Hour 1: Giannis Rumors

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg — Hour 1: Giannis Rumors (Jan 27, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into fresh rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future and a potential blockbuster trade involving the New York Knicks. With Don La Greca and Alan Hahn at the mic (Peter Rosenberg is away), the two dissect whether the Knicks should make an aggressive play for Giannis at the trade deadline, what such a move would mean for the team’s roster and future, and how Knicks fans are feeling after a roller-coaster stretch of the season. The conversation also covers broader team-building philosophies, risk/reward calculations, and the psychology of the Knicks fanbase.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap of Championship Weekend and Transition to Basketball (00:17–08:03)

• Don reminisces about watching playoff football while traveling and notes the aesthetic joy of snowy games.
• Key Football Takeaways:
  • Don strongly feels Seattle is far superior to New England and is not giving the Patriots a chance in the Super Bowl:

    "I actually give New England no chance in the Super Bowl. None chance." (03:07 – Don)

  • Discussion on Sam Darnold’s resurgence and the Giants’ blueprint for a quick rebuild.
• Transition: They move the conversation toward New York sports, hinting at a “bigger story” involving Giannis and the Knicks.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Rumors (08:03–19:23)

• Alan Hahn asserts their scoop on the Giannis-to-Knicks story:

  "We've hit this stuff, and then once it makes the cycle on the national level, everybody starts getting excited about it again." (08:41 – Alan)

• State of the Knicks:
  • Knicks were recently seen as a cohesive contender, but a rough 2–9 stretch has changed fan sentiment and internal calculus.
  • There’s more openness to drastic changes now, given injuries (especially Kat's status) and erratic play.
• Injury Caveat:
  • Giannis’ value is complicated by his “second calf strain of the season,” expected to sideline him 4–6 weeks.
  • Alan reads Giannis' own words about the injury:

    "I felt like I couldn't explode... at the end when it popped, I had to get out. I couldn't walk." (13:00 – Alan quoting Giannis)

• Tough Choices for Knicks Front Office:
  • Risk of Trading: Gutting the roster and assets for an injured (age-31) Giannis.
  • Risk of Waiting: Missing out on Giannis if another team swoops in.
  • “Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
  • Alan cautions, "This is not as easy as everybody wants to make it out that the Knicks could just do... You can't afford to lose him, right? You might not be able to afford to get him for all we know." (18:39 – Alan)

3. The Mechanics (and Reality) of a Giannis Trade (15:32–19:23)

• Alan runs down possible trade machinations, referencing a complex three-way scenario involving Portland and Jrue Holiday, and explains how the Knicks’ lack of assets compared to other teams makes a deal uniquely daunting.
• Analyst Bobby Marks rates difficulty for a Knicks deal as “8 out of 10.”
• Potential for “smaller” trade deadline moves: Hahn expects the front office to do “something,” but warns even these moves could impact a Giannis pursuit.

4. Pressure & Expectations from Ownership (20:06–22:36)

• James Dolan has publicly set the Finals as the expectation, which layers on further urgency.
• Ian Begley (via recap) and Alan note that this “bar” may artificially ramp up pressure to make a “big move at the deadline.”
• Alan: "This is really, right now, the biggest moment for Leon Rose in his front office is what do you do? And only history will tell us whether it was the right decision or not." (22:14)

5. Knicks Fan Callers — Divided Sentiment (24:38–47:14)

• Caller #1 (Dave): “Go all in—now!” (24:47)
  • Prioritizes “big picture”; references classic Monroe-Knicks trade where the star was injured upon arrival, but worked long-term.
  • "Giannis is a thousand trillion billion times better than anybody on the team, including Brunson." (25:50 — Dave)
  • Willing to lose this season if it means pairing Giannis with Brunson, OG, etc., for the future.
• Hahn Rebuts:
  • “It's not as easy to do in season. The Knicks don't have a lot of things other teams have. So they're going to have to get help and Giannis is going to have to help make it happen.” (27:04 — Alan)
• Don questions risk tolerance:
  • “Dave says that now, but say it to me in April...” (28:14 — Don)
• Caller #2 (Kurt): “Championship Window Now” (31:30)
  • Argument: The “window” is open, and the Knicks must strike while they’re close, rather than bank on future health/success.
  • “We can't mess around. The window is now. We need one championship... It's all about windows. We're in this championship window right now.” (32:55 — Kurt)
• Cautionary Takes and Fear of Past Mistakes:
  • Alan points out the risks: salary cap, second apron, roster depletion (34:59).
  • Don: “You just got to be smart about it... Do what's right for your organization.” (35:02)
• Caller #3 (Rodney): Risk of Injury & Need for Giannis to Direct His Own Fate (38:47)
  • Expresses worry about Giannis “pulling a bad guy move” and doubts he’s cut out for NY fan scrutiny.
  • Alan: “I wouldn't worry about all that stuff. That's not something that will follow him here to New York. That's not a worry. It's just the cost and the impact it’ll have right away. And then Don. Two calf strains in one season, one that way won't go away. Him talking about feeling it pop and then he couldn't run. I'm sorry. That's where I start to go. Hang on.” (41:18)
• Caller #4 (Buddha): “Stop Getting Stars at the Back End; Build Young” (44:18)
  • Skeptical of going after older, injured stars: “Now you want to blow it up again. You get Giannis... He's already breaking up...” (45:35)
  • Don and Alan psychoanalyze this mindset as “fearful of winning” and “chase is better than the catch” syndrome.

