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- [00:00]
A
Don Cool man.
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B
Han, Don holding his hammer. And Rosenberg Rapug.
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C
Don doesn't hold a candle to that pumpkin pie haircut.
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A
And freak. This isn't North Dakota. This is New York.
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B
This is Don, Han and Rosenberg.
- [00:14]
A
The best threesome I've ever heard on.
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B
ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube. All right, let's get right into it. Today on a Thursday in New York City with Don Lagreca. And live from Riyadh, Peter Rosenberg. I am Alan Hahn. How we doing, boy?
- [00:32]
C
Do you have me? Do you have me?
- [00:34]
B
We have you. We hear you.
- [00:37]
C
Do I sound half decent? Is there anything terrible happening? Is it okay?
- [00:40]
B
So far it's fine.
- [00:41]
A
So far it sounds fantastic. You know what it sounds like? You're in the booth next to me at the Rock or you're next to Alan out on Long Island. You don't feel like you're halfway across the world. You sound fabulous. I do need you to pan left.
- [00:58]
B
Pan left, yes.
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A
Which shouldn't be a problem for Peter.
- [01:06]
C
We're off to a good start, folks. We're off to a good start.
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B
Nothing welcomes back more than I see what he's doing.
- [01:14]
C
I see what he's doing and I like it.
- [01:17]
B
You like? Does jet lag work that way? Like, how are you feeling right now? Because let's tell Everybody, because it's 3 o', clock, 302 in the big city. As Don Legreco would say. What is it in Ria, it is 1102pm PM. So you had a day.
- [01:35]
C
Yes, except yesterday I ended up sleeping. I went to bed at like. Well, first of all, my flight took off at 11am a few days ago, and it was a straight 12 hour flight. And I am proud to say that even though I took off at 11am, I think I slept legitimately for like eight or more hours.
- [01:57]
A
Wow, that's awesome.
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B
It's amazing.
- [01:59]
C
No drugs? Oh, no, no. Yes, I did take drugs. I took two Tylenol pm. That's it. Took two Tylenol pm, Slept for like eight hours. Made it here, it was seven in the morning. Stayed up the whole day. Went on the most insane roller coaster, literally, on planet Earth. Survived it. Stayed up till like 2am slept till like noon. Also, like, Don Lagreca slept right until noon. And here we are now. I think I'm doing pretty good.
- [02:28]
B
All right, well, you sound great. It's good to have you back. We've got a lot.
- [02:33]
C
I hear everything's happening.
- [02:34]
B
Well, there's. There's some stuff. There's some stuff. You know, I always say, like, you know, where there's. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Oh, sure, yeah, There's. There's some stuff. We got a lot to get to. We'll get into Brian Cashman. Not running it back. We're not running it back. We'll get into the Yankee stuff. Eli Manning conversation as well. You're called at 800 now. 1-93776 I I. Boy, Andre Palat. That's pretty good player, Donnie.
- [03:00]
A
All two points.
- [03:01]
B
Instant impact, instant goal. Assists. Islanders get a 52 win over the Rangers. They'll play again tonight. That's why we're a 630 vehicle, everybody. So keep that in mind. So, lots of things to get to. But the reason why I'm saying smoke and fire is this, is that this. This thing with Giannis has been smoldering right since the summer. And I've kept. I have said all along, the right deal, the best deal is in the summer. It's hard to do a deal for Giannis in season. The Bucs know this. John Horst is telling. He's the GM of the Bucks, and I can tell you he's telling teams that there is a deal to be made because they're finally realizing that Giannis doesn't want to be there. He won't say it publicly, but they know and they're seeing if. What kind of market can we get for him right now if teams start getting crazy? But he even knows the better deal is probably in the summer, maybe even on draft night, because there's more to get when it comes to draft picks. You know where teams are picking, and then there's more future picks that you can get once you get to that point. So that's why I've held firm on that. But, fellas, sounds like something could happen. A week from today is the trade deadline, and it's starting to get a little hot and heavy. And now the smoke is. Now it's no longer smoldering, now there's smoke, which tells me there's a fire.
- [04:25]
A
And I totally buy it. And there's that sense of urgency, there's that sense of panic that, in my opinion, the Knicks should not be a part of. The Knicks are in the catbird seat they've been from the very beginning. I know Nick fans aren't used to that. Knick fans are used to having to bend over backwards to please everybody. Nobody wanted to come play for your team. You're always the one that's desperate. He wants to play for the Knicks. He's all but said it. And the reason he won't say it is he doesn't want to be a bad guy. Guess what? He's being a bad guy anyway. He's booing the fans. He's really acted like a tool through this whole thing because he's trying so desperately not to be that guy that he's now firmly that guy. And I would call his bluff if I'm the Knicks. Hey, we're here. We'd love to have you, but it's going to be on our terms. We're not disrupting our season. We've just won four in a row. We believe we've got a team good enough to challenge in the east and get to a final. We'd love to have you, but we're going to have you during the summer. So if you want to go play your reindeer games in Golden State or. Or play your reindeer games in Miami because you're so impatient and you can't wait, well, then that's on you. But if you really want to be a Nick, we'll see you in the summer.
