Why would LeBron leave the Lakers?

Summary

Podcast Summary – The Athletic NBA Daily

Episode: Will LeBron James return to the Lakers?
Date: June 30, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keda, Dan Woike (Lakers beat reporter)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the crucial topic on every NBA fan’s mind: Will LeBron James remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, or could the future Hall of Famer finish his storied career elsewhere? The conversation centers on LeBron’s options and motivations, the Lakers’ pivotal free agency summer, and the team’s strategy for building around Luka Doncic moving forward. The hosts and Lakers reporter Dan Woike break down recent moves, financial realities, and the Lakers’ roster priorities, offering insight into both front office plans and the mindset of marquee players.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lakers' Recent Offseason Activity and Austin Reeves’ New Deal

[03:16–06:01]

• The Lakers are at a critical juncture this offseason, with free agency opening amid major league-wide movement.
• Austin Reeves has re-signed on a substantial 4-year, $185 million deal, after tough negotiations driven by potential offers from Detroit.
• Woike notes that while headline-grabbing, Reeves’ deal will not heavily impact the Lakers' short-term plans due to how cap holds and timing work.

Quote:

“The pressure that's been put on the Lakers by themselves has been, this is the summer when we make changes... Last summer they didn’t sign anybody to long-term deals. This was the time. Now they’re here, they have cap space. The top free agent is one of their own players.”
— Dan Woike, 05:20

---

2. The LeBron James Question – Staying or Going?

[06:01–12:12]

• The hosts ask if LeBron will stay or seek a new challenge elsewhere (“the Bay”, i.e., the Warriors, being a rumored destination).
• Woike outlines LeBron’s current priorities:
  • Playing competitive (not necessarily title-contending) basketball
  • Being valued “financially and ethically” by his team
  • Remaining near Los Angeles due to family ties
• The Lakers’ prime focus is now pivoting toward building around Luka Doncic; LeBron “has a place” in the plan, but is not the centerpiece.
• Dan suggests LeBron may be unable to “have it all” for the first time in his career.

Quote:

“Can he get all three of those things? Maybe for the first time in his career, the answer is no... People have fallen all over themselves to give him what he wanted... That’s not what is happening right now.”
— Dan Woike, 06:35

• They explore the Warriors as a potential landing spot, but note the fit and potential growing pains with a hypothetical “superteam” (LeBron, Curry, Draymond, AD, others).
• The Lakers’ lineups already have a “proof of concept” from last season’s strong March run, arguing for continuity.

---

3. LeBron’s Role and Satisfaction as a “Third Option”

[12:12–13:56]

• The group discusses whether LeBron was content in a “lesser” role alongside Luka and Austin Reeves.
• Woike indicates LeBron was “happy enough” during the team’s success, especially enjoying proving he could still win without being the focal point.

Quote:

“Was he sulking about them winning a bunch of basketball games? He wasn’t. I think he wants to play meaningful basketball. That part matters too.”
— Dan Woike, 12:59

• Woike reflects on how energizing the playoff chase was for LeBron, but flags the unprecedented nature of a 41-year-old (entering Year 24) being a key piece.

---

4. Free Agency Moves and Roster Priorities

[17:31–24:21]

• The Lakers are facing several significant roster questions:
  • Marcus Smart: Opted out; Lakers must replace his defensive presence. Names like Dean Wade and Ziaire Williams cited as possible perimeter upgrades.
  • Rui Hachimura: Lakers want to re-sign; mutual interest exists. Hachimura is praised as the “most efficient playoff three-point shooter of all time.”
  • Center Search: The biggest Lakers need is a starting center to complement Luka. Targets range from Walker Kessler (ideal, but unlikely to be available) to patchwork solutions like Mitchell Robinson, Jackson Hayes, Robert Williams, or potential trades for value bigs (e.g., Eve’s Mece).

Quote:

“You don’t want to lose answers to questions when the answers are in your house.”
— Dan Woike, 19:33

• The hosts also discuss frontcourt archetypes (John Collins, Obi Toppin, Tobias Harris) and what skills are most needed around Luka and Austin Reeves.

