CP3 To Clippers, Marcus Smart To Lakers & Western Conference Tiers

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective Episode Title: CP3 To Clippers, Marcus Smart To Lakers & Western Conference Tiers
Release Date: July 22, 2025
Host: Brian Windhorst
Guests: Tim Bontemps, Ban McMahon
Platform: ESPN

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Introduction and Overview

The episode begins with the hosts briefly introducing themselves and sharing personal anecdotes before diving into the NBA topics. The primary focus centers on significant player movements and the strategic implications for the Western Conference.

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Chris Paul’s Signing with the Clippers

Timestamp: [02:17]

Wendy: "Chris Paul signing with the Clippers. Look, he could have signed somewhere else and gotten a bigger role... But Chris Paul is interested in Phoenix, I'm not sure that the Suns are serious contenders for him at the end."

Brian Windhorst: "This season he chose to go back to the Clippers and he chose to take a smaller role. To be a full-time dad is one big factor."

Discussion Points:

• Contract Details: Chris Paul signed a one-year deal for the minimum salary of $3.6 million.
• Role Clarification: Clipper’s press release stated, “He is joining us as a reserve point guard and is excited to fill whatever role T. Lou asks him to play” ([05:26]).
• Strategic Fit: While Paul has been primarily a starter throughout his career, his role as a bench reserve raises questions about his adaptability and the Clippers' rotation strategy.
• Value Proposition: Despite being a starter in San Antonio last season, Paul's signing is viewed as excellent value, especially considering his efficient play with a seven-to-one and a half assist-to-turnover ratio ([04:07]).

Quotes:

• Ban McMahon: "They have one guy who could draw. So why can't they play both guys?" ([07:26])
• Tim Bontemps: "Chris Paul is a fantastic signing for the Clippers. If he plays 18 minutes a game off the bench... why wouldn't he play every game?" ([07:16])

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Clippers’ Roster Depth and Strategy

Timestamp: [06:39]

Discussion Points:

• Depth Analysis: The Clippers boast a deep roster with players like Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal, John Collins, and Chris Dunn. The discussion highlights how this depth could make them a formidable team if Kawhi Leonard remains healthy ([09:26]).
• Health Dependency: Tim emphasizes that Kawhi's health is paramount: "I would even just stop at the health of Kawhi Leonard, period. That will define their season." ([09:34])
• Rotation Strategy: The potential for rotating Chris Paul and Chris Dunn is debated, with considerations on defensive assignments and offensive orchestration ([07:34]).

Quotes:

• Brian Windhorst: "The Clippers clearly don't want that possibility to be something that would cause problems. Whether it happens or not..." ([07:39])
• Tim Bontemps: "If Kawhi Leonard's healthy, they've got a chop, they've got a shot." ([09:26])

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Lakers’ Acquisition of Marcus Smart

Timestamp: [19:55]

Wendy: "The Lakers made a signing over the weekend landing Marcus Smart after he got a buyout from the Washington Wizards... $5.1 million. So they're paying him $5.1 million. So you look at the Lakers... they add three players who should be rotation players. Ayton being their starting center." ([19:55])

Tim Bontemps: "Marcus Smart got salary dumped last year by Memphis and just took a buyout from the Wizards... he's a guy who's been hurt ever since he punched the mirror." ([21:29])

Brian Windhorst: "If Marcus Smart reports to training camp in shape and ready to roll...he answers one of the most glaring questions about the Lakers roster and that's who's going to guard the other team's best perimeter scorer." ([23:23])

Discussion Points:

• Contract Details: Marcus Smart signed a three-year deal worth approximately $5.1 million, utilizing the Lakers’ biannual exception.
• Health and Performance: Concerns about Smart’s recent hand injuries and inconsistent play over the past two years are discussed, questioning his ability to replicate his Defensive Player of the Year performance.
• Fit and Impact: If healthy, Smart could significantly bolster the Lakers' perimeter defense. However, his limited playtime in recent seasons raises doubts about his immediate impact ([22:07]).

Quotes:

• Tim Bontemps: "If Marcus is healthy and motivated and is anywhere near the player he was during his time in Boston, the signing will be fine." ([22:02])
• Brian Windhorst: "He's certainly capable of that. It's hard to judge Memphis... he was dealing with professional heartbreak." ([23:23])

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Western Conference Tier Rankings

Timestamp: [36:31]

Discussion Points:

• Top Tier: The Thunder are positioned at the top of the Western Conference rankings.
• Second Tier: Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and the Clippers are grouped together, with considerations on their depth and strategic moves.
• Middle to Lower Tiers: Teams like the Mavericks, Warriors, Grizzlies, and Spurs are evaluated based on player health, roster changes, and potential.
• Discussion on Young vs. Veteran Teams: The Clippers' strategy of having a deep, older roster contrasts with teams like the Thunder, who maintain a younger lineup.

Quotes:

• Tim Bontemps: "I thought the three best teams in the west at the end of the season were the Thunder, the Clippers, and the Nuggets." ([37:43])
• Brian Windhorst: "We have a tier; I'll throw out. The Rockets is number two." ([37:37])

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Jonas Valanciunas’ Commitment to the Nuggets

Timestamp: [43:09]

Wendy: "Jonas Valenciunas affirmed that he will fulfill his contract and report to the Denver Nuggets and make his $10 million instead of playing in Greece." ([43:09])

Tim Bontemps: "Jonas found Sacramento wasn't really all that interested... so he wound up on the Nuggets and is committed to competing for a championship." ([44:25])

Brian Windhorst: "The Memphis thing was a disaster. They gave up six to get him, hoping he was going to be one of the final pieces bringing him in for leadership and performance and got neither." ([43:51])

Discussion Points:

• Contract Obligations: Jonas Valanciunas chose to honor his NBA contract over potential opportunities in Europe.
• Team Fit: His commitment is seen as a stabilizing factor for the Nuggets' championship aspirations.
• Past Missteps: The Nuggets’ earlier attempts to acquire Valanciunas were unsuccessful, highlighting the importance of this commitment ([43:51]).

