LeBron’s Future Uncertain? + Dangers Of Overspending In Free Agency

Summary

Podcast Summary: "LeBron’s Future Uncertain? + Dangers Of Overspending In Free Agency"

Episode Details

• Title: LeBron’s Future Uncertain? + Dangers Of Overspending In Free Agency
• Podcast: Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective
• Hosts/Guests: Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, Bobby Marks
• Release Date: June 30, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, host Brian Windhorst discusses pivotal topics surrounding the NBA's offseason, notably LeBron James' contractual decisions and the broader implications of overspending in free agency. Joining him are ESPN insiders Tim Bontemps from New York City and Bobby Marks from Dallas, Texas.

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LeBron James' Contract Decision and Future with the Lakers

Opting into His Contract LeBron James has opted into his $53 million player option for what would be his 23rd season, marking the eighth consecutive time he has chosen to opt out rather than play out his contracts fully. This decision was discussed extensively by the hosts:

• Brian Windhorst [01:23]: “Eight consecutive contracts, he's opted out of his contract... On Sunday, he opted into his $53 million player option, which in and of itself was not a surprise.”

Rich Paul's Statement and Lakers' Silence A significant portion of the discussion centered around Rich Paul's statement to Shams Charania, indicating LeBron's desire to compete for a championship. However, despite LeBron's decision being public, the Lakers have yet to release an official statement.

• Rich Paul [03:43]: “LeBron wants to compete for a championship. We're going to... everything's good, right?”
• Brian Windhorst [07:05]: “On Sunday, the Lakers have still not announced it.”

Potential Scenarios for LeBron's Future The hosts explore possible outcomes following LeBron's opt-in:

1. Staying with the Lakers: Maintaining the current roster with LeBron continuing to play alongside the team.

2. Requesting a Trade: Despite having a no-trade clause, the complexity of trading LeBron given his salary and impact makes this scenario unlikely.

3. Free Agency: LeBron did not opt out fully, thereby retaining his spot with the Lakers and minimizing the chances of a free-agent move.

• Bobby Marks [08:06]: “Option two, LeBron, who has a no trade clause, requests a trade... it's going to be really hard.”

Implications for the Lakers and Future Building The discussion emphasizes the Lakers' strategy in balancing competitiveness with future planning, especially considering the presence of emerging talents like Luka Doncic.

• Tim Bontemps [18:47]: “The Lakers need to do everything they can to prioritize the future with Luka Doncic there...”

Conclusion on LeBron's Situation LeBron's decision to opt into his contract is seen as a move that keeps him aligned with the Lakers for at least the next season, while also indicating future uncertainties.

• Brian Windhorst [16:09]: “LeBron's not getting traded.”

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Dangers of Overspending in Free Agency

Focus on the Minnesota Timberwolves The Timberwolves' recent contracts have raised concerns about financial flexibility and long-term sustainability:

• Bobby Marks [27:00]: “The Wolves... signed Nas Reed for five years at $125 million and Julius Randle for three years at $100 million.”

Comparison to Denver Nuggets Tim Bontemps draws parallels between Minnesota's and Denver’s contract strategies, highlighting how overpaying players can limit a team's ability to maneuver financially in future seasons.

• Tim Bontemps [30:21]: “Naz Reed and Bobby Portis are fairly similar players... overpaying players... bad business in the new reality that the league is in.”

Specific Contract Issues The episode delves into specific contracts that exemplify the dangers of overspending:

• Nas Reed's Contract: Five years for $125 million, leaving limited flexibility for the Timberwolves.

• Julius Randle's Contract: Three years for $100 million, showcasing aggressive financial commitments.

• Fred VanVleet's Situation: Discussion around VanVleet signing a team option at $25 million, which is below his potential value, highlighting strategic contract negotiations.

• Brian Windhorst [36:57]: “Nas Reed is going to make $75 million over the next three years...”

Impact on Team Dynamics and Future Moves Overspending can hinder teams from signing crucial free agents or developing young talent, thereby affecting long-term competitiveness.

• Bobby Marks [33:12]: “These new rules... more situations like this where teams are going to sign deals now and then in a couple of years go, man, I wish we had some extra money.”

Conclusion on Overspending The hosts agree that strategic contract negotiations are essential to maintain financial health and competitiveness, cautioning against the pitfalls of aggressive spending in free agency.

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Other NBA Free Agency News

Deandre Ayton's Buyout The discussion touches on Deandre Ayton's buyout from the Phoenix Suns, his performance, and potential destinations.

• Tim Bontemps [50:07]: “Boston Scott, Luke Cornett, and Al Horford are all free and have a lot of interest around the league.”

Minnesota Timberwolves’ Roster Changes Bobby Marks and Tim Bontemps analyze the Timberwolves' strategy in handling key players and the repercussions of losing Alexander Walker.

• Bobby Marks [29:29]: “Developing young players like Dillingham and Terence Shannon Jr. is crucial for their future.”

Houston Rockets’ Strategies The Rockets’ recent signings, including Jabari Smith Jr. for five years at $122 million, are examined, emphasizing their approach to managing salaries and maintaining flexibility.

• Brian Windhorst [40:34]: “They signed Jabari Smith Jr. fully guaranteed for five years at $122 million.”

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Conclusion

This episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective provides an in-depth analysis of LeBron James' current contractual status with the Los Angeles Lakers and the broader implications of overspending in NBA free agency. The hosts emphasize the importance of strategic financial management for teams aiming to remain competitive both now and in the future. Listeners gain valuable insights into the complexities of NBA contracts, the potential future paths for star players, and the critical impact of financial decisions on team dynamics.

Notable Quotes:

• Brian Windhorst [07:05]: “But it's a tough but.”
• Bobby Marks [08:06]: “I’d like to hear that from Jeannie Buss, Rob Pelinka...”
• Tim Bontemps [19:28]: “We have a clean cap sheet.”
• Bobby Marks [22:10]: “We want you to play here with Luca.”

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For more detailed discussions and updates, listeners are encouraged to tune into future episodes of The Hoop Collective.