- [05:39]
B
Well, that guy Thursday is coming up later in the show. Maybe we'll come back to that. But. But, Peter, do you agree with Don? Like, are you kind of getting sick of this, this reindeer game thing? Because everybody has been whispering this, and I'm telling, by the way, this has been whispered for more than a year. Like, I've been hearing this for about a year and a half, almost two years from different people that, hey, you know, he wants to be in New York. You know, he wants to play there, you know, and I'm always like, well, I don't know how they're going to get him. And now it's like, okay, well, it's a real thing. The Knicks have to be feeling. If I'm in that front office, I know I'm feeling the pressure if I know Minnesota is. Is trying to make something happen. And Golden State, you know, is always desperate to try to get one more ring with Steph Curry. Miami's trying to be relevant again. You never know what Pat Riley's going to do. So I. Now I'm feeling pressure of, well, I would rather wait for the summer, but I can't afford to lose. Let this guy go somewhere else. And now I no longer have a chance to get him. So they're in a tough spot. But are you. Are you feeling like.
- [06:37]
C
Don, do you remember the other day, Alan? I think Don was not with us at that moment, and I told you, I was like, Sort of starting to get, like, close to. And I know this is insane because I have said many times, even though Giannis Anetokounmpo is not my favorite basketball player to watch, I believe he is the most instant impact player as far as making a team a contender as exists in basketball. Like, to me, he is number one in that regard.
- [07:09]
B
Him, Jokic, right. Anybody like that, just suddenly you're, you're a contender because they're just so. They do so much on the court.
- [07:16]
C
Maybe Jokic is the one that I'd say I'd put even ahead of him, maybe. But Giannis is that impactful to me. But I said to you, I think I might be getting close to. I'm all set. Like, there is something that he is showing here that I really don't love. From, from the, from the unceremonious exodus of Mike Budenholzer after being a championship coach who got that team not only to a championship, but, but constantly hovering around a championship to now his attitude and Don took the words from my mouth on the call. For a guy who's not trying to look like the bad guy, he's sure starting to look like the bad guy.
- [07:56]
B
And if you're the Knicks, you're probably looking at him saying, if you really want to be here, just say it. And he won't say it. He just won't. He didn't in the summer when they, they had a, you know, some brief conversation about it. And he won't right now. And that's why it puts the Knicks in a really bad position. Because if you're feeling like before next week, before the trade deadline next Thursday, if, if you're getting indications from the Bucks, hey, listen, you know, we've got a better offer. You know, let's say Minnesota, we got a better offer there. And, you know, unless you can put more on the table that you're not willing to put on the table, we're going to go in that direction. What do the Knicks do? Like, what do they feel that pressure of we're going to have to do it now? Because it does feel damned if you do and damned if you don't, one way or another. But getting him does change a lot of things. And obviously it is a really good business decision when it comes to, you know, the value of the franchise and all the business side of things. When a player of that magnitude comes to your franchise. This, to me, is the moment of truth for this front office over the next couple of days.
- [09:01]
A
But there's a few things that you got to consider. First of all, I think you're throwing away a chance to do anything this season because you'd be trading for a player that can't play right away. Right. You're going to disrupt the chemistry that you have now. The counter to that would be, well, what chemistry? You're just struggling. Well, you just won four in a row. You're back to be in the two seed. And I still think this team has an excellent chance to at least get to a conference final, if not a final. Do I think they're winning a championship? No, I don't. But I don't think the Knick fan could be, you know, spitting an opportunity to go play in a final. You've only played in two in the last 30 years, so I'm not throwing away that opportunity. And then how would you feel if you threw it away and then you find out OKC gets bounced in the second round and or suffers a series of injuries and maybe you could have won a championship. I'm not throwing a season away. And especially throwing a season away for a guy that even if you got him, do you even know you'll have him next year? Because we talked about it yesterday. Peter, you know, with this calf injury, is this eventually going to lead to an Achilles and I lose him for a year anyway? I mean, so there's nothing ever guaranteed and he wants to be here. Well, show me how much you want to be here. I just don't think I would want to do it. I still think there's something about this season and I still think that you can get him in the offseason. Just call his bluff, man. Like, does he hate it in Milwaukee that much that he's going to throw away an opportunity to play for the team he wants to play for, just to go finish out the season and try to win in Golden State. Good luck. Golden State's got some nice players, but you're in the same conference as okc, you're in the same conference as Denver, you're in the same conference as Minnesota. You want to go play in Miami.
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C
Team and that team is fading. Like there's no question. We know the guys in Golden State are on the way out. They've said, Steve Curtis literally come out and said, we understand we're at the end of the line. Now, obviously Giannis would, would reinvigorate that team, but that doesn't change Steph Curry's age.