Quotes:

• Brian Windhorst: "If Marcus Smart reports to training camp in shape... then he answers one of the most glaring questions about the Lakers roster." ([23:23])
• Tim Bontemps: "If Victor and De'Aaron Fox come in and really pop, they could be really good." ([38:34])

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Additional Discussions and Light-Hearted Segments

Timestamp: [45:25]

Wendy: "Comparing the fame of Khloe Kardashian vs. Megan Thee Stallion... ChatGPT says Khloe is more globally famous by visibility and follower count." ([46:32])

Brian Windhorst: "Megan Thee Stallion is hugely famous within the music and pop culture circles, but Khloe’s Instagram has 302 million followers compared to Megan's 32 million." ([46:32])

Discussion Points:

• Celebrity Influence: A playful debate on the relative fame and cultural impact of Khloe Kardashian versus Megan Thee Stallion.
• Social Media Metrics: Analysis based on Instagram follower counts and global visibility.

Quotes:

• Wendy: "GPT said Khloe Kardashian is more famous... because Khloe's reach is ten times Megan's." ([46:32])
• Tim Bontemps: "Khloe’s more famous. That's a lot of jumping to just not say the facts." ([47:27])

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Closing Remarks

The hosts wrap up the episode by expressing enthusiasm for upcoming podcast segments and teasing the addition of a new cast member. Light-hearted banter about future content and listener engagement concludes the discussion.

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Key Takeaways

• Clippers' Strategic Depth: Chris Paul’s role as a bench reserve adds significant value, contingent on Kawhi Leonard’s health.
• Lakers’ Defensive Boost: Marcus Smart’s acquisition could enhance the Lakers' perimeter defense, pending his health and performance.
• Western Conference Dynamics: The Thunder, Clippers, and Nuggets are frontrunners, with other teams like the Rockets and Mavericks vying for competitive positioning.
• Player Commitments: Jonas Valanciunas’ dedication to the Nuggets underscores their championship ambitions.
• Celebrity Culture: The interplay between sports and pop culture figures like Khloe Kardashian and Megan Thee Stallion remains a topic of interest.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Wendy: "Chris Paul is a fantastic signing for the Clippers." [07:16]
• Brian Windhorst: "If Kawhi Leonard's healthy, they've got a chop, they've got a shot." [09:26]
• Tim Bontemps: "James Harden will be fine. But if Kawhi Leonard's not healthy, they're going to be a really good regular season team because they're really deep." [09:38]
• Wendy: "The Lakers season will be defined about whether Luka extends. The Lakers season will be defined about whether Luca is back to being an MVP candidate." [31:17]
• Wendy: "ChatGPT said Khloe Kardashian is more famous, but it puts famous in quotes." [46:32]

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Conclusion

This episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective delves into pivotal NBA transactions and their ramifications for the Western Conference. Through insightful analysis and engaging discussions, the hosts provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of team strategies, player impacts, and the evolving dynamics of the league.

Transcript

[Wendy]

The Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University helps you go from I know the way to I've arrived with our top 10 ranked online MBA. Gain skills you can learn today and apply tomorrow. Get ready to go from make it happen to made it happen and keep striving. Visit strayer.edu Jack WelchMBA to learn more. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by Chev and has many campuses including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia. Foreign welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, which we are doing on Monday afternoon. Joining me from New York City, just back across the ocean from weeks on end in Portugal is Tim Bontemps.

[Tim Bontemps]

Hello, everybody.

[Wendy]

Joining us from Dallas, Texas, just back from Los Angeles is Ban McMahon.

[Brian Windhorst]

Howdy, partner. Squeezed in a little trip to Michigan and then Wisconsin in between as well.

[Wendy]

That's right. You were on college tour.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

Go Blue.

[Brian Windhorst]

Go Blue. And not so much BUC EE's.

[Wendy]

Oh, really?

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

Michigan wins out against Wisconsin again.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, it was a blowout. It was a blowout. No disrespect to Michael Finley, Devin Harrison or other Wisconsin friends.

[Wendy]

Yeah, we got a lot of Wisconsin people in media around. All right, we'll keep that under advisement. I understand you have to send your offspring to the Big ten.

[Brian Windhorst]

If it's my vote, we're still going to hook them, trust me.

[Wendy]

Yeah, I remember with a great story that Matthew McConaughey told about he was either going to go to TCU or to ut. You know, one was four times the price of the other. And he told the story about when he, when he went to tell his dad, you know, that he had chosen ut and his dad, you know, was very excited. Sounds like you have the same thing. He's like, I always knew you were going to be a Longhorn, so I don't know what speech you need, but I'm sure your investment account will. Will be a. Will be. Have a certain opinion. All right.

[Brian Windhorst]

Her big sisters leading the recruiting efforts. But let's talk about the NBA. We talk about the NBA.

[Wendy]

We certainly do. All right, so we have some Los Angeles teams making transactions, significant rotation transactions. The one that went down today, Chris Paul signing with the Clippers. One year deal for the minimum. Pretty good value for a player who was a full time starter last year in San Antonio. And I mean full time as you can get. Yeah. Actually, if want to say something about the Clippers, I don't know what, what it's worth. Bobby Marks cooked up this number earlier. The guy's on Their bench and their second unit. And you know, if everybody's healthy, which, who knows. But the guys in their second unit and we're talking basically Brook Lopez, Chris Paul, Bradley Beal being the three core guys.

[Tim Bontemps]

John Collins.

[Wendy]

Yeah, John Collins, he says is a starter, but I think he has.

[Brian Windhorst]

I would flip Collins and Beal, but we can, we'll discuss. Go on.

[Wendy]

Well, whatever he has said, they got 287 games of starting last year, so they've got two starting units now. Whether both of them should be starting units is a different situation. But Chris Paul signs with the Clippers. Look, he could have signed somewhere else and gotten a bigger role. Milwaukee was in there, Dallas was in there. Not sure that Phoenix, I don't think. I think Chris Paul is interested in Phoenix. I'm not sure the Suns or serious contenders for him at the end. I would venture to see him. How would that D' Angelo Russell, Chris Paul rotation have worked? McMahon. That would have been interesting.

[Brian Windhorst]

I think that one was more Danz Russell or Chris Paul, but certainly Milwaukee was an option right up until the end. And listen, he probably. He could have gone. Not probably. He could have gone to Milwaukee and been their starting point guard.

[Wendy]

Right.

[Brian Windhorst]

This season he chose to go back to the Clippers and he chose to take a smaller role. To be a full time dad is one big factor.

