NBA Expansion Draft Protections | Morning Shoot Around

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily – “NBA Expansion Draft Protections”

Morning Shoot Around | February 18, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, Esfandiar “S” Baraheni, others

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Episode Overview

This lively, fast-paced episode centers on a major NBA “what if”: How would teams approach an expansion draft if it happened this summer? The crew goes through each team in the NBA, using an expansion draft simulator to protect eight players per roster, debating which players they'd expose, and weighing contract situations, on-court value, and team-building strategy.

The tone is energetic, irreverent, and packed with inside jokes and honest disagreements. The episode is a must-listen for NBA fans curious about roster construction, CBA strategies, and the personalities behind the league.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining the Expansion Scenario

• Expansion Team Names: Hosts invent team names for the two hypothetical new franchises. “Las Vegas Strips” quickly becomes a running joke, triggering talk about James Harden being the ideal first pick (06:45).
• The exercise assumes the draft happens this upcoming summer to avoid contract technicalities.
• Protection Rules: Each team can protect eight players. Some players (free agents, certain contract statuses) are automatically ineligible for protection.

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2. Approach to Team Protections

• Strategic Factors Considered:
  • Talent/youth vs. tradable contracts.
  • Salary cap and luxury tax avoidance.
  • Teams’ window/tanking vs. contention.
  • Expiring contracts valued as trade chips.
• Personality in Picks: The hosts often debate picks based on personal preferences, future potential, and team fit.
  • Memorable moment: “There’s only one way to build an expansion team... Tank.” — Dave DuFour (52:33)

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3. Team-by-Team Protection Debates (Eastern Conference)

(Notable moments only; the episode covers every team in detail)

• Atlanta Hawks: Jalen Johnson an “easy protect.” Jonathan Kuminga, Corey Kispert round out the debates (07:55–09:26).
• Charlotte Hornets: Miles Bridges left unprotected (“I would unprotect him and just hope he’s a Seattle Supersonic.” – Dave, 11:57)
• Brooklyn Nets: Porter Jr.'s value debated due to contract/cap considerations.
• Chicago Bulls: Grim tone at lack of core talent; Patrick Williams “sent with a plane ticket to Vegas” (13:03).
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Sam Merrill and Craig Porter Jr. debated as late picks.
• Detroit Pistons: Duncan Robinson kept for trade flexibility over “better fit” players.
• Indiana Pacers: Real dilemma with crowded, competitive young core—“They’re gonna lose someone big” (18:19). The Johnny Furphy vs. Jarrace Walker argument is evenly split (19:44).
  • Quote: “If Indiana is trying to win, they need more wing defender types…” – Podcast Co-host 1 (20:51)
• Miami Heat: Andrew Wiggins’ contract discussed as a possible asset more than a player; emphasis on how salary floor rules now impact draft/trade decisions (23:58–24:46).
• Toronto Raptors: Detailed breakdown by “S” on why Jakob Poeltl’s contract is “one of the worst in the league” (41:10–43:30).
• Washington Wizards: Who to protect among a group of youth and trade assets—Cam Whitmore vs. Bub Carrington prompts a stat debate (46:14–47:16).

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4. Team-by-Team (Western Conference) & Strategy Shifts

• Dallas Mavericks: The recurring debate: to protect aging stars (Kyrie, Klay) or young upside (AJ Johnson); logic leans to maximizing trade value (48:20).
• Denver Nuggets: Most picks straightforward; backup bigs vs. lottery tickets considered late (50:12–51:27).
• Houston Rockets: Prioritizing youth and core pieces (Shengun, Amen) over new veterans like Dorian Finney-Smith (57:13–57:27).
• LA Lakers/Clippers/Warriors: All wrestling with shallow depth; Lakers force-protect Bronny to control LeBron’s landing spot (60:26).
• Golden State: “After Steph, you can take anybody else” (54:03). Heated debate: Draymond vs. Jimmy Butler for that last spot (55:21–56:02).
• Minnesota Timberwolves: “Don’t protect Rudy so fast.” – skepticism about older big contracts (64:54).
• New Orleans Pelicans / Thunder: Gymnastics to juggle tons of young talent, assets, and contract realities.
• Utah Jazz: Noted by hosts as a legit stash of young assets at the bottom of the West (82:28).

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5. Expansion Draft Shenanigans & Tanking

• Expansion teams can take on bad contracts for assets (“NHL shenanigans”).
• Salary floor rules mean expansion teams must absorb/prioritize some large contracts (24:13–25:13).
• Trades involving protected slots, future picks, and salary dumps are expected.
• Strong debate over whether a new team should tank for draft odds (“In my mind there’s only one way to build an expansion team: Tank.” – Dave DuFour, 52:33). Andrew and “S” argue the case for trying to win while failing, for the sake of fun and fans.
• Memorable moment: “The first expansion team to be fined for tanking – Andrew Schlecht as GM. That’s your legacy.” – Dave DuFour, 85:03
• Discussion of how the NHL’s Vegas/Seattle model (“good early!”) differs from NBA’s star-driven parity (53:03–53:39).

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6. Notable Trends and Observations

• High-dollar veterans lose value: Teams happy to expose aging/expensive players (e.g., Miles Turner, Draymond Green, Tobias Harris).
• Trade assets > talent in some cases: Expiring contracts, especially near $30M slots, are coveted for potential deals (e.g., Wiggins, RJ Barrett, Drew Holiday).
• Teams with young cores most vulnerable: Pacers, Thunder, Magic, Jazz forced to expose young talent due to depth.
• Stat quirks: Bub Carrington has the league’s worst plus-minus, but hosts laugh off the stat’s importance for tanking teams (47:14–47:25).

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7. Listener Interaction/Call to Action

• Fan engagement: “Let us know if we messed up your team…” (82:50). Multiple avenues offered for feedback—email, YouTube comments, Spotify.
• Sneak peek: Draft-eligible list revealed, with speculation about which type of expansion strategy will work best (83:40–84:29).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On what makes a good expansion draft pick:
  • “Trey Man feels like an expansion point guard.” – Dave (12:26)
• On the Pacers:
  • “They’re gonna lose someone big.” – Podcast Co-host 1 (18:19)
• Tank or win?
  • “There’s only one way to build an expansion team... Tank.” – Dave DuFour (52:34)
  • “I’d rather see these teams try to win and then fail than just come in with a tanking plan from day one.” – Dave (27:28)
• On NBA’s star economics:
  • “The way you win in the NBA is you have to have a top 10 player.” – Dave Defore (53:11)
• Golden State protection conundrum:
  • “After [Steph], you can take anyone else.” – Podcast Co-host 1 (54:03)
• On Warriors’ final protected spot:
  • “What the Warriors would do is protect Draymond... what I’d do is keep Jimmy.” – Xena (56:01)
• On assembling via bad contract:
  • “You could build a really unhappy 32 win team is what you could do.” – Dave Defore (84:26)
• On the absurdity of the exercise:
  • “What if every year, everyone was on a one-year contract and we just did a 30 team draft every season?” – Dave (76:51); “NBPA is knocking at your door right now, Dave.” – Podcast Co-host 1 (76:58)

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Important Timestamps

• Building the exercise/Las Vegas team debate: 05:10–07:15
• Atlanta Hawks protection picks begin: 07:37
• Pacers protection and “someone big goes” debate: 18:19–21:41
• Expansion rules and cap shenanigans: 24:13–27:28
• Golden State protection dilemma/Draymond vs. Jimmy: 54:50–56:04
• Tank vs. win debate: 52:29 & 85:01
• Young teams forced to expose prospects: 69:06–70:47
• Final draft-eligible list preview: 83:40–84:29

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Conclusion/Rap-Up

The crew wraps after nearly 90 minutes of roster wrangling, inviting listeners to “let us know if we messed up your team,” and teasing next week’s show—where they’ll run the actual expansion draft and build the Vegas and Seattle rosters from the unprotected pool.

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Summary Takeaways

• This episode gives a unique, realistic look at how NBA insiders believe an actual expansion draft might unfold, revealing both the difficult decisions teams would face and the fascinating “gray areas” of modern NBA roster management.
• The crew combines deep CBA/contract knowledge with authentic fan zeal, making the episode both rigorous and entertaining.
• Expansion in the NBA is much more than picking the best available—it’s a chess match of value, contracts, trade flexibility, and building for both the present and the future.

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Transcript

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[Dave Defore]

I really want to take a quick break to talk a little bit about the Drop by gnc. If you've been locked in lately on your health and fitness grind mind, then proper supplementation is probably very important to your daily routine. Thanks to gnc, it has never been easier to shop for your goals. For 90 years GNC has been delivering the most cutting edge effective ingredients and products available and now you can cut through the clutter with the drop by gnc. You'll find the latest in everything from protein to creatine to weight management, immune support, and so much more. From all the top brands. We're talking Cadence, Wealthy Barbells, Ghost, not to mention innovations like new GNC Amp. Creating. This first of its kind formula combines creatine with my HMB and bioactive peptides to not just build muscle, but also to repair and protect in ways creatine alone simply can't. Or the improved GNC Amp Weigh Bolic, the most studied protein formula on the market, proven to significantly increase your strength and endurance. And now they've increased the protein and perfected the Taste. You can get these and more of what's new and what's next only on the drop by GNC. Just search gnc.com the drop. Welcome to the morning shoot around here on the Athletic NBA Daily's YouTube stream. We're live every Wednesday. Would love for you to join us here on YouTube with me today. Dave Defore. Xena Keda Esperahini. Today we're going to do an expansion draft. More importantly, we're going to go through the protections for these teams which will be top eight protected for every NBA team. And we'll try to. Try to do consensus. I don't know if you guys ever went to leadership camp and they were like, we have to talk about consensus. Everybody.

[Dave]

I.

[Dave Defore]

Did everybody come to consensus. And at leadership camp.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

A leadership camp.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I also taught a leadership camp.

[Dave Defore]

Did you guys do a lot of consensus?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

No, not really.

[Dave Defore]

Most annoying time of my life. Okay.

[Dave]

Can I ask a question? What is leadership camp? I just played sports.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Empowering the leaders of tomorrow day.

[Dave]

You guys ever lead anything or how that. How'd that work out? Hey, I'm really curious. I didn't know this mean. Wait, is this. No, I'm. I mean, at the camp, were they like, were you leading?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, yeah.