Transcript

[Brian Windhorst]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want is a great feeling. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. 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. Hello and welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, which we're doing after midnight on Sunday night, the beginning of the new league year. Coming up, start of NBA free agency. But it's mostly already done if you want my opinion. Joining me from New York City is Tim Bonteps.

[Tim Bontemps]

Hello, everybody.

[Brian Windhorst]

Joining me from Dallas, Texas, before he's headed off to the Salt Lake Summer League at the end of the week is band McMahon.

[Bobby Marks]

Howdy Partners. It'll just be a brief appearance at the old Salt Lake City Summer League. Long enough to get my T shirt and watch Ace Bailey's debut in a Jazz uniform.

[Brian Windhorst]

They have good gear.

[Bobby Marks]

They have, you know, I've got a couple of those T shirts and I'm looking forward to adding to the collection. Was glad to see Ace Bailey hop on a plane and land in Salt Lake City and avoid that thing from being a ridiculous storyline. That did not need to happen.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yep. He realized when you get drafted, you have to go to that team pretty much. Okay, so eight times in LeBron James career, was this about to be his 23rd season, is that right? Eight different times he's had a player option and or early termination option. Back in the day they had these things called ETOs. But basically eight different times he's had a choice of opting into his contract or opting out of his contract and becoming a free agent. And all. Eight times he has done so. Then there was the ninth.

[Bobby Marks]

Done what? He can't do both.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, he's opted out.

[Bobby Marks]

Okay?

[Brian Windhorst]

Eight consecutive contracts, he's opted out. He has not played the contract out to its end. He opts out of the contract just for any of the, you know, the people that were sticklers out there. Sometimes he terminated the contract. It wasn't an opt out, but whatever you want to call it, eight times up, eight times down, he opted out of his contract. On the 9th, he rested and on Sunday, he opted into his $53 million player option, which in and of itself was not a surprise. There were various reasons why he would opt into that contract. 53 million is one. Secondly, he has a no trade clause. And if you opt out of your contract and you give that up, you know, if I were the Lakers, I wouldn't necessarily give it back to him. So LeBron opting into his contract, although it's the first time he's ever done that. Newsworthy for sure, but not something that needed to lead our podcast.

[Bobby Marks]

Oh, then what happened?

[Brian Windhorst]

The reason it leads our podcast is because of the statement that Rich Paul gave to Shams Chirania when the opt in took place. And by the way, I just want to say something. We are doing this at about 12:30am Eastern Time, about 9:30pm Pacific Time. And even though LeBron has filed the paperwork and opted into his contract and all of the teams have been advised that he has done so, the Lakers have still not announced it.

[Bobby Marks]

Oh.

[Brian Windhorst]

So I just want to say that the quote that Rich gave to Shams, LeBron wants to compete for a championship. We're going to do little, little notes, little annotated notes. We're fine. Right. Where everything's good, right?

[Bobby Marks]

No, yeah. No. Third seed in the west last year. Great.

[Brian Windhorst]

He knows the Lakers are building for the future.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay, we all know that. I mean, do we actually.

[Tim Bontemps]

Do we actually know that?

[Bobby Marks]

Well, I mean, 26 year old generational talent, so it makes sense that the future with Luca would be the priority. Yeah. Okay, good.

[Tim Bontemps]

Sure. I just meant they, they traded. They tried to trade all their draft picks in February to get a center and before they changed their mind. And I'm not sure they're going to be signing 22 year olds and free agency this year, but.

[Brian Windhorst]

All right, well, there's more sentences to we can.

[Tim Bontemps]

I know. Just.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay. LeBron understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. Hmm.

[Bobby Marks]

Okay.

[Brian Windhorst]

There's the word but in there.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah, tough, but.

[Brian Windhorst]

It's a tough but.

[Tim Bontemps]

So the could have opted out. This will be the first time I say that.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay, we'll keep track of that. Okay, so now we're starting to get into a little bit of a. We're scratching our chin a little bit. Okay.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah.

[Bobby Marks]

If that. If it was a an and. And not a but, we'd still been.

[Brian Windhorst]

All right, but I agree it's a big but. It's a big butt. All right.

[Bobby Marks]

I don't think the Lakers like big butts.

[Brian Windhorst]

We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeannie Buss and Rob Pelinka and consider the Lakers as a crucial part of his career.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's been seven years, by the way.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay. Good note. Um, I don't. That sounds kind of. It's not really past tense, but like kind of past tense, like quasi past tense.

[Bobby Marks]

You know, it's gone from scratching your chin to raising your eyebrows and kind of.

[Brian Windhorst]

You, you're very effective at raising your eyebrows. It's one of your, One of your qualities.

[Bobby Marks]

I have many.

[Brian Windhorst]

You know, because you've been doing first take. You know, in first take, they, you know, they put your face up on that screen.

[Bobby Marks]

Well, and I've been told by old coach Jim Watalka, he's been coaching me up on that TV stuff. Told me to get loud. Told me to get loud.

[Tim Bontemps]

My eardrums are still ringing.

[Bobby Marks]

You guys don't like when I get loud. Also told me active listening is what. It's professional.

[Brian Windhorst]

We're in the middle of annotating this Rich Paul statement, so I can't break off into this. But your volume is. We may need to have another coaching broken. All right, we'll keep going here. We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future.

[Bobby Marks]

Oh, okay.

[Tim Bontemps]

I'll again refer to the fact that the Lakers have not really acted like a team that's preparing to win in the future. I know they traded for Luka, but, yeah, it's not really what they've been doing.

[Brian Windhorst]

We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.

[Tim Bontemps]

Didn't they just do that by opting into his contract? Opt in or opt out?

[Bobby Marks]

No, they evaluated. No, they evaluated what's best for him financially with that decision. But they're saying, hold on, let's just kind of assess the situation further before we decide where he's actually play next season.

[Brian Windhorst]

So. So now we've said a lot of. We're not done yet, but now we've said a lot of words. And I, I, and I talked to Rich tonight, and he pretty much stuck to the script, and he's.

[Tim Bontemps]

So far, we have a lot of words that signify nothing.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, we got a lot of words that don't say we're excited about next season.

[Bobby Marks]

Hold on. What? How's this thing end? Man, the plane.