- [10:55]
B
No, I think Minnesota is the bigger threat because of Anthony Edwards, 24 year old megastar. You Put those two together and you try to build something going forward, you know, with that. But, but that's. They like Miami also. While everybody loves to, you know, the big bad wolf that they are, I just. What do they have to offer? And then what. What's left there anyway, as well. Right. So I look at Minnesota as a team that I would be most concerned about because, you know, their GM is very good, Tim Connolly, and they, they have a superstar to pair him with. That could be. They've been to two conference finals in a row here. So this is not like Minnesota's a bad team. I don't know how they make it work money wise, you know, I don't know who you're giving up. Imagine if Julius Randle is that piece that they end up using to make the money work. But let me, before I answer to what you said, don't about like, I'd rather wait. Wait it out. Make him. If you really want to be here, then you'd wait too. I trust Brian Windhorst probably more than anybody else when it comes to covering things because he's so measured and he's also very well connected. So here's the latest from Wendy on what he's hearing and what he's putting together about the Giannis sweepstakes that we are now heading into over the next week.
- [12:11]
D
The Golden State warriors, primarily because they control all of their dray trade assets. If they were willing to offer all of them, that's four first round picks, potentially a couple of pick swaps, plus some, you know, young players that are interested, including Brandon Pajemski, who's a Milwaukee native. If there are teams out there that can involve a third or fourth team to improve their offer, a team like Miami, for example, and a team like the Knicks. I think the Knicks can make a compelling offer, but it requires them to really abandon what they've got going now and then to go out and recruit third and fourth teams that would. Those are big hurdles to cross. But I think the Knicks can make a compelling offer. And Shams mentioned that Minnesota Timberwolves. He is not mentioning that for no reason. This is something from what I understand that Giannis has interested in the Timberwolves don't have draft picks and don't have the young players. They'd have to center around veteran players. But that is something that we should keep an eye on as well.
- [12:59]
B
Yeah, and that's, that's why I brought up Minnesota as well. And listen, so Don, that's why when you say, and I totally understand it when you say you want to come here, don't make us blow up the team. Just, just chill, wait till the summer, better time to do it. And it's really, if you think about it, those options that he laid out, Golden State and all their draft picks, how valuable those draft picks going to be really? If he goes there with Steph Curry and they're, they're winning and they're right, you know, they're going to be in the 20s, those picks. So that's not value to recruit a third team. What's in it for them? You know, if you're the Knicks, you're trying to recruit a third team. People have thrown out, you know, some speculation that, well, Portland has all of Milwaukee's picks be from the Lillard deal. So what if you got Portland to give Milwaukee their picks back? Okay, great. What's in it for them? Oh, they like Mikhail Bridges. Not that much. Right. You're not getting the three picks. So there's so much there that has to work. Which is why I keep saying this is so hard to do in season for everybody. Portland, by the way, coming to play the Garden tomorrow night, ironically, right? Or coincidentally, so. Now, here's my answer to you, Don. The problem with this, and that's why I said, damned if you do, damned if you don't. Because if you say we can't do it, we're not doing it and only you can make it happen. If you say, I only want to go to New York, so I'll wait till the summer and let's do it then, which Milwaukee, from what we understand, is open to doing, they are not desperate to trade them. They want to see who's desperate to get them and how much they can get. But I do think it's a. It's a dangerous place because if things don't work out this season and this team doesn't give you that championship vibe that we thought maybe a month ago they might have for this front office, like that's. This is your moment of truth. Everything that you've done to this point, now everybody points. Now everybody will start saying, but they couldn't get the big fish and they gave up too much for Bridges, and that cost them the chance to get a guy like Giannis that really could have put him over the top. The criticism will come immediately, Don. And if I own the franchise, that's something that goes in the back of your mind. Now, we had a chance to get one of the best players in the sport, and we couldn't get him and so how do I feel about the direction of the franchise? I just feel like it opens up so much now. It's a dangerous place that they are right now. I feel like this is a crossroads. So it's not that easy to just try to stare this thing down. It's going to take some stones. If you really want to stare this down and just keep saying to Giannis, just wait, just wait. And maybe the Bucks might say, I don't know, I don't know. That's a pretty good offer we just got from Team X. I don't want to wait because that offer could come off the table. So we got to do it now. I don't you think if you're in the front office, if you are one of the guys in the front office, Don, don't you feel there's a lot more like. This feels way more pressure packed than anything else, including trading Randall for Cat. Like that seemed like a no brainer. This. This feels like damned if you do and damned if you don't. It is.
- [16:22]
A
But there is the one thing, and I. I've never been in that kind of high profile management place to really talk with any kind of expertise, but I would think when, if you're applying pressure on me, that's putting me in a really tough spot. Like, it's not so much I want to make the deal, I have to make the deal. You're putting the gun to my head.
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B
Well, you want to make the deal.
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A
No, of course you want to make the deal, but you don't necessarily want to make the deal now.
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B
Right.
- [16:51]
A
And the only reason you're making the deal now is the fear of losing him. Yeah, well, now you're not. Now you're not. You have strength, you have power. You're forfeiting that power to just become a desperate minion like everybody else. Right. Everybody else is going to be in for him because they absolutely have to. The Heat are nowhere right now. They're a shell of what they used to be. All right. Pat Riley this, Pat Riley that. They're not winning a championship. Is presently constituted. Not going to do it. Golden State. Attractive, yes, but like you said, those picks aren't going to be anything. It's like the five picks the Dicks gave up for Bridges. What does it. What does it mean? The end of the day, Golden State ship is sailed. They're done. So any other place you go? Minnesota. Yeah, that's really interesting. I get it. But you still have Oklahoma City to have to deal with. You still have Denver to have to deal with. That's still a very, very difficult conference. And it's a place that you don't necessarily want to be. You said you wanted to be a Nick. I actually have the cards. You're forcing me now to be like you. I don't want to give up that strength. True. It could blow up in my face. Yeah, but getting him could blow up in my face. He could tear his Achilles at the beginning, opening day next year. And now I'll be like, why do we get this guy?
