Postgame Show: The Trade Deadline Tears The Family Apart (feat. The Kid Mero, Rachel Nichols, and Amin Elhassan)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode Title: Postgame Show: The Trade Deadline Tears The Family Apart
Date: February 5, 2026
Special Guests: The Kid Mero, Rachel Nichols, Amin Elhassan
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Overview

This episode dives deep into the NBA trade deadline, focusing on the Miami Heat’s inactivity, the emotional fallout among fans and hosts, and major NBA moves — or lack thereof. The roundtable features heated (and often hilarious) debate, with guest analysts dropping in to dissect trade rumors, franchise philosophies, and shifting power dynamics in the league. The Miami Heat's decision (or indecision) becomes a case study for organizational strategy, risk aversion, and fan frustration. Other topics include the East’s top contenders, the Kawhi/Clippers saga, the value (or lack) of Ja Morant, and the future prospects for teams like the Knicks and Pacers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Miami Heat's Standstill at the Trade Deadline

• Despondency and Anger: The hosts, especially Mike Ryan and Zaslow, vent major frustration at the Heat for sitting out the action, labeling it “one of the darkest moments for professional basketball in Miami” (01:19).
• Reputation Flip: Discussion of how Heat’s reputation evolved from perennial aggressors under Pat Riley to a team “that never does shit” (05:49).
• The Giannis Deal that Wasn’t:
  • The Heat’s rumored aggressive pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo fell apart, with conflicting reports about if the Bucks were ever serious.
  • “If Giannis would have went to them and said I want you to trade me to Miami now... but as it looks now Milwaukee is going to shut Giannis down for the remainder of the season.” — Zaslow (02:27).
• Asset Management Critiques: The panel critiques the team’s failed asset management, especially the Terry Rozier trade, seen as a turning point that cost them draft flexibility (07:03).
  • “If the Heat didn’t make that [Rozier] trade, they would have four draft picks to be able to trade... they would have gotten the [Giannis] deal done.” — Zaslow (07:03)

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2. Perspective Check with Amin Elhassan

(10:13-17:08)

• Calling Out Entitlement: Once connected, Amin Elhassan lays into the Heat crew for their “whiny, entitled babies” routine (11:28).
• Historical Context: Reminds everyone that missing out on deals — or enduring tough stretches — is part of the NBA cycle, referencing the lean post-LeBron years:
  • “Can I refer you back to when LeBron left? Five years… Three playoff miss, one conference semifinals, one first round exit” — Amin (11:28)
• Trade Dynamics Reality: Explains that Heat critics view trades like fantasy football, ignoring that “it takes two to tango” and sometimes front offices (like the Bucks with Giannis or Blazers with Dame) simply will not deal (13:54).
• Financial Context: Amin brings up the impact of luxury tax and the league’s CBA, explaining why so many teams — not just the Heat — are standing pat (16:15-17:36).

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3. Around the NBA: Key Trades and Eastern Conference Arms Race

(23:26-41:45)

• Notable Deals and Non-Deals:
  • The Pacers acquired Ivica Zubac, giving up assets and signaling serious intentions.
  • Anthony Davis surprisingly goes to the Wizards; Tony and Mike debate if the Wizards are now better positioned with risky moves for Davis and Trae Young (23:55).
• Boston and New York Improvement:
  • The rise of the Knicks and Celtics is discussed as “extra nasty” for Heat fans.
  • Windhorst: “The Knicks are as strong and as good of position as they’ve been in the last 30 years to win it.”
  • “Oh, the Knicks are better than you. Oh, Boston, you were really close with them a few years ago and you are not anymore. Boston has gotten a good deal better.” — Dan Le Batard (25:28)
• Talent vs. Execution:
  • Amin: "The Celtics are just more talented. They can roll out talent and be successful more often than not." (26:42)
• Celtics/Knicks Path to Finals: Examined whether Jalen Brunson’s size is a barrier to championship success, with playful banter on Knicks’ additions of Puerto Rican and Dominican players (segment featuring The Kid Mero, starting at 29:41).

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4. Heat Fan Psychological Toll

(especially 20:08–21:24)

• Mike Ryan’s Meltdown:
  • “I am done being little brothered on my Miami Heat takes when I have been right for three and a half years!” — Mike Ryan (20:08)
  • “If you guys want to support a team with those standards, go right ahead. I support the Miami Heat.” (20:44)
• Pat Riley’s Legacy Debated: Multiple hosts and guests weigh whether his “swing big” mentality has become outdated or just unlucky.

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5. Guest Appearances: Knicks Glory, Trade Market Breakdown

(29:41 onwards)

• The Kid Mero Celebrates Knicks' Diversity:
  • “The New York Knicks have a Puerto Rican and a Dominican on the team... Controlling the ball.” — The Kid Mero (29:44)
• Mero’s Knicks Optimism: Insists the Knicks can beat anyone; playful discussion about “touching the 10, 11, 12 guys” and the flexibility of the rotation (32:03).
• Rachel Nichols on Cleveland and James Harden:
  • Nichols argues the Cavs and Celtics are notably improved, while skepticism lingers about Harden’s playoff reliability:
    • “James Harden’s playoff history is a little complicated, right?... The problem is he can get tired and at the end of series when it really counts, he’s not there.” — Rachel Nichols (40:03)
  • Cleveland’s gamble: “The load on him [Harden] is just going to be completely different. And I think that’s the gamble that Cleveland’s taking right now.” (41:45)
• Kawhi Leonard/Clippers Moves: Nichols speculates on why no Kawhi deal despite Clippers’ teardown: “I don't know if there's going to be an offer for Kawhi that's going to actually reflect his value…” (43:38).

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6. Asset Value Collapse: Ja Morant as a ‘Dumpster Discount’

(54:03–56:06)

• No Buyers: Ja Morant now holds almost no trade value thanks to off-court issues and stalled development — an historic “fall from face of the league to unwanted trade chip.”
  • “Memphis wants to trade Ja Morant... the way you know that nobody wants him is that he’s not on another team right now.” — Rachel Nichols (54:01)
• Historical Rarity: Dan asks for comps: “Guy who was being talked about for Face of the League... dumpster discount value a couple years later — when’s that ever happened?” (54:40)

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7. Strategic/Philosophical Debate: Tanking, Asset Management, and Future Outlook

(58:20–68:56)

• Heat vs. Grizzlies Models: Contrasting Miami's aversion to tanking/rebuilds with Memphis' decision to blow it up and restart after repeated setbacks.
• Trade Window Complexity:
  • Amin highlights the multiple layers required for a star trade: draft picks, matching salaries, and timing (especially with new CBA aprons).
  • “Trading Wiggins for one more first round pick, how about now? It’s probably still not good enough.” (67:15)
• Mike Ryan's Frustration with Inaction: Miami’s perceived passivity in using its assets (or lack thereof) becomes a recurring theme.

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8. League-wide Fallout, Playoff Projections, and Closing Thoughts

(71:23 onward)

• Winners & Losers:
  • Lakers’ subtle improvement highlighted (Luke Kennard trade), Suns and Jazz financial moves.
  • Praise for the Pacers: “Who has set themselves up 26-27 season better than the Indiana Pacers basketball?” — Amin (end).
• Heat as Outliers: The Miami Heat stand alone as the only East team not to make a trade — intensifying fan pain.
• The Human Toll:
  • “I’m wounded, I’m tired, I’m sad. I speak for the group here.” — Dan Le Batard (72:52)

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Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “This is a pathetic day in franchise. This is one of the darkest moments for professional basketball in Miami, Florida.”
  — Mike Ryan (01:20)

• “You guys sound like whiny, entitled babies... Can I refer you back to when LeBron left?”
  — Amin Elhassan (11:28)

• “It feels a little pathetic. As of right now... there’s only two teams in the Eastern Conference, Miami being one of them, that has not made a trade yet.”
  — Zas (10:03)

• “I’m done being little brothered on my Miami Heat takes when I’ve been right for three and a half years… If you guys want to support a team with those standards, go right ahead. I support the Miami Heat.”
  — Mike Ryan (20:08 / 20:44)

• “The Celtics are just more talented... They can roll out talent and be successful more often than not. And everybody in Miami got so upset, right?”
  — Amin (26:42)

• “James Harden’s playoff history is a little complicated, right?... The problem is he can get tired and at the end of series when it really counts, he’s not there.”
  — Rachel Nichols (40:03)

• “This is like your Miami question in reverse. Memphis wants to trade Ja Morant... you know that nobody wants him is that he’s not on another team right now.”
  — Rachel Nichols (54:01)

• “The absence of proof is not the proof of absence.”
  — Amin Elhassan (63:30, 67:15)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:19: Opening anger: Heat trade deadline meltdown
• 02:27: Giannis trade drama explained
• 07:03: Rozier trade costs Heat crucial assets
• 11:28: Amin Elhassan’s intervention: “You guys sound like whiny, entitled babies.”
• 20:08–21:24: Mike Ryan’s epic Heat fan meltdown, demands higher standard
• 23:40: Amin breaks down the risky Wizards/Anthony Davis move
• 25:28–28:46: The East’s arms race and Heat’s status as a bystander
• 29:41–35:47: The Kid Mero trolls the Heat, celebrates Knicks, and analyzes the East
• 40:03–42:59: Rachel Nichols on Harden, Cavs, trade market logic
• 54:01–56:06: Ja Morant’s rapid asset value collapse, Memphis’ franchise reset
• 59:59–68:56: Trade deadline winding down, asset value/rebuild debate, Heat slammed for inactivity
• 71:23–73:24: League-wide review, Lakers' trade, Pacers, and Mike’s “I’m sad” coda

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Tone & Language

The discussion is a mix of raw, wounded Heat fandom, cynical sports talk, playful banter, and expert basketball analysis. The hosts and guests swing between self-deprecation, anger, hope (mostly from Knicks fans), and nerdy NBA breakdowns. The original personalities and energy remain front and center throughout, with memorable one-liners and deadpan exchanges providing entertainment alongside the substance.

