houston is one of those places. He put him in the twin together like God, leave.
So so anywhere that there's another dynamic guy, you add job to that mix. If he can stay healthy, I mean, New Orleans, like New Orleans would be great. If they can stay healthy, both of them, if they focus, they healthy giants, I want to be fucking crazy. Right.
But here's the thing though, like I will say this, dude, I will put my money more on John, say healthy design. Because as much as the issues off the court that we see with John, I never questioned the one for basketball. I think John has that in green. We've seen the stories of his dad, how he got the vert and all that type of stuff.
I think John wants to be great. I think outside noise seems to be too much for John sometimes. He pays attention to the outside stuff. Even with the tweet that he said today, like y'all talking about the Grizzlies and the fight like, bro, just enjoy your season, bro.
You don't have to comment and put yourself into these conversations at the heaven. Whether they're talking good or bad about you, just go play. So I do agree with you in a sense, if he felt like I do think that he really enjoys the game, but I think that he could use some sort of mentorship on what to ignore, like what to not engage with. And that would help him tremendously in his next endeavor.
But with Zion, I agree with what you would like. So I think he got a little for the game. He got a little for the other thing. He's good.
He's good. He's good. He's good. I think like this since we're talking about Katie and all these trades and whatnot, I think that in any scenario for a job or for a Katie, it's always going to be people like Masai Yajiri that are going to get involved in Toronto.
I wouldn't be surprised if if Ja or Katie end up in places like that, just because Masai is always willing to gamble with certain people that are distressed assets or are never going to play in Toronto or never play there. I don't know if that's the case, but I think we're going to see some smoke in the next couple of days with Toronto too. So just hold on real quick, part of the reason why players don't like playing in Toronto specifically, it's the taxes. I don't know if you know about the tax situation in Canada, but it's not a good situation.
You lose a lot of money by playing in Toronto. So that's part of the reason why players don't want to go there. And also I heard that they have to also keep going through customs. That too.
Yeah. Yeah. It's like you think, job, you're a good fit in shooting range. You laid it down.
Anyway, Texas, John Graham is real Iran. Oh, God. They all get used to help.