[Brian Windhorst]

LeBron wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that and are supportive and want what's best for him.

[Bobby Marks]

Huh? I'd like to hear that from Jeannie Buss, Rob Polinka, the, well, fellow who just plunked down a whole bunch of his and other people's billions of dollars to buy the franchise.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, as I said, it is now Moving on towards late, late, late at night. And I have no statement from the Lakers.

[Bobby Marks]

Okay, can we just like, let's just lay out the possibilities here. Okay, Possibility one, he plays for the team that he just opted into a $52.6 million salary for next season, stays in LA, plays for Lakers. That one's plain and simple. But this statement gets us thinking, what are the other possibilities? Option two, LeBron, who has a no trade clause, requests a trade. But then that one's a real head scratcher because he just opted into a $52.6 million salary. So it's going to be really hard to trade him in a deal that would be acceptable to the Lakers, acceptable to whatever team he deems to be his preferred destination, and then acceptable to LeBron, because, like, the whole point of him requesting trade would be to go somewhere to contend for a championship. And if you're putting together about $53 million worth of salary, I would think you're probably going to be putting a pretty major dent in your rotation. Right option. Option three, and this one, like, there's never been a $53 million buyout of a guy who can still play at an all NBA level that would allow him to choose his team.

[Brian Windhorst]

But if LeBron wanted to be a free agent, he had the option to be a free agent today. He did not elect to do that. Also, I can tell you, while I would never say never in the NBA, I think it is highly unlikely that LeBron would be traded. Yes, for the reasons that you just said. So the thing that you're saying here is, well, what is LeBron looking for in terms of building for now versus building for the future? And the way Shams put it, was closely monitoring the Lakers moves.

[Bobby Marks]

But also, why, like, okay, the Lakers are going to handle their business and do the best they can to try to build a team and contend now and long term, we'll see how that works out. But like, if LeBron's not happy with the moves, I mean, if you're the Lakers, isn't your response like, LeBron, with all due respect, we're really looking forward to you playing for $52.6 million this season and being a part of this year's team, and then next summer, you've got whatever options you want.

[Tim Bontemps]

The Lakers should just say one thing. They should say, we're thrilled LeBron James has opted in due to his contract. We look forward to seeing him on the court. With Luka Doncic playing for coach J.J. redick in September, the end, there's Nothing.

[Brian Windhorst]

Else to be said would be a very effective press release. I don't have.

[Tim Bontemps]

I'm not making a huge deal about this press release thing.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oh, I am.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, I know you are not. Every team announces every opt in.

[Bobby Marks]

Oh, I mean, this ain't every, but.

[Brian Windhorst]

They do when it's LeBron James, sir.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah, this is like also. Yeah, this is not like they just picked up the, the, the, you know, player option on, you know, some 11th man. This is sure the all time leading scorer. I mean, come on.

[Brian Windhorst]

So, okay, all right. So I have been told also by Rich that he made it very well known to Luca and his representation as well as the Lakers and his representation that these statements were coming, that this was done on a fully professional level, and that there is nothing meant to, like, surprise anybody. Speaking of surprising, however, when this statement came out, I began to call teams. And I don't want to get into the who and what and who I talk to, but let's just say I identified the handful of teams that I could see LeBron trying to be traded to.

[Bobby Marks]

Oh, oh, oh, oh. I know one.

[Brian Windhorst]

And I'm not going to talk about which teams I talk to, but I did not find a team that was prepared for this. In other words, all of them that I talked to, I didn't talk to 29 teams. I talked to a handful of teams and they were all caught flat footed by this. And so I guess they could be acting. And let me just say, what's our. Mr. Bontemps, what's the theme of our podcast?

[Tim Bontemps]

Actions over words.

[Brian Windhorst]

Thank you. So I would just say that I think a lot of people started thinking about the Cavaliers because there's been this thing. Well, I mean, the Cavs are a championship contender. That's always been where LeBron has. You know, if he ever left the Lakers, people were like, well, maybe it could be back to the Cavs. You know, he's.

[Bobby Marks]

Wouldn't that be a hell of a way to put a bow on his career? Especially if he could deliver a second championship, the franchise's second championship. What a swan song that would be.

[Brian Windhorst]

As the Cavs are in the second apron. And the day Saturday they signed Sam Merrill. I don't think he's actually signed the contract yet, but they've agreed with Sam merril on a $40 million contract extension. They also traded for Lonzo Ball, but they. Any trade would be next to impossible as a second apron team. You know, again, if you have a whiteboard and Bobby Marks and the trade machine, you can demonstrate how it's done, but it's not feasible for the Cavs to rip.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's right. That's the right word for it. It's, it's theoretically possible, but not actually.

[Brian Windhorst]

But I think the important thing is the Cavs were making trades and signing their players to contract extensions on Saturday. They did not, they were not preparing to try to trade for LeBron on Sunday. Okay. And I've also talked to agents of players and again, I'm not looking for aggregation here, but there's, there's a, there's a few players in the league that you could trade LeBron for in a one for one scenario. And I have talked to some of those agents and they in some cases talked to the teams of their players teams and I found nothing indicating there was anything afoot here in terms of a transaction, in terms of a trade. So I don't feel as we sit here right now that that is what is coming.

[Bobby Marks]

I think honestly the trade is the least likely of those three scenarios just because it is like it is so difficult to pull off. And even if you can like, listen, Dallas has come up in speculation or whatever you want to call it, like the Mavericks stayed under the second apron, you know, Kyrie, new contract allowed them to do that, allowed them to preserve that mid level. But they're all, you know, they're under the second apron. But like, just to get to the numbers, you're talking like a, like a Gafford clay, you know, PJ + type of package or like throw in some other names and you know, take one of those guys out, throw in like a, you know, a Naji or. And Max Christie or whatever. It's like what you would have left number one. It's a ton to give up for what might be just a retirement tour as productive, you know, might be the world's most productive retirement tour, but still might be his retirement tour. And then again, if you're LeBron, you're looking at saying, well, yeah, I'd love to come there and compete for a championship, but damn, like that's like half the rotation that be coming back. And so that just doesn't make sense for anyone.