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This summary captures the pivotal topics and emotions from the episode. For listeners who missed it, expect Miami heartbreak, East arms race anxiety, and an irreverent, unfiltered take on the state of the NBA at the 2026 trade deadline.

Transcript

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[Dan]

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[Dan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Zaz]

So I think the defensive line for the. For the Seahawks, the Seahawks is gonna really challenge Drake May.

[Jeremy]

What are you eating there?

[Dan Le Batard]

Blue chips.

[Mike Ryan]

Blue chips.

[Jeremy]

Oh, for, like, blue chip talent.

[Zaz]

Yeah. Thank God we bought the salsa, dude.

[Dan]

Because it would have been.

[Mike Ryan]

Honestly, I would have been way more mad, but the chips and salsa are open. This is a pathetic day in franchise. This is one of the darkest moments for professional basketball in Miami, Florida.

[Dan Le Batard]

We're starting late because I was holding Zsasz in my bosom and he was weeping, and I had to call security because Mike Ryan had to be restrained from running across the street and strangling Pat Riley. Zaz, I heard, pathetically, while you were weeping into my bosom, the most pathetic lament I've ever heard from a Heat fan, which was. Well, Shams has been wrong sometimes.

[Zas]

It's a true story.

[Dan Le Batard]

Has he been. Because I don't think he's been wrong very often. You're hoping that the reporting is wrong on this. And in the next hour, there's some sort of shift that involves the Greek freak Giannis Antetokounmpo. I better learn that name. I thought I was going to have.

[Mike Ryan]

To learn that name. Forget about that.

[Dan]

Fine.

[Zaz]

You're fine.

[Mike Ryan]

That guy's a boss.

[Jeremy]

You don't have to worry about that.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, we dodged a bullet, right? His body's going to break down.

[Dan]

There is going to be a team.

[Mike Ryan]

That regrets acquiring that guy. Loser talk.

[Zas]

Look, I. I'm not mad. Like I'm mad at the whole scenario. I'm not necessarily mad at the Heat at least yet we have 50 minutes until the trade deadline. Who knows? Like Mike Ryan, you're calling it one of the darkest days in the history of the franchise. There's only a few hours ago where you said if they wind up getting John Morant as a consolation, that today would still be a great day. So we still have 50 minutes remaining. So I'm not mad at the organization yet. We have another 50 minutes. But what I will be mad about is if they decide we're not going to do anything significant today because we're going to run it back in the summer and make another run at Giannis when the reality of it is all Giannis had to do was go to Milwaukee because the Heat apparently were the last team standing. All right. And apparently Milwaukee did seriously consider the heats offer because it's a good offer. If Giannis would have went to them and said I want you to trade me to Miami now because as it looks now is Milwaukee is going to shut Giannis down for the remainder of the season. So Giannis essentially would rather not play basketball the rest of this year.

[Mike Ryan]

How is that allowed?

[Zas]

I don't know.

[Mike Ryan]

How is that allowed?

[Zas]

Fixed tanking commissioner and players Salt this commissioner in sports is going to allow a healthy superstar player to not play anymore this season because the team wants a tank. Okay? Yeah. But I will be angry if the Heat decide to run it back with their attempt to get Giannis.

[Jeremy]

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Ivika Zubots to the Indiana Pacers.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's a great player.

[Dan]

I wow.

[Zaz]

Clippers really blowing it up. Dan Zubots is your guy.

[Dan Le Batard]

I love that dude.

[Zaz]

Per source According to Barry Jackson, Heat was informed very late last night that the Bucks would likely not be trading Giannis today. Heat offer received consideration. Obviously Bam was never part of the deal, but there wasn't something that the Heat had that the Bucs asked for and the Heat resisted that killed the deal. Miami was willing to do what it took. Bucs simply wanted to see if they can get more this summer.

[Dan Le Batard]

More reporting I have for you here. Jake Fisher reports. They were never serious. According to one team executive who was discussing a Giannis antetokounmpo trade with Milwaukee and Shams on Giannis says these teams engaged but never progressed even close to a deal over the last few days. Teams involved believe the Bucks feel they can build a contender around Yamas Giannis this summer and get him back on board to Being there. Also from Jake Fisher. He says as of last night, and this is going to make Mike even angrier, the Heat have not been actively pursuing. Pursuing Ja Morant to my knowledge. Maybe now that they're out on Giannis, a jaw flip could happen. But all along, I've been told from people who would know, the Heat haven't been making aggressive offers for Ja Morant.

[Dan]

Jesus Christ.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm pissed. Yeah, you should all be pissed, too. This is ridiculous. This is the longest stretch of not mattering this franchise has had under Pat Riley.

[Dan]

They.

[Zas]

They have gone from, you know, if they wind up doing nothing again, 47 minutes, they have gone from the team where. Which I grew up with when Pat Riley got here, okay, I was a teenager, and then into probably the next years or so after that. They were the team that was always the most aggressive.

[Mike Ryan]

Always.

[Zas]

If, If. If the team looked any sort of middling, Pat Riley will. Will make the big trades the next day and net. They're the team that will make the moves and is not afraid to take swings. And now they have gone from that reputation to the team that never does shit.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't think it's fair what Mike Ryan is saying when this is. When he says this is the longest stretch of being irrelevant. In that stretch, they've been to the finals two times. Like, you can't.

[Mike Ryan]

No, no, no, no, no. You can't put the two finals appearances in my irrelevancy, like, time period. You can't. They. They went to the finals last, what, in 20, 22, 23 since then. And we called it out that very offseason that we maxed out. We need to do more to keep this thing rolling. They have struck out time and time again. They mismanaged their own assets with a Jimmy Butler thing. And I'm not one of these guys that's like, we dodged a bullet with Dame Lillard. No, this franchise remains aggressive, and I have never, as a fan, regretted it. We overpaid for gorandragic, and four hours later, Chris Bosh got blood clots. And I was like, yeah, my team still did the thing.

[Zas]

Well, the mismanaged part, and this part, I think should make the Heat fan upset. We could be mad about Adam Silver having no spine and not doing anything about the Terry Rogier trade. But the fact of the matter is, even if Terry Rozier was in trouble with the FBI, that trade gets an F. It didn't work out. And if the Heat didn't make that trade, they would have four draft picks to be able to trade, including 2026 and 2028. And I'm fairly confident if the Heat were able to offer the package of players they currently have and four first round picks, they would have gotten the deal done. So for a team that wants to always have the flexibility, always have the maneuverability, they kind of screwed themselves with the Terry Rozier thing because I really do believe this would have gotten done.

[Zaz]

Okay, Zaz, with one pick. Do you think that one pick was going to change it when two? The Bucks were obviously running a dog and pony show the entire time.

[Zas]

I think if you have the because Milwaukee look, this isn't going to go away. Milwaukee is eventually going to trade him. Maybe it's this summer, I don't know. But if they wait till this summer because they think that they can get a better deal for him, there is no better deal to be had than all the young players the Heat were offering and the maximum four first round picks, it would have gotten done. The Heat made a massive error with.

[Dan Le Batard]

The Terry Rozier trade Mike Ryan, for those who don't necessarily understand his anger, at the height of his anger anger is the fact that the one trade the Heat did make was for the player Mike Ryan dislikes the most and is, in the fictional hypothetical, almost the worst trade they could have made for his emotions given how little he likes Terry Rozier. So it's not just that they've swung and missed or failed in all of these turns to get the big superstar. They also did make a trade to acquire the player that he likes least in the entire league.

[Mike Ryan]

It's the only time I've openly campaigned against acquiring a player. I was begging Pat Riley to not acquire Terry Rozier because that was rumored for a long time. Look, I even wrap my head around the Kyle Lowry thing because I didn't like Kyle Lowry either. And the only rosy side of getting Terry Rosier on the roster was that I'd get Kyle Lowry the hell off this roster. There's been a lot of bad acquisitions, non impactful and a lot of passing. We mentioned this on the main show earlier today. It's not just the superstars that they strike out on, it's guys that can really help like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Guys that could have, when added to this core, made a difference in the postseason the way that those players ended up doing. And this is just really disappointing. This is, this is starting to feel sad around this franchise, their inability to do what they made their names on. I know Pat Riley came here with a ton of credentials, but with this franchise, it was always swinging for the fences and occasionally connecting and not striking out the way they have.

[Zas]

It feels a little pathetic. As of right now, again, 42 minutes. But as of right now, there's only two teams in the Eastern Conference, Miami being one of them that has not made a trade yet.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, let me bring in Amin El Hassan here from our New York studios to get his expertise on this and a bunch of other things that I've been wanting to talk to him about, because we're not just going to be doing Giannis for this hour. I want to do reaction to whatever it is that happens in the league. But first, I mean, you've been in listening here to what it is that's being said. What are your thoughts to what it is you've heard here? We can't hear him. Let's make sure to get him potted up so that.

[Zaz]

To be honest, Dan, it's Jeremy's first time sitting in the. In the captain's chair there, so.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, so we will try again here before I send Jeremy away, because he's looking like I could not possibly have any less confidence in what Jeremy is presently doing.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, he just asked, is it zoom?

[Jeremy]

It says Zoom one.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like, this is.

[Dan]

Hold on.

[Zaz]

Danny V's here.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay.

[Jeremy]

Right. Zoom one.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, this is that.

[Jeremy]

Right?

[Zaz]

We got all the Danny's all the way up. Danny gq.

[Jeremy]

So I did the right thing.

[Dan]

We've got. We should kick him out.

[Jeremy]

I did the right thing.

[Dan]

Right?

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm. I'm thinking about.

[Jeremy]

I'm right.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let's see.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, I was right from the beginning.

[Dan]

Right there in the back row.

[Jeremy]

Literally right there.

[Dan Le Batard]

Amin, let's see if we can hear you and your thoughts on what it is that we said. Now.

[Dan]

How about now? Yes, for me, now. Yeah, okay.

