Major Extensions For Luka Doncic, Mikal Bridges & De'Aaron Fox Reaction

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective

Episode Title: Major Extensions For Luka Doncic, Mikal Bridges & De'Aaron Fox Reaction
Release Date: August 5, 2025
Hosts: Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, Ben McMahon
Description: Brian Windhorst and a team of ESPN's Insiders sort out life in and around the NBA world.

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1. Introduction and Setting the Stage

The episode kicks off with a light-hearted banter about the upcoming movie "Nobody 2," followed by introductions from the hosts as they settle back into their routines after international assignments.

Brian Windhorst [00:35]: "Welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, which we're doing on Monday afternoon."

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2. Luka Doncic's Three-Year Extension with the Los Angeles Lakers

A significant portion of the episode delves into Luka Doncic's recent contract extension, exploring its implications for both Luka and the Lakers.

Contract Details and Orchestration

Luka Doncic has signed a three-year, $165 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. This move was meticulously planned, aligning Luka’s schedule with promotional activities, including a press conference organized in coordination with incoming owner Mark Walter.

Brian Windhorst [02:47]: "Luka signing a three year, $165 million extension. On the first day he signed it, he set. It became obvious. He set a schedule around it."

Ben McMahon [03:54]: "I got caught up in post Backstreet Boys Uber traffic in Vegas and I've, I've got a little PTSD from that. But it certainly is a thing that this was all orchestrated."

Strategic Implications for the Lakers

The extension ensures Luka remains with the Lakers for the next three seasons, providing the organization with the flexibility to build a competitive roster around him. This commitment contrasts with the uncertainty faced during the trade from Dallas, where Luka was not initially secured for the long term.

Brian Windhorst [05:28]: "The key is Luka is now locked in for the Lakers for the next three seasons. It was one season and if it was one season without an extension, we're talking about minor emergency."

Financial and Contractual Strategy

Choosing a three-year extension instead of four allows Luka the option to re-enter free agency for a potentially larger contract, balancing immediate commitment with future flexibility.

Tim Bontemps [06:07]: "He could sign a five year deal for I believe 400."

Conditioning and Media Presence

Luka has significantly ramped up his conditioning this summer, addressing previous concerns about his physical fitness. Additionally, he has become more active in media engagements, a departure from his previously reserved demeanor.

Ben McMahon [09:03]: "Luka's body changing so much this summer does confirm that those conditioning concerns are absolutely real."

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3. Mikal Bridges' Four-Year Extension with the New York Knicks

The discussion shifts to the New York Knicks' acquisition of Mikal Bridges, who has secured a lucrative four-year, $150 million extension.

Contract Details and Cap Implications

Mikal Bridges, formerly with the Phoenix Suns, has extended his contract with the Knicks, starting at $25 million this year and increasing to $33 million in subsequent years. This deal slightly under the maximum permissible contract, reflecting Bridges' value and the Knicks' strategic financial planning.

Brian Windhorst [30:30]: "A couple of days ago, signing a contract extension, four years and 150 million."

Impact on Knicks' Salary Cap

Bridges' extension, combined with Jalen Brunson’s contract, occupies about 39% of the Knicks' salary cap this year and is projected to rise to 42% next year. This allocation, though significant, allows the Knicks room to maneuver within the "apron era," maintaining flexibility for future acquisitions.

Tim Bontemps [32:26]: "Anthony Edwards is just under 30% this year. He's at 29.5, he's making 45.5 million. Jalen Brunson is making 34.9 million."

Trade Considerations and Team Building

While the Knicks have secured their key players, Bridges’ contract includes trade constraints, primarily due to the five first-round picks attached. This situation poses both opportunities and challenges in future roster management.

Ben McMahon [35:06]: "He will walk around New York with the millstone around his neck of the five first round picks."

Assessment of Team Competitiveness

Despite the high-profile extensions, there is skepticism about whether the Knicks can evolve into genuine championship contenders. The strong contracts come with expectations of high performance and strategic team enhancement.

Ben McMahon [37:49]: "If you're going to be expensive, you better be a contender... And so yeah, if you're going to be expensive, the final should be the expectation that expensive at least."

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4. De'Aaron Fox's Extension with the San Antonio Spurs

The episode also touches upon De'Aaron Fox’s anticipated contract extension with the San Antonio Spurs, following a significant trade that involved three first-round picks.

Contract Expectations and Team Strategy

Recently acquired by the Spurs, Fox is expected to sign a substantial contract, positioning him as a key player alongside Victor Wembanyama. His extension will solidify the Spurs’ core, though the exact financial terms are still unfolding.

Brian Windhorst [54:37]: "There is an expectation that De'Aaron Fox will extend his contract with the San Antonio Spurs."

Trade Dynamics and Future Prospects

The Spurs’ investment in Fox, paired with young talents Stefan Casten and Dylan Harper, presents a dynamic trio that the organization must effectively integrate. The challenge lies in maximizing their potential while maintaining strategic flexibility.

Tim Bontemps [48:07]: "I think it's a lot of this year is about the evaluation of how that guard group fits together."

Optionality and Roster Management

With key players on rookie contracts, the Spurs retain significant flexibility to maneuver within the salary cap, allowing them to make strategic trades or further investments as needed.

Brian Windhorst [50:26]: "The Spurs have optionality. They're not giving all of them nine figures, at least not right now."

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5. Concluding Insights and Future Outlook

The hosts wrap up by emphasizing the strategic importance of these extensions in shaping the future of the Lakers, Knicks, and Spurs. They highlight the balance between securing star talent and maintaining financial flexibility to build competitive rosters.

Brian Windhorst [27:31]: "Winning a championship means never having to say you're sorry."

Ben McMahon [58:01]: "He's the only guy I've ever seen who can have crappy 30 point triple doubles."

Tim Bontemps [55:21]: "If you look at the arc of history in the NBA... it counts just as much as."

The episode underscores the evolving landscape of the NBA, where major contract extensions play a pivotal role in determining team dynamics and championship potential.

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Notable Quotes:

• Brian Windhorst [02:47]: "Luka signing a three year, $165 million extension. On the first day he signed it, he set."

• Ben McMahon [09:03]: "Luka's body changing so much this summer does confirm that those conditioning concerns are absolutely real."

• Tim Bontemps [06:07]: "He could sign a five year deal for I believe 400."

• Brian Windhorst [05:28]: "The key is Luka is now locked in for the Lakers for the next three seasons."

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Key Takeaways:

• Strategic Extensions: Luka Doncic’s and Mikal Bridges’ extensions are pivotal moves that provide their respective teams with both star talent and financial flexibility.

• Team Building: The Lakers can build around Luka with a clear three-year plan, while the Knicks must manage high cap allocations to ensure competitiveness.

• Future Flexibility: Spurs retain significant flexibility with De'Aaron Fox and other young talents, allowing for strategic trades and acquisitions.

• Performance Expectations: High-profile contracts come with elevated expectations for performance and team success, impacting future roster decisions.