Quote:

“What they’re looking for is... you have to mitigate the weaknesses of Luka and Austin on defense... That’s where someone like Mitchell Robinson does make sense.”
— Dan Woike, 23:52

---

5. The Los Angeles Lakers’ Appeal and the “Luka Effect”

[25:07–28:21]

• Zena questions whether LA is still “glitzy” enough to attract stars, given the team’s pivot to Luka as centerpiece.
• Dave and Dan both argue that Luka enhances the careers and earning power of his teammates, particularly bigs willing to run and finish.
• Discussion of DeAndre Ayton’s mixed tenure as an example of the risks and exposures for centers playing with star playmakers.

Quote:

“If you’re a big man and you’re athletic and you want to make a lot of money, I do think that the Lakers would be a great spot to wind up... it’s still the Los Angeles Lakers. That still matters.”
— Dave DuFour, 25:43

• They note the Lakers are “aggressively looking” for a long-term answer at center, acknowledging the difficulties of landing restricted free agents or trade targets.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Woike on LeBron’s future:

  "There's room for LeBron James in that plan... That being said, it's not the plan."
  [07:33]

• On Lakers’ March Run:

  "This is what it looks like when LeBron’s a third option... This is a team that was good enough to beat the Knicks, Denver... There’s something to be said for that."
  [11:09]

• On Center Search:

  “You want to find somebody who's more seamless... The projections on Walker Kessler, right?... These guys do not change teams.”
  [28:06]

• On Free Agency Appeal:

  “When you don’t succeed in the way that folks want you to succeed or expect you to... you’re kind of exposed in a way that maybe isn’t fair.”
  Zena Keda, 26:38

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Lakers summer rundown & Austin Reeves negotiation: [03:16–06:01]
• LeBron’s future – staying or going? [06:01–12:12]
• Evaluating LeBron as a “third option”: [12:12–13:56]
• Roster challenges & center search: [17:31–24:21]
• Is LA still a hotspot for free agents? [25:07–28:21]

---

Tone & Flow

The conversation is engaging, frank, and often humorous—balancing deep reporting (especially from Woike) with the speculation and excitement that NBA free agency always brings. The hosts dive into both the basketball and human sides of big decisions, offering informed predictions while freely admitting the unpredictability that surrounds the Lakers this summer.

---

This episode is a must-listen for Lakers fans or any NBA follower eager to understand the crossroads at which both LeBron James and the Lakers organization stand in the 2026 offseason.

Transcript

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[Dave Dufour]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for June 30th, 2026. I'm Dave Dufour here with Zena Kada and Dan Wojke. Coming up, we bug Dan with all of our lakers questions. Is LeBron going to the B? Good morning everybody. What is up guys Dan, welcome back. Dan Woicke, our Lakers beat reporter at the Athletic. Been a minute man.

[Dan Woicke]

How are you guys? It's really good. I was disappointed to not see an alert go out from the Athletic today that I opted into macaroni and cheese yesterday for lunch. But it is true, I did. I opted in for a quick lunch of macaroni cheese and a jerky stick. It was boy lunch. Hashtag boy lunch.

[Zena Keda]

That is.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, listen, I mean, this is like, I mean, I think as the Lakers reporter, you're probably busy all the time, but it's got to be super busy for you right now. I mean, free agency obviously opens up today and the, the news has kind of been coming non stop. I mean, we've had crazy trades during draft week. Giannis is on the move, you know, John Morant finally gets traded, and then the Lakers haven't really done anything yet that we know of outside of bringing back Austin Reeves on a pretty big money deal that, that could potentially hamper what they do this summer. How do you feel like the Lakers summer is shaking out so far?

