Does Marcus Smart need to chill?
Panel:
First Half
Monologue: Worth it for Rockets to explore a Jimmy Butler deal?
That’s where the Rockets come in:
Would Jimmy Butler be a good fit for Rockets?
“Something tells me that they should but the pieces that they have to give up, Houston is far down the road, close to winning a title with the pieces that they have now. If they got to give up 2-3 players to get Jimmy Butler, that’s going to hurt their chemistry a little bit, especially with Jimmy demanding to be a max guy. It would set them back more than putting them ahead” – Pippen
“He’s wanted to be the guy. They’ve already gone one of those guys in Harden. I don’t see the fit chemistry wise” – Friedell
“He’ll be better off playing behind a superstar instead of him trying to be the star. He’s not really a proven star in today’s game” – Pippen
Better option for Jimmy Butler: 76ers or the field?
“He kind of pulled back a little bit in the playoffs because he didn’t feel like he was the man on that team. Jimmy wants to be the man at times” – Pippen
“I like what [Sixers] they have, but I don’t know if they’re going to keep all these guys” – Nichols
“After all those Thibs minutes, his body is going to starting breaking down a little bit. If I’m Jimmy, I’m taking the five year max if it’s offered by Philly. Off the board, I may go to New York because he can be the star of the show at the Garden” – Friedell
KD more or less likely to stay with Warriors after opting out?
Per Woj, KD opted out of his contract to be an unrestricted free agent
If he were to stay with the Warriors, the 5th year of his contract would be $50M (Via Anthony Slater of The Athletic)
“It doesn’t change one thing. This was expected. He’s going to get paid no matter what. No one in the organization knows what he’s going to do” – Friedell
“He should stay. He suffered a major injury. I just don’t see a team saying, ‘Three years, he’ll be ready'” – Pippen
June 26, 1996 – Allen Iverson, “The Greatest Living American” selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers!
Scottie, What do you think of her technique?
Does Jimmy Butler need his own travel show?
16 years ago today: The 2003 NBA Draft!
“This is the best draft class of all-time. Hall of Famer, Hall of Famer, Hall of Famer, Darko! I was a freshmen at Syracuse with Carmelo. That’s my guy” – Friedell
Nichols: 1984 Draft Class
Iguodala: “Kobe Bryant is the hardest I’ve had to guard” (Via CNBC)
“I agree with that. He’s probably the toughest player to guard as an individual in a game since Michael Jordan” – Pippen
Moving on…
Should Mavs offer Porzingis a max deal?
Would be a 5 year/$158M contract. Mavs are indeed moving forward with that deal, per The Athletic
“He hasn’t proven himself. You don’t know how he’s going to bounce back from his injury. It’s a gamble that I wouldn’t take” – Pippen
“When you’ve already made this deal, this was the next step” – Friedell
Nichols:
Second Half
Best fit for Kemba Walker in free agency?
Boston and Dallas “at the front of the line of teams trying to recruit him, per Marc Stein/New York Times
“Charlotte from a money standpoint. But I don’t see them giving him the max. From a team standpoint, they haven’t accomplished a lot” – Pippen
“It depends on what he wants. If he wants to make a ton of money and he wants his jersey retired in Charlotte and he wants to play on mediocre teams, probably for the rest for the prime of his career, stay where you are, make your money and be happy. If he wants to win, the best fit is the Lakers” – Friedell
“I think Kemba is a nice player but I don’t think that he is the kind of difference making player and piece as a number one guy” – Friedell
Are Clippers Klay’s backup plan? (Via Adrian Wojnarowski)
“Klay Thompson, 5 years/$190M. It’s going to happen real quickly. All this chatter should be put to bed” – Friedell
“He’s been a role model for that organization and for the NBA. Hopefully the Warriors do the right thing and give him that $190M” – Pippen
“Were going to see him next year. The feeling internally is that he will be back at some point in February or March. He wants to be on the floor” – Friedell
Discord between Warriors and Iguodala on injuries?
Iggy on fractured leg, via Breakfast Club AM:
Friedell:
Pippen:
Is Knicks culture change working by Marc J. Spears (The Undefeated)
Believe Lakers have a shot at Kawhi? (Via Marc Stein/New York Times)
“No I do not. I can’t see him going to the Lakers. He’s not going to give them a look. He’s not going to take a backseat to AD and LeBron” – Pippen
“When you know you can be the number one guy on a title team, why are you going to a different team to be the No. 3 guy potentially? I don’t see this in the moment. LeBron is the face of that team” – Friedell
Lakers cap space and jersey retirement for Kawhi:
Let’s Dance
Drew Brees passes the torch to Zion with signed jersey
After arriving in New Orleans, @ZionWilliamson received a gift from @DrewBrees 🔥#LetsDance @Saints pic.twitter.com/qR5yqcdCNb
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) June 25, 2019
Patience
Magic GM (John Hammond): “No Idea” when Fultz will play
Has played 33 games total since being drafted 1st overall in 2017
“I don’t think were going to see him. He’s probably on his way to the G-League” – Pippen
“As a proud Orlando native and a Magic fan my whole life, the whole thing makes me sad” – Friedell
Sources: NBA exploring reducing 82-game schedule starting in 2021-22
The NBA is seeking feedback from teams about alternatives to the current NBA season structure for 2021-22. Proposals included the much-discussed play-in and mid-season tournaments — but also a reduction in the number of regular-season games. https://t.co/V7Eud5r6SA
— Kevin Arnovitz (@kevinarnovitz) June 26, 2019
Should NBA shorten regular season?
“From the injury standpoint, it may benefit the players a little bit. One thing that bothers me is the record books. When you start to compare different eras or different players, it’s no longer something that you could compare. It wouldn’t be fair. It’s a different game. This would hurt the game” – Pippen
“I love the idea because in the end, the fans want to see the stars play” – Friedell
“It works in soccer, but that’s a whole different structure from the way the NBA is set up” – Nichols