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This episode provides an in-depth analysis of major NBA contract extensions, exploring their strategic implications and future prospects for the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and San Antonio Spurs. The hosts offer expert insights, backed by detailed discussions and timely quotes, making it a comprehensive overview for NBA enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Brian Windhorst]

Are you feeling more fulfilled now that you're back to work on August 15th? No, I need a vacation. See the movie that critics are saying is an awesome look at that crowd.

[Tim Bontemps]

Pleasing, fist pumping all out brawl of a film.

[Ben McMahon]

You're right about that.

[Brian Windhorst]

They're coming after our family. Go fix this.

[Ben McMahon]

Oh my.

[Brian Windhorst]

Nobody 2, rated R. Holding in theaters August 15th.

[Ben McMahon]

Foreign.

[Brian Windhorst]

Welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast. We talk about the NBA, which we're doing on Monday afternoon. Everybody back in the country after being on international journeys the last couple of weeks. Thanks for sticking with us. Joining us from San Jose, California, his west coast base is Tim Bonteps.

[Tim Bontemps]

Hello, everybody.

[Brian Windhorst]

Just back from the Canadian rockies is Ben McMahon.

[Ben McMahon]

Howdy, partners. I did some hiking, some kayaking, a little bit of whitewater rafting. I feel like I'm just an outdoorsman now.

[Brian Windhorst]

In the whitewater rafting up in that part of the world, it gets pretty cold. I know from experience, not that I've much of an outdoorsman, but I have done it up in Canada and that we had to wear wetsuits because. Did you wear a wetsuit? Yeah. Oh, yeah. The wetsuits were on when I did that. It was a long time ago and they, they like, everybody's got to wear a wetsuit. I was like, wait a minute, what am I? Let's reevaluate what I've signed up for here. They're like, well, it's glacier melt. You know, it's cold. I was like, holy Moses. Yeah. So, all right, you're a real man.

[Ben McMahon]

Also, the guide was a woman, but yes.

[Brian Windhorst]

Did you go into the, did you go into the water?

[Ben McMahon]

Briefly?

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay.

[Ben McMahon]

Oh, not, not, not during the rafting part. We, during the lake that we started out and we jumped in, I'll tell.

[Brian Windhorst]

You is, I did this many years ago, but it was right about this time of year and we were about to get on the rafts. It was two different rafts. And I don't know what they call the person who's just the guy. The person who's in the back who steers. Yeah, I heard him telling his buddy, the other guide on the other raft, he's like, man, I haven't had anybody go in the drink in like seven or eight days. I'm going to, I'm going to fix that on this one.

[Ben McMahon]

No, we stayed out when we were, you know, when we were navigating the rapids.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, the, we had people go in, but it wasn't me, thank God. All right.

[Ben McMahon]

They're pretty low grade too. Just to be clear.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, I don't care. It's cold. All right. Also, making a stop on the west coast this week wasn't just bon temps, I guess. Last week Luca Doncic and I both.

[Tim Bontemps]

Went from New York to the West Coast.

[Brian Windhorst]

Last week you both went from Europe to the west Coast.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's true. Europe to New York to the West Coast.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's right. And so I think, you know, obviously huge news, couple days now since we've, we've been away, but Luca signing a three year, $165 million extension. On the first day he signed it, he set. It became obvious. He set a schedule around it. The Lakers planned out a press conference. And then Mark Walter, the Lakers incoming owner, if reporting is correct that it was him who did it. I'm not 100% sure. I just know what I read a little bit on this. But they had a post signing journey over to see the Backstreet Boys in Vegas at the Sphere. So the key on that whole thing, beyond those details, is that this was planned out. You know, there were multiple players that went, you know, you know, suites were acquired, they were all wearing matching outfits. I don't know. Is it a thing that everybody wears white when they go to the Backstreet Boys? Is that a thing?

[Tim Bontemps]

I don't know.

[Ben McMahon]

I got caught up in post Backstreet Boys Uber traffic in Vegas and I've, I've got a little PTSD from that. But it certainly is a thing that this was all orchestrated. The Jordan brand tour.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Ben McMahon]

Orchestrated to where he would be in LA for this. The other thing that, that is very, very clear is that Laura Beth Sager, who's Luca's long term business manager, was, was Dirt Nowitzki's long, long time publicist before that. She is essentially an extension of the Lakers organization at this point, which is the polar opposite of Lucas last year in Dallas.

[Brian Windhorst]

That is interesting. I want to talk about that in a second. But I think, I think the point is that Luca decided a while ago he was going to sign this extension and then set his summer schedule up and everything was lined up. The Lakers knew it was coming and everything was done. And that isn't just important for logistics. It's important for where Luca is with, with the Lakers. He is, you know, bonded to them. And that was not something we were 100% sure was going to be the case when the trade happened because he was shell shocked. We talked about this throughout the last six months that the Lakers lost the ability to give him the supermax, which is repeatedly locked down Players in this spot that he had no financial incentive to sign this summer, no NBA contract.

[Ben McMahon]

Financial incentive being the face of the Lakers. There's some financial advantages that come along.

[Tim Bontemps]

With that he could make a little bit. I mean he could make more money but than if he signed elsewhere as a free agent. But it's not the. Just so fans know, it's not the cavernous difference that's between the Supermax and the regular extension. It's a small enough difference that you at least left open the possibility he could explore free agency.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. And so we also had talked about where it made the most sense for him to take a three year extension instead of four because he could re enter free agency for the bigger number but with a player option.

[Tim Bontemps]

Right. So he. So again, so for fans that know he signed a two year extension with a 30 player option, he opts out after the second year. He can then sign a five year deal for I believe 400.

[Ben McMahon]

400 and change.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, 400 and change. And I believe the final year of the deal would be north of $90 million by current cap projections by Bobby Marks which.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, I mean that's eight years from now. That's eight years from now. But I would just say that I think the key is Luca is now locked in for the Lakers for the next three seasons. It was one season and if it was one season without an extension, we're talking about minor emergency. Now the message is he's A Laker and McMahon, he said things at his press conference announcing this, which they didn't have to have a press conference announcing this, you know, and you know, when you have a guy, you know, we've seen this, you know, especially a guy who, who is overseas based in the off season they didn't have to have a press conference but he felt it was important to do the press conference. And so I just want to get your takeaways, you know, about better than anybody else in the media, your takeaways from the way that all played out.

[Ben McMahon]

Luca is operating in a, in a way, you know, in, in conjunction with the Lakers front office in ways that he never did in Dallas, even though it was fully his intent to be in Dallas for his entire career. I think the shock of the trade has, has kind of woken Luka up to the importance of being business savvy in the NBA. And we again, he had never been this active in recruiting players like he was with the Andre Ayton and with Marcus Smart. You know, he had never been as active. Like he certainly had voiced his Opinion in the, in the Nico Harrison years in, in terms of, hey, we need upgrades or, you know, we need to get this type of player, that type of player. He had never been this kind of extension of the front office like he was or like he has been like he is right now with Rob Pelinka and Jeannie Buss. You know, going back to, what was it, Craig's at Hollywood, Wendy, where, where they had. Where, you know, you got us a real nice table one time by being a big deal, you know, going back to the meeting.