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, it's funny you say like, you know, free agency starts, you know, today. Like for me it started the day the season ended. Right. Because the Lakers had six free agents on their roster, you know, a handful of which that they had interest in keeping starting with Austin Reeves. Right. And that was not a smooth negotiation. It was a hard negotiation. It ended up with Reeves getting most of what he wanted. I think signed a four year, 185 deal with an option for the, for that fourth season. But look, I, I mean, I think he wanted it a quick and easy deal. The Lakers offered much less at the start of that negotiation. And I think once it was clear that Detroit primarily that the Detroit Pistons were going to move money around and make a max offer for Austin Reeves, then the Lakers had no choice. Right? And they, and they stepped up and paid him. You know, as far as what it means for the rest of their summer though, Dave, like I actually don't think like, like that has a huge impact on the short term. Maybe down the line it could have some stuff in longer term deals, but you know that he hasn't signed anything. He won't sign anything until the very end. He's got this $22 million cap hold. That's part of the, the equation here because the pressure that's been put on the Lakers by themselves has been, this is the summer when we make changes. This was the pitch to Luka Doncic last summer. Before he signed his extension. 2026 is when we have access to three first round picks. 2026 is when we have cap space. You know, last summer they didn't sign anybody to long term deals. You know, this was the time. Now they're here, they have cap space. They are the, the top free agent is one of their players. Right. So like the guy you would spend on, in theory to, as you try to. To instigate change, is not someone who's going to help push you towards change. And yeah, they've got a, they've got a real needle to thread here. It's a, it's a tough situation.

[Zena Keda]

Where do you land in the conversation around LeBron James staying with the Lakers versus going elsewhere to close his career?

[Dan Woicke]

I think that three things matter most to LeBron James right now at this stage, and I'm not. Not ranking them in order. I think he wants to play winning basketball. It doesn't mean he has to contend for a title. But winning basketball, important games, I think he would like to be valued by his organization, both financially and sort of like ethically, you know, in a way. And then I think he wants to stay close to Los Angeles. His home is in Los Angeles. His family's in Los Angeles. I think those are the three things he wants. Can he get all three of those things? Maybe for the first time in his career, the answer is no. Maybe he can't get everything he wants, you know, and that is not an easy pill to swallow for someone professionally who has gotten, you know, most of what they wanted. You know, every decision he's had to make in the NBA, people have fallen all over themselves to give him, you know, what, what he's wanted or what he's needed. That's not what is happening right now. You know, I think obviously, like I listed the order operations like they. The call wasn't day one. Let's give LeBron James whatever he needs to stay in Los Angeles. That wasn't it. You know, they have an eye to the future. They want to build very clearly. They want to build around Luka Doncic. That is the Lakers plan. There is room for LeBron James in that plan. You know, my sources tell me that sources close to Luka not just tell me that there is room for LeBron James in that play. That being said, it's not the plan, right? Like LeBron James and Austin Reeves coming back isn't the plan. Like they, they need a center, they need depth on the wings. And it does feel like, you know, and if Lebron can be a part of that. Awesome. Like, that's what they want. But that's a tight needle threat. So that's kind of where I come down. It's a hard spot. I don't really. I don't. I don't really know what he wants to do.

[Zena Keda]

It's interesting.

[Dave Dufour]

You didn't think that.

[Zena Keda]

You didn't outwardly say money, and I know you said value, and that can. They're different. They're different. They're absolutely different. I think that that's important, too, is like, people are kind of looking at as, like, oh, well, the Lakers can pay him a little bit more money than any other team. Pretty much. That's in this conversation, particularly, you know, above Cleveland, and that's the other location that people are talking about. But it does feel like the. The possibility of him returning to the Lakers is grand. But also this aspect of, you know, the Bay is not that far from la. It is not that far of a drive. And this concept of him going to the warriors, which also, when you think about being valued when you run an offense like what Steve Kerr runs, where it is not centered around any one person, it's centered on constant movement. It's centered on whoever wants to step up to make the right cut, to make the right screen. You can still be valued in a system like that. I'm particularly intrigued by the idea of him coming back to LA to finally get a full season with Luca and Austin and really seeing what that could look like, because we saw these kind of pieces of it throughout last year.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, I think there's. There's an argument to be made for that.

[Winna Liu]

Right.