[Wendy]

Yeah. So here's the thing I'm not sure about. So first off, Chris Paul at $3.6 million is an excellent value even at 40 years old. I think last year he still had a seven to one and a half assist to turnover ratio. You know, still very efficient overall, still can run your offense, you know, still will be a great leader. But it was interesting, the Clippers press release about this. Lawrence Frank is quote, he made it very clear Chris is coming here to be a reserve guard. Which, you know, from what I understand, James Harden was on board with this signing. But you know, McMahon, you know, just in case anybody had any doubts that James Harden will. Will be the starter and reserve guard was in there. I think those were key words. Chris Paul obviously came off the bench two years ago when he was traded to the Warriors. He didn't choose that situation, but he was traded there and he came off the bench the majority of the games backing up Steph Curry. But he's been a starter 98% of his career, 95% of his career. So. But I just think it's interesting that the Clippers made very clear in their release Chris Paul. Is Kieran coming here to come off the Bench. And I'm sure he understands that. I'm sure Harden's on the same page with everything like that. But just think it should be noted that that's what the plan is.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, that exact sentence is he is joining us as a reserve point guard and is excited to fill whatever role T. Lou asks him to play.

[Wendy]

Which is interesting. Something tells me that was a negotiated sentence one way or another.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. And look, last year he went to San Antonio. I would say there were probably two major reasons that he went to the Spurs. Money and a starting role. They offered both. That was parts of, you know, part of the negotiation. This is very clear. He's not coming to the Clippers to start. You know, it's. It. There's no surprises here. There's no, you know, there shouldn't be any bad blood, but there is going to be natural curiosity about how CP3 handles that. Right. I mean, just CP3 at a minimum is a tremendous value addition. But is CP3 one of the most competitive, proudest dudes of this generation really going to be okay to come in as a backup who might even sit out from time to time, you know, might even be an occasional DNP CD behind James Harden and Chris Dunn?

[Tim Bontemps]

Why, why would it be a dnpcd? I don't really understand that he's going to immediately be one of the best backup point guards in the league. He was a solid average, if not above average starter last year. I mean, he didn't score a ton like assist turnovers off the charts is still. He had like I think 5 or 6 win shares last year, like on a minimum. It's a fantastic signing for the Clippers. And if he plays 18 minutes a game off the bench when they have one guy who can currently dribble, and if you count Bradley Beal two on the team, what, like, why wouldn't he play every game?

[Wendy]

Because Chris Dunn has been their backup.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, and there might be a point.

[Tim Bontemps]

Guard they could play together.

[Brian Windhorst]

There might be nights where they say, hey, there might be nights where T. Lou says, hey, we need Chris Dunn's on ball defense more than we need CP3 orchestrated.

[Tim Bontemps]

Why can't they play both guys? They have, they have one guy who could draw.

[Brian Windhorst]

The point is this. The Clippers clearly don't want that possibility to be something that would cause problems. Whether it happens or not, the Clippers want there to be the understanding of, hey, if T. Lou decides one night, it's best to. To leave you out of the rotation, we gotta roll with it. That that's the point, not, not whether it makes sense. Regular basis.

[Tim Bontemps]

Sure. The guy, the guy's a 40 year old point guard who signed a minimum deal. Like I, I don't know the guy.

[Brian Windhorst]

The guy is a first ballot hall of Famer.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes, I understand, I understand that. My point is he, he could have, as you guys laid out, right. He actively chose to not pick the places where he would have played more. So while in the past we all know how Chris has structured his choices on these things, right. This time, the action here, again, actions over words. The action here very clearly says Chris wanted to be back home. And that was all really, that I think all of us had heard for months now was like whether it was Phenix, as you said, Brian, I don't know what Phoenix's level of interest was. Whether it's Phoenix or L A. After being away from Los Angeles for a while, the motivation pretty clearly seemed to be to get back there and play. And like I said to me, he just feels a massive need for the Clippers. Chris Dunn's a nice player. I just think those two guys coming off the bench can fit quite well together. And then you roll out there with a second unit with Chris Dunn, Chris Paul, Nick Batum, John Collins and Brook Lopez. That is a damn good second unit there with those five guys. And you're going to be cooking if you're the Clippers.

[Wendy]

To me, at the end of the day, the Clippers season will be defined by the health of Kawhi Leonard and the effectiveness of James Harden.

[Tim Bontemps]

I would even just stop at the health of Kawhi Leonard, period. That will define their season.

[Wendy]

But you need Harden to be effective when it matters.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, Harden will be fine. But if Chris, if Kawhi Leonard's healthy, they've got a chop, they've got a shot. If he's not healthy, they're going to be a really good regular season team because they're really deep. People got mad on Twitter today because I made a joke about the Expendables, the movie from all the 90s action heroes from 10, 12 years ago. And so I think Clipper is going to be really good. Like we talked about the other day on the pod. I look at them like that. It's a weird comparison because of all the star power, but I compare him sort of that Denver Nuggets team after the Carmelo trade where they had like 11 good players, no real superstars, and won 57 games for losing to Golden State in the first round. I don't know if they have like championship ceiling because the all the questions about Kawhi's health and obviously you have to assume he's probably not going to be healthy just based off his track record. But they've got 10, 11 really good players and they're going to be able.

[Wendy]

To roll guys out every night backing up your expendables. This is from Stats. The clippers rotation, this 11 deep that you're talking about, the youngest of them is John Collins, who's going to be 28 before the start of the season. So those 11 guys, the youngest guy will be 28. And only two other teams have ever used 11 players in a game, in a single game, not in your rotation.

[Tim Bontemps]

That are that old.

[Wendy]

That were where the youngest guy was 28. And that was the Clippers in 2016. Seventeen, which I think Chris Paul was in that he was older than 28, which happened for one game.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Wendy]

And in 1998, 99, the Miami Heat did it for five games. So it's happened six times in the history of the league where you've had every 11 guys 28 or older. Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

And if you're going to rely really old players, you better have a lot of them. Right.

[Wendy]

Well, that's true.

[Brian Windhorst]

They have great depth. But Wendy, that gets back to your point about like Harden's effectiveness absolutely is going to be a huge, huge key for the Clippers. And you can argue the addition of Chris Paul certainly on paper, should help Harden's effectiveness for no other reason than it's going to get Harden's workload back to something that's manageable. James Harden in his mid-30s, should not be fifth in the league in minutes. James Harden in his mid-30s, should not have multiple games where his minutes are up in the 40s and he's not subbing out.

[Wendy]

You want to hear some of these guys in the 199899 Miami Heat just for a little July fun.

[Brian Windhorst]

Sure.