[Brian Windhorst]

I mean, by the way, we had a reservation. We walked in, they just seated us a little early. It wasn't like we got that special of a treatment, but they were, but they were very kind.

[Ben McMahon]

Very kind there. Good grub, probably some gluten free options if Luca's eating there. And, and, and, and listen, there's a lot of things that are different about Luca. Gluten free is certainly one of them. Now, I will be honest with you. Like, Luke has done more media, I think, over the last week than maybe any full season of his career combined in terms of like, outside things.

[Tim Bontemps]

Just to. Just to jump in there for one second, I have to admit, I mean, I was aware he was going to be in New York because he was going to. I knew he was going to this Rucker park thing, but I have to admit, I was pretty stunned when I got an alert that Luka Doncic was joining the Yankee broadcast the other day.

[Ben McMahon]

So, like the Men's Health cover.

[Tim Bontemps]

What is going on with this?

[Ben McMahon]

The Men's Health cover? And I guess there were three stories. I read one of them. It's a bit much. It's a bit much like, look, it's cool that you've committed to conditioning. I don't think you needed the victory lap too. And this has been like a long victory lap, but. And essentially, oh, he's. He's sticking to the Mavericks.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oak Lakers.

[Tim Bontemps]

Huh?

[Brian Windhorst]

You said sticking to the Mavericks.

[Ben McMahon]

Sticking it to the Mavericks.

[Brian Windhorst]

Oh, sticking it to the Mavericks.

[Ben McMahon]

The whole revenge bod thing.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah.

[Ben McMahon]

This proves the ma. Look, Luca didn't have to get in shape to prove that the Mavericks made a bizarre decision. But Luca's body changing so much this summer does confirm that those conditioning concerns are absolutely real. Like his sudden commitment to conditioning. Like, bro, you're several years into your NBA career, a victory lap, I would say, about time. And there have been like, his second or his first summer after his rookie year. He had this kind of condition commitment a couple years ago when he got the body team. He came in leaner, but, like, I don't know, man, the whole victory lap thing to me has been a little bit odd. And the article that I read, like, there was this suggestion, I don't know if this came from Luke or this is just the writers, but that he was left without guidance. Like, he had to, like, during the summer. He was on his own. Trust me, the Mavericks would give him all the guidance that in the world, none of that guidance was feast every night and throw down a bunch of beers and, oh, he's European. Goran Dragic is European, actually from the same hometown. He managed to stay in great shape his entire career. So congratulations on your newfound commitment to conditioning. The accountability is on Luca, that. The accountability is not on anybody. I'm not on the Mavericks, not on anybody else but Luka, and I'm glad that he's now taken those steps. But the victory lap has been weird.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah. And I know you're not insinuating this, but there have been some insinuations from people that, like, there were lots of people around the league who were worried about his conditioning to the point where they wouldn't have offered him the supermax last summer, like Nico Harris or the summer league nuker Harrison was going to do. This would like to clarify for people, there's one person in the NBA who didn't want to pay Luka Nacho to supermax contract to happen to be the guy who was running the team he was on. That's why he got traded. The idea that there was like, justification for the Mavericks trading him. I'm sorry, that is not correct. All of your. And I know you weren't saying that all of your points about. All of your points about the. The victory lap have been amusing. Part of the reason we are collectively amused by this is Luca, which is totally within his rights, has never exactly been Mr. I'm going to do interviews with anybody ever. And now he's doing interviews across the globe this week. It's been amusing.

[Brian Windhorst]

Especially like the fun interview. Like. Like the Y. Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's like going to the. The. During the broadcast of the Yankee game. It's like, what? I literally was like, yeah, what is. Why is he talking to Michael King, Paul o'?

[Ben McMahon]

Neill? The other amusing thing about the men's health deal was the correction that, oh, no, Luca did not actually have a 42 inch vertical 2018 combine. Actually, he did not attend the combine.

[Tim Bontemps]

Because he was busy.

[Ben McMahon]

Good excuse. He was busy helping Real Madrid win the Euroleague.

[Tim Bontemps]

He's winning Final Four. MVP of the EuroLeague.

[Ben McMahon]

Yes, but the whole men's health thing was pretty bizarre, just to be honest. Like NBA player commits to conditioning during the summer should not be like breaking news.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes, well, look, at the end of the day, to your initial point, Brian, for all this other stuff we've talked about, if, if Luca had not agreed to this extension, you said it would have been a major minor emergency. No, it would not have been a minor emergency. It would have been a five alarm fire and this entire season would have been about what is Luka Doncic going to do next summer. Right?

[Ben McMahon]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

You'd have probably been the biggest player to hit free agency since LeBron in 2010. If you're looking at, or I guess Durant in 2016 is the better one. That like that guy totally in his prime. No health issues like Hawaii in 2019. Obviously coming off all the health issues before that, everybody knew he's going to end up going to L. A. He would have been that level of player hitting free agency and this whole season about what are the Lakers going to do? Are they going to be left holding the bag? What kind of moves are they going to make? And to me, like when we talked about this a couple of weeks ago, my personal opinion was Lucas shouldn't sign the extension and should put the Lakers feet to the fire and let them prove that they can build a team around him and have a cohesive plan to have a good enough team for the next couple of years before he extends. But he did them a big favor locking in this extension, saying he's going to be there giving them the Runway to build a team out like this is a gift that he's given the Lakers. And now the question is going to be what can Rob Pelinka and Jeannie Buss and Mark Walter do to repay that? Can they build a good enough team around him? They went and got Marcus Smart DeAndre like they did, like we've talked about. They had about as good as a summer as they reasonably could have with the assets they had. They don't have a ton of ability to go all in right now. They'll have three first round picks next summer. They'll have mountains of cap space next summer almost no matter what they do with their team. We'll see what happens with LeBron next summer. But that to me is the real question going forward. Okay, the Lakers would probably be pretty good this year. Maybe they could be really good if Luka and LeBron are healthy and locked in and awesome, which are certainly capable of. But then what do they do next summer? What do they do the summer after that? And by signing this extension, he not only takes all the heat off of this year, he gives them real Runway to try to build the best possible team around them. And it's going to be very interesting to see if they're going to be able to do that, because I will just point out that for the past several years, the lakers have had LeBron James and Anthony Davis and have failed to build a cohesive contending team around those two guys, which is a very difficult thing to not be able to do. Like, you should be able to have a really good team with those guys. And for the most part, they've been a play in quality team. And while Lucas.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, they finished. I understand what you're going to say here. You're going to say that they were only three games out of the end of the playoffs this last year, but they did finish third.