[Dave]

Or was it just.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, you, you. Well, you come in first as someone who is a leader of tomorrow. Right.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And then.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And then afterwards, next year or whatever, you come in and you're the leader that's leading the leaders of tomorrow. That's. At least that's how it works here in the camp that I went.

[Dave]

But was it like outdoor?

[Dave Defore]

Like.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I mean, yes, it was outdoors.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Mine was at a fourth camp, and it was a. It was like a fragment of the sports camp where we were helping youth start this. Yeah. Crazy.

[Dave]

I am, like, very curious about it.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

It was in Vincennes, Indiana. It was called X Factor Camp. And it was kids in high school that were getting college credits so that they could advance so they could graduate with an associate's degree and either go work or go to college. And they were also working on being healthy and we taught them leadership with a bunch of other NCAA athletes. It was fun.

[Dave]

Wow. We didn't have this when I was a kid.

[Dave Defore]

It wasn't a thing.

[Dave]

No, I was in the woods.

[Dave Defore]

That's.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

That's where you learn.

[Dave]

It's a real, like, don't get lost.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, that's real. That's real.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I mean, my leadership camp was also in the woods. It was like a camping situation. Yeah. Okay.

[Dave]

Yeah, that makes some sense. Like summer camp stuff. I never. I never did a summer camp as a kid.

[Dave Defore]

Now we're. We were all indoors. Air conditioning only. Okay, let's. Let's talk about this expansion draft and how this can work. Okay, so there'll be two different teams, right, for this. Let's. We can pretend that it's going to happen really soon. We'll pretend that it's going to happen this next year. So we don't get into like the complicated. Well, so and so's contract expiring, blah, blah, blah. Like it gets it. You can get in the weeds really fast. So let's just pretend it's happening this summer. We need a name for the Vegas team. Could be the. I don't know. Las Vegas Vipers. If we want to go with Alliteration, go with the.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

There's the Vegas Aces. Vegas Knights. Now the Vegas Raiders.

[Dave Defore]

Raiders. The Jokers. Try to.

[Dave]

Jokers.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Diamonds.

[Dave Defore]

Diamonds.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I don't know.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Sidewinders.

[Dave Defore]

Sidewinders? What's Sidewinders?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I don't know.

[Dave]

It's like a. Like a rattlesnake, right?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Whose team is this, by the way?

[Dave Defore]

You can.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

You can decide if you want to be Seattle or Las Vegas.

[Dave Defore]

Well, I think SNL will be Seattle. Dave and Xena, you guys will be all right.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Dave, you got to come up with something.

[Dave Defore]

You guys. You got. We'll let you guys take the reins here on naming the team.

[Dave]

Yeah. How about the Las Vegas Basketball Club Until.

[Dave Defore]

Unacceptable.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Lvbc.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh, that is not a good name. I was gonna say the Las Vegas Strips.

[Dave]

And that is not first draft pick James Harden. Come on down.

[Dave Defore]

That's right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's so good. I'm so glad you mentioned that.

[Dave Defore]

Can we just. Can we do that?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, we're just gonna. Yeah. Well, we're here now.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

How about Las Vegas Rattlers?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Out of my rattlers.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Honestly, Strips is too good.

[Dave]

How about the Las Vegas Desert Bighorn Sheep. I actually like that one.

[Dave Defore]

We're gonna go with the Strips.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Okay, we're here now.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

We're here.

[Dave Defore]

We're at the point of no return. Xena. Sorry. I'm too immature to. To not.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Dave Defore]

All right. So our friends over at Spot Track have created a expansion draft here for us, which is just. It's beautiful. It gives us contracts, it gives us the ability to protect players.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It's great.

[Dave Defore]

So we're gonna go Eastern Conference and then we'll go through the Western Conference and we'll kind of talk through it. Some of these will be a little bit more straightforward than others. You could protect eight players. Okay. So for the Atlanta Hawks, Jalen Johnson. Easy, protect.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Protect.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. We will protect him. Dyson Daniels is another easy one for me. Yep. Let him go. Nikhil Alexander Walker. Just stop me whenever you guys think like, that's crazy. Zachary Risa, Shea.

[Dave]

Yeah, I don't know yet.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Dave]

No, they'll.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They'll protect.

[Dave]

No, they would.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

If they get, what, eight protections.

[Dave]

Yeah, they would keep.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I absolutely think, Zach.

[Dave]

Exactly.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

For sure. Okay, so we've got. We have six so far. And now you have to protect it.

[Dave]

That would be an interesting angle.

[Dave Defore]

I think you'd want to.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Who? Mogay.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. Jonathan. Jonathan Kaminga.

[Dave]

The Kaminga debate is the one for me.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Well, there's two more spots, and I think. I think Kaminga, Kispert and Mo Gay are the way are the three that we're debating here. I think Kaminga gets protected.

[Dave Defore]

I think so. Probably they don't have enough information about him.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah. Yeah, I agree.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And he has an expiring salary eventually too.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. And then I would shoot. Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Defense.

[Dave Defore]

I don't know.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I think you.

[Dave]

I think you do Kispert, because you've got the. The contract protection there and it's not long, so he's a salary you can flip.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. Yeah, fair enough. Moving on to the Boston Celtics. This will be maybe a little bit more straightforward. Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown, Derrick White, all protected. Peyton Pritchard certainly protected.

[Dave]

Yep.

[Dave Defore]

Keda protected.

[Dave]

I think Hauser's protected.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, I think Hugo Gonzalez is protected.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yes, agreed.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so now we're. We're up to seven. We need one more.

[Dave]

Charman over.

[Dave Defore]

Over.

[Dave]

Jordan Walsh.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, it's. Yeah, that's it.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think it's Wash. I say he was.

[Dave Defore]

I say Walsh as well.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, you're probably right. You're right.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Okay. All right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

See we're flowing, guys.

[Dave]

Yeah. I thought this was going to take forever.

[Dave Defore]

Brooklyn Nets MPJ protected.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Claxton protected. Oh, wait, what was that? Wait, like.

[Dave]

Okay, but you don't get anything for him.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

You don't get anything for him. That's the issue with unprotecting Michael Porter Jr. So you have to wonder like, oh.

[Dave Defore]

They would not leave him unprotected.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, I agree.

[Dave]

There's no way.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I agree.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Jaeger is protected.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Jaegor Clowney for sure. Clown has been good. Trey Ore, Drake Powell, probably. I mean, do you. Do you just protect like all your guys? You've protected in the first. You picked in the first round and that's it? Pretty much and like, you leave like. Like Dayon was already being shopped a little bit here and there.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Williams.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh, wait, did you get eight already? Oh, you're good.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, we're at eight. I'm just trying to make sure that there's not anybody else that's like.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, I don't see anybody else.

[Dave]

Yeah, that looks pretty good.

[Dave Defore]

That makes sense to me. Okay. Our favorite Charlotte Hornets, Lamello. They Lamello.

[Dave]

Protects Lamello.

[Dave Defore]

Miles Bridges unprotected.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I don't think they are protecting Miles Bridges.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, that and he'll be right back on their team.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Khan for sure. Salon. How do we feel?

[Dave]

I think so.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Diabate for sure.

[Dave Defore]

For sure, for sure.

[Dave]

Scion James.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Scion James.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, he's been good in spots. Kobe White. He's ineligible because they can't do it.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Because how many players is that?

[Dave Defore]

One more.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

You know, you don't think they protect Miles?

[Dave Defore]

I would. I would just. I'd unprotect him and just hope and pray that somebody. That he would be a Seattle Supersonic.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Well, then I would. I would take. You got Trey, man. I was gonna say Trey man.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And they were there, right?

[Dave Defore]

McNeely.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, I think McNeely, actually youngest of the bunch.

[Dave]

A little bit younger.

[Dave Defore]

Little bit younger.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Bigger.

[Dave Defore]

Bigger. Tricky. I mean, I love Tricky Trey, but it's Trey.

[Dave]

Honestly, Trey, man, feels like an expansion point guard.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, he really does.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

He does.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He does.

[Dave Defore]

I love Trey. He is. He is a sweetheart of a guy. But you're being unprotected, Trey.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I'm.

[Dave]

Listen, I am kind of. I. I really want these teams to come kind of excited about what we could wind up with.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

The expansion draft will be a very fun day on the Internet to see how.

[Dave]

Oh, no, they're going to make it three days.

[Advertiser Voice]

Fair enough.

[Dave]

It'll be three three hour broadcasts to draft 12 players.

[Dave Defore]

Right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Josh Giddy is getting protected.

[Dave Defore]

Protected for sure.

[Dave]

Patrick Williams. They're just going to go ahead and give him a plane ticket to Las Vegas and Seattle just to hope.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, yeah.

[Dave]

Oh, yeah. I think Jaylen Smith.

[Dave Defore]

Jaylen Smith. No. Essen Gay. Let's go through the for sures first. They have a lot.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, Jaden Ivy is going to be protected.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, Jaden Ivy for sure.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. That's.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I feel like Rob Dylan. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

I think Rob Dilly. Yeah. Yeah. Dilly will get protected. Trey Jones.

[Dave]

Yeah, I don't think so.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think.

[Dave]

I think Jalen Smith.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Jalen Smith, too. Wait, how many are we at right now? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

[Dave]

Wow. That's kind of sad. Bulls.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It is sad. But Jayla and Trey Jones probably get one more.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, one more. Leonard Miller. Leonard Miller's. Anthony's not eligible.

[Dave]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Leonard.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Gotta be more sure.

[Dave Defore]

Or a Coro, I feel like.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, I think Isaac.

[Dave Defore]

I kind of agree with that. I think you're right, Zena.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

But we know that Patrick Williams is just not getting protected.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

No.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Just clear it up for the listeners. No way.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

My contract experts, because y' all know this is not my forte.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

They're Isaac Okoro. Both Isaac Okoro, Jalen Smith, the guys that are gonna be free agents next year.

[Dave]

They'd be free agents 27 following summer.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

You still have a. Oh, okay, okay, okay.

[Dave Defore]

So we're pretending. We are pretending. Which is not going to be like this. We're pretending like it's going to happen this summer.

[Dave]

Right.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Got it. Okay. Got it. Understood.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Okay. The Cleveland Cavaliers. Mobley.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Donovan Harden. Jared Allen. Who's the next? Jalen Tyson.

[Dave]

I think Sam.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Sam Merrill.

[Dave Defore]

Two more.