[Wendy]

We're talking gents like Keith Askins, the Great Keith Askins, P.J. brown, Blue Edwards, Tim Hardaway, Vashon Leonard, Dan Marley, Jamal Mashburn. Mashburn must have been the youngest on that. That group. He must admit. Maybe he was out for a game. Maybe he was out for, you know, he wasn't 28 then, so maybe he was out for a game a couple or a couple of games. Terry Mills, Lonzo Morning, Terry Porter. Those are the Clarence. Those were your 1998. 99. I guarantee it was. It was when. Must have been when. When Mashburn was out there. But anyway, I will say this if you look at what the Clippers did with their, their offseason. So they gave James Harden a contract, I think I mentioned this the other day, where it was just enough money where he got a raise, he got a $6 million raise, but they kept the full mid level open. Mid level and biannual. They are not the biannual. I think they were just able to use the mid level. I think.

[Brian Windhorst]

No. Oh, yeah, yeah, you're right. You're right. I've. Because they split it. You're right.

[Wendy]

So they, they gave 9 million of it, like 8.75 to Brook Lopez. They gave the rest of their mid level 5.3 and change or something like that to Bradley Beal. So that's what they split their mid level, their $14.5 million mid level between those two guys. And then they give Chris Paul this minimum. So they spend about $18 million and they get Chris Paul, Brook Lopez and Bradley Beal. Three guys who, I mean, Beal did come off the bench for 15 games last year, but basically three guys who were starters last year. So that's value.

[Tim Bontemps]

They essentially turned Norm Powell into those three guys and John Collins, like, they got a lot deeper and they were already a deep team. Like, I think, like they're going to be, I think, a really, really, really good team over 82 games next year. And then like I said, as far as the 16 game part, like James Harden will be who James Harden has been for a while, assuming he stays healthy there. Everything with them just comes down to what version of Kawhi are they going to get and will he show up. And I certainly can understand anybody who would say, yeah, I'm not going to bet on Kawhi, but to me, if you're, if you're looking at over unders for next season, despite having all these old dudes, like, to McMahon's point, they have so many good players that they can rotate guys through and still have an eight or nine man rotation every night. That's going to be really good. And at least two deep at every position.

[Wendy]

I can't wait for our over under bet that's forthcoming in September, October this year.

[Brian Windhorst]

I think we probably both are pretty high on the Clippers here. I do think, like the idea of Bradley Beal coming off the bench, I don't see that happening.

[Tim Bontemps]

Brad's going to start.

[Wendy]

He's going to start.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay. I was going to say he did not enjoy coming off the bench for the 15 games he did in Phoenix.

[Tim Bontemps]

Brad's going to step right into the Norm Powell role.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right. And now. But John Collins I do see coming off the bench because for a couple reasons. One, it's like the Clippers. As you said, Wendy, the number one factor for the Clippers is Kawhi's health. If you want to maximize Kawhi's chances of staying healthy, you can't give him the toughest assignment, defensive assignment in the starting lineup. And you're not going to give it to Beal, you're not going to give it to Harden, you're not giving it John Collins. So you've got to get a primary defender in there. And if Tyloo asked for my advice, I'd say, hey, you start Derrick Jones Jr. Because that's the guy who can guard one through four. And then you've got Chris Dunn as an on ball guy coming off the bench. You got Nick Batum who's still guard on ball but much more of like a, you know, a thinking man's defender, a hands guy. You know, you've still got really good defenders in the second lineup. Plus to me, you want John Collins one playing with Brook Lopez as often as possible. I think those two guys offensive game. Yeah.

[Wendy]

Also wouldn't be a worth. That's what they're going to do. Chris Paul throws lobs to John Collins.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean that's what they're. Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

Running pick and roll with Brook Lopez facing the floor. And then you know, either way, Collins is going to be paired with a really good defensive center. But you prefer for him to be garden backups as often as possible as opposed to starters.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean, that's clearly what they're going to do. They'll roll out there with hardened Beal, assuming everybody's healthy, which is a big assumption with the Clippers. Knock on some wood. Harden, Beal, Kawhi, Derrick Jones and Zubac I'm almost certain will start. And then again, you've got a second unit of Chris Paul, Chris Dunn, Nick Batum, John Collins or Brook Lopez. You got some, you got shooting, you got multiple guys who can defend there like that at. That's a killer second unit. So I think, like I said, I'm pretty bullish on the Clippers. I think they've done a really nice job this offseason. Obviously it's going to be tough for anybody to catch Oklahoma City, but when you look at, when you look at the work they've done and the way they've deepened their rotation without sacrificing any assets to do so like I think they've really maximized their off season and have given themselves a chance to have another really good year.

[Wendy]

47 and a half is the ESPN BET number.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean which is odd because they won more than that last year and they're better.

[Wendy]

Didn't they win 50?

[Brian Windhorst]

Yes, that I don't give gambling advice. I'll give rotation advice. I don't give gambling advice. But I I think there also are.

[Tim Bontemps]

There'S also five teams. They're sixth in the west in in in terms of where they rank and they're over under. I will bet the over on the Clippers finishing sixth. Jackson has Thunder, Rockets, Nuggets, Wolves and Lakers ahead of them.

[Brian Windhorst]

Actually, I'll give gambling advice if I get to share the winnings, but I'm not contributing to the Lose More Hoop.

[Tim Bontemps]

Collective podcast after this with the Venmo.

[Wendy]

Debit card, you can Venmo everything. Your favorite band's merch. You can Venmo this or their next show. You can Venmo that. Visit Venmo Debit to learn more. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank in a pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated. Card may be used everywhere. MasterCard is accepted.

[Tim Bontemps]

Venmo purchase restrictions apply. This episode is brought to you by San Pellegrino Ciao. A new kind of flavor sparkling water. The kind made with real fruit juice, a pinch of Sicilian salt and the sparkle of the Italian sun with no added sugar and just 10 or less calories per can enjoy with love from.

[Brian Windhorst]

Italy by San Pellegrino.

[Tim Bontemps]

Ciao. Now.

[Wendy]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want, like that dream house or ride, is a great feeling. That's why the State Farm Personal Price plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. The Lakers made a signing over the weekend landing Marcus Smart after he got a buyout from the Washington Wizards. Lakers with two buyout signings, one of Deandre Ayton and now one of Marcus Smart. And again, I think just like with the Clippers where you look at Bradley Beal bringing Bradley BEAL in at $5 million, you look at value Marcus Smart here is a value addition. They're using their biannual exception of about like was it a 4.7 bond temps 4.75 point.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, it's, it's 5.1 million.