[Brian Windhorst]

LeBron's not. LeBron is very, very likely not getting traded.

[Bobby Marks]

Right.

[Brian Windhorst]

On Sunday, the Lakers had Dorian Finney Smith opt out of his contract. He is a free agent that they now have to deal with. With that move, they now have $14 million mid level exception they could use on a free agent. Also, there's possibility they could resign Dorian Finney Smith. And if they do that, they almost certainly would then be a taxpayer and then would only have $5.7 million taxpayer mid level to use. I assume that they are going to emerge in the next 48 to 72 hours with a center. Whether or not that center is going to elevate them in the championship odds is another conversation.

[Bobby Marks]

Also, whether or not that center will be a long term fit with Luca, who obviously thrives best with a really springy lob threat remains to be determined.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yes, what I'm saying is is I don't bon temps. I don't see a signing in the next 72 hours whether it's with the $5 million plus Dorian Finney Smith or whether it's the $14 million of a higher level free agent that is going to change the value values or realistic chance of winning at all. Statement?

[Tim Bontemps]

No, no, I would agree. I don't. I mean that's they, they entered the off season far behind the Thunder and decent ways behind the second tier contenders in the west and there's not a realistic set of moves that can get them there. And that was the case before LeBron did all this and Rich Paul did all this and it's the case now.

[Bobby Marks]

I mean if you want to put on your little purple and gold Lakers girl uniform and wave some pom poms, you can say getting a solid starting center and having Luka return with his revenge bod and be the best version of himself would at least vault them into, you know, they've got a puncher's chance candidates in the Western Conference. I mean they were a three seed last year, but again they're a three seed that got spanked in five games in the first round. But like Luko, there were glimpses of, you know, of MVP candidate Luca, but like he wasn't that guy for the Lakers after the trade, you know, coming off of an injury on a consistent basis.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. So stay tuned.

[Bobby Marks]

Stay tuned I guess.

[Brian Windhorst]

You have anything else you want to say about temps?

[Tim Bontemps]

I think the Lakers need to do everything they can to prioritize the future with Luka Doncic there. I think if they made some deal with LeBron where they took back future money and cut into next year's cap space, that would be a big mistake. I think for the Lakers, LeBron James opting into his contract was the best case scenario for them. It gives them the best chance to be as competitive as they can be next season. Right now, next summer the Lakers have, if Austin Reeves opts out of his contract, we assume he will. They have One player, Jared Vanderbilt, under contract. They have a completely clean cap sheet.

[Brian Windhorst]

You're hoping Luca is going to accept.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, I'm saying, or whether he extends or not, that the money's the same. So you have the Luca spot and then Jared Vanderbilt and nothing else. So you have a blank canvas to say to one of the five best players on the planet, Luka Doncic. What would you like to do with the roster? What would you like us to get? How would you like us to build around you? What would you like us to do? And that is why to me, the only thing that should be said to LeBron James is, hey, LeBron, we love you, thank you for opting in. We'll see you in September. If LeBron James wanted to do something different, if he wanted to go play somewhere else, if he wanted to cause chaos, if you wanted to do anything, the thing to do is to opt out of his contract. As multiple people in the league said to me today, if he'd opted out of his contract, all hell could have.

[Bobby Marks]

Broken loose instead and he might have had to take a 50 million dollar pay cut. But you know, if he had opted.

[Tim Bontemps]

Out of his contract, he would have had a lot of agency to do a lot of different things. He has opted into his contract. So the fact he has a no trade clause means he can't just be traded. The fact he has no trade clause also means it's very difficult, if not impossible to trade him. So again, to your point, Brian, personally, it would probably save us all a lot of time if the Lakers would put out a thing about his opting in and say we look forward to seeing LeBron in September. I don't think every team announces when players opt into their contracts. So we'll see if the Lakers ever say anything publicly about it. I'm just saying we'll see. It's not, I'm only saying for people at home, it's not, it's, it's not. It's different for LeBron to opt in than it is for the team to.

[Brian Windhorst]

You have a press release last year when LeBron re signed.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes, he signed a new contract. I can read the. I can go find the quote and read it. And there was a glowing quote.

[Bobby Marks]

I'm only public relations.

[Tim Bontemps]

I am saying there's a little bit.

[Bobby Marks]

Of public interest in this.

[Tim Bontemps]

Guys are being obtuse. What I'm saying to people listening at home is that because they haven't said anything doesn't. It's not necessarily out of the norm with the way teams tend to conduct business.

[Brian Windhorst]

Come on. Come on, buddy.

[Bobby Marks]

Thanks. Thanks for being very two. I appreciate that.

[Tim Bontemps]

Okay, well, it's not actually, but that's. It doesn't mean they shouldn't do it. I'm not saying they shouldn't do it.

[Brian Windhorst]

First off, an overwhelming majority of teams announce when their players opt into their contracts.

[Tim Bontemps]

Okay.

[Brian Windhorst]

Beckonley, this is a top three player in the history.

[Tim Bontemps]

Sure. I'm not saying they shouldn't. I'm not saying they shouldn't put out a release.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay. I'm just saying I think it's a.

[Tim Bontemps]

Dumb thing to get this hung up on. This entire thing is a dumb thing to get hung up on. Personally, in my opinion, it's only.

[Brian Windhorst]

It's only the biggest story in the league.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, that's. I don't mean. Yes. I mean, the fact that LeBron has opted in and then announced I'm not sure about my future is the thing that's dumb. Obviously, I understand why.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah. No, but, yeah, the Lakers need to be very appreciative of him opting in. Welcoming back, but firm. Because A trade that LeBron would approve is absolutely going to be an awful deal for the Lakers. I mean, duh. Any. As difficult as it would be to pull off, if LeBron approves it, it's a bad deal.

[Tim Bontemps]

And also, they need to win as much as possible to have Luka Doncic want to stick around. And winning as much as possible means having LeBron James on the team.

[Bobby Marks]

And I was going to say. And the idea of paying LeBron dozens of millions of dollars to go choose another team to play for is just like, no, like, no, no. We want you to play here with Luca.