6. Knicks Fan Psychology & Summing Up (46:07–47:19)

• Alan and Don discuss the “two sides” of Knicks fanbase—those desperate for a move and those paralyzed by potential risk or fear of repeating past failures.
  • “They'd rather be the team on the outside chasing it than to finally get there and maybe get hurt and lose and come up short.” (46:27 — Don)

7. Lighter Moments & Music Talk (35:38–38:30)

• The hosts share a playful detour about classic rock bands (Rainbow), and how their divergent musical tastes represent the balance and chemistry of their show.
  • Alan: “That's why this show works... I'm kind of the guy that brings it all together because I relate to both of you.” (37:12)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "I actually give New England no chance in the Super Bowl. None chance."
  — Don La Greca (03:07)

• "I've been on top of the Giannis disgruntled in Milwaukee and the Knicks... I feel like we've been on top of this for weeks."
  — Alan Hahn (08:08)

• On Giannis's injury: "I felt like I couldn't explode... At the end when it popped, I had to get out. I couldn't walk."
  — Alan Hahn reading Giannis’s remarks (13:00)

• "I've told everybody, guys, you can get out your NBA trade machine... Yes, it'll work, but to what expense?"
  — Alan Hahn (16:45)

• "If Giannis wants to be a Knick, Giannis has to make that happen. The Knicks don't have the same amount of assets that other teams… have more to offer."
  — Alan Hahn (10:04)

• "The way this deal works is if Giannis works with the Knicks to make it happen."
  — Alan Hahn (31:26)

• "The Knicks have become a destination. He wants to be a Knick, so why am I throwing a season away on just some possibility that Pat Riley is going to pull a rabbit out of his hat?"
  — Don La Greca (30:17)

• "This is really, right now, the biggest moment for Leon Rose in his front office is: What do you do? And only history will tell us whether it was the right decision or not."
  — Alan Hahn (22:14)

• “They'd rather go back in time and chase the ring than maybe actually have a chance to grab the ring.”
  — Don La Greca (46:27)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• Football Recap & Intro: 00:17 – 08:03
• Giannis News Unpacked: 08:03 – 19:23
• Trade Mechanics & Fan Anxiety: 19:23 – 22:36
• Fan Callers Start / Heated Debate: 24:38 – 47:19
• Music/Banter/Fan Psychology: 35:38 – 38:30

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Takeaway

This episode is a must-listen for Knicks fans torn between all-in aggression and prudent patience at the trade deadline. Don and Alan break down not just the logistics of a potential Giannis deal, but the existential quandaries facing a fanbase desperate for a title yet scarred by decades of near-misses and disappointments. While the risk and allure of a Giannis trade dominate the conversation, the hosts also dig into deeper questions about how to build a winner in New York (and what it means to be a Knicks fan in 2026).

Transcript

[A]

Don, you're a filth bag.

[B]

You're a sex star filth bag.

[A]

Han, the guy's gonna be 41, flicking it. And Rosenberg, go look at Redfer in.

[B]

That movie right now. You'll want to hook up with him, right? This isn't North Dakota. This is New York.

[A]

This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.

[C]

The best threesome I've ever heard on.

[B]

ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube 300 one of the big city. Don, Hahn and Rosenberg. It's good to be back in the seat. It's good to be with my guys. Although Peter is flying, hurling himself to Saudi Arabia. So it's just me and Alan in exchange for just Alan and Peter. Yesterday, as I was continuing my. My tour of Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Detroit, or like they like to say in Canada, Detroit.

[A]

Detroit.

[B]

As we had to divert to other places in order to eventually get back to New York and unfortunately had to miss the show. But hopefully you were able to get through without me. I did listen to a portion of it in transit. You guys sounded fantastic. Talking about two wonderful championship games.

[A]

It was. That's one of the easy days. You know, coming right out of championship weekend, you got two games to talk about. You got all the super bowl stuff to prove preliminary wise, you know, so while you were missed, if there was ever a day we could survive, of course, without your wealth of knowledge and your amazing voice, it would have been yesterday, but you were definitely missed.

[B]

Well, I missed doing it, too, because there was a lot to discuss, a lot to go over, and I'm not one of these guys that feels like, let's rewind history, because I wasn't here to talk about it in real time, but just to take a second, I thought, the games are great. And I don't know what is so aesthetically pleasing about snow in football, but it just is. So when I was done with the. The Devils and the Kraken, I turned around and just sat in the booth before we left to eventually go to Detroit and watch the snow. And then I thought that was great. And just having, again, these coaches feel I got to go for it on fourth down. I got to prove my manhood and leave points on the. On the table, which for whatever reason, Denver felt like they had to do and probably cost him the game. And then the second game was just wonderful in every essence of the back and forth and so many different adversities achieved and overcome by both teams. And I got a chance to watch that on the flight to Detroit. It was pretty stunning. And the one thing I will say before we move on to the Knicks and we've got a lot going on with the jets and everything is as aesthetically pleasing as it is to watch football in the snow. When you get a fast track and when you get points getting scored, you really feel like the best of the best is going to come out of games like that. So as much fun as the second half was to watch Denver in New England, the better football was coming out of Seattle. And I think the best team is Seattle. And I actually give New England no chance in the Super Bowl.

[A]

None chance.

[B]

None. None chance.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

They won't be able to score against the Seattle team. They don't have. They. They don't have it, in my opinion. They're great. They're.

[A]

They're.

[B]

Listen, they're a great team for the now. This is not a historically great team. Seattle's not a historically great team. We've discussed this time and time again, Alan, that this is not that type of season.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

But New England is here a little too quick, in my opinion. I think they will be a great team and they will have their time, but I think just Seattle, just more ready for this moment. Not because they've got more experience, but because I think they've got a defense that will come up big against the New England team that I just don't think is ready to put up the points necessary to beat the Seahawks.

[A]

You know, it's. We mentioned this yesterday again, New England getting to the super bowl this quickly for Mike Vrabel, that's a feather in the cap to turn to completely flip a record like you did, to take. And I thought, you know, and again, you. As a Giants fan. As a Giants fan, this is kind of where you take heart, right? You look and you say it can be done. You bring in an experienced coach who can get you organized. You have some pieces already in place again, Drake, May, Jackson, Dart. You can put them sort of on the same plane of anticipation of a quarterback you think could be your future. And if you get organized and you have some. You have the quarterback, you can turn things around pretty quickly. So while as a Jets fan, you just want to throw up in your mouth because the Patriots are back before you could even get yourself in the playoffs. You know, for the Giants, that's. That's kind of the blueprint right there. That's why you brought in John Harbaugh.