[Tim Bontemps]

No, I meant. No, I was saying with AD and I was saying with AD and LeBron, the last several years, they were. They were in the play in most of the time. They were not a repeated championship contender. That's all.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, well, I would. I think this gives the Lakers optionality and they don't know which path it's going to be. I don't want to make. I don't think they've got it all figured out because there are certain unknowns. They have positioned themselves to pivot away from LeBron James after this season. They're not going to frame it that way. But by not offering him a new contract, they have positioned themselves to do that.

[Tim Bontemps]

And we should also point out, I'm sure people saw this, but it was very noticeable. Who was not at this presser on Saturday? No LeBron James. No. Bronnie James. Worth pointing out.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. Yeah. I will just say, when it comes to LeBron's attendance in the summer, I've learned to be careful not to overreact to that because he's got a lot of demands on his plate.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, LeBron posted a video or pictures on Instagram the day before working out across town.

[Brian Windhorst]

Okay.

[Ben McMahon]

Having said that, it was a noticeable absence.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes. I'm not saying. I'm not saying it means he's not going to be there for training camp, but it was a noticeable thing that he wasn't there.

[Ben McMahon]

Mark stein reported that LeBron FaceTimed his congratulations, but it was a noticeable absence by a pretty prominent family on the Lakers roster.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. So let me just say, having said that, the press conference and Plans were set in stone many days out. We know this because Jared Vanderbilt and Maxi Kleba and Rui Hachimura. And you know, there was like, there.

[Tim Bontemps]

Was like the vast majority of the roster was there.

[Brian Windhorst]

And they also went to Vegas, you know, they cleared their day to get on the plane to go to Vegas to go see the Backstreet boys.

[Ben McMahon]

So maybe LeBron doesn't like backstreet Boys. He likes Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny, yes. Backstreet boys. No.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's LeBron's era, buddy. LeBron is a, it was a kid in the 90s, like literally a kid in the 90s. He makes more sense for him than, than anybody else, including Luca. But anyway, I have learned to not overreact, but it is notable that he and he did not attend. Now I was going to say this gives the Lakers optionality. They are in position where they can pivot away from LeBron next summer. They can go out and seek acquiring a high, a high dollar player, be it through trade, be it through free agency, however it might happen. They have that option on the table. They have the option on the table of keeping LeBron of LeBron having a great season with Luka wanting to extend his career again and then, and then doing that. And they have, you know, the option of completely flipping the roster over and not having to worry about Luka not being bought in. Now obviously they wouldn't do that without having Luka on board, but this gives them the ability to say we can focus on getting the maximum out of this season and if we have to transition away from LeBron, we can still do that. They're not locked in in any way that optionality is valuable. It is not as valuable as a championship supporting cast around Luka that they are going to have to try to make sure that they get into place. And maybe they are close to it right now. We don't believe they're close to it. We think they've got a very competitive team. We don't see, we don't, we don't see them as a championship contender, but maybe Luka will be great this year. Maybe he will win his first MVP award. We've been expecting to see that type of season from Luca. Maybe this is going to have it.

[Ben McMahon]

Maybe, maybe deandre Ayton becomes the player that people thought he would be when he was the number one overall pick. Like there's a lot of maybes.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. Jackson says Lucas third in odds for MV mvp.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean, look, if the Lakers, you know, we've talked, you know, we, we did the over under pod last week about the West. We talked about how if the spurs are in top six, you know that's going to mean Victor is almost certainly going to be in the top five at minimum for mvp. If the Lakers are back in the top four in the west again this year, Luke is going to be right in the mix for MVP for sure because it's that he, you know, the, the revenge tour led to a big season. And the one thing you pointed out, Brian, about the optionality the Lakers have it, the biggest thing is they can go in any direction they want now to build a championship caliber roster around Luca. They're not, they don't have to microwave it. And if they want to go get a star, if they want to build depth around them, this even more than pivoting away from LeBron, this gives them the flexibility to build the team the best way possible.

[Ben McMahon]

Well, and there's a few certainties here that we know for absolute sure. Number one, Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the world, has been throughout the course of his career, even with the consistent conditioning issues. Number two, Luka is in the best shape that he's been in since at least his second NBA season, if not his entire NBA career. Number three, Luka Doncic is by nature an extremely loyal person. What's he doing later this this month? He's playing Eurobasket for the Slovenian national team, which he, he plays for them every single game that he can. If it's a competitive situation when that's not the norm for NBA players, when, by the way, he could have easily jumped onto a bandwagon with Spain back when he was a teenager, but he chose to play for Slovenia because again, I think that is an indication of his natural sense of loyalty. And then the fourth thing we know is that Luka views his relationship with the Lakers as a partnership. Right. And you can criticize a lot of things that the Lakers have done, but they have taken, they've taken a great approach in building trust with Luca and building rapport with Luca and building a relationship with Luca. Now they had one advantage that they had was the coaching staff. Luka already had a relationship with J.J. redick. You know, they were briefly teammates. They really clicked. We talk about Luca doesn't do much media. He did do a couple of podcast appearances with JJ Redick, which is an indication of just how fond he is of JJ. Greg St Jean is also on that staff and is working closely with Luka, as he did in Dallas. But Rob Polinka Jeannie Buss, they've done a great job of, again, connecting with Laura Beth Sager, who's essentially kind of like Lucas surrogate mob, right. And is, like, she runs Luca's life, making her part of the, you know, the equation here. Also, Bill Duffy, you know, his agent, you know, obviously they had a relationship.

[Brian Windhorst]

With him before, but how about Bill Duffy, Summer? He. He and I, look, it helps to have players to. To. To represent, you know, but he represents Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Luka Doncic. That's. We're closing in on a billion there.

[Ben McMahon]

It's not quite deandre Aiden, too, which he made sure he got. You know, he. He's full. You know, he gave back to the Blazers and then got that back. Bill's had a very good Lakers, but so that whole picture with Luca that I just laid out with flexibility, with optionality, as he's entering his prime, I like the Lakers chances of building a championship contender around him.

[Brian Windhorst]

He does, too. Obviously. That's why he signed it. Right? Like.

[Tim Bontemps]

And look, for all he's freely given them, he's freely given them the patience and the pathway to build out the best team they can.

[Brian Windhorst]

And by the way, from his perspective, you're a Laker. You're going to be the face of the franchise. He kind of already is. That's a. That's a delicate topic, because he is, for sure.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, look, that's what caused all the drama this summer, that you're the face.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right.

[Tim Bontemps]

LeBron is not.

[Brian Windhorst]

You're the face of one of the iconic sports teams on the planet.

[Ben McMahon]

Yes.

[Brian Windhorst]

And they have incoming ownership that. I don't know how it'll work out, but the incoming ownership promises to boost the team's fortunes and further invest in the team. In all honesty, when you look at it, it's kind of an easy decision. But that said, because it was such a shock to the system and because there's other stuff going on out in the world, you just weren't 100% sure. But it seems like Luka made the decision, you know, quite some time ago. And you can certainly understand why he made it, but I just didn't think we should have assumed it.