[Brian Windhorst]

All right. I will say this. If the Lakers were looking to truly alter their hand that they're holding the way is to trade Austin Reeves.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

Because Austin Reeves has some duplication as a ball handler, and he is their most valued player beyond LeBron. And Luca, who will not also about.

[Tim Bontemps]

To be paid a lot more money next year.

[Bobby Marks]

Right, Right. He has some duplication also in terms of the challenges on the defensive end.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right. So I don't know, like, that's something that the Lakers could do to make a fundamental change to their roster. I'm not saying that they would, but that's something that it, you know, that they could do in the next few days.

[Bobby Marks]

More Hoop Collective podcast after this.

[Brian Windhorst]

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[Bobby Marks]

Right. And this has been kind of the anticipated scenario for a while now in, in part because Alexander Walker played himself into being a very valued player on the market. A guy who's probably going to get more than the, than the full mid level. And you know, this is like when the tax, I mean and the, the Wolves, not exactly a traditional luxury taxpayer, new ownership and all that, but you know, they're already pushing themselves as much financially as they ever have in franchise history and they're going to have to make do with, you know, hopefully for them the glimpses that we saw from Terence Shannon Jr. In the conference finals when, when Chris Finch did decide to give him some legitimate minutes is a sign of things to come for them. They really, I mean they have Rob.

[Brian Windhorst]

Dillingham too, although he did not stand out. Yeah.

[Bobby Marks]

And Dillingham at some point they probably, you know, Dillingham needs to be playing, you know, he needs to take the baton from Mike Conley and he needs to earn some of those minutes that are going to come. They now but Alexander Walker was a big time, versatile wing, you know, a guy who a lot of times would be guarding the, you know, the first or second best wing score on the floor for the other team. Terrence Shannon Jr. Is a big, athletic wings got some juice. You know, his, his minutes were. They also have Jalen Clark who is a candidate there. But I think Shannon's definitely a higher upside kind of guy. So they're just gonna have to have, you know, some at least one young guy come through for him there. But yeah, you know, it's a, it's a pretty significant blow.

[Tim Bontemps]

Tim Connolly has a long history of not doing much negotiating on contracts and frankly overpaying players. And we've seen it in Denver where Michael Porter Jr. And Jamal Murray both were on bigger deals than they probably needed to be for the past several years. And it really impacted what the Nuggets could do and have been able to do and currently can do, especially with Porter Jr. S case. And the same thing is happening in Minnesota. Like Naz Reed and Bobby Portis are fairly similar players. Bobby Portis signed a three year deal for $44 million. Nasrid just signed a five year, $125 million contract. Nas Reed's a nice player. He's a backup. Big paying him that much money going forward is just really bad business in the new reality that the league is in. And frankly, if you go back to when they negotiated on the Rudy Gobert extension, yes, Rudy opted out of his deal and took a haircut on his option year. But they gave him three years and I believe $115 million. So they gave him two years and 70 million on top of what he was owed after the option year. And he was not going to get two years and $70 million in the out years. It just wasn't. And if those deals had been negotiated harder then the Wolves might be able to keep Nikhil Alexander Walker now. And that is a direct result and a direct consequence of the new system where you can't just let negotiations go and say, oh let's, you know, we'll take care of these guys and it's great, we'll worry about the money later. Like you can't, you can't let any dollar be just cavalierly thrown around. Which by the way, if you look at the Houston Rockets foul, Stone has done a phenomenal job on all of these deals, au pair in Shengoon last year got done for less than the max. Huge deal for them. Fred Van Vliet opts out of this. It's a team option, so the Rockets opted him out of it. But getting him to sign for $20 million less this year is going to give them a ton of financial flexibility going forward. And by the way, Jabari Smith is several years younger and I think a better player than Nas Reed and he's on a smaller contract, albeit by a couple million dollars over the same amount of time. A much better deal. A much more. A much more sound deal, I think going forward for a guy with a lot more upside. And look, I'm not. Nazrid's a nice player. It's a great story. He's a fan favorite. Minnesota. I'm thrilled he got paid. But teams around the league we talked about over the last couple of years, with all these rookie extensions and different things, you can't. You have to negotiate hard on all these different deals. Look at the Thunder. They have all. They just signed Jaylen Williams and A.J. mitchell today. They have all these contracts descending over multiple years, right? See what happens with these extensions with Shigo Alexander and Jalen Williams and Chad Holmgren. I'm sure Sam presses just going to hand them everything. They may all get full max extensions, but they're going to negotiate. Like you have to negotiate all these.

[Bobby Marks]

Deals and I don't know that you negotiate with Shay Gilders, Alexander, come on, VP and finals mvp. I suspect they're going to say, hey, Shay, are you willing to, you know, you're willing to help us out here? But I don't think.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, but that's still, that, that's still a negotiation though. You're still trying to get a little bit back. I'm not saying they're going to offer them the mid level, but like the Sam Presti and the Thunder negotiate everything. That's what you have to do. The Rockets have been negotiating everything. They're in great financial position.

[Brian Windhorst]

You moved kind of quick through a lot of that stuff. I just want to point out what happened with Fred. We'll talk about the Rockets in a second. Let's just focus on the Wolves right now because I want to talk about the Fred Van Vliet. Exactly what happened there. You moved through it pretty quick. But yes, the thing about Rudy Gobert is I think he took an $8 million pay cut. He. That he could have had $8 million more this year. And so when you're doing that, you're not negotiating for a position of strength, but yes, yeah, yeah, they could have.

[Tim Bontemps]

Negotiated a heck of a lot harder than they did. That's what I would say. And now they're in, going into these out years like, look, Anthony Edwards is, is not even in his prime yet and they're pretty much locked into this team. And by the way, they weren't good enough to beat Oklahoma City this year and they just got worse because the K Alexander Walker is a good player and now he's not on their team.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, they also brought in three players in the draft last year that they're hoping will turn into players and they.