[B]

Well, both of these. Both of these teams can say that in the sense that they've got the right coach and they. They found the Right. Quarterback for right now, Sam Darnold, an amazing quarterback. No, but he is. He's perfect for what they do.

[A]

Played great.

[B]

And he did. He played great. And he went up against a future hall of Famer, matched him score for score, and they won the game. And the thing that just. I'm apprehensive about New England is I don't want to get on their schedule during the regular season, you play who you play.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

But in the postseason, and they earn the buy. They took on a Houston team that had a quarterback that performed as bad as any quarterback has ever performed in a postseason game.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And they were able to overcome their quarterback not really doing anything because the quarterback on the other side was way worse. And then in the championship game, they're taking on a backup quarterback. And some interesting decisions by Denver, leaving points on the table. But then, obviously, things got compromised with the snow. I'm not trying to take anything away from them. They did what they had to do. But I look at Seattle, I just think Seattle's a better team. And it's going to be interesting to see Sam Darnold as the super bowl champion. We'll see what New England can do. And I've been wrong before, but I, that's the sense I got, Alan. I, I had that sense going in.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I, I, I doubled down on it. Watching these teams in the championship game, I just think Seattle's the better team.

[A]

Yeah. I could again, their defense is good. Almost gave the game away because of a silly personal foul that was unnecessary taunting. You didn't want to see a turn there. But, no, I, it. I think right now, everybody has that same feeling. And it'll continue to be that Sam Darnold, can he really do it? Kind of question. You know, he answered the question in the championship game. He's going to have to answer it again. Because you got to feel like the only way they struggle is if Sam has. Look, I am so happy to see him playing at this level. I don't have any, like, you know, any frustration or any pettiness about the fact he's a former Jet because the jets moved on from him. But he also was past by three other teams, including Minnesota, that decided they already had a quarterback there. In Minnesota, they should be ruined the day. Not, not in New York. They have enough budgets, have enough problems, and we'll get to those. Well, but, but I, to me, it's a, It's a, It's a really good story. And how about, again, this is the script. And also The. The Hollywood ending, the team that he famously said, I'm seeing ghosts out there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He gets to face them in the Super Bowl. And imagine if he overcomes that how that. Yeah, I mean, we're going to hear about that ad nauseam, of course, but that just. Again, there's your. There's your bow. Like, there's. There's your full circle for a. For a quarterback, and there's your example sometimes of you draft someone that you know he's got something, but it's going to take a while. We got to get him there that sometimes we can't. Why do we do this in the NFL? Well, within two, three years, if the quarterback you draft in the first round just isn't helping you win yet. Oh, we got to move on. I don't want to have to pay the fifth year option. I don't have to give him a contract, blah, blah, blah. It just always becomes, just throw the baby out with the bathwater instead of, you know what, no, we got our guy. We know there's something here. We're going to keep working on it. We're going to keep working with him, and he's going to turn into something because we believe in it and we believe in our process. That doesn't happen, especially not with the jets.

[B]

And we'll get to the jets in a second because there's a lot of things going on there, a lot of moving parts. The bigger story seems to be this Giannis stuff, which I feel like it's a flex for our show, but more a flex for Allen, because Alan's been on top of the Giannis disgruntled in Milwaukee and the Knicks, whether they will or whether they won't make a deal in season for him. I feel like we've been on top of this for weeks, and when something breaks with Giannis, I feel like we've been there and done that already. How many on top of this story? More than anybody else.

[A]

Because how many times do you read. How many times do you see these stories and you read it and then you're like, yeah, I knew that already. Right, right.

[B]

But that's not.

[A]

I'm not trying to flex. I'm just saying, like, it is funny that we've kind of had. We've. We've hit this stuff, and then it. Once it's. It makes the cycle on the national level, everybody starts getting excited about it again.

[B]

But you've been on top of how difficult it is to make deals like this in season. But Giannis is making it Tough man. Like, he clearly wants out now. He's hurt right now.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So making a deal for him now before the deadline could really hurt your season right now. But the reason the door kind of kicks open despite these two wins in a row is the fact that Nick fans maybe aren't feeling this season based on how they played outside of the blowout against the Nets and the win against the Sixers a couple of days later. The way we felt about it a couple of weeks ago when they were the second best team in the Eastern Conference and feeling like they were destined to make a run.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So I'm interested to see when Nick Bands feel now where it looks like Detroit's for real. It looks like the Knicks have some issues. It looks like Kat's just going to be this for the rest of the year. This. This is no longer what's up with Kat. This is what Cat is. It feels like that. I'm wondering now, are Knick fans a little bit more in position here? Or more importantly, are the Knicks more in a position here to possibly contemplate making a deal at the deadline?

[A]