- [18:02]
B
Yeah, yeah.
- [18:03]
C
But there's no history of a New York team getting a great all time player and them tearing their Achilles immediately.
- [18:09]
B
That's why.
- [18:11]
C
It was sitting right there.
- [18:13]
B
You think it could happen twice?
- [18:14]
C
I could say it from Riyadh. It was sitting right because when you.
- [18:17]
A
Have that big of an example sitting in your lap, you have to take it off just so you don't break your lap.
- [18:21]
B
No, no, no. I respect the fact that you took the opportunity. What I'm saying is, is that like, it couldn't really happen twice. No way that could happen again, could it?
- [18:31]
A
You are, you know the analogy that we always use for Alonzo and for, for judge. They're the pool party. Alonzo's the guy, you know, doing cannonballs and judge is the one in the khakis and a dress shirt hanging out of the bar. The Knicks are the judge. They're the cool guy at the club that everybody wants to hang with. And now you're asking me to be the 5 foot 8 portly guy running around, trying to, trying to get the woman. You're, you're making, you're reducing me, you're reducing my leverage. You're making me like everybody else. No, I, I'm not going to be that guy.
- [19:11]
B
So you sit there and I'm going to wait. The Knicks can't be Peter.
- [19:14]
C
I don't know why you chose Peter. Well, I'm glad you said it because it was obviously what he meant. So I'm glad you said it.
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B
Yeah, I saw you look two boxes over. First of all, I saw Peter.
- [19:26]
A
I was not thinking about Peter. I was, I was trying to describe a George Costanza. I do not look at Peter. I do not see George.
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C
Just saying 5, 6 would have made all the difference to 5, 8. You know what I mean?
- [19:37]
A
That's the thing. I have leverage. He wants to come here. I'm not going to play your Ranger. I got a good basketball team. I've. Outside of Minnesota, I've got a better team than everybody else. That's going to try to trade for now.
- [19:52]
B
And I want to get calls on this because, you know, like we reach a point sometimes a fatigue with rumors. But the reason why the 800 now went on 3, 7, 7, 6. Get them lined up now because everybody always has opinions on this. What is a deal breaker? Let's go there. Because if you're talking to them, you know, you have some stuff on the table. There's a place you're willing to go, then there's a place you're like, that's too. That's a bridge too far. We can't do that. Right. So if that's true, what is it? You're going to need a third team because I don't know if Milwaukee will want a guy whose money matches perfectly in car Anthony Towns. They are trying to move on from a star. Are they trying to add a guy who's kind of making the same amount of money for the next two, three years? I don't know if that's the case. What you don't have the young up and coming talent that they're looking for. You have future draft picks, which by the way, the future draft picks that you can offer, which is. We're talking about like, I don't know, like 20, 28, 30 and 32. I'm talking about in 2028, 2030, the Knicks could be bad by then because by then whatever this run is, will could be over. So those picks might actually have more value than Golden State's more current picks. So you don't know. You could sell that. There's a lot of things you can sell, but is there something that you would say is, no, I'm not doing this.
- [21:25]
A
I.
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B
Because you don't. Don't worry about the multiple player thing blowing up your roster. You could do the straight up money match. You could put also instead of Towns, if they don't want him, you could put an anobi who also has a pretty big salary and Bridges. And if they don't want either one or one of the other, the third team gets that right. So there's way. And then now all of a sudden you have a team that could have potentially, and I'm all spitballing here, you could have a team that potentially has Jalen Brunson, Giannis Denokounmpo and Karl Anthony Town. You could have that if they don't want him. Right. You don't know.
- [22:04]
A
So but what are you going to give that a third team to get them in? You got. You got to Entice them to get to join.
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B
Of course. Yeah.
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A
And that isn't that usually going.
- [22:14]
B
It usually involves picks. I just think there's a lot of scenarios that are there. Then there's this. Milwaukee might not just want to move on from Giannis. They might look at Kyle Kuzma and say, this guy's dead money. He's got another year on his deal. We don't want to pay this thing. Get him out of here. They might look at Bobby Portis, they might look at, you know, Miles Turner, who they just. They might want to move on from contracts that go beyond next season that they now want you to take on so they can clean their books up. That messes up. I told you guys, I know it's boring, but the second apron thing, the knicks are like 50 cents below it. You go over it. The minute you go over it, you now are locked. You can't make any trades, any improvements, any changes to your roster, Nothing until you get back under it. That's that. That really puts you in a tough spot this summer and next year. You roster then becomes your roster. And that's, I think, something that you have to really be worried about if you're the Knicks. But like I said, what's the limit? What's your no, because we know already the Knicks are engaged in negotiations for Giannis, Dennis Campo along with other teams. The Bucks are talking. But what is the point that you say no? The walk away moment, what is it? Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [23:45]
C
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [23:46]
B
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. All right, so that guy Thursday at 4:30, Damian Woody at 5:30, off the air at 6:30 because Islanders Rangers once again tonight after the Islanders get a 52 win last night and former Devil Andre Palat had the first goal of the game and an assist as well. So lots there to talk about. But we want to talk with you about the latest with Giannis Denokounmpo and how it is a week away from the NBA trade deadline and the reporting now is getting out there that the Bucs are now seriously listening to offers and the teams involved that are talking with them include the Knicks, of course, but also Minnesota, Miami, Golden State as some of the the other competitors for him. And we're just wondering what is the point where you say no if you're the Knicks, what is too much that you're willing to say we're walking away, even if it Means we lose giannis to another team. 800. Now we're 93776. Let's go to Rob in Nyak to start us off. Hey, Rob.