[Dan Woicke]

Like that if you want to play the most winning basketball. Right. Like, continuity does matter. You know, I. I do think that let's just take this warriors thing on. On its face. Let's just assume that they figure out a way to get Anthony Davis and they sign LeBron James. Right. And now it is a basketball team that has The Steph Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Draymond Green all playing basketball together.

[Zena Keda]

And Al Horford.

[Dan Woicke]

And Al Horford and maybe maybe Porzingis, maybe. Who else knows? We. We don't know. Right. Brandon Pachemski is probably on this team still somewhere. Okay. Let's just pretend that that is the team that exists. There's going to be a learning curve for how that group is going to play basketball together, despite. You can tell me about the Olympics in Paris all you want and stuff like that. That was great. That was two weeks of competition. A Month of training camp. An NBA season is different. These things take time, right? Like, very rarely do you. Now, I believe LeBron James to be very plug and play, but, like, there are real adjustments. And when you play with LeBron James, you do have a tendency to defer because it turns out he's scored more points, played more games in Mormonis than anybody else who's ever walked this plane.

[Zena Keda]

Did he.

[Dan Woicke]

So, like, there, there, there is like, there is a tendency to defer. Deference in the NBA is not good. It's a league built around aggression, controlled aggression, right? But like, so if you're deferring in any way, shape or form to LeBron James, it's knocking you out of rhythm. The warriors are rhythm team. I don't think it's a roll the ball out and the end of October and like, or the end of September. And this is a great basketball team. So it would have to be a build. You also would know that you don't have forever to build it, that this is a player who turns 42 years old in December. You know, you're on a shorter timetable. And then there are also, like some roster deficiencies. These are great players. These are awesome problem solvers. Generally speaking, you want spacing around LeBron James, you want spacing around Stephen Curry. There would be some, but not a lot. I think with the way that. With the way the roster is currently constructed with the Lakers, you have a little more proof of concept, right? You have. They have March right, last year to point to and say, this is what it looks like when LeBron's a third option. Playing with Luca and Austin. This is a team that was good enough to beat the Knicks. This was a team that was good enough to beat Denver. This was a good. A team that was good enough, you know, whatever. It was 13 and 2 or something like that in that month. You know, there's something to be said for that. I think too, how all of this lines up again with the mandate for change is its own thing. Like, I like, again, I don't really know what they're doing. I don't know what they're going to do.

[Dave Dufour]

Isn't the question whether LeBron was happy as the third option? Isn't that part of the equation?

[Zena Keda]

Did the difference work?

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[Dan Woicke]

I think happy enough. I think, right. I would say that being around him every, like being. Being around him every day, like. Yeah, I mean, I think it did. Do I think it felt good for LeBron James to beat the Houston Rockets without Luka Doncic? Yeah, I Think it probably felt good.

[Winna Liu]

Right.

[Dan Woicke]

You know what I mean? Like they told him, as a team, we're moving on, we're going in a different direction. We're not choosing you anymore, we're choosing someone else. Yeah. It probably in his heart of heart felt good to beat another team. I would imagine, like if I, it would feel good for me in that situation, you know, as a human being. During March, like was he sulking about them winning a bunch of basketball games? He wasn't.

[Zena Keda]

No.

[Dan Woicke]

I think he wants to play meaningful basketball. Like, I think that part matters too. And I think talking to people around him at the time, look, I would have told you at the Allstream, like, this dude seemed tired. Yeah, right. Like he did not seem like someone who was like gearing up, you know, to play another NBA season around December. Like I would have been on retirement in December.

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[Dan Woicke]

In January.

[Zena Keda]

I mean his comments seemed as such like the way he was talking.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah. But like he was energized in March, the energy was there, you know, I think. And then the challenge to like take on the playoffs without like, without the, the Lakers quote, unquote, stars. I mean he's LeBron James. He's a star too. But like without those guys, I think what was reinvigorating a little bit and you know, it's just fascinating. None of this is like charted territory, right? Like this is, I mean we're talking about, you know, is this year 24, he'd be going into a 41 year

[Dave Dufour]

old all star player. I mean this is unprecedented in sports. I mean, I think the closest you can come up with is Tom Brady.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

And it's a much different.