[Jeremy]

Oh, he was holding the wrong mic.

[Dan]

No, no, I was holding the right mic, but I just unplugged and plugged a different mic now. Yeah, you guys sound like whiny, entitled babies. Like Mike says, this is the worst stretch. Can I refer you back to when LeBron left? Five years. No, that was three playoff miss.

[Mike Ryan]

We had. We had five years coming back from the Klots. We had Goran Dragic. We were a game.

[Dan]

Five years.

[Mike Ryan]

Conference finals, five years.

[Dan]

Three playoff miss, one conference semifinals, one first round exit. That's like.

[Mike Ryan]

That's better than this stretch.

[Dan]

Yeah. Hassan Whiteside and Dion Waiters and.

[Mike Ryan]

And better than this stretch.

[Dan]

Bloodsport.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I hear you. Yeah. You had three playoff appearances and one conference semis. That.

[Dan]

No, no. Than you had, you had three playoff misses and two playoff appearances and one.

[Zaz]

That was pre play in two, by the way, they would have gotten into the plan.

[Mike Ryan]

And let's not even talk about the playoff appearance last year that ended up costing us. Cooper.

[Dan Le Batard]

Flag any other thoughts that you have? Because I'm more aligned with you here than I am with Mike, you know.

[Dan]

Like the, the whole thing. Dan. Oh, they didn't land the way like it takes two to tango, man. Like the, all the reporting is that Milwaukee was not serious. Like it was more of a fact finding mission for them, which of course is still an improvement of where they were about a couple of months ago, where they're, they're not even listening now. It's like, okay, we'll hear pitches. And the teams that threw in pitches kind of figured this isn't kind of gonna happen, right? Or at least it's not gonna happen now. So how is that Pat Riley or Andy Ellisberg's fault? Well, I think the Milwaukee, I think the place intending on moving them.

[Zas]

Yeah, I mean, I think that's fair. But the Heat's rivals, be it New York, Indiana, Boston, Milwaukee, every year they're Cleveland. Every year they're able to make moves. And the Heat, like every year. Yeah, every year.

[Dan]

Well, the Knicks do this year.

[Zas]

No, no, not, not every one of those teams. Every year Jose Alvarado. Every year those teams make some combination make moves. I mean, heck, last year the Knicks got towns. You know, like, okay, every year, one, two, maybe even three of the Heat's rivals, they always seem to make a move. And like the Heat don't make any moves.

[Dan]

But, but I could take, I could take the same tack and take one team and say, well, all they've done was that deal. And every year everyone else is doing deals. You can't go against the field and say, how are you not beating the field on all these deals? It takes two to tango. You need a willing trade partner number one. And then you need to make it work under the, the cap and, and the cba, which we know what Miami's pick situation is. Right. It's not, it's awful, but it's also not ideal. So when you are in this scenario, you can only do what you can do. You'll go only control what you control. Damian Lillard should have been a Miami Heat player. We dealt with a front office that literally said anywhere and anything but them. What, what do you, how is that Miami's fault? I, I, I don't know. See, I Think you guys still think about it, like, in a fantasy football kind of way where it's like, if there's a deal to get done, I can get it done. And that's not how the real NBA works.

[Mike Ryan]

I think we covered where Miami misstepped in the day, the Rosie, the Drawing a line in the sand, the Rosier acquisition beforehand. But Miami did approach the Damian Lillard potential acquisition with a great deal of arrogance, and this show was worthy of pushing that propaganda.

[Dan]

They did it. They did exactly what you guys were asking for. Oh, we swing our dicks and we get shit done. That's what they did. And it backfired. So when you guys say, oh, I got. We used to be aggressive and we'd slap everybody across the face with our. With our phallus. Why don't we do it anymore? Yeah, I did that two years ago and it didn't work.

[Mike Ryan]

No, they didn't do what we asked for. They didn't get the guy. That's what we've been asking for. Get the guy, you're saying. Look, it's not just that. It's not just the role players either. It's the fact that Luka Doncic gets traded in the middle of the night, and Miami has no idea that. That that trade's even going down.

[Dan]

Yeah, everyone. Everyone knew except for Miami. That's kind of crazy. Like, everyone had an opportunity to go get Luka. Don't tell me they were. And. And. And Pat Riley was asleep at the.

[Mike Ryan]

Come on, guys, hear this today.

[Dan]

I don't want.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't want to hear more the same. I cannot believe.

[Dan]

You don't have to hear it.

[Mike Ryan]

You don't have to hear the same stuff.

[Dan]

I'll be. I'll be real with you. You don't have to hear it. But the people who listen to this show, who are expecting sound basketball analysis, are going to hear it. You don't have to. You can go to the kitchen and go have lunch. I have my lunch right here. I'd love to have lunch, too. But the reality is the Bucks were not going to deal this guy. That's what everyone said. They walked away saying, what the hell are we doing here? And what Zaz is sitting there telling you? Oh, the Wolves did the move before the move. I said, no, the Wolves are trying to get under the luxury tax, and that's what they did. They got under attacks. The Suns did a deal. Got under attacks. The Raptors did a deal. Got under attack. Everyone's just trying to save money. The four this Week, the non tax paying team. So the way it works with the tax, they take all that tax money, they divide it by 30, and then if you are a non taxpayer, you get a check in the mail. Before this week, the check was projected to be $14 million. As of right now, the check is going to be $5 million because so many less teams are paying the tax and there are more tax, non taxpayers getting a share. It is sinking everything. And so as you sit here, like, why haven't we done anything? Who's done something? Did you want Anthony Davis? Do you want to Trey Young?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I've been very clear. I want something. I want to mess it up. I know that I'm not good enough. And I've known. I've known for three seasons that we're not good enough. In fact, three and a half. And I've seen them take a flamethrower to their own assets because they were stubborn. I saw their stubborn approach when it came to Damian Lillard and you could play the result and say that didn't work out for them. I'd maintain that if Damian Lillard came to Miami, it might have gone different. But I just hate that we're doing the status quo and I don't think we're in a position to.

[Dan]

So did we. You know who else, you know who else wanted to just mix things up? Nico Harrison. You want to mix things up?

[Zas]

Oh, that's not fair.

[Dan]

I'm just saying, like, at least I.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do think this part that had nothing to do.

[Dan]

That had nothing to do with what.

[Mike Ryan]

It was our pick.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, There was a less than 1% chance of getting it.

[Zaz]

But who told you that, though?

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, the fair criticism, I think, is they waited six years for this moment and the team that took Butler from them had more picks than them to offer in this scenario. And they passed on moving Khalil Ware and Jovic for Durant and then didn't play where and bashed him in the press. Like, I believe that's fair criticism, is it not?

[Dan]

I think so. Durant is an interesting thing because again, we have to accept A, how old Durant is as great as he's playing, and B, is Durant plus this roster. Does that get it done? Probably not. Right. When Jimmy Butler's deal was done back in 2019, right. The idea was this guy is young enough for us to say this is a first step and we'll continue to develop other options around him, either by acquisition or through our farm system. And they did that.

[Jeremy]

Right.

[Dan]

And it went to the final slice or whatever with Durant. He's so much older than Jimmy Butler was in 2019. The window that you open up is much smaller to do that sort of thing. So to say I'm going to give up these two really young assets who look like pretty good players for a guy who's knocking on 40, that's not really sound as far as planning goes. I know. As far as some sex scene, we did something. Yeah. But that's not how this organization runs itself, and that's not how a professional organization runs itself. Now, if you want to say the way they've handled where has been bad that we can have a conversation about just like we have a conversation that Terry Rozier was a bad deal, I'm going to fuck. It was an aggressive. It was an aggressive deal.

[Mike Ryan]

This is stupid.

[Zas]

Dan. We have the details of the Avika Zubots trade. Okay. To the Indiana Pacers. How about what the Pacers are giving up? The Pacers are also there. They're sending out Benedict Matheran and two first round picks to the Clippers. The first one is kind of phony. It's a first round pick this year in 2026, but only if it lands between numbers five through nine. The rest of the round is completely protected. And they also send a 29 unprotected first round. That's kind of interesting.

[Dan]

Hmm.

[Mike Ryan]

You know what? I'm going to stop allowing people to talk to me the way that Amin talked to me earlier. I am done.

[Dan]

Stop.

[Mike Ryan]

I am being little brother. I'm done being little brothered on my Miami Heat takes when I've been right for three and a half years, when I have told you and forecasted every season for three and a half years, when I'm seemingly the only person in this goddamn room that's been keeping it real about this franchise for three and a half years. And I'm getting the same pats on my back telling me, no, no, no, they weren't serious. It's okay that they didn't acquire the superstar. If you guys want to support a team with those standards, go right ahead. I support the Miami Heat.

[Dan]

My Mike. I want Giannis like they want Giannis. They weren't dealing him. What do you want? Do you want him to go and take a gun at John Horse?

[Mike Ryan]

It's not just about Giannis. This is about something that I've openly been complaining about for three and a half years.

[Dan]

And Giannis have a partner. You can't just force your way in and say, him. He's Coming with us and kidnap him like it's taken. There has to be a transaction to be made.

[Mike Ryan]

Where's John Moran? Where's Basket?

[Zas]

I like that way better.

[Dan Le Batard]

Pat Riley is supposed to have a particular set of skills. You say it's not taken.

[Dan]

He could take him.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's he.

[Dan]

We're pro that guy. He's the guy who takes him.

[Mike Ryan]

That's what we do. That's what he does.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let's get into a few other things. And we still have a half hour of flimsy Hope here to yell at each other. I enjoyed that back and forth. Amino Hassan. Okay, can you please do me the favor of playing the Amin nose basketball song? Just. I. I know this is a big ask for Jeremy.

[Dan]

Why are you putting them in this position?