- [24:55]
D
What's up, boys? So, yeah, I understand the Luca trade was, like, totally out of the blue, overwhelming.
- [25:03]
C
Whoa.
- [25:03]
D
How did that happen? But Luca was happy in Dallas, right? And then when I assess things, like, once you're a superstar and you're no longer happy and you express, you know, what you're going to. What that team is going to get in return generally will be a little bit less because, you know, he's not happy where he is, and they want to get him out of there. So the other thing is this. Like, when I look at that trade in comparison, I see Luca as better than Giannis if I'm building a franchise. I see Cat as better than AD if I'm building a franchise. So I see that gap as smaller. So there's no way I'm giving up an Anoby, maybe Bridges if I get, like, a bench piece that I can use in clutch minutes in return. But, yeah, I just. I'm kind of with Don on this, that the Knicks are in a good position.
- [25:48]
A
I just.
- [25:49]
D
Alan, wanted to hear your thoughts. I know the Luca trade seems crazy to everybody, but the fact that Giannis is expressing that he's not happy, I think he's. I think he's gettable for Cat and a little something extra.
- [26:02]
B
Well, again, Rob, it takes two to tango what you're giving the bucks they have to want. So. And. And, guys, you remember when that Luca deal went down, it was such a surprise. And the reason why, you know, Dallas fired everybody after that or shortly after that was because the feeling was you could have done better if you opened it up and had other teams get involved and rather than just make it a one for one and keep it a secret, right?
- [26:31]
A
Oh, for sure.
- [26:32]
B
But.
- [26:35]
A
The thing about him wanting. The only. The only person that wants to rush this along is Giannis. The Bucs are more than willing to wait till the summer. The Knicks are obviously willing to wait for the summer. He's not even playing right now. When's the next time he's going to come back and play?
- [26:52]
B
Well, they said. They have said indefinite. He's the one who said four to six weeks, but they've said indefinite.
- [26:58]
A
All right, so four to six weeks. If you want to go off of that timetable, you were already into February, basically. So you're talking about coming back in mid March. He can't wait. I mean, I really when you really break it down, the only reason there's any sense of urgency is it sounds like he can't wait. So he's willing to risk being a Knick because he can't stand playing from the middle of March to the middle of April, one month with a lousy basketball team in Milwaukee. That's it.
- [27:33]
B
It's interesting, right, because if you're the box and you can wait, and you're the Knicks and you can wait, what. What is the reason for. For opening this up other than to see if you can get a team that's going to maybe give you more then. Then they want to. Maybe you can get a better deal or at least get somebody desperate. That's why I've. I can. I've constantly said I don't see this happening in season for exactly what we're saying. And also because the honest thing, if he. If he gets traded to a team and plays right away, then we know this second cap thing was. Was bogus, right? But you're right, don't even think about that. If you can't even use him until March anyway, and then you got to acclimate him into your team and then try to make a run, now you're.
- [28:15]
A
You're probably throwing any chance of doing something this year away. Now, like I said earlier, the counter is most Knick fans don't believe they're winning a championship anyway. But are you telling me right now they can't get to a final, no shot? I can't say that. I think it's still going to be tough because it looks like the Pistons are really good. But I think this team, even if they got swept by the Thunder, you telling me that's not nothing, getting to.
- [28:45]
B
A final, but getting swept?
- [28:46]
A
Come on, man. You haven't been to a final since 99. You've only been to two finals since 94. I mean, you're willing to throw that away because you got to get Giannis now and have him sit there maybe for six weeks and not play well.
- [28:59]
B
Don, we could have a conversation of whether or not the Knicks can get out of the first round if they get the wrong matchup because of the way they've played. Sometimes you're seeing teams that can kind of beast mode them a little bit, right? And that's not a good sign. Right. Towns has not been right all year. Last night he had 22 rebounds, which is remarkable, but he was 3 for 11. Still can't, couldn't shoot, couldn't score, got blocked by a guy who's 6, 8. But, you know, that's something that you got to get him right. It was good to see Bridges get right, but.
- [29:28]
A
All right. But I don't know what the percentages are of going to the final. Is it 50, 50? Is it 40%? If you make this deal for Giannis, he doesn't play for the first month you have him plus the assets that you would give up, you have zero chance of making a run.