[Dave]

I don't. Yeah. I don't know if it's going to be Naquan. I actually, I. I think it could be maybe Craig Porter and Tyrese Proctor.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Dean Wade gets a little bit interesting here. Right. Because they can't do Keon Ellis well because he's an unrestricted free agent.

[Dave Defore]

Right.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

They like Craig Porter Jr. For. As a. A secondary ball handler. So I do think Craig Porter Jr. Is probably in this mix.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And for the cabinet, they can. They can get under the second apron here by unprotecting the right players.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Schroeder.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

You know Schroeder. Yeah. Max.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think it's between Proctor and Merrill, and personally, I think they take Meryl.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, Meryl, for sure.

[Dave]

Good one.

[Dave Defore]

Meryl's on there. So it's like they got two more. So it's. I mean, do we have. I mean, I think Kirk Porter, we can protect.

[Dave]

I'd say Craig Porter.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

So it's between Tomlin and Proctor.

[Dave Defore]

Tomlin and Proctor is who it is. Yeah.

[Dave]

I. I lean Proctor. I think Tomlin is. You know, it's a good story, obviously, but it's kind of a project. You know what I mean? It's. It's a little bit more of a wild card.

[Dave Defore]

I think that's younger if you hear us talking about your team.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

And we get down to, you know, spots like this. Let us. Let us know what you think, because would love to know perspective on somebody who is, you know, a little bit More inside than. Than we are on the Tyrese Proctor versus Naquan Tomlin debate. Okay. Detroit Pistons. Kate Cunningham. Yep. Obviously protected. Beef Stew. Protected.

[Dave]

I think so.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Assar. Protected. Ron Holland. Protected.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Jalen Duran all the way at the bottom.

[Dave Defore]

Jalen Duran. Yep. Shout Out. Protected. All Star.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yep.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. What. What's the name that you guys think of next?

[Dave]

Dennis Jenkins.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, Jenkins.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Okay. Excuse me.

[Dave]

Two more, man.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Probably Duncan.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Duncan Robinson.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Duncan's got a year left at 15 million. That's a good contract. The carousel stuff has worked. I would kind of be okay with him going.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He's a good expansion wing. I can see that.

[Dave Defore]

So we've got.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

This is where it gets interesting again. I feel like. Okay, I would probably say Chaz Lanier.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And it seems like the chat is also saying Chaz Lanier, so let's just go with Chaslin.

[Dave]

Yeah, we'll go with Chaz.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I'm a big B ball Paul guy, but it's okay.

[Dave]

Yeah, well. But again, B Ball Paul, doesn't he feel like a guy who's gonna be.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Feels like a supersonics backup, backup center?

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

There's been many teams that have been like, okay, B Ball Paul. See you later, Trey man.

[Dave]

B ball Paul. Pick and roll is going to be sick.

[Dave Defore]

It's going to be sick. Can't wait. Tobias Harris, Kevin Herder, Javante Green are all ineligible to be protected. The Indiana Pacers. So they're gonna lose someone.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They're gonna lose someone big. I'm just gonna let you guys know right now.

[Dave Defore]

Tyrese Zubas, Andrew Obi.

[Dave]

I think Obi's debate.

[Dave Defore]

I think let's do Niece. Let's do Niece Smith. Let's do Ben, tj. I mean, they got to protect tj, right?

[Dave]

I don't.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I don't think so. I don't think so.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I think you'd have to rip TJ from their cold, dead hands.

[Dave Defore]

That's what I think, too.

[Dave]

Thing is, that expansion team may not take TJ.

[Dave Defore]

Right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I would love TJ if I'm the Seattle SuperSonics. Can you imagine what the rest of.

[Dave]

Their team looks like at pick and roll?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Guard, guard, screening action?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think Murphy, Johnny Furfy.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Really?

[Dave Defore]

The first.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And Ben Shepard.

[Dave]

Right. I don't know about Shepard, but I.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I mean, Walker, I think they would protect. And honestly, look, because they're trying to contend. I would say they protect Toppin and they don't think twice about it.

[Dave]

That's. That's a pretty good angle on that.

[Dave Defore]

So. Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Because they're trying to win.

[Dave Defore]

They're trying to win. They're trying to win. If you took guys off, okay, so now it's like, do you protect Jairus Walker? Like, who are you?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Because, yeah, they're losing one of these guys.

[Dave]

Probably Jairus Walker.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Wait, how many do we have right now? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Walker's had some flashes this year, man.

[Dave]

The Pacers are stacked.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's a finals team. I would. I would protect Furfy over Walker.

[Dave Defore]

Why?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Because I think. I think the. The flashes that I've seen from Furfy are a little bit more consistent, and he probably. I don't know, because Walker is a big body, and you probably need that for the playoffs.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And if I feel like Johnny Furby is very similar to the Tyrese Proctor conversation. They're young, they're buildable players.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

They come from good leagues, so they have solid skills. Like, in Australia, it's a thing. And, yeah. I think that you look at your future when you think about Johnny Furphy, and I think that's how Indiana plays him.

[Dave Defore]

What is he. What is Johnny Furfy good at? Help me being one big.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He runs a floor.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Well, he does run. Good athlete.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I mean, you. It's very hard these days, Andrew, to find six, eight guards. Like, he's a. He's a. He's a two, three.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

My thing is, if, like, Indiana is trying to win, they need more wing defender types, and Walker can fit that more than fur fee, in my opinion.

[Dave]

And he can score a little bit.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

I just like Walker a lot better. I just think Fury, like, he can't shoot.

[Dave]

Nope.

[Dave Defore]

He's not a passer. It's just hard to function as an NBA wing if you can't do either one of those things. You know what I mean?

[Dave]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dave Defore]

And Jarris can pass a little bit.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

But this is, like. This is interesting for Indiana because I think Ben Shepard is a. T is a player an expansion team would like. Fury is a player. A team. Jay Huff, like, Jay Huff is a expansion player.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Looking at my number one overall pick, you know, I'm thinking about J. Wow. So we, you know, we're gonna have the weirdest team.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

We're protecting.

[Dave]

Jerry.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I'm so excited.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Okay.

[Dave Defore]

I think. I think I like Jarris a little bit better, but I could be pushed one way or the other.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It's pretty debatable. I would say it's a coin flip there.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Well, I mean, next year, we're talking about this happening this summer. Johnny will still be recovering from acl.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

So that's true, too.

[Dave]

So it works for our. Our expansion teams. Tanking.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Tanking. Yeah, yeah, sure.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Unless Adam figures out a solution.

[Dave]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dave Defore]

The solution will be the 27 class stinks. There's your solution.

[Dave]

Yep.

[Dave Defore]

To tanking. If everybody wants the solution to tanking, tanking will be solved. This time next year, we'll be saying things like, tanking has been solved. Everyone's competing. This is great.

[Dave]

What is it? All Star Game.

[Dave Defore]

God, it's gonna be so. I'm gonna be. I'm gonna be so annoyed. I'm gonna be so annoyed, by the way, because this is all about the draft class. This isn't about.

[Dave]

It is.

[Dave Defore]

This isn't necessarily about, like, oh, my gosh. The system's in place. Ah, help me. It's like, guys, get out of here. Okay. Bam at a bio. Sorry.

[Dave]

I mean, the thing is, we arrived at a lot of tanking. We didn't start there.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Jovic.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I don't think Wiggins.

[Dave Defore]

You don't think wig. Okay, we'll come back to that. Yeah, I think.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think Wiggins is a really good expansion player for someone.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so for the listeners, I've got the Miami Heat pulled up. I've protected Bam at a bio. Tyler Hero. Jovic Davion Mitchell. Jaime Hawkez. Khalil Ware. Casper's has been pretty good lately.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Pele Larson. Yes. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Powell is ineligible, by the way.

[Dave Defore]

Right.

[Dave]

So is Terry Rozier.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. Are you trying to take him from the expansion draft, Dave?

[Dave]

Well, hey, look, man, you know, somebody's got a bank.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

You just had to call it out. You just had to call it out.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so that. That's leaving Wiggins unprotected. Drew Smith. For all the. The Drew Smith people out there.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Keisha Johnson, unprotected.

[Dave Defore]

Johnson. Yeah. I. I mean, you know what? If you want to fund Dunker on your team.

[Dave]

Xena, he's on the list.

[Dave Defore]

He will dance.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I know.

[Dave Defore]

How do we feel about leaving Andrew Wiggins unprotected? Is there somebody else that you're like. I would.

[Dave]

I mean, I don't think they want to lose that salary spot. Right. Like, $30 million cap hit, and so. And it's expiring. So if you're the Heat, it's one of the paths to getting better. Yeah. That Andrew Wiggins contract. So I think they got to protect it.

[Dave Defore]

And. And keep in mind that for. For expansion teams, there are salary floor rules. There used to not be. You used to be able to stay under the salary floor and Then just pay the cut a check to all your guys.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

To get to the salary floor. But now you can't do that. So just something to keep in mind.

[Dave]

I mean, it feels like at this point. I mean, what's the floor right now? What was it this past season?

[Dave Defore]

Let's see.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

No idea.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It's probably like $120 million.

[Dave]

Yeah. So, you know, I think that that's.

[Dave Defore]

Salary floor this year. 139.

[Dave]

Okay. Wow. All right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

All right. So I would protect Wiggins.

[Dave]

I mean, Davion Mitchell's making 12 and a half. Right. So you can get there, but you need. You gotta have. I mean, I think the thing is, who are the biggest players that are going to wind up available? Right. Like, and. And it's going to be somebody on a bad contract. That, that.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's part of. You know, on the break, Pod mentions this, but he said, I could see NHL shenanigans where you trade a future pick to take on salary.

[Dave]

Right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I. I definitely could see that happen. I mean, we're going to get to the Toronto Raptors in a second. That's definitely something that I could see happening for them when it comes to the Sonic or Vegas or whoever. Like, you trade a future pick to one of those expansion teams to take on Yakob Portal or, you know, so.

[Dave Defore]

You can do it both ways. So if a team approaches you, you could say, like, hey, we will give you a 2029 first if you'll take this guy. But we can also say, if the team calls and says, hey, we want this guy, you can say, would you take a 2029 first instead.

[Dave]

Right, right. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

So let's say. Let's say, I don't know, one of the expansion teams wants Giannis. Right.

[Dave Defore]

There.

[Dave]

I thought, here's the thing.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

But I'm just saying, based on what you're saying, like the Sonics or whatever can say, we will offer you five first for Giannis. Is that what you're saying? That's possible.