[Dan Le Batard]

First time in the chair. But I'd like for you to find some things I also want to see. Can I see what it is that you guys have done to prepare for today's show? Because you put a bunch of blue chips in front of me. Because people want to get blue chip prospects. I also saw the poop emoji for some reason was around here. Why is the poop emoji. Is the poop emoji a react to criticism of Pat Riley? Why is there. Why is there some fake poop in the studio?

[Jeremy]

That poop right there with the money. That's real. That's our salary dump.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's how we prepared for this. By.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Jeremy]

Just in case. I know it really can't happen. It's not going to happen much. But this is our in case there's a sign in trade. This is our and trade sign.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. So that's a sign and trade sign. Or that's. Okay. So a sign and trade sign would be redundant.

[Jeremy]

Yeah. In case there's a.

[Zaz]

Well, we.

[Jeremy]

We couldn't find a VHS tape so we had to use a book. But in case there's a blockbuster trade. We have a blockbuster VHS tape here.

[Zas]

That makes me nostalgic.

[Zaz]

And if.

[Jeremy]

If we end up talking about Bird rights at all. Clip this little bird right here. That's on my right shoulder.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, Jeremy, you're doing better work now. You screwed up the thing with Bird right now. Fine for me.

[Zas]

We don't say that anymore.

[Dan Le Batard]

Find for me the Amino's basketball song. Because he does knows that. He does know basketball. And there are a number of different trades that I want to talk to him about. The Anthony Davis trade to the Wizards. Tony and Mike were saying they love the Wizards young core. I think the Wizards Are doomed for the entirety of my lifetime and any generations that.

[Zaz]

Hold on. I didn't say, I love the Wizards young core. What I said is, I like what the Wizards front office is doing, making smart moves and getting distressed assets and maybe in the next couple of years, be a good team.

[Dan]

Don't back down.

[Mike Ryan]

Keep exaggerating what they said.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, your thoughts, please, on Anthony Davis to the Wizards. How did his mic go out again? Is this Jeremy's. Is this Jeremy's fault again? This is Jerry.

[Jeremy]

Looks like he's muted to me.

[Dan]

There we go.

[Jeremy]

Unmute yourself. You want to start talking again?

[Mike Ryan]

That looked like operator error.

[Dan]

That's not operator, Eric, because I didn't mute myself. If you want. If we all want to throw people under the bus, I was told, wait, we're testing someone else's mic. I mean, hold on here. And they hit my mute, and then that's when dad says, I mean, what do you think? So maybe get on the same page, everybody. But I think what the Wizards have done is where Mike thinks the heat of actually been, which is they've been awful for so long, they're willing to try anything, including betting on two guys who have been hurt a lot. They said, we've been collecting assets for too long. It's time to cash it in. Now, they managed to do that, obviously, without giving up the real stuff, which is Alexander Saar and. And. And George and Trey Johnson. And the guys, they really like the young guys, but they've taken a gamble, particularly with Anthony Davis and really, Trey Young as well, and that these are guys who want to get paid soon. And so now you're gonna have to commit fairly quickly to people who, again, have not shown the ability to stay healthy. Now, if they say healthy, I heard what you guys say earlier. I agree. I think this could be a playoff team. If you told me Trey Young and Anthony Davis are going to play 70 games, but I don't know if they're going to play 70 games. And when you combine that with how much you have to pay them, and you combine that with how much they gave away in terms of draft capital, it's a very risky, risky move. But again, when you have been as bad, really bad, like the Washington Wizards, have these risks become more palatable as opposed to Miami, which has been a decent team.

[Dan Le Batard]

When he talks about palatable, I think there is something happening here that makes this extra nasty in taste for those of us who are not finding it palatable and don't have a lot of hope in the next 30 minutes that an Andrew Wiggins is going to be moved for something that moves the needle in the Eastern Conference. But Windhorst has said, and we're going to talk to the kid Marrow about this in a second. But Windhorst has said the following. The Knicks are as strong and as good of position as they've been in the last 30 years to win it. I don't actually believe that because I don't think that Jalen Brunson this year is going to make them better than the Pistons the way Jalen Brunson last year made them better than the Pistons. And I don't actually believe that. As beloved and wonderful as Brunson is, and he's super easy to root for, it's hard to win a player win with a player that size. Not many championships have been won when the player that size is your best player. But the thing that makes this extra not palatable for the Heat is, oh, the Knicks are better than you. Oh, Boston, you were really close with them a few years ago and you are not anymore. The Boston has gotten a good deal better. Yes, Amin?

[Dan]

Yeah, that. Well, if you remember the year that the Heat went to the finals, 2023 in that conference finals, I said Boston is way more talented. The Heat, in order for the Heat to be successful, they literally have to do everything right. They got to be an execution team, whereas the Celtics are just more talented. They can roll out talent and be successful more often than not. And everybody in Miami got so upset, right? Oh, how, how could they're so talented? Why are they down 3 0? And I said, look, I'm not saying it was a better team, I'm saying talent. But what you've seen, Dan, when you say, well, we used to be neck and neck and now look where they went and look where we went. That was the talent that was, hey, they had two guys who were under the age of 30 who are all NBA caliber players, and you guys had one who was over the age of 30 and one who's maybe all NBA, maybe not. And that's the difference right there. The Heat got away with. We have enough talent if we do everything right, if we execute. But as that talent began to deteriorate because Jimmy Butler's getting older, that's where your team went. They had the young bucks and the young bucks just got more wisened and better over time.

[Mike Ryan]

They also made the moves. They realized they weren't good enough and they acquired a Drew Holiday, somebody that the Miami swung and missed on. And they acquired Chris Sapps Porzingis. These are not superstar moves. These are moves to improve your team as they stood idly by and watched the rest of the conference make them.

[Dan]

Yeah. And this is a team that went to the conference finals, like, five years in a row. Like, they were there. They were a jrue holiday away from from being a champion like the Heat were not. That's my point. I keep going back to you're not that and you're looking for that whale. But, man, like, them whales don't come along all but. All but so often you don't have a birthright to it. I don't care what Pat taught you because when you were 10 years old, they went and got Alonzo morning. I don't care what Pat taught you because when you were 15, they went and got Shaq. Like, that's not a birthright move. That is like a once in a million move. And the Heat managed to do it three times. Say thank God for it. Don't say, why isn't this happen every day?

[Zas]

I need to correct myself, though, Dan, real quick. Since the Indiana Pace has acquired a Vika Zubots, the Miami Heat are the only team in the Eastern Conference that has not made a trade.

[Dan Le Batard]

I see on my screen someone who's radiant and smiling because he is enjoying the drinking of these Heat tears. The Knicks haven't felt this good. And the fact that the Knicks are this good while the Heat are flailing and we're weeping makes the kid Mero happy. You can hear him Hot 97 mornings with Mero, weekdays 6 to 10, 10am host a victory like with the kid Merrill from iHeartRadio. New episodes twice a week, wherever you get your podcasts. And he's got his YouTube channel as well at according to the kid. Why are you radiant? Do I have. Am I reading your face correctly right now? And as an added bonus, Gono Alvarado, really? We're doing this. We're gonna be Hispanic. The Knicks are gonna be Carl Anthony Towns and Jose Alvarado. Are you shitting me?

[Dan]

Come on.

[The Kid Mero]

Listen, this is what I was trying to tell y'.

[Dan Le Batard]

All.

[Dan]

This is.

[The Kid Mero]

This is why I'm beaming is because the New York Knicks have a Puerto Rican and a Dominican on the team.

[Dan Le Batard]

That is handling the ball. Handling the ball. Like the. Controlling the ball.

[The Kid Mero]

And let me tell you something else. Not just the Puerto Rican. A Brooklyn Puerto Rican, okay? Which is a different breed of Puerto Rican. It's a different. The New Yorkans, okay? They're different. This is a guy who went.

[Dan]

He. Remember when he went viral because I.

[The Kid Mero]

Forgot somebody was defending him and was like, yo, can he shoot? And he was like, you mean, can I shoot?

[Dan]

And they shot it and made it.

[The Kid Mero]

And they ran down the court. He has the. The hang time on the cornrows is tremendous. You know what I mean?

[Mike Ryan]

He's.

[The Kid Mero]

Bro, he's out here, man. He looks like a. Like a. Like a Puerto Rican stud.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[The Kid Mero]

I mean, and that's what we need on this team, is aggression.

[Dan Le Batard]

That game last night was fun. Brunson goes for 42. You meet, you beat the Nuggets in double overtime. You stayed up, right? Even though you got a morning show, Even though you got a morning show, you stayed up or did you go to sleep?

[The Kid Mero]

I don't sleep. I don't sleep, Dan. I don't do that. I'm a father of four. I'm a Knicks fan, and I got a lot on my plate, you know what I'm saying? So I'll sleep when I'm dead.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did you enjoy that one last night, though, did you? I mean, because the Nuggets are really good. I mean, Murray and Jokic were terrible for three. From three. I think they were like. I don't even know. Last I checked. They were like 5 of 30 or something.

[Zaz]

Jokic was 1 for 13.

[Dan Le Batard]

They were terrible from 3. But Murray hit you with his best shot in the first quarter. He had 20 points in the first quarter. And you still take out the Nuggets, who can beat anybody.

[The Kid Mero]

That's what I'm saying. So now, using the transitive property, the Knicks can beat anybody. You know what I'm saying? And I don't see them losing to anybody in the East. I don't care what anybody says. It is just inevitable, okay? Because people keep saying. I heard you say the thing about Jalen Brunson. You can't win a player that's.

[Jeremy]

With a.

[The Kid Mero]

With a player that size. Becky Hammond said the same thing, bro. And she became a meme for saying that, you know?

[Dan]

But.

[The Kid Mero]

And this is what I'm saying. We're gonna go deep into the playoffs, and Cat is gonna do his thing. Jalen Brunson is going to do his thing. We. We have a complete team, and we're actually touching the 10, 11, 12 guys. You.

[Dan]

You.

[The Kid Mero]

You're gonna see Diora minutes. Hey, yo.

[Zas]

Hey, yo.