[Wendy]

5.1 million. So they're paying him $5.1 million. So you look at the Lakers. The Lakers use their mid level exception. They sign Jake Laravia, they gave him a chunk of it. They gave Deandre Ayton the rest of it. Ayton was about 8.8 million, I believe. And then they give their biannual to Marcus Smart. So you're looking again an expenditure in the neighborhood of $19 million. And you add three players who in theory at least should be rotation players. Ayton being their starting center. Bontemps, you've talked for months about the Lakers need for perimeter defense. Marcus Smart three years ago was the defensive player of the year. Jake Laravia plays wing. Pontemps. Are you.

[Brian Windhorst]

I was wondering where you go.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I don't. Yeah, I don't know what we're doing there. I mean, look, here's the thing. Marcus Smart got salary dumped last year by Memphis and just took a bio from the Wizards. So. And this isn't like a Bradley Beal buyout where Bradley Beal everybody could agree is still a good player. I just don't genuinely know what player Marcus Smart is at this point because he basically hasn't played in two years. Right. Played a combined 54 games the last two years. Played 20 games two years ago, his first season in Memphis. After the trade for Boston, he's had.

[Wendy]

A crazy series of hand injuries. I mean, he's been hurt ever since he punched the mirror.

[Tim Bontemps]

That was 10 years ago. But I mean.

[Wendy]

But he's had a lot of hand injuries.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean, the way Marcus plays, he tends to miss games anyway. I mean, look, this is very simple. If Marcus is healthy and motivated and is anywhere near the player he was during his time in Boston, the signing will be fine. Like it'll be a good signing for the Lakers. If he's like he was the last couple years and he's not that effective and hurt, it's not going to be very good. And you could maybe argue Jordan Goodwin will be a better fit for Lakers who they.

[Wendy]

Let's talk about that in a minute. But just, just put Goodwin aside for a second. Go ahead.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's the whole question. Like, is Marcus going to be able to stay on the court and can he be effective? He's not a great shooter. He's always been a willing shooter who's very streaky, tends to be in the low 30s. But he is a guy that when he's locked in and healthy and playing well can be a guy who's obviously an impact perimeter defender. But, you know, it's been a while since we've seen that guy. And even the last year he was in Boston, it wasn't the same as the Erie 1 Defensive Player of the year. So, you know, I would say I get why the Lakers did it, but I think we need to see whether the mark is Smart from the Boston days can make it to la.

[Brian Windhorst]

If Marcus Smart reports to training camp in shape and ready to roll, which really hasn't been the case the last couple of years, then he answers one of the most glaring questions about the Lakers roster and that's who's going to guard the other team's best perimeter score. Obviously, Marcus Smart, if he's right, is the answer to that. He's certainly capable of that. You know, it's hard to judge Memphis, even like forgetting about the health. Well, it's not hard. The Memphis thing was a disaster. Like, you know, they. They gave up.

[Tim Bontemps]

They gave up a ton to get him and they salary dumped him.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, they gave up six to get him, hoping he was going to be one of the final pieces bringing him in for leadership and performance and got neither of those things. And salary dumped him after a second round. Rookie took a starting job this last year. I think Marcus Smart was dealing with, you know, professional heartbreak the last couple years in Memphis. I don't believe he ever wanted to be there. You know, this is a guy who envisioned himself being a Celtic his entire career and then just boom, he's gone. Then watches the Celtics win a championship the very next season. You know, Jackson says Jackson was out at a bar in Boston, which Jackson loves going to those bars. And when people got the Shams notification and it says there was an audible groan there. Marcus Smart, that purple and gold is gonna be tough for a lot of Celtics fans to stomach. But it is an opportunity for him to get back in a, you know, in a situation where there's going to be spotlight, you know, he's going to be in a. In a, you know, high pressure kind of situation. And maybe that's what he needs to get his career back on track because it certainly went off track the last couple of years.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah. And Marcus is still only 30. He'll be 31 in March. And I do think he'll be motivated and ready to go. The bigger question I have, he's got a player option.

[Wendy]

It can be, you know, he's kind of got it. If he's ever going to get paid again. He's got a good year.

[Tim Bontemps]

This. This is a setup for him to get paid. Going to the Lakers on a huge stage. Can he. Can he bounce back and have a really good year? My question is more, does he still have the same ability defensively and especially, can he stay on the court? Like, he played 61 games three years ago. He played a combined 54 the last two. So if he can stay out there, yeah, he's got a chance to be an impact signing for them. And like I said, I get. I get why the Lakers did it, but it's, you know, that there's a lot less certainty about this one, I would say, than, you know, like, for example, all the guys the Clippers landed this summer are coming off better past years or two.

[Brian Windhorst]

Sure.

[Tim Bontemps]

On the court wise. And Marcus has shown.

[Wendy]

So I thought one other. One thing about this that I thought was interesting. I know this was reported elsewhere. I checked on it, too, that Luca Doncic did some, you know, because I heard like, oh, Luca recruited him. And I said, I want to know what. Sometimes you hear like, oh, he recruited him. And then you peel back the layers. And he sent him a text, you know, I don't mean Luca. I mean just you hear about players, sure. As recruiting. And then you hear like, you know, he sent a text like, hey, bro, you know, come to. Come to.

[Brian Windhorst]

I would love to have you, or whatever.

[Wendy]

Yeah, right. You know, it's like. It's like, you know, when you recruit Bon Temps to pick up, you know, you. You let them know the game's going on, but you tell them the wrong time, you know, you can.

[Brian Windhorst]

No, no, I tell them. And I tell them I want you guarding me.

[Wendy]

Yeah, you bring those elbows. So I checked this out, and it turns out that Luca called him a couple of times, you know, and, you know, Luca's over in Europe right now. And regardless of whether Marcus Smart works out, regardless of what the context was, I think the key here is that Luka is acting in concert with the Lakers front office. The Lakers front office obviously targeted Marcus Smart. They knew he was going to get bought out. Several teams were interested in him. The Phoenix Suns, I know, were one of them. And, you know, Luca got the message from the Lakers and followed up on it apparently several times.