[Dave Defore]

I'm saying that, like, the Thunder have guys 1 through 15 that are good.

[Dave]

Right.

[Dave Defore]

So in place of that, they can say, hey, will you take a 2029. Our 2029 first, instead of you taking topic who we'd love to keep.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I got you. I got you.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

That's allowed in the NHL.

[Dave Defore]

In the NBA it is. That's how they did in the NBA too.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Okay. Interesting.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I didn't know it was allowed.

[Dave]

Unfamiliar with the expansion draft rules.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, it's going to be crazy.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I don't know if that's the same in the W. That's interesting.

[Dave Defore]

It's going to be very fun. That's. That's part of the reason, like, you would want to stockpile picks, or you could be like, hey, we'll give you five seconds instead of taking somebody. And then expansion teams could start to stockpile their draft assets at the expansion draft, and then they could bring in a bunch of undrafted guys, right. And then tank the next. Tank the next year, because they'll get good odds for the draft, the year that they're instated. And then they could try to get good odds for the following draft, too, just by tanking the next year and, you know, getting a bunch of assets and then young players.

[Dave]

Right. Or they could offer all their number one picks and swaps for whoever the best player in the league is and just try to try to do that. I would rather see these teams come out and try to win and then fail than just come in with a tanking plan from day one.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It would be pretty awesome if, like, the Sonics were like, we want Giannis. We're gonna offer all of our future picks for Giannis.

[Dave]

Only he's. It's. It's a year at least. That's the only issue is that getting a guy at his age that physical.

[Dave Defore]

They will be some of the more. Well, it's funny, though, because if you get. Yeah. If they. If you give Giannis, you're like, hey, we'll take your picks, but we know that the picks aren't going to be as valuable because you have Giannis.

[Dave]

Right?

[Dave Defore]

Right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

So it's. It's kind of tricky. This is going to be a weird one. We're at the Milwaukee Bucks, protecting the Milwaukee Bucks players.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Dave Defore]

Giannis, yes. Miles, no.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, I don't think Miles gets.

[Dave]

I think that they would just hope maybe. I mean, I. I don't know. This is the trickiest part, right. With a team like the Bucks that are in this sort of. They're in, like, a little bit of purgatory, and I think that they could be a team that looks at this as a reset, potentially, where they could.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Absolutely.

[Dave]

Miles Turner is exactly the sort of contract I think about. It's. It's a lot of money, it's a bunch of years, and it's a team that's stuck.

[Dave Defore]

Yep.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I'm with you.

[Dave]

Doesn't mean they necessarily would do this, but I. They would have to think about it.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I think Bobby Portis will be. Will be protected.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. Protect. So, so far, I Have Giannis, Bobby Portis, AJ Green, Ryan Rollins. We got four guys and I'm.

[Dave]

All right.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Jericho Sims has been good for them.

[Dave Defore]

Sure.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

They've been liking them.

[Dave]

I think they're gonna. Usman Jang.

[Dave Defore]

He's.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Absolutely.

[Dave Defore]

Wow. We are protecting. Oof.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Off two games, baby.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Well, he showed up in those two games, so there you go.

[Dave Defore]

He did.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

He did. I love it, though.

[Dave]

I love it.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

By the way, both Tenassis.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And Cameron Thomas. Cam Thomas are ineligible. So.

[Dave]

Yeah, with. I think they. I think that they would maybe protect Kuz, because you can trade Kuzma.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Dave]

He. He's going to be an expiry next year.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

How about Gary?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

It's so crazy that one year ago we probably would have been like, yeah, obviously, Ajax, you're being protected.

[Dave]

Right?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And now they don't even use him.

[Dave]

It's definitely not protecting Gary Trent Jr. They are definitely not. I will.

[Dave Defore]

He's. I mean, he. He can't even get in these games right now.

[Dave]

He can't even play for Doc Rivers. He can't get in the game.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, he can't get in these games. Okay, man. Maybe.

[Dave]

All right, so It's Kevin Porter Jr. Ew, gross.

[Dave Defore]

No.

[Dave]

I mean, I wouldn't think so, but it's. Maybe it is Miles Turner. I. I just don't.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, I don't. I don't think they.

[Dave]

You're with me. Unfortunately.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Unfortunately for us on this pod, it probably will be kpj.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, it does feel like they're gonna protect kpj.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Putting those two words in one sentence.

[Dave]

Everybody else stinks.

[Dave Defore]

Gross. That's disgusting. All right, wow. Let's move on to the New York Knicks, who will certainly protect towns. OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, Mikhail Bridges. Yeah, for sure.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

We can. Okay, you wanna.

[Dave Defore]

I. I kind of want to quibble with that one, just for fun. Josh hart. Yes.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Miles McBride. Yes.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Jalen Brunt. Did we do Jalen?

[Dave Defore]

Okay, yeah. Jalen Brunson for sure. Tyler Colick, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shammit. I'm thinking of guys that are in the rotation now. Are all. Are ineligible.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Honestly, Diawara.

[Dave Defore]

There's like some weird Diawara stuff with the Knicks.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

He's been pretty good.

[Dave Defore]

There are some weird stuff. Jose.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I'm sticking with Tyler.

[Dave]

Oh, I think that they would protect Alpharado.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Would they?

[Dave]

I think that they would protect Bridges.

[Dave Defore]

I think they protect Bridges as well. Okay, we're at 7, and so now we're like Colic Daddier or Diawara.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It's Colec.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

It's Colic.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

There's our eight. So unprotected for the Knicks. Daddy A. Diawara and then Hawk Porty.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I would. I would argue that they would keep Kolak and not protect Alvarado and keep Diora.

[Dave]

There's a. There's an argument there even in the.

[Dave Defore]

I think in the playoffs. You think that Dior is going to play over Alvarado?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They need what Oliver. They need what Dior provides. Probably more than.

[Dave Defore]

If they're healthy, though.

[Dave]

Easier to find what Diorara.

[Dave Defore]

If they're healthy, though, I just don't know that Diora plays. He's been playing lately. Because they're not healthy. You know? Like, I just. I don't.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I mean, you rely on Mitchell Robinson being healthy, though, is the other question.

[Dave Defore]

But the problem with that is if you can't, you're not winning anyways.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Dior is not Diar. Is not going to be the difference in winning or not winning if you're the Knicks. It's Mitch. It's Robinson that is.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. The Orlando Magic. We got some bad news about the Magic today. That Franz Wagner is out indefinitely with this high ankle sprain that he just can't really get under control, which is really a shame. They have had one of the worst seasons this year for a team that had high, high expectations. They're. They're in the play in and I saw them in person not that long ago and they may not make it out of the play in.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, I. I don't feel they will. It's crazy. This. At the stat. I thought of mid January. I don't know if it's changed since then, but Bane, Paulo. Sorry, not Bane. Franz. Paulo and Suggs have played a total of 80 games through three seasons.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. That's awful.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's insane to me. Just.

[Dave Defore]

Wow. If they. If they don't make it out, like, just keep an eye on Memphis because the Memphis Grizzlies could have two lottery picks. And like, you know, I know Keith is down in the dumps, but, like, this could get kind of fun. Grizzlies.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, man. But they're okay. So they're going to protect Franz.

[Dave Defore]

Yes.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They're going to protect Paolo, despite Dave wanting them not to protect Paolo.

[Dave Defore]

So what?

[Dave]

I wouldn't say not. I'm wanting them to.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I'm kidding.

[Dave]

But, man, he would be great on an expansion.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

On the Sonics, Anthony Black. They protect Tristan.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

You don't think they protect Wendell Carter Jr.

[Dave Defore]

I. I'm just going through guys that I for sure know they will. I think they will too. I think they'll probably protect Wendell.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

So we had two Kristen De Silva.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

So look, I, I actually think they won't protect Wendell because they need to resign Anthony Black and Wendell is on 2029 and they need to shed some salary because they've added Desmond Bain and they're just too expensive. Like they're getting too expensive now. And so.

[Dave Defore]

And you. And you have to strategically do this too because you could say like, oh, just unprotect Jonathan Isaac. But the problem is no one's going to take him because he doesn't play enough and he's a guy that is like only a spot minute player. And so you have to be a little bit strategic with that.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

On top of that, like they have center depth with Goga and they do. They'll resign Mo Wagner. By the way, I would protect Goga here, I think.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Since, I mean they didn't trade him.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

I kind of thought they would trade him.

[Dave]

We have one more Panda.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I think it would. Oh, but Panda is great.

[Dave]

I think Panda.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think it's.

[Dave]

I also think like the whole Euro thing that they've got going on, it's a big.

[Dave Defore]

I just don't.

[Dave]

I think that's a poll.

[Dave Defore]

I just don't think Pen is any good. But I'll. I'll go with you guys. Okay. Philly.

[Dave]

Can't believe you protected Gogo.

[Dave Defore]

You were.

[Dave]

That was your first pick for the game. You know.

[Dave Defore]

Sorry.

[Dave]

We'll get to Toronto.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. This is a. This is an interesting one.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They can't even protect mama if they wanted to. Man.

[Dave]

I know.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Joel is not getting protected.

[Dave]

Probably.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Paul George, B.J. dominic Barlow.

[Dave Defore]

Sure. The problem is they just don't have enough players. Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I don't know if they. Yeah. They have to just protect the people that are available or eligible.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Justin Edwards.

[Dave Defore]

They're not. I mean. Janai Broom. That was just a mistake.

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[Dave Defore]

Fast.

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[Dave Defore]

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[Podcast Co-host 1]

Not with that attitude.

[Dave Defore]

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[TurboTax Advertiser]

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[Dave Defore]

I mean I don't think we have a choice, right? They basically have to protect like maybe you protect Janai. I mean if it. I mean and I'm crazy. I'm a crazy person. Okay. I would, I would leave. I would, I would probably do this. I would probably protect Joel. I'd probably leave PG unprotected and just protect broom and yeah, I agree. And just like dare them to take pg.

[Dave]

Right.

[Dave Defore]

Who's actually been good for them by the way. Like they're on off numbers show that they are a much better team when Paul George is on the court than when he's off, which will be Alex and Alex Spears and I were talking about it this morning. The 76ers are in real danger of being a play in team. They're in real danger. The Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets are playing really well While the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel and PG have a negative net rating. They're not good without those two.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

And it is going to be a problem for them down the stretch of the season because Joel's not going to be able to play every game. PG's out. They could be a playing team and when you're a playing team, just anything can happen. Like they could, they could miss the playoffs altogether and they don't have their pick. So like this could, this could turn a little Bit disastrous, which is not uncommon for the 76ers. So just something to keep in mind.