[Ben McMahon]

If Luka didn't walk out of that dinner at Craigs of Hollywood knowing he was committed to the Lakers, I think it was pretty soon thereafter, because his whole summer has been plotted out to lead up to this moment. And again, the fact that he took such a lead in terms of the recruiting, which is something that. That. That's not his natural sense. That's not something, you know, it's something he basically pushed away from early in his career. And this is the first time he's really embraced it. That that was a pretty strong sign of just how committed he was to the Lakers. But you know, having said all that, this contract, it positions him to be able to make the most money. It certainly makes the most financial sense. If things go haywire, it also he's going to have leverage. But the Lakers have so many advantages in terms of roster building, especially now they have the deep pockets that they haven't had before. I would if I would be surprised if Luka Doncic does not win a championship or championships wearing the Lakers uniform.

[Tim Bontemps]

If you look at the arc of history in the NBA over the first 60 some odd years, the Lakers were in existence from 1949 to 2013, I guess 64 years. They missed the playoffs four times and or five times, I should say in the last 12 years they missed the playoffs seven times. So that's the genie bus ownership. So if Mark Walter comes in and does what he did with the Dodgers, which again this is an atypical new owner situation, this is a guy who has proven what he can do with the Dodgers. Similar situation buys an iconic team, turns it into a juggernaut. If you're Luka and you're betting on the future with Mark Walter, that's understandable. But again, if you look at the Lakers over the last 12 years, despite the comments of some people while we were gone, I do not denigrate the title in the bubble and it counts just as much as.

[Ben McMahon]

Anyway, that's a whole nother deal.

[Tim Bontemps]

We'll just leave that comment right where it is. That being said, again, these guys have had LeBron James and Anthony Davis the last few years and have generally been a play in team. So to me I am in, I am still in wait and see mode as to whether they can actually build a championship level team around Luka Doncic. But the important thing in all of this is that one of the three best players on the planet is now locked in with the Lakers and they have the ability to be patient and do this the right way. Now it's just a matter of whether they can actually do it.

[Brian Windhorst]

Before we move on to our next topic, I have developed over 20 plus years of covering the NBA. I have developed a credo, a belief that covers the Lakers bubble championship. Listeners of the podcast know what it is.

[Ben McMahon]

Go ahead, say it.

[Brian Windhorst]

Winning a championship means never having to say you're Sorry, Can I come up.

[Ben McMahon]

With a credo real quick? Never winning a championship means you damn sure better not publicly judge somebody else's.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, I'm not. I don't want to. I don't want to get into want.

[Tim Bontemps]

To get into it either.

[Brian Windhorst]

I just wanted to make individual aspects of the statement because different people have different takes.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's right.

[Brian Windhorst]

I didn't just come up with that. My second day on the job, I watched a lot of things happen and then I decided that that's the way I'm going to believe going forward. And I came up with it for a reason because I see people doing that a lot, trying to get people to slap asterisks on things. And so my belief system is that winning a championship means never having to say you're sorry. And I mean never. Okay, Lot more to come on Luka and the Lakers as we head towards the season. I think ESPN will have some coverage of them.

[Ben McMahon]

More Hoop Collective podcast after this.

[Brian Windhorst]

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[Ben McMahon]

Hey guys, it's Ceedee Lamb, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. I'm partnering with Abercrombie this season to tell you all about their viral denim. All you need to know is denim should fit like this. My jeans need to change. Check a lot of boxes fit first, trend second. They need to go with whatever I'm feeling and Abercrombie Denim has it down whether I'm throwing on a tee or putting a whole fit together. Shop Abercrombie Denim in the app, online and in store.

[Brian Windhorst]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Life gets easier with great assists and State Farm is here to dish one your way. Get in touch over the phone or.

[Ben McMahon]

On the app to get the teammate you need.

[Brian Windhorst]

State Farm with the assist like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Ben McMahon]

Coverage options are selected by the customer.

[Brian Windhorst]

Availability and eligibility vary by state. All right. Another team that doesn't lack for attention, the New York Knicks with a key piece of offseason business, Mikhail Bridges. A couple of days ago, signing a contract extension, four years and 150 million. So he already had one year on his contract this year coming up, the last year of his deal that he signed when he was in in Phoenix, he'll make about 25 million this year. The new extension starts in 26, 27 and bumps him to 33 million. It was slightly less than the maximum amount of money he could have signed for. He could have signed for about 156, I think. I really do think that we need to start really doing this more on our pod and I'm going to try to do it more on our coverage. Bobby Marks has been there for a while, but we need to start really talking in percentages of the cap this year coming up. And granted, this is the first year of Jalen Brun actually. Is it the first year of Jalen Brunson's extension? I think it is. It's the first year of Jalen Brunson's new contract. Yeah. So this year Jalen's new contract comes on the books. And this year Jalen Brunson and Mikhail Bridges combined account for about 39% of the Knicks salary cap. Next year, when Bridges new contract comes on the books and Jalen's quote, unquote, discount. I don't say quote unquote. His contract remains on the books, they are going to account for about 42% of the salary cap. Those two players. So this money, it's a large piece of money, but it isn't dramatically different when it comes to percentage of the cap. And that's not because of Bridges. That's because of Brunson and Brunson only being, you know, 22 or so. This is what some of these caps are projected because we don't know where the caps are going to go. But over the next four years, Jalen Brunson's percentage of the cap is 23. 22. 22. 22. So he is making. And by the way, the max contract, as you know, is can be as much as 35% of the cap or.

[Tim Bontemps]

For players in his grouping, it's 30% on this deal he should be making by. But if you're just going by merit, 30% of the cap. So he's giving them.

[Brian Windhorst]

So Luca just signed for was 35% of the cap.

[Tim Bontemps]

30.

[Brian Windhorst]

30% of the cap. Right. 30% of the cap Jalen Brunson's making.

[Ben McMahon]

Would have been 35 in Dallas.

[Brian Windhorst]

That's right. Jalen Brunson is making 22%. And that 8% makes a world of difference in the apron era. It just does for Claire, just so.

[Tim Bontemps]

People have a sense of it. So Anthony Edwards is just under 30% this year. He's at 29,5, he's making 45.5 million. Jalen Brunson is making 34.9 million. So you're talking about a $10 million difference. And in a moment when every dollar counts, your best player being $10, 10 million cheaper than he could be is a significant advantage.