- [29:42]
B
So you're totally against this then? You sound like you're totally against this.
- [29:45]
A
I just. I'm calling his bluff. I'm admitting that there's a chance it could blow up in my face. But if I'm confident in what I can give up, I'm confident that he wants to be a Nick, I'm willing to roll the dice.
- [30:02]
C
I do like the idea of getting to play things out here and see what you have with this team. See if you can get cat right, and then you see where the chips land in the summer. I also like the idea, you know, not unlike how I felt about, you know, teams being too aggressive to back up the Brinks truck, for that coach to show how desperate they are. This is a Knicks team that's pretty good. And, yeah, it. It just seems like to do something rash right now. I get it. We're more than halfway through the year and it's not going exactly how you hoped. But, guys, are we saying that there's no chance this team pulls it together in the final quarter of the season? They get healthy, they get right, and you start to feel good?
- [30:45]
B
It could happen.
- [30:46]
A
I showed you that last night wasn't nothing. Right? You went out in the second of back to backs, having to travel to Canada. Right. You would have lost the two seed, and you came up with a big win. You won four straight. I know it's been inconsistent, but if you believe in your team and you believe in management. See, I just think a lot of Knick fans are coming from a place of how it used to be, where your hat's in your hand. You're desperate to try to get somebody to come play for you. It's very rare that you're sitting there knowing that player wants to play for you, knowing that your team is good coming off a conference final appearance. This isn't the Knicks missing the playoffs five straight years. Nobody wants to play for you. They got clown management. Relish what you are right now. Take advantage of. Use it.
- [31:35]
B
Let's continue with the calls, you know. Oh, so go ahead, Peter.
- [31:37]
C
I was just. No, I was going to say you could even go on right now and probably bet and get decent odds for the the Knicks to make the Finals. And if, if you did, while you're there, it is the last call for. For football. Football and FanDuel. And football. One final Sunday, one last kickoff, the final chance to place your bets before the NFL season comes to a close. This is Super Bowl 60. That is so crazy. Every time I hear that number. And FanDuel is making sure you're in on it. If you're a new customer, bet $5. Get $200 in bonus bets if you win. So whether you're back in the favorite, you're riding with the underdog, or building one last endgame parlay, make it count. Because after the super bowl, the season's over and football is officially done. Last call for football on FanDuel, official sportsbook partner of Super Bowl 60. Visit FanDuel.com local to get started. 21 and over, Fizzly present New York first online real money wager only $5. First deposit required. Bonus issues now withdrawable bonus bets seven days after receipt restrictions apply. See terms@sportsbook.fandel.com for help with the gambling problem. Call 870 open wire text open Y467369. And with that, Alan, let's talk to the people.
- [32:40]
B
Yeah, you did some quick voice there, which is really good. Flawless, in fact. Micro machines are jays Spike in St. Pete. Spike, how you feel about all this?
- [32:50]
D
I feel great about all this. It's great to talk to you guys. You know, technology is amazing. Peter being in Saudi Arabia and Don at Prudential and you, I guess, at Harvard, I felt opening my window and saying, hey guys, calm down. Quiet. It's amazing how technology works. Look, I saw the last four games. I saw a lot of things that I liked and I saw some things I didn't like. The last 16 minutes of yesterday's game, I went over five times. JB looked like he wasn't feeling well. He pulls him out. Kolak has a knack of keeping his head up and seeing the floor and making that bounce pass, which is so beautiful. Alan, it's so timely. And if I told you that JB and Kat would get under 20 points, whatever. They got together and they win the game handily. I know they play the team, as you be said, you can't teach height. That was small. When I saw what's the kid's name started Barnes jumping center. But you won without Mitch. You won without Deuce. They both had career Years. Mitch has played twice as many games. The only threats I see, and I may be old, but my eye is still good. Our Detroit who lost three games at home last year, that's why they beat the crap out of them at other game and Boston. And that's not because I love Peter. That's because Joe Missoula should be coach of the year in the East. So I, I don't think you do a thing. I don't like Mike Brown as much as I like Tibbs. I don't know why he put Clarkson in the doghouse, but he had a used colic yesterday. Yabaselli was a bad pick. And the bottom line is they have 14 games before yesterday and four back to backs. And Michael said that means no Mitch. I said no Mitch, no Deuce. And you go out to a team that's undersized the face of Barrett and quick. They look like they were mourning their dogs dying. I don't mean anything by that, but just an analogy. And I think this team's going to get to the finals. I just think so. I'd rather play Pistons in the Celtics.
- [34:50]
B
Oh, wow. Okay. All right. Well, Spike is, Spike still believes in this team. And again, this recent turn does. I mean if they were still struggling like they were during that 11 game stretch, Donnie, like you, I think it'd be a lot louder. But we're, the more calls we get, the more people are saying, don't, don't be desperate, don't go after him. Which is amazing.