[Zena Keda]

I mean the World cup is happening right now. Messi is doing.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, Messi. I mean we're, yeah, we're definitely in a time where athletes are able to compete longer. All right, we're going to take a quick break and when we come back, we're going to ask Dan how the Lakers build a team around Luca when they're losing guys.

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[Dan Woicke]

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[Dave Dufour]

Okay, so we've got a little bit of news. Marcus Smart has opted out for this upcoming season. The reporting seems to point in him leaving L A. Rui Hachimura is a guy that I think a lot of teams are going to be interested in. We've heard the Lakers attached to Walker Kessler basically going around looking for a C level big that they can turn into a B level big. If I can quote Dan Wilkins.

[Dan Woicke]

Where'd you hear that? No, they're looking for an A level big, but if they can't find an A level big, I think they would settle for a C level big that they can make a B level big.

[Dave Dufour]

There you go.

[Dan Woicke]

And someone who got D's and, and like this all makes sense to me.

[Dave Dufour]

All right, so, so let's start with, with Marcus Smart because I do think that that's an important piece that they're, it looks like they're going to have to try to replace. You know, what does the market look like for defensive minded guards? For them?

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, I mean I think.

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[Dan Woicke]

Like you, it doesn't necessarily have to be a guard but, but like point of attack guy. Right. A name I've heard Dean Wade is a player that I think the Lakers could be interested in. I think Zaire Williams is a player that the Lakers could have some interest in as well on the wing like that one to try to like, you know, get more versatile, more athletic on the perimeter. I know, look, they want to get younger, they want to get more athletic. That's definitely a thing, you know, but look, Mark Smart was really valuable. He, he was a important piece for them. He made big shots for them during the playoffs. I think like really, really set the tone for them with his physicality. They're not like a particularly physical team without him. So. Yeah, you've got to, you've got to figure that part of it out, you know, I do. I think when they signed him last year that they envisioned he was going to be a Laker for the next four years, like probably not. Right. I think that it was one of those deals you make where you, you're buying low on a player with the understanding that if it works out, you're probably losing the player.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Dan Woicke]

So I think they were at, mostly at peace with it. You know, Rui Hachimura is a guy that I know they want to keep. I think there is, you know, I'd say mutual interest in figuring something out I think is a fair statement. But yeah, look, people want them. You know, he's the, he's the most efficient playoff three point shooter of all time.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah, like insane.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah. Right. Like, you know, here we are talking about big game Rui Hachimura, like it's become a thing. Like he's really good at his job and if you're going to play with Luka Doncic, like, one of the things you need to be able to do is stand in the corner with your hands up, ready to shoot. And Rui is good. Rui is very good at that, and he's accepted that role. And I think, you know, you don't want to lose answers to questions when the answers are in your house. Right. So I think that there's probably, probably, I would say a fair amount of interest in bringing him back. But, like, look, we haven't even talked. I mean, like, they want to center. This is the biggest thing they want to center. Whether it's, you know, whether it's chasing a big fish like Walker Kessler, whether it's looking at the landscape and finding, you know, maybe it's more of a, you know, can we build a bridge with a guy like Mitchell Robinson? Can we build a bridge to whatever's next with, you know, Jackson Hayes and Robert Williams? Can we do this, like, a little bit more of a piecemeal situation? Zenith. Sorry, Was there. Is there someone. Something odious in your place?

[Dave Dufour]

It looks like.

[Dan Woicke]

Is there someone sick over there?

[Zena Keda]

I mean, I'm sick myself right now, but is someone boiling cabbage?

[Dan Woicke]

You had that smell.

[Zena Keda]

Jackson Hayes. Robert Williams was kind of no poker face for Z.

[Dave Dufour]

We got to invite her to poker night. For sure.

[Zena Keda]

Absolutely not. You know, the combination of the bridge between Jackson Hayes and Robert Williams, I'm like, I don't. I don't see. You're not traveling a far distance with that one.

[Dan Woicke]

I don't think so. The argument for me would be is the Luca Dodger superpower. Right. Is you don't need to be, like, you don't have to be Kareem. Right, Right.