[Dave]

Charlotte as the six seed, Is that. Is that what you're saying?

[Dave Defore]

I'm, I mean, I've watched them enough to think anything is possible, baby.

[Dave]

They're good enough.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I agree.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That would be awesome.

[Dave]

They are. They're currently four and a half games back of. Of the Sixers, so it's a lot.

[Dave Defore]

To make up in this short amount of time, but it's not impossible.

[Dave]

Well, they're heading in opposite directions.

[Dave Defore]

Also, the Heat. Also the Heat are there, too.

[Dave]

I just don't. I just think the Heat are not good.

[Dave Defore]

I, I, I don't think the Heat are good either. However, they have a better net rating than what the Sixers do, so I don't know. I, I tend to.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I think the highs for Philly are there.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. But right now, they don't have, like, they for sure don't have Paul George. Yeah. And they've just been a better team with him on the court, which is a little concerning. Okay. Your Toronto Raptors S. Help us out here. Yeah, you drive.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Scotty is getting protected, obviously.

[Dave Defore]

Yep.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Brandon Ingram, I believe, is getting protected. I'm gonna go ahead and say column. Murray Boyles is gonna get protected all the way down there.

[Dave Defore]

Definitely.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

MAMU is eligible, apparently, to get protected. So he will get protected. I think Jamal Shed will get protected all the way back there. How many is that? Six?

[Dave]

Five.

[Dave Defore]

It's five. Okay, five. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

At this point, I think RJ Barrett will be protected.

[Dave]

Yep.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I think two more. Grady Dick and Jacoby Walter will be protected.

[Dave]

That looks about right to me.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And that's Emmanuel.

[Dave]

Quickly, just for.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

So for our. Our listeners.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

S. Break it down. Why would you not protect Jacob Poldel?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, Jakob is.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I said Jacob. My bad.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's all good. Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I'm just reading it.

[Dave Defore]

His name. Not readable.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I would say his name.

[Dave Defore]

You can't read it.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Also, that's not how his name is even spelled anymore. There's no E in the portal. It's just Perth. Anyways. Anyway.

[Dave]

It's just portal.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

But why would. Yeah, why would you not.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, the E is taken out.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

The E is now taken out.

[Dave]

Yep. Yep.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It is. It is. It's just per PO O with two dots on top of it.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

That is wild.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Okay, let me explain this for a second real quick. Jakob Hurtla, it probably has one of the worst contracts in the NBA right now, especially because he hasn't played much. And so I think the raptors are at the very least going to entertain trying to dump him this summer. Hopefully he plays a little, a little bit more to make it more feasible to trade him.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

What makes his contrast his contract the worst?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It's just extremely long. And so it's $27 million a year for another five years because they signed him on a contract. Now I will say there are some partially guaranteed stuff in there in the final years of his contract that can make it a little bit more feasible for teams to take on, but that stuff hasn't kicked in yet. So right now it's, it's that there are, you know, five years left on the books of potentially $27 million a year for a player that's 30 years old and isn't one of the top five to 10 centers in the NBA. Right. Like he's, he's a good center, he's a starting center, but he's probably getting paid more than what a starting center is worth. Emmanuel Quickley, on the other hand, I think I was tempted to protect him truthfully because I think $32 million over the course of the next couple of years will look a little bit more feasible on your cap sheet. I also think he's just like what he provides on the basketball court as a shooter can kind of work anywhere, you know. And, and so you, if there is an expansion team, I would actually be interested to see what a Vegas or Seattle would approach a quickly contract in like two years when it only has two more years left on its deal. Feels a little bit more feasible to them to take it on.

[Dave Defore]

You are, you are a, you are a sleeper agent right here. Ass. You're like, listen, let me explain why you should. Off of the, off the cap sheet of the Raptors. Like, exactly.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Also, also I, I know there's going to be people who say why protect RJ over iq? That's just my kind of opinion on those two players. I think I would prefer RJ over iq. Do the Raptors feel that way? I think the Raptors probably actually feel the opposite way. I think they would protect IQ over rj, but at the same time RJ is going to be an expiring salary next year and we've seen how important it is for teams to be able to use those to trade. It's sort of the Wiggins conversation you guys were having with Miami where it's like that's a 30 million dollar salary slot that they can use to trade next year. So that's part of the reasoning of keeping RJ.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, RJ's been good, too.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

He has been good. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Helpful. Okay. Our final Eastern Conference team. Oh, Anthony Davis protected the Washington Wizards. Okay, let's.

[Dave]

They are protected.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Alexar.

[Dave Defore]

Alexar. Trey Johnson.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Trey Johnson.

[Dave Defore]

George.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I would wait on Bub Carrington real quick.

[Dave]

Not. Not. Not protecting Bob.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, no, Bub.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Keon Keyshawn and Will Riley are getting protected.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Dave]

Justin Champen.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

How many is that right now?

[Dave]

Five.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

That's five.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And then you have Trey and Anthony Davis, which is seven.

[Dave Defore]

Do we have to.

[Dave]

I mean, I think that they would. They want to trade those guys. They want to flip them. You know, what's it going to take to put you in this, you know, well used Anthony Davis guys.

[Dave Defore]

If that. If that's a strategy, that's a dumb strategy.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

So. So just by process of elimination, they are gonna. They're gonna protect Bub.

[Dave Defore]

Just.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, he's. Because it's not. I don't think. I don't think they're that interested in the Hardy party.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, I don't think.

[Dave Defore]

Dlo's. The guy came. Whitmore is.

[Dave]

I think Cam is more interesting than Bubba.

[Dave Defore]

All right, talk me into it. Now you got to talk. Dave, Go.

[Dave]

Well, look, Cam at least has a skill, right? Like, Cam can score you. You throw Cam out there and just say, hey, go get some buckets. He can do it. Is he a guy that other guys are going to want to play with? No, but Bub, it's just not happening. I mean, it hasn't happened yet, I guess. And. And maybe they're still.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Have you considered power of friendship?

[Dave]

Well, okay. There is all. There is the matter of seeing him with other NBA players, like next season, maybe he looks different. Maybe you want to take a look at him. I just. I don't know. I. I do think that the Anthony Davis and Trey Young, they don't go through all the trouble to get those guys just to let them go away for nothing.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, I think. I think that's true. I mean, Bub carrington's almost shooting 40 from three this year.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I was gonna say he has not been good.

[Dave]

He has not been good.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I like Bubba. I'm sorry.

[Dave]

He's not been good.

[Dave Defore]

He's.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He's.

[Dave]

Sorry, guys. I'd see too many Wizards game.

[Dave Defore]

He's on a bad team. And I. I just.

[Dave]

He is on a bad team, and that's not.

[Dave Defore]

Imagine. I cannot imagine thinking that Cam Whitmore can do more for your basketball team, though, can I.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Can I bring up a funny stat? So shout out to Eric Karine, who brought this up in the Raptors media room of players who have played more than like a thousand minutes over the last two seasons. Who do you think has the worst plus minus in the NBA?

[Dave Defore]

Oh, is it Bob?

[Dave]

Cam Whitmore.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It's Bob. It's Bob Carrington.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. That set is so meaningless for a bad.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I know.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I know.

[Dave]

What I mean.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I know.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

It's.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Especially for a team like the Wizards. It does not matter at all.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. When you're trying to lose, it's like. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Anyway, so we're protected.

[Dave Defore]

The power of friendship.

[Dave]

Power of friendship. Just like we'll protect Bub.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. A guy that is.

[Dave]

You got me.

[Dave Defore]

Is a good guy. I.

[Dave]

Right.

[Dave Defore]

The Whitmore stuff is. It's. He. The guys like him just don't function in the NBA anymore.

[Dave]

That is now. That is true.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That is true.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Wait, you didn't press.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Protect Bub.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Protect. But.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, sorry, Bob.

[Dave]

Protect Bob.

[Dave Defore]

Sorry, Bub. Okay. Onto the west. The Dallas Mavericks. Whoops.

[Dave]

We're at the draft. On the next episode.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I know.

[Dave]

This is.

[Dave Defore]

We will.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

This is indeed.

[Dave Defore]

We were flying at first, and then we.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah. What happened?

[Dave Defore]

We started talking.

[Dave]

Well, we started talking about, you know, we started listing guys. You know how that goes.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Dave]

Kyrie unprotected.

[Dave Defore]

Maybe. I. I bet Kyrie would call the front office. Be like, just leave me unprotected, please. They'll probably protect him because they can trade him.

[Dave]

Yeah. Well, I mean.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking about.

[Dave]

Can you.

[Dave Defore]

Yes.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

You can always use a Ky.

[Dave Defore]

They. They'll.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They could trade someone will always use.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

If, If.

[Dave Defore]

If the Wizards think they can trade Anthony Davis and get positive value Emmanuel quickly.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And one first for Kyrie Irving.

[Dave]

I mean, that. Call it in.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Sure.

[Dave Defore]

Then you get a first.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

For sure. Yeah, Naji. For sure.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Derek.

[Dave Defore]

Derek Lively. Max Christie. We have two more.

[Dave]

Yeah, I think they probably. Again, Gafford. That's a guy.

[Dave Defore]

Positive value.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

One more.

[Dave Defore]

A.J. johnson.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

A.J. johnson, Caleb Martin or Klay Thompson.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Let Clay go, man.

[Dave]

Yeah, let him.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Let him be in Seattle.

[Dave]

Clay Thompson playing power forward for the Seattle SuperSonics. Stretch four.

[Dave Defore]

Gross. I would protect AJ just because it's like, we. We need to be younger.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Younger. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

I don't know if AJ's any good. This is his third team.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

But he's shown some flashes. Okay. The Denver Nuggets are going to protect Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Christian Brown.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They can't protect Peyton Watson. Oh, they can protect people.

[Dave Defore]

They can't protect P. Watt. Because he can't. Oh, they can. Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

They should probably protect him even though they could lose him anyways.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Julian Strother.

[Dave Defore]

Strother.

[Dave]

Is that it?

[Dave Defore]

We need one more. Jalen Pickett, probably. Or Jaron Holmes, I think.

[Dave]

Jalen. Jalen Pickett.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Jalen Pickett.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No consideration for Jonas Valentunas, really.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I did consider it. I did consider it, but I just.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Dave]

He didn't want to be there anyway.