[Brian Windhorst]

And that is not Luca's message. Natural state that, like the first several years of his career, he basically said, hey, I play front office, puts the team together. I don't want anything to do with it, you know, and he didn't grow up in, like, the AAU culture. Where like, you know, you're constantly recruiting guys and, and matter of fact, it was news that Luka was pushing for roster upgrades the year after. When was that? Oh yeah, it was the year after Brunson's departure, right before they got Kyrie. The news wasn't that the roster needed to be upgraded and Luke didn't let that be known. The news was that he was actually involving himself in front office discussions. But this is taking it a step further than he has in the past where he is being a pitch man for the organization. I believe he also had some contact with deandre Ayton and I think that's actually the most significant part of all this, Wendy, because it does show that he's not only on the same page with the Lakers front office, but he is an active participant when, you know, his natural preference has been just like, hey, not my job. I don't want to have to bother myself with that. I want to go hang out during the summer and play for Slovenia.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, listen, if this helps, if this helps get him to sign an extension next summer, then I don't care if Marcus Smart plays three games, right? He's like, get Marcus Smart on the. Well, right, sorry. This summer, this next month is what I meant to say, not next summer.

[Wendy]

That's the thing. Like I would just say that you. We can talk about the Lakers need for perimeter defense. We can question how deandre Ayton is going to do with the way he's played the last couple of years. We can question about how Marcus Smart is going to do the way he's played the last couple of years. All of that is relevant. The most important things for the Lakers are Luca related. One, does he get into that contract extension again sometime before the season? It doesn't have to be in August. They can offer to him in August. I'm sure they will. He may not get into that business until later. McMahon, you have described that, you know, he typically doesn't want to do business when he's doing the national team. And two, what does he look like when he gets to the to the season because Luka was not Luka last year. You have a number three.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, I do have a number three number three. If he's recruiting this aggressively for the biannual exception and a slice of the mid level, what's he going to do when they have max cap space? I would say that's a pretty, you know, if he's willing to, you know, put forth this kind of effort at.

[Wendy]

The lower price, you're Going to be to sign.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, well, listen, listen.

[Brian Windhorst]

It all starts with aggregated, but it.

[Tim Bontemps]

All starts with number one and it and the rest of it's irrelevant. What Luca looks like in October, it's, does Luka Doncic sign up for the Lakers long term this off season or not? If he does, he signs up for.

[Brian Windhorst]

The Lakers short, shorter term.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, that doesn't matter. I mean, I mean that he's not going to be a free agent. I don't care if it's a two year extension or whatever. That doesn't matter. If he signs an extension with the Lakers this offseason and commits to the Lakers, it's the only thing that matters because then he's with the Lakers. They can go forward and build with him. Because look, yes, the moves the Lakers made this summer were fine. Ayton was a good signing for the situation they were in. Marcus Smart is a good buy low. We'll see if it works out. Jake Laravia, same thing. He's an interesting younger player. He can maybe grow with them a little bit. This team is not good. Again, I know Laker fans are going to think I'm a hater for saying this. The Lakers are not that good. They weren't that good last year. There was not a realistic path for them to be a championship contender this year, to go toe to toe with the, with the Thunder in the west with the limited resources they had. So the moves they've made have been solid. But it's not about like, what can they do to catch the Thunder or what can they do to get in the top three teams in the championship chase in the West. I don't think any of that is realistic. It's all about getting Luka Doncic on board with the future and on board with the plan. And if that's the case, the rest.

[Wendy]

Of it's gravy, quite frankly. The Lakers goal should be a top 16. Yes, that should, that should be.

[Tim Bontemps]

Sure. If they could do that, they should be very happy.

[Brian Windhorst]

I hear all that. And if, if I Want to borrow Mac 10's Lakers Girl uniform and put that on, what I would tell you is, hey, they were the third seed last season with Luca a shell of himself, right? Like Luca was not.

[Wendy]

Luca was out of shape, right.

[Brian Windhorst]

And coming off of the worst injury of his career. And look, just judging based on what you see on social media, this is as lean as Luka has been since probably his second season in the league. If Luka, if this kind of commitment carries over, I mean, Luke is damn sure. Capable of an MVP type of season.

[Tim Bontemps]

He's one of the three best players in the league. But look, the Lakers, the spread from second to eighth in the west was four games and the spread from third to eighth in the west was two games. So it doesn't. Saying one team was third, one team was eighth is sort of. My goal is to just get in the top six.

[Brian Windhorst]

They were third with their best player, not at his best.

[Wendy]

Right. I think, I think I can summarize this. The Lakers off season will be defined about whether Luka extends. The Lakers season will be defined about whether Luca is back to being an MVP candidate. Correct. Before we go, I mentioned Jordan Goodwin. It would not surprise me if by the time this POD posts on Tuesday that or sometime on Tuesday that we find out that Jordan Goodwin has been claimed on waivers by somebody. Because I don't think he'll get through waivers. In fact it would not surprise me if multiple teams put in claims and it comes down to the order. And the reason I think that is because Goodwin had a pretty good run with the Lakers last year and I think their preference was not to have to release them. The reason they had to release him is to get enough money under the apron to, to. Because they can't sign, they can't use the bi annual exception and then go over the apron. They have to get under the apron to use the 5 million. So to do that they had to waive Jordan Goodwin who had a non guaranteed contract. They also waived Sheikh Milton who they got last year in the 50 Smith deal, wasn't it? Didn't they get him in that deal?

[Brian Windhorst]

Sure.

[Wendy]

I don't remember. Anyway, the question will become and Bontemps, I'll put you in charge of the arbiter being the arbiter of this for the next nine months. Who will have a better year next year? Jordan Goodwin with the team he goes to a Marcus Smart on the Lakers.

[Tim Bontemps]

It could be Jordan Goodwin. I mean that's, you know, I mean look like again let's see, let's see what version of Marcus Smart shows up. But to me, I like I'm with McMahon. I think the most important thing of all this stuff that's gone on these Lakers moves are fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme. What matters is that Lucas seems to be on board with all of them. That's what really that I'm just, I mean listen, they're, they're good moves. Like for what the situation they're in, they're fine. But if they're working in lockstep with Luka Doncic and he's recruiting Deandre Ayton and recruiting Marcus Smart and trying to go get guys and working with Rob Polinka. They could be trying to sign me, you and Brian, and it would.

[Wendy]

Hey, Austin Reese recruited Jake Laravia.

[Tim Bontemps]

Okay, great.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's good.

[Tim Bontemps]

I'm glad. I know he's your golf buddy. I'm happy.