[Zena Keda]

Sure, sure.

[Dan Woicke]

Like, I mean, this is a guy who's one with Dwight Powell. Oh, oh. Can I do my favorite thing?

[Dave Dufour]

Yes.

[Dan Woicke]

Respectfully. Now I'm about to say something disrespectful. Respectfully. He's one with the white pile. Daniel Gafford and Derek Lively, who, if we look at these players not with Luka Doncic, they have not been as successful. Right. Like, this is what he does, is he's an elevator for bigs. Like, I think in a perfect world, you know, it would be a high end, like, a really, really talented guy who could really match. Sure. You know, and like, maybe, like, take over the type of world with. Right. Like a perfect situation. But if that situation doesn't exist, I think if you find players that have the skills that. That mesh with them, like, here's a player they like via trade if they can pull it off. You know, Eve's mece averaged like six points a game last year.

[Nanit Advertiser]

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[Dan Woicke]

Like on its face, there's no reason why you should like Eve's Macy more than Mitchell Robinson or Robert Williams even. But like the skills fit. Right. And great screener. Yeah. And the idea is maybe if we bend this player to what we have, like, that's something they can do.

[Zena Keda]

Now I've, I just feel like the, the Lakers really need someone to run in transition with them, especially with Luka. And when I think about, I mean, I like the idea of ease me see because of that particularly he's so athletic and he's young. So you like that too. And he's cheap. Right. What if you, what if you get someone that's proven to be athletic and also plays defense? Like, that's why I like the idea of Dean Wade. But like, maybe more athletic like John Collins.

[Dan Woicke]

I mean, I think he is a player that would fit as an archetype. You know, I'm, this is not like reporting or at like, sure, stand down Evan Citary. But what I'm saying is like, you know, I've long felt like, like an obi toppin type, right. Would be like a really fun fit with like what they're trying to do. Right.

[Zena Keda]

I mean, yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Play finishers. Play finishers. Right. Like Aaron would be a good version of it. Yeah.

[Zena Keda]

Super bouncy, like. Yes.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah. I mean, look, I think John Collins is like sort of in that same like Ruya Tomura, John Collins, Tobias Harris, sort of bucket of players that teams are sifting through. Sean Collins more of a four. I mean, all these guys are kind of like three.

[Zena Keda]

He's definitely more of a four, which I think is what works with this squad.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, I like, I, I, I think the thing with, you know, more so I think what they're looking for is you want, you want someone who can obviously do this stuff on the offensive end, but you have to mitigate the weaknesses of Luka Dachic and Austin Reeves on defense. Right. These are two really smart defenders, like for all for their flaws. They can function within team defenses if you have like an eraser behind that. So I do think like that's where like someone like Mitchell Robinson does make sense.

[Zena Keda]

Yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

Right. Like, I mean, he's not the type of lob threat I think you'd want on it on its face, but like he's a very talented rim protector and you can, you can funnel defenses towards him. You can funnel your defense. Now can you do it, you know, for 70 games at 25 minutes a night?

[Dave Dufour]

No.

[Dan Woicke]

Like, that hasn't happened. Like, right. And that's why I don't view him as, like, both are a problem.

[Dave Dufour]

It's the 25 minutes. Even when he's available, I mean, you know, he doesn't really have this huge gas tank. And when I think about big men that are going to be successful playing with Luka Doncic, I feel like you have to run. You know, I mean, Jackson Hayes, I think the success we saw out of him last season was because he runs

[Dan Woicke]

the floor hard every single possession. Now, Dave, this is why he's Slovenia now.

[Dave Dufour]

That's it.

[Zena Keda]

I got a question for both of you guys. Do you think that Luka coming back, Austin Reeves resigning, and the potentiality of LeBron coming back is LA still as starry and glitzy of a destination spot for free agents?

[Dave Dufour]

Dave, defer to me. I mean, defer. I would say guys playing with Luka Doncic, when you look at what he's been able to do for their career, I think that stands out. You know, it's sort of like John Wall got all these guys paid because they would stand in the corner and shoot wide open threes. Luca does that for every single guy on the court.