If it's possible now, I'll make it. I'll say it again for the people in the back, because this is what I've been repeating since the season started, since the rumors about Giannis wanting to be a Knick. The Knicks and the Bucs talking in late summer, seeing if they could find a deal, not coming to a deal, and then Giannis coming into the season clearly frustrated. I'm here right now and all that stuff, saying he's never going to ask for a trade, which is really code for I don't want to be the bad guy. But everybody in that organization knows that I want to move on. It's the same thing. If Giannis wants to be a Knick, Giannis has to make that happen. The Knicks don't have the same amount of assets that other teams that might be available or might be interested in him. They have more to offer. He doesn't have a no trade. All he has is I can opt out, I can go to free agency in another year from now and a team might have him short term. We've seen the Toronto Raptors say, we don't care. We're making the trade for Kawhi and we're going to see if we can make it work. And maybe he'll want to stay here if he likes it. He won a championship. He didn't stay, but they got a chip out of it, so it worked out well for The Raptors. There could be another team that thinks that way and. And says, I'm going for it anyway. I don't care. And we'll see where it goes when it's time for Giannis to walk. So Giannis can't control that, but he can if he tries to work with the Bucks and with the Knicks and say, I just want to go there. Let's make this happen. So I want to make that clear. This is not really. Of course, it's up to the Knicks to decide if they want. Want to go ahead with a trade that's going to cost a lot in season. I've talked about how difficult it is to make a trade of that magnitude, and you're shaking up your roster. As you said, Don, a month ago, leaving Vegas, the consensus among fans and a lot of other people was, oh, no, don't mess with this team. Leave it alone. This team deserves to be kept together and see how far they can go. Then they go through a 29 stretch over 11 games, and now there's this concern that it's all heading in the wrong direction, and you got to get them while you can. I feel it's damned if you do and damned if you don't, Don, because we know a trade for a guy like this could affect your season immediately. And here's one more thing. Now I'm going to throw on the fire. You ready for this?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

So here's Giannis now. As we know, he's out again with a cap strain, second time this season. He's dealing with a calf strain, and they're saying four to six weeks that he'll be out, which goes well beyond the trade deadline, well beyond the All Star break. He described the injury as. This. This is a direct quote. I felt like I couldn't explode. I could jog. I couldn't get on my toes, so I was kind of jogging on my heel the majority of the game. I didn't have the same explosiveness, but I still felt like I could help. At the end when it popped, I had to get out. I couldn't walk. End quote, calf strain twice in one season. We know there's a history there. Of course, so do you. Does that even give you now cause for pause? Does that make you go, hang on a second. I make a trade for this guy, he comes back, we get to the playoffs, and, you know, what happened to Lillard, what happened to Halliburton, what happened to Durant? That happens, and now what? I gave up all the assets. I gave up I messed up my roster. My, you know, I took some depth away. I lost any more picks that I might have had and now this guy's out for another year. So, like he's 31. So you're, that's why I say you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. If he goes to another team and he doesn't get hurt and he plays great, yeah, you'll never get him again. But that's a risk now, right now for the Knicks. So what do you do? What do people want? That's what I'm wondering.

[B]

Well, again, when we had this conversation a couple of weeks ago, the want was, let's ride it out. His team looks great. They don't need him this year. But let's wait and assess things during the off season. But now it looks like you've lost Cat. They have won a couple of games in a row for the first time in forever, but we'll see how sustainable that is. They got a couple of back to back games here.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

They've got a few games before we get to the deadline, but I'm starting to feel like listening to the other shows. You know, in the morning show, you know, I'm hearing people calling up. There was one guy called up, said, I do it right now, even though he can't play, we need them get him. Don't let Pat Riley swoop in and schmooze him into staying in Miami and we never get him. But you are getting a damaged product this year. At least somebody that could damage your chances of making a run this year. And also the element of, okay, let's say he survives this year, is that an Achilles waiting to pop in the playoffs or at the beginning of next year? And then you lose him for all of that season and on top of summer 27, 28. I mean, it's, it's scary, but I do think the way the Knicks are playing right now does change, hedge the bet just a little bit because maybe this season seems more easier to sacrifice for fans because it hasn't been what they thought it was going to be over the last six weeks.

[A]

Yeah, fair. Yeah. Well, the last, the last couple of weeks really have, have shown the weaknesses, some of the moves at the front office made to the bench where Yabuzeli and Clarkson, that has clearly neither guy has been playable in the eyes of Mike Brown. And that's, you know, that's something that's obviously a concern. Listen, Don, I will throw this in as complete speculation because I'm always curious about stuff like this. And it's like, what are the odds? Or what are the chances that this is part of the scheme to scare away anyone else and say, oh, the calf bothered me again, when in reality, maybe it's not that serious. Just to make like, how else do you angle your way to a team than an injury that he had earlier in the season? You could tell he's miserable, they're losing a lot. That's like, the only redeeming thing is if, you know, if you have some information. Now, a lot of this stuff would be collusion. There'd be a lot of trouble with this. But it's the. The only thing that you could use to say, no, we know he's actually fine. But to trade for somebody who's dealing with a calf strain twice, he's 31 in the midst of a season that, you know it's going to really cost you. It's a lot. And, you know, that's why I've never said this is easy. From day one, I've told everybody, guys, you can get out your NBA trade machine and you can create all the different moves and machinations you want and say, see, it'll work. Yes, it'll work, but to what expense? I saw one scenario, Don, that someone created on a substack. It was a very interesting one. It's been picked up by other NBA people. Mark Stein, Zach Lowe. They've put it out there. Now it's become like a living, breathing thing. And all it was was a suggestion that you involve Portland, because Portland, with the Lillard trade, has some of the Bucs future draft picks. And so you give the Bucs back their picks from Portland. Portland has this alleged interest in Mikhail Bridges, and you would not only get Giannis, but. But you would also get Jrue Holiday. Now, Jrue Holiday, on the surface, sounds like, wait, there's a guy that's won a championship, tough player, you know, that's exactly what you need, another point guard. That's great until you look at Jrue Holiday's contract, right? He's under contract over 35, $36 million. Not just this year, next year. And a player option when he's 37 years old for $37 million, that is that what you're doing? And then you lose a starter if you're moving on from Bridges, who's starting now, who's starting next to Brunson. So there's a lot of things that sound nice until you look at it on face value. And that's why Bobby Marks, who I have great respect for, who works with us at espn, is our front office insider when he tries to explain to people like, difficulty factor for the knicks, out of 10 is an 8 to make this deal happen. There's other teams where it's like a two, like Detroit. Speaking of which. Right. Like, okay, okay. See, there's places Giannis can go and win right away and make a difference and they can make the trade without even blinking. So that's something that I'm curious about before this deadline as well. But it's not as easy as everybody wants to make it out that the Knicks could just do, like what you said. That caller said, oh, I would do it right now. You can't afford to lose them, right? You might, you might not be able to afford to get them for all we know.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

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[C]

But if your edict is we have.