[Dan]

Come on.

[Jeremy]

Hey.

[Zaz]

That was crazy.

[Dan]

Yeah, that was crazy.

[The Kid Mero]

Yeah, my fault. My full pardon. You're gonna see Diora minutes in the playoffs, dog. That's what I'm talking about. Like, that was the knock On Tibs, that was adjusted with Mike Brown. We had a little spiral for a minute. Then they had the players only meeting and now we undefeated. So I think we're just gonna roll right into the playoffs and continue on this successful mission, bro. Like that's just it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Amin, I want to ask you about what he's saying, but first give him his intro music.

[Dan]

Time to talk basketball. Omnidos basketball.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

LCU basketball expert in basketball.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you believe, Amin, that New York can take down Detroit? They barely did last year. And this Detroit team is a good deal better than last year's Detroit team.

[Dan]

Then they won in five. I don't know if you can say barely like it was a good series.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, wait, all of the games were super.

[Dan]

It was a good series.

[Dan Le Batard]

Super close.

[Dan]

It was a good series, but I barely is. Is stretching the meaning of the word barely there. Look, Detroit has question marks, right? Number one is, do they. Are they experienced enough? Right? They went to the playoffs last year. They had a hard fought first round series. Is that enough to carry you deep in the playoffs? Number two, the shooting. Now they made some moves to address that to get better by adding Kevin Herder. Kevin Herder at the same time not shooting great this year from three. So it'll be interesting to see if they get guys who can consistently make shots because I saw the Pistons like two weeks ago and that paint is clogged, man. It's clogged. And right now, the main guy that you have to worry about from three, you guys might have heard of him, his name is Duncan Robinson.

[Dan Le Batard]

He can shoot threes you don't trust.

[Dan]

Yes, he can. But you can also. You also remember how many times you're like Duncan Robinson wide open for three.

[Dan Le Batard]

Here we go.

[Dan]

Like, ah, shit.

[The Kid Mero]

Ah, bonk.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yep. Mero, you told us the last time we did a live stream, even as you lost to the Pacers, you told us, yeah, Detroit's better than the Pacers. I don't feel fear the Pacers. I fear Detroit because of the physicality.

[The Kid Mero]

The way that they were playing that like, like to Amin's point, that was a hard fought series. Even though the Knicks went in five. Every game was physical and like scrappy, right? So that was a problem last year because we were only playing six guys, you know what I mean? So if one of them gets hurt or it tweaks an ankle or something like that. Now you asked out, now we're playing 12 guys, 13 guys. So if somebody goes down, it's next man up. And even if it's Jalen Brunson, you know, it could. Something happened. Dudes can have a crazy game.

[Dan]

Tyler. Tyler Kolik, bro.

[The Kid Mero]

Tyler Colic.

[Dan]

That's. That's challenging.

[The Kid Mero]

Ted challenging Timothy Chalamet for White Boy of the Year. Come on.

[Dan]

That's a line I ain't gonna cross. That's. That's one where Tyler Colic. I'm like, is he part of getting Alvarado is because you now you don't have to pay Tyler Cole like that. That's part of that. It's like, okay, this guy actually defends and he makes shots as opposed to Cola, who I like him is a nice young player, but I don't know if I want to trust him in a playoff series. Having to deal with, A, the prep, being pressured up the court, and then B, having a guard, somebody. When you already got Brunson, who doesn't?

[Dan Le Batard]

Go ahead, Jeremy. Get your together.

[Jeremy]

Dan Jones, sources say was traded.

[Mike Ryan]

I would hope so.

[Dan]

Leaking confidence. The Charlotte Hornets are.

[Jeremy]

Drake ties Jones to the Dallas Mavericks.

[Zaz]

Was he drunk there?

[Mike Ryan]

What was that slurring?

[Dan Le Batard]

I hesitate to do this because I kind of need him to sit in that chair. Minor penalty. Two minutes for leaking confidence.

[Zaz]

You want me to go up the.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Den, conquer the walk?

[Zaz]

No.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, look, Rachel Nichols is joining us now, too. We'll get her sound right in a second as we continue to rotate people. But can you tell me amin before what it is that I was saying before about as wonderful as Brunson is, unless you're Isaiah Thomas, a player that size never wins the championship as the best player on a team. Does that change with the idea that now we're playing so much from three that maybe that's no longer something that's relevant in basketball the way it's played today?

[Dan]

Yeah, I think it's changed in the sense of the style of play. You know, there was a time when they said you couldn't win a championship with a perimeter player of any sort until Michael Jordan. And they're like, okay, maybe you can build around a shooting guard. It all determined by the style of play. The other thing I would say also is like, Tony Parker was Finals MVP on that spurs team that won in 2007. He was the guy, really. Tim Duncan had taken a. A smaller role by that point. So you could argue that it has happened before. The bigger thing for me is not Jalen Brunson being their best player. Not their best player is can the Knicks have enough defenders on the floor to make up for his lacking. Right. So that's the part Where Towns. Towns defense really becomes very central because obviously his offense is incredible. But if he can defend and he's defended well this year, if he can defend well enough to make up for Brunson, then I think the Knicks will be fine. But again, it's hard, man. There are other teams trying to do this, too.

[The Kid Mero]

Listen, I think. I think Cat, that's.

[Dan]

That's.

[The Kid Mero]

That's the take, right? That's the correct take. Cat's defense has to improve. It has to. To make up for the other shortcomings. No pun intended. You know what I mean? That Jalen Brista has. But at the same time, I think he just needs, like, a foot reduction because he has, like, a size 28 foot. And I think that's what's making him have stupid fouls is that he's kind of doofy with his feet. You know what I mean? So if we reduce them to maybe like a size 16, you know what I mean? Like, he'd be more mobile, have better footwork.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right? That cannot be accurate. Size 28 is simply not accurate. That's not.

[The Kid Mero]

That's a real thing.

[Dan]

That.

[Dan Le Batard]

That can't be a real thing.

[Dan]

Metric.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, there's no way that what you're saying is accurate. Shaq was facts. No, shaq is like 20.

[Zaz]

He wears a 20. Cat wears a 20.

[The Kid Mero]

The 20. A 20. And it's.

[Dan Le Batard]

And it's snug, Rachel. Appreciate it. No, you're very busy. Appreciate your expertise. Are you here to also give Mero hope to. This is the closest thing that the Knicks have had to real championship hope in 30 years. Is this team more capable of beating Detroit than last year's team?

[Dan]

Which.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, I need to correct you. That was six games, Pistons and Knicks, and the last one took a Brunson shot to beat him. Otherwise, it would have gone seven. Thank you for joining us, Rachel. I know you're very busy.

[Dan]

What are you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Your thoughts there? Do you give Mero hope today?

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I give Marrow hope.

[Dan]

I'll say this.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I agree. It is one of the best teams to have a shot at getting to the Finals, maybe winning. But I did get harder today. I'm sure you guys have been talking about it. It got harder today. I think in the east, there's this feeling that, like, the Cavs, they're not going to really be in it when it counts. I think they're more dangerous now. Boston got more dangerous in the last day or two. We still don't know what's going on with Jayson Tatum, but even if he doesn't come back, they're more dangerous. So the road to the Finals is going to be more difficult. I do think this Knicks team is more equipped to go down that road than they have been in the past.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let me ask you this, Rachel, because the Knicks absolutely match up before against Cleveland in a way that slaughtered Cleveland. The Knicks have no fear of Cleveland in its previous form. They have playoff issues and have now added a player in James Harden who has playoff issues. So you think what of what Cleveland did there and the match of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden both needing the ball so much?

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Well, James Harden's playoff history is a little complicated, right? You can't really put it all under one umbrella because he's had some pretty phenomenal playoff performances. The problem is he can get tired and at the end of series when it really counts, he's not there. And a lot of those times that you're thinking of, as I say that, that I'm talking about, are times when he has had an injured co star. So we think about his last playoff series with Philadelphia. He was phenomenal in game five, kept him afloat, did things that nobody expected of him. And yet in game six and seven it looked like he was out to lunch. James and Joel Embiid wasn't there, Chris Paul got hurt. Then we looked at James Harden and we were sort of like, hmm, what are you doing man? Kevin Durant got hurt, Kyrie Irving in and out of the lineup. Those kinds of things definitely have effect on James Harden because while he is out on the court, he's a bull out there. He's a much bigger guy. Everybody here you know, and I know Miro, I know Amin, we've all spent time with him in person, but on TV he doesn't look quite as big as he is when you are with standing out on the court. He's a large guy, plays physical, puts a lot of energy into what he does and man, he's out there every night. We talk about some of these guys you can barely know whether they're going to play or not. James Harden is going to play, he likes playing ball and he is reliable and consistent. So he plays most if not all games some seasons. And that is why we see him kind of tire out at the end of playoffs if Donovan Mitchell stays healthy. And I'm going to knock on everything because that kid has had just an on fire season this year. James Harden, I don't expect to disappear at the end of playoff series in the same way because the load on him is just going to be completely different. And I think that's the gamble that Cleveland's taking right now.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, were you trying to get in here?

[Dan]

Yeah, No, I was. It's exactly what Rachel just said. He's a guy that when in Houston, 78 games played. 73, 81, 82, 81, 72, 78. Right. And then the minutes per game, 36 plus that entire time for his career, he's a 35 minute per game player. He plays games. He plays most of the games. And like Rachel said, it's not like he's out on the perimeter catching and swinging. He's got the ball in his hands, he's creating contact, he's taking contact. He plays a very physically taxing style of basketball in an era where everybody is trying to manage down that load he is accepting. And so part of his foibles in the playoffs, like Rachel said, is running out of gas. Part of it also is we remember the really bad moments. We don't remember the great moments. So, like all of those things factor in now you get to Cleveland, it's like, hey, I don't have to be the second best player. I could be the theoretically the third best player if Evan Mobley takes that leap forward. So now you're saying, okay, I get to pick and choose, I get to conserve and most importantly, I play in a team defense that's really good on its own. He gets to fit in and maybe ration out his energy a little bit better. Amino acid.