[Ben McMahon]

Well, and when did Jalen Brunson sign his extension? Which was the max he could get at the time but still a massive discount that he didn't wait a year. He signed it after the Bridges trade was done. So I'm pretty sure that Jalen signed that with the idea of hey, this is going to allow us to keep my guy that we just brought across town.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. So you know there's going to, there's, there is. I understand that. Well, first off, this contract for the Knicks getting Bridges under contract because he was limited in how much he could extend for this year. It was not a guarantee that this was going to get done. So to get him done and to get him for a little bit less than he could have gotten, it's a good piece of business for the organization. Now Bridges will walk around New York with the millstone around his neck of the five first round picks.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

And you know he will, you know he didn't ask for that, but that is the reality. But the reason I bring up these percentages of him and Brunson together, what percentage they are, it is still for a guy who is your a, a quality two way wing player and your face of your franchise, it is decent business. Let me ask you this, Tim Bondemps. You know how we look at contracts on this podcast? You sign a player, can the player be traded if you have to trade him or you want to trade him for value? So I said the Bridges vote about 25 million this year. So for the next five years he's at about a five years and 175 million is what he is owed. Is that a tradable contract?

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah. Our pal Danny LaRue from the Donktown pod dubbed this the NA test many years ago and then they signed that extension with Denver and then got traded. It is an interesting question if Mikhail Bridges plays like he did last year. I'm not sure how tradable the contract is. I think you could wonder. I mean there are going to be teams with cap space next summer. So it is an open question. But I'M not convinced he was getting 4,450 million dollars next summer based off how he played this past season. Part of Mike Brown coming in is to try to get everybody to, you know, be more involved and to sort of lift, you know, lift the bench, lift the supporting cast, etc. Around Jalen Brunson and Carl Town. So we will see as a very durable two way wing player, it's probably a movable deal. I'm just not sure how positive it is.

[Ben McMahon]

I mean, historically durable.

[Tim Bontemps]

Well, yeah, right, exactly. Never, never missed a game, to be clear. So yeah, I like, I think it is. I just think it's a question of how much value it would be in the deal. But to McMahon's point, this was probably baked in last summer when the trade happened and the Bronx extension happened. And for all we've talked about the discounts that these guys have taken to some degree, though Mikhail hasn't taken, I don't think it nearly as much of one as Jalen is. Those five guys, plus Miles McBride and Tyler Colic for next season are on the books for $203 million. The five starters, I should say Towns and an Obi Brunson, Bridges and Josh Hart. That is only about 18 million below the second apron and that's with a lot of open roster spots. So you're basically looking at those seven guys and minimums to be a, to be under the second apron. So this is the team that they have going forward and the question is, is that team ever going to be good enough to ultimately get the Knicks where they hope to go? That is, that is the question that's hanging over the Knicks even more than the five first round picks for Mikhail Bridges. Because for as great as the last couple seasons have been, as someone who lives in New York, I know what everybody wants in New York, which is to finally break the half century wait to win title. And we were just in Oklahoma City. That team isn't going anywhere. The Cavs, Cavs corner certainly is not going anywhere. Orlando is going to be awfully interesting the next couple of years after trading for Desmond Bain. So even more than the five first round picks, it's that question. Now that you have this team locked in, just how good is it? I think that remains an open question.

[Ben McMahon]

But I think if you're going to be that expensive, you better be a contender. And the Knicks can honestly look in the mirror and say, hey, this is a contending team. You know, we are fresh off of a Finals appearance. I do think it's reasonable to Expect Bridges to be better this season, having a full season under his belt with his team. You probably say the same thing about Carl Anthony Towns, although he was pretty damn good last year and obviously the east is wide open. I mean, if you're the Knicks, it's certainly a finals or bust type of season. And so, yeah, if you're going to be expensive, the final should be the expectation that expensive at least.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, the reason I, I bring up the whole can you trade it is because this is the. Nick, we talked about the Lakers optionality. This is the Knicks optionality. I think they like this team. I think, you know, they look at the five guys that they had last year who stayed relatively healthy. They got to the conference finals and they see Boston, a team that they were able to beat, but they see Boston pulling down. And the Cavs are definitely a team to be dealt with, but they are in the second apron now and the Knicks are not. And that is a key factor going forward. And so the Knicks have the option of riding this core out or their pathway forward is to make a trade. And, you know, you see Bridges get extended this summer. We have not heard anything about Karl Anthony Towns getting extended. And I don't think it says. I don't think it has a commentary on Towns or the season he had. I just think that, you know, Towns has three years and about 160 million left on his contract. Actually, I think it's more than. I think it's 170. And there would be some challenge to trade that if you, you know, he, he's under the same.

[Ben McMahon]

Minnesota just did.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, Right. But it was arguable. Was arguable about the value there when they did it. And you know, he can sign the same. He's on the same contractual path as Devin Booker. He and Booker got this supermax extension that they're on within a couple of days of each other or a couple of hours of each other a few years ago. Booker signed the extension this summer with the Suns. It was two years, like 145 or whatever it was. Towns is in the same boat. But I think one of the reasons that you may not see that happen is because if the Knicks put Towns on a contract that's five years and he's owed approaching $300 million, I think it makes him. I think it diminishes the Knicks optionality with their roster. And so that's what I think the Knicks, the Knicks want to do. They like this team. They made a coaching change. They obviously believe that the moving to Mike Brown might be able to get more out of this team and that they can sort of try to find some efficiencies that they weren't getting under Tom Thibodeau or they can maneuver. And so I think their moves going forward with Jalen Brunson being the key, their, their ability to stay under the second apron, which staying on the second apron is, helps you with trades because it changes what you can do. So I think the Knicks want to walk that line of having a team that is competitive and having a team that if a superstar becomes available, they can go get him and put him next to Brunson.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean, a couple things on that one. I think if Carl Towns was to sign an extension, I don't think there was any real. I shouldn't say this for certain. I don't think there's been real discussions of that one way or the other this summer. To your point, which I don't, I wouldn't take as a. Any sort of a negative thing, I think it's much more likely that rather than the Devin Booker route, it's more like his former teammate Rudy Gobert's route where he opts out of the player option in the last year and takes less money for longer years to lessen the hit and spread out the money, get more money and also give his team some more flexibility. And the other thing to point out, as far as flexibility at the roster goes, is that Mikhail Bridges signing this extension when he did means that he can be traded before the trade deadline. It's a. He'll come up a few days before the February trade deadline. And not saying he's going to get traded in February, but it is worth pointing out when you talk about moves the Knicks could make, that that is something that's.

[Brian Windhorst]

They just want to leave the doors open. They're not looking to go through the doors. They just want those doors to be open.

[Ben McMahon]

That's like, listen, when I got in that raft, go whitewater raft, and we're going to have a great time, but I damn sure put on a life jacket, didn't want to use it.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, you know, Pat Riley. Pat Riley, you know, I, I learned, I continue to learn so much whenever I spend time around the Heat organization. But, you know, one of the Heat sayings, Spoelstra uses it, but it's O'Reillyism. I don't know if they use this with you, McMahon, but if you fall out of the boat and you're in trouble, because I think the story goes with this I think. I don't know if it was in one of Riley's books, but it was told to me verbally when I was in Miami. You have to be an active participant in your own rescue.

[Ben McMahon]

Oh, I've heard that one.