[B]

To make the NBA finals and let's say there's more evidence, I don't know. Was it six, five games between now.

[C]

And the deadline and you look shaky. Can you take that chance that this.

[B]

Team is going to pull it together on its own as currently constituted? When you've seen for the past X.

[C]

Amount of weeks that that hasn't been the case, do you take that leap of faith or do you decide to.

[B]

Totally dismantle things because you know you.

[C]

Have to reach where they have to reach this season. And so that's why I wouldn't be.

[A]

Surprised because, because the bar is where it is.

[B]

You have to act accordingly. And that would be making a big.

[C]

Move at the deadline.

[A]

And you see, he's saying that obviously, because a couple of weeks ago, James Dolan was on did a radio Interview and on it he said that he expects to get to the finals and that's that, that's what he wants. And at the start of the season and you know, through December, there was this feeling that this team could do it. So that. Is that a pressure from saying that that is created? Is it a manufactured pressure that doesn't really exist inside? Because he has always said that it's up to Leon Rose. That's what Leon Rose wants. Right? You can make deals. And by the way, it doesn't mean they're not going to do anything at the trade deadline. It's 10 days from today, Don, and I can tell you that they will do something because they already know that Yabushelli doesn't fit. They got to get him out of here. They could probably get something more useful for him. And the Clarkson thing has not worked great either. They could make subtle moves that aren't going to be the headline of like last year when the, you know, when the Lakers got Luka. Right. Getting Giannis would be of that magnitude. We know this, but they could still say we're not in that business right now. We can't be. Because what we need to do instead is get some, you know, is get better wing play off the bench, get some bigger dudes, get, get tougher. Can we get a couple of tough minded players, physical guys that we need to add? They could go in that direction instead. But the problem is anything you do at this deadline that involves assets could take you out of the Giannis running, even if he's not traded at the deadline. And when you get to the summer and then he's, you know, again back up in the conversation, you might have nothing left in the cupboard to trade for him. So this is not easy. This is, this is really, right now the biggest moment for Leon Rose in his front office is what do you do? And only. And history will tell us whether it was the right decision or not.

[B]

Well, Nick fans, there it is. Alan laid it out for you. Do you trade for Giannis now? Do you trade for something else and hurt your chances of getting Giannis? Are you interested in Giannis? Are you not? Because are you afraid that eventually this injury might, you know, take him out? Because Cavs always seem to lead.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

To the torn ACLs that end up becoming a problem. Achilles. Excuse me, that end up being a problem. So how do you feel about it?

[A]

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[A]

Click granger.com or just stop by. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast.

[B]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[A]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Game Time is brought to you by Tullamore To Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, Allen, it's Tully time. That's right. The Knicks host the Kings coverage immediately following dan grass on 880 at 7. The Devils are here at the Rock to take on the Winnipeg Jets. It is John McClain Knight. He is being inducted into the Ring of Honor, so I'll be part of the pregame. Looking forward to that because I believe this caused some controversy. We can talk about it later if you wish.

[A]

I'd like to.

[B]

I believe he scored the biggest goal in Devil's history. We'll leave it at that for now. And the Nets visit the Suns at 9. Tullamore due the original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Iris whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or the new Tullamore Dew, honey, during today's action, glasses up to enjoying Tullamore Dew responsibly. Are you ready for some calls?

[A]

Yes. Let's do it.

[B]

All right. 1-800-919-3776. We begin it all with Dave in the car. How are you? Dave, you're on. Don Otter, Rosenberg.

[C]

Hey, how you guys doing? Alan, I just wanted to ask you this. This is the way I look at it. It's everybody's opinion, and everybody's got an opinion. My opinion is this. Even if the Knicks were undefeated, I do not see them beating OKC if they keep the team the same way. I'm saying trade for Giannis right now, it doesn't matter if we win the championship. It doesn't matter if we get to the Eastern Conference finals. I don't care if he's hurt. I don't care if he doesn't play one game for the next of the season. Same thing happened. Monroe.

[B]

Monroe.

[C]

I told you this a long time ago. He came over injured. He had bone spurs. He didn't play the first year. Second year, they won the championship. So this is I'm looking at the big picture. When you get a chance to get a guy who's a superstar like this, you go and you get him. Now you don't take the chance that, that Pat Raleigh scoops him up. And then next year you're, you're wiggling around looking for somebody and trying to put a team together. You still have heart, you still have Brightness Brunson, you still have, you have, you have Giannis next year and you still have OG. You need one more piece and you're fine. Giannis is 1000 trillion billion times better than anybody on the team, including Brunson. It's, it's, it's a dead heap and you might be able to get him for less because he's injured now. I don't care if he sits out six weeks, eight weeks, 10 weeks. I don't care if he plays one game the whole season. I'm worried about the big picture, not just this season. So I can say, oh, we made a bad mistake by firing tips or we made a good mistake by, oh, we got to this fourth game of, of the OKC and we got, we lost in four, we lost in five, but we made a big deal. I want Giannis today. That's it. I don't care if we have to give up Cat and Bridges, get rid of both of those guys. Bridges is the main one who got him fired anyways. Get him out of here. That's my opinion. Oh, anybody else has got different opinions?