[Bobby Marks]

Really need them to now they have to a couple of them. And part of that is, you know, Finch is going to have to play them and he's going to have to play them even if it's going to cost them some, some games in November and December and January. Just the way it is. Like the development of those young guys has to, I mean it can't be the top priority obviously for a team that's gone a back to back conference finals, but it does need to be one of the, one of the priorities for them to have a chance to get back to that level and you know, beyond. Although I think beyond is. I think if OKC is healthy, I think getting beyond is a pretty slim chance.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, and Tim Connolly's also done a great job. Both those places. Like obviously that Denver team went on to win title. This Minnesota team has made it to the conference finals past couple of years in a row and they had made it, made it out of the first round, the playoffs once ever before the last two years. Like he's a great gm, but it is like they're not the only team that has done this kind of thing. It just so happens that we're talking about this Nasrid deal and I just think is this new real, these new rules come on the books? Like we're going to see more situations like this where teams are going to sign deals now and then in a couple of years go, man, I wish we had some extra money.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. What did Julius Randall opt out if he opted out of 30 million?

[Tim Bontemps]

Basically the exact same deal that he's on.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

So he essentially got an extra year plus a player off.

[Brian Windhorst]

Do they.

[Bobby Marks]

He took a wee bit less. I think he.

[Brian Windhorst]

Do they get any credit for that negotiation?

[Tim Bontemps]

Not. I mean that. Yes, they did. They had. There was some negotiating there. They didn't give him a big raise. But that also was, I think what have we all basically expected to happen. Like, I, I don't, that contract was basically right in line with what we thought.

[Brian Windhorst]

I will say McMahon, he stopped me cold with he comparing saying Bobby Portis and Nas Reed are the, are roughly the same player.

[Bobby Marks]

I mean the only thing I can come up with there is that Bobby Portis is four years older. But like if you look at the numbers, Portis is a better rebounder and the scoring numbers are awfully similar. I mean I can't, I usually, I can going great depth. Why Bond himself is a buffoon, but that's a tough one.

[Brian Windhorst]

I, I, I mean I'll, I'll, I'll say they negotiated on the Julius Randle contract but the Bobby, you know, Bobby Portis who signed today essentially for the mid level, they didn't use their mid level on him, but they signed him to a mid level deal. He actually, he actually took a small pay cut in the first year because he had a player option.

[Tim Bontemps]

He opted out of a good player, to be clear.

[Brian Windhorst]

No, I, I know, I, I'm, I'm complimenting that. I hadn't thought about that. I'm, that's, you know, Nasrid is going to make 75 million over the next three years that Bobby Portis is going to make.

[Tim Bontemps]

He's got two more years after that, plus he got a player option on the deal.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, look, I mean I say get off my porch with these player options. When I was a kid, nobody got player options. When I say that when I was a kid, I'm talking about when I first started covering the league. There was like a couple dozen in the whole NBA. Now there's a couple of dozen on each, there's a dozen on each team. So they just hand him out like Gatorade.

[Bobby Marks]

More Hoop Collective podcast after this.

[D]

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[Bobby Marks]

Adam Schefter here for Vivid Seats, your ultimate destination for all your sports and concert needs this summer. With a game changing rewards program and an unbeatable selection of tickets, they make it easy for every fan to watch their favorite teams and players in action, catch every home run and thrilling comeback in person from your favorite seat. Plus, every ticket is backed by a 100% buyer guarantee, giving you peace of mind with every purchase. Visit vividseats.com or download the app today. Vivid Seats, the official ticketing partner of espn.

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[Brian Windhorst]

Okay, the Rockets you mentioned the Rockets did a big deal. Five years for Jabari Smith Jr. No opt outs, no. No options whatever.

[Tim Bontemps]

Fully guaranteed five for 122. Just to be clear.

[Brian Windhorst]

And you mentioned Fred Van Vliet. So Fred Van vliet had a 43 $44 million team option.

[Tim Bontemps]

We have $44 million team option.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay. He signed for 25 million. Now he was never going to play for 44 million obviously.

[Bobby Marks]

And he got up to the KD deal probably right at one point. It was a consideration.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay. He got a player option for next year. He can be a free agent again next year. I question and I would have to ask Bobby Marks. I'm not sure there's been a player in NBA history who's taken a 20 million dollar pay cut, opted out of a contract and taken a $20 million.

[Bobby Marks]

But he didn't opt out of it. The team did.

[Brian Windhorst]

You're right. Yeah, I'll rephrase that and I'll stand by what I said. I'm not sure a player has ever taken in one year a $20 million pay cut. What I think Dirk might have 20 million in one year.

[Tim Bontemps]

I think he. Because he went from like making a bunch to not make it very much as part of all their. I'm going to look at attempts to do things. I could be wrong about that.

[Bobby Marks]

You keep happen.

[Tim Bontemps]

Look, I mean obviously I think what I would say there is Fred Van Vliet and the Rockets have been very aligned since he got there. I suspect Fred, Fred Van Vliet is going to be with the Rockets for a while and they work together on that deal and they. Obviously the Rockets had some hand in the negotiation because it was a team option and they could turn him down and get to a deal that made sense. I think the fact that you're a player option.

[Brian Windhorst]

You're correct. Dirk went from 25 million to 5.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's what I thought.

[Bobby Marks]

That was a weird thing where he. The 25 was like a balloon payment because.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right.

[Bobby Marks]

But it was a.

[Tim Bontemps]

We dropped down so that. That was when they kept trying to like do stuff for free agency every year and then not getting anything done.

[Brian Windhorst]

So short of the greatest player in franchise history in year 18 of 20.

[Tim Bontemps]

Sure.

[Brian Windhorst]

While he was dragging his leg up the court, it was.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, like they, I mean they gave Fred a deal. I mean when Fred, when Fred signed that deal, it was essentially a two year deal with. And we. Everybody sort of assumed at the time that he was going to not probably play on the third year and they would figure something out on it one way or the other. And. But again what I would say is that is a sign of smart long term strategic planning by the Rockets who for the last couple of years have done a phenomenal job of that. The one contract they signed that I didn't like was the Jalen Green deal and they turned it into Kevin Durant.

[Bobby Marks]

Well, and the Jalen Green deal, which served its purpose as salary filler in a trade for a store.

[Brian Windhorst]

I will say the negotiation that was going to be interesting is the negotiation with Kevin Durant.

[Bobby Marks]

Yes.

[Brian Windhorst]

On his extension. He is not a Rocket yet. He will not be a rocket until.