[Dave Defore]

Talk me into it. Come on.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

If Aaron Gordon is going to be as injured as he is, they need size and they need a backup big.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, they do, but do you think he's the backup big for Aaron or Nicola?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Well, Nicola, but like, Aaron used to be backup five when Nicole wasn't out there.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah. And so I. I see what you're saying.

[Dave Defore]

If you're not. If you don't have Aaron Gordon, you're not winning the title anyways.

[Dave]

Exactly.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, No, I. I agree. I think. I think they will protect Aaron because they need him and he's.

[Dave]

He's.

[Dave Defore]

Well, I. I think just like, Like Jay. I don't know that they would necessarily even take JV here. I think he might just like, take a swing of Drawn Holmes and just like, see if he's any good.

[Dave]

That's an interesting question. Is like, will these expansion squads, will they steer young or will they steer. Let's try to compete, right? Are we happy if we draft a play in team?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Right. Right.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

There's three options. You can go. You can go build for now, you can build for the future with young talent, or you could just do a balance, right. Of youth and veterans to try and establish a foundation. And then you also. So you have to. You have to make that decision. And then you have to also make the decision of who do we want to build around the best available talent, a point guard, a big A wing, or like, this is. It's very interesting how you would go about it, especially when you have this many. Like I'm of the mindset of what team like Golden State just did for in the W, what the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo are about to have to do for this upcoming season with their expansion draft. And I think a lot of folks just go with whatever's best available. But there's only. At that time, there was only 12 teams to choose from. Yeah, 30 teams to choose from. Like, that's. You could have a lot more fun or be more. I don't know.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I'm happy with where we're at with Denver right now, though. I Think that's okay?

[Dave]

Yeah, I think it's about right.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. In my. In my mind, there's only one way to build an expansion team.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Tank.

[Dave Defore]

Yes. Oh, my gosh. Yes.

[Dave]

Where's Keith Parrish?

[Dave Defore]

Dude, I need. I need a. I need. I need the league to find me, Okay? I need the league to reach out. Give me a memo that says I'm taking my money.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Especially because you're gonna sell a lot of season seats anyways in year one from an expansion team.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, dude, we got merch going.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

How did the NHL expansion teams do? Because I feel like the Vegas Knights and the Seattle Kraken were pretty good.

[Dave Defore]

Very early.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They were good early. Yeah. Hockey's so different.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, it's. It is so much harder.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Were also really good early, but the.

[Dave Defore]

Way you win in the NBA is you have to have a top 10 player to, like, truly. If you, like, you really, really want to win.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Expansion team. Was it Orlando?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, Charlotte.

[Dave Defore]

Charlotte.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Charlotte Bobcats at that time.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Gerald Wallace was like, the real notable name from that expansion draft, and it was because the Kings were just, like, really stacked back then, and, like, they had to let somebody go.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Okay, so the warriors are unprotecting Steph Curry.

[Dave Defore]

Right? Are we on the Warriors? Yeah, we're on the war. So, Zena, I'll let you drive the ship here.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh, let me get back to my page. Okay. Yeah. Protecting Stefan. Oh, this is actually really hard.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yikes. Oh, I don't know. Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

After that, you can take anybody else.

[Dave Defore]

Is there anybody that's worth it?

[Dave]

Are you allowed to only protect one guy?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

That is actually insane. This is crazy.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Fair one.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I feel like you pots keep pods. D. Anthony Will.

[Dave Defore]

Richard Moses. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah. I mean, you might as well protect Al Horford.

[Dave]

He's.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think you protect. Oh, you can protect Ghee.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Quinton Post.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think you protect Ghee. Quinton Post. Yeah. I know this is crazy. You have to also think it's worth saying for the listeners, Christopher Zingis is ineligible. Gary Payton II is also ineligible.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I feel like Al Horford is almost 40.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Like that's a thing. So right now we have Jimmy Butler available, Draymond Green, Pat Spencer, and, oh, Will Richard for sure.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah. So now we have one spot left between Butler, Green, Spencer, and Horford. Horford's off that list. He's just of age.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Okay, can we. Can we say what we would do and what the warriors would do in this situation?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Okay, what the warriors would do is protect Draymond.

[Dave]

Right? For sure.

[Dave Defore]

Which they always have.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

They all.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They already true.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah. So what would we do That's a good.

[Dave Defore]

I want to know what Xena would do. I don't. I want everybody else to be quiet and I just want to know what Xena would do.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Honestly, I'm trying to think about what you guys were saying about trade slots, too. Like. Or keeping slots.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Like salary slots for teams that are capped out are pretty important, you know, just to.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And that's what makes me think Jimmy.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, okay, I can see that.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think I'm gonna keep Jimmy for that.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave]

So Draymond is available.

[Dave Defore]

Draymond is available. And you know what? When you establish a culture.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

You just bring in Draymond Green. Right. Or if you just really need a podcaster on your team.

[Dave]

Well, we have that covered.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, right now, you guys. Right now you could have the all podcast team. You could get Paul George and Draymond GRE right now for the highest price possible.

[Dave]

Jeff D. Technically a free agent, you could be competitive.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It was. Speaking of the competitive route with the Sonics, like, you got. I don't know.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Anyway, it could be okay. We're at the Houston Rockets now. We're going to protect Kevin Durant, Alpern, Shangoon, Jabari, for sure. Amen. Reed Shepherd. Yep. Tari Eason. Tari, who will be doing a contract. We have two more slots and we have Fred Van Vliet, Doran, Finney Smith, Stephen Adams, Clint Capella. I think Stephen.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I feel like it's pretty. Steven Adams, Stephen Adams and Fred Van Bleep.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, I think so too. I think.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Dorian's not been great. Dodo's.

[Dave]

I don't think that they would do that over again. I don't think they would sign Dorian. Finney Smith.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I agree.

[Dave Defore]

I think so either. And if. Also if you're the Lakers, you wouldn't have made that trade either, either.

[Dave]

Yeah, sure.

[Dave Defore]

There were. There were definitely teams out there saying kind of. Kind of laughing a little bit about what was given up for. For Dodo. So.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, I remember when the Rocket signed him. It's like, how did they let them do.

[Dave Defore]

How could they let them get out? It's. And it's all this, like, our, like our thoughts about who he's been.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Like some sometimes like, can't leave our brain until we see it. Absolutely not work. Yeah. You know, the Los Angeles Clippers.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Kawhi is getting protected.

[Dave Defore]

Definitely. He's been. He's been unbelievable. And if there's a Chance that, like this whole aspiration thing just, poof, goes away.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Which.

[Dave]

There's a great chance, David.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I. I don't.

[Dave Defore]

I don't. I'm. I'm gonna firmly put myself on the other side of that. I don't think. I think. I think there's gonna.

[Dave]

I mean, I don't think it's going to be that big of a deal. Punishment. I don't think. I think there will be a punishment. I just don't think it's going to.

[Dave Defore]

Be a big one. Yeah.

[Dave]

I don't know.

[Dave Defore]

I don't know that I agree with.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That act on this rock.

[Dave]

I'm trying to nag the NBA.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Kobe Sanders.

[Dave Defore]

Yep. Benedict Matheran. Yes.

[Dave]

That's rough.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Do we think Derek Jones Jr gets protected?

[Dave Defore]

Maybe.

[Dave]

Yeah, possibly. I think Yannick Conan Niederhauser.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Dave]

That's the center of the future right there.

[Dave Defore]

That's right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Chris Don.

[Dave Defore]

Chris Dunn.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He feels expansion draft D to me. I don't know.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Supersonic Isaiah Jackson, I think gets protected probably.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, really? I feel like the Pacers were like, you know what? We're gonna squeeze this guy in there and hope they don't even notice.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

2, 3, 4, 5, 6. There's two guys you have to protect. And like, there's no one I want to protect.

[Dave Defore]

I mean, I'll do Chris Dunn.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Ineligible.

[Dave]

By the way, bogdan has a 16 million dollar.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, they. They are. You know, they're praying. They're. They are planting as many trees as possible, hoping that Bogdanovich is. Is out of there. That has nothing. That's been another one where it's like, oh, man, the Clippers got Bogdanovich. You know, it's like, yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

By the way, it hasn't been updated.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yet, but Jordan Scott signed to a contract and he did.

[Dave]

They would protect him.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I feel like they would protect.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, they probably would. They probably would.

[Dave]

But we need one here.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Christie.

[Dave]

Sure.

[Dave Defore]

Cam Christie.

[Dave]

Man, the Clippers are sad.

[Dave Defore]

Protected.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's tough.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, they're weird. They're gonna be weird this last 25 games or whatever.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

LeBron is ineligible for the LA Lakers.

[Dave Defore]

Yes. Because he'll be on another team. Okay. The Angeles Lakers. Okay. Luca. Austin. Reeves. Laravia. Laravia's been good.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It gets sad quick for these guys, too.

[Dave Defore]

They're gonna let. They can't protect Bronnie just because. Well, I mean, I guess you could. Because they need to control where Bronnie goes.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

It's also worth noting not only LeBron is ineligible, but Rui.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Max Cleaver. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

So.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Who cares?

[Dave Defore]

Sure. So we've protected four guys. One of them is Bronnie James. And you know Vando, this is one.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Of those teams that like, if they could just protect two guys, they would.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Dave]

For sure.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Lakers. Good for them.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I can do Theo.

[Dave Defore]

I was like, can you, can you give me a scouting report here?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

He's athletic. He can jump out the gym.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He can jump out the gym.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Three and D. Not with no, no. Three.

[Dave Defore]

That's, that's the thing with the Lakers is all their role players do one or the other.

[Dave]

Yep.

[Dave Defore]

That's why they're not very good.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Vando being.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

But that's the thing. So do. And Kobe, like, they just got out the G League.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, they did.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

They, they just got brought up. And it's like you can. It's a dude is very brawny, esque, like super athletic is gonna put on a show. But like I'm protecting like that. He's gotten better at his passing and his game decisions.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I, I, I can't. I, I have to vehemently deny protecting Jared Vanderbilt.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah. I missed.

[Dave Defore]

I would prefer you have to protect eight.

[Dave]

This is the thing. And so like maybe Dalton connect is one.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Dalton Connect because he's young.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Well, he's fake young. But sure.

[Dave]

Okay. But at least has some inherent value just by being 24.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Maybe they protect Ayton.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Sorry I didn't dominate Marcus Big.

[Dave]

You know where else I mean they.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Get this big from?