- [35:09]
C
He's a talent player. Listen, I, here's the thing. The basketball season, we're not going to, we're not going to mix it up with the, with the baseball season, but we're also not going to mix it up with the football season. And when you have a long season and I'm sorry, 82 games, the long season, it's like having a conversation to some degree with the Yankees or Mets in the first half of the season where I mean, I don't want, you know, Don, think about the New York Mets last year. Think about the Yankees in the past couple years. There are times where teams completely change. I think it's actually kind of smart and mature of fans to not panic and actually think, hey, we have a team that went to the conference finals last year. We have a weaker conference this year. We have a new coach that hopefully is, is, is, is worth his weight. Some people obviously believe, some don't. And, and you feel like you have a slightly better team than you did last year. So why would you not want to roll the dice and see where this thing goes after the All Star break.
- [36:07]
A
And when you take a look at Kat's comments where he basically admitted that the whole possibility of being traded for Giannis has affected him, does he become reengaged? If he knows or at least I know I'm here for the rest of the year and I got a chance to do something here and then once we get to the summer, who knows. But you know, will that re engage him to know that he's going to be here? You said he had a bunch of rebounds last night. His stats aren't that bad. He's just not what fans expect him to know to be. But if you can re engage him, get healthy, all their issues guys, they're still the number two seed in the conference.
- [36:40]
B
Yeah.
- [36:40]
A
And why is Detroit any different than Cleveland last year? Right. Cleveland ran away with everything in the regular season and then come post season you saw what happened. Can that be Detroit this year?
- [36:52]
B
I tell you what, I have an answer for that. I also have something that I saw last night as well that it's the all the reason to think that if you're in the front office, the pressure you're feeling is the idea of if we don't do it, we lose him and we have to know that we did our best. But you have to be okay with letting a top three player in the NBA go somewhere else because you weren't willing to make the deal. Right. So that's there's a lot to me there. But when you look at the way the team has played of late, that's the team telling you you don't need to break this team up. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [37:31]
C
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [37:33]
B
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. So the Knicks, by the way to make it a by the way because the honest news and a lot of the chatter about it around the NBA that really kicked up the this morning again really became a priority because it was the most recent thing. But the Knicks did get a very impressive win last night in in Toronto. Second of a back to back as Don mentioned. And this was impressive because you had no Robinson and no McBride. They sat out for injury management because of the back to back. Jalen Brunson was under the weather. He was questionable even before the game started, but played because that's what a captain does. Josh Hart was questionable because he, you know, you saw him limping around after the game last night. But he played because again, he's a leader. It's what he wanted to do. And the Knicks were losing Donnie by 11 points with eight minutes to go in the third quarter. And they just, they couldn't make it three. They didn't look like they had it. Then all of a sudden it just started to click. Tyler Cola came in, passing the ball around, doing a nice job. He hadn't played in a while. And then Bridges suddenly got hot. I didn't knowby had a great game, but it was something about Bridges that he just looked different. And he started scoring. He scored 20 points in the third quarter. The Knicks went on a 274 run to end the quarter. And suddenly from down 11 to up 12 going into the fourth, turns out they outscored Toronto in the last 20 minutes of the game by 40 points.
- [39:13]
A
Wow.
- [39:13]
B
So won the game going away 119.92. And after the game, Bridges, who ended up with 30 points. Now remember two games ago in Philadelphia, that's his hometown, he was three for 16, got benched, didn't play the end of the game, and he had a better game against Sacramento, but then he was terrific in Toronto. And here's him on msg. This is Clyde. Asked him, like, what, what changed after that, that game in Philly where you had a 3 for 16, what changed for you? This answer is a very honest one from Mikhail Bridges.
- [39:46]
A
I don't know. I think a lot of it comes.
- [39:48]
B
From just not just shooting the ball.
- [39:50]
A
I think I just wasn't playing how.
- [39:51]
C
I was supposed to be playing.
- [39:52]
B
I think I wasn't coachable enough.
- [39:54]
A
I don't know what it was.
- [39:54]
B
Maybe I felt too much entitlement, but.
- [39:56]
A
Just had to kind of talk to myself a little bit about it and.
- [39:59]
B
Just be coachable, be the best team I can be, and then, you know, let basketball speak for itself. I mean, think about that for a minute. He talked about himself being accountable, being a, being coached, but I wasn't being coached. You love that. Like, think about, like, right, like that. That's as, that's as honest an answer as you can get. And you don't get that a lot of times. And it said a lot for me and maybe even for him, thinking about his mortality as a nick over the last couple of days. And he's thought to himself, no, I don't want to go anywhere. I need to be here and I need to get my head right.
- [40:29]
A
I know it's a little rah rah for me. To say this, but if they don't make this move, how much does that galvanize that room that the organization says, we believe in you guys?
- [40:43]
B
That's a great question.
- [40:43]
A
We got a chance to get Yanis, but you know what? We don't. We're not going to do it because we think you're good enough. And what does that do for Kat? What does that do for Bridges? Because obviously there's always going to be that feeling of negativity or apprehension that they're really as good as they're supposed to be. I mean, I would think that'd be a rallying cry for the room that they believe in us. Because how does it feel right now in that room that you went to the conference final last year and all anybody's talked about this season is how you got to get better, you got to get Giannis. You're not good enough to win unless you get that other player. And then you turn around and not get that player, not because you couldn't get him, but you make the statement, we're good, we're good.
- [41:23]
C
That's the thing.