[Bobby Marks]

July 6th and he's eligible for 122 million over two years. I would, I will be surprised if there's not an extension and I will be surprised if it's for that full max.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I suspect they will negotiate that also. And again, they have done a great job of managing these salaries and getting all these guys signed to good contracts and that is what you have to do going forward. Obviously the Rockets are going to get very expensive at some point. They're probably going to lose one of these young players or somebody off their team because they'll get too expensive at some point in the future. Maybe you'll end up being Kevin Durant in year or two, but by having all of these good deals and making smart negotiations throughout these things and saving a few bucks here and there, it probably saves you at least a player in the long term. And that can make a gigantic difference when you have all these teams competing in a pretty level financial environment now.

[Bobby Marks]

Well, and now honestly, I'm a little surprised that the Jabari Smith Jr. Deal got done so quickly. If you remember, Shingoon and Jalen Green went down close to the deadline, you know, before last season. So I was a little bit surprised it got done so quickly. Again, I think the fact that they can look at them and say, hey, you are a starter here, again, move forward, maybe that helped move things along. Now, you know what happens with Tar Eason? Is there a similar type of contract? What's that? You know, what's that look like? He's.

[Tim Bontemps]

I'd be very surprised if Tar Eason's getting much more than that.

[Bobby Marks]

No, I don't think he'll get more. If anything, I think you get a little bit less.

[Tim Bontemps]

But I would assume he will.

[Bobby Marks]

Do they. Do they get something done with him and do they use the mid level, which I they can. I believe you guys are nerdier than I am. So I believe they if they don't use the mid level, they can avoid the tax.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean they could probably avoid the tax. Either way. They'd have to. They'd have to do some maneuvering. But they, they probably could depending on how much of the mid level they use. Well, if they don't use the mid level, they will avoid the tax.

[Bobby Marks]

They've got their full mid level available. Mark Stein and Jake Fisher link them to Dorian Finney Smith who we talked about with the Lakers, and I could certainly, you know, I can see that.

[Brian Windhorst]

That'S a Dylan Brooks replacement, essentially. Yeah.

[Bobby Marks]

And a guy who's come more than comfortable coming off the bench, a guy.

[Tim Bontemps]

Who, you know, tremendous locker room guy.

[Bobby Marks]

Great locker room guy, another good shooter.

[Tim Bontemps]

Which they could use on that team.

[Brian Windhorst]

He does have a. He's coming off surgery.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah. Had had a played on a bad ankle all last year, but a pure 3 and D guy. Certainly better at guarding fours and even fives at this point than. Than ones and twos. Can guard most threes really well.

[Tim Bontemps]

And again, he shot 41 on threes last year and this is a team that desperately needs shooting.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah. And maybe there's a decision where the money's similar between the Lakers and Rockets and he has a decision to make. You know, he's got relationships obviously in LA with Luca, going back to the beginning of Lucas career with JJ Redick. You know, obviously he was there last year.

[Tim Bontemps]

You know, by the way, if the money's similar, you're making a lot more money in Texas, too.

[Bobby Marks]

Exactly. There's that. And you know, when I ran into Dodo when he was with Brooklyn, I asked him how. How he liked it up there. He looked at me, he said, man, you know, I'm a country boy. This city ain't for me. So I think the, the appeal of getting back to Texas might be there. And I, I believe his, his wife and kids still live in. In Dallas full time, so certainly being close to home might be something that could. Could be a factor.

[Brian Windhorst]

Just checking to see if the Lakers have put out a press release yet and don't see it.

[Tim Bontemps]

Won't be one while we're potting. We'll see. I'll let you know if it changes.

[Brian Windhorst]

All right, before we go. And there's going to be more podcasts and more news this week. We had a. Unexpected. I felt unexpected. Unless you guys.

[Bobby Marks]

Oh, what?

[Tim Bontemps]

No, I'm agreeing with you.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oh, I guess we're going with Yang Hansen. Yang. Yang Hassan. How am I saying it?

[Bobby Marks]

I think Yang Hansen, I believe.

[Brian Windhorst]

Again, I thought.

[Tim Bontemps]

I believe that's how I believe that's Adam Silver and announced in the other day.

[Brian Windhorst]

Sounds good enough.

[Bobby Marks]

Well. Well, we're not. Well, I think they're going with Donovan clinging as a starter.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, I'm just saying with.

[Tim Bontemps]

We should say what we're referring to.

[Brian Windhorst]

Deandre Ayton took a buyout. He was owed $35 million in the last year of his max contract. If you remember the Pacers, the. They couldn't come to it. The Suns really did not want to give him a max and he couldn't do a contract extension. Then he signed a offer sheet with the Pacers, which the Suns matched and then almost immediately looked to trade him. Did trade him two years ago. Got stuck in his house. Well, first off, he got to his house and apparently slept on an air mattress for months. I'm not sure that's still. I'd like the oral history of the deandre Ayton home buying experience.

[Bobby Marks]

You've got a max contract, like pay for a mattress and then they'll deliver it. You just have to pay him a little bit.

[Brian Windhorst]

I'm sure that the Pacers or that the Blazers would have outfitted his entire apartment or home or whatever. But he talked about how his back was bothering him because he was sleeping on an air mattress and then he missed. Did he miss a game or a shooter? Was it a game?

[Bobby Marks]

It was a game, yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

I will say this. I have been in Portland over the years when they get ice and it does wreck the city. Having said that, he was unable to get to a game because he couldn't get out of his dry. His house because he was iced in. But whatever, he's from the Bahamas. I'm not, you know, whatever.

[Bobby Marks]

Listen, here's the thing. Deandre Ayton and you can look at his numbers and say, well, damn, you know, like the guy puts up double doubles, like he's efficient, blah, blah, blah. All you need to know is the Suns couldn't wait to dump him. And then, you know, he just got paid max money to not play for the Blazers this year. I mean, I don't know, maybe took, gave, I don't know what exactly would he gave back on the, on the buyout, but typically these things, you, you, you're not giving back a whole lot.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, it will. I mean, it depends. Obviously it depends, you know, if he's a minimum player or mid level guy, we'll see what it lands at. But the one position that has a lot of depth in this year's free agent class is the center position. There are a whole bunch of decent options. I mean, Boston Scott, Luke Cornett and Al Horford, who are both free, who I think are both going to have a lot of interest around the league.