[Dave Defore]

It'll be. This will be the summer. So they could go get somebody else.

[Dave]

I don't know.

[Dave Defore]

We have two more. By the way.

[Dave]

I, I would say Smart And Vanderbilt. No does you need good players to start next year.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I'll do Smart. I, I'm with that.

[Dave Defore]

Let's go, Buffkin Boys. We're back on top, baby. Let's go.

[Dave]

We are drafting DeAndre. Aiden, the buffet boys are back.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Somebody should draft DeAndre. Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Why bring them right back to the Pacific Northwest.

[Dave]

That's right.

[Dave Defore]

Memphis Grizzlies.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh, wait, we're not Seattle. So never mind.

[Dave]

Oh, that's right. We're Vegas. Oh, we're taking him back to the desert where he's happy.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Dave]

No snow down there.

[Dave Defore]

That's true. All right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

The Memphis Grizzlies.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. Memphis Grizzlies.

[Dave]

Are we for sure? You can't lose them for nothing. It's, you know, I guess at this point.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

That's a good point.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They've already traded Jaren Jackson Jr. They're out of the cap. Hell, whatever you want to call it.

[Dave Defore]

Sure.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Now they have to get something back for.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so let's protect, like, Jalen Wells.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Cedric Howard, Walter Clayton.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, Walter Clayton.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Taylor Hendricks.

[Dave]

Seven.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Taylor Hendricks wait beside Jerome.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think it's Hydrome.

[Dave Defore]

Kcp. Oh, wait.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

We're not protecting kcp.

[Dave]

I think you let KCP go, and I think you protect Santiago.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And Ty Jerome.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

So I would. I would probably unprotect Spencer.

[Dave Defore]

Really?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And. And listen, him and his brother will go on the market. We're not happy about it. But Seattle, I think you don't. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Dave]

Cam Spencer and his trucker hats, which I assume he has, gonna do great in Seattle.

[Dave Defore]

If. If they don't take Gigi.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Okay, Gigi's a good player.

[Dave]

He can play.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, he is. He is. He could play.

[Dave Defore]

Not my kind of guy. He won't. He will not be a Sonic, I'll tell you that. Okay, okay. Minnesota Timberwolves now Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert.

[Dave]

Don't.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Don't protect Rudy so fast.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, hold on. Jade McDaniels. For sure.

[Dave]

What was that noise?

[Dave Defore]

Trying to surpass that.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Nas Reed. Dante Divincenzo.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, maybe.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I don't know for sure.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They can't do IO I just realized that.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, he's unrestricted, which could get a little interesting.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Jalen.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Wait.

[Dave]

You didn't protect Rudy.

[Dave Defore]

Two more. No, because. Because.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

S. No, no, no, no, no. It will be Rudy. I was just looking at the roster.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, okay, okay. Okay. Now, so it's between Terence Shannon, Julian Phillips, and Jaylen Clark.

[Dave]

Terence Shannon.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Terence Shannon.

[Dave Defore]

Sure. Yeah. To me, that's pretty clear. Yeah. Those are their. That's just the top eight. Okay. The New Orleans Pelicans, the team. That is so bad. But you look at the roster, and you're like. I like all these guys.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Okay. Fierce queen.

[Dave Defore]

Yep.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Fears and Queens, too.

[Dave Defore]

We can start.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Herb Jones, Urban Trey.

[Dave Defore]

Herb and Trey.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Eve's misi.

[Dave Defore]

I mean, they had him on the block.

[Dave]

Yeah, I don't think they were.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

But they want to get something for him, right?

[Dave]

Yeah, but I. He is a middling to low value. You know what I mean? What's he gonna get? I. I think that the more interesting conversations are Zion, Jordan Poole, and Dejounte Murray.

[Advertiser Voice]

Murray.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, I don't. They don't let Zion go away for nothing.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I don't think they protect Jordan Poole. I don't think they protect dejante Murray.

[Dave Defore]

But I think you have to protect Zion just because you could. You could get something for him.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

As you're saying. Exactly.

[Dave Defore]

You can't you. You hope that somebody bites on Pool or Dejante? Because you do need to.

[Dave]

But how you guys feel about Jordan Hawkins?

[Dave Defore]

He doesn't play.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, he doesn't play anymore. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Right.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He's with. With fears coming in. It's just kind of.

[Dave Defore]

He doesn't play on a team that is not good.

[Dave]

Right.

[Dave Defore]

Like that.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

So. So now it's five players, and that means there's three spots left. I. I feel like Bay, Misi and Hawkins.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Dave]

With Jordan Pool and Dejante Murray left unprotected, I like.

[Dave Defore]

Like, for what it's worth, I do like Jordan Hawkins. Or at least I like the idea of Jordan Hawkins.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Sure.

[Dave Defore]

But he just. It's weird he doesn't play.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

The Dejante Murray one. I don't know.

[Dave Defore]

Talk to me, Xena.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I just really like him as a guard. I. I particularly like him pushing the likes of the athletes that you have on this team. But I see how there might be a little bit of replication in Jeremiah Fe.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Should be coming back soon, so maybe, like, perception of him changes if he comes back and he plays well.

[Dave]

Right.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I just. I think he's a really, really great player.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, I like him, too. I like Dejante a lot, too. It just. It depends on if he plays well when he gets back.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah. Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Oklahoma City. This will be an interesting one.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And, you know, actually, you know, we should mess them up, Dave, because I think Dejante's from Seattle, isn't he?

[Dave]

Yes, he is.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

All right.

[Dave]

He's high up on the board. Xena.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. The Thunder. Now.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Go ahead. ISO. Andrew. Go for it.

[Dave Defore]

I. So top three guys are easy. Shay Dub Chat are for sure. Locked in.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Easy way to get off.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Jalen.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

William.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, I'm just kidding.

[Dave]

I'm just trying to figure out.

[Dave Defore]

I'm going AJ Next.

[Dave]

That's amazing. That is amazing.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

AJ Mitchell next. I like it.

[Dave Defore]

Heart. I'm going AC Alex Caruso. This one is hard because, like, now we only have two left. And we have Dort, Isaiah, Jason, Wiggins, Case, and Wallace. J. Will Casen.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, McCain is in there. He's my number one pick for the Las Vegas Strip.

[Dave]

It's amazing.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, it's really tricky. I. I will keep McCain and so I will leave unprotected. Thomas Sorber, Nicola Topic, Kenrich Williams, J. Will, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah, Joe and Lugan's Dort.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think that's right.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, Lou. Dort is building our culture in Las Vegas. Let's Go.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Wait, you're not Las Vegas. S. You are Seattle.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, sorry. He's building our culture in Seattle. Let's go see.

[Dave Defore]

It's.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He's gonna be a strip, baby, right?

[Dave Defore]

He'll be a strip. The thing that's gonna be really interesting for the Thunder this summer is they have potentially, they have three firsts in this draft. It'll probably just end up being two, and it could just be one they could trade. They've been notorious to trade these first round picks for other firsts in the future. But even if they just took one guy, they will have to unload somebody to roster them because they're. This entire 15 man roster has a contract for next season. Now there's three guys that have team options in Hartenstein, Dort and Kenrich. And they're going to have to decide on somebody on this roster to let go of to go into next season. If not two guys, because they. This Sixers pick, I'm talking about the Sixers being in the play in the. The Sixers could potentially lose in the play in. And then now the Thunder have these potentially two lottery picks. If the Clippers also losing the play in and then they might like two guys and then if they take two guys, then two guys from this roster have to go.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

And so it's just been an interesting topic of conversation amongst Thunder fans. I don't know if you guys have an opinion on who you would move on from them if you were the Thunder of the summer. If they had to move on from two guys.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Any two guys or just two guys.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

It would be any two.

[Dave Defore]

Any two guys from this roster world.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

This version of the roster.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, because that's what Williams.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Ken, Rich, Williams, Thomas.

[Dave]

For me, I mean, I think Dort is kind of the guy feels like he's on the way out.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, I would. I would probably go.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, I guess.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

It would be Dort.

[Dave Defore]

So Dort just signed with Clutch. He just moved from Wasserman to Clutch. Yeah. This will be like one of his big opportunities to get like a massive payday. And like the question you have to ask yourself. Well, you have to ask yourself a few questions. One, does Dort give the Thunder the hometown discount?

[Dave]

Right.

[Dave Defore]

I don't know the answer to that question. If he doesn't give the Thunder the hometown discount or the Thunder who are going to be very, very expensive next year, willing to give him a 25 to 30 million dollar a year contract. I don't know the answer.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think there's. Okay, so what's the question, though, is the question, who would you, looking at this current roster, walk away from and.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Be like.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Who would you be?

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Expecting to walk away.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, I. I think you can answer it however you want. But I do think that, like, I think that they. I would be surprised to move on from Swarbor. They haven't even seen him yet, and he's on a very cheap.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

That's part of why I'm saying that they will, but they could.

[Dave Defore]

He's on a very cheap contract. He's a big man that they. He could theoretically be a good Thunder player with his skill set. And the Thunder need to work on sustainability.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I heart. Can. Can get a. Give a hometown discount.

[Dave Defore]

That, to me, is going to be one of the more interesting storylines heading into this off season for the Thunder is can you go to the table with Hartenstein and say, we overpaid for you to come here and now can we bring you back with a cheaper deal?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Right.

[Dave Defore]

Because he means. I mean, he's. He's their fourth best player, and I don't think it's particularly close. So it'll be. It'll be fascinating to see what they do this summer. Yeah. Phoenix. We're almost done, guys.

[Dave]

Booker. Jalen Green.

[Dave Defore]

Booker.

[Dave]

Dylan Brooks.

[Dave Defore]

Are you for sure? Okay, can we come back to Jalen Green?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I feel like looking at this list right now. They're pretty. They're gonna do it, but. Okay.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. Dylan Brooks. Grayson Allen's on a good deal.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Come on, Malawatch.

[Dave Defore]

They just picked Malawatch.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Ryan done.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Ryan done. Oso for sure.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They love Rasheer play.

[Dave Defore]

Now we're at eight. That's what I'm. That's what I'm saying is like, who are we taking away?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Royce o' Neill is going to be unprotected, protected.

[Dave Defore]

Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

And so now you can pick Mark Williams.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh.

[Dave Defore]

Oh. And over Mark Williams. Okay. So Mark Williams is now protected. So we. Royce o' Neill and Jalen Green unprotected.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I would unprotect Grayson Allen.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, you would?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

To. To keep.