[Brian Windhorst]

So if you fall out of the boat, you can't just sit there and wave your hands and hope somebody come and comes and yanks you out. That's the way the heat try to do business. You have to be an active participant in your own rescue. So that's a whitewater rafting thing.

[Ben McMahon]

Choppy waters for the heat. Last year old Jimmy was rocking that boat pretty good.

[Brian Windhorst]

He was? Yeah, Jimmy was trying to throw people overboard. He was doing the exact opposite. Which is one of the reasons why I think that didn't end so well with Jimmy and Pat.

[Ben McMahon]

More Hoop Collective Podcast after this.

[Brian Windhorst]

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[Tim Bontemps]

So Bob and Lynn are bringing the kids after all. Pro tip.

[Brian Windhorst]

You can change your same day order with a quick text to your shopper. I'll have her add popsicles. Ooh, and some sidewalk chalk. Your shopper text a thumbs up. You text five exclamation points and life is good.

[Tim Bontemps]

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[Brian Windhorst]

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[Tim Bontemps]

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[Ben McMahon]

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[Brian Windhorst]

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 Chevin as many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia. Okay, I'm not sure this is this part's going to be in the podcast. We'll see. But we are expecting I don't know if it happened today because today is the first day it could happen. Actually, I think maybe even yesterday was but sometime in the next day or couple of days. There is an expectation that de' Aaron Fox will extend his contract with the San Antonio Spurs. He wasn't eligible until the last couple of days. The spurs traded three first round picks for him at the trade deadline when they did that, they were pretty much saying they were going to give him a big contract number this year and they saw him as Victor Wembanyama's point guard co star.

[Ben McMahon]

Not just point guard, co star, co star, sure.

[Brian Windhorst]

If you're going to pay the guy over $200 million on a contract.

[Ben McMahon]

And by the way, his, his preferred list of destinations had one team on it, the San Antonio Spurs. Rich Paul's not placing a store client somewhere that he's not going to get paid.

[Brian Windhorst]

Right. And whatever you want to say about Rich Paul, the client said, I want to be traded and I want to be traded to this team and I want to get paid. And Rich Paul delivered that. So say whatever you want about him. But you know, his work product is there for all to see.

[Ben McMahon]

He's good at his job.

[Brian Windhorst]

So now let me ask the question. Bond temps, assuming that there's a contract that we expect him to get, can you trade that contract?

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, probably, but if you look around the league, you know, there's not a lot of teams that need point guards and there's not a ton of, I'm not sure what the interest level would be. I mean, it's the same thing as if you want to try to start constructing fake Lamello ball trades or fake Trey Young trades or fake, you know, any of these point guard trades. Darren's obviously a great player, but there's just, it's an interesting dynamic in the market. And like we've talked about a bunch, we've talked about the Spurs a lot this summer. I'm. I think one of the really interesting questions across the entire league this year and maybe the next couple years is how do the spurs sort out the combination of Stefan Castle, Dylan Harper and de' Aaron Fox? Because on paper those are three high value, really interesting players that don't fit together and you could probably find a way to play two of them together. Seems really hard to find a way to play all three of them together for extended minutes. And it's going to be really fascinating for Mitch Johnson, the now full time head coach of the spurs and our guy, Sean Sweeney, the now lead assistant in San Antonio to figure out what the, what the best way to maximize those guys is, the best way to bring along those young guys and to see how they all fit together. Because that I think more than anything else outside of just Victor's continued descendants to stardom, that's the thing that's going to determine sort of what the direction of the spurs is going forward is what is the solve to that question and what does it look like both for who do the spurs decide to keep, how do they decide to use them and if they move on from one of them, what is the return in a potential deal for any one of them that they move on from? Right.

[Ben McMahon]

And when you ask can you trade the contract, it's not can you trade it right now, it's down the road. And I think down the road there will be more teams that have need at point guard. I mean, you know, you look at the Clippers, for example, James Harden still playing at a high level but you know he's not the long term solution there. And you know, I think there's a handful of teams that, that would fit in that category. I think there's more need more teams that need point guards and then you're in right now.

[Tim Bontemps]

I guess what I mean by that is it's a combination of need and can you get value in return? Like sure, a lot of teams are just here in Fox, but that's different than can you trade him for stuff you really want back. That's more than.

[Ben McMahon]

And then I think, I think it's too early to say how these three guards are going to fit or whether they can fit. And a lot of this year it, this year definitely is a year where the spurs need to make a leap. The spurs need to be a playoff team. They, you know, they need to make major strides in year three of Wimby and hopefully a full healthy year for Wimby. But it's also still an evaluation year. It is still, I mean it's still Wimby early in his career on his rookie contract and it's, you know, you're still in the rookie, you know, the rookie year for Dylan Harper and the second year for Stefan Castle. And so I think it's a lot of this year is about the evaluation of how that guard group fits together. And you know, especially the development I think of Castle in particular. You know, Castle shooting ability I think is going to be a key that can either unlock or lock a lot of things for the spurs in terms of fit. Because if, if, if he can shoot it and he's a shooter who defenses have to guard, I don't see why those three can't play together. Sometimes he can get, I mean that he's a big strong dude, he can guard threes, I can promise you that.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, again, let's talk about optionality because Dylan Harper about to be a rookie and Stefan Castle are on rookie contracts. So is Victor for That matter.

[Ben McMahon]

Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

The spurs have optionality. They're not, you know, whether or not this, this, this trio works together or not, the, they will have, they have maneuverability with it because they're not, they're not giving all of them nine figures, at least not right now. So that enables them. Plus when they did, it's interesting, you know, when they did this deal, they certainly knew what they had in Castle, but they had no idea they were going to end up with a number two pick.

[Ben McMahon]

No.

[Brian Windhorst]

And be able to draft the best guard in the draft.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's a good, it's obviously a good problem to have, but at the same time it is worth pointing out and I'm a big Stefan Castle fan, you shot 26.7% from three at UConn. You shot 28.7% last year. De' Aaron Fox has had one 36% three point shooting season. Every other one has been well below that and he's a 33% career shooter. Dylan Harper was a 33% shooter from three last year at Rutgers. That's not going to work long term. So yes, like at least one of those guys and it's probably not going to be Darren Fox because he's now mostly a formed player, is going to have to become a much better shooter if not two of them for that to be a viable trio. And that's why yes, this year I think is all about, I think is all about observation with those guys and what do they try to do and how do they try to fit in together because you still have Devin Vassell, like there's a lot of interesting pieces there in San Antonio and I still think we're probably a move or two away from the core of whatever the first real contending team looks like around Victor. I would think because just on paper it feels like there's still a move or two left to be made before this looks like the, the fully ready team that he'll be looking for.

[Ben McMahon]

Well, and I asked you guys recently, do you think the spurs would have made the Fox trade if they had known? Which is impossible. What if, if they would have known they were going to get Dylan Harper in the draft? And the answer is probably not. You know, just from a cost perspective, probably not. But like you said, Bon Tims, there are a lot worse problems to have than hey, we've got three guards who are pretty damn good. How do they fit together?