[Brian Windhorst]

They do.

[Tim Bontemps]

Have you got Brook Lopez? We'll see where he's going to land. We'll see where Clint Capella is going to land. You know, and there's, there's only so many places that actually need a center. So it will, I mean, look, if.

[Bobby Marks]

It will be a high caliber backup somewhere, potentially a west coast team, probably.

[Tim Bontemps]

But I mean, if you, you know, like one place that I think DeAndre could make some sense, ironically is if Brook Lopez leaves in Milwaukee.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah, that's interesting.

[Tim Bontemps]

A place where they could, you know, certainly could Use a guy who could soak up a bunch of minutes and.

[Brian Windhorst]

Soaking up is a good thing for you. I mean he puts up numbers. He's always put up numbers. I mean his career averages are 16.

[Tim Bontemps]

Basically always play. He plays a lot too.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, not last year, but his last couple. He's only he two years ago. He played the two years in Portland. He played 55 and 40 games.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah, and, and listen, like Aiden's not a guy you necessarily want to be around a bunch of young players. I'm not saying like, I'm not not saying he's a bad guy, but he's doesn't have the reputation of being the most focused and hardest working guy in the league. So I think it's probably better to have him around.

[Brian Windhorst]

Great guy though.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

Love DeAndre.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's also going to be a much different situation if you have him making a minimum or making the tax mid level than making a 30, making a 25% max deal, which is what he's been on.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's absolutely true.

[Bobby Marks]

Now there's a lot of, there's a lot of people that are saying, oh, he's represented by Bill Duffy. Bill Duffy has Luka Doncic. This is, he's. He's destined for the Lakers. I don't think Ayton is the kind of center that's a fit with Luca. Like Ayton wants to post up. You remember the whole Porzingis post up thing with Luca was a total disaster. Again, Luca needs a big who either can be that dynamic pick and roll lob threat or can shoot the three space the floor and, and play five out. Ayton doesn't either of those.

[Brian Windhorst]

Either Maxi Kleba or Derek Lively.

[Bobby Marks]

Yeah. Or either Brook Lopez or Clint Capella.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right. Also, when you get bought out, especially when you're in your 20s, what you're looking for is a rebound season so that you can set yourself up for your next contract. So you want to go someplace where you're going to have a pretty significant role which you know, he, you know, the Lakers don't have a starting center, but I'm just saying you want to go someplace where you're going to put up, you have a good season and put up.

[Tim Bontemps]

The obvious place to go from that standpoint is Charlotte. I don't think they have a center on the roster.

[Brian Windhorst]

Can I say that? I want to say that the one of them. Of all the things that have happened with the sun in the last year and 18 months, they've made three totally separate trades with the Hornets involving centers.

[Tim Bontemps]

They've now traded two first and three seconds to get the Charlotte's. The Charlotte Hornets center rotation, which is.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, they sent them.

[Brian Windhorst]

They. They got Nick Richards and then they sent them. Nurkic.

[Tim Bontemps]

And Nick Richards are in the same trade. But it's too true.

[Brian Windhorst]

Were they?

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes.

[Brian Windhorst]

I don't think so.

[Tim Bontemps]

I think Richards and Cody Martin. It was Cody Martin and Nick Richards for Nurkic.

[Bobby Marks]

You mentioned Milwaukee is an interesting potential landing spot for Ayton should Lopez leave, which sounds pretty likely. I would just say thank goodness they've got a bunch of snowplows up there in Wisconsin because it definitely gets cold. Let's see.

[Brian Windhorst]

The Suns traded for Nick Richards on January.

[Tim Bontemps]

Oh, no. You're right. In your face, Meech. That's right. It was me, Bond.

[Bobby Marks]

Oh, yeah, right. Great correction there.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, in all honesty, I just have said that on a couple of different shows and I just didn't want to know.

[Tim Bontemps]

You're no 100%. That's my mistake. But the bottom line is they have. They have traded two first and three seconds to get these Charlotte Hornets center rotation. The Charlotte horn scene the last couple of years has won, I think combined 42 games.

[Bobby Marks]

So with awful defenses.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's yes. So it's yes.

[Bobby Marks]

The.

[Tim Bontemps]

The Suns. Suns keep on digging.

[Brian Windhorst]

The Suns will be.

[Bobby Marks]

Williams. Williams at least is a theoretical rim protector. You just haven't necessarily seen it in practice a lot.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes, theory is doing. Theory is doing a lot of work there. Practice or games. That's a good line. Okay, I'll give you that. Yeah, that's a good line.

[Brian Windhorst]

All right, well, we're gonna have more stuff to talk about this week. I don't know what. Just keep checking back. There might be a podcast every day. I don't know. I just.

[Bobby Marks]

We're gonna at least have. I think we'll at least have a first.

[Tim Bontemps]

We'll have a podcast Monday night or Tuesday morning and then we'll see about after that.

[Brian Windhorst]

All right.

[Tim Bontemps]

See what happens.

[Brian Windhorst]

All right. Well, boys, I look forward to seeing you on get up and first take in the next few days.

[Bobby Marks]

And you have to be later in the week when the holidays hit.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, another one of your eyebrow raises. It's one of your finest features. All right, thank you to Jackson. Thank you to BonTems McMahon. Thank you for watching and listening to who Collected. We'll talk to you later this week.

[Bobby Marks]

Adios, amigos.

[D]

In 1979, the first words spoken on.

[Bobby Marks]

ESPN weren't just an announcement.

[Tim Bontemps]

If you're a fan, they were a.

[Bobby Marks]

Sports prophecy what you'll see in the.

[Brian Windhorst]

Next minutes, hours and days to follow.

[Tim Bontemps]

Glad you're with us tonight May convince you. You've gone to sports heaven.

[Brian Windhorst]

And right now you're standing on the edge of tomorrow.

[Tim Bontemps]

This fall, the next era of ESPN begins.

[D]

Sports forever.