[Wendy]

No, seriously, Jake Laravia was doing an interview, like on a podcast or some. On some streaming show, and he was in a car for like the whole interview. This is like a week before he signed with the Lakers. And he did the interviews like, like 25 or 30. I don't even know. Some period of time. It wasn't for 90 seconds. And. And he turned. He turned the camera and Austin Reeves is sitting there driving the whole time. So anyway, that's what, you know, let's just give credit where it's due. You don't get Jack the Ravi without Austin Reeves. I think they've got the same agent.

[Brian Windhorst]

More hoop collective podcast after this.

[Tim Bontemps]

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[Wendy]

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[Brian Windhorst]

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[Wendy]

All right, bonsems, you were talking a second ago about the relative rankings in the West. Let's just. Let's just talk about that real quick. So the thunder obviously at the peak, right?

[Tim Bontemps]

One thing I want to cut in with just because it's funny, because we didn't get to it earlier. When you're talking about the Clippers having all these guys who are 28 or older. The Thunder had two guys on their entire roster who over 27 last year. So it's a very interesting divergence in strategy.

[Brian Windhorst]

What about, what about when they bring Russ back? I mean, that's a trend, right? Dame Back to Portland, CP3 back to Lobb City. Isn't Russ going to be an okc? You don't see that happening?

[Tim Bontemps]

I'm sure that's what will happen.

[Brian Windhorst]

I'm sure you don't think they'd want him to come in there and you know, shake things up a little bit.

[Tim Bontemps]

I don't think there's much shaking that needs to go on.

[Wendy]

By the way, I love that the Thunders summer league team continued the tradition of the group interview at the end of the game.

[Brian Windhorst]

You know who else loved it?

[Wendy]

MC10 have more airtime, baby. Who was, who was doing the interview? All right, so we got the Thunder at the top. All right. Are we, Are you going to Bon Temps? Are you going to have a second tier or are you just going to say everybody else is in the second?

[Brian Windhorst]

I'll give you I have a tier I'll throw out. The Rockets is number two. And you boys can agree or disagree.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, I have a tier. I would say Houston, Denver and the Clippers are in a tier.

[Wendy]

So with the Clippers in that tier before the summer or did they. Or did their season. Did their.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, look, we've talked about it a lot. I thought the three best teams in the west at the end of the season were the Thunder, the Clippers and the Nuggets. And I think you saw it in the way the playoffs played out again. Like people were clowning on the Clippers for losing that seven game series to Denver because they lost in the first round. It was a hell of a series. If that Aaron Gordon tip dunk doesn't go in, they don't win the series. So I, I didn't think there was any shame in that. But. But yeah, I think the moves they made this summer have only strengthened them. I would if I was power ranking that tier, I might have Houston second because I, I just. Basically going from Jalen Green to Kevin Durant is going to be, I think, a gigantic upgrade.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's not bad.

[Tim Bontemps]

Not at all. But I think all three of those teams are really good.

[Brian Windhorst]

I was gonna say Jalen Green's departure is going to get Reed Shepard a regular role.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean I. Houston, I'm, I'm super, super fascinated to watch Houston this.

[Wendy]

Year for another team that's very young, by the way.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean, it, I mean, they've.

[Wendy]

Got some older guys like they, you know, they got Jeff Green, they brought in Clint Capella. Their average is going to be.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, they've got, they've got two, they've got two grizzled vets in the starting lineup in KD and Van Vliet, but they've got a whole bunch of puppies.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I would, I would have those, I would have those three teams in a tier personally. Houston. Houston.

[Wendy]

Let me just comment, and I'm not fighting you on this, but I'll just point out that the team that's been the conference finals the last two years, the Timberlands, I was going to say.

[Tim Bontemps]

I just think losing the key Alexander Walker is really going to hurt them. I, I, I think that's a big loss. And Mike Conley was already taking a bit of a step back.

[Wendy]

I'm just wondering if there's only two. You know, there's obviously more than two tiers, but I'm just wondering if all, I mean, like, I'm not putting the, I mean, where are you putting the Mavericks? I mean, how do you assign the Mavericks?

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, I'm putting the Mavericks. I mean, I would have the Wolves. I would probably have the Wolves in their own tier, probably.

[Wendy]

You, like, see, I love that you do these tiers. It's great content throughout the course of the year. But you always have too many tiers.

[Brian Windhorst]

It's my editor, like 15 tiers in the West.

[Tim Bontemps]

No, I, I would say that I think that the Wolves are, to me, a better team than the, than all these other teams with questions. And then you've got the warriors, the Lakers, the Mavericks. If they get healthy, I'd probably have Memphis and San Antonio all in the same group. Like.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay, hold on. You could not putting that. You're not putting the freaking Grizzlies in the same group as the warriors, for one. What was the Warriors. What was the warriors record? I'm trying to look it up.

[Wendy]

What was the warriors record was 48 and 34.

[Brian Windhorst]

No, with Steph and Jimmy in the.

[Wendy]

Store, it was, it was up there.

[Brian Windhorst]

I mean, it was a very impressive record.

[Tim Bontemps]

And yeah, and both of those guys could miss 40 games.

[Brian Windhorst]

I mean, good Lord, Every player in the league.

[Tim Bontemps]

No, I mean, Jimmy Butler regularly misses a bunch of games and Steph is now 38 and has fairly regularly missed games. Those two guys are healthy. They've got a, they've Got a pretty high ceiling.

[Wendy]

Same thing about your second tier Clippers. I mean.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, I mean, come on.

[Tim Bontemps]

Clippers are just way deep. The Clippers go 10 deep though. The warriors are extraordinarily top heavy and their top heavy is very old and injury prone. If they stay, if they're.

[Brian Windhorst]

God, if 22 and 5 with okay with Steph in the lineup together, yes.

[Tim Bontemps]

They played great with those guys down the stretch when they were healthy.

[Brian Windhorst]

So you're not putting in the same group as a freaking.

[Tim Bontemps]

Okay, then you can just yelled at me for having too few, too many tears. Now you're yelling me for having two few tears. There's one theme. Yelling at me.

[Wendy]

Fair enough.

[Tim Bontemps]

If you want to stop, if you want to stop at the warriors, the Lakers and the Mavs, that's fine. I think Memphis is sort of in the same boat. All those teams could win 48 to 50 games if things break right. They could all win 42 games if things don't break right. That's all. There's just a lot of, there's a lot of boom or bust potential for all those.

[Wendy]

And what are you, what are you saying about the Spurs?