[Zas]

Hey, Rachel. So speaking of Harden and the Clippers also a little while ago traded Zubots to Indiana. Why are the Clippers holding on to Kawhi?

[Venmo Ad Voice]

You want my real reason? My, my fun speculation reason?

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you want money?

[Venmo Ad Voice]

What do we want?

[Mike Ryan]

All of them?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Wait, I'm not going to say it because it's going to get aggregated in a weird way. So I'm going to let Amin say it because people will know that. I mean, what am I talking about?

[Dan]

I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know why I'm in New York. I have no idea why I'm in New York. I just thought it was going to be warmer.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Look, first of all, I don't know who is. I'm sure they're taking calls on Kauai. I'm sure people are calling right now because between Harden and Zuba is very easy to see where they're going, the direction they're going in right now. I don't know if someone's going to I don't know if there's going to be an offer for Kawhi that's going to actually reflect his value. And I don't know if the Clippers are going to want to part with Kawhi Leonard in the middle of this whole aspiration investigation.

[Dan Le Batard]

Merrow has to get out of here. But hot 97 mornings with Merrill. Weekday 6 to 10am Host of Victory Light with Merrill from Iowa.

[Dan]

Let me hold the dollar.

[Dan Le Batard]

New episodes twice a week. Wherever you get your podcast, you don't have a fl. Your country there. You don't have. You don't have anything. You usually carry a flag.

[Dan]

He's corporate now. They got to him. The money got to him. This. I'm in my.

[The Kid Mero]

I'm in my studio. This is Victory Light Studios. And I have the bodega gambling machine right here, you know, and I also have various acutramont. You know what I mean? I got the TV over there and I got a cigarette machine.

[Zas]

Got a sick machine. I love that Sig machine.

[The Kid Mero]

Old school. Old school, you know what I mean? So, yeah, I got. I got, you know, bodega flavors around me.

[Dan Le Batard]

Before we let you go, I just. I said this to somebody the other day. I love that. The last time you and I were walking down the streets of New York, you stopped, you took a highlighter out of your pocket, and you graffiti signed your name on a garbage can. Cause you're still leaving your imprint all over New York. I love that, buddy.

[The Kid Mero]

Have to do it.

[Dan]

Have to do it.

[The Kid Mero]

I'm the son of New York.

[Dan Le Batard]

See you later. Congratulations on everything your Knicks are doing. It's totally infuriating. And. Get out of here. Get him out of here. Yeah. Boston. Boston.

[The Kid Mero]

Thank you, Rachel.

[Dan Le Batard]

See you later. Boston and New York getting better as the Heat fade. We've got seven minutes here left for the Heat to acquire a superstar. Rachel, over the last few days of trades, who do you think got better? Best?

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I mean, we were just talking about Cleveland. I think they really changed their fortune, right? Nobody, including people in that locker room felt like, man, we have the chance to win it all in the East. I'm not saying not everyone in that locker room, but there were feelings around the organization that a change needed to happen. And I think that they are going to now go at the playoffs with a pretty renewed energy and renewed, indifferent chances. So that's pretty significant to me. I think that Boston really upped itself. It's funny, the east is, quote, wide open, except everybody was in an arms race again. I mean, we've seen this happen in the east much more than the west in different years. One makes a trade, and the other ones are like, well, I better make a trade. Well, I better make a trade. The Knicks obviously didn't feel that way because they really weren't in those Giannis conversations in the end. And they think that staying pat with what they got, I think. I think that's where you have to look, is that clump at the top of the east as sort of where the biggest impact was made?

[Dan]

I don't know.

[Zas]

What do you think, Dan? This is such an embarrassment. We're five minutes away from the trade deadline like that. They've done nothing. He's done nothing. It's embarrassing.

[Dan Le Batard]

Rachel, what criticism is fair of Pat Riley? Mike Ryan back there is furious. He's just. He's enraged that the front office has not been very good the last five years.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Well, what do you. What do you think? What would you have liked to see them do?

[Dan Le Batard]

Anything.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, anything.

[Dan]

They don't have an answer, Rachel. They just want. They just want something new and shiny.

[Mike Ryan]

Don't listen to him. I literally said anything.

[Jeremy]

They traded nothing for Norm Powell, by.

[Mike Ryan]

The way, and that satiated me for a little bit. That was a pretty good acquisition.

[Zas]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

They're 500 teams, seven and nine in their last 16, and they're 17th in the league in offensive rating after a good start.

[Mike Ryan]

Rachel highlighted the reason for my frustration, and again, I'm not at a. In a losing position here. You guys have to convince the nation I've been right every single time. The east is getting better. They need to do something. They don't do anything. They get lapped. That's my frustration here, and I thought it would come to an end. And it's not just Giannis. Okay, you want to tell me that Milwaukee wasn't serious? Fine. You want to tell me that the narrative got out there that the league just wasn't going to allow Damian Lillard to go to Miami? Fine. We struck out on Kevin Durant three times. We didn't make any of the other ancillary moves to get somebody next to Jimmy Butler that could make a difference. This is. Since dating back to the finals of 2023, it has been evident to everybody, obvious to every single person that follows this league, that Miami needed to do stuff to improve the roster, and they just didn't. They just failed. And I'm not used to this franchise, and that executive in particular, failing as much as he has recently.

[Dan]

I mean, Rachel, Rachel, all I need to do is I should have won Powerball, and I didn't. I should have won Mega Millions, and I didn't, and that's on me. I've let myself down as I see other people doing much better in life and making more money. The opportunity for me was there just to go out and win Mega Millions and win Powerball, and then I could have been the rich guy.

[Dan Le Batard]

What criticism is fair, Rachel?

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I mean, Amin's not wrong. But also, look, a front. There's a question with a front office that has been intact for. Is it 20 something? How long has that sort of core front office.

[Zas]

31 years.

[Dan Le Batard]

30. 30.

[Zas]

31 years?

[Dan]

95.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I was gonna say 26, 27 years, but yes, 30 years. You know, are they bringing enough new voices? There was a moment where Pat Riley really felt like he was gambling and trading for now, because he was sort of. I think he even said it at one point, right? Like, I'm not going to be around forever, so, you know, the time is now, that kind of thing. And they did make some bold moves, but in terms of what opportunity they had in this particular trade deadline to do something that made fans feel like, man, we now have a chance to contend. I don't know if they were there. I didn't hear about any. And the Giannis play was. Obviously, would have been huge for them, but in the end, the Bucks just weren't going to deal.

[Zas]

Well, do you think they were serious at all, Rachel?

[Dan]

Milwaukee, the Bucks?

[Jeremy]

Yeah.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Yeah, I do. I think it's been confusing. I think it's hard. I think it's hard to know what to do in this situation. And Giannis has complicated feelings, and he's talked about those complicated feelings so much that it makes it a little bit harder. Giannis, what he's actually said in interviews the past few days is, I love Milwaukee. I wish I could stay here. I want to retire as a buck. But he says, I also only want to do that if I can play for a championship. And he's challenging interviewers. Do you think that we can play for a championship here and that sort of thing? The problem is that headline that makes it to Bucs fans is, I want to stay a buck for the rest of my life. That's all people hear in Milwaukee. And so there's just. It makes it difficult for the front office to. To really know what Giannis wants. He said at different times, hey, I want. What was the phrasing? I'm ready to leave, right? Ready for a new home, for a trade. I'm ready for a new home. So wait, you want to deal him, on the other hand, do you want to wait till the summer? Rigianis will have a little bit more sort of agency of where he goes because he'll only have that one year left on his deal, so he'll get to call the shots a little bit more. But also teams will have a lot more assets once draft day comes to deliver and trade because contracts will be up because they get more picks, you know, refresh on draft day, that kind of thing. So it could be more advantageous for them if they are going to deal to do it in the summer. And then what is Giannis saying to Bucs fans at that point? Also, it is a complicated situation because I think Giannis is being honest when he says he doesn't really want to leave, but he also really, really wants a title and he is prioritizing that more. Another title, he's prioritizing that more. And it just makes it complicated. I think they were genuine in having the discussions and seeing what they could get. I am not surprised that they are keeping him for now.

[Dan Le Batard]

Also complicated. Chris Haynes is now reporting that Kawhi is not going to be moved. So you tell me what you think is gonna happen with Kawhi and Adam Silver, because a whole lot of people I hear saying around here nothing's gonn and I simply can't believe, Rachel, given how thorough the reporting has been on this by Pablo Torre, that nothing's gonna happen. I don't believe that's possible at all.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I couldn't tell you because I don't know what the investigators are gonna say. It's just, it's. It's too hard to sit here and predict. You know, they have a different standard of evidence. It's not a more stringent. It's just different. And I don't know what they are going to come up with, how clear any smoking gun is going to feel to them. You know, Adam said something when this was all sort of top of mind in news conferences. You know, he said that a smoking gun doesn't have to be sort of tangible. This is the email where we said, you know, we are circumventing the cap. It doesn't have to be that there can be circumstantial evidence that leads to a smoking gun. But I don't know what, what they are going to consider, what they're going to say reaches that level. So until we know what their standard is, until we know what they find, I just think anyone who's predicting is sort of just guessing is my opinion.

[Dan Le Batard]

Rachel, thank you. I know you're very busy and this is a obviously busy time. Thank you for making the time for us on short notice. Always appreciate it.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Happy Draft Day, gentlemen.

[Dan Le Batard]

Or not.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Draft day. Draft day's next. Happy trade day.

[Dan Le Batard]

Unhappy trade day.

[Zaz]

No trade day.

[Mike Ryan]

Why didn't John Morantz zero trade? I thought that that one was definitely going to happen at some point.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I can answer that one.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Can you?