[Brian Windhorst]

The other thing, again, as long as we talk about optionality, the spurs have some big expiring contracts on their roster Harrison Barnes and Kelly olenek being the two biggest ones combined, they're over $32 million that they can go shopping and that depending on what they do with those, they could also let them just come off their books. But, but if they go shopping during the season, they also have Jeremy Sohan who is extension eligible. So whether or not they decide to pay him or not, if they don't extend him, does that somebody they look to move? So spurs are going to be doing some interesting things, but because they've got so many of their core pieces on rookie contracts, it enables them, I think, to make a big investment in a player like Fox because they believe that he has such value. They did. I think even though they gave up three firsts, I think they felt good about the value that they got in that trade.

[Ben McMahon]

Well, and it was four first with a wink wink because one of them was never going to convey as a first. And they, they went into it with a surplus of picks. They still have plenty of picks like if, if there's a trade to be made, they've got plenty of ammo, including draft capital moving forward. And listen, when do you've been telling us about the breakfast tacos, that Riverwalk, the proximity to Austin and the fact that.

[Brian Windhorst]

I haven't talked about the riverwalk. I, I will vouch for the fact that San Antonio has got more going for it than people want to give it credit for. I think it's very much a growing city.

[Ben McMahon]

Per capita. There's as many facial and head tattoos in San Antonio as anywhere in America. But in seriousness, since they got wimby, you've been talking about, hey, San Antonio is going to be a destination for players and they didn't engage in the KD bidding, but they were on Kevin Durant's list.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, obviously on DA Fox's list. And again, we talked about this a little bit with the Knicks. The next superstar player that becomes available, I don't know if that player will say the spurs are on his list, but there's no doubt that they will consider the Spurs.

[Ben McMahon]

Yep.

[Brian Windhorst]

And that is important when we talk about whether you can trade a contract and optionality and pick position and expiring contracts. You know, we're not looking to start any aggregation here, but there's a reason we're bringing it up. We're not just filling time.

[Ben McMahon]

Well, there's only so many players in the league that if you say over under on MVP is 1.5, you take the over. Victor's one of them. By the way, that's the overrunner. I said on Luke after his rookie year, would you take over? Under at this point still zero.

[Brian Windhorst]

You still take the over over.

[Ben McMahon]

I think I would do. You know, especially now he's got all those LA media.

[Brian Windhorst]

I was gonna say it might be easier to win MVP as a Laker.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean, look, I mean we might as well end where we started. I mean for, for all of the discussion about Luca and the ideas that they're, you know, there's some sort of, you know, there was some sort of controversy about whether he should get paid by Dallas, by in some quarters. I mean, we're talking about a guy who until last year when he was banged up and got traded and wasn't eligible, had won rookie of the year and then was first team all NBA the next five years in a row and is unquestionably one of the three best players on the planet as an 18 year old, one EuroBasket with Slovenia and won the EuroLeague Final Four as the MVP with Real Madrid and is.

[Ben McMahon]

Taking the team to the conference finals in a completely different cast of the finals.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yes. I mean it's like this is, this is an easy. Like maybe he's James Harden and he wins one. He's going to win one. My guess is he's going to win multiple. And once again, there is one person in the NBA who didn't want to bet on Luka Doncic. Everybody else on the NBA, any questions aside, would have happily bet.

[Ben McMahon]

Now, I would not, I would not have guessed that somebody in Lucas draft class would beat him to the mvp, but it happened.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's true.

[Brian Windhorst]

Well, that guy's pretty good. You know, the Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani and the thing about Shohei Ohtani, regardless of what he does as a pitcher, you know that for the foreseeable future that guy is going to put up enormous numbers.

[Ben McMahon]

You're going to get 50 homers out of them.

[Brian Windhorst]

You are going to get enormous numbers out of him. And I don't know if he'll win the MVP or whatever, but he's going to hit a bunch of home runs and all that stuff. Luka Doncic is going to put up enormous numbers.

[Ben McMahon]

He was a guy himself, 28, 8.

[Brian Windhorst]

And 7, saying like there's so these, some of these Luca games, you'll say, you'll say, how's, like it'll be third quarter. How's Luca playing? He's, he's not really having a great night. Let me look at the box score over here. Oh, he's got 2711 and 8.

[Ben McMahon]

He's the only guy I've ever seen who can have crappy 30 point triple doubles. And I mean really, it's a testament to his talent. But like Luke is going to average 30 plus and near a triple double.

[Tim Bontemps]

And this only has career averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists with over a steal a game and his entire.

[Ben McMahon]

And now he's in shape.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah, I mean he. There's so many nights when I've watched him play where you feel, where you feel like his floor. He's got one of the highest floors I've ever seen. And Jackson size of Magic.

[Tim Bontemps]

He's the size of Magic Johnson.

[Brian Windhorst]

I'll never forget, I'll never forget the first time I saw him in person. I was just like, I cannot believe how big he is. It's just because, because he doesn't play because when you watch him play because you know he doesn't play with enormous athleticism, you can't always tell. But so many of his plays are athletic plays because of his size. Jackson points something something out to Eurobasket I believe starts on the 17th. We're going to start Slovenia starts playing some friendlies in the next next five or six days. I don't know if he's going to play in those but we're going to get to see Luca play here and what it looks like very, very soon by the way so too with Jokic. Jokic is playing in Eurobasket for the Serbians. Serbia is bringing the entire team that played and got the bronze medal last year in Paris and almost, almost, almost beat the U.S. they're, they're playing for.

[Tim Bontemps]

The first time ever basically. Right.

[Ben McMahon]

Who's that joker?

[Tim Bontemps]

No, I said Rudy's playing for basically not playing for basically the first time ever. Right?

[Ben McMahon]

Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah.

[Ben McMahon]

France is not gonna have Rudy I guess not not gonna have Wimby. But yeah, it's gonna be an interesting tournament. And they Latvia host the final four.

[Tim Bontemps]

Awfully good again.

[Ben McMahon]

Yeah.

[Brian Windhorst]

Yeah. Latvia is a, a sneaky good team. Latvia beat Germany in the knockout round in the World cup two years ago. They didn't get to do anything last year because they didn't qualify for the Olympics. But they were this close. Davis Berthaans had a three pointer in the air at the buzzer to knock out Germany who was the, who are the world champions in. In Manila. It was a great game. And Porzingis didn't play. Porzingis was dealing with a foot issue. So come here for your American based European analysis we'll be watching, but all right. Thank you very much for joining the HOOPP Collective today. Thank you to Jackson and Key, our producers on this episode. Thank you to McMahon and Bontemps. Thank you for sticking with us through August. With more to come, we're sticking by you. We don't take the summer off on this pod and we will talk to you later this week.

[Ben McMahon]

Adios, amigos.

[Brian Windhorst]

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[Tim Bontemps]

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