[A]

Yeah, no, no, this is again and Dave, like you're, you're outlining the fact that you just, you're trying to accumulate as much high end talent as you can and He's a top three player in the NBA at 31 when he's healthy. There's no question. Right? So that's why there's an interest in him. So I understand all that. I'm telling you it's not as, it's not as easy to do in season that I'm telling you because the Knicks don't have a lot of things that other teams have. So they're going to have to get help and Giannis is going to have to help make it happen. That's the only way. It's quote unquote in easy for the Knicks to do because as Bobby Marks outlined, and you can see it on ESPN.com, there's several other teams, including teams that have a chance to play, you know, deep into June, they have more assets and they have an easier way to get him if he isn't just fixated on, no, I want to be in New York. That's how you want to see it. Now, Monroe, by the way, for those who know the story, he was a rival of the Knicks. He didn't want to come to the Knicks, but that was the team that traded for him. And it was a risk because how does he and Clyde, how does that work? He. He was. He had a money issue with the Bullets. He left the team. They said it was, you know, oh, he had an injury, but he really left the team because it was a money issue. And when he got traded to the Knicks, it wasn't where he wanted to go, but it was where he had to go. So the same thing could happen to Giannis. He might not go. It might not be where he wants to go, but it's where he's told to go because he doesn't have the no trade.

[B]

But let's break down what Dave is saying. Well, you got to get him at any cost be damned this season. We can go undefeated. We're not beating this season.

[A]

Well, that's easy. Again, Don, Dave says that now, but say it to me in April. If, because you had to completely rework the roster, gutted a little bit, and he's not available to play and you end up losing in the first round. Are you like, I don't care. Next year we're going to have Giannis like you. You can't. Like, that's easy to say now until you're going.

[B]

It is, but he. But.

[A]

And he's taking another year off of Jalen Brunson. Is that really a smart thing?

[B]

But, but here's the thing. That might be his argument that, hey, I just want him for next year. We're not winning a championship this year. But for him to go as far as to say we can go undefeated and we're not beating okc. Well, you could have said the same thing last year before facing the Celtics.

[A]

Right.

[B]

We're not going to beat the Boston Celtics. Nobody thought you were beating the Celtics going in. All right. And don't tell me about Tatum. You were beating them anyway. Even. Even with. With the Tatum injury, the Knicks did not win that series because Tatum got hurt.

[A]

No, no, it just. Yeah. So they were in control. That's.

[B]

They were in control. And then who was have thought that that would have happened? So how would you feel if you threw the season away, but you still were good and you still had a chance to make the playoffs and make a run, and all of a sudden you see OKC get knocked off by Minnesota in the second round or whatever, and nobody should be in the position of throwing seasons away unless you're the Nets, okay? And you know, you're not going anywhere.

[A]

But, Don, it's once again the desperation of I got to get him before someone else does.

[B]

But is there that desperation, Allen? You know, we keep worrying about Pat Riley. This guy wants to come to the Knicks. It's not like the Heat are a great team anyway. The Knicks are a better team right now than the Heat are. So why are we so worried about Pat Riley? Why? Because the history of the Knicks of, like, losing out on great players, that was then, this is now. The Knicks have become a destination. He wants to be a Knick. So why am I throwing a season away on just some possibility that Pat Riley is going to pull a rabbit out of his hat?

[C]

Got to get out of that old.

[B]

Nick mentality that we always lose the face off on great players. Nobody wants to play here, so we literally have to go kidnap somebody a year early and drug them to stay here. How about just realizing that it's become a destination now and you don't have to throw a season away to do it?

[A]

Well, when this all start, this all started because Giannis, through intermediaries, because he's never uttered the words himself, right. Clearly was looking at the Knicks as his destination. He wants to be here. The only thing that we can confirm is that's a fact, and it's not something new. This has been a romance for the last couple of years, right? And it has been percolating behind the scenes and in over the last year, especially after last season and the way things went for his team, he had finally had.

[B]

Had it.

[A]

And. No, no, I want to go there. I want to win there. I want to do it there. And so that's got to work out. And I'll say it one more time, the way this deal works is if Giannis works with the Knicks to make it happen.

[B]

Let's go to Kurt in New Jersey. You're on espn, New York. What's up, Kurt?

[C]

What's up, guy? First, I gotta tell you guys are the best that show. You mean you guys talk? Nick's. You guys are the best. I'm going to tell you, hands down. But here's my point. We got to make this deal now. One, it's all about windows. We're in this championship window right now. You never know what's going to happen. God forbid, Brunson gets hurt a year or two years from now, you're one of the better teams now. But what you're going to add and what. And again, nothing against Cat. I like Cat. I still would do that move for Divincenzo and Rainbow because I think we upgraded but you know we're going to get a post player in the playoffs with, with, you know, with Giannis, you know, Cat outside the three point line like, yeah, that's good. But how many times in a postseason it's jump shot, jump shot, jump shot, you know, hey, if we could go. Brunson, OG is a defender, Hart's a defender, Mitch is a defender, Yassin defender. Yeah, the two guard. We're going to lose a little with Bridges, right, But I mean, listen, we clarkson shame it. We, you know, we don't need 30 points from that spot. We need, you know, 10 points, 12 points, a little three points shooter. But we can't mess around. The window is now we need one championship. Alan, I called you last year we were saying we can't worry about one year, two years. We got to get it now. And we're so close. And he's a generational player. You gotta gamble. We can't. Hey, if he goes to San Antonio, okc, God forbid, of Miami, Detroit, why play with fire? Go get him.

[A]

Go.

[C]

If you could get them, go get them now. Guys, you're the best. Go Knicks.

[A]

Thanks a lot.

[B]

See, that's a different take that I can, I can tolerate that take, right?