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Yeah. Nobody around the league. Okay, let me be careful. Not nobody. Who wants him. This is a little bit like. This is like your Miami question kind of in reverse. Memphis wants to trade John Moran. And the way that, you know that nobody wants him on their team is that he's not on another team right now. This is not speculation on my part. This is. Nobody wants him. And the price for him has actually gone down since they have made other trades. What they need for John Morant is actually less because now they have picks from the Jaron Jackson deal. Now they have sort of their young core. So they are able to move forward and get less for John Morant and he's still not on another team.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, let me ask you this.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

That is the answer to your question.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. Even though I said goodbye, let me ask you this question and I'll put it to Amin after you're gone. But Jaren Jackson's a two time all star, a rim protector, a defensive player of the year. Okay, so A, what the hell is Memphis doing? And B, give me the historical precedent for what you just said on John Moran. Guy who was being talked about for Face of the League a couple of years ago. Dumpster discount value. A couple years later, you tell me when that's ever happened in all your years covering the sport. We talk about a guy face of the league and a couple years later, he has no value.

[Dan]

You.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

I feel like that's. I don't feel like that's as rare as you're saying. I don't know. I'm not having like the perfect guy spring to mind. I mean, maybe you can help me. But guys, there's definitely. The NBA is full of guys who we thought were very promising and beyond promising. We were sort of like, oh man, he's ready to do it. And then they shoot themselves in the foot. Like we've seen it. I think that with Memphis and what they're doing overall, they clearly understand that what they've had the past couple of years isn't working. And Zach Kleiman in the front office said it, he's like, we're not in. We're not in the mix. He's like, it's not like we're close and we just need to get through that hump. He said, we're not. So they are clearly signaled when they got a great offer for Desmond Bain. Okay, we're going to rebuild. And they were waiting to see if the team, if that was enough, if the team could still sort of operate the way that they wanted it to. At that point, they still thought John Morant was in their plans and that he was going to be able to come back and be the super superstar we all expected him to be. And it was very obvious in the first half of this season that that was just not going to happen. He threw another series of temper tantrums. There was another set of problems. It was another coach he had a problem with. And they just decided that's it. And he's been available for trade for a long time, guys. For a long time. There are a lot of people who had the opportunity to go in and get him. And again, the way, you know that nobody else wanted him is that he is still in Memphis Grizzlies uniform.

[Dan Le Batard]

This time I say goodbye and I mean it. And I say thank you again. And I meant that each time that I said it. Thank you.

[Venmo Ad Voice]

Bye, guys.

[Dan Le Batard]

Amin your thoughts on what Memphis is doing? Because they were real close a couple of years ago. It felt like we were talking about that team as clearly an ascending team that was going to be around for the next five years.

[Dan]

It was them and the Timberwolves, Dan. Those were the two teams that were rising young players, a new generation. They're taking their franchises somewhere and they played against each other in the playoffs. Actually, Memphis actually ended up winning by making like two less turnovers than the Timberwolves did. Because that series was one of the worst basketball playoff series I ever seen in my life. But the reality is life came at them fast from three different angles. Angle one, health. They had a lot of injuries over that. That period of time, particularly also to jaw. Angle number two, jaws off the court, issues that hurt. And angle number three, jaws game did not develop the way it needed to. Right. At some point, the league has a book on you, and so we're going to guard you like this. And so that's when you develop counters to get around us guarding you like this. Michael Jordan was really great, and then the Pistons beat his ass. And so he said, okay, I got to get in the weight room and I gotta get stronger. And he countered that. And then he's like, I gotta take less high flying, acrobatic plays at the rim. I got to do more mid range. And he got better at that. That's how the progression goes. John never progressed. He stayed kind of the same type of player. Does that mean he'll never progress from here on out? No, he's still a young guy. But when you have all three of these factors, him not getting it as better as a player, him not getting healthy, and him not taking that seriously as far as as how to comport himself and what his life should be about, those things all conspire to bring the Grizzlies to where we are now. But you keep saying, I can't believe Jared Jackson for that little. I'm like, they got three first rounders for him.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, no, I didn't mean that little. I just meant that they're blowing it up and starting over and doing maybe what it is that the Heat should have been doing, given that they're just tearing it all down. I'm not saying for so little. I'm saying that they're getting rid of him at all. He's a good player.

[Dan]

He is a good player. But, you know, I heard David Sampson talk about this earlier, about winning 100, losing 100. And I, I saw him today and I said, the only part I would disagree with is there are some stops along the way to winning 100. It's not either 100 right now or, or nothing. There are some stops along the way. But for Memphis, once they began to realize this guy Ja isn't the guy, now you got to take a step back. Can we take, take multiple massive steps back and help ourselves out by moving off of Jaren Jackson? They ultimately said yes and they knew it. But again, before Mike says that's what I want Miami to do, the biggest comparison here is that Memphis has been terrible. They have been bad with their guys. Right? And Miami has never hit that word, terrible. I'm sick and tired of being terrible. They're just not progressing to that next step because again, getting these superstars are hard. And by the way, lest you believe, let me just get a zillion picks and then I'll get them in the draft. Look at what Philadelphia went through, through that whole process before they got Joel Embiid and then before Joel Embiid was healthy enough to play. It takes a while. Even that's not a sure fire strategy. You just have to figure out one way or another, how do I acquire that whale.

[Dan Le Batard]

I can feel Zaz's Despondence. Annoyed on me, I can feel, because we're seven minutes now past the dead, and some things trickle in late. But are we really in a position where the only team that didn't make a trade of any kind is the Heat? Why are you holding your head?

[Mike Ryan]

Is it because Cam Thomas randomly got waved just now? I don't get that at all.

[Dan]

That's crazy.

[Mike Ryan]

He's a good scorer.

[Dan]

That's crazy. That's crazy. That's crazy. He's a good scorer.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, but he's, he's a rationally confident guy who might be a trouble in that locker room like that. You don't?

[Dan]

No. Well, well, I, I, I, I would say no, Dan. It's not that he's a trouble in the locker room. Obviously they tried to trade him. The, the hard part about trading him this year is he has a no trade clause, so he, he could have cock blocked any number of deals that they may have had on the table for him for good value. My thing is, hey, I would have held on to him and then try to do a signing trade in the offseason. The idea of just waving him is pretty staggering.

[Dan Le Batard]

But the, the reason I, I, it's probably unfair for me to go straight to, he's a problem in the locker room. Any value for that suggests to me that there's something that they just wanted out of their facility.

[Dan]

Yeah, I mean, I get it. Even if I told him to stay at home, I still would have held on. I don't think I would have done that. I'm eager to hear what the reporting is about, why they decided to waive him. Just straight up, wave him. I mean, if he was that much of a jerk, to be honest with you, let me put on my David Sampson hat and say, say I would especially not have waived them. I would just say, hey, here's your paycheck, Stay at home. And then good luck in free agency.

[Dan Le Batard]

I want to bounce around the league just a little bit with you here as we wait to see if there's any news that ends up trickling in. But your thoughts on what happened with the Warriors.

[Dan]

So the Warriors, I actually was texting with Jeremy about this earlier. The warriors hit that level where the Timberwolves hit, which is these guys aren't serious. And so if you're not serious about trading Giannis right now, then I need to do what I need to do to get rid of Kaminga and get value on that. And so this is, I think, more commensurate with what Mike Wants. The warriors rolled the dice big time because they said, I'm going to take Buddy Heald, who has been a good role player for us. I'm going to take John and Kamingo, who, depending on who you ask, has varying levels of value around the league. And I'm gonna go get a guy who might be the most sick player in NBA history. I've never seen somebody miss more games due to illness than Cristoporzingis. Again, if he's healthy, then he's an actually really good addition for them because he's a good defensive player, he's a good three point shooter, he's. You can't kind of single guard him in the post. All those things, things. That's great champion pedigree, obviously, but the guy hasn't been able to stay out of the doctor's office for at least three years now, right. Since the championship. And even then he was dealing with, with stuff. That's a gamble to me. They tell me that's the best deal they had on the table for Kaminga. I, I kind of say, really? And then I say, ah, maybe, yeah, I think maybe that's, that was the going price.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, I think all the teams that ended up being interested in Giannis and being close, had offers on the table, ended up either late last night or earlier this morning making moves.

[Zas]

They plan B.S.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, they did. And Miami appears to have not, which is truly shocking. If there was one team that reputationally there was a ton of pressure to actually make a move this season, it was the Miami Heat inside the east, and they didn't.

[Zas]

And if I could say, if I could say real quick, I mean, like, obviously you're right. I mean, when you say it takes two to tango and Milwaukee, like, they, they didn't make them available, they wouldn't trade him. The Heat's plan then putting all their eggs in a basket to acquire a player who is literally unattainable, That's a bad plan.

[Dan]

I would say this, Zaz. The absence of proof is not the proof of absence. The absence of proof is not the proof of absence. Just because a plan B did not materialize does not mean a plan B or plan C or a plan D or a plan E wasn't in. In place. It just means that they will not be able to execute him for whatever reason. So what if plan B was okay, I'm going to take Simone Fontechio and I'm gonna flip him for something of value and every Fontechio deal that they had or create part of the head was like, you got to throw in a first. What? We're not. We still have Gianna's plans for June and July until. Until he signs an extension. We are still going to be holding out. We don't want to be that team that took ourselves off the table because we traded Simone Fontechio for like Luke Canard or something like that.

[Zas]

Well, they did that when they traded for Terry Wagier. Was actually when they took themselves off the table.

[Dan]

They.

[Jeremy]

They.

[Dan]

Well, like, that's assuming that that first round pick would have got the deal done. You're making vast assumptions.

[Zas]

Well, it would have been two first round picks.

[Dan]

Yeah, you're making vast assumptions that that was the difference in between Milwaukee said sold and where we are today. And without that, you can't. You. Your guys are going off your assumptions because the deal wasn't done. That means they had no plan B. Well, that's not true at all. Right There could have been, like I said, plan Z. But if every one of those plans, everyone else partners, is trying to screw you over and you know, wait, I still have to have enough available to make a concerted run at this dude in three months or four or five months, then the best plan is to not do that. The best plan is to sit it.