[Tim Bontemps]

If Victor, like if Victor and de' Aaron Fox come in and really pop, they could be really good. I would not have them in that same group. Probably just because they're going to be playing these young guys. Dylan Harper is going to play, Stefan Castle is going to play. How is the fit with de' Aaron Fox and those guys going to be. They still have some real holes. But look, if Victor is a top five player in the league this year and plays 80 games and is a first team All NBA player, then they could be in the mix for being in the playoffs and being in the mix with those other teams.

[Brian Windhorst]

If the spurs are a top six team, we will be discussing Victor when Binyama as an MVP candidate.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh yeah, for sure. Well, that, no, that's not even, that's not a hot take at all. If they're top six in the west. Yeah, of course, of course we will be because that means he's going to be one of the five best players in the league. Easily.

[Brian Windhorst]

That, that's their, that's their path to zooming into one of the top, I.

[Tim Bontemps]

Don'T know, 16 or just like mass injuries for these older teams. But I, they just, I think have too many holes to quite get there this year. But, but they're going to be super fun and frisky on a nightly basis for sure.

[Wendy]

Risky. I give Zach Lowe credit for bringing that into the NBA lexicon. Frisky. And I hadn't heard it before then. He, he popularized it. I, I do want to, you know, tie a bow on one of the more interesting little sagas that we had over the summer that reached finality in the last couple of days. Jonas Valenciunas gave an interview where he affirmed that he will fulfill his contract and report to the Denver Nuggets and make his $10 million instead of playing in Greece. He said that he had wanted to play in Greece, which was closer to home. He's from Lithuania, which is closer to home that, you know, it's in Europe, I guess. But he said, I'm fully committed to honoring my contract with the Nuggets this season and I will give my all to compete for a championship.

[Tim Bontemps]

I think this, I think this situation is very clear. I think Jonas found Tunis wasn't really all that interested in playing for the Sacramento Kings on a one guaranteed year contract. And he had a multi year, fully guaranteed deal from Panasonicos to go back and play in Europe for one of the best teams in Europe and was ready to do that. And then he wound up on the Nuggets like, all right, well if I'm going to go play for the Nuggets with Jokic, that's cool, I'll do that. But I'm not going to be the modest bonuses backup in Sacramento that that seems like how this played out to me.

[Wendy]

Well, he's got a $10 million non guaranteed contract for next year and I think he would probably have accepted it had the Nuggets been willing to pick that up to guarantee his arrival, which is maybe one of the reasons why he didn't make this comment for a month.

[Brian Windhorst]

I was going to say, do you think that, you think that interview with Basket News would have happened a little bit earlier had that had the Nuggets guaranteed?

[Wendy]

I think so. So I think so because it was less money to play in Greece. The European contracts, they're after taxes, whereas the NBA contracts are before taxes. So the difference, especially not to get into geopolitics, but the dollar is not performing well. Bond temps can talk all about that after he's just spent euros for the last two weeks.

[Brian Windhorst]

The father in law was picking up all the bills. Don't act like Bontemps. Spending a dime.

[Tim Bontemps]

Knows how to spend money. Also wanted us to talk about Klay Thompson and Megan D. Stallion as she returned to the stage. She's like, what are you talking about on the pod? You got to be talking about that it's the big empty story of the day.

[Brian Windhorst]

I'm excited about that. Most. Is she more famous than Khloe Kardashian? We had a brief little Khloe Kardashian as one of the mav swags during the old Lamar Odom era.

[Tim Bontemps]

Is she more famous? I'm not the person to ask about that. That's an interesting question.

[Wendy]

I'll have to ask.

[Brian Windhorst]

Hold on.

[Tim Bontemps]

That after that, the pot.

[Brian Windhorst]

I'll be right back. I'm gonna ask real quick.

[Wendy]

Okay. Before we go, you just asked the IT department, McMahon, who is more famous, Khloe Kardashian or Megan Thee stallion? What was the answer?

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, first she inquired famous or infamous?

[Wendy]

I said famous.

[Brian Windhorst]

With hesitance, she said Chloe. But Megan is a close second. Now I feel that Megan's still on the rise, there's room to grow, and that this relationship with Clay is just going to amplify her, her greatness. So I think we're going to have a situation for that to be flipped by.

[Wendy]

I handled this in a very 2025 method. I asked chat GPT.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oh, what were the results, Chad?

[Wendy]

GPT said Khloe Kardashian is more famous, but it puts famous in quotes. Because ChatGPT can have some attitude in terms of raw social media reach. Her Instagram account is 302 million followers, whereas Megan, the Megan Thee stallions is only 32 million followers. Oh, ten times roughly a tenth of Chloe's audience. However, in short, Khloe Kardashian is more globally famous by visibility and follow follower count. Megan Thee stallion is hugely famous within the music and pop culture circles. But on sheer scale, Chloe come comes out.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, Chloe. Chloe's more famous. That's a lot of. That's a lot of. That's a lot of jumping to just not say the facts.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oh, oh, Megan Claire putting some content out there now, though. She. I'm telling you, let's keep an eye on those numbers.

[Wendy]

No.

[Tim Bontemps]

10X the social media followers, I think says the answer pretty clear.

[Brian Windhorst]

But I bet she's on Tik Tok like Wendy.

[Wendy]

What about cultural. Probably not like relevance, but they're probably cultural relevance. Who's got more cultural relevance?

[Tim Bontemps]

Khloe Kardashian? Kardashians.

[Wendy]

Well, Clay has cultural relevance.

[Tim Bontemps]

Sure.

[Wendy]

You put those two cultural relevance together, especially in with China Clay.

[Tim Bontemps]

I'm still going with the Kardashians on that. The Kardashians have been dating NBA players for near on 20 years now.

[Brian Windhorst]

Hey, Kris Jenner took a selfie with me. She's big time only selfie I've ever.

[Wendy]

Taken a celebrity and I have to say in that selfie, she looked spectacular. Yeah, she knows.

[Tim Bontemps]

She naturally.

[Wendy]

She knows how to take a selfie.

[Brian Windhorst]

I make. I make those older women glow, baby.

[Wendy]

With that. Thank you to Jackson, thank you to McMahon. Thank you to Bon Temps. Thank you for watching and listening to the Hoop Collective. We will talk to you later this week, but we also will have a new cast member joining the show.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh, boy.

[Brian Windhorst]

I didn't approve that. Did not approve that. Want that on the record? Adios, amigos.

[Wendy]

On the record at Tab we're on.

[Tim Bontemps]

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[Wendy]

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[Tim Bontemps]

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