[A]

What he's saying is why the Knicks in August talked to the Bucks about it, right? It's why, it's why they said, well, this guy's a top three player in the league right now. He's an all time great, he wants to be here. Let's, let's see what it'll take. They just couldn't come to a deal. It could. It just couldn't do it. So, you know, I. Look, I don't know anything, but if I was purely speculating, I would think that they probably will have a conversation with the Bucks before the trade deadline. Whether it results in anything, I don't know. But I would, I know myself, if I were in that front office, I know I would say, well, if they're going to move them, let's get in the conversation and just see how much can we tolerate, how much can we handle, right? You're not going to be a wallflower in that dance. Not when you know he wants to be here. So that's my feeling is, my assurance is I know what I'd be doing. And I would be still having conversations with Milwaukee before February 5th, but it doesn't mean that I'm ready to do anything because it can really disrupt your roster. And it can also put you in a salary cap hell with the second apron and the luxury tax implications where you as a franchise cannot function. And you don't want to have a team that has two really good players. Remember, the Bucs had this. They had Lillard and they had Giannis. They. They had really not a good roster around them, and they weren't very competitive. You also don't want to be in that world either. We saw the Suns do it. They had three stars with Booker and KD and Beal, three stars. And they were all awful. They got rid of two of them. They kept Booker, they rebuilt around them. Now, what are they? They're a tough team that's hard to play against. Right. So you got to be careful with this all in feeling if it's going to disrupt your roster to a point where you can't be competitive with players around it.

[B]

I mean, I get the fans get excited, but you just got to be smart about it.

[A]

That, that you can't.

[B]

You can't come after the angle of somebody might swoop in and take them away. Or we've got to do it this year because next year something might happen, somebody might get hurt, the world could end, and we'll miss our championship window. Do what's right for your organization. Be smart. And so far, there's no reason to believe that Leon Rose and his brain trust are going to do anything but the right thing for the Knicks.

[A]

Thanks for listening to the Don, Han and Rosenberg podcast.

[B]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[A]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

See, this is Rainbow. And I just could not believe that Peter never heard a Rainbow. You know this song, don't you, Alan? This was a hit back in the early 80s. Such a good band, man.

[A]

I'm ringing a bell.

[B]

Here we go. It's gonna kick in any second. You're gonna be like, wow, I know this song.

[A]

And then I'll. No, I'm being honestly.

[B]

God, it sounds good to be.

[A]

It's a very classic 80s kind of sound.

[B]

God, Rainbow was so good. And for you guys not to know it makes me sick.

[A]

Oh, I apologize. But we. We talked about you and music yesterday.

[B]

So was it good, bad or indifferent?

[A]

Indifferent.

[B]

Different.

[A]

It was indifferent because. Well, what we. What we decided was. And I. I was reaching behind me, I was a home. I was reaching behind me on the bookshelf, pulling out just like a fistful of CDs, and then just showing the randomness of my music taste and how, like, you just have different types of music all kind of stuffed together in this collection. And what we. What we figured out was why this show works. And number one, the fact that we talk a lot of music on this show is great. It shows that we're all interested in it. I don't remember that ever being part of the case show, so that's cool. But what. What we realized was you and Peter are on such polar opposite sides, and I'm kind of the guy that brings it all together because I relate to both of you. You get. Does that make sense?

[B]

I'm sort of a lot of sense.

[A]

Yeah. I'm. I'm sort of the one that balances it all because. And. Except, of course, Rainbow, which I not heard that. But it doesn't mean that it doesn't sound. That's a familiar sound, that song. It's just not one that I can really relate to.

[B]

They are, you know, they were just a classic rock kind of heavy band, and that's where Ronnie James Dio started. They kind of were an offspring of. Of Richie Blackmore from Deep Purple.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So they had the kind of sound to it, and they evolved. They had. Did. They had different, you know, different members, different lead singers and.

[A]

But there were a lot of. That early 80s had a lot of different. Like, remember Alon Nova?

[B]

Oh, yeah. Life Just a Fantasy.

[A]

Yeah. Like, there's so many of those kind of songs that exist, and you're like. Like, whatever happened to this guy? So I think there's a lot of that. And they all kind. Not that they sound the same, but they all have that same kind of sound.

[B]

But Straight between the Eyes is the big album that you got to check out from them. Came out, I think, in 1982. Jolin Turner was the lead singer. They had a million different lead singers. Jolyn Turner, Hackensack, New Jersey. Kind of raised in Paramus, New Jersey.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

Was the lead singer. So. So check it out. That's a really good song. They have so many really, really good songs. We'll get to the jets of it all in just a second. We're diving into the situation with the Knicks. A lot of people want to climb aboard on that, including Rodney in Hulk. Thorne, you're on ESPN New York. What's up, Rodney?

[C]

Hey, D. How you doing? It's great talking to you again, I gotta say, I agree with you, Allen, in regards to, kind of think it's a trade that the Knicks should do. Now that injury worries me. And you know, Don, you said the same thing. It's something that I feel like, knowing our luck, he comes here and it becomes the bigger thing and then we're completely know, left with it. And you know, the other thing though, Allan, is it's something that I believe you said too. If Giannis wants to come here, he's going to have to open his mouth and say it because you know what I know he said, I know you said he doesn't want to play the bad guy, but the guy's doing the thumbs down thing like bad guy already.

[A]

So just, just, just go with it.

[C]

And, and Alan, I, I, you know, I'm going to throw this out there. You know, I don't want to sound wrong in this, but I don't know, does that worry you? Like, I know Giannis is an amazing player. Top, top three, top two, top one player. Whatever you want to say. But does that worry you, that the fans booing and all that, like, this is New York, like we're doing Milwaukee, we don't, we don't play that here.

[B]

You know that.

[A]

Yeah, he's not.

[C]

And so. I don't know. I know, but it's just, I'm just, I'm just, I, I want this thing to work out for us. And it, and it is a little worrisome because it is something that, it could be a possibility. I trust in Leon Rose.

[B]

I do.

[C]

I'm one of these fans where I'm like, you know what? In Leon Rose, I trust, you know, we're in a really good place as a franchise right now. Okay, granted, we're not winning, we're not playing well, but, you know, who's to say that in a week or two, oh, hey, look, that was just a blip. And the wheel, the wheel, the cog is back on and it's a well oiled machine again. You know what I mean?