- [41:24]
A
You're right, Peter.
- [41:25]
C
Even going forward and not getting them.
- [41:26]
A
Could be do damage, right?
- [41:28]
C
You can't just like, oh, it seems like you don't communicate with the players, time passes, oh, it looks like it just didn't work out. It has to be an affirmative statement of we're good, we don't need to blow this thing up. We love this team, let's make it happen. I know it is a little rah rah. It is a little major league, but it, but it is nice when you hear things like that from Bridges, it does make you think. And by the way, even through Katz weird ish behavior, he still, Alan, I'm not wrong. He still has moments of being very reflective and wanting to get this right. Like, I don't think the heart and good stuff. Like, I really do believe sort of in the core fabric of this team, mentally, emotionally, like, intellectually, I think it's there. It just hasn't all come together yet. And maybe something like that would work.
- [42:17]
A
So it's so interesting you say that, Peter. You throw a major league and like every corny sports movie, you know, last to first rallying crowd, it's really not that going that deep. You're a two seed, you went to the conference final last year. You know, it's not rah rah, let's be the 69 Mets here and let's come out of nowhere and win the thing. No, you're there, you're right there. And that little bit of belief could be enough for you to be able to just get over the top and at least get to where you were last year.
- [42:47]
B
Which will both of you saying things, which is why I said, like, this feels like a moment of truth for the front office because here is a, an all time great who could change everything. And if you say, you know what, we're stepping away, what does that do when you walk in the room and go, you know what, guys, we could have traded for him and we said no, because we want to believe in you guys. That could galvanize the room. That could maybe clear, clear Kat's head or it could, you know, end up being a mistake if those guys don't follow through. So it is a very interesting point. Josh Hart tweeted, retweeted that interview that we just played with Bridges even, he said, this is the realest and most impressive post game interview you will ever see. Proud of my brother. You could tell they've had a lot of internal conversations, this group, they have.
- [43:40]
A
And Peter's right, you got to be smart about it. You can't wait until you don't get them and say, well, we never wanted them in the first place.
- [43:46]
B
Yeah.
- [43:46]
A
Like a week before the deadline said, we're out, we're good, we like our team.
- [43:50]
B
Yeah, it could be a great story.
- [43:52]
A
Plus, it really sticks at the honest to like, all right, how bad do you want to be? How bad do you want to be a Nick?
- [43:58]
C
And I love that point you added. Don, you're not doing this with a, with a last place team.
- [44:03]
B
Right.
- [44:04]
C
This is a really good team who was in the conference finals last year. The best team in the conference is down their best player. And there's another team that's really good that this Knicks team can handle and play with in Detroit. Like, this isn't a crazy. You're not asking the Wizards to do it.
- [44:18]
A
Okay.
- [44:18]
C
Like this, this isn't a movie. This is a very realistic thing.
- [44:22]
B
Well, one thing I will say though is you do can't do nothing at the trade deadline though, because you still gotta get a dog or two added to the team. Vinnie and Bergen, we got a lot of calls on this, so let's keep going. Vinnie and Bergen county, you're up next. Vinnie.
- [44:36]
D
Hey, how you guys doing?
- [44:37]
B
Good.
- [44:37]
D
So I, I, I don. You're talking sense, Peter, you're talking sense. Han, you're talking sense. Like, why get rid of it? Why go for Giannis right now when you can Upgrade at the Hulk 40 position. You can upgrade at the Abu Sali position, and you put a team together that didn't make it last year. They made moves, they got Clarkson, you see colic. Now you got these guys. Everyone's playing pretty well. I know they had a couple rough games, but upgraded those positions. I just want to know. You guys think you make those upgrades and, I don't know, you think you go on a pretty good run.
- [45:13]
B
That's the thing, Vinny, and thanks for the call, is the subtle moves that might not get headlines and casual fans will throw their arms up going, who's this guy? What'd you do? You could have gotten Giannis and you got this guy instead. Like, those. People say that, but those are the moves. And, Don, we've seen this throughout sports and all the sports you and I have covered. Sometimes those subtle trades at the deadline are the ones you talk about in May and June and say, you know, no one made a big deal about this trade when they did it, but what an impact this guy has had for this team.
- [45:44]
A
Those are the nice ones, right? We were just doing the whole John McClain thing back on Tuesday that the deal the devils made in 95 to win the cup was Neil Broughton. And I remember when they made the deal, it's like, all right, well, Neil Brod and kind of old, nice player, you know, third lines and he's scoring big goals. And one of the reasons why they won, those are the ones like, there could be times you make trades that sends a message to the room, we believe in you. That's why we made this deal. And then there's deals you make. We don't believe in you. And that's why we made this deal. They need to make a deal that says, we think you guys got it. We just want a little insurance, we just want a little debt. We want a little maintenance deal to help this happen. I think that's important to the room, man, especially the psyche of this team, which does seem to be fragile.
- [46:33]
B
It can be. But it'll be amazing that if on the other side of this thing, if Carl Anthony Towns is still in a nick uniform, if all of a sudden all the whatever's going on in his head suddenly miraculously disappears. Thanks for listening to Badan Han and Rosie Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app, and your smart speakers.