[SoFi Advertiser]

You.

[Dave Dufour]

You know that the playmaking's there. So I don't think if it's a guy who wants the ball in his hands, that's the place where you want to wind up. But if you're. If you're a big man and you're athletic and you want to make a lot of money, I do think that the Lakers would be a great spot to wind up. And it's still. This is the Los Angeles Lakers, right? This is the most famous team in the league. You know, I think that that still matters. Yeah.

[Zena Keda]

The reason I asked that question is, like, everything you just said is exactly why we put deandre Ayton on this pedestal. And we said, oh, he's about to eat. This man's about to go in. He's got the guy that. All you got to do is just stand there, be by the rim, be ready, be in that dunker spot. You're going to get exactly what you want. That's it. And when you don't succeed in the way that folks want you to succeed or expect you to succeed in that sort of circumstance, you're. You're kind of exposed in a way that is maybe isn't fair, right?

[Dan Woicke]

It isn't fair because you can't hide in.

[Zena Keda]

But you can't.

[Dave Dufour]

Exactly.

[Zena Keda]

That's my point.

[Dan Woicke]

Yeah, he was fine. He. The reason that they did not win a title last year had nothing to do with DeAndre. It had to do with injuries. The reason, part of the reason they beat the Houston Rockets was because of deandre Ayton. That being said, I do think it's telling that, you know, the team is so aggressively looking for a long term answer at center. I do think that's telling and I think that's a day to day consistency issue and I think, you know, that means that's on court consistency, that's off court consistency. It's a lot of things. Right. It's just I think what you put into people and put into players and stuff like that, you want the, the output to match it. And I think when you're an inc. When there's some inconsistency issues, like that's hard. Right. It's as simple as that. I do think particularly on the defensive end, that's like a very controllable thing like finding a player who can protect the rim and who can defensive rebound consistently. If you can do that stuff, Luke is going to make you look really good on offense. Yeah. You can catch and stuff like that. He's gonna make you look really good on offense. And I think they had success with deandre Ayton. Deandre Ayton, to his credit, tried to bend parts of his game to that. Like this is not a guy who, I think he's not Clay Capella. He's not a lob threat very much soccer Capella. He wants to, you know, he's very skilled. He wants to shoot out of the, out of the pocket. Right. Like that's what he wants to do. That's not how Luca wants to play. He, he, he bent his game. I think ideally they'd want to find a more. They just want to find somebody who's more seamless. And I think that's where like the projections on Walker Kessler, right. Playing out of the dunker willing lob threat, really good rim protector makes sense. It's just like, all right. Like he's a restricted free agent. Good luck. Like these guys do not change teams.

[Zena Keda]

Right.

[Dan Woicke]

Almost ever. So good luck. If this is, if this is the plan. Good luck.

[Dave Dufour]

Yousef Nuric did resign a two year contract with the Jazz to stay with them. So I don't know.

[Dan Woicke]

And they have Jaren Jackson.

[Dave Dufour]

That's right.

[Dan Woicke]

Who they traded for. And they have Larry Markinen, who's tall.

[SoFi Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Dan Woicke]

They're big they have Ace and they have a family.

[Zena Keda]

They got the mountains out in Utah. Absolutely.

[Dave Dufour]

They got a lot happening. All right, well, we. We're gonna hold our breath and watch what happens with the lake.

[Dan Woicke]

No, that's.

[Dave Dufour]

Will they find a big man? Oh, you. You're not banking on it. Wow.

[Dan Woicke]

I'm not holding my breath, Dave. I'm not holding my breath. That's for sure. I've got priorities. I got kids.

[Winna Liu]

There you go.

[Dave Dufour]

There you go. All right, everybody go and read Dan over at the Athletic. I mean, come on, you guys know who he is. He's got golf to go play for. Dan Wojke and Zena Keda, I'm Dave Dufour and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Thanks for listening. Make sure you hit the subscribe or follow button so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed it, drop a like leave a rating or let us know in the comments. Thank you guys for waking up with us.

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