[Jeremy]

Out with the Heat and with the Warriors. We were expecting to see more salary dumps, which we have right here. But Dan, it's because you don't want your team to get to the first apron or the second apron. And we have that going up right behind you. They're hanging the first apron right now.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's what they're doing. They're getting me under the apron.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, you're right. Under the apron. There's. There's three Danny's in that studio.

[Mike Ryan]

I think we're clear. I mean, yes, in a vacuum. I don't even totally disagree. It's just I've heard that for three seasons now. And that's where I reach a breaking point. Also my Ubers here.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, let me see if Amin. If Amin has an opinion on should the Heat have moved Wiggins or Powell or if they could have even moved Rosier. Is that what they could have done for AdSense?

[Dan]

The boring answer is you need to tell me what they were going to move them for. If you tell me, yo, they had a deal for Norm Powell for three first round picks from Utah, then I say, yeah, Norm, sorry, hey, have fun in Salt Lake City. But you guys are assuming that these deals were available and the Heat said, no, no, not for me. I like my team. No, man, every front office in the league, Oklahoma City did a deal. It's like every front office in the league is trying to get something done.

[Dan Le Batard]

But you don't think, you don't think there was a first rounder for, for Wiggins or for Powell so that you can sweeten the offer and just go ahead and dump the season.

[Dan]

So if you. So are you saying for. Sweeten the offer for Giannis right now?

[The Kid Mero]

Yes.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, they're going to be, they're going to be competing with 20 other teams for Giannis in the off season. So wouldn't you get yourself in a better position now to have more picks in the off season so that you can make the best offer?

[Dan]

So if it's for the off season, sure. But then if you trade Wiggins now, you've lost what could have been one of the pieces that you would use to build up salary. Because remember, remember, Terry Rozier is a free agent at the end of the year, so his availability of his contract as a piece that you can make a deal for, it ended right now. Ended 15 minutes ago. Right. That, that's, that's the key piece here. So now you got to say, okay, well, how do I add up to $50 million, which is what Giannis makes, in order to be able to acquire him? I can't just give out. So, oh, now I got the pick. Well, you know, how do you make the salaries work? These things all happen within like a bigger context and not, not in vacuums. And you guys keep thinking about in a vacuum. Jeremy asked me yesterday or Zaz asked me yesterday, how does that work? Right? They, I think I could trade so and so for a first round pick. And then, and I said to you, z, that's not how it works. How it works is like what gets the deal done. Three first get it done. And then if you say four, I'll say, okay, I'll go get that fourth one. That's how that works. But if they're saying to you, if they're playing Koi or they're saying seven first gets it done, done, or whatever tactic that they're using very quickly, you realize right now I ain't gonna get it and trading Wiggins for one more first round pick, how about now? It's probably still not good enough. And that's why I keep saying, you guys keep assuming the absence of proof is the proof of absence. Meaning you assume because they didn't get Giannis, that means they didn't come correct on their offer or because they didn't trade one of these other guys for something that means they. What, they didn't have a plan to try to do that? No, it means the plan didn't work.

[Mike Ryan]

Zaz. It's an xl.

[Dan Le Batard]

You guys want to get out of here? Should we finish the whole thing? You want to give us some more thoughts on the Lakers? I wanted to bounce around the league, but I think everybody wants to get around out of it.

[Dan]

You got bounce with you?

[Zas]

You got that black? I only do uber black.

[Mike Ryan]

All right. I got it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you guys think it's over? There's not going to be any more announcements. The heats are going to. The Heat are going to be a team that does nothing. They're going to be the only team that does.

[Mike Ryan]

I cannot believe I have to hear those words. This is so painful.

[Zaz]

They stood pat.

[Mike Ryan]

I can't believe it.

[Dan]

A lot of these teams. Dan, again, I told you guys this earlier. We went from, you were supposed to get a $14 million disbursement to 5. As a non taxpayer. A lot of these deals that seem like, oh my God, they did the move before. It's just team saying, I don't want to pay my taxes. I want to be under. I cannot justify to my ownership group that, hey, we paid this much, much we missed out on this check to get to the second round.

[Dan Le Batard]

What's happening right now? What's happening on the screen? Keep doing this to me.

[Dan]

Why?

[Dan Le Batard]

Why does this keep happening? The Bulls, I mean, your thoughts on what the Bulls did.

[Dan]

The Bulls did a shitty version of what most teams, I guess what Mike wants, which is like just trade the guys and get assets. Problem is they didn't really get assets. They. You got Nick Richard, you got. You got a couple of guys, but you didn't come home with the draft.

[Dan Le Batard]

Half the p. Second round picks nine.

[Mike Ryan]

That's above six foot nine.

[Dan]

It's. It's a currency. It is a currency. It's not as good a currency.

[Zas]

How many first round picks is nine second rounders equivalent to one?

[Dan]

It depends on what kind of second round pick it is. Right. If it's for instance, Washington, second round pick. Off the top of my head, sure. That's like. Or Sacramento's. That's the 31st pick in the draft. 32nd. That's damn near first round pick. If it's Oklahoma City, yeah, that's one of the worst picks. You might as well just at that point. There's a stage in the second round where I'd rather not draft you. I'D rather sign you as an undrafted free agent because then I have a lot more flexibility with how I can word the contract.

[Dan Le Batard]

What are you giggling about? The fat me. What now they're making me.

[Dan]

Oh, he's moving.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, you can't. All right, you know what? I'm gonna end this. I'm gonna end this now because I don't like what they're.

[Dan]

What about. What about Dallas? Let me do my Dallas. Dallas victory lap, which is at. Early in the season. I said Dallas controls its 2026 first round pick after 2026. They don't control. And so if there was ever a window. I don't advocate tanking, but if there ever was a window to tank right now, was it? You move all those bets, you get out of there and you build everything around Cooper Flag moving forward, right? They did that by moving Anthony Davis. They didn't get to move Gaffer or PJ Washington or Najee Marshall, who all I think should have commanded good gets on the market. Apparently not, because they didn't move. But they did move Anthony Davis. They did the right thing. And I think Dallas is actually way, way more well set up moving forward, even though it doesn't make up for the LUCA deal.

[Mike Ryan]

Quickly, you mentioned that you're anti tank tanking. A news item was that Milwaukee intends on shutting Giannis down if they were to not move him. How is this not against tanking?

[Dan]

I would say good luck with that because I don't think Giannis is going to get shut down. He's going to rehab and when he's ready to play, even if they're 30 games under.500, he's going to play.

[Dan Le Batard]

I want to get all of Amin's thoughts on all the things and I really don't know actually, as we move along here, I don't know if anything 20 minutes after the deadline can trickle in. I don't want to wander out of here and have something happen in the next seven minutes. But I am as frustrated as any of you are with the fact that the Miami Heat basketball organization, which has been the shining example of sports excellence in our community for 30 years, has taken this market from the football team and turned into one of the majestic things I've ever seen in the history of sports down here. I can imagine, Zaslow, that you are wildly wounded right now that we're leaving.

[Zas]

I'm just wondering wanted.

[Dan Le Batard]

And there's nothing that. It's just the same stuff. They're going to be playing for the Chicago's and the Atlantas and the Orlandos.

[Jeremy]

The Diamondbacks and Orioles are in agreement on a trade with infielder Blaze Alexander going to the Orioles.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm wounded, I'm tired, I'm sad. I speak for the group here. You know what, I'm not doing this with you guys. You can't keep putting that bad thing up there. And it moves.

[Mike Ryan]

Now it looks like you're speaking right now.

[Dan Le Batard]

And it's, you know what? Just have it. Replace me. I'm. I'm going to leave. I'm going to leave and I mean, I want all your thoughts on what the Lakers are doing. I can't get enough from you. But yeah, you, you guys, I'm. I'm not doing this with you guys anymore.

[Dan]

Well, well, let's start with the Lakers because I really thought they did a good job of improving along the margins. They sent out Gabe Benson, who they signed a couple years ago. They were going to get Gabe Vincent from that 2023 playoff run in Miami. Instead, they got the Gabe Vincent from that 2023 Miami regular season where he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. But they managed to pawn him off alongside a second round pick for Luke Canard, who's an excellent three point shooter and an underrated creator off the dribble in some secondary pick and roll action. He also leads the league in three point percentage. I just learned that right now he's damn near 50% from 3 this year. Meanwhile, the Suns, like I said, one of those teams get under the tax. What do we do with where barely a million dollars over the tax. They did a deal. They went, they sent out Nick Richard, who really was the odd man out in their center rotation behind of course Mark Williams and of course Eso Iguidaro. But they didn't address needing a power forward. And it's going to be interesting to see what they do in free agency, which is it's going to heat up right now instantly. It starts with the Cam Thomas waiver. Who are the guys that are going to get waived and end up helping a team that is playoff bound? Jeremy, I heard you ask about the Kings not doing anything. DeMar DeRozan is one of those names that we expect to hit the waiver wire at some point here. Remember, these guys have to sign with their new team before early March because to the early March deadline they're not going to be eligible for playoff play. So that's one thing to keep an eye on. I really also enjoyed the Utah Jazz. Jazz doing something I don't know right the Utah Jazz obviously their pick is top eight protected right? If they don't if it if it doesn't convey then they keep it if they're one of the eight worst teams the problem is you went out and got Jaren Jackson Jr. Now remember the Utah Jazz as a team was had the worst defense in NBA history three straight years in a row. That is a crazy crazy record. I think we'll never get touch judge but now when you add Jaren Jackson Jr. Does that streak end? Do they bring it back down and now they become from one of the worst defense in NBA history to just merely one of the worst defenses in NBA history. Either way we'll figure out what happens with that pick as we move on. What else is happening? Oh that's right the Pacers adding two bots. We didn't talk about this at all. Who has set themselves up 2627 season better than the Indiana Pacers basketball.