[Dave]

Yeah, I think Jalen Green.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

You gotta to keep Jalen.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Really?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, I'm with that. I'm with that.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, man. I. I would. That's my get out of jail free card.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's your opposite.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, I think. I think Grayson Allen's on an awesome deal, and I think he's really good. And if you're.

[Dave]

I think Grayson Allen's good. I just. I think Jalen Green's 23 can score. Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Younger guy.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. I'll. I'll stick with you guys. I just would take. I would take my get out of jail free card while I can get it though. With Jalen Green. But.

[Dave]

And he would get drafted it.

[Dave Defore]

Absolutely he would and he should. And if I'm the. The Suns, I'd say have an awesome time, man.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Sonics, I'm drafting Dort Grayson Allen. Just wowers.

[Dave Defore]

You know. He'll be the most annoying team in the history of the NBA. Okay, Portland Trailblazers. Danny Avdia, Shayden Sharp. Scoot. I think. Scoot.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Well, we'll.

[Dave Defore]

We'll get back to him, but okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I think he will be Danny Donovan Clingan.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

They have young Hanson.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, we're already at five, so we need three more.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Dame.

[Dave Defore]

I guess. I mean if you're the Portland Trailblazers, you have to protect Dame. We have two more.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Scoot.

[Dave]

For sure.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yes.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah, me too.

[Dave]

And I think Drew Holiday, you. You keep. Because he has trade value.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

That's a good point.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, that makes sense. So leaving Jeremy Grant, Chris Murray v. Crutchy unprotected.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, Crutchy.

[Dave Defore]

So any.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And Ryan Rupert.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Big shout out.

[Dave Defore]

France.

[Dave]

I don't think he's. I don't think he's gonna be in the league all that much longer.

[Dave Defore]

No, he's gonna have a sweet per diem over there in Europe here pretty quick.

[Dave]

He's. He's gonna do well if he goes like Monaco or Paris.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, he will.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

For the Kings. Can they just unprotect everyone?

[Dave Defore]

Can we just. Can we just start over? Can we be the expansion team game?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Right.

[Dave Defore]

Is what they'll be.

[Dave]

I mean that. That was my thing about the warriors is like they should only protect Steph and be able to draft in the expansion draft.

[Dave Defore]

That would be great.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Give away all your future.

[Dave Defore]

Can we start over? We need to start.

[Dave]

What if every year everyone only was on a one year contract and we just did a 30 team draft every season.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

NBPA is knocking at your door right now, Dave.

[Dave]

Everybody looks player move.

[Dave Defore]

That's a crazy idea. Okay. Keegan Murray and Nick Clifford are my first two.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yikes.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Man.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Maxime Reyno is in there. Dylan Cardwell is in there.

[Dave Defore]

We're protecting just because. Just for the vibes.

[Dave]

Yeah. DeAndre Hunter. Because they're building around Hunter and Murray.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, gosh. Okay, we have three more. You protect the bonus because I do think that a team would.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I feel like Devin Carter's in there.

[Dave Defore]

Sure.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah. I mean, sure. From what we got available.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. We have one more. Malik Monk. Do we have one more because he's tradable.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Well, hold on. Do you think Zach Levine's expiring salary next year will be tradable? Or at least something maybe a team would want to trade and get six back for.

[Dave]

Is that. Or tomorrow?

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, I would. I would keep Levine. They're going to have to. If this team.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

This is nuts. This is a terrible basketball team.

[Dave Defore]

It's really bad. And the biggest problem they have is that they.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh, y' all are funny.

[Dave Defore]

They've spent too much money.

[Dave]

Yeah. And they're going to lose Russ this summer.

[Dave Defore]

Yes, they are.

[Dave]

I couldn't even keep a straight face.

[Dave Defore]

Yes, they are.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

You know what? I actually just thought of the fact that they might be a second apron team. I would unprotect Zach levine and protect DeMar DeRozan.

[Dave]

And no one's taking Zach Levine.

[Dave Defore]

But if they take DeRozan, they won't be a second apron team. Like they need.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, if someone else will take.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so you have to ask yourself this question. Who is the. Who is the high salary guy that. That a team would most likely take?

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And then it will help you out.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think. I think. Yeah. Demar is.

[Dave]

At least right now Demar DeRozan is the best player available. Is that right?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Seems like it, yeah. Or Dort, depending on how you wanna.

[Dave]

DeMar DeRozan's the best player available.

[Dave Defore]

Topic. Okay. The San Antonio Spurs. Another very interesting one. Dear. And Fox.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Dave Defore]

Visell.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Dave Defore]

Kelden.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Dave Defore]

Victor Wimanyama.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Dave Defore]

We'll come back.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Dylan Harper.

[Dave]

Dylan Harper.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

We'll go back to the Fawn Castle.

[Dave Defore]

Steph.

[Dave]

Yep. And that's it. I don't know about Carter Bryant. They're gonna protect because again, I think Cornette, if you're having a deuce.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, okay. Champagne or Cornet is where we're at now, Right.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Cornette really shooting from Champagne.

[Dave]

That's why I was thinking Cornett.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

And he's on a better contract, Right. I. I think Champagne, like, I know.

[Dave]

Carter Bryant is a. Is a young player, but he is. He is. This team is trying on the strips, right? So. Well, Cornet's starting on the spurs half the time, man. Like, I'm just saying, like, I think Cornett is an important player for them even next season.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave]

And Carter Bryant is years away from Carter Bryant.

[Dave Defore]

Or Champagne, I guess, is the question.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Well, Carter Bryant is a great, great young expansion team.

[Dave Defore]

Or he's.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

He's almost a lottery pick.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

No, not a lottery pick. I think he was just a first rounder. Hold on, let's see.

[Dave Defore]

He was 15, I think.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[Dave]

Well, he can't shoot. He's a great athlete. Can't shoot.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I. I think they just. They would rather pick the younger.

[Dave]

Probably.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, probably.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Champagne would be taken.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh, shoot. He was a lottery pick. Pick.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

He was 14, right?

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yep.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, 14, okay.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Apologies to you, Julian.

[Dave]

Champagne high up on the list? The guys.

[Dave Defore]

Champagne's good.

[Dave]

Yeah, he is good.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

He's very good.

[Dave Defore]

Good character guy. Like, great to like, help establish a culture.

[Dave]

Did we protect Justin? Can I get both of the Champagne brothers? I mean, now that.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Yeah, we didn't protect Justin. No, we didn't.

[Dave]

Trying to build a winning culture. That's what I'm talking about.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I think you can.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. The last one. The Utah Jazz. The Utah Tankers. Okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Jaren.

[Dave Defore]

Jaren. Protected. Protected. Ace. Protected. Protected.

[Dave]

Nope.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Bryce.

[Dave]

Sensibar. Protected.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, okay.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Kyle Filipowski. Protected. Flip Walker Kessler. Protected.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, he's got to be protected.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I never say the same, right, Myla?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I don't think he'll be high, Luke.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

You don't think so?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

No, I don't think he will be. Cody Collier, I would say. Did you protect Collier? I would. Oh, I. Oh, man. Protect Collier or I'm drafting him.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Oh, yeah, Isaiah, for sure.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Okay. And leave Cody.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

You don't have somebody getting 20?

[Dave]

No. Cody Williams. We're not protecting Cody Williams or Chitty John Conjure. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

So wait, wait one second. I'm just looking. Walker, Kessler, Collier. Flip Filipowski. Sensible. Wow. Yeah, they're stacked. Okay, never mind.

[Dave]

It's a fun team, man.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

I thought we were going to struggle. That's why I was like mileage, but okay. Got it. It. Yeah, I'm with it.

[Dave Defore]

Vince Williams, I'm protecting.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

We did it, guys.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

We are at one hour and 20 minutes, folks. So.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so that's our protections. Come back next week and we will actually make the picks.

[Dave]

Yeah. That was a fun exercise though.

[Dave Defore]

So.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Yeah. Let us know if. If you're listening to this and we just absolutely messed up your team and you can make the case that we should move the protections. You can make the case. You can email me a schlechtathletic.com if you need to like really vent, you know, or you can leave it in the comments on YouTube. You can comment on Spotify, you can also comment on the athletic app, all those places.

[Dave]

Is there.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Is there a way to show who is available in the expansion draft as sort of a sneak peek of next week?

[Dave Defore]

There should be A way to do.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Also, it says run draft, right? Is that a thing?

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Oh, yeah, maybe. Yeah.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Is that. Is this gonna save for you?

[Dave Defore]

I'll have to redo it probably, but.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

Okay.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so yeah, here's. Here are like the draft eligible players here. If you're watching on YouTube that it goes.

[Dave]

Can you sort by contract? I'm really curious to see who. Who's the highest?

[Dave Defore]

Yeah, the highest. Yes. Actually, it's already sorted by contract. So Emmanuel quickly has the highest. Highest, I guess. I guess Grant's higher. It's not highest annual, but it's the most money left.

[Dave]

Oh, I see.

[Dave Defore]

Right.

[Dave]

See. Yeah.

[Dave Defore]

Okay, so Emmanuel Quickley, Jeremy Grant, Jordan Pool, Dejante Murray, Draymond Green, Miles Bridges, DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pearl, Malik Monk.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

You could build. You could build a 45 win team.

[Dave]

No, no. You could build a 35 win team from this list. You could compete for the play in the east.

[Dave Defore]

I think you could build a really unhappy 32 win team is what you.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

Could do in the West. You could build a 37 win team. Come on, give me 37. Give me Draymond I.Q. demar.

[Dave Defore]

You're. Yeah, you are.

[Xena Keda Esperahini]

No, this is your partner, Andrew. Just listen to what he said.

[Dave Defore]

We've got. We've got seven days to. To work on this. S. Okay. Don't you dare approach it like. If you approach it like that.

[Podcast Co-host 1]

I'm trying to make Dave happy about winning, man.

[Dave]

You know that's right. Can't tank, guys.

[Dave Defore]

Oh, we're tanking, baby.

[Dave]

The first expansion team to be fined for tanking. Andrew, select as gm. That's your legacy.

[Dave Defore]

Let's go to. Let's go to some drastic measures to take. Okay? All right. Thank you guys so much for tuning in to the morning shoot around. Please like the video. If you're watching live right now, just. Just stop and like the video. That'd be super helpful. Hope everybody has an awesome day. We'll talk to you guys again next time.

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