[A]

So that's, that's the opposite. Rodney, I love the fact that you went from the typical New Yorker of we'll make a trade and he'll get hurt because that's what always happens to us. Which is very funny, but it really is how we are. We're all pessimists because it saves us from the inevitable disappointment that we all tend to have with our teams. But you're also being an optimist, saying this. Eleven games that they, you know, they lost nine we could, in April, look back, go. Remember that little stretch where they. They went through a little something and they got it right and everything's fine? Like, you never know because it's such a long season. But the. The Yanis, I wouldn't worry about all that stuff. His person, he's. This is. That's not something that will follow him here to New York. That's not a worry. It's just the cost and the impact it'll have right away. And then Don. Two calf strains in one season, One that way won't go away. Him talking about feeling it pop and then he couldn't run. I'm sorry. That. That's where I start to go. Hang on.

[B]

You're gonna have to. Obviously, you're gonna have to give, you know, a physical, but even that sometimes. Hey, listen, we know the reality. Calf injuries sometimes lead to Achilles, and that means losing a guy that's already, what, 32, 31, 3 years old?

[A]

31.

[B]

And maybe losing him for an entire season and then getting him back compromised. You don't want to see that happen. I understand the apprehension, but, you know, there's no guarantees in life, you know, so.

[A]

No. So again, it's all about price. It's all about what it costs.

[B]

And maybe the. Maybe the one thing that Dave said, even though I thought it was a reactionary call, maybe you can get him cheaper because he's hurt, is something that I think might play into doing it sooner than later.

[A]

Well, that's. That's why if you're the Knicks, you definitely want to get on. On the phone. Look, in the end, it's all about trying to win a championship, and that's when it matters most, is if you can just. If. If you're standing there and Jalen Brunson raises a trophy and. And Giannis is raising a trophy with him, then it was all worth it. And you know, Dom, when a trophy's raised, it can feel like a season's over. But on the ESPN app, it never really is. Because with more than 47,000 live events, plus originals, highlights and coverage from every corner of the sports world, there's always something to dive into, plenty of hoops to watch. Of course, the NBA as now the NFL season is starting to go away. This is where espn, this is where we are at our best.

[B]

Best.

[A]

No off season, just everything a fan needs to keep going, always in season. Get all of ESPN all in one place. Download the ESPN app on your TV or your phone today. And, Donnie, I spoke this morning with. With the get up people. The good, the fine people at Get Up. We made our schedule for February, so it's, it begins in just a week.

[B]

Yeah. You're going to see the pivot from the NFL to the NBA.

[A]

I can't wait.

[B]

Get a little hockey in there, too. Why not? It's an amazing season going on.

[A]

I mean, we do cover it.

[B]

I can free myself up.

[A]

We do cover it. There's no reason why we shouldn't, you know, especially with the Olympics. As long as there's a rink to play.

[B]

It's a Talk about a Tuesday. That, that was not going to be my topic of conversation. But I, I can, I do two in one day.

[A]

You could do whatever you want. You're Don legreco. You're not taking the.

[B]

Do you have one?

[A]

I, I, I got this. It's nothing major because you just had.

[B]

Because I had a nice conversation with John Forsland on Sunday.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Seattle crack. And of course those doing hockey for TNT about the Olympics and he. We're in lockstep.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he had some great comments to me. So I, but listen, we got a ways to go before the Olympics, so maybe I'll say I'll do the one that I want to do today and I'll do the Olympic one a little bit later on, but.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I'm definitely feeling away about that Buddha Staten Island. You're on ESPN New York.

[C]

Hey, hey, fellows, you got to forgive me. I'm on a bus that got working system for some reason. I want to talk about Giannis. Why, why, why is my team keep getting these players at the back end of their careers and then just try to make them look us like to try. It's horrible. Like, we catch already on the back end of his career. We got cat. He just got cat. And now you want to blow it up again. You get Giannis. Giannis is already showing that he's starting to get hurt and he's back in his career. He gonna come here and sign for three years and play a half of that and then act like, oh, it's awful. He wants to come here. Yes. Because the Knicks is where we give money. It's probably a known fact around the league that the Knicks are a place where you could come and get paid and chill and not have to work and not have to get us a championship.

[A]

Hang on. Who else has done that? Where they just got a check got, they got the check from the Knicks and then they just chilled. What star player has done that?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It was 28 years old. When they traded for him, by the way, Cat was 20.

[C]

We traded a good team.

[A]

Right now, 30. 31 is Giannis. He's 31 1. That's not the back end. That's even.

[C]

He's already breaking up. Y been banging his whole career since he's been 18. He's been banging. He's breaking up right now in front of our eyes. Are we gonna get him now? That don't make sense. We have a decent team. Let's get a draft pick and let's develop somebody young instead of getting these old people and going for these pipe dreams.

[B]

Do you guys.

[A]

God bless. You know what it is? You know what it is?

[B]

I think. I think some of these fans, even Nick fans, who I thought are the more overly optimistic of the local team.

[A]

That'S getting a guy who. You stole him from Dallas and turned him into a. He's a legend in New York.

[B]

Like that's what they did. I tell you, I am not a psychiatrist, but I think, you know, what if I decided to pivot my life and put a. Put 10 years in a pretty decent psychologist, right? That guy. Let's bring a young guy. Are you really afraid to compete for a championship?

[A]

Is that what it is? They want young guys.

[B]

They all want to go back in time and start them like they're. They are totally what the. The chase is better than the catch. You know that phrase? Like they'd rather be the team on the outside chasing it than to finally get there and maybe get hurt and lose and come up short. They'd rather go back in time and chase the ring than maybe actually have a chance to grab the ring. That's what you do with Giannis. No, we don't want a 31 year old that's still in his prime and can be helpful. Let's go back and get a younger player. Let's, let's. Let's go the five year plan, Alan, because let's go back in time. Oh, my God. Don't be afraid.

[A]

There's two sides of the story. Some that are saying go all in and some that are being cautious.

[B]

There's some that are just being way, way too cautious.

[A]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[B]

I don't want to know how the.

[A]

Sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more more of Don Allen and Peter Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.